Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, January 29, 1876, Page 9

LITERATURE. Towell's Essays on Dante, Spen- ger, Wordsworth, Milton, and Keats, The Memoirs of John Quiney Adams---A Melancholy Confession. Housohold-Art--Drawings by Thack- eray---Hawthorne's * 0ld Manse,” A Rellc of Oliver Cromwell---The Congresstonal Library--<English Book-Production, IS R The Claracters of Othello, Tago, and Desdemona-~-iring Books in the Hiddlo Ages. The Proposed Dover-Straits .Tunnel- Work of {he British Royal Society. The Now Viennn Obrorvatory---Parse sltic Worm in Fish---Climbing Plantg---Extinot British Quadrupeds, LITERATURE ESSAYS BY LOWV/ELL Axoro My Dooxs, Hecond Herles, Dy Jares Rre. skLL LOWELL, Drofessor of lolles-Lettres (n Har- yard College. im;m. ppe 827, Joston: James It s 11 linw produced 8o much yergo of various exquisito nud oxalted beauty ainco ho firet began to usa s musical pen, now somo thirty-slx years ago, that the world s apt 2 aspociato bis famo exclusively with his poetry ; yot, had Lio wiitten nothing hoyond his four voi- ‘umos of prose, which includa tho ono befors us, ha wanld havo beon ablo to command a piaco in the 1ront rauk of Amorican men of gonius, But comparisona aro ineffably offuni ve, and wo do not caro to draw n parallol betweon Lowell the poot and Lowoll tho essaylat, nor between the latter and the most conning export fn tho art of ‘‘placiug words in their bost order.” It is enough that we find in Towell's proso such woaltl of wit snd humor, such .opulonco of loarning, such trossures of wisdom, such splendor of fmagery, snd such sumptuous diction, that, whilo wo rovel {n its aflluonot, we forgot the gifts nud fascinationa of all otbior nushors, and scem nover to have met 80 dazzling & combination of brillinucy nand vereatliity bofore. 1n this secoud volumo benring the approprinte tittlo ** Among My Books,” Lowcll haa repro- duced five papors which first found theirpablicat varying daten iu the past, in tho roadors of one or two of our loadlug periodicals. They oro, In a sense, uniform in thome, as troating respect- ivoly of Danto, Spensor, Wordaworth, Milton, and Keata: thoy givo, In separalo chapters, ona continued discourso npon the aim, the province, the characteristics, tho nchiovomenta, of pootry, w8 they bave hocn elucidatod i tho works of theso several inepired children of Calliopo and, of Erato, Tha first aud longost esany in tho list givean vearching analyss of tho life nnd tho pootry of Dante. It oxhibity, porhaps bottor than any of tha othery, the scholarly atiainments of Lowell, bis wide and studious reading, and lly familiae- ity with foreign litoratures ; and, for this vory roason, ¢ will probably have & more limited audienco than the papers that follow. Inittho anthor appoars slmost wholly in the character oI tho eritfe ; nnd, acatoly 08 he approcintes tho genfus of Dante, profoundly ns ho ndmires it, his mind soldom kindles into enthusissm, and, srith tho warm sbandon of intenso fooling, caats npon Lis subject tho finest firo of Lis wit ond Imagination. Tho opening sentenca in thojesany upon Spen- ser foreshadows tho vigor of thought and the splondor of atylo that enrich and frradisto tho pages that onsue: * Chaucer had been In lis grave 150 yoars ero England had scerated cholco ‘materinl enough for tho moking of auother gront poet.” Aftor this majestio pericd, wo aro pro- parod for the play of trope and motaphor that danco out in rudiant figures from tho succceding peisgraphs, and for the sago, original, nud poctic- st reflections that form thestablo fonndatious on which the highter fancios socuroly troop. A pas- Bago or two, (nken slmost ab random fromtho body of tho essay, will #orve to ilustrate tho ta10 conlosoonca of molody with meaning, which forms tho chief charm of “Lowoll's writlags, In palu(l:g out tho merits of Bpousor, tho author fomarks : Ho fu tho mort finent of our poots, Bunaatlon passs 1og through emotion into revery is a prime quality of bis mannor, Aud toread Lim’ puts one fu tho cundi- lion of rovery,—a stato of suind i which our thouglhits and feclings N0oat motionlens, a8 ane ecca fiah da in & yentle stroam, with just enough vibration of thair fins 10 keop themaclves from golug down with tho eurrcat, whilo thefr bodies yleld indolently to sll ita wothing curves, o chooses hls language for Jta rieh camorousness in- lensity of meaning, bla atyle fn o single word, I shall call ¢ costly, None but {be daintiest aud nicost puroses will servo him; 3nd he allurcs us from ona to the othier with such cun- aing baile of allileration, and sxch awoot lapaes of Verso, that nover any word mocms more emninout than 1lio rost, nor detalus th feuling to eddy sround It, but you must go on to the end before you hiavetime tostop ind muso over tho wealth that biw been lavished on oL L. . Tiia fina ear, abhorrent of Larbarous dissonanco,~ tin dainty tongue, that loves to prolong tho relish of o musical phrase,~mada possible tho transitiou from tho =astiron atil of * Ferrex and l'orrex " 10 the Da- anscus pliancy of Flotcher aud Bhakspeare, o o m};; tho warmy Moditerrancan of his mind, every- g *¢ Buffers o so-chgugn Into somethiug rich aud wrabga o o o A breath of cheorfuluess runy aloig tho slouder sireau of biw verso, uuder which it sueime o ripplo 2ud erfnlo, catebing snd castiug buok tlio wunshine, like n atrearn blown on by cloar western windi, o o o ad not tho coucenteated power whicks cais somos Hinoa pack infinll rickes f tho Likts rouus of u sinlo epitiol; for his genlus ia rather for dilitation Wen tomproasion, o+ o o But, even whero his aliiterstion {8 tompted to an excots, it prolonged echocs caress the eur likotho fading ‘and Tatioring roverborations of aa Alpise Bat tho critleal examination of tho goniua of Wordaworth §s tho most satisfactory piece of work fn the colleation, It is for-reaching in in- #ight, calm and candid in judgment, eympathetio in feoling, and liberal in_its measure ; whilo it ahounds iu the mauifold, miugled beautics of conception and exprossion that lowoll scattors With & prodigal hand whou iu his happlest mood. Here, howervor, aa in tho essay an Hpenser, it is botter to let tho writor display in his own words Lis maglo union of the uuderstanding with tho Jmagination, ratlior than to attonipt a mora do- Bcription, In » briof ullueion to the nonlruflnf f'hrl:gc(oxmmol Byron aud Wordsworth, Lowoll 81 Parnassus Liss two pesks ¢ tho one where improvis- 10g poeta clustor; tho othur whero the wlugor of deop decrcls aita alouo,—a peak velled souolimes from tho whols morniug of 8_gonoration by earth-born mists and smoko of kitchen-firo, only to Rlow the moro conaplcuously st suust, and after nighifall lo trown ltaclt with imperlubablo stars, Wordsworth that seif-frust which, in the wan of geulus, fa tublime, and, ia tho mau of talent, fusufforalle, ' It matterod not to liun though all tha reviewers Lad boon 1.4 ciorus of lauguter o conapiracy of ailenico bohind bim. * Ho weut qulutly over to Gormiany (o write mara Uprlcal Dallada, aud 1o begin & poom on tho growih of 2w 1aind, it & time whien tliere wezo ouly two meid 10 th world (bimself aud Coleridge) who were sware 1hat hio had ouo, or at lcast onu anywisa differiug from ihose mechanically-uniform cnes which s suck y,sido by slde, in the great pln-paper of 8o~ 14 Shcat passsgon aro slwaye monclogues. 1o bad d thure uso parts of his Eliivo iapbrance uiven 16 Sivial waticrs. L wes co o trivial watters, Ho wa Ee bistoriin of WorlwWORDALIR: o s 3 . 