LITERARY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1917, 13 November 1890, Page 34

LITERARY NOTES.

During the reign of Elizabeth the English.novel not only existed, but flourished ; its writers in some instances lived by wriring it ;„ their books went through more editions than "Hamlet" or "Othello;" and they wereeven translated into French long before a, Hne of Shakeppeare had appeared in thatlanguage.

There is a pleasant story of Dr Johnson. - Two pretty Quakeresses were anxious to make his acquaintance. With this object they prepared an elaborately eloquent address,and on being ushered into his awful presence, one of them proceeded to read it. But the sage at once cut the fair speaker short with " Tut, tut, my dear," and relieved them both of all further embarrassment by taking one on oner knee and the other on the other.

Our readers may remember (says the Athenaeum) that Professor Jeffrey Bell askedi 3ome time since in our columns for informa~ tion regarding the word savaglia. A very beautiful specimen of the savaglia of the olcL Italians, the so-called black coral of the: Mediterranean, or the Gerardia savaglia of stoologists, has lately been added to the Coral Gallery of the Natural History Museum. It is by far tbe finest specimen in any museum,, and its beauty alone makes-it a most attractive addition to tho galleries in Cromwell road.

" The Sheep-breeder's Guide " is the title. of a very complete treatise which has been;' issued by Quibell Brothers, Newark-on-Trent,, containing descriptive articles upon ancient, and modern breeds of sheep and particularsof celebrated breeders, together with much useful information, which cannot fail to be of value to sheepowners in all parts of the worid. An invaluable feature of the treatise is the space it devotes to the treatment of some of the diseases to which our flocks ar& so liable. For some of the most virulent; diseases, such as scab, it provides a remedy j while the no less troublesome, if less noxions,. attacks of the louse and tick are mad& amenable to treatment under Messrs Quibfcll's. system. Tbe testimonials as to the treatment of scab accompanying the treatise confirm in a remarkable degree the*assertions of Messrs Quibell, and it would undoubtedly be worth the while of sheepowners everywhere to try the remedy on the first appearance of the scourge.

Many years since Lord (then Mr) Tennyson was visiting at Bude, Cornwall. He hat? given a letter of introduction to the late Rev. R. S. Hawker, the well-known vicar of Morwenstow, and himself a writer of charming verse. With the thoughtlessness which is supposed to be chaiacteristic of poets, says the London correspondent of the Binning- . ham Post, Tennyson mislaid the letter and forgot the name of the individual to whom ifc was addressed. The local doctor, however, thought it would probably be Mr Hawker r and Tennyson proceeded to the vicarage. Mr Hawker's hospitality was proverbial, and he frequently entertained visitors without troubling to know their names. Just as he was leaving after a pleasant chat Tennyson said, " Perhaps you would like to know who I am. My name is Tennyson." "Any relation to tlie Tennyson?" asked Mr Hawker. The poet replied, " I don't know what you mean by the Tennyson, but I am Alfred Tennyson."" His host's feelings may be better imagined than described.