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LITERATURE, CONTINENTAL, IN 1886. 



Holland. Dutch literature during the past 

 year has been meager and disappointing. Two 

 of the best writers in Holland have died, viz., 

 Mrs. Bosboom-Toussaint and 0. B. Huet. The 

 former was noted for vigorous style, large in- 

 formation, and deep knowledge of the human 

 heart. Some of her historical novels are re- 

 garded as masterpieces. Huet was looked upon 

 as one of the wittiest and most suggestive of 

 Dutch authors. His account of the results of 

 the theological performances of the Tubingen 

 school, and his works on the great masters 

 Rubens and Rembrandt established his repu- 

 tation. The passing away of these two is a 

 great loss to Holland. In regard to poetry but 

 little can be said. M. Bohl's " Canzonen " 

 are written in the Italian metre, and are re- 

 spectable if nothing more. Marie Bodaert has 

 furnished a charming poem now and then ; 

 Florentyn and Constantyn have produced some 

 good epigrams and the like in the " Specta- 

 tor"; W. Prins (noticed last year) has pub- 

 lished a volume of verse entitled "Zouder 

 Sonnetten," which are adjudged by critics to 

 be very original in thought and form; and Dr. 

 Schaepman has brought out a poem in many 

 cantos, " Ayasofia," in which he depicts with 

 considerable power and feeling many of the 

 scenes and characters connected with the grand 

 Christian temple of St. Sophia in Constantino- 

 ple. The novels of the year do not rise above 

 the average. This is true of such writers as 

 Wolters, Ter Burch, Van Duyl, Van Maurik, 

 Otto, and others. W. Vosmaer, in his "In 

 Dienst," describes with force the hardships 

 and toils of a young private in the barracks. 

 Two accomplished women have written " Tales 

 and Sketches," which possess much merit. The 

 naturalistic school, too, has its disciples, among 

 whom are Cooplandt and Netscher, who show 

 no improvement upon the unsavory model 

 which they copy. Three books of travel are 

 well spoken of by the critics, viz., Van Nie- 

 velt's "Alpenboch," an entertaining account 

 of travels in Switzerland and the Tyrol ; M. 

 Emauts's impressions received in the palm- 

 gardens of Elche, in Toledo, Seville, etc. ; and 

 M. Honigh's " Noorwegen," which shows inti- 

 mate acquaintance with the literature, history, 

 and people of Norway. A few historical nov- 

 els and novelettes are named, but they are of 

 no particular interest or value. The public 

 archives have yielded good results in the hands 

 of P. A. Tiele and Dr. Wynne. J. A. Feith, 

 Dr. Pleyte, and others, have written learnedly 

 about the old Dutch laws and jurisdiction; 

 and the old poets and painters are well dealt 

 with in "Oud Holland." Dr. Van Deventer 

 has begun a popular history of Java, and 

 Ter Gouw has brought the history of Amster- 

 dam to the middle of the sixteenth century. 

 Dr. T. Nolen's monograph on David Van 

 Hoogstraaten is valuable for glimpses of liter- 

 ary matters belonging to the seventeenth and 

 eighteenth centuries. Cosyn has brought out 

 the second volume of his " Old West Saxon 



Grammar," Kalff has edited some Middle Dutch 

 epic fragments, and Brill has re-edited Melis 

 Stohe's " Rymkronich." Prof. De Vries's 

 great dictionary has reached the letter G, Ver- 

 dana and Andreae have brought the " Midd. 

 Med. Woordenbock " to the letter H, and Prof. 

 Frank has nearly finished matter under K in 

 his " Etymological Dictionary." On the whole, 

 the zeal and industry of scholars, in connection 

 with the history of the language of Holland, 

 operate as a sort of consolation to lovers of 

 their country and literature, in view of numer- 

 ous shortcomings and much disappointment. 



Hungary. Hungary shows but slight advance 

 in literary progress over the year 1885. A 

 complete edition of the works of the late John 

 Arany came out during the year, comprising 

 such writings of his as had been contributed 

 to magazines and other periodicals. The post- 

 humous works of this great poet of modern 

 Hungary are looked for with deep interest; 

 meanwhile, Prof. F. Riedl has done Arany full 

 justice in a recently published biography. The 

 collected poems of J. Garay and of M. Tompas, 

 as well as of Vas Gereben, have been brought 

 out and received with general favor. Other 

 collected poems by Gyory, Torkos, and Rudny- 

 anszky, have been published. In the drama 

 M. G. Csiky has produced a tragedy, entitled 

 " Spartacus," of which the critics speak very 

 favorably. His "Petnehazy," composed for 

 the festival in memory of the recapture of 

 Buda from the Turks in 1686, and his libretto 

 for the opera, "In Search of a King," were 

 received with applause. Mrs. H. Beniczky 

 has written a comedy, " Countess Rhea," and 

 E. Rakosy has supplied the public with " The 

 Recapture of Buda." The number of novels 

 brought out is as great as in former years, 

 though the quality does not quite correspond 

 with the quantity. Mrs. Beniczky furnishes 

 two, "Behind Closed Doors," and "The Pow- 

 er of Blood." These are among the best thj 

 have appeared. Other novels are, " The Ne\ 

 County Lieutenant," by L. Tolnay ; " 

 Black Lady," by C. Szathmary ; and "Isaac,' 

 by E. Kazar. Novelists of the first class, vis 

 Jokai and Mikszath, have published nothir 

 this year. The bicentenary of the recaptui 

 of Buda from Moslem oppression occupi< 

 general attention, and gave rise to Arpad Ki 

 rolyi's excellent work, "The Recapture 

 Buda and Pesth in the year 1686." The ci 

 ics speak of this contribution to historical li 

 erature in the very highest terms of prai 

 A new edition also of Prof. Salamon's abl 

 book, " Hungary during the Occupation 

 the Turks" was called for, and brought afresh 

 to people's minds the hardships and strug- 

 gles of the nation from the battle of Mo- 

 hacs, 1256, until 1686. To this period belong 

 several other works of merit, as "Treasury 

 Lists of the Turks in Hungary," by Velicz and 

 Kammerer; "A Sketch of Sigismund Rakor::/ 

 (1622-1654)", by A. Szilagyi ; and "A Life of 

 Cardinal Peter Pazman," by Canon W. Frak- 



