GEORGE W. CHILDS, PUBLISHER, Nos. 628 & 630 CHESTNUT STREET, PHILADELPHIA. HENRY LEMMING, 9 Calle de la Paz, Madrid. GUSTAVE BOSSANGE & CO., 25 Quai Voltaire, Paris ALBERT DETKEN, Naples. GEO. N. DAVIS, 119 Rua Direita, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Agent for South America. A. ROMAN, San Francisco, California, Agent for the Pacific Coast. STEPHENS & CO., 10 Calle Mercaderes, Habana, Agents for the West Indies. Subscriptions or Advertisements for the "American Literary Gazette" will be received by the above Agents, and they will forward to the Editor any Books or Publications intended for notice. DEC. 15, 1866. OUR CONTINENTAL CORRESPONDENCE. even if they come into possession. The manager of the Vaudeville Theatre has resorted to the courts of law to compel M. Sardou to allow the piece to be played. There the dispute stands. Here is an extract from a letter by M. Armand Baschet on the archives of Rome: "At Rome, if the Reverend Father Theiner aids you, every favor is granted you to enable you to consult documents, and yet you cannot derive any benefit from this very kind permission. This conduct is as adroit as smart and convenient; for, while satisfying the vanity of the petitioner, it protects both the conscience and politeness of the Cardinal-Minister, who is the highest dispenser of privileges and favors. Father Theiner, who was served by all the archives in the world, when he undertook his great collection of Diplomatic Documents relating to the Council of Trent, does not imagine students can find anything on any subject in the papers confided to his keeping as Tabularius Secretus. He consequently always beseeches you not to pretend to wish to see that which he assures you does not exist. This is his ordinary reply; it is made in the most courteous manner, for, believe him, his only object is to spare you fatigue which will be undergone for no purpose whatsoever. I nevertheless confess he never convinced me of the truth of his declaration, and I am inclined to think Father Theiner, despite all the learning of which he has given venerable evidence, exaggerates the worthlessness of the archives of the Vatican, and takes too much pains to spare you the eagerly sought labor of consulting them." THE month has been singularly barren of literary intelligence. Death itself (which has treated letters with particular severity recently) has forborne its cruel strokes, and after I record the death of M. Joachim Duflot, I shall have exhausted the fortnight's literary bills of mortality. I am scarcely sure he ought to be called a literary man, although he wrote several plays and compiled several works. He was one of those unfortunate people who stumbled out of his proper line of life. As a grocer, or a bar-keeper, or a haberdasher, or the driver of any of those purely mechanical trades which seem to require from their serfs no talents besides early rising and assiduous dusting, he would have been a prosperous and contented man, whose meals would have been served abundantly and regularly, and whose quarterly rent would have been met punctually and easily. He found the solution of those problems which life's sphinx proposes to all men three times a day-breakfast, dinner, and supper-a harder task than the quadrature of the circle or perpetual motion. His misery would have lacked its bitterest dregs had he not married; though how he compassed this extremity of wretchedness is an inexplicable mystery. One had thought a plain gold ring as completely out of his reach as the nearest star. His wife died two or three years since. He died yesterday, past 50 years old. His friends secured him death in his own bed; but his body, I believe, was thrown into the Potter's field. Were it not for the letters of literary men, I should have a dull letter indeed to send you. M. M. Rénan has announced in one of our daily papers Victorien Sardou has raised animated discussions that the Imperial Library has received an importin every drawing-room and café here by the follow- ant accession to its extremely valuable collections. ing letter, addressed to the newspapers: "In the I am sure you will read M. Rénan's article with face of the incidents of the last few days concern- interest: "The division of manuscripts in the Iming the new piece I am rehearsing at the Vaude- perial Library has become enriched with a real ville Theatre, New House, and of the resolution scientific treasure. With courage worthy of the adopted by several newspapers to analyze my new greatest praise, and perhaps unprecedented since play even in its minutest details, I have formed a the days of Anquetil Duperron, M. Paul Grimblot resolution which I have once abandoned at the undertook to procure for learned Europe a complete earnest request of the manager of the Vaudeville. collection of the Bouddhic books of the South. To This resolution is to withdraw the piece; it shall attain this end, he sought the perilous posts of not be played. I leave to public opinion to judge French Consul at Colombo and Maulmain, and for the conduct of those persons who have driven me six years he sedulously pursued the proposed end. to this extreme measure, and who themselves con- He commonly found a good deal of complaisance in fess the irreparable injury they do manager and