“Waste not your hour, nor in the vain pursuitOf this and that, endeavor and dispute;Better be jocund with the fruitful grapeThan sadden after none, or bitter fruit.”
“Waste not your hour, nor in the vain pursuitOf this and that, endeavor and dispute;Better be jocund with the fruitful grapeThan sadden after none, or bitter fruit.”
“Waste not your hour, nor in the vain pursuitOf this and that, endeavor and dispute;Better be jocund with the fruitful grapeThan sadden after none, or bitter fruit.”
“Waste not your hour, nor in the vain pursuit
Of this and that, endeavor and dispute;
Better be jocund with the fruitful grape
Than sadden after none, or bitter fruit.”
P. 206.—“Asclepian train,” as-cleˈpi-an. Train of physicians, who are often called the descendants of Æsculapius, the god of the medical art.
P. 210.—“Gorgon.” A terrible winged woman, who dwelt with her two sisters on the borders of Oceanus, the river that flowed around the ancient world. She was beheaded by Perseus, who accomplished the perilous task by the help of Hermes and Athena.
P. 211.—“Son of Sthenelus,” sthenˈe-lus. Euristheus, who assigned to Hercules his twelve labors.
P. 212.—“Electra.” Daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. On the return of Agamemnon from the Trojan war, Clytemnestra and her paramour murdered him. When her young brother, Orestes, had grown to manhood, Electra excited him to avenge the death of Agamemnon, and assisted him in slaying their mother.
P. 213.—“Medea.” The wife of Jason, the Argonautic hero.
“Pieria,” pi-eˈri-a. A narrow strip of country along the southeastern coast of Macedonia.
“Harmonia.” Daughter of Mars and Venus, and wife of Cadmus.
P. 216.—In connection with the chapter on Ar-is-tophˈan-es, the following works may be read: Mahaffy’s “Classical Greek Literature” (readings will be found in this book on all the characters mentioned in “College Greek Course”), “Aristophanes,”National Quarterly, vol. iii, p. 70:Fraser’s Magazine, vol. xii, p. 222.
P. 219.—“Creon.” Cleon is meant, the “leather-seller” who for six years was the most influential man in Athens. He took command of the forces at Sphac-teˈri-a, during the Peloponnesian war, and fulfilled the promise he had boastingly made, that he would capture the Spartans within twenty days if the Athenians would send him against them.
P. 220.—“Tableaux vivants,” tä-blō vē-väⁿᵍ. Living representations, in which persons are grouped as in pictures. We frequently use only the first of these French words.
“Sophˈist.” The Sophists were the leading public teachers in Greece during the fifth and fourth centuries B. C. In its original sense, the word meant a wise man, and as such could properly be applied to Socrates. But in his day, as a class, they were “ostentatious imposters, flattering and duping the rich for the sake of personal gain.”
P. 225.—“Rhea.” The wife of Saturn, and the great goddess of the world.
“Hebrus.” The principal river in Thrace.
P. 226.—Readings on Pindar will be found in Talfourd’s “History of Greek Literature,”National Quarterly, vol. xxxii, p. 203;London Magazine, vol. ii, p. 60.
Readings on Sappho,The Atlantic(T. W. Higginson), vol. xxviii, p. 83;Harper’s Magazine, vol. lvi, p. 177;Appleton’s Magazine, vol. vi, p. 158.
Readings on Simonides,Westminster Review, vol. xxxii, p. 99;Fraser’s Magazine, vol. ii, p. 52.
P. 228.—“Dithyrambics,” dith-y-ramˈbics. Originally songs in honor of Bacchus; later, any poems written in a wild and enthusiastic manner.
“The Ivy-clad Boy.” Bacchus.
“Bromius.” One of the surnames of Bacchus, signifying the shouter.
“Eriboas.” See index of “College Greek Course.”
P. 229.—“Prophet of Nemea’s strand.” Jupiter.
“Orchomenus,” or-komˈe-nus. An ancient and powerful city of Bœotia.
“Minˈyans.” An ancient Greek race, said to have migrated from Thessaly. Their ancestral hero, Minyas, is said to have been a son of Neptune.
P. 230.—“A-glaiˈa,” “Eu-phrosˈy-ne,” “Tha-liˈa.” The names of the Graces.
“A-soˈpi-chus.” See index to “College Greek Course.”
“Cle-o-dāˈmus.” Usually written Cleodæus. A descendant of Hercules, who made an unsuccessful attempt to lead the Heraclidæ back into their own land, the Peloponnesus. Temenus, his grandson, succeeded in the attempt.
