

LITERATURE, CONTINENTAL. 



431 



A. Heins's " Les Ouvriers gantois " ; while among the 

 other noteworthy works in the domain of political 

 and social science are V. Brants's " Le Regime cor- 

 poratif au 19 e Siecle dans les Etats germaniques " ; 

 0. Pytf'eroen's " Berlin et ses Institutions administra- 

 tives"; " Les Origines du Droit international,' 1 by E. 

 Nys; C. Van Overbergh's "Les Inspecteurs du Tra- 

 vail dans les Fabriques et les Ateliers " ; G. de Greef's 

 " Les Lois sociologiques " ; Ed. Romberg's " Des Belli- 

 gerants et des Prisonniers de Guerre"; E. Mahaim's 

 " Les Syndicats professionnels " ; and Leo Errera's 

 " Les Juifs russes." O. Laurent has written of " Les 

 University's des Etats-Unis et du Canada et spe"ciale- 

 ment leurs Institutions medicales." Valuable or in- 

 teresting additions to the literature of the tine arts are 

 Alph. Wauters's u Bernard van Orley " ; u Sept fitudes 

 pour servir a 1'Histoire de Hans Mernling," by A. J. 

 Wauters : Henry Hymans's " Lucas Vorsterman . . ." ; 

 Jules Helbig's "Lambert Lombard"; J. G. Freson's 

 " L'Esthetique de Richard Wagner"; Maurice Kuffe- 

 rath's clever analyses of " Le Theatre de Wagner"; 

 a life of Orlando di Lasso, by Jules Declere ; and E. 

 vander Straeten's curious " Charles-Quint, Musicien." 

 "Les Salons: ittudes de Critique et Esthetique" is 

 signed Thore-Burger. Ferdinand Loise is the author 

 of a monograph on the charming poet Abrassart; and 

 P. Wauwermans has published u Le droit des Auteurs 

 en Belgique. . . ." The history o,f Belgian literature 

 in Tournai lias been traced by Joseph Hoyois ; Mau- 

 rice Wilmotte has written of the development of 

 Walloon literature ; and the greater part of Vol. II of 

 Francis Nautet's important " Histoire des Lettres bei- 

 ges d'Expression franchise " is devoted to " La jeune 

 Belgique," the group of writers which came into 

 prominence about a decade and a half ago. Ch. Potvin. 

 by the publication of the private correspondence of 

 Charles de Coster (died 1879), has thrown much 

 light upon the life of that noted forerunner of this new 

 school, two other precursors of which, Camille Lemon- 

 nier (a monograph on whom has been written by 

 Louis DelmerJ and Edmond Picard, are in evidence, 

 the first (living in Paris) with "L'Arche: Journal 

 d'une Maman" (more "restful and delicate in charac- 

 ter " than most of his other works), the second with 

 " El Mogreb el Aksa," an account of his experiences 

 while taking part in a Belgian embassy to the court 

 of the late Sultan of Morocco. The " Jeunes " appear 

 to be gaining more general recognition. The Acad^- 

 inie lioyale de Belgique, that stronghold of literary 

 conservatism, has thrice awarded the Government 

 prize to prominent exponents of the new spirit, and 



ture of the characteristics and vices of Antwerp life), 

 while Georges Rodenbach's play " Le Voile " has 

 been performed at the Comedie Franchise, Paris. The 

 last-named writer has issued also the " Musee de 

 Be^ruines," describing the life led by the " beguines " 

 of Bruges, and " Le Voyage dans les Yeux," sympa- 

 thetic, though slightly obscure. Other young authors 

 coming to tlie fore are Max Elskamp, Jose Hennebicq, 

 Maurice Desombiaux, Andre Fontainas, Edmond 

 Rassenfosse, and ]mile Verhaeren among poets; and 

 Arnold Gotfin, Victor Remouchamps, Leopold Cou- 

 rouble, Arthur Daxhelet, and Eugene de Molder 

 writers of prose. " Alladine et Palomides," " La Mort 

 de Tinta<iiles," and " Interieur," published under the 

 title " Trois petits Drames pour Marionnettes," are 

 written in the usual manner of their author, Maurice 

 Maeterlinck. Finally there are " Du Canal a la 

 Fordt," by Emile Greyson, and " Autour d'un Cheva- 

 let : Scenes de la Vie romaine," by Xavier de Reul (a 

 vigorous writer), both of the old school. 



