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Evening Star, Issue 22252, 1 February 1936, Page 8

NOTES

Mr Eric Linklater recently Jett England for China. At one time ho was a journalist in India, so the East is not altogether new to him. When Mr Somerset Maugham arrived in New York ho told the eager reporters that three hours’ work a day was enough to assure success and that lie worked only from 1U a.m. until 1 p.m. Unfortunately we ore not all Somerset Maughams! A three-dav Shakespeare conference has. been held in Moscow. it was attended by dramatists, actors, producers. scientists, professors, writers, critics, musicians, and artists, who were seeking the best way of “ interpreting and producing Shakespeare in the spirit of Social realism.” A vivacious old lady now in London has in preparation a book which will create verv wide interest, wrote Peterborough ” recently in the ‘ Daily Telegraph,’ London. This is Mme. Labon, the widow of the great French advocate who defended Dreyfus. She has been waiting to publish her husband’s papers until the victim of that cause celebre was dead.

The contribution to the Thinkers’ Library (London) by Mr A. E. Mander —‘ Psychology for Everyman—is now in its sixth edition within eight months of publication. The same publishers, Messrs Watts Ltd., of London, are issuing another book by Air Mander next month —‘ Clearer Thinking (Logic for Everyman)

Four birthday odes written by Elizabeth Barrett at the age of 14 are to be sold in New York. The first is addressed to “ My dearest Papa, on his welcome birthday, May 28, 1820,” and is signed “ Your affecte. child Ba.” The others are addressed to “ My dearest Mamma, on her birthday,” “On my Sweet Henry’s birthday,” and “ To my Sister, on her birthday, written on the prospect of recovering from a dangerous illness.”

On the question of “ reformed ” spelling Professor Ernest Weekley writes in ‘ Something About Words ’: For most of us the traditional spelling has strong unconscious associations. To take a single example, we know that the “ h ” of ghost is due to Caxton’s having learnt his art in Flanders, where the corresponding word is spelt gheest, hut to me personally it has always seemed that this intrusive letter makes a ghost all the most “ ghostly. ” So it is certain that a large and influential section of educated opinion will remain opposed to any arbitrary interference with our language.

A new society lias been founded this terra, the aim of which is purely and explicitly cultural, writes the Cambridge correspondent of the ‘ Spectator.’ It is called the Spenser Society, and it exists to encourage the writing of poetry. Its members meet to read their own poetry and to hear the views of other distinguished writers on the subject of poetry. It remains only to be seen what future there ,is for a society of young men which has among its earliest speakers Mr Walter de la Mare and Mr Humbert Wolfe, and which, if report be correct, openly declares itself in favour of the most reactionary poets—though it seems' that it can just stomach Mr Eliot.

The appearance at auction of a first edition or ‘ The Compleat Angler ’ will remind some antiquaries of Izaak Walton’s worship of the “rare learning and ingenuity ” of another Isaac, Casaubon, says “ Peterborough ” in the ‘ Daily Telegraph,’ London. Indeed, the famous angler could not resist tho temptation to scratch his monogram with date (1658) on Casaubon’s monument in Westminster Abbey—an act which even Dean Stanley held to he pardonable. It was James I. who persuaded the learned Frenchman Casaubon to come to England after the assassination of Henri Quatre, and the King’s frequent invitations to him to have long theological chats caused much jealousy. Sir Julius Caesar, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, reflected this feeling when he tried to postpone payment due to Casaubon for the prebendal stall at Canterbury which the King had granted to him. James’s reproof remains as a masterpiece: “ Chancellor of my Exchcker, I will have Mr Casaubon paid before me, ray wife, and my barnes (bairns).”

Since the Nazis took power the production of books in Germany has fallen heavily, according to the latest official statistics, writes the Berlin correspondent of the ‘ Observer.’ During 1934 20,852 books were published in Germany, in comparison with 21,601 in 1933 and 31,000 in 1927. Of tho 20,000 books published over 17,000 are new ones. One notes that the production of school books has fallen off heavily. The average price of a German book, 3.97 marks (4s at par), was lower than in 1933. During 1934 6,288 magazines were published, a falling off of 16 per cent. Before the war Berlin and Leipzig shared the bulk of the book production and publishing trade. To-day Berlin publishes more books than Leipzig, although the latter city still prints at least one-fourth of all Gorman books. An appeal was made recently asking the public to give new German books as Christinas presents to all Germans living abroad.