| 254 | https://historysoa.com/items/show/254 | The Author, Vol. 02 Issue 03 (August 1891) | <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=%3Cem%3EThe+Author%3C%2Fem%3E%2C+Vol.+02+Issue+03+%28August+1891%29"><em>The Author</em>, Vol. 02 Issue 03 (August 1891)</a> | | | <a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015031017927&view=1up&seq=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015031017927</a> | | | | | | | | <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Publication">Publication</a> | 1891-08-01-The-Author-2-3 | | | | | 65–96 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=89&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=2">2</a> | | | | | | | | | | | <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=76&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=1891-08-01">1891-08-01</a> | | | | | | | 3 | | | 18910801 | ZTbe Hutbor*<br />
{The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.)<br />
CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT.<br />
Vol. II.—No. 3.]<br />
AUGUST i, 1891.<br />
[Price Sixpence.<br />
CONTENTS.<br />
FAOE<br />
The Dinner *9<br />
Overheard—<br />
I. At the Black Jack Club So<br />
II. From a Letter 81<br />
III. In the Train 81<br />
IV. At the Table 8j<br />
Literary Maxims 8a<br />
Notes and News 8a<br />
The Authors' Club 8s<br />
International Copyright—<br />
I. The President's Proclamation 86<br />
II. Mr.Secretary Foster's Regulations 87<br />
III. What will happen? 87<br />
IV. Opinion of Sir Horace Davey 89<br />
PAGE<br />
International Copyright—continued.<br />
V. Opinion of Sir Michael Hicks-Bcach 9°<br />
VI. Answer to Questions 9'<br />
Correspondence—<br />
I. Now Grub Street 1*<br />
II. The Rev. William Shakspearfi M<br />
III. Presentation Copies °*<br />
IV. Payment on Publication 94<br />
V. Insurance 95<br />
VI. Titles<br />
US<br />
From Grub Street 9S<br />
"At the Author's Head" 9S<br />
The Author's Bookstall ,6<br />
EYRE AND SPOTTISWOODE.<br />
ACTION OF LIGHT ON WATER COLOURS—Report<br />
to the Science and Art Department of the Committee of Council<br />
on Education. (With Diagrams and Plates.) By post, 2*. 11 d.<br />
PLIOCENE DEPOSITS OF BRITAIN, THE. By<br />
Clement Reid, F.L S., F.G.S. Five Plates (48 cuts), s». id.<br />
LONDON AND NEIGHBOURHOOD: Guido to the<br />
Geology of. By William Whitakeb, B.A. is.<br />
LONDON AND OF PART OF THE THAMES VALLEY',<br />
The Geology of. By W. Wiiitaker, B.A.. F.R.S., F.G.S.,<br />
Assoc. Inst. C.E. Vol. I. DESCRIPTIVE GEOLOGY. 8vo.<br />
cloth, 6s. Vol. II. APPENDICES. 8vo., cloth, s».<br />
ISLE OF WIGHT, Geology of. By H. W. Bkistow,<br />
F.R.S., F.G.S. Second Edition. Revised and enlarged by<br />
Clement Rkid. F.G.8., and Aubrey Steahan, M.A., F.G.S.<br />
8vo., cloth, 8i. 6d.<br />
COPYRIGHT LAW REFORM: An Exposition of Lord<br />
Monkswell's Copyright Bill now before Parliament; with<br />
Extracts from the Report nf the Commission of 187R, and an<br />
Appendix containing the Berne Convention and the American<br />
Copyright Bill. By J. M. Lely, Esq., Barrister-at-Law. is. td.<br />
STATE TRIALS, Reports of; New Series. Published<br />
nnder the direction ot the State Trials Committee. Edited by<br />
John MacDonell, M.A., of the Middle Temple. Barrister-at-<br />
Law. Vols. I., II., and III. ready. Price ios. per volume.<br />
"It is for the most part an interesting, not to say fascinating, study<br />
for anyone, that is to say, who cares about history at nil."—Daily<br />
Newt.<br />
CHINA (No. 2). Report, by C. W. Campbell, of a<br />
Journey in North Corea, in September and October, 1889. A<br />
considerable portion of the narrative contains descriptive<br />
matter that appeals to the general reader, but there are also<br />
many interesting facts bearing upon mining, forestry, agricul-<br />
ture, trade, and kindred topics, od.<br />
WESTMINSTER ABBEY. Final Report of the Royal<br />
Commission appointed to inquire into the present want of space<br />
for Monuments in Westminster Abbey; with Appendices. 91/.<br />
KEW BULLETIN, 1890. Issued by the Director of Kew<br />
Gardens, it. iod.<br />
KEW BULLETIN, 1891. Monthly, id. Appendices, id.<br />
each. Annual Subscription, including postage, }t. 9<f<br />
WEATHER, STUDY AND FORECAST OF. Aids to.<br />
By Rev. W. Clement Lev, M.A. i».<br />
ROYAL MILITARY EXHIBITION, 1890. Descriptive<br />
Catalogue of Musical Instruments recently exhibited at the<br />
Royal Military Exhibition. Compiled by Capt. C. R. Day,<br />
Oxfordshire Light Infantry, under the orders of Col. Shaw-<br />
Hellier, Commandant Royal Military School of Music. The<br />
instruments are fully described; they are arranged systemati-<br />
cally under their respective families and classes, and a chrono-<br />
logical arrangement has, as much as possible, been adhered to.<br />
Each family of instrument has been prefaced by a carefully-<br />
written Introductory Essay. Musical pitch has not been left<br />
unnoticed, and a learned Essay from the pen of a well-known<br />
authority upon the subject nppears in the Appendix. The book<br />
is illustrated by a series of Twelve Artistically executed Plates<br />
in Heliogravure, and with numerous Wood Engravings. The<br />
issue is limited to 1,000 copies. 11s.<br />
Monthly Lists of Parliamentary Papers upon Application. Quarterly Lists Post Free, id.<br />
Miscellaneous List on Application.<br />
Every Assistance given to Correspondents; and Books not kept in stock obtained without delay. Remittance should<br />
accompany Order.<br />
GOVERNMENT AND GENERAL PURLISHERS.<br />
EYRE anil SPttTTISffOODE, Her Majesty's Printers, East Harding Street, London, B.C.<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 66 (#470) #############################################<br />
<br />
66<br />
ADVERTISEMENTS.<br />
Messrs. METHUEN'S NEW BOOKS.<br />
By W. E. NORRIS.<br />
JACK'S FATHEB. By W. E. Norhis, Author of<br />
"Matrimony," Ac. Crown 8vo. 3*. bd.<br />
By M. BETHAM EDWARDS.<br />
DISAEMED. By M. Betham Edwards, Author of<br />
"Kitty," &c. Crown 8vo. 3*. bd.<br />
By EDNA LYALL.<br />
DEBBICK VAUQHAN, NOVELIST. By Edna Lyalt,<br />
Author of "Donovan." New and Cheaper Edition. Paper<br />
cover, is.; limp doth, i». bd. Thirty-first Thousand.<br />
By S. BARING GOULD.<br />
ABM1NELL: A Social Romance. By S. Baring Gould,<br />
Author of " Mehalah." &c. Third and Cheaper Edition. Paper<br />
iKMirds, is.; limp cloth, w. bd.<br />
By WALTER H. POLLOCK and A. G. ROSS.<br />
BETWEEN THE LINES. By Walter H. Pollock and<br />
A. G. Boss. Post 8vo. is.<br />
By E. McaUEEN GRAY.<br />
ELSA: A Novel. By E. McQueen Gray. Crown 8vo. 6s.<br />
By W." CLARK RUSSELL.<br />
THE LIFE OF ADMIRAL LORD COLLINGWOOD.<br />
By W. Clark Russell, Author of "The Wreck of the<br />
'Grosvenor.'" With Illustrations by F. Brangwyn. 8vo.<br />
By HANNAH LYNCH.<br />
GEORGE MEREDITH: A Study. By Hannah Lynch.<br />
With Portrait. Crown «vo. s». A limited Large-Paper<br />
Edition, 2i«.<br />
By R. PRYCE.<br />
THE QUIET MRS. FLEMING. By Richard Pryce.<br />
Crown 8vo. 3s. bd. I Ready.<br />
By J. B. BURNE, M.A.<br />
PARSON AND PEASANT: Chapters of their Natural<br />
History. By J. B. Buene, M.A., Rector of Wasing. Crown<br />
8vo. s». [Beady.<br />
By E. LYNN LINTON.<br />
THE TRUE HISTORY OF JOSHUA DAVIDSON,<br />
Christian and Communist. By E. Lynn Linton. Tenth and<br />
Cheaper Edition. Post 8vo. is. [Ready.<br />
Works by S. BARING GOULD,<br />
Author of " Alehalah," Sfc.<br />
OLD COUNTRY LIFE. By S. Baring Gould. With<br />
Sixty-seven Illustrations by W. Parkinson, F. D. Bedford,<br />
and F. Masey. Large Crown 8vo, clotli super extra, top edge<br />
gilt, 10*. bd. Th ird Edition.<br />
"Old Country Life, as healthy wholesome reading, full of<br />
breezy life and movement, full of quaint stories vigorously told,<br />
will not be excelled by any book to be published throughout the<br />
year. Sound, hearty, and English to the core."—World.<br />
HISTORIC ODDITIES AND STRANGE EVENTS.<br />
By S. Baking Gould. Fihbt Series. Demy 8vo. io». bd.<br />
Second Edition.<br />
"A collection of exciting and entertaining chapters. The whole<br />
volume is delightful reading."—Times.<br />
SECOND SERIES.<br />
HISTORIC ODDITIES AND STRANGE EVENTS.<br />
Second Series. By S. Barino Golld, Author of "Mehalah."<br />
Demy 8vo. ios. bd. [Ready.<br />
"A fascinating book."—Leeds Mercury.<br />
SONGS OF THE WEST: Traditional Ballads and Songs<br />
of the West of England, with their Traditional Melodies.<br />
Collected by S. Barino Gould, M.A., and H. Fleetwood<br />
SnErPARD, M.A. Arranged for Voice and Piano. In 4 Parts<br />
(containing as Songs each), 3s. each nett. Part I.. Third<br />
Edition. Part II., Second Edition. Part III., ready. Part IV.,<br />
ready. 5».<br />
"A rich and varied collection of humour, pathos, grace, and<br />
poetic fancy."—Saturday Rtvicw.<br />
YORKSHIRE ODDITIES AND STRANGE EVENTS.<br />
By 8. Barino Gould. New and Cheaper Edition. Crown 8vo.<br />
**■ f-Voic Ready.<br />
METHUEN'S NOVEL SERIES.<br />
Three ShiUings and Sixpence.<br />
Messrs. MKTHUEN will issue from time to time a Series<br />
of copyright Novels, by well-known Authors, handsomely<br />
bound, at the ubove popular price. The first volumes (now<br />
ready) are:<br />
1. THE PLAN OF CAMPAIGN. By F. Mabel<br />
Robinson.<br />
2. JACQUETTA. By S. Baring Gould.<br />
3. MY LAND OF BEULAH. By Mrs. Lkith Adams.<br />
4. ELI'S CHILDBEN. By G. Manville Fenn.<br />
5. AEMINELL: A Social Bomance. By S. Baring<br />
Gould.<br />
6. DEBRICK VAUGHAN, NOVELIST. By Edna<br />
I Lyall.<br />
With portrait of Author.<br />
7. DISENCHANTMENT. By F. Mabel Bobinson.<br />
8. DISABMED. By M. Betham Edwards.<br />
9. JACK'S FATHER. By W. E. Norris.<br />
Other Volumes will he announced in due course.<br />
Edited by A. M. M. STEDMAN, M.A.<br />
Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d.<br />
A series of short biographies, free from party bias, of the<br />
most prominent leaders of religious life and thought in this<br />
and the last century.<br />
CARDINAL NEWMAN. 1{. H. Hutton. [Jiemlo.<br />
JOHN WESLEY. J. H. Overton. \lleady.<br />
UNIVERSITY EXTENSION SERIES,<br />
Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d.<br />
Under the above title Messrs. Metihjen have commenced<br />
the publication of a series of books on historical, literary,<br />
and economic subjects, suitable for extension students and<br />
home-reading circles.<br />
THE INDUSTRIAL HISTORY OF ENGLAND. By<br />
H. DE B. Gibbins, M.A., late Scholar of Wadham College, Oxon.,<br />
Cobden Prizeman. With Maps aud Plans. [Rcatly.<br />
A HISTOBY OF ENGLISH POLITICAL ECONOMY.<br />
By L. L. Price, M.A., Fellow of Oriel College, Oxon., Extension<br />
Lecturer in Political Economy. [Ready.<br />
VICTORIAN POETS. By A. Sharp. [Heady.<br />
PROBLEMS OF POVERTY: An Inquiry iuto the<br />
Industrial Conditions of the Poor. By J. A. Hobson, M.A., late<br />
Scholar of Lincoln Colloge, Oxon., U.K. Lecturer in Economics.<br />
[Ready.<br />
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. By J. E. Symks, M.A.,<br />
Principal of University College, Nottingham. [Ifearly Ready.<br />
SOCIAL QUESTIONS OF TO-DAY.<br />
A series of volumes upon the most important topics of<br />
social, economic, and industrial interest—written by the<br />
highest authorities on the various subjects. The first two<br />
volumes will be—<br />
TRADES UNIONISM—New and Old. By G. Howell,<br />
M.P. [Ready.<br />
THE CO-OPEEATIVE MOVEMENT TO-DAY. By<br />
G. J. Holyoake. Crown 8vo. it. bd. [Ready.<br />
METHUEN & Co., 18, Bury Street, W.C.<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 67 (#471) #############################################<br />
<br />
ADVERTISEMENTS. 67<br />
THE CENTRAL TYPE-WRITING OFFICE,<br />
CITY TYPE-WRITING & SHORTHAND OFFICES,<br />
(ESTABLISHED 1887,)<br />
MANSION HOUSE CHAMBERS,<br />
20, Bucklersbury, London, E.C.<br />
57 & 58, Chancery Lane, W.C.<br />
Miss M. E. DUCK and Miss I. B. LOOKER.<br />
The Department for Lady Pupils has unremitting attention, us<br />
evidenced by the unqualified Success which has attended its<br />
management. The Course includes Shorthand, Type-writing,<br />
Book-keeping, and Commercial Correspondence, and when Pupils<br />
have acquired proficiency—<br />
Type-writing and Copying of every Description under-<br />
taken for the Literary, Dramatic, Clerical, Legal, and other<br />
Professions. Type-writing from Dictation a Specialty.<br />
Highest Testimonials for Excellence of Work and Promp-<br />
titude from AUTHORS and others.<br />
POSITIONS ARE GUARANTEED.<br />
PRICE LIST ON APPLICATION-TERMS MODERATE.<br />
Particulars on application to—<br />
MISS ZFt. V. GILL,<br />
m: n. s. g-ixjXj,<br />
TYPE-WRITING OFFICES,<br />
6, Adam Street, Strand, W.C, and<br />
5, Air Street, Piccadilly, W.<br />
TYPEWRITING OFFICE,<br />
ST. PAUL'S CHAMBERS, 19, LUDGATE HILL, E.C.<br />
Authors' and Dramatists' Work a Specialty. All kinds<br />
of MSS. copied with care. Extra attention given to difficult<br />
hand-writing and to papers or lectures on scientific subjects.<br />
Type-writing from dictation. Shorthand Notes taken<br />
and transcribed.<br />
Author's MSS. carefully copied from i*. per<br />
I,coo words. One additional copy (carbon)<br />
supplied free of charge.<br />
FURTHER PARTICULARS ON APPLICATION.<br />
Eeferences kindly permitted to many well-known<br />
Authors and Publishers. Further particulars on<br />
application.<br />
TYPE-WRITING.<br />
MISSES AIRD & WEDDERSP00N,<br />
Authors' MSS. carefully Transcribed.<br />
SHORTHAND, TRANSLATING, and TYPEWRITING OFFICES,<br />
4, SUN COURT, CORHBI1L, E.C.<br />
Writings by Post receive prompt attention.<br />
Translations carefully and correctly made. Shorthand<br />
and Typewriting Clerks sent out on short notice. Type-<br />
writing of all kinds done with neatness, accuracy, and<br />
despatch. Special pains taken with Authors' MSS. Pupils<br />
trained in Pitman's System of Shorthand, and in Type-<br />
writing.<br />
Scientific and Medical Papers a Specialty.<br />
MISSES ERWIN,<br />
13, Dorset Street, Portman Sqcare, W.<br />
MISSES E. & S. ALLEN,<br />
TYPE AND SHORTHAND WRITERS.<br />
TRANSLATIONS and Scientific Work<br />
a Special Featnre.<br />
All applications relating to Advertisements<br />
in this Journal should be addressed to the<br />
Printers and Publishers,<br />
39, Lombard Street, E.C.<br />
Office No. B9 (close to Lift).<br />
MISS PATTEN,<br />
TYPE-WRITER,<br />
44, Oakley Flats, Oakley Street, Chelsea, S.W.<br />
Authors' MSS. carefully copied from Is. per 1,000 Words.<br />
One additional Copy (Carbon) supplied Free of Charge.<br />
Eeferences kindly permitted to George Augustus Sala. Esq.<br />
EYRE & SPOTTISWOODE,<br />
Particulars on Application.<br />
ASHWORTH I Co.,<br />
East Harding Street, Fetter Lane,<br />
London, E.C.<br />
4, Abchurch Yard, Cannon Street, E.C. +~~*<br />
Authors' MSS. type-written from Is. 3d. per<br />
1,000 words.<br />
TRANSLATIONS.<br />
VOL. TI.<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 68 (#472) #############################################<br />
<br />
68<br />
A D VEll TISEMENTS.<br />
<br />
The " Swan" is a beautiful Gold Pen joined to a rubber reservoir to hold any kind of ink, which<br />
it supplies to the writing point in a continuous flow. It will hold enough ink for two days' constant<br />
work, or a week's ordinary writing, and win be refilled with as little trouble as to wind a watch. With<br />
the cover over the gold nib it is carried in the pocket like a pencil, to be used anywhere. A purchaser<br />
may try a pen a few days, and if by chance the writing point does not suit his hand, exchange it for<br />
another without charge, or have his money returned if wanted.<br />
There are yarions points to select from, broad, meflmin, awl fine, every handwriting can be suited,<br />
and the price of the entire instrument, with filler comulete, post free, is only 10s. 6d.<br />
<br />
The Gold Pens in the "Swan" are Mabie, Todd, & Co.'s famous make. They are 14-carat<br />
tempered gold, very handsome, and positively unaffected by any kind of ink. They are pointed with<br />
selected polished iridium. The "Encyclopaedia Britannica" says:—"Iridium is a nearly white metal of<br />
high specific gravity, it is almost indestructible, and a beautifully polished surface can be obtained upon<br />
it." They will not penetrate the paper, and writer's cramp is unknown among users of Gold Pens.<br />
One will OUtwear 90 grOSS Of Steel pens. They are a perfect revelation to those who know nothing<br />
about Gold Pens.<br />
Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmks has used one of Mabie, Todd, & Co.'s Gold Pens since 185;, and is using the same<br />
one (his " old friend ") to-day.<br />
Sydney Grcndy, Ksq., says (referring to the Fountain Pen) :—"It is a vast improvement on every Stylograph."<br />
MoBEBLY Bell, Ksq., Manager, The Times, says (referring to the Fountain Pen) :—" One pen lasted me for six<br />
years."<br />
S. I). Waddy, Esq., Q.C., M.P., says (referring to the Fountain Pen) :—" I have used them constantly for some<br />
years, and, as far as I can remember, they have never failed me."<br />
Send Postal Card for Free Illustrated List (containing interesting Testimonials from the Best<br />
People, who have used them for years) to—<br />
MABIE, TODD, & BARD.<br />
93,^ 01— - — - ~<br />
LONDOKr,<br />
-~<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 69 (#473) #############################################<br />
<br />
^Tbe Butbot\<br />
{The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.)<br />
CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT.<br />
Vol. II.—No. 3.] AUGUST i, 1891. [Pbice Sixpence.<br />
For the Opinions expressed in papers that arc<br />
signed the Authors alone are responsible.<br />
NOTICE.<br />
READERS are requested to observe that during<br />
the month of August the secretarial strength<br />
at the Office is greatly diminished. It will,<br />
therefore, be a great convenience if letters asking<br />
for advice or assistance could be kept back until<br />
September. Urgent cases, however, will be sent on<br />
and attended to as soon as possible. The Office is<br />
open as usual for the payment of subscriptions and<br />
donations, the entrance of names for membership,<br />
and all ordinary office work.<br />
Readers of the Author are earnestly' entreated<br />
to disseminate as widely as possibly the warnings<br />
and advice contained in every number; above all,<br />
to enforce everywhere the simple counsel to have<br />
nothing whatever to do with any publisher not<br />
recommended by a friend who has had personal<br />
experience, or by the Society.<br />
♦■»■♦<br />
THE ANNUAL DINNER<br />
OF THE<br />
INCORPORATED SOCIETY OF AUTHORS<br />
HELD AT "THE WHITEHALL ROOMS,"<br />
HOTEL METROFOLE,<br />
ON<br />
Thursday, July 16th, 1891,<br />
LORD MONKSWELL in the Cuaib.<br />
rflHERE were over two hundred members and<br />
I guests present at the dinner. The following<br />
is the list, but at the last moment two or three<br />
found themselves unable to attend ;—.<br />
More Adey.<br />
George Allen.<br />
Miss Grace Allen.<br />
E. A. Armstrong.<br />
Edwin Lester Arnold.<br />
Mrs. Edwin Lester Arnold.<br />
James Baker, F.R.G.S.<br />
M. Powis Bale.<br />
Wolcott Balestier.<br />
The Rev. Dr. Barker.<br />
Miss Jessie Barker.<br />
Arthur W. a, Beckett.<br />
Mrs. A. W. h Beckett.<br />
Max Beerbohm.<br />
Rev. Canon C. D. Bell.<br />
Mackenzie Bell.<br />
Miss Belloc.<br />
Herbert Ben twitch.<br />
Sir Henry Bergne, K.C.M.G.<br />
Mrs. Oscar Beringcr.<br />
Walter Besant.<br />
Mrs. Walter Besant.<br />
M. Bhowneggree.<br />
Augustine Birrell, M.P.<br />
William Black.<br />
Henry Blackburn.<br />
Mrs. Henry Blackburn.<br />
J. Arthur Blaikie.<br />
Paul Blouet. (" Max O'Rell.")<br />
Madame Blouet.<br />
Anna, Comtesse do Bremont.<br />
A. E. Bridger.<br />
Oscar Browning.<br />
James Bryce, M.P.<br />
Professor C. A. Buchheim, Ph.D.<br />
Mrs. Mona Caird.<br />
Mrs. Lovett Cameron.<br />
J. Dykes Campliell.<br />
Thomas Catling.<br />
A. Chatto.<br />
Edward Clodd.<br />
John Coleman.<br />
W. Morris Colles.<br />
F. Howard Collins.<br />
W. M. Conway. .<br />
C. H. RadclifTe Cooke, M.P.<br />
Miss Cordeux.<br />
Miss K. M. Cordeux. (" Daniel Dormer.")<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 70 (#474) #############################################<br />
<br />
7o<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
Mrs. Roalfe Cox.<br />
Miss Roalfe Cox.<br />
Miss May Cronimelin.<br />
John Beattie Crozier.<br />
G. D. Dav.<br />
C. F. Dowsett.<br />
A. Conan Doyle.<br />
A. W. Dubourg.<br />
George Dumaurier.<br />
J. W. Eilinonds.<br />
Mrs. Edmonds.<br />
Walter L. J. Ellis.<br />
Dana Estes.<br />
B. L. Farjeon.<br />
George Manville Fenn.<br />
Basil Field.<br />
Mrs. Basil Field.<br />
Clyde Fiteh.<br />
Percy Fitzgerald.<br />
Professor Michael Foster, F.R.S.<br />
Dr. Richard Garnett.<br />
William A. Gibbs.<br />
Rev. Dr. Giusburg.<br />
George W. Godfrey.<br />
Dr. J. A. Goodchild.<br />
Edmund Gosse.<br />
Mrs. Edmund Gosse.<br />
H. Rider Haggard.<br />
Egmont Hake.<br />
Professor John W. Hales.<br />
Henry Harland.<br />
Mrs. Henry Harland.<br />
Mrs. George Harley.<br />
Henry Harper.<br />
Miss Harrison.<br />
Bret Harte.<br />
Joseph Hatton.<br />
E. C. Haynes.<br />
Arthur Herbert.<br />
John W. Hill.<br />
W. Earle Hodgson.<br />
Clive Holland.<br />
J. W. Houghton.<br />
Miss Houghton.<br />
Reginald Hughes.<br />
Mrs. Reginald Hughes.<br />
Rev. William Hunt.<br />
