New-York tribune., 1901-12-18

purse
The translation of Balzac. prepared under the
supervision of Professor saintsbury, having
been circulated in the usual octave form, IN
evftably passes into a series of miniature vol
urnes. The process is not only inevitable, out
desirable The Temple Edition" Of the Co
medic Humane" which lies before US In 1orty
neat little volumes is very beguiling. 10 the
quality of the translation have previously
referred It has the varied character to pe eH-
pected of work done by different hands but it
is on the whole, spirited and clear. One very
useful feature of this edition is the series OF
prefaces provided with long general introduc-
ton by the editor. Professor Saintsbury Is
nothing if not dogmatic: and not every Bal
zacien" is likely to agree with all his concur
sions But there many stimulating refnarhS
in these Introductory pages, many passages ao-
mirably well calculated to put the unlnltateo
reader in a mood sympathetic to the reception
Of Balzac's ideas. and we are especially appre-
ciative of the autographed notes included.
This is another Dent Macmillan reprint, which
ie n sav that II is another example of good
bookmakfng The volumes bound in green
cloth of a delicate shade and smooth texture,
and they come in a stout cardboard oox Ihey
testify once more, in their size and IN the clear
ness Of their Typography, to the skill with winch
the modern printer compress literature
without doing the smallest violence 10 us ols-
nifty and utility.
That fiction looms large among the holiday
editions goes without saying; yet, as the pres
ence of Boswell in the list of titles given above
reminds US fiction is far from having the held
TO itself One of the conspicuous reissues OF the
season is that of THE Rise of the Dutch Re-
public" in volumes, which have been wei
if not luxuriously printed by the Crowels Mot
"A her receives
It has been copiously illustrated with halftone
reproductions of historical portraits by the old
masters and historical scenes by modern paint
ers A biographical introduction is provided oy
Professor Jameson. of Chicago University, who
closes his brief essay with the due reminder to
his readers that Motleys books, while nowlse
lacking in most Of the higher qualities Of schol-
arship are also Iterature-eloquent glowing
and powerful" The two volumes are stoutiy
bound in red buckram. decorated in gold
Mr.. Howells wrote his italian Journeys
nearly forty years ago. and in preface entitled
"A Confidence" which appears in the new Illus
trated edition. he speaks of the feelings which
were reused in him on lately looking over the
book in its original form. The experience, ne
says "at times moved me to doubt not only OF
the perfection of my taste, the accuracy Of my
knowledge, and the infalibty of my judg-
nent but the sincerity Of my feelings and the
veracity of my statements. From time TO time
it seems to me that I aware of posing, OF
straining even in some of my attitudes. and
had a sense of having put more airs than
could handsomely carry, and Of having at other
times assumed an omniscience for which can
now find reasonable grounds. There were |
when 1 thought I had INDUCED un-
seemIy spites and resentment toward national |
tiles that had never injured me, and yet black |
er moments when 1 fancied I had pretended to |
feel these but when in fact I at heart most |
amiably affected toward all alien peoples. SO !
exacting is one at sxty-four, that 1 fell upon !
these faults and pruned them away with free |
hand With what Mr. Howells chooses to do |
with one Of his books we are content, but we |
would have been glad anyway Of new edi- |
ton Of italian journeys" 1t is so good book
that no faults could make it any the less salts
flying to the lover of Italy and the lover of the
literature of travel. Mr.. Howells's contributions
to that literature always felicitous and in
Italy especially the charm of his impressions
flows with peculiar suppleness, vividness and
precision from his pen. The present edition is
enriched with a quantity Of drawings by Mr..
Pennell. sketchy and sometimes thin, but in the
main characterized by cleverness and by true
feeling for the picturesqueness of the country
they commemorate.
Once more a new edition Of Gilbert White
makes its appearance, and once more, therefore.
the hearts of his readers are gladdened. This
edition is the edited by the late Grant Allen,
and illustrated by Edmund H. New. which was
published in a handsome quarto a couple of
years ago, but is now brought out in a small
octave. The excellent pen drawings have lost
nothing by the change and the volume has the
advantage Of being better adapted to ordinary
than its predecessor. 1t is most attractivey
bound.
In the series of Century Classics commend
able for good editing and press work tasteful
form and inexpensiveness, three welcome vol
umes have just appeared. One contains the
Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin with
Introduction by Professor Woodrow Wilson.
For another, Mr.. H. w. Mabie has selected fif-
teen Of Poe's short stories. The third is given
to two OF the shorter books of Ruskin, Sesame
and Lilies and The Crown of Wild Olive"
Each volume includes a frontispiece portrait.