LITERARY NEWS.

On reviewing the literary history of the last seven years or more, it will be found marked by constantly recurring signs of public pressure on the chief publishing.houses, compelling their attention to demands which at first sight may appear incompatible. In the' first place, every re- curring season the public demand is for better books, and in the second place for lower prices. Poor and dear might suit the very small class of readers who patronized the booksellers two or three decades ago, but now that the million are to be served, bettor and cheaper is the perpe- tual cry. To this popular demand, the most stately of booksellers have not scorned to yield, and the most conservative of all our authors have paid deference. It would take a long column to show by example, how first one, and then another have slowly yielded to the pressure of the new generations of bookreaders. The latest example is the issue of a cheap copyright of " Byron." It is to be followed immediately by a cheap illustrated " Moore " the first part to contain the whole of "Leila Rookh " and a steel portrait for one shilling. On reviewing the literary history of the last seven years or more, it will be found marked by constantly recurring signs of public pressure on the chief publishing.houses, compelling their attention to demands which at first sight may appear incompatible. In the' first place, every re- curring season the public demand is for better books, and in the second place for lower prices. Poor and dear might suit the very small class of readers who patronized the booksellers two or three decades ago, but now that the million are to be served, bettor and cheaper is the perpe- tual cry. To this popular demand, the most stately of booksellers have not scorned to yield, and the most conservative of all our authors have paid deference. It would take a long column to show by example, how first one, and then another have slowly yielded to the pressure of the new generations of bookreaders. The latest example is the issue of a cheap copyright of " Byron." It is to be followed immediately by a cheap illustrated " Moore " the first part to contain the whole of "Leila Rookh " and a steel portrait for one shilling.

Among the veteran pioneers of this new development of literature, the Brothers Chambers will always hold high rank. Their latest an- nouncement is a new Encyclopmdia, the first number of which will appear on the 1st of April, at their favourite standard price of Lid per week. This work has been in careful preparation for several years, and is intended to form a Dictionary of universal knowledge for the people, on the basis of the latest edition of the German Conversations Lexicon. If report speaks true, it will form the crowning contribution of the editors to cheap literature.

Another great illustration of our progress in literature of late years may be drawn from certain statistics in the last number of the Edinburgh Review, which establish that the British Museum Library is now only second in extent to the Biblietheque Imperials at Paris. It must be remembered that the proportion of old books is much greater in the Paris Library, and that the Library of the British Museum is quite a recent creation. The numbers stand thus. Bibliotheque Imperials 800,000, British Museum 560,000 volumes.

Mr. Carr has just issued a Specimen Prospectus of his " New Classical Lexicon of Biography, Mythology, and Geography," which is recom- mended by Dr. Major, the experienced editor of an edition of " Stephen's

Greek Thesaurus," and " and Lexicon," as by far the most compre- hensive and scholarlike work of the kind in existence.

A Fifteenth edition of Mr. Eliot Warburton's " Crescent and the Cross " forms the new volume of Messrs. Hurst and Blackett's " Standard Library of Cheap Editions of Modern Popular Works."

It is stated by the Manchester Guardian that Mr. Kinglake, M.P., the well-known author of " Eothen" is closely engaged upon his history of the Crimean war.

The third volume of Captain Brialmont's "Life of the Duke of Wel- lington," translated by the Reverend G. R. Gleig, is preparing for pub- lication, and will complete the work. It will contain the history of the Duke's career subsequent to the battle of Waterloo, and exhibit him as a man and statesman. Mr. Gleig will have much to say in this part of the work, from his personal knowledge of the Duke. The military history contained in the first two volumes, is remarkable, as the production of a French author, for its genuineness and impartiality.

The long-expected poem of "King Arthur" by Alfred Tennyson, is said to be almost ready for publication. The finishing touches have been given to the description of Merlin's Bewitchment by the wicked Nemai, and of the Trials of Eind, and the fair maiden of Astolet, who hopelessly loved Sir Launcelot to the death. These subjects afford equal scope for the Laureate's labyrinthine obscurity, and for his rich colouring and de- licate imagination. But surely we may also:expect in this volume some promise of the retiring manlioccs, and vigour, and classical beauty of his younger days.

Dr. Mackay is understood to have a work at press on America, which will contain the results of his recent visit to that country.

