A LITERARY LETTER

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7871, 5 August 1911, Page 12

A LITERARY LETTER

‘ (BY "LIBER.”) Some Coronation Honours. Not a few names well and honourably familiar in tho world of Rritish scholarship and literature, find a place, I am pleased to notice, in the full list of ‘‘Coronation Honours." Lord Rosebery, who becomes tho Earl of Midlothian, is so prominent a politician that many pooplb aro apt to forgot that ho has distinguished himself as an author. Had ho not been a politician ,ho would leave probably become one of our loading historians. His publications include such books as Sir Robert Pool (1899); Napoleon —A East Phase (1900); Oliver Cromwell (1900); Lord Randolph Churchill (1506) ;and a long and penetrating study of tho early career of Lord Chatham. Among tho new Privy Councillors are Sir William Anson, Warden of All Soul’s College, Oxford, and author of several important legal works—Anson on Contracts, I believe, is a standard authority; and Sir Frederick Pollock, another eminent lawyer—editor of tho Law Reports since 1893—and author of a small list of legal works. Sir Frederick was for many years a frequent contributor to tho “Saturday Review," and collaborated, in. 1899, with Mrs Fuller Maitland in a delightful book, "The Etchingham Letters," which is not half so well known as it ought to be. A third Privy Councillor is Sir John Rhys, tho eminent philologist and. authority on Welsh and Gaelic antiquities, legends and folklore. , Tho Order of Merit receives a new and distinguished member in Sir George ditto Trevelyan—Macaulay’s nephew and biographer—whose ■achievements in literature havo been many and extremely varied. AngloIndians in the last generations laughed oven’ his "Competition Wallah"; and his fine historical study "Cawnporc," of which, by tho way, a shilling edition was recently published, may fairly be accounted a classic. His life of his famous uncle was a painstaking, of not exactly a brilliant essay in biography, but his studies of the American revolutionary period, following on tho "Early History of Charles Tamos Fox," and his more recent works on modern Italian history, exhibit his literary powers at their ripest and best. A more picturesque historical study than his "Garibaldi and tho Ten Thousand" has rarely appeared. The book has been translated into Italian and is accounted, 1 believe, by tho Italians as tho most authentic .and brilliant work ever published on tho Liberator and his gallant deeds. Amongst tho now Knights are Vice-Chancellor Dale,, of the University of Liverpool, a sen of tho famous Dr. Dale, of Birming ham, ono of tho greatest of tho Victorian Nonconformists; Dr. Sidney Leo, jnstli famous for his Shakcsporean studies, ana editor of that superb work tho "Diction ary of National Biography”; Professor W. S. McCormick, secretary to tho Carnegie Trust for tho Universities of Scotland; D. J. E. Sandya, ono of tho most justly eminent ol England’s classical scholars; and Professor Walter Raleigh, who has occupied ‘ the chair of English Literature at Oxford since 1901. Butlin Not Bullcr, By the way, talking about Coronation honours, in a list reprinted (from the "Ceylon Times") in .several New Zealand papers there appeared amongst the new baronets tho name of Frank T. Bullon. The inclusion of tho name of tho author of “The Cruise of tho Cachclot’’ puzzled not a Jew people who could hardly understand what Mr Bullen had done to deserve a baronetcy, when other much more famous literary men had Only received minor honours. Looking through the full list of tho honours, as published in tho “London Standard,” of Juno, I fail to And Mr Bullen’s name, cither in the list of baronets, knights, or anywhere else. It is probable, I fancy, that Bullon was a cablegram or misprint for Henry Trentham Butlin, President of the Eoyal College of Surgeons, who received a baronetcy. This paragraph may -servo ns a reply to two correspondents who expressed surprise at Mr Bullon having received a higher distinction than that granted to Sir Arthur T. Quillex-Couch, and Sir Arthur Conan Doylo.

