New-York tribune., 1885-01-18
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

,o>,,,s on Tuscany. Translated Gndn
RoApld1 nv FnaScfscs ALEXASnER ana M, ~ Santa
n,,x rUsKiy IL d. Part ~. Inc nii"" " ~
yVaN Si, go pp 80. John Wiley sohs'
o,,,;.ct of the second of these very curious
.,,a interesting transaions for wmch We ~, nio
daht.d in almost equal measure 10 the sAin .a a
G,c feeling of young lady, aud the dlScr
yea, Of Mr. Ruskin is an edfying ine'fica, hio'oA'
of the life and virtues of tlhrteehth o0n'' -
-, ,;r, of Iucca who earned contemporary rev.
orepce and posthumous cauonization py .no pi"o
tice of homcly sanctty. The original "ni0n ".
written in 1915 by one Bartoomeo o.seh' ~
what we should call either song OF q oaii"N
',''s -, " -n,,;,e in otfara riMa the translation'
which is somewhat abridged, has no low.
sor,,, fonr stanzas; its literary quaity IL no'
,orLoh,o. and the translator, while preserving ,''
e,mncity and d1rectness, seems TO nave au,o 70.
E,tje melody and grace of stylc with certain nS
itous touches of poetical imagery 10 so'"e .tor
Mr.. Ruskin calls particular attehton' hool,
more Miss Alexander has enr1ched tue NJ. IN n
with two striking illustrations, III WHICH, 80
hint of archaic stiffness of pose anu Sna r;th
outliue. not unpleasant aud qli'e AZ &C toniol
the toy there is a notable distinctheSs VI i"
.,.,,rosso, aud beauty of countenance WHICH eoD'
aoa,sr than the features. After all, however 'no
oraatest charm of the publication lies In 'he e"o
obleness of Mr. Ruskins lhtroouo'oiy
notes We do not suppose that anybody VIII ",'on
IN his dogmatlc and paradOxical remarAs 80
sainthood-for example. that persons u a,.,ts
bodyn can never be called saints pecau'o -. So
mnst he among other things, distinctveiy s'ions'
or that it is "a broadly physical fact 'ha'
have no saint without u coed fa'her anu r1s.h
or that sinful passions like PRIDE anger a,i I'D
pess are necessary to the economy OF INC VIZ
lI :. ,,nu,a follow that sin is not an evil, out
a divine benefaction)-nobody, we suppose can
ooree n this. but Mr. Ruskin saysl so wen, anu
mngles with il so much robust sense anu INV
noetrv that his very vagaries are delightful
nrvFrOpAIENT: What it Can Do and what oasno' svo
no By JAMES MCCosH, ID u. LII" D'
nm so Charles Scrbners Sons >-.,.
IoCKE's THEORY OF KNoWLEDGEi WIN II a ND.' d. L.
of Berkeley. BY JAMES MCO"eh' ~ "
syo pp. H. The same , -, s
These pamphlets form respectively .ho - ,h
9Th numbers of the PhilOsophc SERIES III W. mi.
the distia iaguished president OF fflhce'on ooe
has undertaken popular discussion VI mp co.
onestions Of metaphysics. Ia the essay on
vclopment." accepting the theory OF eVoiu.oi q" a
.xnIanation of the method in which the Almighty
1Np.s los s.or TT to produce the visible universe
he maintains that it is i'll no way opPoSSu " ~ W
,ocb,,gs of re gon; it is, the contrary, prooi
of ordsr and design. But he shows, by metaphys'-
cal argument that evolution cannot accoun' ioi
the first origin of things, that 1t cannon orlSin"
the newer which works in development 'n"U ~
cannot of itself give us the benihceht laws "nu
snooial ends we see in nature, that 1t cannot ac-
count for life and consciousness. In cohheo''on
with this demonstration he makes specla' rop'y w
the philosophy of Herbert Spencer - he Panpo.
on Locke and Berkeley is the first of number Oh
historical brochures in which, as seconu pa, o-
the SERIES DR.. McCosh proposes TO s'a!e anu oA
ammo the particular systems of the philosophers
who have appied themselves to the great questions
treated generally in the first series.
NEW YEARS MAsQUE, And Other Poems BY E1itn Nbtun
NJ THOMAS. 16mo PIP. w. loo' ho"sH'' ~
&Co
This exouisitely made volume. beautiful IN type
and paper and novel in binding embraces .no oVi
lected verses of lady who has peeh ia'oiao'S
known as contributor to some OF tho hiEn ,
periodicals. and it will be cordially welcomed oy
irro o,oos of readers who have learned TO appreci-
ate the iustness of her sentiment the purity Oh her
taste and the aptitude of her expression "A New
year,s Masauen is probably put III the place VI
honor BECAUSE it is the longest piece ayaiao'e io
that distinction; but it Is not very suons' anu
there are many short poems in the book whlch give
a better idea of the authors powers. IL 10 III i0
Elective compositions that her chief giit Hes oe'-
.ral stndies of the classical antique are d'stin-
pusbed above her usual manner by atiiuent die'lon
a sonorous movement; but these characteristics
are found in so much of the neo-Greek verse-wr'V-
,nc that their value is falling In some OF them
however. as we'll as III such pieces as DE" oi
Parnassnsn and South aud West" we mo an au-
mirable command OF melody and rhythm.
THE WAY OUT SUGGESTIONS FOR SOCIAL RE
EoS and 1y oGlon GEanLE5 q fanss SONS pp
This is a series of essays on social re-
form containing "a great many hackneyed phrases
and very few fresh ideas. The contents Vi
the volume are disappointing since the INTRO
dpction ia strdiously moderate In tone pointing IN
,ha drecton of reforms through existing and revised
law and dlsclaiming sympathy with revolutionary 'en
The antbors scheme contempates altered c0nd-
tons TO which society deliberately and patiently ADJUSTS
itself society he Observes Will eat lts preahi"S'
and 90 70 its work marry die, and be buried the morn
ing after tho great reform begins to go into ecct s as
.be day preyious 10 event" After % feassh6
Abatement one is led to expect not only CAIN ana 'e
changes to be wrought Dy IeSs-
lation and an enlightened public opinion but also
pracca suggestions and matter-o-fact proposals lhe
hook however is filled with crude economical theories
stale natitudes vague phrasng and generates that 30
not have ey en- the glitter of novelty. Starting with the
lent proposition that the prosperity anu hspp-
meas Of the many should be the end sought III society," c
eloses with ach wel-wOrn assertions as these Justice
shoud he free speedy and society should make
more special care education OF the young the SICK
aud ncar able should be provided for and the vicious re-
formed by gov ernment 1t Ia superuous for any social
reormer to into serious argument In support oi
postons that generally conceded in the present year
of grace and intelligence. As for the intermediate dis
OF the complex questions OF wealth. distribution
and mononoly there is little 10 say except that The
othor shows earnestness Of purpose and studious hs'
OF thought coupled with ucdity OF style and an excel