LITERATURE, CONTINENTAL, IN 1876. 



Charles"). It is taken from the history of 

 Duke diaries the Bold. Two reprints also 

 are deserving of mention the ''Volledige 

 W,-rkeii" ("Complete Works") of Eugeen 

 Zetteniam, one of the most fertile and original 

 of the Flemish writers; also the second edition 

 of " Ernest Stans," the witty and bright ro- 

 mance of Tony (Anton Bergmann), which re- 

 minds us of the delightful narratives of Toepfer 

 and of the " Camera Obscura" of Nicolaas 

 Beets. 



The most original book of the past year has 

 been the second series of the novels, " Nieuwe 

 Novellen," by Rosalie and Virginie Leveling. 

 These two sisters occupy a very high place 

 among Flemish poets and prose -writers. Death 

 <l.-|>rivod us of the elder sister, Rosalie, in 1875. 

 Iler three latest novels were published along 

 with three others by her sister. This last vol- 

 ume of prose adds to their reputation, which 

 was already well established in Holland and 

 Belgium. The stories are remarkable for their 

 good taste, delicacy, an admirable faculty for 

 observation, and a vein of pure and refined 

 thought. The little narative, "Po en Paolet- 

 to," by Rosalie, is a gem. 



BOHEMIA. Besides the great scientific works 

 of which an account was given last year, and 

 which have been continued, there are novelties 

 to mention. Among technical publications, 

 Horovsky's book, " O dobb vani Kamenneh6 

 uhlf," which fills two stout octavo volumes, 

 lot counting 142 plates, occupies a prominent 

 place, and is not only fitted to supply a want 

 aply felt by Bohemians engaged in coal- 

 lines, but, as the similar treatises of Combe, 

 [edley, and Tonneau are, for the most part, 

 Iready antiquated, a desire has been expressed 

 make it known through translations to the 

 lining engineers of other countries. A not 

 important work is the treatise on Geology 

 )f Prof. Krejci, of the Polytechnic School of 

 rague. The author takes an active part in 

 10 gigantic labors of the commission for the 

 eientitic investigation of Bohemia, and has 

 repeatedly made extensive journeys to places 

 geological interest, and is fully acquainted 

 rith the literature of his subject. While 

 mating of geology in general, he has given 

 special information regarding the countries 

 where the Czech language prevails, Bohemia, 

 Moravia, Silesia, and North Hungary. About 

 the Silurian system in Central Bohemia, the 

 little known Carpathian range, etc., much is 

 recorded, and the high importance of Bohemia 

 in a geognostic point of view is made fully evi- 

 dent. 



In philosophy and education may be 

 mentioned Durdik's a Rozpravy Filosoficke " 

 (" Philosophical Essays"), and Zoubek's fur- 

 ther contribution to the edition of the works of 

 Comenius, " Komenskeho Drobnejsi Spisy " 

 (Comenius's kt Minor Works"). J. Amos 

 Comonius, the great pedagogue of the seven- 

 teenth century, the recognized reformer of the 

 schools of Europe, was not unknown in Eng- 

 VOL. XVL 80 A 



land. He was repeatedly invited by Parlia- 

 ment to improve the schools, and as Huss an* 

 ticipated Luther's movement by a liurnlr. >1 

 years, so ('oineiiius preceded the German re- 

 formers of education by a century. As a 

 writer Comeuius belongs to our classics, ami, 

 besides his Latin works, composed a good deal 

 in Bohemian. 



In philology have been produced Geitler's 

 " Lithuanische St IK lien," and the same scholar's 

 contribution to the comparative grammar of 

 the Slavonic tongues, under the title " O Slo- 

 vanskf chhraenech na U " (" On the Slavonic 

 roots in U "). A rival to the great dictionary 

 of Jungmann has appeared in the work of 

 Kott, " Grammatico-Phraseological Dictionary 

 of the Bohemian Language," which is intended 

 to contain the whole resources of the language. 

 M. Jonas, editor of the Slavia of Racine, has 

 brought out a " Bohemian and English Diction- 

 ary," intended only for practical use, but of 

 interest as an American production, and a sign 

 of life on the part of the Bohemian emigrants 

 to the United States. A larger work, and one 

 of a more ambitious character, is Prof. V. E. 

 Mourek's " Dictionary of the English and Bo- 

 hemian Languages." 



Of the great history of Palackf, which at 

 his death, in May, 1876, had got as far as 1526, 

 a new edition has been brought out, which is 

 styled a popular edition, but hardly answers 

 to its title, for it is a great deal too dear, cost- 

 ing $15. In general history I may mention 

 Sembera's " Dejiny narodu Klassickych " (" The 

 History of the Classical Nations ") ; in travels, 

 "Za Oceanem," a lively account of a tour in 

 America by T. Stolba. 



Poetry flourishes as well as could be expect- 

 ed under the circumstances. 



On the whole, journals and schoolbooks 

 still constitute the chief products of Bohemian 

 literature. To form a decisive judgment on 

 our efforts will be only possible at a future 

 time. 



DENMARK. To begin this short review of 

 Danish literature of the past year with dra- 

 matic productions, I may mention a play by F. 

 Hoist, " In the Age of Transition," performed 

 on our national stage. It gives evidence of 

 keen observation of the human mind ; perhaps 

 its greatest merit lies in the many psychologi- 

 cally striking remarks in the dialogue, and in 

 the comprehensive gallery of characters repre- 

 sented ; there, however, is a lack of unity in 

 the action that weakens the effect of the play. 



Of collections of poetry I may mention N. 

 B6gh's " Poems," upon the whole easy-flowing 

 and unpretending, but without any great orijri- 

 nality ; and " Softened Melodies," by H. Drach- 

 mann, illustrated by himself. 



Drachmann in the past year has also ap- 

 peared as a novel-writer; in "A Supernumer- 

 ary One " he has published his first larger tale. 

 In reading this book one gets the impression 

 that tlie author has not made quite clear to 

 himself what he really intended to give. Tne 



