Thank you for correcting the text in this article. Your corrections improve Papers Past searches for everyone. See the latest corrections.

This article contains searchable text which was automatically generated and may contain errors. Join the community and correct any errors you spot to help us improve Papers Past.

Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

LITERARY.

'! Mite Marie Corelli's new novel, which . Messrs. Methuen will publish, is to bear # ! the title "Life Everlasting." I It is good news that the Century Company is preparing to issue a new I and revised edition of the Century Dicj tionary, Cyclopedia of Names and Atlas, ■ which have for years been among the '- most useful of our reference books t Much new material will appear in the 1 volumes. ! : —, i Mr Stanley Portal Hyatt's- new book I "Oil the Main Track" (Laurie) deals with most of the phases of life one , ■ finds in the outlying parts of Africa •! and the Par East. The book abounds •| in personal reminiscence, and deals ! with such matters as the native ques- , tion in Africa and the ethics of misjsionary enterprise. That veteran and ever papular entertainer, London "Punch," celebrates his . I 70th birthday with an attractive special I number, issued at sixpence. It gives an j amusingly interesting pictorial record of .' the seventy years from Mr. Punch's point jof view, brightened with reproductions ' : amounting to more than 150 representa- ,! tive pictures and sketches, illustrative I of the various) aspects on the humorous j side of the social life of the period, extracted from Mr. Punch's pages. M From Messrs. T. C. and E. C. Jack ,! proceeds a further instalment, being the I fifth volume of "A Hi-story of Painting" i (7/Ti net), by Mr. Haldane Macfall. This, II volume, entitled "Tlve Dutch Genius," j deals with the grejit Dutchmen of the [ seventeenth century, and is illustrated I with twenty-five tplates in colour. Amonu I the masterpieceo reproduced are several '! pictures in the National Gallery, both i old and recent additions, such as "The i Music Lesson" of Metsu and the "Family Group" of Franz Hals. Sir Norman Lockyer. in a new book, , has set down sonip recollections of his friend Tennyson's interest in astronomy. Lockyer, in" 1564, was living in Hampstead" and had just erected hi 3 six-inch Cooke equatorial in the garden. He says of the poet: "1 soon found that he was an enthusiastic astronomer and that few points in the descriptive part of the subject had escaped him. lie was, therefore, often in the observatory. Some of hi* remarks still linger fresh in my memory. One night when the moon's terminator swept across the broken jrroiind round Tycho he said: 'What a splendid hell that would make.' Again, after showing him the clusters in Hercules and Perseus he remarked musingly: 'I cannot think ' much of the county families after that.' " The author of '".Tie Old Wives' Tale" has got to that point in his career when fragments of his biograpiiy attract, the commentator. In "The Dundee Adver- ' tiser" we read that Mr. Bennett was once "pigeonholed" for the law. "His father, a practising solicitor, looked to his son to carry on the legal traditions of the family. With this intent, Mr. Bennett came to London, and under ' cover of a solicitor's clerkship in Lin- : coin's Inn Fields began to form literary 1 tastes; not with any vaulting ambition, but in obedience to a natural lust for knowing about such things. The law was not an engaging mistress; the ' wooing was desultory and lukewarm, and when the first examination occurred she ; administered her rebuke by ploughing j the philanderer in every single subject." i The first idea of " Punch," which lately celebrated its seventieth birthday, oeicurred to Henry' Mayhew and Mark | Lemon one -night in June, 1841, when I they sat chatting together at the lat- ( ter's house in Newcastle-street, Strand. i Lemon drafted a prospectus straight away, and the first number of the jouri nal made its appearance on July 17. It I was owned, at first, in equal shares, by Landells (the engraver), ljist (the prm I ter), and Lemon and Mayhew. wno acte ! as joint editors. For a while the paper ' met with but small success, and v.as onlv kept running by the money which Lemon made as a playwright. A change for the better, however, took place when the journal was purchased by Messrs. Bradburv and Evans. Mayhew retired, leaving Lemon sole editor, and from that dav to this " Punch's " career has been one of triumph. Lemon's salary as editor is said to have begun at 30/ a week. When he died, twenty-nine years later, ' he was receiving £ 1500 a year. ;! Air J. Alexander's book "The Truth Aoout Egypt" (C'assells) deals with the administration of Sir Eldon Gorst, and shows that there was urgent need of a stronger policy to control the growing force of hostility to British rule. Speaking with regard to Lord Cromer, he states: "Whatever Lord Cromer's ' delects, he had personality and ripe wisdom which none could disregard, lltf understood the importance of preserving 1 the ceremonial and impressive state, and if his word was law, there was not an | individual, however mean and small 'who did not know that in his word lay absolute justice and integrity. 11 is , successor, Sir Eldon Gorst. was said to 1 be too subject to dictation from the 1 Home Government, and the natural rei suit was a weakening of his personal ' authority. His attitude has not im--1 pressed the Oriental, nor has it inspired the European with confidence. His difi drnce of manner has laid him open to th" charge of incapacity." The advent of , Lord Kitchener will" prove most unwel- ! come to the Nationalist party, whose exi cesses have rendered the iron hand i 1 absolutely necessary. Sir Hubert von Herkomer's second j volume of reminiscences (Macmillan) is ,in gossipy narrative dealing with the nfTairs of his family and their connection with art. It is interesting to find him appealing to the later Victorian period Of English art as affording an • inspiration which he failed to find in Italy. Referring to a visit paid to that country, he says that while its scenery appealed to his" poetic nature, "Yet none of it did 1 wish to paint, partly because I wanted to combine it with humanity. ' and there my disappointment was more ithan justified, and finally stopped mv hand from serious intent. This will 'be understood when the reader considers my art training in England, the England of the later Victorian period, ' to which I owe the influence that has I ever directed my taste and love of certain aspects in art and nature. So deeply was this influence engrafted, that to attempt to withdraw from it would have been to deprive me of what had become second nature. And what did that influence maintain? That truth in art should be enhanced by sentiment, and that sentiment should be made vital by truth." He gives us some very interesting chapters on portraiture—on the value of the art. and its significance both to the artist and to the world at large; particulars of excursions into the fields lof music, of enamelling, and of black land white.

