LITERATURE, CONTINENTAL, IN 1875. LITERATURE, ENGLISH, IN 1875. 453 



peared, but no original work .that is worth 

 mention. 



Of historical works I may mention Dr. F. 

 Rac'ki's historical memorials, belonging to the 

 first quarter of the eleventh century, which 

 is now in process of publication, and deals 

 with the glorious epoch of the Croatian King 

 Peter Vres'imir ; and the publication of the 

 letter addressed to the Servian King Stefan 

 by Pope Honorius III., from which it appears 

 that the Servian monarch received his crown 

 from the Pope a fact which confirms the 

 previous theories of Servian and Russian his- 

 torians. The works of Cedomilj Myatovic', 

 " Historical Studies regarding George Bran- 

 kovic','' and Ivan Tkalcic', "Notes on the 

 Foreign Relations of the Ragusan Republic," 

 are worth mention; and an honorable place 

 is due to the collection of Old Croatian (Dal- 

 matian) writers, the seventh volume of which 

 contains the works of Marin Drzic'. 



SPAIN. On examining the books which have 

 been published in Spain during the present 

 year, we find the number far smaller than in 

 former years. 



The academies, which occupy the first place 

 among scientific societies, have suspended the 

 publications and memoirs which they began 

 some years back. Their only outward signs of 

 life consist in the memoirs read and published 

 by the members on the day of their reception 

 or at the yearly opening of the academies. 



In history there are a greater number of 

 publications this year than in other branches 

 of literature. Sefior Millares has written a 

 history of the Inquisition in the Canary Islands 

 an excellent work, full of details of the Holy 

 Tribunal in those islands and in other localities 

 in Spain, illustrated by many historical details. 

 Don Alexandro Pidal has published a life of 

 St. Thomas Aquinas, in which he has collected 

 several new facts concerning St. Thomas and 

 his writings which have been hitherto neglect- 

 ed. This book is valuable to students of the- 

 ology, although the exaggerated opinions of the 

 author are, in many instances, to be deplored. 



Sefior Rodriguez Villa has brought out an 

 historical study, founded upon extracts taken 

 from original documents at Simancas and else- 

 where, on the sack of Rome by the Imperial 

 army in 1527. The documents from which 

 this book has been compiled are known to Eng- 

 lish readers of the "State Paper Calendar," 

 edited by Sefior Gayangos, for the reign of 

 Henry VIII. Sefior Cruzada Villamil gives 

 us a book which will be read with pleasure 

 by those who are interested in the life of the 

 great Flemish .painter "Rubens considered 

 as a Spanish Diplomat, his Different Journeys 

 to Spain, and Notices of his Pictures." 



Very few works have appeared this year on 

 scientific subjects. Sefior Piernas gives us the 

 " Manual de Instituciones de Hacienda," in 

 which, for the first time in Spain, finance is 

 treated from a scientific and philosophical point 

 of view, although the German doctrines quoted 



and commented upon by the author do not ap- 

 pear to have been studied from original sources. 



The dramatic works which have been brought 

 out this year at the Spanish theatres have been 

 very numerous. That is almost always the 

 case. This year translations from the French 

 have abounded, and the only first-rate original 

 dramatic work has been one by Sefior Eche- 

 garay, which justly deserves the enthusiasm 

 with which it has been welcomed by the public. 



Very few novels worthy of mention have 

 been brought out this year. Sefior Alarcon 

 has published two "El Escandalo" and 

 " Amores y Amorios." "El Escandalo" is a 

 novel which treats of contemporary life. This 

 book contains several dramatic scenes of Span- 

 ish life, which are full of interest. The style 

 is good, and some of the characters are drawn 

 in a masterly manner. 



Sefior Valera, who published "PepitaGime- 

 nez " last year, has brought out, in the Revista 

 de Espana, "Las Ilusiones del Dr. Faustino." 

 The chief interest of this book consists in the 

 description of provincial life in Spain. Sefior 

 Valera brings before us, in delightful pictures, 

 scenes of old Spanish life which are daily dis- 

 appearing. His pleasant and slightly Voltaire- 

 an style makes us forgive certain eccentricities 

 into which he too often falls. 



LITERATURE, ENGLISH. The commu- 

 nity of literary interest between the English 

 and American people leads to a free circula- 

 tion in either country of the best things pub- 

 lished in the other. This liberal interchange 

 tends to the recognition of the two literatures 

 as virtually one. There is essential unity in 

 respect to works of conspicuous merit or popu- 

 larity in both. The leading authors of Eng- 

 land seem to be conscious that they address an 

 American as well as an English public. Our fa- 

 vorite authors have also their English admir- 

 ers. In a preceding article, under the sub-title 

 REPTJBLICATIONS, we have noticed the more 

 important English books that during the past 

 year were reproduced here. The statement 

 includes notices of the choicest publications 

 in general literature and science that appeared 

 in England. But English literature, for ob- 

 vious reasons, is produced with an affluence 

 of supply which is not adequately represented 

 in the portion that enters into circulation 

 among us. Books of travel, for example, are 

 increasingly numerous. Every year some new 

 region offers itself for exploration, and more 

 holiday tourists report their " views " of routes 

 already well traveled. Classical philology and 

 literature have numerous cultivators ready to 

 welcome works on their favorite studies. His- 

 tory and biography, especially British history 

 and biography, yield to the press the fruits of 

 extensive and minute research. The enthu- 

 siasm of scientific pursuit, the earnestness of 

 religious faith, and the excitements of conflict 

 between opposing schools of thought, find 

 copious literary expression. In surveying the 

 mass of books not republished here, some that 



