Book Reviews

Abstract

THIS collection of Japanese works in all departments of literature, which appears to have been collected by Baron Nördenskjold while in Japan, has been presented by him to the Bibliothéque Royale at Stockholm. The editor, the veteran Japanese scholar, M. de Rosny of Paris, has not been satisfied with a bald catalogue, but has in many instances added descriptive and analytic notes of the con tents, the character of the work, and its place in Japanese literature; and although the collection can hardly equal in extent and value those of several European libraries, we are not aware that such an excellent catalogue exists in any European language. The whole contains about 1000 works in over 5000 volumes, and is divided and sub divided by M. de Rosny with much nicety. The scientific works are not very numerous. On the exact sciences (arithmetic, geometry, algebra, astronomy, &c.) there are only 104 volumes, and on the natural sciences 445. But most of these are dated prior to the opening of the country to foreigners, and to the student who could examine them they would present an interesting picture of the state of scientific knowledge at various periods.