Mrs. William Hunt.<br />
Mrs. Hutcheson.<br />
Professor Huxley.<br />
Charles T. C. James.<br />
Rev. Theodore Johnson.<br />
Frel>endary Harry Jones.<br />
H. G. Keene, CLE.<br />
Joseph Knight.<br />
Mrs. Laffan. (" Mrs. Leith Adams.")<br />
Rev. Dr. Lansdell.<br />
Lorin Latbrop.<br />
Mrs. Lorin Latbrop.<br />
Edmund Lee.<br />
Sidney Lee.<br />
J. M. Lely.<br />
Lady William Lennox.<br />
Robert Lincoln (the American Minister).<br />
J. Stanley Little.<br />
Mrs. Carnegie Long.<br />
Sidney Low.<br />
Mrs. Sidney Low.<br />
Justin Huntly McCarthy.<br />
Justin McCarthy.<br />
Norman McColl.<br />
J. W. Mcllvaine.<br />
S. B. G. McKinney.<br />
Dr. B. E. Martin.'<br />
Edward Martin.<br />
Brander Matthews.<br />
Mrs. Brander Matthews.<br />
Atbol Maudslay.<br />
M. Mijatovich.<br />
Mine. Mijatovich.<br />
Professor W. Minto.<br />
W. Cosmo Monkhouse.<br />
Lord Monkswell.<br />
Lewis Morris.<br />
George Moore.<br />
Rev. W. D. Morrison.<br />
Mrs. Chandler Moulton.<br />
Henry H. Newill.<br />
Professor J. E. Nixon.<br />
Miss Oakes.<br />
John O'Neill.<br />
James R. Osgood.<br />
Walter Pater.<br />
Arthur Paterson.<br />
Dr. William Pole, F.R.S.<br />
Sir Frederick Pollock, Bart ., LL.D.<br />
Lady Pollock.<br />
Walter H. Pollock.<br />
Mrs. Walter H. Pollock.<br />
Miss Edith Pollock.<br />
Reginald S. Poole.<br />
Stanley Lane Poole.<br />
Norman Porritt.<br />
John Rae.<br />
W. Fraser Rae.<br />
Miss Helen Leah Read.<br />
F. W. Robinson.<br />
John Robinson.<br />
James Rolt.<br />
Rol>ert Ross.<br />
Miss Elise Ross.<br />
Herr von Poorten Schwartz. (Mr. " Maar-<br />
ten Maartens.")<br />
George Sheldon.<br />
Dr. Sisley.<br />
Rev. Professor Skeat, Litt.D.<br />
Douglas Sladen.<br />
G. W. Smalley.<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 71 (#475) #############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
71<br />
Rev. Dr. Smith.<br />
Miss Jane Smith.<br />
Mrs. Spender.<br />
S. Squire Sprigge.<br />
Dr. Balruanno Squire.<br />
Sir John Staincr, Mus.D.<br />
Professor C. V. Stanford, Mus.D.<br />
Mrs. 0. V. Stanford.<br />
Miss Stephens.<br />
Miss J. Stephens.<br />
J. Ashhv Sterrv.<br />
C. T. Taylor."<br />
Dr. Todhunter.<br />
H. D. Traill.<br />
Mrs. H. D. Traill.<br />
Andrew W. Tuer.<br />
Mrs. Alec. Twecdie.<br />
Miss Roraola Tynte.<br />
Dr. F. Valentine.<br />
Dr. Henry Veale.<br />
Edric Vredenburg.<br />
Charles Dudley Warner.<br />
Arthur Warren.<br />
A. P. Watt.<br />
Alec. Watt, jun.<br />
Theodore Watts.<br />
William Westall.<br />
Miss Beatrice Whitby.<br />
Oscar Wilde.<br />
W. G. Wills.<br />
H. Schiitz Wilson.<br />
Colonel Winsloe.<br />
At the conclusion of dinner, the toast of Her<br />
Majesty the Queen having been heartily responded<br />
to—<br />
The Chairman.—Mr. Lincoln, Ladies, and Gen-<br />
tlemen, I have to announce that I have received a<br />
letter from Lord Tennyson, who writes that "In<br />
the name of the United Kingdom our Society-<br />
congratulates the United States on their great act<br />
of justice." I have further to announce that the<br />
following gentlemen regret their inability to attend:<br />
The Bishops of Gloucester and Oxford, Cardinal<br />
Manning, Mr. George Meredith, Mr. Holman<br />
Hunt, Sir Edwin Arnold, Mr. Alfred Austin, the<br />
Earl of Pembroke, Mr. Austin Dobson, Mr. Hail<br />
Caine, Professor Church, and the Master of Balliol.<br />
I may also mention that Lord Coleridge told me<br />
the other day that it was with great regret that he<br />
was compelled to decline an invitation at the<br />
instance of Mr. Besant to lie here to-night, l>ecause<br />
he was receiving company at home. There is also<br />
a letter from Mr. Thomas Hardy.<br />
Now, it is my pleasing duty to give you another<br />
toast—that of the President of the United Suites<br />
of America. The toast of the Queen it is usual to<br />
consider needs no preface. I should have adopted<br />
the same course with regard to the President of the<br />
United States, were it not that I wish to mention<br />
that we owe a debt of obligation to the President,<br />
because he has without any demur at once acceded<br />
to our request to lx> allowed to come under the<br />
American Law of Copyright. It seems to me that<br />
that shows a kindly feeling on the part of the<br />
President of the United States towards England,<br />
for he might, I think, have adopted a different<br />
course, and I do not know if he had, whether we<br />
should have had any reason to complain. He might<br />
have said that the Law of Copyright in England is<br />
quite unintelligible; that it was doubtful whether<br />
the clause with regard to reciprocity in the Americjin<br />
Act was complied with. The course that he has<br />
adopted shows that he is animated with friendly<br />
feelings towards England, and that is why I desire<br />
to say a few words to the toast. I give you "The<br />
President of the United States of America."—The<br />
toast was cordially received.<br />
The Chairman.—Ladies and Gentlemen, the<br />
toast that I have now the honour to propose is that<br />
of our guests, coupled with the name of Mr. Lincoln,<br />
the American Minister. I feel that my presence<br />
in the chair to-night on this important occasion,<br />
and in the midst of such a distinguished company,<br />
exhibits the Society of Authors in a very amiable<br />
light. It shows that they carry to its extreme<br />
limits the virtue of gratitude, for I am here to-night<br />
not in respect of any service I have been able to<br />
render to the Society of Authors, but only in respect<br />
of services attempted to l>e rendered. (No, no.)<br />
Now, to-night, it is my pleasing duty to congratulate<br />
the citizens of the United States of America, in the<br />
person of their Minister, Mr. Lincoln, on the great<br />
act of justice they have performed in recognising<br />
the rights of British authors. I am sure we must<br />
all lie extremelv glad to see Mr. Lincoln among us<br />
to-night. Wc all know that Mr. Lincoln is the<br />
distinguished son of an illustrious father. The<br />
name of Abraham Lincoln ranks in the annals of<br />
the United States second only to that of Washington<br />
himself, of whom he was a worthy successor in the<br />
Presidential Chair. If Mr. Lincoln looks around<br />
him, I think he will discover that the company<br />
here assembled is worthy of the occasion on which<br />
we have met. I should not presume—it would be<br />
impertinence for me to do so—to give a list of the<br />
distinguished persons present here to-night, but I<br />
should like to make one exception, I should like to<br />
mention by name one great Englishman,—an<br />
Englishman whose name is especially respected and<br />
venerated in America, an Englishman whose<br />
presence among us to-night is a signal act of<br />
favour, inasmuch as for years past he has steadily<br />
refused to be present at any banquet except in the<br />
immediate circle of his intimate friends—I mean<br />
Professor Huxley. One never knows in what<br />
-<br />
i<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 72 (#476) #############################################<br />
<br />
72<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
unexpected ways a man of gonitis may not. break<br />
out. We have long known Mr. Huxley as an<br />
eminent man of science and of letters. We must<br />
now regard him in the liglit of a great Biblical<br />
scholar; he is, as I understand, devoting his life to<br />
the task of reconciling theology with science. If<br />
he Bhould fail in the attempt, perhaps he will put<br />
the boot on the other leg and try to reconcile<br />
science with theology. Well, then, ladies and<br />
gentlemen, as I have said, the United States of<br />
America have done an act of justice to English<br />
authors, and have done this act of justice to their<br />
own material disadvantage. We speak the same<br />
language as the Americans. To a great extent<br />
we read the same books. The names of many<br />
American authors are household words in England<br />
just as they are in America, and, indeed, some<br />
American authors have even become acclimatized<br />
among us. And in the same way many English<br />
authors arc exceedingly popular in America. The<br />
United States of America have long enjoyed what<br />
I may call a system of assisted education; that is<br />
to say, education assisted by the industry and by<br />
the intellect of English writers; but at the same<br />
time the Americans have paid their teachers ex-<br />
ceedingly little for their lessons, and what little<br />
they have paid has hitherto been not a matter of<br />
right but a matter of favour. Now, I think, it is<br />
no small thing that the American people should<br />
have agreed to pay for what they have so long<br />
enjoyed without payment. I agree that this is<br />
only a matter of justice, but at the same time it<br />
is a kind of justice that it requires a good deal<br />
of moral courage to carry into execution. It is<br />
justice, I may mention, not only to English authors<br />
but also to American authors, because for a long<br />
time American authors have been subject to what<br />
I may call unfair competition on the part of<br />
English writers, for English writers have been<br />
able to have their works printed in America at<br />
what I may call an artificially low cost owing to<br />
the absence of Copyright; and now the American<br />
and the English writers have a fair field and no<br />
favour in a friendly competition one with another.<br />
Now, ladies and gentlemen, I approach a somewhat<br />
debatable point. We know a great deal has been<br />
said about what is called the printing clause in<br />
the American Act, that is to say, the clause that<br />
requires a book to be printed from type set up in<br />
the United States before English writers can get<br />
the benefit of American Copyright. I approach<br />
this subject with a good deal of diffidence, partly<br />
because my friend, Professor Bryce, has said<br />
everything about it that I intended to say in last<br />
Saturday's number of the Speaker. But as it is<br />
just possible that there may be persons here present<br />
who did not read the Speaker, perhaps I may be<br />
allowed, in a few words, to tell yon what my views<br />
are with regard to that clause. I must say that<br />
I am Englishman enough to feel annoyance, and<br />
indignation even, with my American cousins if<br />
I consider that annoyance and indignation is<br />
warranted by the facts of the case, but I do not<br />
feel that any cause of indignation is given, because<br />
the Americans have passed this printing clause.<br />
In the first place, I would point out this: that the<br />
supporters of the Bill had absolutely no option<br />
whatever but to put this clause in. The American<br />
Act wiis only passed by the. display of the greatest<br />
tact and ability on the part of the promoters of it;<br />
and if this sop to American printers had not been<br />
put in it is absolutely certain that the Act would<br />
never jmiss into law. Well, now, I think that we<br />
in England are very well aware of the great<br />
pressure and influence that can be brought to bear<br />
by any organized men in the kingdom who con-<br />
sider that their interests are threatened, and we in<br />
England know perfectly well how helpless the<br />
general public are in an unequal contest with an<br />
organized and powerful and an enraged section<br />
of the community. From what I have read it does<br />
seem to me that the United States of America<br />
is not entirely free from experience of that kind.<br />
It is said, I know, that although this clause is<br />
a necessary clause that it is a dishonest one, or, at<br />
all events, if not dishonest, that it is a shabby piece<br />
of legislation. Now, I confess that I am unable to<br />
rgree with that opinion. It is perfectly certain<br />
that if the American Act had been passed without<br />
this clause that the American printing industry<br />
would have suffered considerably. It would imme-<br />
diately have lost what it now enjoys, the printing<br />
of English copyright works; and I agree entirely<br />
with Mr. Bryce when he says that the object of<br />
this clause in the American Act was merely to put<br />
the American printers in the same condition in<br />
which they would have been in ha<l the Act not<br />
have been passed. I believe that its effect upon<br />
English printing will be very slight. It may be<br />
that a certain amount of English printing hitherto<br />
done here will go to America, but I Ixdieve the<br />
chief difference the Act will make is this: that it<br />
will lead to a good deal of unnecessary and<br />
wasteful printing; that most of the copyright<br />
lx>oks for English readers will be printed in<br />
England, and most of the copyright books for<br />
American readers will be printed in America. And<br />
I would point out this: that the printing industry-<br />
is, by the nature of things, a growing industry.<br />
It must grow because our population is constantly<br />
increasing, and because of the spread of education,<br />
and any temporary check that may be administered<br />
to it by American legislation will, I believe, be<br />
only momentary, and will be barely perceptible.<br />
Now, I wordd point out that this clause to which<br />
so much objection has been taken, both on this<br />
i<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 73 (#477) #############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
73<br />
side and on the other side of the Atlantic, is simply<br />
a part of the American system of Protection. Now<br />
wc, in England, consider that this system of Pro-<br />
tection is unwise, hut we cannot say that for those<br />
who believe in it, it is in any respect immoral.<br />
We believe that the effect of the clause will be<br />
this: it will be to make not only American readers<br />
pay toll to American printers, but also every in-<br />
dustry throughout the United States. Our con-<br />
tention is this: that if the American reader has to<br />
pay more for his books, he will have to economise<br />
in other directions; that is to say, he will wear his<br />
old coats, his old hats, and his old boots longer,<br />
and, worst of all, it may be that he will not be able<br />
to afford his wife as many dresses as she requires.<br />
Americans believe in Protection. If we, like the<br />
Americans, believed in Protection, we should be<br />
bound to practise it. While we did believe in<br />
Protection we did practise it, and we almndoned<br />
Protection not because we were more moral than<br />
our neighbours, but because we flattered ourselves<br />
that we were more enlightened. Now, we further<br />
believe that Protection in the United States of<br />
America handicaps her very severely in her com-<br />
petition with us in the commerce of the world, and<br />
regarded simply from the standpoint of material<br />
interests, we can afford to regard with equanimity,<br />
if not with satisfaction, every fresh development of<br />
Protectionist policy in America. I am not going<br />
to sivy that there are not some provisions in the<br />
American Act that might very well with advantage<br />
lx> amended, but I do say this: that, substantially,<br />
the Americans have gone as far to meet our views<br />
as the supposed interests of their country would<br />
allow them to do. I say that in their position,<br />
holding their opinions, I believe we should have<br />
behaved very much as they have behaved. And,<br />
ladies and gentlemen, in conclusion, I hope it will<br />
be generally recognised that the Americans have<br />
gone as far to meet our wishes as we could reason-<br />
ably hope, and I do trust that not a vestige of<br />
irritation or annoyance will remain either on our<br />
part or on the part of the people of the United<br />
States of America to cloud that perfect under-<br />
standing that ought to subsist between two peoples<br />
so closely allied in blood, and so worthy of one<br />
another's friendship. I give you "Our Guests,"<br />
coupled with the name of Mr. Lincoln.<br />
The American Minister (Mr. Lincoln).—<br />
Lord Monkswell, Ladies, and Gentlemen, I thank<br />
you very heartily and sincerely for the very kind<br />
way in which this toast has been received, at least,<br />
in so far as it regards myself, for I am only one of<br />
the guests of this evening, and others are here who<br />
will speak for themselves—as for myself, I am<br />
heartily obliged. I hope and trust that you will<br />
acquit me of any affectation when I say that it<br />
would be very much more agreeable to me if this<br />
VOL. II.<br />
event which is being celebrated here to-night, and the<br />
response of the American minister to this toast, had<br />
been in the time of one of my eminent predecessors,<br />
whose distinguished career and personal qualities<br />
not only allied him to many of those who are here<br />
present, but made him their close friend, and whose<br />
wit and wisdom have made his name a household<br />
word all over the world, and who has used them<br />
in the most strenuous way in accomplishing the<br />
purpose which has been attained. As his presence<br />
here is impossible, it falls upon me to have the<br />
pleasure of expressing the honour I feel at this<br />
opportunity of meeting this distinguished company,<br />
composed of so many of those who are devoting<br />
their energies and their talents to the instruction<br />
and the literary entertainment of the great English-<br />
speaking race; and it is especially pleasant to do<br />
so under the circumstances which make this par-<br />
ticular dinner of the Author's Society so peculiarly<br />
notable. You are signalising here the end of the<br />
impatience which has existed for so many years on<br />
both sides of the Atlantic, over the delay in esta-<br />
blishing what may be called proper relations<br />
between the Copyright laws of England and the<br />
United States. How far they may have been<br />
established may be a question in some minds, but<br />
at all events, we all recognise that a correct principle<br />
has been reached and settled. It is not at all<br />
strange that such impatience has long existed, for<br />
while our governments differ in form, yet the duties<br />
on the one hand, and the rights and privileges on<br />
the other, of the people of both our nations, are<br />
nearly identical. They have a common language,<br />
and for the most part a common origin, and with<br />
an equally advanced civilisation, their modes of<br />
thought and aspirations make our races almost<br />
the same in the history and contemplation of the<br />
world at large. Under those conditions it has<br />
seemed to many for a long time, and it has seemed<br />
to me among them, that it was almost arbitrary<br />
and unreasonable that there should be continued in<br />
force a rule of law which denied in each country<br />
to the authors of the other, and to them alone<br />
of all the people carrying on the numberless active<br />
professions and trades of the civilisation of the<br />
present day, the property rights which each country<br />
gave to its own citizen and resident authors. In<br />
saying this of England as well as the United<br />
States, I speak of course in view of the fact that it<br />
has only just now become certain that a non-resident<br />
alien author can obtain the benefit of English<br />
Copyright law, and that the first official and conclu-<br />
sive declaration to that effect has just within a few<br />
weeks been made and drawn forth by the passage<br />
of the new American law on this subject. Between<br />
our countries, to a far greater degree than l>etween<br />
those using different languages, this question of<br />
reciprocal Copyright is a practical one and of high<br />
F<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 74 (#478) #############################################<br />
<br />
74<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
importance, and consequently opposing interests<br />
are more numerous and more powerful with us than<br />
anywhere else. In the very nature of things the<br />
adhesion which was reached, by various countries<br />
under the provisions of the Berne Convention, were<br />
far easier to be attained than the great arrangement<br />
which has just been closed between Great Britain<br />
and the United States. I am one of those who for<br />
a long time have wished such an arrangement to<br />
be made. It seems to me a great many years since<br />
I signed a petition to that effect. I am neither an<br />
author on the one side or a publisher on the other;<br />
but it is my misfortune, when I am not doing<br />
something else, to be a practising lawyer, and, as a<br />
practising lawyer, I have never had any difficulty<br />
whatever in feeling the justice of myself being<br />
paid for any printed argument that I might make,<br />
provided always it was a good one, and this<br />
irrespective of the nationality of my client, and<br />
what I thought just as regards myself I could hardly<br />
think unjust as regarded any other man, whatever<br />
his nation or however remote might be his geo-<br />
graphical situation, from whose mental labours I<br />
had derived profit or pleasure. Besides feeling<br />
this sense of justice to authors themselves — I<br />
hope it was a sense of justice—I but followed<br />
