A LITERARY CORNER

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8367, 1 March 1913, Page 10

A LITERARY CORNER

Edited by “Liber.”

LIBER'S NOTE-BOOK Discussion on tlio “Drood Mystery" seems to bo never ending. Sir W. Kobertson Nicoll’a recent book, in which he maintained that Hatchery is Helena Landless in disguise, has sot all the Dickonsians busy, and some farther and curious "solutions" of the mystery have been forthcoming. One of these, put forward by a correspondent of ‘"i'.P.'s Weekly," is that Datchory was none other than Lieutenant Tartar. The correspondent writesr "The evidence in ite favour is very strong. Wo have the testimony of John Forster, who claimed to bo in the author’s confidence, that .Neville was to have perished in assisting Tartar to unmask and seize the murderer. And this statement is amply supported by the story oa lt stands. Tartar’s motives to undertake the enterprise were more than sufficient. As tlxe lover of Rosa tho best traditions of novel-writing demanded that ho should bo her rescuer from persecution. Wo know, too. that be had left London, for Rosa expected him to call upon her, but ho never came. Where could ho bo if not in Cloisterham? Hatchery, again, had a military air. No one except Tartar—-who bad commanded a corvette —could have assumed tho walk alid gait so well. Datohery, also, was unfamiliar with Cloisterham. In searching for Mrs Tope's house, ‘ho went Ibogdling about and about tho cathedral tower/ Oily . Tartar could have shown such ignorance of tho neighbourhood. Another point ia that Datchery wished to see Jasper at once, and at close quarters. For what other purpose did he call upon him aa Mrs Tope's reference? Tartar did not know Jasper by sight, and his brat object would be to become acquainted with his personal appearance. If Helena had been Datohery, she would have avoided encountering Jasper as much as possible, lest ho should penetrate her disguise. The, whole part of Datchory suited Tartar admirably. He was himself 'living idly on his means/ and tho 'single Shaffer's” easy, frank, and open manners wore natural to Tartar's ownoharactar. He had, too. courage, resolution, and resource: in short, all the qualities which his task required. . Wo can, therefore, safely conclude that in Lieutenant Tartar tho elusive Datchery is found, beyond all reasonable doubt." ..

Prihoees Eadziwill, widow of Prince Anton Eadziwill, has edited -the memoirs of her husband’s famous ancestor. Princess Louise of Prussia, under the title "Portyfivo Years of My Life" (ILO to . 1875) (London, 0. 801 l and Sous; Wellington, Whitcombo and Tombs.) 'The memoirs add - diary were originally written in Preach. 1 Their author, the Princess Louise of Prussia, was the daughter of Prince Ferdinand of Prussia, and niece of Frederick the Great. At one time it was thought, not only in Prussia but in England, that there was a good chance of |er becoming the wife of the English Prince of Woles, and a journey to London, with a matchmaking object, was contemplated by her mother. . But circumstances prevented this taking place, and eventually the princess married Prince Anton Eadziwill, her senior toy several years," a Pole by birth _(Jris father wao the last Prince-Palatine of Vilna), a man of letters, an artist and a musician of no small: ability, as may be Judged by the fact that he set Goethe’s "Fanst to music, and was honoured by the Sage of Weimar with the compliment: ‘He was the first and only veritable troubadour I have ever known."

The "memoirs introduce quite a number of figures notable in Prussian history,' specially prominent .being the Princess's uncle. Prince Heinrich of X’russia, a statesman and a warrior, a diplomatist and a man of striking intellectual gifts, and Prince Ludwig Perdinand, the nieinoirwt's much beloved brother, who fell before his time on the field of honour on the bloody battleground of Saalfield. We get also many interesting descriptions of great events during the Napoleonic wars; and character portraits of rulers, princes, statesmen, generals and courtiers innumerable. The Princess deals at length with the demoralisation which reigned supreme at' the Prussian court ■ under Frederick William the Second, recounting how he "married" two women in the presence of his Queen. One of these ladies died nndor most suspicious circumstances. The-other, returning to the court and endeavouring to regain the lost favour of the monarch, threw herself at his feet and being ■ treated with contumely, became no violently enraged that she finally throw her two children at him and said she never wished to see them again.

When, after the disaster to the Prussian arms at Jena, the Royal family . took flight to Konigsbe*g and Memel, Princess Louise was in their train. Later on she met Napoleon and gives a curious account of the conqueror's rudeness, indeed brutality. to; the Queen of Prussia, who was trying to induce him to consider terms of peace. "You are wearing a superb dress, whore was it made?" said Napoleon, and added, "Do they make crape in your factories, too?” To the King the triumphant Corsican pointedly said, staring at the monarch’s grey pantaloons, “You have every day to button all those buttons? Do you begin at the top or the bottom?” ,

Napoleon, it appears, had a trick of making such personal remarks. Having on one occasion made fun of the Cossack breeches worn by Murat, that beau eabremv a great dandy in his way, became quite . infuriated, and openly, exclaimed. “He .is a scoundrel, your Emperor." Tho . memoirs simply teem with sidelights upon the European history of the period, and it is evident that the Princess -was as sharpwitted and keenly observant a woman as she was a good and loyal wife. ’ A valuable feature of the book is a biographical Index of many pages .which will bo of great assistance to readers .of the memoirs. There are also many interesting portraits and other illustrations.

