New Publications.
Cantarium Romanum, Pars Prima, Ordinarium Missae.
Studio et sumptibus Monachorum Ord. S. Benedicti.
Conv. St. Meinradi, Ind. 1869.
Cincinnati and New York: Benziger Bros.
This publication purposes to give, in modern notation, the melodies of Gregorian Masses; that is, those portions which are common to all masses—the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, with the Responses. We hail this as a step in the right direction, but are forced to find some fault with this volume.
In the first place, we do not find the notation at all in conformity with the Roman Gradual or Missal, and suppose that it is according to one of those numerous "propers" which, in course of time, have been patched up for the use of various particular dioceses and religious orders. The spirit of the church to-day is one which inspires a return to unity in even minor points of discipline, of which the unity of the chant is, in our judgment, not the least. Again, the division of the words, their adaptation to the notes, and the length of notes given, makes horrible work in some places with the accent of the Latin, and destroys the majestic march of the melody. The effeminate sharp reigns supreme, and fancy responses take the place of those given in the Missal.
Meditations On The Sufferings, Life, And Death Of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Translated from the French by a Sister of Mercy.
Part First.
Cincinnati: Robert Clarke & Co. 1869.
This is a very excellent book of meditations, well translated, and published in the best style; to be completed in thirteen numbers. The proceeds are to be devoted to the building of a church annexed to the Convent of the Sisters of Mercy, in Cincinnati, to be called "The Church of the Atonement," and to be devoted especially to the adoration of the Sacred Heart of our Lord, in reparation of the injuries and outrages which it suffers from the neglect of tepid Christians and the more open sins of the wicked. The book is one which will be very useful to those who desire to practise meditation, and the object to which the good sisters intend to devote the profits, which we hope they may receive from it abundantly, is one that must commend itself to the heart of every good Catholic. We give them our best wishes for their complete success, and recommend their book most heartily to general circulation.
An American Woman In Europe.
By Mrs. S. R. Urbino.
Boston: Lee & Shepard.
A journal of two years and a half sojourn in Germany, Switzerland, France, and Italy, in only 338 duodecimo pages, is, as things go and as people write, really very moderate. It is a simple, straightforward story of what the authoress saw and heard, with a variety of practical information that many Americans on a first European tour might find useful.
There is no affectation of style or sentiment in the book, and the authoress may be said to belong to the realistic school of travellers, who keep a bright lookout for railroad fares, hotel bills, and the prices of things in general.
With disquisitions on art, Mrs. Urbino does not trouble us much, although she admires the works of that queen of Jarleys, Madame Tussaud, whose name she ungratefully prints Trousseau. At p. 228, the authoress indulges in this reflection: "How out of place crosses look in the Coliseum! I cannot see why they were put there, since there are a sufficient number of churches in the city." The good lady does not appear to be aware of the fact that if the cross had not been placed in the Coliseum, we people of the nineteenth century would never have seen the noble ruin of that grand monument.
Service Manual;
for the instruction of newly-appointed Officers, and the Rank and File of the Army, as compiled from Army Regulations, the Articles of War, and the Customs of the Service.
By Henry D. Wallen, Brevet Brigadier-General United States Army, and Commander of the General Service Department, Fort Columbus, New York Harbor.
1 vol. 8vo, pp. 166.
New York: D. Van Nostrand. 1869.
General Wallen has compiled this excellent manual from the authorized sources, and added to it the fruit of his mature experience and intimate practical knowledge of the subject. The work possesses value, not only as an authentic guide to the young officer in all the details of company, camp, and garrison duty, his relations of subordination and responsibility, and his duties and obligations to those above and below him in the military order, but also is mellowed and animated by a spirit of kindness and good-will, and that genuine characteristic of the good soldier and thorough gentleman to whom duty is honorable, and both command and obedience acceptable for their own sakes and the inherent virtue they imply. This spirit animates this work throughout, and gives to it a character far superior to ordinary dry regulations. General Wallen is well qualified for the task he has undertaken. He is an old and faithful officer, and intimately acquainted with the service in all its branches and ramifications. He served with credit in the war with Mexico, and was one of the pioneers of the settlement of Oregon. Owing to the fact of having been born in Georgia, General Wallen was distrusted during the late war by Mr. Stanton, and ordered to New Mexico. General Grant, who is his life-long friend, as soon as he came into power, ordered him to the East, and did what he could to repair the injury he had experienced from the suspicious disposition of the late secretary of war.
This work is of equal value to soldiers and officers, and will have a tendency to promote that mutual goodwill and cordial sympathy between the two classes growing out of the faithful performance of their respective duties, which we alone need to make our military system perfect, and absolutely invincible in war, as well as an example of honor and fidelity in peace.
A Report On The Excisions Of The Head Of The Femur For Gun Shot Wounds.
