New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-16
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

THE HISTORICAL MONUMENTS OF FRANCE. ~
JAMES r. HuNNEwELI- Pr. 1886. Boston James X
Osgood Co
In the course of somewhat extensive travels
throughout France Mr.. HunnewelPs tastes have
inclined him to the study of historical architecture
whose development from the early Roman works
10 the cathedrals and the great feuda monumentsis
illustrated more fully in France than in any other
country. Mr.. Hunncwell has read such books as
an intelligent student of this subject would be apt
TO seek and has absorbed much mental ahment
from Ferguson and Violet lie Due. He has taken an
especial interest in the work of the FRENCH
Commission for Preserving Historical Monuments
and having gathered from these sources much ma
terial he has compiled this book. Beginning III
southern France with the Roman remains AT La
Turbia aud Aries he describes the medieval forVn-
cations of Carcassonne, the monuments Oh Aqu
tania and Bordeaux. touching particularly III
central France upon the Auvergnian ILLUSTRATIONS Vi
the Romanesque order. Under the general DIVISIONS
of northern France and the ancient royal domains
northern aud central France; the castles north
westeru France and Paris medieval and modernwe
fnd n similar attempt TO observe chronological Sc
ouence Under the first head come the Abbey OF
st. Denis, notes regarding the great northern
churches and some account OF the cathedTalS Oh
Notre Dame, Reims. Amiens and Tours. The sec
ond division includes the famous castle OF CoucY
and Renaissance examples at ChenonceauX ana
Chambord. In Paris the author has selected the
Hotel de Cluny, Luxembourg, Palas Royal ana
Louvre, and this chapter is preceded by one
devoted TO the great palaces at FOntainebleau, st.
German, Versailles and st. Cloud. He has
endeavored to select representative works from a
list of nearly 1900 classed by the Govern
ment, to which the author adds 300
others of interest Necessarily the greater
number of the historical monuments are Ielegated
10 an elaborate appendix, the long list made out
from official and other sources, with additions and
notes that proper"
The value of this book lies in its containing be-
tween two covers a mass of not always assimilated
material in the way of facts, for which reader
would be obliged to search through many volumes.
OF original inference or conclusion we find nothing
The author in his introduction promises TO read
us some valuable lessons. He tells us that the
Southern churches those at Carcassonne and
Perpgnan for example, offer models, convenient,
strong and easily fre-p proof for American church
building infinitely better, regards
wide spaces, solid work, and ecclesi-
astical effects, than the more intricate
cathedras OF the North. We can readily agree
with the authors yearning for true architecture
in place of an ambitious sham" and good work
lnanship and not a poor pretence." And we can
agree all the more easily because no writer has ever
studied the loving, earnest work of the cathedral
building ages without expressing exactly such
sentiments as Mr.. Hunnewell enunciates. The
next lesson which we are taught Is that
governmental care of the historical mon
uments of France should inspire Americans TO-
watch over our few historical remains, remark
indlsputably true but neither novel nor striking
as 10 require comment. These are the chef at
tempts at original observations. For the rest, the
descriptions of churches and castles are plenlfuly
dotted with scraps of history and guide-book lore,
and enlivenedb by several Illustrations, intended, RS
the author frankly says, simply to give state
mentsD 1t can hardly be said that the book shows
a literary style. This certainly is not the work of
a practised polished, nor even of particularly
entertaining writer.
THREE VILLAGES ByW D. HowELs. 1Gmo., PIP.
1913. James Il. Oscood co.
MI Howels has here collected in pretty little
volume three short pieces which show his power
under various aspects. The peasantest and IN lit
erary sense the best Of the three is the charming
paper on Lexington" originally contributed to
Loaqn,aa's Magazine. 1t is distinguished by that
happy faculty of description that sure artistic eye
and that genial spirit which constitute so much of
the fascination of his larger works; flashes of char
acterstic humor surprise us in its delicate pages;
and it has all that strong individual flavor which
makes the best writing of Mr.. HOwels so different
from the rest of the good writing which is getting
10 be abundant in American books of the day. The
second village in his collection is the Shaker settle
ment of Shirley" If Lexington was theme for
dainty literary exercise, Shirley served him rather
for plain and sympathetic account of com
munty which he seems TO have regarded with
tender interest The quiet and simple tone of the
paper is in perfect accord with the life it Dortrays
The story of the Moravian Indian settlement OF
Gnadenhitten, 'on the Muskingum, and the brutal
massacre by which the white frOntersmen blotted
it ont in 1872 is vigorously told in the last chapter
OF the book where Mr.. iowells shows his skill in
tracic naI1atiye rather than description.