Mr. Gutzlaff’s family were recently for several months in the United States, and the proceedings of the great missionary—­second in eminence only to our own Judson—­have always been regarded with much interest by the American churches.

AUTHORS AND BOOKS

The Asiatic Society at Paris has just held its twenty-eighth yearly session.  According to the report of its Secretary and Financial Committee, this society has suffered little from the disastrous times which have fallen on literature generally.  In 1848, being uncertain as to the future, it stopped receiving subscriptions to works with a view to their publication, and arrested the printing of those which were already commenced, with the single exception of the Asiatic Journal, which the members determined not to alter in any case.  The series of this journal is of great value, containing already fifty-five volumes, to which two new ones are added every year.  For many years it has contained only original articles, though formerly it admitted translations from other European languages.  Of course, in so voluminous a periodical work, the contents vary in character, but the whole is of the greatest importance to History, Belles Lettres, and Philology, and should not be wanting in any public library.  The society has now resumed the suspended publications, beginning with the “Chronicles of Cashmir”, by the Austrian Orientalist Captain Troyer, two volumes of which were issued some time since.  Troyer is a remarkable man.  As an Austrian artillery and staff officer he served in all the wars, from the breaking out of the French Revolution to the Peace of Paris.  While in Italy, he passed some time at the head-quarters of Lord William Bentinck, as an Austrian Commissioner, and so gained his esteem and confidence that he was invited to go with Lord William to Madras as his military secretary.  When Lord William resigned the government of Madras, Troyer remained for some time as Director of the East India Company’s School for Artillery and Engineers, till finally he resigned and came to Paris.  In 1829, Lord William went again to India as Governor-General, and persuaded Troyer to go with him.  While in India at this time, among other offices Troyer filled that of Secretary of the Hindoo College.  In 1834, when Bentinck again left India, Troyer once more resigned his functions, and has since been in Paris, devoting an active and honorable old age to constant labors upon Persian and Indian literature.

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The FRENCH ACADEMY held its annual public session on the 8th of August, in the presence of a large audience, including almost all the literary celebrities of the metropolis, both masculine and feminine.  The prizes of victory were given to Napoleon Hurney, who had saved the lives of fourteen persons, and to Marguerite Briand, for having supported and taken care for forty-five years of her mistress, who had fallen from wealth into the extremest poverty.  M. de Salvandy, who bestowed these prizes, delivered the usual eulogy on virtue in general, winding up with praise of Louis Philippe and his reign, a thing more creditable perhaps to the fidelity and consistency of the speaker, who has never renounced his allegiance to the Orleans family, than proper to the occasion.