OCT. 1, 1866.

because they had been told: If you recognize lite- of $300 for life for the copyright of all his works. rary property as property, you disarm the govern- An ordinary hostler asks $65 more a year than this ment of its supremacy over intellect. It is because man of genius received; and the strange sight was the existence of literary property has been denied to be witnessed of M. Perrotin being driven to his that governments have been able to establish censors country-seat by a man who received more for his and so many other restrictive measures. M. Riche manual labor than the genius did who in great part (the government commissioner) opposed the per- supported master, man, horses, and carriage. Can petuity of literary property on the ground that, if it you wonder at the animosity felt here towards pubwas granted, inventors would, with good ground of lishers? The other anecdote to which I will refer reason, claim the same privilege. He added, Messrs. likewise relates to Alfred de Musset. Tired of Villemain, Cousin, and Sainte Beuve were opposed M. Charpentier's selfishness, he went to see M. to the perpetuity of literary property. M. Thiers Hachette to get him to purchase his copyright. was likewise opposed to it. He said: "Ideas and The poet's health had begun to decline. M. Ha style were like the water received from a higher chette said to him: "I will willingly purchase the neighbor with which one fertilizes one's own soil, copyright, and pay you thrice the amount of money and then transmits it to the neighbor below him." you ask; but upon one condition-you must marry He said the only people who would be benefited by before the contract is made. Were you to die in a it would be great publishers' and authors' creditors. year or two, unmarried, the copyright would soon M. Nogent de St. Laurens followed, and denied that expire, and I should lose money.' The poet dethe fact of publication destroyed the author's title clined. He thought (Frenchman-like!) the misery in his book any more than the farmer sold his estate less to be harassed by creditors than to be curtainwhen he sold the wheat it grew. He denied the lectured by a wife. So he returned to Shylock. possibility of heirs or creditors suppressing books. You are now prepared for the necrological list of He said publishers agreed that the effect of the ex- the fortnight. It happens to be mournful. I copy piration of copyright was to bring into the market from a Paris newspaper: "In opening my letters I editions with shameful texts, which annually grew find a note which oppresses my heart. One of our worse. M. Paul Dupont said the misfortune was brethren, a young fellow of seven-and-twenty, as that the law did not take sufficient care of the living brave and good a fellow as ever lived, has just died author, whose position was precarious, and often in harness, and I may add, without fear of rousing dependent upon a publisher. Bernardin de St. too late remorse (for he was alone in the world), Pierre found the greatest difflculty in obtaining a Malbousquet died of poverty, perhaps of hunger. publisher for his "Studies of Nature," which was Last Friday he came to this newspaper office to only published because a journeyman printer, struck know the fate of an article which he had brought by the charm of the ideas and style, persuaded his the previous day. The article was accepted. He master to print the first edition. Aimé Martin wrote had the satisfaction of seeing the proof-sheets, and an excellent work on the education of women, he went away happy, although he had not dared to which he sold for $160. He insisted that the govern- say to us, 'If you would pay me in advance, I shall ment should enable the Literary Men's Society to dine this evening.' Nothing could lead us to think come to the assistance of literary men by aiding he waited for this paltry sum to supply pressing them at the outset, protecting them against embar- wants. He died the next day at two o'clock. rassments, and protecting their works after them. Malbousquet was not my friend. I scarcely was He proposed this society's treasury should receive acquainted with him. I met him accidentally at one per cent. on all works whose copyright has Nice five years since; I met him afterwards at the expired which may be published hereafter. Such office of 'Le Nain Jaune,' and in some other newsis a rapid analysis of the general discussion on the paper offices. Although this was all my acquainquestion. I omit the debate on each article, and I tance with him, when I heard the intelligence of must forbear an analysis of M. Ste. Beuve's re- his sudden death, attended with such distressing port, for want of space. Suffice it to say, author's circumstances, I could not help feeling grief. When copyright in France is now extended to fifty years. one of our brethren falls a victim to the struggle, we I would mention two anecdotes told in the debate, bitterly remember how hard we found our first ef or which grew out of it. M. Paul Dupont (a well- forts, the humiliations we bore, the tortures which known publisher and printer; the works he issues wrung us, our sterile anger, our ungratified desires, are connected chiefly with the public service) stated and we pity with all our soul the poor fellow who that the publisher of Aimé Martin's work made takes his departure before he has avenged himself $20,000 by it, and that the same publisher gave on men and things, before he has gathered the fruit, $400 for the copyright of Alfred de Musset's works. bitter though it may be, of this long and painful M. Charpentier was the publisher alluded to. He novitiate. It was particularly painful for Malboushas published a card denying he made $20,000 by quet; but he did not complain or let anybody see Aimé Martin's work, and declaring he paid Alfred his wounds. He would every morning come on de Musset at least $6,000 copyright on his works. foot to Paris from Fontenay-aux-Roses (a village The reading public have heard this statement with some six miles south of Paris), and after wasting indignation. Alfred de Musset is as popular here the day in fruitless solicitations, barren visits, and as Mr. Tennyson is in England; his books are in humiliating appeals, he would walk back to Fonteeverybody's hands; yet for all his works he received nay-aux-Roses, saying to himself, Maybe I shall be only $6,000, while newspapers gave him $1,000 for more fortunate to-morrow.' And he set to work any story or piece he would write, and the theatres again, and allayed the pangs of hunger by thinking would pay him $30 or $60 every night they played the lines he traced with a feverish hand represented one of his pieces. M. Charpentier has become very future meals." Is not this melancholy? Its sudwealthy, and he sells more of Alfred de Musset's denness is heightened by the consciousness that than he sells of all his other publications put toge- the poor fellow's misfortune was due to a common ther; nevertheless, he paid the poet who built his mistake. He forgot-as so many forget-that a estate only $6,000, and as this insignificant amount longer novitiate is required in literature than in any of money was paid him in driblets of $50 and $100 other profession. No man thinks of adopting the at a time, the poet had not even the advantage of law, or medicine, or engineering as a profession drawing interest on this capital. Beranger fared unless he is the master of money enough to support scarcely better. M. Perrotin gave him an annuity him in the school and during the first years of pro

