| 509 | https://historysoa.com/items/show/509 | The Author, Vol. 16 Issue 01 (October 1905) | <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.+16+Issue+01+%28October+1905%29"><em>The Author</em>, Vol. 16 Issue 01 (October 1905)</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> | 1905-10-01-The-Author-16-1 | | | | | 1–32 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=89&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=16">16</a> | | | | | | | | | | | <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=76&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=1905-10-01">1905-10-01</a> | | | | | | | 1 | | | 19051001 | Che Huthbor.<br />
<br />
(The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.)<br />
<br />
FOUNDED BY SIR<br />
<br />
WALTER BESANT.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
You. XVI.—No. 1.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
TELEPHONE NUMBER :<br />
374 VICTORIA.<br />
<br />
TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS :<br />
AUTORIDAD, LONDON.<br />
<br />
____ + > —__<br />
<br />
NOTICES.<br />
<br />
—_-—+—_<br />
<br />
OR the opinions expressed in papers that are<br />
K signed or initialled the authors alone are<br />
responsible. None of the papers or para-<br />
graphs must be taken as expressing the opinion<br />
of the Committee unless such is especially stated<br />
to be the case.<br />
<br />
Tux Editor begs to inform members of the<br />
Authors’ Society and other readers of 7’he Author<br />
that the cases which are from time to time quoted<br />
in The Author are cases that have come before the<br />
notice or to the knowledge of the Secretary of the<br />
Society, and that those members of the Society<br />
who desire to have the names of the publishers<br />
concerned can obtain them on application.<br />
<br />
See<br />
List of Members.<br />
<br />
Tux List of Members of the Society of Authors<br />
published October, 1902, at the price of 6d., and<br />
the elections from October, 1902, to July, 1903, as<br />
a supplemental list, at the price of 2d., can now be<br />
obtained at the offices of the Society.<br />
<br />
They will be sold to members or associates of<br />
the Society only.<br />
<br />
RUS GS SEE<br />
<br />
The Pension Fund of the Society.<br />
<br />
Tux Trustees of the Pension Fund met at the<br />
Society’s Offices in April, 1905, and having gone<br />
carefully into the accounts of the fund, decided<br />
to invest a further sum. They have now pur-<br />
chased £200 Egyptian Government Irrigation<br />
Trust 4 per cent. Certificates, bringing the invest-<br />
ments of the fund to the figures set out below.<br />
<br />
Vou. XVI.<br />
<br />
OcroBER ist, 1908.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[PRIcE SIXPENCE.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
This is a statement of the actual stock ; the<br />
money value can be easily worked out at the current<br />
price of the market :—<br />
<br />
Consols 24 %....cceceeccsreeceeceecesenees £1000 0 0<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Thocalk Lioans..<...-.--..--.-:--+-- oe 500 0 0<br />
Victorian Government 3 % Consoli-<br />
<br />
dated Inscribed Stock ............++- 291 19 11<br />
<br />
War Loam .:..-.-.-<...--.) sess 201.9 8<br />
London and North Western 3 % Deben-<br />
<br />
ture SlOCK <.2..--5..0. eee eee ee 250 0 0<br />
Egyptian Government Irrigation<br />
<br />
Trust 4% Certificates . 200 0 90<br />
<br />
Pothl 3.i.055e oe. £2,448 9 2<br />
<br />
Subscriptions, 1905. £ Ss. a,<br />
<br />
Jan. 12, Anonymous : 0 2 6<br />
<br />
June 16, Teignmouth-Shore, the Rev.<br />
Canon. : : : : ol 120<br />
<br />
July 13, Dunsany, the Right Hon. the<br />
Lord . . : ‘ °<br />
<br />
Donations, 1905.<br />
<br />
Middlemas, Miss Jean<br />
<br />
Bolton, Miss Anna<br />
<br />
24, Barry, Miss Fanny .<br />
<br />
27, Bencke, Albert<br />
<br />
. 28, Harcourt-Roe, Mrs.<br />
<br />
Feb. 18, French-Sheldon, Mrs.<br />
<br />
Feb. 21, Lyall, Sir Alfred, P.C.<br />
<br />
Mar. 28, Kirmse, Mrs.<br />
<br />
April19, Hornung, EH. W. .<br />
<br />
May 7, Wynne, C. Whitworth<br />
<br />
May 16, Alsing, Mrs. J. E.<br />
<br />
May 17, Anonymous . :<br />
<br />
June 6, Drummond, Hamilton<br />
<br />
July 28, Potter, the Rev. J. Hasluck<br />
<br />
——___—_—_—<>—_+______—_<br />
<br />
COMMITTEE NOTES.<br />
<br />
ee<br />
HE last meeting of the committee before the<br />
vacation was held on Monday, July 10th,<br />
<br />
at 4 p.m. After the minutes had been<br />
<br />
signed, the election of members was proceeded with.<br />
Nine members and ten associates were admitted to<br />
<br />
Jan.<br />
Jan.<br />
Jan.<br />
Jan.<br />
Jan<br />
<br />
a<br />
Coo.o Cc oOo<br />
<br />
0<br />
<br />
i<br />
mW ONCOCOCOCOCOUAnNe<br />
<br />
2<br />
<br />
bo<br />
OWwkFournorocococe<br />
<br />
0<br />
0<br />
0<br />
<br />
0<br />
2 THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
the lists of the society, bringing the total elections<br />
for the current year up to 137.<br />
<br />
The committee then voted to the chairman the<br />
usual powers to act in cases of emergency during the<br />
vacation.<br />
<br />
Further evidence was placed before the com-<br />
mittee on a matter that had been discussed at a<br />
previous meeting—the general lien claimed by<br />
printers and binders—and counsel’s opinion, which<br />
the Association of Wholesale Stationers had sub-<br />
mitted for their perusal, was carefully considered.<br />
With all the evidence before them the committee did<br />
not see that they would be justified in taking up<br />
the case.<br />
<br />
A curious contract which had been made be-<br />
tween a representative of Messrs. Ward, Lock &<br />
Co., in Melbourne, backed with the authority of<br />
the London house and a member of the society,<br />
together with the correspondence, was read by the<br />
secretary, and the committee decided to print a<br />
full statement of the case in Zhe Author.<br />
<br />
In June the committee decided to take coun-<br />
sel’s opinion on some difficult points of law con-<br />
nected with the publication of an author’s work and<br />
an author's name. ‘This opinion was read. As it<br />
<br />
was distinctly adverse to the claims of the author,<br />
the committee, agreeing with counsel’s opinion,<br />
regretted that they were unable to take action on<br />
<br />
behalf of the author.<br />
<br />
The secretary of the George Crabbe Celebration<br />
had expressed a wish in a letter laid before the<br />
committee that the society should be formally<br />
represented. The celebration would be held at<br />
Aldeburgh in September. The committee decided<br />
to ask Mr. Austin Dobson and Mr. Edward Clodd<br />
to attend as representatives of the society. Mr.<br />
Clodd has consented to act, but Mr. Austin<br />
Dobson, owing to other engagements, will be<br />
unable to attend.<br />
<br />
There were some other matters either of small<br />
importance or of such a nature as to render it<br />
inadvisable to publish the details at the present<br />
time. Two county court cases were sanctioned<br />
by the chairman during the month of June,<br />
subject to the favourable opinion of the society’s<br />
solicitors, and to their being able to obtain satis-<br />
factory evidence in support of the author’s claim.<br />
<br />
—1 <9<br />
<br />
Cases. :<br />
<br />
SINCE the publication of The Author in July<br />
there have been twenty cases in the secretary’s<br />
hands. This is below the average, but during the<br />
vacation months the business at the office and in<br />
the literary world is quiet. There have been two<br />
cases for infringement of copyright. The first case<br />
the society was unable to take up owing to the fact<br />
<br />
that the advice of the solicitors was against action.<br />
The second case was in Germany, where a publisher<br />
had produced a translation of a story by one of the<br />
members of the society without his sanction or<br />
<br />
contract, and bound it up with other stories not<br />
<br />
written by the member. The statement on the<br />
binding was such as would lead the public to sup-<br />
pose that the whole work was from the pen of the<br />
member whose rights had been infringed. This<br />
case was of some importance, as it occurred out of<br />
England, and there have been recently through<br />
the society’s office other cases in foreign coun-<br />
tries. In answer to an application made by the<br />
secretary the publisher made an offer of a money<br />
payment, which the author had no desire to accept ;<br />
but on the author demanding from the publisher<br />
an ample apology and a promise that the volume<br />
be re-bound in a manner which should not convey<br />
a false impression to the public, the apology was<br />
promptly made and the promise given. This termi-<br />
nation is very satisfactory from every point of view,<br />
for the wider the influence of the society extends<br />
the greater will be the protection which it can<br />
afford to its members.<br />
<br />
There have been twelve cases—almost half the<br />
total number—for money due and unpaid. Of<br />
these nine have been successful, the remaining<br />
three have failed owing to the bankruptcy of the<br />
papers. Two of the claims were against Vanity<br />
Fair, which was in bankruptcy, but which has now<br />
been taken over by Messrs. Harmsworth. Two<br />
claims for accounts were placed in the secretary’s<br />
hands. The accounts have been rendered, and the<br />
money paid. There was one case for money and<br />
accounts under a bankruptcy in the United States.<br />
The progress of bankruptcy proceedings appears to<br />
be as lengthy in the States as in England, and<br />
although the liquidation has been proceeding for<br />
some time, the final settlement has not yet been<br />
completed. Accounts have been rendered, but no<br />
money has been paid. There have been three<br />
cases for the return of MSS. In two the applica-<br />
tion of the secretary has been successful, and it is<br />
hoped that a satisfactory result may be obtained in<br />
the third case also, although it has not yet ter-<br />
minated. One dispute which has occurred with<br />
regard to an agreement, is still in the course of<br />
negotiation.<br />
<br />
The total result therefore may be reckoned satis-<br />
factory, as the majority of cases have been entirely<br />
successful.<br />
<br />
The action takenin the above matters was taken<br />
by the secretary, who conducted the negotiations,<br />
but in three other disputes it has been necessary<br />
to place the conduct in the hands of the society’s<br />
lawyers. One, relating to an infringement of<br />
copyright, is still in course of settlement ; one for<br />
money and accounts has been unfortunately<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
terminated by the bankruptcy of the defendant.<br />
One most important case has been taken in the<br />
French courts. The committee found it necessary<br />
to take counsel’s opinion in the first instance, from<br />
a French lawyer, and finally, counsel’s opinion,<br />
being in favour of action, the matter was placed<br />
in the hands of a French solicitor. The con-<br />
nection between the English Society of Authors<br />
and the Société des Gens de Lettres has enabled<br />
the committee to carry the matter through with<br />
expedition, and it is to be hoped in the end<br />
with a satisfactory result. ‘This connection<br />
enabled the English society to place the case in the<br />
hands of the lawyers of the French society, who,<br />
most conversant with the French copyright law,<br />
are, therefore, the most fitted to take action on<br />
its behalf.<br />
<br />
July Elections.<br />
<br />
Basevi, Col. C. E.. 25, Earl’s Court Square,<br />
<br />
S.W.<br />
Davies, Edwin. . 14, Bridge Street,<br />
Brecon.<br />
Dunsany, The Right Carlton Club.<br />
Hon. The Lord :<br />
Foster, Miss Bertha The Red House, Bar-<br />
Clementia : : ham, Canterbury.<br />
Gouldsbury, H. C. . 2, Brompton Square,<br />
<br />
S.W.<br />
The Manor House Col-<br />
tishall, near Norwich.<br />
<br />
Hachblock, Miss Emily.<br />
<br />
Harvey, Miss Edith M.<br />
Huggard, Dr. W. R. H. B. M. Consul, Davos<br />
Platz, Switzerland.<br />
<br />
8, Mornington Avenue<br />
Mansions, West Ken-<br />
sington, W.<br />
<br />
28, Abingdon Villas,<br />
Kensington.<br />
<br />
115, Strand W.C.<br />
<br />
24, Belsize Park, Hamp-<br />
stead, N. W.<br />
<br />
Kingshurst, Paignton,<br />
South Devon.<br />
<br />
Lee, Miss Elizabeth<br />
<br />
Lynch, Frances<br />
Magdalen<br />
<br />
Magnus, George G. .<br />
<br />
McChesney, Miss Dora<br />
Greenwell<br />
<br />
Morrison, E.W.<br />
<br />
Muir, Ward . Crouch, Boro’ Green,<br />
Kent.<br />
<br />
Murphy, Miss Agnes G. c/o National Bank of<br />
Australasia, 123,<br />
<br />
Bishopsgate Street<br />
Within, E.C.<br />
Potter, The Rev. Canon<br />
J. Hasloch<br />
Toynbee Paget, M.A.,<br />
D, Litt., Oxon.<br />
Yeats, W. B.<br />
<br />
Fiveways,<br />
Bucks,<br />
<br />
18, Woburn Buildings,<br />
Euston Road, N.W.<br />
<br />
Burnham,<br />
<br />
BOOKS PUBLISHED BY MEMBERS OF<br />
THE SOCIETY,<br />
<br />
———+——<br />
<br />
(in the following list we do not propose to give more<br />
than the titles, prices, publishers, etc., of the books<br />
enumerated, with, in special cases, such particulars as may<br />
serve to explain the scope and purpose of the work.<br />
Members are requested to forward information which will<br />
enable the Editor to supply particulars. )<br />
<br />
ARCHITECTURE.<br />
<br />
STONE GARDENS. With practical Hints on the Paving and<br />
Planting of them. By Rose Haiag THOMAS. 143 x 103.<br />
<br />
Simpkin Marshall. 7s. 6d. n.<br />
BIOGRAPHY.<br />
MEL. B. SPuRR. His Life, Works, Writings, and<br />
Recitations. By H. A. SpurR. 74 x 5. 235 pp.<br />
A. Brown.<br />
<br />
LADY KNIGHT’s LETTERS FROM FRANCE AND ITALY,<br />
1776—1795. Edited by Lapy ExLLiotr DRAkg, and<br />
published by A. HUMPHREYS. 10s. n.<br />
<br />
MICHAEL DE MonTAIGNE. By EDWARD DOWDEN, LL.D.<br />
(FRENCH MEN oF LETTERS. Edited by ALEXANDER<br />
Jessup. Lirr.p.) 7? x 5. 383 pp. Lippincott. 6s. n.<br />
<br />
THE LIFE or CHARLES LAMB. Two yols. By E. V.<br />
Lucas. 9 x 6. 400 & 429 pp. Methuen. 21s. n.<br />
<br />
CLASSICAL.<br />
THE GEORGICS OF VIRGIL. Translated<br />
Verse. By LoRD BURGHCLERE.<br />
88 x 7, 195 pp. Murray. 10s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
DRAMA.<br />
<br />
MOLLENTRAVE ON WoMEN. A Comedy in Three Acts. By<br />
ALFRED Surro. 7} x 4$. 86 pp. French. 1s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
ECONOMICS.<br />
THE PRACTICAL BOOK-KEEPER AND ACCOUNTANTS’<br />
Guipr. By JoHN ScouLLER. 84 x 5}. 217 pp.<br />
Simpkin Marshall. 5s.<br />
<br />
EDUCATIONAL.<br />
<br />
Tue LitTtLE Book oF HEALTH AND COURTESY. By<br />
P. A. BARNETT. For Boys and Girls. 6 x 4. 24 pp.<br />
Longmans. 3d.<br />
<br />
Horace. OpESI., IL, III., IV. (Blackie’s Latin Tests.)<br />
Edited by W.H. D.Rouss, Lirr.D. 64 x 44. 125 + 111 pp.<br />
Blackie. 8d. each.<br />
<br />
LittLE Frencu Fork. A First Book in French, for<br />
Little Children. With Illustrations. Second Edition<br />
<br />
into English<br />
Second edition.<br />
<br />
enlarged. Horace Marshall & Son. 9 x 6}. 2s.<br />
First Frence Boor. By D. Mackay and F.J. CURTIS.<br />
7k x 4%. 170 pp. Whittaker. 1s. n.<br />
FICTION.<br />
<br />
HuGH RENDAL. By LIONEL PORTMAN. 7} x 5. 304 pp.<br />
Alston Rivers. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE MAID OF THE RIVER.<br />
7% x 51. 419pp. John Long. 6s.<br />
<br />
A Jay or Iraty. By BERNARD CAPES. 7} x 4.<br />
316 pp. METHUEN. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE ROMANCE OF LOHENGRIN.<br />
Opera. By BERNARD CAPES.<br />
6s.<br />
<br />
THe CONFLICT OF OWEN PRYTHERCH. By WM.<br />
GALLICHAN (“Geoffrey Mortimer ’’). 75 x 43. 300 pp.<br />
Edinburgh : Morton. London: Simpkin Marshall. 6s.<br />
<br />
Fortoune’s Favourite. By KATHERINE TYNAN.<br />
72 x 42. 312 pp. White. 6s.<br />
<br />
By M. 8S. CAMPBELL PRAED.<br />
<br />
Founded on Wagner's<br />
8 x 5}. 271 pp. Dean.<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
PLAYING THE KNAVE. By FLORENCE WARDEN. 7} x 438,<br />
317 pp. Laurie. 6s.<br />
<br />
Mrs. ALLMERE’S ELOPEMENT.<br />
74 x 49. 316 pp. Nash. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE KrnG’s MESSENGER. By Louis TRAcYy. 7% x 43.<br />
312 pp. White. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE EXPLOITS OF JO. SALIS.<br />
WILLIAM GREENER. 7% x 5.<br />
Blackett. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE MARQUIS OF PUTNEY. By RICHARD MAarsuH.<br />
7% x 5. 309 pp. Methuen. — 6s,<br />
<br />
THE WHITE LaDy, By MAY CROMMELIN. 7} x 5. 465 pp.<br />
John Long. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE CONQUERING WILL. By SILAS<br />
74 x 5. 324 pp. Warne. 2s.<br />
<br />
Vivien. By W. B. MAXWELL. 73 x 5.<br />
Methuen. 6s.<br />
<br />
RED 0’ THE FEUD.<br />
342 pp. Werner Laurie. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE LOST PIBROCH AND OTHER SHEILING STORIES. By<br />
NEIL MuNRO. 5th Edition, 74 x 5. 285pp. Black-<br />
wood. 3s. 6d.<br />
<br />
THE PRIDE OF Mrs. BRUNELLE. By ARTHUR H. HOLMES.<br />
T. Burleigh.<br />
<br />
THE FERRYMAN, By HELEN MATHERS. 73 x 5. 309 pp.<br />
Methuen. 6s.<br />
<br />
KNOCK AT A VENTURE. By EDEN PHILLPOTTS. 73 x 5.<br />
312 pp. Methuen. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE QUEEN’Ss MAN. By ELEANOR C. PRICE. 73 x 5.<br />
319 pp. Constable. 6s.<br />
<br />
A HIGHLAND WEB. By L. H.SouvTar. 7} x 5,<br />
Edinburgh ; Morton. 6s.<br />
<br />
STANDERTON UNDER MARTIAL LAw. By EmILy OLIVIA<br />
CAROLIN. 64 x 3%. 171 pp. Drane. 1s.<br />
<br />
THE PATIENT MAN. By PERCY WHITE. 7} x 5. 312 pp.<br />
Methuen. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE PASSPORT.<br />
Methuen. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE HoUsE BY THE RIVER. By FLORENCE WARDEN.<br />
73 x 5. 309 pp. Unwin. 6s.<br />
<br />
A SERVANT OF THE PUBLIC.<br />
7? x 43. 362 pp. Methuen. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE Man. By Bram STOKER.<br />
Heinemann. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE FALL OF THE CARDS.<br />
292 pp. Harper. 6s.<br />
<br />
A Roya Rascau. Episodes in the Career of Colonel<br />
Theophilus St. Clair, K.C.B. By Magor ARTHUR<br />
GRIFFITHS. 74 x 4%. 309 pp. Unwin. 6s.<br />
<br />
A QUAKER Woornc. By Mrs. Frep ReyNoLDS, 73 x 44.<br />
314 pp. Hutchinson. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE MAGNETIC GirL. By RICHARD MarsuH.<br />
126 pp. Long. 6d.<br />
<br />
THE SEVENTH DREAM. By “Riva.”<br />
Hurst & Blackett. 3». 6d.<br />
THE DANGER OF INNOCENCE.<br />
HAMILTON.<br />
<br />
Greening. 1s,<br />
<br />
No. 3, THE SQUARE,<br />
124 pp. Long. 6d.<br />
<br />
STARVECROW Farm. By STANLEY WEYMAN,<br />
345 pp. Hutchinson. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE IMPROBABLE IpYLL. By DoroTHEA<br />
73 x 5. 316 pp. Methuen. 6s.<br />
<br />
A Nine Days’ WonpER. By B. M. Croker. 7<br />
316 pp. Methuen. 6s.<br />
<br />
A MAKER or History. By E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM.<br />
7@ x 5. 315 pp. Ward Lock. 6s.<br />
<br />
Our JosHUA, RADICAL, OCTOGENARIAN, CELEBRITY,<br />
AND Pup-BREEDER, ACCORDING TO ME, HIS WIFE,<br />
Edited by THEODORA WILSON WILSON. 64 x 4, 202 pp.<br />
Bristol : Arrowsmith. 1s,<br />
<br />
By CHARLES MARRIOTT.<br />
<br />
A British Spy. By<br />
296 pp. Hurst &<br />
<br />
K. Hockine.<br />
527 pp.<br />
<br />
By HALLIWELL SUTCLIFFE. 74 x 5.<br />
<br />
298 pp.<br />
<br />
By R. Bagot. 72 x 5}. 399 pp.<br />
By ANTHONY Hope.<br />
7G x 5, 436 pp.<br />
<br />
By R. K. WEEKES. 7} x 5.<br />
<br />
83 x 5B.<br />
<br />
7% x 5. 311 pp.<br />
<br />
A Flippancy. By Cosmo<br />
4g<br />
<br />
Popular Edition. 74 x 299 pp.<br />
<br />
By FLORENCE WARDEN. 83 x 53.<br />
1 x 0.<br />
GERARD,<br />
<br />
xX oOo<br />
<br />
A MAN AND A Motor anp SUBSEQUENTLY A WIFE.<br />
By R. W. BrapsHaw NEEDHAM. Popular Edition.<br />
7; X 5. Clement’s Publishing Co. 6d. n,<br />
<br />
GARDENING.<br />
<br />
coe nts i GARDEN DzsIcn. By C. 'HONGER. (Hand-<br />
ooks of Practical Gardening). 72 x 51. 90 pp. .<br />
2s. 6d. nét. Le ae<br />
CARNATIONS AND Pinks. Edited by E. T. Cook. ( The<br />
Country Life” Library.) 91 x 53. 162 pp. Newnes.<br />
<br />
3s, 6d. n.<br />
HISTORY.<br />
<br />
YEAR Books oF THE REIGN oF KING EDWARD THE<br />
THIRD. Years XVIII. and XIX. Edited and Trans-<br />
lated by LUKE OWEN PIKE. 10 x 6}. 616 pp. Wyman.<br />
<br />
MILITARY.<br />
<br />
WELLINGTON’S CAMPAIGNS, 1808—1815 ; also Moors’s<br />
