LITERATURE, CONTINENTAL, IN 1871. 



457 



LITERATURE, CONTINENTAL, IN 1871. 

 There was but little movement in Continental 

 literature during 1871, as will be seen by the 

 following extracts from correspondence of the 

 Athenceum : 



BELGIUM. None of the men of letters of any 

 celebrity have produced a new work in French 

 during the year 1871, except M. Charles Potvin, 

 who has given to the world a study of Historical 

 Criticism. Two young poets have, however, 

 appeared this year in Belgium, whose coming 

 seems an augury of good. Two volumes of 

 poems have appeared, one called "Une Voix 

 dans TOuragan," the author modestly conceal- 

 ing his name under the initials A. H. ; the other 

 is simply called " Poesies," by Herman Perga- 

 nieni. Both works have been a pleasant surprise 

 to the few who read Belgian poetry. We must 

 not omit to mention a work now in course of 

 publication, entitled " (Euvres Choisies de nos 

 Poetes populaires Flamands," translated into 

 French verse by Auguste Claus. The work 

 of M. Claus will form, if we may judge by the 

 portions which have appeared, a tolerably 

 comprehensive storehouse of Flemish litera- 

 ture since 1833. This forms about the sum of 

 all that the year 1871 has produced in the way 

 of what is purely literary. 



On the other hand, there have been a great 

 multitude of pamphlets and writings of every 

 kind, all devoted to the narration and discus- 

 sion of the tragic events of the present time. 

 One called " L'Esprit Parisien, produit du R6- 

 gime Imperial," comes from the skilful pen of 

 Smile Leclercq, already well known by his 

 novels, so full of spirit and originality. This 

 work, which in a few months reached its 

 sixth edition, owed its popularity in some de- 

 gree to the style of the author, but much more 

 to the numerous and curious extracts from 

 that portion of the French press which has 

 shown itself to be so much below its mission, 

 foolishly overbearing before reverses, and mad 

 with vanity under defeat. "We must not omit 

 to mention " Sedan," by Camille Lemonnier, 

 who is an author of recognized and acknowl- 

 edged merit. 



M. Alfred Michiels, in contesting the rights 

 of Germany over Alsace and Lorraine, has 

 had the honor to elicit a reply from the cele- 

 brated Prof, von Sybel. 



Among other writings inspired by the late 

 war, we mark, as worthy of notice, an inter- 

 esting pamphlet "Sur la Reorganisation de 

 1'Armee, par un Officier Superieur Beige." It 

 evinces great talent, and is by Lietitenant-Gen- 

 eral Eenens. 



In History of the highest class, we are com- 

 pensated for the literary poverty in other re- 

 spects. Let us first say one word of the com- 

 petition of National History, which takes 

 place every five years, and of which the lau- 

 rels have this year been carried off by M. Jules 

 van Praet, Minister of the King's Household. 

 His "Essais sur THistoire Politique des Der- 

 niers Siecles," for which he won the prize, 



forms a study of political philosophy which is 

 altogether of a high class. Never before in 

 Belgian literature had history been treated with 

 so much breadth of character, and at the same 

 time with such fine and delicate analysis. M. 

 van Praet divides the modern history of Eu- 

 rope into five periods, with which the five 

 essays which compose the work correspond. 

 "We must also mention the conscientious "Rap- 

 port," edited, in the name of the Jury, by M. 

 Alphonse Le Roy, the learned professor of the 

 University of Liege. It analyzes and criti- 

 cises in a remarkable manner all the historical 

 works which have appeared among us, wheth- 

 er written in French or Flemish, from 1866 to 

 1870. 



Of the publications of the year 1871, we 

 will mention, in the first place, the " Genie de 

 la Paix," by Charles Potvin. M. Ferdinand 

 Henaux has published a new edition of a cu- 

 rious "Etude sur Charlemagne," in which he 

 tries to establish, and not without success, 

 that the great Emperor of the West was in 

 reality born at Liege. Theodore Juste, the 

 indefatigable biographer of the founders of 

 Belgian nationality, has this year published an 

 elaborate "Etude sur Sylvain van do Weyer," 

 the statesman who played so important a part 

 in the Revolution of 1830, and during the 

 reign of Leopold I. This historical portion 

 may conclude by the mention of M. E. Du- 

 pont's book upon "Les Temps Ant6histo- 

 riques en Belgique." M. Dupont is the Director 

 of the Musee dSHistoire Naturelle at Brussels ; 

 he traces the picture of life among our ances- 

 tors during the Stone period, by the light of 

 his recent discoveries in the caves of the Ar- 

 dennes Valleys. 



With regard to History properly so called, 

 there are several publications which may be 

 classed under this head, relating to the insti- 

 tution and study of its successive develop- 

 ments. " L'Histoire de 1'Enseignement Popu- 

 laire en Belgique" (third edition), by Leon 

 Lebon, is a work of much erudition and full 

 of interest; the subject is treated systemati- 

 cally. Not less in importance are the labors 

 of M. Alphonse Le Roy upon public instruc- 

 tion in Spain, first published in the last num- 

 bers of La Revue de V Instruction Publique en 

 Belgique. This excellent study will shortly 

 appear in the Encyclopedia des Gesammten 

 Erziehungs und Unterrichtswesen of Schmid. 

 It is an immense collection, which may cer- 

 tainly be considered the greatest monument 

 that has ever been raised to the art of school- 

 masters and the history of teaching. 



Juridical literature has this year produced 

 two remarkable works. M. F. Laurent, so 

 well known by his " Etudes sur THistoire de 

 THumanite," continues actively to pursue the 

 publication 'of his "Principes de Droit Civil." 

 The fifth volume appeared in the course of 

 1871, and men competent to speak on the 

 subject declare that the juridical works of M. 

 Laurent are quite equal to his historical and 



