LITERATURE, CONTINENTAL, IN 1872. 



453 



eral good works. Prof. F. Laurent, the well- 

 known author of the " Etudes sur 1'Histoire 

 de I'Huinanite," continues the publication 

 of his " Principes de Droit Civil," which is 

 distinguished by the learning and independence 

 of its conclusions. The sixth volume treats 

 especially of property and of usufruct. Another 

 Professor of the University of Ghent, M. Wael- 

 broeck, has published a good " Traite des 

 Droits de 1'Enregistrement et de Transcrip- 

 tions pour les Mutations entre Vifs." 



In the exact sciences we may mention first 

 " Les Annales de 1'Observatoire Royal de Brux- 

 elles" (tome xxi.), published by the learned 

 editor, Ad. Quetelet, who has also brought out 

 this year a new edition of his " Histoire des 

 Sciences Math6matiques et Physiques chez les 

 Beiges." Neither can we omit the " Tableau 

 de 1' Astronomic dans 1'Hemisphere Austral et 

 dans 1'Inde," by Edouard Mailly the " Fonde- 

 ments d'une Ge"om6trie Superieure Cartesi- 

 enne," by F. Folie, Administrator of the Uni- 

 versity of Liege. We may conclude our list 

 with the pamphlet, by M. J. Graindorge, upon 

 " L 1 Integration des Equations Mecaniques" 

 the short works of the Profs. Delboeuf and Pla- 

 teau, upon "La Mesure des Sensations Phy- 

 siques," and the interesting biographical study, 

 by Prof. Vanlair, upon " Spring, sa Vie et ses 

 Travaux." 



As the Flemish language addresses itself 

 more especially to the working-classes, it is 

 principally works of imagination which are 

 written in that tongue. Hendrik Conscience 

 has published a series of seven stories. They 

 are simple and touching, and depict Flemish 

 manners as he alone knows how to paint them. 

 Another prose writer of talent, D. Sleeckx, has 

 written several tales, among which an histori- 

 cal romance, called " Hildegonde," has at- 

 tracted much notice. The subject is taken 

 from the history of the Low Countries toward 

 the end of the fifteenth century. Flemish 

 literature is rich in novels ; it is the form of 

 literature which finds the greatest response in 

 the heart of this simple and in general but 

 little-developed people. The poet, Jan van 

 Beers, who, after Conscience, is the most popu- 

 lar of Flemish authors, has this year published 

 a magnificent edition of his complete works. 

 They are marked by truth and vigor of senti- 

 ment, and by picturesque simplicity of the de- 

 scription both of life and natural scenery. Jan 

 van Beers is very popular, not only in Belgium, 

 but also in Holland. 



The " Willems-Fonds" has this year issued 

 a series of popular works, among which may 

 be especially noticed the second volume of the 

 " Voordracbten over de Grondsret," a collec- 

 tion of the reports of the lectures on the Bel- 

 gian Constitution, by the journalist of Ghent, 

 Rolin-Jaequemyns. He passes in review the 

 different privileges proclaimed by the funda- 

 mental law of Belgium, and he treats especially 

 of the right of combination as it regards the 

 societies of working-men, and also the liberty 



of speech guaranteed by the article twenty- 

 three of the constitution. This brings the 

 author to the examination of the Flemish move- 

 ment, its past history and future prospects. 

 The work is at once solid and entertaining, and 

 good judges consider it the best commentary 

 on the Belgian Constitution which can be put 

 into the hands of the working-classes. 



Literary history has produced the first vol- 

 ume of " Letterkundige Geschiedenis van 

 Ylaanderen " (" Literary History of Flan- 

 ders"), by C. A. Serrure, giving a view of the 

 state of Flemish and French literature in the 

 province of Flanders down to the fifteenth 

 century. 



In dramatic literature, several good works 

 have appeared ; among others, a bourgeois 

 drama by Van de Sande, and an historical play 

 by Willem Geets, entitled " William the Fool 

 of Burgundy." The first representation of this 

 piece at the theatre at Malines was a great 

 triumph for the author. It is laid in the reign 

 of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, and 

 the most original character is that of the 

 prince's jester, which reminds one of the Tri- 

 boulet of M. Victor Hugo. The repertoire of 

 the Flemish lyrical drama has been enriched 

 this year by an opera, the work of Miry, the 

 composer of Ghent, and entitled " The Poet 

 and his Dream." The libretto was written by 

 Hendrik Conscience, the novelist. This work 

 is spoken of as intended to inaugurate the 

 opening of the splendid theatre at Antwerp, 

 which the communal administration has just 

 erected there, in honor of the dramatic muse 

 of Flanders. The Director of the Musical 

 Academy, at Antwerp, Piete Benoit, has put 

 the finishing stroke to an opera, " War," found- 

 ed upon a Flemish poem by Jan van Beers. 

 These are the two important events in the 

 musical world of Flanders, and they are inti- 

 mately connected with those of the literary 

 world. 



In history we may mention " De Geschiede- 

 nis van Lier " (" History of Lier "), by Antoon 

 Berzmann, already favorably known as a writer 

 of romances full of humor and character. It 

 is an elaborate monograph, which, beginning 

 with the story of a little town in the province 

 of Antwerp, goes on to trace in an original 

 manner the history of all Belgium. The re- 

 ligious struggles of the sixteenth century, the 

 unlucky attempts at reform by the philo- 

 sophical emperor, Joseph II., are well and 

 amusingly treated. Ferdinand van der Haeg- 

 hen, the librarian of the University of Ghent, 

 has at length published the first volume of 

 " Van die Beroerlicke Tyden in die Nederlan- 

 den en voornamelyk in Ghendt" ("Troubles 

 of Ghent and of the Low Countries"), from 

 1566 to 1568, by Marcus van Vaernewyck, the 

 chronicler of Ghent in the sixteenth century. 

 This book will make a sensation, as it brings 

 to light an unpublished manuscript, which 

 contains a sort of journal, written with an im- 

 partial na'ivete, by the Catholic, Vaernewyck 



