LITERATURE,MUSIC,AND THE DRAMA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7656, 5 June 1886, Page 4 (Supplement)

LITERATURE, MUSIC,AND THE DRAMA.

Lady Dilkk is about to publish, through Messrs. Routledge, a volume of tales under the title of " The Shrine of Death, and other St Theexecutors of Victor Hugo announc* The executors of Victor Hugo announc* the discovery of an unfinished drama by the poet, dated 1539. It is entitled Lea Deux Jumeaux." , . ' More aristocracy on the stage ! Among the company engaged at Deacon's Music Hall is ' Lady Hinton," who will figure as *' premiere danseuse," ' Archdeacon Farrar's Bampton lectures 11 On the History of Interpretation" will be published by Messrs. Macmillau and Co. in the course of a few weeks. Professor Blackie has written an introduction for the edition of " Bacon's Essays, which is to appear in the new " Library of Literary Treasures" issued by Messrs. \> ard and Lock. T t l The autobiography of the late Rev. Hugh Stowell Brown, with extracts from his commonplace book, lecture 3, and sermons, edited by his son-in-law, Mr. W. S. Came, will be published in a few weeks. Under the title of "The Mystic V oices of the Heavens : Scriptural Truths illustrated by Astronomical Scionce," by an Ox oi craduate, Mr. Elliot Stock announces a new volume on the connection between science a °The various libraries in Edinburgh contain a total number of 750,000 volumes, equal to 3.24 volumes per head of the population. This proportion is exceeded by only three largo cities in the world, Munich, Washington, and Rome. , . Another Royal author has appeared. 1 his time it is a princess, the daughter of Princess Alice and tho Grand Duke of Hesse-Dar-mstadt, who is married to the Grand Duke Sergius of Russia. Under the nom de plume *'Ary Ecilaw," she had written a romance of court lifo entitiled " Roi de Ihessalie. H. J. Thaddeus, tho Irish painter, has inst completed a portrait of the Pope, said to be the best likeness of his Holiness extant. Tbis picture is to be presented to the City of Cork, oue of the most prominent Catholic cities in the Holy See. Ihaddeus has also painted Sir S. Luinley, Brazza, the African traveller, and Cardinal Howard. A story is told in tho Philadelphia Record Of a wealthy gcutleman of that city, who, having inherited a large sum of money, accepted the offer of a friend to procure a library for him. " Never mind the inside of the books," said the millionaire, *' so the covers are gorgeous and exceed anything of tho kind in this vicinity. Plenty of gold and shine, you know." And he got £4.000 worth of ■■*. When he died the library was sold for less than £1,000. . In the first volume of ' A History or Music " (Trubner and Co.), by Mr. J°J in Frederick Rowbotham, he liaa skilfully overcome the difficulty of classification inherent to the vast amount of material offered by his subject. This ho has accomplished by adopting the two main divisions of prehistoric music and the music ot the elder civilisation and of the Greeks. These are, of course, subdivided into many lesser ones. The author's remarks on the music of the Egyptian, Hebrew, and Indo-Chinese races show research and appreciation. The whole volume bears testimony to the knowledge Which the author has acquired of the various branches of his fruitful theme. \\ hen this ffork shall have been completed, it _ will be ane that should recommend itself to all Advanced musical students and lovers of music. An.unrehearsed incident of an extraordinary and exciting character was enacted the other evening at the Lecture Hall, Chatham, at the representation of the p:ece entitled «' Uncle Tern's Cabin." One of the principal scenes is that in which LI;/.* and her husband, in their flight for liberty, are tracked by bloodhounds. On the evening referred to one of these hounds was decidedly too realistic in its part of man-hunter, and, instead of feigning to attack one of the male characters, actually sprang upon him, and, seizing the unfortunate actor by his thigh, ii.flicted a very severe wound. Nor could the enragtd animal be easy disengaged, and in the struggle that ensued the flesh of the bitten part was further torn and lacerated. Without delay a message was dispatched for medical assistance, and the poor fellow's wounds wera carefully cauterised and dressed.