the lead of, I believe, almost every living author of<br />
high repute in my own country, in wishing them,<br />
and especially their younger brethren who are still<br />
struggling to find their proper place in the public<br />
estimation, to be relieved from the involuntary,<br />
perhaps I should say from the very unwilling,<br />
competition of uncompensated foreign authorship,<br />
and so that there should be taken away what I<br />
consider a very great obstacle in the path of our<br />
own home literary progress. But to go into this is<br />
to enter upon subjects which are very familiar, and<br />
as it is a rule of my profession that all the details<br />
of a controversy should be ignored and theoretically<br />
forgotten after the controversy has been settled by<br />
an agreement, I think it would perhaps suit you, as<br />
it will certainly suit me, to follow that rule. This<br />
I do not believe to be an occasion to thresh over<br />
what is happily now only old straw. It is rather<br />
the time and the occasion to exchange felicitations<br />
over the harvest which we lx-lieve is to be shared<br />
by both our countries. I myself think it idle to<br />
inquire, and very much outside of the real question<br />
of justice at the bottom, to inquire or to speculate in<br />
what proportions the division of that harvest may<br />
possibly be made. It seems quite enough to see that<br />
you English authors who are here to-night, and I am<br />
happy to see one or two of my American friends of<br />
the same category, and all their American brethren<br />
are hereafter not to see the whole fruits of their<br />
labour reaped by other people; and if there was no<br />
other benefit to accrue to the public at large from<br />
this, than the acquisition of what I hope will be<br />
an easier conscience, I think there will be a good<br />
deal gained for them as well. But, ladies aud<br />
gentlemen, I very heartily believe that this is not<br />
all that has l>een provided for, for independently<br />
and far beyond such considerations as I have<br />
merely mentioned, it should be reineinbered that<br />
by these contemporaneous acts of justice to authors,<br />
the declaration of the Government of your own<br />
country as to the existing law, and the new statute<br />
of the United States followed by the proclamation<br />
of the President, there has been removed a very just<br />
cause of international irritation, and one too, if I<br />
I may say so, that is felt most by a very influential<br />
class of people in both countries, and by that<br />
peculiar class who are best able to make them-<br />
selves heard, and make their troubles known. But,<br />
in addition to all this, I believe there has been<br />
provided a new stimulus to literary effort, which I<br />
think will lie felt long and on both sides of the<br />
Atlantic, and I am sure, ladies and gentlemen, that<br />
you will join me in hoping that in this new phase<br />
of our community of interest and anticipation,<br />
there may be found a new assurance of an exten-<br />
sion in other directions of that goodwill and good<br />
understanding which are so important to both our<br />
countries, and which I am sure you will agree with<br />
me in thinking it is so fitting should exist between<br />
us.<br />
The Chairman.—Ladies and Gentlemen, I have<br />
the honour to propose the next toast—the toast of<br />
"The Society of Authors." Now, if I fail, as I<br />
am perfectly certain to fail, in doing justice to this<br />
toast, I hope I may be recommended to mercy on<br />
the ground that it was only yesterday that I<br />
received notice that it would be my pleasant duty<br />
to propose it. I had supposed, up to that time,<br />
that the toast would have been entrusted to one of<br />
the distinguished visitors here to-night, but as I am<br />
asked to do it, of course I must do the best I can.<br />
Now, it seems to me that a combination among<br />
authors is one of the most remarkable signs of the<br />
times. Not a great many years ago, it would<br />
hardly have been believed that authors would have<br />
combined together in a Society. It was supposed<br />
that they lacked the elements of cohesion, but I am<br />
assured that this Society is very flourishing, that it<br />
is increasing in numbers every day, and therefore,<br />
it is perfectly certain that this opinion that used to<br />
be held can be held no longer. It is very desirable<br />
that authors should combine together to get as good<br />
a remuneration as they are entitled to in respect of<br />
their works. The labouring man is always telling<br />
us that he does not get the proper proportion of the<br />
value that he creates; he is always telling us that<br />
the middleman or the capitalist runs away with an<br />
undue share of the profits. Now, I suppose there<br />
is no industry in this country, in which the value<br />
created by authors—the true value is less in<br />
i<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 75 (#479) #############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
7S<br />
l>n>i>ortion to what they receive than in the case of<br />
literary men—the value is enormous in respect of<br />
the very small proportion of the goods of this<br />
world thai find their way into tin? pockets of authors.<br />
The Society does, I believe, very good work in<br />
helping young authors, and I suppose of all the<br />
helpless people in the whole world a young author<br />
is just about the most helpless, and the most at the<br />
mercy of men of business.<br />
I have already observed that you, the Society of<br />
Authors, have carried gratitude to its extreme limits<br />
in suggesting that I should take the chair here<br />
to-night. Now I will venture to say with regard to<br />
the Society of Authors, that if you have a fault it<br />
is that you are too virtuous. You are too guileless;<br />
there is too much of the milk of human kindness<br />
about you. You are too simple-minded; you trust<br />
too much in your simplicity to the justice of your<br />
cause. Now, allow me to say that you will never<br />
get what I consider to be a really good Law of<br />
Copyright passed in England, either by the powers<br />
that l>e, or with the powers that may be, without<br />
agitation; and, I do not believe that the Society of<br />
Authors quite understands either the arts or the<br />
necessity of agitation. I do not mean to say, of<br />
course, that you should march in procession to the<br />
Reform Tree in Hyde Park, with Lord Tennyson<br />
and Mr. Besant at your head; I do not even<br />
suggest that you should go to Trafalgar Square and<br />
wave red flags. But what I do suggest is that you<br />
will never get what you want until you use the<br />
vast influence that you possess to get the assistance<br />
of the newspaper press. You must induce the<br />
newspaper press to take up your case unremittingly<br />
and enthusiastically, and without that I do not<br />
lK-lieve you will get what you want. I think the<br />
Society would do well to take to heart the Scrip-<br />
tural parable of the importunate widow. It is to<br />
be regretted that while we have met here to-night<br />
to congratulate America on the skill and success of<br />
their own Copyright, that we Englishmen should<br />
still have to groan under a Copyright that is unjust,<br />
unintelligible, and grotesque, and is condemned by<br />
every person who knows anything at all about it.<br />
I hope the Society of Authors will take good heart,<br />
and that they will leave no stone unturned to<br />
obtain what I l>elievc are just rights here. The<br />
toast is, "The Society of Authors."<br />
Mr. James Bryce, M.P.—Mr. Chairman, Mr.<br />
Lincoln, Ladies, and Gentlemen, I have the honour-<br />
able duty entrusted to me of proposing the toast<br />
of our Benefactors, "the American Copyright<br />
League," and I am asked to couple it with the<br />
name of Mr. Brander Matthews. Ladies and<br />
Gentlemen, we thank the American Copyright<br />
League for what they have done for us, and we also<br />
salute and congratulate them as the victors in a long<br />
and arduous struggle. How long and how arduous<br />
that struggle has l>eeu, perhaps very few can under-<br />
stand, except those who have from time to time<br />
visited America and taken opportunities there of<br />
ascertaining how great, were the difficulties which<br />
confronted the advocates of International Copy-<br />
right. They hod to overcome the difficulties<br />
which the extremely technical procedure of the<br />
American Congress presents; they had to over-<br />
come the argument that the effect of Copyright<br />
would l>e to make books dearer to the American<br />
public, and they had to cut deeper still, and to<br />
defend the nature of literary property itself, and<br />
to prove that a man has, and ought to have,<br />
the same right of property in, and the same<br />
beneficial enjoyment of, his ideas, as he has of<br />
the labour of his hands. I remember reading,<br />
with a good deal of entertainment, some of the<br />
debates that passed in the American House of<br />
Representatives, when this Bill was being debated.<br />
There was one Member in particular, who did<br />
the honour to a book, published upon American<br />
institutions by myself, of selecting it as an<br />
illustration of the evils which would follow from<br />
the recognition of International Copyright. He<br />
said, " Here is a l>ook which is published for six<br />
dollars; it could be printed, and bound, and<br />
brought out in a convenient and elegant form for<br />
three dollars; and it is nothing but the ruthless<br />
avarice of the author and the publisher that pre-<br />
vents this from being done." Now, all these<br />
difficulties, and many more difficulties, which it<br />
would take too long to enumerate to you, have<br />
been overcome by the patience, and the zeal, and<br />
the tact, the untiring perseverance and the un-<br />
quenchable hopefulness of our friends of the<br />
American Copyright League, and we rejoice in<br />
their success on account of the admirable earnest-<br />
ness and public spirit which they have shown, even<br />
more than in respect of the benefits which we hope<br />
■will accrue to British authors; and I want to say<br />
in passing, that we ought not to lx> ashamed of<br />
expecting benefits for British authors. They are,<br />
as they have often told us, a downtrodden and<br />
necessitous class, and they an" a class which is<br />
debarred from many of the opportunities that other<br />
classes enjoy, of raising their remuneration. They<br />
consist, I will not say of unskilled labourers, but<br />
certainly of unorganised lalxmrers, and, therefore,<br />
they are quite unable to get up a strike, and I do<br />
not know that any philanthropist has offered to<br />
protect them, even by an eight hours' law. But<br />
there is a better reason still why those of us who<br />
have watched the progress of this cause in America,<br />
rejoice over the success of the Copyright League;<br />
it is a victory for honesty—it is a victory of<br />
enlightened public opinion. It is the greatest<br />
testimony that has been given in our time of<br />
the power of opinion expressed by a small circle<br />
F 2<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 76 (#480) #############################################<br />
<br />
76<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
of cultivated men, to permeate and leaven the<br />
whole people. It was authors themselves that<br />
began this movement. I should like; to mention<br />
in particular some among those to whom we are<br />
indebted (because we ought to seize this opportunity<br />
of making up for the lukewarmness of our own<br />
press in acknowledging their services) the services<br />
of Mr. Lowell, who gave the unrivalled influence<br />
of his name and reputation very readily on every<br />
occasion. Let me mention also four American<br />
writers, probably known to many of you, who have<br />
done yeoman service in this contest—Mr. Edward<br />
Eggleston, Mr. R. U. Johnson, Mr. R. W. Gilder,<br />
and Mr. E. C. Stedman—and I desire to add to these<br />
the name of the gentleman who is going to respond,<br />
and I believe in whose house it was that the<br />
Copyright League was first started, a gentleman<br />
who, since that date, has given unfailing attention<br />
and earnest labour in endeavouring to promote its<br />
objects; I mean Mr. Brander Matthews. Nor<br />
would it be right to omit the names of three other<br />
gentlemen also, two of them eminent politicians<br />
who took up the cause and fought it with much<br />
warmth,—both of them authors, as well as politi-<br />
cians—Henry Cabot Lodge and Theodore Roose-<br />
velt; one of them a publisher, Mr. George Haven<br />
Putnam. Well, Gentlemen, there is one point more<br />
t > which I must advert in commemorating the<br />
services of the Copyright League. It is one to<br />
which your attention has already been called in the<br />
speech of Mr. Lincoln. This is an Act which<br />
rivets the bonds of friendship between the English<br />
branch of our people and that now larger branch<br />
of our people which inhabits the United States, and<br />
we may reflect with some pleasure that it is by<br />
literary men more than by anyone else, that<br />
the two main branches of the English-speaking<br />
race are united and taught to sympathise with one<br />
another. It is by our literature that we, the<br />
English of to-day, are known in America; it is by<br />
our poets and our novelists that our manners, our<br />
habits, our daily life is known; and in the same<br />
way it is by the authors of America—it is by<br />
writers like Mr. Charles Dudley Warner, whom I<br />
see here to-night, Mr. Bret Harte, Mr. Howells,<br />
Mr. Henry James, Mr. Henry Nelson Page, Miss<br />
Jewett, Mrs. Deland, Mr. Harris, Mr. Edward<br />
Eggleston, Mr. George Cable, Mrs. Burnett, and<br />
many others—it is by them that we in England are<br />
taught to know what is the life, what are the<br />
thoughts, and beliefs, and aspirations of the Ameri-<br />
can branch of our race; and feeling that, I feel<br />
that we may see with warm satisfaction the removal<br />
of what was a cause of heartburning between<br />
English authors and the American people, and an<br />
injury to American authors themselves, since it<br />
injured their remuneration while it emphasized the<br />
political severance of the two counties by preventing<br />
an English author from feeling that he was at<br />
home wherever the English tongue was spoken.<br />
There was a time when we used to boast that the<br />
drum of the British army followed the rising sun<br />
over the world. We may boast now, and we can<br />
boast, in a far higher sense, of the Empire which<br />
has been won by the literature of England and<br />
America, an Empire which is more wide, and<br />
which is far more enduring, because no political<br />
dangers can threaten it. And at this moment,<br />
when we congratulate American authors on the<br />
act of justice and of friendship which they have<br />
secured, we may remember not without pride, that<br />
a British or an American author now addresses an<br />
audience which consists of one-half of civilised<br />
mankind, and we may hope that the sense of the<br />
power and responsibility which the vastness of that<br />
audience carries with it, will stimulate still further<br />
the imagination of our authors, and will enlarge<br />
the range of their thoughts with the widening<br />
process of the suns.<br />
Mr. Brander Matthews.—My Lord, Ladies,<br />
and Gentlemen, it is greatly to be regretted that<br />
this toast could not be responded to by the Presi-<br />
dent of the Copyright League, Mr. Lowell, or by<br />
either of its Vice-Presidents, Mr. Stedman or<br />
Dr. Eggleston, or by its energetic secretary, Mr.<br />
Johnson. They could explain to you far better<br />
than I can whatever is doubtful and obscure in the<br />
Act which has just been passed. Since my arrival<br />
in England I have been somewhat suqirised to<br />
discover that there are certain English authors who<br />
do not understand the American Copyright Law,<br />
and there are others who do not believe in it.<br />
Their attitude towards the new American Copy-<br />
right Law is not unlike that of the American<br />
young lady towards the Multiplication Table: she<br />
said that " she never could learn the Multiplication<br />
Table, and what was more, she did not believe it<br />
was so." About 10 years ago, Mr. Gilder, the<br />
editor of the Century Magazine, went to Wash-<br />
ington to urge a Copyright treaty then under<br />
consideration. The Secretary of State heard him<br />
with patience, and then said, "Mr. Gilder, I do<br />
not hear any loud popular demand for this thing."<br />
Now that was true; for 5o years the authors of<br />
America had been asking for some kind of Copy-<br />
right arrangement with England, but there was not<br />
that " loud popular demand for the thing" which<br />
a politician could not afford to ignore. There is<br />
nothing whatever wanted only by artists, authors,<br />
or musicians, which can be got without agitation.<br />
If there had been a "loud popular demand" in<br />
England for Copyright reform, the Bill which you<br />
are advocating would have become law in the<br />
present session. I l)elieve if an author wants any-<br />
thing from the public he must ask for it boldly and<br />
often; it is for that purpose the American Copy-<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 77 (#481) #############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
77<br />
right League was formed now eight years ago. It<br />
was intended to excite sympathy, to focus public<br />
opinion; and the authors belonging to the League<br />
gave meetings, and lectures, anil dinners; they<br />
wrote articles; they issued pamphlets; and they<br />
listened to sermons. They enlisted the aid of the<br />
journalists, and of the teachers, and of the clergy.<br />
It was at their suggestion, and especially by the<br />
zeal of Mr. Putnam, that the publishers were<br />
organised into an allied league; and yet at the end<br />
of five years of hard work all we could do was to<br />
report progress. All that time we had been urging<br />
a Hill which was a simple authors' Copyright. It<br />
granted Copyright to the foreigner without any<br />
condition whatever, being in that resjK'Ct like the<br />
admirable law which exists in France to-day.<br />
Then, at that time we received word that if we<br />
were willing to modify our Bill and to make<br />
manufacture in the United States a condition of<br />
Copyright the journeymen printers of America, a<br />
very widely organised and strong body, would lend<br />
us their assistance. They promised us also the<br />
sympathy and aid of all the allied labour organisa-<br />
tions of the United Suites. Well, these were too<br />
valuable allies to refuse; and after a very severe<br />
debate in the councils of the League we amended<br />
our Bill. We laboured for three years longer, the<br />
printers gave us loyal assistance, and the Bill baa<br />
l>ecome a law. That law is not perfect; I am afraid<br />
that there are few perfect laws in either country;<br />
but that law will do one thing, it will put a stop<br />
to the habit of piracy—which is a survival from<br />
our former colonial dependence. I am afraid that<br />
now and again an English author will still be<br />
pirated in the Uniteil States, just as even now<br />
there are American authors pirated every month in<br />
England. The Act is imperfect, but it is only a<br />
little more imperfect than the existing English<br />
Act. We demand manufacture as a condition<br />
precedent to Copyright, and you insist on prior<br />
publication. Imperfect as the law is, it puts the<br />
American and the foreigner on exactly the same<br />
level. We have granted to the foreign author<br />
what we have granted to the American author—<br />
for the American author cannot now have Copy-<br />
right unless his book is manufactured in America.<br />
In one respect the American law is more liberal<br />
to the English than the English law is to the<br />
American. Under the new law now the English<br />
novelist can reserve his exclusive right to dramatize<br />
his story in the United States, a right still denied<br />
to vou in this countrv. The laws of both countries<br />
are very imperfect, but they are very much letter<br />
than they were. When I think of them I am<br />
reminded of the remark of the old negro to the<br />
parson who was conducting a series of revival<br />
meetings. Said the negro to the parson, "You do<br />
not know what a power of good your preaching<br />
has done us; why in my own family here since we<br />
have been sitting under you we have given up evil-<br />
speaking and profane swearing, lying, and stealing,<br />
and cheating—to a considerable extent."<br />
Professor Minto.—My Lord, Ladies, and Gen-<br />
tlemen, it was only yesterday I received a summons<br />
from Mr. Besant, and an intimation that I was to<br />
speak to this toast. I cheerfully responded, because<br />
it seems to me to be significant of the generous<br />
friendship and esprit dc corps of this Society. I<br />
am no longer resident in London, and it is only by<br />
accident that I am here to-night, and I believe that<br />