ОСТ. 1, 1866.

NOTES ON BOOKS AND BOOKSELLERS. PUBLISHERS' TRADE LISTS.-In our present numberwill be found the proposition of Mr. Howard Challen, who desires to obviate the inconvenience now experienced by the retailers of books, in consequence of the many different sizes of the trade lists and catalogues of publishers. We have referred to this disadvantage on several occasions, and trust the Tradewill patronize Mr. Challen's plan, at least so far as to enable him to test it thoroughly, and develop the advantages he believes it to possess.

OCT. 1, 1866.

LITTLE, BROWN & Co.'s Law PUBLICATIONS.-The give still greater completeness to the series and rapidity with which Little, Brown & Co. are issuing bring it down to the present day. The set is now their numerous and valuable law publications, is comprised in one hundred and thirty volumes, and highly commendable to that house, which seems to in it are found Milton, Spenser, Shakspeare, Pope, grow in energy as it grows in years. Within the Dryden, Swift, Thomson, Cowper, Goldsmith, Gray, last fortnight we have received from them the Burns, Campbell, Scott, Coleridge, Byron, Hood, "Annual Digest," 2 vols.," Hilliard on Torts," 2 Keats, Shelley, Southey, Moore, Herbert, Wordsvols., "Wheaton's International Law," 1 vol., and worth, and many others. The present list of Tick"Redfield on the Law of Wills," 1 vol. It requires nor & Fields forms a natural supplement to such a large investments of capital to manufacture this collection, including as it does the poems of Tennyclass of books, and they appeal to a comparatively son, Browning, Kingsley, Barry Cornwall, Leigh small circle of buyers. Yet here are about four Hunt, Owen Meredith, Massey, Miss Mulock, Thack- · thousand five hundred pages of solid printed mat- eray, Adelaide Proctor, Swinburne, and others. ter, produced within a brief period of time, in addi- By this purchase Ticknor & Fields confirm their tion to issues in the Belles Lettres and general acknowledged position as leading publishers of Miscellaneous business of the firm. At the same poetry, and secure to themselves a list of poetical time, they announce works by Angell and Ames, publications unmatched by that of any publishing Bishop, and Drake, as nearly ready, and new works house in the world. In addition to their strength or editions by Angell, Blake, Curtis, Greenleaf, in editions of foreign poetry, their list shows that Perkins, Redfield, and Story, as in press. The legal they are the publishers of nearly all our principal literature of our country is growing, not only in American poets. Longfellow, Whittier, Lowell, magnitude, but in intrinsic importance, and is Holmes, Emerson, Bayard Taylor, Saxe, Percival, reflecting credit upon our country abroad. Indeed, Aldrich, and others are found there, and the whole the works of our own authors are fast displacing constitutes a catalogue of poetical riches nowhere to the annotated English text-books. No firm in the be surpassed. We learn that it is the intention of trade has labored more persistently or contributed the publishers to immediately reissue the British in divers ways more liberally to produce this grati- Poets in a new, elegant, and enlarged form. fying result than Little, Brown & Co.

