The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-11-18
RECENT PUBLICATIONS

The CENTURY CYCLOPEDIA OF NAMES.
This supplement to the Century Diction-
airy was a splendid idea on the part of the
pu bishers. The six preceding volumes
showed great research and care, and I'M
doubleday form at present the most per-
feet dictionary of the English tongue.
They are full of information, as accurate
as it is extensive, and to one who has q
love of phllology or faculty for tracing
the life of word they are invalua BILE.
Blu. something still was wanting to their
perfection, and that something has been
supplied in the present volume. Usually
at the end of most dictionaries appendices
giving names of people and places are
added. These, however, as every close
reader knows, often failed either to give
the information desired or gave only a
portion of it. and it was therefore often
necessary to consult other books of refer
ence, classical dictionaries, biographical
works and works of ethnology, architecture
ana art. This volume obviates any such
necessity. and. though primarily a die
tionary of proper names. giving their or
biography and pronunciation and such ex-
PLANTATION of them as is necessary for their
Identification, is also a condensed cyclope-
in biography and geography, but also
names OF races and tribes, NEUROLOGICAL
and lege ndary persons and places. char
acters and objects in fiction. stars and
consultations. notable, buildings and
archaeological monuments. works of arr,
leading institutions, historical events.
sects, parties, noted streets and squares,
books, plays, operas, horses-n fact, it is
4 whole reference library in one volume.
OF course, 1t is not to be expected that all
The groups are similarly fully treated, but
the condensation has impa ired none of the
value Of the book to $685. 500 out of ], OOO, 900
readers. The one Is the student par ex-
cellence, and his appetite could only be
fed by original research of the same au-
thOritins used by the cOiaborateurs of the
Century Dictionary. 1t is uncommonly de-
lighiful and pleasant, independent of the
utility TO have a volume at ones elbow
that will give information on the vast va
riety of names, places and things that
puzzle a reader. Some writer mentions
the ''Cheerybie Brothers" in Dickens. Who
are they, and in what one OF Dickens works
can they be found? Well, all that need be
done is TO turn over to the name in this
volume, and there will be found The re-
Qu;red information, neat and com pact anu
essentially reada bic, a by no means small
quality. Or a doubt about the writer of
the Imitation has arisen. and one wants to
settle the matter at once. Well, under the
0eaQl1R Db lmlbdllODo iU6I0 Is all LU6
Information wanted-as much as could be
got if the whole controversy, contained in
several volumes, had been read and stud
led. The same holds true of the charac-
tiers in the Bible, in the dramas of the
Greek and Latin writers, in the plays OF
Shakespeare, Ben johnson, Moliere, ana
indeed in the works of all the important
and many of the unimpOrtant writers Of
the world. Be the difficulty concerned
with the religion of Brahma or Buddha:
under these appellations sufficient explaDa-
ton will be found for it. Be it about the
long walls of the Pir9us, or about
the American Indians, turn to the name
and there will be found logical mass of
Information that leaves nothing TO be de- |
sired. the enormous amount of gathered |
matter and its. wide range is indeed aston |
ishing, and indicates long and careful re- /
search. In many ways the statements |
under various heads have been tested ard |
found accurate. The more learned the
man who handles the dictionary the more
viii he admire it,; he can seize the vast
scope OF the work, realize its difficulties
and admire its execution. For example,
how many readers ever heard of the river
IA? The writer knew of one in the can
ton OF UnterwaldeD, Switzerland; the dc
tionary gives eight scattered over Eu-
rope. fact which is of itself valuable to
the philologist And then to cap it all,