New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-19
NEW PUBLICATIONS

be eager read his selection Of Celtic fairy tales
Mr.. Jacobs Is IL need hardly be said, folorist OF
high epute, and knows better how such work
should be DONE Whether indeed. scientific discrimina
ton and analysis such as are exhibited In the present
volume are likely to recommend fairy tales to children
flor whom this collection has avowedly been prepared
may be thought somewhat doubtful; but the children
toersbly sure solve the problem In their own way
by skipping the preface and notes and connnhg ING"
attention to the text which, happily for them is unen
numbered BY notes and references. Older readers VIII
find much to interest them in Mr. Jacobss commentary
and elucidation He has made IL his chief endeavor 10
collect purely Celtic tales, but. as he eonesss ha's
resolved upon this principle he was compelled 10 WIZ
late II, because in te purely Celtic stories herc was
such deficiency Of humor that he was driven 10 oo'
from the lore Of the Irish peasant wi'hih INC
Iale I'm order to secure me necessary hghthess' O
folklore Is dominated by grim or melancholy eemeh,
Such hurior as Is exhibited in the story Huooen anu
Dudden and Donald OLeary' would be sought III VAIN
In Celtic tale which is best typifed by such egeho
as that of Derdrep or Counla and the Fairy MAIDEN
BY the way, why did not Mr.. Jacobs prefer samuei
Lovers admirable version of Hidden and Dudden" 10
the ono he has taken? Lovers Little Fairy Is
gem With its strong local color and Its racy humor ana
n is co long since II was published that 1t must be well
nigh forgotten.
The stories brought together here mostly Celtic
with all the wild Imaginative effects belonging 10
that temperament. They are different as possible
from English fairy-tales and they are broadly ais
tInrrshed from the tales OF the Irish written within
the Pale Between them and the old Scotch stories
however, there is close klnshp, ms naturally wouo DC
expected and nom the examples given here one may
well wonder why Celtic folktaes have not oeen
published In England Mr.. Jacobs tells us that Celtic
folklore is very rich. Upward OF 1000 Celtic folk
tales are known though not more than ESQ OF them nave
been published. England and Wales and Scotland
make poor showing beside this record. The famous
story OF Beth Geert is the subject OF very inter-
estng by the editor In which he reaches the con-
clusion that the legend Of Llewelyn's hound mas ho
historical basis, but is merely an example OF misn'-
depreciation OF prosac facts. The origin OF 1t. ne
holds was simply n monumental inscription recording
celebrated run made by greyhound. The whole DIS
cusson is Interesting, but OF the Considerations
advanced not cogent. For instance the afsu
ment that because legend exists In more thah one
country there be historical foundation Tor IT, Is
not particularly convincing plausible though
the current story Of Beth Gelert may be wholly
apocryphal Mr.. Jacobs has curious note on Ihe
story-Teller at Fault" which has distinctly Orentai
flavor and reminds the editor of one OF Colonel fues
notes in lis Marco Poo' upon the East lndan con-
jurers This note Of Yules Tor part OF ~ the edtor
cites and gives copy Of the illustration accompany
ing it, This IS not the only od-time record OF uese
singular facts OF conurng. Hauber for instance III
his Bbllotheca Magical gives very curious engraV
ing resembling in several respects that pupisieo oS
Colonel Yule founded upon book of travels by johann
Neuhof which published at Amsterdam III 1909
Here both Chinese and Indian 5uggers represented
md the large plate given by Hauber shows the tricks
which are still most famous such as the Dashet 'lich'
the mango tree trick and the projection into the air
Of a cord fastened TO q ball which stays aloft wneh
thrown nd and becomes the basis OF marvellous uo"e
Even at the time these things were recorded IL was
the opinion of many that they were the ehec's Vi
Illusion that as should say Nowadays the speo'"'
were hypnotized and only what the performers sus
"The Teller at Fault in the course OF which ,ho
slim swarthy Man" outdoes the lndiah coi'uei''
Now this story has been traced as far oach ae oo
fourteenth century which fact gives some ioea VI o
antiquity OF the traditions at least oeams win "ls
naricuar kind of magic. But the most slenihcah.
dodrction from il is the archaism of that theory OF
h.,,uc;naion which is quite commonly supposed 10 Do
,,e ~ the discoveries of modern science IN parting
with Mr. Jacobss delightful book, word mast NC
sald Of Mr. Batten's illustrations, which are CHARMING
sympathetic and highly artistic
THE REST BOOKS. Readers Guide to the choice
Of the best available books abcnt 10000 III eVe b
department Of science art ana anS tbe price
size and publishers name Of each oEoh nv Viii,
tIlbuton toward systemanc .noSH sStion' with
complete indexes. Alto, PIP. 1,ooo. u. T. r"'
nam's Sons 1870, a-,o
This second edition OF Mr.. sonnenscheln'S ING
Best Books is practically new work, FOR inc huoe
~ references has been raised from $4,000 to ooooo'
the classification has been recast and such ohanso
and additions have been made In response 10 croie
AS appeared TO the author 10 be called ru' iho 'e
suit is readers guide" which Is superior 10 '''S
work of the kind extant in English and 10 any WIN
cast upon identical lines in any language III uoes
NOT OF course pretend to be complete bibhograph!'
II doos not enter into competition with such voumhous
notifications as those OF Graesse, Brunei CIV
or such catalogues as that OF Lorehh' ~
aim IS not to do more thah lhui'a'0 w
best books in every department OF SCIENCE "i" gnu
literature and even here only approximation to sue
cess can be hoped for. inasmuch as there Is NIUE "s
mont among men as TO which the best books. But
with choice of $4,000 books. the average reaaer anu
even the student and scholar, may hna II posSioe ~
make Just selections, and Mr.. sonnensche'n mas GLASS;
fed and arranged his catalogue in such way as 'o
facilitate re search very greatly With the heip Oh 'he
a,thors and subjects indexes no time need De losu III
finding what book is wanted and the information gwen
concerning the books themselves is in the majority Vi
cases Just what is needed-nether TOO much hor 'o'
little. ..,. o.
In the preface the author gives some cautaons 10
the cader lest the latter expect too much lie says
Nv intention has not been TO include any very large
number of books IN each section. but to record only
such as are best, employing that Woru I'll us o''
catholic sense, not necessarily even as the eApeca
lion ~ good but rather as that Of useful Books
Of value may be divided into two main catesories'
those useful historically, and those useful practically
and A. regards the whole Of books have III
cluded all can claim is that none are really woftess
An one or the other Of ways. The scope Of the
work is further limited TO books In print ana Cd
tsinable in the ordinary course OF trade or otherwise
readily available though occasions when the SUD
tect demanded IL, have included books when are OUT
M print or even scarce" The very best books
are marked with asterisk, though as MI. Sohhch
scben points out, here best" Is 10 be taken
cautiously: for book may be best in one depart
ment or from one point of view, best for one class
of readers aud for another, best as regards one
part of it only, though perhaps OF no great value Us
regards tie rest" With these inevitable Limitations
limitations inevitable in any and every work OF the
kind-Mr Sonnen schen's" Best Books may be trusted
thoroughly, and We have no hesitation In recon-
,dinc a heartily TO all who have felt the need