LITERATURE AND ART.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8360, 13 September 1890, Page 4 (Supplement)

LITERATURE AND ART.

TnE Athenaeum hears that, at a 'recent sale under the hammer in America, the manuscript of the " Autocrat of the Breakfast Table" realised 315 dollars.

The Leeds corporation have purchased Mr. Harry Tuke's delightful picture of boys bathing in the full sunlight, which was seen at the new English Art club last year. A fourth edition, with considerable additions and and an entirely now index, of the "Denominational Reason Why"—giving the origin, history, and tenets of the Christian sects, with the reasons assigned by themselves for their specialities of faith and forms of worshipis announced by Messrs. Houlston and Sons.

Mr. Henry Frowde will publish in the early autumn a "Guide-book to Books." This guide-book will contain lists of books that may bo recommended as of value in every department of knowlodge, and brief notes will bo added, where necessary, explanatory of the scope and nature of tho works mentioned in it.

A new volume of essays by Professor Huxley will shortly be published by Messrs. Macmillan. The essays thenisolves will be reprints of those that have already appeared in the monthly reviews, bub they will bo preceded by an elaborate introduction which is altogether new, and should give the book a special interest. The much-talked-of moral text-book for Government-aided schools in India has now been issued, and has been distributed throughout the schools of the Panjab as a first experiment. It is styled "A moral Reader for High Schools," and contains four distinct sections, the last of which treats on the Deity, prayer, &c, from the standpoint of " goneral religion." The German papors report the discovery at Cairo of a Coptic manuscript which contains much now light upon the famous Council of Ephcsus in 431. Tho book consists of a series of letters wrttten from Ephesus by Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria, to his agent ac the Court of Theodosius 11., and also a report by this agent, Victor tho Younger, on the result of hi* negotiations. Mr. George Eyre-Todd, the editor of tho edition of " Ossian" in tho "Canterbury Poets," is going to issue, under the title of " Sketch-Book of the Worth," a series of articles descriptive of Scottish scenes and manners, some of which have appeared in the Illustrated London News, Chambers' Journal, and other publications. Mr. William Hodge and Co., of Glasgow, are to be the publishers. Mr. E. F. Knight is now hard at work (says tho Athenaeum) at his book describing his recent cruise in tho Alerto in search of the treasure supposed to have been hidden by pirates in an uninhabited island. Although Mr. Knight did not succeed in finding the treasure, he believes that ho has gathered plenty of material for an interesting book. Messrs. Longman.who arc to be the publishers, hope to have the book ready in the autumn. The fourth volume of Canon Dixon's " History of the Church of England" is in the press. This volume contains the reign of Queen Mary. It examines the martyrology, which no historian has done since the age of Fox. Particular attention (says the Athenaeum) is given to the last part of the life of Cranmer, on which new light is thrown. The career of Cardinal Pole in his last legation is carefully traced. Throughout the volume the author has made use of contemporary documents, some of which have not before been applied. The publishers are Messrs. Routledge and Sons.

Mr. Lewis G. Janes, president of the Brooklyn Ethical Association, writes to an American contemporary : —Ab the request of Messrs. Williams and Norgate, Mr. Spencer's English publishers, and from a detailed statement furnished by them, I am able to state that the total sales of Mr. Spencer's works in Great Britain up to April IS, IS9O, have amounted to 104,000 copies, exclusive of the " Descriptive Sociology." This number includes 33,750 copies of tho various volumes of " The Synthetic Philosophy," 39,500 copies of " Education," and 20,000 copies of "Man Versus the State." Eight thousand copies of his "First Principles" have been sold by Messrs. Williams and Norgate. From Messrs. D. Appleton and Co. I also learn that the total sales of the authorised American editions of Mr. Spencer's works to date have amounted to 104,000 copies.