LITERATURE, CONTINENTAL, IN 1885. 



545 



Holland in the seventeenth century. Church 

 history also and theology have called forth 

 several excellent books. A new annotated 

 edition of Bredero's works has marked the 

 three-hundredth anniversary of that distin- 

 guished poet and dramatist. Viotta's "Lexi- 

 con der Toonkunst " is completed. New and 

 cheap editions of some of the classic Dutch 

 writers, as Potgieter, Mrs. Bosboorn, Huy- 

 gens, etc., have been printed. 



Hungary. The national exhibition of Buda- 

 Pesth (from May 1 to Nov. 4, 1885) occupied 

 the people of Hungary so fully this year that 

 the outcome in new publications is meager 

 and unsatisfactory. Charles Keleti published 

 a volume on the economico-political condition 

 of some of the countries of the Balkan, which 

 is both interesting and instructive. Historical 

 researches have not been wholly neglected, of 

 course. The "Monumenta Vaticana Hunga- 

 rise" (1307-'ll, and 1524-'26) contain valuable 

 historical material. Also the u Codex Anda- 

 vagensis," vol. iv (1340-'46), and several mon- 

 ographs. Salomon's "History of Buda-Pesth" 

 is pronounced to be of superior excellence; 

 three volumes have been issued thus far. Less 

 important works are M. L. Fehe"rpataki's histo- 

 ry of " The Royal Chancery in the Time of the 

 Arpads," u Hungarian Historical Biographies," 

 etc. Archeology has secured some attention. 

 W. Lipp has published " The Sepulchral Fields 

 of Keszthely," reaching back to a period be- 

 fore historical record. M. C. Pulszky has 

 brought out the "Masterpieces of Goldsmiths' 

 Work." Two or three good books on jurispru- 

 dence are worthy of mention, as G. Wenzel's 

 "On the Hungarian Civil Law before 1848," 

 A. Pulszky's " Principles of Law and Political 

 Philosophy," etc. Philology offers nothing of 

 special moment, and light literature hardly 

 anything better. G. Csiky has produced a 

 capital drama, " The Black Point," and M. A. 

 Berczik has obtained general applause for his 

 charming comedy, " The Queen of the Ball." 

 Among novelists M. M. Jokai maintains his 

 supremacy. The critics call him " The Giant 

 of Hungarian Literature." Other writers have 

 done well, however, as Palfy, Szatmary, and 

 Mikszath ; and two or three ladies, Mrs. Gyar- 

 mathi, in her novel, "The Young Priest"; 

 Mrs. H. Beniczky, in her tales, " The Mystery 

 of Fate," u Born in the Dust," etc. Hunga- 

 rian savants and patriots, while deploring the 

 light results of 1885, claim that the country 

 is advancing, if not fast, yet surely, in her edu- 

 cational progress, and will in the near future 

 hold higher rank in European literature. 



Italy. The literature of Italy for 1885 pre- 

 sents a surprisingly barren aspect. Hardly 

 anything has appeared which can be praised 

 as a work of art, or as adding to the reputa- 

 tion or possessions of the country. Perhaps 

 this is due to the intense devotion which Italy 

 has manifested in securing political unity, hop- 

 ing meanwhile for a literary revival to follow 

 the attainment of that great result. Numerous 

 VOL. xxv. 35 A 



books have been printed, although the sale is 

 very limited. The reading public is not large, 

 yet authors are increasing in number, and write 

 rapidly and consequently imperfectly. " What 

 is most absolutely necessary for Italian litera- 

 ture," says an able critic, "is that the reading 

 public should increase, and the reason why this 

 public is so small is that the average of cultiva- 

 tion in the nation is low ; and although many 

 reforms have been introduced into the system 

 of public instruction, this system has been, and 

 still is, very little adapted to improve matters." 

 Periodical literature seems to flourish well, on 

 the whole, and historical societies are doing 

 good work in gathering materials for a history 

 at some day of literature and art, and of politi- 

 cal life and progress. Essayists are quite nu- 

 merous, but are not regarded as equal, in style 

 and matter, to those of England and Germany. 

 Two may be named here: A. d'Ancona, who 

 has published a second series of literary es- 

 says, said to be remarkable for critical acumen 

 and felicity of expression ; and E. Masi, in a 

 volume giving life-like portraits of people and 

 things as they existed in former days. These 

 and other volumes are made up of articles col- 

 lected by the writers from journals and re- 

 views, a practice that prevails largely in oth- 

 er countries. P. G. Molmenti's " Studies in 

 Venetian Art " have reached a third edition. 

 Tarducci has written well on Christopher Co- 

 lumbus ; and M. Minghetti, the statesman, has 

 produced an admirable book on Raphael and 

 his works. Zanella, the poet, has published 

 a short study of Italian literature in the last 

 century, which is said to be inadequate to the 

 subject. In poetry little or nothing has been 

 accomplished, and the poetic spirit in Italy 

 seems to be in a state of vagueness and torpor. 

 Novels have, as usual, been abundant, and in 

 two respects deserve to be noted: first, the 

 moral tone is good, not sensual like Zola's and 

 his followers ; second, there is a strong dispo- 

 sition to seek for subjects in Italian life and 

 experiences. Critics speak in high terms of 

 Prof. Barzellotti's work on David Lazzaretti, 

 a man of the people, and believing himself to 

 be the apostle of a religious and catholic re- 

 vival. The work displays ability of superior 

 order, and is written in a very attractive style. 

 It is probably the best book published in Italy 

 in 1885. Two distinguished authors have died, 

 viz., T. Mamiani and A. Maffei, both of them 

 above eighty years old. M. Amari, however, 

 though very aged, is still living, and has brought 

 out a new edition of his " Vespri Siciliani," 

 which appeared over forty years ago. It is an 

 admirable book, and the author has revised and 

 improved it. 



Norway. The literary record of Norway for 

 1885 is not brilliant or important, but rather 

 tame. The chief writers of note, Ibsen, Kiel- 

 land, Lie, Bjornson, have been either wholly 

 or mostly silent. Among novels Mrs. A. Skram's 

 " Constance Ring " is written with ability, but 

 is pronounced by the critics to be rather coarse 



