New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-18

PR dsra ASp by ehsTes E BROCK intrS-
d1ction -6 6g A and NeWYork: Macmillan & CO.
TIT traied. Two Vols Octave PIP; XVI, 3d. w. 800
New-York: Thomas Y. Croweil CO.
NOVELS BY EMINENT HANDS ss.,.. By r, w. NJ
Tn n ps H. L wy and London G P Put
MANS nan IS sons
THE ECHO CLUB, BY payare Tayl0%T. w Wtn TN
York and London: G. P. Putnams Sons
A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM BY William william
Reil Edited. with an Introduction oy ao aSia
6 Goli bent S co' S 2eS Macmillan Co
THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR. BY William
Shakespeare iustr Fitted Oy by E WreGene1rg
ouarto. DID, Ito. New-York: Raphael TUCK q
THE BEAUTIES OF sHAKEs FEo KGj. By 6sa tns
pp 2Ss 26S New-York Thomas \. Cro"en
SHE TO CoN9TGR by By o}ve do SHS
ennsrH DID, s04 New-York: Dodd Mead & CO..
7, &c obviously the intention OF the publishers
ord q, their editorial aids that buyers Of Christ
mas hooks shall be provided with entertainment
Cor their friends entertainment In the strictest
.ense of that word. In considerable coilecuoh
OF books spread out before us we hnd nothing out
novels and plays stories chiefly old and issued IN
handsome reprints but. whether new or oih'
xrorks that have been chosen with view 10 CIV
ing the reader that most precious OF gIts al
hours pure amusement. In the case OF the hrst
volume In our list the amusement is OF rather
.,raruous sort THE Tavern of the Three Vir-
tues' Is melodramatic narrative, a tale IN which
.ho romance is laid on as with the brush OF a
nA1n a
az he preferred to call himself on the title page
=. ,h,s nroduction. had a genuine feeling for ro-
mance and his forid tone may be ascrloeo 10
ro,b,rg more than an absence Of literary refine
mont and skill. Had he cultivated those sources
n, effect he might have produced In ths PIC
turesoue volume a work as admlraoie III All i'9
detail as It is in Its central element Oh ro''si.'
passion To be just, it should be aooeo Una. III:
nres.nt translation scarcely reflects the stgie o'
the narrative as it was printed IN the pages OF
french per,od!cal not long ago. The publisher
might retort that he was not aiming al neces-
,ar,,v ADEQUATE version Of the author. What he
wanted was 10 present in handsome form the IL
Illustrations made for the work by Daniel VERGE
rha communicate ait of that distinguished Illus
traitor has been frequently discussed In this jour
nal and its peculiar characteristics analysed IN
full This latest specimen OF his genius Calls ioi
briefer words. The pictures were done long arter
the great pablo series. long after Verge nad
begun to recover from the effects of that paralyc
stroke which completely untitled his right haho
for active duty He used his left hand in the prep
aration OF these new drawings. The compost
tIons are lust as animated. just as original, just
es picturesoue But possibly because they were
done in wash instead Of in ink. they lack the
charm which made Vierge renowned, the charm
of brilliant color and exquisite linear delicacy
The line drawings included have some OF TINS
charm. but they do not show Vierge on MS &C
customed level and besides. they do not give the
hook its tone That is derived from the wasf
drawings strong. clever designs. but still not VIVA
vierge in his best estate might have maze them
As the book stands. taken as whole, II VIII no
hurt his fame. but 1t will not increase It, Oohs'u
cred as a fragment of fiction. sympatheticall!
illustrated and appealing TO the reaoer VI
grounds not merely artistic. the puphcatioh
ono which NAV be greeted with cordially.
The tlustrations in the edition or IN
Faience Violin do not show much arr pu
the text makes up for that Probably NOR
artistic little bit Of fiction than this was neVe
written in the country where work OF the KIN
has always been especially well done CHAMP
Heury applied himself in this production TO IN
elaboration Of one Of those curious themes. on
OF those episodes OF passionate hoooy-ridlns
which RaIzac edored One thinks of Balza
The great analyst would have taken such mo
tive as Champfeury's and made 1t the basis O
n tremendous psychological study But Champ
Aeurv who had psychology, had also yer
dainty Gift a strain OF ep;curean taste the In
et,ncts OF an aesthetcian. Those instincts wer
responsible for his weaving romantic mar
rative out OF phase OF the collectors mania
They went further They colored his style, the
made him write not merely as man Of som
imagination. but as a dilettante in all the rela
tions OF a writer's art Thus The Faience Vic
lin" is one Of the unique things In modern Frenc
letters one OF the books which touch the lhae
ination. but survive quite as much because the
satisfy ones standards Of literary fnesse an
grace The translation issued by Crowell
Co. IL not remarkable but 1t is good 1t give
a fair equivalent for ChampHeury's vvaciou
prose and in the pretty form which has bee
bestowed upon 1t the volume in question make
4 most acceptable holiday gift
In his interesting Introduction &c the voum
o, "Marmonfel's Moral Tales which has jus
been printed Mr.. George Saintsbury points on
that his author mingled the two oonspcuou
STYLES Of the eighteenth century IN France tn
pompous turgd manner Of the more prefer
tious philosophers and the easy. intimate. cor
vocational style OF the Rayer satirists Tn
mixture might have gone far 10 retard the fam
Of Msrm0ntel had he not possessed a strea
OF Imaginative power streak OF somethin
which could not make him genius. but whic
took him within few PAGES u that delectabe COZ
dtion. His "cOntes Moraux" are hardly maste
pieces But they are. nevertheless. surprisngl
attractive. even after the lapse Of time. and tn
new collection Is most welcome. One nay pr
fer saints-B euve's judgment TO Mr.. SaIntsbury'
The latter does not feel az the French critic d
that the "Nemoirs' are Of more consequent
than the "contes' In Marmonters history. Bl
to give this question Of comparative values an