LITERARY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2116, 13 September 1894, Page 44

LITERARY NOTES.

The Edinburgh edition of Mr R. L. Stevenson's works was so rapidly subscribed that orders have been given to proceed with six volumes, and the firßt of these will be delivered to subscribers in October.

M. Zola's new story, " Lourdes," forms the first of a series of romances illustrative of celebrated places, and will be followed in due course by Rome and Paris. Messrs Ohatto and Windus promise an English translation of "Lourdes," upon which Mr Ernest Vizetelly is now engaged.

£16,000 for a new dictionary 1 This is the sum at which Dr Fennel!, of Cambridge, hopes to produce his new "National Dictionary of English Language and Literature." He has already secured some influential subscribers at £3 3a for the complete work, or £4 for the edition in parts.

Miss Mary Gaunt, whose Australian story, " Dave's Sweetheart," attracted very considerable attention, having been most favourably reviewed, has ready for publication a volume of Bhort stories, most of which have already appeared in the English Illustrated Magazine. They are strong, picturesque, and graphically told Btories, somewhat in the manner of Mr Bret Harte.

The enormous sum of over £250,000 has been paid in royalties to the interests represented by Mr Moody since his book of hymns was first published, 20 years ago. The sale of the hymns is said to have reached the wonderful total of 20,000,000 volumes. The price of these books has ranged from 3d up to ss ; but, whatever may be the selling price, Mr Moody has received the uniform royalty of 20 per cent.

Messrs Digby, Long, and 00. will shortly issue "A Guide to British and American Novels," by Percy Russell, author of " The Author's Manual." The guide is a comprehensive manual to British and American fiction from the earliest period to the end of 1893, "and contains a complete history of the novel, livicg novelists, and novelists of the past. The work is specially designed to meet the common question, " What novels do you recommend 7 " but with complete impartiality. It contains 18 chapters, furnished with copious indices to novelists and novels?

There is one man in English literature, perhaps there are two, who wrote too little. Gray is one. Every word he wrote is precious; he has the perfection of diotion and melody. Every line contains a thought or a picture complete in itself, and you cannot change a word without marring: its perfection. The other, perhaps, is Wolfe. Everyone knows his lines on the burial of Sir John Moore, of which, in my ju no higher praise is possible than to &0..r they are worthy of their subject. But be wrote also " Go, Forget Me," and " If I had Known Thon Oouldst have Died" — two poems little known. — Lord Coleridge.

" Blesced are the Poor" is the title of two short stories translated from the French of M. Frangois Ceppee by Miss Winifred Heaton, and published with an introduction by Mr T. P. O'Connor by Mr William Heinemann. "Blessed uncomfortable" the cynic will possibly remark ; and, judging by the titles of the stories, the poor, even in M. OoppeVs eyes, are most blessed in getting awa* from thete..BOvertx < _11-Befltltutiol l -BefltltutioR r L

and " The Poverty — Cure " sound rather as though the author had too keen a sense of humour to suggest in this age that the poor are really and actually blessed.

The question has often been raised as to which novelist has created the largest number of dramatis persoiue, and the palm Is generally, and with justice, given to Dicken*. But it is doubtful whether even he, in any single novel, equalled the feat of M. Oatulle Meud&s, the French poet and romancer, whose n«w novel, " La Maison de la Vleille," deals with over 200 characters, in all stations of life, from duchesses to cabotins. Even the immortal " Three Musketeers," which has surely a sufficiently orowded stage, can only boast of some 75 persons. "La Maison dela Vieille " is a tale of a highly complicated love adventure. An elaborate life of Edison, who sustained a slight accident the other day with after effects that threatened to be serious, is to appear in the autumn through Messrs Ohatto and Windus. It will be largely autobiographical and profusely illustrated. By the way, although he has laid the human race under heavy obligations by his inventions, Mr Edison it not without enemies. We have met American business men who spoke anything but cordially of his business methods. But in the matter of the phonograph, the tedious delay in rendering it obtainable lies not with Edison but with the Erjglish syndicate that bought his patents and has been sitting on them.

Messrs A. and C. Black propose to publish a new dictionary of the Bible before the end of 1896. The work was originally planned by the late Professor Robertson Smith, who hoped nearly to the last that he might be able to take a leading part in its preparation. Last February, finding that Professor Cheyne agreed with him as to the nature of the book that was wanted, be transferred his Bhare in the editorial management to him, with his own old friend and associate in the " Encyclopaedia Brifcannica," Dr J. Sutherland . Black, for co-editor. Besidesposthumous work by Robertson Smith, the dictionary will oontain contributions from the leading Biblical scholars of English universities and of the Continent.