MISCELLANY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21242, 24 January 1931, Page 4

MISCELLANY.

HUMOUR, PHILOSOPHY INSTRUCTION. " Speaking Personally: A Volume of Essays.” By Walter Murdoch, M.A., Professor of English, University of Western Australia. Sydney: Angus and Robertson. (5s net.) "The Buddhist Pilgrim’s Progress.” By Helen M. Hayes. The Wisdom of the East Series. Loudon: John Murray. (3s fid net.) " Hot Chestnuts Annual. 1931. By Castanarius." Illustrated by I’. C. Black. London: Cecil Palmer. (2s fid net.) " The Cathedrals of England and Wales.” By T. Francis Bumpus. Tourists' Pocket Edition. Illustrated. London: T. Werner Laurie. "The Entrancing Life.” By J. M. Barrie. London: Hodder and Stoughton. (Is net.) “ Speaking Personally ” is an entertaining collection of some 30 essays by Professor Murdoch, of the University of Western Australia. He has dropped the role of lecturer in this book, to adopt that of conversationalist, and an interesting and erudite talker we find him. Occasionally he is serious, but more often we find that robust type of humour which seems to thrive ’neath Australian skies in these sketches. For instance, there is a dissertation on tripe and onions, which, whatever its charms, cannot be regarded as an epicurean dish. Mr Murdoch, however, is much impressed by virtues of tripe (we assume he has never visited a slaughter house), and inveighs against those snobs who hold it in disdain. It is a sad commentary, he suggests, upon our degeneracy that the word is now synonymous with trash in argument or literature, whereas in the Victorian age Lady Dorothy Nevill, the fine flower of English • society, when asked to name her favourite dish, replied heartily: “ Oh, gimme a good blow-out of tripe and onions.” Mr Murdoch expounds an interesting philosophy of escape in other of his essays. “ See as much as you can of strange lands and sea, strange peoples, and strange ideas,” he says. “Be a vagabond, for a time at least. Escape from the suburban villa, and save your soul alive. He warns the young not to acquiesce unthinkingly in all that their elders may plan for them, allowing their lives to be charted in advance. There is be recalls, an Eastern proverb: “We are all souls seeking escape,” and it might be said that the fundamental lesson in these essays is 'Mr Murdoch’s elaboration of this idea. “ Speaking Personally ” is an engaging volume.

Mr John Murray’s “Wisdom of the East” series of small books is issued with the definite object of placing before European readers the best in Oriental literature. The little volume which is entitled “ The Buddhist Pilgrim’s Progress ” more, wo assume, out of a wish to adhere to the modern practice of labelling everything than because the analogy is particularly apt—is an extract from the “ Shi Yeu Ki ” of one Wu Ch’cng-En, a Chinese scholar and gentleman, who lived 100 years before Bunyan. Wu had realised that the heights of Buddhist philosophy, which were the spiritual possession only of the well educated, must bo made available to the many, and this journal of a journey to Paradise is his attempt, as the editor states, to draw the common people, even the rabble, into the range of religious interest and adventure. How far he has succeeded it must be left to the reader to determine, but it can be predicted that they will find this allegorical tale not only an interesting exercise, but a story with wisdom and humour and a deep spiritual impulse. Translation is an important, factor in such a book, and Helen Hayes has made an understanding transcription. “ Castanarius ” is under no delusion regarding the necessity for freshness in a good comic story—he realises that the tit-bits that cause amusement in the drawing room, provoke chuckles in the smoking room to-day, were probably excellent yarns 10,000 years ago. His “ Hot Chestnuts” for 1031, then, are served up simply on their merits, as stories that may have been told before, but can stand retelling. Their ability to delight depends, of course, upon the maimer in

which they are retold, and it is here that “ Castanarius" scores. He has an enviable facility for selecting the right rhyme and metre to suit the tale that is receiving attention, and he ia careful to keep the “ sting ” tor the last line or so of his verses. The stories, thus garbed in nimble doggerel, are suitable for the ambitious raconteur to commit to memory, for release in congenial company, and they can also be read by him who has no craving for public appearances. with a good deal of amusement. They are suitably illustrated by T. C. Black.

* # v The book by Mr Bumpus on the cathedrals of England and Wales ia one of the recognised authorities on this subject for the use of the visitor to the Homeland, or the information of those who must confine their wanderings to the printed page. The new edition published by Messrs Werner Laurie fits easily into the coat pocket, but it is an unabridged reprint of the larger volume, and contains 56 illustrations, many of which are new. For those interested in cathedral, architecture it should prove very useful. The end papers have a map showing the position of the cathedrals.

“ The Entrancing Life ” contains the text of the address delivered by Sir J. M. Barrie last October when he was installed as Chancellor of Edinburgh University, succeeding Lord Balfour. It ia one of. those inspirational speeches which Sir James knows so well how to deliver. “ Carlyle held that genius was an infinite capacity for taking pains,” he remarks. “ I don’t know about genius, but the entrancing life, I think, must be an infinite love of taking pains. You try it.” A. L. F.