“Bellerophon.” A Corinthian, who obtained possession of the winged horse, Pegasus, who rose with him into the air, whence by means of arrows he killed the Chimæra, a fire-breathing monster which had three heads, one that of a lion, one of a dragon, and one of a goat. It had made great havoc in Lycia and the surrounding countries. Afterward he conquered the Solymi, a warlike race inhabiting the mountains of Lycia, and the Amazons, a mythical, warlike race of females.
P. 232.—“Typhon.” A monster who wished to acquire the sovereignty of gods and men, but who was subdued, after a fearful struggle, by Jupiter, and confined in a Cicilian cave. He begot the winds.
P. 233.—“Phalˈa-ris,” B. C. 570. A cruel and inhuman tyrant of Agrigentum, who was put to death in a sudden outbreak of popular fury. He is said to have burned alive the victims of his cruelty, in a large brazen bull.
P. 240.—“A-donˈis.” A beautiful youth beloved by Venus. He died from a wound which he received from a wild boar. The grief of the goddess was so great that the gods of the lower world allowed Adonis to return to the earth for six months every year. In this myth the death of the youth every year probably represents winter, and his return, summer.
“Cypris” and “Cyth-e-reˈa.” Venus.
P. 241.—“Arethusa.” The nymph of the famous fountain of Arethusa, on the island of Ortygia.
P. 242.—“Meles.” A small stream in Ionia, on the bank of which Homer is said to have been born.
“Pegassean fountain.” The inspiring well of the muses on Mt. Helicon, said to have been formed from a kick given by Pegasus. It is sometimes called the Hippocrene.
“Daughter of Tyndarus.” Helen of Troy.
“Son of Thetis.” Achilles.
“Eros.” Cupid.
“Al-ciˈdes.” Hercules.
“Orpheus.” See C. L. S. C. Notes inThe Chautauquanfor November, 1884. Eurydice is the wife of Orpheus, instead of Proserpine, as there stated.
P. 244.—“Daphnis.” A Sicilian hero, son of Mercury, and a nymph. A Naiad fell in love with him and made him swear he would never love another. But he met and loved a princess, and the Naiad smote him with blindness. He besought his father for help, and the latter removed him to the abode of the gods, and caused a fountain to gush forth on the spot whence he was taken up.
“Thirsis.” A herdsman who laments the death of Daphnis.
“Priapus.” Son of Bacchus. One of the divinities presiding over agricultural pursuits.
P. 245.—“Gălˈin-gale.” A rush-like, or grass-like plant, often called sedge.
“Ly-caˈon’s son.” Pandarus. One of the commanders in the Trojan war.
P. 246.—“Cicala,” si-cāˈlä. Usually written cicada. The locust.
P. 247.—“Dilettanteism,” dil-et-tanˈte-ism. Admiration of the fine arts.
P. 251.—“Golˈgi.” A Sicyonian colony, inhabiting a town of the same name in Cypris.
“Idalium.” A town of Cypris.
P. 253.—For supplementary reading on Demosthenes see Talfourd’s “History of Greek Literature;” TheNorth American Review, vol. xxii, p. 34;New York Review, vol. ix, p. 1;National Review, vol. xii, p. 99.
P. 255.—“Ignatius Loyola,” ig-naˈsheus loi-oˈla. (1491-1556.) A Spaniard; the founder of the Society of Jesus. He served as page in the court of Ferdinand and Isabella, and later engaged in the wars against the French and the Moors. He was severely wounded in battle, and was made lame. His thoughts were then turned toward a religious life. Long fasts and scourgings often brought him near to death. He attended the University of Paris, where he took the master’s degree at the age of forty-three. Afterward he gathered a few followers about him as the nucleus for his society, which in a short time became so famous.
P. 270.—“Margites.” A poem ascribed to Homer, which holds up to ridicule a man who pretended to know many things, and knew nothing well.
P. 275.—“Milo.” A Roman of daring and unscrupulous character. He was impeached for bribery and for interfering with the freedom of elections, and Cicero undertook his defense.
P. 278.—“Cyrcilus.” The stoning of this man and his family occurred when the Athenians, under Themistocles, retreated from their city to Salamis, after learning that Thermopylæ was in the possession of the Persians.
P. 281.—“Laocoön.” While the Trojans were debating whether they should receive the wooden horse into the city, Laocoön, a priest, rushed forward and warned them not to do it, and struck his spear into its side. As a punishment, Minerva sent two monstrous serpents, which crushed him and his two sons to death.
P. 282.—“Bema.” A raised place, from which an orator addressed public assemblies.
P. 77.—“Champs de Mars,” Shäⁿᵍ duh Mars. Field of Mars. The name given to the place devoted to military exercises in France. It is an extensive parade ground, about 3,000 feet long and 1,500 feet wide, lying on the left bank of the Seine. There are four rows of trees on each side, and it is entered by five gates. It was finished in 1790, and in their eagerness to have it ready for the first great feast of the French Revolution, on July 14th, of that year, 60,000 volunteers, men and women, worked night and day for two weeks, and completed it in time. At this feast the king swore allegiance to the constitution. The Champs de Mars has been the scene of many great historic events. The World’s Fair of 1867 was held there.