CAMPAIGN OF CorUNNA, Part IL. 1811—12—13,<br />
Banosa to Vittoria, and Invasion of France. By<br />
MAJOR-GENERAL C, W. ROBINSON, ©.B. 8} x 53. Rees,<br />
Bs. 6d.<br />
<br />
POETRY.<br />
<br />
PoErMs. By AUSTIN Dosson (selected). (Dryden Library.)<br />
6x 4. 184 pp. Kegan Paul. 2s. n.<br />
<br />
DreAM CoME TRUE. By L, Binyon. 28 pp.<br />
The Eragny Press.<br />
<br />
OSRAC, THE SELF SUFFICIENT, By J. M. Stuart Youne.<br />
The Heimes Press. 7s. 6d.<br />
<br />
A NINETEENTH CENTURY IDYLL.<br />
& F. Denny, 147, Strand.<br />
<br />
7k x 44.<br />
<br />
By N. ARLING. A.<br />
ls. 6d. and 3s.<br />
<br />
POLITICAL.<br />
<br />
THE CANADIAN ANNUAL REVIEW OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS,<br />
Fourth year of issue. By J.C. Hopxrns, F.S.S. 9 x 6.<br />
630 pp. Toronto: The Annual Review Publishing<br />
Co. London: P. 8. King. 12s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
REPRINTS.<br />
<br />
DIARY AND LETTERS OF MADAME D’ ARBLAY (1778—1840).<br />
As Edited by her niece Charlotte Barrett, with Preface<br />
and Notes. By Austin Dosson. Insix volumes. Vol. VI.<br />
9 x 5}. 502 pp. Macmillan. 10s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
A SIXTEENTH CENTURY ANTHOLOGY. Edited by ARTHUR<br />
Symons (Red Letter Library). 6 x 4. 468 pp. Blackie.<br />
<br />
THE RED LETTER SHAKESPEARE. Ldited by HE. K-<br />
CHAMBERS. HENRY THE FIFTH. 61} x 33. 141 pp.<br />
Blackie. 1s. 6d.<br />
<br />
THE LABYRINTH OF THE WORLD AND THE PARADISE OF<br />
THE HEART. Edited and Englished by the Counr<br />
Lutzow (Temple Classics). 6 xX 4. 366 pp. Dent.<br />
ls. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
THE REIGN OF QUEEN ANNE. By JUSTIN McCARTHY.<br />
(The St. Martin’s Library Fine Paper Edition.) 64 x 44.<br />
600 pp. Chatto & Windus. 2s. n.<br />
<br />
POEMS OF COLERIDGE. Selected and Arranged with an<br />
Introduction and Notes. By ARTHUR SYMONS. 7 x 44.<br />
223 pp. Methuen. 2s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
SCIENCE.<br />
<br />
PRECIOUS STONES CONSIDERED IN THEIR SCIENTIFIC<br />
AND ARTISTIC RELATIONS. By A, H. CHURCH, F.R.S.<br />
New edition. 73 x 5}. 135 pp. Wyman. 2s. 3d.<br />
<br />
SPORT.<br />
<br />
The Method at a Glance.<br />
9 x 6. 716 pp.<br />
<br />
By G. W.<br />
Macmillan,<br />
<br />
GREAT BATSMEN.<br />
BELDAM and C. B. Fry.<br />
21s, n.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
By G. W. BELDAM AND<br />
<br />
Illustrated.<br />
141 pp. Newnes. 3s. 6d, n.<br />
<br />
83 x 54.<br />
<br />
GoLr FAULTS.<br />
J. H, TAYLOR.<br />
<br />
THEOLOGY.<br />
<br />
THESE SAYINGS OF MINE. A Manual on the Beatitudes<br />
for Christian People. By F. G. LAVERACK. 7% x 5.<br />
144 pp. A. Brown.<br />
<br />
TRAVEL.<br />
<br />
A SRARCH FOR THE MASKED TAWAREKS. By W. J.<br />
Harpine King. 8} x 53. 334 pp. Smith Elder. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE WorRLD OF To-pAy. A Survey of the Lands and<br />
Peoples of the Globe as Seen in Travel and Commerce.<br />
By A. R. Hope MONCRIEFF. Vol. Il. 102: 7:<br />
266 pp. The Gresham Publishing Co. 8s. n.<br />
<br />
A WANDERER IN Houianp. By HE. V. Lucas.<br />
309 pp. Methuen. 6s.<br />
<br />
7% Xx 5.<br />
<br />
—————_e—<>—____—_<br />
<br />
LITERARY, DRAMATIC, AND MUSICAL<br />
NOTES.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
R. ARTHUR W. A BECKETT, who was<br />
<br />
VI elected for the fifth time hon. treasurer<br />
<br />
of the Institute of Journalists at Bourne-<br />
mouth, is engaged upon “a book of recent recol-<br />
lections” to be called ‘*‘ Ihe First T'wentieth of the<br />
Twentieth Century.”<br />
<br />
Messrs. Brown, Langham & Co. published early<br />
last month, Mr. E. H. Lacon Watson’s new volume,<br />
entitled “Reflections of a Householder.” The<br />
price of the work—a limited edition of which,<br />
numbered and signed by the author, and printed<br />
on hand-made paper, has also been published—is<br />
3s. 6d.<br />
<br />
“ Researches in Sinai.” By Prof. W. Flinders<br />
Petrie, gives an account of the recent expedition<br />
with a large working party, which lived in the<br />
desert excavating for some months. The oldest<br />
Egyptian sculptures known are reproduced, the<br />
geology and ancient ruins are described, the only<br />
temple known for Semitic worship was fully<br />
explored and is illustrated in detail, the conditions<br />
of the Exodus are discussed with a new view of the<br />
Israelite census, and the life of the Bedouin of Sinai<br />
and the Egyptian desert is noticed. The book,which<br />
is published by Mr. John Murray, contains about<br />
two hundred illustrations.<br />
<br />
Mr. J. W. Arrowsmith published in August a<br />
book of character and political sketches (1s),<br />
entitled “Our Joshua, Radical, Octogenarian.<br />
Celebrity and Pup-breeder. According to his<br />
wife, and edited by Theodora Wilson Wilson.”<br />
<br />
Mr. G. H. Grierson has been awarded the “ Prix<br />
Volney” by the Institut de France for the<br />
Linguistic Survey of India, and for his last work,<br />
“The Languages of India.” The Société Asiatique<br />
of Paris has simultancously elected him a “ Membre<br />
<br />
5<br />
<br />
months<br />
member<br />
<br />
ago Mr.<br />
<br />
Associé Etranger.” A few<br />
of the<br />
<br />
Grierson was elected an hon.<br />
American Oriental Society.<br />
<br />
Col. R. Elias’ work “ The Tendency of Religion ”<br />
(Chapman and Hall) shows the gradual develop-<br />
inent of mutual understanding with regard to<br />
“religion ” among thinking men of all nations, and<br />
the consequent convergence of the various forms of<br />
religion, and insistence on their good and essential<br />
parts only—hence the very sure, though slow,<br />
decay of myths, narrow dogma, and exclusive<br />
creeds.<br />
<br />
“The Spring’s Approach, and Other Thoughts<br />
of Life” is the title of a collection of poems by<br />
Charles Cowen. The author’s aim has been, by<br />
sudden changes and contrasts of style, to minimise<br />
monotony and weariness in the reading as far as<br />
possible.<br />
<br />
Messrs. Dawbarn and Ward have recently pub-<br />
lished, at the price of 1s, nett, a handbook entitled<br />
<br />
’ “Photography for the Press.” Its purport is to<br />
<br />
instruct the aspirant as to the best markets for<br />
his work, and the best means of obtaining access<br />
to those markets. It contains, in addition, infor-<br />
mation concerning the markets for picture postcard<br />
business.<br />
<br />
«Two Friends of Old England, being Mirabeau<br />
and Gambetta, and J. Bonhomme, in a nutshell, by<br />
‘Saxon Norman’ (Arthur Pavitt and Baron de<br />
Béville),” is the title of a work published by Mr.<br />
Effingham Wilson at the price of 2s. 6d. The<br />
history of the entente cordiale is the main purpose<br />
of the authors. It is traced back to Mirabeau’s<br />
journey to London (1783—1784) where he<br />
sojourned under the roof of Sir Gilbert Elliott,<br />
the future Lord Minto. The letter of the great<br />
orator and statesman to Wilberforce, written in<br />
1790, is given, also the speech of Leon Gambetta,<br />
of July, 1882, bidding his countrymen never to<br />
break the English alliance. The book is prefaced<br />
by Richard Harris, K.C., the editor of the<br />
reminiscences of Lord Brampton.<br />
<br />
The stirring events in Odessa should create a<br />
special interest in two books published not long<br />
ago, the scenes of action in both being in this<br />
Russian port. ‘They are from the pen of Mr.<br />
Jaakoff Prelooker, who was head-master of a<br />
Government school in Odessa, and bear the titles<br />
of ‘ Rabbi Shalom on the Shores of the Black Sea”<br />
(Simpkin, Marshall) and ‘“ Under the Czar and<br />
Queen Victoria: Tne Experience of a Russian<br />
Reformer” (James Nisbet). The author tells of a<br />
reform movement originated by himself in Odessa,<br />
and sheds many side-lights on local life, police,<br />
relations between Christians and Jews, etc. Both<br />
books are fully illustrated, the frontispiece of<br />
“Rabbi Shalom on the Black Sea” being a striking<br />
view of Odessa Harbour, showing the long elevated<br />
1 Raa ALLTEL SAS I I SS RTE A RSTO<br />
<br />
4 THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
PLAYING THE KNAVE. By FLORENCE WARDEN. 7} x 432.<br />
317 pp. Laurie. 6s.<br />
<br />
Mrs. ALLMERE’S ELOPEMENT.<br />
74 x 43. 316 pp. Nash. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE Kine’s MESSENGER. By Louis TRAcy.<br />
312 pp. White. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE EXPLOITS OF JO. SALIS.<br />
WILLIAM GREENER. 7} X 5.<br />
Blackett. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE Marquis OF PUTNEY. By RiIcHARD MARSH.<br />
72 x 5. 309 pp. Methuen. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE WHITE Lapy. By MAY CROMMELIN. 7} x 5. 465 pp.<br />
John Long. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE CONQUERING WILL. By Sinas K.<br />
74 x 5. 324 pp. Warne. 2s.<br />
<br />
Vivien. By W. B. MAXWELL. 7} x 5,<br />
Methuen. 6s.<br />
RED 0’ THE FEUD.<br />
<br />
342 pp. Werner Laurie. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE Lost PIBROCH AND OTHER SHEILING STORIES. By<br />
NEIL Munro. 5th Edition. 74 x 5. 285pp. Black-<br />
wood. 3s. 6d.<br />
<br />
THE PRIDE OF Mrs, BRUNELLE, By ARTHUR H. HOLMEs.<br />
T. Burleigh.<br />
<br />
THE FERRYMAN, By HELEN MATHERS. 73 x 5. 309 pp.<br />
Methuen. 6s.<br />
<br />
KNOCK AT A VENTURE. By EDEN PHILLPOTTS.<br />
312 pp. Methuen. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE QUEEN’S Man. By ELEANOR C, PRICE.<br />
319 pp. Constable. 6s.<br />
<br />
A HIGHLAND WEB. By L. H.Sourar. 73 x 5.<br />
Edinburgh : Morton. 6s.<br />
<br />
STANDERTON UNDER MARTIAL LAw. By Eminy OLIvIA<br />
CAROLIN. 6} x 32. 171 pp. Drane. 1s.<br />
THE PATIENT MAN. By PERCY WHITE. 73 x 5.<br />
Methuen. 6s.<br />
THE PASSPORT.<br />
Methuen. 6s,<br />
THE HOUSE BY THE RIVER.<br />
<br />
7% xX 5. 309 pp.<br />
<br />
A SERVANT OF<br />
7? x 43. 362 pp. Methuen. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE MAN. By BRAM STOKER.<br />
Heinemann. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE FALL OF THE CARDS.<br />
292 pp. Harper. 6s.<br />
<br />
A Roya Rascau. Episodes in the Career of Colonel<br />
Theophilus St. Clair, K.C.B. By Magor ARTHUR<br />
GRIFFITHS. 74 x 4%. 309 pp. Unwin. 6s.<br />
<br />
A QUAKER Wooing. By Mrs. FRED REYNOLDS. 73 x 43.<br />
314 pp. Hutchinson. 6s,<br />
<br />
THE MAGNETIC GirL. By RICHARD MarsH.<br />
126 pp. Long. 6d.<br />
<br />
THE SEVENTH DREAM. By “ RiTA.”<br />
Hurst & Blackett. 3». 6d.<br />
THE DANGER OF INNOCENCE.<br />
HAMILTON.<br />
<br />
Greening. ls.<br />
<br />
No. 3, THE SQUARE.<br />
124 pp. Long. 6d.<br />
<br />
STARVECROW Farm. By STANLEY WEYMAN.<br />
345 pp. Hutchinson. 6s,<br />
<br />
THE IMPROBABLE IDyLL. By DoRoTHEA<br />
73 x 5. 316 pp. Methuen. 6s.<br />
<br />
A NINE Days’ WonpER. By B. M. CRoKER.<br />
316 pp. Methuen. 6s.<br />
<br />
A Maker or History. By E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM.<br />
72 x 5. 315 pp. Ward Lock. 6s.<br />
<br />
Ovr JosHuA, RADICAL, OCTOGENARIAN, CELEBRITY,<br />
AND PUp-BREEDER, ACCORDING TO ME, HIS WIFE.<br />
Edited by THEODORA WILSON WILSON. 64 x 4, 202 pp.<br />
Bristol : Arrowsmith. 1s,<br />
<br />
By CHARLES MARRIOTT.<br />
7% x 43.<br />
<br />
A British Spy. By<br />
296 pp. Hurst &<br />
<br />
HOCKING.<br />
527 pp.<br />
<br />
By HALLIWELL SUTCLIFFE. 74 x 5.<br />
<br />
2x 5.<br />
7% xX 5.<br />
<br />
298 pp.<br />
<br />
312 pp.<br />
By R. Bagot. 72 x 5}. 399 pp.<br />
By FLORENCE WARDEN.<br />
Unwin. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE PUBLIC. By ANTHONY HoPE,<br />
<br />
72 x «5, 436 pp.<br />
<br />
By R. K. WEEKES. 7} x 5.<br />
<br />
8B Xx 5g.<br />
7? x 5. 311 pp.<br />
<br />
A Flippaney. By Cosmo<br />
Popular Edition. 74 x 43. 299 pp.<br />
<br />
By FLORENCE WARDEN, 83 x 53.<br />
73 5<br />
g x by<br />
<br />
GERARD.<br />
<br />
7% x 5.<br />
<br />
A MAN AND A MorTor Anp SUBSEQUENTLY A WIFE.<br />
By R. W. BrapsHAW NEEDHAM. Popular Edition.<br />
7% X 5. Clement’s Publishing Co. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
GARDENING.<br />
<br />
THE Book OF GARDEN DEsiGn. By C. THONGER. (Hand-<br />
books of Practical Gardening). 72 x 54. 90 pp. Lane.<br />
2s. 6d. nét. ;<br />
CARNATIONS AND PINKS. Edited by E. T. Coox. (“ The<br />
oe Life” Library.) 94 x 53. 162 pp. Newnes.<br />
3s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
HISTORY.<br />
YEAR BOOKS OF THE REIGN OF KING EDWARD THE<br />
THIRD. Years XVIII. and XIX. Edited and Trans-<br />
lated by LUKE OWEN PIKE. 10 x 64. 616 pp. Wyman.<br />
<br />
MILITARY.<br />
<br />
WELLINGTON’S CAMPAIGNS, 1808—1815; also MoorrE’s<br />
CAMPAIGN OF CORUNNA, Part II., 1811—12—13.<br />
Banosa to Vittoria, and Invasion of France. By<br />
Hip aes ogee C. W. ROBINSON, C.B. 83 x 53. Rees.<br />
3s. 6d.<br />
<br />
POETRY.<br />
<br />
Poems. By AusTIN Dogson (selected). (Dryden Library.)<br />
6x 4. 184 pp. Kegan Paul. 2s. n.<br />
<br />
DREAM COME TRUE. By L, Bryyon.<br />
The Eragny Press.<br />
<br />
OSRAC, THE SELF SUFFICIENT, By J. M. Stuart Youne.<br />
The Heimes Press. 7s. 6d.<br />
<br />
A NINETEENTH CENTURY IDYLL.<br />
& F. Denny, 147, Strand.<br />
<br />
74 x 43. 28 pp.<br />
<br />
By N. ARLING. A.<br />
1s. 6d. and 3s.<br />
<br />
POLITICAL.<br />
<br />
THE CANADIAN ANNUAL REVIEW OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS,<br />
Fourth year of issue. By J. C. Hopxrys, F.S.S. 9 x 6.<br />
630 pp. Toronto: The Annual Review Publishing<br />
Co. London: P.8. King. 12s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
REPRINTS.<br />
<br />
DIARY AND LETTERS OF MADAME D' ARBLAY (1778—1840).<br />
As Edited by her niece Charlotte Barrett, with Preface<br />
and Notes. By AusTIN Dosson. In six volumes. Vol. VI.<br />
9 x 53. 502 pp. Macmillan. 10s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
A SIXTEENTH CENTURY ANTHOLOGY. Edited by ARTHUR<br />
Symons (Red Letter Library), 6 x 4. 468 pp. Blackie.<br />
<br />
THE RED LETTER SHAKESPEARE. Edited by E. K-<br />
CHAMBERS. HENRY THE FIFTH. 64 x 33. 141 pp.<br />
Blackie. 1s. 6d.<br />
<br />
THE LABYRINTH OF THE WORLD AND THE PARADISE OF<br />
THE HEART. Edited and Englished by the Counr<br />
Lurzow (Temple Classics). 6 x 4. 366 pp. Dent.<br />
ls. 6d, n.<br />
<br />
THE REIGN OF QUEEN ANNE. By JusTIN McCarTHY.<br />
(The St. Martin’s Library Fine Paper Edition.) 6} x 44.<br />
600 pp. Chatto & Windus. 2s. n.<br />
<br />
POEMS OF COLERIDGE. Selected and Arranged with an<br />
Introduction and Notes. By ARTHUR SYMONS. 7 x 44.<br />
223 pp. Methuen. 2s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
SCIENCE.<br />
<br />
PRECIOUS STONES CONSIDERED IN THEIR SCIENTIFIC<br />
AND ARTISTIC RELATIONS. By A. H. CHURCH, F.R.S.<br />
New edition. 7} x 51. 135 pp. Wyman. 2s. 3d.<br />
<br />
SPORT,<br />
<br />
The Method at a Glance.<br />
9 x 6. 716 pp.<br />
<br />
By G. W.<br />
Macmillan.<br />
<br />
GREAT BATSMEN.<br />
BELDAM and C. B. Fry.<br />
21s. n,<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Illustrated. By G. W. BELDAM AND<br />
<br />
FAULTS.<br />
3s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
GOLF<br />
<br />
J.H. Tayutor. 8% x 53. 141 pp. Newnes.<br />
THEOLOGY.<br />
<br />
THESE SAYINGS OF MINE. A Manual on the Beatitudes<br />
for Christian People. By F. G. LAVERACK. 7% Xx 5.<br />
144 pp. A. Brown.<br />
<br />
TRAVEL.<br />
A SRARCH FOR THE MASKED TAWAREKS. By W. J.<br />
<br />
Harpine King. 84 x 5}. 334 pp. Smith Elder. 6s.<br />
THe WoRLD or To-pay. A Survey of the Lands and<br />
Peoples of the Globe as Seen in Travel and Commerce.<br />
102 X 7.<br />
<br />
By A. R. Hope MONCRIEFF. Vol. If.<br />
266 pp. The Gresham Publishing Co. 8s. n. :<br />
<br />
A WANDERER IN HoLuAND. By E. V. LUCAS. 72 xX 5.<br />
<br />
309 pp. Methuen. 6s.<br />
<br />
a<br />
<br />
LITERARY, DRAMATIC, AND MUSICAL<br />
NOTES.<br />
<br />
—1—<—+—<br />
<br />
R. ARTHUR W. A BECKETT, who was<br />
<br />
I elected for the fifth time hon. treasurer<br />
<br />
of the Institute of Journalists at Bourne-<br />
mouth, is engaged upon “a book of recent recol-<br />
lections” to be called “ Ihe First T'wentieth of the<br />
Twentieth Century.”<br />
<br />
Messrs. Brown, Langham & Co. published early<br />
last month, Mr. E. H. Lacon Watson’s new volume,<br />
entitled “Reflections of a Householder.” The<br />
price of the work—a limited edition of which,<br />
numbered and signed by the author, and printed<br />
on hand-made paper, has also been published—is<br />
3s. 6d.<br />
<br />
“Researches in Sinai.” By Prof. W. Flinders<br />
Petrie, gives an account of the recent expedition<br />
with a large working party, which lived in the<br />
desert excavating for some months. The oldest<br />
Egyptian sculptures known are reproduced, the<br />
geology and ancient ruins are described, the only<br />
temple known for Semitic worship was fully<br />
explored and is illustrated in detail, the conditions<br />
of the Exodus are discussed with a new view of the<br />
Israelite census, and the life of the Bedouin of Sinai<br />
and the Egyptian desert is noticed. The book,which<br />
is published by Mr. John Murray, contains about<br />
two hundred illustrations.<br />
<br />
Mr. J. W. Arrowsmith published in August a<br />
book of character and political sketches (1s),<br />
entitled “Our Joshua, Radical, Octogenarian.<br />
Celebrity and Pup-breeder. According to his<br />
wife, and edited by Theodora Wilson Wilson.”<br />
<br />
Mr. G. H. Grierson has been awarded the “ Prix<br />
Volney’”? by the Institut de France for the<br />
Linguistic Survey of India, and for his last work,<br />
“The Languages of India.” The Société Asiatique<br />
of Paris has simultaneously elected him a “ Membre<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 5<br />
<br />
months<br />
member<br />
<br />
ago Mr.<br />
<br />
Associé Etranger.” A few<br />
of the<br />
<br />
frierson was elected an hon.<br />
American Oriental Society.<br />
<br />
Col. R. Elias’ work “ The Tendency of Religion ”<br />
(Chapman and Hall) shows the eradual develop-<br />
ment of mutual understanding with regard to<br />
“religion ” among thinking men of all nations, and<br />
the consequent convergence of the various forms of<br />
religion, and insistence on their good and essential<br />
parts only—hence the very sure, though slow,<br />
decay of myths, narrow dogma, and exclusive<br />
creeds.<br />
<br />
“The Spring’s Approach, and Other Thoughts<br />
of Life” is the title of a collection of poems by<br />
Charles Cowen. The author’s aim has been, by<br />
sudden changes and contrasts of style, to minimise<br />
monotony and weariness in the reading as far as<br />
possible.<br />
<br />
Messrs. Dawbarn and Ward have recently pub-<br />
lished, at the price of 1s. nett, a handbook entitled<br />
<br />
’ “Photography for the Press.” Its purport is to<br />
<br />
instruct the aspirant as to the best markets for<br />
his work, and the best means of obtaining access<br />
to those markets. It contains, in addition, infor-<br />
mation concerning the markets for picture postcard<br />
business.<br />
<br />
“Two Friends of Old England, being Mirabeau<br />
and Gambetta, and J. Bonhomme, in a nutshell, by<br />
‘Saxon Norman’ (Arthur Pavitt and Baron de<br />
Béville),” is the title of a work published by Mr.<br />
Effingham Wilson at the price of 2s. 6d. Phe<br />
history of the entente cordiale is the main purpose<br />
of the authors. It is traced back to Mirabeau’s<br />
journey to London (1783—1784) where he<br />
sojourned under the roof of Sir Gilbert Elliott,<br />
the future Lord Minto. The letter of the great<br />
orator and statesman to Wilberforce, written in<br />
1790, is given, also the speech of Leon Gambetta,<br />
of July, 1882, bidding his countrymen never to<br />
break the English alliance. The book is prefaced<br />
by Richard Harris, K.C., the editor of the<br />
reminiscences of Lord Brampton.<br />
<br />
The stirring events in Odessa should create a<br />
special interest in two books published not long<br />
ago, the scenes of action in both being in this<br />
Russian port. ‘They are from the pen of Mr.<br />
Jaakoff Prelooker, who was _ head-master of a<br />
Government school in Odessa, and bear the titles<br />
of ‘* Rabbi Shalom on the Shores of the Black Sea”<br />
(Simpkin, Marshall) and “Under the Ozar and<br />
Queen Victoria: Tne Experience of a Russian<br />
Reformer” (James Nisbet). The author tells of a<br />
reform movement originated by himself in Odessa,<br />
and sheds many side-lights on local life, police,<br />
relations between Christians and Jews, etc. Both<br />
