New-York tribune., 1885-03-15
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
RECENT FICTION

v;,a , bas written brilliant historcai anu antl-
ouarian romance of the closing struggle between
Christianity and heathenism in the magnificent ana
luxurious city of Alexandria The acton .ahos
place in the year 391. the date OF the eo'o' VI
Tbeodosns definitely establishing the new faitn as
,ho on,v Ia avfpl loon of the Empire. prohibiting
ho.@ten sarrif;ces and closing the temples; ana
the principa incidents of the story are conspiracy
of the adherents of the old cult for an armed
resistance to the edict. tho attack upon the
Serapeum by the imperial legions. anu tno uoo
tuct;on of the famous statue of Scraps after the
fannie has been captured and ruined. About these
b,storical events the author has arranged hctions
of love and adventure. contrasts OF Chnsuan "N'
pagan character illustrations of the life ana
of tho Alexandran Greeks, sketches OIL 'no Nu'
Platonic philosophy. and VIVID pictures ., ~
tumult and spendor of that famous m0,iopo '"nS
whose glory forms one of the most striking
IN the transition period between the ancient ana
the modern world. Perhaps it will occur 10 many
readers of this work that Ebers has no very hearty
svmpathy for the Christianity whose da~nihg
friumph he Is celebrating. lie treats the uo'
tructon of the idol of Scraps as crime comm''eu
through the impulse of gross and shameIui iana'i-
cism and in this he is obviously wrong. even
according TO the reasons supplied by his own
narratve because it is clear that to overthrow the
statue was the way. and the only way 10 over,
throw at once the hideous and debasng worship oi
which it was not merely the emblem out the ih
snration. To us the masterpieces OF ancient ar1
anpeal by their beauty only, bot it is easy 10
understand that in the fourth century their
significance was quite different. Ebers is wrong
moreover. in attributing to some OF his Chrlstl'h
personages the grotesque belief that SINNER
having been damned at death, can aiterward DO
saved by some action on the part OF the hvihe. IL
is impossible to say what superstit ons huiViou"'
NAV have held but no such doctrine as this was
aver n mart of the Christian creed yet our author
makes it an important spring ct action III '"o VI
the main developments OF his romance III mus' 'o
remembered, however. that the Christlahity VI
Alexandria in the fourth century was by no means
the pure faith of the Apostolic age, and that the
Eastern Church was then in its worst state. III
was boneycombed with heresies. rscSed by the
fierce Aran controversy sonred with rancorous dis
mutations corrupted by the imperial alliance
intlamed with the pride of victories won through
persecution and violence. 1t numbered lpdiViuu'i
saints but as Dody it had ceased to be marked oy
the note of spirituality The monks of the desert
of whom Ebers presents such an extraordinary
view. had lost their primitive character ana were
becoming scandal which 1t afterward cost tne
church a great deal to correct The bishop. The
ophus whom Ebers represents as gloomy ana
naughty fanatic, is unfavorably known in eccleslas-
tical history (although the author neglects to say
SOL as the ally of the infamous Empress Eudoxla In
the nersecution and banishment OF ST. Johh
Chrvsostom Still, it is not the estimate OF Alex
andrian Christianity. nor the movement Oh the
imperfcctly developed story, which will fascinate
the reader but the glowing reproduction OF the
manncrs and events of singularly attractive time
The narrative of the defence and capture OF the
Serapcum which is the or tica incident OF the book'
is a noble piece of literary work. enchanting our
attention not only by the beauty OF the minute
descriptions but by the dramatic art with which
the interest is gradually heightened and excitement
held in suspense through several elaborate chapters
until we seem almost to share the leverlsh expecta-
tion, dread, and uncertainty which agitated Alex
andfia in that supreme hour. The account OF the
assembling of the defenders of the old gods. who
enter the temple by secret passage, the orgy In
which they pass the night before the attack, the
batterng of the walls, the heht and the hnai
destruction Of the shrine is wonderfully nne
description of chariot race is less exciting ohy
because it has a less intimate connection win Ine
story We hesitate to call the studies ot character
very successful and we cannot say that SatiS
factory disposition is made of any OF them but Ia
sn;te Of these defects "Serapis" has not dull
cbapter The translation. by Clara Bell, is fluent,
thoagh sometimes highly ungrammaticaL
a.yohn Rantoulr by Henry Loomis Nelson james
r. Osgood a. Co... is the story of young artist
who is reused from lazy dreams. and inspired 10
put forth his highest powers by falling in love with
another mans wife, The artists friends and the
lady's husband try in vain to avert the disaster.
On tie last page John and Mrs. Randolph are hold
;ng hands before the great picture which they call
the child of their beautiful love-" and the follow
ing scene is enacted:
For an instant only he stood looking down at
her then, seizing both her hands and drawing her
TO him ne said passonateiy i looted at him,
sweetly. confdingy and with light ID her eyes
thai he could misinterpret, so that he drew hrr
close to him, and putting his arm about her WINS
pered to her, eagerly, and still with questioning in
his voice Marion, you love me. darling, you love
met And she, at last overcome by Tue power OIL
Yes He seized her in his arms again, and crled
out Marion il is our fate we cannot help IL; we
have struggled, and we are conquered. he Kissed
her again and again, aud she yielded 10 him. 1eei-
Ing all the delicious fervOr of her love-"
After this she remarked that they must say good
bye forever there was more kissing and the author
adds that she withdrew herself "with dignity"
which we take leave to doubt. Mr.. Nelson does
not know it, but his Rantoul is stupid scamp and
his Marion drab. The book is odiOus
"The Wano of Ideal" William S. Colts
bergerI is described the title page as a novel,
by la Marchesa Colombo FROM the Italian, by
Cara Bell" It is very far from being novel; 1t
has no plot and no conclusion; but it is a clever
sketch of Italian manners, the framework being the
career OF village Lad who goes to Milan In order to
become lawyer, and after winning success goes
back 10 his old home to see his promised sweet
heart. She has waited for him; but his love Is
dead and she has grown plain and old fashioned,
and SO the romance ends. Perhaps if the author
had paid more attention to Rachel and lees to
Giovanni-who is very common and prosaic
persou-the story might have been made much
better
aThe Bassett Claim by Henry X. Elliot e. T.
La 10 do NTH the