P. 78.—“Academy of Science.” This was organized in France in 1666. In 1795 it, with four other academies, viz.: the French Academy, Academy of Painting and Sculpture, Academy of Belles Lettres, and the Academy of Moral and Political Science, was revived in a new form, under the name of theInstitut National. This institution is the most important of its kind in the world. These academies now have the same relation to theInstitutthat colleges bear to a university. In the Academy of Science at present there are sixty-three members and one hundred corresponding members. It bestows an annual prize of about $2,000, for the most important astronomical observation, a prize of nearly $600 for productions on natural science, and other rewards for inventions, discoveries, and improvements. Its sessions are all held in public, and are much frequented.
P. 80.—A free translation of the note at the bottom of the page: Having attained an altitude of 22,960 feet, he still wished to go higher, and so disburdened himself of all the objects which he could in any way do without. Among these objects was a chair of white wood, which chanced to light in a thicket, very near a young girl who was tending some sheep. Great, indeed, was the astonishment of the shepherdess! The sky was clear, the balloon invisible. What else could she think of the chair than that it had come from Paradise? The only objection that could be raised against the conjecture was the rudeness of its construction. The workmen in the higher world, said the incredulous, could not be so unskillful. The discussion was still going on, when the papers, in publishing all the particulars of the aerial voyage of Gay Lussac, announced, among the natural results of the ascent, this which up to this time had seemed a miracle.
P. 85.—“Scheele,” shāˈleh.
P. 91.—“Litmus paper.” Paper that has been prepared for use as a test for acids and alkalies. Litmus is a blue coloring matter, extracted from lichens which are found along the rocky coasts of the Mediterranean, and other tropical lands. They are largely used for dyeing purposes, and when prepared with potash or soda, they produce litmus. A strong infusion of litmus is made with boiling water, and a little sulphuric acid is added. Unsized paper is dipped into this infusion, which gives it a blue color. The application of any acid will change the blue to red, and then the blue color may be immediately restored by immersing the paper in an alkali. So delicate a test is it, that the paper has to be preserved in closely stoppered bottles, to prevent the access of acid fumes.
P. 94.—“Berthollet,” ber-to-lā.
P. 100.—“Balard,” bā-lār.
P. 101.—“Liebig,” leeˈbig.
P. 107.—“Varech,” vărˈek; “Barilla,” ba-rilˈla.
P. 108.—“Courtois,” koor-twä.
P. 114.—“Nicklès,” nē-klā.
P. 115.—“Puy Maurin,” pwe-mō-raⁿᵍ; “Hauy,” ä-we.
1.“Boerhave,” bōrˈhäv, Hermann. (1668-1738.) A Dutch physician. He gave much attention to the distinction between mind and matter, and condemned the doctrines of Epicurus, Hobbes and Spinoza. He published several works on the study and practice of medicine, and held the chair of chemistry, botany, and medicine in Leyden University.
2.“Saracens.” The Mohammedan people who, coming from Mauritania, invaded Europe in the early part of the eighth century. In Spain they took the name of Moors. They applied to all unbelievers in Mohammedanism the name Giaours (jour) as a term of reproach.
3.“Lorenz Oken.” (1779-1851.) A German naturalist, and the author of several works. He was professor of medical science for a time at Jena, and editor of the celebrated periodical,The Isis, devoted to natural science. At the time of his death, he held the position of professor of natural science in Zurich, Switzerland. A statue has been erected to his honor in Jena, Germany.
4.“Bentham,” Jeremy. (1748-1832.) An English writer on politics and jurisprudence. In opposition to Blackstone’s views, he wrote “Fragments on Government.” His numerous literary works were more kindly received in France than in England. One of his latest works was the “Art of Packing,” that is, of arranging juries so as to obtain any verdict desired. He wrote a book on the “Defense of Usury,” showing the impolicy of placing restraints upon dealings in money.
5.“Benjamin Rush.” (1745-1813.) A celebrated American physician, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. During the ravages of the yellow fever, in 1793, he distinguished himself by rendering extraordinary services, and his history of that epidemic is a valuable work.
6.“Nostrum Mongers.” Sellers of quack medicines.
7.“Circenses,” sir-senˈsēs. A Latin term, meaning race-courses. Here it can be translated recreations.
8.“Panes,” paˈnēs. Bread, means of subsistence.