16 was this that wade Lim 80 foud of (ho sunnet. That sequeatered 1ok forced upau Bim tho limlla which bls fecundity (if T may not say his lity) Was Rover aeli-donying voough to Lupdac on v h #uita bin molifary and medilative temper, and It was tharo that Lamb (an sdmirablo jutgo of what wna per- manent in_literaturo) Mked Him beat, ' Tta nacrow bounds, but tourteen ynces from end 'to oud, tuen infos sietio hia too common fault of giving undue prominence to ““f pasaing entotfon, e excels in inonologue, nnd the law of thi sonnst tompers monos logua with hasroy, In *Ehin Excurslon,” ws aro driven tothe sublerfuge of a verdict of extenuating circume ntances, Hia mind had not that reach end olemental movement of Milon's, which, ko tho {rade-wind, gathe ared 10 itaell (houghts and_{magen, like alately Teoets, from every quarter; somo dsop with milka and mpicor ry,—nomo Lrooding over the llont thundora of thetr Tattallous armsments,—but a1l swept forward in thole destined tio long billoma of bis verae, av- ery fuch of cativan trained by the vinfying breath of their common eple fmpulse,” It way an_organ that Miltlon manteroll, mighty in compaes, capable cyually of tho trumpet’s ordoraor (e alm delicacy of tho flute ; anil sotnetimen it burata forlh in great craslies theowgh iy proso, sa if, It ed It for molace fn thio intervala of bis toil. T¢ Wordsworth sotnetimes pita tho frumpot to hia lips, yeb lio laya it aaido soon, and wilinglp, for his sppropriate tuatrutmali, tho pastoral réod. And it is not oue that grew by 'any sluggish Firoam, but that which Apollo breathed througi, tands 1oy the flocks of Admetus,~that which Tan endowod wilh overy melodyof thio universe,—ihe same {n which tho monl of the despalring nymyh took refugo and gifted with her dual nasturo,—so that, ever and anon, smid tha liutuan Jog or Kurgor, thers comcs suddenly & dewpar and almost awtul foue, thrilling us with dim consclouancss of a forgotton divinity, Tho siatolingss, tha elegance, and tho pictur- eaque truth, of thoso aud kindred frogments that mako tha ontiro toxt of this ossay n mag- nificent mosaic, tempt ua Lo copy moro then our epace or Lhe rondar's pationco will justify, With B singlo additionnl oxtract, admitted Locause of tho merited award it bostows on tho influonce of ‘Worasworth's poatry, wo pass to the concluding papers fu tha voluwo ¢ Of no other poet except Shakspears have so many lrhnle« Lecotno housoliold words ns Wordsworth, 1T 'opo 1138 mada cuerent 1woro eplgrams of worldly wwive dom, to Wordaworth belongs tus nobler Y"m of hay- 10y defiued for us, aud givon ua for a dally posscaslon, tho faint and yacuo suggestions of other-worldliness, of whose genller ministry with our baser nature the Lurry and bustle of lifo rcarcely ever allowed ua to be couscious, He has won for bimecl! a securs inie mortality by n dopth of “mntuition which makes only tho best minds, at their best hours, worthy, or indced cspabln, of his companionsbip: and Ly & homely slucerity of human sympathy which rescha thio huimblest beart, Our langusgo owes blm grati tudo for tho Labitual purity und sbetiuonce of his stylo; and wo who apeak it, for baving ewmboldened us 4o tuo dellght {u almple thinge, sud £o trust ourselyes to our owa fustiucte, Tho paper outitiod ** Miiton " ia rathor & closo roviow of Masion's ** Lifo of John Milton " snd of his casay on ‘' Milton's Engilsh," thau & dis- courno directed oxcluaivoly to an {nvestigation of tho works of tho groat poet, Tho ossay on Keata {3 briet, yot filod with tho chioicost oftlu- encea of Lowoli's spirit, Iu tho abovo commonts upon theso soveral exsays, wo liavo not catod to Lint at the verdict that Lowoll passes upon ench pout under con- tamplation, excopt ay this might bo suggested in tho extracty wo hiavs Jiberally givon. 'Thero oan bo little gilferonce in tho general ostimalo which cujtured and catbolic minda place upon tho rolativo rank aud_intluance of mon of youlus of the mnguitudo of thoso hero discussed. 'fhe chiet valuo of any now disscrtation on tho sub- ject will be found in the mode of trontmont sooner than in the conclusions rozchod ; and that this, in tho essays of Lowell, ta ominently original, vigorons, and brilliant, It hay not beon leit to these laat lines Lo make manifoat, Tno dedication of n volumo docs not ofton oall for auy notico, but, in the presont oaso, tho fow wontonces of which it s composed rofloct such credit upon tho author, and upon the man whom Lo dalights to honor, that wa cannot re- frain from quoting it aa it standa:} TO I, W. EMERTON, A lora and houor which more than thirty yesrs nave deopencd, though yriceless (o Lim they onrich, nro of Littly fmport to oue capable of inapiring thom. Yet I caunot deny mysell the ploasuro of so far in- truding on your reservoasat loust to make public ac- koowledgment of the debt I can never repay. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. Meoins oF JoiX QUINCT ADAMA: COMIRISING PoR- Ti0Ns or 1128 LIARY Friose 1705 70 1848, Edlted Ly CuanLes I'naxcis Avas, Vol, VIIL o, pp. 648, Thiladelpbla: J. I, Lippincott & Co, Price, 45, Quite tho most iotoresting portion we Lavo yot hnd of Mr, Adams' journal i this whioh ox- tonda from May 20, 1828, to May 18, 1838, cov- erjug tho lust Lwo years of the autbor's admin- tration of tho Presidency, two succaeding yoara of leisuro, and his service in tho Houso of Rep- rceontatives during the L'wenty-socond snd Twonty-third Congrosses. Thore fu more vari- oty in tho incidont, aod moro vivacity in tho narrative, than have characterized most of tho provious installments. We eco in it more of Mr. Adame’ real self, aud more of bis soclal ro- Intions; whilo the record of publio evonts s, for tho genoral reader, satisfactorily full, Although, in tracing the progress of his lfo on tho pages of lts diary, Mr. Adams was minutely caroful to fill in tho background with tho dotaile of political history, tho contral figure stands out in plain rolief; nnd, as ho nears tho closo of what was a prominont, and, ag tho world calls it, a successful careor, tho rosults, ns they affoctod his own Lappluoss, scem palofully mongro. ‘Tho tone of Wa rollections grows in- crossingly sl s his days advauce, Thocon- sclonenoss of kiis integrity, the consolations of a roligion ho devoutly profossed, woro not able to give bim comfort, Aftor his eloction to tha Houso of Roprosontatives, in Novamber, 1830, he makes this molancholy coufession : No.ouo kaiows, and few conceive, the ngony of mind that 1 bave suifared trom the time that T was miade by circumstances, nnil 1ot by volition, n candi for tiio Presiduacy, il T was dluinisecd from that station Dy tho fullure of my ro-ulection, They wero fodlings t0 bo suppresded ; and they wore suppressed, No hu- man being haw over heard me complain, ' Domeatin catsmily, far Lieavior than suy political disappolat- ment or disaster can pansibly bo, overtook ma kmme. dintaly kftor 1y fall from pow A tho moment of my distress was solzod by an old antagonist to fudulgy a lintred oyorfuwing witli the concentratod raucur of forty years, und who could vot rouiat tho pleakure of giviug ™o what ho thought the Snishing blow at tho niowment whon ho saw mo down, It nosmcd a8 if I was doscrted by sl mankind; and, procisely st tuat time, the Awerican Academy 'of Arts snd Sclunces, o lite orary and sclentifo institutionof my native ' Htate, Which, for o torles of yeurs during my prost Jarily, had nooually clocled mo thele Yresl- ent when it was impossiblo for mo fo nitend thelr ctinge, thought proper to cwtablivh auothor Pros jont ity place. In tho.l'rouch opers of Richard Swur-de-Lion, tho minstrel Bloudel slugs under tho ‘wally of Lis prison » song, begtuning 0 Richard ! O mon Rol | 1/univers t'sbandonne.’ Whon I firat hieun this song, forty-fivo yoara ago ono of tho fival rprerentations of that delightfal play, 1 nado an indelible impreasion ugon my wemory, without finsaining X ahould ever fool iia force so much Slosor homu. Iu the yoar 1629, acarce a day pasacd that did not bring 1t to ry thoughita, In Lhe course of Iaatwinter s vacaniey oceursod fu the Board of Over- secrs of Harvard Univorsity. Alsent, I was very un- oxpuctedly oloctod to fll that vacaucy, I atiriiuted Yiulu to the personal fricudshlp and induonce of Prest- dont, oy, But this eall upon me, by ot atla ™ of Mo districy A - which 1 rosldo, to roprosent thwm in Cougress, lms Doou Spontaneous ;_aud, sithough counterac doublo oppusition, Fedecaliut and Jackonite, I have recesved nusrly tlrea volea n four throughout the dlstrict, MMy clectlon a8 President of tho Unitod Btates woa not half o gratifying to my tumost soul, No eloction or appointmunt ” conferred upon mo ever gavemasomuch ploasurc, Inaythis torocord my sentimentas bu no stranger intermeddloth with my Joye, and tho doarcat of wy friends Luvo no sympathy rith 1y seusatious, ‘This ia tho language of doop disappointmont Mr. Adamy continually protosts, in s journal, that bo basno craving for power or position ; thet he would choosa rotiroment rathor than publleity ; but, Iu these no doubt sincoro decla- rations, bo choated himsolf. 