The Portland daily press., 1889-05-06
CONCERNING BOOKS.
BY e. cAvAzzA.

BY e. CAvAZZA.
A Manual Of Historical Literature. By
Charles Kendall Adams, d. D., Professor of
History and President of Cornell University.
This photography, founded upon wide his
torical knowledge and careful research, is
not less distinguished by its practical fitness
to the needs of a student Its proportion,
grouping, critical analysis and comparison
are alike excellent; it includes list of vol
umes upon the study of the general outlines
of history and problems of economy and
education, and treats also of the course and
methods Of study best adapted to the benefit
of the reader. President Adams divides the
topic of General history into narrative, the
annals of civilization, and philosophy of his
tory. The nations of antiquity, Greece,
Rome and the Middle Ages are represented
by full lists of books; works upon the gen.
eral view of modern history precede special
volumes upon Italy and its several states,
Germany, France, Russia, England and other
countries of Europe. The department of
American history is treated with special
care, and includes excellent counsel for the
guidance Of patriotic students. Not the
least difficult part of President Adams task
will have been the division of comment and
space among the vast number of worthy
volumes mentioned in his work. He has
well acquitted himself of this critical labor;
and one secret of his success may have been
the abnegation with which he has wished to
make his volume, first of all, useful. He
would be the first to admit that in work of
such scope, there must necessarily be omis-
sons-many, indeed, voluntary, in accord
ance with the design of the photography.
Yet it may be suggested here that no period
of English literature has been more elegantly
and comprehensively sketched than the past
half century in Mr.. E. G. Stedman's PIC
t0rian Poets. This name is not to be found
in President Adams list-neither is Mr..
Stedman's Poets of America, which covers a
similar period in the literary history Of the
United States. The Library of American
Literature, in course of publication by Mr..
Stedman ana Miss Hutchinson, proves itself
monumental example of literary history
left uncommented. Looking over President
Adams review of books upon Italian history
1t may be noted that he seems to misappre-
bend the date of the Italian popular tales Of
Professor Cranes charming collection.
They can hardly be considered as ''survivals
which throw light upon curious phase of
medieval civilization" but are living tradi-
tions, to be heard today upon the lips of the
people, and are collected by folklorists in
every part Of the peninsula and of
Sicily. De Amicis' vivid work upon
Holland is cited; his recently
enlarged volume of historical ana
picturesque studies, At the Gates of Italy,
may be equally commended. For an accessi-
BILE and intelligent review of the history of
Italian literature can be suggested the works
of Settembrini and of De Sanctis, Naples;
Morano) the former remarkable for its
synopsis Of the Divine Commedia. Presi-
dent Adams places in secondary list the
trecento chronicle of the Villani. Equally
distinct in its pictures of the times of Dante,
is the disputed work of Dino Campaign,
with its beautiful diction; and the chronicle
of the Malispini is well worth reading as
curiosity of history making These sugges-
tions, made at the moment of examining
President Adams fine work, are meant,
however, as hints to students of special lines
of literary history, rather than as criticism
upon photography that one hnds easier to
Bros; Portland: Loring, Short & Harmony
My Autobiography and "reminiscences.
BY w. P. Firth, r. A. The public, which
always welcomes frank, good-natured gos-
sip about the more interesting of is compo-
nent individuals, gave Mr.. Frith's first vol
ume OF memories reception which amount
ed to an encore. This second cleaning from
the recollections of the popular r. A. has all
the qualities which so commended his earlier
book. He is full Of talk, artless as to liter
airy effect, genial, humorous, unaffectedly
gratifed at his own success with brush and
with pen, quick to seize characteristics and
to repeat them; in brief he has-with the
nineteenth century reservations and acquire
ments-something of the compelling inter-
est OF Master Pepys. There is, moreover. in
Mr.. Frith's work the atmosphere of the STU
dio, of paint, megilp and pipe; the artist
himself seems to be there in easy Jacket
palette on thumb, and the talk is pleasant,
unaffected, with plenty of anecdote and
''shop"-the latter quality so enhancing to
the professional, so winning to the neophyte
in an art. New York: Harper g. Brothers;
Portland: Loring, Short & Harmony
The Tramp at Home. By Lee Merriweth
er, Special Agent of the U. S. Department of
Labor. Illustrated. If, according to the
adage, one half Of the world does not know
now the other half lives, the fault does not
rest with Mr.. Merriwether. He has already
tramped about the countries of Europe, look
ing at the life and working conditions of the
people; and now records similar wanderinos
the United States. So rapid and transient
observations as his duties permitted him To
make must Of course leave something TO he
desired as to thoroughness; here and there
in the book it is easy to point out small mis-.
judgments and hasty congratulations. But
Mr.. Merriwether has gone over much ground
with trained eye and pencil and charit-
able mind. to observe workers and their
wages and expenditures. He writes in an
off hand, honest fashion, quite the reverse
of literary, but full of life and interest. He is
gifted with the art of putting scene clearly
before the reader; he is frequently humor-
GUS, and knows also when statistics are effec-
tive. 1t is book to increase mutual under
standing between the various sections of the