9.“Languedoc,” langˈgue-dock. A name applied during the middle ages to a province in the south of France, which is now divided into several departments, among which are Aude, Hérault, and Upper Garonne.
10.“Bunsen,” Christian Karl, Baron von, generally known as Chevalier Bunsen. (1791-1860.) One of the most distinguished statesmen and scholars of Germany. Through the favor of Niebuhr, who was Prussian minister at Rome, he was appointed secretary to the Prussian embassy at that court, where he remained twenty years, and then succeeded Niebuhr as minister. Later he was sent as Prussian embassador to England. He was highly esteemed by Frederick William III. and Frederick William IV., both of whom frequently took him into their counsel. He was one of the most zealous workers in bringing about the union of the German states. His widow has published the “Memoirs of Bunsen.”
11.“Turnerhalls.” Gymnasia which were established throughout Germany through the enterprise of Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, in the latter part of the eighteenth century, for the purpose of fitting young men to endure the fatigues of war.
12.“Jean Jacques Rousseau.” (1712-1778.) One of the most eloquent French writers and singular characters of his age. He was denounced on account of his subversive theories and the immoralities of his life. His erratic social and political teachings are redeemed in part by the strong desire he had to increase the happiness of the laboring classes.
13.“Goldwin Smith.” (1823-⸺.) An English author, and a warm friend to the federal government during the civil war. Coming to the United States in 1868, he became professor of English history in Cornell University.
The selection given inThe Chautauquanas a Sunday Reading for October 5, 1884, was from Gotthold’s “Emblems.” The note on Gotthold was crowded out of the C. L. S. C. Notes. Many inquiries have been made concerning him; for this reason we insert the following:
“Christian Scriver, a Lutheran clergyman and writer of devotional works in the seventeenth century, the contemporary and friend of Spener, was born at Rendsburg, in Holstein, January 2, 1629. His childhood was spent under the care of a widowed mother in the trying period of the Thirty Years’ War; but a wealthy merchant—a brother of Scriver’s grandmother—finally made provision for his needs. After suitable preparatory studies, Scriver became a private tutor, and in 1647 entered the University of Rostock. In 1653 he was archdeacon at Stendal, and in 1667 pastor at Magdeburg, with which position he combined other offices,e. g., that of a scolarch, and finally of a senior in the government of the church. He refused to leave Magdeburg in answer to repeated calls to Halberstadt, to Berlin, and to the court of Stockholm, but in advanced age was induced to accept the post of court preacher at Que Dinburg. In 1692 he suffered an apoplectic stroke, and on April 5, 1693, died. He had been married four times, and had had fourteen children born to him, but he outlived all his wives and children except one son and one daughter.
“The name of Scriver has lived among the common people through the publication of his ‘Seelenschatz’ (Magd. and Leipsic, 1737, Schaffhausen, 1738, sq., five parts in two vols., folio), a manual of devotion which he dedicated to ‘the Triune God,’ and which deserves high commendation. Another work deserving of mention is Gotthold’s ‘Zufällige Andachten’ (first edition 1671, and often), a sort of Christian parables, 400 in number, which are based on objects in nature and ordinary occurrences in life. The ‘Siech. u. Siegesbette’ describes a sickness through which he passed, and the aids and comforts derived from God’s goodness in that time. Prittius has published a work of consolation entitled ‘Wittwentrost,’ from Scriver’s literary remains.”
For Scriver’s life see Prittius’s preface to the “Seelenschatz;” Christmann’s “Biographie” (Nuremburg, 1829): Hagenbach’s “Wesen u. Gesch. d. Reformat.,” vol. iv; “Evanganlisch Protestanitismus,” vol. ii, 177 sq.; Herzog’s “Real-Encyklop,” s. v.
1.“Renan,” rŭh-näⁿᵍ. (1823-⸺.) A French philosopher, who has published several treatises on comparative philology, and translations of scriptural books with critical introductions, and has written much for periodicals. He was sent at the head of a scientific commission to explore Tyre and Sidon, Lebanon and other localities, and made many interesting discoveries.
2.“Whitefield,” George. (1714-1770.) The founder of Calvinistic Methodism. He set the example of preaching in the open air, and at one time is said to have addressed 60,000 persons at Moorfields. He quarreled with Wesley on the subject of predestination, but afterward was reconciled to him, although he never agreed with him in doctrine. He made several visits to the United States.
3.“President Edwards,” Jonathan. (1745-1801.) Son of Jonathan Edwards, the divine. He was president of Union College, Schenectady, N. Y. His complete works were published in two volumes.
4.“Tholuck,” tōˈlook. (1799-1877.) A German divine. In 1826he was called to the University of Halle, as professor of theology, where he spent the remaining years of his life.
1.“Brassica oleraceæ,” brasˈsi-ca ō-ler-aˈse-ē.
