LITERARY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2368, 20 July 1899, Page 56

LITERARY NOTES.

—Mr William Sylvester Walker (" Cooea"), the author of "When the Mopoke Calls," has just passed for the press a' new book of Aiistfalian bush life, entitled " From the Land of the Wombat." The book, which the author dedicates •to his uncle, " Rolf Boldrewood," will be illustrated by Mr J. A. Symington. -• ,

— An addition to the literature of mountain climbing, which Mr T. Fisher Unwin will publish shortly, is ' being made by Mattias Zurbriggen, the famous Alpine guide who climbed Pioneer Peak with Sir William Conway, and took part in other prominent feats in mountaineering. "From the Alps to the Andes " is the title under which it will appear.

— Messrs Bryce and Son, of Glasgow, have in the press a new and cheap edition of M'lan's " Clans of the Scottish Highlands," which, for 50 years has been the standard work 071 Gaelic dress, arms, manners, and customs. The two volumes, which have hitherto cost from seven to 12 guineas, will be merged into one, with copious illustrations, and the historical memoranda of Mr James Logan. — The initial volume of Messrs Sands and Co.'s new "Imperial Interest Library" series is finished, and is ready for early publication. The author is Mr Harold E. Gorst, a son of Sir .John Gorst, and he has taken for his subject one of pertinent interest, China. The difficulties in the way of the solution of this Eastern puzzle are said to be dealt with from a novel point of view — the Chinese.

— Among the_ most important works published recently is Mr Justin M'Carthy's " Reminiscences." Mr M'Carthy leaver politics alone, and with characteristic mode&ty writes of other people rather than himself. But since he came to London in 1852 he has met nearly everybody worth meeting, tc say nothing of hi visits to America, which brought him into touch with all that was most prominent across the Atlantic, including Brigham Young.

—Mr Herbert- Spencer, who has permanently taken up his residence at Brighton, is still unfortunately in indifferent health, according to " M.A.P-" Nc living celebrity, perhaps, has suffered sr« acute and prolonged a martyrdom through that eurgc of the brain wqrker — insomnia, which has affected his nervous system to such an extent that conversation is almost entirely forbidden him, and only his intimate friends are permitted to see him.

— Tolstoi's new novel, "Resurrection," which deals with the redemption of a woman with a past, is being issued by the Brotherhood Publishing Company in penny parts, in addition tc its serial appearance in other quarters. The "Resurrection" will be the first of his bookt to be protected by copyright so far as the United States it concerned. The author declines to usr for himself the money the book will bring, but will give eveiy penny of it to the Doukhobortsi emigration fund.

— Dickens's worst novels always contain something memorable, while hie best always include passages that one instinctively skips. Even in "Pickwick" there is the old clergyman's manuscript, which, for purposes either of pleasure or examination may be disregarded — like certain satires of Juvenal, though not for the same reason. In the case of Thackeray, again, are not some ot his later works justly considered a little long? And Scott — Scott has been said to have more longueurs than all the other immortals. — Literature.

— The late Mi J.F. Nisbet's new book, " The Human Machine : an Inquiry into the Diversity of Human Faculty in its Bearing upon Social Life, Religion, Education, and Politics," ia published by Grant Richards. In an introduction the author explains that he has endeavoured to carry out to their logical extent, as regards society at large, the psychophysiological principles indicated in hie book o'l " The Insanity of Genius," the result being to place mind and morals, as well as all physical faculty, upon a purely materialistic basis