the Bouddhish priests. The high priest of the Temauthor. From the moment I am no longer alone ple of Dadala, near Pointe de Galles, superintended in the presence of my spectators, master of their himself the labor of the copyists. The 120 MSS. emotions maliciously deflowered, I prefer losing the collected in this way by M. Grimblot contain nearly fruit of six months' labor and of giving up the the whole of the Bouddhic literature of Ceylon and struggle sooner than trying the fortune of a battle Birmania. Added to those already in possession of after all my plans have been revealed. It was re- the Library (the best of which came from Eugene served to me to set the example (unprecedented in Burnouf), they form a collection which is absodramatic annals) of an author obliged to withdrawlutely matchless in Europe, and secure for the Ima play analyzed, criticized, nay, maltreated one month before it was brought out, and before the public could exercise their right of expressing their This incident will opinion. VICTORIEN SARDOU." remind you of the appeal Mr. Wilkie Collins addressed to newspaper critics upon the publication of the "Woman in White;" he begged them not to divulge the end of the story. The effect of such a request is to make every reader turn to the last chapter of the novel and read it first. It is, however, different with a play. Its fate commonly turns upon the reception it meets the first night it is played. If the audience are familiar with the piece, they have no emotion; they are entirely critical. They cannot be carried away by the piece; it is an old story to them. A dramatic author has consequently a right to expect the actors shall not betray his plot, and newspaper writers of proper delicacy would refuse to publish these particulars perial Library an indisputable precedence as the BE DEC. 15, 1866. books of the Southern collection are very probably ton's Works," edited by A. Vermorel; J. d'Argis's Lieut. Mage, of the French Navy, recently read before the Geographical Society here, a narrative of his travels into the interior of Senegambia. He mentioned he met in a village which Mungo Park records he visited, an octogenarian negro, who remembered to have seen in his earliest youth a white man, but a white man who must have been extremely poor, for he made him no present! ... Herr Du Mont Schauberg, of Cologne, states the edition of Ahn's "Practical Lessons of the French Language" he has just published is its 150th; no less than 750,000 copies of it have been sold, and as the sale has increased rather than diminished, he says the total sales will soon reach 1,000,000 copies. ... NOTES ON BOOKS AND BOOKSELLERS. L. A. GODEY, Esq.-Our esteemed townsman, the proprietor of the "Lady's Book," with his excellent wife, has lately returned from Europe, in capital health and spirits, after a prolonged sojourn. Having gone abroad for pure recreation, he was enabled to survey the various phases of European life and manners with good feeling and cosmopolitan impartiality. Few objects, we venture to say, worthy of general interest have escaped his eye; and his innumerable friends, with the hosts of readers of his incomparable magazine, will doubtless reap the benefit of his rare powers of observation in a field so fraught with instruction and in We have a "History of the Bastille, from its completion in 1374, to its destruction in 1789," by Messrs. Arnould and Zother, authors; J. E. Cornay's "Cos-terest. mogonie Légale, or Memoir on Animal Genesis,"" The JOURNALISM AND LITERATURE. One of the most Law of Hermaphrodism," "The Law of Fecundity," important revolutions which our literature is etc.; M. Coulvier Gravier's "Précis of Researches silently undergoing, is the gradual approximation upon Meteors, and the Laws which govern them;" of the newspaper to the book, and the substituM. Egger's "Historical Essays (Etudes) on Treaties tion of the former for the latter. This is, indeed, among the Greeks and Romans;" the Marquis de implied in the expression, now become quite proGrouchy's "Ger. de Grouchy and Ireland in 1796;" verbial, that the newspaper is the Book of the Dr. J. M. Guardia's "Leprosy (Ladrerie) of the People, and is especially observable in the prosHog in Antiquity;" M. Ch. Barthelemy's "His- pectuses for the coming year of the large family tory of the Five First Centuries of the Church of journals. Take, for instance, that of "The Home France;" Messrs. Rilliet's, Delisle's, and Bordier's Journal" of New York, which happens to be lying "Paleographical and Historical Essays on Papyri of before us, and which is perhaps the best representhe Sixth Century," containing St. Avitius's Sermons tative of its class. In the first place its senior and some works by St. Augustin; Viscount Ouffroy editor is N. P. Willis, a name of long standing and de Thoron's "Equatorial America" (it is stated the of high repute in our literature. But Mr. Willis, map contained in this volume is the only faithful instead of writing books, puts the matter of many map of this region ever published); the eighteenth books into the columns of "The Home Journal." In volume of "Notices and Extracts of MSS. in the addition to this, he gathers around him a body of Imperial Library," etc.; M. Claude Bernard's novelists and essayists, whose