The readers of Mr. Kingsley's last fiction will remember that it con- tained a favourable notice of a novel by Mr. Henry Brooke, which at- tained a high degree of popularity during the latter half of the eighteenth century. It is now stated that a new edition of this fiction is in prepa- ration, and will appear after the necessary expurgations by the hand of Mr. Kingsley. Young America shows signs of wakefulness as usual. Mr. George Francis Train, light and flowing as ever, it is to be trusted, announces a new book, with the dashing title of " Spread-Eagleism.' We are also very soon to be treated to a republican summing up of the old monarchi- cal states in a series of histories. The first volume on the empire of Austria is out this week, and is to be succeeded by Russia, Spain, France, Germany, &c., each in a volume of between 500 and 600 pages, Crown 8vo.

The week has been marked by certain " amenities of literature" which merit a passing notice. Mr. Charles Watkin Williams Wynn writes an angry letter to the Times on the subject of the Buckingham Correspondence lately edited by the present Duke. He complains of the "unwarrantable publication" of letters addressed in the strictest confi- dence to his Grace's father, and appends the copy of a letter addressed to his own father by the late Duke, containing an assurance that the letters from Mr. Wynn in his possession were preserved with inviolable secrecy. "Further," adds the Duke, "I have written a paper to be found by my son with my will, strictly enjoining him never to suffer any political papers which he may find to pass into any hands for examination or pub- lication, and urging him to leave a similar charge behind him to his suc- cessor." The case, made out by Mr. Wynn is specious ; but "audi alte- ram partem " is a golden rule, in obedience, to the dictate of which we suspend our judgment.

A matter of personal interest also appears in the Atheneum relative to Madame Mario (late Miss Jessie Meriton White), who had been charged with a dishonourable use of the respected names of Mr. and Mrs. Brown- ing. The brother of Madame Mario clearly exculpates his sister from this charge ; and also denies that she was appointed the almoner of Mr. Landor's 1001. prize for Tyrannicide.

The Critic returns to the charge on the subject of the " Vestiges"' authorship. The gentleman on whose authority it originally stated Mr. George Combe to be the author went upon these grounds : he cor- rected a few misstatements in the book of recondite facts, and caused those corrections to be shown to George Combe alone, and in the second edition the corrections were adopted. The same gentleman invariably addressed Mr. Combe as the author of the " Vestiges," and Mr. Combe never denied the authorship. Meanwhile, "A Man in the Streets" fur- nishes the Newcastle Chronicle with a very plausible explanation of the authorship on internal evidence.

" It is some years ago since we made a minute examination of the internal evidences of authorship to be found in the volume, and we came to the following conclusions : 1st, that no one person has written the whole • 2d, that there were at least two, if not three, different styles employed ; that here and there were passages interpolated in one portion of the work, written by another pen, the style of which was found in another part of the work ; 4th, that this pen last mentioned acted as editor, while one or more writers were contributory ; 6th, the editorial pen is found in the eloquence of the book, which sometimes bears evidence of manifest interpolations, and which are grand general inferences from particular facts ; 6th, that the au- thorship was known to Mr. Robert Chambers, Professor Nichol, and to (at that time) a prominent member of the Manchester Literary and Philosophi- cal Society ; 7th, that the authorship could not be clamed by any one and could be denied by any one. Subsequent observation has confirmed these suspicions, and while we are prepared to state that George Combe was not the author of the " Vestiges,' we are equally sure that he was one of the contributors to its pages."

A curious discovery has just been made in the archives of the city of Lon- don—a new fact about Chaucer. In the reign of Edward III. a lease was granted to Geoffrey Chaucer of a room above one of the city gates (Aldgate) and of premises adjoining. The poet was the lessee, in the east of London, of a room like that over Temple Bar, and of a house adjoining, like that of the Messrs. Child.

Apropos of the approaching jubilee in celebration of the centenary of Schiller's birth in Germany, we observe that the Cotta firm of Stuttgart will shortly publish their long-expected critical edition of Schiller's com- plete works. Two new biographies of the poet will also appear from the pens of M. Emile Palleske and M. I. Scherr. The former will be immedi- ately translated into English by Lady Wallace.

Madame d'Harcourff s "La Duchesse d'Orleans," has now passed already through six editions within the four weeks that it has been published, and Messrs. Levy freres are preparing the seventh.