NEW BOOKS.-The numerous readers and admirers of Marion Harland's works will be gratified to learn that a new work by this gifted author will shortly appear, entitled "Sunnybank." This is the first continuous story from her pen since "Miriam," which was published in the fall of 1862; her later volumes have been composed of briefer tales and sketches. We doubt not this new book will be found worthy to rank with any of her former books, so esteemed for their delineations of character and high moral tone.

MEMBERS OF THE TRADE ABROAD.-The American book trade has, during the past summer, been largely represented abroad. Mr. Joshua B. Lippincott, of this city, extended his visit to Europe until the close of the season. Mr. Robert H. Johnson, of New York, has been making very heavy purchases of choice, fine, and rare works in London, and will doubtless be able to present to his customers some novel and attractive volumes. Mr. S. C. Griggs, of Chicago, while in London and Edinburgh, added largely to a stock which rivals any other in our The first book published by Marion Harland, and country, and excites the admiration of the East, as which admitted her at once to a place among the well as the wonder of the great West. At the same most able and successful novelists of our country, time, he extended his arrangements for direct im- was "Alone." Within a few months of its publica. portation to such a degree as to render him quite tion it reached a sale almost unprecedented by any independent of agencies in the Atlantic cities. Mr. American book. It will be sufficient to state that Ebbs, of Mohun & Ebbs, New York, has also made the new volume "Sunnybank" reintroduces us to a personal selection, in London and Paris, of a many of the pleasant acquaintances with whom we diversified list of valuable and richly bound works, grew familiar in "Alone." It admits us to a gallery beautifully illustrated by the best masters of the of these life-pictures vivid with interest and truthart of book engraving. The West has been further ful to nature. This book will be published early represented by Mr. R. D. Barney, of the house of in October by Sheldon & Co. Robert Clark & Co., whose large and fine establishment in the Queen City has acquired a national reputation. Mr. Barney, by his enterprise, excellent taste, and general literary knowledge, has been enabled greatly to increase the facilities of his house, especially in the regular and prompt supply of English and French works of a rare and ornamental, as well as a standard character.

REMOVAL.-James S. Claxton, successor to Wm. S. & Alfred Martien, Philadelphia, has removed his book-store to the new and spacious premises, No.

1214 Chestnut Street.

The same publishers have in press, and will publish in a short time, a book for the holidays by Marion Harland. It contains a few of her most charming stories, and will be elegantly illustrated by wood engravings beautifully printed in three tints, called "Christmas Holly."

The same publishers have also in press a new volume by Spurgeon, entitled "Morning by Morning, or Daily Bible Readings," which will doubtless prove a very useful book to assist in the daily family devotions.