is the reason why I have been selected to propose<br />
this important toast. The selection is intended a,s<br />
a friendly compliment, and looking at it in that<br />
light I warmly appreciate the compliment, and I<br />
will repress any tendency to reflect whether after<br />
all perhaps the choice is not due to the fact that<br />
only the guileless person from the country could be,<br />
found who was foolish enough to spoil his dinner<br />
by afterwards having to make a speech. For-<br />
tunately, the toast is safe in any hands, and I must<br />
confess that having had only since yesterday to<br />
think over the subject, and to collect my ideas, I<br />
feel very much more disposed to sit down at once<br />
than to inflict any speech upon you. I must say<br />
that if I had teen consulted regarding the name<br />
of the toast I should have preferred to spenk not<br />
of American literature but of American writers of<br />
English literature, for English literature is one,<br />
and if, as a Scotchman, I may be allowed a theo-<br />
logical allusion, I would say that the distinction<br />
between American literature and English literature<br />
is really not one of "substance " but of " i>ersons."<br />
The English and the American literature is the<br />
same in substance. The fact is, that American<br />
literature has no separate individuality any more<br />
than Scotch literature or Irish literature. Swift<br />
and Goldsmith are equally classics, so is Sir Walter<br />
Scott, and even Burns, although lie wrote a dialect;<br />
and I think we may claim a Washington Irving,<br />
Edgar Allan Poc, with whom Oliver Wendell<br />
Holmes and Bret Harte, ought to be amongst the<br />
English classics. In saying that American literatim;<br />
has no separate individuality I would not be mis-<br />
understood to mean that American literature is<br />
imitative. But a survey of too years of American<br />
literature (with which I do not propose to trouble<br />
you) would not bear out the same. The fact is,<br />
that it is absurd to say that the influences that<br />
operate upon literature as a whole, and in the<br />
natural user, had operated on writers on both sides<br />
of the Atlantic. Take any period that you like:<br />
take the very beginnings of American Hterature,<br />
when Charles Ripton Brown wrote. The influence<br />
that stirred literature is not by any means through<br />
English channels, and the fact is, that writers on<br />
both sides have been working to build up the great<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 78 (#482) #############################################<br />
<br />
78<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
fabric of English literature, giving and taking, and<br />
the Americans sometimes giving quite as much as<br />
they took. It seems to me that if it is the case<br />
that Washington Irving was influenced by Addison<br />
and the essayists of the 18th Century, it is not<br />
less true, as Mr. Dudley Warner, whose name I<br />
have the pleasure of coupling with this toast, will<br />
tell you, that Washington Irving had a very great<br />
influence upon the literature of this country. I<br />
also mentioned the great name of Edgar Allan Poe<br />
as the greatest master of one of the new forms of<br />
literature, the short story. The question is some-<br />
times asked whether America is likely to produce<br />
some new type of literature? Well, Sir, new types<br />
of literature are not common; they do not flourish<br />
on every hedge, and l>efore you can have a good<br />
type of literature you must have a man of genius<br />
to make it. Now, if the man comes and the hour<br />
in America, as the man and the hour came in<br />
English literature but once only—the time of<br />
Shakspeare—I have not the slightest doubt that the<br />
man would be welcomed by the authors of this<br />
country, but he will be welcomed not as the maker<br />
of a new type of American literature but as the<br />
maker of a new type of English literature. We<br />
should welcome his work, however racy of the soil<br />
it might be, however much it might be filled with<br />
what we are disposed to call Americanisms—we<br />
should welcome it as an addition to the wealth of<br />
the literature of our common tongue. At this late<br />
hour, of the evening I will only venture to say this<br />
in all seriousness, we have present among us to-<br />
night a good many American authors, among them<br />
Mr. Warner, a distinguished gentleman, whose<br />
name I have to couple with this toast. He is an<br />
example of those who make for that solidarity of<br />
our literature of which I spoke. I ask you to<br />
drink to the health and prosperity of American<br />
authors.<br />
Mr. Charles Dudley Warner. — My Lord,<br />
Ladies, and Gentlemen, I have, in-the first place,<br />
the pleasant duty of .thanking the' Society of<br />
Authors and the literary people of London who<br />
have, been good enough to come here, for the<br />
cordial expressions which I have heard with regard<br />
to my compatriots who are. present here and else-<br />
where. We are not English in America. We are<br />
made up of all the peoples' that an inscrutable<br />
Providence has given us for purposes I do not<br />
quite understand. We mingle there to produce a<br />
race, the destiny and quality of which'is practically<br />
yet unknown. But underneath all this, the<br />
seething struggle which is going on in the United<br />
States, the guiding impulse has always been that<br />
regard for law and order and Christian civilisation<br />
which has had its best exemplification in the Island<br />
of Great Britain, and Scotland,-and Ireland. We<br />
have besides a training in traditions which are as<br />
old as England itself. We have always looked<br />
with a great deal of affection, and a good deal of<br />
wrath sometimes, towards this side of the Atlantic.<br />
We have been trained from age to age in the<br />
literature which is common to both countries, and<br />
which Professor Bryce likened to the drum<br />
which followed the sun round with the English<br />
flag. That is all true; and besides, we have the<br />
American, the English, the Australian, the<br />
Canadian—I think I may say now, the Egyptian —<br />
literature; it is all one practically; that is to say,<br />
the great English conquering language for our<br />
possession; and if the time ever comes which tho<br />
prophets ever like to harp upon, from Isaiah down,<br />
and the poets like to dwell upon, the great battle<br />
of Armageddon, where civilisation and barbarism<br />
contend for the mastery in this world, I know that<br />
the English flag and the American flag on the<br />
same field and the same side of the line, will fall<br />
or rise together. I am, my Lord, in a good deal<br />
of embarrassment in replying to this toast which<br />
is limited, for I have learnt since I have lieen in<br />
London, from one of the most authoritative of<br />
your English Reviews, that there is no such thing<br />
as American literature, and very small prospect,<br />
and a widening horizon of there ever being any<br />
such thing. Now we had thought in our humble<br />
way that there was, that there had been a little<br />
something contributed to this great—you do not<br />
know what the Mississippi river is—it is a large<br />
river—the Mississippi river of literature; and we<br />
did not require any argument on our side from<br />
anybody on this side to say that we had contributed<br />
a little something. It was very much like the<br />
gentleman in Cincinnati who met the man from<br />
Ohio. I need not explain to you that Ohio is not<br />
the capital of Massachusetts. Walking along the<br />
street, he saw a gentleman opposite, and he said,<br />
"You don't know that man, perhaps?" "No, I<br />
do not know him; who is he?" "Well, that<br />
is Mr. Cackendorff; he is the ablest lawyer in the<br />
State of Ohio." "Well," he said, "I never heard<br />
of Mr. Cackendorff, and how do you prove that<br />
he is the greatest lawyer in the State of Ohio?"<br />
"Oh," he said, " you do1 not have to prove it, he<br />
admits it himself." We admit, we know that we<br />
have had from time to time in the old times, a<br />
little • literature of the • old English flavour, kept<br />
perhaps and < imported ■ back and forth,- like the<br />
cheese which we make and send over and cure,<br />
and bring back and- think it is English cheese;<br />
and we have had of late years, since the shekels<br />
Of silver have released the American man from<br />
localism, sporadically in; the west and in the south<br />
and west, and in the middle States now and then,<br />
something that had a flavour and type of its own,<br />
and -'which, although English in-its form and<br />
English in its language, was not Great Britain,<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 79 (#483) #############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
79<br />
but which was most distinctly American. We<br />
thought we had that, and we have not apologised<br />
for it or been ashamed of it. There was some<br />
time a great English literature not provincial, not<br />
insular, the. literature which we all look to. I do<br />
not know that it pxists to-day. I have not, in the<br />
four weeks I have been in London, been able to<br />
read all the smart newspapers of the place, but it<br />
seemsto me that perhaps the literature of England<br />
is somewhat of a local literature. Your novelist,-<br />
your humorous papers, your newspaper press take<br />
VP the affairs, t}iat interest the people of these<br />
islands. We have also-in America a local litera-<br />
ture which interests us. I believe they have in<br />
Australia. I am certain they have in Canada. It<br />
is just possible, that in these days of extraordinary<br />
progress everywhere, literature is getting a little<br />
localised, and that it will take another great period<br />
of upheaval like that which • preceded the Eliza-<br />
lx>tlian literature to make a literature which will<br />
go without charge and without tariff or custom<br />
house, all over the world. I have some belief in<br />
that, because I know very well that the language<br />
of England, the English language to-day is the<br />
prevailing and the conquering language of the<br />
civilised world, and that, in speaking on behalf of<br />
the little 62 millions in America, I think the<br />
English language never before had such an oppor-<br />
tunity to be the language of the world as it has<br />
to-day, and that the author in Piccadilly or Pall<br />
Mall never before had such a chance as he has<br />
to-day to become the all embracing, comprehending<br />
author of a great civilised world. I am not making<br />
a speech; I want to say about the Copyright Act,<br />
however, a word. It is perfectly well known that<br />
all the American authors are rich. We have all<br />
been made prosperous by 1 o per cent.; the pub-<br />
lishers know it; they are all impoverished by our<br />
exactions. Now 1 o per cent, on a book has made<br />
us rich, and this enormous prospect of 62,000,000<br />
of readers—of cabdrivers and millionaires—is no<br />
doubt going to make all the English authors<br />
prosperous and rich. I myself rejoice in that<br />
prospect for them, because it is merely a matter<br />
of arithmetic, that if you sell at a cheap rate of<br />
10 cents a copy 10,000 things you would get<br />
about 10 dollars in your pocket. You see how<br />
the wealth will flow in. I hope no extravagant<br />
ideas will l>e raised in the minds of English<br />
authors in regard to this; and I merely throw<br />
this out by the way in pissing along. The author<br />
all over the world lias never had any great recog-<br />
nition; he has been asked to eulogise, to write<br />
Laureate odes, occasionally to dine at the lower<br />
end of the table. I myself sometimes wonder that<br />
the authors do not, as I think Professor Bryce<br />
suggested, strike; and I have sometimes wondered<br />
what would l>ecome of the rest of the world if<br />
we did. What, for instance, would become of my<br />
friends the publishers and the printers? What,<br />
for instance, would become of all those intelligent,<br />
people who give you their impression of what has<br />
gone on in the world, and what the world ought<br />
to have, and what the general opinion is after they<br />
have read the morning papers? I wonder very<br />
much what would happen if the literary folk, the<br />
unconsidered folk who write in the magazines and<br />
in the books, were one day to strike, and say,<br />
"For the next year we won't do anything."<br />
Privately I do not know that it would be a great<br />
misfortune if a book was not published within the<br />
next 10 years. But I am simply speaking of the<br />
effect on conversation if the literary folk were<br />
happening to strike for a year. You have some-<br />
times crossed on an Atlantic steamer, and perhaps<br />
you would notice that about the second day<br />
without any newspapers the conversation lan-<br />
guishes, and the people have not anything to talk<br />
about. The thing has somehow died out. The<br />
ordinary people—and I am quite one of them—<br />
have to fill up every morning with something that<br />
the editors have said in order to go on with the<br />
daily conversation. Now, I am quite serious,<br />
however, in standing up for a certain dignity of<br />
literature, for I very well know for historical con-<br />
siderations that the thing which endures and lasts<br />
in all time is that little thing which we call<br />
literature. You build your monuments, your<br />
warehouses, your railroads, your great factories,<br />
your showy palaces for a generation or two, but<br />
somewhere in that time, in that period of great<br />
prosperity, somebody sings a song or makes a<br />
little poem—it may l>e nothing more than a. sheet<br />
of paper. There is the pyramid, and there is the<br />
Trafalgar Square and New York, and there is<br />
San Francisco, teeming with wealth and with<br />
ostentation, but when all these things have passed<br />
you know very well, you who have collected the<br />
little service of Greek and of Roman intelligence,<br />
the little, records of thought and motion that some<br />
poet has preserved, you very well know that that<br />
little thing, that one sheet of paper, something,<br />
as I may say, light as air, as a bird's song—I<br />
assure you is the thing that you love and that helps<br />
the. world when all the rest has faded away like<br />
a dream.<br />
Mb. Arthub a Beckett.—Ladies and Gentle-<br />
men, it is my fate to have to propose the con-<br />
cluding toast of this evening. I have to propose<br />
the health of our noble Chairman. I think you<br />
will agree with me he has performed to-night the<br />
duties of his office in a most satisfactory manner.<br />
He has other claims upon our respcot, as it was<br />
he who undertook the conduct of the Copyright<br />
Act through Parliament, and got it as far as Par-<br />
liament would allow it to go. It. is not yet beyond<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 80 (#484) #############################################<br />
<br />
8o<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
the second reading, but Lord Monkswell was able<br />
to extort a promise from the Lord Chancellor that<br />
sooner or later possibly—probably later—the sub-<br />
ject would occupy the attention of the Government.<br />
As it is very late I would like to bring my speech<br />
to a conclusion, although I feel that you would<br />
like to hear what I have to say on the Triple<br />
Alliance and other subjects. But I would like to<br />
tell you one little anecdote in compliment to our<br />
brethren, who, I believe, generally finish their<br />
speeches with a short story, because it calls<br />
attention to the fact that the feeling of fraternity<br />
which we experience in England towards our<br />
American brethren is growing on the other side<br />
of the Atlantic. Not very long ago it was my<br />
pleasure to meet a gentleman who, from the<br />
manner in which he spoke, except for the American<br />
accent, I should have taken to be a native of this<br />
land. He told me that there was one omission<br />
which he found in England, and it was a serious<br />
omission. He was very well satisfied in England,<br />
but this omission was in connexion with West-<br />
minster Abbey. There was a statue absent from<br />
Westminster Abbey which he would like to have<br />
seen there. I wondered for the moment what<br />
that statue should be. I remembered that all my<br />
colleagues here present were living, and he said,<br />
"Well, Sir, he is an Englishman who l>elongs to<br />
a very good old English family." I was rather<br />
surprised at this, because I understood that<br />
Americans did not think much of old families,<br />
they considered that beneath them. No, those<br />
coat of arms he bad often seen about us. "The<br />
old English gentleman, the statue of whom I<br />
should like to see in Westminster Abbey," he said,<br />
"is George Washington." I told him we were<br />
making preparations to increase the size of West-<br />
minster Abbey, and after the necessary alterations<br />
were completed that, no doubt that statue would<br />
appear. He went on further, and said, "You<br />
should not only have George AVashington but you<br />
should have his namesake, because I think that<br />
those two Georges have done more, though in<br />
different ways, to make the two nations what they<br />
now are. The other George is George Farmer,<br />
or, as yon call him, ' Farmer George.'"<br />
The Chairman.—Ladies and Gentlemen, I shall<br />
not make a speech at this late hour in the evening.<br />
I can only say this: that it has afforded me very<br />
great pleasure to preside, ami I shall lie very glad<br />
if the result is to bind more closely the ties of<br />
friendship which at present subsist between<br />
England and the United States of America.<br />
The proceedings then terminated.<br />
,<br />
OVERHEARD.<br />
I.<br />
At the Black Jack Club.<br />
HE was an elderly gentleman with a red nose,<br />
and an irascible manner. It was late—<br />
towards midnight—but the room was still<br />
full of men.<br />
"I have been to the Dinner of the Society of<br />
Authors. That's why I am in a dress coat. I<br />
don't suppose I have had on evening dress for 20<br />
years and more. Why they asked me I don't know.<br />
Why I went I don't know. There wasn't a soul<br />
in the place that I knew. Authors! It makes me<br />
sick. Waiter, a Scotch and soda. Makes a man<br />
sick, I say, to see a couple of hundred men and<br />
women dressed up to the eyes, sitting down to a<br />
tip-top dinner, with champagne flowing like bitter<br />
beer, and a band playing, and noble lords about the<br />
tables, calling themselves authors. Authors ! Why,<br />
when I was a young man there were authors<br />
worth the name. Douglas Jerrold, and Angus<br />
Reach, and Brough, and good old Thack—what<br />
did you say? Wouldn't have dared to call him<br />
Thack? What do you know about it? You<br />
weren't born. I say there were authors then, and<br />
no mistake, and between 'em all not a single guinea,<br />
most days of the week. How should there l>e any?<br />
The publishers took all the money, and we scarified<br />
'em with epigrams. That's how we treated 'cm;<br />
made their lives a burden to 'em. Look at the<br />
fellows now. They can afford to pay a guinea<br />
apiece for their dinner. They get up a Society<br />
which can afford to ask thirty or forty guests at a<br />
guinea apiece, and then they dare, to grumble at<br />
their publishers! Even when they can pay a<br />
guinea apiece for their dinner! What's the world<br />
coming to? Waiter, another Scotch and soda.<br />
"They asked me. Why? I don't know; I<br />
hate 'em. I hate all the successful men. What<br />
have they done to be. successful when I have been<br />
all my life a failure? Why should the world run<br />
after 'em, and praise 'em, and buy their books?<br />
They never ran after mine. Of course, it's the log<br />
rolling does it—the disgraceful log rolling. There's<br />
that new boy—what's his name? What is there<br />
in his things? Nothing. I give you my word—<br />
nothing. No imagination, no romance, no dialogue<br />
—nothing. All is creeping, real, natural, low.<br />
You read a page, and you think it is the real<br />
soldier talking. We knew better in our time; no<br />
common, vulgar Tommy Atkins for us. But<br />
his log rolled, and now he makes money. I<br />
daresay he got fifty pounds—I shouldn't wronder—<br />
fifty pounds by a single book, though he is but a What's that? Two thousand pounds<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 81 (#485) #############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
81<br />
by a single book? Two thousand pounds? You<br />
don't know, Sir, what you talk about. Nobody<br />
ever could make so much money out of a book.<br />
Waiter, another Scotch and soda. Well, they<br />
didn't ask me to speak, or I could have told them<br />
something. Grumbling against their publishers,<br />
when they can afford to drive to the place in<br />
broughams, and to dress their wives in silk, and<br />
to pay a guinea down for a dinner! Grumbling!<br />
Why they ought to be on their knees, the tears of<br />
gratitude rolling down their cheeks, before these<br />