2.“Bore-cole.” A variety of cabbage, not having its leaves packed into a firm head, but loose and curled.
3.“Daucas carota,” dauˈcus ca-roˈta.
4.“Beta vulgaris,” bēˈta vul-gāˈris.
5.“Mangold-Wurzel.” Commonly written mangel wurzel.
6.“Allium Cepa,” alˈli-um sēˈpa.
1.“Entreés,” oⁿᵍˈtrā. The first course of dishes served on the table.
2.“Mayonnaise,” māˈyon-naise.
1.“Tufa.” A kind of volcanic sandstone, composed of pulverized volcanic rocks. It is formed whenever a shower of rain accompanies the fall of cinders, during the eruption of a volcano.
2.“Drift period.” The name applied to the time in which that remarkable bed of earth, gravel, and stones of all dimensions, was deposited. It has puzzled all geologists to account for this formation, which is the lowest of the three groups of the superficial covering of the earth, and no completely satisfactory theory has yet been advanced.
3.The large New Zealand bird described was called the moa.
4.“Carboniferous period.” Coal age. By careful study it has been found that in the progress of the earth’s development a number of great ages have existed—each distinguished from the others by some marked change. That of coal plants is placed by geologists as the fourth age, counting upward from the lowest formation. It was remarkable for the alternate low elevation of the land above the sea level, and its submergences; and also for the luxuriant growth of vegetation, which, under the great pressure and heat to which it was subjected while the surface was submerged, was changed into coal.
5.“Spectroscope.” The name given to the apparatus used for the study of the spectrum. “When a ray of sunlight admitted through an aperture in a dark room is concentrated upon a prism of rock salt”—or glass—“by means of a lens of the same material, and then after emerging from the prism is received on a screen, it will be found to present a band of colors, in the following order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.”—Ganot. This band is called the spectrum. That there are other but invisible lines than those mentioned in the spectrum, is proven by the use of the thermopile, oftener called thermomultiplier, mentioned in the article on “Home Studies in Chemistry.” This is a complicated instrument used for detecting minute differences in the degrees of heat; its description without an accompanying illustration would be of no benefit to any one. So delicate is it that the heat of the hand held at a distance of three feet is sufficient to deflect the needle. The spectroscope is composed of three telescopes, mounted on a common foot, whose axes converge toward a glass prism. One of the telescopes is movable, and can be adjusted so as to give the observer the clearest view of the spectrum. The ray of light is admitted through the telescope and falls upon the prism, which decomposes it, and the spectrum is formed on the opposite side of the prism. In the telescope which the observer uses a powerful magnifying glass is placed. The third telescope is used for measuring the relative distances between the lines.
1.“James Dwight Dana.” (1813-⸺.) An American geologist and mineralogist; the author of several works on these and other sciences. He went out as mineralogist and geologist appointed by the United States Government with the exploring expedition sent to the Southern and Pacific Oceans in 1838, and returned in 1842. For the next fourteen years he was busily engaged in preparing for publication the reports of this exploration. These were published by the government and formed valuable records. For many years he was one of the editors of theAmerican Journal of Science and Arts. He has been elected to membership in several learned European societies and royal academies.
2.“Eisenlohr,” iˈzen-lore. (1799-1872.) A German physicist. He was a Heidelburg student, and in 1819 removed to Mannheim, where he became a teacher of mathematical and physical science in the lyceum. He was afterward a professor at Carlsruhe. A Manual of Physics is his chief work.
3.“Geissler’s tubes,” ghīceˈler. The spectrum of any gas can be best obtained by placing the gas in these tubes, and then passing the electric current through. If the gas is hydrogen, the spectrum will consist of a bright red, a green, and a blue line. Each gas casts its own spectrum. In this way the spectroscope aids in the analysis of substances. The different spectra formed reveal the elements.
4.“Sir John Herschel.” (1792-1871.) An English astronomer. His great enterprise was his expedition to the Cape of Good Hope to take observations of the heavens in the southern hemisphere. He remained there four years. His published results of his observations furnish one of the most valuable works on astronomy. He did not confine his studies to astronomy alone, but gave great attention to the subject of the atmosphere. He held that from eighty to ninety miles above the earth a perfect vacuum exists, and that three fourths of all the atmospheric air lies within four miles from the earth’s surface. His studies in meteorology were also very valuable, as well as his important discoveries in photography. Among his published works are: “Essays, from theEdinburghandQuarterly Reviews, with Addresses and Other Pieces,” “Physical Geography,” and “Familiar Letters on Scientific Subjects.” Herschel held various positions of honor in his lifetime, being at one time president of the Royal Astronomical Society, and afterward Master of the Mint for five years. He was one of the eight foreign associates of the French Academy of Sciences.
