FROM Bookstall and Study.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 78, 1 April 1931, Page 4

FROM Bookstall and Study.

Miss Marjorie Bowen has at last admitted that she is identical with “ George R. Preedy ”, author of that popular book, “ General Crack In private life she is Mrs ArthuV Long; her maiden name was Gabrielle Campbell. She has Written novels under three pseudonyms, “ Marjorie Bowen ”, “ George R. Preedy ”, ar\d “ Robert Paye « Lieutenant W. G. Carr’s “ By Guess and By God ” gives a stirring account of the exploits of the" British Submarine Service during the war. The story of how Lieutenant-Commander Nasmith took his submarine through the Dardanelles into the Sea of Marmora, and finally came up in the centre of Constantinople’s harbour is particularly interesting, as well as amusing. Describing the incident, Nasmith said: “ Our manoeuvring was rather difficult because of the cross-tides, the mud, and the current, but most particularly on account of a damn fool of a fisherman who kept trying to grab the top of my periscope every time I raised it to take an observation. I don’t think he had any idea what it was, but to get rid of him I gave him a chance to get a good hold on it. Then I ordered, ‘ Down periscope quickly ’, and almost succeeded in capsizing his boat. When I looked at him a minute later he wore the most amazed and bewildered expression I ever hope to see.” England is the ideal country in which to grow engagingly and satisfyingly old,” writes Mr George Jean Nathan, the American author, in his latest work, “ Testament of a Critic “ In America, age is a burden. In Italy, it is a bitter and regretful challenge. In Germany, it has about it a trace of assertive resignation. In France, it is a .joke. But in England it is almost a pleasure. No men grow old so gracefully and so wisely as Englishmen, and it is their country rather than they themselves that seems to be responsible for the phenomenon. Unlike the men of other nations, the Englishman doesn’t fight age; he not only accepts it, but has the air of welcoming it. In it he sees a fine contentment, a humorous wisdom, and a certain vicarious delight. And his attitude is reflected in his look and the look of the men about him. It would be agreeable to live out one’s life in the midst of such men.” “ Mary of Scotland,” by Grant R. Francis. Published by John Murray, London. After three centuries, wherein it has been the accepted thing to condemn Mary of Scotland as a vile woman, a “loose liver” and a “free lover”, Grant R. Francis comes forward to disprove the charges which have for so long been attached to Mary’s character, and to reveal in all its subtlety the policy by which those charges were first formulated. The author follows in detail Mary’s tragic life of seven years (1561—1568) in her Kingdom of Scotland. Tragic years and years of wild doings they were. The~night of Holyrood and the night of Kirk o’ Field are well known for the murders of Rizzio, the Queen’s favourite and of Darnlev, her husband. Of Mary’s conduct following the night of Kirk o’ Field Mr Francis says “ That Mary’s love for her dissolute husband (Darnley) was entirely de. stroyed by his conduct in the murdei of Rizzio would be natural enough, and those who so strongly condemn I her for her subsequent marriage to ‘Darnley’s murderer (Bothwell) entirely lose sight of the fact that, blood-guilty

as he undoubtedly was, he was, in her eyes, merely the slayer of another murderer who was also a menace to her peace, and an insufferable torture to her sensitive soul. Bothwell was at least a man, and a man to whom she owed her present safety, if not her very life.” Perhaps the greatest mistake of a lifetime in which mistakes were plentiful was the hesitancy of the Queen of Scots in executing upon Darnley the prompt vengeance she had sworn for the murder of David Rizzio. These are two of the most tragic incidents in Mary’s life, but her seven years in Scotland were full of incident. In Elizabeth, Morey and John Knox she had powerful enemies who were able to throw public opinion against her. Elizabeth, viewing her as a rival, cut off her head; Morey dubbed her

“ traitor ” and a menace to the realm — and usurped her power; Knox and his Calvinists called her “ honeypot ” and “ harlot ’’—-and would have burned her as a sorceress!