By George A. Otis, M.D.,
Assistant Surgeon and Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel U.S.A.
Being Circular No. 2 War Department, Surgeon-General's Office.
Jan. 1869. 4to, pp. 141.
Washington: Government Printing Office.
It is not our purpose, in calling the attention of the readers of The Catholic World to this work, to enter upon any discussion or details of a purely surgical character, which would be obviously out of place. The Catholic World is essentially Catholic, and while strictly and purely so, aims to embrace within the scope of its critical observation every subject of interest and importance to society; and especially to award its cordial praise to those efforts which have for their object genuine science, true humanity, and national and individual honor and intellectual and moral advancement.
The work before us is of the character indicated. In reverting to the public calamities and private miseries of the late war, it is a matter of satisfaction to know that out of the eater has come forth some meat; out of the strong, some sweetness. With the exception of the doubtful advantage of the knowledge which we have gained of our brute strength, some improvement in gunnery, and the familiarization of the public mind with battle, murder, and sudden death, we have reaped no substantial benefit excepting in the department of military surgery. The medical profession gave during the war an extraordinary example of courage, devotion to duty, labor, and self-sacrifice, which we fear is not fully appreciated either by the country or the government. They rose as a body above the political issues involved, and the personal passions evoked, and, acting on the great principle of charity underlying their vocation, saw, in many a sick and wounded man, a friend and brother.
This principle was acted upon on both sides, it was the most humanizing element which entered into the conflict, and aided and seconded the chivalric spirit which animated the graduates of West Point. These two qualities redeemed the late war from utter barbarism.
There was, on the part of the medical officers, an earnest, conscientious, and zealous determination to ascertain the best methods of treatment in all cases, and an ardent desire to relieve suffering, save life, and preserve limbs in the best possible condition for future usefulness. The publications of the Medical Department and the admirable museum collected at Washington bear testimony to the accuracy of this statement, and, while they are a terrible and sickening commentary on man's inhumanity to man, they are also a sublime and beautiful illustration of that power which turns temporary calamities into permanent benefits, and of that humanity and science which are both motives and objects of the profession of medicine.
The reports issued from time to time by the surgeon-general are the concentrated and distilled expression of multitudes of crude and detached observations, carefully elaborated, compared, analyzed, and corrected, till they come to express the precise knowledge and experience of the present day on a given subject.
The portion of this great work before us is prepared by Doctor George A. Otis, Assistant Surgeon and Lieutenant-Colonel U.S.A., and is a model of patient labor, exact knowledge, just discrimination, and acutely intelligent appreciation. It presents all that is known in regard to a class of terrible and exceedingly fatal injuries. The facts, evidence, and opinions are carefully and impartially weighed and estimated, and the conclusions are such as will be accepted by every discriminating surgeon throughout the world.
The voice of the medical profession will, we believe, endorse the opinion which we somewhat apodictically express.
Society and the country owe Doctor Otis a debt of gratitude for his great work, and also the medical bureau which aids and directs his labors. Such works belong to the class of benefits whose value cannot be expressed by human standards. They reflect honor upon the age and country which produce them, and are an invaluable legacy to the future.
We cannot conclude this imperfect notice without expressing the hope that Congress, influenced by the universal sentiment of the country, will give all the material aid required to the Surgeon-General's Department in prosecuting its great and most fruitful labors.
Silver Jubilee Of The University Of Notre Dame, June 23d, 1869.
Compiled and published by Joseph A. Lyons, A.M.
Chicago: E. B. Myers & Co.
This is a tastefully gotten-up volume, designed as a "memorial" tribute to the students, past and present, of the University of Notre Dame, in Northern Indiana, on the occasion of the celebration of the twenty-fifth or silver anniversary of the corporate existence of that now large, flourishing, and important Catholic institution of learning. It gives a brief but interesting history of the university, from its humble beginnings, a quarter of a century since, under the zealous and effective labors of the Very Rev. Father Sorin and his well-chosen and able co-workers, to its present wide and ample proportions. This is followed by an account of its internal economy or arrangements; its study, discipline, and amusements; its societies—religious, literary, and others; its library, museum, etc., etc. Sketches are also given of the lives of its presidents, vice-presidents, professors, and teachers, as well as of its alumni, with a full account of the exercises of its recent Jubilee commencement. Altogether, the volume must prove a very interesting and acceptable one to the numerous graduates, pupils, and friends of Notre Dame.
Nora Brady's Vow, And
Mona The Vestal.
By Mrs. Anna H. Dorsey.
Boston: Patrick Donahoe. 1869.
The first of these stories is of modern times, and the other is of the time of St. Patrick. Mrs. Dorsey, like all writers not to the Irish manner born, makes fearful work with what some persons are pleased to call the Irish brogue. This is, however, a small fault, with which we do not wish to quarrel. The stories are presented to the public in a beautifully printed and elegantly bound volume, and will, we doubt not, be welcomed in many an Irish-American household.
