LIBER’S NOTEBOOK.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17096, 19 February 1916, Page 12

LIBER’S NOTEBOOK.

’A FAMOUS HISTORICAL WORK. Apropos to tho reprint, in two volumes, in Messrs Dent's Everyman Library, of Green’s famous work, “ A Short History of the English People, Mr Clement K. Shorter writes in “ The Sphere ”

Mr Green was the first man who attempted a really considerable onevolume history which had also the distinction of style. The book charmed and thrilled us. yet it did not receive a unanimous welcome by any means; Green was avowedly a disciple of Freeman and Stubbs. You will remember that it; was said of the great constitutional historian and tho author ot “The History of the Norman. Conquest” that: —

“ Ladling from their separate tubs, Stubbs butters Freeman and Freeman

butters Stubbs.” There were those who resented this. Mr Froude, I think, took no part in the fray, although ■Mr Green had referred to his “ reckless disregard of truth”; but other historical writers, including a “ Quarterly ” reviewer, gave Green’s “History” exactly the sort of trouncing that Macaulay bestowed on Croker’s “Johnson.” I think I remember one article by Dr Brewer which made one feel that Green’s “ Short History ” was one of the,<worst books ever written. Wo were told of its many sins'of omission and commission. We were reminded that that wonderful Pilgrimage of Grace described so finely by Froude was not even referred to by Green. Then there were, many of Mr Freeman’s pedantries repeated in tho book. Freeman, we know, would anathematise anyone who did not call all the Greek authors and warriors by their Greek names and not by their Latin equivalents, as wc were wont to do. He anathematised also the people who used the term Anglo-Saxon, or who refused to call Alfred “ Aelfred.” It was one of Dr Freeman’s fads that because tho Battle of Hastings was fought on the Hill of Senlnc, oufsido Hastings, it should be called the Battle of Senlac, and so we have Green writing:—“lt is not to his victory at Senlac, but to the ,struggle which followed his return from Normandy, that William owes his title of the ‘ Conqueror.’ ” Well, wo have all gone back* on Mr Freeman’s pedantry. The man of to-day who called Alfred “Aelfred” would bo pronounced an ass, and only a silly schoolboy would refer to tho Battle of Senlac. Nevertheless, Green’s “ History ” has become a classic, and there is no doubt that Mr Dent will sell many thousands of it in the new form. That new form owes its existence to a clause in the last Copyright Act. which permits any publisher to re-issue a hook in a. cheap form thirty years after an author’s death if the original publisher has not thought fit to do so.

lAX HAY AT THE FRONT. lan Hay’s book 011 the war, “ The First Hundred Thousand','’ has beeii delayed in publication, but was to be issued in London last month. The author of “A Knight on Wheels,” “ A Safety Match,” and that excellent story, “ A Man’s Man,” is now a captain in the 10th Battalion of tlio Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. His lull name is lan Hay Beith, and, like so many men who have achieved literary fame, be was for some years a schoolmaster. "V\ riting to a friend in London, lie says: “ Well, we have been busy with the Bodies during the last three weeks. Our division led the way into action on September 25, and was in for three days, and nights. . . • You can imagine wo were pretty well reduced in numbers by the time mo came out, but the men behaved splendidly. I succeeded in coming through without a scratch, and have written a full account of the proceedings for 1 Blackwood’s,’ . ... Everything is goiii"' well here, which accounts poihapsYor the enemy’s desperate attempt to create a- diversion in the Balkans. For some mysterious reason, I have been recommended for the Military Cross. This is not the same thing as netting it. but time and the ‘Gaczttc’ will show)” The letters have been appearing in “ Blackwood’s Magazine,” but their vrcpublication in. book form M’ill give them a much wider popularity.