The Abbe Duclos, vicar of the Church de la Madeleine at Paris, has just fulminated a big duodecimo volume against his dancing, singing, and flirt- ing countrymen and women. It bears the title, "La Saison d'Hiver a Paris ; ou Etude des Mecurs Francaises sous le rapport sacra et profane."

The publisher of Beranger's works, M. Perrotin, in answer to his public appeal for contributions to a life of the poet,' has already received 2250 au- tograph letters of Beranger. The work is expected to appear about the month of June or July.

M. Alexandre Dumas's return to France (he arrived at the beginning of this week in Paris,) will be announced to the world in the immediate ap- pearance of a couple of volumes, entitled " Traite Pratique de la Cuisine Busse." So at least says the feuilletonist of the Brussels Independame. 'l'he'thing seems odd enough; yet the great novelist is capable of writing a

1Et on cookery as well as on the rest of arts and sciences which he has sl- y handled with his prolific pen. r. Hume, " the spiritualist," we are told by the same informant, has just made a contract with M. Dentu, to write, before the month of June next, a work " on second sight." The famous " medium" is now living at St. Petersburg, in momentary retirement from the world, with his young wife, Mrs. Douglas Hume, nee Kroll.

Among the list of forthcoming works announced by the publishing firm of achette and Co. in Paris is one which deserves particular attention, on a unt of the name of its author, M. Charles Nisard, the well-known sa- v t and literary antiquarian. The title of the book, too, is rather original : " es Gladiateurs de la Republique des Lettres aux Quinzieme, Seizieme, e Dixseptieme Siecles." (The Gladiators of Literature in the Fifteenth, -teenth, and Seventeenth Centuries.)

A work entitled " The History of the Working Classes in France," by

1 . E. Levasseur, which lately received the first prize of the Aeademie des ieneea Morales et Politiques, has just been published by Guillaumin and ., Paris. It is in two largo octavo volumes, and contains a vast quantity cc information about the state of artisans and agricultural labourers in for- nir times, their wages, mode of living, &c. The author has made, for many years, the study of these questions his chief occupation.

The third volume of M. Duvergier de Hauranne's " History of Perlis- mtntary Government," was published this week by Michel Levy freres. This volume finishes the reign of the Hundred Days, bringing the narrative down to the first Ministry of Louis XVIII., and the famous decree of the 5ti of September. destined to become so fatal to the cause of liberty. A magnificent illustrated work has just been published at Turin, by the Count Roberto d' Azeglio. It consists of six large folio volumes, and con- tains engravings, in mezza macchia, of the best pictures in the royal gallery of Turin, with accompanying text, descriptive of the subject. The latter, which is from the pen of the Count, is not of the ordinary guide-book kind, but in the form of a number of historical and philosophical essays on art and artists, and their respective influence at different epochs and on dif- ferent men.

On Monday this week the Paris Academy of Sciences awarded their an- nual list of prizes to the successful competitors for the questions proposed for the year 1869. The great Montyon prize, destined to recompense the author of the best work on any subject of experimental physiology, was given to M. Jacubowitach, for his work on the structure of the brain ; and the second prize, by the same founder, was divided between M. Lenbossek and M. Lacaze-Duthiers, the former, author of a book on the central ner- vous system, the latter, of a work on the anatomy and physiology of the molluscs on the coasts of France. The prize of Baron de Tremont, " des- tined to aid a savant without fortune in the cost of works and experiments likely to bring about a discovery useful to science or to the more liberal industrial arts," was awarded for the second time to M. Ruhmkorff, in- ventor of the diamagnetical machine, and an apparatus for electrical induc- tion, both of which instruments have already been the means of important discoveries in electricity. Finally the great prize of M. de Breant, of 100,000 francs (40001.) "for the discovery of an efficacious remedy against the Asiatic cholera" has, for the first time, been tartly awarded, viz, the in- terest of the capital since its foundation, consisting of 5000 francs, (2001.) has been given to M. Doyere for his experimental researches on the composi- tion of the air which the cholera patients exhale, as also on the temperature of their bodies and other physiological signs, observed during the height of the crisis, and chiefly at the last few moments before dissolution.

The Nestor of Sardinian Sevens, the Cavaliers Giacinto Carena, per- petual secretary of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Turin, and a distin- guished writer on subjects of natural history, has just died at the advanced age of eighty-one years.