LITERARY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2389, 14 December 1899, Page 62

LITERARY NOTES.

—In the list of forthcoming works of a biographical nature, none is likely to attract more attention than the two volumes on himself Mr Robert Buchanan has in preparation. The story of Mr Buchanan's connection with the young poet, David Gray, and with Thomas Love Peacock, will be recounted in the work,

— Mr James Young Simpson, whose "Side Lights on Siberia." published last year, - attracted considerable attention, has been appointed to the Lectureship in Natural Science in Glasgow College, a post once held by Professor Drummond. Mr Simpson, who is the grandson of Sir James Youiig Simpson, the discoverer of chloroform, is only in ■ his twenty-sixth year.

— " Sir Walter Scott " is the title of a book by Mr James Hay. which is just published by Messrs James Clarke and Co. Mr Hay's qualifications for the task are evidenced by his earlier works on Johnson and Swift. Modestly disclaiming any% attempt to write a "Life" of Scott, the author claims to have ventured "from my own standpoint to give a sketch of Scott intellectually and so.eially. and tp avoid extremes." ■ As we understand Mr Hay, he would steer a middle course between Lodkhart and Carlyle, the greatest authorities 011 the subject, who nevertheless did not contrive to* "avoid extremes."

—Dr Charles W." Doyle, whose book, "The Taming of the Jungls," has just been- published by Messrs A. Constable and Co., was born in India in 1852. and spent his early life there. His father was killed in the Mutiny. Of this and other facts concerning himself Mr Doyle writes: "The horrors of the Sepoy war were so clearly stamped on my mind that I can still hear the booming of the guns at the battle 01 Shahganj. which was fought in one of the suburbs of Agra, where I was most of that awful time. It seems to me that I, was always fond of books; I read everything that T could get hold of at school, having a decided preference for postry and romance. From the time I was 12 years old I possessed a gun, my constant companion during my holidays, which were all spent in the Terai. When I was 18 I wont to Guy's Hospital, London, where I spent tbe most terrible year of my life fretting my heart out for my --"jungle .mother." One morning, when my quarterly allowance arrived, I paid my little debts anl took passage to India, turning up to breakfast with my mother when she thought I was walking the hospitals in London. For a whole year I resumed my old life, only more so, to get rid of the tasto of London. However, my affairs made it necessary that I should resume the study of medicine. I absolutely refused to return to London, where I always felt like a bird in a cage, so I was allowed to go to Scotland, whero I read medicine in— a desultory way. I surprised myself by graduating second man of lry year, with high honours at Aberdeen."

— About 50 years ago there was brought out, partly by subscription — the Queen and tlie Prince Consort heading tiie list — two. quirto volumes descriptive of the clans of Scotland and their costumes. That work has long been out of print. Copies of it are scarce, and. •when the plates are in good condition, fetch a high price. A Glasgow publishing house (David Bryce and Son) has been well advised, therefore, in issuing at a popular price a reproduction on a smalbr scale, but having all the completeness of the original. There are about 200 illustrations in the work, and nearly 80 of these are coloured, and to all intents and purposed facsimiles of the original drawing by Mr R. R. M'lau — a gentleman who had an isitimalc knowledge of Highland dress= and ornaments, and who was, in addition, a thoroughly capable draughtsman. -A well-known Celtic scholar of the lime, Mr James Logan, supplied the letterpre«3 to Mr M'lan'e pictures, so that the work has been recognised as* an authority alike in its illustrations and its text. It is not at the same time without drawbacks. In several instances the typical clan figure is not shown in the tartan of his or her clan, and in a number of cases alro the figures may be representative of any Highland family. These drawbacks are perpetuated. Then, again, as tho object was to reproduce the work "complete and unaltered,*' it hai not been brought down to date, with the result that when there is a reference to present chieftains or clan representatives, it is necessary to bear in mind that it is men and women who were living half a century ago who are being dealt with. Something can be said in favour of leaving the original coloured plate 3 untouched — they are all very beautiful and characteristic : but there ought at least, to have been annotations^ if only to increase tho living interest in the venture. The L'iiportance of the work, from tho ' antiquarian and historic point oP'view, is, however, unquestioned. The volume is comprehensive in its clan knowledge, and is admirably got "P.

A MATTHEW ARNOLD STORY: HIS

FRIENDSHIP WITH COLERIDGE,

In Mr Yarnrall's newly-published "Wordsworth and Coleridge, with Other Memories, Literary and Political," a pleasant story is told of Matthew Arnold. Mr Yarnall met him at the table of the late Lord Chief Justice Coleridge in 1860: —

A very brilliant person was Arnold in those days, but of sweet and winning manner ; as an especial mark of eminence he was singularly urbane and gracious. Exquisite was he in dress, and his black hair and fine eyes, and his easy bearing and pleasant talk, made him altogether fascinating. The friendship between him and Coleridge was of the clooept ; it was but the continuing of the almost brotherhood of Mr Justice Coleridge and Dr Arnold.

One remark of Matthew Arnold at this first meeting I recall. Coleridge had said to his wife from his end of the taole, referring to the "Guardian" period, "We were very poor in thope days, Jane."

"Yes, we were," was the quick reply,

- "Ah," said Arnold, "you talk of having been very poor, when at any time you could sit down and write in an hour an article for the Guardian for which you -would get your £10. Now, it costs me a great deal of trouble to write. "'

A QUAINT OLD AUTHOR

I do not suppose, says "Dr Schwartz" in the Church Gazette, that many readers know the 727 "laughable storie3 "-collected by Gregory bar Hebraeus, the head of the Jacobite Church, from 1264 to 1286. A new edition of the collection, edited and translated by Dr Bridge, of the British Museum, has just been brought out. Bar Hebraeus, the son of a Jewish physician, born in 1226, was made Bishop of Gubon, near Melitenc, at the age of 20. He subsequently became Bishop of Aleppo, and 11 years later was appointed Maphrian, sin office which ranks next to that of the Patriarch. The story of his ecclesiastical life is given in his Syriac chronicle, a work which deals with the political and ecclesias-

tical history of the Jacobite and Nestorian Church. He was a man of vast erudition and wide culture. He wrote in Arabic and Syriac. Hi 3 subjects were history, theology, philosophy, medecine. and grammar. In his old age he made a collection of jests, to drive away melancholy, he said. The first chapter contains some excellent sayings of reek philosophers. _ Take the following: — "The fool is known by two things : by his much speaking about that which benefits him not, and by giving answers about subjects concerning which men ask him tfot." Or, "To a philosopher it was said, 'It is hard that that which a, man seeketh not should come to him.' And he replied, 'Much harder than this it is that a man should seek that which cometh not to him.' " Here is an excellent description of "logrolling." A philosopher was asked what is the occupation of certain literary men. He replied. "To magnify those ■who are little, and to belittle him that is great." The pithiest, though, I regret to say, most ungallant sayings refer to. woman. A philosopher saw a woman in the theatre, looking on as a spectator, and he said, ''Thou hast not come out to see, but to be seen."' A philosopher married a small and thin wife, and whou he was asked why he had done so, answered, "I chose the lesser evil." Thero is a curious chapter on "men who folio-vied despised handicrafts." Weavers, as wo know, were generally little thought of. "They were weavers." we are told, "who" stole Joseph's cup and the rod of Moses, and tho fleece of Gideon, and tho sling of David, and the swaddling bands of John, and the sandals of the Apo3tles; and when Mary asked them to show her the way to the sepurehre,- they Fent her by a wrong road. For this reason phe prayed and entreated her Lord, sayinvf, ' Wherever weavers live, let them toil with their hands and feet for others, and let no blessing ever come upon them.' " GOETHE. He took the suffering human race, 1 Ho read each wound, each weakness clear; And struck his finger on the place, And said: "Thou ailest here, and here!" He looked on Europe's dying hour Of fitful dream and feverish power; His eye plunged down the weltering strife, The turmoil of expiring life. He said : "The end is everywhere, - Art still has truth, take refuge there!" And he was happy, if to know Causes of things, and far below His feet to see the lurid flow Of terror, and insane distress, And headlong fate, be happiness. — Matthew Arnold.