a

good book. He brings together all parallel between Joan and St. Catherthe various material on Joan of Arc, ine of Siena, and sketching at considsubjects it to close cross-examination, erable length the repulsive character and sums it up with the carefulness of of Charles VII — the beastly monarch a judge. Better still, he has succeeded for whom Joan sacrificed her life. in making Joan of Arc human

The Evolution of Horticulture in task only to be fairly measured when New England. By Daniel Denison we remember how much legend and Slade, ’44. (Putnam : New York.) supernaturalism have added to the In this dainty book of 180 small pages inherent strangeness of her career. Dr. Slade has given us a charming He shows her to have been simple, sketch of the introduction of the art healthy-minded, thoroughly feminine of gardening into the wilderness of - in a word, the most sensible of New England, together with some acpious enthusiasts. Even toward her count of the origin of the art in Old “ voices," which she obeyed implicitly, England and its more recent developshe preserved as reasonable an atti- ment in America, particularly about tude as Socrates towards his daemon. Boston. The writings of the English She was never in the pietistic flutter herbalists, botanists, and gardeners, common to the saints and visionaries from Gerarde and Parkinson to Worwith whom she has too often been lidge and John Evelyn, are here reclassed.

To have shown her in this viewed, in order to discover the ideas light, which we believe to be the true and practices ch the colonists one, is greatly to Mr. Lowell's credit; brought with them to the New World. it is a view which will probably be The wild forests of New England generally accepted when the evidence

are described by quotations from the on which it is based is widely known. explorers' writings. The rude agriContrary to what might be expected, culture of the Red Men is briefly the earlier part of the narrative, in touched upon. The horticultural trials which Mr. Lowell describes Joan's of the Plymouth Pilgrims are sympamilitary exploits, has much less inter- thetically noted : “Our pease not est than the latter part, in which be worth the gathering ; the sun parched analyzes with great legal ability the them in the blossom.” The early intricate proceedings at her trial and stages of other settlements along the her own internal conflict. With per- coasts and in the Connecticut Valley fect fairness he sets forth the position are similarly described in the settlers' of her prosecutors, showing how nat- own words. Lastly, some of the more ural it was for them to assume that famous of the early and recent private she was possessed by evil spirits, and gardens and country seats of the neighhow, accordingly, they were justified borhood of Boston are pleasantly menin condemning her. The question of tioned, and the little book.closes with the origin and nature of her voices some rambling reflections on the fine Mr. Lowell leaves for psychologists to art of "landscape gardening," the decide, holding that the historian's educational value of horticultural soduty is simply to record them and the cieties, and the possible future perfecpublic events to which they gave rise. tion to which the art of horticulture In an appendix he discusses this mat- may attain. By all persons who may ter, besides drawing an interesting be interested in the past conditions of

BOOKS RECEIVED.

that most interesting section of New Heroes of the Nations Series. (Putnam : England, — the neighborhood of Bos- New York. $1.50.) ton, Dr. Slade's book will be valued;

A Dictionary of Chemical Solubilities : but it will undoubtedly be prized most (Macmillan : New York; for sale by Estes

Inorganic. By Arthur M. Comey, '82. highly by those whom it will serve to & Lauriat, Boston. $5.00.) remind of the quiet, refined, and Books and their Makers during the Midscholarly man who was its author. dle Ages. A Study of the Conditions of

the Production and Distribution of Literature from the Fall of the Roman Empire

to the Close of the Seventeenth Century. The Christ of To-day. By George A. By Geo. Haven Putnam, A. M. (PutGordon, '81. (Houghton, Mifflin & Co.:

nam : New York.) Boston. $1.50.) Visions and Service. Fourteen Dis

COMMUNICATIONS. courses delivered in College Chapels. By William Lawrence, '71. (Houghton, Mif- HARVARD AND THE SECONDARY flin & Co.: Boston.)

SCHOOLS. Lines read at the Centennial Celebration

At the twenty-ninth annual meeting of the Hasty Pudding Club of Harvard College. By John T. Wheelwright, '76. of the Massachusetts Association of Illustrations by Washington Allston, 1800, Classical and High School Teachers, J. G. Curtis, '66, and F. G. Attwood, '78. held in Brookline, Saturday, April 11, (Little, Brown & Co.: Boston. $1.00.)

1896, there was expressed in terms Regeneration. A Reply to Max Nordau. With an Introduction by Nicholas Murray dissatisfaction with the present meth

not to be mistaken a feeling of great Butler. (Putnam: New York.) The Bibelot: “A Flower of Laurium ;

ods of admission to college. As Har"A Maker of Forgotten Tunes ; ” “Sen- vard University is generally acknowtences from The Story of My Heart;'" ledged to be the protagonist in making “Songs of Dead Florentine."

examinations difficult to pass, the critiColeridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner. cism was largely directed towards that Edited by Herbert Bates, '90. (Long

venerable institution which possesses to mans : New York.)