5.“Fire Worshipers.” A Persian sect which worships fire as an emanation of the divine being. “Fire worshipers” is the English name for the Guēˈbers (also called Ghēˈber or Giaours—jours). They call themselvesBeh Din, “those of excellent belief.” The Arabs completed the conquest of Persia in the seventh century, and the great mass of the nation adopted the faith of the conquerors. Those who refused to do so were subjected to persecution. Some of them took refuge in the wilderness of Khorasan, and others in Kohistan. The latter in the ninth century emigrated to India and settled in the neighborhood of Surat. Their descendants still inhabit the same region, and are called Parsees. The descendants of those who remained in Persia have gradually decreased in numbers and sunk into ignorance and poverty, though still preserving a reputation for honesty, chastity, industry, and obedience to law superior to that of the other Persians. They are estimated to number about 7,000.
6.“Bunsen Burner.” In this burner, at the lower end of the hollow stem through which the gas passes, there is a lateral orifice which admits the air necessary for combustion. This orifice can be made larger or smaller by means of a diaphragm which is used as a regulator. If a moderate amount of air enters, the gas burns with a luminous flame, but if a strong and steady current is admitted, the carbon is rapidly oxidized, the flame loses its brightness, and burns with a pale blue light, scarcely perceptible, and with intense heat.
7.“Voltaic Arc.” A most beautiful effect, obtained from the electric light. At the terminals of a battery, pieces of charcoal are connected and placed in contact until the current causes them to become incandescent. Then they are separated about the tenth of an inch, and it is found that a luminous, exceedingly brilliant arc connects the two points.
8.“Hell Gate.” The name of a narrow channel between Long Island and Manhattan Island. Until recently the numerous reefs made it impassable for large ships and dangerous for small ones. In 1851 the first efforts were made to open the channel, by submarine blasting. In 1876, after many vain attempts, the work was carried to a successful issue. The total amount of money expended by Congress for this work since 1868 was $1,940,000.
9.“Æolus.” A descendant of the founder of the Æolian race. He became the ruler of certain islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea, which from him were called the Æolian Islands. He is said to have taught his subjects to use sails on their ships, and to have foretold the nature of the winds that were to rise. Homer said of him that Jupiter had given him rule over the winds. This led to his being regarded as the god of the winds, which he was supposed to keep shut up in a mountain.
It would be difficult for a biography of Sydney Smith, that man who always took short views of life, hoped for the best, and put his trust in God, to be other than interesting. Mr. Reid’s biography[L]is so interesting that the reader quite forgets to criticise. It is a many-sided sketch of the brave hearted dominie. It tells his history, to be sure, but one gets a very good idea of many of his associates as well; it tells his route through life, and as a happy idea adds descriptions and illustrations of the various localities in which he lived, as they are to-day. There is just enough quotation from the reverend Sydney to give pith to the sober, clear narrative of the writer, and just enough of the “Times” to keep one in sympathy with his age. Several letters and essays never before printed appear in the volume. Mr. Reid, we are pleased to see, presents the courage, the unfailing hope, and the abundant common sense of his subject as characteristics of more importance than his wit.
It is moderate praise of the book[M]produced by Mrs. Mitchell to say that all lovers of art and its history will find it a valuable acquisition to their libraries. The author has chosen the historical method of presenting her subject, and begins with Egyptian sculpture, passes on to Chaldean, Assyrian, and Persian; then to that of Phœnicia, Asia Minor, and Greece, and ends with works of the Italian masters. Feeling that “description can not by any possibility supersede the sight of the artistic creations,” she has freely illustrated the book with accurate representations of many of the great masterpieces. There can be no work better suited for the use of those who desire to acquire a knowledge of this branch of art.
M. Gaillard has added one more to the many books already issued for the purpose of teaching “French Conversation.”[N]The system he has adopted differs from all the others in this respect: questions alone are given, to which the scholar is to frame his own answers. A clue to the words needed in the replies, and to the construction of the sentences and idioms will be found in the questions. Thus the memorizing of set sentences which never will fit in anywhere save in the recitation room, is avoided, and the pupil is obliged to think for himself instead of merely observing how the words are used by others. Theoretically the plan is a good one. As a text-book for common use in schools and elsewhere, we doubt, somewhat, its feasibility.
No tourist to the White Mountains can afford to do without Mr. Drake’s book.[O]The last edition of it is prepared expressly for their use, and contains in the form of an appendix a complete guide-book. One of the covers is provided with a pocket, within which is placed a map of the White Mountains, and one of Vermont and New Hampshire. This pocket will also prove convenient for carrying memoranda. The book contains many fine illustrations, is printed from large, clear type, and is handsomely bound. And as one sees in word pictures the scenery of the mountains, and is delighted with racy little incidents of travel, and with anecdote, or is thrilled with some perilous adventure, he can not help saying that author, artist, and publisher have all done their part toward making an attractive book.
