IN BOOKLAND

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 16 November 1929, Page 18

IN BOOKLAND

ilawputm lias a. defender in the person oi liis daughter, Marie Rasputin, ulio has written “The K.eaL Rasputnij' published m English l) y .John Long, jjiit it is a qualified defence. We read: jrj.e allowed himself to be caught by some of the seductions of too capital. i do not by any means claim to deny that during his life in ftt-. -Petersburg (to- which "ne first went in 1804) my lather had mistresses, ana at certain periods led a rather last life. -tie allowed nimself to be drawn to tne

“Villa Mode,” the great night cabaret of St. Petersburg. • . The iniectious melody of a gipsy band drove him into a paroxysm oi excitement.

Many strange stories are told by Mr. Walter G. Bell in his new book, “i.ondon Discoveries and Some Others.” Part of the story about the remains of King Charles I is familiar, out Mr. Bell has something new to tell. JNobody seems to have known the burial place of Charles lor a century and a halt. The discovery was made in the presence of the Prime Regent in 1813, while excavations were being made in a subterranean tvhicii connects St. George’s Chapel, W indsoi, with the Jloyal mausoleum. Sir Henry ±±alfor<i, the JKoyai physician, was present, and there was “a scene which was deplorably scandalous.” One Trapham, a i.ondon surgeon, had sewn King Charles head to the trunk before the “ourial, and the two parts lmd to be separated before the head could be taken out of the coflin. Some stitches were cut, others came away. After lifting the head the workman, in the uncontrollable excitement of tlie moment. dropped the head upon the stone floor, whereupon “the first Gentleman in Kurope” swore at him with good round Georgian oatlrs, and in liigii temper stalked out of the chapel. The party left behind, thereby relieved of the Royal presence, seem to have lost all sense of decency, and i behaved like mere ghouls. . • *****

“The Life of the Prince of Wales,”' by Mr Hector Bolitho, who travelled with the Prince during his Antipodean tour, is announced by He ino mem n. ’** * * *

The Dorchester Town Council has given permission to the sub-committee to erect a statue of Thomas Hardy, in either bronze or stone, on a site at the western entrance to Dorchester, which is the Caster bridge of the Wessex novels. *****

Messrs Blaekic, in their ‘ 1 Myth, Legend and History Library,” will issue immediately ‘ ‘ The Pioneer Explorers of Hew Zealand,” by Dr. J. Rawson Elder, professor of history at the University of Otago, New Zealand.

Air Murray is bringing out a small addition to the published works of Thackeray. This is “The. Thackeray Alphabet,” a little book of verses and pictures written and illustrated by Thackeray nearly a century ago for the beguilemcnt of a small boy who found it impossible to learn his letters without tears. *****

.Johnsonians from all parts of the world assembled in Lichfield, the birthplace of Samuel Johnson, to celebrate the 220th anniversary ‘of the birth of the renowned lexicographer. A wreath was placed on his statue in the Market place by the mayor of the city in the presence of a large crowd, after which the choir of Lichfield Cathedral, standing on the steps of Johnson’s birthplace, sang Dr. Johnson’s collect from the Johnson Anthem, a composition by Dr. Plant, a former Lichfield organist. The principal feature of the celebration was an old-time supper held in Guildhall in the evening, with sanded floor, churchwardens’ pipes, and a solid fare of steak-and-kidney pie, beloved of Johnson, and his favourite ‘ ‘ poonch, ’ ’ the proceedings being illuminated by candlelight. The servitors wore the costumes of the eighteenth century. *****

Mr John Galsworthy ’.s strong views on the make-up of his books have led to lextraordinary prices for some of them (writes ‘ ‘ Autolycus ’ ’ in the London “Sunday Times”). For example, a book of collected short stories was published in 1923, under the title of ‘ ‘ Captures. ’ ’ The first issue had a list of books by either authors on the reverse of the first end paper. As Mr Gal si worthy objected, this page was torn 'out of the first issue, * * * * *

Advices have been received from London of the publication at an early date of a memoir of Lord Caamiiehnel of Skirling. The work is being edited by Lady Carmichael, with the assistance of Viscountess Novar, Sir David Orme Carson, and Mr John Buchan. Lord Carmichael was Governor of Victoria from 1908 to 1911, and afterwards Governor of Madras and Bengal. The book will be published by Hodder and Stoughton Ltd. *****

Mr Robert Bridges, the poet laureate, celebrated his 85th birthday by publishing a poem of 4000 lines, entitled “The Testament of Beauty.” The poem is dedicated to /the King. The poet laureate has been working on if for some years, and though it was suspected that he was engaged upon a: great task, Mr Bridges has consistently refused to make any announcement of his intention. A cable message from London says that the spelling in the volume follows the original methods of Mr Bridges. * * * * *

Awaited with general interest, Sir George Arthur’s biographical sketch, “King George V.” has been published by Jonathan Cape. “The Times Literary Supplement” says that the book is a “votive .offering, an expression of thanksgiving for the King’s recovery.” Sir George Arthur monitions the difference which arose between King Edward and Queen Victoria, concerning the upbringing of the two - young Wales Princes. Victoria- for once did not havq, her own way. Royalty, she believed, stood in a class by itself, and princes could best be trained by a severe and most honourable home life, lived in isolation. With this view her eldest son disagreed. “Early in 1877, he explained to the Queen that, however strict, a domestic regime might be, for the right education, proper discipline, and undisturbed studies ,of his sons, they must, he left, leave home. He remembered his own rather joyless boyhood, with the fitful company of two or three carefully seelcited contemporaries, and he -was- quite clear that his own boys should have no such dreary ex-, peri cnees; they were to be entered as l naval cadets on the Britannia training ship at Dartmouth.” The Queen de-

murred, 'but the Prince bail bis way, and though. the educational plan was tactfully represented as experimental, it was systematically carried through, and culminated in the cruise of the Bacchante, which established the precedent that, trawl should play an important part in the training of members of, the Royal House,