ARTICLE VIII.-NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS.

LE GOFF'S LIFE OF THIERS.*-This Life of Thiers may be considered as a defence of the political career of the distinguished French statesman, written by one of his countrymen specially for the American people. There has always been in this country a distrust of M. Thiers. The feeling has been that to him, more than to any other one person, has been due that Chauvinism which has been for the last fifty years so offensive in France. The foreign policy which he always advocated has been selfishly to encourage all the tendencies to division in foreign countriessystematically to try to keep them weak-for the sake of the aggrandizement of France, and that France might be strong. There has always been a doubt too of the sincerity of his political principles, and his course has been looked upon as that of an adventurer, who was only seeking to advance his own fortunes. M. Le Goff seems to be fully aware of these prejudices which have been entertained by so many Americans. In fact he often alludes to them. He says: "The adversaries of M. Thiers thus sum up his history: He opposed the monarchy of the Restoration; and that monarchy overturned, he raised up and served another monarchy; then, he combated this new monarchy, helped to undermine it, and when it fell, declared war against the republic that followed it, until the republic gave way to the empire: then, in fine, after a long series of events, the republic having again appeared, he wel comed it, served it, defended it, and was about to continue to defend it, serve it, and perhaps even again to preside over its des tinies, when he was surprised by death. And then, they cry, "What inconsistency, what vacillation, yea, what apostacy!" This, to be sure, is a very feeble presentation of the case that may be made against M. Thiers. But M. Le Goff undertakes to show that there is a unity in his whole political course. He says that "Thiers never served but one cause--the French Revolution." The argument is a very plausible one. We have not space even to give an outline of it. But we will say that the book is one which should be read by every American who is interested in the

*The Life of Louis Adolphe Thiers. By FRANÇOIS LE GOFF, Docteur-ès-lettres. Translated from the unpublished manuscript. By THEODORE STANTON, A.M. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. 1879. 12mo. 353 pp.

history of France for the past half century, and in its present condition.

THE GOVERNMENT OF M. THIERS, BY M. JULES SIMON.*-Whatever may be thought of the early political career of M. Thiers, there can be but one opinion with regard to the services which he rendered his country in that hour of peril, when at the close of the Prussian war France lay helpless and prostrate before the armed invaders from beyond the Rhine. No better service could be rendered to the memory of the man who is acknowledged with singular unanimity to have been the saviour of his country, than this account by Jules Simon of what he did in her behalf, between February 8th, 1871, and May 24th, 1873. The first three chapters, which describe the condition of the country at the time of the capitulation of Paris, and the difficulties which attended the elections which were at once ordered, that France might be provided with a responsible Assembly, which might treat with the conqueror; the meeting of that Assembly at Bordeaux; and the negotiations for peace which ensued; can hardly be surpassed in interest by anything in modern times. This is followed by the long story of the revolt of the Commune of Paris, and the efforts which were made by the constituted authorities at Versailles under M. Thiers, which finally resulted in the triumph of the national party. Then the story of the "liberation of the territory” is given, and the subsequent work of legislation, till on the 24th of May, 1873, Thiers was driven from the presidency by a combination of his enemies. Some of the chapters will doubtless be found to be too much overladen with details for American readers, but there is great reason for congratulation that the whole story has been told in so clear and satisfactory a manner, by a statesman of the character of M. Jules Simon, who was an active participator in all the events which have rendered the presidency of M. Thiers so memorable.

VICTORIA BRITANNIA.t-If the ingenious and enthusiastic author of this little book were in England, we fear he would stand in no * The Government of M. Thiers, from 8th February, 1871, to 24th May, 1873. From the French of M. JULES SIMON. In two volumes. 12mo. 533, 506 pp. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.

↑ Victoria Britannia: Celebrate the Reign. A Plan for celebrating the reign of Queen Victoria, by the inauguration of political changes in the British Constitution. By HOLLIS TRUE. Published for the author, by A. S. Barnes & Co. New York: 1879. 12mo. 175 pp.

little danger of finding himself consigned for safe keeping to a lunatic asylum. Inspired by Mr. Gladstone's famous article in the North American Review, in which he said that the United States were passing England "at a canter," Mr. Hollis True has come to the rescue, and proposes for the consideration of the English people what he says "in American phraseology, would be called Constitutional Amendments." He proposes no less a change than the consolidation of the whole British Empire, under the name of "BRITANNIA." The present policy of England, as interpreted by Mr. Gladstone, is leading directly to the disintegration of the British Empire. According to that eminent statesman, her object seems to be, instead of husbanding her popula tion and her resources, to scatter them, and to be content with laying the foundations of "half a dozen separate Empires." Mr. True's plan would be to have but one Empire, and but one imperial parliament, in which all the separate states—even India under some restrictions-should be represented! In this book his plan is developed with much ingenuity and with a formidable array of statistics. The question as to how England is to maintain her relative position among the nations of the world is one full of dif ficulties. The tide of emigration which is flowing from her shores is weakening her every day. Mr. True sees the danger, but we doubt if his book will commend itself to those who now control British counsels.

