454 



LITERATURE, CONTINENTAL, IN 1872. 



during the worst period of the religious troubles 

 in Flanders. It is a new and important source 

 of information upon that most controverted 

 point of history, the troubles of the Low Coun- 

 tries in the sixteenth century. 



DENMARK. The literature of the past year 

 is less remarkable for its extent than for the 

 germs of future activity which the twelve 

 months have revealed, and the indication 

 these germs have given of the possible future 

 of Danish literature. 



The death of the great psalmist and ecclesi- 

 astical party leader, the titular bishop, Grundt- 

 vig, in September last, when nearly ninety, 

 was an event of no ordinary moment. The 

 name of this prolific writer means, in the 

 North, spiritual revival in the church and ref- 

 ormation in the school, especially in elemen- 

 tary education. The movement which he 

 started is designated by the somewhat vague 

 term " Grundtvigianismus," and is still young. 

 It is reserved for the future to reveal what di- 

 rection it may take, and especially how far 

 the foundation laid by the author will prove 

 able to support the superstructure that is ris- 

 ing. His adherents have issued some publica- 

 tions of note, e. g., another volume of Prof. 

 Hammerich's Church History, and a new edi- 

 tion of the Muratorian Canon, with notes, by 

 Bishop Kirkegaard. 



In strong contrast to the Grundtvigian, Old 

 Lutheran, or orthodox theological tendency, 

 is the new rationalism. A gifted young author, 

 Brandes, strongly imbued with the principles 

 of this school, lately wrote a work called " The 

 Main Currents of the Literatures of the Nine- 

 teenth Century," in which, as well as in some 

 lectures at the university, he rather severely 

 censured Danish literature for its want of in- 

 dependence and originality. Our authors re- 

 sented the affront, and the University has for- 

 borne appointing him to a post of "Docent" 

 in esthetics for which he was a candidate. 



In history we have, from the pen of V. 

 Schmidt, the first volume of what promises to 

 be an interesting work on ancient history, 

 although founded on the researches of others, 

 41 The Ancient History of Assyria and Egypt." 

 In military history we have a treatise by Sa- 

 rauw, on " The War between France and Ger- 

 many," and one by another Danish officer, on 

 "The Fight for Metz," 1870. Then we have 

 a popular history, with 1,000 illustrations, of 

 the Scandinavian kingdoms. The completion 

 of the late Prof. Allen's important work, 

 " The History of the Three Northern King- 

 doms," 1497-1536, has been wisely committed 

 by the university to the greatest living histo- 

 rian in Denmark, P. Muller, and the first part 

 of the fourth volume has appeared within the 

 year. 



In folk-lore and Danish philosophy I may 

 mention, first, three publications from the pen 

 of the learned Svend Grundtvig, a new part 

 of his great collection of " Denmark's Old 

 Ballads; " "The Visitation-book" of Bishop 



Peter Palladius, from the Reformation time ; 

 and a "Danish "Dictionary," compiled with a 

 view to establishing fixed rules for the highly- 

 vacillating orthography of the language. H. 

 Rink, a previously well-known authority on 

 Greenland affairs, has edited a collection of 

 Esquimaux legends which have attracted at- 

 tention. From Andersen we have " Tales and 

 Stories " and " New Tales and Stories." 



The belles-lettres have received an addition 

 in two novels from the greatest writers of fic- 

 tion in Denmark, " The Nordby Family," by 

 H. F. Ewald, and the " Bride from Rorvig," 

 by Vilh. Bergsoe. 



The excellent Museum of Northern Antiqui- 

 ties and the Ethnographical Museum have 

 won great popularity for the science of archae- 

 ology here. Besides the ordinary periodical 

 publications of the chief representative body 

 of this science, the Royal Society of Northern 

 Antiquaries, I may mention Madsen's valuable 

 work, " Illustrations of Danish Antiquities 

 and Monuments," of which the twenty-fifth 

 part has now been published. 



In natural science, besides the periodical 

 literature, there is only one independent work 

 of merit to mention, namely, Orsted's " Con- 

 tributions to the Knowledge of the Oak Fam- 

 ily." 



Among philosophical works, of which sev- 

 eral have appeared this year, " The Philoso- 

 phy in Germany since the Days of Hegel," by 

 Hoffding; "Humanity and Christendom in 

 their Historical Development : A Representa- 

 tion of the Philosophy of History," by H. 

 Scharling ; and "The Laws of History: an 

 Historico-Philosophical Inquiry," by O. Rce- 

 ders, are worthy of notice. 



Statistical science is admirably represented 

 in the " Court and State Calendar, published 

 by Trap, secretary of the King's Cabinet, and 

 edited by Erichsen, chef de bureau in the Fi- 

 nance Ministry. A great deal of statistical 

 matter has emanated from the Statistical Bu- 

 reau, which is of the highest value for the 

 statesman, the public deputy, and the student 

 of national economy. 



In Oriental philology I have only one work 

 to mention, namely, " Ten Jatakas : the Orisri- 

 nal Pali Text, with a Translation and Notes," 

 by the very able linguist, Fausboll, of the 

 University Library here. 



Lastly, I would call attention to a great bib- 

 liographical work, "Bibliotheca Danica; or, 

 a Systematic Catalogue of the Danish Litera- 

 ture from 1482, when the first Danish Book 

 was printed, till 1830." Properly speakin.tr, 

 only such books find place in the volume as 

 are found in the three great libraries, the Royal, 

 the University, and Karen Brahe's, in Odense, 

 one well stocked with old works. In " Biblio- 

 theca Danica" are included, besides Danish 

 books proper, the Literature of Sleswick (bv.t 

 not of Holstein), the Norwegian up to 1814, 

 the Icelandic and that of the colonies, as well 

 as translations of works in these literatures 



