LITERARY NEWS.

When mankind have pursued a particular course of conduct under varying circumstances of time, place and nationality, we may rest as- sured they have been guided by an instinctive reason, though they might not be able to unfold it ; or for that matter the impugners of their pro- ceedings. Why, say the Burns Committee, erect monuments to con- querors, and not to poets, meaning Burns. The question is not new ; but has been long since answered by poets themselves. The poet erects his own statue in his works, durable as his language, and omnipresent so far as language is understood.

" Exegi monumentum (ere perennius, Regalique situ Pyramidum eking."

And an Englishman, fully the equal of Horace in critical or poetical faculties, has supported the opinion. "What needs my Shakspere, for his honoured bones, The labour of an age in piled stones ? • • • Thou, in our wonder and astonishment, Haat built thyself a live-long monument." But if more palpable and logical reasons are asked for, we think they may be had, why the poet—not "the man of rhymes," should go with- out a statue, while warriors figure as large as life in monumental bronze or "dull cold marble." The vivid memory of the conqueror's deeds be- gins to fade even as the generation which witnessed them passes away ; and though he occupies a page in history for those who read history, his work vanishes, at least, in its outward manifestations. War or conquest may serve mankind—may advance our race in its career of progress, as much as the great natural convulsions forwarded the adaptations of the material world ; but the autograph of the hand that accomplished equi- valent human changes is no longer traced in the result. Poets them- selves tell us that the discoveries of sages and the exploits of heroes are dependent altogether upon the recorders.

"Vain was the chief's, the sages pride !

They had no poet, and they died.

In vain they schem'd, in vain they bled.

They had no poet, and are dead."

Mankind have felt this, though perhaps unable to argue it out. They erect monuments of national heroes to remind the nation visibly of what these heroes have done for their country. The monument of national poets is on every book-shole or, better still, in everybody's memory.

There is a further reason. Except in a very few cases indeed, there will always be room for dispute as to the moral merit of an author. There are persons, and strange to say it, Scotchmen, who presume to doubt the pure benefit which the world has derived from the works of Burns ; and a similar question may generally be raised as to any civilian ; but no doubt can exist as to the -warrior. However unjust the war may be, it is better for the nation urging it to be victor than vanquished.

Whether an idea of these truths has entered the mind of some of the Burns's centenary celebrators, we do not know ; but a sort of rival pro- position to the statue has been promulgated. The plan is to establish one or more scholarships in our local colleges." A useful project in an educational sense, but savouring somewhat of Barnum practice ; and as little adapted for a widely known memorial, as anything that can be de- vised. Who after a few years knows any thing of foundations, except the class who look out to benefit by them. Such contrivances cannot keep alive the memory of Burns. If they are publicly known to another generation, it will be that Burns keeps them alive.

The Courrier de Paris contains a curious piece of news. According to this paper, one Anselme Schubiger, a German monk, has just discovered the hitherto lost key of the church music of the middle ages. There are still numerous manuscripts of such compositions extant in the public libraries of the continent, which might be highly interesting, if this information should

prove true. Father Schubiger is said to have been led to his discovery by an ancient tract on the celebrated choristers of Saint Gall, who, as is well known, flourished from the eighth to the twelfth century.

Several very notable works have in the course of the last few days ap- peared in Paris. Among them is a book by M. Leon Feugere, entitled "Caracteres et Portraits Litteraires du XVI siècle," which has been crowned by the Academie Francaise; and another, by M. A. Rondeles, called, "Du spiritualisme en economic politique," which has received the same honour

from the Academie des Sciences Morales. Two other works, the " Leteres inedites de Madame des Drains " collected and annotated by Professor Gef- froy, of Bordeaux, and la Princess° des Ursine: " Essai sur sa vie et son caradere politique," by M. Francois Combos, are corollary publications in the highest degree interestihg to students of French history.

One of the most distinguished of French Oriental scholars, M. Edouard Dulaurier, has just published the first volume of a " Bibliotheque His- torique Armenienne. It contains the chronicle of Matthew of Edessa, which

goes over the years 951 to 1136, and is continued by Gregory-the-Priest up to 1162. The first of these ancient authors, who was Abbot of one of the

numerous convents situated in the environs of the town of Edema, and who lived during the time that this place was in the possesmion of the French Seigneurs of the House of Courtenay, is recommended chiefly to modern readers by the new and curious particulars which he gives in respect to the Crusades.

The second volume of M. Dulanrier's work, which will appear in about a month, is to contain the General History of Stephen Acoghig, a writer well known on account of his vast erudition and the exactness of his information, It will offer to the reader the annals of Armenia under the domination of the Arabs, and is expected to give many important details about the internal convulsions of the Byzantine empire, and the relation of its inhabitants with the populations on the Danube and the Russians. The work is making quite a sensation among the savants of the continent, and chiefly in France and Germany.

Among the new announcements of French books is one, the title of which cannot fail to awaken interest here in England. It is "The Duchess of Orleans ; her life and confidential letters." The author of this book is said to be a great lady of the Faubourg St. Ger- main the daughter of a diplomat, who under Louis Philippe distin- guished himself in divers embassies to Vienna, Rome, and London. The work is expected to appear about the beginning of next week.

One of the largest sales of old and rare books which has taken place for years will come off at the beginning of next week in Paris, at the auction- rooms of M. Franck, Rue Richelieu. The catalogue comprises 2700 works, about 300 of which are duplicates from the celebrated library of King Maxi- milian of Bavaria. Some of the most ancient books ever issued by the press are amongst them. There is St. Augustin's treatise, "De Sancta Virgini- tate," one of the earliest productions of Guttenberg, and Dumnd's Ra- tionale Divinorum Officiorum," printed in 1459 by Johann Faust, in May- cues. These are followed by Aretin's Latin translations of Aristotle's

works, published about the year 1470, and the most ancient edition of St. Augustin, printed by Schaffer, Guttenberg's partner and successor, a year

or two after. In old German and Latin vocabularies,. important works flow- s-days for linguistic studies, the collection is very rich, including, among others, the only known copy of Brack's Dictionary, printed by Johann Keller of Augsburg in 1478. Of further notable books there is a fine copy

of the Nuremberg Bible of 1476; of the Epistles of St. Jerome, of 1470; of Flavius Josephus the same date ; of Mombritius's "Vita Sanctorum," printed at Milan in 1477; and others of the same period. What chiefly distinguishes all the works of the collection is, besides their rarity, the splendid binding, fine paper, and general good preservation of the volumes. Mr. Quatremere, the well known bibliomaniac, who gathered them toge- ther, seems to have had an eye as much to the exterior form and material of these first offerings of Guttenberg's grand invention, as to their contents, important though the latter are.