productions, instead "Lectures (Leçons) on the Physiology and Patho- of appearing in the form of volumes, are read in the logy of the Nervous System;" A. Bravais's "Crystalo- Journal as serials. Thus, for 1867, Daisy Howard is to graphical Essays (Etudes);" Bishop Dupanloup's, contribute an American novel to be called "Salome;" of Orleans, "Letters to Men of the World on Studies and Barry Gray, who has published volumes satusuited to them;" X. Marmier's "History of a Poor rated with the spirit of the gentle Elia, is to furnish Musician;" T. Chateau's "Technologie du Batiment, a continuation of his genial papers. Now when we or Complete Study of every sort of Materials used in add to this an extended foreign corresponden the Art of Building;" A. Eloffe's "Natural History of criticisms of art, literature, and the drama, spi-it Horns in Animals and Unnatural Horns in Men and editorials, choice poetry, and sparkling para Women;" the third and fourth volumes of Mme. de who can wonder that the circulation of suck ***** Maintenon's "Correspondence," edited by M. Laval- as "The Home Journal" becomes really lée; A. Ferrault's" De l'Ecorçage du Chene," and of In the particular instance to which we m the "Production and Consumption of Tan Bark insult may, however, be partly accounted t France;" Countess Elisabeth B- -'s "Souvenirs of that "The Home Journal" occupies a Voyage to Egypt;" Dr. Thiercelin's "A Whaler's tion. It is a sort of organ of the (Baleinier) Journal" (contains an account of curious ment of society. It deals with * experiments made in poisoning whales); "Dan-contributes to the interests of i DEC. 15, 1866. proprieties, and pleasantnesses of social intercourse, ment is now, we believe, not much short of one and the fashion, news, and gossip of the day. When hundred thousand dollars. The city of Munich, we see the newspaper thus in some of its depart- with a population about twice that of Providence, ments, taking the place of the book, with much has in a single collection more than six hundred other attractiveness superadded, we cannot avoid thousand volumes. Florence, with the same poputhe reflection that the mutual relations of journal- lation as Munich, has an aggregate of four hundred ism and literature are gradually undergoing im- thousand volumes in its public libraries. Many portant modifications. other facts of a similar character might be added to show the wealth of European cities in those means which contribute to the higher culture of society. While we are doing so much in our country for popular instruction, we have not, up to the present time, made adequate provision for the wants of those engaged in more scholarly investigations. The city of Boston has taken the lead in this as in other things, and has certainly done nobly. That the Athenæum, and the City Library, each of one city has three collections, those of Harvard College, hundred thousand or more volumes. THE RIVERSIDE MAGAZINE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.The first number of this new magazine has appeared, and it presents a fine appearance, bidding fair to fulfil all that the publishers, Hurd & Houghton have promised with regard to it. It is edited by Mr. Scudder, author of "Dream Children," etc. CLARKE & Co., of Chicago, Ill., announce volume 2 of "Patriotism of Illinois;" this will complete the work, and will furnish a faithful record of the part that State bore throughout the late Southern Rebellion. It will be illustrated by portraits of her Generals, and will be ready shortly. Mr. N. P. WILLIS's health, we are glad to hear, is somewhat better. There is no truth in the paragraph published in the "New York Herald" of Sunday last, that "Mr. Willis had a stroke of paralysis on Saturday." A letter written at Idlewild, and dated Dec. 4th, which we have had the privilege of perus last night, and is feeling much better to-day." We may add, by the way, that Mr. Willis has been an invalid for many years, and for the past two or three has hardly written anything for his paperthe "Home Journal" being in charge of Mr. Morris Phillips, who has been connected with it for the past fifteen years. THE new fortnightly Magazine, THE GALAXY, will shortly begin the publication of a new novel of American life, entitled "Waiting for the Verdict," by the Author of "Marg'ret Howth." CHARLES H. HART, Esq., of this city, Correspond-ing, says: "Mr. Willis passed a comfortable night, ing Secretary of "The Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia," is preparing a "Bibliographia Lincolniana," to comprise the complete title, viz: every word which appears on the title page, verbatim et literatim et punctatim, the size, the number of pages, the text and the number of copies printed, of every sermon, eulogy, address, etc. etc., occasioned by the death of President Lincoln. It is THE SAPPHIRE.