New-York tribune., 1901-12-18

Volumes Phiiadei phia: J. b Lippincott Com
pany.
With an fh1SodGeoR 0F b2 Ehel he n N McKena
In Twenty Volumes. Philadelphia: J. B. Lip
pincott Company.
BALLzAcs CoMEDIE HI HUMANE z z,E;aios Edited BY Pg
Forty Volumes, The Macmillan Company
THE RISE OF THE DUTCH REPUBLIC A His
dGcticn by Soj' J. FTanklin jameson PROFESSOR Of
History in Chicago University. In TWO Vol
7s5 Thomas 7 Crowen & Co
ITALIAN 5oURNEYs BY .s P 6owes 6o,sLn ~ VIII n
$50 Houghton. Miffin & Co.
By Gilbert White VI, Edited lite with Notes @ & by
Octave, pp. xix, So John Lane.
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BENJAMIN
FRANKLIN. With an Introduetion by Wood
Wilson Octave, PIP. xix, 2eS. The Century
ton by Hamilton Wright Matie Octave, PIP
XVI, 49s. The Century Company.
SESAME AND LILIES and THE CROWN OF
WILD OLIVE; Bv John Ruskin Octave pp
XIV. 3S7. The Century Company.
Periodically there are solemn debates-not sell
dom tinged with acerbty-among scholars who
have looked into the history of The Arabian
Nights Entertainments" The various transla-
tions have their various critics and defenders
The specialist who has declared for the transla-
ton Of Burton. for example is apt to have only
a compassionate smile from those readers who,
remembering the days of their youth, are faith
full to the version they knew then. made from
the French of Galland. The partisan Of John
Payne is often equally superior. and if Galland
is scorned so also is Lane. We suppose that
the recent literal French translation made by
Dr.. Mardrus viii be added TO the armory OF
those who do not see how any one can really
enjoy the old tales if they are not given in an
exact equivalent for the Arabic text Never
theless no publication could be more welcome
for the holidays. and after, than that which we
get in the shape of a edition of Lane 1t
is of those Dent-Macmillan editions which
have so much to recommend them regards
literary taste and artistic manufacture. The
six volumes in which ii presents The Arabian
Nights are six Of the pleasantest we have had
occasion to look at in a long time The form Is
small, but too small; the text has been
printed in clear type upon excellent paper,
which is. moreover, so light that the reader
does not seem 10 be holding any weight at all;
and the illustrations. if particularly brill
liant. are all events fairly well drawn and
sufficiently opposite. The special merit Of the
edition is that without being "bowdlerized," it
gives a text which the editor remarks, rs
simply modified in far a not TO offend our
modern canons of good taste" The scholar
may rage, and imagine a vain thing; but, after
ALL he does not need to read this edition; the
general public does-especially the general pub
lie that is made up OF younger readers-and II
is folly to suppose that such a public cannot get
on without the kind Of an edition that the
scholar demands The main thing about The
Arabian Nights is not the vein Of Oriental filth
which crops out here and there; the main thing
is not that element in the text which moved
Burton to embody in so many Of his notes the
fruits of purely anthropological research. The
main thing is the glamour of romance. the at
mosphere of faery, the illusion, always the illu-
sion. For this the reader may go unhesitatingly
to Lane and he viii not be disappointed. A bet
ter Christmas gift than this edition. repeat,
ii would be hard to find.
1t must be stated. however, that other publ
cations for the purpose equally good in their
different ways Indeed. the reprints of classics
this year are as admira Die as they numer-
Gus. Mr.. BirrelTs edition of Boswell appears
in charming form. The six we'll proportioned
octavos, simply but handsomely bound in red
cloth. are altogether desirable. Mr.. Birrells
editing is just what the editing of a master
piece ought TO be. His notes are comparatively
few; in fact his aim throughout has been to
let the immortal doctor and his immortal pane
gyrist speak so far as possible, for themselves.
But this edition has the added and obviously
legitimate Improvement of series Of iIlustra-
tions composed of contemporary portraits OF
personages whose physiognones 1t is edifying
to study with reference to the text. These por-
traits have been selected with good judgment by
Mr.. Ernest Radford, and they have been toler-
ably well reproduced by the halftone process.
Scattered through the volume. they provide
ideal accompaniment to the narrative. Every
new edition Of Boswell that is at all decently
printed is a boom This one with its modest
editorial machinery, its first rate manufacture
and its portrait gallery. commands special ap
probation; and il is published, withal. at a very
reasonable price.
The only regret feel concerning the new
edition of Richardson's novels, in twenty beau
tiful little volumes, is that it suggests rehec-
tions too numerous TO be INDUCED in at this
time. The great epistolary artist in eighteenth
century fiction is indeed tempting theme and
one that for many years has been none too often
in mems minds. The reader began to shy
long ago. when, in fact, nineteenth century
hustle began to make itself a law unto the
nations. Richardson OF course. has always had
his public, but it has not since his own day,
been phenomenally large. The explanation lies
upon the surface The twenty volumes before
US embrace only three books. Pamela is in
four volumes Of nearly four hundred pages each
the remaining volumes are thick, and yet il
takes seven Of them accommodate Sir
Charles Grandson and no fewer than nine to
accommodate ''Clarissa Harlowe." Is it a mar
vel that many a reader has neglected these por-
tentous works? OF course, since they not
only portentous but delightful il is too bad that
readers have so frequently cut themselves of
from singular pleasure; but must make
allowance for poor human nature. Richardson
whose pages are eloquent of an understanding
Of human nature paradoxicaliy forgot the one