The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-11-18
CURRENT LITERATURE.
BY t. Y. CRowELL & CO., NEW YORK
AND BOSTON.

OuIuy, Vi ING rTeucu hCdueny,
Abridged and translated from the
Seventeenth French Edition, by Mrs.
M. Carey, with an Introductory notice
and continuation to the year, 1896,
by j. Franklin Jameson, Phi d. Two
vols, limo, 81 illustrations (portraits,
etc., index, cloth, gilt top, per set,
$500 Andrew d. White, ex-president
of Cornell University, and formerly
minister to Germany and Russia, de-
clared Duruy's to be the best of all
short sum naries of French History.
President G. X. Adams does not hest
tate to say that it is " beyond question
the best history of France ever pub
lshed in the smal space Of two vol
umes." 1t became popular and passed
through nearly a score of editions.
Mrs. Carey translated it in 1889, and it
Immediately took its place as standard
work. Professor j. Franklin Jameson,
who, with singular skill and fairness
brought down the narrative 10 the year
of its first publication in this country,
has performed the same labor for the
present edition, so that it is perfectly
up to date, and is to be recommended
as both the best and tlso, indeed, the
only trustworthy History of France,
which covers the latest developments
of the now firmly-establishe republic.
The illustrations are carefully selec ed
and well produced. The portraits, of
which there are nearly two dozen, are
to be specially recommended. Well
printed and handsomely bound, the
two-volumes are a valuable addition to
any library.
THE ROMANCE OF COMMERCE -
By j. Macdonald Oxley. LIB. One
vol. 25S pp., 16 Illustrations, 8vo, cloth,
81 %. Mr.. Oxley retraces for the ben
eft of young readers number of the
more famous enterprises which have
had for their object the extension of
commerce and the employment of cap
ital. Among these romantic episodes
in the history of money-getting he
gives an entertaining account of John
Law and the Mississippi Bubble, the
South Sea Bubble, the Tulip mania in
Holland, the noble but unfortunate
Darien expedition of William Patter-
son in 1895, brakes chase of the Span
ish galleons, the quest of the Northwest
Passage in which Sir John Franklin
lost his life, Da Gama's mighty voyage
of opening up the world, the history of
the East India or so-called "John"
Company, the Hudson Bay Company
and other commercial enterprises. The
book is full of valuable and curious in
formation and will stimulate the young
to further historical reading. AS a
supplementary reader in schools no
bet er book could be desired.
THE POLITICAL WORKS OF ALEXAN-
DER POPE. Edited with notes and in
troductory memoir by Adolphus Will
liam Ward, M. A. Lift. d. From the
Globe edition. Revised and enlarged.
Two vols, 12no. Appendix, index,
nine portraits, and other illustrations,
cloth, gilt top, per set, $500 DR.. Sam
uel johnson assured Boswell that a
thousand years might elapse before
there should appear another man with
power of versifcation equal to Pope''s.
Certainly there has not yet appeared
any poet from whose writings 80 many
epigrammatic utterances have become
the current property Of the world in the
way of quotations. No student of po-
etry can afford to neglect Pope. The
fact that he is still studied and read is
the strongest proof of his greatness.
There have been many editions of his
poetical works. The present contains
interesting reprints of "The Rape of the
Lock-" and The Dunciad from the
first editions, most valuable for com
parison; it also has an index of first
lines which will be convenience not
found in other editions. DIR. Wards
biographical sketch leaves nothing to
be desired and his appreciation of
Pope's literary significance will strike
the critic as eminently fair and judicial.
There are portraits of Pope, Spenser,
Addison, Queen Anne, Cibber, Dean
Swift, DR.. Dome, and Moliere, views
of Pope's villa at Twickeuham and of
Windsor Castle from the river. Fac
SMILES and reproductions of early front
ispieces add to the value of the edition
which will be found eminently adapted
for school and class as well as home use.
The whole is printed from new plates
prepared with the most scrupulous care.
A WONDER Book FOR BOYS AND
GIRLS. - By Nathaniel Hawthorne.
One VOL, 16mo. With illustrations by
W. st. John Harper. 233pp.; $.75.
Hawthorne possessed in no small meas
ure the power to take the dead past
and clothe it anew with living beauty.
This power he showed in his treat
ment of the myths of the Greeks. The
stories of the Gorgon, of the misery
King Midas whose touch turned every
thing to gold, of Pandora's wonderful
box, of the apples of the Hesperides
and Hercules glorious voyage, of Phil
emon and Baucis and their miraculous
pitcher, and of Pegasus and the Chi
mera, were selected by Hawthorne to
retell for an eager young audience.
He varied and added details as his gen.
ius dictated but he made the beautiful
old legends glow and palpitate with
vigorous life. While bringing them
within the co apprehension of children
he never derogated from their dignity
and the quaint arabesque of wit and
humor with which he ornamented them
make them a perpetual delight even
for these who are able to. read the sto
ries in the original Greek. A thread
of narration gives unity to the whole
book and adds greatly to the interest
The present edition is eXcellently illus