CHRONICLE AND COMMENT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 27, 26 October 1907, Page 13

CHRONICLE AND COMMENT.

Eugene :Lgc Hamilton.- , Tho^"cabio, agent-who supplies '.news'''to., tho. Australasian .press is..very;.capricious; in liis" selection: of tlio literary' iripri deaths are., worth.. announcing'/ by 1 cable'.:. We lia'vb had'to wait for this/week's English, maili for instance;" t6 Ji li'ear''of tlio'death at Bapifi di Lacca,-miXt9l.Vi ( o/l-jJ"Jj!BffWi)?' 00 'flW!fiWo'i,.>Wi English'poet .'.or far.-lnbre.-than,. minor,, repute, liis doath'.occurred on: September 7 last-.. Mo was oorn in ;1545,: and, after,- graduating) at Oxford, - eiiterpd',the-,Diplomatic Servico,-- from which-, he was driven by;. ill; health in 1875;. Ho tliohtdevoted hiinsolf .to literature, achieving special distinction in poetry with his "Sonnets :of the .'Wingless Hours;" Other works of his woro "Poems arid Transcripts,". "God,' Saints, and. Men,". . ."Tho New- Medusa,-. "Apollo aiid Marsyas," "Imagin.-iry Sonnots," and ."The Fountain;.of Youth.'' His translation iof Dantii.'s "Inferno" is muob osteomed for its fidelity, force, and finisn. This^"was .followed ;by two 'successful works of fictions' .'The!' Lord: of .tho' Dark ■ Red.: Star/' and:"Tho Romance of tho Fduntain."•'Quito recently,-.lie- had -revised for' publication'.';a; sories of/sonnets,, perhaps his finest work-in that-.form/.of verse, .of-which, ho'was an acknpwVe.dgo'd - master. In 1808 ho married a Scottish,.' lady,,. Miss :Annie ■ E./'lloldsworth,authoress of "The -Hours, that- tho Locust Hath.Eaten" and other brilliant novels, and she collaborated with-him in: l "Forest Notes. '.' of his best ,known arid most beautiful .pooms. • f

Buskin's* Publisher. ', ! v ; , :A'rc'cent notable ''literary!'..death was that Of,. Mr.Y.Gcoreo "Allen, ■ Buskin's., famous pub-: lisher.' .His, first..venture ;Was tlio issue, ,as author's .engraver, ,0f.,, a small / pamphlet headed/"lvors' .Clavigera." .y Tho work: camo out !in:mbntbly. instalments,., the, prleo.iafterwafds'boihg raised to.tonponcp. By 18,75 the, first',thousands woro..sold, ,and a second cditioii.'.v/asl'iissiiedi'; Tho'.. venture prospered:; "Sosaiiie and Lilies"..followed in 18/2, and a l ' tho rest'of.his'books wore. issued in the same; way; ; fenskirj■ objected,!to advertisement., inil to'' middlemen—ithop'gh.iiiot t'o.'.booksellers atsuch." "It was' found,',"says .a' friend "of the. publisher's,' "that the, booksellers, wero. not mdispensiiblo,': that ''business could bo done -'through,'tho' post'-as-'Vcll as oyer the counter." In': spite: of occasional difficulties. .- there liis been a .steady increase of pro-' fit,'' rising .of liite.years.. (1900), according to Mr'/'Allen, to 'an ' average' of. £4000;,". Mr. Allen; • of cou'rso',', built up at tho snriid-timo an- independent connection as' a publisher on" ordinary lines. : j ' ~-: ' A.Tennyson Pagoant. . :• "It-:iseems-difficult i to realise," says"-tho "Manchester. Guardian," "that wo arO within measurablo distanco of a Tennyson centenary. Tennyson is always regarded as a quito modern poet, '&iul it- i£' not easy even for tho youngest members of the past generation to recognisd that a man who can remember'the first°appoaranco of 'In 'Memoriam,' with its remarkablo treatment of the great problems of lifo and' ovolution which still provide us with . material 'for our deepest speculation, iaust.be well over tho allotted span of human life; It is 'a fact, however, that in less than two years wo, shall bo called upon to cclobrate .tho hundredth anniversary of Tennyson's birth. 1 Tho llector of Haslemere, ~n tho neighbourhood of which peaceful Surrey village tho last year's of Tennyson's life, wore spoilt,.' is-.already prepared with a proposal for a local celebration of this anniversary by tho production of a -series'of scenes from (ho 'Idylls of the King.' " ■,■■■■■■ Dickens and Bernard Shaw. iDickous .lives because ho appeals to .oui: whole naturo,. heart as well as head. Dickons lives'becauso, with his wondorfully keon sympathy with.all varieties of. humanity, ho has produced a picture gallery of human types only comparable with the ncli, panorama of Shakespeare. ! Dickons lives becauso 'it was givou to him to understand; tho elements which enter into life,: to comprehend and illustrate sorrow and joy, .-'virtuo and-vice, feebleness and strength, passion and remorse, hatred and lovo. It is this complex appeal of liis, his appeal to emotion, sentiment, feeling, as well as to intelligence, reason and thought, which makes him so supremo a' master. Nowadays, in the case of somo of our contemporary idols,,. wo appear to.worship moro cleverness, mere wit, moro intellectualism. .'But will Mr. Bernard Shaw last as long as Dickens? . And if not, why?—" Daily Telegraph." " "The Golden Treasury.'' The announcoment.tliat tho Oxford University Press is about to issuo a new edition of Palgravo's famous "Golden .Treasury," brought up to date by the inclusion of a hundred additional poems, is good nows for lovers of poetry. This will evidently contain tho i'"•"..volumes in which Palgravo originally

