The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-12-20
NEW PUBLICArIONs.

The Regicides," by Frederlck Hull Cogswell (Fifth edition), Illustrated. Baker & Taylor, New York. Has it ever occurred to New Haven people what a center of book publication our city is. Many books of international reputation have gone forth from our midst and every year sees many added to the last The science and theology of the country has been greatly influ- enced by books of New Haven writers. Some belong to the university and some not. connected with it. It Is with pleasure that we note that few novels of no mean reputation have also been written by New Haven men. The lat est is "The Regicides," by Frederick Hall Cogswell, a lawyer of this city.
 MT. Cogswell has had a somewhat extended reputation as writer on his torical subjects in the various maga- zines and has often been heard in mat ters of local historical interest. In this new book he has undertaken the very ambitious task of putting a legend of local interest into the larger setting of historical romance, with highly credit able results.
 Tn this brief notice it is not our in- tention to enter into critical review of the book, but merely to call attention to it as creditable piece of workman ship to New Haven and to the author. As a story it is full of interest, moves easily on, comes to a climax and ends. There may be superfiuous matter in the story-there is in most stories. Also the attempt to tell two stories in one is rarely ever successful. Even in Ham, let we sometimes skip the play within the play saying, Whats Hecuba to me-" But the main story is wildly and graphically told, and shows a real gift of straightforward, strong narrative style, Our author has probably read Stevenson, the best styliest in narrative of the age. Anyhow it is refreshing to read MT Cogswell's lucid terse Eng fish after so much of the labored, over intense, style of the average modern story writer.
 But the book will have great interest to New Englandapeopl because of it's excellent insight into the Puritan char acter and it's graphic picturing of the ways and customs, the home and church life of the older days. Colonial l life is too picturesque, too valuable an element in our history to be allowed to l slip away. With all it's severity it's rigor, it's sometime bigotry, there was an element of dignity, of chasteness, of faith in great ideas that perhaps we are falling too far away from in these | later days. However that may be, it is a healthful tonic to any man to put him self back into the simplicity of the old en times and feel the enthusiasm of the 1 founders, We cannot be too thankful | to the men who recreate this past for us in story and thus enable us to live it's life. There has been a great reviv- al of interest in colonial history in these last few years. The various his- | torical societies the Colonial Danes, the Old South lecture courses, have all been turning their attention to the be- ginnings of New England. Historians | like John Fiske have awakened great l interest. As @ result of all these in- fluences many stories of romance and admiration and colonial life are sure to follow. It is good. There were men in those days well worth knowing. There was brave endurance for the sake | of right and there was noble resistance of evil The author of the regicides has l seen these things and made up feel them. It is this that will give the book it's lasting value. We are glad that men like MT John Fiske can praise the book 1 for this reason and recommend it to the l or | joyed meeting John Davenport again | and were thrilled with the story of the brave Regicides as we follow them through their perils and adventures. We heartily recommend the book to all who are interested in the romance of | the brave old days of New Havens his- tory.
 '"The Comedy of Sentiment" by Dr Max Nordau. This novel, by the au. thor of Degeneration" "The Ailnent of the Century" and "The Right tc Love-" well sustains his previous repu, taton. Gustav Bruchstadt, the hero of the story, plays a comedy of lovt with woman and in the end awakes to the fact that she is his superior anC that he has been duped. The interest in the story is maintained throughout Published by F. Tennyson Nicely, Chi cago.
 Practical Hints for Young Writers Readers and Book Buyers" by Fred erick Lawrence Knowles. In this bool MT. Knowles has treated the art ot composition in a concise and practica manner. A few rules for learning how to write are given, and all of them art | good. Readers will find much assist ance in Part IL, which is devoted tt hints about books and reading. Pub Iished by L. G. Page &5 Co.,, Boston.
 Modern Political Orations, edited bv Leopold Wagner. A collection O the most notable examples of politca oratory of Queen Victoria's reign. Tn book covers a field that is virtually new. Some of the finest speeches O Gladstone, Lord Lytton, Parnell Johr Morley, Golden and others are given 1T it. Published by Henry Holt & Co. New York.
 "Grisette's Happiness" by "Gyp, translated by Ralph Derechef. This French romance, by the author O
 "Chtffon's Marriage" "An Infatua tion" and other novels, possesses tn, piuuancy, spirit and brilliancy so char acteristic of French writers. Lind l says Girl" by Mrs Harriet Martin