Science And The Arts. Science and art, as well as literature, were represented in the honours list. Professor Oder, Begins Professor of Medecrne at Oxford, and—laymen will remeUubcr tho mild sensation caused by Professor Osier’s little book entitled “Science and .Immortality; Sir William Boverton Redwood, tho eminent chemist, and world’s authority on petroleum, were created baronets. Among the Knights I notice .the names of Frederick H. (jowen, the musical composer; Frederick Baton, for many years secretary to tho Royal Academy; A. J. Evans, for many years keeper of tho Ashmolean Museum, and one of tho most eminent of British archaeologists; Ernest George, A.8.A., tho distinguished architect (for tho past two years President of the .Royal Society of British Architects); Claudo Phillips, a famous art critic and expert, formerly keeper of the Wallace r&Jlection; and Frank .Short, 8.A., President of tho Royal Society of PainterEtchers. ■" Three Men in a Boat. Jerome K. Jerome is disappointed because people who go to see his suffragette i>lay won’t take either play or author seriously. It’s all the fault, it seems, of that juvenile triumph, ‘ihree Mon in a Boat." J.K.J. has been writing to London “Daily Mail” ascribing all his troubles as a serious author to that “early misfortune” —the book above mentioned. Ever sinoo, ho ha« been, he says, tho victim of his reputation as the author of a comic book. And yet “Paul Kelver,” a really fine and very serious novel, was a fair isuecess, if I remember rightly, and “The Passing of the Third Floor Back," a play to which tho adjective comic could surely not apply, had an excellent run. Mr Jerome should cheer up. Ho will live down “Three Men in a Boat” in time, and meanwhile he can consolo himself with the thought that the book still sells remarkably well. But perhaps “J.K.J.” sold his work outright and there aro no royalties coming in. It is astonishing with what philosophy an author can regard even a literary pechc de jeuuessc—if it sells well—and ho has retained an interest in its sale. The “Favourite Book” Craze. It is astonishing how wo all scoff at, but nevertheless read with avidity, the paragraphs which inform us of tho literary preferences of this, that, and the other author or great Mr Frank Harris has recently been giving tho public a list of his favourite novels. Some of his preferences are, to me at least, not a little surprising. Granted that “The Cloister and the Hearth” is a splendid story, one of the finest of all historical novels, I can hardly agree with Mr Harris that Charles # Eeade’s great book “is beyond comparison the best novel in English.” .1 am pleased, however, to boo that Air Harris selects Dostoievsky’s “Crime and Punishment” for special praise, but devoted lover as I am I have been these many years off “Loma Doono." to which 'Mr Harris says ho is constantly returning, I can nevertheless re-read “V unity Fair” (which Mr Harris says he won’t or can’t do) at least once a year. Ho asserts he ro-reads “A Gentleman of France,” yet cannot turn again to Kipling. Tut, tut, the confession is surely unworthy of an ex-editor of tlie “Fortnightly,” who, by the way, is himself tho writer of some exceedingly powerful and clever short stories. Not ro-read Kipling. Why, my “Life’s Handicap” and “Plain Talcs from the Hills” are sagging in their covers, so oft have they como off tho shelves. But not all Kipling would I read a second time. “The Light that Failed/’ for instance, is still pursuing the peaceful, dust-enveloped- existence that it commenced after I had read it tho first and only time. I notice that Mr Harris warmly commends an American novel, “Miss .Carrie,” published in Hciucmann’a Dollar Library, pronouncing it “a better story than tny of Hawthorne’s—the best story, in tho whole, which has yet come out of America, perhaps better than any realistic story which has yet been produced in England.” I must look up “Miss Carrie”— tho title is new to mo. A New Zealand Book. Another book bn the Southern Alps—- “ Through South Westland: A Journey to tho Haast and Mount Aspiring/’ has been published in London. The author is A. Maud Moreland. Tho book is illustrated by ' forty-eight plates from photographs. Tho price is 7s 6d. The “Pshaw” Person. “G. 8.5.” has been posing again. This is of course, ,no new attitude for the “Pshaw” Person, but the latest example of his frantic seeking after notoriety seems to have boon more, than usually objectionable, I quote the following passage from a recent issue of ! “Tho Academy”: “It is really difficult to comment with any approach to reverence -upon the lastound’ng blasphemies which have been- Attributed to Mr Shaw, and not denied by him, in his address at Cambridge on Monday last. Tho, question whether Mr, Shaw has beliefs or has none may interest an egregious egotist. We arc -profoundly indifferent on the personal question. Our nrobest is against the dissemination, of poisonous theories amongst young persons who have been placed for educative ourposes in. what are supposed to be seminaries of learning. This is what is permitted bo be taught to undergraduates and Girton and Newnham students. Mr Bernard Shaw is •reported to have said, 'The-man who says^Christ was th© highest possible Being is not worth working with; Christ was a failure. When Charles Darwin came along, with his theory of Natural Selection, people jumped at it and kicked God out of the window/ We apologise to our readers (continues the editor)' for reproducing language so atrocious. But we do not observe that the lecturer was kicked out of the window, .or that ho was thrown into tho Cam. Unless public attention is called to the vile and blasphemous ravings which are permitted to be poured into the cars of University students, what guarantee can there be that tho individual £oul and the body politic will not go down, to perdition?” The “Top Hat” In Fiction. Tho -hero who wears an immaculate top hat is getting raro in novels. Has this anything to do with tho decline in popularity of the silk hat, for a great decline there has been in recent years? The hero nowadays wears a soft hat, one that ho can give his best girl, if it has an advantage over the tall hat, which, whilo (it adds in stature and bearing to a man, is a singularly barbaric sort of head covering. But “Ouida” would never have thought of turning out a hero unless ho was silk-hatted or uniformed in tho first degree.—“ Tho Book Monthly/' Moneymakers And Authors. Two men (says tho “Publisher's Circular”) mot in a train in Surrey recently —one a stockbroker and the other a publisher. Tho firstnamed was returning from tho Annual Dinner of tho Stock Exchange Benevolent Fund, and the other from tho Annual Dinner of the Royal Literary Fund. They compared notes. The stockbroker observed quite casually that tho collection at their dinner realised ce3O,OOD. The publisher, with much humbleness, had to confess they had only realised .£I6OO at tho Literary Dinner. Comment is euperflous. Still, “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith,” An Ominous Statement. “Year by year, as naval progress is reviewed iii these pages, the predominant position once occupied by the British Navy becomes less marked. The German Navy is more nearly equal in power to the 'British Navy to-day than was the French Navy fifteen years ago. and it is evident from tho facta and figures