The "Pall Mali Magazine" for August j contains an instructive article on the art of aviation, by C. C. Turner, who explains in popular language the principles of the flying machine, and the manner in which aspiring aviators learn the art. Special interest attaches to an account of the rehearsals for the cinematograph films, which have given picture shows their universal popularity. A series of photographs illustrates the text. Mr. F. W. Walker's article on ' ""British Marksmanship" shews what re- ' markable expansion has taken place in the number of competitors at Bisley, ' and the success which has attended the use of miniature rifle ranges. Short stories are contributed by E. F. Benson, H. B. Marriott Watson, Patricia Went- > 1 worth, Maurice Leblane, and other popu-1 lar writers. The younger daughter of. ' Charles Dickens writes pleasantly of the ' relations existing between Thackeray and her father. Lord Dunraven, in his new book "The Legacy of Past Years," published by Mr. J. Murray, reviews the problem of Irish | discontent and local government with a i first-hand knowledge of his subject. He i was chairman of the Land Conference which pave birth to the Act of DO:?. and supports the granting of Home Rule j on a federal plan. Upon this subject he states that Pitt himself, the father of the Act of 1800, was in favour of a system of Devolution. Writing to the Duke of Rutland in 1785, Pitt said he "wanted to make England and Ireland one country in effect, though for local concerns under distinct legislatures." This is Lord Dunraven's ambition, and his book is devoted to showing that such a solution is inevitable and desirable, and he believes that it involves not only the pacification of Ireland, but the federation of the Empire. Devolution, he urges, is necessary for the Imperial Parliament and for Ireland, and I he adds: "With the scheme of federation within the three kingdoms the vision of a feuerated Empire is bound up. Specula- j tion as to the form which Imperial unity may take would be out of place here; but j this much is certain. Parliament, in the condition in which it is now —controlled by log-rolling, paralysed by congestion, j rent on such a fundamental question jas the relations between the two I Houses, or perhaps on the still graver I question whether it is to consist of j two Chambers or one —can offer no attraction to the great Dominions over- j sea. nor is it likely to create a btily on which they would consent to be represent ed. If ever their voices are to be heard in a council of the Empire, that council must emanate from or be a Parliament worthy of the Empire. Stability of . Parliament, and of the Constitution it acts under, is a condition precedent t<> Imperial consolidation. A consolidated Empire is but a vision, it may lie said. Well, yes: but not an idle dream. ' Thought precedes action, and imagiiii ation precedes thought, visions materiali ise and dreams may come true. It is a dream which, if converted into sub- . stance by any party, would entitle that i party to be styled,""the democratic and . the Unionist party." But such matters ; should not be the prey of party. The . majority of both the great (political parties "are near enough in their views on great questions to make compromise and construction feasible." HISTORY AKD PATRIOTISM. | MR. FLETCHER AND MR. KIPLING'S NEW BOOK. The collaboration of C. L. R. Fletcher and Rudyard Kipling upon a School H»torv of 'England has resulted in a very interesting little book of 250 page*, which sketches the story of the P»r.t:sli Empire from primeval times up Vo the reign of King George V. The authors avoid dry epitomes of dates and minor event.