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Cloth Elegant, Large 12mo,
Price $1.25 per vol.

LIBRARY OF

HUMOUR.

EDITED BY W. H. DIRCKS.

Each Volume will contain from 50 to 70 Illustrations and from 350 to 500 pages.

IN each of these volumes the object will be to give an anthology of the humorous literature of the particular nation dealt with. France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, and Holland will each have their respective volumes; England, Ireland, and Scotland will each be represented, as will also America and Japan. 'From China to Peru' the globe will be traversed in search of its jokes, in so far as they have recorded themselves in literature. The word Humour admits of many interpretations; for the purposes of this Series it has been interpreted in its broadest generic sense, to cover humour in all its phases as it has manifested itself among the various nationalities. Necessarily founded on a certain degree of scholarly knowledge, these

volumes, while appealing to the literary reader, will nevertheless, it is hoped, in the inherent attractiveness and variety of their contents, appeal successfully and at once to the interest of readers of all classes. Starting from the early periods of each literature-in Italy, for instance, from the fourteenth century, with Boccaccio, Sacchetti, and Parabosco; in France with the amusing Fabliaux of the thirteenth century; in Germany from Hans Sachs; characteristic sketches, stories, and extracts from contemporary European and other writers whose genius is especially that of humour or esprit will be given. Indicating and suggesting a view and treatment of national life from a particular standpoint, each volume will contain matter suggestive of the development of a special and important phase of national spirit and character,-namely, the humorous. Proverbs and maxims, folk-wit, and folk-tales notable for their pith and humour, will have their place; the eccentricities of modern newspaper humour will not be overlooked. Each volume will be well and copiously illustrated; in many cases artists of the nationalities of the literatures represented will illustrate the volumes. To each volume will be prefixed an Introduction critically disengaging and marking the qualities and phases of the national humour dealt with; and to each will be appended Notes, biographical and explanatory.

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Cloth Elegant, Large 12mo, Price $1.25 per vol.

VOLUMES ALREADY ISSUED.

THE HUMOUR OF FRANCE.

Translated, with an

Introduction and Notes, by Elizabeth Lee. With numerous
Illustrations by Paul Frénzeny.

"From Villon to Paul Verlaine, from dateless fabliaux to newspapers fresh from the kiosk, we have a tremendous range of selections."-Birmingham Daily Gazette.

"French wit is excellently represented. We have here examples of Villon, Rabelais, and Molière, but we have specimens also of La Rochefoucauld, Regnard, Voltaire, Beaumarchais, Chamfort, Dumas, Gautier, Labiche, De Banville, Pailleron, and many others. The book sparkles from beginning to end.". Globe (London). THE HUMOUR OF GERMANY. Translated, with an Introduction and Notes, by Hans Müller-Casenov. With numerous Illustrations by C. E. Brock.

An excellently representative volume.-Daily Telegraph (London). "Whether it is Saxon kinship or the fine qualities of the collection, we have found this volume the most entertaining of the three. Its riotous absurdities well overbalance its examples of the oppressively heavy. . . The national impulse to make fun of the war correspondent has a capital example in the skit from Julius Stettenheim."-New York Independent.

New York: CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS.

THE HUMOUR OF ITALY.

troduction and Notes, by A. Werner.
Frontispiece by Arturo Faldi.

Translated, with an In-
With 50 Illustrations and a

"Will reveal to English readers a whole new world of literature." -Athenæum (London).

We

"Apart from selections of writers of classical reputation, the book contains some delightful modern short stories and sketches. may particularly mention those by Verga, Capuana, De Amicis. Excellent also are one or two of the jokes and 'bulls' which figure under the heading of newspaper humour."-Literary World (London). THE HUMOUR OF AMERICA. Selected, with a

copious Biographical Index of American Humorists, by James Barr. "There is not a dull page in the volume; it fairly sparkles and ripples with good things."-Manchester Examiner.

THE HUMOUR OF HOLLAND. Translated, with an Introduction and Notes, by A. Werner. With numerous Illustrations by Dudley Hardy.

"There are some quite irresistible pieces in the volume. The illustrations are excellent, and the whole style in which the book is produced reflects credit on the publishers."- -British Weekly. "There are really good things in the book-things of quaint or pretty fancy, things of strong or subtle satire. Even Mark Twain, in 'Tom Sawyer' and 'Huck Finn,' does not show a finer knowledge of the humours of imaginative boyhood than is displayed by Conrad van der Liede in 'My Hero.'"-Daily Chronicle.

THE HUMOUR OF IRELAND. Selected by D. J. O'Donoghue. With numerous Illustrations by Oliver Paque.

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"A most conscientiously, exhaustively, excellently compiled book; the editor could not have done his work better. Every genie of Irish Humour as it is, or has been, written, from the twelfth century down to the evening-newspaper age."-The Speaker (London).

THE HUMOUR OF SPAIN.

Translated, with an Introduction and Notes, by S. Taylor. With numerous Illustrations.

THE HUMOUR OF RUSSIA. Translated, with Notes, by E. L. Boole, and an Introduction by Stepniak. With 50. Illustrations by Paul Frénzeny.

THE HUMOUR OF JAPAN.

Translated, with an

Introduction, by A. M. With Illustrations by George Bigot (from Drawings made in Japan).

Edited by Havelock Ellis.

Crown 8vo, Cloth. Price $1.25 per Volume.

I. THE EVOLUTION OF SEX.

By Prof. PATRICK GEDDES

and J. A. THOMSON. With 90 Illustrations. Second Edition. "The authors have brought to the task-as indeed their names guarantee -a wealth of knowledge, a lucid and attractive method of treatment, and a rich vein of picturesque language.”—Nature.

II. ELECTRICITY IN MODERN LIFE. By G. W. DE TUNZELMANN. With 88 Illustrations.

"A clearly-written and connected sketch of what is known about electricity and magnetism, the more prominent modern applications, and the principles on which they are based."-Saturday Review.

III. THE ORIGIN OF THE ARYANS. By Dr. ISAAC TAYLOR. Illustrated. Second Edition.

"Canon Taylor is probably the most encyclopaedic all-round scholar now living. His new volume on the Origin of the Aryans is a first-rate example of the excellent account to which he can turn his exceptionally wide and varied information. Masterly and exhaustive."-Pall Mall Gazette. IV. PHYSIOGNOMY AND EXPRESSION. By P. MANTEGAZZA. Illustrated.

...

"Brings this highly interesting subject even with the latest researches. Professor Mantegazza is a writer full of life and spirit, and the natural attractiveness of his subject is not destroyed by his scientific handling of it." Literary World (Boston).

V. EVOLUTION AND DISEASE.

With 135 Illustrations.

By J. B. SUTTON, F.R.C.S.

"The book is as interesting as a novel, without sacrifice of accuracy or system, and is calculated to give an appreciation of the fundamentals of pathology to the lay reader, while forming a useful collection of illustrations of disease for medical reference."―Journal of Mental Science. VI. THE VILLAGE COMMUNITY.

Illustrated.

By G. L. GOMME.

"His book will probably remain for some time the best work of reference for facts bearing on those traces of the village community which have not been effaced by conquest, encroachment, and the heavy hand of Roman law."-Scottish Leader.

VII. THE CRIMINAL. By HAVELOCK ELLIS. Illustrated.

66 An ably written, an instructive, and a most entertaining book."—Law Quarterly Review.

"The sociologist, the philosopher, the philanthropist, the novelistall, indeed, for whom the study of human nature has any attraction-will find Mr. Ellis full of interest and suggestiveness."-Academy.

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