LITERATURE AND ART.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8986, 17 September 1892, Page 4 (Supplement)

LITERATURE AND ART.

Several of Mr. Rudyard Kipling's " Bar-rack-room Ballads" are to be set to music.

Mr. Froude's story of the " Spanish Armada" is to appear in six shilling form. Mrs. Bonner has made considerable progress with the biography of her father, the late Mr. Charles Brad laugh. The Pictorial World, which was started some fourteen years ago, has just been bought up by and incorporated with Black and White.

Messrs. W. Blackwood and Sons announce as in the press " The History of Philosophy in Europe," in three volumes, by Prof. Robert Flint, of Edinburgh. There is half a probability (says the Daily Chronicle) that Mr. Frederic Chapman may make a book of his reminiscences of Dickens and Thackeray« and Carlye, and th» other famous literary people be has known. Some time ago (says the Literary World)Mr. Gladstone made as much as £3000 a year by his pen. It is doubtful whether ho makes less now. Mrs. Gladstone has also been a contributor to serial literature.

The committee which undertook the purchase and maintenance of Dove Cottage, the small, grey stone house at Townend, Grasmero, in winch the Wordsworth's lived for so long, report that the experiment has been in every way a success. The first day's salo of Mr. Magniac's famous collection of pictures at Col worth, at the rooms of Messrs. Christie, Manson, and Woods, realised upwards of £11,000. The second day's sale realised £8415 ; the third, £18,343 ; "and the fourth, £15,355.

The first volume of the long-promised work on playing cards of various countries, from the collection of Lady Charlotte Schreiber, will be issued by Mr. John Murray. The volume will deal with English, Scottish, Dutch, and Flemish cards, and will contain more than 140 plates illustrative of the subject.

If Mr. G. A. Sala's long-expected book of reminiscences at last sees the light, it will at least have had the benefit of a protracted preliminary advertisement.. The Literary World of July 30, 1880, and other journals of about the same date, had particulars of what the first volume would * contain. Earlier mention than this might, we believe, be found of the work. It is now stated that the first instalment will be ready in October, and the second not for a year later. Mrs. Salvvey, a member of the Japan Society, and corresponding member of the Societe SinicoJaponaise of Paris, and a daughter of that distinguished Egyptologist, the late Dr. S. Birch, of the British Museum, is engaged in the preparation of an exhaustive work on the origin, history, manufacture, and decoration of the Japanese fan its uses in peace and in war (!), its symbolism, ceremonial uses, its part in Niponic poetry, art, and folk-lore. The work is to be well illustrated.

" Is it not a little singular," asks Mr. R. H. Caine in his Love Songs of English Poets" (William Heiuemann), " that amid the* many treasures of poetry winch have been published with so much acceptance during the last five-and-twenty years there has been so few devoted to the poetry of love?" In order to supply this want Mr. Caine has compiled a little volume beginning with old John Skeltou's ode to Mistress Margaret, and ending with Thomas Hood and Charles Jeremiah Wells, the littleknown author of "Joseph and His Brethren." The palm among the English laureate? of love, Mr. Cai« believes, may be divided between Shakespere, llerrick, and Jonson.

Under the pseudonym of "Tatijana" Quean Natalie has published ''The Poem of the Crowned Child." It is (says the Daily News) in the strain of an Oriental epic poem, and gives the history of a boy prince torn from his mother's bosom, and kept from her by " Satanic creatures," " hyenas," anil "demons," these three designations evidently being meant to apply to the Servian Regents. Tin; boy, ever, grows up with love for his mother deep in his breast, and at last, when given the choice, decides in favour o! his mother against the crown which is offered him. The people's conscience then awakes, and the youth is allowed to keep ins crown, and have his mother besides. The people prepare to do justice to the " hyenas."etc., and are about. to hang them, but the Queen-mother intercedes in their favour, and lives happily with her son ever after. The boy's fattier is not mentioned.