Algebra for Schools and Colleges. By so high a degree the love of its graduWm. Freeland, ?81. (Longmans: New ates, no matter how critical they may be York. $1.12.)

about the details of Harvard's adminisGenealogies : The Hassam Family; The tration. The topics for discussion at Hilton Family; The Cheever Family. By the Brookline meeting are, of themJohn T. Hassam, '63. (Privately printed: Boston.)

selves, suggestive of a sort of Sturm The Expansion of Religion. By E. und Drang period in educational cirWinchester Donald. (Houghton, Mifflin cles. These are the subjects :& Co.: Boston.)

1. “To the College via the Public Buddhism : Its History and Literature.

High School.” By T. W. Rhys Davids. (Putnam : New

2. “The Essentials of College Prepfor sale by W. B. Clarke & Co., Boston.)

aration." Elementary Algebra. By J. A. Gillet, 3. “Sight Translation from Greek '63, (Holt: New York.)

and Latin Classics as a Test of ProLes Misérables. Abridged, with Intro

ficiency in English Composition.” duction and Notes by F. C. de Sumichrast.

Both in the papers and in the dis(Ginn: Boston.)

Lorenzo de' Medici. By E. Armstrong, cussions the opinion was freely exM.A., Fellow of Queen's College, Oxford. pressed that something is wrong in

York;

the relations of the colleges and the ing and seek ease and flow," in the secondary schools. The so-called sub- case of his commencement part. stitute for Greek in the Harvard ex- If examinations in any subject fail amination requirements was denounced to show good results, may not the fault as a “hollow mockery,” a characteri- be in the examinations and the examzation that certainly is supported by iners quite as much as in the candithe statistics regarding the number of dates ? candidates who offer the supposed sub- Is it not possible to imagine a stustitute for Greek. Particularly vigor- dent who might not have many clear ous were the denunciations of the ideas either on “ The Stage Coach,” English requirements. And truly one “Evangeline,” “ Dame Van Winkle," might ask many puzzling questions or “Grand-Pré," not to mention kinabout these requirements, for exam- dred themes, who yet might write ple :

very tolerable English on some sub1. Why select the particular works ject in which he was personally interof certain authors in preference to ested? And might not a candidate, other works equally meritorious ? whose translation at sight shows traces

2. Why limit the reading to any of foreign idiom, do much better if specified authors ?

his mind should not be distracted by 3. Why expect pupils to write good so many things at once? The most essays on subjects in which they are accomplished scholars often give to not necessarily interested, while there the translation of a few lines more are hundreds of other subjects in time than is allowed young students which they are interested, and on for the translation of long passages. which they could write well ?

Of a truth, translation at sight is 4. Why make so many changes in a “Serbonian bog,” and “getting the lists of required authors ?

through it” is often more a matter of Furthermore, is translation at sight luck than a result of merit. And a fair test of a pupil's English, and why, to go still further, as one of the ought the results of such translation speakers at Brookline said, — “Why to be made public either with or with- have entrance examinations at all ?" out the name of the student or of his Will not a half-year's probation be a school? Is not the task of translat- better test than any scheme of examiing a passage of Greek or Latin at nations yet devised ? Still further, sight difficult in itself, and is not such why is it possible for a student to go translation naturally accompanied by to dozens of other colleges four years, something of the Greek or the Latin and then by going to Harvard one idiom?

year get a full Harvard diploma ? I The fact that the examples of incor- ask this question very seriously, as it rect English found in many text-books has been propounded to me more than on rhetoric are taken from the works once, and I have never been able to of the best English authors shows that answer it to my own satisfaction. English is a difficult language to write. The students who went to other instiEven a professor of rhetoric has been tutions never had to run the gauntlet known to request one student to “drop of Harvard examiners, but in many upstairs and get a calendar," and to cases entered those institutions on cerask another " to get rid of the scaffold- tificate. To fit them for Harvard

would have required at least one year examinations and of the certificates of more than the time necessary to fit the headmasters, the candidate should them for almost any other American be admitted on probation. institution. Why not let the student 6. The right of certification, if unwho is ready for Amherst or Williams wisely or improperly used, should be enter Harvard and take his course in withheld from any headmaster so infive years ? Many preparatory schools judicious as to make an unwise use of could thus send pupils from the junior the right. year of the preparatory course. And, FREDERIC ALLISON TUPPER, '80. finally, are not the headmasters of the QUINCY. preparatory schools, thoroughly acquainted as they are with their pupils,

CORPORATION RECORDS. better able to judge the capacity of these pupils than are a board of unfa- Meeting of Dec. 30, 1895 (Additional). miliar examiners? There is very lit- Voted to proceed to the election of tle sympathy or human nature in a a Professor of Materia Medica and printed examination. You may pipe Therapeutics, whereupon ballots being to it, but it will not dance.

