The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-23
NEW BOOKS.

NEW BOOKS.
PEx1cI1s And THE GoLDEN ACE or ATHENA ~
Evelyn Abbott, n. A. New York; g. r. Put
MANS Sons.
The suthor Of this, the third volume Of the
"lieroes Of the Nations" series, has chosen .
periad in history which gave the world long
list Of great names, and If his works fail 70 es-
tablish Pericles as the most prominent hgure in
the story Of the Athenian empire, It Il not alto
gether the fault Of the historian. Mr.. Abbott
sums up the distinguishing features and char
actcr OF the great ruler Of Athens in q few
words. He pronounces Pogicles . dcmag0gue
with passion for art and literature. To the de-
sire OF the successful general to establish him
self firmly with the people OF his city, he IT.
tributes the impulse that led to the building Of
the PArthcnon and its adornment by PhefdiaA
The expenditure Of vast sums in the employ
ment Of workmen was . proceeding that made
the employer popular, and while the successful
carrying out Of the project delighted the heart
OF the ruler, he lacked the wise stAtesmanship
that was required to preserve for the city the
treasurers Of art and formative influences that
for time made Athens the center OF greatest
progress
The building Of the empire by Clisthenes,
Aristides, xanthippus, Themistocles and Scion
II told in vigorous narrative, and the causes
that led to the lifting up Of the people under
Pericles being briefly sketched. II was under
the rule OF Peyicles that the term demos ives
hrst used, and democracy ventured to oppose
and thwart the plans Of the oligarchs But the
weakness OF the leader. who began TO dream and
give himself up to the ideals he had raised when
his battle was only half won, resulted in grave
disaster He lived to plunge his city into de-
structive war, TO re- the treasury impoverished
and the people decimated. That under his as
tendency the arts attained development never
since equalled will b remembered through
time, but little and grudging praise will be
meted out to him ~ mere instrument Pass
ing ages add to the fame Of Herodotus, Pheidias
and Euripides, but each succeeding historian or
biogrspher records . harsher judgment Of the
great leader OF that golden age.
Mr. Abbott states frankly that his view Of the
part Pericles played differs greatly from the esti-
mate of Grots and Curtius. That IL II drawn
with care from unquestionsd authority, after
deep study, few will question while reading his
erature, and worthy continuation Of the series
in which It appears. To all who would turn to
one Of the brightest pages In the stories Of great
nations It can b commended without reserva
ton.
ANCIENT AND MODEM Compiled by John
Devoe Bolton, New York. @. P. Putuam's
Sons.
Men who have been forced BY the experiences
Of waiting In railway stations and country hotel
parlors to pass the time by reading travellers
guides, books Of etiquette and dictionaries OF
quotations will be slow to believe that work
bearing the title which Mr.. Bolton has chosen
can be anything but dreary waste Of ink.
The truth II, however, that while 1.-THE Liter
ary Manual" does not possess the absorbing In
terest Of one OF Rudyard Kipling's short stories,
1t IL nevertheless distinctly entertaining-A
quality rare In books which are burdened with
useful information.
Mr.. Bolton has made his 'Manuap' thus
unique by choosing from the thorny wilderness
Of foreign quotations only those having liter
airy flavor. Such things - legal maxims are hap
PLY excluded. Az a rule the quotations are fol-
lowed by extracts from modern authors In which
they are used. These illustrative extracts not
only show the proper manner Of employing the
quotations, but are in Themselves usually clever,
often witty. For instance, this scrap from
Heine's "English Fragment" moro than clever,
II worth learning by heart:
"Never win this picture disappear from my re-
membranes. ! still see him (Napoleon) on his
hne horse, with those everlasting eyes and the
marble face, looking down, with the calmness
OF fate upon the guard fling by before him; he
was sending them to Russia, and the old gren-
adiers gazed at him so profoundly devoted, 80
earnest, 20 scornful Of death-Is Cesar, morjturt
salutant.'
The histories Of some famous quotations are
also given, and form an interesting feature.
Four indices, one Of Italian, one Of German, one
one OF French and the fourth Of the Latin say
ings make 1t easy to find quotation BY looking
for any Of the catch words In it. The book II
eminently worth buying and worth keeping.
BAnToN's LEeIsLArIvs HAND-BooK AND MAs-
~ rf 40
Senate Of the state OF Washington. Olympia:
T. H. Boyd.
This Is more than . ready reference book, for
it contains vast amount Of information that
few would expect to find in the volume, and all
of It IL of value Major Barton il newspaper
piled . book which does honor to his reputa-
ton. 1t contains the state constitution, with
an index which makes It possible to refer, with
out trouble, to any particular point covered BY
the instrument, the enabling act of congress
providing for the admission OF Washington into
the Union, the presidents proclamation, the
message OF Acting Governor LAughton to the
legislature of 1891, lists Of territorial, state and
federal officers from the organization of the ter
ritory to the present time lists Of present coun-
ty officials throughout the state, biographical
sketches of state officers and members of the
legislature, and many pages Of election figures
and general statisticse0f interest to every citi-
zen. The whole makes . volume Of $50 pages,
aud there is no padding or slipshod work about
1t. 1t il q model Of conciseness and good ar
rangement and will be praised by all. One of
the advance copies has been sent to the Posi-
INrELLlGENcER and the book will be ready for
delivery this week.
The Magazines.
The November number of the Century began .
new volume, and in it appeared the opening
articly OF . series of richly illustrated papers,
written by survivors, describing "The Gold
Hunters of California" including the narratives
OF men who went to the new Ell Dorado by the
different routes, accounts of the gold discov-
cries, life in the mines, the work of the vigil
ance committees, etc. General Fremonts last
writing was done for this series. General Bid
well is the author Of the first paper, which IL
entitled 'The First Emigrant Train to Cali.
fornia." Many other good things are promised
for the present volume, among them the nara
tive of an Americans travels through that un-
known land, Tibet flor 700 miles over ground
never before trod by white mani: the expert
ences of escaping war prisoners; American
newspapers described by well-known journal.
lists; accounts of the great Indian fighters,
of Lincoln, by his private secretary;
"The Faith Doctor" . novel by Edward
Eggleston, with wonderfully rich programme
of novelettes and stories by most OF the leading
writers, etc. The Century Adgdsine il now 90
well known that to tell Of its past success seems
almost an old story. The New York Tribune has
said that 1t and it, companion. St Nicholas for
Young Folks, issued by the same house, fare read
by every one person in thirty of the country d
population" and large editions of both are sent
beyond the seas. 1t 10 an interesting fact that q