NALTVN, Edgar, author, born in New York city, 8 June, 1858. He was educated at St. Paul's school, Concord, New Hampshire, studied later at the Sorbonne, Paris, and in Heidelberg and Munich, Germany, and after his return at Columbia college law-school, where he was graduated in 1880. His earliest literary efforts were in poetry. His first book was" Balzac," a biography (Boston, 1884). He next devoted himself to the presentation of the pessimistic philosophy, a history of which he published under the title of" The Philosophy of Disenchantment" (1885), which was followed by an analytical exposition entitled "The Anatomy of Negation" (London, 1886 ; New York, 1887). He is the author also of "Mr. Incoul's Misadventure" (1887) ; "The Truth about Tristrem Varick "(1888) ; and "Eden" (1888).--His brother, FRANCIS S., is.the author of "Honey and Gall," a book of poems (Philadelphia, 1873), and is engaged on a "Life of Donizetti."