Among the works in the Flemish language the his- 

 torical monographs by J. Broeckaert, lluys, Stock- 

 mans, Th. Sevens, Thys, and De Raadt, on various 

 towns and villages in Flemish Belgium, are of special 

 interest. Julius Vuylsteke, in " Een Handvol Miss- 

 lagen," points out the errors in Potter's " Gent van 

 de vroegste Tijden tot Heden"; and Aug. Gitte"e 



picturesquely describes Holland and its people in his 

 " By onze Noorder brooders " ; while J. Staes draws a 

 somber picture of "De Sans-Culotten te Antwerpen." 

 Max Rooses has written an admirable biography of 

 Verlat, a fine Belgian colorist, recently deceased. E. 

 Soens is the author of an interesting "essay upon the 

 devil as represented in Flemish plays of tin: Middle 

 Ages. Pieter Geiregat, one of the pioneers of modern 

 Flemish literature, has compiled a popular handbook 

 of " Maatschappelijke Vraagstukken." Miss Virginie 

 Leveling, one of the foremost Flemish writers of prose, 

 has issued a volume of short stories, " Een Vonkje 

 van Genie," and prose fiction of note has been pro- 

 duced also by Is. Teirlinck ("Naar het Land van 

 Belofte"), C. Lanckriet, Fr. van den Bergh, and Aug. 

 de Vreught. Cyril Buysse, "Het Recht van den 

 Sterkste," while showing a tendency toward Zola- 

 like descriptions of low life, gives evidence of a power- 

 ful talent. In the realm of poetry, beside new works 

 by the veterans Emmanuel Hiel and the Abbe Guido 

 Gezelle (who writes in the western Flemish patois), 

 there have been volumes of verse from younger writ- 

 ers, such as G. de Mey and J. Noterdaeme. However, 

 Pol de Mont's "Claribella" and Helene Swarth's 

 "Verzen," both marked by "beauty of form and 

 richness of imagery," are the most important poetical 

 publications of the year. 



Bohemia. Social history the history of the people 

 has in Bohemia a capable contributor in Zikmund 

 Winter, whose "From Old Prague: Historical Pic- 

 tures," offers the results of sound historical research 

 in graphic language. " Vlastiveda Moravska," a 

 historical and statistical account of the country, is in 

 course of publication. A large number of books of 

 travel have appeared. P. Durdik gives an interest- 

 ing description of " Five Years in Sumatra" ; J. Guth 

 has published " Wanderings through France " and 

 "Silhouettes from the Lake of Geneva"; Guido 

 Mansuet has written a noteworthy work on Pales- 

 tine ; Rutte is the author of a finely illustrated book 

 on Switzerland ; while " The Caucasus" has been de- 

 scribed by Em. Fait. Here may be mentioned also 

 the notes of the American journey of J. Smaha, an 

 actor; J. Bittner, who follows the same profession, 

 has written a little volume of " Recollections." The 

 Bohemian Academy is publishing monographs on 

 various subjects, helping to fill up the many gaps 

 that exist in the scientific literature of this country. 

 The publication of works like J. Gebauer's " Historical 

 Grammar of the Czech Language" is hailed with much 

 satisfaction. This excellent guide is to be followed by 

 a " Dictionary of Old Bohemian." The " Bohemian 

 Bibliographical Catalogue for 1892" (fourth annual 

 issue) was published in 1894. Of books on art and finely 

 illustrated works, so numerous last year, there are few 

 to record. The Bohemian Academy has issued an il- 

 lustrated essay by Mares on Bohemian glass. Piner's 

 series of pastels, " The Demon of Love," has been 

 finely reproduced, with poetry by J. Vrchlicky'. The 

 first volume of V. V. Zelen^'s " Essays and Memoirs," 

 dealing with Fred. Smetana. has been published. 



Historical novels are very popular, but the younger 

 exploiters of that vein of romance have not produced 

 any really noteworthy work. In this field the writ- 

 ings of Jirasek exercise a great influence upon the 

 public by their national spirit. While most of the 

 older novelists abstain from psychological studies and 

 theorizings on social questions, the younger men are 

 agitated by the new ideas that are stirring the litera- 

 ture of aU'Europe. And although much of the newer 

 fiction is criticised as showing a lack of skill in prop- 

 erly controlling plots, yet there is much that is inter- 

 esting in the attempts of the younger devotees of 

 realism. The life of to-day is often graphically de- 

 scribed in their works, but in the multiplicity of 

 scenes and character sketches the main idea is apt 

 to become blurred; it is in short stories that the 

 younger element is mainly winning its spurs. V. 

 Mrstik, in his novel "Santa Lucia," describes the 

 ups and downs in the life of the impecunious^ student 

 in Prague, which city is the scene of action in Ignat 



