LITERARY NEWS.
The little stir or promise there is in the publishing world seems with Messrs. Chapman and Hall. They announce in the course of the month Mr. Thomas Adolphus Trollope's "Decade of Italian Women," Sketches in London by George Augustus Sala to be called "Gaslight and Daylight," and Milton's Poems with notes by Keightley.
They are also coming out rather strong in new editions of modern works. Among them will be a cheaper edition of Mrs. Browning's "Aurora Leigh," a third edition of Craik's, "Outlines of the History of the English Language," with cheap volumes of Lever's and Anthony Trollope's novels ; besides two books on the graver themes of colours and mathematics.
The Critic reports that the preparations for the new periodical to be con- ducted by Mr. Charles.Dickens are far advanced, and that the paper will appear on the 1st of next month under the title of .411 the Year Round.
Professor Nichol has published a letter contradicting the report that Mr George Combs was the author of the Vestiges of the Natural History of the, Creation. We retained some doubts, from the elevated style and powerful painting of that remarkable book. 1)r.Nichol uses terms which, at least by implication, contravene another very. prevalent idea,—that he is the author. As Dr. Nichol seems to hint that he as in possession of the secret, the Critic challenges him to say who is the author.
M. Leon Guerin, author of the "History of the last War against Russia," —announced in the Speotator some weeks ago,—is atpresent engaged, through the Indipendance Beige, in a bitter controversial correspondence with Prince Gortchakoff, on account of some passages in the book in ques- tion. When describing the celebrated charge of the English cavalry, at Balaclava, M. Guerin puts into the mouth of the Prince the words, " C'est tres-beau, mais permettez moi de le dire, c'est tres-bete !" The utterance of these words is denied by the Prince • nevertheless the author will not re- tract the statement, but deolaree that in a second edition, which is to be published immediately, he will print Prince Gortehakoff's letter of denial and some other documents on the subject, amongst them a note from General Caurobert, so that the public may judge for itself.
M. Alexandre Dumas arrived at Constantinople, on his return from Cir- cassia, on Saturday the 28th of February. He was accompanied by a French painter of some renown, 3i. Morin; and according to the Presse d'Orient, both travellers paraded the streets of Stamboul for several days, in flaming Circassian costume,—white fur bonnet, gold laced jacket, embroidered boots, and girdle filled with pistols and daggers. M. Alexandre Dumas was expected to start at once for France ; but to return in the autumn in a yacht of his own, which he had recently purchased, and in which he intended to cruise all over the Euxine and Mediterranean,—another Ulysses, only with no determinate Ithaca save the inevitably resulting book—perhaps a more valuable possession.
The fifteenth volume of M. Henri Martin's elaborate " Histoire de France" was published on Monday this week by Fume and Co. the Paris booksellers. It contains the history of the Regency and of the first part of the reign of Louis XV., up to the Treaty of Pans, of the 10th February 1763. The famous financial system of Law, the great military and diplo- matic achievements of the period, the philosophical and literary movement, the state of the French marine and the colonies, and the early agitation of the national mind, which was the first sign of the coming revolution' are successively described in this volume. Many of the facts are drawn from hitherto unknown sources, and the whole is the fruit of many years' study.
The same publishing firm (Fume) has just issued a "Histoire de la Lutte des Papes et des Empereurs," [" History of the Struggle of Popes and Kaisers,"] by M. de Cherrier, member of the Institut. The work is in three volumes, and, as might be expected from the name of the learned au- thor, is full of solid erudition. It is by a mere chance that it happens to come out at the present moment, when Italian affairs attract so much at- tention.
The first volume of M. Hippolyte Castille's "History of Sixty Years," which was published in Paris about a week ago, is creating no small sensa- tion, on account of the unwonted frankness of its style, in comparing repub- lican and monarchical institutions. The "Sixty Years" begin with 1788, and this first volume brings the history down to the 22d July 1792, the day of the great publication of "The Country is in Danger." The work will be completed in ten volumes.
The second and. concluding volume of the "History of the Empress Jose- phine," by M. Joseph Aubenas, was issued a few days ago, by A.myet, Paris. It contains some curious particulars about the private life of Napoleon his habits, manners, mode of speech, &c. ; much of it drawn from manu- script sources not generally accessible.
M. Faugere the well known author of "Lee Penseis, at L'ISloge de Pascal" has just published, through Didot frires a little volume called "Le Zollverein, on Pllnion des douanes de la Prune et des Etats Ails- mauls," which is attracting some sensation at Paris. According to the author, the political unity of Germany must inevitably follow from this successful attempt of a commercial union ; to obtain the tint, he says, no- thing is wanting for Germany at present but an outward pressure against her nationality, or some other great political movement.
"Souvenirs intimes d'un vieux chasaeur d'Afrique " is the title of a new volume on Algerian life which was published this week by Dents, Paris. The book gives a vivid description of the habits and manners of the French soldier ; the way in which he lives, and loves, and amuses himself, even amidst the hardships of a campaign, and under the burning sun of a foreign climate. The work is ornamented with very pretty and spirited sketches by M. Worms.
3f. Theophile Silvestro, whom we have mentioned as being in England by order of the French Goverment, to invite artists to contribute to the forth- coming Paris exhibition, has just published a little book, the fruit of his English studies. It is entitled "L Art, lea Artistes et l'Industrie en Angle- terre," and speaks in very favourable terms of the progress which British art has lately made.
A Russian author, well known in his country, M. Tourguenef4 has re- candy published a novel, which is making a great sensation at St. Peters- burg, as descriptive of the manners of the Muscovite aristocracy pur sang, It is entitled " Dvorianskoe Gnezdo," Anglioé, "The Nest of the No- bility."
Original indigenous works of fiction seem to be coming into fashion in the Russian metropolis ; among other signs to this effect, it is said, that a book- seller; M. Kraivsky, has paid to a popular author, M. Gontcharoffi the un- heard-of sum of 10,000 rubles (about 16001.) for the copyright of one of his works.
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