The “Pall Mall -Magazine," which has gon3 .through so many changes of editorship. has changed proprietors, being now published by Iliifo and Son. If tho new editor can maintain tho standard set in the January, tho first number under the new proprietorship, tho "Pall Mall’’ should rapidly come to the front. The opening article, “The Now Land Policy" by Edward G. Hommorde, K.G., M.P., will bo read with interest by many New Zealanders who, however, should not fail to Serose the rather slashing criticism by I. G. Protyman. m-. P.. which follows. Amongst other contributors to tho "Special Articles” section are Hilairo Belloc, Robert Hugh Benson, C. B. Grundy, John Hilton (an admirable article on "Norman Angaii. War Breaker,” J. P. Wilson. D. K. Bougies and Mrs Sarah 'Grand. Tho Fiction Section includes contributions from Prank Seville, S. G. Tallentyro. Martin Swajme, A, E. James, Alfred Ollivant and other clever writers! of the day. There tire many excellent illustrations, and the magazine is printed on lino paper throughout. An excellent sixpcnnyworth.

The “Collected Poems," in one volume, of Kipling, recently published by Hodder and Stoughton, is. a beautifully printed, tastefully handsome book, but, personally I prefer Kipling iu separate handy sized volumce. Also, it is a great drawback to this now edition that includes none of tho “Departmental Ditties," in which there are f,o many of Kipling's best things—who will net remember the delightfully humorous "Paget, M.P.”- Also, 1 see that Kipling has suppressed— in this new edition at least —two sets of verses, ono tho smoker’s poem, beginning "Pass mo tho Old Cigar Box" and "Bobs.” It is understood that this latter effort was suppressed in deference to Lord Roberts‘s wishes. Those who possess it should paste in alongside

tho very clever parody t hich was written by T. W. H. Crosland, under tho title ‘‘Kips." Here are some sample stanzas:

“There’s a little round-faced man. Which is Kips,

Writes tho finest stuff he can. Our Kips, Takes tho cake for fancy prose. Has the Muses by the nose. Makes us all sit up in rows— Don’t yer. Kips?

An’ Vs travelled fur and far. This ’ere Kips, Soein' things just as they are. Straight-tale Kips; If it’s bloo, or if it’s brown, Kiplin’ kindly shoves it down. In a note-book of his own— Busy Kips!

0, Vs eyes right up ’is coat, Little Kips, An’ a syren in his throat, Eudyard Kips; An’ when that there syren vents. All your oar-drum feels in rents, An’ tho listening continents. Says ‘That’s Kipsl*"

Several highly dramatic poems are included in the recently-published collection of ‘‘Poems: Old and Now,” by the late A. 11. Beesley, who was a master at Marlborough. One has a certain appropriateness just now as descriptive of Moslem valour and defeat. It pictures a Russian attack on a Turkish fortress:—

Then all along those lines of fire To arms tho Moslem flew. Afar the cannon roared, and, nigher, A hundred bugles blew; And now tho cross is backward home. And now tho crescent wanes. And fast the wounded fall, as corn Levelled by summer rains, And, o’er their comrades' corpses, still Tho etorinora rush on Ismail.

That livelong day the tide of war Now ebbed, now flowed, in blood. And still the Turk's swift scimitar The Cossack's lanco withstood; They sallied from the' Bender Gate, They thrust our ladders low. Like fiends they fought us, hate for hate. Like soldiers, blow for blow. But, when the stars rose calm and still, Our standard waved o’er Ismail.

0 shining stars, what eights of dread To watched, ere broke the morn; Tho tears by weeping women shed. The conqueror’s brutal scorn. The babe slain at the mother's breast. The human beast of prey 1 Which, raging, roamed, and would not rest

With strength still loft to slay. With strength to slay, and blood to spill— Woe ana alas for Ismail!.

Mr Wilfrid Meynell calls his new volume of poems, “Verses and Eeversos,” because they include, in his own words, many "first thoughts that refuse to obey marching orders, runaways from tho right lino of . formation.’' Besides metrical eccentricities there are poems m the collection expressing deep feeling. The following are the last three stanzas of “Association": —

‘‘lf primrosed mound of Hnghendon Still holds the town at tether: And there wo best can hear Big Ben Above the mere bell-wether;

If Avon’s stream is England’s wine. And Cromwell shrived by Milton, If mon adore in Palestine Tho ground a Cress they built on;

If' all great things that go and come Lend greatness that endures I, too, am worth a wondrous sum , Since I am Yours, am Yours! ’ In one or two cases (observes the “Athenaeum") Mr Meynell happily achieves a short, simple poem from which the critic's self-oonsoionsncss is absent. Such a poem is “To Her at Pisa"; such another “The Folded Flock." where there is no suspicion of artifice

"I saw the shepherd fold the sheep. With all the little lambs that leap. O Shepherd Lord, so I would ho Folded with all my family.

Or go they early; come they late. Their mother and I must count them eight. , ,

And "how, for us, were any Heaven, If we, sore stricken, saw but seven? Kind Shepherd, as of old Thou’lt run And fold at need a : straggling one.

Mr H. Grahame Richards proved by his sensational, but well-written story, “ Lucrezia Borgia’s Une Love, 7 ’ that he can reproduce the very atmosphere as well as the romance of mediaeval Italy. His latest novel, “Centeno” (William Blackwood and Sons) deals with life in mediavela Venice. It is a warmblooded, most exciting romance, packed full of dramatic scenes, and containing, too, some much more careful and successful character drawing than is usually to bo found in a novel of this kind. The rise from obscurity and poverty of Centene to a position of eminence and wealth and his fall to tho final and dreadful fate of a galley slave make a most fascinating story.