books are fully illustrated, the frontispiece of<br />
“Rabbi Shalom on the Black Sea”’ being a striking<br />
view of Odessa Harbour, showing the long elevated<br />
6 THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
railway bridge and other buildings burned during<br />
the riots.<br />
<br />
The 15th September was the seventy-sixth birth-<br />
day of a very great man. General Porfirio Diaz<br />
has been President of Mexico for thirty years with<br />
a short interval of four years, when he was out of<br />
office. We understand his life is being written by<br />
Mrs. Alec Tweedie (Hurst and Blackett), whose<br />
former book, ‘‘ Mexico as I Saw It,” was published<br />
three years ago. Mrs.'Tweedie, who was in Mexico<br />
last winter again as the guest of the President, is<br />
compiling this life with his sanction, and from<br />
authentic diaries and documents he placed in her<br />
hands for the purpose. Mrs. Tweedie’s work will<br />
record the life’s history of a man who was born in<br />
obscurity, lived a wildly exciting life as a soldier,<br />
played an important part in the history of Maxi-<br />
milian and Carlotta, and has now assumed the<br />
position of a Perpetual President, and brought his<br />
country from chaos and revolution to peace and<br />
prosperity.<br />
<br />
Messrs. Barnicott and Pearce will publish shortly<br />
a book by the Rev. W. P. Gresswell, under the title<br />
of ‘‘Chapters on the Old Parks and Forests of<br />
Somerset.” The aim of the author has been to<br />
compile a descriptive and historical account of<br />
the Five Forests of Somerset—Mendip, Selwood,<br />
Neroche, North Petherton, and Exmoor, together<br />
with the Royal Warren of Somerton and the Royal<br />
Park (as distinguished from the Forest) of North<br />
Petherton. A few chapters explanatory of hunting<br />
terms and of the methods of hunting as carried on<br />
in former days have been added to the book, the<br />
subscription price of which is 10s. 6d.<br />
<br />
Mr. J. E. Masefield’s book, ‘Sea Life in Nelson’s<br />
Time,” published by Messrs. Methuen & Co.<br />
recently, deals with the life of the bluejacket<br />
aboard our old men-of-war. Hach detail of an<br />
ordinary sailor’s working day is considered, and an<br />
account is also given of the guns and other weapons<br />
which were used in Nelson’s time.<br />
<br />
Miss Rosa Nouchette Carey’s new novel will be<br />
published very shortly under the title of “The<br />
Household of Peter.”<br />
<br />
“A Nineteenth Century Idyll,” by N. Arling,<br />
published by Messrs. A. and F. Denny, upholds the<br />
cause of women morally and politically.<br />
<br />
A story for young people entitled ‘ Love’s<br />
Golden Thread,” by Edith C. Kenyon, is being<br />
published by Messrs. 8. W. Partridge & Oo. The<br />
book appeals especially to girls who have to earn<br />
their own living.<br />
<br />
Mr. Basil Tozer contributes an interesting article<br />
to the September number of the Monthly Review<br />
on “The Increasing Popularity of the Erotic<br />
Novel.”<br />
<br />
Mr. J. M. Barrie, Mr. Almeric FitzRoy, and<br />
Mr. Gilbert Murray, have recently joined the<br />
<br />
council of management of the Stage Society.<br />
Mr. A. E. Drinkwater has been appointed secre-<br />
tary for the coming season. Full particulars of<br />
the society and forms of application for member-<br />
ship can be procured from the office, at 9, Arundel<br />
Street, Strand, W.C. The following comprise the<br />
council of management, 1905-1906 :—J. M. Barrie,<br />
Sidney Colvin, the Hon. Everard Feilding,<br />
Almeric W. FitzRoy, C.V.O., St. John Hankin,<br />
H. A. Hertz, Alderson B. Horne, W. Lee<br />
Mathews, Gilbert Murray, Sydney Olivier, C.M.G.,<br />
Nigel Playfair, Mrs. W. P. Reeves, Bernard Shaw,<br />
Mrs. Bernard Shaw, Charles Strachey, Bernard<br />
Watkin, Frederick Whelen, Ernest E. 8S. Williams,<br />
and W. Hector Thomson, honorary treasurer.<br />
<br />
Messrs. Constable & Co. announce the publica-<br />
tion of ‘The Burford Papers,” under the editorship<br />
of the Rev. W. H. Hutton. The correspondence<br />
between Samuel Crisp—whose failure as a dramatist<br />
caused him to become, to quote Macaulay, “a<br />
cynic and a hater of mankind ”—and his sister,<br />
Mrs. Sophia Gast, forms the chief contents of the<br />
volume.<br />
<br />
Messrs. Chapman and Hall announce anew edi-<br />
tion of Mr.G. H. Perris’s “ Russia in Revolution,”<br />
which forms a complete narrative of events down<br />
to the conclusion of peace with Japan. Among<br />
the additions to the new volume are the substance<br />
of many conversations with Father Gapon, a<br />
remarkable hitherto unpublished portrait of the<br />
latter, and a critical account of the decree<br />
establishing an Elective Assembly.<br />
<br />
Early this month Messrs. Simpkin, Marshall<br />
& Co. will publish a work by Mr. F. Carrel, under<br />
the title of “An Analysis of Human Motive.”<br />
<br />
“ The Woman's Agricultural Times” is the title<br />
of a quarterly publication now in its sixth volume.<br />
It is edited by the Countess of Warwick, and<br />
issued by the Studley Castle Agricultural Associa-<br />
tion, at Studley Castle, Warwickshire. The<br />
magazine, which contains some useful information<br />
relating to agricultural pursuits, is published at<br />
the price of 6d.<br />
<br />
“The Gods of Pegania” is the title of an<br />
imaginative prose work by Lord Dunsany which<br />
will shortly be published by Mr. Elkin Mathews.<br />
The book is illustrated with drawings by Mr.<br />
Sidney H. Sime, :<br />
<br />
Messrs. Chapman and Hall will publish this<br />
autumn Mrs. Edith E. Cuthell’s new book, a<br />
historial work, ‘“ Wilhelmina, Margravine of<br />
Baizenth,” in two volumes. Mrs. Cuthell has<br />
been permitted special access in the Prussian<br />
archives to documents not hitherto made public,<br />
and also given permission to reproduce some<br />
hitherto unpublished portraits. The book is<br />
profusely illustrated.<br />
<br />
A novel of interest to present and past Oxonians<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 7<br />
<br />
is to be published in October by Messrs. Chapman<br />
and Hall, entitled “The Inseparables,” a modern<br />
story of Oxford life by the author of “ John Westa-<br />
cott.’ It will be interesting to note Mr. James<br />
Baker’s treatment of a story embracing modern<br />
undergraduate life and its results.<br />
<br />
The third edition of “ The Printer’s Handbook,”<br />
compiled by Mr. C. T. Jacobi, contains hints and<br />
suggestions relating to letterpress and lithographic<br />
printing, bookbinding, stationery, process work,<br />
etc. In his preface to the editicu Mr. Jacobi<br />
claims that although the volume cannot be used as<br />
a text book, yet in a general way it will be found<br />
useful to students and especially helpful to workers<br />
far removed from those centres at which the many<br />
commodities and requisites so necessary to printers<br />
and the allied trades can be easily obtained. The<br />
price of the work is 5s. net.<br />
<br />
“A Quaker Wooing,” by Mrs. Fred Reynolds,<br />
which Messrs. Hutchinson & Co. published in<br />
September, is founded on incidents taken from<br />
records in the family of the author’s husband.<br />
The same writer is publishing this autumn<br />
another nevel, entitled “The Making of Michael.”<br />
Mr. Geo. Allen is the publisher.<br />
<br />
“ Village, Town, and Jungle Life in India,” by<br />
A. ©. Newcombe, which has recently beer. published<br />
by Messrs. Blackwoods, at the price of 12s. 6d.<br />
net, whilst touching on India’s Imperial problems,<br />
deals more particularly with the daily life of the<br />
European who has to spend his best years in our<br />
great dependency of the Hast.<br />
<br />
The Religious Tract Society will publish this<br />
month a story for girls, entitled ‘“‘Tender and<br />
True,” by L. E. Tiddeman, at the price of 3s. 6d.<br />
<br />
The long deferred copyright performance of<br />
“The Brownie’s Bower,” a three-act cantata-<br />
playette by Ellen Collett, music by Natalee<br />
Davenport, took place on July 8th at ‘‘ Mayfield,”<br />
Pinner, as a pastoral-play, under highly favour-<br />
able conditions and in the presence of a number<br />
of Press representatives.<br />
<br />
“The Cash Box,” a one-act play by F. 8. Dean<br />
Ballin, was produced at His Majesty’s Theatre on<br />
the 3rd of July.<br />
<br />
Mr. Hall Caine’s dramatic version of his novel<br />
“The Prodigal Son” was produced at the Theatre<br />
Royal, Drury Lane, on the evening of September<br />
7th. The Prodigal in Mr. Caine’s play—which<br />
was mounted on a very lavish scale—has but few<br />
redeeming features. In addition to being a<br />
swindler and forger, he is the indirect cause of<br />
the death of his father and mother. He repents<br />
at the eleventh hour, and, making atonement for<br />
his misdemeanours, obtains the forgiveness of his<br />
family. ‘The caste includes Mr. George Alexander,<br />
Mr. Frank Cooper, Mrs. John Wood and Miss Lily<br />
Hall Caine.<br />
<br />
PARIS NOTES.<br />
——— + —<br />
a ISOLEE,” the new novel by René Banzin,<br />
<br />
A: has no doubt been suggested by the recent<br />
<br />
events in France. It is a story of the<br />
expulsion of the nuns, showing the disastrous<br />
results of turning out into the world women who<br />
have been accustomed to convent life. It is a<br />
pathetic story, and there are charming descriptions<br />
of some of the French provinces. The author<br />
shows up the excellent work of the Sisters of<br />
Sainte-Hildegarde, their devotion to the poor,<br />
their love for the children, their simple, contented<br />
life when together in their convent home. Uncon-<br />
sciously though, perhaps, he also shows up the<br />
defects of that system. We have a picture of an<br />
only daughter deserting her old father for the<br />
supposed salvation of her own soul. The father<br />
heroically consents to her departure for the convent,<br />
and we have a touching picture of his lonely life<br />
and solitary death. When later on the sisters are<br />
driven from the convent, we follow each of them<br />
to their new homes. The chief interest of the<br />
book is centred in the story of the girl Pascale.<br />
Her reason for leaving her old father and entering<br />
the convent was that she knew herself to be weak<br />
and easily influenced, and she argues: Dans le<br />
monde je serai mauvaise ou médiocre. Dans le<br />
cloitre je pourrais devenir une ame sainte. Unfor-<br />
tunately she is driven back into the world again,<br />
and the tragedy of her life there takes up a great<br />
part of the book. One of the most beautiful<br />
pictures given us in this volume is the farewell<br />
scene of the five sisters whilst waiting at the<br />
station for the various trains which were to take<br />
them away from each other.<br />
<br />
“Les deux sceurs,’ by Paul Bourget, is a<br />
psychological study of two sisters of about the<br />
same age, but of totally different character and<br />
temperament. The story is followed by five or<br />
six other psychological studies.<br />
<br />
“Les beaux jours de Flavien,” by Brada, is a<br />
novel of an entirely different character from most<br />
of this author’s former ones. It is now published<br />
in volume form, after having great success as a<br />
serial in the Figaro.<br />
<br />
“TJ, Aventure de Cabassou,” by M. Paul Brulat,<br />
is a rather pathetic story of the tribulations of a<br />
simple-minded honest man, who, after being deceived<br />
and ridiculed, decides to turn over a new leaf and<br />
be less scrupulous himself. Before very long, how-<br />
ever, he finds that it is no use struggling against<br />
his destiny. In spite of himself he is honest and<br />
confiding, and once more he is deceived and his<br />
happiness destroyed. He comes to the conclusion<br />
that the three phases of nearly every human destiny<br />
are that: “On s’illusionne d’abord, on se révolte<br />
ensuite, on se soumet enfin.”<br />
THE AMTHOR.<br />
<br />
“ Mes Sentiments et nos idées avant 1870” is<br />
another volume of memoirs, in which Madame<br />
Juilette Adam treats of the artistic and political<br />
life of the last years of the Second Empire.<br />
<br />
In the artistic world we are told that there was<br />
not much fresh talent. There were authors, artists<br />
and musical composers, who had already made their<br />
name: Victor Hugo, Flaubert, Daudet, Sardon,<br />
Coppée, and others. Puvis de Chavaunes, Henner<br />
and Manet were doing fine work, and Gounod,<br />
Ambroise Thomas, and Meyerbeer producing com-<br />
positions destined to add to their fame. As to<br />
politics the statesmen of the opposition were in-<br />
different to all but home events, and turned a deaf<br />
ear to all rumours from without. The book is<br />
interesting, treating as it does of a comparatively<br />
recent epoch.<br />
<br />
‘* Etapes Italiennes,”’ by M. Pierre de Bouchard,<br />
contains notices on Byzantine art, on the Forum<br />
and the Villa Medicis. The author also treats of<br />
Naples and gives the impressions of Mme. de Staél,<br />
and Chateaubriand, Lamartine, Shelley and other<br />
well-known personages who have visited it. In<br />
another study, entitled Naples, the author gives us<br />
a description of the city, and an account of its<br />
origin and history.<br />
<br />
‘“‘ Marie-Caroline, reine des Deux-Siciles (1768-<br />
1814),” by M. André Bonnefons, is an excellent<br />
study of the political evolutions of that epoch,<br />
giving an idea of the struggles of France against<br />
the whole of Europe.<br />
<br />
Among recent books are the following : “ Brim-<br />
borion,” by Jean Rameau; “Le Marchand de<br />
déesses,” by M. René Maizeroy ; “ La Domination,”<br />
by Mme. la Comtesse Mathieu de Noailles ; “ Le<br />
Roman d’une vieille fille,’ by M. Delorme ; “ Mon-<br />
sieur Marcel,” by Mme. Marie Thiéry; ‘“ Les<br />
Carrosses du roi,” by M. K. Waliszewski ; “ Femme<br />
de lettres,” by Mme. Mary Floran; “La Fiancée<br />
nouvelle,” by M. Gaston Derys; ‘Le Pére et le<br />
Fils,” by M. Antonin Mulé; ‘‘Le Livre de la<br />
Houle et de la Volupté” ; by M. Diraison-Seylor ;<br />
«Sans Dieu,” by Trilby ; “ Plus fort que la Vie,”<br />
by Mme. Marie-Anne de Bovet ; ‘‘ En Wagon,” by<br />
Henri Datin, a volume of short stories. ‘“ L’ Autre,”<br />
by Georges Bonnamour; “Les Demi-fous,” by<br />
M. Michel Corday ; ‘ Waldeck-Rousseau,” by<br />
Gaston Deschamps ; ‘‘L’expansion des Boers au<br />
XIX siecle,” by M. Déhérain; “Un grand<br />
meconnu : Napoleon III.,” by M. Jean Guetary.<br />
<br />
The forthcoming publication is announced of<br />
several volumesof letters by well-known men, among<br />
others those of Zola and Fromentin.<br />
<br />
Marcel Prévost is at work onhis novel “M.et Mme.<br />
Moloch,” the scene of which is laid in Germany.<br />
<br />
Maurice Barrés is writing his notes on Greece,<br />
under the title of “‘ Le Voyage & Sparte.”<br />
<br />
The death of Elisée Reclus is a great loss to the<br />
<br />
literary and artistic world. His collaboration will<br />
be greatly missed by all connected with the<br />
University of Brussels, which he helped to found.<br />
The professors and students of the University<br />
published a circular announcing his death, in which<br />
they declared their intention to honour his memory,<br />
en propayeant son auvre de fraternité et son<br />
ensergnement iminortel.<br />
<br />
In the Revue des Deux Mondes of July 15th, M.<br />
Brunetiére writes on “ Le Mensonge du Pacifisme.”<br />
<br />
In the Revue des Deux Mondes of August there<br />
is an article by René Pinon on the consequences<br />
of the Russo-Japanese war and the japonisation of<br />
China. M. Benoist explains in another article the<br />
reasons which have provoked the secession of Norway.<br />
<br />
Frédéric Passy replies to M. Brunetiére on the<br />
subject of ‘‘ Le Pacifisme.”<br />
<br />
In the Correspondant of August M. Méziéres<br />
gives his memories of L’Université avant 1850.<br />
<br />
In the Grande Revue of August 15th there is<br />
an interesting article by Hélia entitled “ Une<br />
Parisienne dans les harems de Constantinople.”<br />
<br />
In the Quinzaine M. Georges Blondel writes on<br />
the various manifestations of Imperialism.<br />
<br />
An account is given by Captain d’Ollone of .the<br />
grand manoeuvres of the Anglo-Indian army near<br />
the frontier of Af¢hanistan.<br />
<br />
In the Qwinzaine of July there is an excellent<br />
article by Max Helys on “Selma Lagerlof,” the<br />
Swedish authoress.<br />
<br />
A new quarterly, entitled Vers et Prose, has made<br />
<br />
its appearance this year. It is a magazine of from<br />
one to two hundred pages, which in its first two<br />
numbers certainly justifies its claim to be a<br />
collection de la haute littérature et du lyrisme<br />
en prose el en poesie. Among the contents are some<br />
exquisite short sketches by the late Marcel<br />
Schwob, a story entitled ‘Le Massacre des Inno-<br />
cents,” by Maurice Maeterlinck (which dates from<br />
1885, and is the first work of this author), one of<br />
Henri de Regnier’s finest poems, and other articles,<br />
stories, and verses by Robert de Souza, Maurice<br />
Barrés, Stuart Merrill, Gille, William Morris,<br />
Dowson, Paul Fort, Moréas, Gide, Vielé-Griffin,<br />
Verhaeren, and other writers. A periodical<br />
containing solely such high-class work would<br />
stand a poor chance of success in most countries.<br />
Fortunately, however, it is written in the French<br />
language, and, judging from the long list of sub-<br />
scribers in all parts of the world, there seems every<br />
probability that the venture will prove a satisfac-<br />
tory one. Translations from foreign authors form<br />
a part of the programme. The yearly subscrip-<br />
tion for the four volumes is eight francs, or the<br />
edition de luxe fifty francs.<br />
<br />
Another new monthly paper which commenced<br />
in July is entitled La Poétique. It is a magazine<br />
of about thirty pages, giving not only French<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. a<br />
<br />
poems, but articles and essays on the poets of<br />
various countries, together with original poems by<br />
foreign authors, and side by side the translation of<br />
them. In the July number there is a study of<br />
Spanish poetry by M. de ‘Toro Gomez, illustrated<br />
by Spanish poems in the original and in French.<br />
‘There is also an article on Schiller with extracts<br />
from his works. In the August number there is<br />
a study of an English poet and his works, and<br />
another of Echegaray, as well as many articles on<br />
French poetry and various poems. It is an<br />
excellent idea for giving us some notions of the<br />
poetry of different lands.<br />
<br />
M. William Busnach has completed the scenario<br />
of “Madame Bovary,” which wili probably be played<br />
at one of the Boulevard Theatres this winter.<br />
<br />
Mounet-Sully and Pierre Barbier have just com-<br />
pleted an important play entitled “La Brute,”<br />
which is to be produced this season. Their<br />
“ Vieillesse de Don Juan” is to be given at the<br />
Francais. Mounet-Sully is to interpret the role<br />
of Don Juan at the age of sixty-five.<br />
<br />
“Le Vieil Homme,” by M. Porto Riche, is to be<br />
put on this winter at the Gymnase.<br />
<br />
“ T/Qisean Bleu,” a play in five acts, by Maeter-<br />
linck, is also to be produced at one of the theatres.<br />
<br />
Among the new plays to be given at the Odéon<br />
Theatre are the following: “La Patronne,” by<br />
Mr. Bernstein ; ‘‘Ramuntcho,” by Pierre Loti;<br />
“T/Homme et la Loi,” by Paul and Victor<br />
Margueritte ; ‘La Robe Blanche,” by M. Trarieux ;<br />
“Florise Bonheur,’ adapted from M. Adolphe<br />
Brisson’s novel by MM. Georges Mitchell and<br />
Baschet ; “Le Calvaire,” by M. Octave Mirbeau,<br />
adapted by M. Antoine Bibesco.<br />
<br />
Auys HALLARD.<br />
<br />
<> +-__———-<br />
<br />
SPANISH NOTES.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
HE note of progress in Feminism played in<br />
Spain by the New World was seen by the<br />
representation of women at the meeting<br />
<br />
held at the University of Madrid by the Ibero-<br />
American Society in honour of the Cervantes<br />
Tercentenary, for the seventeen Jitiératewrs who<br />
occupied the University chair that afternoon for<br />
the delivery of discourses or poems on the Spanish<br />
classic, numbered two ladies who are well known<br />
by the work of their pen, and the applause which<br />