GEIKIE'S ENGLISH REFORMATION.*-Dr. Geikie, the author of this work, is favorably known to many readers through his extended "Life of Christ." In the work before us he has presented a graphic narrative of the English Reformation from its rise to its triumph at the accession of Elizabeth. He writes with an ardent feeling in behalf of the Protestant faith, and in antagonism to Ritualistic and Romanizing attempts to misrepresent and to distort it. The exposure of the real character of Henry VIII. is a wholesome antidote for those who have imbibed the perverted notions of Froude respecting that sanguinary tyrant. The de fence of Anne Boleyn deserves, also, to be carefully considered, in connection with the assumption of Froude and others that she was guilty of the charges brought against her. The whole work of Dr. Geikie is interesting to the general reader, as well as to students of ecclesiastical history.

*The English Reformation: How it came about, and why we should uphold it. By CUNNINGHAM GEIKIE, D.D. New York: D. Appleton & Co. 1879.

KEARY'S DAWN OF HISTORY.*-This little work is an effort to sum up, and state in lucid order, the results of the labor of specialists in the new and partially explored field of the pre-historic life of mankind. Among the particular topics are the Earliest Traces of Man, The Second Stone Age, The Growth of Language, Early Social Life, Religion, Mythologie's and Folk Tales, Phonetic Writing, etc. The great interest now felt in this branch of investigation, and the clear and interesting manner in which it is here treated, will secure for the volume before us a good measure of attention and appreciation.

THE CENTURY.-This is the name of a very attractive weekly, lately established in New York, which publishes " essays, reviews, criticisms, novels, tales, sketches of travel and history, geographical discoveries, poetry, scientific, biographical, social, and political information, selected from over three hundred of the foreign magazines." The magazine is specially distinguished from others of the same general character, by the fact that to some extent the selections are made from the leading dailies and weeklies of the old world. The numbers thus far have furnished very interesting reading.

*The Dawn of History: An Introduction to Pre-historic Study. Edited by C. F. KEARY, M.A., of the British Museum. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS.

G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York City.

The Bible of To-day. A Course of Lectures. By John W. Chadwick, Minister of the Second Unitarian Church in Brooklyn, N. Y. 8vo, 304 pp.

American Colleges: their Students and Work. By Charles F. Thwing. 12mo, 159 pp.

Economic Monographs. No. X. An essay on Free Trade. By Richard Haw. ley. 12mo, Paper. 63 pp.

Putnam's Art Hand-Books. Edited by Susan N. Carter, Principal of the "Women's Art School, Cooper Union." The Art of Flower Painting. By Mrs. William Duffield. With twelve illustrations by Dalziel. From the Twelfth London edition. 12mo, Paper. 46 pp.

Current Discussion: a Collection from the chief English Essays on Questions of the Time. Edited by Edward L. Burlingame. Two vols. 8vo. Vol. I. Interna. tional Politics. 368 pp. Vol. II. Questions of Belief. 360 pp.

Visions of the Future and other Discourses. By O. B. Frothingham. 8vo, 269 pp.

A Popular Treatise on the Currency Question. Written from a Southern point of view. By Robert W. Hughes, U. S. Judge of the Eastern District of Virginia. 12mo, 213 pp.

Fasting Girls: their Physiology and Pathology. By William A. Hammond, M.D. 12mo, 76 pp.

Soldier and Pioneer: a Biographical Sketch of Lt.-Col. Richard C. Anderson, of the Continental Army. By E. L. Anderson. 12mo, 63 pp.

Bryant among his Countrymen. The Poet, the Patriot, the Man before the Goethe Club, Wednesday evening, October 30th, 1878. Osgood, D.D., LL.D. Pamphlet. 8vo, 34 pp.

Henry Holt & Co., New York City.

An Oration
By Samuel

Leisure Hour Series.-No. 100. A Century of American Literature, 1776-1876. Edited by Henry A. Beers, Assistant Professor of English Literature in Yale College. 12mo, 407 pp.-No. 101. The First Violin. A novel. By Jessie Foth. ergill. 432 pp. No. 103. The Return of the Native. By Thomas Hardy. 465 pp.

D. Appleton & Co., New York City.

Collection of Foreign Authors.-No. XIV. Jean Têterol's Idea. From the French of Victor Cherbuliez. 16mo, 319 pp.

New Handy-volume Series. - The Disturbing Element; or, Chronicles of the BlueBell Society. By Charlotte M. Yonge. 16mo, 203 pp.-Fairy Tales: their origin and meaning. With some account of Dwellers in Fairyland. By John Thacke ray Bunce. 16mo, 172 pp.-Thomas Carlyle: his life-his books-his theories. By Alfred H. Guernsey. 16mo, 201 pp.-English Literature. A. D. 596-1832. B. T. Arnold. (From the Encyclopedia Britannica.) 16mo, 185 pp.