LITERARY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 65, 16 March 1907, Page 10

LITERARY.

In Scotland has just died a man whose hobby was the collection of the vvritin-'s of a contemporary. Among the productions of Andrew Lang there was nothing too slight for the eager pursuit and the ready purse of this Mr. Falconer. His Lang library represents the busy searches of more than twenty-five years. Books, magazine and newspaper articles, and. poems appear in his "Catalogue of a ' Lang' Library." Several years ago this loyal admirer printed sixty copies of "A New Friendship's Garland," an anthology of verse in praise of his idol. It opened with Stevenson's rhyme. " Dear Andrew with the brindled hair."' The book is now rare and valuable.

'•' Onr reading record," -aid an agelibrarian, " is held by a rich old lady of 73 years. She has read, our books show, over 15.000 volumes — 300 volumes a year since 1854. Our average subscriber, reads in the year's course from 75 to 100 volumes, though we have many clients who get through 200 volumes every twelvemonth. They who buy their books read much less. I am informed by our bookseller that the average book-buyer doesn't road more than 25 or 30 books. a year. The book buyer who reads 100 books a year is a very rare bird."

The eagerly-expected " Letters of Queen Victoria," which* Mr. A. C. Benson and Lord Esher have edited, are not, after all, to be given to the world at once. Although the whole of the book is now in type, Mr. Murray states that owing to unforeseen delays, and the necessity of setting up the book in the United States in order to secure the copyright, it has been found impossible to publish before the autumn of 1007. The" letters included in the three volumes cover the years from 1837-ISGI.

A quantity of hitherto unknown letters addressed by Frederick the Great to Voltaire have been acquired by the Berlin Archives. There are IS4 of them, and they belong to the period 1740-77. As this inelu les the period of the Seven Years' War, we may conje.tup' l . that in these epistles, as in those already known the King set down " the deepest sorrows of his soul, reproaches, confidences, yearnings."

A writer in " Chambers's Journal" lets us into sonic of the secrets of authorship. He says he knows of weighty volumes of legal reminiscence, of books of travel, and of works of expert instruction launched upon the market that have been written from the material supplied by the reputed author. "' I know of a case where the author-medium had only a few hours' conversation with his man, and from it wrote a work which needed gold to buy it, and which was reviewed enthusiastically in hundreds of columns, though the nominal author was then at the other end of the world, and bad never seen a single line of his boob, either in manuscript or print."

An article in the new " Fortnightly" reminds us that the centenary of the birth of Longfellow is imminent. Of all tho American authors he is probably the one whose place in the hearts of English readers is most secure. Hawthorne is greater; but even "The Scarlet Letter' has never had so large a public as " Evangeline." Poe has almost ar. ipopular a reputation; but the pieces on which it depends are only two or three in number, whereas there are scores of Longfellow's lyrics which still give delight. There is no depth of thought in his work, and his technique is very far from flawless. The "Fortnightly" writer gives several instances of his grotesque images and mixed metaphors —some of them taken from the most famous of his poems. He could tell a story, however, and he possessed the indefinable quality of charm; and the writers of whom that can be said are those writings of the world, as distinguished from the critics, is least willing to let die.

Mr. H. B. Marriott Watson's new book. "A Midsummer Day's Dream," is a delightfully fantastic and deliciousiy humorous production—a charming story to read with gratitude in these prosaio times. The volume starts with a dainty dedication to the author's wife:—"'You and I, my dear, have often wandered in Arrady, and have lost our way in forests mysterious. We have both had midsummer madness under the plenilune, and have smiled and jested and shed tears over the march of human (including our own) fortuues. The admirable gift of laughter obviates so many tragedies, and to live in a fairy-tale is the best that poor human nature may ask. I think and rejoice, that we are both incurably romantic, and even at the end of a long day (should that be granted us) shall still have faith and see beauty in the disposition of the world. For to be a heretic of romance is to be old indeed, nay, to have outlived one's proper term of "life."

A " laughing fairy tale " —Mr. Watson in the dedication supplies one with the exact label for his story. His hero, Bannatyne, is journeying to a country house to play Lysander in " A Midsummer Night's Dream," and loses himself in a wood on a gorgeous summer night. He frightens a girl (or was it a paddling in a brook, and finds her shoe. And the story is the story of his search for the shoe's owner.

Priority of position in the "Empire Review" for February is given Edward Dieey's contribution on "Foreign Affairs," which is very largely devoted to a lucid explanation of the real issues before the people on the occasion of the recent German elections. Sir Charles Bruce, in dealing with India's loyalty, under the title of "Crown and Congress in India," attempts to reconcile the demonstrations of loyalty that marked the tour of the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1906,. with tbe out-bursts at the Congress later, in the year. He succeeds, at least, to his own satisfaction, in doing so, on the theory that in promoting their Home Rule agitation the natives, taking their cue from abroad, have arrived at the conclusion that nothing is to be achieved without rowdy demonstration of an extreme type. Colonel St. John Fancourt deals capably with the subject of Imperial defence, and the same question receives prominence in a contribution by Sidney Maurice (Cape Colony) on the coming Imperial Conference.

Mrs E. I. Massy continues memories of Maoriland, dealing with experiences jn the Auckland district, and there is a very readable article by Captain Sir John Keane, on "State Ceremonies" in the Maldive Islands."

"Daily Prayers for Boys and Girls," by Miss M. Cary Pulling, of the Girls' High School, Auckland, is announced for early publication by Mr Elliot Stock. It will be accompanied by a recommendation by the Bishop of Auckland.