LITERARY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2413, 31 May 1900, Page 60

LITERARY NOTES.

— Mr Marion Crawford's "Via Orucis"' has passed into its sixtidßi thousand, and is to be dramatised by a well-known playwright. — "The Romany Hye" is to t« the next volume in the new edition of Borrows works, and is illustrated by Mr F. G. Kitton. — Ouida's latest work, "The Waters of Edcra," published only a short time ago, lias met with such a demand that the third edition has been issued. — Mr ITishev TJnwi.ii will shortly i=sue a new romance by Mr? Amelia E. Barr, entitled "Was It Sight to Forgive?" It is a sketch of American soeietj' and life. — Dr William Bary has written a new story, entitled 'The Wizard's Knot," which deals with Irish life and legend. It will be published by Mr T. Fisher Unwin. —Mr 0. G-. D. Eoberts, the Canadian an 111 or who has already given iis "The Forge in the Fonst," has written a romance called "A Sister to Evangeline," which Mr Joftn Lane publishes. — Mr Le Gallienne's study of George Meredith, one of his best pieces of criticism, has been revised and enlaiged by additions to the bib'iogiuphy ; the new issue comes from the "Bouley SeT.c 1 . — Downey and Co. are issuing a sixpenny edition of Miss Braddon's novels, which the cull: or ip carefully revising. The revision of ''The Doctor's Wife" is so extensive that scarcely a page is without its alteration. — In Maonullan's Classical Seiies there appes.ix the second part of Dr Sandy's edition of "The EighV.i Philippic OEationo of Dem^bthenef'," including: the speech "On the Peace," the Second Philippic, that on the Chersonesus, and the Third Philippic. — MacmiMan's "Two-shilling Library of Fiction" is to receive an accession in Mis Alexander's '"The Admiral's Ward" and Jessie FothergJl's "From Moor Isles." Tho same firm publis^e?- shortly the first volume ! of Dr W. -B. Allchin's "xVJanual of Medicine." I — The poetical talent of the Irish National- ! i-.o party in the House of Commons receives | aa accession in the person of Mr John | O'Dowd, who was elecced unopposed the other , clay for North fc>ligo. Mr O'Dowd is the J author of many fugitive pieces, which were some time ago published in book form. — Mr Fisher Unwin "Hill publi.-h a book by William Barry, entitled '"Arden Massiter." j it may he described as a romance of real life, ( with a historic and religious background. The ] n;me is that of a young Englishman with a i ppsuon for ideils which is at once rare and i perilous. The '"mise-en-scene" isi almost wholly Italian. • — Mr Marriott Watson's new romance — a return to the manner of "Clalloping Dick" — is published this week under the title "The j Rebel." Charles Li will be found in its pages. Two other novelists of whom not much has ' been heard of l?te will ako be ready with I new stories soon; Lucas Malet with, two , novels, one to be published in a short time and one in ths autumn, and Mr W. W. Jacobs with "A Master of Craft," which has been running through the "Strand Magazine." — Among the forthcoming books of interest is Sir .George Gifeing's record of a sojourn in Italy. Mr Giving has latterly added considerably to his range ; for many years he did nothing but study and reproduce rather dzcary, 01 at least hielike, middle-class society; then came the very interesting mono- j graph on Dickens, and then the first two yol- j times of an edition of Dickens with critical iru'oduct:oii=\ — Misa Laurence Alma-Tadema's new booic is en tilled "The Fate-Spinner." Maeterlinck's infiuer.ee is even more apparent than in Miss Alma-Tadema's previous work; in trar.flatniji his pla3"= she has drunk from the well of his aennvs. It will be remembered that Lady Alma-Tadema is a Frenchwoman. Miss Alma-Taxlema promises a new volume shortly, to be called "Tales from My Garden." — Mr George Paston, the novelist, has prepared an abridged and popular version of Mrs Delany's autobiography and correspondence, a work which has long been out of print, xiie new book, which will be entitled "Mrs Delany (Mary Granville) : A Memoir, 1700-1788," contains seven portraits in photogravure, and much hitherto unpublished matter. — A volume dealing fully with the various arlistic and other" interesting features of the Ciystal Palace has been written by Mr Austin Frycrri, author ox "A Pauper Millionaire,' and will be issued by the publishers of the "Pester." It will be profuaely illustrated by photographs specially taken by Messrs Russell and Son>s. and will also have a coloured cover design and coloured insets by wellknown artists. . — Mr Grant Richards will publi&h immediately the first serious work) which Mr Richard Marsh has done. It is an attempt to show the probable course of events should Christ return to the London of to-day. Ihe book, wlvcb. is to be entitled "A Second Coming, ha* occupied Mr Marsh' for some years, and is a sincere presentation of a, point of view. — "Tiie Great Game and Hot it is Played : A Treatise of the Turf. Full of Tales, is the title of tho new book with which Mr Edward Spencer ("Nathaniel Gubbins'") is to succeed "Cakes and Ale" and. "The Flowing Bowl Tho author has treated his subject as lightly" as he can, the "tales" and anecdotes of racing being no inconsiderable portion of the whole. . — Miss Arabella Shore in "First and Last Poems," a volume of verse published by Mr Giant, Richards on April 3rd, has made a collection of the verses published anonymously through a long course of ypars. Professor Dowden has written of this book: "If my achice is worth your considering, it is unhesitatingly in favour' of publishing the poems. Some of them form, as 1 think, an addition of enduring value to our Victorian poetry." —It was stated recently by an ex-editor of Young Folks (in which "Treasure Island was first printed) that the story was written more or less to order, the author's model beino- a popular Yotuig Folks', story called "Billy BoVn." Dr Alexander H. Japp, writing at Mr Sidney Colvin's instigation, contradicts this view of the caf-e ; and Dr Japp ought to know, since it was he who acted as negotiator between Stevenson and the proXiriotor of the paper. " ' Treasure Island, &aid he, "was written absolutely for the sake of writing' ii, and in conformity with the idea suggested by the map which R. L. S. had elaborately "drawn and coloured in sympathetic competition with his cle\er boy stepson" (as Mr Lloyd Osbourne then was). — "The Biiti4i Yeoman," of the Sporting Times. Mr William Scarth Dixon, has in "The Sport of Kings," a new book published by Mr Grant JJicliards on April 3, done his beat to describe the hunting man's year from January tc December. Beginning the year -with an account of puppy walking, the author runs through the whole gamut — the training of the hunter, the chase of the red deer, cub hunting, April hunting on the moors, lvunter breeding, and the future of fox hunting, all come in for notice. At the same time Mr

