New Publications [pp. 569-576]

A~w Pubiicatio,is. 575
feel compelled to add that neither his- One feels that these graphic representory nor literature would have suffered tations are not drawn from a highlyif he had gone on condensing indefinite- wrought imaginailon, but that they are
ly, even if, in the process, the book had living realities. The narratives of the
been compressed to the vanishing point. ascent of Vesuvius, the hiftorata, the
Rosselly de Lorgnes, a veteran writer, first impressions of Venice, are wonderthe author of Le Christ deva~t le ful samples of this power of delineation.
Si?cle, and other works well known in High-toned morals and an utter freeEurope, is entitled to all respect and dom from maudlin sentimentality mark
honor for his sincere and enthusiastic both these volumes~ the tales are told
vindication of the memory of Colum- with vigor, and the interest sustained to
bus, and of his claims to veneration the end.
as a man of saintly character, over and The hnprovisatore, who is born
above all his other well-known merits; and passes most of his years in Italy,
but his work, in two volumes of nearly tells his own story, and claims, as do
six hundred pages each, independently most of the characters introduced, to
of other objections to it, sadly wants belong to the Catholic Church; but we
brevity and method. think a true Catholic would detect the
The truth is that, notwithstanding the fact that the kind-hearted, genial man
praiseworthy efforts of M. De Lorgnes, who wrote the tale had not the happiness
and of various authors who have pre- of being in the faith: though there is
ceded and followed him in this field, nothing harsh or unkind, or perhaps
the life 6f Columbus is yet to be writ- no intentional injustice, toward the
ten. More than that, it can only be church, yet there is here and there the
well written in Spain and with Spanish slight touch of sarcasm concerning
materials. When that country has a what the writer supposes to be a dogma
histonan who is not afraid of telling the of il~e faith, or a hit at some local
truth about the king of Spain who was Catholic custom, which would not have
the husband of fl~e noble Isabella of come from the pen of a loyal son of our
Castile, and will use wiil~out fear or holy Mother.
favor the writings of Columbus him- The scene of The Two Baro'tesses is
self-for, after all, such a great soul is laid in Denmark, and though not so caphis own best interpreter-we shall have tivating as the Jntprovisatore, the tale is
a life of Columbus, and not until then. well told, and hangs on the lovely mot to "that there is an invisible thread in
every person 5 life which shows that
THE IMPROVISATORE. THE Two BA- it belongs to God."
RONESSES. Romances by Hans Chris- The binding of il~ese volu~mes is in
tian Andersen. New York: Hurd excellent taste, and the print clear,
& Houghton. doing credit to the Riverside press.
These two volumes, from the fascin;tting pen of the great Danish novelist, THE STORIES AND PARABLEs OF PERE
wi recognize as old friends in new gar- BONAVENTURE. New York: P. 0'm~nts, and hasten to bid them welcome. Shea. 1869.
Andersen, who charms the little ones
with the beauty and naturalness of his These stories and parables commend
fairy tales, is equally a favorite with themselves to the reader by their quaintchildren of a larger growth. ness and brevity. The excellent moral
His powers of description are sur- which forms the essential part of many
passed by few writers in any language, of them could hardly be presented in a
and the places he has visited, Rome, more pleasing mannen The explanaNaples, Vesuvius, Venice, Copenhagen, ti ons given by the author are, in general,
with the islands nestling about Den- satisfactory. This book should be in
maik, stand before the reader in living in every Catholic household in thc
colors, glowing with light and truth. country.