MESSRS. HURD & HOUGHTON have in press, for immediate publication, an American edition of Dr. William Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, under the editorship of Prof. H. B. Hackett, D. D., assisted by many eminent scholars. The appendix will be incorporated into the body of the work, the references and engravings added, &c. &c. verified, errors corrected, and numerous articles

LARGE TRANSFER OF POETICAL PROPERTY.-Ticknor & Fields announce that they have bought from Little, Brown & Co. the stereotype plates and the entire stock of the important and valuable series of books known as "The British Poets." This edition, prepared at great expense and with the utmost care, is the most complete and desirable collection of British poetry extant, and both in plan and execu- BANCROFT'S HISTORY.-Little, Brown & Co., of Bostion has reflected great credit upon its projectors, Lit-ton, will this day publish the ninth volume of Mr. tle, Brown & Co. They have now disposed of it to Ticknor & Fields, with the purpose of enabling the latter house to incorporate with it such of the later and living poets now included in its own list as will

George Bancroft's History of the United States. The period embraced in this volume is from July, 1770, to April, 1778, and the principal subjects treated of are the Declaration of Independence and its effect

in Europe; the Battle of Long Island; Evacuation "ECCE HOмo" has reached its twelfth thousand in of New York; the Embarrassments of America; the England, and the demand still continues. The Course of Opinion in England; Border War, North | author's name is not yet known; but if he prefers and South; White Plains; Fort Washington; Re- profits to fame, he is probably satisfied, for it is antreat through the Jerseys; Trenton and Princeton; nounced that his publishers have already paid him the Constitutions of the several States; Preparations $30,000. in Europe and America for the Campaign of 1777; THE "London Review" snubs "Punch." It says: Evacuation of New Jersey by the British; Advance "We cannot refrain from noticing, with regret, the of Burgoyne; Bennington; Philadelphia Captured; | badness of the illustrations, which, at one time the Surrender of Burgoyne; the Confederation; Valley very perfection of comic art, are now, for the most Forge. The tenth volume, which will bring the part, neither comic nor artistic. The best thing in history down to the close of the War of Indepen- the current number is a little sketch of a hairdresser dence, and the recognition of the United States as cutting the shaggy mane of a terrier, which is full a nation, is reported to be ready for the press, and of fancy and fun. Even Mr. Tenniel's cartoon is will probably appear, with a good analytical Index, poor this week, and the large social illustrations early next year. More fortunate than his great are execrable. When we look back to the days of contemporary, Lord Macaulay, it has been the good Leech and Doyle, we are conscious of a decline into fortune of Mr. Bancroft to complete his great his- something like barbarism-the result of a vicious tory, which has already taken its place as a standard style of drawing obstinately adhered to."

work.

OLD PLAYS.-James Russell Lowell is now editing a collection of Old Plays, from Marlowe to Dryden, which Little, Brown & Co., of Boston, will soon put to press.

"THE IMITATION OF CHRIST."-The September number of the "Contemporary Review," among other excellent papers, contains a fine article on the authorship of "The Imitation of Christ," in which the claims of Thomas à Kempis, as against St. Bernard, Gerson, and all others, are vigorously vindicated, both from internal and external evidence. As an illustration of the great number of copies of this work that have been produced, it is stated that in France alone there have been more than sixty translations and more than a thousand editions in French.

THE Oriental Translation Committee in London is about to resume its labors, after a lapse of two or three years. The "London Reader" says: "The Oriental Translation Fund was established in 1828 by several Oriental scholars and others interested in Eastern literature, for the translation and publication of such works on Eastern history, science, and belles-lettres as are inaccessible to the European'public in MS. form and indigenous language. During a period of thirtytwo years the committee have published, or aided in the publication, of more than seventy translations. Of these many are highly valuable, all are curious and interesting, and several of them are of such a nature that, without the aid afforded by the society, they could scarcely have been undertaken. The Sanskrit translations include those of the

Persian, Syriac, Ethiopic, Armenian, Chinese, and
Japanese languages."

"MEN OF LETTERS."-The "Athenæum" notices

MR. THOS. F. DE VOR, the author of "The Market Sankhya Karika, Rig Veda, and Vishnu Purana. Book," the first volume of which, containing a his- Among those from the Arabic are found the travels tory of the New York markets, was published a few of Ibn Batuta, and of the Patriarch Macarius, Alyears since, has been engaged for some time upon in Spain, and the extensive lexicon of Hajji Khalia. Makkari's history of the Mohammedan dynasties a work of a somewhat similar nature, but un-There are also on the list translations from the doubtedly of more interest to the community at large. It is a descriptive history of all kinds of human food, such as is offered for sale in the various markets of the world, not only animal flesh, but fish, game, poultry, vegetables, fruits, etc. etc., the fact that two popular authors, holding superior giving the proper seasons for each, and rules for appointments in the London post-office, are now distinguishing the good from the unsound or un-running novels in English periodicals-Mr. Anthony healthy. The work will be illustrated with drawings by the author, who is a well-known practical butcher, and is regarded as an authority upon all subjects connected with markets. We see, by the "Round Table" of September 22, that the work is now in press, and will be published shortly. In this connection we might add that we look with interest for the second volume of Mr. De Vor's "Market Book," which, we understand, is devoted to the history of the Philadelphia markets.

