AMONG THE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14786, 19 March 1910, Page 13

AMONG THE ANNOUNCEMENTS

"The Life of John Buskin," by Asliraoro Wingate, has just been added to Walter Scott's Great Writers Series (Is 6d). Two novels of note—certainly by notable writers—will bo with lis from Mr Murray immediately—namely, "The Thief,of Virtue," by Mr Eden Phillpotts, a.ntl "Tower of Ivory," by Mrs Gertrude Atherton. Messrs Macmillan are about to publish Volume 111 of Professor Saintsbury's " History of English Prosody 'from the Twelfth Century to the Present Day." This volume completes the work. To their Shilling Library, Messrs Nelson arc adding the " Reminisccnces of Lady Dorothy Nevili," and "A'Social Departure," by Miss Sara J. Duncan. New volumes in their Sevenpenny Library will ho " A Son of Hagar," by Mr Hall Cains, and "Bora in Exile," by Mr George Gissing, More shilling books. Mr John Murray announces a scries of interesting reprints to be known as the r Albemarle Shilling Library. _ It will begin with that classic of counsel, " Self-help," by Samuel Smiles. Other volumes to appear in it are Dean Stanley's " Sinai and Palestine," and Mr W. G. Blaikie's "Life of David Livingstone." Mr Francis Gribble lias finished a new volume of the historical memoir sort. Ho entitles it "The Passions of the French Romantics " (15s net), and it will be published' by Messrs Chapman and Hall. They have also in their new list a study of the life and work of George Sand, by 11. Reno Donmic.

The new issue of " Grove's Dictionary of Music," edited by Mr Fuller Maitland, will be completed with .a fifth volume, which Messrs Macmillan now announce (21s net). Mrs Newmarch contributes a fresh article on Tschaakowsky, and Mrs Wodehouse a list of collections of Volkslicder. A thorough investigation 6f the claims to antiquity made on behalf of Welsh music has been undertaken by Mr Frank Hudson, Much other new material there is in the volume, which will include an a-nuendix.

Few literary secrets of identity liav; been better kept than that of " Fiona Macleod."' and, if only for this reason, there should bo a public for the." Collected Edition,'' which Mr Jioinemann anaioanocs in seven volume's, quite apart from the cunouslv magical and unearthly quality o? the writing. Most of their critics have rccognised the triple virtue of their prose—beauty of symbolism, of thought, and form—and, considering that the pseudonym has eclipsed the actual name of the writer, the publisher is well advised to rank the volumes as those of "Fiona Macleod," rather than that of Williair. Sharp- Besides poems and dramas the work? contained in the seven volumes are » dozen in number, including the better-known, like '' The Sin Enter, 1 '

" The Washer of the Ford," " lona, - ' and " The .Mountain Lovers." ond somewhere, we suppose, room will be found for '' Greer. Fire.' although it is not included in tlie prospectus list. In any case, the works which Mi Sharp wrote under this signature between 1894 and i 905 are here

presented, for the lirs* time, in a complete edition, and only such excisions and revisions have been allowed as the write' arranged for m the wishes and instructions ho left behind. At last, therefore, the works enter into Celtic literature m .1 definite form and under the rightful explanation, but we can see that for many year? yet librarians md catalogue compilers will be puzzled by reference'.; to " Miss 1 Maclcod.

Three books dealing with what might be called the purely literary quality of authorship, to bo published 'by the.lttac millan Company, are " Essays of Modern Novelists,by William Lyon Phelps, Professor of English in Yale College, " A Group of English Essays," by Professor C T. Winchester, and " The Inspiration of Poetry," by G. E. Woodberry In the first of these the author considers critically the work of somp of the leading writers of tne day, sucli as Kipling, Hardy, Biornson, Do Morgan. Mrs Ward, Sienkiewicz Professor Winchester's volumo is one of mingled criticism and biography devoted to a consideration of the men who are generally regarded as the founders of the modern essay—the early writers for the Edinburgh Review, Charles Lamb, De Quincey, and other notable author,' of lie first part of tl.j nineteenth century. In "The Inspiration of Poetry," based on lus Lowell lectures. Mr Woodberry .takes up a number of the great names of literature —such as Camoens, Cervantes, Marlowe —and aims to show wherein these men were really possessed with an inspiration that has carried conviction and enlightenment to futuro generations.

The Trustees of Columbia University announce that they have arranged to fiublish through the Columbia University Press a complete edition of tho works of John Milton, in verse and in prose, in English and in Latin. The editorial supervision of the work has been accepted by William P. Trent-, LL.D., 'Professor of English Literature in Barnard College, Columbia University. Professor Trent has already published a study of Milton, and is now completing a biography and bibliography of Daniel Defoe, which- is to be issued shortly in three volumes by the Columbia University Press. For his difficult task Professor Trent is qualified by life-long devotion to the great poet and by a special training in English history. The Columbia University edition of Milton is intended to be complete, authoritative, and definitive. It will ex tend to not less than eight volumes, largo octavo. It will bo illustrated by a chronological sequenco of portraits of Milton, and also by views of places identified with tho poet. It will be furnished with facsimiles of manuscripts ajid of title pages. Special attention will bn given to bibliographical detail, In addition to the standard library form, this work wit) be published also m a limited large paper edition.

Nothing in book form could well bs more appealing to genuine booldovers than tho reprints that come from the Oxford Clarendon Tress (Henry Frowde). The stately edition of Spenser, edited by Mr J. C. Smith, is completed by publication of " The Faerie Qneene," in two volumes. Mr S. P. Vivian has edited, for publication in similar form, the volumo of " Campion's Works," which in dudes the Latin poems and prose treatises along with the lovely lyrics. In smaller hut quite charming form, we have tho ' Select Poems of Winthrop Mackworfch Praed," edited by Mr A, D. Godley; ' Shelley's Literary and Philosophical Criticism,' edited by Mr John Shawicroes, Lowell's "Fireside Travels," edited by Mr E. V, Lucas; A Hundred Verses from Old Japan," beijjg a translation by Mr Wililam N. Porter of the " Hyaka-nin-isshiu " (with the original text and native illustrations), Sir William "Temple's " Essays 011 Ancient andModem Learning and on Poetry," edited by Professor J. E. Spingarn; the poems of Keatfi edited by Mr M- Robertson from the edition of 1820; and (in the "Tudor and Stuart Library") Browne's " Religio Medici" with Kenelm Henry .Digby's " Observations" upon it. More than 70 years have passed since England was first thrilled by those words: "A large piece of ice disappeared; the water bubbled up over it: Mr Pickwick's hat, gloves, and handkerchief were floating 011 the surface; and this was all of Mr Pickwick that anybody could see," and first held its sides with laughter over the other doings of that immortal person, his friends, and his faithful Sam. Yet the' book is as popular to-day as ever it was among all- classes of Englishmen, from the highest to the lowest, from the most intellectual to tho least; and few are they who have come to the years ot inaiihood and cannot, from memory, describe one or more of the exploits with which it is filled And, among the most countless editions that have been issued of it, none is more inviting than Chapman and Hall's so-called Topical Edition, in I,wo volumes, with its fine type, admirable reproduction of tho original illuminating prefaces, and over 200 additional photographs and drawings, collected and annotated by Mr C. van' Noorden, and shedding new light on the characters and places touched upon by the master. For instance, there is a photograph of the actual scene of tile meeting of the Brick lane Branch of the* Temperance Association, showing the ladder down which Mr Stiggins knocked Brother Tadger with unerring nim, another of Queen square, Eath, where Mr Cyrus .B.antam lived, a charming engraving of Dorking Churchyard, where All's Weller was buried, a drawing of Duhvich Picture Gallery where Mr Pickwick, his wanderings over, was frequently t-o be seen contemplating the works of art, a photograph of Lunt street, the scene of Mr Sawyer's supper-party, a charming dra\ying of the courtyard ot' the White Hari in tho Borough,' in which Pick\vick first met Sam, and scores of other pictures of similar interest. It is'all so well bound that it lies open comfortably on the table—and the reader's tendency will be to have it on his table, and not on his shelves. In spite of its price (245) it is the cheapest edition of the masterpiece which we have so far encountered.

