504 



LITERATURE, CONTINENTAL, IN 1890. 



spoken of by competent judges. Some narra- 

 tives of travel have appeared. " The Geographi- 

 cal Lexicon of Poland," in its ancient extent and 

 importance, has reached its tenth volume and is 

 highly esteemed. There is also a journal of 

 geography and ethnography established in War- 

 saw, which promises well for the future of natu- 

 ral science. 



Russia. In regard to literature in Russia 

 the critics speak in desponding terms, as if it 

 were running into " individualism " to a harm- 

 ful extent. Count Tolstoi's notorious " Kreut- 

 zer Sonata " occupies the attention of reviewers 

 very largely, as it relates to a subject, viz., strange 

 and unhappy marriages, with which it is not easy 

 to deal judiciously for public benefit. They find 

 it difficult to speak of the work in any terms ad- 

 equate to its power for mischief as well as for 

 good, possibly. Other peoples, who know the book 

 by translation, are even more in the dark than 

 the count's own countrymen. The poet Minshi 

 puts forth a " philosophical " theory, in a book 

 entitled " In the Light of Conscience," but, as it 

 is partly made up of pessimism and some of the 

 antinomies of Kant, it is not likely to prove of 

 much value to any one. There is a plain demand 

 for some philosophical and ethical basis on which 

 agreement ought to be had. A. Tchikoff pub- 

 lishes stories in illustration of this. He calls 

 them " Discontented People," and uses his oppor- 

 tunity to discuss all sorts of questions on the gen- 

 eral aimlessness and inanity of human life. A. 

 Ertel's story of village life, since the emancipa- 

 tion of the serfs, is entitled "The Gardenins: 

 their Servants, their Adherents, and their Ene- 

 mies," and may prove to be of service to thought- 

 ful readers. The drama is indebted to "The 

 Artist," a new magazine, for publishing some ten 

 plays in its pages this year. The plots seem to 

 be disgusting enough, being mostly based on 

 adultery and its strange consequences in regard 

 to morals generally. The idea of the writers for 

 the most part is the pernicious one that feeling 

 is in all cases to override and despise all vows 

 and promises in marriage. Unhappily, dramatic 

 literature displays a like tendency almost every- 

 where. Saltikoff s place in literature is discussed 

 by Th. Mikhailovski, and A. Puipin and K. Arse- 

 nieff have gathered material for his biography. A 

 complete collection of Saltikoff's works, in nine 

 volumes, appeared this year. A new edition of 

 Ostrovski's works has also been published. Im- 

 portant for the history of modern Russian litera- 

 ture are the "Memoirs" of Madame Golovatchez, 

 formerly Madame Panieff. A biography of A. J. 

 Koshelev, one of the Slavophils, is in prepara- 

 tion. A. Skabitchevski has brought out anew his 

 Forty Years of Russian Criticism " (1 820-'60), 

 with some other essays. Vengerov's first volume 

 of " Critical and Biographical Dictionary of Rus- 

 sian Authors" has also appeared. It covers 

 only the letter A. Questions in philosophy and 

 psychology attract attention, as heretofore. 

 Prince S. Trubetzkoy has entered the arena, and, 

 taking "The Metaphysics of Ancient Greece" as 

 his topic, he expatiates with boldness and confi- 

 dence on improvements in philosophy and ethics. 

 In history, ethnography, and archeology the 

 year 1890 has been fruitful. A. Lappodanilev- 

 sky writes excellently of Russian finance in the 

 seventeenth century ; Prof. Sergue'vitch dis- 



cusses " Russian Legal Antiquities," i. e., terri- 

 tories and population ; and M. Dyakonov gives 

 the history of autocracy in " The Power of the 

 Tzars of Muscovy in the Sixteenth Century." 

 V. Andrievitch has written a "History of Si- 

 beria," in six volumes. A well-written " His- 

 tory of Catharine II," Vol. I, has appeared, and 

 promises to be a useful and interesting addition 

 to historical literature. The Academy of Sci- 

 ences has issued "Records of the State of Mus- 

 covy," Vol. 1, 1571-1634, edited by N. A. Po- 

 poff. Mention may also here be made of 1). 

 Tzvetayev's " Protestantism and Protestants in 

 Russia down to the Reforms of Peter the Great." 

 In ethnography two books are worth noting, A. 

 Kharowzin's " The Kirgheze of Bonheef " and 

 N. Kharvuzin's " Russian Laplanders." Archae- 

 ology has not received its usual attention this 

 year. S. Stepniak, the famous Nihilist, toward 

 the close of 1890 succeeded in making his way to 

 the United States. His purpose was to deliver 

 lectures to the American people and interest 

 them in the cause he advocates. Among those 

 who have died are : Madame Khvost-Chinski, N. 

 T. TshernishofEski, a sort of ringleader of nihil- 

 ism ; Prof. A. Gradovski, and Prof. 0. Th. Miller, 

 both eminent men in history and literature. 



Spain. As liberal political ideas are spread- 

 ing in Spain, even though slowly, their effect in 

 stimulating authorship and publishing books be- 

 comes evident. The Royal Academy of History 

 has been rather inert of late, and complaint is 

 freely made of its sluggishness. A new edition 

 of the renowned Lope de Vega's work is deter- 

 mined upon by the Academy, and is entrusted to 

 a thoroughly competent editor, Don M. M. Pe- 

 layo. The taste for ancient and modern art is 

 decidedly on the increase, and the call made for 

 books in this department plainly indicates public 

 sentiment. A work, to be issued in parts, entit- 

 led "Spain, Artistic and Monumental," is under 

 way, with great success thus far. " Seville, Mon- 

 umental and Artistic," by Jose G. y Gomez, de- 

 serves the highest commendation. Two volumes 

 of Count La Vinaza's works on Spanish artists 

 (two hundred in number), from the eleventh to 

 the sixteenth century, have been brought out ; 

 the second volume reaches to the letter L. A 

 work by M. Danvila, on " The Expulsion of the 

 Spanish Moors," is much commended, and treats 

 suggestively the question whether this expulsion 

 was not an unwise thing, after all. Spanish in- 

 terest in early American history is largely in- 

 creased by the approaching fourth centenary of 

 Columbus's great work, which is to take place in 

 Madrid in 1893. Much critical and learned dis- 

 cussion has been entered into as to the actual, 

 verifiable facts in regard to the nationality of 

 Christopher Columbus. C. F. Duro's book, 

 " Nebulosa de Colon," published early in the year, 

 is marked by its ability and good sense, and has 

 aroused public interest in the questions at issue 

 between Spain and other countries as to the act- 

 ual birthplace of the great discoverer. In regard 

 to belles-lettres not much can be said for 1890. 

 Poets are sufficiently numerous, but nothing re- 

 markable has seen "the light during the year. 

 Some few dramatic trifles, as the critics term 

 them, have been put in print. Novels, also, are 

 few and of little or slender merit. Emilia P. 

 Bazan has published a short and capital tale, 