1{o was not with- out strong ambltlon ; und tho ovidencos that ho recoived, particularly afier Lis olection to the Prouldoncy, vf bis lnck of popularity, atung him to tho "soul. His mature was not cou- ciliatory, Ho taok no paiva to win friends. Ho wnd smong stateamon what Wordswoith was among pouts. Ho kopt to the courso which ho concoived to bo right—and It gonorally was right—with cold aud calm inflexibility, “This passlonleesnons wag irtating. Mon will roapect and admiro even 11rl||ci1:3nn opposed to their own, il thoso priuciples bo anstainod with ear- nest onthusiasm, Ibut thore waa a lack of spon- tanoity, of sympathy, 0f werm-heartedacas, in Adams, which favlated him. His rectitudo, hig kcholarkip, his diplomatio aptitudes, socured lonorablo acknowledizment ; Lut thoy did not gali for thalr ownor porsonal alfection. Whilo Mr, Adams was soting ae Hopredonta. tive, ha showed frequontly, sccurding to hie own accouut, B singular want of pluck, 1o was a Jawer by himeolf, e should have boen uorved ¥ & oousclousuess of tho fact. Dut, instead, bo rocords, time aftor timo, Low hu falled to 1itt hia voice in an important dobato, hocauso of tho florco autagoniem it would arouso. ''hle iu not quite tho part for & hero to act; {a& we must romombor that Mr, Adams wag, at this timo, sulfonny from the deprossing olfeots of age, as woll ad of o descont from high wplaco, aud a losg of tho fiattoring attontions that sre bosto! upon exalted rauk, = And, too, wo have in thoso notes, confided to a diary, au exposuro of the inmost, hidden fuslings, whoso oxlstsnco the conduct might never botray. Mr, Adaws was cortainly truo to his canvictious, and, to the vary last, wont into many a brave tight for thoir dofense. * 1t 1 Intorosting to mark, in the rooord of theas years, the dibigoucs with which Alr, Adams pure Huod Lis Jitorary studies. ‘Tho classics wore hls dally readlog § sud,Intoruperdod with tho minutos of political events, sre criticlsms upon the orations of Clceso, the odes of Horaco, aud the | psye ot Bhakspears. His opiuions upan cer- “ THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: BATURDAY, JANUARY 29, 1876. tain Bliaknpoaroan characiors are worth ropoat- Ing, they aro ao poculiar and {ndividual 1 oY.norved to him (Chanceller le(e how mnch of the chinrm aud Interest of the tragedy of Romeo and Jullet depended upan the age of Jutiel,—n child in hor 1dth year; how emphatically tho poet hnd morked that sge? and how stupldly tho stage-men had chang. ed th rom 14 to 10, L eald 1 took littln interost 12 Ui acter of Desdernana, whosa senaunl pasaiona T thonght o 08 to reconetln hier to & pas- #ion fora bl mans and, although falthful to him, 1 {hought fio poct hind painicd Ler ss a lady of eany vie- tue,—very different from the ianoconce of Miranda or the rody prudency of fmogen, During tho laat two or thres yoars nnder ro- view, Mr. Adams wad Iaboring sedulously upon n motrical version of tha I'salms, as aleo npon tho componition of occaslonal fugittve poems, which, howover, ho acknowladges were ot the anrk of Inspiration, but of tasto aud dotormina- on. HOUSEHOLD ART. Tie Boox oF AMEnican Ixteuions. Prepared by Criangin WeLuys ELLOTT, From Exlsting Housed, wilh Preliminary Essays and Lutter.Irees Descrips tlona, Tlustrated n Tleliotype, Avo., ppe 133, Tioaton ; Jamos 1L, Orgood & Ca, Price, F10. Moeara. James It. Osgood & Co. are perform- ing a valuablo sorvice in dissominating among tho Amorican peocplo n sorica of publications which oxpound. in an ablo and attractive mau- nor, the rulos of pure Art as they aro developed In tho structuro of maslorpieces of Architecturo, Beulpture, and Painting, and aa thoy aro applied to tho Industrics and utilitios of common life. ‘Thanks to tho Infiuonce of these and other similarly oarnost ésthotic teachers, that aro renching down to the henrt of tho masacs, thore ia growing among ua & senso of the clovating ond {uspiring effect of tho prosenco of tho Boautiful; and we aro gradually lonrning to sook{and secnro this wherever wo canm, withn renlization that It fu an cssontial purt of Gillity ftecll. In * Tho Book of Amorican Intoriors," which farnishes tho toxt for theso remarks, thoro aro prosonted, by tho hollotype process, o series of good oxamples of 'Houseliold-Art which are found in tho interiora of cortaln luxurious and rofined Amorican homes, Tho main foature of tho book is the pictorial illuatrations, which ox- Libits fac-slmiles of {wenty-two lbrarios, din- ing-rooms, and drawing-rooms, in Boston, Al- bany, Philadelphin, and other citios, that Lave boon dosigned and comploted in accordance with tho principles of Architecturo and of Decorative Art. Accompanying thio fllnatrations nro lotter- prosa oxplauations ; while, by way of prefaco, thoro aro a couplo of chaptoers troating of tho os- thotlo sido of home-life, of cooking, and of eat- ing; and anotber, discussing libraries, anciont snd modorn ; all of which are replete with quaint and curloas loro. In looking over this book, as iu_regnrding ov- ory othor thing bonring upon Household-Art, tho {nquiry how the Beautiful shail be mado in- expensive, 60° w8 to como into tho possossion of tho groat body of tha poople, portiunciously sug- gontd itsolf. Must Art over romain tho costly thing it now is, {nacceesiblo to tho muititudo ? Artists of overy sort, {ncluding bmlders and dec- orators, seom bent upon holding iheir work at tho highest prico, making of it s luzury that onlg the rich can command, Thoy preach that o lovoof Art should be universally difusod, and that Art-objecta sliould bo common in overy liouschold ; but they follow a practice in ad- justing tho scalo of chargea for tha laiter that effectually nullifies their thoorstical pro- feaglons. It may bo that horo, a4 elaowhoro, tho provaillng low that whatovor is choice must bo ear-bought, takos eimply its natural oxonplification; yet we have, to contradict thia scomiog uecessity, the exe smplo of ancient and Oriental nations, whore truo Art has been cheap and univorsnl, and the poor have not been donted its cnjoymont snd om\ursulr. Thoro i8 a way by which peraons of limited means mny adors thelr homes with gennino Loanty, even whilo it bo 80 expousivo s com- modity: Bypracticing & wiso oconomy; having fowor thines, but always good thioga ; and pro- mmfinF roligionsly the wastaful and oxtravagant profusion that impoverishes and vuigarizes so many houscholds. Bimplicity is oasily ablo to nily iteolf with Beauty. Danial tho wmeretricions, the radnndant, and the common-place, and the first elomonts of tho attistio are alroady gained, ~—purity and truth, DRAWINGS fiY THACKERAY. Titr. ORPHAN Ov PIMLICO; AND OIRCR BXETCRES, TRAGMYNTS, AND Diawsan, Dy WILLIAM MAxEe prace Tuackenar, With Somo Notes by 'Annz ToniLLa THACKEDAY, Ntoyal dto, VPhiludelphls: J. B, Lippincott & Co. - Wo may not oxpect & blography of Thackeray. It was his own oxprossed wish, and is thas of his daughters, that his porsonal history shiould not bo given to tho world ; and, if that dosire be hold saered, ns it ought, wo must look to tho brief momorinle that loving friends havo, in thoir gratitudo, crected to his honor for & knowl- odge of tho main inoidonts that composed his privato tife. Yt tho heart of tho man lu plainiy rovealed in his works ; and {ts largo, rich, and genorous naturo will not bo misundoratood by thom who bave & standard in their own hesris broad and high enongh to measuro it by. The works of Thackoray include thoso oxe- cated not only with the pon but with tho poncil, for ho waa an artist bofore ho was & writer. It was his first intention to becomo n pamter. Naturo hiad oquipped bim as such, endowing him with = quick, true oyo, and s firm, ready hand; and, followjug out hie original plan, he prac- ticed through childhood, aud stadied in big youth, the craft by which artiats leara tho uso of thoir materiala and tho expression of thom- solvee, But