Scarth Dixon's "In the North Countre&: An> nals and ■■ Anecdotes of. Horse. Hoiuit' " Herd." — Several notable -biographies have Appeared of late, among them that of "Henry Hart Milman, D.D., Dean cf St. Paul's," by his son Arthur Milman, M.A., LL.D., published by John Murray. . It is over 20 years ago since the clean died, and although the reminiscences in consequence lo£e something- of their freshness, it would have been a pity had they not been given to the world. - Glimpses of Oxford and Eton early in the century will be found interesting, and there is much else that .will repay perusal. One letter which Milman wrote when an undergradute thus hits off Wordsworth : "Who do you think I supped in company with tho other night? No less a person than"Wordsworth, the poet. He is Oookson's first cousin, and wo made a very deligtful trio. He is an odd iish to look at,- but a remarkably plexsanc man ; a great deal of soul in his conversation, but not in the lea=t overbearing." — Miss Fowler's intention to "revive in her new novel certain characters first met with in. her earlier books is interesting. One wonders (saye the writer of ' Literary Notes" in the Pall Mall Gazette) that more novelints do nofc do it, since a good erection is rarely exhausted in one story. Of Mr Meredith's "Adrian Harley," for" instance, v»e could well have more ; and it seems hard to lose Joseph Poorgrass for et er simply because the last page of "Far from the Madding Crowd" is reached. Buc, as a matter of fact, the revival of a favourite character usually seems to disappoint more people than it pleases, and on the stage — where one would think ah attractive funny pare would bear recrudescence in newsituations a*gain and again — it has almost always been a positive failure. In episodic fiction, such as Bret Harte's tales, the practice is, of •course, necepsary ; but in novels it is resorted to only very occasionally. Trollcpe, hca ever s used it successfully. — The late Dr James Martineau, D.D., of Gordon squire, London, who died in Januarylast, had the longest literary career of any author during the present century. He was p younger brother of the Jate Miss Harriet Martineau. and was born at Norwich on the 21st April. 1805.' In April/1 895, when he had completed his ninetieth year, numerous congratulatory addresses we're presented to him, and testimony to. his worth and genius was borne by many leading organs of public opinion Dr Martineau's literary career is believed to bs the longest on record. His 3rst> work, "Tho Rationale of Religious Inquiry,"' wai published two years before the date of Mr Gladstone's first work, "The State in Its Relations with the Church." A succession of books from his pen, all marked By deep seriousness of thought and clearness and beauty of style, continued constantly up to 1890, when he published "The Seat of Authority in Religion." Amongst his most important works may be mentioned : "Hvirns for the Christian Church and Home," "Endeavours After the Christian Life," "Studios of Christianity." "Ussays : Philosophical and. Theological," "Modern Materialism: Its Attitude Towards Theology," '"Ideal Substitutes for God Considered," "Types of Ethical Theory,"' and "A Study of Religion." The last-mentioned, a work in two volumes-, was published in 1888. He olso wrote a criticism on Mr Balfour's "Defence of Philosophic Doubt," which appeared in the beginning of 1895, when hs was n earing his ninetieth year. His last appearance was at the opening of Manchester College, Oxford, but he wa? unable to be present when his statue was placed in the library of the college at the opening of the session of 1893-99.