With historians writing the praises of “Good Queen Bess” it no doubt became the fashion to regard Elizabeth as everything that was good and Mary as everything that was bad. The author makes rather pointed comment on Elizabeth’s remark* “The Queen of Scots hath a fair son, and I am but barren stock.” “One must not, presumably, ask what she expected in view of her expressed determination ‘to live and die a virgin Queen,’ ” he says. The reader of this volume will find that a very good case has been made for the Scots’ Queen. Historians have established so firm a prejudice against Mary that many will not agree with the author when he says; “Mary Stuart needs no whitewashing! She needs understanding and sympathy, compassion in the misfortunes and the fate which befel her, and the common justice which has hitherto been denied her, even by many of her defenders,” but all must agree that Mr Francis shown us a much more picturesque personality than have other historians, and has succeeded in securing for this much-maligned woman some meed of justice from her thoughtless traducers. The exposure of the traitors by whom she was surrounded, from Elizabeth’s creatures and spies to her own brother and countrymen, enables us to view some of the events of history from a different angle. Mr Francis has carefully sifted the facts supporting his argument and has written a clear and convincing story of Mary’s life in Scotland. “Of Immortality and Other Thoughts,” by the Rt lion Lord Wrenbury, P.C. Published by John Murray, London. The Bishop of Birmingham last year preached a remarkable sermon on Immortality. “The Times” published a full report and two days later - a letter from Lord Wrenbury commenting upon it. Neither of these did more than touch upon the question of Personal Immortality. The first “thought” in this book deals with that subject. Then follow thoughts “Of Divinity” and various other Subjects. Some were written when the author was in active work at the Bar or on the Bench. They include “thoughts” on Individuality; whether Intelligence is universal throughout nature; whether motion is the one reality in the universe; whether electrical action in the brain makes Telepathy credible. The book concludes with a “thought” of the marvel of speech, hearing and sight. It is a delightfully written book Which sets the reader thinking deeply on the subjects mentioned

The monument in memory of Rupert Brooke, for which subscriptions have been received from all over the world, will be unveiled over his grave on the island of Skyros on April 5. :* Over 120,000 copies of Mr J. B. Priestley’s “ The Good Companion ” had been sold in England up to Christmas, and, according to the publishers, it still sells at an average of about 2000 a week. Its successor, “ Angel Pavement,” threatens to be an e\'en better “ best-seller,” as in the first nine weeks over 70,000 copies were Sold. :i *: A writer in “ London Opinion ” waxes sarcastic about highbrows:— “ Andre Maurois, the French novelist, has been delivering a .series of public lectures much attended by earnest ladies. They have been taking notes copiously and have seemed to be getting a good deal out of the discourses, despite the fact that they are delivered wholly in French. INI." Maurois, and others, too, were disquieted by a happening a few weeks ago, however. Most of' the usual group of ladies gathered, notebooks readv, at the customary hour, to find that the lecturer was not in attendance. After a long wait they began telephoning. This finally resulted in the appearance of M. Maurois’s secretary in the room. “ There be no lecture to-day,” she explained, “ as M. Maurois announced at last Week’s meeting of this group.” A new volume of Tennyson’s early unpublished poems is being prepared by Mr Charles Tennyson, the poet’s grandson ancj literary executor. Like “ The Devil and the Lady,” which appeared in the middle of last year, they were written in about the author’s fifteenth year. At the age of twelve 1 ennyson had written many poems, including an epic of 6000 lines, and at fourteen he was ready to try his hand at anything. That was the year when the whole world was darkened ” for him by Byron’s death, and when he went out into the woods, on heading the news, and carved “Byron is dead” on a rock. Six years later his father would not let him leave home for Cambridge until he could recite all four books of Horace’s Odes by heart Not many other poets of seventeen have shared a profit of £2O on a first book, as I ennyson did with his brother Charles.