New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-03
IMMORTAL STORIES.
ILLUSTRATED EDITIONS OF CLASSICAL
FICTION.

Selected and Edited by Andrew Lars, with WIN
Numerous Illus,ratiGns ny Green 0Ed
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTs
octave an e' PIP Y. AZ G. p, Putnam's Sons
THE FsE Fl SSho SEsXEESsH AG
IIusiTasns by sG NSs0S dSrnp oS,avo' p' "
THE lNooLpsBY LEGENDS or Mr'h and MaTj
by Arthur Raokham. octave. PIP KILL eSs
The Macmillan Company
THE LEE mp ApY Dsosi B. sos OF wR Six
". 4ss G. P. Putnam's Sons.
THE QUEENS STORY BOOK ir ssHs Rcmani
Literature in Illustration OF the Regns OF oneen
a nSG Ed freT WITH 1hf
George Laurence CONNIE. riu Is ionsIn,ans
Green & Co
~ Joseph jsSos and Ilasra.SSns s9yed ehFis
A Stokes Company
s. R5 wiz F9 s5S f iHs
Gree, sy HUes Thomson Octave. PIP XXX
sss The Macmillan Company
MYTHS AND LEeENps g sED0s, 9 o9svd FOE pr
sis j. r. Lippnoott Company
HISTORICAL TALES The RSmarce S Of Nean n.y.
nv Charles Morris Two volumes oC'h'o' ~
3,s-a5S J. 3 Lirp!ncoti Company
Mr.. Lang wearies not of well-dong. HaV'hs
given MS fairy books Red. Yellow. Blue. and
every other color. pretty nearly IN the ralnoo"'
he now puts together number of stories from
,ba s,raat classic Of the Orient In his charm
,ng preface. which contains some but not TOO
much erud,tion he tells us how young men
o,ca made a noise at Monsieur Gallanos VIII
dous IN the dead Of night and asked him 10 tel
then, one Of his marvellous tales IN 'nSse
DAYS scholars and other people go quite "oise
1esslv 10 the translations OF the Araoia'
Nights" made by Sir Richard Burton ana 'i'
John PAYNE but the general reader goes sum ~
the spirit of NJ Gallands young men 10 'n"'
henefcent gentlemans version. Mr.. Lang mas
gone to IT, and while he has shorteneu 'iie
stories here and there. and has omitted pie'eo
"onlv suitable for Arabs and OLD sehtie'iieA,
We regard his volume as thrice weiooihe
gives us the Nights" on their most eid.'0u'
mos, innocently enchanting SIDE ana we oouo.
.. con the most owlshly inquisitive "oid
gentleman" could resist this pretty BOOK. MI
Ford's illustrations are beautifully drawn ano'
regarded as interpretations of the text they are
IN the last degree captivating. The edition oi
,ba Nights" illustrated by Mr.. Pegram con-
,oi,s fewer pictures but more stories than MT.
Yanr's collection. We appreciate the increased
o,,, hut the book. the whole. Is less a''
.ractiva. owing perhaps. TO less luxurious
form and 10 the rather ordinary character OF 'he
drawings.
7, seeros almost incredible that "Munchausen
oo,,,d have hoen written by German refugee
loening store for miners in Cornwall AS II Is
ave- uc hone ever dreams of personaizing
paer. the author Nor does it matter that the
o,o-l was originally intended TO he satiricai.
ro- nc u is not a satire but a wonderfui phah-
,osv one Of the most ford and gorgeous nights
If the imagination that man ever took we are
arare 81 the fact that this might he cohua-
dicte6 II Is not unnatural that the reaner
should sometimes feel in the book less magma
ton than sheer uncouth exaggeratloh' pu' ie'
that reader beware lest he find himself throusn
his scepticism landed outside the charmed CIR
c,e N which the redoubtable Baron revoVes'
For such an one "Munchausen was written III
vain. and we pity him. because this CLASSIC 49,
when read in the right spirit. one OF the Things
that 20 TO make life WORTH flying. we ma IL
especially alluring in the new edition ilustra'eo
bv A. Nobody Gordon Browne). The pictures
are capital and. though the book might nave
been better made It Is comely enough TO &C.
serve wide popularity.
II there IS one book. more than any otner'
which ought TO be reprinted every year ior 'he
HOLIDAYS it is that good old book In which the Kew
Richard Harris Barham proved that Syohey
Smith was not the only clergyman VINO coulu
add TO the gayety Of nations. 1t Is rare hol-
dav volume because IL is a jolly production IN
the very fullest sense OF that term. Inc
"Ingoldsby Legends make you laugh with all
YOUR might There is no subtlety about theH.
The fun is broad blown and furious; II mas d
rich. wholesome. earthly flavor without grain
., malice in II. And the verse Is, In its way
perfect Barham raised doggerei almost 10 'ii'
Ieve, If poetic art As he writes 1t. 1t has
swing which at times is very nearly AKIN 10 the
musical trot Of a good ballad. Furthermore
what this rollcking minstrel sees or thinks or
fnvents ne puts into lines as clear as they are
elastic He is easy TO read. perhaps the easiest
~ all the writer's who deal with curious LEGENDS
for no matter how curious these may be, ne
treats them with the vigor and simplicity or a
man breathing the air Of out-of-doors and ENJOY
tng his task in the heartest manner. we thinH
Mr. Rackham might have got more OF this
freshness and force into his drawings but ne Is
tolerably spirited and nearly always designs
with sense Of humor Best OF all. the ne"
edition for which he has provided his many
pictures is handsomely printed and made with
frst-rate cover
II is interesting to turn from Barham's reck-
less frivolity 10 the stern romance Of De Foes
masterpiece. Yet we wonder II any one has ever
seen the hardships and perils Of Robinson Crusoe
through anything but golden glamour. lie
Foe was type Of realism in literature his
picturesque studies. especially MOL Flanders
are fondly fingered over by many historians as
foreshadowirg our modern novel OF manners
but "Pobnson Crusoe,' which 10 packed fui
OF facts and may be elevated. II you like. Into
an exemplar Of what the novel OF adventure
ought 70 be. Is really thing by itself. one OF
the most romantic Of all romances Mr.. BrocA