circumstancos, which o ofton aro stronger than Nature, opposing and frustrating the bost-lald schomes, interfored with tho dos- tiny of Thackeray, and docided that ho should paint in words instoad of colors, aud create im- mortal plotures, visibla to the imngination rather than co the actual organ of sight, Noverthioless, though ha rvosignod his chosen instrument, and made uso of auothor vehiclo for commaunicating that which he had to toll, tho ar- tiutle instinet wos always strong within him; and it 18 not to bo doubted that his happlness was completeat whov, in his hours of leisura, hie was at liberty to portray hia subtlost emotions by forms and shadows that wore more eloquent than spoech. ‘Chie poncil was really his trueat interproter. . Whon laugunge failod him, na fail it sometimos muat for tho fullost enuuciation, hio suatchod tho pencil, and, on papor or tho block, delineated the foollngs that could flnd no other sdoquate uttorance. It is said that Thaclk- cray {s the only author that over illnatratod hls own woxl:u{ and ho cartainly had triplo gifts who could supploment the yiyvid impressiona of pootry and proso with as spirited and truthful drawingy. Yo the skotches prosented in tho volumo un- dor notico, tho lovors of 'Thackeray will bo grato- ful. Theyaddnot a little toa right undorstanding of his charactor. They are, a4 indicatod in tho title, fragmentary, disconnected drawings, with which he amusoed bimsolf and uis children, sud which, after thelr lirat purposa was served, thero was no troublo taken to presorve. From out of the multitude that his prolitle &;enlux yroduced, theso havo fortunately escaped dostruction, and aro Bow Pnbluhnd for tho oxcollent reason givou Dy Blins Thackoray, that *Thoso who know my fathor will, wo_thiuk, lixo to nssoclato thoro broen lits ond fragmonts with the stoie to which thoy balong ; and those who liave cowmo aftor him, and who have known bim beut Ly bis worl, &pu perhaps also welcomo thoso additioual pagos.” ¥ The pletures toutify moat loudly to the lnox. haustible fond of buimor sod sportivenews thot Lept Thackoray's upirits aver fresh acd clastic, liko those of u child, Ilosaw tho comio elo~ ment fn everything, and, solzing upon ¢, ox- tractod tho Innocent langhter from its gro- tesquories that gave him ohoer, and roflectod no harm upon the objece whioh bad insplred the fuu, Many of the pioturos display sdmirablo {nvention, and s, howover slight und hasty is the drawing, oxbibit marked characlor. Nota fow are mccompaulod with explanatory text in thie autbor's bandwriting, which wus romarkably noat and even, and almost a8 fine as that ol Charlotte Bronte. Tha notos by Mies Thacke- 1ay are bright sod plquant, and, withal, in ¢x- collent tastu, THZ OLD MANSE, Mouses vro3t AN OLD BMANSE, By Natmanics Haw- TuokNe, Two Volumes. 18md, Lostont Jawes 1L, Osjgood & Co, Frice, $1,23 por volumo, Theso volumes contain some of tho finost spocimons of Hawthorno’a workmanship, They consist of tales and wkelchea that wore writton by hiwm during tho firut threa yoars of his mar- rlod Mfo, when ho dwelt in the old gambrol- ruofed house at one edgs of the Village of Con- cord, snd on the banks of tho Concord River, which was termed tho Manse, from baving beon the homo of a succession of prieats, from the time of ita eroction until ilaw- thorne became Ita occupant. 'Tho Otd Manso, utill standing as it stood in Hawthorna's timo, with mosses growilg on its weatlor-stainod roof, and woodbine oreeping up its sides to hide tho pigoa of decay, bas boon immortalized by thuse ptories and essays that wpruug into boiug under 1ts shelter; and /pilgrims, attracted to Concord Dy tho famo of itq Ulustrious doad and lving, do not fall to visit the antiquated bouso, along with tha battin-moniment near by, and the graves of Jinwthorno and_Thorosu, thak fio clons togatier in Lho pretty rural cometary at tha ojpositn and of the villagn. A good picfure of tus O1d Maase adornn the titlo-pago of ono of theso volumea. ULTRA VIRES. A Tneatiar ox TRE UooTuing or Uttaa Vines, By Hrwarp Bricy, With Notes, and Iofes ctices ta Amers fcan Cascs, by Aminzi, Garew, of the Now York Tiar, New York: Jaker, Voorbin & Co,, 64 Nne- Font irest, 1876, Thete aro fow principles of law more impor- tant than thosa which limitthe powors and liabil- tics of ‘corporations, ‘I'his book, treating of theso principles, appearod over & year agoin England, whoro, it #cems, it waa weli recoived, Being the only wotk in cxlstence treating spocial- Iy on the powers of corporations, thoro was auch n domnnd for it iu this conntry as to enconrsge tho publishiors to isauo 'an editi>n onrichod with Amerlean notea, These Mr. Graon has furnishied in a manner which, on the whole, will, we thiuk, bo accopiable to the profestion, ‘The book will ba fouud useful to tho profes- rlon, not becauso it {s tho best ponaibln work on tha subjoct, and eartainly not tecauns it cou- taine & inaximum of Information in o minimum of mpnco, but becnuso it is the best and fullest’ work within reach on a subject which 4 a mat. ter of uiniost dally investivation by the profes- Bion, LAW-DIREGTORY. ManTiNpAL:'s UNITED RTATES LAW-DIRECTONY YOR 18750, 1y Jasea ManTinoaty, New York : J, B, Martindale, 203 Broadway, ‘Thfs {8 o book of which little ia to bo maid, savae that it may prove occasionally useful to the profession on ncconnt of tho information it con~ taine, It gives a digest of tho commercial law, practico, law of ovidenco licns, limitstions, frauds, bills of exchange, homosteads, oxemp- tions, ctc., in cach of tLo Ststes and Territorics of tho Union. 1t aleo farnishes tho practitionor with tho nawo of a law firm. bavk, ond real- ontato ngene in enct of the priocipal cities of tho United States nud Canadas, So far ag wo Lave beon nble to examino lts digoats of tho lawa of tho States, we hava found it correct, but not always as full as might be. BOOKS RECEIVED, WoorD AND MAnmizb: A Nover, Dy Rosa None onETTE Canky, Author of # Nellic's Memories,” cte. L2mo., pp.49s. thiladelphias J. B. Lippncott & A Tlowance op 8TEDY, Dy Jaxes C, Morrat, 12mo, n, 110, New York: Anson D. Tandolpit & Co. 'rice, o Qux Pracy. Awoxo Inrrsittis: A Scnizd or Casavs CONIRASTING Qun LICTLE ATODE 13 BPACE AXD TIMK WIEI TIK INVINITIES AnouND Un, To Waich Az ADDED EAFAYE ON THE JEWIMI SABDATI AND AstnoLooy. Dy Tuaiann A, Procron, Authar of “ fatury snd 1ts Syntetn,” ote, 1dmo., pp. 323, Now York: D, Appiston & Co. Drice, $i.: Laxrsor Linnany, Noe, . Tav) Jusiin McCarthy, ' Clicago: Donnell Yrlce, 20 conts. PERIODICALS RECEIVED, Tenn Menthly for ¥obruary (Penn Jonthy Aseor) tio, Philsdelphia), Conlents s 'ho_ Mont] “Gudrun tho Tromy," by Henry Iickford; WA Btudy in Bloam-Engincering,* by Willisin Wilber- 3 foren Newton; * A Talk About Financial Poliey ? “Capt. Joueph Ricliardnon,” by Ssmucl W, Peniy- § ackeryFallacy of tho Uold-Statement "« Kew el Basere, by + Loyd & Co, Amcrican Lawn Register for January (D, B, Cauficla & Co,, Uhiladelphia), Journat af Nervous and Mental Disease—Tanmary + (dted by Dre.d,8, Jewell and 11, AL Banuister, cago). Anerfedn Bookseller for dus, 18 (Amerlesn News Com- Yny, Sow York), Lo+ Suhwnat Magazine for Febraary (J, P. Jones, Tolodo, 0.). Rt ytur;gn;)cr February (McDevitt, Campbell & Co., cw York). Nutional Teachera® MontAly for Februsry (A, 8, Barnea £ Co., New York and Chienyo), Phrengioglcal Jonrnal for Feuruary (3. T. Wells & Cow New York), Wortd Atmandc for 1836 {The Warld, New York), THE AMNALS OF CHICAGO. Bucli 18 tho titlo of o lecturo bofore tho Chi- eago Lycoum, Jau. 21, 1810, by J. W, Balestior ; with an iutroduction by tho author, written in 1876; and aluo a review of tho lécturo by a cor- respondentof Tne Cirtcaco TRIDONE ; just ropub- lishod by the Xorgua Printing Compnoy, of this city., Tho looturo haa beon out of print for sov- eral years ; but & corrospondont of Tue Trin- TNE found a copy in the Btate Library at Madi- won, Wia.; and Mr. Fergus hos done an oxcellont _sorsice to the city by blaving & copy made, and ropablishing it.” Probably not one {n o thouwand of our present citizens know that such o lecturo wi delivered, It was well aund ably done? snd, ny itie tho oldert thing of the kind extant, and its contents aro copanralionsive uud vatusblo, we bopo it will be 50 widely distributed in our privato and pnblic libraries that thora will bo no dangor of all tho copies beiog deatroyed in anv firo that may Lierenfier occur in the history of tho city. " ONE SUMMER,"” To the Fdttor of The Chicago Tribuns : Cuicado, Jan, 37.