— Mr Lionel Cust is about tc undertake an important work on Van Dyck, which will be produced in a handsome form by Messrs George Bell and Son. Mr Cust's official position as director of the National Portrait Gallery entitles him to speak with peculiar authority on a painter whose fame, notwithstanding his foreign origin, is -o largely aseociated with British portraiture of th.c highest histc

rical interest, and it may be expected that thel resulting work will take a definitive position as an authority on the master. The book will be illustrated by photogravures and other, reproductions from the original paintings. — In spite of the competition of the many masterpieces of living novelists, Thackeray's books still retain a strong hold on those whose test of excellence in fiction is not merely the amount of fine writing or of sensational'incident that is offered. We were seriously assured by a distinguished oritic that "Trilby"was a better novel than "Vanity Fair," and, undoubtedly, it was sold in greater numbers of copies, and more widely talked about on its first appearance than the older work. But many "Trilbys" have come and gone, and! "Vanity Fair" and" "The Newcoines " remain, while all the imitations of Dumas which! have been classed by enthusiastic reviewers among "the best historical novels ever-^writ-ten," have not been equal lo the task of dim-i ming the fame of " Esmond." — Morning Post* —M. Jusserand is about to publish, through Mr Fisher TJnwin, a work that will attract much attention. It is called " Shakespearo in France," and is said to be the longest, work M. Jusserand produced! since the first volume of his " Literary History and the English People." At first Shakespeare was. actively, depreciated in Francev He was said tc be coarse and violent, and so sensitive was the Paris public that they." pro-, tested against Hamlet being allowed to call his father "Old Mole." Death was at that time considered to be against the rules of theatrical decency, and to meet this prejudice on the part of the Pari- pit, Desdemona- was not ajlowed to die, and a happy ending was given to "Romeo and Juliet. ■ M. Jusserand traces * tile course of the fame enjoyed by Shakespeare during the last two centuries, and introduces many well-known actors and actresses into his_ story. One of these, Brizard as King Lear, forms the frontispiece of the volume.

— One hundred years ago on Tuesday, May 22, was born Thomas Hood, the poet and humourist, whose centenary, although it has attracted little attention, has not been allowed to go altogether unnoticed. In the Daily Chronicle, Mr Walter Jerrold — appropriately, for he is grandson of Douglas Jerrold, Hood'a old friend — contributed an appreciative column which will enlist the sympathies of those* who know Hood rather as the author of "The Song of the Shirt" and the "Pauper's Christmas Carol " than the maker of puns, of which only a percentage could by any stretch of the imagination be termed clever or oven happy. As Mr Jerrold writes : "In Hood. Magazine, during 184*, appeared three poems, one of which, more poignant in its realism, more perfect in its poetio expression than ' The Song of the Song,' shares with it a place in the memory of all whe have read it. The 'Bridge of Sighs' speaks tragedy in every one of its haunting and peculiar stanza?. The other two are ' The Lay of the Labourer' and 'The ' Lady's Dream.'- The first of thesß might be adopted as the 'Mar- • seillaise ' of the honest unemployed, with its stern enunciation of the labourers' demands to be accorded their rights as members of the human family. Thomas Hood was, during the last two or three years of his life, and literally, from his deathbed, manifesting^ new side of hie genius, and what is more, he was compelling attention by his strenuous utter- * ance on behalf of weakness against power.", — The recent series 'of glaring "Going, going, gone!" advertisements concerning the " Encyclopaedia Britannica" are, we hear, part of a wonderful modern romance of luck and pluck. The author of these pyrotechnic auctioneering tactics, so foreign to the sober and highly-respectable traditions of Printing House square, is an American. Twelve months ago he " came across the streak " nob overburdened with cold cash. The qbjeofc of his invasion wa: to show the Britishers how to run their " Encyclopaedia Britannica," and it must be confessed ho has succeeded. As a preliminary Cousin Jonathan secured tHe sole rights of publishing the " white elephant " for 12 months for £7000. With characteristic "Amurrican" modesty this modern expansionist then calmly annexed the title and influence of The Times, made things " hum " in the timber trade by ordering an incalculable number of revolving bookcases, and wound^ up by flinging his guinea instalment system before the eyes of an astonished nation. Over 10,000 copies of the mammoth work have been disposed of, to say nothing of a forest of bookshelves, and the go-ahead Yank ia reputed to have pocketed a trifle of £30,000 over the deal.