given in, it appeared that Edward What then may be suggested in the Cornelius Briggs, M. D., D. M. D., way of improvement ?

was elected. Voted to communicate 1. No lowering whatever of the this election to the Board of Overseers, standard.

that they may consent thereto if they 2. The appointment of an examining board at Harvard to see that the courses of study pursued in the sec- Meeting of Jan. 13, 1896 (Additional). ondary schools are well adapted to the Voted to appoint Charles Wesley preparation of students for college. Birtwell, A. B., Lecturer on Scientific

3. The validity of certificates from Methods in Philanthropy for 1896–97. the headmasters of secondary schools as a very important part of the require- Meeting of Feb. 10, 1896. ments for entrance.

Voted to appoint Morris Hicky Mor4. The entrance examinations should gan, Ph. D., Assistant Professor of be continued, but they should be Latin for five years from Sept. 1, changed in nature, particularly with 1896. regard to flexibility, and they should Voted to rescind the vote passed at not be, as they have been heretofore, the last meeting in regard to the the only means of determining the geological exhibit of the University candidate's qualifications. For exam- at Atlanta. ple, I shall send to Harvard this year Voted to send the thanks of the a young man who has a good know- President and Fellows to each one of ledge of the Swedish language and the generous contributors towards the literature. Ought not such a know- recent valuable gifts to Harvard Uniledge in a flexible system of examina- versity, of materials illustrative of tions to avail him as much as a know- economic geology. ledge of French or of German ?

5. On the combined testimony of Meeting of Feb. 24, 1896. the results of reasonable and flexible The Treasurer reported the receipt

see fit.

of $31 from Mr. Daniel W. Shea, as 1890, to the last will and testament of the late the final repayment of the principal

Rev. Dr. Furness, occurs, inter alia, the fol

lowing: and interest in full of beneficiary “The portrait of Charles Sumner I leave to money which he received while in Harvard College. It was painted by my son."

I now beg to inform you that it will be my care college, and the same was gratefully

to see that this portrait is daly delivered into accepted to be credited to the account your hands as soon as I learn that the bequest is of Scholarship and Beneficiary Money accepted, and remain, dear sir, Returned.

Yours respectfully, The Treasurer reported the receipt

(Signed) HORACE HOWARD FUENESS, Esecutor.

24 February, 1896. of $50 from Mr. John L. Gardner, 2d, for present use at the Botanic It was thereupon Voted that Dr. Museum, and the same was gratefully Furness's bequest be gratefully acaccepted.

cepted. Voted to appoint Assistant Profes- Voted to appoint George Angier sor Morris H. Morgan, Marshal for Gordon, D. D., Ingersoll Lecturer on Commencement exercises in Sanders the Immortality of Man, for 1896. Theatre.

Voted on recommendation of the Voted to appoint Asaph Hall, Ph. Faculty of the Divinity School that D., Lecturer on Celestial Mechanics from the beginning of the academic for 1896–97.

year, 1897–98, the tuition-fee of stuVoted that from and after Sept. 1, dents in the Divinity School be $150 1896, the laboratory fee in Hygiene I a year, except for persons who are be $5, instead of $2.50.

now members of the School.

Meeting of Feb. 28, 1896.

Meeting of March 2, 1896. Voted that the thanks of the Presi- Voted to proceed to the election of dent and Fellows be sent to Mrs. a Professor of Romance Languages, Henry Draper, of New York, for her to serve from Sept. 1, 1896, whereadditional gift of $833.33 received upon ballots being given in, it appeared Feb. 28, 1896, towards the expenses that Charles Hall Grandgent, A. B., at the Observatory of Harvard Uni- was elected. Voted to communicate versity, on account of the Draper this election to the Board of OverMemorial.

seers, that they may consent thereto Voted that the thanks of the Presi- if they see fit. dent and Fellows be sent to Mr. Voted to appoint Robert Jay ForEdward Habich for six chiaroscuros sythe, A. B., Instructor in Metallurgy by Andrea Andreani from the “Tri- and Metallurgical Chemistry for one umph of Caesar,” by Andrea Man- year from Sept. 1, 1896. tegna, which he has given to the Gray Collection.

Meeting of March 9, 1896. The President submitted letter The Treasurer reported that he had from Mr. Horace Howard Furness, of received from Messrs. Storey and which the following is a copy : Putnam, trustees, the additional sum

of $325, to be used in payment of WALLINGFORD, Delaware County, Penn.

certain salaries in the Medical School, DR. CHARLES W. ELIOT, Pres't Harv. Coll., Cambridge, Mass.:

and the same was gratefully accepted. Dear Sir, - In a codicil dated 220 September,

The Treasurer reported the receipt

a