—So many mistakes havo beon mado with rogard to tho usmo and rosi- danea of the brillinut and talontod authoress of “ One Bummer,"—na book that hias achioved such romarkable popularity during the past scason,— that I wish, turough your colamos, to arnounco tho facts in tho case. Tho namo of the young Iady In Binnche How- ard, and ber honmo is in Bangor, Me. She is now visiling in Europe. The scene of Ler at- teactlvo atory is laid i Wiscasaet, do., o beauti- ful old town on the sencoast, formerly a place of sreat commercinl importavco snd prospority. It i n locality rich in it sconery, full of historio Incidonts. aud fis woll caleulated to givo inepira- tion to the pen of ons so giftod and apprecin. tivo of thio buautitul ag the talontod authoress who bas given us hor ivfmitablo littlo story. Youras traly, WIsCABSKT. OLIVER CROMWELL. Tho London Alienaum eays: Mesars. Pui~ ek & Bimpson, in rearching ovor an old Ubrary of sofo 10,000 volumes sont to them for Aalo by nuction, have discovered an intorosting rellc of tho Protector, In o copy of Glauber’s * Philo- gophical Furnaces” will bo found a nmall pen- aod-ink drawing of Plan of Battell,” drawn and signed by * 0, Cromwell,” showing tha _po- sition of ** Mymelfe," tho * Matno Bodio,” * Fatr- {faxo,” * Enemio,” *Enemio stronge,” ‘' Light Tlorses,” * Bridg 'Also an nd- 0, **Praso,” olc. juration in, it is bolioved, the Frotector's auto- graph, as follows: 0 1aay'yo Lordo helpe mo In mine plous sndertakinge, Iide yo most bighe, I will coctt ym off roole wm branche, It has also the autograph (?) signature, “O. CromwolL," ut both tho beginning and end of tho volumo, ano dated *1653;" aud tho follow- Ing manuseript nota, also supporoed to bo n his nutnxnrh. relating to tho author of the book, J. H, Qlauber : 1d sayds Olauber i3 an arrant knave, 1 doo bothinke moo he speakethie ofle Wondera whiche canotte bo sccomplished, Nouurthelonno tt yu kwlul for tuan tos ‘Vao endenvouers, The volumo will be put up at anction next month. ¢ THE CONGRESSIONAL LIBRARY, Aside from the eatalogucy (says tho New York Tripune), tho book-produciog work of the Li- brary in Congress fu considerabte. During the past yoar tho oxtra mesna grantad by Cougress for carrylug out Mr. Bpofford’s plan of preparing a comploto indox to the documonts, dobates, and laws of Congross, treated by loplea fu a singlo alphabot, have bwen fully utilizod, and 200 out of tho 1,400 volumes have o far boan indoxed. This indox can be completod withiun tvo yeare, The flest volumo of French histomcal documonts 4 moarly resdy for iesno, This in tho eories rolating to tho die- coveries and explorations mads m tho north- wostern portiou of the United Htates and oa tho Miasissippl, undor the suspices of the French Govornmnent, from 1614 to 1762, ‘tho collection will form six octavo volumes, of aboiit GO0 pages oach, aud will ombraco o groat masy of hitherto unpublishod papers, compnsing lottors ana Journals of eaily misslonaries sud other explor- ord, rich storo of Awmerican msnuscripts, mifitary snd historical doonments, sutograph tsstors and journsls of Revolutiopary Gonorala and statosmen, including thoso gatherod for Vetor Force, of Washiugton, ls yet unworked; but Mr, Bpotfonl ineists that every ME. iu the library which cau throw auny ‘flfib: ou aoy par- tion of American histary should bo systomatic- ally arranged aud indoxed. AMERICAN CATHOLIC QUARTERLY REVIEW. Wo bave rocolved tho initial namber of the American Catholio Quarterly Hevietw, published by Hardy & Mabony, Philadelphia. ‘I'he discon- tinuance of Zirownzon's Quarierly will doubtless bo sccopted with plessuro by the cuitivated body of American Catholics, it it produce what this Review promizes to bo, sn orgsn of Catholio literaturo of tho most intelloctual character. The sesponsible oditory are Dy. Jamea A. Cor- coran, Dr. James 0'Coouor, aud Goorge D, Woldf, | Eaq. Tha firss two szo eminens scliolars aa wol, ns acclesfastica, The learning and ability o ftho Catholie Church, inclnding laymen 83 woll ns clorgymen, will bo engaged to givo to hin Jteelnn n chnracter oqual to that of any similar publication In this conntry ot Europo.” It s announced that tho Jenizw **ehall not bs confinnd to tho discursion of the. ological anbjects, but that it shall embroco with- 113 1ta roopo all mubjocts of intorest to educated Catholics, whothor philosophical,! bistorieal, netontific, litorary, or political, —natng the lattor term in ita original and propor meaning, Partl- #an politice, or politicain the popular senan of tho word, it 18 rcarcely nocerdary Lo any, will bo rigldly oxeluded.” Each number wil contair: 162 pagos, Iargo octavo, in Iargn type, on whits pa- or. The articlon in tho firal numbor aro: * Sa. utatory : Anti-Catholio Projudice,” by tho loy. James O'Counor ; ** Philosophy of the Bupar- patural,” by O, A. Browneon ; * Tho Classical Ed- 1cation of tho Day,” by Blshop Backer, of Dela- waro; **The Jeeuits,” by tho Iov, . Coreo- ran; *Tho Bugbear of Vaticanlsm,” by tho Rev. Edward MeGlyna ; **'The Divinity of Christ,” by Istiop Lynch; ** Modern Phyeicists and the of Man,” by Georgo I. Woiff: *“Tho (atholie Church 1n American History,” by J. U. Khea ; Edltortal, ote., elc. £NGLISH BOOK-PRODUCTION. Tho English Publishers’ Circular gives its ueual tabulated summary of the Englleh book- production of ‘the year, The total number ro- corded in 1875 was G218, of which 9,670 wero now bhooks, 1,331 now editions, and 816 American importations. Of tho months, Avgust ond Beptember show tho minimum snd Docembor the maximuma production, tho figures of tho latter being 1,202, Thero bhas been & marked incroase, as compared with 1874, of works on theology, fiction, bistory, poetry, and art, and & decrease In educntional booka and juveniler. Tho ferue of thoological booky was 762 ; educational, 813 ; juvouile, 21 fletion, 092: law, 135: economice, 126 ; art, scienco, and illustration works, GbG: travels. 81 ; hintory aud biography, 496; postry and drama, 371 ; Looks and Lound seriald, 258 3 medical bani«, 127; bellca-lottres, 193 uu- claesified, 251, The Circular pronounces the vear ** very good, in the senso of having been very prodiictivo your, and o decided lmprove- ment o 1674, LITERARY NOTES. A philogophical bock by AL Renan, and o pse- thumous book by CGasparin, wro in pross st Paria. Thomas Bailoy Aldrich will have astory in vorso in the March number of tho Atlantic Alonthly, Miss Do Ia Rama s raid to bavo adopted hor prondonym of ** Ouida " from lier vwn infantile pronunciation of hor Christian nama, Louisa, *Tho Lifo and Lettors of Lord Macaulay," by bls nephow, G, Otto Trevelyan, M. ', will soon appear from the press of Harper & Drothers. A sacrilegious Philadelphia critic calls Ralph ‘Waldo Emerson's Alantic Monthiy pocm ** less o pocm than an old man's renowod vow of losalty to tho *Hub,'" “ Montford Tall,” thoe now novel of Mra. Catharina A, Wharfiold, of Pawco Valley, Ky. (author of * Tho Houecbold of Boiverio be followed by another work by that Indy, ou- titled * Miriam's Momoirs." Ths Christmas number of the London Graphic cost 840,000 beforo a copy vt printed. The {irst edition consisted ot 200,000 copics. It Las beon computed that Miss Thompson's eketch, ontitled ** Missed," went 2,700,000 times under tho prees. The Marquis of Date has pablishod a book on Willism Wallaco ; Lord Stratford de Redcliffo has written au_oriyinal plav, eutitled ™ ** Alfred tho Gront in Athelvoy;" and the Eatl of Craw- ford hins in prees o motrical talo entitled * Argo, or the Quest of tho Giolden Fleece.” 