LITERARY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2695, 8 November 1905, Page 83

LITERARY NOTES.

—Mr William O'Brien, M.P., whose ""Reminisoansos" are shortly to be published, is to revive his paper, the. Irish People, in the course of a few weeks. . -The paper is to be under the 'immediate control of Mr John Herlihy, now"- a member of the Standard staff m London, and formerly editor of the Cork Daily Herald, on which Mr "O'Brien commenced his career, as, a reporter. — Miss Ellen Thorneyocoft Fowler, though known to the public chiefly by her works of fiction, has made her mark as a. writer of graceful verse. Her two volumes of poems, which were issued some years since, have of late not been obtainable, but so great has been the inquiry for them that the author has made a selection of thp. principal poemo and sonnets which appeared in the two books, and this work will be issued by Messrs Oassell and Co., under the title of "Verses, Wise or Otherwise."

— It is 15 years since Mr Stephen Phillips published his first volume of verse, " Marpessa," and no work has co.me from his \.en since the appearance, in 1902, of "Ulysses." He has not, however, been idle of late, ai.d will soon have finished his play on Nero, which he Is writing for Mr Tree. Conversing with a_ ifriend the <fther day, Mr Stephen Phillips (says the Westminster Gazette) practically admitted that among his own works he most highly valued "Paolo and Francesea," issued in 1899.

— Rider Haggard's fascinating romance "Ayesha," the sequel to "She," which has been running through the Windsor Magazine, will be on sale in complete book form about November 15. The volume contains 381- pages, 32 pages of illustrations by Maurice Greiffenhagen, and will Le issued for Australasia at 2s 6d wrapper and 3s 6d cloth "gilt. -Ward, Lock, and Co. are publishing the work in a new style of binding. Cable advice has been received that the 6s English edition of "Ayesha" is having an immense sale in the Old Country.

— '"Rolf Boldrewood," who is about to publish, through the house of Macmillan, arother frtory of Australian gold-digging life, entered his eightieth year on the 6th of August, but a superficial observer seeing his dapper figure moving so briskly through the streets p.f Melbourne would conclude

that he wps still in the sixties. _ He lives close to Government Housa, in South Yarra, the most fashionable suburb of Melbourne. He is in the enjoyment of a pension as a retired stipendiary magistrate, coioner, and goldfields warder. — a thrce c old office, in which he accumulated the varie- j gated knowledge of Australian life ai>d character which he has turned to such , piofitable account in a long series of novels. J —It is not generally known that "Hubert," whose remarkable articles in theSunday Chronicle have for 16 years influenced the minds of all classes in il'e , North and in the Midlands, is identical with Mr Hubert Bland, the well-known critic and journalist, and one ol the foun- ' ders of ihe Fabian Society. For many ' years his readers have bombarded him with letters urging him to reprint some of these , admirable essays, and he has at last de- ' cided to jssue a volume of them entitled ( "With the Eyes of a Man." The book j has much variety of style and subject. _ It , contains light dialogues on Love, serious j papers on Science, and strong fresh criti- ■ cisms on social subjects and the Art of , Life. Mr T. Werner Laurie will be tie ' publisher. I — A number of Nelson books have already been published this year, and others are announced. Amongst the .most important of these will be a new "Life" of Lady Hamilton, by Mr Walter Sichel, which will be published by Messrs Constable. The author will retell her,_early ' life from new and authentic material, and , the character of her influence upon Nelson ' will be reconsidered in the light of newlydiscovered MSS. and letters. Then we , are to have from the Uapid Review office a "Rapid Review of the Life of Nelson" ; ; Messrs Pearson are to issue a new edition of Mr Douglas Sladen's "The Admiral" ; : and Messrs Cassel are publishing a new novel by Mr 'Max Pomberton, called "The j Hundred Days," which deals with the period between the escape of Napoleon ' from Elba and the Battle of Waterloo.— T. P.'s Weekly. | —Mr Murray, the London publisher, has sent out a long list of forthcoming publications, but has not attached prospective . dates to them. They belong, says the j Glasgow He/aid, to almost all classes, re- j ligious, social, political, scientific, and biographical. In the last-named class are the ' life of Lieutenant-general - Sir Andrew ' Clarke, the friend of Gordon ; and "Mrs Montagu: Her Friends and Correspon- ' dents," which will have a memoir by Mrs ' Climenson. who otands to her subjects in the lclation of great- great-niece. Mrs j Montague was one of the most distin- J guished ladies of literary and social life in ' London during the latter half of the l£th ■ century. She has been called the Madame ; Dv Doff aad of London society, and at r-er | house in Portmin Square used to assemble the most illustrious persons in rank and ; in ability under the. reigns of George II , and George in. Among her friends, cor- j respondents,,- companions, and admirers were all,, male or female, English or I foieign, who were distinguished for attain- ' ments or talents. Four volumes of letters , to and from her were published by her nephew and executor, Matthew Montagu, I between 17S1 : 61, but fortunately her corre- ' spondence has been most carefully collected and preserved, and this work will consist of materials from that great store which have not hitherto bffen made rmblic. I