New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-21
SOME NEW BOOKS.

-, vyh,tvrortb Porter's History OF tho Corps
.s tzoval Engineers" Longmans, Green q OoJ 40
,ns,v enough the first attempt at an ordereu c'os
!, arms which has distinction IN all pars VI o
world. and has furnished some OF Engianus go ~,
.ant.ina and military administrators. General Fof-
80 aononrts for the fact by stating that hitherto inc
-, Tn o,nears have been busy that they nave MOI
tonnd time 10 write q history. Recently inc 'or u
retirement has been changed SO thaU oiH0oiS 90 -
stonad before old age, and the author owes do i9o
which has enabled him to undertake HiiS "oiA ~
80 .o,l.t,on He begins with the dawn OF engineer
no" $500 an6 carries the record from the Norman
cDorast down TO the present year. Inc corps VI
r,o.rs has two centuries of organized history anu
,his embraces every war In which EhglaIu HAS CIR
.ocad during that period General forIer gives WIN
nd clear sketches of the work OF the Ehelneers' IL
=, St-a,od by capital and abundant maps and plans
ha work is necessarily condensed but IL Is tul Vi III
- ord stirring pictures of battle and siege, from
che segs OF Calais in 1916 to that Of khartoum' "hen
the most distinguished soldier the corps mas proouou
Charles George Gordon-fell after his maSninceh' ue
fnce of SIT days 1t is TO be regretted mat inc ecope
a, the work did not admit Of including the history OF
the Indian branch Of the corps, whieh mas rolniA
abls record. but to treat that adequately demands
separate publication.
Mr.. Thomas payidson's "Prolegomena to In Me-
rnoriamp (Houghton, Mifiin Co.. is helpful intro
auction to what is II not the greatest English poem
~ the centuryn certainly of the greatest ana
treasury OF high and noble thought. Mr. Davidson mas
SPARED no pains or research In illustrating his faVor
poem and has produced a really Illuminating essay
He insists upon the phosophic unity and harmonious
direction of the poets purpose, and he inteIpre's LOU
Dyson with equal insight and appreciation Ihere eau
ne no doubt that In Memoriam" is poem, not ior AL
are but for all time for 1t sets forth, with
mower. pathos and beauty the mental Crisis uirousu
which every human soul capable OF rehecuon mus
Sass sooner or later There is no doubt born OF ui0
snirft of the time which Is not represented Id oe
verses There is no theory of the Hereafter "hlon
not touched with singular keenness OF percepuon'
The tone of the whole is finely elevated IL is '"o "a
preston OF the highest Intelligence soi'enoU W
deeply reverential sentiment
Professor James Henry Chaplin has written uhuor
the title From Japan to Granada Cd' T. fu'Ha"'
sons). a volume of recollecdons Of travel lhere Is
a GOOD deal Of practical information in the book; IN
fact IL sometimes reminds too strongly OF the
.verape ruIde book The author observes honestly
and takes notes conscentiousy but he Is not very
lively or suggestive guide, and his notes are afAoo
by sobriety and commonplace not calculated 10 REQ
ommend them 1t is true that the ground gone over
has been described By before, but when 1t has
TO be said that scores have described 1t all very muoh
better than Professor Chaplin, the reason for inc eA
istence Of his book is not conspicuous We have
found no novelty in these pages, no imagination, no
sprightlIness and consequently little interest The
main truth must be stated that the tour OF the world
has become so common to remove whatever ex-
cuse may formerly have existed for the printing OF
such dry and plthless records as this