LITERATURE AND ART.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8156, 18 January 1890, Page 4 (Supplement)

LITERATURE AND ART.

Mr. W. E. Wilson, of Hawick, writes:— "The reviewer of Mr. Sharman's book,« The Library of Mary, Queen of Scots,' makes a slight error in saying that all her books have perished. The late Mr. Gibson-Craig, of Edinburgh, possessed a volume which once belonged to her and which stood alongside the arithmetic book used by her husband, Bothwell, in Mr. Craig's library. (See Schiern's Life of Bothwell,' Edinr. 1880, page 6.)" Canon Greenwell lately opened some barrows in the neighbourhood of Hunmanby, Yorkshire. His labours have been rewarded by a very unusual amount of success, but he himself finds it difficult to understand what purpose some of the objects ho has discovered can have been intended to servo. They are skilfully and elaborately made, and illustrate the art ornamontation of the ancient Britons. Ho considors thoso the most remarkable things over found in connection with British sculpture. Apropos of Christinas literature, the manufacture of which is well forward by August, an American journal prints the following conversation : — Book publisher : " My dear, you must come down to the office and see the stacks of holiday book covers wo have been getting out. Such magnificent works of art —they'd make your head swim. We've had the finest artists and best workmen in the country omployod on them for months." Wife : But what is to go inside the covers ?" Publisher: " Well, I—l don't know yet." Messrs. Macmillan announce " Pen Drawing and Pen Draughtsmanship," by Joseph •Pennell, with photogravures and other illustrations, including examples after Sir Frederick Leighton, E. J. Poyntcr, Frederick Walker, Randolph Caldecott, George dn Maurier, Linley Sambourne, Harry Furniss, and other artists; "Tho Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood," by W. Holman Hunt, illustrated ; "Cults and Monuments of Ancient Athens," by Miss Jane Harrison and Mrs. A. W. Verrall, illustrated ; and " Tho Development and Character of Gothic Architecture," by Charles 11. Moore, illustrated. The collection of Magyar folk-tales by the Row W. H. Jones and Mr. Lewis Kropf, which has been so long in hand, will be issued to members of tho Folk-Lore Society as soon as copies are received from the binders. To the text of the stories themselves tho editors have added a great number of very valuable notes, giving parallels and illustrations of incidents in tiio tides, and have prefaced tho volume with a long introduction, which contains many facts about the folk-lore of tho Magyar tribes. Mr. Jones's knowledge of Lincolnshire folklore has enabled him to add to Mr. Kropf's Magyar folk-lore many notes.of identical superstitions to bo found among tho Magyars and tho Lincolnshire folk. A new and interesting book is announced on Prince Bismarck. It is, writes the Berlin correspondent of the Standard, by Horr Fedor von Koppen, a patriotic writer already favourably known to his Prussian fellow-countrymen as tho author of a very popular biography of the Imperial Chancellor which has already gone through several editions. The now work is entitled " The German Imperial Chancellor, Prince Otto von Bismarck, and the Places whero lie has Laboured.*' One of tho chief featuros of the work is found in the illustrations. They are some 130 in number, and are for the most part actual and authentic representations of the Prince taken exactly as he appeared at the very scenes of tho most important events in his career. Dr. Geergo Smith, of Edinburgh, has, at the request of the family, undertaken to prepare a memoir of Dr. Alexander N. Somerville, who died on Sept. IS last at the*ripe age of seventy-seven. Not only did Dr. Somerville's activity form a considerable factor in the religious and philanthropic life of Scotland during the last sixty years, but long after middle age he became a worldwide evangelist in India, South Africa, and the continent of Europe. This most picturesque old saint was the representative of the Lords Somcrville, and of their English branch also, which became extinct with Allan Ramsay's friend the poet, William Somerville, author of " Tho Chase," who left his patrimony to the Scottish barony. Possessors of letters from the late Dr. Somerville will do a service by lending them to Mr. Alexander Somerville, "14, Gran by Terrace, Hillbead, Glasgow, who will return such letters in due time.