set forth in this volume that tho present superiority.of tho British over the Gorman Navy will in tho immediate future diminish.” These ominous words are from the now issue of ‘The Naval Annual," edited by T. A. Brassey, just published by Messrs J. Griffin and Co. An invaluable work with authority which is almost impregnable.

Stray Leaves. There is to be a life of the lato Sir Charles Dilko by, his niece and literary executor. Miss Tuckwell. Max Beerbohm, whoso dramatic criticisms, essays, and caricatures are all alike so amusing, has written a novel of Oxford Life. Max ou Oxford ought to bo vastly entertaining. Sotherau’s, tho great .London booksellers, have on sale a copy of Fitzgerald’s “Omar” —tho edition illustrated by Eliliu Vwider,—the binding of which is studded with no fewer that 1050 jewels set in gold. And yet “dear old Fitz,” as Thackeray called him, saw tho first edition of his immortal work in brown pap-er wrappers sold by Quaritch at four pence a copy I

John Murray publishes a .shilling edition (cloth bound, complete text, with glossary and notes) of Burrow’s masterpiece “Lavongro.” Attractive ,titles amongst latest additions to Nelson’s Sixpenny Novels aro “The Good Comrade,” by Una Silberrad; If. G. Wells’s weird and yet amusing “Invisible Man”; and Booth Tarkington’s “Gentleman from Indiana." There are many others, but the above can bo specially recommended to those who like good fiction at a low price. One of tho most readable of the late Richard Jefferies’ novels was “Amaryllis at tho Fair.” A cheaper editjon (2s Gd) has now been added to Duckworth's Readers Library. Jefferies is not to ovory reader’s taste, but every naturelover will enjoy his books. At tho Hoo Library salo in New York the ridiculously high xmeo of .£BOO was given, I notice, for a copy of “The Village Coquettes,” a libretto by Dickens, written when Boss was a very young man. Dickens himself sot no store by it. Asked whether ho possessed a copy, he said, “No; and if I knew it was in my house, and if I could get rid of it in any other way, I would burn down the wing of the house where it was.” Tho Hoo copy contained an autograph inscription from the author.

G. B. Lancaster’s new story, “The Honourable Peggy,” is warmly praised in tho “Publisher’s Circular,” which gives the novel a three column review. It seems to bo a motor-car version of Black’s “Strange . Adventures of a Phaeton.”

“Chambers' Journal” for July contains. I notice, an article by P. W. Reed on “Migratory Birds in Now Zealand.”

Tho Prix Estrade-Deleros has been accorded by the Academic Francaiso this year to Mr Charles Peguy for his Joan of Arc book, “La Mystero de la Charite do Jeanne d'Arc.”

Professor Lanciani, whoso many works on Rome and on Italian art are so well known in English translations, has been made a senator, and been otherwise specially honoured by the King of Italy.