The Way Of Salvation,
in Meditations for all times in the year. By St. Alphonsus Liguori.
Translated from the Italian by the Rev. James Jones.
New York: Catholic Publication Society, 126 Nassau St.
One of the best signs of the present time, and a sign most encouraging to Catholics of all classes and professions, is that books of genuine piety are more and more in demand every day. It was this fact that induced the Catholic Publication Society to bring out in a neat and very convenient form the celebrated Way of Salvation, by St. Liguori. It is one of the most popular works of that sainted author; and the mere announcement of its publication is sufficient recommendation.
The Two Schools. A Moral Tale.
By Mrs. Hughs.
New York: The Catholic Publication Society. 1869.
This book presents in a striking manner the results of two systems of home education. In it we have a vivid picture of the consequences of wealth, recklessly lavished on an only daughter, contrasted with the encouraging way in which the virtue of a much-injured girl triumphs over the designs of base and cunning enemies. The authoress possesses a happy talent of describing persons in an easy and remarkably concise style, and she succeeds in causing her characters to act and speak in a natural manner. The book will be read, by girls especially, with the keenest enjoyment. The conduct of Mary will seldom fail to draw forth their approval, and all readers will agree that this is a good story.
A German Reader.
In Prose and Verse.
With Notes and Vocabulary.
By William D. Whitney.
New York: Leypoldt & Holt.
The text of this Reader has at length reached us; and in regard to accuracy, arrangement, and clearness of type it is all that can be desired. The selections are very good, although many of them have already done service in German educational works. Originality is only claimed for the vocabulary and notes, which have not yet been published, so that we may only remark that the volume will enjoy a very high reputation, if the forthcoming part be prepared with the same attention that has been devoted to the text.
The Poetical Works Of Samuel Lover.
London and New York: George Routledge & Sons.
A most beautiful edition of the beautiful songs of Lover, written mostly, as all know, about love and lovers. Yet not all. We are indebted to him for many charming ballads, of sweetest melody and deepest pathos, to which indeed Lover owes his fame as a poet.
The Irish Widow's Son;
Or, The Pikemen Of Ninety-eight.
A story of the Irish Rebellion, embracing an historical account of the Battles of Antrim and Ballinahinch.
By. Con O'Leary.
Boston: P. Donahoe. 1869.
This book is interesting, and free from the coarseness which is found in so many stories of Ireland. The author has succeeded in producing a readable tale of that epoch in Ireland's history when secret associations became the controlling power of that misgoverned country.
Essay On Divorce And Divorce Legislation,
with special reference to the United States.
By Theodore D. Woolsey, D.D., LL.D., President of Yale College.
New York: Charles Scribner & Co. 1869.
This book, by one of the first scholars of our country, is a very learned and laudable effort to effect a reform in our divorce legislation. It would require a long and elaborate article to do justice to the work and the subject. At present we can only say that the community ought to thank Dr. Woolsey for the labor he has performed in their service, and which he has done as well as it can be done by one who stands on the Protestant platform.
THE CATHOLIC PUBLICATION SOCIETY has in preparation, and will publish early in October, The Illustrated Catholic Family Almanac for 1870. It will contain the astronomical tables, calendars, a great amount of valuable statistics, as well as several well-written sketches of places and things in various countries. It will be illustrated with over twenty splendid wood-cuts, and will be sold for 25 cents per copy. Orders from the trade should be sent in at once.
P. O'SHEA, New York, has in press, and will publish this season,
Lacordaire's Sketch of the Order of St. Dominic;
Memoir, Journal, and Correspondence of Mrs. Seton, by Mgr. Seton, in 2 vols. 8vo;
Love of our Lord Jesus Christ, by St. Jure, vol. 2;
Library of Good Examples, 12 vols.
John Murphy & Co., Baltimore, announce A Memoir of the Life and Character of the Rev. Demetrius Augustin de Gallitzin, Founder of Loretto and Catholicity in Cambria County, Pa., Apostle of the Alleghanies. By Very Rev. Thomas Heyden, of Bedford, Pa.
Patrick Donahoe, Boston, has in press
Mary and Mi-Ka, a story of "The Holy Childhood;"
Five Years in a Protestant Sisterhood, and Ten Years in a Catholic Convent;
and a Life of Christopher Columbus.
Kelly, Piet & Co., Baltimore, announce the republication of the Roman periodical,
Acta ex Iis decerpta quae apud Sanctam Sedem geruntur.
The Double Sacrifice: a tale of Castelfidardo. The Life of Madame Louise de France, Daughter of Louis XV., in religion Mother Terese de St. Augustin. The Day Sanctified; being meditations and spiritual readings for daily use.
Popular Tales. By Maria Edgeworth.
Moral Tales. By Maria Edgeworth.