1t Life-Tlistories of Animaly, Including Man,” inthe title of a volumo contaning a seties of outlines of comparative embryology, by Dr. A. 8. Packard, of the Peabody Acadomy of Ecienca a4 Snlom, Masa,, which fs soon to bo publiehed by Honry Ilolt & Co., of New Yorl. Macmillan & Co, are to iesus & sories of il- lustrations to Shakapeare's plays, ougraved on steel from dosigns by several distinguistiod German artisla. An explauntory lotter-press, constating of extracts selccted from tho writings of all tho bogt crition of Shakspoaro, has boen ropared by Prof. Dowdon. Tho work will bo n ono quurto volume, and thora wilt also bo au edition ju folio, containiog artlsts’ praofs of tuy ongrovings. Tho new, comploto edition of tho works of Waltor Eavage Landor, to bo pablished in thiy country by J. B. Lippincowt & Co., in connec- tion with Chapman & Hall, Londan, Ia contined to 750 copies prioted from type, and 230 of thouo nro to bo oflered fn thin conntry. Tho first four volumes aro to boissned at once, Fhere will be eight in all,—tho {irst bewng the blography, by Joha Forstor, rovised for this re- iseae. 'They will have phiotogeaphic portraity of Landor tndiffercnt periods of hiy loog lifo,~ tho Inst and most intoresting one Laving boou mff" whon tiooeld lion had nearly reached iy en e FAMILIAR TALK, OTHELLO, JAGO, AND DESDEMONA, Io tho notico of tho ** stomoirs of John Quincy Adame,"” which stands in _enother column, somo hints aro givon of tha singular interpretation which Mr, Adams gave to tho chnrncter of Des- demona, It isutartling to bear 1t saidof the wito of Othello,—whorm critica nnd plsyera hava agrood in doclaring s womau whoso icuocenco was oqual to her Injury,—tbat sho wos *a Indy of enay virtuo." Tho opinion {s 8o at varinoco with the idea gained from the ordinary study of Slakspearo's drams, and from that univorsally ontortained by tho world, that ouo {mpulsivoly rojects it as both unfounded and offensiva, Mr. Adnws olaboratod and defiued his curious nod original views onthe playof * Otuollo” mna papor ontitted ** Misconcoption af Shakspears on tho Stage,” which may bo found in Alr, Hackett's 4 Notes and Comments on Shakspeare." But, strango and forced 84 tho viows thero supportod appoar, they aro wot altogetuier unlque. A new and able critic of Bhakepenre, Prof., J. D, Soidor, of 8. Louls, who has pub- lished In tho Journal of Speculative Philosophy and In the Westner, a series of essaya on olovon difforont plays of the great dramatlst, has put forward sentimonts {v his sualysis of ¢ Othello " that give color to the strange notions of Mr. Adame. Mr, Saidor arguos that, when Desdne mona contracted n marxisge with o monof & different raco, sho violated an etbical law that lies st tho foundsation of our social inslinets, ana, {n 6o doing, oponed the way for the terniblo tragedy which followed. Having willfully in- fringed tho moral priveiplo that probibite the unlon by famiiy-ties of the difforont races, Ded- demona outraged the entire morsal uaturo, and, thoreforo, cauuot b0 rogarded as nujunocent womsn. Intho words of P'rof. Buidor : A ithical unfon under such ciruinstances ia {m- psible; . o » Whero a0 grost 8 difurcnce exlate, o unste demanded by the Family fa fmpossibie. s .+ Doth partics know Luat thiey Lave violated ouo etbical elument of inafrisgo; honce coincs tho dark Buspicion that another cthical elemunt uny Uy 8 red- iy, disregarded, namely: iy, | loclore, ihe J0alousy that firea Gtheido will bardly fail 10 ariso trom nch a union, and turn nto o sourco of bilternced and deathi, . . . There scoms to bo no doubdt that ‘Shakapuurs mokos vace au othicul elesnent of marrlago, a4 finportant 8a chaetity: nor does Lo differ much From the grost majarity of mankind st preacut, ‘Tliat )lilanthropist i8 yet to bo found who would bo willlng 'a ‘suo his daughter marry an African, though both be dead fn love, His repuguatice doss uot noccesarily procecd from projudice, but from the conviction that such s unjon {4 unvthical, The ives of tho palr, even if tcy lasted, would bo a cvntinuous tragedy, Tho roapect of Lis poaterity would sleo Lo upt to eall forth fangusge aud swotlons quite siwilar to thoss of firu- oantio, This [soguage but vopeats tho fdes of 3r, Adums, who, i tho pi E;t to which we have ro- ferred, dootaroa: great moral lesson of tho tragedy of * Othello’ i3, that black and whito blood caunot bo intezmingled in marriago with- out & gross outrage upon the law of Nature,” Tn auosher important particular, Prof. Snlder finds & different roading inthe play of + Othiello™ fram that generally accopted. Ho bolioves that tho Moor was guilty of tho crimo with Emilia of which Jago acousod. him; snd that the Ancient’s positive Luowledge of tho fuct fur- nished the mative, aud tho only adequato mo- tivo, for bis tarriblo rovenge. As Olhelio Liad mado him suffer, 80 would he makue Othello suffor § and ho bent tho faculticy of his lhe mind to the accomptishmeut of this purposo. 1lis agony biad come in tho form of & buruing Jealousy, and the punishment ho would fntict ‘hould be of the samo ternble naturo. Dut= and hora wo agaln borrow tha words of Prof. Buider tow was it ctinrauter ko [oat of Olicle ¥ ure of the Mo Rustus patuts o fote Wiporltion would spposr 1ikuly tu bo subjoct to ealousy, Vet this b thu very forn of Tevenge chiowd by Juya with yurpasung skill thin fo, thosutore, Just (0o WoRk widy of Uthetiv'e uch a passlon in & e 0 5 e frvo, e, sia: ed by fagu Rmsell 3 Toask charactor, Why? Fhe eolutlon of the problem Hen in the fact above mentioned, that fagn's eus- Icton 14 true, Otheiln lun been ynilly of adultery; lie {8, therefure, aware that the infidelity of wives snafict, Here lies the gormof his beliet n the faith- Iessnesa of Dewdemona ; his own scts thua comes homio 1o him, aud rondcrs him accursed; i faith in Justico can only make bim more resdy to think thiat ho will bo {A'nnuhud through his wife, rinco that (1 the modo of his ovwn gniit. Huch fa the initial point of tho Searful jeslouny of tho Maor, which /ago knows ez« actly Low to reach, since it i3 & matteriylog wholly within Lis own cxperience; anid hio knows niso that Otaeiln, on account of provious criminality, must by a8 capable of this pansion os himeeif, Both the ro- venga of fannand tho Jealouisy of Otheltn. therefore, enn i adoquately motived only by the guilty conduct of the Moor toward the Ancient’s wifs. Thus, too, wa rea ono of ths fundaniental rulesof Shakepears vine dicated ¢ that man caonot esca) Lis own deod; henco Othelio 18 the author of Lis ovu fate, wince, by hin gullt, 110 haa ealied up the svengo ‘who will dertroy him snd his family ; while, without the view above developed, his must appear as an inno- ent aufferer by a malicions villain, T'wo othor things of great imrorisnce have thelr explanation in the same slew, namely : tho manor of Jagu's rovenge, and his knotloigs of o asulioble polat {n Olheto's arxcler, Hara wa unil tho solution of the Moor's contradictory nature; b Is n genen.] noauspecting, but, on acconnt of his guilt, hio §s capablo of cne auspicion, namely : that wiver may bo faittilcan, The poet has thus added to the dintinction of taco, for which the foor canld siot be blataed, & sccond rantive: tho criminal desd of which be murl tako the respounibllity. Tho milliary lifa of Otiiclio wilt furnfeh the thisd prineipla s that of Tionor, which wiil imy el Liim 10 dstroy tho wife whom he thinks to have violeled it tu fla deepest aud moat tender part, This conatruction of tho characters of Desde- mona snd Ofkello, though fugenious, and gather- ing somo appearances of plausibility on contem- plation, strike ono nat heart mont tinpleavantly. It degrades our concoptions of tho novle Moor and tho haplesn Jesdemona ; and whatover do- grades en Ideal i resented mw tho worat of wrongs. It robs us, too, of the comfort that ro- mainod at the enlmination of the trageds. of wympathlzing with tho murderer and bis victim oy with two fntally-abusnd natures who wero thrust forward to their doomn blindly and holp- lessly. It swillba hard for tho interpretation to flud favor ; for human nature reluctaatly resigum faith in ta heroes, and elinga to thom, o propor- tion to ita disenchanting oxperioncos, with a teuncious clasp. HIRING BOOKS IM THE MIDDLE AGES. When tbe trade in books began first to grow np In l'arie, eatly inthe fcurteenth contury, tho pro- cious volunes slowly accumulated iu numbers nuf- ficlent to sapply the noeds of scholars, aud Iaws woro mado compolling boakaellers Lo bira their booke to students who could not buy or otlier- wize proenre the use of themn. 