CHRONICLE AND COMMENT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 45, 16 November 1907, Page 13

CHRONICLE AND COMMENT.

The Blessed Damozel. A now volume of selections from English literature contains a version of "Tho Messed Dnmozel" that may surpriso many lovors of Rosotti. The,version was presumably given by reason of copyright restrictions. Howover, ovon this has its valuo, for tho reader, by comparing it with tho final form of tho' poom, will see how vastly it improved under the band of its maker. For instance, llossetti altered the first four lines from "Tho blessed Damossol loaned out From tho gold bar of Hoavon; ' Hero blue gravo eyes wore deeper much Than a deop water, oven." to "Tho blessod dumozol loaned out From tho gold bar of Heaven; Her eyes wore deeper than tho depth Of waters stilled at evon."— an almost miraculous improvement. "First" Novels. Tho offors, by two London publishers, of largo monoy prizes for a "first novel" suggests some interesting memories to the "Manchester Guardian." There are man.y famous

examples of the glory of a first book scotching all tho others. "John Inglesant," although Mr. Shorthouso published sovoral othor works, mnj bo termed his only l)ook. Ono of tho most popular English books over written is "Tho Adventures of Mr. Verdant Green." It was Mr. Edward Bradloy's first book. Ho wrote twonty-fivo others. "Jane I'Jyro" was novor surpassed by Charlotte Bronto. "Waverley" in the eyes of many is tho best of tho scries to which it gavo tho namo. Dickens's first noyol was, ot course, "I'ickwick Papers," and it is still the most widoly successful. Mr. Anstey's first book was "Vice Versa." James l'ayn once told mo how ho came upon ,it when roading for Sniith and Elder, and, much oxcited, ran down to Mr. Georgo Sniith with the news that this was tho very funniest book ever written— bottor than nnything since "Tho Christmas Carol." 1 bclievo that, popular though his other books may be, none had anything like tho success of the first one. John Fergus, a Bristol auctioneer, wrote "Called Back, and got £80 for it from Arrowsmith, of Bristol, who published it as No. 1 of Arrowsmith's Library. It was tho success of the eighties, and it is difficult now to roniembor tho names of its successors. "Georgo Eliot's" "Scones from Clerical Lifo" was applaudod at once. The "Saturday Review," amid much othor high praise, said that it was obviously tho work of a country clergyman of High Anglican views, a Cambridge man.

A Great Work. The great Cambridge "History of English Literature," which was announced some time ago, to the considerable interest of all studonts, is now woll under way. Its first volume (says an oxchange) is to be published on November 1, and will deal with tho beginnings of our literature), down to the Cycles of Romance which wore so popular in tho 13th and 14th conturios. The second volume will deal with "Piors Plowman," Chaucer, and the ensuing period down to the end of tho fifteenth century, and the third with tho period of tho Renaissanco and tho Reformation j they are both to be issued early noxt year. This work is the first English attomps to apply the encyclopaedic principle to the history of our literature on n really adequate scale. It :s tho product of a largo staff of international specialists, under the competent editorship of Dr A.' W. Ward, tho Master of Peterhouso, and Mr. A. It; Waller, who has dqno such good work in producing scholarly editions of many English classics. Tho day is past when it was possible for a singlo scholar ,to undortako the history of a whole literature on any but the smallest and most general scale; Honry Morloy, who was the last to attempt that Herculean task, did not succeed in completing it, and his valiant enterprise is hardly likely to be emulated by any modern historian. The Cambridge History of our Literature ought to become a standard work—something of tho kind that has long been desired by all studonts—and tho high reputation of the editors inclinos us to augur well of its performance / '