Literaure.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2152, 24 April 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

Literaure.

-\lks Leith- Adams (Mm R. S. «nConroy Lnfftin) is engignd upon a new no"<sl, the title of which is the one Greek wor<l, " Anangk'u." —Tho oldest daily newspaper in Scot Inn 1, Tho Edinburgh Courant, published its last number the other day. --Me G. J. Roman's has accepted the new lecture .hip in Natural History in the University of Kdinburg endowed by Loml Roscbery. — Mr A. S. Murray has bceu appointed to the keepership of Greek and Roman antiquities at tho British Museum, vaeaut by tho resignation of professor C. T. Newton. — I'lurd were no less 730 applications for the post of proof-reader to the London Literal y Society, in response to a recent advertisement. — Attention has been called to the dilapidated condition of Thomas Hood's ni'Munnunt over hU grave in Kensalgreeu Cemetry. It ia suggested that the poet deserves a memoral which more justly represents his life aud works. —It is said that Mt Whittier, the American poet, ia burning all his corespondeuce, ao that his memory after death may not be tarnished by the injudicious putlication of private letters. — Those who have so far worshipped at the shrine of Burns as to sit in his chair at the Globe Inn at Dumfries, his favourite drinking house, will be sorry to hear of the death of the landlady, Mrs Murray, whose acquaintance they must have made. She took great delight in showing her memorials of Burns to visitors. — In the course of a lecture on Jacobite Ballads at Edinburgh, Professor Blackie advised young men to learn Scottish tongs in place of smoking tobacco. He lamented that people in Edinburgh thought it vulgar to sing Scottish songs, and warbled away at Italian airs which they did not properly understand, or sing German in order to show that they had travelled. If Scottish songs were made a principal subject of learning in schools they would do more good, he thought, than all the Greek and Latin he had ever heard. — We learn from the Boston Watchman that Dr. Fillinore Bennet, who wrote the favourite song, "Sweet By-and-by," in 1868, is quite poor. He lives in Richmond, Illinois. Far different should be the circumstances of Mr Fedreck E. Weatherly, the author of " Nancy Lee," aud th<* most successful song- writer of the day. The Bookseller, for February, devotes more than two colums to a list of his songs and some account of his life. We find strange incongruities in literature; but could anything be more unlikely than that the author of "Nancy Lee" should be an Oxford coach? Yet such is the case, and Mr Weatherly's " Rudiments of Logic" enjoys, it is said, a wide use as a University text -book. — Sir C. Gavan Duffy, in writing to the publishers, in reference to Mr McNeil's recently published work, " ihe Irish Parliament, What it was and what it did," says, " I have read Professor MacNeil's book on ' The Irish Parliament ' with great pleasure. It ought to be in the hands of statesmen, publiciats, and the leaders of opinion generally. He has made a subject which was only understood by a few political student*, intelligible to all who choose to read and think. Grattan's Parliament was far from being the ideal patriot legislature which enthusiasts suppose, its grave faults and shortcomings, rather than ita merits, will claim the attention of statesmen engaged in framing a new Irish con* stitution." —A correspondent draws attention to a plea for •• uncut " books which has not been mentioned by the parties to the 41 cut or uncut " controversy. He speaks from experience of the frequency with which imperfect copies of books are issued owing to the careless or wilful conduct of the binder. In the case of " uncut," books, lie finds it comparatively easy to check the contents by looking for binders ' marks. There is somes force in our correspondent's remarks, for, notwithstanding the custom of the trade to exchange imperfect for perfect copies on application, it can be understood that circumstances— such as a sudden journey to the Soudan or South Africa— might prevent tbe application being made, and the annoyance on reaching a distant quarter of the globe with an imperfect book would be considerable.