LITERARY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2451, 6 March 1901, Page 68

LITERARY NOTES.

—Mr Frank T. Bullen, whose start in life was in a great measure due to being taken in hand by Mr Falconer, of the Dunedin Sailors' Rest, and who has been a resident in Camberwell for a number of years, is engaged on a, novel of religious life in the suburbs of London.

— The great Jewish encyclopedia which Messrs Funk and Wagnall have had in preparation for many years is now complete. It is having a large sale in America. — Miss Kate Douglas Wiggin is to follow up her delightful "Penelope in Scotland"— one of the most amusing books of the year — with a volume on "Penelope's Irish Experiences."

— The first "war special" is said to have been Mr Charles Ofruneisen, who was sent to Spain in 1837 to chronicle the doings of the Carhsts. Gruneisen afterwards became musical critic of the Illustrated London News

— Mr Stephen Phillips's "Herod" is to be ranslated into French, German, Italian, Russian, and Swedish. The fact is a pleasant symptom of the increase of general interest in the poetic drama, and should afford some comfort to the pessimistic critics. — The edition of her father's (Charles Kingsloy's) works which Mrs Harrison (Lucas Malet) has in preparation will contain introductions from her pen, and in these there will be embodied passages from unpublished letters and papers in Mrs Harrison's possession. The edition is likely to form an interesting contribution to the history of English modern thought, covering, as it will, the period from 1844 till- 1874.

— Mr'Gissing's introduction to "Bleak House"' is rather severe on the novelist in more respects than one. Perhaps the moat irritating pomt — to the devout Dickensian at any rate — on which the latter writer choo=es to assail the earlier is the manner in which Esther Summerson's narrative is introduced and treated in the novel. A curious point about "Bleak House" is the way in which the chief incidents of the London scenes occur within a very limited distance of Chancery Lane.

— The first instalments of Messrs A. and C. Black's great undertaking, the Survey of London, may perhaps be expected in 1901. Sir Walter Be§»nt has de\ol«d as

much time and labour to the Sur-

\ey as many a "standard" author has de-

voted to the history of a nation. Th" Survey might be described a, a biography of London. Londoners who rpgret the disappearance of Dicloens's London may find some oouso'alion in Sir Walter Betant's record of it.

— From libts sent in competition, tho Academy publishes a pl<bi-c-i'o list of the 10 books written in English in the nineteenth evitury which no English horr.-e should be without — exclusnc, of course, of encyclopedias and work' of rpfeience generally. Thnckeruy's "Vanity Fair"' hei.cl* the poll" anel is followed in the order here given by "Pickwick Papers," "Origin of Spccie-s." '"In Mcmoriam." "Hartor Ri-«artu«," "Waverley," "Alodern Painters," "Ks-ays of El a," "Adam Bede,'' and "Alaeaulay's Ks'-aj's." — Two more lolnmrs will complpte Air Murray's definite edition of George Boirow's writing*. Thesp are his "Wild Wales" and hi-, "Gypsies in Sr-iin," both interesting books. The fust, whie'i is nlmo-t ready, will ha\e a series of drawings by Mi A. S>. Hartlick. Was there any tongue that Borrow could not speak? He knew Wel-h, and i ambled up and down Wales gossiping with tha Welsh people. An Englishman w'-o talked their language like a native was, in those days, something of a wonder to the peasants. Of them, of the country, in fine of all that came under his notice, Borrow wrote in "Wild Wales."

— The British public have been accustomed to walch wars between regular Governments which terminare when the beaten Government gives the signal, and have no idea of the time requited to suppress the armed anarchy which follows when resistance survives the disappearance of the beaten Government. They never knew anything of the deadly struggle in Burmah with the dacoit -patriots, which lasted nearly four years, and is now recalled only in Rudyard Kipling's verses ; and in Europe they have ne^er seen consciously anything of the kind. Their grandfathers did in the long war which ended at last in the .submission of La Vandee, but this generation is scarcely aware that that struggle —which in many of its incidents closely resembled the present one in South Africa — ever occurred. — Spectator. — Mr Grant Richards has just published » new volume of plays by Mr Bernard Shaw, entitled, "Three Plays for Puritans." "Devil's Disciple" is fir3t of the three, "Captain Brassbound's Conversion" the second, and the third "Caesar and Cleopatra." Why plays for Puritais? This is one of the questions which Mr Shaw answers, it appears, in a preface of some 4-0 pages. Incidentally, he makes the observation that a wabtins; su-ki-ne-ss which befell him some time ago was by the doctors attributed to his vegetarian diet, but by himself to the effect of his experiences as dramatic critic. He stuck to \egetarianinn, fled from the theatre, and, toeing "too weak to work, wrote books and plays."

—Mr Paget Toynbee's "Dante Ahghieri" irates no pratence to "learning or research," anJl appeals rather to the general reader than, to the serious student of Dante. Mr Toynbee has long been a student of the poet, and he gives here an excellent sketch of the life of Dante, tell ; ng readers first of all about the Guelfs and OJhibellines, then treating of Dante in Florence and in exile, next discussing the characteristics, and finally giving an account of his works. The little book i» beautifully produced, contains a dozen illustrations, and will give intending students of the poet an excellent idea of the man and of the circumstances under which he wrote.

— The popularity of the nineteenth century Voltaire, as Anatole France has been called, promises to attain that of his friend Zola. His new work, "Le Puits de Sainte Claire" has already reached a fifteenth edition, whilst its predecessors have doubled and trebled that number. The present volume consists of sketches and monkish legends, with an Italian background, and written in the author's most Voltairian vein. How minutely Voltaire had studied his own language from a constructive point of view hi» edition of Cornoille reveals to us. Anaiola France is no less of a purist, his style, in its transparency, ease, and conciseness, affording hardly less pleasure than his wit and satire. But these, as displayed in "Le Puits de Saint© Claire," not the stories themselves, are for babes and sucklings. — The following 16 from an American adveitisement of Mr Rudyard Kipling's newnovel, "Kirn": "In its basic outlines it is a simple story, almost as simple as ' Robinson Crusoe,' although so greatly more complicated in its workings. . . . But what a wealth of gifts has gene to enrich this classically simple outline ; v. hat people we mcct — soldiers and horse-traders, priests and scholars, a babu quoting Spencer and fearing magic, veiled women whom we have never seen, but whom we should recognise if we did, so sharply "<ias their personality been bitten into our consciousness . . . and every creature of the crowding throng warm and solid, a human being whom we meet and know." They certainly understand this kind of thing in the States.

STILL WATERS. Bravely buffeting the gale, Beats a bark, dismantled, grim, Drifting up the rock-bound shore. Glad to hail the land once moie Was the skipper, for with him All anxiety was o'er. Stormy .vinds no more pie's ail, Gliding under easy sail. Safe the pilot bungs the bark Into still waters. Calmly at the helm of State Stands the statesman, keen, alert, Guiding, watching ceaselessly Through the shoals we cannot see. May ill omen yet avert From our loved land of the fre«. Let not it be desolate , Thro' red war's untimely fate May the pilot bung our b.irk Into still waters. Light shall come at even-tide, All day long the storm hath Mown! Trials met; temptations fought, All day long our bitter lot Sadly to ourselves we moan. Night draws on; with wisdom taught, Christ we seek to be our Giude. Gently, peacefully we glide, When the Pilot brings oui baik Into still waters. —FIONA FAEQUHAR. February 28, 1901.