LITERARY NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 10808, 17 December 1898, Page 4 (Supplement)

LITERARY NOTES.

Our London correspondent, writing on October 28, says:

The announcement tliat Mr John Morley has undertaken the arduous and responsible task of writing Mr Gladstone's life and dealing with his literary remains will be received everywhere with satisfaction. Whatever faults Honest John may have as politician, he stands admittedly peerless as a trained and impartial historian. His ' Life of Cobden' was an admirable piece of work, and since writing it both his intellect and equipment have matured. He is in his prime now, and though the wealth of material at Hawarden alone must be prodigious, and will require the utmost care in revision and adroitness in ' boiling down," it seems to be anticipated that Mr Morley may bring his book out within tliree, or, at the most, four years. Disraeli's biographer, according to report, is supposed, afyer a fruitless struggle, to have abandoned his task, as too big or too delicate. But then, Lord Rowton, though an able and benevolent man, is not a man of letters, and Lord Beaconsfield's "remains" are probably of a more explosive nature than Mr Gladstone's. Whilst waiting for Mr Morley's monumental work, readers may be glad to renew acquaintance with Mr G. W. E. Russell's monograph on the Grand Old Man, in the Queen's Prime Ministers series. It has been brought up to date, and is a miniature biography of genuine, merit. The most important work which John Murray publishes this autumn will be the completion of the life of Sir Robert Peel, whose descendants, alas! have added little lustre to that distinguished statesman's name. The contents are based entirely on hitherto unpublished correspondence. The first volume, dealing with Peel's career down to 1827, was published in 1891. Now we shall have two volumes, coming to his death in the year 1850. They contain matter of the greatest political and personal interest, including letter? to and from one Queen, the Duke of Wellington, Disraeli, and all the leading persons of the day. Mr Charles Stuart Parker edits the work, to which there is added a sketch of Peel by his grandson, the Hon. George Peel.

Mr Charles Lowe, who was ' Times' correspondent at Berlin during the gloomy period of the Emperor Frederick's reign, and who subsequently produced an exceedingly frank biography of ' Bismarck,' is about to resurrect in book form a series of newspaper articles he recently wrote for a provincial syndicate on the Prince of Wales. The booklet will be called ' Our Future King,' and aims at showing that it requires no ordinary tact, patience, and resolve to become a popular prince. The most satisfactory feature of the new and much enlarged edition of the late Dr Brewer's ' Reader's Handbook' is an excellent bibliography brought almost up to date, and containing nearly every literary name of repute. Naturally sins of omission are not wanting, but on the whole they appear unimportant." For example, turning up " Merriman ' I find no mention made of his first book, 'Young Mistley,' and only a few of Miss Braddon's half hundred novels ara listed, the entry concluding "and many more stories." On the other hand, Mrs Oliphant's bibliography is copious and careful, each novel being duly dated. These dates are invaluable to reviewers, and, indeed, to all literary folk. Hitherto to find out if a work were So-and-so's and when it was written one had (if without Sampson Low's unwieldy and expensive ' Catalogue of Books' or Appleton's ' Dictionary ') to go to Mudie's or the British Museum. Now we shall merely have to turn up Brewer's 'Bibliography.' lam having this portion of the ' Reader's Handbook' bound separately and interleaved with blank ruled pages, on which one can from time to time note important addenda, and so keep the work up to date.

Mr Kenneth Graliame, the new secretary of the Bank of England, attained unto literary fame some years ago as author of that wellnigh unequalled picture of joyous and imaginative juvenility ' The Golden Age.' He has also edited Eugene Field's poems for Jolji Lane. But literature is merely Mr Giahame's distraction. His serious working hours are devoted to the " Old Lady of Thre&dneedle street," with whom he has been comiected many years. Tlie secretaryship, to which he now succeeds, is a post of great importance and dignity in the City. When Lewis Hind, acting for the defunct ' Pall Mall Budget,' gave £IOO apiece for the English serial rights of some of Kipliiig's ' Jungle Stories,' it was thought the AngloIndian had touched the top of the market. Thanks, however, to the battle raging amongst the cheap magazines his present rates rule far higher. It is a fact that he lias contracted to write eight stories for ' Pearson's Monthly' next year, for each of which he will get about £240. This is simply for the English serial rights of the stories. In addition Sir Kipling receives payment from America, India, and the colonies. This will probably bring up the price of the tales to about £SOO each, making £4,000 for the year. In addition to this Mr Kipling receives the royalties for book publication in England and America. This will not amount to less than about £4,000, so that for each story the author should ultimately receive not less than £I,OOO. Sir Charles Dilke is making a volume of the present scries of papers on the British Empire. Arrangements have been made for the publication of the book during next month by Messrs Chatto. In his opening chapter he passes the Empire in review as a whole, then proceeds to India, Canada, and Newfoundland. Australia, New Zealand, and Africa liave chapters, and the closing portions of the book deal with the Crown colonies and with Colonial Defence generally:

Mr W. W. Jacobs scores another success in ' Sea Urchins,' which is full of the same spirit of riotous impislmess that made ' Many Car* goes' run through so many editions. There are fifteen stories in this volume, the best being ' Smoked Skipper,' ' The Disbursement Shoet,'' The Grey Parrot,'' Brother Hutchins,' ' A Rash Experiment,' ' The Lost Ship,' and In Intervention. 1 Far more remarkable than these amusing sketches are, however, Captain Drury's naval yarns, ' The Tadpole of an Archangel,' a cheap reprint of which has just appeared. Amongst " service " men, I understand, it has long been a favorite, and if few laymen know the book its ridiculous title is chiefly responsible for their ignorance. One of the best stories, ' A Credit to the Ship,' without doubt refers to a well-known incident which occurred on the Australian station in Admiral Tryon's time, and others will be recognised as adroit hash-ups pf familiar legends. They are, however, exceptionally well narrated; in fact, I notice a service paper has gone the length of describing Captain Drury as " the navil Kipling.' Of now editions of old favorites there seem just now no end. *.ie latest promised is an illustrated library reissue of Whyte Melville's romances at 3s 6d per volume, commencing with ' Sarchedon.' Why this story of all others is chosen for a beginning I confess I can't imagine. It was never a popular book, and cannot be compared for eyjher narrative power or literary excellence with ' The Queen Maries,' ' The Interpreter,' or ' Digby Grand.'

In these days of ' Strands' and ' Pearsons' and ' Harmswortlia' (not to mention a score of more cultured magazines), few of us ever see the bulky and expensive old ' Quarterly Review,' once such a power in the country. And yet this venerable literary relic still contains from time to time articles of general, as well as solid, interest. Such a one is the paper in the current (October) issue detailing the position of affairs with regard to the printing of the British Museum Catalogue. This mammoth work will be finished before the end of the year 1900. It will then consist of about 600 quarto volumes, containing an average of 250 columns each. It is complete at present, with the exception of the entries referring to England, France, Germany, Great Britain, Liturgies, and a portion of the Bible. From first to last it will have been in progress for about nineteen years, during which accessions have been pouring in at the rate of some 40,000 a year. The parts first printed have already become terribfy antiquated, since they necessarily do not contain the additions made since they were struck off. These additions, and in printed form, will, of course, be found in the copy kept for use in the Museum, but only there.

Mis« Sarah Tjtler has hitherto been chiefly associated with fiction of the ' Sunday Magazine ' order, and stories suitable for the consumption of sweet and serioui six£een. It is, therefore, somewhat startling to find her coming out under the title of ■ Six Royal Ladies of the House of Hanover' with a rehash of the glaring scandals—matrimonial and otherwise—which marked court life under the Georges. Tpue, the tasty dish is discreetly served and eminently readable. Miss Tytler has got up her period capitally, and the pictures are plentifully peppered with anecdote. Very curious are the glimpses of Royal life. In Anne's reign, for instance, the indecorous practice had been established of the chaplains reading prayers in the ante-room while the Queen dressed in the room within. She was in tlie habit of causing the door of the room to be closed occasionally. On on© occasion when this happened the chaplain stopped the ser- i vice, and the Queen sent to ask the reason why, ) on which the high - spirited and indignant prelate replied that he declined to J whistle the word of God through a keyhole. : Here, too, is an anecdote of George 11. On I the death of George 1., which took place in j Hanover, the tidings were brought by Sir I Robert Walpole from London" to Richmond Lodge, 'where the court was" residing. " The j bluff, hes.vily-buijt Minister rode posthaste at-midday through the June heat and dust and sought an immediate interview with George. In vain the Princess and her ladies represented the impossibility of granting his

