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366 friend of Victor Hugo; for that is tantamount only to saying they are inferior to the best translations of Shakspeare in the French language,—but they are still by no means common or contemptible translations. M. Vacquerie's principal poetical works are 'L'Enfer de l'Esprit' and 'Demi-Teintes.' In criticism, he has written a volume sparkling with spirit, gaiety, and good sense, called 'Profils et Grimaces.' His contributions to reviews and journals have been very numerous.

The Sleep of the Condor. Leconte de Lisle, the author of this piece, is a creole born in the Mauritius. A notice of his works by the writer of these pages will be found in the 'Bengal Magazine,' edited by the Rev. Lal Behari Day, for the month of December 1874. We append here an extract from the article:

'His principal works are "Poèmes Antiques," published in 1852; "Poèmes et Poésies," published in 1855; and "Poésies Complètes," published in 1858, besides a heap of contributions to various reviews, especially the "Revue Contemporain ," which are still to be collected, and are worth the collecting.

'The faults generally attributed to all Asiatic or half-caste poets, writing in the languages of Europe, are weakness, languor, conventionalism, and imitation. From most of these defects Leconte de Lisle is singularly free. He is wonderfully vigorous, and very often thoroughly original. Not only is he very well read, not only has he meditated much, but he has that gifted poetic eye which can seize at once and extract poetry from the meanest objects. He has in a word

'Of his style a French critic of no mean repute—himself a poet—Charles Baudelaire, thus writes: "Leconte de Lisle possesses absolute rule over his idea; but this would not amount to much if he did not possess also the dexterous use of his tool. His language is always noble, decided, strong, without any shrill clamorous note, and also without any false prudishness. His vocabulary is very extensive, and his arrangement of his words is always remarkable, as framing clearly and distinctly what he has to say. His rhythm has great breadth and certainty, and his instrument has the soft but large and profound accent of what musicians would call the alto."

'The descriptive pieces in his poems are the best. The fields at mid-day,—the desert—the ocean in its magnificence—an animal, say a tiger, in its fury or in its repose—the beauty of a peasant girl in the far, far East,—these are the sort of topics in which he excels.'

October. M. Emile Augier was born at Valence, and became known to the world of letters by a drama of two acts in verse, entitled 'La Cigue' which was acted with the most brilliant success at the Odéon in 1844. His other dramas in verse are: 'Un Homme de Bien,' a comedy in three acts;