The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-09-19

claimed the right of modifying or adapting
his discourse to suit several systems. Prob
ability with him, as with Bishop Butler was
the guide of life. The treatment of his
themes is thoroughly elevated, and his aim
Is to instruct a young man in those things
which have an intimate connection with the
development of character, as we'll as practi-
cal success in the conduct of life His own
experience of life had been long and varied,
and no man then living had wider or
sounder insight into the principles of politi-
cal and public or social Emorals.
Whether we have regard to the subject
matter or the style, the De Officiis has ever
been one of the most popular works of the
most popular of all Roman writers. Cicero's
main position is that those writers who rec
ognize no other end of life than pleasure,
have no right to appear as moral philoso-
piers. He contends that there is an abso-
Lutte standard of right and wrong justice and
injustice. The general duties of morality
are presented by the older moralists under
three heads. a Right and wrong actions.
~ The principle of expediency. 81 The
conflict between these two. Cicero subdi-
vides two of these making five divisions.
The subject is treated as if conduct were
indeed "three-fourths of life," and the style
is suited to the gravity and dignity of the
subject.
The letter press of this edition of the De
Officiis is equal to the best of Harper's publi-
cations and the notes are both copious and
critical The previous editions to which this
American edition is chiefly indebted, are
those Of Heine and other German scholars,
whose erudition has been common property
in England and the United States The
value Of the volume is also enhanced by an
excellent account of the fundamental princi-
pies of the stoical philosophy on which the
book is based
| Some Noted Princes, Authors and States
men of Our Time. Edited by James Parton
| New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Coz
Nearly all of the fifty biographical essays
which comprise this volume were originally
published in the Youths Companion. They
are, as the title denotes, descriptive Of noted
people of various ranks and professions, are
in a large measure of an anecdotal character
and are written for the most part by friends
and companions of the persons sketched or
by those who have met them under very fa-
yorable circumstances. Six of the essays
were written by Mr.. Parton himself, the
longest of which is the one on Mr.. Gladstone
whom he has drawn with an enthusiastic
and discriminating pen. James T. Fields
wrote eight of the articles, and his intimate
| personal relations with most of the people
he describes peculiarly fitted him for the
work. "reminiscences of Dean Stanley are
given by his associate and colleague, Canon
| Farrar, who also writes of Lord Beacons-
field. Dickens with his children, contributed
| by his daughter, is charming picture of his
home life; and delightful interview with
| Thackeray is given by Mr. Charles Brainard.
Emerson, Longfellow, Macaulay, Prescott,
Scott, Victor Hugo and many other authors
and statesmen are entertainingly talked OF
| by those who knew them well; famous
scenes are depicted in the House of Com
mons, and royal personages of various coun-
tries are described in very interesting man
ner. The bookis handsomelysgotten up and
| is profusely illustrated.
| Stories of Inventors. BY Rev. E. E.
| Hale, ID. d. Boston: Roberts Brothers
Portland: Lering, Short & Harmony This
is book for boys, whom it cannot fail to in
terest and instruct The style is somewhat
like that of the good old Peter Farley, the
sage of our youthful years. The inventions
described or narrated begin with the Greek
Archimedes and end with the India rubber
of the Yankee Goodyear. Between these a
dozen others equally attractive and impor-
tant are made to tell their story, which they
| do in clear and brief terms, none of the
stories being spun out to wearisome length
| or burdened with technicalities which ARE
| Ineligible only to the masters of each craft
The Franklin Square Song Collection No g.
| New York: Harper & Brothers; Portland
Loring, Short & Harmony The contents
of this volume are rather better selected than
the two preceding ones, containing more
| songs from operas and fay0rite old home and
| school songs. as well as some particularly
fine hymns. The book is modelled on the
| same plan as the others, each selection being
completed on one page and the spare room
filed in with paragraphs bearing more or less
directly on musical subjects; brief biograph
| ical sketches Of some composers being given
and the peculiar circumstances under which
their songs were written, valuable hints on
musical culture, quotations from authors, &c
Souvenirs of Some Continents. (Harper's
Handy Series.) By Archibald Forbes "A
collection of sketches by this celebrated wal
correspondent and lecturer, full of interest
| and worthy of the pen of this delightful
writer. A capital book for travellers.
| Nine. Necker's Salon. Franklin Square,
| By Vicount D'Haussonville. A charming
| description of the personal friends of the
wife of Louis XVI's minister of finance who
| used to attend her celebrated receptions.
Cut by the County. (Harper's Handy Sc.
| ries). By Miss Braddon. The book is moi
worthy of the author either in sensational
plot or style.
Miss Keith's Crime (Harper's Handy Sc
| ries. The novel is sensational enough in its
finale to please the most fastidious feaste1
| upon horrors.
| FINANCIAL.