New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-21
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
A TREASURY OF QUAINT LORE-Dl| iO''
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
LITERATURE-sCOTTl
RYWAYS.

~
ties OF Popular Customs. and Of Rites Cere-
,,,o,,as Observonces and Miscellaneous Antiqui-
ties" Here they will ind succinct account OF
,,a Dose.s marriage with the Adr!atic; here
avery saint and every saints day receives con-
c,se hut sufficient mention: here the reas' OF
Tho Asa burlesque ceremony once highly
nonular in Northern France. in which priests
end congregation joined TO parody the obserN-
amos of the Church-will be explained IN fuli
~ neonle who never even heard of the obserV-
ance before. How many Of us could tell what
an Ashton Fagot IS? Mr. Walsh soon INFORMS
US II is a huge fagot. composed or STICKS OF
branches OF ash. securely bound together WIN
ash branches or withes. which IS burned OH
Christmas Eve in lieu of the Yule log in Devon
shire and Somersetshire. Canonzaton IS an act
OF the Pope which everybody thinks he under
stands perfectly. hut II he Will read Mr. Walsh
We Will warrant that he Will learn some ne"
things concerning II. Who was Saint Eioy
According 10 Mr.. Walsh. he was the patron
saint of Bologna. Dunkerque end Noyon. ana
Of goldsmths and all other metal workers.
There is much biographical information offered
concerning this saint. and he becomes per-
sonaity 10 those for whom he has hitherto been
only name. We need not multiply examples
1t is sufficient 20 say that Mr.. Walsh has packed
a thick book with really useful information. ana
has nut that information together. moreover.
with great skill. lie IS not only instructive bu;
readable. and since his erude text receives
frequent and clever illustration we think his
book will take a prominent position among
works OF reference.
We may mention appropriately in this place
Mr. Thomas Harbottle's Dictionary of CLASH
cal Quotations" published by the Macmillan
Company. II follows in form and in method
the Dictionary Of English Quotations" not long
ago published by Colonel Dalbiac and like
that work 1t combines learning with Astounding
good sense. The scheme Of arrangement is sim
pie and an index ot subjects in English, as well
as In Greek and Latin. enables the busy literary
journeyman 10 turn at once TO the fragment
OF which he is in search. fragment which he
finds not only In the original. but In careful
translation. Ir numberless Instances the au-
thor has no, been content with his own YER
sion bu. has gone 10 well-known authorities
He and Colonel Dalbiac. It may be added. are
collaborating at present upon dictionary OF
Continental quotations, uniform with this book
and its predecessor. The three volumes to-
gether will make an Invaluable series.
The Standard Dictionary" OF Funk & Wag
nails has proved itself 10 be in the front rank
OF Photographed works. II was a good idea.
therefore. TO provide for those who could not
always have the complete work at their dis
posal an abridgment giving what might he
called the Quntessence OF the two stately vol
umes This abridgment, called "A Students
Edition Of a Standard Dictior airy Of the English
Language" treats sixty thousand words
and phrases. and has over a thousand pictorial
illustrations. It has been printed with the same
care that was bestowed upon the larger work.
and as 1t forms a convenient octave 1t is likely
TO enter upon a long career Of usefulness
In volume entitled Stories Of Famous
Operas" (Dodd. Mead G. Coz Mr. II. A. Guer-
Der has concentrated the libretti of no less than
fifteen operas by French Italian and German
composers. The work has been done with
brevity and lucidity. as we'll as with excellent
taste. Books like this occupy a respectable
position. 1t IS not to be supposed that readers
would care to remain unacquainted with the
music Of these operas after they had read the
generally romantic stories. Mr. Guerber there
fore. stands in the position Of one widening the
public interest in form Of art.
From the same publishers we have received
q translation by Ellen Orr Of Camille Bellaigue's
PORTRAITS and Silhouettes Of Musicians" 1t is
an agreeable little volume Of biography. gath
cred patiently from sources with which the gen
eral reader is not likely to make himself ac-
quainted at first hand There is a certain
foridity about the book which may not be
relished by all musical students. Mr. Bellaigue
IS inclined, at times 10 be sentimental, and his
sentiment produces rhetoric. Yet the sketches
are. the whole in good taste. and the en-
thusiasm with which they have been written
at least makes them vvacious and sympathetic.
The biographies are accompanied by excellent
portraits. printed from process blocks.
From the Macmillan Company have an
other volume in the new edition OF the writings
OF Friedrich Nietzsche This is Volume X and
IS devoted 10 The Genealogy Of Morals" trans
lated by William Hausemann. and to Metz
sche's poems the latter translated by Mr. John
Gray. We have already touched upon the value
Of Nietzsches literature to the readers of the
present day. Those with a desire to maintain
their intellectual equilibrium would best leave
that literature alone. clever writer Nietzsche
doubtless is, and his epigrams render some Of
his volumes interesting. in a way But the way
is specious. There is no substantial benefit TO
be derived from his so-called philosophy. 1t is
not philosophy at all. N!etzsche assaults the
heavens with a thousand passionate cries
His mind is at variance with his body. and his
soul is at loss as 10 its reference 70 both. The
upshot Of the mans travail is something wild
and incoherent. savoring neither Of consecu-
tive thought nor of spiritual inspiration, but
eloquent Of an indescribabe tumult. One STUN
bles upon lines Ike the following:
The loveliest body but a veil
In underestimate lovelier hides
and thinks that Netzsche has laid hold OF A
tangible idea, but almost Immediately chaos
comes again, and the German gives us nothing
but huge welter Of inlpotent screaming
against the fates. Readers who simply must
know his works should be left 10 study them in
the original These TRANSACTIONS meet no serl-
want.