met their respective eloquent speeches showed that<br />
Spain has awakened to the fact that it is no longer<br />
meet for woman’s talent to be hidden under a bushel.<br />
<br />
Madame Emilia Pardo Bazin, ¢he pioneer of<br />
Spanish authoresses, whose books have been trans-<br />
lated into almost every European language, read a<br />
clever paper on the value of the philosophy of<br />
<br />
“ Don Quixote.” And it is noteworthy that such<br />
works of this well-known lady as “‘ La cuestion palpi-<br />
tante, Polemicas y estudios literarios,” etc., led to<br />
Castelar advocating her claim to a chair in the<br />
Academy. Readers of her many novels, especially<br />
“ Pascual Lopez,” “Una Christiana,” etc., can well<br />
understand that the authoress would rather be<br />
known as ‘‘la Pardo Bazan” than by the title of<br />
Countess, which she can claim ; and the charm of<br />
her manner doubtless helped the anthoress through<br />
the difficulties which beset her early efforts in the<br />
path of literature at a time when it was rarely<br />
trodden by a Spanish woman.<br />
<br />
Sefiora Carmen Burgos de Segui was the other<br />
lady speaker at the Don Quixote féte, and it was<br />
pleasant to see how this pioneer of Spanish lady<br />
journalists confirmed the growing opinion that<br />
women can work without loss to their prestige.<br />
The lady’s eloquent plea for a modern “ Don<br />
Quixote” who would aid women to attain a better<br />
education and ensure them more protection in the<br />
walks of life was published next day in the Diario<br />
Oniversal.<br />
<br />
When listening to the well-rounded sentences of<br />
the discourses delivered with fire and fervour by<br />
such orators as Senor Arminian, Senor Perez<br />
Triana, etc., and the poems composed and de-<br />
claimed by Fernandez Guell, Conde de Reparaz,<br />
ete., ete., one felt that the Spanish claim to eloquence<br />
is indeed based on fact ; and the military band in<br />
the gallery at the end of the well-filled hall afforded<br />
pleasant little interregnums during the feast of<br />
reason and the flow of souls.<br />
<br />
Sefior Don Jesus Pando y Valle, the author of<br />
“Mision Transendental’ (an account of the<br />
history and work of the society of the Red Cross<br />
in Spain) is devoting a great deal of time to the<br />
promotion of the ladies’ committee which has<br />
been formed in conjunction with the society, and<br />
it now numbers forty members under the presi-<br />
dency of the distinguished Marquise de Ayerbe.<br />
This lady has also taken her place as an authoress<br />
by the book which she kindly gave me, called “ El<br />
Castillo del Marques de Mos en Sotomayor.”<br />
<br />
The work is an historical ‘account of the castle<br />
bearing the name of the well-known Spanish<br />
family, and when the writer tells us in the pre-<br />
face that the record, which must have required<br />
deep research, was only the work of a summer<br />
holiday in the province of Galicia, it shows the<br />
force of her intelligence. As a leader of Spanish<br />
society this lady has great demands upon her time,<br />
and it was interesting to hear that it has only<br />
recently been understood that literature and<br />
philanthropy can add to the pleasures of her life.<br />
She has taken the lead of the ladies’ com-<br />
mittee of the Ibero-American committee, formed<br />
in the hope of aiding to supply the want in Spain<br />
10<br />
<br />
of schools for girls of the middle-class, and for the<br />
establishment of centres for the study of painting<br />
and music. Moreover, a drawing-room meeting<br />
was held at the Marquise de Ayerbe on June 10th,<br />
to discuss the project for founding a model<br />
farm in the vicinity. of Madrid, where ladies can<br />
study agriculture. Colonel Figuerola Ferretti, who<br />
has always so strongly advocated the education of<br />
his countrywomen, took a practical step for the<br />
promotion of this idea by studying the system<br />
of the Lady Warwick College at Studley Castle,<br />
as the patriot’s interesting article on “King<br />
Alfonzo XIII. and Spanish Agriculture” con-<br />
tributed to the Countess of Warwick’s magazine,<br />
Woman’s Agricultural Times, led to the colonel<br />
being invited to inspect the Castle College. The<br />
Ibero-American ladies’ committee has just been<br />
joined by the Marquesa de Comellas, the Duquesa<br />
de Sessa, the Marquesa de Bolanos, Senora de<br />
Palomo, Marquesa de Valdeterrazo, the Marquesa<br />
de Villamagna, the Marquesa de Faura y Saralegui,<br />
etc., and as the Queen’s clever sister-in-law, the<br />
Infanta Dofia Paz, wishes also to co-operate in the<br />
work by associating the society with one of her<br />
own feminine industrial schemes in Bavaria, it<br />
seems as if woman’s progress in Spain had entered<br />
on a fresh era.<br />
<br />
When Sefior Francisco Silvela, whose death this<br />
summer is so deeply deplored in Spain, did<br />
me the honour to invite me to his house at the<br />
beginning of last May, I was much interested in<br />
hearing him say that he, like many Spaniards,<br />
favoured the idea of woman’s education, as he con-<br />
sidered that culture enabled a wife to be a com-<br />
panion to her husband, whilst it in no wise lessened<br />
her feminine charms. The quondam Prime<br />
Minister was very definite in his objection to<br />
women playing cards for money, and he also<br />
expressed disapproval of the growing custom of<br />
ladies smoking, which he had noted when last in<br />
London. I may here say that all the while I was<br />
in Spain, I never saw a cigarette in the mouth of<br />
a woman, as the habit is reserved for strictly<br />
private circles.<br />
<br />
Sefor Silvela seemed interested in his project of<br />
publishing under the title of “The History of<br />
Spanish Ethics,” the course of lectures which he<br />
delivered last winter in the Atheneum, and when<br />
the illustrious man showed me his fine library, and<br />
complained that the days were too short to study<br />
all he wished, I little thought that the night of the<br />
statesman’s work on earth was so near at hand.<br />
<br />
It was also a great privilege to be introduced<br />
during my visit to Madrid this summer to Silvela’s<br />
well-known colleague, Moret, at a public meeting.<br />
The statesman’s well-cut handsome face must always<br />
be striking, but when animated with the interest<br />
with which he discourses on such subjects as<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
education, woman’s culture, one cannot wonder at<br />
his influence in his country. The statesman’s<br />
<br />
‘courtesy was shown to me as the Authors’ Society<br />
<br />
delegate by promptly sending me an order which<br />
gave me the entrée to the Atheneum, of which he<br />
is the president.<br />
<br />
As the Atheneum is the great centre for all<br />
literary movements, it has a fine library, and it is<br />
there that speeches from the first littérateurs of the<br />
day stimulate the leaders of the Press. Spain<br />
boasts several very good illustrated papers, and I<br />
was interested to find that Angéle Cabrera Latorre,<br />
who recently received from the King the decoration<br />
of the Order of Alfonso XII. for his work in<br />
natural history, has now been appointed editor of<br />
the magazine called Alrededor del mundo.<br />
<br />
RACHEL CHALLICE.<br />
————_-——___<br />
A PUBLISHER’S AGREEMENT, OR THE<br />
PLEASURES OF IGNORANCE.<br />
<br />
—<br />
<br />
N the early part of 1903 a lady, who is amember<br />
of the society, wrote to Messrs. Ward, Lock &<br />
Co.’s house in Melbourne offering them<br />
<br />
a MS. for publication. In September of that<br />
year she received a letter from the Australian<br />
manager stating that he had heard from the London<br />
house, and that they were willing to publish her<br />
story if she would assign them the copyright and<br />
pay £75 towards the expenses of production and<br />
loss that the publication of a first book by an<br />
unknown author might incur. She was to receive<br />
fifty gratis copies. To this letter she made reply that<br />
she was willing to pay £75, but continued: “ You<br />
do not mention in your letter that I am to receive<br />
any benefit should my book prove a success. You<br />
tell me, however, that Ward, Lock & Co. made it a<br />
rule to pay back to themselves the first outlay,<br />
then to return money paid, after which the profits<br />
were shared with the author. If suchis the case, I<br />
am quite ready to assign to them the copyright.”<br />
The author thereupon paid the £75, the receipt of<br />
which was cabled to London, and an agreement was<br />
forwarded to her from the Melbourne house, of<br />
which the following is a copy :—<br />
<br />
Memorandum of Agreement entered into this Twenty-<br />
sixth day of October, 1903, between EO<br />
of the one part, and Ward, Lock & Co., Limited, of<br />
Warwick House, Salisbury Square, London, England,<br />
of the other part. Whereby it is mutually agreed as<br />
follows :—<br />
<br />
1. That the said hereby assigns to Ward,<br />
Lock & Co., Limited, the copyright and all her interest in<br />
the novel entitled “ , and pays the said Ward,<br />
Lock & Co., Limited, the sum of Seventy-five Pounds (£75),<br />
and in consideration thereof the said Ward, Lock & Co.,<br />
Limited, agree to produce and publish the novel:in their<br />
ordinary style, and give I'wenty-five (25) gratis,<br />
copies of the book.<br />
<br />
2. It is understood between the parties that accounts of<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 11<br />
<br />
the book sales are to be made up every twelve months, and<br />
whatever profit the sale of the book shows is to be divided<br />
pro rata according to the outlay expended by each party,<br />
and when both are fully paid, further profits (if any) are<br />
to be equally divided between author and publishers.<br />
Signed for Waid, Lock & Co., Limited.<br />
WILLIAM STEELE.<br />
Manager and Attorney.<br />
<br />
The Melbourne manager stated in his letter :<br />
“« You will notice that second clause of agreement<br />
is made out so that, should your book have a success-<br />
ful sale, you will receive a share of the advantage.”<br />
Under the agreement, therefore, if the book had<br />
had a large circulation, the author would have got<br />
back her outlay and obtained her share of the<br />
profits.<br />
<br />
After the author had signed the agreement on<br />
December 4th, 1903, the Melbourne manager wrote<br />
as follows :—<br />
<br />
“TJ have just received a coded cablegram from London,<br />
which, translated, indicates that our home house declines to<br />
confirm the second clause of agreement recently arranged<br />
your story, and I am asked to cable instructions. I added<br />
the second clause on my own responsibility in view of your<br />
letter of October 15th ; and, seeing that our people cannot<br />
accept the same, will you kindly cable me that you are<br />
willing to abandon it? I can then cable London accord-<br />
ingly. Probably there are some reasons unknown to me<br />
which prevent the house agreeing to the second clause.”<br />
<br />
The author consented, by cable, to the cancella-<br />
tion of the second clause, and wrote subsequently<br />
confirming her cable. The book was published on<br />
May 24th, the manager repeating in a letter to the<br />
author: “Our house, as you know, would not<br />
extend confirmation to the clause in the agreement<br />
which you afterwards agreed to cancel, and uncon-<br />
ditional surrender of the copyright had to be effected<br />
before they were willing to commence putting the<br />
-volume into type and preparing for publication.<br />
For the sum you paid towards its production you<br />
will have the satisfaction of having your story well<br />
put on the market by a leading publishing house ;<br />
and if the sale proves successful, you will be in a<br />
position to command better terms for a second and<br />
subsequent stories.”<br />
<br />
About the same time the author discovered, to<br />
her astonishment, that the story in serial form was<br />
running through the Leader, the weekly country<br />
edition of the Melbourne Arqus.<br />
<br />
This is the statement of the case :—<br />
<br />
After reading the prospectus of the society, the<br />
author states: “I seem to have been very stupid<br />
in agreeing to the publishers’ terms, but I did not<br />
then know that your society would interest itself<br />
in an unknown writer, and therefore I thought<br />
it impossible that I could by any means obtain<br />
justice.’ The writer proceeds to state that the<br />
society can use the information for the benefit of<br />
authors in any way the committee choose.<br />
<br />
When the author had placed the matter fully<br />
<br />
before the secretary, he was so astonished that he<br />
wrote to the firm in London putting forward the<br />
details of the case, and ending his letter with the<br />
following words :—<br />
<br />
“Tt seems impossible to think that your firm<br />
would have ratified such a contract with the Aus-<br />
tralian house, and it is because I think there must<br />
be some mistake that I am writing to you on the<br />
matter. I shall be glad if you will let me know if<br />
the book has actually been placed on the London<br />
market, and if you could send me information as to<br />
the exact position and agreements.”<br />
<br />
Some time was lost owing to the fact that Messrs.<br />
Ward, Lock & Co. desired to communicate with<br />
their representative in Australia, but when finally<br />
the secretary of the society received the original<br />
documents from the author, he wrote again to<br />
Ward, Lock suggesting that their representative<br />
should call and see the papers in his hands. The<br />
interview took place, and Ward, Lock’s representa-<br />
tive read through the correspondence and admitted<br />
its authenticity.<br />
<br />
The committee of the society, having considered<br />
the case, decided to publish the details with the<br />
names of the publishers, and to point out to<br />
other members, who may by chance have similar<br />
terms offered them, that such terms, from the<br />
author’s point of view, are absolutely and wholly<br />
unsatisfactory. You pay £75, and hand over your<br />
property. In these circumstances it is impos-<br />
sible to obtain even the return of the money you<br />
have expended, although the book may sell in<br />
thousands, and may continue to sell steadily for<br />
many years. This is the author’s standpoint ; but<br />
there is this further point to be considered, that,<br />
although the publishers undertake to produce and<br />
publish the book in their ordinary style (see<br />
Clause 1), and hand over twenty-five gratis copies,<br />
yet there is no guarantee as to the extent to which<br />
the book will be advertised and brought to the<br />
notice of the public. When a publisher under-<br />
takes the whole cost of production of the book it<br />
is customary to leave the advertising entirely under<br />
his control, for the common-sense deduction is that<br />
the publisher will do his best to recover his own<br />
capital ; but when the author pays for the cost of<br />
production—and £75 will cover the cost of pro-<br />
duction of 1,000 copies of most 6s. novels—then it<br />
is only fair that the author should have some<br />
guarantee that the book will be adequately pushed.<br />
It would be interesting to know how many copies<br />
of the book were printed, at what cost, and how<br />
many copies were sold at the expenditure of what<br />
advertisement, and what monies the sale of the<br />
serial rights realised. But a knowledge of these<br />
details would not in any way alter the utter<br />
hopelessness of the agreement from the author’s<br />
standpoint.<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
E. Y. LUCAS vy. MONCRIEFF.<br />
<br />
OWARDS the end of July a case, supported<br />
by the Society of Authors on behalf of<br />
one of its members, of some interest to<br />
<br />
holders of copyright property, was heard in the<br />
courts before Mr. Justice Warrington.<br />
<br />
The question raised was whether the copyright<br />
in a book called “‘ The Open Road” was vested in<br />
Mr. E. V. Lucas, the plaintiff, or the defendant<br />
as trustee in the bankruptcy of Mr. Grant Richards,<br />
the publisher. There was a further question in-<br />
volved, assuming the copyright not to be vested<br />
in the defendant, whether he, by contract with the<br />
author, was the owner of the publishing right and<br />
had the right to continue the publication of the<br />
book upon certain terms.<br />
<br />
An interlocutory injunction was granted in<br />
favour of the plaintiff, and the Judge, in summing<br />
up, stated as follows :<br />
<br />
Mr. Justice Warrington —* Now, the question<br />
arises really upon two letters written, the one<br />
by the plaintiff to Mr. Grant Richards on the<br />
11th November, 1898, and the other by Mr. Grant<br />
Richards to the plaintiff en the 14th November,<br />
1898, which constitute the agreement in regard to<br />
this particular book. I propose first to consider<br />
<br />
these letters, and then see how far any light is<br />
<br />
thrown on the true meaning of them by previous<br />
ones. Now, the letter of the 11th November,<br />
1898, so far as it is material, is in these terms:<br />
‘The plan is not yet solid, but I have this in<br />
my head at present: a pair of books for the<br />
pocket, page 34 by 6, 200 pages in each, on thin<br />
paper ; limp cloth or leather, very choice in form.<br />
‘They would be a mixture of serious and gay, and<br />
would be composed respectively of prose and<br />
verse from all kinds of places, but fresh and<br />
straightforward in character. Between them they<br />
would provide for most moods that one has on a<br />
holiday. The title would be something to this<br />
effect.’ Then he gives certain titles and he refers<br />
to the price. ‘I should use mainly non-copyright<br />
stuff, but copyright difficulties would not I think<br />
be insuperable in many cases. Walking tours and<br />
cycling tours should be incomplete without the<br />
books, which would in the main celebrate the<br />
open air and larger life. My work would comprise<br />
making the selections and composing a preface<br />
touching on holiday-makers’ literary needs which<br />
would, I hope, be compact enough to serve also as<br />
an advertisement. Now, as to money. I think if<br />
I take nothing down I ought to share profits<br />
equally with you.’ Then that is replied to by<br />
the letter of the 14th November, 1898: ‘ My dear<br />
Lucas,—I am the more taken with your idea that<br />
T have had time to think it out. Proceed please.<br />
Your exact phrase as to remuneration is: “ Now as<br />
<br />
to money. I think if I take nothing down I ought<br />
to share profits equally with you.” This shall be<br />
so. Those are the two letters which constitute<br />
the contract between the parties. Now, taking<br />
those two letters by themselves, it seems to me<br />
that there is nothing more than an agreement<br />
between the author, who proposes to write but<br />
who has not yet written the book, and the publisher<br />
whom he invites to publish it, and that they con-<br />
stitute an agreement between the intended author<br />
and the publisher that if he (the intended author)<br />
writes such a book as that which he describes the<br />
publisher will publish it, and he will publish it on<br />
the terms that the author and the publisher shall<br />
share the profits equally between them. Now, if<br />
that is so, I think it is well settled that there is<br />
nothing in such an agreement to make it neces-<br />
sary to infer that the copyright in the work itself<br />
passes to the publisher. The ground on which<br />
in this case it is said that the copyright passes to<br />
the publisher is one of a different nature. It is said<br />
that this is a case of employment by Mr. Grant<br />
Richards of the plaintiff to write a certain work<br />
for him on terms, either expressed or implied, that<br />
the copyright shall belong to him. Now, for that<br />
purpose, reliance is placed upon letters of the 23rd<br />
and 25th February, 1898, and, therefore, I must<br />
refer to them. Those two letters are in these<br />
terms—the first is addressed by Mr. Lucas to<br />
Mr. Grant Richards: ‘I have given the matter<br />
thought and I am ready to undertake to deal with<br />
all the manuscript you send me during the next<br />
