LITERATURE AND LITERARY PROGRESS IN 1877. 



433 



later scenes, the author must be allowed to have 

 written generally with moderation. Dr. Ma- 

 han's " Critical History of the Late American 

 War " (Barnes) is a courageous work, which, 

 without hesitation or misgiving, reviews and 

 reverses the public judgment of the actors in 

 the great struggle, and discloses the fact that 

 the author was generous with his advice to the 

 President and Secretary of War during its prog- 

 ress. It shows much knowledge of military 

 science, but closet criticism of operations in the 

 field lacks the qualities which are required to 

 make it of practical value. Mr. Francis Park- 

 man continues his history of French coloniza- 

 tion in America with undiminished industry in 

 research and grace of literary exposition, in his 

 "Count Frontenac, and New France under 

 Louis XIV." (Little, Brown & Co.). It fully 

 sustains his reputation, and goes to confirm the 

 estimate which places him among our eminent 

 historians and the conspicuous ornaments of 

 American literature. The celebration of the 

 centenary of Burgoyne's campaign, defeat, and 

 surrender, called out two monographs, one by 

 William L. Stone (Munsell), and one by John 

 Austin Stevens (Randolph). The celebrated 

 " General History of Connecticut," by the Rev. 

 Samuel Peters, which has been the occasion of 

 a good deal of angry controversy, has now been 

 placed within the reach of readers who desire 

 to read on both sides, by a republication, edited 

 by S. Jarvis McCormick (D. Appleton & Co.). 

 A needed work, of a sort to interest an annual- 

 ly-increasing class of readers, is the " History 

 of the College of New Jersey," by John Mc- 

 Lean, tenth president of the college (Lippin- 

 cott). Other publications, historical, or in the 

 nature of historical criticism, are the following: 



Alexander Hamilton. A Historical Study. By 

 George Shea. (Hurd <fe Houghton.) 



History of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1630-1877. 

 By Lucius R. Page. (H. O. Houghton & Co.) 



The Eastern Question Historically Considered. 

 With Notes on the Resources of Russia and Turkey, 

 and an Abstract of their Treaties with the United 

 States. Bv James M. Buebee. (Osgood, Boston.) 



A Brief History of Russia. By Francis A. Shaw. 

 (Osgood, Boston.) 



A Brief History of Turkey. From the German of 

 Dr. Johannes Blockwitz. 'Translated by Mrs. M. 

 Wesselhoeft. (Osgrood, Boston.) 



The Principalities of the Danube: Servia nnd 

 Roumania. Their History, Inhabitants, Govern- 

 ments, and Relations to the Turkish Empire. By 

 G. M. Towle. (Osgood, Boston.) 



History of Belfast, Maine, 1770-1875. By Joseph 

 Williamson. (Lorintr, Short & Harmon, Portland.) 



Modern Greece : Its History, People, Institutions, 

 and Relations to Turkey nnd'the Eastern Question. 

 By George M. Towle. (Osgood, Boston.^ _ 



Montenegro and Bulgaria. A Brief History of 

 these Provinces, their Inhabitants, Institutions, 

 Governments. Religions. Customs, and Relations to 

 the Turkish Empire. (Same author and publisher.) 



Arnold's Campaign ngninst Quebec, 1775. By 

 John Joseph Henrv, one of the Soldiers of the Ex- 

 pedition. (Munsell.) 



A History of Block Island, from its Discovery in 

 1514 to the Present Time, 1876. By Rev. S.T. Liver- 

 more. A. M. (Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., 

 Hartford.) 



VOL. xvii. 28 A 



History of Turkey. By J. D. O'Connor. (M. 

 Warren, Chicago.) 



Reminiscences of Worcester, from the Earliest 

 Period. By Caleb A. Wall. (Putnam & Davis, 

 Worcester, Mass.) 



Sentry, or Beacon Hill : the Beacon and the Mon- 

 ument of 1685 and 1790. By W. W . Wheildon. (Lee 

 & Shepard, Boston.) 



The Life of Pius IX., and the Great Events in the 

 History of the Church during his Pontificate. By 

 John Gilmary Shea, LL. D. (Kelly, Baltimore.) 



Anna's of Staten Island, from its Discovery to the 

 Present Time. By J. G. Clute. (C. Vogt.) 



A History of the United States of America, in- 

 cluding some Important Facts mostly omitted in the 

 Smaller Histories. By Josiah W. Leeds. (Lippin- 

 cott.) 



Mormonism Unveiled ; or, The Life and Confes- 

 sions of Jolm D. Lee. Also, the True History of 

 the Mountain Meadows Massacre. (Bryan, Brand 

 & Co., St. Louis.) 



A Discourse on Western Planting, \rritten in the 

 Yecir 1584 by Richard Hackluyt. W ith a Preface and 

 Introduction by Leonard Woods, D. D., LL. D. 

 Edited, with Notes, by Charles Deane. Document- 

 ary History of Maine. Second Series. (Maine His- 

 torical Society.) 



A Handbook of the General Convention of the 

 Protestant Episcopal Church, giving its History and 

 Constitution. 1785-1877. By William S. Perry, D. D., 

 LL. D. (Whittaker.) 



BIOGRAPHY. This department of literature 

 has been enriched by a number of works on 

 subjects of eminent distinction works worthy, 

 it would seem, to be durably associated with 

 their fame. It may be too soon to attempt to 

 determine what will be the place of Charles 

 Sumner in history, but his "Memoir and Let- 

 ters," written and edited by Mr. Edward L. 

 Pierce (Roberts), if completed with the skill, 

 taste, and tact, that characterize the two vol- 

 umes offered to the public, will long hold a hij;h 

 place in literature. "The Memoirs of John 

 Quincy Adams " (Lippincott), selected from his 

 diary, now completed by the publication of the 

 twelfth volume, is a monumental work, of 

 unique biographical value, and a storehouse of 

 materials for history. It is a fortunate circum- 

 stance that the writings of "Washington, Jeffer- 

 eon, Franklin, Hamilton, the elder Adams, and 

 other eminent men of the Revolutionary age, 

 and now of the younger Adams, as well as 

 those of lending statesmen contemporary with 

 him, have been preserved, collected, and pub- 

 lished. The " Life and Letters of George 

 Cabot," by Henry Cabot Lodge (Little & 

 Brown), throws a welcome light upon the po- 

 litical history of a period that lias long been 

 obscured by party prejudice, and put "out of 

 mind " by the clamorous urgency of the inter- 

 ests of the present. The " Autobiography of 

 William II. Seward, with a Memoir of his Life, 

 and Selections from his Letters," by Frederick 

 W. Seward (D. Appleton & Co.), is a fitting 

 memorial of a man whose public life is iden- 

 tified with the history of our Government 

 in the most critical period of its existence, 

 and who, perhaps, most completely expressed 

 the spirit of his time. Of a more strictly 

 personal interest, and, for that reason, having 

 a special charm for all admirers of the dis- 



