LITERARY GOSSIP.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13105, 2 May 1908, Page 7

LITERARY GOSSIP.

Challenges are being made by rival publishers as to the cheapness of their publications. According to the "Periodical," the "Times History of tho World'" gives 4666 words for a penny, and "Chambers' Encyclopaedia" G9OO words. But tho Gibbon volumes in tho "World's Classics" contain on an average 20-1,000 words, or at tho rato of 17,000 words for a pe-nny. Mr Stephen Phillips, whose latest work, a dramatisation of Scott's "Brido of l>immermoor," as ehoaitiy to be produced by Mr Martin Harvey, is a cousin of Mr F. R. Benson, the well-known producer of Shakespeare's plays (says "M.A.P."). For a time, indeed, he was a member of the latter'a company, and although it cannot be said that he shone as an , all-round actor, Mr Phillips was considered to be the beat Ghost in "Hamlof of recent years. His playing of the part was so remarkable that on one occasion he was called before the curtain —a compliment believed never to have been accorded to any other actor in this particular role. Mr Phillips soon tiredjof, tlj© stage, and next turned his attention to coaching for the- army. Thia also did not eatiafy him, and - it •was not until he,went in seriously for ]wjsting ? po>try;..tb»t' hec4«cov©r©df In*

true metier. Mr Phillips tells the following amusing story concerning his play, On» nislrt, just before tho ■curtain rose on dio first scene, two ladies in tho stalls were heard discussing what it would be like. "Ob. I'm sure it's going to be screamingly funny," said one. '"What on earth makes you think so?" asked her companion. '""Why," exclaimed the first speaker, "anybody could tell that from its name."

A banquet was given over twelve months ago to Messrs Vedrenne and Barker, in recognition of their servicce to English drama, at tho Court Theatre, and to inaugurate their coining occupation of tne Savoy "(writes the London correspondent of tho '•Argus' , ). Everyone present on that occasion hoped that the successes oi Messrs Yedrenn«? and Barker at the last-named theatre would exceed their experiences at the Court. But the reverse has beon the After a few months' experience these able and enterprising gentlemen have been compelled to admit that the lkerary drama cannot be made a commercial eucceee. They havo produced one or two revivals of Mr Bernard Shaw's pieces at the Cc-urt, and'also "C»saT and Cleopatra." 5 but the public could not be persuaded to give a jjenero-us Eatronage. Mr Shaw's work kept the 'oJJrt more than alivo; but it was not sufficient for such a iarixe and .expensive theatre as tho iSavoy. In contrast to thie misfortune we have the* promise of a succor at the ok! Lyceum, where the experiment is boing made of Shakespeare for the masses. Aft<?r Sir Henry Irving's withdrawal from the. Lyceum, the proprietors endeavoured to run the place as a music hall. 'i'Jiey next introduced somo highly dramatic pieces, of which Hall Caine's ''Christian" was the moat noteworthy. To-dny they are trying Shakespeare at suburban prices (nothing higher tnan ss). nvA have, commenced with "Romeo and Juliet."' on rather more melodramatic lines than is usual in West End tlieatr**.

Tlio "BaroneAs Orcz>-" has experienced a misfortune in the law cooirts (writes the same oorrespcmdertt). Tins laJdy, whose real name Ls Barstou-. is tlie autliorooS of the '"Scarlet Pimpernel." one of the most successful works, both as a novel and as dramatised, that wo have had for a generation. Three or four years ago Mrs Barstow wa*s wruang short stories of no proat merit. She made the acquaintance of 31r Courteney Thorpe, the actor. Ho encouraged her to writ<» tho "Scarlet. Pimpernel," and he introduced tho nieco to Mr Fred Terry and Miss Julia Noilson. It was arranged between Mrs Barstow and Mr Thorpe that the latter should receive 20 per cent, of tho lady's income from the dramatic production. At the eJid of three years a dispute arose over the terms of tho aoTeement. Mrs Baretow did not consider that the arra.ngement ouwht to run on indefinitely. A jury, however, has decided'wholly against her, and Mr; Thorpe has' been award-cd his 20 per cent, commission. "Mrs Barstow's -arrangement with Mr Terry was £700 down, and 5 per cent., on the gross reooipte, which ie a very modest proportion of the enormous sums which Mr Terry has netted. Altogether Mrs Barstow'hae received less than £6000.

Says the "Daily Maiil" reviewer of a new edition' of "Lorna Doone": —■ Blaekmoro's famous novel may be said to bave nrade geography. Exmoor thero always was, but since tho publication of "Lorna Doone" it has become the Doone or Blacknioro country, with new features, rrew ■ interest for the j person with invagination,, who is, as a rule , , the visitor • rather than the native. For the efforts of Mr Ward and others to get out of genuine Exmoor folk some or any version of the Doone story have not been ■particularly successful. Old men, born, and bred on Exmoor, have eJbaken .their heads saying that they "never heard tell o' no robbers, least, not in our time," and only after much. qTvestioninß could anyone be fouiwd to recollect that "there Mas robbers in the-'old , days} but they was over to Badseo-y. Proper rough lot they wpr.". Fortunately, (however, the Rev. J. R. Chanter, of .tort EDiM, Somerset, wrote down thret stories which had originally been told by Treula Johnson,. anv old woman who died in 1826. The manitscript is dated 1339, thirteen years after Mts Johii'son's dearth, but i<t may be assumed that Mx -Ohianter actually heard her tell the stories, although he dad not write thorn down , at ones. They are the "Legend of de Wiehehalse," "The Legend of the DooniOs of Badgeworthy," and "The Legend of Tom Fa«gns and His Strawberry Horse," a-nd they contain all the material of Rlackmoro's romance. It is evident, therefore, that a copy of the stories enme his wav arid • inspired the novel which 1» wiiVd to write of the country &f his foreibeaTS.

Tlirnt the Doonw? really existed tihere, can be little doubt, tnrb /who tfhey were and whence they came is not dear. We are told that they caane from* the north and for that reason they halve been wnneoted with a Scotch faanilfr of. Doows, some- of'wihom were- banasfted to "Rnd-and m 1602. Bnt to tJie iljihaibitanits of Devon and' Somerset "tie north" 'nrnshib easily have meamt Wales, twenty miles away aorows the Bristol Channel, and it. is nonseblo' t3iat. the Doon-os were descended from a> disorderly clan", of the.name of IXoon/who for tiv*ir lnwlw«sne«s wwre driven from their Cairmart'Hens'hire home in<to England. theory is. /that the Doohe Vegwirl is o)der tton. the- dhte generally riven to it, and tiha.t it relates to the Dunerc, w9io frequtOTtly ravaged ifae Exmwor coast. Or,'a«i.im, the Drones may l*nve been fugitives from S<Kl«*<"WK)r Field. The "John Ridd of Bl.Trkmore's" story is easily idontifiwi with n John Ridd who v|as well known in his dov as a wrest.ler, 1 °"id Ridd, willi tiho names that Biwck-rnorc uses— Ff'-crate (or Yepsrus) p.Tifl Snow— >are still to be foirod on ,, Kxmoar. But thero is ro valley that exactly porreepondfl with that which +ihf' writer describes as the Doones' home.