year, beginning from the date of the agreement,<br />
for £100 paid monthly. But I think it better to<br />
keep the Dumpy contract distinct ; and if I should<br />
have an idea for a good series, which commended<br />
itself to you, I should ask separate payment for<br />
drawing up the prospectus and arranging for the<br />
books. Otherwise the £100 would include any<br />
ideas for single books that might suggest them-<br />
selves. And that is answered on the 25th:<br />
‘My dear Lucas—According to your letter of<br />
February 23rd and our conversation of to-day, I<br />
am writing now to ratify our arrangement by<br />
which you undertake to deal with all the manu-<br />
scripts I send you during the next year, beginning<br />
from the date of this letter, and to generally act,<br />
in fact, as my literary adviser (see me when you<br />
can, ete., ete., in order that we can talk things over)<br />
for a hundred pounds a year paid monthly. As<br />
your letter suggests, if you have an idea for a<br />
good series which commends itself to me, you are<br />
to receive separate payment for drawing up a<br />
prospectus and arranging for the books, otherwise<br />
the hundred pounds includes any ideas for single<br />
books that may suggest themselves.’ Now, it is<br />
suggested that by these two letters Mr. Lucas has<br />
put his services at the disposal of Mr. Grant<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
Richards for the £100 a year, and that if he had<br />
any idea of any single book he was bound not only<br />
to communicate that idea to Mr. Grant Richards<br />
and to give him the opportunity of becoming the<br />
publisher of that book, but he was bound if he<br />
carried his idea into effect and wrote the book to<br />
do it on the terms that Mr. Grant Richards should<br />
have the copyright. Now it seems to me that that<br />
cannot be so. I think the real meaning of the<br />
letters is this : He was to be the literary adviser,<br />
and I think one may get a good deal from the<br />
first sentence in the letter of the 23rd. Mr. Lucas<br />
there undertakes to ‘deal with the manuscripts<br />
you send me,’ that is to say, he is to be the pub-<br />
lisher’s reader to advise the publisher as to whether<br />
a book is likely to be a success if published, and<br />
further than that he agrees by that letter—accepted<br />
by the letter of the 25th—that if he does have an<br />
idea which he communicates to Mr. Grant Richards<br />
and Mr. Grant Richards publishes the book as the<br />
result of it, that he will not be paid anything<br />
further, but it seems to me that there is nothing<br />
in either of those two letters imposing any obliga-<br />
tion upon Mr. Lucas to place in the hands of Mr.<br />
Grant Richards the publication of any book the<br />
idea of which may occur to him. All that-that<br />
last sentence of the letter with regard to the single<br />
book seems to me to impose on Mr. Lucas is that<br />
he will not require any further payment for any<br />
idea which he may communicate. If so, it seems to<br />
me that the argument of the defendants on the main<br />
part of the case breaks down. In my judgment<br />
there was no employment to write this book.<br />
<br />
“Tn my opinion the true effect of the letters of<br />
November, even read in connection with the two<br />
letters of February, was an agreement between the<br />
author and the publisher that if the author should<br />
compose a book he was to request the publisher to<br />
publish it, the’ publisher agreeing if he did publish<br />
it to publish it on the terms that he and the author<br />
should share the profit equally, and I think the<br />
true meaning of the agreement is not employment,<br />
but an independent agreement between author<br />
and publisher. Supposing instead of being an<br />
anthology this had been an original book, a book<br />
we will say on some historical subject which the<br />
author had got in his head, but had not yet<br />
written, is there anything in that circumstance<br />
which makes it impossible for him to arrange for<br />
the publication of that book with the publisher in<br />
the ordinary way, without making any express<br />
stipulation that if that agreement is carried into<br />
effect the copyright shall beiong to him. I see<br />
nothing ; it seems to me that when he has written<br />
the book he is the author of it, and that he is<br />
prima facie entitled to the copyright.<br />
<br />
“Now then comes a further question. It is said<br />
that the publisher is entitled under this agreement<br />
<br />
13<br />
<br />
to continue to publish the book and that the author<br />
is not entitled to publish it. It seems to me that<br />
is met by Reade v. Bentley in 4 Kay and John-<br />
son, page 656. It is quite true that in this case<br />
there is a difference between the agreements—the<br />
agreement in Reade v. Bentley was more precise as<br />
to the mode in which the profits were to be ascer-<br />
tained. In this case the agreement specifies only<br />
the sharing of profits, without saying how those<br />
profits are to be ascertained, but I do not think<br />
that the difference between the two agreements is<br />
enough to justify me in distinguishing this case<br />
from Reade v. Bentley. It seems to me in this<br />
case, as in Reade v. Bentley, there was a joint<br />
adventure for the publication of this book—an<br />
adventure which, subject to the limitations that<br />
the author must not act unfairly to the publisher<br />
—by ‘unfairly’ I mean unfairly as defined by the<br />
judgment in Reade v. Bentley—subject to that he<br />
may determine the agreement between them. Now<br />
the Vice-Chancellor expressed in his judgment<br />
what he thought would be a fair determination of<br />
the agreement, that is to say, that it would not be<br />
fair for the author to determine the agreement if<br />
there was an edition running on which the pub-<br />
lisher had incurred expense. Subject to that, the<br />
author was entitled to determine the agreement<br />
and to publish the book elsewhere, if, as I hold in<br />
the present case, he has the copyright. Now, in<br />
the present case, what has happened is that the<br />
publisher became bankrupt on the 2nd February,<br />
1905. Thereupon the benefit of this contract with<br />
other assets of the bankrupt would pass of course<br />
to the trustee in the bankruptcy. It seems to me<br />
that this fact without any notice from the author<br />
would at once determine the joint adventure, and<br />
subject to the restriction which I have already<br />
alluded to would leave it open to the author to<br />
employ some other person to publish the book.<br />
Then, it is contended that at all events he cannot<br />
do so so long as any parts of the last edition<br />
remain unsold. That really is giving effect to<br />
the restriction which I have already mentioned as<br />
having been placed upon the author by the judg-<br />
ment in Reade v. Bentley, but that is met by an<br />
offer on the part of the plaintiff to buy from the<br />
publisher such of the copies of the last edition as<br />
remain unsold, ‘Then it is said that there are<br />
certain copyright pieces in the book, the copy-<br />
right in which belongs to Mr. Grant Richards.<br />
Of course, if there is copyright outstanding in<br />
certain individual pieces which would be infringed<br />
by the republication of the book, the author would<br />
not be entitled to infringe that copyright. He<br />
states that he does not intend to, and I think the<br />
true result in reference to that is that I must leave<br />
out of account for the present purpose—for the<br />
purpose of this judgment—all question of copy-<br />
14<br />
<br />
right in the individual pieces, either between the<br />
author, the plaintiff, Mr. Grant Richards or his<br />
assignee in bankruptcy, or as between the plaintiff<br />
and other persons who have a copyright.”<br />
<br />
_ OH?<br />
<br />
OUGHT STAGE-PLAYS AT MUSIC HALLS<br />
TO BE PROHIBITED ?<br />
<br />
—_ <2 —<br />
<br />
HE question of stage-plays at music halls was<br />
a matter of public inquiry some forty years<br />
ago, but it has come into prominence again<br />
during the last twelve months, and the theatre<br />
proprietors are still on the war-path. The cam-<br />
paign began in the autumn of 1903, when the<br />
Theatrical Managers’ Association instituted pro-<br />
ceedings against the Palace Theatre of Varieties<br />
for producing a piece entitled “ La Toledad ”—an<br />
artistic sketch of a perfectly harmless character,<br />
which had been performed in the principal halls<br />
in London and in the provinces for two years<br />
previously without any complaint whatever. Of<br />
course it came within the legal definition of a<br />
stage-play, and under the Theatres Act of 1843<br />
it is, strictly speaking, illegal to produce a stage-<br />
play at a music hall. The Palace company was<br />
accordingly convicted and fined £50.<br />
<br />
The theatre proprietors, apparently encouraged<br />
by their success, then proceeded to attack other<br />
music halls in different parts of the metropolis,<br />
and, although some of the magistrates were reluc-<br />
tant to impose a penalty at all, at the latter end of<br />
last year the Oxford and the Metropolitan Music<br />
Halls were fined £120 and £180 respectively for<br />
the same offence.<br />
<br />
Now when music hall proprietors are being<br />
mulcted in fines exceeding £100 for permitting<br />
the performance of stage-plays—which are not<br />
only admittedly free from indecency and anything<br />
offensive, but are in many instances artistic and<br />
picturesque, and add considerably to the entertain-<br />
ment of the public—the “man in the street” is<br />
naturally inquiring if this is the law, and for whose<br />
benefit such a law exists ?<br />
<br />
Inasmuch as the recent prosecutions have been<br />
taken under the Theatres Act, 1843, and this is<br />
the statute which is violated every day in London<br />
and in the provinces—and has been violated per-<br />
sistently during the last half-century at least—it<br />
is important to realise that the Act was passed for<br />
a specific object, which is not generally under-<br />
stood, and under circumstances wholly different<br />
from those which exist at the present day.<br />
<br />
From the conduct of the theatre proprietors with<br />
regard to stage-plays, it would appear as if they<br />
thought the Theatres Act was intended to preserve<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
the privileges of those who run theatres from the<br />
increasing competition of the music halls. The<br />
seem to think that the Act was passed for the<br />
benefit of themselves as upholders of the “ legiti-<br />
mate drama,” by way of contrast to those who run<br />
variety entertainments where smoking and drinking<br />
is allowed in the auditorium. They argue that<br />
as they have certain requirements imposed upon<br />
them by reason of their theatre licence, they ought<br />
to have the monopoly of performing stage-plays<br />
and should prevent artistic performances elsewhere<br />
in those palaces of varieties where the restrictions<br />
may be less exacting.*<br />
<br />
But this is an entire mistake. The Theatres<br />
Act was never intended for such a purpose at all.<br />
Its object was to provide a more effective control<br />
over performances calculated to offend public<br />
decency and morals. It was described in Parlia-<br />
ment as “a measure of police.” It gave no<br />
authority to the Lord Chamberlain to dictate to<br />
the manager of a theatre what sort of entertain-<br />
ments he should provide for the public. It was<br />
no part of his duty to say whether there should be<br />
drama, or singing, or dancing at the theatre,<br />
whether the plays should last forty minutes or<br />
three hours, whether there should be two or a<br />
dozen performers, or what sort of scenic effects<br />
should be employed. All such matters were left<br />
to the discretion of the manager, and the only duty<br />
of the Lord Chamberlain was to see that no enter-<br />
tainments offensive to public decency and morals<br />
should be permitted. The Act empowered him to<br />
secure to the public that there should be nothing<br />
indecent, scurrilous, or profane. The whole pur-<br />
pose of the Act was to restrain licentiousness-—not<br />
the liberty of the stage.<br />
<br />
So much for the object of the Act. Now, as to<br />
the circumstances to which it was to be applied.<br />
<br />
The modern music hall or palace of varieties at<br />
that time was not in existence and possibly not<br />
even conceived. The earliest London music hall was<br />
built in 1851, nearly ten years after the Theatres<br />
Act was passed. The Canterbury, the Oxford,<br />
the Tivoli, and other similar halls of entertainment<br />
show the progress of artistic development from the<br />
‘free and easies” at the beginning of the century.<br />
Such entertainments took place generally in the<br />
yard or precincts of a tavern, where drinks were<br />
supplied according to the payments of admission.<br />
Each man sang his song, and pipes and porter and<br />
good square meals were accessories to the enter-<br />
tainment. A licence from the magistrates for<br />
music and dancing was required by the same<br />
statute under which the County Council grant<br />
licences to music halls at the present day. With-<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
* Vide manifesto of the Theatrical Managers’ Associa~<br />
tion, published in the Zimes, July 16th, 1904,<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Ss era en Na<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THER AUTHOR. 15<br />
<br />
out the magistrates’ licence such a place of enter-<br />
tainment was declared by the Act to be a “dis-<br />
orderly house,” and in those early days the<br />
description was not always inappropriate to such<br />
places even when conducted under the authority<br />
of the magistrates.<br />
<br />
Canterbury Hall was opened in 1852 under the<br />
management of the late Mr. Morton, who had run<br />
the Canterbury ‘Tavern with “ free and easies.” He<br />
it was who introduced the system of “ turns” which<br />
prevails in the modern music halls. Similar places<br />
were built, and by degrees new palaces of varieties<br />
were opened in all parts of the Metropolis. Then it<br />
was that the theatre proprietors felt the strain of<br />
competition, and—showing how history repeats<br />
itself—they commenced a general attack upon the<br />
music halls. A series of prosecutions, very similar<br />
to those of 1904, were instituted in 1860 by<br />
theatre proprietors to check the performance of<br />
stage-plays at music halls.<br />
<br />
There was a performance at Canterbury Hall<br />
where two persons came on the stage and repre-<br />
gented a kind of pantomime. They played seven-<br />
teen or eighteen characters, the great point being<br />
the quick change of dress. They were prosecuted<br />
for performing a stage-play, and were fined £5.<br />
This is merely a single instance, but the theatre<br />
proprietors attacked everything, and even secured<br />
a conviction against a proprietor of the entertain-<br />
ment known as “ Pepper’s Ghost.”<br />
<br />
The question as to the propriety of these prose-<br />
cutions became a matter of public interest, and in<br />
1866 a parliamentary committee was appointed to<br />
investigate the case for and against the perfor-<br />
mance of stage-plays at music halls. The evidence<br />
before the committee is interesting, because it<br />
shows the marked contrast between the state of<br />
the music halls then and their improved condition<br />
at the present day. For instance, it was proved<br />
to be the practice at many of the music halls to<br />
give a ticket on payment of admission, which<br />
entitled the holder to spirits to the amount of the<br />
ticket. It was urged against the music halls as a<br />
notorious fact that there were private saloons<br />
where immorality prevailed. The songs were said<br />
to be a disgrace to any person who put them on<br />
the stage, and it was alleged that obscene songs<br />
suited a certain class of people who went there<br />
expressly to get drunk. There were constant rows<br />
and fights, and there was a want of police surveil-<br />
lance, All these things were urged against. music<br />
halls in 1866—when such irregularities did exist<br />
no doubt—and yet the parliamentary committee<br />
was satisfied that even then there was no case for<br />
prohibiting the performance of stage-plays at<br />
music halls, provided they were placed under<br />
proper supervision.<br />
<br />
Such was the state of things complained of in<br />
<br />
1866, but can it be alleged against the music halls<br />
of the present day ?<br />
<br />
It must be generally admitted that the music<br />
halls have been steadily improving in the artistic<br />
nature of their performances. The buildings<br />
are magnificent and elaborately decorated. They<br />
are under the efficient supervision of the County<br />
Council. They provide entertainment for thousands<br />
of people, of whom it cannot be said nowadays<br />
that they go there “expressly to get drunk.”<br />
Any disorder or disturbance is immediately<br />
suppressed, and the irregularities which no doubt<br />
existed some fifty years ago are no longer<br />
characteristic of the music halls of to-day. And<br />
if the public like to be entertained by stage-plays<br />
which are artistic, dramatic, or picturesque, is it<br />
reasonable that this old Act of Parliament should<br />
prevent them from enjoying the kind of entertain-<br />
ment they want ?<br />
<br />
Prosecutions for performing stage-plays have<br />
hindered the progress of the music halls in their<br />
artistic development ever since they rose from the<br />
“free and easies” of the public-house. Such<br />
prosecutions were proved to be unreasonable by<br />
the report of the parliamentary committee in<br />
1866. And now at the present time the theatre<br />
proprietors have started the old campaign again<br />
and have succeeded in depriving the public of<br />
performances and entertainments which they like,<br />
and which are often more artistic than many a<br />
piece produced under the authority of the Lord<br />
Chamberlain.<br />
<br />
It has been laid down that the two tests of a<br />
stage-play are, first, the excitement of emotion,<br />
and, secondly, the representation of action, A<br />
stage-play, moreover, is defined by the Theatres<br />
Act to include “every tragedy, comedy, farce,<br />
opera, burletta, interlude, melodrama, pantomime,<br />
or other entertainment of the stage, or any part<br />
thereof.” It is obvious, therefore, that any per-<br />
formance in the nature ofa so-called “sketch” at<br />
a London music hall is prohibited by statute, and<br />
the number of characters or time limit have no<br />
recognition in law.<br />
<br />
It is no exaggeration to say that there is hardly<br />
a music hall in London which does not nightly<br />
violate the law by the unauthorised performance of<br />
a “stage-play.” Not only is the music hall pro-<br />
prietor liable to heavy fines, but every artiste may<br />
be fined £10 for every such performance in which<br />
he takes part; and it is important to note that<br />
theatre proprietors have not the exclusive right of<br />
instituting proceedings, but any person—even “a<br />
man of straw”—can prosecute if he pleases, and<br />
the Act of Parliament allows him his costs, to be<br />
paid out of the amount of the fines imposed.<br />
<br />
Such being the state of the law, can it be<br />
said to be satisfactory, or applicable to the<br />
16<br />
<br />
circumstances of the present day? Is there any<br />
sound reason why the public who go to music halls<br />
should not be entertained by any performance they<br />
like, provided it does not offend against morals or<br />
decency ?<br />
<br />
It is not suggested by the theatre proprietors,<br />
who prosecute, that the stage-plays they complain<br />
of are immoral or indecent. On the contrary,<br />
their grievance is that the so-called ‘“ sketches ”<br />
have become so elaborate and artistic that they<br />
seek to prohibit performances which may success-<br />
fully compete with their own productions at the<br />
the theatres. A very pretty little Japanese piece,<br />
entitled “O Mat San,” which was artistically<br />
staged and admirably acted at the Tivoli, was<br />
withdrawn from the music halls from fear of<br />