-, hut give personal sketches o: the kings whose rule has influenced the destiny of the British people. They also depict the condition of society at different epochs, and the influences that wenat work affecting the development of national character and institutions. Every reign is summarised concisely, and Vet with enough of graphic description'to make a distinct impression ami preserve continuity in historical narrative. Mr. Kipling's contribution comprises twenty-three poevms of a patriotic character,'bearing directly upon the historical narrative with which ihey are associated. Upon the whole, there ian avoidance of political partisanship; nevertheless passages remain to which objection on this sr-cre may be -*akcn. as for example. following relating to political parties in the reign of Charles II.: "The Whigs originally favoured a vast empire an.l the' careful protection of British'trade, bv war if necessary. esr.eciallv bv war with Catholic France-. ', whereas'the Tories were all for a French • alliance, nnd despised trade and colonies, i Nowadays things have reversed them- • I selves; "and it is the Conservatives (or i i Tones) who want to protect British i | trade to keep a large army and navy ! alwavs rendv for war. and to win the ••love of our' brothers in the colonies. i ! When the blundering incompetence of . t'"e Balfour Ministry with reppect to •! Vrmv Navv. and the Colonies, i< •Contrasted with the vigorous efforts of I ' their successors to make good the deh •!■ I encics in the matronal defenses, and establish -rood relations with the colonies I on the onlv sound and enduring Ims.s—- - ! perfect autonomy and spontaneous loy-'•altv-the bias of the parage quoted ! i .. .nnnifoct pnou ,f ii. The political becomes manitesi •Lolotir "iven to the histo.rv is likely to ' disqualify it as a work wfcich 0i«.«»«««j tion authorities can aeee,*. Mr. Kipling S i poems are not in his best vein, neverthe- ! I less thev attain a good average standard iof excellence. Eleven coloured plates ' add to the attractiveness of the book, which is published by the Oxford Clarendon Press (Henry Fronde. London, i and Hodder and Stoughton). pnc<* 1/8. > As is only to be expected, Mr. Kipi line's verses are mainly of a stirring '■ and martial character, urging the reader on to action in all great crises. Touching ! the matter of the payments made by ' Ethelred the Unready to the Danes, he • counsels Young England thus: , It is -wrong to prat tenrpfcKSan. m She path i orf any nation. For fe-ar tthcy singula wnecmnxi EM ffo nstrayt ! So when yon are uequaled to PSJ or be -molested ' Ten vill fiwJ it better policy to Bay: — " We never pay any one Danegeld, t No -matter bow trifltoe tie cost. , For -the end at that same is oppression and straine, And the nation tluit pays It Is lost." 1 The "tag" to this advice comes later I when the poet is advocating the necesi s-ity of a big navy in his sonj of the I I big steamers, of which the following is • the refrain: • ! For the bread tint you est and Qie tJscnits yon nibble, '■ '■ The sweets iifaat you «mck, end <tie joints - | tfcat yon carve, ! I They are brought to you dally by all us b«s fftflamers, ' j lsjkl if any one Sdnden oar conrtoj yoc"H atarvel

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19110902.2.81

Bibliographic details

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 209, 2 September 1911, Page 14

Word Count
2,321

LITERARY. Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 209, 2 September 1911, Page 14

LITERARY. Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 209, 2 September 1911, Page 14

Help

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert