NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 639, 16 October 1909, Page 11

NOTES.

Some time ago the London "Spectator" published as one of its "middles", a delightful unsigned article on "The Finest, Walk' in the World." It turns out, as many people expected, that the writer was. Miss B. E. Bauglian. The "finest walk" is, of .course, the walk to Milford Hound. 'Messrs. Whitcombe and-Tombs have issued the essay in a handsome little. booklet at.-' a shilling. Miss : Baughan's exquisite description did not really need any pictures to assist it, but the publishers have illustrated it. with some excel-lently-chosen photographs. - - • . .','■'

- Mr.: John Lane announce the publication of Dri- Johnson's poems with-an introduction, by Mr. William- W.atson. .Tho.. po.enis. arc; said, to have "only once had the distinction; of being issued in a separate; volume-rnamely, in 1!85 by G. Kearsley." : v.

Amongst the weighty authorities who hav.: opposed the theatrical Ceusorship .we mayplaci the name of Dr. Samuel Johnson. True, when ha wrote in 1739.his.ironical "Vindication.of the Licensers of'.the. Stage," he had .not yot' attained; to his position as ;the "Great Cham of Literature," ,but ho was on the way. to fame. 'Johnson's pamphlet was occasioned, by the . refusal! to 'permit.'- the ," performance"•.ol "Gustavus . Vasa,''. a play. by" Henry Brooke, a' olcyM-'lrishman' who afterwards -wrote ."The Pool of .'Quality," a oncc-famoua novel, Brooke's drama 'was thought, to be dangerous' to !the Monarchy. ;It contained such sentimonts as theso:'— . ...' ''.■ ■ ■'-.'■' '•■'■■"'. '~-' ' Yes, my A'rvida,'. '.'■,- Beyond the sweeping of the proudest train That : shades -a monarch's,heel, I-.prize thes ' ■•''.-! weeds ;-,-' '. , ■';':■■ '",. ':;-•',:■'. '■' '-■':■'..' .''.'• '•■ For they 'are sacred to my' country's, freedon Nervous : . ; fear,, ha'sVbee'n the'•licenser's ■ bade; since;, the,;creation of,;his office,'. He smell treason,:' in a platitude and the seven deadl' sins';in.-a;single, joke:' --■ Brbbke;complained' o the • delay of the "licenser: in making up hi. mind.'. .Instead of' deciding l in 1 ' the'-statutory •fourteen-days- -the: licenser exhausted' thre< jpeeks'and then'.declined'to allow the play t( he, acted: , Hereupon' Johnson, with mod solemnity,: rebuke, the eagerness oi the ; .:.;.. ■',••''•..-- ■•• '•'"Let: Mr. .Brooke .consider, whether that importunity was not a' sufficient' reason for the disappointment. Let him' -reflect' how much m'ore/decent7it : -hacU-beenvto ..have waited, the leisure of a, great man than to have.pressed .upon him with,, repeated: petitions, and to have intruded '.:up6h' those '.'precious '■ moments which he'has; dedicated; to'.thesorvice:6f -his country. Mr^rßr<lske : ,.w.a's'' doubtless ied into this improper manner of. acting by..' an '.erroneous - notion.lthat 'the grant,of. a license .vas. not. an act.;bf:.favour,'bu't,'of-justice; a mistake into which, he could not:' have" fallen but from a supine.':inattention to ■ 'the ■ design- .of the, statute; which was • only-, to bring poets into subjection. and" dependence,' hot to ■ encourage goodr'writersbut to discourage-;-all."' v ' ;.'The.gist of', the whole/matter, (observes: the. "Manchester .Guardian").'is ' there-"condensed into a'single.'.phraso. The author "with the fear;of the Lord Chamberlain's deputy before .his,eyes-is like a man dancing in chains.

• . A'.Paris, correspondent sends,the "Manchester Guardian"-a.-note.bearing-both on the Tenhy-. .son,' Centenar- and'indirectly, on the subject' oi- which, you -had a .lending article the' other, day—the Frenchman's knowledge" : of .English literature.. My correspondent says.a fact which should not bo overlooked in-writing about-Ten-nyson is the "popularity-of his poems .across the; Channel.' '■ Just' as 'most 'English .people know a good deal about Victor: Hugo, and wo afe'familiar'with'.mucb-of his,.work-roften the only<French modern ; j>oet the average Englishman" knows—so hero inVFrance the Frenchman .knows; Tennyson* '-He learns',6ome of-the poems .at'school,. and in later life reads more. 'A Frenchman's": practical acquaintance with English: literature oonsists 'usually 'of ,a ; : cursory knowledge of Shakespeare,'■ Dickens, and Ten T ny6on;■•:,;.And ; Tennyson, is -greatly -appreciated. His is a style the Frenoh can understand.. -We know how much store Tennyson set by beauty and-clearness of. forni'in-.verse-rhow. he laboured -to get his "cadence': perfect, his harmonics faultless.,-, .The (result .is verse;singularly iree fromi over-mucli .idiom; so the.French,•■accustomed to.the limpidity and precision, of- their own.:tongue, .understand 'hitn ; .nt, v 6hce 'and 'are pleased.,; 'His subjects; t00,,• are 'usually- such as appeal to'the, Frenchman. ■"■', ". v "-". , ■ ,