prosecution ; and another artistic piece called<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
music hall, it is necessary to point out that such<br />
an opinion is entirely incorrect. An author’s<br />
rights in a play consist of “ copyright,” or the<br />
right of producing copies by printing or otherwise,<br />
and “performing rights,” or the right of produc-<br />
tion on a public stage. In the course of the case<br />
when the Palace Theatre was prosecuted for per-<br />
forming the stage-play, “La Toledad,” it was<br />
actually stated in court that the defendants had<br />
purchased the performing rights.<br />
<br />
The fact is, the theatre proprietors find a<br />
difficulty in justifying these prosecutions at all.<br />
They are not for the public benefit in any way.<br />
They are a hindrance to authors, artists, actors,<br />
and managers. They inflict great hardship upon<br />
persons who deserve encouragement for their efforts<br />
to improve the entertainments of the people. And<br />
<br />
PROSECUTIONS OF STacE PuAys, 1903—4.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Music Hall. Play.<br />
<br />
Date. |<br />
<br />
Police Court.<br />
<br />
|<br />
<br />
Magistrate. Result. Remarks.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
1903<br />
<br />
Novy. .| Palace Theatre... .| La Toledad”’<br />
<br />
|<br />
<br />
1904 |<br />
Jan, .. New Cross Empire<br />
8. London Palace<br />
. 5. London Palace ..|“ My Life for Hers” .<br />
| Tivoli oes ...| “ Moonspell”<br />
March| Hammersmith Palace...|‘‘ Fighting Parson”...<br />
<br />
-| * Dandy Doctor”<br />
<br />
Feb.<br />
<br />
April .| Empress Theatre, Brix-| “ Fighting Parson” ...| Lambeth<br />
<br />
Oct. .) Oxford ... .| Belle of the Orient”<br />
<br />
Metropolitan<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
|<br />
| ton.<br />
|<br />
|<br />
<br />
Nov.<br />
Dec. .| S. London Palace<br />
| S. London Palace<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
|<br />
“The Moon Spell” has succumbed under the stress<br />
of police-court proceedings.<br />
<br />
One argument advanced against permitting<br />
stage-plays at music halls appears to be based<br />
upon a misconception of the law relating to<br />
copyright. At a recent meeting of the Actors’<br />
Benevolent Society, Mr. Beerbohm Tree, in dealing<br />
with this question, said as follows:<br />
<br />
“At the present time almost all the variety<br />
theatres—especially in the suburbs and the pro-<br />
vinces—are performing complete stage-plays, many<br />
of them occupying as much as an hour, some an<br />
hour and a half. Many of these are simply boiled<br />
down versions of stage-plays. These are not only<br />
played without a dramatic licence, but without any<br />
Sees being paid to the author.”<br />
<br />
If it was intended to suggest that an author has<br />
not identically the same rights in respect of a<br />
stage-play, whether performed at a theatre or a<br />
<br />
.| Marlborough St. .| Mr. Denman<br />
<br />
...| Greenwich<br />
..| “Major McPhee, M.P.”| Southwark<br />
Southwark<br />
.| Bow Street x<br />
West London ...<br />
<br />
e Marlborough St. .| Mr. Kennedy<br />
.| “Fighting Parson ”’...| Marylebone<br />
<br />
- Hammersmith Palace...| “ Fighting Parson”’...) West London ...<br />
.| * Beneath Big Ben”...| Southwark<br />
-| Don Cesar de Bayan”) Southwark<br />
<br />
.| Fine £50 .| Played two years<br />
previously in<br />
London = and<br />
Provinces.<br />
<br />
..| Mr. Kettle £20.<br />
<br />
.|Mr. Chapman ...) ,, £25.<br />
<br />
...| Mr. Paul Taylor. #1<br />
-| Mr. Marsham ... £50.<br />
<br />
Mr. Rose se £25.<br />
<br />
.| Mr. Hopkins ... £2<br />
<br />
£120<br />
£180) On appeal re-<br />
duced to £90,<br />
<br />
..| Mr.Curtis Bennett<br />
<br />
Mr. Rose : £42.<br />
.| Mr. Chapman ... £3<br />
-| Mr. Chapman ... £e<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
it seems like an abuse of the police court when<br />
people are prosecuted, not for the public benefit,<br />
but to procure convictions against rivals in business,<br />
whose only offence is shown in their laudable ambi-<br />
tion to go on improving their performances by making<br />
them more. artistic, dramatic, or picturesque.<br />
<br />
An antiquated law which is unreasonable is.<br />
naturally set at defiance, and some magistrates<br />
have shown their reluctance to impose more than a<br />
nominal penalty. They are, unfortunately, bound<br />
to convict, because—as Mr. Denman, the magis-<br />
trate, said in the “La Toledad ” case—“ a stage-<br />
play cannot cease to be a stage-play because, instead<br />
of three hours, it takes only thirty or forty<br />
minutes.” But the summary of prosecutions in<br />
the table above (which is not exhaustive) is sufficient.<br />
to show the difficulty of administering a law which<br />
is not adapted to the requirements of the publicat<br />
the present day.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
ee<br />
<br />
Ee<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
et ere AI A la ge foo ON.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 17<br />
<br />
In giving his decision in the case of the “ Fight-<br />
ing Parson,” Mr. Hopkins makes this clear when<br />
he said, “‘ Speaking for myself, and I hope, for all<br />
the magistrates and justices throughout the country,<br />
I take but little notice of a form of offence which<br />
the authorities of the country do not proceed<br />
against, and which no one proceeds against, except<br />
the people whose pockets are touched.”<br />
<br />
Again, in the case against the New South London<br />
Music Hall for producing “ My Life for Hers,”<br />
Mr. Paul Taylor observed, “It is important to<br />
remember that for the last twenty-five or thirty<br />
years music hall managers have been allowed to<br />
produce sketches without hindrance. The evidence<br />
given before the committee in 1892 included a<br />
statement by the late Mr. Clement Scott that since<br />
theatre managers had withheld their hands and<br />
winked at the illegality, the whole tone of the<br />
variety theatre had improved, as any one who has<br />
any London experience will agree. The music hall<br />
managers have been lulled into a state of security;<br />
false security perhaps, by the inaction of any<br />
public authority.” He was reluctantly compelled<br />
to convict, however, and imposed a nominal fine<br />
of £1.<br />
<br />
The theatre proprietors have so far had it all<br />
their own way. They have selected whom they<br />
will prosecute and whom they do not care to<br />
molest. They have succeeded in shelving the<br />
question as to the stage-plays at the Empire and the<br />
Alhambra, because their own interests might be<br />
affected in the event of convictions at those two<br />
particular halls. Moreover, they have lately had<br />
the satisfaction of seeing some of the magistrates<br />
so deeply impressed with the enormity of this<br />
<br />
‘ offence, that they have inflicted very heavy fines<br />
<br />
for what other magistrates can hardly regard as an<br />
offence at all.<br />
<br />
But the theatre proprietors may have carried<br />
their successes too far. In the matter of their<br />
entertainments the public should surely have a<br />
voice. And when the time has come to make an<br />
alteration in the law, when the object of the<br />
Theatres Act is carefully considered and under-<br />
stood, it is possible that the question will not be<br />
whether ‘sketches ” shall be permitted at music<br />
halls, within certain limits as to time and the<br />
number of performers, but whether it is to the<br />
interest of the public that any stage-play, which<br />
is not indecent, scurrilous, or profane, shall be<br />
prohibited at any one of their places of public<br />
entertainment.<br />
<br />
The music halls, compared with the theatres, are<br />
only in their infancy. Their artistic development<br />
during the last ten or fifteen years has been rapid<br />
and extraordinary. They have a great future<br />
before them. And it has become a question for<br />
the public, not for theatre proprietors to decide,<br />
<br />
whether the entertainments of the people shall be<br />
fettered with restrictions, which are proved to be<br />
unreasonable, and which are wholly inappropriate<br />
° the requirements of the public at the present<br />
day.<br />
<br />
Harotp Harpy.<br />
<br />
+——_-—_ ses<br />
<br />
MAGAZINE CONTENTS.<br />
<br />
—_t-—~——+ —__<br />
BLACKWOOD’S MAGAZINE.<br />
An Irish Festival. By Stephen Gwynn.<br />
<br />
BOOKMAN.<br />
<br />
The Work of Maurice Hewlett. By A. Macdonell.<br />
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Book MonTvHLY.<br />
Stage and Book. By Lewis Melville.<br />
Holy Ground: A Pilgrimage to the Scene of Grey’s<br />
“Hlegy.” By W. J. Roberts.<br />
The German Book Trade.<br />
<br />
By Bruno Conrad,<br />
<br />
CHAMBERS’ JOURNAL,<br />
Shakespeare Autographs. By W. Roberts.<br />
<br />
CONTEMPORARY REVIEW.<br />
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Centres of Scientific and Religious Thought.<br />
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By Emma<br />
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CORNHILL MAGAZINE.<br />
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Consule Planco.<br />
An English Poet.<br />
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FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW.<br />
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Mr. Wells as a Sociologist. By Dr. Beattie Crozier.<br />
<br />
Church and State in France. By Eugene Tavernier.<br />
Translated by Helen Chisholm.<br />
<br />
The Beginnings of Religion and Totemism. By J. G.<br />
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Christopher Marlowe. By W. L. Courtney.<br />
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The Letters of Ernest Renan. By Edward Wright.<br />
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The Sherborne Pageant. By Sir Lewis Morris.<br />
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The Novels of Captain Chamier.<br />
The Fellow Workers of Voltaire: Beaumarchais. By<br />
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TR<br />
<br />
MonrH.<br />
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King Henry VIII. asa Poet. By Rhys Pryce.<br />
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MONTHLY REVIEW.<br />
Alphonse Daudet. By M. F. Sanders.<br />
The Increasing Popularity of the Hrotic Novel. By<br />
Basil Tozer.<br />
On Catalogue Reading. By Dora Greenwell McChesney.<br />
Dean Church, By Algernon Cecil.<br />
NATIONAL REVIEW.<br />
Sea Power and The Poets. By St. Loe Strachey.<br />
<br />
NINETEENTH CENTURY.<br />
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A Plea for a Ministry of Fine Arts. By M.H. Spielmann..<br />
Agnes Sorel. By Alice Kemp-Welch.<br />
<br />
TEMPLE BAR.<br />
The Poet's Ringlets, By Michael MacDonagh,<br />
18<br />
<br />
WARNINGS TO THE PRODUCERS<br />
OF BOOKS.<br />
<br />
—_—>—+ —<br />
<br />
BRE are a few standing rules to be observed in an<br />
agreement. There are four methods of dealing<br />
with literary property :—<br />
<br />
I. Selling it Outright.<br />
<br />
This is sometimes satisfactory, if a proper price can be<br />
obtained. But the transaction should be managed by a<br />
competent agent, or with the advice of the Secretary of<br />
the Society.<br />
<br />
Il. A Profit-Sharing Agreement (a bad form of<br />
agreement).<br />
<br />
In this case the following rules should be attended to:<br />
<br />
(1.) Not to sign any agreement in which the cost of pro-<br />
.duection forms a part without the strictest investigation.<br />
<br />
(2.) Not to give the publisher the power of putting the<br />
profits into his own pocket by charging for advertisements<br />
in his own organs, or by charging exchange advertise-<br />
ments. ‘Therefore keep control of the advertisements.<br />
<br />
(3.) Not to allow a special charge for “ office expenses,”<br />
unless the same allowance is made to the author.<br />
<br />
(4.) Not to give up American, Colonial, or Continental<br />
rights.<br />
<br />
(5.) Not to give up serial or translation rights.<br />
<br />
(6.) Not to bind yourself for future work to any publisher.<br />
As well bind yourself for the future to any one solicitor or<br />
-doctor !<br />
<br />
III. The Royalty System.<br />
<br />
This is perhaps, with certain limitations, the best form<br />
-of agreement. It is above all things necessary to know<br />
what the proposed royalty means to both sides. It isnow<br />
possible for an author to ascertain approximately the<br />
truth. From time to time very important figures connected<br />
with royalties are published in Zhe Author.<br />
<br />
IV. A Commission Agreement.<br />
<br />
The main points are :—<br />
<br />
(1.) Be careful to obtain a fair cost of production.<br />
(2.) Keep control of the advertisements.<br />
<br />
(3.) Keep control of the sale price of the book.<br />
<br />
General.<br />
<br />
All other forms of agreement are combinations of the four<br />
above mentioned.<br />
<br />
Such combinations are generally disastrous to the author.<br />
<br />
Never sign any agreement without competent advice from<br />
the Secretary of the Society.<br />
<br />
Stamp all agreements with the Inland Revenue stamp.<br />
<br />
Avoid agreements by letter if possible.<br />
<br />
The main points which the Society has always demanded<br />
from the outset are :-—<br />
<br />
(1.) That both sides shall know what an agreement<br />
means.<br />
<br />
(2.) The inspection of those account books which belong<br />
tothe author. We are advised that this is a right, in the<br />
nature of a common law right, which cannot be denied or<br />
withheld.<br />
<br />
(3.) Always avoid a transfer of copyright.<br />
<br />
\$—<—2<br />
<br />
WARNINGS TO DRAMATIC AUTHORS.<br />
<br />
ETO<br />
EVER sign an agreement without submitting it to the<br />
Secretary of the Society of Authors or some com-<br />
petent legal authority.<br />
2. {t is well to be extremely careful in negotiating for<br />
the production of a play with anyone except an established<br />
manager.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
3. There are three forms of dramatic contract for plays<br />
in three or more acts :—<br />
<br />
(a.) Sale outright of the performing right. This<br />
is unsatisfactory. An author who enters into<br />
such a contract should stipulate in the contract<br />
for production of the piece by a certain date<br />
and for proper publication of his name on the<br />
play-bills. :<br />
<br />
(b.) Sale of performing right or of a licence to<br />
perform on the basis of percentages on<br />
gross receipts. Percentages vary between 5<br />
and 15 per cent. An author should obtain a<br />
percentage on the sliding scale of g7vss receipts<br />
in preference to the American system, Should<br />
obtain a sum inadvance of percentages. A fixe:<br />
date on or before which the play should be<br />
performed.<br />
<br />
(e.) Sale of performing right or of a licence to<br />
perform on the basis of royalties (i.¢., fixed<br />
nightly fees). ‘his method should be always<br />
avoided except in cases where the fees are<br />
likely to be small or difficult to collect. The<br />
other safeguards set out under heading (0.) apply<br />
also in this case.<br />
<br />
4, Plays in one act are often sold outright, but it is<br />
better to obtain a small nightly fee if possible, and a sum<br />
paid in advance of such fees in any event. It is extremely<br />
important that the amateur rights of one-act plays should<br />
be reserved.<br />
<br />
5. Authors should remember that performing rights can<br />
be limited, and are usually limited, by town, country, and<br />
time. This is most important.<br />
<br />
6. Authors should not assign performing rights, but<br />
should grant a licence to perform. ‘he legal distinction is<br />
of great importance,<br />
<br />
7. Authors should remember that performing rights in a<br />
play are distinct from literary copyright. A manager<br />
holding the performing right or licence to perform cannot<br />
print the book of the words.<br />
<br />
8. Never forget that United States rights may be exceed-<br />
ingly valuable. ‘They should never be included in English<br />
agreements without the author obtaining a substantial<br />
consideration.<br />
<br />
9. Agreements for collaboration should be carefully<br />
drawn and executed before collaboration is commenced.<br />
<br />
10. An author should remember that production of a play<br />
is highly speculative : that he runs a very great risk of<br />
delay and a breakdown in the fulfilment of his contract.<br />
He should therefore guard himself all the more carefully in<br />
the beginning.<br />
<br />
11. An author must remember that the dramatic market<br />
is exceedingly limited, and that for a novice the first object<br />
is to obtain adequate publication.<br />
<br />
As these warnings must necessarily be incomplete, on<br />
account of the wide range of the subject of dramatic con-<br />
tracts, those authors desirous of further information<br />
are referred to the Secretary of the Society.<br />
<br />
ep<br />
<br />
°<br />
<br />
WARNINGS TO MUSICAL COMPOSERS.<br />
<br />
a<br />
<br />
ITTLE can be added to the warnings given for the<br />
assistance of producers of books and dramatic<br />
authors. It must, however, be pointed out that, as<br />
<br />
a rule, the musical publisher demands from the musical<br />
composer a transfer of fuller rights and less liberal finan-<br />
cial terms than those obtained for literary and dramatic<br />
property. The musical composer has very often the two<br />
rights to deal with—performing right and copyright. He<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Ae<br />
ie ae<br />
ve<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
os<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
should be especially careful therefore when entering into<br />
an agreement,and should take into particular consideration<br />
the warnings stated above.<br />
<br />
Se ee ee<br />
<br />
HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY.<br />
<br />
——— +<br />
<br />
1, VERY member has a right toask for and to receive<br />
advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub-<br />
lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his<br />
<br />
business or the administration of his property. The<br />
<br />
Secretary of the Society is a solicitor, but if there is any<br />
<br />
special reason the Secretary will refer the case to the<br />
<br />
Solicitors of the Society. Further, the Committee, if they<br />
<br />
deem it desirable, will obtain counsel's opinion. All this<br />
<br />
without any cost to the member.<br />
<br />
2. Remember that questions connected with copyright<br />
and publishers’ agreements do not fall within the experi-<br />
ence of ordinary solicitors. Therefore, do not scruple to use<br />
the Society.<br />
<br />
3. Send to the Office copies of past agreements and past<br />
accounts, with a copy of the book represented. The<br />
Secretary will always be glad to have any agreements, new<br />
or old, for inspection and note. ‘The information thus<br />
obtained may prove invaluable.<br />
<br />
4. Before signing any agreement whatever, send<br />
the document to the Society for examination.<br />
<br />
5. Remember always that in belonging to the Society<br />
you are fighting the battles of other writers, even if you<br />
are reaping no benefit to yourself, and that you are<br />
advancing the best interests of your calling in promoting<br />
the independence of the writer, the dramatist, the composer.<br />
<br />
6. The Committee have now arranged for the reception<br />
of members’ agreements and their preservation in a fire-<br />
proof safe. The agreements will, of course, be regarded as<br />
confidential documents to be read only by the Secretary,<br />
who will keep the key of the safe. The Society now offers:<br />
—(1) To read and advise upon agreements and to give<br />
advice concerning publishers. (2) ‘Io stamp agreements<br />
in readiness for a possible action upon them. (3) To keep<br />
agreements. (4) To enforce payments due according to<br />
agreements. Fuller particulars of the Society’s work<br />
can be obtained in the Prospectus.<br />
<br />
7. No contract should be entered into with a literary<br />
agent without the advice of the Secretary of the Society.<br />
Members are strongly advised not to accept without careful<br />
consideration the contracts with publishers submitted to<br />
them by literary agents, and are recommended to submit<br />
