Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 24.djvu/434

420 "Marbles of Great Britain and Ireland, Germany, etc." The chromolithographs give clear and brilliant representations of the color and grain of some of the finer European, African, antique, and American stones.

custom of embroidering articles of household linen with designs in colored silk or wool went nearly out of vogue in the last century, but still survives in parts of Italy, and traces of it may be found elsewhere. An attempt is now made to revive it and commend it. The publication in the Berlin "Modenwelt," and afterward in books, of a collection of patterns of old German embroideries revealed a richness in beautiful specimens of art of this kind that the world was not aware it possessed. The publisher might have supplemented his collection with another, as large, of additional patterns, in the same style, but he has preferred to vary it by presenting a second one in a distinct style, the old Italian. In the German embroideries, the figure is brought out in stitch-work, while the ground is left in plain linen. In the older Italian work the opposite motive generally prevails, and it is the figure that is left plain, and is embroidered around; yet there are variations, and both styles may sometimes be found in the same piece. The Italian patterns are gracefully drawn, evenly parceled off, and always conventionalized and wholly ornamental. Some of them may be ultimately of Grecian origin, but they all come to the collectors from Italy. They seem to have enjoyed an extensive diffusion, for works in Italian stitch may be found among nearly all nationalities; and we are given in these volumes, besides the Italian and Grecian designs proper, Moroccan, Persian, and Spanish-Moorish groups, all congenial in motive, but having each traits and beauties peculiar to themselves. The designs reproduced by Frau Lipperheide are taken from authenticated specimens of from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries, or from Italian pattern-books of the sixteenth century. The letterpress preceding the plates furnishes full, clearly illustrated instructions for executing the work in the various stitches.

is the somewhat formidable title under which the celebrated "Berlin Report" on classical and scientific education appears in English. The first part of it, embracing thirty-five pages, consists of the elaborate inaugural address of Dr. Hofmann, delivered October 15, 1880, devoted to a general discussion of the policy of dividing the Philosophical Faculty of the German universities so as to create a new faculty of the natural sciences. Dr. Hofmann opposes this on various grounds, and then passes to the question as to the admission for graduates of the real schools to the university, which he resists, and which is also a part of the general question of the unity of the Philosophical Faculty. Following the address is the opinion of the Philosophical Faculty of the Berlin University, given in 1869, against the proposed admission of the real-school graduates, and then comes the adverse report of the same faculty, made in 1880, after the real-school students had been admitted. The remainder of the appendix consists of notes and extracts from various authorities confirmatory of the views taken in the reports. The pamphlet contains a preface by John Williams White, of Harvard College, giving various interesting explanations. As the subject is one of considerable prominence just now, the appearance of this document in an English form will be helpful in the discussion, and will be welcomed by many readers.