546 



LITERATURE, CONTINENTAL, IN 1885. 



and defective in several respects. As it is a 

 first venture, better work may be expected in 

 the future. Jonas Lie has made a collection of 

 some of his best stories, entitled u Eight Tales," 

 most of which are striking and abound in 

 interest, with a realistic tendency. Kristofer 

 Janson, who is settled as a minister in Minne- 

 apolis, Minn., has published u The Saga of the 

 Prairie," giving sketches of life and experience 

 of Norwegian settlers in the Northwest. Nov- 

 elettes have become very fashionable in Nor- 

 way, and this year have been very abundant. 

 P. R. Johnsen, K. Kristofersen, J. W. Flood, 

 and others, have embarked in this kind of 

 literature, and with good success. Two con- 

 tributions to the drama have been made: 

 one, by B. Bjornson, entitled " Geography and 

 Love," which is highly praised and has been 

 produced on the stage with applause ; the 

 other, by H. Jaeger, entitled " An Inheritance," 

 which is well written but is not thought to be 

 the equal of Bjornson's drama. O. A. Oever- 

 land's " Illustrated History of Norway " gives 

 results of research and study, and is written in 

 clear popular style. The first volume is com- 

 pleted. J. B. Halvorsen's " Dictionary of Nor- 

 wegian Authors " is advancing, but slowly, hav- 

 ing reached only the letter D in five years. 

 Among other historical works may be named 

 here T. Blanc's "History of the Norwegian 

 Stage"; D. Schnitler's "General History of 

 War," vol. iv ; Prof. Lieblein's " Old Egyptian 

 Religion"; also, a collection of lectures and 

 studies on art, by Prof. L. Dietrichson, a pro- 

 lific and able writer. In philosophy the aged 

 Prof. M. J. Monrad has sent forth " A Treatise 

 on the Philosophy of Religion " ; and a young 

 writer, A. Locken, has tried his hand upon 

 u A Critical Study of J. S. Mill's Logic." A 

 new medical review has been established, and 

 Henry George's " Progress and Poverty " has 

 been issued in a translation. 



Poland. The novel seems to take the lead 

 in Poland at present. Kraszewski, though 

 advanced in years, depicts contemporary so- 

 cial life with a practiced hand, and also illus- 

 trates Polish history in a series of admirably 

 drawn pictures. J. T. Jez ("Milkowski") is 

 distinguished as a delineator of the South 

 Slavs and Polish peasantry. Madame Oezeszko 

 uses topics of the day with much skill, such 

 as enlightenment of the peasantry, the Jewish 

 question, etc. Jan Law is noted as the witti- 

 est of Polish humorists, and is also a man of 

 deep observation. The writers of novels are 

 very numerous and exhibit much talent, such 

 as J. Zachariasiewicz, E. Lubowski, M. Baluski, 

 J. Rogosz, etc. The novelette is growing in fa- 

 vor in Poland. The newest school of writers 

 manifests a naturalistic tendency, and tales 

 after the manner of Emile Zola begin to ap- 

 pear. The publications of A. Dygasinki and 

 Madame Zapolska are favorably named in this 

 connection. In dramatic literature nothing of 

 much note has appeared. K. Zalewski has 

 brought out a comedy, " Friebe," with much 



applause, and S. Rzewski two pieces, "The 

 Optimists " and " Dr. Faustina," which are 

 said to be marked by excessive pessimism. 

 There is no new production in lyric poetry. 

 The year has been marked by translations and 

 republications of old works. History is limited 

 to some biographical contributions, such as 

 Kalinka's "Life of General Chlapowski," Wid- 

 man's "Life of F. Smolka," etc. "The Stat- 

 utes and Privileges of the City of Cracow 1 ' 

 have been printed. ^Esthetic and historical 

 criticism presents a better record. R. Chrnie- 

 lowski has produced an exhaustive work, viz., 

 " Polish Female Writers of the Nineteenth 

 Century," compiled with learning and skill. 

 H. Biegeleisen's aesthetic and literary study on 

 "Pan Tadeusz" of Mickiewicz is marked by 

 great industry and no little acuteness. Other 

 writers have published monographs of value. 

 V. Crajewski has written a history of Bohe- 

 mian literature and executed his task well. 



Rnssia. Literature this year in Russia has 

 suffered severely by the ravages of death among 

 native authors. Such men as Ternofski, Pro- 

 fessor of Russian History at the Kiev Acade- 

 my, a scholar of the first rank, and Kistiakof- 

 ski, Professor of Criminal Law in the University 

 of Kiev, and one of the ornaments of the Rus- 

 sian bar, have been taken away ; as have also 

 Count OuvaroflF, devoted especially to arche- 

 ology and palaeontology, and author of several 

 valuable works in this department, and Prof. 

 Kostomarof, eminent for genius and learning, 

 and distinguished for his contributions to his- 

 tory. To these may be added the names of 

 Prof. Kavelin, able and active on all questions 

 of the day, and Senator Kalatchef, of Mos- 

 cow University, famous for his labors in con- 

 nection with Russian jurisprudence and arche- 

 ology. The popular and favorite Russian sati- 

 rist, Stchedrin, has been very active this year, 

 and has done good service. Count L. Tolstoi, 

 the great Russian novelist, has published two 

 charming tales, and described his wanderings 

 among the dwellings of the destitute in Mos- 

 cow. This latter was much read, and made a 

 deep impression, but the Government forbade 

 its being printed for public use. Grigorivitch 

 has issued a charming novelette, " The Mounte- 

 banks of Philanthropy." M. Korolenko is a 

 new author, and indicates possession of high 

 order of ability in novel-writing, and M. Mtirav- 

 lin has attacked with great energy the loose 

 morals of the aristocracy. M. Ouspenki also 

 deserves to be noted for his able and effective 

 "Sketches of Russian Life." In poetry, M. 

 Nadson and M. Frug, both disciples of Nekra- 

 sof, have published poems on the social ques- 

 tions of the day, which are highly praised by 

 the critics. Ostrofski seems to be the only one 

 who has contributed to Russian dramatic po- 

 etry this year. History and cognate subjects 

 received much attention in 1885. Korsch s 

 " History of Universal Literature " continues 

 its course toward completion. Vols. xvi t 

 xix have been published, bringing the record 



