LITERARY NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 149, 27 June 1925, Page 17

LITERARY NOTES

Book lovers will miss a "guide, philosopher, and friend in Mr.' J. Maxwell, for over twenty years among the books at Whitcombe and Tombs, in Wellington and Dunedin.

The "Samoa Times" recently announced-:— "To-night (Friday),' in tho Market Hall, Apia, a translation of Shakespeare's 'Cymbeline' will be presented (in Samoan) by the ladies of Vineula"Village," • '

Dr. A. S. W.'.Rosenbach, the American book buyer, recently spent in London some £400,000 on rare books. He paid what he described as a "very moderate price" for a contemporary plagiarism of Shakespeare's "Venus and Adonis", when he wrote a cheque for £3800 for the book. For the "New Nut-brown Maid," a poem -"printed in London in 1535, ho. gladly paid £760. Dr. .Johnson's "Prologue and Epilogue" he bought for a dollar and declined to sell it for £1000. ' -.

.: M. •Ribot;: -whose nariie" is ■ familiar, in .■Prerich,public life,, had ;the curious distinction?.of 'being Prime Minister; for one :day-;in:the;ye'arv 1914/y;Duririg the warhe, was Minister'of Finance .'and ;Miriisf.ter of Foreign Affairs in the- years 1914-1 .1917. : He: wrote jthen, 1 or he. has „-wiit-." ■ten; since; -a... series/;of", "Letters to.; a :Friend;Vf.whjch\-,th'e'/;HutchiDsons will ' shortly in English. -: They deal :witH\ ..America's', entry- into, 'the...Great Warjwith .the "Russian: Revolution, rwith .the.Nivelle offensive,' so'disastrous in.a ;military;^ sense/5 and iwitk.: the; ensuing (troubles'in:thß;Frerich)iriny.fc:;;:; :;:-/:-,

'•"The Lancet" describes:'': Dr. V 'Barclay's book. on-, anatomy; arid; physiology fpr .nurses :: as';, ''a^reriiarkabie.;'."one, its tiUe:ghd'n'g ; n6.hint.;bf..its'.scope or worth. '.■..,;■-. > -.In hishands. the result is-a logical and .orderly^ review, of .life, its origin, its conditions, arid: its;meaning,':commencing: with- the l'; : vague :of an amoeba ,in search ■; of .food, and; ending with .what are, perhaps, .the. equally vague: 'efforts'of the.human'psyche after, happiness,. .:- .■ No', better .introduction to medical work could, well be placed in tlie.:liands .of a: student, and we.;.venture :to: think that there are few: medical men who might not read:it with profit.'' Di\ Barclay was formerly colonel in the Russian Bth Army, and ]\ a major in the R.A;M.C.: .When in New/Zealand ho was examiner in forensic medicine to the university, and *he was superintendeni of ..the ;Waimate 'County Hospital. After the war ho took ; a .practice in .Maidstone, : Kent. Much of :'the text of his" book is based on lectures delivered by him in New. Zealand. . :. .' . .