them for interpretation and explanation to the Secretary<br />
of the Society.<br />
<br />
8. Many agents neglect to stamp agreements.<br />
must be done within fourteen days of first execution.<br />
Secretary will undertake it on behalf of members.<br />
<br />
This<br />
The<br />
<br />
9. Some agents endeavour to prevent authors from<br />
referring matters to the Secretary of the Society ; so<br />
do some publishers. Members can make their own<br />
deductions and act accordingly.<br />
<br />
10. The subscription to the Society is £1 4s. per<br />
annum, or £10 10s for life membership.<br />
<br />
19<br />
TO MUSICAL COMPOSERS.<br />
<br />
——>+—<br />
<br />
HE Society undertakes to stamp copies of music on<br />
behalf ot its members for the fee of 6d. per 100 or<br />
part of 100. The members’ stamps are kept in the<br />
<br />
Society’s safe. The musical publishers communicate direct<br />
with the Secretary, and the voucher is then forwarded to<br />
the members, who are thus saved much unnecessary trouble.<br />
<br />
OE eS<br />
<br />
THE READING BRANCH.<br />
<br />
oe<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
EMBERS will greatly assist the Society in this<br />
branch of its work by informing young writers<br />
of its existence. Their MSS. can be read and<br />
<br />
treated as a composition is treated by a coach, The term<br />
MSS. includes not only works of fiction, but poetry<br />
and dramatic works, and when it is possible, under<br />
<br />
special arrangement, technical and scientific works. The<br />
Readers are writers of competence and experience. The<br />
<br />
fee is one guinea,<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
—p—+<br />
<br />
NOTICES.<br />
<br />
—_——>—+—__<br />
<br />
HE Editor of Zhe Author begs to remind members of<br />
<br />
the Society that, although the paper is sent to them<br />
<br />
free of charge, the cost of producing it would be a<br />
<br />
very heavy charge on the resources of the Society if a great<br />
<br />
many members did not forward to the Secretary the modest<br />
5s. 6d. subscription for the year.<br />
<br />
Communications for “The Author” should be addressed<br />
to the Olfices of the Society, 39, Old Queen Street, Storey’s<br />
Gate, S.W., and should reach the Editor not later than the<br />
21st of each month.<br />
<br />
All persons engaged in literary work of any kind,<br />
whether members of the Society or not, are invited to<br />
communicate to the Editor any points connected with their<br />
work which it would be advisable in the general interest to<br />
publish.<br />
<br />
Communications and letters are invited by the<br />
Editor on all subjects connected with literature, but on<br />
no other subjects whatever. very effort will be made to<br />
return articles which cannot be accepted.<br />
<br />
—_—— +<br />
<br />
The Secretary of the Society begs to give notice<br />
that all remittances are acknowledged by return of post,<br />
and he requests members who do not receive an<br />
answer to important communications within two days to<br />
write to him without delay. All remittances should be<br />
crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery Lane, or be sent<br />
by registered letter only.<br />
<br />
—<>—__-—___——<br />
<br />
LEGAL AND GENERAL LIFE ASSURANCE<br />
SOCIETY.<br />
<br />
> +<br />
<br />
ENSIONS to commence at any selected age,<br />
P either with or without Life Assurance, can<br />
be obtained from this society.<br />
Full particulars can be obtained from the City<br />
Branch Manager, Legal and General Life Assurance<br />
Society, 158, Leadenhall Street, London, H.C.<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
AUTHORITIES.<br />
<br />
hen aan<br />
<br />
«Prom a circular dated “Leipzig, middle of<br />
July, 1905,” signed by an International Committee<br />
appointed to make arrangement for the Inter-<br />
national Congress of Publishers at Milan next<br />
year, we learn that membership of the Congress is<br />
confined to book publishers, music publishers, art<br />
publishers, and publishers of periodicals (reviews,<br />
magazines, illustrated papers) of all countries.<br />
<br />
Discussions can be in Italian, French, German,<br />
and English. Interpreters for these languages will<br />
be present at all the sittings.<br />
<br />
The Congress sittings will take place in Milan,<br />
from June 6th to 10th, 1906.<br />
<br />
The subjects dealt with will relate exclusively to<br />
such questions as have international interest, and<br />
refer either to authors’ rights or publishers’ rights<br />
in works of literature and art, or relate to book,<br />
art, music, or periodical publication.<br />
<br />
The Congress is divided in two sections—<br />
<br />
Section A.: Authors’ Rights and Publishers’<br />
Rights.<br />
<br />
Section B.:<br />
Trade.<br />
<br />
The discussions will be arranged in three<br />
sub-sections of the Sections A. and B., formed as<br />
follows :<br />
<br />
1. Books and periodicals.<br />
<br />
2. Music.<br />
<br />
3. Objects of the trade in works of art<br />
(engravings, prints, photographs).<br />
<br />
The discussion on Section A., “ Authors’ Rights<br />
and Publishers’ Rights” will, no doubt, be<br />
interesting to all members of the Society, and<br />
we hope to be able to obtain a full and detailed<br />
account when the Congress has been held next<br />
year.<br />
<br />
Book, Art, Music, and Periodical<br />
<br />
Mr. Grant Richards,<br />
<br />
THE application of<br />
publisher, for an order of discharge in bankruptcy<br />
came before Mr. Registrar Brougham in July, and<br />
was disposed of by an order suspending the dis-<br />
<br />
charge for two years. The estimated liabilities,<br />
according to the Official Receiver’s report, were<br />
£36,495, but it was stated that these might be<br />
increased to as much as £48,995, in certain<br />
contingencies. Of the assets £10,300 had been<br />
realised, and the value of the unrealised assets<br />
was estimated at £10,075. The Official Receiver’s<br />
report regarding the bankrupt’s conduct of his<br />
business and his manner of living was very<br />
unfavourable. In explanation of the private<br />
expenditure, it was stated that Mr. Grant Richards<br />
had spent considerable sums in entertaining<br />
authors, booksellers and other persons who might<br />
have assisted him in business. The Registrar,<br />
<br />
in giving judgment, remarked that this was an<br />
unfortunate case, as the bankrupt had a large<br />
business, which, so late as November, 1904, was<br />
valued at £50,000.'<br />
<br />
a<br />
<br />
OBITUARY.<br />
<br />
—— + —_<br />
<br />
R. GEORGE MACDONALD, whose death<br />
we chronicle with regret, was one of the<br />
early members of the society, but resigned<br />
<br />
his membership in 1894. His sympathies were<br />
always strong for the members of his profession<br />
and the work of the society.<br />
<br />
Born in the Aberdeenshire village of Huntley, in<br />
1824, he was destined for the ministry, but, partly<br />
owing to his ill health, he took up literature as a<br />
profession. He thus appealed to a wider audience<br />
as a writer than he could possibly have done as a<br />
minister, though even to the end of his life he<br />
devoted a portion of his time to preaching and<br />
lecturing. He was, according to his own state-<br />
ment, firstly a poet, and secondly a writer of<br />
novels; and though as a writer of novels he<br />
attained literary fame, yet there are many who<br />
will not forget his work as a poet. Of the novels<br />
produced from his pen, “David Elginbrod”<br />
obtained the widest circulation, and the epitaph<br />
in this book is, perhaps, the most widely quoted<br />
of any of his writings, but the author’s own favourite<br />
was “ Robert Falconer.”<br />
<br />
For many years he lived abroad for the sake of<br />
his health ; but he returned to England, and died<br />
at Ashtead, Surrey, in the middle of last month.<br />
<br />
It is interesting to note that his two sons,<br />
inspired, no doubt, by their father’s example, have<br />
also produced books. His second son, Ronald,<br />
achieved a recent success in a work entitled “ The<br />
Sword of the King.”<br />
<br />
+ <_<<br />
<br />
THE CRABBE CELEBRATION AT<br />
ALDEBURGH.<br />
<br />
16TH—18TH SEPTEMBER, 1905.<br />
<br />
—+~<>—<br />
<br />
HE Crabbe Celebration, in commemoration<br />
of the poet’s birth one hundred and fifty<br />
years ago, has been an unqualified success.<br />
<br />
Under the direction of Mr. Charles Ganz, to whose<br />
enthusiasm the inception and fulfilment of the<br />
function are due, the borough authorities, from<br />
the Mayor downwards, made everything easy and<br />
attractive to the numerous visitors, the most<br />
notable among whom was Mr., or—to recognise<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
See<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 21<br />
<br />
his recent academic honours—Dr. Thomas Hardy.<br />
To the author of the Wessex novels Crabbe is “ the<br />
first realist,” making appeal, as truthful portrayer<br />
of the sad, sombre life of the peasantry, in contrast<br />
to the sham presentments of beribboned swains and<br />
bedizened shepherdesses of Watteau pictures and<br />
pastoral poems.<br />
<br />
Quite unexpected was the helpful prominence<br />
given to the celebration by leading articles and<br />
“ appreciations’? in the leading London and pro-<br />
vincial papers, many of whom sent representatives<br />
to report the proceedings, while a goodly show of<br />
patrons, from the Prime Minister to local magnates,<br />
sent their blessings, and, in some cases, their<br />
guineas, these last-named, sadly needed. More<br />
welcome than even the guineas were the exhibits in<br />
the venerable Moot Hall—a goodly muster of per-<br />
sonal relics of the poet ; manuscripts of some unpub-<br />
lished poems, manuscripts of sermons never to be<br />
published, having, once and for all, done their duty<br />
from the ‘“‘ three-decker”’ ; copies of first editions ;<br />
portraits of Crabbe by Pickersgill and Millington ;<br />
pictures of Aldeburgh and Slaughden (where Crabbe<br />
helped his father in the duties of salt-master) in<br />
the eighteenth century ; and a life and selection<br />
from the poems in Russian, the existence of which<br />
Monsr. Huchon told me had escaped even his<br />
eagle eye. To that eminent scholar and ardent<br />
lover of the poet, all are under debt of deep grati-<br />
tude, not only for his presence, but for the brilliant<br />
paper on “Crabbe’s Aldeburgh,” which, written<br />
in pure and nervous English, and suffused with a<br />
charm of style which is the secret of his country-<br />
men, was read by him at the afternoon gathering<br />
on Saturday. Mr. Redstone had previously dealt<br />
with some features of the old town in the sixteenth<br />
and seventeenth centuries, and these M. Huchon<br />
supplemented in an illuminative discourse showing<br />
profound acquaintance with the social and literary<br />
history of England in the eighteenth century, and<br />
giving a graphic description of the ill-built, wind-<br />
swept borough at the time when Crabbe found<br />
therein material for verse which won the praise, to<br />
name no others, of Scott, Jane Austen, Cardinal<br />
Newman, and Tennyson. An interesting paper on<br />
Crabbe as a botanist, enlivened by quotations from<br />
poems in which the flora of East Anglia is intro-<br />
duced, preceded a very able assessment of “Crabbe’s<br />
place in English literature” by Mr. Clement<br />
Shorter. Dwelling on his originality and pathos,<br />
and on his skill as a story-teller, Mr. Shorter<br />
applied his wide range of knowledge of our literature<br />
to a comparison of Crabbe with his contemporaries,<br />
and to the contrasts between his own verse and<br />
the poetry which both preceded and followed it.<br />
The necessarily meagre reports of each paper which<br />
have appeared emphasise the wish of those who<br />
heard them to see them published in full.<br />
<br />
In the evening, lighter entertainment was pro-<br />
vided in the shape of tableaux vivants illustrative<br />
of certain incidents in Orabbe’s life. The severest<br />
critics pronounced these to be excellent, and paid<br />
hearty tribute to the skill of Mr. André in device<br />
and presentment. On the Sunday morning, in the<br />
fine old church where Crabbe officiated as curate<br />
in 1792, the Rev. S. W. Goldsmith discoursed in<br />
large-hearted and excellent fashion on the poet as<br />
reflecting faithfully the human nature and con-<br />
ditions of bis age ; holding him up as an example<br />
to be followed in rectitude, strenuousness, and<br />
broad sympathies.<br />
<br />
Thereafter came facilities, on the whole well<br />
availed of, for excursions to places associated with<br />
the poet-—Orford, with its Norman keep; Parham,<br />
with its picturesque mvated Tudor hall; and<br />
Framlingham, with its magnificent castle and its<br />
church, wherein are stately tombs of Surrey, the<br />
Poet-peer, and other of the Howards.<br />
<br />
From all this, there may be no result of “ boom ”<br />
in Crabbe; but the gathering together from far<br />
and near, of those who hold that his place in<br />
English literature is, if subordinate, at least secure,<br />
may cause some to whom he is only a name, to<br />
read the ‘Tales in Verse,” “The Borough,” and<br />
“The Village.”<br />
<br />
EpWwaRpD CLODD.<br />
—_—_—___ 7-4<br />
<br />
THE LITERATURE OF SOUTH AFRICA.<br />
<br />
——+ <4 —_<br />
<br />
F South Africa had been compelled to rely for<br />
its literary output upon the efforts of those<br />
born and bred within its own borders, it<br />
<br />
would have little indeed to show. Within the<br />
last hundred and fifty years a vast number of books<br />
have been produced, dealing with the lands and<br />
peoples south of the Zambesi, but few of them<br />
have been the work of colonial-born writers. The<br />
reasons for this paucity of production are not<br />
difficult to find. The Cape Dutch have been, in<br />
the main, pastoralists, farmers and wine-growers,<br />
and have been far too much engaged in the rough<br />
work of opening up the country, conquering<br />
native tribes, hunting, and wresting their living<br />
from the soil, to devote any portion of their time<br />
to such an occupation as literature, which needs a<br />
settled government, education, and an ampler<br />
leisure than the South African-born has had to<br />
bestow. It is not unlikely that the next fifty<br />
years may see many changes in these respects ;<br />
education is steadily advanciny, peace and leisure<br />
will be more abundant, and from the ranks of the<br />
two sturdy races before whom the future of Africa<br />
south of the Zambesi lies, it is almost certain that<br />
writers will presently arise to create a literature of<br />
its own for this great and interesting country,<br />
<br />
<br />
22<br />
<br />
The earliest writers upon South Africa were,<br />
without exception, travellers, missionaries, sports-<br />
men and naturalists, who, struck with the natural<br />
wonders of this portion of the Dark Continent,<br />
were anxious to give to the world their impres-<br />
sions. Among these two distinguished Swedes,<br />
Sparrmann and Thunberg, whose works were trans-<br />
lated into English, published in the last quarter of<br />
the eighteenth century two excellent works of<br />
travel concerning the old Cape Colony, its fauna,<br />
flora, and inhabitants. To them succeeded the lively<br />
French naturalist, Le Vaillant, whose three works<br />
followed within a few years the publication of the<br />
narratives of the Swedish travellers. Le Vaillant<br />
had a vivid imagination, and his facts are not<br />
always to be relied upon ; still, even at the<br />
present day, his books are not without interest,<br />
and the vatiety and vivacity of the mercurial<br />
Frenchman can seldom fail to amuse the reader.<br />
Barrow, secretary to Earl Macartney, the second<br />
English Governor of Cape Colony, published in<br />
the early years of the nineteenth century a first-rate<br />
book of travel dealing with the new British<br />
dependency. This writer, afterwards famous as<br />
Sir John Barrow, secretary to the Admiralty, was<br />
a man of high attainments, and his book is not<br />
only a sound piece of literature, but abounds in<br />
solid information and well-balanced reasoning.<br />
To Barrow succeeded Lichtenstein, a German<br />
medical man, who produced, a few years later, a<br />
first-rate book of travel. Some fifteen years after<br />
Barrow’s travels appeared another notable volume,<br />
the narrative of Dr. Burchell, one of the most<br />
painstaking and scientific travellers who have ever<br />
explored Africa. Burchell was one of the first to<br />
penetrate beyond the Orange River, and his great<br />
work on the country, and its fauna and flora<br />
remains to this day a most valuable book of<br />
reference.<br />
<br />
There have been few poets worth the name in<br />
South Africa, even as temporary sojourners.<br />
Thomas Pringle is one of them. One of the Algoa<br />
Bay settlers, he lived in the Eastern Province of<br />
Cape Colony for some five years—from 1820 to<br />
1825—during which time he became thoroughly<br />
imbued with the wild romance of the country.<br />
Pringle knew Sir Walter Scott, and some of his<br />
poetry is obviously tinged with the influences of<br />
his great {ellow-countryman. His “Afar in the<br />
Desert,” “The Captive of Camalu,” ‘“ Evening<br />
Rambles,” “The Song of the Wild Bushman,”<br />
and other pieces stand far above the attempts of<br />
any other writers of South African poetry. Up to<br />
the present time, in truth, Pringle may be said to<br />
be the only South African poet.<br />
<br />
The attractions of sport and wild life in South<br />
Africa have produced many notable volumes.<br />
Chief among these stands “ Wild Sports of Southern<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
Africa,” the work of that accomplished and most<br />
enthusiastic of sportsmen, Sir William Cornwallis<br />
Harris. Cornwallis Harris was the forerunner of<br />
the big game hunters who have, since his time,<br />
penetrated to the uttermost recesses of the country<br />
in search of adventure, and his books (he pub-<br />
lished also « magnificent folio, “ Portraits of the<br />
Wild Game of South Africa”’), fired the blood of<br />
many an Englishman, and did much to attract<br />
attention to the lands between the Orange and the<br />
Zambesi. A sound naturalist and a competent<br />
artist, Harris illustrated his own works, which are<br />
to this day eagerly sought after at high prices by<br />
collectors of South African literature.<br />
<br />
Roualeyn Gordon Cumming was one of those<br />
led to South Africa by the glowing and romantic,<br />
but by no means overdrawn descriptions of<br />
Cornwallis Harris. Cumming has been too often<br />
imagined as the sportsman pure and simple, but<br />
his book, ‘Five Years of a Hunter’s Life,”<br />
proves him also the wielder of a ready and most<br />
descriptive pen. Many editions of this famous<br />
work have been brought out, and to this hour the<br />
book sells readily. Upon the whole it may be<br />
counted one of the liveliest and most graphic<br />
descriptions of great game hunting and of wild<br />
life ever published. Much and ably as he handled<br />
the rifle, Gordon Cumming was clearly an author<br />
of distinction ; writing was in his blood, and his<br />
sister, Miss C. F. Gordon Cumming, who, happily,<br />
still survives, has ably carried on the tradition,<br />
and given to the public many excellent volumes.<br />
No one can read Gordon Cumming’s work without<br />
being thrilled again and again by the wonderful<br />
feats performed, the legions of game encountered,<br />
and the speaking and most accurate delineations<br />
of the virgin veldt in which this great Nimrod was<br />
privileged to wander. The book will always and<br />
justly remain one of the classics of its kind.<br />
<br />
Among other notable hunters’ books are those<br />
of Andersson, Baldwin, Drummond, Selous, Bryden,<br />
Millais, and Vaughan Kirby. Andersson, a traveller<br />
of mixed Swedish and English descent, did much to<br />
open up the deserts of South West Africa, and his.<br />
chief volumes, ‘‘ Lake Ngami,” and “The Okavango<br />
River,” are good narratives of travel and adventure,<br />
written in sound and nervous English. Francis<br />
Galton’s “Tropical Africa” is another book of<br />