issued his worl;. Tlioso two volumes (tho "Manchester Guardian" remarks) - woro of very unequal merit, as necessarily followed from the fact that tho first was culled from tlio wholo range of our lyrical poetry down to ISSO, whilst tho second dealt only with modern writers. In. the first .volume, also, I'algrave had tho incaloulablo advantage of Tennyson's assistance, whereas in tho sccond he was thrown upon tho resource of his own judgment, which was by 110 means so fino as that of the lato Laureate. Thus tlio. original "Gcldon Treasury" has becomc a classic, never superseded nor likely to bo superseded by later anthologies, whereas tho sccond volume is only one among many equally good selections. It is probably impossible for a contemporary critic to judge tho work of his own friends so impartially as lie can that of tho dead poots, and thero is also tho copyright question. Palgrave, for instanco. was terribly handicapped by Mr. Swinburne refusal to lot liim include any of his verso.' .It is clear that tho now cditiou will depart considerably from I'algravo's method, from tho announcement that it is to include, among other things, the whole of FitzGerald's version of Omar Khayyam.

The Reprint' Readers. 1 Tho rage for roprints, which was the subject of a recent article in The Dominion, appears to havo causod soirio discussion in Fjngfand, and a correspondent of tho ''Manchester Guardian' - says that the reprint is welcomed by boys and girls. . Emerson, Matthew Arnold and Froude (ho'says) find a ready silo with 'youths just beginning to find life serious, not a'playing field; and the "Meditations of Marcus Aurelius" has helped more than one' to form a rule* of lite, ill-kept though it may bo. Tho'uuimaginatjyo parent who has not'found but that; the tasteof the rising generation .has .developed on different lines to his own' buys- . Scott and .Charlps Kiiigslcy,'for,• Christmas presents;. ' But apparently the. young.' people .'now '.'.arc. not fascinated' by '.these two writors as wo of an. older gonoratib'n wore, though they' are generally polite o'nough to road them when given. Last winter one copy of the "Autobiography of Bc'nvonuto, Cellini" was read, with enthusiasm by six pcopio in as many weeks. .. . A New'poet..;:'" " : . i ;. ' '; -'". Tho ex-Mayor, of Sail Francisco is jn gaol for swindling. ...iThe present Mayor,is of high'merit, and has just,issued.a volume of poems.' Onosof tho finest things m it, according .to the London "Times" ,is a long poem, of.SO.slanzas .in Fitzgerald's metre.. Follow some stanzas:— ■•• • ' . Things, forces, change and change, but'never die; ;.■■■,' ,'„a., ■':• '■'; ~', /; ■ ■- Inßnituilo is writ on earth :and sky; And if it benoatoni lives in yam, How can thy Spirit ever clod-liko ho? This lilv.bloom we would not wish to, stir , From wheie it gazes on,tho towering fir , . Is rooted in tho mountains mighty past, , And is because long-vanished ocumsi were. , -.- Let not Necessity's most.cunning wit Lead thee into Materialism's pit; - .;. No '■wind-blown- waif art'thou,; and in thy ' - soul ■'-.' ■■'''' ■ ; ' ■'■■'- '. " . "'. ■ Conscience and all her court unsleeping- sit. And shouid'st thou. Right's.,most petty crca- . ture slay ~--,,, , ■-~, ; ■■; ' ■■ , Not all the worlds or powers could put away The-.sure comme'nsiirato penalty from thee; It may be,soon.or.'late,' but thou must pay. Thou art thine own' redeemer; 1 thou alone; Not'evon the greatest can' for ' thee'- atone, ■'■' Nor can one bloom oxpand within thy soul Except from seed thy,careful hand ,has. sown. Dcoay of the ' .Magazl.nos. . : "It is.rumoured that at least two of our monthly ■ magazines . will. shortly ceaso publication, ! says the "Academy." "No ono.who has watched.tho English magazines.with any; sustainod interest .during tho. past, year or so can bo reasonably surprise^,' at tho news. There arb far too many, on ...tho market, whilst tho increased, enterprise shown by yari-; ous publishiiig houses iii'offering/the. public cheap.' novels'. at' : sixpenco, or has added to the general competition'.'' Moreover,, it is useless' to deny '.that the hjajo.rity';of. our monthly, .magazines .aro .dc'gonei'ato productions. Stupidly written, and icpafsoly illustrated, they aro very frequently''oven .badly printed. Judged as a whole they aro poorer m every.', respect than -tho productions of a dozen or fifteen joars ago." In this connection .it is interesting to know, that in September- the "Contemporary Review" ; 'reachcd its.