The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-10-22

J.
! THE I From the Pub
! BOOKS. I li,bi's Houses.
vt would be dfsicalt to mad better
example Of q literary nsisnomef saan
the auy.tcns.on 10 Des.aerius ESas-
- mus. Of Rotterdam. OF the Title
Hero" OF course. car history OF ths
great movement headed By that real he'o'
Martin Luther, would oe complete vilhoul
q full statement OF the position and CHAR
arter of Erasmus and naturally the his
tory Of that movement which Is 1919 III
the hczyanf1ies contained 10 tina. admir-
able series Heroes Of the Reformation
pubiixned by q. r. Puinams Sons New
York. naturally contains the NE OF Etss-
mus. by Prof. Ephrism Emerton. OF mar
ward university. Yet Erasmus was neither
hero nor refefmer In the sense that Lutnef.
Melanchthon or even the Eiector were
Erasmus was a physical and moral cow
ard, trimmer, time saver. begsar ana
sycophans- He WAS, with ReacnIin, as
Karl Hiiiebrand has said. distinctly n son
of the Italian Renaissance. not OF the
Reformation. His work was great but
Il was literary. not poleEnic. Even Proi-
Emerton. his prossgonist and apoies1st.
says that Erasmus himself would have
besn vastly amused by the idea OF calling
him a hero OF the Reformation. Yet TO
the Reformation Erasmus belongs, IN
spite of himself. and without his work,
anfaaonistic as he and Luther were.
Lnther's work probably could not have
been accomplished. Briefly II IL perhaps
fair to say that Erasmus, by HIS learned
critical labor. the greatest OF any man
OF his time, attacked the authority OF
the church by placing before the learned
works OF the fathers heretofore inaccsssi-
bic to them. like his edition OF Jerome,
and by his clear. lucid. sarcastic writing.
exhibited In his colioaules ha reached the
popular heart and expressed for 1t the
despfet disgust and opposition to the
monastic Irregularities. to the general rep
rotation and disadvantage Of the orders.
Prof Emerton's work Ii thorough. Of
fers the result of original research. Is
written in good temper. gives an excellent
and truthful portrait Of his subject. is
neither euloRistic nor unduiy apologize.
though a tone Of apology Ia evident ia
clearly written and presents a fair view
Of a most interesting character. The IL
Illustrations are profuse, though there are
a few odd errors. hardly worth mention
perhaps. In giving their sources.
kipling Is the literary parent of Maj.
W. p Drury. OF the English royal marines.
who has published through g. +. Put
rams Sons, New York, a volume Of four
teen character sketches, under the title.
Bearers Of the Burden" II one might
venture q guess IL might not be unfair TO
say that the majority OF the stories are
OF actual experiences. stories Of the ward
room and mess. slightly emb.iished and
touched up with art. The stories are good
and well told. Humor and pathos may
be found IN the stories, but II IL OF the
strictly British type In which the points
arc painfully elaborated. and the reader
In not left. as the American reader likes
10 he. to his own tears or smiles. Wire
drawn paihos and hammered humor and
bald narrative are too often found In MAI,
Drury's work. which yet has merit rather
abeve the average yet shown BY followers
of the riotous and rushing Rndyard.
" y u
THE island" by Richard Whiteing att
thor 81 the powerful novel. ''No. John
ST." may be called an ails xorscal sketch.
The island f. that OF Pitcairn. which has
10 often been made thu imaginary scene OF
idyls and ideals. The characters In "rhe
Island" are few and shadowy. Really they
are only mantkius or automata. without
flesh or blood or action: simply vehicles
for the expression OF the authors view
Of tho faults and defects Of modern civ
flied government Mr.. whiteing's style
In graceful ana easy. but he expresses but
little more than the commonplace ~ the
social ref0rmer. ChsA H. seigel & Co,
publishers. Chicago.
The Hon. John Barrett presents through
his publishers. Harper q Brothers. New
York and London. an excellent bio
graphical sketch OF Admiral Dewey"
AS special war correspondent at Manila
from May, 1858 TO March. iSea Mr.. Bar
rett had the opportunity and took al
vantage OF II To become acquainted with
THE great seaman whose watchwords were
duty ana icTnity. Mr. Barrett tells no,
only OF Dewey's war record. bat gives hts
readers much insight into the domestic nfe
and characteristics ~ the subject Of his
book. There are many Anecdotes and
much Interesting reading In Mr. Basrett's
biography or Dewey. and much OF tn.
personality 81 the admiral, which before
Mr.. Harrctrs book. was nor known TO
the admirers of the great destroyer % the
Spanish squadron.
THE Hero OF Manila" by RosSfter John
sen. published by II. Appleton 4 Co Is a
book written by that Well known author for
boys. The man Of whom Mr. yahu4or
writes has 40 Interesting a personality that
II II not difficult TO make book aba,,.
u
tic internally.
y - y
Mr.. Hsmin Garland has come .atn Print
again with reissue Of his volume OF shor,
stories entitled Main Travelled Reads"
The Aacm Han Compaas Ne~ York aua
london. publish this hook White nssvsr
very startling Mr.. ,3sFian3's storias are
agreeable and interesting The Return of
the Private" Mrs. R'piey's Trip" UP
the Cool!y'' and "A Days Pleasure are ali
good stories.
y y -
Christmas does not seem very Ear awav
With the frst .nstalinent ~ holiday ss,nh.
"A Christmas Mediation ey A. Il Rrai-
ford. published ~ Forts Howard Il Hui
bert. New York. Il very pretty with It's
familiar HYMNS and strains os sweet re-
lgious thought sna nsat Illustrations
- y "
The Macmillan C0mpacy send out
Shakosreare's Merchant If Venice tn n
httf~ book which esa he easily handle.
The pres ts - esatx apt II - .tsFns with