most generous of men. I suppose they asked me<br />
l>ecause they wanted to bribe me into silence.<br />
Well, they won't succeed. Waiter, another Scotch<br />
and soda—big Scotch, little soda. Their champagne<br />
was good. But I've got a batch of books on my<br />
table at home, and, by gad, I'll scarify 'em. I'll<br />
stick in the knife and I'll turn it round. I'll let 'em<br />
know that the good old times are not gone. A<br />
guinea for a dinner! In our days it was eighteen-<br />
pence or two bob at most. And a band to play all<br />
the time! Authors! Authors! The good old<br />
name is being dragged in the mud. Never mind,<br />
I'll scarify 'em."—[Goes home and does.]<br />
II.<br />
From a Letter.<br />
"The Authors' Dinner was just lovely. I went<br />
with my husband, and we sat next to quite pleasant<br />
people. Everybody had a great card with the<br />
names of all the company, so that you only had to<br />
run down the list for a name and then look at the<br />
table to which it belonged, to see anybody you<br />
wanted. Unfortunately, I got the tables wrong,<br />
and after gazing upon Mr. Rider Haggard till I<br />
knew his features by heart, I found that it was a<br />
certain learned professor, and I had to begin all over<br />
again. This discovery I only made at the end of the<br />
dinner, when it was too late to set things right.<br />
Now I shall always think of Mr. llider Haggard<br />
J DP<br />
as an elderly gentleman with a red face and greyish<br />
hair, which I am told is not at all like him. For<br />
the same reason, I came away hopelessly mixed<br />
with Mr. Walter Pater, Mr. William Black,<br />
Professor Huxley, Mr. George Dumaurier, and<br />
half-a-dozen others who were there. So that most<br />
of the good I got from the dinner was from reading<br />
the list. There was a band playing all the time,<br />
but softly so as not to disturb the talk. Authors,<br />
I was pleased to find, can talk. They talk as<br />
fast as they can all the time. After the dinner the<br />
speeches began. But very soon the authors rebelled<br />
against the speeches. They wouldn't listen. In<br />
vain the toastmaster begged for silence. They<br />
only talked all the more. It seems a pity that they<br />
should have any oratory at all if they dislike it so<br />
much. I was told that there was no jealousy of the<br />
speakers or wish to be themselves the speakers that<br />
made them refuse to listen. English authors won't<br />
speak, and can't speak. Many of them, if they<br />
thought that they had to speak, would not come.<br />
In the same way, they can't listen, and won't listen.<br />
We ought to have an Authors' Society in New<br />
York, with just such a dinner every year."<br />
III.<br />
In the Train.<br />
The speaker was a gentleman of somewhat seedy<br />
exterior. His hat alone proclaimed that things<br />
were not going well with him. His eye was<br />
restless ami perhaps shifty. "Have I l>een to<br />
the Authors' Dinner? No, I haven't. I wouldn't<br />
go if I was asked. Authors? Look here now.<br />
As to authors. I've long suspected, and now<br />
I know. It's all a swindle. There ain't any<br />
authors in the Society at all, except one.<br />
There ain't any Society. There's only one man.<br />
He keeps up the racket for his own purposes: he<br />
pretends there's five hundred—six hundred—any-<br />
thing you like. Will he publish a list of the<br />
Members? Not he. Will he tell us who the<br />
Members are? Not he. There ain't any Members<br />
at all, I tell you. He persuades a few people to<br />
come along and dine together every year. It's very<br />
easy. First he gets A to meet B, then C to meet<br />
A and B, then D to meet A and B and C, and<br />
so on. That's all. That's the way it's done. As<br />
for there being any real authors in the Society, or<br />
any Society at all, or anything except that one<br />
man, I tell you that it's ail bunkum and rubbish.<br />
They've got an office? Well, yes, they have. It's<br />
a thing, I suppose, that costs about ten pounds a<br />
year. And a Journal? Well, yes, they have.<br />
There's a thing they call a Journal—circulation<br />
about twenty. Office and Journal both paid for by<br />
the same man. Well, as you say, I suppose they<br />
do put out a balance sheet showing about a thousand<br />
a year income. What's easier than to make up a<br />
balance sheet? I bring out balance sheets every<br />
day for the authors, and I know. You make 'em<br />
show anything you please. The Society publishes<br />
books?' Suppose they do. Suppose they do bring<br />
out books and advertise second editions. What's<br />
easier than to call out second edition when you've<br />
sold five-and-twenty copies? Don't tell me. I've<br />
done it myself—often. Gar—r—r!"<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 82 (#486) #############################################<br />
<br />
82<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
IV.<br />
At a Table'.,<br />
"This dinner is only a beginning of what such an<br />
annual gathering; ought to- l>e. What the Royal1<br />
Academy dinner does for Art, this dinner should<br />
do for Literature. That is to say, if it is good for<br />
Literature to have princes as guests, then we should<br />
have princes; if. it is good for Literature to have<br />
ambassadors, presidents of societies and institutions,<br />
and great men in other lines, then we should have<br />
these illustrious persons. It should be a dinner<br />
which confers distinction on the recipient of an<br />
invitation. It should lie, like the Academy dinner,<br />
one of the great functions of the season. This it<br />
can easily l>ecome if literary men and women choose<br />
to make it so. The dinner indicates the power<br />
which should, and does already, lie behind, con-<br />
cealed, but felt—a power which will be always<br />
making rough things smooth, and causing the<br />
sweater and the shark to have uneasy times, and<br />
making it more and more difficult for the old-<br />
fashioned Fraud to continue in his fraudulency.<br />
The future of the Society opens up the most<br />
splendid possibilities. Only let us awaken, little by<br />
little, and maintain confidence among literary men,<br />
and we shall carry out a programme never dreamed<br />
of by the victims of the bad old times."<br />
<br />
LITERARY MAXIMS.<br />
1. Popularity is a sure sign of popularity.<br />
2. There are only two ways of succeeding: rise<br />
high enough or sink low enough.<br />
3. To read a book, it is necessary to look into<br />
it: to review, all that may be necessary is to look<br />
at it.<br />
4. Any fool can find fault: any knave may<br />
destroy.<br />
5. Four stages in Art: the ideal, the idea, the<br />
word, and the work.<br />
6. In construction or in .criticism, competency<br />
depends on the harmony of the first with the last.<br />
7. Understand before you know: know before<br />
you judge.<br />
8. Art, like nature, never shows her best on the<br />
surface.<br />
9. The reviewer should never forget, that he is<br />
a judge, often a very bad one.<br />
10. It is easy to judge: it is hard to judge<br />
justly.<br />
11. Even reviewers have rights: some of them<br />
even a sense of right.<br />
12. All the fog is not in the other man's head.<br />
13. If you will write for money, write for the'<br />
many.<br />
14. A first failure is not always a sure sign of<br />
genius.<br />
. 15. To please the public may be gratifying to the<br />
soul, but is not always satisfying to the body.<br />
16. Put your heart in your work, if you ha\e<br />
got one to put.<br />
17. If you wish to be taken seriously, write<br />
satirically.<br />
18. To know everything one must be a young<br />
man or a myth.<br />
19. 'Tis a wise author that knows himself after<br />
a course of reviews.<br />
20. Remember that all men do not see satire,<br />
even with a telescope.<br />
21. Do not read every review of your works: it<br />
is healthier for your soul, to respect even your<br />
inferiors.<br />
22. In reviewing there is no trial by jury: your<br />
peers are too busy, working or loafing, to review<br />
anything.<br />
23. To view is to see once: to review is to see<br />
twice—or not at all.<br />
24. The value of the collection is not estimable<br />
by the size of the congregation.<br />
25. As an art, painting is more popular than<br />
preaching.<br />
26. Unpopularity is no sure proof of superiority.<br />
27. When a book is unintelligible to you, this<br />
Is invariably due to the author's insanity or im-<br />
becility.: tell him so, lest he should feel neglected!<br />
Phinlay Glenelg. ♦■»■♦<br />
NOTES AND NEWS.<br />
WILL our readers be so good as to consider<br />
carefully the suggestions as to the Authors'<br />
Club? It is proposed to create what is<br />
called a first-class club on the level, say, of the<br />
Garrick, the Savile, or the Arts, of which the first<br />
condition of membership shall be some connexion<br />
with the literary life. Readers of this journal<br />
understand by this time that one of the chief<br />
objects contemplated by the Society is the union<br />
of those who follow Literature, after the manner<br />
observed by those who follow the Art of Painting.<br />
The Society is such an association, but it is not<br />
enough, because it is only in evidence on such<br />
occasions as the annual dinner, when about one-<br />
fourth of the Members attend. Besides, the Society<br />
is necessarily engaged mainly upon the business<br />
side of the calling. A club of position and repu-<br />
tation would represent the social and successful<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 83 (#487) #############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
83<br />
side. It would always lx> a standing proof that<br />
men of letters can unite together, are independent,<br />
and have risen above the contempt which long<br />
years of helpless dependence brought upon them.<br />
The Club must begin with 5oo Members at least.<br />
It is suggested that all Members of the Society<br />
shall Ixj always eligible without entrance fee. A<br />
form is enclosed which binds the signer to nothing<br />
more than sympathy with the object proposed,<br />
and his intention to belong, provided he approves<br />
of the prospectus when decided.<br />
It is not yet decided whether or no to admit<br />
ladies to meml>ership. If they are not admitted I<br />
hope we may at once proceed to the establishment<br />
of the Authors' House, a scheme in which I place<br />
great faith. This House would be especially useful<br />
to ladies.<br />
The Pension List for this present year of grace<br />
displays the same disregard of the Resolution of<br />
1837, which has always, year after year, under<br />
every Government, marked this little piece of<br />
administration. The Resolution provided that<br />
pensions to the amount of £1,200 every year might<br />
l)c bestowed upon persons distinguished for Litera-<br />
ture, Science, and Art. Fifteen pensions are<br />
granted this year. Three are given to persons<br />
distinguished in Literature and Art. Nine are<br />
given to widows or daughters of persons so dis-<br />
tinguished. Four are, as I think, wrongfully,<br />
and in breach of trust, l>estowed upon ladies whose<br />
fathers or husbands were connected with the naval,<br />
military, or civil service. The country votes a<br />
sum of money for persons distinguished in Litera-<br />
ture, Science, and Art. The Government give<br />
it away to persons totally unconnected with<br />
Literature, Science, and Art. When shall we<br />
have this miserable little grant administered as<br />
was intended? And when shall we get the<br />
Resolution amended so as to make it impossible<br />
for these jobs to lie committed?<br />
The Annual Dinner, a full report of which is<br />
contained in this number, was held on Thursday<br />
the 16th. Every single seat in the great room of<br />
the Hotel Metropole was taken. There were 216<br />
guests in all, of whom 40 were guests of the<br />
Society, and the rest were Memlxrs or Associates.<br />
It was cheering to reflect, that this great gathering<br />
really, contained no more than the fourth part of<br />
our present following. The occasion, too, called<br />
forth several letters—notably one of congratulation<br />
from our President, Lord Tennyson; one from the<br />
Bishop of Oxford; one from Cardinal Manning,<br />
through Mr. A. W. a Beckett, speaking of the<br />
interest with which he regarded the Society; from<br />
Mr. George Meredith, who was prevented from<br />
attending; ami many others. There was a general<br />
feeling that the Society had never before met<br />
together under more promising conditions, or in<br />
greater numbers, or, to descend to smaller considera-<br />
tions, to a better dinner. The animation of the<br />
evening seemed to show that everyl>ody was satisfied<br />
with his neighbours—a very satisfactory result of a<br />
very anxious distribution of places. Of course<br />
there were one or two faces which we missed.<br />
Bret Harte, at the last moment, was compelled to<br />
stay away. Henry James could not come; we<br />
were just too late for T. B. Aldrich. Professor<br />
Jebb, Austin Dobson, Edmund Yates, Rudyard<br />
Kipling, Thomas Hardy, Hall Caine, Mrs. Oliphant,<br />
Mrs. Cashel Hoey, Edna Lyall, and many others<br />
could not come. The list of those who were<br />
present, however, printed in full with the report,<br />
will show that English and American Literature<br />
was well represented in all its branches.<br />
There have been, on previous occasions, sneers<br />
in certain papers at the record of the names, as<br />
present, of those who are not so well known as<br />
others in the profession. I think that this is<br />
a very unworthy line; in literature there are<br />
always men and women beginning at the bottom<br />
and going up. They are at various stages of the<br />
ladder when they come to us; even though they arc<br />
only beginning; though a single volume is as yet the<br />
whole of their literary baggage, they have a perfect<br />
right to belong to us, to call themselves authors,<br />
and to come to our dinner. They belong to the<br />
calling: they are fellow craftsmen. It is in litera-<br />
ture, in short, as with every other profession, there<br />
must be in it certain leaders, there must be rank<br />
and file; there must be more private soldiers than<br />
officers, yet all are fighting men. Four years ago,<br />
for instance, I was present at a great dinner—a<br />
very great dinner—given in the Hall of the High<br />
Court of Justice by the Law Institute to solicitors.<br />
There were many hundreds present. I do not<br />
rememl)er that anyone, speaking of this dinner,<br />
sneered at these hundreds for ljeing obscure, as<br />
they certainly were. I make this remark on this<br />
year's dinner, because such a sneer coidd hardly<br />
be made of such a gathering where there were so<br />
many leaders.<br />
This is the Holiday Number of the Author. Let<br />
us put away all our papers, straighten the stiffened<br />
ringers, lay down the pen, and go forth to rest in<br />
shady places. For my own part, I make of the<br />
■<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 84 (#488) #############################################<br />
<br />
84<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
summer holiday an occasion, which only comes once<br />
a year, for reading the books which everybody has<br />
been talking about. I am not more than five or six<br />
years in arrears, and though I despair of ever quite<br />
catching up, I daresay there will be no more than<br />
five years' books in arrear when the, time conies for<br />
putting up the shutters. These can be cremated<br />
with me. Some men I can hardly look in the face<br />
without a blush; with others, thanks to an occa-<br />
sional ramble into the present, I am more easy.<br />
Since, for instance, I have read the "World's<br />
Desire " I feel more confidence in the presence of<br />
its authors. Why has the world taken so little<br />
notice of the wonderful allegory in that book? I<br />
can boldly meet Thomas Hardy face to face, because<br />
I have read the "Group of Noble Dames," and<br />
Budyard Kipling, l>ecause I can quote the " Light<br />
that Failed." There is nothing so delightful as to<br />
be working up arrears; nothing so truly restful as<br />
to let other people write for you. For this and<br />
other reasons, the August Number of the Author<br />
is shorter than its brethren.<br />
We have learned, with great regret, the death of<br />
Mr. James Runciman at the early age of 38.<br />
Mr. Runciman was one of the youngest of our<br />
Members, but not one of the least cordial. His<br />
early death has prevented him from doing full<br />
justice to his great—his very great—abilities.<br />
What he did achieve was marked by strength and<br />
firmness of drawing, a vivid imagination, and a<br />
clear eye. He could write verse with ease and<br />
grace; some of his pictures of certain strata of life<br />
will certainly last—at least beyond the time of many<br />
writers now more popular.<br />
Letter from a publisher: "I have offered you so<br />
much for your work. This sum buys the entire<br />
Copyright. Your request that I should leave you<br />
the American rights might have been granted a<br />
month ago. Under existing circumstances this is<br />
not to be thought of."<br />
In other words, what was worth so much when<br />
American Copyright was worthless, is worth no<br />
more though American Copyright doubles the<br />
publishers' returns. This is very remarkable<br />
justice. It makes one sigh for Jedburgh justice.<br />
The Manchester Guardian reports that a certain<br />
religions society has discovered a muddle in their<br />
accounts by which debts of "thousands of pounds<br />
for advertising" had not been brought forward in<br />
the balance sheets, so that the committees were<br />
personally liable. This society is not, we do hope<br />
and trust, our dear old friend who keeps a Literary<br />
Housemaid and sweats its victims with holy zeal.<br />
It would lm too dreadful to think that its committee,<br />
after such a long and successful course of sweating,<br />
should be itself sweated! No! No! The reward<br />
of the righteous is not often so thorough and so<br />
certain.<br />
Of "Literary" Associations, "Authors' Pub-<br />
lishing" companies and societies which promise<br />
poor, struggling authors help and pay, there is no end.<br />
A blight seems to settle, upon these associations.<br />
Nevertheless, one is pleased to give such publicity<br />
as is possible to nil new societies of the, kind.<br />
Here is one, for instance, called "The Authors'<br />
Publishing Association." The manager is one<br />
T. M. Field, of whom we know nothing, good or<br />
bad. His association receives members at 5s. a<br />
year, which is indeed cheap. It also runs a little<br />
magazine called Literary Land. The May number<br />
—containing 16 pages—is before us at this moment,<br />
so that it really does exist. Literary workers of<br />
all classes are invited to become meml^r?, particu-<br />
larly those who seek—but have not yet found—a<br />
remunerative return for their labours. This, they<br />
may perhaps believe, will be found for them in<br />
Literary L.and. Now, if this paper is to go on<br />
presenting 16 pages every month to the world it will<br />
remunerate—reckoning each article at three pages,<br />
and the pay at—is 5s. a page too high?—five<br />
authors a month or Co authors a year. If, there-<br />
fore, an author is so fortunate as to become one of<br />
this 6o he would receive, say, ios. in the year, out<br />
of which he would pay 5s. for the magazine and 5»'.<br />
for the association. For himself, 5*. will remain<br />
—a princely income. I daresay a good many sub-<br />
scribers will be found. It .seems hopeless to expect<br />
that people who aspire to literary success will bring<br />
the commonest rules of arithmetic, reason, and<br />
common sense to bear upon their hopes and their<br />
calculations. The "association" may mean well<br />
and honestly, but let young writers ask what any<br />
such association can do for anybody? There is<br />
no royal road to success—there are no back stairs<br />
to literary fame; every writer must with his own<br />
pen fight his own way to the, front.<br />
Yet another Society! This time it is the pro-<br />
spectus of the "London Copy Society." It has<br />
offices, and a secretary, but, as yet, neither directors,<br />
bankers, nor solicitors. Its modest capital is £ i ,ooo.<br />
It. proposes to become a syndicate for placing<br />
things in newspapers both here and in America.<br />
People are asked to pay a guinea a year in order to<br />
have a chance of being taken by the American and<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 85 (#489) #############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
85<br />
English journals through this agency. There are<br />
already a good many such syndicates in the field,<br />
and their experience is always the same, namely,<br />
that then! is little difficulty in placing writers of<br />
repute, but tliat it is absolutely impossible to place<br />
writers who have not yet made their name.<br />
Very likely this syndicate sees a way out of this<br />
difficulty. •<br />
The "Society" will also act as literary agents,<br />
and will establish a school for journalism. The<br />