-five-hundredth issue. ';"■ -';- If ; ■'■' C.B.S.'s Adventure. . .:,.... -.- One day last month London shuddered at\ a rumour that'Georgo Bernard Shaw was lost/ : on-the.Welsh mountains. Ho had been : staying , atrLlanbedr, -Merionethshire, ■ and• -.proceeded for a ramble towards Pvhiniog Fawr, situated in the vicinity, of the Roman Steps;Beforo starting' ho arranged to leave a noto giving particulars of his whereabouts on a certain part, of tho Stops for tho benefit! of- , somo Fabian friends, who' intondod following , him. The noto was found,, and his friends proceeded in the direction- indicated. No 'trace.of Mr. Shaw could, howovpr, bo found, and; as night camo without any sign- of his return, parties ; wore.organised who throughout, tho night searched the surrounding district. to ; iio purpose. Next morning, Mr. Shaw. 'reached Dolgelly, via Tr<iwsfyiiydd,in a fatigued condition.: It .appears that ho had losthis, way, on tho hillside,'and; spent the night in traversing tho mountains and dales. Mr., .Shaw relieved public-anxiety by wiring to tho "Daily Mail" as follows:—-"Search par- ' ties out all.night in vain. Footprints traced four miles by lanterns' light. Gravo anxiety., I attribute the failure of search-to my preferring to pass the night in a comfortable hotel. I find tho, moors too damp at. my 'age.". --' ■■■'. .-.:-''.• : '.;,■■ NEW BOOKS. • Tho Nut-Brown Mayd: A Riviora , Mystery. , By Gortrudo 'Wardon. 'Boll's Colonial ■■ Library; London, Price 3s. 'Gd. and 2s. 6d. ■-~■•.- . ; This is a crudely melodramatic story of crimo and royongo in fashionable, Mcntono.. Tho "nut-brown maycl" goes to the Riviera, to attract the attentions of ( a young million;, aire, whbni'her impoverished pcopio want lior to marry. Instead, alio falls in love with a certain doctor,'who is'supposed to bo already married, and kindles a consuming passion in, tho heart of a rather torriblo uhclo of tho, millionaire,, who perpetrates a ghastly crimp when his feelings receive other shocks. People who like blood and horror, will on joy this book. (Whitcoinbo and, Tombs)! ', .'.'.■_.'.'. Reginald Auberon: Tho Autobiography of a Selfish Alan . fly, Hpraco Wyndhani. Boll's Colonial Library, London. ' Price 2s. 6d. ami'3s.-6:1::-.' Autobiographies of selfish men, bashful men, bad boys and girls;' should hot bemado to; fill''whole volumes. It is bad to concontrato one's gazo too long on these distortions. Mr. Wyndliam's .selfish man is an unpleasant snob, who ought to have been kicked from •boyhood. Tins is supposed to. bo tho humour' dan havo too much. Too much is given' us of tho story, but it is humour,of which ono here. (Whitcombo and Tombs.) \ '.'-

Tennyson's; admirers will wolcomo the announcement of an annotated edition of tho poet's works in Macmillan's admirable "Eversloy Series." * • Dominio Sampson's "prodigious" is surely, the only term (says the "Pall Mall Gazette") that can ho applied to the scope of Dr. ICmii Reich's, ne v work, of which the first two volumes will soon be forthcoming from Macmillan. This is a. "General History .of Western Nations from 5000 B.C. to 1900 A.D." Tho posthumous volume of historical essays by Lord Acton, which was given to tho world a few months ago, must have produced in tl l) scholarly circles 1111 eager desire to beco.no acquainted with any further work that may have been loft unpublished froni the sam'o poll, and much interest will wait upon the .two volumes of collected essays which are being prepared by Messrs. Macmillan for issue during tlio coining autumn. These will be ontitled respectively "The History of Freedom and other Essays," and "Historical lis. says and Studies," and both will havo an in troduction by. Messrs. J. N. Figgis and It. V. Laurence-