The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-02-10
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

The Evolution of An Empire, by Mrs
Mary Parmele, is a model of clearness
and conciseness-unf not of
absolute correctness. The little book
can be read in half an hour, and its per-
usal give the reader better idea of Ger
man history than he can get in weeks
from larger and more pretentious works.
But treatise designed for a text book, as
this is, for the use of schools, should be
scrupulously correct. They are not mat
tiers of deep moment, but they are mis-
leading,-these lapses of the vivacious
author. Students should not be told,
because it is untrue, that Cloois was the
son of Merowig and was king of France.
There was in his time no kingdom of
France. Nor should the Visigothic
Brunehaut of fiction be confused as Mrs.
Par,e does confuse her with the
Brunehilde of the Niebelungen Lied.
Charlemagne is not identical with Karlo-
man; they were brothers a the latter
dying left undivided dominion to the
restorer of the Roman Empire of the
West. Charles V did not encourage the
reputation of Katharine by Henry VIII.
The English queen was Charles's aunt,
and he stood by her as a loving nephew
should. William of Prussia is not
Emperor of Germany. 1t is as incorrect
to call him that, as to call Napoleon EN-
peror of France. These may seem trivial
errors, but they become serious in text
book designed for schools. The Evolu-
ton of an Empire is published by
William Beverley Harrison, SO Fifth
Avenue, New York, and its price is
$t00.
Malmorda, metrical romance, by
Joseph I. G. Clarke is resonant with the
echoes of old poets. With models like
those man of quick fancy and fine ear
cannot 60 astray. Mr.. Clarke exhibits
great facility in verse-making, compe-
tent knowledge of the TT, and very CON
siderable rhetorical skill. In fine, his
verse. is better than half the matter,
broken up into meaaured lines, that the
men who write them call poetry-the
rhythmical platitudes of DR.. Wier
Mitchell, for example, which have an
air of meaning much while they mean SO
little. The story of Malmorda, a tonsured
champion of the cross, is Of the ninth
century, when the Danish invasions of
Dubhlinn Ballyath Cliath, known to
moderns as Dublin, began, and when
Malachi was Ard Rijh or high king of
Ireland, and ''wore the collar of gold
which he won from the proud invader"
as Moore puts it. after this came great
sea-cast floods of foreigners into Erinn,
SO that their was not point thereof
without feet" says an old chronicle.
1t is this picturesque period that our
poet chooses, and his metrical romance,
as indicated, is marked by delicate fancy
musical lines, and rhetorical effect.
The volume is published by G.. P. Put
MANS Sons, New York and for sale in
this city by Loring, Short 6 Harmon.
Price; Is cents.
A Mute -Confessor, the Romance of a
Southern Town, by William N. Harden.
is graceful story told in graceful style,
with vein of sentiment running through
it that sometimes perilously approaches
sentimentality. Though the author has
and should know his trade, the pres
emit volume has the air of dilettante
work. 1t is put out by the Arena Pub
fishing Company, Boston, and the price
is 80 cents.
The Yelled Hand, by Frederick Wicks
published by the Harpers in the Frank
lin Square Library, and for sale in this
city by Loring, Short 6 Harmon at 50
cents is novel of unusual power. The
cynical spirit in which it is written is
that of Martens, the manner is some
time a "Reminiscences of Dickens, but
oftener of the Dutchman. The style is
large and bold; the story, tale of spec
ulation and commercial dishonor, COM
plicated with the loves and hates of half
score of people, mostly dishonest and
all disagreeable, is told with animation
and such apparent rapidity that the read
er is surprised on reaching the end to
find that he has turned over three hum
bred pages. Despite its cynical tone,
which sometimes makes one angry, and