New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-23
LITERARY NOTES.

Two now volumes OF essays by f. A. Freeman are
ennounoed by Macmillan.
John Strange Winter Mrs. stannard) having writ
ten novel and called II {" Justice" discovered that
Mr.. Herbert Spencer had already used her title.
On being consulted the philosopher kindly permitted
the retention Of the condition that 1t should
appear Justice A story
Mr. Howells discusses in the November Harper"
the vexed question 10 our possession OF national
literature. "For our part" says the novelist,
"we scarcely know how to keep our patience WIN
the writers who have rs yet failed TO supply us
with it. We are personally acquainted with dozen
Americans who could, any one OF them. give us ma
tional literature. II he would take the pains In
fact, we know of some Englishmen who could pro
duce very fair national literature for US. All they
would have to do would be 10 write differently
from those American authors whose works have failed
to embody national literature. and then they would
create for rs literature of unmistakable nation
atty
"swifts Journal to Stella has been edited, with
Introduction and Notes by Charles Nibley, and the
edition will shortly be issued in London
"Men of Iron" is a romance of the Middle Ages by
Howard Pyle which the Hapers bringing out.
The "HerodasS-the latest L" fnd7 of the British
Museum-has aroused more interest than did the
'.The Saturday Review" "apart from temporary noise
and clsptrsp. the find is itself far more valuable. OF
course there has been, and there Will not be, half
the clucldng IL that there the other The
name OF Aristotle is Known and justly revered BY
thousands and millions of people. Herodas
yesterday little than name to the most learned
Hellenist. Every one was ready to suppose that in
q MS bearing the of Aristotle a rich source OF
new wisdom must have been opened. Scholars indeed
knew better, and but mildly disappointed with
moderate increase of previous knowledge which sif
fng criticism will discover in The Constitution OF
Athens On the other hand, few will be much eX
cited at hearing that papyrus has to light
tanning half dozen short dramatic sketches In verse;
composed in an Ionic dialect by an author whom,
without fixing his date precisely may call Alex
andrian and assign to the same group Theocri;us
But among scholars and lovers of literature there will
be great Joy. For Herodas is literature and that Of
high class.
"Of the ten MSS. contained in the book, nine may
be here passed over. One indeed-par of a speech by
an Attic orator who may not nprObably be Hyper
tdes-is new but mutilaed ont Of all literary value;
and the rest concern specialists only. But Herodas
Tor Herondas, whichever be right should be read
promptly by all who have any Greek OF his manner,
Mr.. Kenyon says the fifteenth idy OF The0critls,
called The Women OF Syracuse will give fair idea.
Mr.. Kenyon adds that TheOoritus is the greater
master it might be better to say that he the greater
poet Herodas, in fact, is not poecal at all, In that
sense which makes poetry depend a certain
reality Of atmosphere and circumstance. That he
writes IN seems to be an accident of trl-
dtlon. and to the truth, his versifcaton is his
least merit his purpose plainly Is to be true he
knows how. and for vivid life he may compete with
any one, ancient modern. that know. II is
the best and trusst OF compliments to say that no
makes us call louder than for the lost Menander.
But perhaps good time is yet coming
The toucbinp four.aI written Ivy tle Duchesse de
Duras during the Reign Of Terror has been trans
lated and published under the title of "Plison Life
during the French Revolution Dodd 20 Mead will
bring out an edition Of IT.
"st Brdget's Eve" is the title of Mr.. Hall Gaines
new novel Of the Isle Of Man.
osgood is bringing out in London F. R. stocktons
book for children, "The Great Show In KoboLand."
Librarian Crunden. of ST. Louis, in an entertaining
talk about the Public Library, says that a curious
fact noticed in all libraries is the mortality among
first volumes Of standard sets. "The hrst volume
is rebound many times and at last out, before
the last volume shows signs Of age 1t all comes Of
uninstructed iInpulse which often overwhelms
people. They discover that they ought to be cult
waited, but don't know Jast how to set about getting
into that interesting condition They feel that they
ought to acQuaint themselves with English history,
and hearing that Green's is good history of England
plunge into IT full of zeal. But to unacQuanted
with the subject its details apt to be tire Ome
and real flags and dies at the end of the first or
second volume. The circulation of the first volumes
Of such works is many times greater than that CT the
last If such people would go through a good outline
history and get birdseye view of the subject AN
outline for their ignorance they could I'll in the
details with profit and pleasure. After getting the
outline they could direct their studies TO any particular
period which CHANGED TO interest them and exhaust
that, If they were Jealous enough, without losing
sight of the connection Of that period with the past
and its bearings the future Englsl. history
Instead of being bore 1t is TO those who stop al
the first or second volume would be quick with lively
interest"
Archdeacon Farrar's forthcoming book is entitled
aSocial and Present Day Problems
Mrs. Burnetts new book is TO be brought out under
the title Of Children Have Known
Mem t)nblirGrons.