-This is the second issue of to be appended to the "Life of Lincoln" by Hon. "The Gem Series," published by John L. Shorey, William H. Herndon, and Mr. Hart is very desirous feel indebted to authors and others knowing of any-The "Gem Series" is a collection of "Graphic and of having his work complete and perfect, and would Boston, the first volume of which, "The Emerald." was published last summer and much admired. thing they might deem of interest in the above line to communicate with him. He would particularly ask the attention of State and city governments that have published anything on this subject to his work. Papers, by copying this notice, will confer a great favor on Mr. Hart. edited by Epes Sargent. It will form, when comEntertaining Tales, Brilliant Essays, Poems," &c., pleted, a rich repository of entertaining literature. "The Sapphire" contains an excellent collection; but the true gem of the volume is that remarkable treatise, half scientific and half imaginative, which created such a sensation some ten years since, under the title of "The Earth and the Stars." The Sapphire's edition of the this captivating work contains the latest comments of President Hill, of Harvard University. HARPER & BROTHERS are about to publish Rev. Dr. Osgood's "American Leaves; Familiar Notes of Thoughts and Life." The subjects discussed are as follows: Little Children; Our Old Pew; School Influences; American Boys; American Girls; Fortune; The Flag at Home; Learning Statesmanship; Off-hand Speaking; Art among the People; American Nerves; The Ethics of Love; Garden Philosophy; Easter Flowers; Towards Sunset. The book will be issued in season for Christmas, and is intended to be an American book of substantial thought and cheerful temper for the home-circle, with especial reference to the interest of children. Great Libraries.-An American, seeing the great European collections of books, is reminded that his country has yet made no effort worthy of its population, its wealth, and intelligence, to build up a great library. By the late act of Congress, transferring the collection of books belonging to the Smithsonian Institution to the library of Congress, the number of volumes in the national collection is greatly augmented. The 40,000 volumes of the former added to the 80,000 or more volumes of the latter collection, will form an aggregate, certainly very respectable, but hardly worthy of the nation. There should be at the present time not less than 500,000 volumes in the library of the capitol. Although very excellent beginnings have been made, there is yet no great library in our country. The 135,000 volumes which form the Astor Library are hardly sufficient to give to the city of New York renown for learned researches or scholarly studies. The city of St. Petersburg was founded nearly one hundred years after New York, and the imperial library" of that capital contains not less than half a million volumes. The imperial library of France has long had the reputation of being the largest in the world. The collection is put down in round numbers at two millions of volumes. For some years past, it has been the ambition of the British nation to have the name of standing first in the world in respect to this matter, and the library of the British Museum has been rapidly augmented to nearly a million of The annual expenditure in this depart volumes. THE first number of a weekly journal entitled "Country Words, a North of England Magazine of Literature, Science, and Art," has appeared at Marchester. It is of the size of "Chambers's Journal," and the price is two pence. Among the contributors are Eliza Cook, Benjamin Brierly, Edwin Waugh, Tom Hood, and Leo H. Grindon. The list of writers who have promised to contribute include the names of William Howitt, Mary Howitt, R. A. Arnold, author of the "History of the Cotton Famine," John Baxter Langley, and J. Lewins, author of "Her Majesty's Mails." DEC. 15, 1866. and 11 engravers. This is a sort of picnic volume, got up in order to help a fellow-clubman who had fallen upon evil days of bad health and reduced means. THE first volume of Mr. A. W. Thayer's "Life of Beethoven" is just published. It is not in English, however, but in German. The object of the author is to get the benefit of German criticism on this part while he furnishes the remainder of the work. MARMONTEL. The body of the author of "BéliONE of the editors of the Jackson (Miss.) "Cla-saire," once Perpetual Secretary of the French Acarion" announces a History of General Humphrey's demy, has been removed from its quiet resting-place Rebel Brigade, from its organization to its disband- in the village of Habloville, where he died in 1799, to the cemetery of the commune at St. Aubin. ment. GENERAL BASIL DUKE's History of Morgan's Cavalry will be published this month in a volume of about five hundred pages. Mr. J. W. BoUTON's collection of rare and costly engravings of the works of the great masters should receive the attention of all who are interested in that branch of art. Titles and prices will be found in the catalogue just issued by him, He also has the exclusive sale, for this country, of Payne Knight's "Worship of Priapus." Mr. Bouton spent the last summer in collecting choice books in Europe, and the result will be found in the catalogue above referred to. MICHAEL ANGELO'S DANTE. A critique, in the "Loudon Times," upon Gustave Doré's illustrations of "The Vision of Hell" by Dante Alighieri, asks, "Can Dante be illustrated?" and answers, "It was once done, we are told, and with such success as to leave little chance for any subsequent attempt. As a complement to the mind of the greatest Italian poet, nature gave birth to the greatest Italian artist. Michael Angelo was the born interpreter of Dante. The thought to which no man ever gave so forcible an utterance in words as Dante no man ever so mightily brought out of marble, of color, of masonry, as Michael Angelo; and for a long time the whole strength of the artist's hand was employed in giving body to the poet's fancy. Michael Angelo was the first illustrator of Dante. A manuscript of the 'Divine Comedy' was his constant companion. It lay on the artist's easel by day, it was thrust under his bolster by night. On the broad margin, as he read, his life-giving hand ran in its own bold FORTHCOMING ENGLISH WORKS.