LITERARY GOSSIP.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14987, 6 June 1914, Page 9

LITERARY GOSSIP.

"Three Gentlemen from Caledonia,'' by Messrs R. D. Hemingway and Henry do Hnlsalle, is tho novel which has won the "Express" award of £200. These now authors have had a varied career and both started in the law. Mr Hemingway was articled to- his father's firm that practise at Bewdloy, and Mr do Halsallo studied for tho Bar before becoming an actor. He has been a dockhand and circus master and was once shot in a row in an Irkutsk cafe. Mr Hemingway says the finest time of his life was tho years spent sailing on wind-jammers. Ho left sailing vessels for steamships and retired from the sea shortly after gaining his extra-master's certificate.

Someone has unearthed an early review of Burns's poems. It appeared in a London publication bearing the title of "The General Magazine and Impartial Review," in 1787. Tbe review commences thus:—"By general report wo learn that R.B. is a ploughboy, of small education, but blessed by nature with a powerful genius. His subjects are not, as might havo been expected, confined to the objects which surround him; he is satirical a* well as pastoral, and humorous as well as elegiac." From which it would appear (observes the "Westminster Gazette") that this reviewer came nearer the mark than many who have dealt with-the first productions of other poets.

The reviewer goes on to lament that the poems were chiefly in the Scottish dialect, which he thought would confine their beauties to a small circle of reailers. He quotes the "0 happy love!" stanza from "The Cottar's Saturday Night," which he thinks "very elegant"

.%nd "highly poetical," and would have liked moro'of tho pooms to havo boon written in similar language- He eludes:—"Wo are happy to observe prefixed to this collection of natural genius and strong sense a list of subscribers at once so numerous aim respectable as io do honour to the author's countrymen, and who-e bounty wo trust will enable him to preserve that independence ol miad, and to indulge luniseLf in thoso flights of .pagination which ho appears to possess in an eminent degree and,-which constitute tho genuine poet of nature." Tainlv had no cause to. complain of this reviewer in the "wearisome sooth. Sonio of thorn since havo been loss compumeutary.

M Bulgakoff, formerly score-*-? of Count Tolstoy, 'has U I*>»«<"» P»P«r £ informed), been lecturing.on tho con tents of the great wntora iibiarj, which, he said, numbered OKoO wniks (lU,O<X> volumes), ,», 32 lanßuage£ *£> Russian section comprised. *><}** orks, the English 3413, the French 1040, and the L.orman 602. Among-the .\l&&. found by M. Bulgakoff after Count iolstov's death was the scenario of a play entitled "Peter Mytar " ™* « h character is a man who has devoted hi* life solely to tho acquisition of wcaitii. Ho lias performed no good works. Mo falls seriously ill, and ono night in a dream sees himself being weighed in the scales of the Day of Judgment. Iho scales are turned iv his favour by an old beggar man, who lays m them a loaf which Peter Mytar threw at his head to got rid of him. Voter awakens and recovers. He becomes as openhanded as he was close-fisted before, although his wife and others endeavour to persuade him that his lavish generosity only excites envy and jealousy among the recipients. Eventually he allows himself to be sold into servitude A friend discovers his whereabouts, and then ho "flies away or disappears." Among tho great men who admired the late Mr Crockett's first books, the names of Ruskin and Gladstope should (the "British Weekly" says), bo remembored. When Ruskin heard "The Stickit Minister" read aloud ho felt doubtiul whether the Scotch was correctly pronounced.- So-ho-began to read it himself, the first book ho had read for five'or six years: Afterwards he read "The Raiders," and'sent Mr Crockett a kind message through, a mutual friend, inviting him to.stay at Coniston. -Air Gladstone also was much interested in the young minister, whom he met whilo staving at the house of Mr Cowan, of Boeslack. Under tho pen-name "Lancelot Strong," -Mr Crockett wrote a glowing account of-his first meeting with the aged-Liberal'Leader. "It", is better to boa maker than a leader of mon," said tho statesman to the novelist. Both men, it may be noted, wero at their freshest in the morning hours. In his Penicuik timo, Mr Crockett rose at 4.30, and by breakfast tho creative work of the day wasover. He read tbo Waverley Novels all through every year.

According to "The Times." tho publication in its columns of a new poem by Keats has been the subject of general conversation and comment. If this is true—and it is not impossible—this flutter of interest is in amusing contrast with tho colossal indifference of general society to "the finest published work of Keats and even greater poets (says Mr W. P. James in ."T.P.'s Weekly"). Ferdinand Brunetiere once found food for cynicism in watching fashionable Paris all agog about the discovery of a supposed unpublished, passage of Pascal, wnen all tlije time the passage stood -printed in dusty tomes on the undisturbed shelves of libraries, private and public. The spectacle inspired him to write an article on "Le Fureur do l'lnedit." Sir Sidney Colvin himself by no means overestimates the value of his find, though in his case it is one of a real poem really unpublished.

There can be no doubt, however (adds Mr James), that the general public, as wejl as the writing folk, will take a lively interest in the newjy published report of a conversation between Keats' publisher and John Blackwoot? about the notorious criticism of Keats in "Blackwood's Magazine." According to this report, Blackwood felt bound to doferid his critic. He said that it was all. a joke—that the writer meant nothing more than to lie witty, and that it was done in tho fair spirit of criticism. To which the.publishor made the spirited retort that "Tt-wnc dono in +he Spirit of the Devil*,, Mr Blackwood." Blackwood nevertheless claimod to have been first in tho field. Taylor accused his magazine of striking a man when he was down. "He gets a violent blow from tbo 'Quarterly,' and then you begin.": "I beg your pardon," says 8., "we wero the first!"