LITERARY NEWS.

Fiction, Fielding proves, is truer than history, and the reason is ob- vious—the writer of fiction, while he can be perfectly true to the nature of the facts which he relates; can also do that which the historian cannot do—he can tell the whole by help of abstraction. Miehelet could tell much in his book on The Priest in the Family; but limited to the re- cord of fact, he could not let you into the scene itself, and show you the priest, corrupted and corrupting. This has been done by Signor Girolamo Volpe in The Priest and the Home,—a novel of contem- porary history, which, in the development of a story of real life, shows the working of those very causes which have led to the revolt of the Italians against the oppression alike of the Priest and the stranger. The larger portion of the book has been revised by Leigh Hunt, who was revising while he read ; and who read, as he many times declared, with a constantly increasing interest, both in the story,' and in the op- portune illustration of the present Italian movement.

Mr. Murray has added some more works to his list of Mew books. Among them are "The Chinese: Pictures of Themselves, drawn by Na- tive Artists," by the Reverend R. H. Cobbold, late Archdeacon of Ningpo ; "A Memoir of the Life of the late Ary Scheffer," by Mrs. Grote ; and "A Dictionary of the Bible, including Antiquities, Biography, Geo- graphy, and Natural History," by Dr. William Smith. The last-named -work, the first part of which is to appear towards the end of the year, is got up with the assistance of a very large staff of contributors, some of them distinguished in literature.

Messrs. Bell and Daldy announce as forthcoming within a few weeks, a new edition of Spenser's complete works, "with Life, Notes, and Glos- sary," by Mr. John Payne Collier.

'Messrs. John W. Parker and Son announce a "History of Don Juan of Austria," by Mr. Stirling of Keir, M.P. for Perthshire, author of "The Cloister Life of the Emperor Charles the Fifth." Mr. Stirling is said to have made deep researches in the State archives of Spain, which were specially thrown open to him for this new work.

The third and fourth volume of Mr. Carlyle's '" History of Frederick the Great," axe now in the press, and will probably appear about March or April next. They will bring the history of the Prussian hero down to the end of the Seven Years' War.

At Cambridge there has been formed a new society, called " The Cambridge Historical Society." It proposes to search the University and College Libraries, and to publish documents which may exist therein illustrative of the history and antiquities of the town and county, as well as other unedited works of general interest. it is believed that a large mass of such information is at present hidden in the numerous collections of books and manuscripts which the University possesses.

A very important discovery has been made by Dr. Constantin Tischen- slorf, a German savant, in the archives of the old monastery on Mount _Sinai. It is nothing less than a manuscript containing portions of the -Old Testament and the whole of the New Testament in Greek, as well arthe Epistles of Barnabas, and the " Pastor" of Hernias. In a letter to the Augsburg Gazette, (given in the last number of the Clerical Journal,) the Doctor announces that this manuscript is to -be published, under his supervision, at the earliest possible time.

A curious fact in connexion with the general spread of cheap literature is announced in one of our Anglo-Indian papers. The Urdoo Guide has an advertisement recommending a "Pocket Companion for Pilgrims to Mecca," at one rupee the copy. What a progress since the days of Caliph Omar, the book-burner! The first two volumes of a " Histoire politiquo at littkraire dela Presse periodique en France, avec une Introduction hietorique sur lea Origines du Journal, et avec Is Bibliographic des Journaux depuis leur Ortgine " have appeared at Paris, from the pen of M. Hatin. The volumes carry the history of newspapers down to the year 1789.

An interesting contribution to French history has just been given by -M. Oscar .de Vallee, Advocate-General, under the title " Le Due d'Orlereas at le Chancelier d'Aguesseau." It sketches in a new and original manner the period when Law was blowing his bank-bubbles, under the assistance of the Regent and Cardinal Dubois. The character of the Chancellor d'Aguesaeau is vindicated throughout the book.

One of the Ultramontane writers of France, the Abbe B. M. Constant, has just published a work in two volumes, called " L'Histoire et l'Infaillibilite des Popes," which is curious in more than one respect. It tries to prove that all the acts and decisions of the Popes " que cer- tains ecrivains out eras contraires it la Foi," are at bottom emanations of nothing less than far-seeing heavenly wisdom.

M. Capefigue has come forward with another book, entitled " Gabrielle d'Estree et la Politique do Henri IV." It is cried up as containing an interesting document in the shape of a plan of Henri IV. for the re- organization of European politics, and particularly the reconstruction of Italy. Can it be that M. Capefigue has discovered anything more au- thentic than the account of that plan which is contained in Sully's Memoirs ?

Under the title of " Michel-Angr., poste," M. Didier Paris, has pub- lished a volume by M. Lannau-Rolland, which contains the first French translation yet made of the poems of Michel Angelo, together with -a life of the author. The great Italian, it is said, has been hitherto known in France only as an artist.

A translation of the book on the Italian campaign of 1848-49, 1py Geueral Schenhals, Radetzky's aide-de-camp, has appeared in Pans. The eldest son of Theophile Gautier is said to be the translator.

Another translation, published by Finnin Didot freres, which has just left the press, is that of the celebrated " History of Costumes," by Cesare Vccellio. The book is illustrated by some three hundred engravings, accompanied by Italian and French text.

The first number of a new French paper, called L 'Orient : Organ des Nationalita Orientales, was published on Thursday last week, November 17,-at Brussels. To judge by the numbers which have yet appeared, the paper is intended to attack England and to laud M. de Lesseps and the Suez Canal scheme. It is published twice a week, Sundays and Thurs- days.

The -first volume of an " Anthropologic der .aturvolker (Anthropo- logy of the Uncivilized Races), by Dr. T. Waitz, professor at Marburg,has appeared at Leipzig. The work asserts the unity of the human race as proved by the natural state" of man.

A new contribution to Herder's biography has just been given by a descendant of the poet, Ferdinand Gottfried von Herder, under the title " Herder's Journey to Italy, and his Correspondence with his Wife from August 1788 till July 1789." The book is published by Ricker, at Giessen.

The " Secret Memoirs of Louis Napoleon Bonaparte," published by Speth, Berlin, the authenticity of which was lately denied in the Patrie, are again announced in various German papers, with the additional re- mark that the semi-official journal " lies, and knows that it lies."

Tho well-known Austrian writer, F. W. Hacklander, has published a new work in two volumes, entitled "Krieg and Friedon" (War and Peace), containing sketches of the late Italian campaign.

A new daily paper, "of English size," is announced as about to appear at Milan, under the title La Perseveranza: It is to be established on shares, and the list of shareholders is said to include already some of the most distinguished names of the Liberal party in Northern Italy. The chief editor will be Signor Pacifico 'Venni, a native of Venice, known as the author of some much-esteemed political writings.

A curious little work, called " I Napoleonidi a l'Europa," and described as " Pensieri dell' avvooato Raimondo Marcia," is selling now in large numbers in Piedmont and Central Italy. It is pro-Napoleonistic.

Even the Ottoman Empire begins giving its quota to the " Literary News" of the week. Dschevdet Effendi has just published at Con- stantinople the first four volumes of his History of Turkey, and the work is reported to sell well. Events are traced in these volumes down to.Ae beginning of the eighteenth century.