The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-07-06

sonvsrsiAs intsliigsntly In cultivated sosisty.
For eonstructias this royal road 10 learning. the
public ars indebted In the arst instance 10 Dr..
I6bsl. but chiefly 70 y. 4. Brookhaus. who
aided him In the preparation OF the first edition
OF the work. which. In fact. he purchased long
before lts completion In 1910. It appeared In
six volumes. representing fourteen years OF
labor. moro or less interrupted By the troubled
times In which the litor worked. OF the dif-
ficulties with which no had ~ contend In the
acquisition Of materials We. In this day Of the
multiplication Of libraries and books OF refer.
ence. can scarcely form an adequate oonoep.
ton. To Brockhaus roally belongs tho credit
Of creating the modern popular Dictionary Of
Conversation. y work. In respect both TO form
and design. differing ~ widely from such .
colossal enterprise ~ the Encyclopaedia
Britannica. the preparation Of . new edition OF
which occupies many years. - school dc
Nonary does from Webster's quarto.
The motive which inspired both Lobol and
Brockhaus IN tho preparation OF this work was
not altogether commendabls one. In point
Of fact. they invited the ignorant to acquire an
early and superficial education rather than
one founded on iaborious and systematic
study. and doubtloss many persons. BY cram
ming from It's pages. were enabled to take
rank ~ scholars OF Considerable srudition.
Whether or not this objection to his lexicon
impressed Brockhaus himself. We arc unable
to say; but It 10 certain that In tho second and
subsequent editions. while retaining IN many
respects the original distinctive feature Of the
work. he 80 ENLARGED and improved It that II
may now take foremost place among ovclo.
pndias Us u comprehensive and systemstical
repertory Of human knowledge. attractive 10
the impcrfectly educated reader By It's simple
style and avoidance Of detail. Brockhaus lived
to SEQ six editions Of his work 60 through tho
pross under his personal supervision. and at
this moment the publishing house OF +. A.
Brockhnus Of Leipsic. founded BY himself In
1917. and continued by his descendants. 10 en-
gagged upon tho thirteenth edition. Of which
seven volumes have already appeared. In It's
completed form It will OCCUPY seventeen or
eighteen volumes. The agents IN this country
arc B. Weatsrman l. Co. Of New York.
The Conversations Lexicon Of Brockhaus
was not only the pioneer work OF It's kind. but II
was In It's i'm proved form. the model on which
numerous similar lexicons have boon founded
in Germany. notably those OF Pierer. Wigand.
and Meyer. none Of which. however. have sur.
pussed In completeness and accuracy the par
ont work. It's successive editions have been
translated into every modern European Lam
Ruage. and In 1898 the late DR.. Francis Lie-
ber reproduced the seventh edition. with some
additions. as tho Encyclopedias Americana.
To those familiar only with the earlier edi.
lions OF the BrockhAus Lexicon the present one
will seem almost like q new work. The old
form Is. indeed retained. but the new volumes
are greatly enlarged In size. and are enriched
with maps and pictorial illustrations OF con-
siderable merit. We can commend the worl
for the attention 1t bestows upon Ameri
can subjects. historical. biographical. Of
geographical. So far a. the thirteenth edi
ton has proceeded. no conspicuous Amer.
lean name seems to have been omitted from IT
pages. We are. In fact. surprised at the pains
taken by the editor to notice every prominent
citizen OF this country. whether deceased Of
living. In some instances. we regret to say. ht
has been misled In his estimate OF public men
| The biography Of President Garfield attributes
! to him qualities which documentary evideno,
| will certainly leave In doubt.