LITERARY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2401, 8 March 1900, Page 57

LITERARY NOTES.

— Macmillans have now included in their Sixpenny Scries "Old Christmas from the Sketch Book of Washington Irving," illustrated by Randolph Culdecott.

—Dr William .hicks, the author of a re-mai'k-.ble Life of Bismarck published about, a y\.a~ ago, ia at present at work upon a complete bioirauhy oi James Wr.tt.

— Mr William Senior, well known in angling cirde-j a-, ""Rfd Spinner," who recently retired from the stall" of the Daily News, hos been made crutor of the Field.

— 3-Icf- j i's JaTold and So-.s= are publishing a volume of "Nature Studies from the Book of Job.'" by flip Ifon. M. Cordelia T -eioh. It is entitled "The Witness of Creation.''

— Katharine Tynan is understood to be preparing a "cabinet" of Irish literature, which, when complete, will be published by Messrs Bliekie and Son. It will include pome modern Irish meu-of-letters.

— Mr A. B. "\\ alkley. whose first serifs of article; under the title "Frames of Mind'" has kuely been published m book form, is contributing a f-ecoud f-eries to the Morning Leade.'.

— Among the authors who have agreed to contribute serials and short stoiics to Mr Clement Shorte-rV new paper, the Sphere, are Mr Thomas Hardy, Mr Frankfort Moore, and "'Ouidi'.."

— The next two volurres in Mr Fisher Unwin's "Over.-ea Library" will be "Negro Nobodies," by Mr Noel de Monragnac, and "Among the Man-eater;," by Mr John Gaggin. — Oharlott-e Bronte's "Villette" has been added to tho Haworth edition of the "Life and Wo.-lc« of the Sisters Bronte." (Smith, ElderJ Air* Humphry Ward contributes an introduction.

— Two more volumes of Mr Murray's new Byron are in the press. The volume of poe'ry will contain "The Giaour," "The Bride of Abydos*," and "The Corsair." The volume of letters will cover the period from 1816 till 1820.

— The late Mr Quaritch was. before Messrs Macmillan. the publisher of the sacred text of FitzGerald's Omar, when there * was no money k> it, when the disciples were few and the prophet without honour, at all events of a. popular kind. — Another volume — "Further Stories of Ireland" — has been added to the admirable edition of Samuel Lover's works which Constable and Co. are publishing. Like its predecessors, it is edited and has introduction and notej by D. J. O'Donoghue. — Dent and Co., whose Temple "Scott" and Temple "Dickens" have found so much favour, now send out a Temple edition of the works of Jane Austen. It is in 10 volumes, beautifully printed and bound, and each volume has a coloured frontispiece and title-page. — A "book of parodies and light verse by Mr Owen Seaman will be ksued forthwith by Mr John Lane. Under the title of "In Cap and Bells." Mr Seaman parodies very successfully a number of poems which have come prominently into notice during the past year or two.

— Mr F. G. Kitton has in the press another Dickens volume, in which he deals with the novelist's minor writings, this being a, pendant to 1m work on "The Novels of Charles Dickens." Mr Kitton has written the descriptive notes for the "Portfolio of Dickens Illustrations" which Mr Redway is going to publish.

— Professor Robinson Ellis, M.A., and A. D. Godloy, M.A.. are the editors of "Nova Anthologia Oxoniensls ; Translations into Creak aiid Latin Verse" (Clarendon Press and Frowde). Their aim has been to produce a collection of Latin and Greek versions which may fairly be regarded ap representative of contemporary Oxonian scholarship. — George Newnes (Limited) .are about' to publish another of their well-known art albums uv.der the title of "The Transvaal War Album: The British Forces in South Africa." The momentous nature of the campaign in South Africa, not less, perhaps, than the magnificent services our soldiers and their sailor comrades are rendering for Queen and country in the field, attracts the gaze of the nations to the heroic actors in ths stirring drama. "The Transvaal War Album" is intended to give a perfect picture of them. — A novel by Mr Gissing is always worth reading ; but the reader must be at least 30, better 40, and the iron and ironies of lifo must in some degree have entered his soul. Let him be poor, lonely, frustrated, disillusioned, half compassionate, and half contemptuous of himself and others, and he will gloom in melancholy satisfaction over Mr Gissing's pages, and say "Such is life as I also know it."' — Saturday Review.