THE ETERNAL FEMININE—IN RECENT FICTION. “ \ woman incapable of love is like tho foolish vjrgiu without oil.”—Mimi’s Marriage,” by V. Mikoulitch. “H'oWants me; that counts for a crood deal with a woman.”—“ The Spirit oi the House,” by Kate Murray. “It is always best to tell, if there’s a . chance of being found out. N3lll- - by J. L. Carter. “1 always think one can tell so much about people from their laugh.” “Women’s instincts are nearly always right and their reasoning generally wrong.”— “For This I had Borne Him,” by G. F. Bradby. “The great moment was drawing closer and closer; she was growing afraid, ns are all women when the sound of Love’s wing comes too near them.” , . , < * £ Have never yet met & womon who objected to being kissed, though some of,'them may pretend they do. lo Love,” by Margaret Peterson. “There is 0110 blessing 111 being plain; you arc not always worrying if you aro looking your best. A smut or two really makes very little difference after all.” . , ... “ Looks do count; say what you like, arguo as you choose. Looks are for ever.one of tho greatest assets life can give.” “All Englishwomen ‘do’ their hair, and it looks like it! I always imagine it turned and combed and snugly plficec[ < done,’ in fact. A Frenchwoman attends to her hair, as she does to her virtue, carefully. It has expression then— the coiffure.”—“ Conquest,” by Olive Wadsley. “ A man must never be criticised' or reproached by tlie woman who u'islies to win his love. Never cry before him. Never worry him to write letters, or make any kind of complaint about such letters as he voluntarily writes. Never answer letters by return, unless business requires it. Never be first at, the rendezvous, but yet avoid keeping a man waiting unless he is deeoly eoris, and then tho longer ho waits 'the 'better.”—“ The Honey of Romance,” by Maud Churton Braby.

STB AY LEAVES. Tho greatest cartoonist of the war is not, as might have been expected, a Frenchman or a Belgian, but a Dutchman, Louis Raemackcrs. ho powerful has been tho effect of his cartoons in Holland, indeed all over Europe, that the Germans make comp amt to the Dutch Government of violating, with bis pencil, the neutrality ot Holland. Ho was oven brought betorc tho Hutch Courts and charged with “endangering neutrality,” but the prosecution fell through. A collection of Raemaekers cartoons was on exhibition in London when the last mail left, and was attracting much attention. .It is to lie hoped that a selection from the cartoons will be published in the san e form as tho “ Kiiltur cartoons ol the clever young Australian nitist, Will D 'Yn an endeavour to answer tho question, “Who is tho greatest American humourist?” the New Toik> mi recently took a poll among tlio bosV knmvn humourists themselves, with tlic result that George Ade .was among those receiving tho greatest number ot votes, and Harrv Leon M llson, Booth J aikinuton and Mark Twain among those voted ’ second. George Ado’s clever “Fables in Slang am familiar to many New Zealand readers, but Mi Harrv Loon \Vilson’s fame is, 1 should s-iv mainly confined to the -.United S ate" As a matter of fact, the Canadian, Stephen Leacock, deserves to bo ranked above all the writers mentioned above, save, of course, Mark 1 wain. As an unconscious humourist, Mi Won t Row Wilson should rank high. That clever writer, Mr \\. '. George, whoso “Malang of an Englishman” and “Second Blooming were so popular, will have a new novel out soon. It is the story of a young man of the upper classes, who, inflamed with philanthropic ideals, 30ms a settlement to work among tho poor. Ho is speedily undeceived as to the usefulness of the movement and the worthiness of tlioso who control it, and conceiving an unreasonable disgust of bis own class, marries tho beautiful daughter of a’washerwoman. .. _ ~ Jean Webster, author of “Daddy Long Legs,” and other popular stones, is a grand-niece of .the late Mark Twain. Slio was married recently to a New York lawyer, who is to have a double as tho Scots surgeon in Miss Webster’s novel, “ Dear Enemy. In spite, of, or, perhaps, because of HlO war a record lias been achieved by an° Australian book “ The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke, by C. J. Ucrmi. . Three editions, aggregating over 12IIUU copies, have been disposed of in Australia and New Zealand within throe months of publication, and a large fourth edition has had to be printed to supply the, demand. The publisher, Messrs Angus and Robertson report that there, is no slackening of tho demand since Christmas.