New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-05-12
NEW PUBLICATIONS.


sERMoSs by nsH9V MATIhkT T,,idS tpo 81 Short
ban5 ycnorts by Ceor.c H. Crooks d. ID. evo.' PIP H.
All Harper Brothers -,
,fstof tI,c.e disconrsss were originally reported
Cor The Methodist AMI Dr. Crooks declares that tho
work Of revision has been performed with iree
bandn Undor ordinary circumstances an cu'Ioi'i
announcement of this sort might be alarmihg' '"'
we have no reason doubt that the reviser mas oe
malicious and that the employment oil tue lio0 W
was indeed necessary. Bishop Slmp5on' l'ko many
other extenporaneous Speakers, produced Ie'haiN
able effects by rhetorical passages WHICH ioso al
their charm in print. He almost entirely an
emotional orator; his sermons touch Out sh3H'!y
mon doctrine, and are even sngqlarly looSe III
Nterary structure, his habit being to follow the
asnirations of an ardent spirit rather than 10 COLI
fine himself to the development OF dlstuct lhc Vi
thought He not only strayed away rom ms 'oA''
but sometimes the subject with which he otough'
nm was quite different from that with which ho
started. Freedom of this sort is justified by It's
effects, and that it was amply justified ID the caSo
of Bishop Simpson is not open to question: III
Crooks in his short preface gives an interesting
and glowing description of the Bishops pulpit man
ner part of the secret of his power was personal
magnetism. but that was not ALL and in these dis
courses we have glimpse Of the rest-hls ierVor.
his earnestness. his spirituality, the simplicity Oh
his emotions. and his close sympathy with men,
THE RISE OF INTELLECTUAL LIBERTY from T 5ias
TO Copernicus. BY FREDERIC MAY HOLLAND OWL
PIP vii, 45S. Henry Holt Co.
Mr. Holland has written big and Dumptous
book to show that religion has always been tue
enemy of intellect, of truth. and consequently OF
human happiness and progress. lie proDaoiy ais
approves equally Of all religions, but Christianity
in its various shapes is the particular religion
which he lashes with the greatest gustV and distll-
finishes with the most vehement abuse. AS scep-
tcism according to him. is the most desirable anu
most honorable attitude of the mind, he treats as
the apostles of intellectual liberty the philosophers
sectaries and sects who have become known as the
opponents of received systems OF Thought Whatever
the falsity, absurdity, or immortality OF thelr own
principles. He lavishes encomium upon Julian the
Apostate, and crticses Christ in the tone OF
snperior person who has little patience with Our
Lords ignorance and bigotry. In working out his
theme he INDUCES 50 freely dogmatism, reckless
rhetoric and bold assumptions that his statements
of doctrines characters, tendencies, etc. are never
to be accepted without examination. In many
cases especially when he treating of Christianity
his exaggeratlons are gross that they deserve 10
be called falsehoods. He has not spark OF the
critical spirit and there is not page OF reasoning
in the whole volume.
ACROSS THE CHAsM. 16mo PIP. 80. Charles Serb
ners Sons.
Writing a novel is not quite so simple thing as
many young ladies to imagine. Inc
anonymous book before us is advertised as pro
duction of the gentler sex, but even without such
an official disclosure one would have had
no difficulty in ascribing it to woman,
and to a woman who has had a short
and narrow experience of life and character
Certainly there is neither life character III the
story. If the writer can be said to have mad any
definite purpose, beyond the general one OF writ
ing a book" that purpose was probably to express
her sentiments about good manners; but this IS oy
no means clear. The truth is that Across the
Chasmr does not contain the material for story;
and the talk which flows through it in pretty |
steady stream has not point enough to be interest
ing.
l6mO. PIP. III. Roberts Brothers
Miss Quincy has made a pretty little volume OF
pleasant essays with which tho most oA"otins
reader will hardly find fault. She has the faculty
of touching old themes with deftness and an lndl-
yidual humor which make them young again. we |
never can guess from the title how she means TO
treat her subject; but whatever her mood she has
a surprise in store for us-not very startling one 10
be sure but still surprise. This is great merit III
the writer of light essays Her manner is not
mite all her own. for she seems to have been
loving student of Charles Lamb; but she has an
alert mind gentle wit, and sense of the droll
and the grotesque. Her style has an easy grace |
which deserves cordial praise. Unlike that of most |
young lady writer's il is a formed style.
ON TUSCAN HILLS AND VENETIAN WATERs. by |
LINDA VIILARI. Illustrated by Mrs Arthur Lemon. |
Crown syo PIP $50. Scrbner & Wexford.
This English book is a record of holiday saunter- |
iugs in Italy, which took the writer not only to |
well known show-places, but also to a few pictur-
esque towns and haAlets where the tourist is
not often seen. 1t is written with zesU but in a |
sufficiently moderate style, and now and then it |
treats fresh topic with due appreciation of its
novelty. The landscape descriptions however are
q little wearsome; and upon the whole we cannot |
say that the work satisfies any imperative demand. |
The pictures are dreadful.
Nom T,uhlirnftnr1G