It was a good idea to publish a dictionary of the “Women of the Day.”[P]Miss Hays has undoubtedly put an immense amount of labor into the neat little volume which she has just sent out to the world. However, the publication has been too soon. More labor is needed to make the book as useful as it ought to be. More than once her biographies of the best known women are incorrect, as when she located Marion (which name, by the way, she spelled Marian) Harland’s present home at Newark, N. J., a place she left years ago. Again, in some of the sketches the work is poorly arranged. Why should Miss Willard’s whereabouts in 1878 be tacked on at the end of the article, after it had been brought up to 1882, instead of being inserted in its proper order? For all that, it is a very useful work. It will be of great help to the general reader interested in eminent women.
A valuable series of “Outlines” of the Philosophy of Hermann Lotze has been undertaken by Prof. Ladd, of Yale College. A leading philosopher of Germany, Lotze’s works have been sealed to all English readers, save those who were able to overcome philosophical German. This series will furnish an opportunity long desired by those interested in German thought to make themselves familiar with Lotze’s ideas. “Outlines of Metaphysics”[Q]is the first work issued.
Mrs. Jackson’s “Ramona”[R]takes rank at once in the highest class of fiction. The fascination in its pages holds one from beginning to end, and he closes the book with much the same impression as if he had just returned from a day’s exquisite enjoyment of wild and rugged mountain scenery. The characters possess an individuality such as is found in those drawn by Dickens, and the fine shaping of plot and incident recalls George Eliot’s “Romola.” The story of “Ramona” has to do with Indian life in Southern California and Mexico, and is of historical interest. As one reads of the wrongs cruelly inflicted upon the nobleAlessandroand the heroic Christian spirit with which he endured them all to the bitter end, there comes a sense of shame that under American laws, base, unprincipled men could commit such deeds of plunder and violence with impunity. The character ofRamonais unique. Her devoted love forAlessandro, the gladness with which she accepted the life of deprivation and danger at his side, and the development, through heavy sorrows, of her deep, true, womanly nature, give the book a richness of color and a depth of pathos seldom met.
In “Dorcas,”[S]a story of anti-Christ, the lives and sufferings of the early Christians in Rome are depicted. Dorcas and her friends hid themselves away for many long months in the Catacombs, to escape persecution. In two instances while there, the miracle of bringing the dead back to life occurred, one of those restored being Marcellus, the affianced husband of Dorcas, a young Roman nobleman who was put to death for accepting the Christian religion. The accession of Constantine gave them their freedom. The book affords a good study in the high style of its diction and the purity of its language. It is valuable, too, for its record of the customs of those days, and for its historical incidents.
Students of English who enjoy theories about words and expressions will find in “Elements of English Speech”[T]a full measure of them, most ingeniously supported. The book is in no way suitable for readers who are unacquainted with Latin, Greek, French, and German, but for those who have dabbled a little in each it will furnish interesting reading, and some ideas of real value.
The house of D. Appleton & Co. is publishing some excellent text-books. Among these is “Elements of Geometry,”[U]a work on plane and solid geometry. The arrangement of the book, its admirable fitness to the needs of the pupils just beginning the sciences, and its abundant exercises make it a very satisfactory work for teachers.——In their series of “Science Text-Books,” “Elements of Zoölogy,”[V]by C. F. & J. B. Holder, is one of the most entertaining, practical, and, beside, thorough, elementary works on animal biology we have ever seen. Theillustrations are excellent.——A capital “Second Reader” is “Friends in Feathers and Fur, and Other Neighbors.”[W]We like the idea of giving the young folks good, clear type.——But best of all is “Appleton’s Chart Primer,”[X]a pretty little book with numbers of beautifully colored pictures for color lessons, and a cover so brilliant that it will make it a pleasure for little ones to learn their lessons.
A new edition of “The Water Babies,”[Y]abridged by J. H. Stickney has been issued. It is a delightful fairy story for land babies. Little Tom, a poor chimney sweep who belonged to a very cruel master, went one day to work in a grand house. Coming down the wrong chimney, he found himself standing opposite a large mirror in a very beautiful room in which a little, sick girl was lying. The sight of himself in the glass, black and impish, and the screams of the little girl frightened him so that he jumped from the window, caught the branches of a tree, slid to the ground and ran for his life, pursued by different members of the family, who supposed him to be a thief. They could not catch him, however, and soon gave up the attempt. Two or three days after his body was found in a stream of water, and all the people thought him dead. But they were mistaken; that body was only the old covering of Tom; he had been changed into a beautiful water baby, whose life in that fairy land is told in a very fascinating manner, showing that there, also, little folks ought to work for the good of others.