'Tho rates of cliazge wero established by the University, The forlowing {4 a liet of tha books, with the valna sel upou thoir loan, from Merrywoathor's * Bib- lomania in the Middlo Ages" { 81, Gregory's Commcnlaries on Joby, for reaing 100 paget,.. "8 soun Sk, Oregory's ok aRrR, o1 deniers Do Veris > ATbILT, 30 ‘of Mointiics, do Lit Peler 1. Keholantts Hiatory. Augustin’s Confrusions, 21 juges. > Gluss on Matthow, b Brother Thouan Aduiliss, 57 pages. BIE Concor. AL e THE VENDOME COLUMN. Tho Colotno Vecdome, which stood in tha Tlace Veudomo in Paris, and was torn down un- per tbo Commune, at tho Instigation of the painfer Conrbet, has been restored, and another etatoo of Napoleon erected upon it. ‘This is tha fourth figure of the grest Emperor that bas sur- mounted the column. Tue first one, set up by Napoleon himsolf, was taken down immediately after the restoration. aud the material used in casting the statuo of Ilonri Qustre which now slands on tho Poot Neuf, In 1-31, Louis Plil- ippe 1opiaced tho statue of Napoleon, bat with a figute modelod after adifforent desizn from tha origipal one. This was, 10 18 turn, taken down in 1853, o make room for tiw third slatue, whicl, like tho urst, represeuted tho Emporor in L8 coronatiou-robes, In restoring tho coluumn, it a8 fo1nd that the bas-reliofs of tho paaestal nad suffered but littlo fujury, but thoso of the sheft bad moatly to bo recast, — . . SPARKS OF SCIENCE. THE PROFOSED DOVER-STRAITS TUMMEL. Frequent sllusion Las beon 1aade in this col- unin to tho progress of tho schemo for construct~ fog o tnonol under tho Btrails of Dover, to con- nect Lngland and France by a lighway on dry ground,—but underland ioatead of overiand. The proposition, gigantlc aud difficult asitis, bas been enterlained in the minds of ingenious cngineors and enterprising capitalists for tho past throe-quarters of ‘o century. The fdea first eprang from tho brain of M. Mathion, a French englueer, who submitted pluns for the execution ol tho stupendous work to Napoleon, about tho yonr 1800, ‘L'his was ut au era pior to tho use of steam for tho propulsion of wheeloa vehicles, when tho lumbaring English stago transported travolers from one poiut of tho United King- dom to enother, and tho Fronch diligence was tho common conveyauco on tho oppusito sido of Dover Straits, Ilence, tho tunnel designed by 3L Mathisu wag intended to servons o post- rosd merely. 1Iis plan embraced two tunuels, one abovao another,—the lower ono acting eimply 28 o drain to carry off the water that might per- calate through the roof of the uppor vno. This Jast waa to be paved, sud lghted and voutilzted by meang of circular chimuoys reaclung above {he surfaco of tho water. ko plan recoived sorious coneideration from Fox and Napuluon, but wa aftorwards driven fromall minds by the ngitations that liept ¥ogland aud Francoioa stuto of antagonisin for a term of yoars. Other plans for tunneling and bridging the Straits wero subsoquently brought forward, but tho es- ponso forbade their contemplation. T'ho recout revival of the subject is duo to M. Thonso de Gamond, who has projected n fresh schieme,—which, howover, has beon much wudi- fied,—aud who {8 on roive advocato of the on- toryrien. Tho initisl movement uscessary to tho accomplishmont of tho work has bean un exlen- sivo gnological survey, in ordor to detormine tho stratum along winch'tho tunnel wmust pass, and tho probability of tlus ruuning in an even aod unbroken hwe, ko w8 to form o safo and dey roadway. Dv the aut-wealdon boring executed Ly Bir John Hawksluw aud his collaboratours, it has Leen decidod that a tunoel strotching from a pointa fow wiles routh of Calais to tho capo callod Houth Foreland, on tho linglish oonst, will pass mainly through the chatk-formu- tion which underiies tho tertiary ecrica 1 this portion of the country, and has s maximuoy Sopth of from 1,000 0 1,500 feor. It i bropasod that tho tunnel shull ponctrate this formatton, and at 1o point havo less than 200 feet of the stratum above it. A cowpany hos boen formed for tho construe- tion of tho tuuncl, and active measures for tho furthorauco of the work bave for somo titna Leen uudor way; yet thess ara morely pro- hminary, sod, as it may be sald, exvorimental ; for, uniil tho couclusion of tho wo tormival borinys nodertaken to discovor tho wolidity of the chialkebed, tho queation of thio fossibilty of building & tucnel cannot b coufidontly suttiod, Tho method proposed for accomphsbing tho work whou its practicability is provod {3 thus doseribed in nn_articie in Appletons’ Journal, from which we have taken the foregoing pur- ticulers ; Tho length of the tnnzel wilt bo 22 witli the neecled approaclies oo either croaed to about dl miles, Tho ha will ba supk o & depth of abont 450 wator mark; and, trom the bottom of Lest, driit-way will ba drivon fof tho drulnayo of fho Works. Tho tunnel will not diffcr freni thoso {n use for & donblc- track rallway, aml wall conitaunce 240 feet wbovo thu Grainnge Arith-waya, 16 wil ba driven with a graifient of 1 to:4,6i, tl thoegntie of tho Sirsll i reached i Therotho sama ratlo 81 inclioation ta tho opponite shiore will bo mado; s0 that, from tha ceatre, tho duml.qmfllboww;‘r,dhmg‘lvfl“nhxl(;:mu. o the D s 1o priced it opening of the full. wizod rondwsy by @ Qrift-wsy 7 foct in distcter, ‘o “coomplisly thie, 8 Drunton inaching will by usod, Which, It i bolfoved, will open_tho deifi-way at sn nv- eragorato of & yard on Bour, Thla nucliue worky Tike a1 augor, boriug & bole i the chalk as wh auger would fu wood. ‘Tho chslk, when broken off, falls un W inoving Delt, and by Wiy I convored o wegons, oo ot of ‘openlng thls drift-wey 1s estimiated at from $4,000,000 to $4000,000; snd, ol it fa Gompieted, o Just cuiiniaio cau be mado as to tho Subesrueut cost of entargement, Tho whole e ed- il ‘tu About aight gesrs, tiough Sir John Hawk- Shitw 1 of thio opinion that tils is t0o low au estluwate, Tho boring oo tha Fronch sido has Ymgruhml gomo way ; aud it is possiblo that, within'a yoar, T8 projoot witl aithor bo abaudoied, o coutin. uod with s fized purpose ta carry it through, WORK OF THE BRITISH ROYAL SOCIETY. In tho rocent suniversary addroas of the Proal- dout of the Royal Hocloty, London, the author, Dr, Hooker, presented au abstract of tho work that has been accomplished by this fustitution during tho past year, Tho principal eutarprises that bavo beon foatored by the Bocioty aro tho A'otal-Eclipso Expedition, the 'rausit-of-Venus Espodition, :3; Arotio Expedition, and tho Chal- leuger Expedition. Roforriog to the cruise of tho Valorousin Arctic waters,and thotemperasure goundinge and decp-usa drodglngs condusted by miles, which, 1de, will bo nd or_Larings, below high- the naluralists on bord, Dr. Hookor ‘stated that— Amang the valuabte reeulls ottained are that thu fauna of the Greenland vess 2::;3 its land-tlora in being munly Nop an,~there being (with tho oxcoplion of the. Echinoderms) An sbscoeo of mauy NortheAmerican formi which, an it appearn, have not been found exsiward of the mieridian of Caps Chidiey, in Labrador, A res markatlo mollnek, provioualy dredged at a deplh of ahout 1,000 fathoms, off the cost of Poriugal, by the Torcupine, and whigh, when first ‘found in & fosuil Atals i the nawer tertinrics of Bleily, was supposed to bean extinct iype, roappears in watsrs of Daviea' Btralla; and a Camponularia was found, srocifcally 0enilcal with ons discoverod s yort i thie oppomite heminphero, vz, : In Kerguolen's Land, by AL, Taton, the naturallst’ of the Transil-of-Venua Es. podition o that laland, A tost singalar sponge-Iike llull)mbnlmml by Mr. Dickio Symedra Jt‘fuy Wity linng Gioduzerna entanglod In the colloid-collecting matter of §i frustules, wan taken in the lowing-net, In poting the facts contributed to submarine Roography by tho rescarchos of the Challenger, Dr. Hooker remarxs : o ‘The depthn of t1i sea, na on the surfaco of the land, aze contigioun aresn puopled by differont aasemulsgel of living things, As, on tha land, we nacend to