request, since the Prince was at that moment enjoying bis after-dinner nap. Sir Robert, knowing the importance of his errand, was not to oe denied. He took it upon him io enter the Royal bedroom, and knelt down stiffly in his jack boots by the bed. The Prince started up, shouting furiously who dared to disturb nun. 'I aui Sir Robert Walpole,' :ud the panting, undaunted intruder. 'I have the honor to announce to your Majesty that your Royal father, George 1., died at Osfiabruck on Saturday last, the 4th inst.' 'Dat's one big lie!' was the first exclamation of the son and heir."

In conjunction with Harper Bros., the good old publishing firm of Smith, Elder have purchased the British and American rights of the Bismarck autobiography, the price paid being £IO,OOO. On this work the great Chancellor had been engaged for many years. In the first instance he dictated his memoirs to the late Herr Lothar Bucher, and afterwards he revised the matter with his own hand when it was in type. After the death of Herr Bucher Professor Horst Kohl was invited to assist as editor. The book is published with the full sanction of Prince Herbert Bismarck and the family, and will be in four volumes. Professor Horst Kohl has written a preface to the first instalment, which will be published towards the end of November. The bargain does not somehow sound enticing. What with the biographies published during Bismarck's life and the copious Boswellian diaries of Dr Busch, I can't believe the autobiography will contain much that is either very fresh or sensational. And if it is to get back £IO.OOO each volume should brim with disclosures.

Mr Fisher Unwin has in preparation a work of at once recondite and opportune interest, entitled ' The History of the Laws and Courts of Hongkong.' It is by Mr James William Norton-Kyshe, registrar of the Supreme Court of Hongkong. Mr Norton-Kyshe claims that though few people are unaware that our first intercourse with the Cuinese arose through the now defunct " John Company," the period from which we began exercising authority through our Constitutional means lies in comparative darkness. Consular jurisdiction in China and Japan was the result of the most flagrant irregularities, occurring through the damaging effect cf a corrupt Native administration on our prestige. Mr Norton-Kyshe traces the causes which necessitated the establishment of English in the sphere of our activity through reports of criminal cases, the peculiar customs of the Chinese, and the horrors of their penal code. He includes the parliamentary debates on the subject, and, no doubt, as the man most likely to command the fullest information, he will be listened to with respect. The volume will be illustrated. Though published at af guinea and a-half net, no fewer that 4,000 copies of Landor*s 1 Forbidden Land' have been sold in the last month. Admittedly it is a work of extraordinary interest and attractively written, but more than one of the author's critics pronounce him poseur. Mr Henley thinks the revelation of Mr Landor, as made in his book, is that of a romantic, passionate, and rather vain nature, inclined to rashness, a«d with the wish to pose jis naturally as possible as a rationalist. To fcee forbidden things is his ruling spirit as an explorer; there is decided romanticism in that, a romanticism aB old as Eve. But a secret is a thing for which the coveter must expect to pay dearly, sinoo it is so humiliating for a nation or individual to lose its secret at the hands of an " impertinent-curious." The same secret that is so fair to the holder is for him, and the intruder as well, only an empty and dirty place when it is revealed. Mr Landor began by prying into the secrets of the Eaots, who are ruled over by the Rajiwar of Askote. He was indulged for a consideration, but on his leaving a grey-haired man approached him and said: " You have seen the home of the Raots. You are the first stranger who has'done so, and you will suffer much. The gods are very angry with you." And sure enough Landor did suffer—horribly. By the way, the explorer does not drink alcohol on bis travels. Hence this exquisite remonstrance from a tailor whom he shook " by the ears " for being behind-hand with his work through intoxication. "If only you drank yourself, sahib, you would know how lovely it is to be drunk." That discoveries of the highest interest can still be made under the inspiration of the bottle is proved by an ejaculation preceded by a request, uttered by Kachi Ram, a Shoka servant: "Please put my head into cold water. Oh! the moon is jumping about, and is now under my feet!" Mr G. W. Steevens's 'With Kitchener to Khartoum' is so far the book of the season, having outsold even the new Kipling. Landor's 'Forbidden Land' and the 'Reeve Memoirs ' are also going very well.