New-York tribune., 1902-01-18

year of American HumOr' in the forthcoming
February number, including The Book Agent"
by Beatrice Herford, illustrated by her brother
Oliver. and four negro songs by new humorist
from North Carolina, with pictures by Kemble;
there will also be a diary of conversations with
Washington written in 119S by a Polish poet; a
paper Lincoln and Kentucky and hitherto
unpublished portrait of him; an anecdotc de-
scription of the Salon of Princess Mathde niece
of Napoleon, in Paris; personal recollections of
Browning in Venice by his friend, the late Mrs.
Bronson. Mr.. Cole continues his series OF en-
cravings from the Spanish masters.
Lady Dixie in the preface to her French
Furniture and Decoration in the XVIIIth Cen
tury," recently published by the Macmillan Com
pany, makes the welcome announcement that
she has still another volume in preparation,
on "Draughtsmen and Engravers of the XVIIIth
Century" This work will round out series of
great interest and substantial va Ie. Previous
volumes have dealt with the French painters,
architects and sculptors of the time Thus when
the author has treated the draugatsmen and
engravers, she will have achieved artistic
survey unsurpassed in completeness. For Lady
Dixie is learned and thorough as she is
sympathetic and interesting. We look forward
with special pleasure to her fourth volume, it
will illuminate one of the most important, be-
cause most characteristic. phases of French
"
and engravers os the period. indeed, We're as
brilliantly effective in their way the greatest
Of the painters
The Stuarts exercise unfailing attraction
upon the sympathies of latter day historians
and books about them are multiplied in these
days Now comes a good sized volume entitled
Five Stuart Princesses,' consisting of five his
torical monographs by Oxford investigators,
edited by Robert S. Raft. The five are Margaret
of Scotland. Elizabeth of Bohemia. Mary of
Orange Henrietta of Orleans and Sophia of
Hanover. The last four closely connected in
point of time; Margaret of Scotland preceded
them by several generations: but there is a GER
tain thread of connection running through the
lives OF them all. The book gives some interest
ing reproductions of contemporary portraits.
The writer's have undertaken to give an addition
to the personal and intimate side of history in
recounting the lives of these Stuart princesses.
E. P. Dutton & Co. will bring out the book.
1t has remained for the enterprise and scien-
tifc enthusiasm of private individual to carry
out the suggestion of Alexander Humboldt that
some government should publish the remains OF
the ancient American civilization found in the
Mexican manuscripts surviving to the present
day. All students Of American archaeology are
familiar with the sumptuous reproductions in
color OF these manuscripts published by the Due
de Loubat, who has done properly and with
scientific accuracy what Lord Kingsborough did
with so many errors as to make his work of
little value to serious students of American an
tiuuities. The Due de Loubat has now added TO
his other reproductions one of the "Codex Fer
iervAry- Mayer" making the seventh of the
series The original is in the possession or the
Free Public Museums of Liverpool, the commit
tee OF which lent it to the Bibliotheque Nation
ale of Paris. that it might have the benefit in
the reproduction of all the resources the duke
has for such work in the French capital. Pro-
fessor Edouard Seller, occupant OF the chair of
American lingulstics, ethnography and arch9-
ology founded by the Due de Loubat in the Uni
versity of Berlin writes the historical and crit
ical monograph upon the manuscript repro
duced.
It is acknowledged tina. NOBODY can tell why
the public takes violent fancy TO any partcu-
lar book and runs its editions up to large
figures: nor can the shrewdest publisher be sure
of the fate of book. Last fall the public was
running away with the novel called The Right
OF Way" and in order if possible, 10 ascertain
why the publishers printed several advertise
ments in the daily press of the country asking
readers kindly to say why they read this book
The replies were curious. From all over America
and Canada came letters-1,4S6 in all These
were carefully tabulated with this result: Seven
hundred and eleven said they had heard ii ia
vorabIy spoken of by friends who had either
read it seriay or in book form; four hundred
and sxty-eight had 1t advertised or both
advertised and reviewed; one hundred and four
teen had read reviews of it; eghtysix had read
something the author had written previously
and liked his style; eighty-four had read the
serial themselves. and wanted the book in con-
sequence; twenty-three replies gave frivolous
reasons-"because they had the price" because
"a fool and his money are soon parted" because
they were dull and wanted something exciting"
because they wanted something to talk about"
because they read all the new books they
wanted to be up to date" etc, etc. All this
leaves the publisher pretty much where he
started. But one thing is clear. While readers,
in the long run, are the best advertisers. it is
the review the publishers say. and in
cases. as in this one. the serial publication at
the outset, that sets them talking. In other
words, the first vogue of the popular novel is
due apparently to the who reviews 1t.
Herbert A. Giles, professor of Chinese at
Cambridge University, England. who has been
appointed the first lecturer Chinese literature
under the new endowment given to Columbia
University, is the author of an original book on
the History of Chinese Literature" tits the first
attempt in any language to present such a his
tory, containing large excerpts from Chinese
authors. with analyses and comments by Chi
nese critics worked into a logical sequence by
the author, who is said 20 be familiar with the
entire scope of the literature he describes Pro-
fessor Giles for many years in the English
consular service In China, and has published
number of other books about the language, GUS
toms, history, folklore and literature of China.