LIBELS NOTE BOOK

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 4, 29 September 1917, Page 11

LIBELS NOTE BOOK

The Dictionary of National Biography. The copyngnt, stereos, and publishing material 'generally of. that truly monumental work, the "Dictionary o* National Biography," liave been presented to the University of Oxford by the lamily of the late Mr. George M. Smith and will in future be published by the Oxiout University Press. Mr. George M. bmith undertook, the great work at his wla risk and expense in 1882. During hiteon and a half years, 1885-1900, under the editorship .of Sir Leslie Stephen and Sir Sidney Lee, the originalJproimsß ot quarterly publication was faithfully kept The sixty-third volume, which competed the dictionary, was published in 1800, and three volumes of supplement, bringing the record down to tho death ot Queen Victoria, were published in. 1501. In 1908-0 these sixty-six volumes were reissued in twenty-two volumes, now the current edition. Mr. Geoigo M. Smith died on April n, 11KM, having brought to triumphant completion without State assistance or subsidy tho largest of all national collections of biograpmes. In 1912 Mrs. George 11. Smith, to whom the dictionary had been bequeathed, publishotl the "Second Supplement" of Ureo volumes, containing tho lives of all notable persons who Ami between Jamiarj--22, 1901. and December 31, 1011. It is intended to commomorafo upon the UMepnge of all now issues tho name ol Sir. Georgo M. Smith. 11 is a disgrace to moro'rhan one British Government that no special honour was conferred upon Mr. Smith for the initiation and carrying to successful issue of an enterprise of such immense value to rho. country. But lio was not a politician, and whilst knighthoods, baronetcies, and peerages ..were

showered broadcast on pushful "party men '' or wealthy pill.manufacturers and publishers of literature of the "Snappy Bits" and' "JComio Kuts" order, Mr.' Smith died as he lived, plain Mr. George Smith, although he had given the world the finest biographical work of refer>nce ever published, and that at a, heavy personal financial sacrifice. Stray Leaves. In its new form, a dwarf quarto, published monthly at sixpence, the eTstwliile weekly "To-Day" (formerly "T.P.'s Weekly") is distinctly literary in tone. In the June number appears a complete pew poetic play by W. B. Yeats, entitled "At the Hawk's Well," and Sir Henry Newbolt has a delightful article on Ralph Hodgson's poetry. In tho July issue I notice poems by John Drinkwa,ter and some curious but clever verses .by that much-discussed writer, Bzra Pound. "The Times" warmly praises a little book of poems, "Stand Down!" by Donald H, Lea, a member of *h'e Now Zealand Expeditionary Force. The High Commissioner, Sir Thomas Mackenzie, contributes an introduction, and the book is published by Elkin Matthews at half-a-crown. So far. it-would seem, no copies havo reached the New Zealand book shops. \

"Sapper's" new book—another collection of the war stories and sketches by which the author has become so famous —will be ready very shortly, The ktlo is "No Man's Land."

English papers to. hand by the week s mail chronicle the death of Frank Richardson, a well-known humorous writer, who was often known as "Whiskers Richardson, owing to his penchant lor making his plots centre round tho hirsute adornments of Lis principal male characters.

Our old friend, IV. W. Jacobs, is, l'am glad to see, back again in tho columns of the'"Strand Magazino" with a viry jolly story, quite up to tho old Jacobsian. .standard, entitled "The Convert.. Mr. Jacobs should stick to short stories and leave tho "three-decker" to other writers.

In the August "Bookman' (Hodder and Stoughton), ' Walter Sichel contributes an. interesting article on tlio novels of that veteran lady storyteller, Miss Rhoda Broughton.- Hugh. Walpnle figures this month in "The Bookman s Gallery, his work being the -subject of a well-written appreciation, b.* KODei't Birkmyro. Mr. Laurence Bmyon gives some gleanings from Swinburne's recent-ly-published Dostlmmous poems, ana under'. tho heading "Causeries.dn bamedi Mr Georgo Sampson' waxes very eulogistic over Arnold Bennett's. resurrected essays, signed Jacob, Tonson, m "The New Age," of some ten years ago, and now'reprinted in -volume form under tho title of "Books and Persons. As usual, there is a profusion ot portraits, and the literary gossip is timely and Informative. Altogether a capital issue. . , . , . We are to have two new books from Mr. John Galsworthy, in; the-. (Ln K li»h) autumn. One, entitled "Beyond," is anovel; the other,, "Fire Tales, a collection of short stones. •■ • ■ . A sequel to Richard . Dohan s (Miss Clo Graves) famous novel lhe JJop Doctor" is shortly to be by Heincmann's. 'The tttle is T-lilli Winirs a title no doubt sug?ied by fho fact>at the .hero .Ojo Dop Doctor's son, is on service m tfle war as an airman. . 'Messrs. Angus, and. Robertson, of Sydney, announce a new volume of ..xerse to Mr c J Dennis, whoso "Sentimental Bloke"' and "Ginger Mick" to™*™, especially tho former,- had such an extensive sale. The new poem, <«* ° poems, will bear tho curious title lhe Glugs of Gosh."- , Mr. John Long, the tato is issuing at a. shilling net _ The Blast ,, tho magazine of tho 3rd Battalion of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade. It is edited by Captain S.- J- B. Closey, and con, tains letterpress and illustrations by him-, self and other commissioned and noncommissioned officers. July 18 was the centenary of Jane Austen's death, and English papers and magazines received by the- last mail contain many interesting references to the author of "Pride au/1 Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility," and other novels.by her whom Andrew Lang called tho .' .wise and witty Jane." There is a special y good article on Jane Austen in the July issue of "Tho Quarterly Review, -by Mr. Reginald Farrer. Tho same issue by the way, contains an excellent article on "Swinburne" (based on Mr. Edmund Gosse's recently published Lite ■), by John Bailey, whoso first-page articles in the. "Times Literary Supplement attracted so much'attention. Mr.. Bailey, I might remind my readers, has written what is, in my opinion, the sanest and best appreciation of Dr. Johnson ever published. It is to bo found in a. little volume. "Dr. Johnson and His. Circle, published in that excellent series lhe Homo University Library.' English papers chroniclo the death of Mrf Buxton Forman, a sound and able literary critic, whose edition of Jieats, on whose poetry Mr. Forman was nil admitted authority,-is by far the moat complete and best that we have of this poet. ' ' . The Hon. Maurice Baring, who made many friends hero when!ho visited New Zealand in 1910, has recently engaged "011 special service" m Russia. Mr. liaiin~ was for some years a resident 01 Petrograd,'and his books on Russia, notably "Tho Mainsprings of Russia, are well known.' I notice that Mr. Baring has recently published /a poem In Memorial* A.i" (A.H. is Auberon Herbert, Captain Low Lucas, BJ-'.C., killed Novembe? 3, 1916), in which there are many fine lines, as, for example-. God, who had made you valiant, strong, and swift, ■ Gave back your youth, to you And packed in moments rare and few Achievements manifold And happiness untold, ' • 'And bade you spring to Death as to a bride. ' . , He let you leave a. name ' , . .. To shine on the entablatures of truth Forever: . . ~ . To sound lor ever in answering halls 01 fame. Messrs. Allen and'TJnwin, will shortly pnblisll a new volume of essays by Mr. Edward Carpenter, who has, I tnw, many admirers in this country. The title is "Industrial Freedom." It would be interesting to know what intellectual So- , cialists of the Carpenter typo think of "industrial freedom," as,the term is bein" interpreted by the Australian strikers! Owing to the paper shortage, the English Publishers' Association has decided, I notice, that 310 Christmas catalogues shall bo issued this year.