438 



LITERATURE, CONTINENTAL, IN 1891. 



periodicals as well as the daily papers absorb the 

 larger part of what is produced in literature and 

 science. Good evidence as to this is furnished 

 by noting that everything written thus far about 

 the newly discovered "Treatise on the Constitu- 

 tion of Athens," even emendations proposed, has 

 appeared in the daily press. In philology the 

 foremost production has been the long-expected 

 " Patmian Library " of M. J. Sakellion, Keeper 

 of the Manuscripts in the National Library. It 

 is very valuable, containing a minute description 

 of the 735 manuscripts in the library of the 

 monastery on the island of Patmos and an ; ap- 

 pendix of anecdota derived from them. Besides 

 this interesting work may be mentioned the 

 " Notes, Critical and Exegetical, on .ZEschylus," 

 by A. Zakas, and the " Emendations on Greek 

 Authors," by G. Zekides. Constantine Rhados's 

 volume is on a controverted question, " The 

 Struggle regarding the Greek Language in 

 France." The writer is a zealous purist, and his 

 work well worth consulting. " The Chian Ana- 

 lecta" of Constantine Kanellaki holds a posi- 

 tion about midway between philology and his- 

 tory. It deals with manners and folk-lore in 

 Chios, golden bulls, seals, etc. The " Philo- 

 logical Meletemata" of S. Valvis contains es- 

 says, literary and aesthetic, on both old and new 

 Greek literature. Manuel Gedeon has published 

 two volumes on historical studies, viz., " Tables of 

 the Patriarchs of Constantinople," in 'biographi- 

 cal form (issued in numbers), and two volumes 

 containing " Canonical Orders, Letters, Decis- 

 ions, and Statutes of the Patriarchs of Con- 

 stantinople," a compilation of interest and value 

 to students of ecclesiastical history. G. Papa- 

 dopulos has furnished a monograph, " Contribu- 

 tions to the History of our Customary Church 

 Music," in which is a good deal of new matter; 

 and Antonios Mompherratos, another production 

 of value to students, " Right of Inheritance pos- 

 sessed by the Clergy and Monks in Greece and 

 Turkey." Vol. IV of " Universal History," writ- 

 ten by Anastasios Polyzoides (deceased), has been 

 supplied by G. Kremos, his associate, containing 

 the history of Greece from 1821 to the present 

 time. The lecture of Prof. George Mistriotis, 

 Rector of the University, on " The Causes of 

 Greek Civilization, Ancient and Modern," and 

 D. Eliopulos's " Monograph on the Greek States- 

 man John Kolettis" (died 1847), well deserve 

 mention here. Geography and travel are fairly 

 represented this year. The most important works 

 are, " The Political Geography of Cephalonia, An- 

 cient and Modern," by A. Mifiarakis, including in 

 the volume Ithaca and the adjacent islands, and 

 "Statistics of the Population of Crete," by N. 

 Stavrakis ; two volumes concerning the Pelopon- 

 nesus, viz., " On the Other Side of the Isthmus," 

 by S. Paganelis, and " A Journey from Patras to 

 to Tripoli," by Dr. Koryllos ; also, a collection of 

 excellent essays, by J. Balabanis, giving impres- 

 sions of travel in "Asia Minor." Belles-lettres 

 for the most part has been confined to the period- 

 icals, such as " Hestia " and " The Week." A few 

 tales have appeared separately, of which one may 

 be named, " Nicolas Sigalos," by G. Xenopulos. 

 In poetry the best thing of the year, the critics 

 say, are the posthumous verses of Aristoteles' 

 Valaoritis, which appear in a second edition of 

 his poems, edited by his son. The lyrics in the 



volume are said to be real gems. In connection 

 with this volume as worthy of regard we may 

 mention G. Marcora's " Poetical Works," G. Dros- 

 sinis's collection of verses, and the " Rural Idyls " 

 of Constantine Krystallis, a promising young 

 Epirote. 



Holland. The third part of Dr. Pierson's 

 great work " Hellas " is praised without stint by 

 the reviewers. As was stated last year. Dr. Pier- 

 son is a writer who never tires the reader, and 

 his criticisms on the Greek poets and their writ- 

 ings are marked by freshness, point, deep penetra- 

 tion, and an admirable entering into the spirit of 

 ^Eschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Pindar, and 

 others of imperishable renown in ancient Greece. 

 Dr. Kramer, in a biographical sketch of Mary 

 Stuart, wife of William III, describes her as a 

 pious, noble woman. The volume gives evidence 

 of care and research, and is quite reliable. An- 

 other posthumous work of Jorissen's " Historische 

 Studien " has appeared, edited by Prof. Matthes. 

 The papers on Talleyrand, Metternich, Guizot, 

 and Peel are said to be very good. Dr. A. v. d. 

 Linde has contributed a new volume on Serve- 

 tus, in which he is very severe on John Calvin 

 and the motives which led to his course in the 

 matter. The critics speak in praise of a number 

 of historical productions, such as Dr. D. C. Ny- 

 hoff's " Staatkundige Geschiedenis v. Ned"; 

 Mr. Theall's " Korte Geschied. v. Zuid-Afrika " 

 (1436-1835), which has been translated into 

 English ; Mr. Sillem's biography of D. v. Hogen- 

 dorp ; and Mr. F. S. A. deClercq's " Bydr. tot de 

 Kennis der Res. Ternate." The history of prov- 

 inces and towns, as well as of morals and customs, 

 is decidely popular. Prof. Blok tells a good deal 

 about Friesland's soil, trade, people, church, etc. 

 (700-1300) ; Mr. Bondam and Mr. Sloet make clear 

 the history of Guilderland ; Dr. Krul has com- 

 piled a very amusing book about physicians, etc., 

 and Dr. Sepp, a very learned one about the life of 

 Protestant clergymen in olden times. A good ac- 

 count of old Dutch marriage customs is to be 

 found in De Roever's " Van Vryen en Trouwen." 

 Dictionaries, especially " Het Woordenboek." 

 are making good progress. Beets's " Poezie in 

 Woorden " is much praised, as are also Mr. v. 

 Hoogstraten's " Studies en Kritieken " and Dr. 

 de Luzac's " De Ned. Sentimenteele Roman." The 

 letters of Prof. Cobet, the distinguished Greek 

 scholar (died last year), are excellent in tone and 

 spirit. Notice may here be taken of the tend- 

 ency, in Holland as well as in England, to as- 

 sociate insanity with genius, as if there was 

 some necessary relationship between the two. 

 This is seen in certain letters of Dekker and of 

 Bilderdyk recently printed, and also in various 

 modern novels tinged with like gloomy ideas, 

 such as De Meester's " Een Huwelyk," Lapi- 

 doth's " Moderne Problemen," Josephine Giese's 

 "Gevloekt" (i. e., " Cursed "), etc. Several In- 

 dian novels have appeared. Anne Foore's 

 " Bogoriana " (a posthumous work), Margadant's 

 *' Drie Jaren," and Jaeger's graphic sketches of 

 soldier life in Atchin, entitled " Van Ginds," are 

 mentioned with approval. Some good historical 

 novels and novelettes have been published, and 

 some excellent pieces for the stage, but do not 

 require special mention. Lyrical verse is con- 

 spicuous, so to speak, by its absence this year. 

 Possible exceptions are some nice poems by Priem 



