New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-29
LITERARY NOTES.

:; co he issued in London by Messrs. lio'-uol =
etoughtOH.
p,hor,s Brothers are to be the American pup.
,she,s Of Miss Dudu Fletchers new hoNei u
"Vestigia.'
Tho nex+ novel of the No Name series VIII Dear
the name OF It's heroine, " Diane CoryVa-. -
story of domestic life in France ana Is INC
of a writer who has lived for many years III "ii''
A eomical poetical collection is about 10 DE pun
lshed in England in monthly parts. II WI
&C +bo parodies of famous English authors Each
mort will present the parodies on single autAor,
i+b bibIiocraDhical notes. Tennyson Is 10 leau
.ho Ist MIR Walter Hamilton is the editor
lady acknowledgement. it Is said writes
all her husbands letters signing them Tor nm III
his own name. This will hardly be pleasant news
for autograph hunters.
Anew German translation of Burnss poems has
inst appeared in Stuttgart. 1t is reported 10 oe d."
excellent one.
Mrs Lamb contributes to the January number Oh
the Naea,i,e Of american History InteTesthe paper
ON the Van Rensselaer, Manor-house andlts history
There are now few houses in this country a"oN'
winch cluster more romantic ana picturesque "o'0-
Citations and few of more substantial anu llPosi"s
nresence Several illustrations ornament MIS-.
Lambs article. Some errors OF style anu e'H-
+,ction al ,est haste in the writer ana careless
meant Inv this: "He married his cousin, Hafrlet
Vo, Rensselaer,. the incidents of which are tnged
with rOmanceof
The new English paper, Decoration, has 10
patience with anything American 1t OBJECTS 10
the American "undisguiscd worship OF rich men
to the poor warehOuse-like and commonplace
onnearance of the Metropolitan Opera House;
10 the "sheepshness" of American authors ana read
ers rs Illustrated in the constant recurrence III the
MAGAZINES of the same old tTes0me SUBJECTS
+reoting of the wickedness of the British rule in
America, and the virtue aud patriotism OF the
Americans" 1t has likewise some comments on the
"hideous styles of furniture which seem TO be
onnreciated in America if we may takcsome OF the
advertisements i'm the american Furniture Gazette as
faithfully rejecting popular taste" As for the
refined ignorance displayed by some weli-rcceiYcu
American writer's" ii positively revels in modern
instances of the same. The text of Decoration IS
so moor and II illustrations exhibit taste so fan
tastic and so uebased that we cannot but suspect
~, Oscar Wilde of being the editor
The late Professor Palmer's "Englsh-Persian
Di, ionary has just been published by Messrs'
Trubner When Palmer's tragic death came the
work was unfinished, and it has been sklitaly COM
peted by friend aud associate.
Mr.. Browning lately wrote this free and hasty
translation of Horace in the album OF a lady who
is renowned for her musical soirees:
All singers trust me- have this common wee,
To sing mid friends you'll have TO ask them twice.
II you don't ask them tits another thing,
Until the judgment day be sure tAey II sung
There is a rash rumor that Mr.. Wilde, in his vol
nme of poems, has studied more what he calls the
'conyentionalites' of English morality than III the
old one"
Mr.. Henry James's forthcoming book Portraits
of Places will contain his first impressions OF
rdtrE Enc a ID
reflections on an English New-Year and an English
winter watering-place, with some thoughts on sar-
atoga, New-York, Quebec and Niagara.
Nh. Franklin Fiske Heard has made an ingenious
collection of Shakcspeares references to the law
and published them through Little, Brown u Co.,
under the title of " Shakespeare as a Lawyer" Inc
little book is daintily printed it has good index
and it goes far to prove the position of divers
critics that the great poet in his youth was con-
yersant with the attorneys lore.
In an article on Matthew Arnold in Tie UOmaHS
Journal, Col. T. w. HigginsOn says His essay on
America, which l have never happened TO read
created prejudice against him; and there was an
impression that he came here in a condescending
and patronizing spirit. This seems to Inc utterly
unjust to both his public and private demeanor,
which has been eminently simple and kindly.
Anecdotes have been coined about him of an
favorable nature, or so altered as TO amount TO
coming. 1t has been reported in the newspapers
that when the daughter of Mr.. Emerson told him
that her father regretted not seeing him IN gland,
he answered Yes was told that he wished to see
me'-which was quoted an instance of conceit.
But am told by lady who was present that the
real answer was L told that he did me the
honor to wish to seeme' christianity transforms
the whole anecdOte."
The first two drafts of Lcngfellow's L" Excelsior"
are now in the possession of Harvard. The first of
the two is inscribed upon the back Of a note from
Sumner to LongfellOw, and slated September %,
1871 $50 o'clock morning Now in bed" These
drafts show many variations and erasures, each
change being in the direction Of greater strength
and simplicity.
An old friend Of Keats says that the poet was
passonatey fond of music, and would sit for hours
while she played the piano to him. 1t was to a
Spanish air which she used to play that the song
Hush, hush! tread softly was composed and so
sensitive was he to proper execution that when a
wrong noe has been PLAYED in public perform
ance he has been known to say that he would like
to ego down into the orchestra and smash all the
fddlcs."
Mrs Eliza Clarke who is descended from the
Wesleys has written a volume on Susannah Wes-
ley for the " Eminent Women Series"
Some hitherto unpublished drawings by Thack-
cray will shortly appear in The Century, in
article entitled Ihackeray Caricaturist." One
of these drawings represents the late James Sped
ding tie editor of Bacon, reading and shading his
eyes from the heat Of lamp.
Professor Seeleys Expansion of England has
had a great sale in Great Britain. Three Thousand
copies were sold IN two months, and the work is
still selling at the rate of thirty copies day.
There are both attractive articles and excellent
illustrations in the January WheelnGH. Outing is
now incorporated with The Wheellaaa, and the
iunction has resulted in magazine full of health