Trollope "The Claverings" in the "Cornhill Magazine," and Mr. Edmund Yates "Black Sheep" in "All the Year Round." Mr. Trollope, born in 1815, and educated at Winchester and Harrow, is second son of the Mrs. Frances Trollope, whose "Domestic Manners of the Americans" caused so much excitement thirty-five years ago; and Mr. Yates, born in 1831, is son of the late Frederick Yates, actor and co-manager of the Adelphi Theatre, London, with

the late Mr. Charles Mathews.

Parliament a committee was appointed to receive DRAMATIC. During the last session of the British evidence and report upon the subject of theatres, the increase of which has been very great of late

"STONEWALL" JACKSON.-We notice that there has just been published in London the second and concluding volume of "The Life of Lieut.-General Thomas J. Jackson," by Professor R. L. Dabney, D. D., Richmond, Va., and it is advertised that years. Among the witnesses were Mr. Charles Kean, the manuscript has been specially revised by the actor, and Mr. E. T. Smith, formerly lessee of General Robert E. Lee." Drury Lane Theatre, and now of Astley's and CreNisbet & Co., who deal almost exclusively in what is called serious litera-diences of the American were much better behaved morne Gardens. Mr. Kean deposed that the auture, are the London publishers.

than those of the English theatres. Mr. Smith BURNS."The Bookseller" (published in London) stated that, when he was lessee of Drury Lane Thesays that Mr. James McKie, of Kilmarnock, Scot- atre, he had lost $15,000 by Mr. Charles Kean's land, who is collecting all the various editions of engagement, and $17,500 by the engagement of the the Life and Works of Robert Burns, has made out late Mr. G. V. Brooke. His opinion was that there a list of nearly 200 volumes, comprising 125 differ- are more theatres in London than there was demand ent publications. The list ought to be much larger. for. At present there are only seven theatres open At least thirty different editions of Burns have ap-in London; by the end of the present month this peared on this side of the Atlantic.

number will be doubled.

OCT. 1. 1866,

OBITUARY.-Mr. Sergeant Manning, an eminent English lawyer, who wrote a great deal of literary criticism, and particularly applied himself to philology, a study to which Max Müller has given such an impetus in England, is reported dead, at the ripe age of eighty-four.

AUTOGRAPHS. The correspondence of Josiah Wedgwood, the celebrated English potter, about 1500 letters, from crowned heads, as well as statesmen, artists, and literati, was sold by auction a few weeks ago, in London, for $110.

THE CAMBRIDGE SHAKSPEARE. This fine edition, by Messrs. W. G. Clark and W. A. Wright, of Trinity College, Cambridge, published by Macmillan, of London, is now completed by the publication of the ninth volume, containing three plays and the poems. The text has been carefully and critically revised.

AN AFRICAN HARP.-At the recent annual meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Sir Roderick Murchison stated, in the Geographical Section, that M. du Chaillu's second expedition to Africa had failed, but that he had brought over the skeletons of a few gorillas, and sundry curiosities, among which was a harp, the strings of which were made of vegetable fibre. This had been presented to himself, but he, thinking it ought to be in the hands of one of the first harp-players in England, had begged the Duchess of Wellington to accept it, and it was now in her ladyship's collection at Apsley-house. One is reminded here of the anecdote of James Bruce, another famous African explorer, whose startling statements, though much discredited at the time, have since been remarkably verified. A lady asked him if there were any musical instruments in Abyssinia? He answered, rather hesitatingly, "I think there was one lyre there." The lady replied, by no means sotto voce, "Yes, and there's one less now that you are not there!" By the way the British Association met at Nottingham, close to Robin Hood's Sherwood Forest, which is popularly believed to have been a town a thousand years before the Christian era! There certainly had been houses on that site long before the first Olympiad, or the birth of Romulus.