The “Water Babies” is one of a series of “Classics for Children,” a series arranged on the sensible idea that children can be taught to enjoy good literature, as they are taught to read. Among the other works which have appeared in this course are a “Primer and First Reader,”[Z]Scott’s “Lady of the Lake,”[AA]and Kingsley’s “Greek Heroes.”[AB]Others are in preparation.
“Which: Right or Wrong?”[AC]is an interesting story centering about the Framingham Assembly. It gives some bright pictures of life there, and teaches some excellent lessons.
“The Mentor”[AD]is a very neat little book written for the use of men and boys who wish to appear to good advantage in cultivated society. It treats of personal appearance, manners at the dinner table and in public, conversation, odds and ends, calls and cards, and closes with a chapter answering the question, “What is a Gentleman?” It contains a number of quotations from eminent authors.
A beautiful device is that of “The Guest Book,”[AE]in which the hostess may record the coming and the going of her guests. It contains short, beautifully illustrated selections concerning hospitality, from prominent writers, with blank pages left between for autographs, incidents, and sketches relating to pleasant calls and visits. In the hands of every woman who loves to entertain her friends it will prove a treasure-house of pleasant memories.
Not often are our social foibles “taken off” more pointedly than in “The Buntling Ball.”[AF]It is a really clever, and withal sprightly, satire on some of the vulnerable points of New York society.Mrs. Buntling, wife of a “potentate in pork,” returning from Europe, issues invitations for a ball. She has obtained a list of “all the names considered of decisive note,” and, regardless of the fact that she knows none of them issues a general invitation. The fact that everybody comes is one of the sharpest points in the play. Choruses are introduced in true Greek drama style, and the “Knickerbocker young men,” “maneuvering mammas,” “wall-flowers,” “gossips,” “Anglo-maniacs,” etc., carry on dialogues with the principal characters, in which they give the whole philosophy of New York society, in the frankest manner and in all sorts of happy, sprightly verse. The mystery of its authorship has been turned to good account by the publishers, who offer a prize of $1,000 to the successful guesser.
Marion Harland, in writing “Eve’s Daughters,”[AG]has done a noble work for women. The book must exert a good influence wherever it goes, and do much toward breaking down the barrier of false modesty and ignorance in regard to herself, that woman, too often, has taken pride in rearing. It begins with the life of the baby girl and follows her as the representative of her sex, through all the years down to old age. Strong, plain, helpful things are said, and said only as a brave, womanly woman can say them, in regard to the physical life of women. Every mother ought to read the book, and read it with her daughters.
“Memories of the Manse”[AH]is a quiet little picture of the life, home, family, and parish of a Scotch minister who lived, a number of years ago, in Glenarran. The rugged outlines of the stern character belonging to that northern people are well drawn, and dashes of color, showing the tender and loving side of human nature, appear here and there, brightening up the scene. The experience of the eldest son, who was “a clever lad, and had just returned after working his way through college, wearing a wonderfully clerical dress and air, an eye-glass, and a highly comfortable opinion of himself,” only to find that he was ridiculed instead of admired by his former associates, and his honest surprise at his unpopularity furnish a touch of humor to the whole work.
The books which Samuel Smiles has put upon the market are eminently valuable to boys and men who are in trades. He has done much to dignify labor and to show how essential is brain and thrift and education to manual labor. In his late volume, “Men of Invention and Industry,”[AI]the material is particularly good. It is fresh, and the stories of successful men give a grip to the book which is very effective. The lack of literary finish of which some complain in Mr. Smiles’s work is but a minor matter when we think of the serious purpose, the earnest desire to show how handicrafts may be developed, and how great opportunities lie in the way of mechanics to benefit society and to attain distinction. Among his men of invention and industry are Phineas Pett, the English ship builder; John Harrison, the inventor of the marine chronometer, and Frederick Koenig, inventor of the steam printing machine. A digression from the main object of the book is the chapter on “Industry in Ireland,” but it is a pleasing digression. The abundant resources which Mr. Smiles shows to exist in Ireland, will be surprising to many readers. Her fisheries, her iron, coal and clay beds, her linen industries, and her ship building are well described. The development of these resources he justly concludes to be the solution of the “Irish trouble.”
Mr. Harrison, in giving to the public the life and literary works[AJ]of the author of “Home Sweet Home,” has met a want that many persons have felt, to know something more of this author. No trouble has been spared in gathering the data for the biography, and much valuable information has been given to the world which, but for his efforts, might have been lost. He has, however, entered so fully into details as frequently to detract from the interest of the work. The circumstances under which “Home Sweet Home” was written, are given.