-The announcestrokes. The impression was rendered the very ments for the present season are not numerous. instant it was received; the spark was struck as Gift-books appear to be most in demand, as usual, soul came into contact with soul. Throughout the and legitimate literature will be under a cloud until best years of that busy life there was hardly, perafter the new year begins. There are announced, haps, one day without its line.' It was, however, however, as nearly ready, "The Past and Future of all labor lost. The sacred volume passed from the It was sent as a present the Kaffir Races: their History, Manners, and Cus- artist's into other hands. toms, and the Means used for their Preservation and from one to another of the Medici, a priceless giftImprovement," by the Rev. W. C. Holden, twenty-too valuable for either Pope or Grand Duke. It was lost to both; lost to the world. conveyed it between Rome and Pisa foundered, and Michael Angelo's ' Dante' perished with it." Mr. CHARLES H. SWEETSER has sold his interest in the "Round Table," and retired from its conduct, for the purpose of publishing an afternoon daily paper in New York, which is to be issued by an association of gentlemen, who will strive to establish a refined and wholesome family journal. seven years missionary in South Africa; a volume of sermons by Dr. Colenso, Bishop of Natal; "The Sounding of the Last Trumpet, or the Last Woe," by the Rev. John Cumming, D. D., who has deferred the world's destruction until the year 1868; "The Life and Times of Voltaire," by Francis Espinasse, Vol. 1. From his Birth to his Arrival in England, 1694-1726; "Karl-of-the-Locket and his Three Wishes," a tale, by David Smith, younger brother of Alexander Smith, the Scottish poet; "History of the Dervishes," with 20 illustrations, by J. B. Brown, interpreter to the U. S. Legation at Constantinople; "Florence, the New Capital of Italy," by Charles Richard Weld, with illustrations from drawings by the author; a revised edition, in four volumes 8vo., with the statistical information brought up to the latest returns of McCulloch's Geographical Dictionary, by Frederick Martin; the third and concluding volume of the "History of the American War," by Lieut.-Col. Fletcher, Scots Fusileer Guards; "Letters from Hell," by a Danish Pastor; "Old Trinity, a Story of Real Life," by T. Mason Jones, who made a lecturing tour through the United States during the rebellion; a new translation, into English rhymed verse, of Homer's "Iliad," by the Rev. Charles Merivale, D. C. L., author of "History of the Romans under the Empire," and Chaplain to the House of Commons; "The Reign of Law," by the Duke of Argyll; a new edition, thoroughly revised, in eight volumes, of Knight's Pictorial Shakspeare; Thousand and One Gems of British Poetry," by Charles Mackay; "Memoirs of the Confederate War for Independence," by Heros von Borcke, Chief of the Staff to General J. E. B. Stuart, originally published in "Blackwood's Magazine," "The Savage Club Papers," edited by Andrew Halliday, contributed by 27 autors, and illustrated by 24 artists 66 A The vessel which PERCY'S RELIQUES.-The Early English Text Society has paid liberally for the loan of the original manuscript from which Bishop Percy compiled his "Reliques of Ancient Poetry." It is an old folio manuscript book containing 196 pieces (poems, songs, and metrical romances, and some fragments), in nearly 40,000 lines, written in a hand of James the First's reign. Bishop Percy printed only a portion of these manuscripts, and took great liberties with the text. The Society pays £150 for six months' loan, with permission to copy and publish this very curious and valuable collection. It is intended to put the whole of it into type without delay. The copying and printing will cost £350, other expenses £100 more, making, with the £150 paid to the Bishop's descendants for the loan, a sum of £600, which will be fully reimbursed, no doubt, by the sale of the work. SHAKSPEARE.-Charles Knight has begun the publication, to be completed in five weekly parts, of the Blackfriars' Shakspeare-probably so called be cause the poet, who "was not for an age, but for all time," once owned a house within a stone's throw of Blackfriars' Bridge. Each part or separate number of this new edition, containing over 200 pages, will be sold at sixpence (twelve cents), and the whole volume for half a crown. In competition with this, the Globe Shakspeare, edited by W. G. Clark and W. Aldis Wright, is also issued in five parts, sixpence each. The force of cheapness can no further go. MOVABLE PRINTING-TYPE.-The sculptor Corti, of Milan, has completed a monumental statue of Pan |