CHARLOTTE CORDAY.-M. Adolphe Huard, of Paris, has published a biography of Charlotte Corday, who killed the infamous Marat on July 14, 1793, and was guillotined for the deed. From this it appears that, instead of being a Normandy peasant, as generally, believed, she was noble by blood as well as by intellect, and that a younger sister of Corneille, the dramatic poet, was among her ances

try. An elder cousin of hers, who survived until 1851, remembered Charlotte as one who was grave or gay, reserved or loquacious, serious or laughing, as the time warranted; but ever with a love for children and their companionship, and with (as she was wont to say) the manners of a well-bred young lady-according to the usages and traditions of the De Corday family. There is a sketch of Charlotte Corday in Lamartine's new work, "Biographies and Portraits of Some Celebrated People." She figures therein in company with Lord Bacon, Shakspeare, Lord Chatham, W. Pitt, Madame Roland, Mirabeau, Danton, and Vergniaud.

ROYAL ACADEMY OF ENGLAND.-The new building, to be erected at the back of Burlington House, Piccadilly, the front façade being presented, is to have Mr. Sydney Smirke as architect. It will be remembered that Hogarth, over a century ago, introduced a view of Burlington House into one of his satirical designs.

A FLAGRANT case of plagiarism is exposed by the London "Bookseller." Some years ago a Boston house published Mr. Bartlett's volume of "Familiar Quotations," which has just been stolen by Mr. J. Hain Friswell, and reproduced in London, with additions and blunders, under the title of "Familiar Words: An Index Verborum." The "Bookseller" says: "Mr. Bartlett, following the plan of Mr. Murray's Dictionary, had arranged his quotations under the name of the author from whom the selection was made. Mr. Friswell first set to work

by cutting up these fragments, and then arranging them under subjects. Had this been properly done, and fairly and honorably acknowledged, no one could have complained; but Mr. Friswell neither did his work well, nor did he acknowledge the source of his inspiration."

THE London "Spectator" avers that the Russian collection in the library of the British Museum is more complete than any library in Russia. Owing to the severe censorship of the Russian press the thoughts of Russian and Polish liberals are forced to seek publication elsewhere. A considerable and increasing number of books in those languages are published at Brussels, Paris, London, Berlin, Geneva, and other towns. These books are of course not to be found in the libraries of St. Petersburg and Moscow. Similarly, the pamphlets of French political emigrants at Brussels are not to be met with in Paris.

SHERIDAN KNOWLES.-When this dramatist wrote "Caius Gracchus," "William Tell," and "Virginius," and for several years later, he was a teacher of elocution in Glasgow. He is buried in the necropolis of that city, and some of his friends and former pupils have lately erected a monument, in the form of a cenotaph, over his remains. It is very handsome, and is built of fine durable sandstone, surmounted by a sarcophagus of gray polished Aberdeen granite. Among the ornaments are medallion heads of some of the leading characters in his plays-viz: William Tell and Emma, Virginius and his daughter, Master Walter and Julia, Caius Gracchus and his mother Cornelia. The only inscription gives Knowles's name in full, with dates of his birth and death.

STOLEN MANUSCRIPTS.-Between the years 1837 and 1848 a considerable number of valuable manuscripts were missing (said to have been stolen) from the great literary collection now known as the Bibliothèque Impériale of Paris. It has lately been discovered that thirty-three of the most valuable volumes of which the Library had been plundered are now in Lord Ashburton's library at Ashburnham Place, in Sussex, England. They were sold to his lordship by a certain M. J. Barrois, who died in July, 1855, and without any doubt was the culprit. There were 702 of the Barrois manuscripts sold to Lord Ashburton: it is not expected, his purchase having been bona fide, that he will return the manuscripts to the library in Paris.

AFRICAN EXPLORATION. Queen Victoria has knighted Mr. Baker, and made Captain Grant a Companion of the Bath, the first having discovered the Albert Nyanza, and the latter (with the late Captain Speke) the Victoria Nyanza, from which

lakes the Nile flows.