— A book on some pioneers of English social and political work during the century is announced by Messrs Swan Sonnenschein. The writer is Mr Ramsden Balm forth, a Unitarian minister, at present holding a pastorate in South Africa. His volume may be called a political sketch of the century as illustrated by the work of particular men. Among these are Carlyle, Ruskin, John Stuart Mill, William Morris, Charles Kingsley, and Cobden.

—Mr Fisher Unwin's annual for 1899 is entitled Unwin's Chap Book. The Chap Book is a quarto magazine, containing a variety of contributions, among which may be cited an instalment of "Ouida's" unpublished forthcoming novel, an illustrated interview with Zurbriggen, and conversptions with those mysterious potentates, Mr Faux, of Messrs W. H. Smith, and Mr Humphrey, of Messrs Hatchards. A portrait of a music-hall celebrity in three colours serves as frontispiece.

— Some time ago it was announced that some hitherto unpublished letters of George Selwyn were to appear. They are now almost ready for publication by Mr Fisher Unwin. The editing, which includes "a biographical and critical narrative and notes," has been done by Mr E. S. Roscoe and Mr H. Clergue. The letters were written to Frederick, fifth Earl of Carlisle, and his wife, from 1767 to 1790. Fox, North, the Duke of Queonsbury, Lady Sarah Lennox, and other notabilities figure in the pages of the book, which is appropriately illustrated.

— The editor of Chums recently asked his readers to state which 10 recreations, out of a list of 22 named by him, they preferred. The- result of the voting was as follows: — (I) Football, (2) cricket, (3) cycling, (4) swimming, (5) gymnastics, (6) reading, (7) rowing, (8) stamp-collecting, (9) boxing, (10) keeping pets, in the order indicated ; while next in favour were : (11) amateur photography, (12) skating, (13) fretwork and amateur carpentry, (II) fencing, (15) running, (16) chemical experiments, (17) lawn tennis, (18) draughts, (19) chess, (20) golf, (21) fives, (22) croquet.

— A handsome, illustrated library edition of Mr Sidney Lee's "Life of William Shakespeare" is issued by Smith, Elder. The text of the present edition embodies all the cor•Vfistiojia and additions that the author has

deemed it desirable to make since the bio- i giaphy was xirst published. To se^elal of the chapters he has made additions, bnt none of the alteiacious affect the original scheme of the bcok. There are a coloured frontispiece, half a dozen photogravure*, and many illustrations in the text. —Mr Frederic Jiarrlfcon's now volume of literary e.^ay will be published at once by Messrs Macniillan. • Mr Harrison passes in review some of the bts:-known and most typical veisc of Tenny&on, and disetisse? his place in Eugliah poetry. Ruekin is discoursed upon oj a master of pro»o and a prophet. Mr i-La-iison analyses the vhilosop!i3" and teaching of John Stuart Mill, and deals with Mciuhaw Arnold a.s poet, critical philosopher, and theo l og!an. Another lipure of modern English literature who forms the

subject of clifferenC essays is John Addingtou Symonds. Then there are various essay?. — Mr Hugh Clifford, whose P'jpointmsnt as Governor of Britisu North Borneo has jusfc 'icen g.izetted, fcnlribur.es to the January Blackwood the first of a series, of articles on "iiush-'wlißckiiig," in which he gives his experiences of i.iany yeirs' fighting In tha jungle;; of the Malay Peninsula. JSir John Mowbray's reminiscences of " Seventy Year* at Westminster" are continued ; and other articles in tha liumb.i aie "A Cold Day in MidOauuda,"' describing both indoor af'Z outdoor life during ihe Csmadiap winter, and 'C4eo'go Selv.yn'p Letters," by Mr G. S. Street, who seeni t - to have become a regular contributor to ilaga.