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LITERATURE, BRITISH, IN 1880. 



of the styles of certain famous poets (London, 

 Chatto & Windus). Edwin Arnold's shorter 

 poems have been collected and published by 

 Roberts Brothers. The second series of the 

 " Dramatic Idyls " of Robert Browning con- 

 tains poems which are, like his other poetry, in- 

 formed by the subjective moods and feelings of 

 the poet, and equally involved and enigmatic in 

 their expression, and as richly clothed as ever 

 with the picturesque imagery and descriptive 

 touches and the dramatic adornment, which 

 give to his poesy its peculiar, invigorating 

 charm. Ernest Myers, whose u Puritans " and 

 other former poems displayed technical dex- 

 terity and freshness of thought, in "The De- 

 fense of Rome " handles the theme of the re- 

 cent development of nationalism among Euro- 

 pean peoples with poetic eloquence, employing 

 rhymed hexameters with rare skill (London, 

 Macmillan). " New and Old " is a volume of 

 verse by John Aldington Symonds, which ex- 

 hibits all the delicacy of perception, the grace- 

 ful poetic diction, and mastery of form which 

 would be expected from that elegant prose- 

 writer, but lack, as might also be expected, 

 poetic originality and vigor. "Genevra" and 

 " The Duke of Guise " are two tragedies which 

 evince a fine dramatic instinct as well as an 

 intimate knowledge of history. The " Ode of 

 Life " (Boston, Roberts Brothers) is a poetical 

 discourse on the conditions of life and the na- 

 ture of man, conceived in the spirit of a fine 

 Christian philosophy, by the author of " The 

 Epic of Hades " [L. Morris]. 



British fiction is as prolific as ever. The 

 purpose and method of the new novels are often 

 admirable, and in none more so than in those 

 of some of the younger authors ; but no suc- 

 cessors have yet appeared to replace the great 

 masters of the English school of fiction, who 

 have now all passed away. " Endymion ." 

 (New York, Appletons) is precisely such a 

 shrewd, witty, and guarded political novel as 

 the author of u Vivian Grey " might be ex- 

 pected to write after attaining the position and 

 experience of the Earl of Beaconsfield. It is 

 a skillfully confused masquerade of real his- 

 torical characters and paraphrase of political 

 events and phenomena. Thomas Hardy's pow- 

 erful and successful story, named " The Trump- 

 et-Major," has been published by Houghton & 

 Co. The new novel by Ouida [Louise de la 

 Rame], entitled " A Village Commune " (Phila- 

 delphia, Peterson), is entirely free from the 

 moral eccentricities of her previous writings, 

 being an eloquent disclosure of the political 

 oppression to which the Italian peasantry is 

 subjected under the existing municipal sys- 

 tem. One of the most striking and popular 

 of Ouida's novels in her ordinary manner is 

 "Moths," a cynical picture of society (Phila- 

 delphia, Lippincott). May Laffan, whose spir- 

 ited and lifelike pictures of Irish political so- 

 ciety, "Hogan, M. P.," ''The Honorable Miss 

 Ferrand," etc., were published anonymously, 

 has appended her name to her latest novel, 



"Christy Carew," another story of Dublin life 

 (New York, Holt). "Mademoiselle de Mer- 

 sac," by W. E. Norris, is an excellent novel, its 

 scenery and pictures of society artistic and true 

 to nature, its character-drawing masterly and 

 delicate, sprightly in its development, but lead- 

 ing to an appropriate tragic ending (Harpers' 

 Franklin Square Library). Rhoda Broughton's 

 "Second r lhoughts" is a great improvement 

 on the reckless stories which formerly flowed 

 from her pen, higher-toned and more studious, 

 displaying her vivacity and genuine artistic tal- 

 ent to much better advantage (New York, Aj 

 B'.etons). " Mary Anerley " is a fine story by __ 

 . Blackmore, in his earlier manner (Franklii 

 Square Library). " The Duke's Children," by 

 Anthony Trollope, is more like his best novels 

 than his other recent productions (Franklin 

 Square Library). William Black's " White 

 Wings" is a popular story, very similar to his 

 former productions (Franklin Square Library). 

 Mrs. L. B. Walford's " Troublesome Daugh- 

 ters "is a delightfully humorous and faithful 

 picture of English life. Mary Cecil Hay is one 

 of the best of contemporary story-tellers, and 

 her depiction of winning young female charac- 

 ters is unrivaled ; " For her Dear Sake" is one 

 of the best of her productions (Franklin Square 

 Library). Other numbers of this series of 

 novels for the million are Georgiana M. Craik's 

 "Two Women " and Frank Frankfort Moore's 

 "Daireen," two graceful love-tales; "Reata," 

 by E. D. Gerard, the work of a promising be- 

 ginner, prolix, but containing good pictures of 

 Austrian life and a well -constructed plot; 

 "The Pennant Family," by Anne Beale, a 

 thrilling tale of wrecking on the Welsh coast; 

 Mrs. Molesworth's love-story of "Miss Bou- 

 verie " ; "A Sylvan Queen," a pleasant picture 

 of English rural life ; " The Return of the Prin- 

 cess," a graphic contrast of the Mohammedan 

 customs of Egypt and European life, in a ficti- 

 tious correspondence translated fromtheFrench 

 of Jacques Vincent, by Laura E. Kendall; W. 

 W. Syntre's lifelike and interesting story of 

 "Tom Singleton"; "Barbara," by Miss M. E. 

 Braddon ; " Sir John," by the author of " Anne 

 Dysart," and "Little Miss Primrose," by the 

 author of "St. Olaves," two pleasant and re- 

 fined novels; "The Queen of the Meadow," a 

 delightful pastoral tale by Charles Gibbon; 

 Mrs. Oliphant's "The Greatest Heiress in Eng- 

 land," which quite sustains the high standard 

 of this conscientious artist, and turns upon an 

 eccentric will by which the actions of the ami- 

 able heroine are fettered ; " Sweet Nelly, mi 

 Heart's Delight," by Walter Besant and Jaim 

 Rice, a charming historical novel whose scent 

 is laid in old Virginia and London in colonial 

 times. " Loukis Laras, Reminiscences of a 

 Chiote Merchant during the War of Indepen- 

 dence," by D. Bikelas, is a Greek romance 

 which was published in Athens in 1879, and 

 has since been translated into several lan- 

 guages ; the present English translation is by 

 J. Gennadius (London, Macmillan). " Matri 