mee: s colder' temperaturg, sccompanied by forms of Iife of wider dintribution than st lower elavations { 80, in the eean of warm and tsinperato regions, we descend to mect analagous conditons, Thoocesn thus mirrors cuo of the most striking foatures of the distribution of terrestrial Hfo; and, mirror.like, it turne the pictura upside down, Furthermors, this analogy 18 confined to tho warm and tempernts zones I the cold zoncs, this order of thinga i Liore, as on laud, we descend to warmer temnparatires, and tho deepest nen ia psopled by anfe msla proper t0.a muth lawer latitude. The total result in n uniformity {n tho general ditribution of ocesnla lite that kna no parallei ou land; aud facls In the mi gration of marina teinperatures and plants, that were formerly aciounted fur by awsumlog that they pose aomicd greater pawers of withateuding changes of teme Jrrature, are now nccounted foe vy conditions more closely resembling thoso that oblatu on land, THE NEW VIENNA OSSERVATORY, The plan of the new observatory at Vienns, with somo account of tho fostrumonts that will foruish it, are zivon in Nature, The vullding is mituated lu the vorthern portion of thoe city, on s platean of 14 or 15 acres, elavatod about 200 toct abovo tle mean level of the surrounding area, ‘Tho foundation-atono was laid o June, 1674; and it is hoped tho building will be ready for the rocoption of tho lustruments fo 1877 Tho observatory is 330 teet long in the direction of northi-south, ond 210 feot in that of cast-woet Ihero are four dnmes,—the contral ong having 8 diameler of 42 feet, ‘This will be occupled with arefraclor of about 26 inchen apertore. ‘The smaller domes are ea:h 25 foet tn diamoter | und onc of thews will contain su equa- torial retractorof 12 inchesavertaro, constructod by Mr, Alvav Clark, of Cambridgeport, ass, Theso twou refractors, ** togother with s meri- dicu-cirelo haviog & teleacopo of 8 iuches aper- ture, and augmented by the (nstruments of tho old observatory, will constituto the firal oquipment of tho new eatachshment. . Later on, it s ntended to place intho third domo an equa- torial roflector epecinlly ndapied for photow- rahy ; and also o prumo vertical instrument in tho room noar the fourth domo. to tho north of tho central come,” ‘The faurtt domo will probae iy bo gl pod with an sltaziwush, or & Liolio~ wéter, RASITIC VORNM IN FISH, A specie of parasitie worm has beon lately discovercd inhabiting ths body of a fish. The ob- server—Mr, Wilsun, of Birningham—cooiribe utes dramings aud u deseription of the pest to Iardicich's Science-Goesip. 1t was fouud epccimen of the Wrasses, or * Goldswing * (Crenalabris rupestris), which Liad been kept {n » tank with several companions, and died appa~ reutly of exhuuetion. A post-morten axaming- tlon revealed the presenco in the organs gud fuids of tho fish of small worm-like bodiey, whicl, under the wicroscopa, wero racognizad an bolonging to the hwmatoid class of pars. gtic woramm, 3r. Wilson coucludes from bis oxammation that the parasite 13 idon- tical with the genas 1'rosthecosacier, and that it wmay prove to b the 7% minor. He concludes Lii deseryition with tho pertinont remarks, that “Thia short description of a hiematoid worm, fubinbiting, and no doubt killing, the host, ia of somo Littlo interes:, Lecauso of tho vast cone wimption of waring flab us food by the public. whio, b8 A ritle, nze not informed of tha danger accruing to Lthowo who eat their fiels hall-cooked. Thoe eges, or sven cnervatad yonug, of parasttio waortou Are thus loft undestioyed, and oply wait- ing to be Iintroduced 1ato tho slimantary canal of some biglly-ci gan animal, 04 man, to com- plete thoir dovelopment.” CLIMBING PLANTS, After the tondrils of climbing plants have ate tached themeclvos to o sapport, whather by twining about it or fixing upon ju tho flattensd dises ot their extromities, they rapidly increaso ingizo snd strensth, Too tondrils of the Yire winin crcoper (Anipelopsis quinguefolia), popu- Isrly but wroogly cailed American woodbing, are terminotod atter their contact with soms obe ject, with disce, which areat fimt gorged with tiuid, bt ultimately bocomo woody. The ten- dii's live but n° singlo soason, yoi still sdbers finmly in s dead etato to tha stem ond to the surfaco of attach. went. Darwin says, io his recent work on Climbing Plants, that the strength and durability of thesa dead tendrils aro woude:ful. +There are tendnls now adhering to my bouse,” ho writes, *‘which aro still stroog, and bavs Leen exvased to the wenthor in a desd state for fourtoun or fiftoen years, Uno aingle lateral branchict of a tondril had fiva disc-besring Lranches of wqual thickners, and shpareutly of edqual strength; #o that. after having boen ex- posod during ton sesry to tho weather, it would probubly have vesisted a straio of 10 pounds,” LIEUT. CAMETON'S AFRICAN JOURNEY, Advices from Liout. Cameron, datsd Now. 22, ¢tato that ho will romain at Bt. Paul de Lozn- du untitspring,—bis shattored health roadering o roturn to Englavd duriug tho winter montha injudicious. Moauwhile ho will employ himeelf writing up his Journal, Ilo hss alrendy sout to thio Royal Geographical Socloty the map of his routa from Lukoe Zanganyiks to the borders of Bonguets, sud o briof report of bhis journey, "Fhe dircctiion of his route through the unex- plored region waa soutb-gouthiwest from Nyan- ko to the wator-shod of tho Kasai aud Qusbgoe Rivers, and thouce duo wort to the soacosst. Tho outire journey across Africa hos been per= formod Ly Laout. Camoron_in two vosrs and oight months. [fo lafs tho Eastern Cosst, near Zanzibar, the 24th of March, 1870 ; reached Ujiji tho 218t of YFobruary, 1874; set out from that point on_bis journoy for thio West Coaat the 18th gl Aay, 1674} and srrived at Losoda in Noveme or, 1875, : EXTINCT BRITISH QUADRUPEDS, The British Mussum hassocured the Iargo and uniquo calleetion of the Thamos Valloy romnainyg of oxtinet British quadrapeds, that formarly bee louged to Bir Antonio Dray, of Btratford-les Point. "Tho spocimovs cousist of elophants,' hinocerosoy, deor, oxco, otc., Which liave been discoyered in tho lIford marshes during the last thirty years. ‘Thoy cmbrace remains of o huo- diod clopbants of ull uzes und mzew, reforable to tho bwo wpecies, Kiephas primigenius and K. antiguus ; remaing of oighiy-aix rhinocervaes of threo spoctes,—I¢, Megarhinus, I, leplorhinus, and K, techorinug 3 and” about 500 epecimens, forming ouo-llf tho collection, of various raminanta o8 tho stag, bison, and oz, with seve on oxawpled of tho gront Lrisb olk, and fifty of the red deor. Tho Thames Valloy hippopota- mus aud tho Uritish lon aro also roprosentod to tlo seried. ® EXHIBITION OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS. 1t s stated in Nature that tho Crown Prince and Princess received tho leadng Gorman men of gclence at Dorlin, Jan. 8, in ordor to confer upon tho mosns of sceuringan adoquats repre-' soutation of Cormuny 1 the exhibition of dciontitio justramonts to be hold o London poxt May, As s result of the conforence, s Gormun Commitseo was appolntod to promote the object of tho maoting. At the presaut dato, similrr arsaugenionts have been completed by the tlovoruments of Belglums, Holland, Bwitzorland, and the United States; and Com- mmitiaos ero collooting instruments for the Re- sunrch, tho Historical, or tho Edacationsl De- purtmant of the Exposition, TRAVEL IN PERSIA. At a rocont mesting of tho Vienna Goologicsl Bocioty, Ds. E, Tictze waa woloomed homo frou » two years' sojourn lu Persin, The Doctor ha mado extonelve goological rosearchos, espeolatly in Mougt Elbure, and eastiwsrd as far as Asters- vad and Sharcod. He aluo visited the envirool of Asabjodshan, Ispahso, Chanfar, the Province of Fanstao, and the salt desert’ svuthoast of Tohezan. A NOTED APE, Mafaka, the fomate guzlils, or chimpanzes, in the Zoologloal Gardens of Drosden, died on the 14tk of Docomber. Hor skin will be stuffed sod placod in tho Drosden Moseum § and Dr, Moyer, tho Dircctor of the Gardous, promises an 8o~ couat of her, that will probably settle the dis. p;n. with rogard $o Lier tsue placa o the family of apos. A e eI DRI ST RTACOR. ]