450 



LITERATURE, ENGLISH, IN 1872. 



New books, 235 ; new editions, 83 ; American 

 importations, 45. Poetry and the Drama: 

 New books, 272; ne"w editions, 99; American 

 importations, 13. Year-books and Serials, in 

 volumes: New books, 269; new editions, 6; 

 American importations, 12. Medicine, Sur- 

 gery, etc.: New books, 96; new editions, 41; 

 American importations, 13. Belles- Lettres, 

 Essays, Monographs, etc.: New books, 132; 

 new editions, 53; American importations, 11. 

 Miscellaneous (including pamphlets, not ser- 

 mons): New books, 104; new editions, 24; 

 American importations, 9. Tbe whole num- 

 ber of books published during the year was 

 4,814, of which 3,424 were new books, 1,100 

 new editions, and 290 American importations. 

 In this classification it will be seen that 

 Theology takes the lead. Under this there 

 have appeared some important biblical works 

 a translation of Dr. M. M. Kalisch's " Com- 

 mentary on Leviticus ; " " The Hebrew Proph- 

 ets Translated Afresh," by the late Rowland 

 Williams, D. D. ; Bishop Colenso's "Examina- 

 tion of the Pentateuch and Book of Joshua," 

 Part V., and his " Examination of the New 

 Bible [the Speaker's] Commentary:" these 

 are of the rationalistic school. Of more or- 

 thodox interpretations, besides the Speaker's 

 Commentary, there appeared a fragment from 

 the pen of the late Dean Alford, " The Book 

 of Genesis and Part of the Book of Exodus : a 

 Revised Version," etc.; " Commentary on the 

 Psalms," by G. Phillips, D. D.; and "The 

 Doctrine of Christ Developed by the Apos- 

 tles," by Edward Steane, D. D. On Ecclesi- 

 astical topics there have appeared, "Ecclesias- 

 tical Reform," essays edited by Orby Shipley, 

 A. M. ; " Difficulties of the Day, and How to 

 Meet Them," sermons by E. S. Ffoulkes, B. D. 

 ("The Difficulties of Yesterday, rather," as 

 an irreverent critic called the book), chiefly 

 on questions between the Eastern and Western 

 Churches ; " Dissent in Relation to the Church 

 of England," the Bampton Lectures of the Rev. 

 G. H. Curteis, M. A. courteous and able, but 

 apparently not effective with Dissenters; and 

 "Essays on Cathedrals," edited by Dean How- 

 son. Of numerous sermons, doctrinal works, 

 etc., it may suffice to mention "Sermons 

 preached for the most part in Ireland," by 

 Archbishop Trench; "Forty Sermons," by H. 

 P. Liddon, D. D. ; " Faith and Free Thought," 

 essays by various writers, with preface by 

 Bishop Wilberforce ; "The Christian Doctrine 

 of Prayer for the Departed," by the Rev. F. 

 G. Lee; "Essays," by J. H. Newman, D. D.; 

 J'Colloquia Crucis," by Dora Greenwell. In 

 intimate connection with these topics may be 

 mentioned the following philosophical Avorks: 

 " The Conscience : Lectures on Casuistry," by 

 the late F. D. Maurice, and a reprint of his 

 " Moral and Metaphysical Philosophy," with 

 a new preface; "The Place of Mind in Na- 

 ture," by James Martineau; "Darwinism in 

 Morals," by Frances Power Cobbe; "Enig- 

 mas of Life," by W. R. Greg; and an impor- 



tant and very interesting work, "Rational 

 Theology and Christian- Philosophy in England 

 in the Seventeenth Century," by John Tulloch, 

 D.D. 



In Poetry, the event of the year was the 

 completion of Mr. Tennyson's " Idyls of the 

 King," the several parts of the Arthurian 

 romance having been coming out for some 

 years. The whole has, of course, appeared 

 nearly simultaneously in this country. An- 

 other production of mark is the new poem of 

 William Morris, "Love is Enough." This 

 either has been or will have been republished 

 here before these lines meet the reader's eye. 

 In the secondary class of poetry, but high up 

 in that class, must be ranked " Olric Grange," 

 presumably the work of a new candidate for 

 the public favor, but showing the mingled 

 power and self-restraint, the firmness and grace 

 of touch, that promise a good deal. But this 

 also is too well known in America to need 

 particular description. Two writers, singu- 

 .larly enough, seem to have hit simultaneously 

 upon the same subject and the same mode of 

 treatment. "Hannibal: an Historical Drama," 

 by John Nichol, and "Hannibal in Italy: an 

 Historical Drama," by William Forsyth, Q. C., 

 LL. D., come abreast before the reading pub- 

 lic, to compete for recognition and honor. 

 Mr. Nichol gets more unequivocal honor than 

 Dr. Forsyth. The author of the admirable 

 new "Life of Cicero" has obtained doubtful 

 success as a votary of the tragic muse, judging 

 by the tone of the criticism on his last pro- 

 duction. Two other volumes of verse receive a 

 somewhat flattering reception "Interludes," 

 by Alfred Austin, and " So Far," by Herbert 

 Randolph. 



In Science, the eagerness of American ap- 

 preciation assures any work of merit of being 

 promptly reproduced among us. " The Orbs 

 around Us," by R. A. Proctor; "Rude Stone 

 Monuments in All Countries : their Age and 

 Uses," by James Ferguson, F. R. S.; and a 

 learned and sumptuous work on a painful 

 subject of contemplation, " Thanatophadia of 

 India, being a Description of the Venomous 

 Snakes of the Peninsula," by J. Fayzer, M. D., 

 are among the meritorious books not reprinted 

 here. 



In the literature of Travel, the best things 

 are naturalized among us. "The Foreigner 

 in Far Cathay " has been promised an intro- 

 duction to America/i readers, and deserves it. 

 Equally deserving, perhaps, is " Egypt of the 

 Pharaohs and of the Khedive," by the Rev. 

 F. Barham Zincke, and " Unexplored Syria," 

 by Richard F. Burton and Charles F. Tyrwhitt 

 Drake. In very natural connection with these 

 works comes the mention of " Essays on East- 

 ern Questions," by W. Gifford Palgrave, an 

 instructive volume; and "The Miscellaneous 

 and Posthumous Works of Henry Thomas 

 Buckle." 



English Grammar is treated in a truly scien- 

 tific method, in " Historical Outlines of Eng- 