The character of Dr Robertson'* new book in "The Papal Conquests'' (Morgan and Scott, 6s 6d), is, remarks the Pall Mall Gazette, best exemplified by a quotation or two. The Church of Eome is " a Satanic agency"; priests, of tile Roman Church, " as Italians have often told me,'' kill a sick man " by simply leaning heavily with their arms on his "chest, or compressing with their fingers his throat, when administering the viaticum " New man and Manning were both " degraded mentally and morally by their becoming Roman Catholics"; only those " who are •still in the grip and power of Satan will ever be found entering Satan's church." Rome is the most demoralising agency in the world It is evidently' useless to attempt my reasoned protest against language of this kind in these, columns, ivs .Dr Robertson believes the English press is paid by Eome But there are a few matters of fact which do not show Dr Robertson's candour in a very pleasant light. For instance, lie writes ; " As Mr Buskin has said, 'the entire doctrine and system of that Church is in the fullest sense anti-Christian,' and ' its lying and idolatrous power is (he darkest plague that, ever held commission to hurt the earth.' " It is true John Buskin wrote this; but in republishing "The Seven Lamps of Architecture " he omitted this, and other similar passages, as " pieces of rabid and utterly false Protestantism." What would Dr Robertson say to a Jesuit who Quoted his authorities in so misleading a maimer? Acjain, writing of the Index Libronim Prohibitorum et Exnnrgatorum, Dr Robertson sa.ys : *' Bad books, immoral books, they almost let, alone " There is much virtue in an ' almost, 1 but the casual reader would hardy gather from this that Boccaccio and Zola are both on the Index. The whole book is so violent in lone that, were we bitten with the olnti-Jesuit craze, wo might "almost " think that Dr Robertson was a Jesuit in disguise, writing to rouse sympathy for the Roman Church! Finally, Dr Robertson eompains not infrequenty of the dirty and poor neonle who frequent Roman Churches, and girls at the lowly orisin of the PoDe and of Cardinal Antonelli (" sprung from a family of donkeydrivers"). We would advise him to refrain, in future, from flint line ot argument. It is uncomfortably similar to the taunts brought against- the early Christians, this charge of poverty and

dirt. And as to mean descent—well.. Matthew was a publican and [Peter it fisherman; and against Whom was tho sneer thrown "is not this th« Carpenter's Son !' r

The recent lppearanoe of Vol XXITI (being the supplement) of the reissue of tho great " Dictionary of National Biography " reminds us of n mighty undertaking worthily planned, ably executed, punctually completed, and finally even improved upon. The portrait and memoir of George Smith, tno munificent publisher, winch are prefixed to this final instalment, present to its readers a great figure iii th« world both of letters and industry, a man who deserved well of his country in more ways than one. For was not the pillar of the great dictionary also the friend of Buskin and Thackeray, of the Brownings and Trollope, and almost the discoverer of Charlotte Bronte and Mrs Humphrj Ward! Did he not found one of our few surviving literary magazines, tha Cornhill, and tile Pall Mall Gazette 7 Leslie Stephen, the first editor of the ' Dictionary," unliKo his proprietor, lived to receive recognition. On his coadjutoi, Mr Lee, nas fallen tho bulk of the labour, and we hopo, he may live to preside over at least another Supplement. Though several of his leading contributors., such as Joseph Kmpht, the veteran dramatic critic, that excellent biographer of painters, Cosmo Monk house, Dr Garnett, Miss Clerlte, ■ the astronomer, and others have ■ fallen out of the ranks, there remains a- strong nucleus of the younger men to carry on thn work. Here we may mention a few dates in the history of what Dr Jessopp one justly called the magnum opus of our generation. Tho first of tho 63 original volumes was issued in January, 1885, under the editorship of Leslio Stephen who retired from editing, though he continued largely to contribute, in ttie spring of 1891. The original Supplement under the editorship of Mr Lee (who had been sole chief since Stephen's retirement and had been associated with him for a short time previously) appeared in 1901, the death of Queen Victoria being fixed upon as the chronological limit. A very useful "Index and Epitome," - containing every name in both the body of the work and the Supplement, came next. Finally, the Teissue of the whole of the original Dictionary and Supplement at a third of the original price, and compressed into a* third of tho space (23 volumes instead of 66) was. begun in March, 1908, and has just been concluded. The same punctuality as had been observed in the original issue, and which has no example in the annals of foreign State-aided national biographies, has characterised the reissue, in which the bibliography of the articles has in most cases been brought up to date A small instance of this niaj bo noticed in the article 011 Matthew Arnold in the recently-published Supplement, where 0110 of Arnold's daughters, tin editor of selections from his " Notebooks," appears -as "the Hon Mvs Anmine Wodehouse, afterwards (1909). Lady Sandhurst."