LITERATURE, CONTINENTAL, IN 1888. 



497 



work on the reign of Kins Stephen Bathory. 

 The critical "Es-ays" of I'. Chmielowski de- 

 serve mention, as do also the lectures, delivered 

 in Florence, by the distinguished poet, T. Lenar- 

 towk-z. on " The Character of Siavo-Polish 

 Poetry." Translations also, into German and 

 Spanish, of eminent writers are worthy of rec- 

 ord. In conclusion, note must be made of a 

 volume of economics, entitled ' Galicia's Pov- 

 erty." by S. Szczepanowski. It is very able, 

 and the sad story told in it has made a pro- 

 found impression in Poland. 



Russia. Death has left its mark on Russian 

 literature this year in the removal from earth 

 of V. Garshin, only thirty-three, and yet a 

 writer worthy of being ranked with Tourgue- 

 neff and Tolstoi. He put an end to his own 

 life, in a state of partial insanity, and bis literary 

 remains consist oftwo small volumes of ''Tales.'' 

 These are mournful records of what he saw, 

 feit. and suffered, in this connection we may 

 nore also the death of Rosenheim, eminent as 

 a writer of satirical and other poetry. In the 

 way of novels, tales, and sketches of various 

 sorts, the production has been quite abundant, 

 and in the main satisfactory. Korolenko, who 

 excels in drawing the Siberian runaway, pre- 

 sents another picture, in his latest novel. ' Dur- 

 ing the Journey " ; it is highly praised for its 

 power and skill. A lady, signing herself Kres- 

 tovski. furnishes a new novel. ''The Duties," 

 which belongs to the order of psychical analy- 

 sis, and has met with much favor. Another 

 novel has appeared from the same author, en- 

 titled - After the Deluge.'' Madame Shabels- 

 kaya. called the poet of the peasant life of 

 Little Russia, published a novel, entitled '' Three 

 Currents." describing in one the new religion 

 of Count Tolstoi, under the name of " Religion 

 of Buddha." Matchtett has brought out a vol- 

 ume of '' Silhouettes," which have been well 

 received. Other novels and stories that may 

 be named here, are : Karonin's " My World," 

 Mrs. Dmitrieva's " The Prison," Shiloff's "After 

 a Long Separation," Muravlin's " Not Quite 

 Love," Volski's " The Wife," and Tchehoff 's 

 "Steppe." Several interesting books have ap- 

 peared, undertaking to discuss important topics 

 among the peasantry, like the " Woman Ques- 

 tion,'' and various economical conditions of af- 

 fairs. X. G. Uspenski's "A Ticket" and "Fig- 

 ures in Life " are of this kind. Engelhardt's 

 " Letters from the Country " and Lineff's de- 

 scriptions of prison-life are good specimens of 

 what the critics call " artistic ethnography." 

 Nadson, the poet died last year (as noted) ; 

 the posthumous edition of his verses is very 

 popular. In the field of memoirs the crop is 

 rich. GontcharofTs '' In the Mother Country " 

 takes the lead in giving various types from 

 Russian provincial life half a century ago. 

 Antokolski's "Memoirs." though deficient in 

 literary form, furnish a heartrending picture 

 of the great sculptor's sad and deplorable career. 

 The memoirs of Count Sollogub, Danilevski, 

 Polevoi, Ghilaroff-Platonoff, may be noted. 

 VOL. xxvin. 32 A 



Literary criticism is well illustrated in Orest 

 Miller's "Russian Authors since Gogol"; the 

 third volume is taken up with Aksakoff, Mel- 

 nikoff, and Ostrovski, with articles on modern 

 authors. ArseiiieiF has brought out two vol- 

 umes of " Critical Studies of Russian Life," and 

 Skabitchevski deals with " The Folk Novel- 

 ists." Pypin continues his studies of Ri 

 literature before Pushkin and in Pushkin's 

 time, and Timofeeff has published a volume on 

 the undeniable " Influence of Shakespeare on 

 the Russian Drama." Tolstoi's ' War and 

 Peace " is discussed by Prof. Karyeeff very 

 ably. Other publications in this line are valu- 

 able. In history. Stasulevitch's History of 

 Mediaeval Times," Vol. Ill, brings the story 

 down to the end of the thirteenth century. 

 Mention also is proper here of Prof. Bulitch's 

 ' History of the Earlier Years of the Kazan 

 University," of Vol. IV, of Andrievitch's " His- 

 tory of Siberia," in time of Catherine II; and 

 the " Exterior Policy of Nicholas I " during the 

 Crimean War. Sukhomlinotf has finished his 

 ' History of the Russian Academy." In phi- 

 losophy, P. Lavroff has begun the publication 

 of his " History of Thought." It is the life- 

 work of a veteran laborer and very able ex- 

 positor of the subject, and is to be published 

 in four volumes. Kavelin's " Problems of 

 Ethics " have appeared in a separate volume, 

 and are remarkably well written. In archaeol- 

 ogy, Count Bobrinsky has published " The 

 Kurgans around Smyela," and Ptashitski has 

 brought out a " Description of the Lithuanian 

 State Archives." Prof. Tagantseff makes pub- 

 lic his '' Lectures on Criminal Law," which 

 contain among other things Drill's exhaustive 

 study of " Juvenile Offenders in Russia and 

 Western Europe." In natural science great 

 interest is manifested, and scientific periodicals 

 are flourishing. 



Spain. Progress in science and letters con- 

 tinues unchecked in Spain, and education and 

 culture are spreading throughout the kingdom. 

 The number of books published in 1888 exceeds 

 by far the sum total of other years. Poetry 

 of every description, lyric, epic, or dramatic, 

 including works of fiction in prose, is being 

 abundantly supplied. Although the master 

 poets, Nnfiez de Arce, Campoamor, and Zo- 

 rilla, have done little or nothing this year, yet 

 there is a large number of younger and enthu- 

 siastic men striving to supply the deficiency. 

 Among these may be named J. de las Cuevas. 

 in his " El Espejo del Alma " ; Cubillo, in his 

 ' Ensayos Poeticos " ; Iglesias, in his " Al Fin 

 de la Jornada " ; and Bustillo, in a collection 

 of satirical romances revealing superior talent, 

 entitled '' El Ciego de Buenavista.'' In the 

 drama light, short pieces, or sainetes, operet- 

 tas, and the like, are more popular than the 

 classical tragedy or modern melodrama. Novel- 

 writing keeps pace with the progress noted 

 last vear, as is shown by publications of Garcia 

 Nietb, Palacio Valdes. Emilio de la Cerda, 

 Ramon Ortega, Gabriel Moreno, and Carlos 