subscribers will have to pay for the printing, mani-<br />
folding, stereotyping, and postage of their work to<br />
the "hundreds of journals" spoken of in the<br />
prospectus. Suppose one of them writes a novel.<br />
It would cost perhaps £80 to print. Another £20<br />
might easily be spent in sending the work among<br />
the "hundreds of journals." Are young literary<br />
aspirants prepared to spend £100 on the very,<br />
very slender chance of an unknown writer l>eing<br />
accepted by the country press? As for the school<br />
of journalism, we wait to see who are the Professors<br />
and Lecturers in that school.<br />
From time to time there are sent to the Office<br />
cuttings from certain papers in which the truth,<br />
the whole truth, and a great deal more than the<br />
truth is frankly and generously told about this<br />
Society. In three or four cases we have held a<br />
little inquiry into the cause and origin of this<br />
generous amplification of the truth. It has been<br />
found in all that the paragraphs have been<br />
preceded, very strangely, by action on the part of<br />
our Secretary. For instance, the editor of the<br />
Universal Genius has refused to reply to a<br />
contributor nsking payment for a MS. which has<br />
appeared in the paper. The contributor, a Member<br />
of the Society, brings the case before the Secretary.<br />
The Secretary addresses a letter to the Editor.<br />
Result: (1) Cheque to the author. (2) Nasty one<br />
for the Society in the paper.<br />
Again, the editor or proprietor of the Bear Pit<br />
refuses to return a MS. sent to him by a writer for<br />
publication, or to answer any letters relating to<br />
that MS. The writer brings tin; case before the<br />
Society. The Secretary addresses a letter to that<br />
editor or proprietor. Result: (1) Return of the<br />
MS. to the author. (2) Nasty one for the Society<br />
in the paper. Moral—Obvious.<br />
Readers of Mrs. Oliphant's "Life of Laurence<br />
Oliphant" should read Mrs. Phillips' paper on<br />
Mr. Harris in the National Review of July. Those<br />
who possess the book should cut out the article and<br />
bind it up as an appendix, ljecause the article gives<br />
the other side of the question as seen by the friends<br />
of Mr. Harris. No denial is offered by the writer<br />
of the article of the facts as stated by Mrs. Oliphant.<br />
They remain, presumably, undeniable. From the<br />
point of view of Harris's disciples it is right, I<br />
suppose, and only what was to be expected, that a<br />
gentleman should be made to sell strawberries in<br />
the street, that a lady should be made to tlo menial<br />
work, and that a wedded pair should be separated.<br />
These things l>elong to spiritual levels, to which I,<br />
alas! cannot reach. Heaven itself is out of the<br />
reach of most of us, unless we can get to it with<br />
our own people and following our own manners<br />
and customs. At the same time, the paper of<br />
Mrs. Phillips is not only extremely interesting but<br />
extremely instructive, if only as showing what<br />
qualities there were in Harris which could attract<br />
such a man as Laurence Oliphant . And so much,<br />
I believe, the author of this beautiful biography<br />
would be the first to acknowledge. In every<br />
generation there arises a Harris, either in this<br />
country, or in America, or somewhere else. To<br />
every Harris there comes a Revelation, to every one<br />
a school of disciples, and every disciple is convinced<br />
that he sees the beginning of the end—and the<br />
assurance of the Second Coming of the Lord, when,<br />
by the aid of the Harris, all things shall be made<br />
straight.<br />
Walter Besant.<br />
THE AUTHORS' CLUB.<br />
AMEETING of the Preliminary Committee<br />
was held at the Society's offices on Thursday,<br />
July 23rd. Present: Mr. Walter Besant,<br />
Mr. Howard Collins, Mr. W. M. Colles, Mr. Oswald<br />
Crawfurd, Mr. Egmont Hake, Mr. Arthur Montc-<br />
fiore, and Mr. Vagg Walter, as Honorary Secretary<br />
ad interim.<br />
Mr. Walter reported that he had visited many<br />
houses to let in the vicinity of Piccadilly and else-<br />
where, anil sub mitted plans and drawings of certain<br />
houses which might seem suitable for the Club, with<br />
estimates for furniture and installation, and for the<br />
day-by-day management of the Club.<br />
After conversation it was Resolved to put forth<br />
the following Suggestions for the consideration of<br />
the Society, and of those who might be desirous of<br />
joining the Club, and to invite comment and further<br />
suggestions from all interested.<br />
1. That it is desirable to found a Club whose<br />
first condition of meml)ership shall be a<br />
bona fide connexion with the life of Letters.<br />
2. That, though the rules of the Society of<br />
Authors admit into that body as MchiIhts<br />
none but those who have actually produced<br />
at least one printed and published volume,<br />
the Club shall admit not only authors of<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 86 (#490) #############################################<br />
<br />
86<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
lmoks, but also . dramatists, journalists,<br />
authors of papers in reviews and magazines,<br />
editors of newspapers, journals, and maga-<br />
zines, professors, lecturers, and Fellows of<br />
colleges, men of science, scholars, and all<br />
gentlemen who in their public or private<br />
capacity shall advance the cause of Letters.<br />
3. That since the first and most important side<br />
of a Club is its social side, the new Club<br />
should lie one in which the social attrac-<br />
tions should at least equal those of any<br />
other Club in London.<br />
4. That the Club, though unconnected with the<br />
Society of Authors, should recognise and<br />
develop, as far as possible, the services<br />
rendered to the cause of Letters by that<br />
Society.<br />
5. That the Club should be one of reasonable<br />
charges and reasonable living.<br />
6. That the serious and practical side of the<br />
literary life should not be forgotten by the<br />
Club, but that, as occasion may arise, meet-<br />
ings and debates should be held or papers<br />
read on subjects connected with the practical<br />
Ride.<br />
7. That ladies should be admitted either on<br />
ladies' nights or on ladies' afternoons, or to<br />
concerts or entertainments organized by the<br />
committee.<br />
8. That Members should present to the library<br />
complete copies of their own works.<br />
g. That the entrance fee be ten guineas, and the<br />
annual subscription be five guineas; but that<br />
the first 5oo members be admitted without<br />
entrance fee.<br />
10. That Members of the Society of Authors be<br />
always admitted without entrance fee.<br />
11. That before proceeding farther, the opinion<br />
of the Members of the Society be ascer-<br />
tained on the matter, and that a book be<br />
opened at the office of the Society for the<br />
entrance of names of those who would wish<br />
to become original Members.<br />
12. That the money requisite for first expenses<br />
be subscribed by the Members in the form<br />
of debentures at a certain interest, a method<br />
frequently adopted by clubs.<br />
13. That as soon as sufficient names have been<br />
enrolled to warrant further proceeding, the<br />
preliminary committee should dissolve and<br />
be replaced by a Committee of Management<br />
elected by the original Members, with power<br />
to raise money by debentures, take pre-<br />
mises, purchase furniture, draw up rules,<br />
call meetings, and in all other ways act at*<br />
may be necessary for the foundation of the<br />
Club.<br />
14. That the election of Members for the first year<br />
at least should be in the hands of the<br />
Committee of Management.<br />
15. That these suggestions should be published<br />
in the Author, and that Members of the<br />
Society should Ik; earnestly requested to<br />
contribute their own opinions, addressed to<br />
the Secretary of the Society of Authors,<br />
4, . Portugal Street, W.C.<br />
♦■>■♦<br />
INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT.<br />
L<br />
The President's Proclamation.<br />
From the " Times," July 2nd, 1891.<br />
Washington, July 1.<br />
PRESIDENT Harrison has issued a procla-<br />
mation which provides for granting Copy-<br />
right in the United States to citizens or<br />
subjects of Great Britain, France, Belgium, and<br />
Switzerland.<br />
The text of the proclamation is as follows :—<br />
"Whereas it is provided by Section i3 of the<br />
Act of Congress of March 3, 1891, that the said<br />
Act shall only apply to a citizen or subject of a<br />
foreign State or nation, when such foreign State<br />
or nation permits to citizens of the United States<br />
the benefit of Copyright on substantially the same<br />
basis as to its own citizens, or when such foreign<br />
State or nation is a party to an International<br />
agreement which provides for reciprocity in the<br />
granting of Copyright, by the terms of which<br />
agreement, the United States may, at their pleasure,<br />
become a party to such agreement; and whereas,<br />
satisfactory official assurances have been given in<br />
Belgium, France, Great Britain, the British posses-<br />
sions, and Switzerland, that the law permits to<br />
citizens of the United States the same benefit of<br />
Copyright as to their own citizens: Now, therefore,<br />
I, as President, do declare and proclaim that the<br />
first conditions specified in the said Section i3are<br />
now fulfilled in respect to the citizens and subjects<br />
of Belgium, France, Great Britain, and Switzer-<br />
land."<br />
This proclamation is preceded by a recital of the<br />
Copyright Act passed by the last Congress, a copy<br />
of the circular letter addressed to the United States<br />
Ministers abroad, and an able and exhaustive<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 87 (#491) #############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
report to President Harrison, prepared- by' Mr.<br />
Moon, Third Assistant Secretary of State, inter-<br />
preting the law, and explaining why the operations<br />
of the law are limited to the four countries named<br />
in the proclamation, and why nations which are<br />
parties to the Berne agreement are excluded from<br />
the proclamation on that ground.<br />
II.<br />
The American Regulations.<br />
Washington, July 6.<br />
In pursuance of the provisions of the Copyright<br />
Act of March 3, 1891, Mr. Foster, Secretary<br />
of the Treasury, has prescribed the following<br />
regulations:<br />
1. Copyrighted books and articles of importation<br />
which are prohibited by section 4956 of the<br />
Revised Statutes, as amended by section 8 of<br />
the said Act, shall not be admitted to entry. Such<br />
books and articles, if imported with the previous<br />
consent of the proprietor of the Copyright, shall<br />
Ik) seized by the Collector of Customs, who shall<br />
take proper steps for the forfeiture of the goods<br />
to the United States under section 3o82 of the<br />
Revised Statutes.<br />
2. Copyrighted books and articles imported con-<br />
trary to the said prohibition without the previous<br />
consent of the proprietor of the Copyright, being<br />
primarily subject to forfeiture to the proprietor<br />
of the Copyright, shall be detained by the collector,<br />
who shall forthwith notify such proprietor in order<br />
to ascertain whether or not he wishes to institute<br />
proceedings for the enforcement of the right to<br />
forfeiture. If the proprietor institutes such pro-<br />
ceedings, and obtains a decree of forfeiture, the<br />
goods shall be delivered to him on payment of<br />
the expenses incurred in the detention, storage,<br />
and duties accruing thereon. If such proprietor<br />
fails to institute proceedings within 60 days from<br />
the date of notice, or declaration in writing, he<br />
abandons his right to forfeiture, and the collector<br />
shall proceed as in the case of articles imported<br />
with the previous consent of the proprietor.<br />
3. Copyrighted articles of importation which are<br />
not prohibited, but which, by virtue of section<br />
4965 of the Revised Statutes, as amended by<br />
section 8 of the said Act, are forfeited to the<br />
proprietor of the said Copyright when imported<br />
without his previous consent, and, moreover,<br />
subject to the forfeiture of Si or §10 per copy, as<br />
the case may be, one-half thereof to the said<br />
proprietor, and the other half to the United States,<br />
shall lie taken possession of by the collector, who<br />
shall take the necessary steps for securing to the<br />
United States half the sum forfeited, and shall keep<br />
the goods in his possession until the decree of<br />
forfeiture has been obtained, and half of the sum so<br />
forfeited, as well as the duties and charges accruing<br />
are paid, whereupon he shall deliver the goods to<br />
the proprietor of the Copyright. In case of a<br />
failure to obtain a decree of forfeiture, the goods<br />
shall be admitted to entry.—Dalziel {The Times<br />
Special).<br />
HI.<br />
What will happen?<br />
At last we have it. The next questions are:<br />
What we shall do with it? What it will do for<br />
us? And how we shall protect ourselves? For,<br />
as it needs no prophet to understand, a most<br />
determined effort will be made to defraud the author<br />
of all the benefits which the Act might have con-<br />
ferred upon him, and to convert it into an engine<br />
for the further enrichment of the publisher.<br />
Successful authors must understand—the sooner<br />
the better—that they have now two countries to<br />
deal with, and not one; that in many respects the<br />
two countries are not alike, but dissimilar; that<br />
what pleases one country may not please lx>th;<br />
that they have two sets of publishers; that although<br />
they must not assume because they have got their<br />
work accepted in this country that it will l>e accepted<br />
in the other, but they must act as if they were<br />
going to be popular in both countries. That is to<br />
say, in negotiating for their work they must strictly<br />
reserve the American rights as the subject of separate<br />
arrangement.<br />
Again and again has the Author pointed out to<br />
readers, that in all agreements they must put them-<br />
selves into the position of business men agreeing<br />
for the management of property, and this even<br />
though the MS. represents no property at all. The<br />
other side is always a business man actuated by no<br />
other object than that of doing business, and<br />
securing a good property for himself, if possible;<br />
if not, on the best terms he can command.<br />
If the Author warned and exhorted its readers<br />
before the pawing of this Act, it must raise a<br />
louder and a more warning voice still. The risk of<br />
being plundered is twice as great as before; the<br />
property to be defended is twice as great as before.<br />
What books will take out Copyright? This is a<br />
question of the greatest importance to printers, as<br />
well as to authors. At a recent deputation to Sir<br />
Michael Hicks-Beach, one of the speakers (see<br />
p. 91) assumed that every author would not only<br />
want Copyright, but would get it.<br />
Indeed! And who is to pay the printer's bill?<br />
A very large numl>er of books are published at<br />
1<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 88 (#492) #############################################<br />
<br />
88<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
the expense of the authors who have nothing, sub-<br />
sequently, to show for their money but weeping,<br />
wailing, and gnashing of teeth. Printing is a much<br />
more expensive luxury in the States than here. It<br />
is supposed, perhaps, that the author will pay the<br />
increased bill with the additional expense of freight.<br />
Hut there are, it will be said, a great many books<br />
which both countries will want. Let us see what<br />
these are.<br />
First, we may exclude—<br />
a. All theological books, sermons, and religious<br />
books. Generally speaking, the Americans<br />
will at least find their own religious food.<br />
/3. All educational books, except a very few.<br />
y. All scientific and technical books, except a<br />
very few. The Americans will continue<br />
to find their own works on science.<br />
8. All three-volume novels.<br />
f. Nearly all works connected with the history<br />
of this country.<br />
£. Works written for a very small circle, such<br />
as special monographs, books of scholar-<br />
ship, &c. These books will be exported<br />
in the same way as at present, in very<br />
small quantities, paying a duty.<br />
)). All our journals, magazines, and news-<br />
papers.<br />
What remain?<br />
a. A great many novels.<br />
jS. A few books of travel, history, biography,<br />
science, and poetry.<br />
As regards the first, I do not believe that the<br />
popular novelist will be set up in America and<br />
re-printed here. Why should he be? Consider.<br />
It costs, for composition alone, of a one-volume<br />
novel from £20 to £:5. It would cost in America<br />
from £2o to £35. The extra cost of printing and<br />
paper is in proportion. Considering, in addition,<br />
all the worry and trouble, the extra cost, the cost<br />
of freight, &c, who would incur all this in order<br />
to save a ten-pound note in the English edition of<br />
a popidar author? It is absurd. Then, if we<br />
take an English author who is not popular, are<br />
we going to print him in the States, where he<br />
is no more popidar than here, at an increased<br />
cost, when there is great doubt whether he will<br />
repay here the cost of setting him up?<br />
If, on the other hand, a popular novelist is pub-<br />
lished simultaneously on both sides, it will be as if<br />
he were published in two languages; there will be<br />
separate composition. We have not considered<br />
here the attention which must be paid to the subject<br />
of spelling, which is a very important point.<br />
In the same way, special books — such as<br />
Darwin's books, Herbert Silencer's books, Stanley's<br />
Travels, &c.—woidd be set up on both sides,<br />
simply because in such a big thing it would<br />
not be worth while to save a ten-pound note, at<br />
the risk of exasperating one side or the other with<br />
the spelling.<br />
It certainly appears to the present writer that<br />
printers will lose little or nothing by the "manu-<br />
facture" clause, and that the whole action of the<br />
Loudon Chamber of Commerce has been produced<br />
by a panic.<br />
The reply of Sir Michael Hicks-Beach to the<br />
deputation was damping to their hopes. Probably,<br />
he knew pretty well what he was saying. We<br />
have ourselves felt the pulse of certain Members of<br />
the House, not without influence. It may be taken<br />
as perfectly certain and beyond all doubt, that Free<br />
Trade Members will move Heaven and Earth<br />
against any so-called retaliatory measures. There<br />
need be no illusion on this head. Meantime, if it be<br />
proved that our people suffer sensibly from the Act,<br />
we shall do more by representations made to the<br />
United States Government and its people than by<br />
any fruitless agitation for Protection.<br />
"I would suggest to printers, as a measure of self<br />
defence, that they should join with authors and<br />
insist upon a clause in authors' agreements, binding<br />
the publisher to produce an English-manufactured<br />
book. I can assure them beforehand of the<br />
sympathy of authors, and of their rooted antipathy<br />
to American spelling. All we have to do is to insert<br />
that clause. If a book is worth copyrighting in<br />
America, it is certainly worth setting up in both<br />
countries."<br />
In order to get an approximate idea of what<br />
new English books are likely to take out Copyright<br />
in America, let us run through the lists of the<br />
advertisements in the last number of the At/iencettm.<br />
It is true that it is a very bad time for new books,<br />
and that the list is extremely scanty, but it will<br />
serve our purpose to a certain extent.<br />
The first, taking the publishers in their order<br />
as they appear in the advertisement columns, is<br />
the list of Messrs. Osgood, Mellvaine, and Co.<br />
Ten books are in this list. Of these, seven<br />
appear to be by Americans. There remain<br />
three, viz., two by Oscar Wilde and one by<br />
Thomas Hardy. Both these books would want<br />
Copyright in the States. Next comes the<br />
list of Messrs. Methuen. Here are works by<br />
Norris, M. Betliam Edwards, Edna Lyall, S. Baring<br />
Gould, W. Clark Russell, and Walter Pollock, all<br />
of which would take out Copyright. There are<br />
four books on social and political economy; two<br />
biographies of religious leaders; two books of<br />
poems; and a critical study on George Meredith.<br />
Result: out of nineteen books, six would be copy-<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 89 (#493) #############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
89<br />
righted in the States. The list of Smith and<br />
Elder shows six books, of which three novels (by<br />
Anstey, Norris, and Gissing) and one biography<br />
—that of Robert Browning, by Mrs. Sutherland<br />
Orr—would be copyrighted.<br />
The list of Macmillan contains sixteen books,<br />
mostly new editions. I should judge that six of<br />
these would be published in the States. Chapman<br />
and Hall advertise eleven books. If these were all<br />
new books, three would certainly be copyrighted.<br />
Of nine books advertised by Bentley, two would<br />
certainly be copyrighted. Of fifteen advertised by<br />
Hurst and Blackett, I do not think that more than<br />
two would find it necessary to be copyrighted.<br />
This, however, does not include their " Standard<br />
Library " which is also advertised. Longman's list<br />
contains eleven books, only two of which seem<br />
likely to be in demand in America. Sampson<br />
Low's list of five includes two—William Black's<br />
last novel and the "Life of Gladstone"—which<br />
would certainly be copyrighted. Clowes has a list of<br />
law books which we may pass over. Then follow<br />
a few books separately advertised. They are seven<br />
in miml>er, and one at least—Leland's "Heine"<br />
would be copyrighted. Then follows Arrowsmith's<br />
list of shilling books, all of which, I suppose, would<br />
be copyrighted as they came out. But with old<br />
lists we are not concerned. The result is that<br />
25 per cent, would be copyrighted. But then we<br />
must remember that a great many of these are<br />
new editions of successful books. Let us wait till<br />
October, when the great rush of new books appear.<br />
Then we shall lx; able to form a closer estimate of<br />
the proportion. But—and this is a very important<br />
point— nearly all the books selected are in English<br />
form, and would always be printed in that form.<br />
Moreover, they are for the greater part written by<br />
authors of so much eminence that the saving of<br />
the initial cost of composition need not be reckoned.<br />
Let us next turn to some American paper, and<br />
find out, if we can, the kind of book likely to be<br />
wanted in both countries. I have before me a<br />
number of the New York Nation, which is half<br />
literary, half political. The book advertisements<br />
are not very numerous, but they are suggestive.<br />
Professor Henry Brummond's works are reprinted<br />
in full. Mona Caird's new novel "A Romance of<br />
theMoors": Jerome's works in full: Mrs. Oliphant's<br />
"Life of Laurence Oliphant": the University<br />
Extension "Manuals": Russell's "Life of Glad-<br />
stone ": Munro's "Grammar of the Homeric<br />
Dialect": Frederick Locker Sampson's "Lyra<br />
Elegantiarum": Herbert Spencer's "Plea for<br />
Lilx-rty '': Oscar Wilde's "Intentions"; appear<br />
either in the advertisements or in the book notices.<br />
We, do not look in the Nation for lists of novels,<br />
but we observe that the Tauchnitz books are adver-<br />
tised for sale. I suppose that the result of the new<br />
Act will be to stop the sale in America of any<br />
new additions to the " Baron's" list.<br />
IV.<br />
Opinion of Sin Horace Davey.<br />
Extract from Cask of Questions put. to Sir<br />
Horace Davey, Q.C., and Mr. James Rolt,<br />
and their Opinion thereon.<br />
1. Whether section i3 of the American Copy-<br />
right Act will lie satisfied as regards Great Britain<br />
so as to enable English authors to obtain Copyright<br />
in the United States by (a) the present state, of<br />
the English law, or (6) the Berne Convention?<br />
2. What may be considered the date of first<br />
publication of a book as recognised by the English<br />
courts of law, whether the English courts would<br />
consider the hour as well as day of publication, and<br />
whether any suggestion can be made as to keeping<br />
impartial evidence of the date of first publication of<br />
an English book?<br />
3. Whether a publication by an American<br />
publisher, wrongfully claiming to be proprietor<br />
of an English book would prevent the English<br />
author from publishing subsequently and obtaining<br />
Copyright?<br />
4. How far will English authors be entitled to<br />
American Copyright in alterations or revisions of,<br />
or additions to, their books previously published in<br />
the States under section 5 of the American Bill,<br />
and will they be entitled to this Copyright in cases<br />
where they have absolutely ]»rted with their<br />
English Copyright in such alterations, revisions, or<br />
additions, or in the books to which they relate?<br />
5. Whether the publication by an English<br />
dramatist in the United States under the present<br />
Bill of a drama as to which he has already granted<br />
performing rights in the States will interfere with<br />
such rights?<br />
Opinion.<br />
1. Notwithstanding the decision of the House of<br />
Lords under the Statute 8 Anne c. 19 in Jeffreys v.<br />
Boosey, 4 H.L.C. 815, we are of opinion that<br />
under the present statute the benefit of Copyright<br />
in books is conferred on aliens upon substantially<br />
the same basis as on British authors (see per Lords<br />
Cairns and Westbury in Routledgex. Lowe, L.R. 3<br />
H.L. 100), and that, therefore, section i3 of the<br />
American Copyright Act should in respect of books<br />
be satisfied as regards Great Britain by the present<br />
state of the English law. Whether section i3 of<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 90 (#494) #############################################<br />
<br />
9°<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
the American Copyright Act is satisfied, however,<br />
depends on the construction which the President<br />
or the American courts may give to that section.<br />
It will be observed that the Act applies to Copy-<br />
right not only in books but also in engravings,<br />
prints, photographs, paintings, Ac. If section i3<br />
be construed as not giving Copyrights of any kind<br />
to aliens unless the foreign country gives to citizens<br />
of the United States the benefit of Copyright in all<br />
these subjects (as we think is the probable con-<br />
struction) it must be observed that by 25 & 26 Vict,<br />
c. 68. s. 1, Copyright in paintings, drawings, and<br />
photographs is confined to British subjects or<br />
authors resident in the dominions of the Crown,<br />
and therefore in that case section i3 is not satisfied.<br />
If, however, the section can be read distributively,<br />
we think it is satisfied as regards books within the<br />
meaning of 5 & 6 Vict. c. 45, and musical and<br />
dramatic compositions. It should also be satisfied<br />
by the Berne Convention if adopted by the United<br />
States.<br />
2. The date of first publication of a book as<br />
recognised by the English courts is, in our opinion,<br />
the date upon which the book is first offered to the<br />
public generally. The court will not, as a rule,<br />
consider fractions of a day, and we see no reason<br />
why that rule should be departed from in ascer-<br />
taining the date of first publication. We are unable<br />
to offer any suggestion as to the manner in which<br />
impartial evidence of the date of first publication<br />
can be secured. The question is in each case one<br />
of fact which must, if necessary, be established by<br />
the evidence of the publisher or his agent.<br />
3. We understand this question to refer to<br />
obtaining American and not English Copyright,<br />
and it therefore depends on the construction which<br />
the American courts may place on the American<br />
Act. In our opinion the publication referred to<br />
in section 3 of the American Act is publication by<br />
or with the consent of the person entitled to Copy-<br />
right under section 1, and we do not think that an<br />
English author would be prevented from obtaining<br />
Copyright by a prior wrongful publication made<br />
without his authority or consent. Whether publi-<br />
cation by a person who had purchased advanced<br />
sheets from the author would be wrongful must<br />
depend upon the terms on which the sale was<br />
made.<br />
4. English authors will, in our opinion, be<br />
entitled to American Copyright in alterations,<br />
revisions, or additions to their books previously<br />
published in the States, unless the additions form<br />
part of a series or of a work published in parts in<br />
course of publication at the time when the Act<br />
takes effect. Where an author has already parted<br />
with his English Copyright in such alterations or<br />
additions, or in the books to which they relate, he<br />
would not, in our opinion, 1*3 entitled to American<br />
Copyright unless under some special agreement or<br />
reservation in his favour.<br />
5. Publication by an English dramatist in the<br />
United States under the present Act would not,<br />
in our opinion, interfere with performing rights<br />
previously granted by him. The right of repre-<br />
sentation in a dramatic work for which Copyright<br />
has been obtained is expressly protected by sec-<br />
tion 4966 of the revised American statutes, and<br />
any performing rights granted by the author would<br />
after publication take effect under that provision.<br />
Hoiiace Dave v.<br />
Lincoln's Inn, J. Bolt.<br />
3oth June 1891.<br />
V.<br />
Statement by Sib Michael Hicks-Beach.<br />
The President of the Board of Trade recently<br />
received, on the subject of the recent American<br />
Copyright Act, a large and representative deputation<br />
from the London Chamber of Commerce, and a<br />
great number of Trade Societies. The Members<br />
of Parliament present were Sir John Lubbock, Sir<br />
Albert Rollit, and Mr. Broadhurst.<br />
Sir John Lubbock, in introducing the depu-<br />
tation, said that the matter upon which they came<br />
before the President of the Board of Trade was<br />
one as to which there was no difference of opinion<br />
between capital and labour, between employers and<br />
employed. It was not a matter which affected one<br />
part of the country as against the interests of<br />
another part. London and the provinces were all<br />
alike interested in the subject. Whilst the depu-<br />
tation were glad that English authors should<br />
receive the just reward of their labours in America,<br />
they thought that might be done without interfering<br />
with other very considerable interests which were<br />
affected. It was admitted that the American Copy-<br />
right Law, as it now stood, would very much dis-<br />
courage the production of books, photographs, and<br />
works of that character in this country, and tend<br />
to carry all that business into America. It was<br />
quite necessary, while giving protection to English<br />
authors, to do so without affecting other interests,<br />
and a Bill had been drafted and carefully con-<br />
sidered by the London Chamber of Commerce,<br />
with the objects of which they hoped to have the<br />
sympathy of the Government.<br />
Mr. Clowes (Chairman of the Printing and<br />
Allied Trades Association) said the American<br />
Copyright Act granted Copyright on the condition<br />
that a book was printed from type set up in<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 91 (#495) #############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
America; consequently, all authors who thought<br />
their books worth reading (and what author did<br />
not ?) would desire to have them printed in<br />
America, so as to receive Copyright there, with the<br />
result that a large quantity of work which had<br />
hitherto been done in England would in future be<br />
done in America, and a large number of operatives<br />
in this country would be thrown out of work. In<br />
order to prevent that, it was proposed that a short<br />
Bill should be passed, granting English Copyright<br />
to all books printed within a country belonging to<br />
the International Copyright Union. Such a<br />
measure would not in any way injure the Americans,<br />
it would to a very small extent affect authors, and<br />
at the same time it would confer a great benefit<br />
upon a large number of persons in this country.<br />
They would hesitate to propose such a measure if<br />
it would in any way increase the price of teoks;<br />
but the cost of printing generally was higher in<br />
America than in England, so that no advantage<br />
would be gained by the community in England if<br />
books were printed in America instead of in<br />
England. Many trades were concerned in the<br />
manufacture of a book, all of which woidd be<br />
injured unless some such measure as that proposed<br />
was passed. The trades principally concerned were<br />
represented there that day both by employers and<br />
employed, and would lay their views before Sir<br />
Michael Hicks-Beach.<br />
Representatives of various trades spoke.<br />
Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, in reply, said:—■<br />
Let me understand clearly what it is that you do<br />
propose. I take it that ithis is the practical clause<br />
of your Bill: "Any person shall be entitled by the<br />
Copyright Act, 5th and 6th Victoria, cap. 45, to<br />
Copyright in any book in the English language,<br />
photograph, chromo, or lithograph, if it is first or<br />
simultaneously published within the British do-<br />
minions, and printed from type set within a country<br />
belonging to the International Copyright Union,<br />
or from plates made therefrom, or from negatives<br />
or drawings on stone made therein, or from<br />
transfers made therefrom, but not otherwise."<br />
Have you taken legal advice whether, supposing<br />
that were law at the present moment, the American<br />
citizens would be in the same position in England<br />
as the subject of England is now in the United<br />
States, because that seems to me a very important<br />
question?<br />
Sir A. Rollit.—The Council of the Chamber<br />
of Commerce have not been advised on that point,<br />
but it has teen assumed that the object of this Act<br />
was so, and that it carried out anil placed the<br />
British subject in that position.<br />
Sir Michael Hicks-Beach.—You will observe<br />
that it is not the same as the American Act. It<br />
differs from it. in very many particulars, and that<br />
is a point which anybody proposing to introduce<br />
such a measure as this should advise himself upon.<br />
Sir A. Rollit.—There is no intention to gain<br />
an advantage: equality is equity.<br />
Sir Michael Hicks-Beach.—You see the im-<br />
mediate result would be, that we should lose for<br />
our authors the advantage which the American Act<br />
would give them. Then there is another question.<br />
The American Act has a clause in it prohibiting<br />
the importation into the United States of any book<br />
or photograph, or plates, &c., with certain ex-<br />
ceptions. Now, you have no proposal of that kind-<br />
Do you intend it, or not? Because, if you do not<br />
intend it, it seems to me that it would be not a<br />
very difficult matter entirely to evade the provisions<br />
of the Act, and that the reason for the insertion of<br />
the clause in the American Act was that they were<br />
quite aware of that fact, and advisedly put it in. I<br />
thought it right to call your attention to these two<br />
points, because they are both important. But<br />
perhaps now I may make a few general observations<br />
on what the deputation has said. I quite appre-<br />
ciate the importance of this deputation, and the<br />
varied interests that it represents; and the fact<br />
also which has teen alluded to by more than one<br />
speaker, that in those industries employers and<br />
employed are in this matter of one mind. I do not<br />
think that we ought to exaggerate the possible<br />
operation of the American Act on the publishing<br />
and printing business of this country. I believe<br />
that that business may be said to be mainly a news-<br />
paper and magazine business; and also there is,<br />
of course, all the official and judicial printing, and<br />
prospectuses and reports of companies, posters,<br />
bills, and all kinds of circulars that come to us by<br />
post, all those things, the great mass of printing<br />
and publishing in this country, are absolutely<br />
outside the operation of the American Copyright<br />
Act. What is really in question is the printing<br />
and publishing trade so far as books are printed.<br />
I think that is so.<br />
Mr. Drummond.—Yes, and nothing more.<br />
Sir Michael Hicks-Beach.—I am advised that<br />
that is not more than 5 per cent, of the printing<br />
business. (No, no.) That is the estimate that<br />
has teen given to me, and therefore I do not think<br />
that we ought to look upon this question as it has<br />
teen rather represented by people here, and cer-<br />
tainly by people out of doors, as if the whole<br />
papermaking industry would be ruined, by any<br />
possibility, or the whole publishing trade. No<br />
doubt those industries may be affected, but the<br />
question is, How much will they be affected? You<br />
here think that they will be very largely affected,<br />
and other people have taken different views. One<br />
or two statements have teen made to-day by<br />
speakers who support the view that, they will be<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 92 (#496) #############################################<br />
<br />
92<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
largely affected. I think that something, at any<br />
rate, of the suspension of business and the want<br />
of employment should rather point to the fact that<br />
people are hesitating what to do, l>eeausc they were<br />
uncertain whether the American Act would be<br />
applied to English authors or not; and now that<br />
that point is settled we shall be better able to see,<br />
after the lapse of a reasonable time, what the effect<br />
of the American Act will be. I should 1« very<br />
sorry to-day to express any definite opinion as<br />
to what it may be necessary to do in this matter;<br />
but this I must Bay, that I do not think that the<br />
time has yet come for legislation. We do not<br />
exactly see; we cannot tell what the effect of the<br />
Act may be, much less can we tell in what precise<br />
point it may pinch us, if it does pinch us at all; and<br />
what would be the best, way to deal with this point.<br />
I think I put two questions to-day which may give<br />
cause for reflection as to the particular proposal<br />
that you have made; and I must add that it does<br />
raise principles of considerable importance; and<br />
although I am far from saying that the Parliament<br />
of this country might not be driven by a policy of<br />
this kind on the part of foreign countries to do<br />
something which may be in contravention of<br />
economical principles which have been long held<br />
here, yet I think it would be only at the very last<br />
resort, and that we should see our way as to the<br />
successful issue of any move in that direction<br />
before we make up our minds to do it. I do not<br />
know that I have anything to add beyond an<br />
assurance that I will lay before my colleagues<br />
what has passed to-day, anil the whole matter will<br />
have our attention, and an)' information bv those<br />
present or by any other persons connected with the<br />
printing anil publishing trade which may show the<br />
effect of the American Act upon that trade will<br />
have our most careful consideration.<br />
Sir John Lubbock having thanked the right<br />
hon. gentleman, the deputation withdrew.<br />
The Times, Thursday, July 16th, 1891.<br />
VI.<br />
Answer to Questions.<br />
In answer to Mr. Julian Corbett's two questions<br />
in the June numl>er of the Author, I think that,<br />
to secure American Copyright, there can be no<br />
question that every book, even if containing only a<br />
dramatic composition, must be printed from type<br />
set within the States. This proviso will be rigidly<br />
enforced by the American authorities, and clearly<br />
a dramatic composition is a book within the meaning<br />
of the Revised Statute. With regard to the second<br />
question, the performing right of a copyright<br />
dramatic composition is clearly protected. But<br />
the common law of the United States, the require-<br />
ments of the common law had, therefore, better be<br />
still observed just as if the Act had not passed.<br />
Dramatists would be acting very foolishly if they<br />
neglected to secure the invaluable advantages<br />
conferred upon them by American common law.<br />
Statute law is not an unmixed blessing, and of this,<br />
Title Sixty, Chapter Three, of the Revised Statutes<br />
of the United States promises to prove both an<br />
example and a warning.<br />
X. Y. Z.<br />
<br />
CORRESPONDENCE.<br />
I.<br />
New Grub Street.<br />
"~\ /I ®* Andrew Lang, writing from Olympian<br />
Yl Heights, is a peculiarly irritating person<br />
to a poor devil like me, who happens<br />
to be making a somewhat lengthy stay in a back<br />
slum off New Grub Street. Mr. Lang does not<br />
believe that there is such a place as New Grub<br />
Street, which Mr. Gissing has drawn with so much<br />
fidelity and power; and says that if there were such<br />
a place, the inmates thereof should cultivate their<br />
sense of humour and liveliness on a little bread<br />
and less butter. Now, is it not a little too bad<br />
of one who moves presumably in a world of<br />
prosperous publishers, omnipotent editors (to most<br />
