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LITEEATUEE, CONTINENTAL, IN 1874. 



with the European powers of the North, and 

 contain valuable data referring to the period 

 before the partition of Poland, as well as the 

 collection of his " Sketches and Essays," con- 

 sisting of papers upon historical, social, and 

 political lyrics. In speaking of other publi- 

 cations of a more strictly national tendency, I 

 may mention Prof. Wenzel's monograph on 

 " Stibor the Voyvode," Mr. Frederick Pesty's 

 valuable contributions to the history of South 

 Hungary, and sundry minor works resulting 

 from the investigations made in the private 

 archives of our noble families. In connection 

 with history, we may mention a few publica- 

 tions in the branch of political science, such as 

 " The History of European Law," by Prof. 

 E. Hajnik ; " Hungarian Statistics," by Prof. 

 John Humfalvi; and a " Treatise on Commer- 

 cial Law," by Dr. Apathi. 



M. J6kai's never-tiring and always lively pen 

 has produced a new novel, a most lovely pict- 

 ure of the Hungarian social life in the recent 

 past, the details of which abound in those 

 charms which made M. J6kai the favorite of 

 this country, and indeed of civilized Europe. 

 There are, besides M. Jokai, many other writers 

 who tried their strength in this branch of liter- 

 ature, out of which I will mention M. Victor 

 Vajda, M. Arnold Vertesi, and particularly M. 

 Z. Beothy, the last one a successful imitator of 

 English novelists. Among the poetical com- 

 positions of the year I may quote, in the first 

 place, M. John Arany's new work, which, un- 

 der the form of a humoristic epos, pictures the 

 adventures and the -motley episodes in the life of 

 a provincial actor a composition the interest 

 of which is much more enhanced if we know 

 that it is a kind of autobiography of the author 

 himself, so justly called our greatest living poet. 

 Dramatic literature also counts a few interest- 

 ing additions. 



Original works referring to natural sciences 

 have not been too numerous this year. There 

 are, however, a few which are worth a notice. 

 Such is " Ebb and Flood in the Bay of Fiume," 

 by Prof. E. Stahlberger, of the Hungarian 

 Nautical Academy. This book treats of the 

 periodical and non-periodical movements of 

 the sea ; it is based upon careful and assiduous 

 observations, and affords an evident proof of 

 the author's acquaintance with his subject. 



ITALY. If the progress of a country in civil- 

 ization were to be judged only by the literary 

 masterpieces which it produced each year, I 

 should be somewhat embarrassed to give a 

 yearly account of the intellectual movement in 

 Italy. Fortunately, this is not the case, mas- 

 terpieces in literature being rather the excep- 

 tion than the rule in every country and in 

 every age. New Italy is everywhere trying to 

 found schools to lessen the number of those 

 ignorant of the alphabet; but to be able to 

 spell, or even to read at sight, does not include 

 being able to understand what is read, or to 

 love reading, nor even spending a little money 

 to indulge the taste. 



Le Monnier, the Florence publisher, has just 

 issued, in one small and pretty volume, a se- 

 lection of the best poems of the poet of No- 

 vara, Giuseppe Eegaldi, the old and celebrated 

 impromsatore ; also a volume of poems by a 

 distinguished Venetian poetess, Signora Er- 

 minia Fua Fusinato, in which the strength of 

 the ideas has not diminished the sweetness and 

 delicacy of the sentiments. At Milan there 

 has been published the " Versi " of Michele 

 Corinaldi, sometimes a felicitous imitator of 

 the satiric poet Giusti. 



After the poetry, I must mention the best 

 new Italian novels which have come under 

 my notice : "II Piacere della Vendetta," and 

 " Fortuna Disgraziata," written by the prolific 

 and skillful Piedmontese novelist, Vittorio 

 Bersezio (they are scenes of family life in 

 Upper Italy) ; "II E6 Prega," by F. Petrucelli 

 della Gattina, a Neapolitan novelist, remark- 

 able for his rich coloring, seeking for his effects 

 in anomalous situations, and who writes after 

 the school of sensational novels. " Contessa 

 Matilde," by Paolo Tedeschi, an authoress of 

 Trieste, who has taken refuge in Lombardy, 

 gives pictures of the lives of young girls when 

 they leave school. " II Processo Duranti," a 

 judicial romance, by Parmenio Bettol, of Par- 

 ma, has made a sensation. 



The foremost contributor to our historical 

 literature is ever M. Adolfo Bartoli, professor 

 at the Institute di Studii Superior! of Florence, 

 whose remarkable work, which is coming out 

 in parts in Milan, is called " I Due Primi Secoli 

 della Letteratura Italiana." In this work much 

 new matter is introduced, and it is analyzed 

 with critical insight. 



M. Achille Monti, a Eoman descendant of 

 Vincenzo Monti, the poet, has given us an in- 

 quiry into the life of his ancestor, the aim of 

 which is purely apologetic. Nicomede Bianchi, 

 the Keeper of the Archives of Turin, has given 

 us a valuable and well-written book upon 

 " Carlo Matteucci e il suo Tempo." The Messrs. 

 Prina Venosta and Stoppani have enriched us 

 by their volumes of Manzoni's Biography. M. 

 Attilio Hortis, of Trieste, has published an ex- 

 tremely well illustrated volume of "Scritti 

 Inediti." Messrs. Christoforo Pasqualigo, of 

 Venice; Pietro Ferrato, of Padua; Carlo Eo- 

 mussi, of Milan ; Domenico Carbone, of Turin ; 

 Giosue Carducci, professor at the University 

 of Bologna; and the philosopher Augusto 

 Conti, Arciconsolo of the Academia della 

 Crusca, have all contributed illustrations of 

 the works and life of Petrarch, on the occasion 

 of the fifth centenary of his death. 



To the departments of literary biography, 

 and the history of philosophy, Prof. Albei to 

 Eondani, of Parma, has contributed a volume, 

 entitled "De Scritti d'Arte," written with 

 boldness and good taste. Prof. Flaminio Del 

 Seppia, a Tuscan, dwelling at Ancona, has 

 written a book full of vigor and originality, 

 called "I Primi Studii." Vincenzo di Gio- 

 vanni, Professor of Philosophy at Palermo, and 