of whose funerals I would cheerfully contribute),<br />
and superior litterateurs—to express the opinion<br />
that because he knows nothing of the world<br />
which Mr. Gissing depicts, he is inclined to<br />
think it does not exist? Does Mr. Lang know<br />
anything, for instance, about the habits and<br />
existence of the unattached journalist? This<br />
unhappy being may be in possession of the<br />
greatest sobriety, industry, and sense of humour.<br />
He may also possess a fair amount of brains,<br />
but, like a large number of his companions in<br />
New Grub Street, he has not been lucky enough<br />
to get on to the regular staff of a paper. The<br />
excessive amount of nervous energy and physical<br />
exertion that a man in this situation is compelled<br />
to expend is out of all proportion to his gain, and<br />
results in nine cases out of ten in drink, or a break<br />
down in health. To earn, say, £i or £4 a week,<br />
he must be ever on the alert to get hold of news,<br />
race over London for copy to write up, attend a<br />
day of functions without a chance of getting any<br />
food, reach home dead weary, only to know that he<br />
must write out his notes without delay. And all<br />
with the pleasing consciousness that his day's<br />
earnings will amount to some 12s., nothing Wing<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 93 (#497) #############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
93<br />
allowed for shoe leather, ink, or paper. It<br />
may be urged that this is an exceptional ease,<br />
but it is nothing of the sort, and represents the<br />
average unattached journalist, to say nothing of<br />
the British Museum literary hack, whose unsuccess<br />
is invariably and very unjustly attributed to<br />
irregular habits or drink. In addition, what of<br />
the horror of a slack season, when nothing is going<br />
on except the unhappy journalist's appetite?<br />
What of the MSS. rejected, one after another,<br />
liecause members of the staff of the paper have<br />
forestalled outsiders? What of the unexpected<br />
collapse of the "column," which brings in the<br />
modest sum of one guinea weekly? What of the<br />
man who translates? But Mr. Lang bids us<br />
cultivate our sense of humour. Well, we try to,<br />
but we do not find that this materially aids us<br />
in the payment of our washing bill. And as<br />
to the lightheartedness of Miirger's young men,<br />
it is delightful; but as their poverty never seems<br />
to have stood in the way of their having a<br />
bottle of wine when they wanted it, and as they<br />
give us no information as to how they eluded<br />
their rent day, the ordinary householder who has to<br />
pay up punctually finds it all entertaining, but<br />
puzzling. If Mr. Lang would like some practical<br />
acquaintance with the disagreeable side of ink-<br />
spilling, perhaps he would change places with me<br />
for a few days. I would not undertake to fill his<br />
place, but I venture to think I should find the<br />
steering of his ship less arduous and thankless than<br />
that of mv own little bark."<br />
X.<br />
II.<br />
The Rev. William Shakspeare.<br />
In last number of the Author, a contributor<br />
speculates regretfully upon the very different world<br />
which we might now enjoy, had Shakspeare<br />
devoted his life to theology. For myself, I feel<br />
thankful that he did not thus employ his genius.<br />
As a professional theologian, several careers were<br />
open to him, c.p.:—<br />
1. To win orders in the Anglican Church,<br />
publish a profound treatise upon theologv<br />
—now read only by a few antiquaries, and<br />
die Archbishop of Canterbury.<br />
2. To migrate to the Continent, fall into the hands<br />
of the Inquisition, and be now known, in<br />
martyrology, as St. William.<br />
3. To 'vert to Rome, be elevated to the Chair of<br />
St. Peter, and be known in history as Pope<br />
Benvenuto the First.<br />
4. To Iwcome a free-lance, and die an agnostic.<br />
No mere man, even Shakspeare, was ever capable<br />
of fully " revealing revelation," or even of bringing<br />
it permanently nearer to the masses of mankind,<br />
and less so, if born in our land three centuries ago.<br />
For one thing, no tongue has yet been evolved<br />
upon our planet fit to express without ambiguity<br />
the thoughts and precepts of the highest minds and<br />
purest souls of the human race, and, still lacking<br />
this, even Shakspeare cannot dispense with sectarian<br />
commentators, to help to reveal his own natural<br />
revelation.<br />
I venture to affirm that had he essayed a still<br />
higher plane of thought, his works would have been<br />
even more unintelligible to the "common people."<br />
In the process, he might have revealed to us much<br />
more of his own inner self than he has ever done;<br />
but, failing the pre-existence of a language, ex<br />
pressive enough for his genius, for the subject, and<br />
for his lowest, disciples, Shakspeare might have<br />
become an even wiser man, but we should—as a<br />
race—be now the poorer.<br />
Thank heaven, say I, that he did not become<br />
a " priest"!<br />
PlIINLAY Gl.EXELU.<br />
I have been trying to imagine William<br />
Shakespeare "leaving his mark as a professed<br />
theologian" with something approaching a<br />
shudder. To wish one " Born for the universe"<br />
to " narrow his mind" "and to" churches " give<br />
up what was meant for mankind," perhaps even to<br />
reach such supreme eminence as would entitle him<br />
to declare authoritatively whether side means end,<br />
and whether north is identical with west, and why<br />
both are important, seems in an artistic sense little<br />
less than profane.<br />
What more than many things calls for reverence<br />
in ShakesjH!ivre is his serene impartiality. He<br />
presents us with every kind of human aspect, good<br />
and bad, noble and degraded, intellectual and<br />
spiritual, devout and doubting, chaste and licentious,<br />
gentle and brutal, and he as often as not lets each<br />
plead in its own justification. Moreover, he never,<br />
in matters supernatural, takes what may lie called<br />
a " side," or treats them otherwise than as material<br />
for art. So much so, indeed, that we find it<br />
difficult, if not impossible, to find out what his<br />
own religion, if any, was.<br />
Could a clergyman even of the " noble Church of<br />
England" consistently have done that?<br />
What would poor Jack Falstaff be in the hands<br />
of the Right Rev. W. Shakespeare, D.D., S.T.P.?<br />
But without that portly knight where, in the name<br />
of near three centuries of honest English laughter,<br />
should tee be?<br />
And would not that delightful little piece of<br />
frailty and falsehood, Cressida, have become a<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 94 (#498) #############################################<br />
<br />
94<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
penitent or an awful example, either of which<br />
would hopelessly spoil her?<br />
Furthermore, if this be not so, let it be other-<br />
wise; that is, let the Rev. W. Shakespeare treat<br />
things and persons Shakespearianly (pace the<br />
dictionary), and how would the noble Church of<br />
England treat him? It happens that there was<br />
a great man, not quite contemporary with Shake-<br />
speare, whose works we know Shakespeare to have<br />
read and seemingly enjoyed, who was "directed to<br />
the priestly office " in early life, and occupied it in<br />
connexion, I think, with a parish called Meudon at<br />
one time; but we do not recollect that his own or<br />
any other Church appreciates that Vales as keenly<br />
as we could wish.<br />
While we are about it, we may as well wish that<br />
one C. Marlowe, M.A., of Benet College, had taken<br />
orders, and then we should have been spared the<br />
distress of reading much of Hero and Leander, to<br />
say nothing of the translations from Ovid (inter<br />
respectabilcs hand nominandd), and how much<br />
happier we should all be then!<br />
Seriously, Shakespeare gave us the revelation lie<br />
had to give of the lives and minds of men and<br />
women, and there is none like it. The revelation<br />
of what is above anil beyond men and women is<br />
not given to any capacity of reason, however<br />
godlike, and, personally, I am thankful to fall back<br />
on the fact that Shakespeare was and did what we<br />
know he did and was. He knew best. This with<br />
all courtesy to the writer, and interest in the writing<br />
of " If Shakespeare had lieen Priest."<br />
John Hill.<br />
III.<br />
Presentation Copies.<br />
Regarding the presentation of copies of works to<br />
newspapers, it has always appeared to me that it is the<br />
object of newspapers to chronicle events, and their<br />
duty to do so if they would not belie their name.<br />
Though, to carry out this object, they go to vast<br />
expense in the matters of special correspondents,<br />
telegraphic messages, &c, yet, when it comes to<br />
reporting on a book or a play or other show, they<br />
expect to have the first given to them, and to re-<br />
ceive free admission to the latter. Why should this<br />
be? Is it not as much a part of their duty to<br />
record the production of a book or a play, as a fire<br />
or a divorce case? Certainly, to the latter they<br />
have free access; but why should books and admis-<br />
sions to plays and shows be given to them? It is<br />
the duty of newspapers to gather news. Why,<br />
then, should publishers and lessees of places of<br />
amusement perform part of their duty for them?<br />
It is certainly to their advantage to have the things<br />
they bring out brought to the knowledge of the<br />
public by means of notices in the press; but, if this<br />
kind of publicity were as readily given to new in-<br />
ventions, it would be regarded as giving them an<br />
advertisement. Yet a new invention is as much an<br />
event as a new literary work. Why should not<br />
newspapers gather their own news, as much in the<br />
literary sphere as in others? Why should not they<br />
pay for the books they intend to review, and for<br />
admission to the plays and shows they intend to<br />
notice? Public announcement is usually given<br />
previous to the production of plays &c, and some-<br />
times of books, which is not the case with many<br />
important events instantly reported in the news-<br />
papers; and really it looks like begging a news-<br />
paper to perform its duty, and rewarding it for<br />
doing so, if books and free admissions are given to<br />
it. It cannot be that the public convenience is<br />
enhanced by books, &c. being given to newspaper<br />
proprietors, and though it may be a convenience to<br />
publishers and others to send them, it certainly is a<br />
convenience to newspaper proprietors to receive<br />
them, and for these particular things they should<br />
be as desirous to pay as they are for other means of<br />
obtaining information of public interest.<br />
H. Haes.<br />
[The answer to this note seems to be, that unless<br />
the Editor were supplied with copies of new books<br />
he and all authors would lie at the mercy of the<br />
critic, who would go round the world of Letters<br />
and the outer offices of publishers, begging and<br />
extorting books on the promise of a favourable<br />
review. This would be a tyranny unendurable.<br />
It may be said that a gentleman could not do such<br />
things. If the reviewer had to cadge about in<br />
order to find his own copies for review, very few<br />
gentlemen would be left in the profession. The<br />
extortion of books under promise of a favourable<br />
notice is sometimes done even now. Here followeth<br />
fact. There was a man, about 20 years ago, a<br />
clergyman and the lecturer for a well-known society,<br />
who persuaded a certain geographer that he was a<br />
great man in the London press, and actually got<br />
from him a parcel of atlases, maps, and books on a<br />
promise of favourable notices. He wrote no notices<br />
and he sold the parcel for £z5.—Editou.]<br />
IV.<br />
Payment on Publication.<br />
"The artists who illustrate the authors' work in<br />
magazines are treated with a fairness unknown<br />
to the writers—probably because they are firm<br />
enough to insist upon it. An article upon which<br />
I had spent a fortnight's work, and the material<br />
for which cost money as well as time in the<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 95 (#499) #############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
95<br />
gathering was illustrated by an artist who is a<br />
friend of mine, of about an equal standing in his<br />
profession—perhaps not an exalted standing—with<br />
my own in mine. The drawings were sub-<br />
servient to the text, which, indeed, was quite com-<br />
plete without them, and they cost the artist less<br />
than a week's work. The thing complete, text<br />
and drawings, was offered to a magazine, the pro-<br />
prietors of which expressed themselves willing to<br />
pay £3o for the illustrations and £5 for the text—<br />
about 7,000 words—each amount on their "usual<br />
scale." The article, therefore, will not appear in<br />
that magazine. But my chief object in mentioning<br />
the matter is to draw attention to another thing.<br />
The proprietors of the magazine were kind enough<br />
to warn me that while the drawings would be paid<br />
for at once the text "as usual" would only be<br />
imiil for on publication—if that were 10 years<br />
hence. Of course I know that this is "usual,"<br />
but why? If the artist is paid for his goods upon<br />
delivery why should the author wait until it pleases<br />
the purchaser to put his goods to use? If I buy<br />
a hat the hatter will not wait for his money until<br />
I choose to begin wearing my purchase. Imagine<br />
these worthy gentlemen saying to a compositor,<br />
"Yes, you have been all the week setting up this<br />
article, but you must wait for your wages until we<br />
publish it—in a year's time or so." The com-<br />
positor's union, of course, would never allow such<br />
a " custom of the tra<le" to grow up. Can our<br />
union do nothing to get rid of it?"<br />
M.<br />
V.<br />
Insurance.<br />
There is a statement in the Author, under the<br />
head of "Warning," to the effect that no fire<br />
office will insure a MS. I insured the MS. of<br />
"Rogers and His Contemporaries" in the Union<br />
Office, paying 2s. bd. per cent, on the value, which<br />
I fixed. The insurance covered the risk at my<br />
own house, at the publishers, and at the printers.<br />
P. W. Clatokn.<br />
VI.<br />
On Titles.<br />
"I work for publishers. I have been swindled<br />
by some and sweated by others. At the same time<br />
the publisher has sometimes just cause for com-<br />
plaint.<br />
Here is an instance. Books for Christmas are by<br />
some firms arranged and edited early in the year.<br />
Considerable time, trouble, and money was spent on<br />
our lwok with which I was concerned. Copies—<br />
10,000 in numl)cr—were printed by May. The<br />
travellers go out about June to sell the book, and<br />
are aghast to find that another book with the same<br />
title has just been published. In the last twelve<br />
months I have known three cases like this."<br />
E.<br />
[This is a mischance which has happened often<br />
enough to authors. The best way out of it is to<br />
liave a registry for titles. Another way is to lxi<br />
very careful in the invention of a title.—Editor.]<br />
<br />
FROM GRUB STREET.<br />
ONC E upon a time—and it may not Ik; quite a<br />
past time—a frog when slated by some ill-<br />
conditioned boys, exclaimed, in answer to<br />
their plea, that they did it only "for fun," that,<br />
"if it was fun for them, it was death for him."<br />
And I trust that you will permit me to expand that<br />
exclamation a little in answer to Mr. Lang's jaunty<br />
remark about its being " ouly a battle with snow-<br />
balls at most; that the enemy should learn to keep<br />
his temper; and that it does not signify."<br />
First, slates are not mere idle snowballs. They<br />
kill. They make existence for those for whom it is<br />
already sufficiently difficult, more difficult still, or<br />
impossible. Secondly, slating in Grub Street is not<br />
the unpaid frolic of boys. It is a handsomely paid<br />
business. And frog-stoning is deliberately pre-<br />
ferred to honester work, because it is paid better.<br />
Thirdly, frogs do not lose their temper because slates<br />
fly about, but because they hit. Even frogs think<br />
they have a right to live, so long as they are not<br />
positively noxious. And it seems to them that<br />
insult is added to injury when it is pretended that<br />
slates thrown for pay, and known to hit in vital<br />
parts, are thrown only " for fun."<br />
That many frogs have objectionable ways, I<br />
frankly admit, and doubtless I am myself of the<br />
number. But though objectionable ways may<br />
be corrected by responsible criticism, they arc not<br />
to be corrected by that irresponsible indulgence of<br />
personal likes and dislikes which is Grub Street<br />
criticism, and the best-paid trade in the row—<br />
unfortunately for—<br />
A Frog.<br />
«■•■♦<br />
"AT THE AUTHOR'S HEAD."<br />
MR. Hall Caine, when he delivered his lectures<br />
on the Isle of Man at the Royal Institution,<br />
opened an unexpected mine, rich though<br />
small. He has now put the lectures together and<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 96 (#500) #############################################<br />
<br />
96<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
printed them as a book called "The Little Manx<br />
Nation," and a very interesting book it is. The<br />
lx>ok is divided into three parts—the story of the<br />
Manx Kings, the story of the Manx Bishops, and<br />
the story of the Manx People. A better book in<br />
a small compass we have seldom seen.<br />
Mr. W. Morris Codes contributes an article on<br />
"London and the Housing of the Working<br />
Classes," to the August number of Murrai/s<br />
Magazine.<br />
A serial story, " Miss Merewether's Money," by<br />
Thomas Cobb, author of "On Trust," &c., will<br />
commence in the May number of Household<br />
Words. Messrs. Ward, Lock, & Co. have in the<br />
press a short story, "The House by the Common,"<br />
by the same author.<br />
The first volume of " The Works of Heinrich<br />
Heine," translated by Charles Godfrey Leland, has<br />
been sent to this office by the publisher (Heine-<br />
mann). Charles Leland has long been occupied<br />
with this work. He began something like thirty<br />
years ago making tentative translations of Heine,<br />
who is at once the easiest and the most difficult of<br />
all German writers to translate. The first volume<br />
includes the "Florentine Nights," the "Memoirs<br />
of Herr von Sclmbelewopski, and "Shakespeare's<br />
Maidens and Women "—all prose works.<br />
Mr. Edric Vredenburg's story "The Haunted<br />
House in Berkeley Square," which recently appeared<br />
as a serial in the Weekly Times and Echo, has<br />
now been published in volume form by Messrs.<br />
Trisctiler & Co.<br />
Here is activity! By the same author, produced<br />
in the same month, the following :—<br />
A three-volume novel, viz., "Jardine's Wife."<br />
(Trischler.)<br />
A one-volume novel, viz., "Was He Justified?"<br />
(Griffith, Farran, & Co.)<br />
A book of travels, viz., "In the Land of the<br />
Lion and the Sun." (Ward and Lock.)<br />
A short story, "The Pit Town Coronet."<br />
(Trischler.)<br />
The author is Mr. C. J. Wills.<br />
Mr. J. Stanley Little contributes an article<br />
entitled, "Why Great Britain should buy out<br />
Portugal in East Africa ?" to the current number of<br />
Greater Britain.<br />
We have received a copy of "The Devil and<br />
the Doctor" from the author. It should have been<br />
acknowledged last month, but, with certain other<br />
books, was accidently passed over. Perhaps it is<br />
not too late to say that this is a book to be read.<br />
THE AUTHOR'S BOOKSTALL.<br />
Books FOR SAr.E.<br />
Poetical Sketches of Scarborough. Illustrated<br />
by Engravings of Humorous Subjects. Coloured.<br />
Original Boards. By J. Green and T. Rowlandson.<br />
Second Edition. i8i3.<br />
An Academy for Grown Horsemen, and the<br />
Annals of Horsemanship. By Geoffrey Gambado.<br />
Illustrated with cuts by Rowlandson, &c. Original<br />
Boards. London, 1809.<br />
Among the poetry of the year must be mentioned<br />
William Sharp's "Sospiri di Roma," which was<br />
received in time for notice last month, but was<br />
unfortunately mislaid. Readers of poetry will<br />
please make a note.<br />
We have received and venture to recommend a<br />
novel called "Elsn," by E. McQueen Gray<br />
(Methuen & Co.).<br />
Books FOB Exchange.<br />
Four French l>ooks in a good state of preser-<br />
vation, with Rolande's label on outside covers :—<br />
Horizons Prochains; and, Horizons Celestes.<br />
By'M. de Gasparin.<br />
Souvenirs d'un Garibaldien. By Caraquel.<br />
Garibaldi. By Dumas.<br />
Wanted—Matthew Arnold's "Discourses in<br />
America "; or his " Dramatic and later Poems."<br />
London: Printed by Etbe and Spottiswoode, Printers to the Queen's most Excellent Majesty. | https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/254/1891-08-01-The-Author-2-3.pdf | publications, The Author |