this period; Galton and Andersson were fellow<br />
travellers, but their narratives are equally well<br />
written and equally worth perusal. W. C. Baldwin,<br />
one of the greatest and most daring hunters that<br />
ever sought danger in South Africa, published a<br />
volume in the early sixties, which described his<br />
sporting career from Natal and Zululand to the<br />
Zambesi from 1852 to 1860. He has not the<br />
literary grace of Cornwallis Harris, nor the stirring<br />
and descriptive pen of Gordon Cumming, and his.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
book is transcribed almost direct from his rough<br />
diaries. None the less, his “ African Sport from<br />
Natal to the Zambesi” is to this day one of the<br />
freshest and most fascinating of works dealing<br />
with wild life and adventure. He carries bis<br />
reader with him in all his feats. No man has<br />
succeeded more completely in depicting the joys,<br />
the dangers, and the difficulties of the hunter’s<br />
career.<br />
<br />
Drummond, Selous, Bryden, Millais, and Vaughan<br />
Kirby have dealt with a later period of the South<br />
African hunting veldt—that between 1871 and<br />
1900. Each of these writers has, in his own way,<br />
‘succeeded admirably in continuing, down to our own<br />
times, the enthralling narratives of earlier writers<br />
on sport and adventure in South Africa. Among<br />
missionaries, the names of Moffat and Livingstone<br />
stand easily first in the survey of South African<br />
literature. Moffat, whose long and notable career<br />
in the interior of South Africa will always be<br />
remembered with admiration, published in the<br />
forties a work dealing with mission scenes and<br />
travel from 1817 onwards, among uncouth tribes<br />
s and dangerous beasts, which undoubtedly had<br />
“ much influence upon innumerable readers. His<br />
* great son-in-law, David Livingstone, has done,<br />
4 perhaps, more towards the opening up of savage<br />
Africa than all the other writers put together. A<br />
# man of indomitable strength of character, wonder-<br />
1 ‘ful tact and wide attainments, Livingstone seems<br />
4 to have had a natural gift for literature. His<br />
* “Missionary Travels,” published in 1857, is not<br />
only ably written, but is a monument of care,<br />
labour and research. No man who knows his<br />
South Africa can fail to be struck not only with<br />
the learning of this author, but with his immense<br />
‘knowledge of every phase of the life of the South<br />
African interior. The power, the truthfulness, and<br />
the wonderful moderation of the man are shown in<br />
every page. The work of one other missionary<br />
deserves mention. This is the “ Austral Africa:<br />
Losing it or Ruling it,” of John Mackenzie, pub-<br />
lished in the eighties. This important book,<br />
written by the man who practically saved Bechu-<br />
canaland for the British, at the period—soon after<br />
Majuba—of our deepest abasement in South Africa,<br />
did much to rouse politicians and the public to a<br />
right view of our responsibilities South of the<br />
Zambesi.<br />
<br />
The History of South Africa has been touched<br />
by comparatively few hands. To Theal, undoubt-<br />
-edly, belongs the credit of the bulk of the some-<br />
_ what scanty output. His labours have been long<br />
<br />
‘and arduous, and he has delved into the musty<br />
records of old Cape history and acquired much<br />
‘solid information from native sources. Theal,<br />
however, has not always been able to avoid the<br />
meproach of partiality. His sympathies lie some-<br />
<br />
i<br />
Ke<br />
a<br />
Las<br />
Pe<br />
Fe<br />
a<br />
ae<br />
Ke<br />
<br />
red<br />
<br />
BS ReSoe woh<br />
<br />
ek RR es<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THER AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
23<br />
<br />
what too plainly with the Dutch, and the value of<br />
his works has in consequence been somewhat dis-<br />
counted. Still, notwithstanding the additional<br />
fact that his style is somewhat arid and unil-<br />
luminating, the public remain indebted to this<br />
copious writer for much sound and excellent in-<br />
formation. Theal, by the way, is not, as some<br />
suppose, an Afrikander, but was actually born in<br />
Canada.<br />
<br />
Among other adventurers into the paths of<br />
history are to be mentioned H. A. Bryden, whose<br />
“ History of South Africa,” from 1652 to 1903, is a<br />
fair and well written summary of a period teeming<br />
with interest. Among war books, Sir A. Conan<br />
Doyle’s “ History of the Great Boer War,” “Words<br />
by an Eye Witness,” by “Linesman,” and “On the<br />
Heels of De Wet,” deserve much more than passing<br />
notice, and stand head and shoulders above their<br />
fellows from among a cloud of fugitive literature.<br />
The Zimes “ History of the War” proceeds but<br />
slowly, and no more than three volumes have yet<br />
been issued. These, however, give the impression<br />
that the whole work, when complete, will be in-<br />
valuable as a work of reference, well written, fear-<br />
less and impartial. The war story of the redoubt-<br />
able De Wet himself can scarcely be classed as<br />
sound literature or impartial writing ; his facts are<br />
disputable and his prejudices openly violent.<br />
<br />
Two works which fall within the domain of<br />
history have been written by F. Edmund Garrett,<br />
once editor of the Cape Times. Mr. Garrett has<br />
thrown away upon journalism literary talents of a<br />
high order. If he could have spared the time and<br />
the inclination he might have produced work upon<br />
South Africa which few writers could have sur-<br />
passed. As itis, in his brief volume, ‘In Afrikander-<br />
land,” and in “The Story of an African Crisis,”’<br />
we have two books for which we may be thankful.<br />
In the latter volume the true inwardness of the<br />
Jameson Raid is set forth in clear and unmistak-<br />
able fashion. Sir J. P. Fitzpatrick’s “ Transvaal<br />
from Within” deserves also a high place among<br />
historical works dealing with South Africa.<br />
<br />
Among all the names which thus far have been<br />
referred to, only that of Christian De Wet can be<br />
cited as South African Dutch. But unfortunately<br />
De Wet’s book can be classed neither as capable<br />
literature nor fair history. One volume, the work<br />
of an Afrikander born, published in Holland, and<br />
partially translated into English, does, however,<br />
deserve honourable mention. This is “ Wit de<br />
Geschiedenis van de Zuid-Afrikaansche Republick<br />
en van de Afrikaanders,” by ©. N. J. Du Plessis.<br />
‘The passages translated into English by R. Acton<br />
have been entitled ‘‘ The ‘Transvaal Boer Speaking<br />
for Himself.’ This able and informing book is one<br />
which every Englishman who wishes to know some-<br />
thing of the Afrikander view of the Dutch South<br />
24<br />
<br />
African question ought to study. The pictures of<br />
Boer life and thought are singularly graphic,<br />
albeit told in simple and restrained language.<br />
<br />
We come now to the name of the one South<br />
African-born writer who has produced a really great<br />
work. This is, of course, Olive Schreiner (now<br />
Mrs. Cronwright-Schreiner), whose romance, “ The<br />
Story of an African Farm,” written nearly a score<br />
of years since, has created so great an impression<br />
upon her contemporaries. Its knowledge of South<br />
African life, its pessimism, the strange backwaters<br />
of thought into which it wanders, its strength, its<br />
tragedy and its mysticism, all unite to lay hold<br />
upon the reader’s imagination. It is a strong<br />
book, written by a born master of words, and it<br />
will live long after the great bulk of South African<br />
literature has passed away. Is Olive Schreiner,<br />
however, to be the “Single Speech Hamilton” in<br />
the literature of her time? 1t would almost seem<br />
so. We have had some few other works from her<br />
pen, but nothing that can for a moment compare<br />
with that sad yet wonderful book, *‘ The Story of<br />
an African Farm.”<br />
<br />
In the field of South African fiction the writers<br />
who have achieved success may be soon mentioned.<br />
After Olive Schreiner, Rider Haggard easily heads<br />
the list. In addition to that masterpiece of adven-<br />
turous romance, “ King Solomon’s Mines,” “ Jess,”<br />
“Allan’s Wife,” “The Witch’s Head,” “ Maiwa’s<br />
Revenge,” and other novels, all bespeak, from the<br />
South African point of view, the well earned<br />
popularity of this vigorous writer of fiction.<br />
“« Jess” is as fine and as true a picture of Trans-<br />
vaal life in the early eighties as it is possible to<br />
imagine, and the pathetic story of Jess herself can<br />
never fail to interest. H.A. Bryden, first known<br />
as a writer on sport and travel, has made various<br />
successful forays into the domains of romance.<br />
His intimate knowledge of the life of the veldt,<br />
the hunting Boer, and the native, have aided him<br />
much in these excursions. In his “Tales of South<br />
Africa,” “ From Veldt Camp Fires,” “Ton Duarte’s<br />
Treasure,” and “ An Exiled Scot,” are to be found<br />
some excellent imaginative writing. Bertram Mit-<br />
ford’s novels of South African adventure are well<br />
known. The reader of a rattling tale knows that<br />
in books such as “The Induna’s Wife,” ‘The<br />
White Shield,” and so forth, he will not be disap-<br />
pointed. W. C.Scully’s South African tales are good<br />
literature, and are well worth reading. They are,<br />
moreover, informed by a peculiar and accurate<br />
knowledge of South Africa, acquired by long<br />
residence in that country. “ Kaffir Stories,”<br />
« Between Sun and Sand,” and “A Vendetta of<br />
the Desert,” are distinctly above the ordinary level<br />
of imaginative work.<br />
<br />
It is somewhat curious that although Rudyard<br />
Kipling now resides for some portion of each<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
winter at the Cape of Good Hope he has produced<br />
no important romantic work on South Africa—<br />
nothing, at all events, to compare with “ Plain<br />
Tales from the Hills,” “ Kim,” ‘The Naulahka,”<br />
and other stories of India. The British public<br />
must live in hopes that a writer who has done so<br />
much for the East may one of these days give them<br />
a real book dealing with South Africa. Morley<br />
Roberts has, too, visited South Africa, and pene-<br />
trated even to Rhodesia; yet, up to the present<br />
time, he seems in his work to have left the countries<br />
neu of the Zambesi and their denizens severely<br />
alone.<br />
<br />
In a brief survey of this kind it is manifestly<br />
impossible to do anything like full justice to so<br />
wide a subject. We have indicated only the main<br />
<br />
outlines of the literature of South Africa between<br />
1775 and the present time.<br />
<br />
—______.+—~<—___<_<br />
<br />
AN IMPRESSION OF THE INTER-<br />
NATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE PRESS.<br />
<br />
—<br />
<br />
S a delegate from The British International<br />
Association of Journalists—a society estab-<br />
lished to enable British Newspapermen to<br />
<br />
come into touch with their foreign comrades—I<br />
attended the Tenth International Congress of the<br />
Press, at Liege. I had not an entirely open mind.<br />
When I was President of the Institute of<br />
Journalists by Royal Charter Incorporated in<br />
1900--1, I had certainly not exerted my influence<br />
in favour of affiliation to the Bureau Central, the<br />
headquarters of cosmopolitan journalism. My idea<br />
of the typical foreign pressman was a revolutionist,<br />
a socialist, a thoroughly unpractical, unbusiness-<br />
like enthusiast. My impression had in part been<br />
created by the testimony of those who had known<br />
the foreign pressman in his own country. If I<br />
had given the matter perhaps adequate considera-<br />
tion, I would have remembered that the Foreign<br />
Press Association in England—of which I have<br />
the honour of being an hon. member—consists<br />
entirely of absolutely respectable and highly culti-<br />
vated gentlemen. But truth to tell T attended<br />
the International Congress of the Press in July<br />
last with a mind only partly open.<br />
<br />
What did I find at Liege? ‘To my surprise<br />
some three hundred to four, hundred scholars<br />
and gentlemen quite the equals—my patriotism<br />
prevents me from suggesting the superiors—of<br />
the best of the representatives of the Fourth<br />
Estate of our Realm. The work of the conference<br />
was devoted to the consideration of copyright, the<br />
protection of the liberty of the Press, the question<br />
of notice, and a number of kindred subjects.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
There was not an item on the agenda that would<br />
have been out of place on the list of the con-<br />
ference of our own Institute of Journalists<br />
at Bournemouth, with the possible exception<br />
of a resolution condemning duelling amongst<br />
journalists. This last gave rise to a very exciting<br />
debate which nearly ended in personal encounters.<br />
It was unanimously resolved that duelling was<br />
barbarous and should be prohibited, but when it<br />
was proposed that combats when they did take<br />
place shouid not be reported there arose a mighty<br />
shout of all but universal indignation. Even I as<br />
a delegate of the British International Association<br />
of Journalists raised my voice in defence of the<br />
rights of the author of the contents bill. Fora<br />
moment it seemed possible that the visit to Ostend<br />
on the programme might be utilised for assisting<br />
in the revival of the old fashioned menu, ‘ Pistols<br />
—loaded—for two. Coffee—with chasse—for<br />
one.” But happily the congress ended—as it<br />
began—in peace.<br />
<br />
It was notable that one of the items of tle<br />
agenda, “ The Dignity of the Press,” was practi-<br />
cally illustrated. The members of the congress<br />
were treated by everyone with profound respect.<br />
We were received in full uniform by members of<br />
the Government, heads of municipalities, and<br />
governors of provinces. At Brussels we were<br />
granted an audience by the king himself. His<br />
Majesty Leopold II. attired as a general and<br />
wearing his decorations gave evidence of his<br />
powers as a linguist by speaking fluently in<br />
English, French, and German to the guests—most<br />
of them much decorated—he seemed so anxious to<br />
honour. He appeared to take the deepest interest<br />
in the International Press. I myself at his invita-<br />
tion was able to give him a great deal of informa-<br />
tion—of course, of a highly satisfactory character<br />
—of the present condition of journalism in the<br />
United Kingdom and the United States. The<br />
king is certainly highly popular amongst his own<br />
subjects. Hecreated a most favourable impression<br />
amongst the delegates to the International Con-<br />
gress of the Press. At “The Lunch” in the<br />
palace after the reception, praise and nothing but<br />
praise mingled with the harmonious strains of the<br />
music of the Guides.<br />
<br />
In conclusion I am convinced that it is a<br />
mistake to avoid communion with our brothers of<br />
the pen across the water, the more especially as I<br />
found our foreign comrades ready, nay anxious, to<br />
offer us the hand of hearty good fellowship.<br />
<br />
Artaur WILLIAM 4 BECKETT.<br />
<br />
——_——__+-——_+_____—-<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
25<br />
<br />
ENGLISH WRITERS AND JOURNALISTS<br />
IN BOHEMIA.<br />
<br />
—— os<br />
<br />
T has been a very interesting and noteworthy<br />
I experience that has fallen to the lot of a<br />
party of writers, members of the British<br />
International Association of Journalists, who have<br />
this summer made a tour through some of the<br />
most romantic, yet but little known, parts of<br />
Bohemia. Last year the Austrian Ministry of<br />
Railways offered facilities over the State Railways<br />
if I would arrange a party for a tour through<br />
Bohemia ; but as I had to act as secretary to the<br />
English delegation at the Vienna International<br />
Press Congress, I found the work too heavy to<br />
combine the two events, but the ministry then<br />
promised the same facilities for this year ; and, as<br />
I knew from long study of Bohemia, what a<br />
glorious “unknown land” the little mountain-<br />
encircled kingdom is to Englishmen, I gladly,<br />
with the assiduous help of Prof. Borovsky, of<br />
Prague, arranged the party of fifteen men and five<br />
ladies; writers on English, Scotch, Irish and<br />
Welsh journals, including such papers as_ the<br />
Times, Pall Mall Gazette, Telegraph, Queen, Man-<br />
chester Guardian, Trish Times, Gas World, Engi-<br />
neer, and other Irish, Scotch, and Welsh papers.<br />
<br />
Having visited Bohemia some twenty times, I<br />
had often, when travelling with my artist friends,<br />
and others, received the most cordial help, and<br />
often hospitality, all over Bohemia, and knew how<br />
heartily Bohemia thanks any who work to make<br />
her country and history known. How distorted<br />
that history has been writers such as Prof. Morfil,<br />
Mr. Wratislaw, and Count Lutzow, are now proving<br />
in English publications. But our astounding<br />
warm-hearted reception by peasant and people,<br />
journalists, artists and authors, musicians and<br />
municipalities, has overwhelmed us with its<br />
fervour.<br />
<br />
The history of Bohemia is so linked with that<br />
of England at critical moments in the life and death<br />
struggle in each land. In Bohemia, preserved<br />
in the lore of the people, are cameos of English<br />
history, lost to our historians, yet of high import :<br />
it was the discovery of some of these that excited<br />
me to visit Bohemia again and again, and thus |<br />
learnt the intense gratitude the Bohemians evince<br />
to those who interest themselves in their country<br />
and people.<br />
<br />
On crossing the frontier we were met by Prof.<br />
Borovsky, the learned director of the Rudolphinum<br />
at Prague, and on arriving at the capital Dr. Srb,<br />
the learned and courteous burgomaster, and the<br />
city council met us at the station, and, with a<br />
hearty welcome, escorted the party in carriages to<br />
26<br />
<br />
the Hotel de Saxe, right hospitably informing us<br />
we were the guests of the city during our stay in<br />
Prague ; and, as this article deals with the literary<br />
and artistic aspects of the tour, let me say, in few,<br />
yet earnest words, that in every town the recep-<br />
tions and hospitality have been more than regal,<br />
for they have been from the heart and soul of the<br />
people. At every station municipalities received<br />
us; at villages, during the three days’ driving,<br />
halts had to be made to reply to greetings of the<br />
village authorities, and great crowds gave hearty<br />
“Na Zadrs” in town and village. Ladies pre-<br />
sented the loveliest bouquets to our ladies, and the<br />
younger ladies pelted us with roses and flowers:<br />
at Pilsen, as at Prague, for three days we were the<br />
guests of the town, under the presidency of Dr.<br />
Groh. At Prachatic, where some twenty years ago<br />
Walter Crane, another friend and myself, were the<br />
first English to visit this quaint mediaval town, we<br />
were quartered in the houses of the principal resi-<br />
dents, who all rose at five a.m. to give us break-<br />
fast, and speed the parting guests as we drove<br />
away over the hills to Husinec. Throughout the<br />
route lessons have been driven into our minds<br />
through eye and ear, which, if England could<br />
learn, and act upon, would make town and country<br />
life with us more enjoyable, and our land would<br />
give her increase in every waste corner.<br />
<br />
At Prague the magnificent museums, with their<br />
careful historic and sectional arrangement, sur-<br />
prised the British visitors by their number and<br />
riches, and it is not often given to a writer to see<br />
his own work in a museum, but in a case in the<br />
National Museum are arranged the works of<br />
English writers of to-day, who have written on the<br />
history of Bohemia. Deeply interesting are the<br />
works and relics of the great period in the history<br />
of Bohemia, when the Wiclifites, through their<br />
leader Zizka, shook even the power of Rome, and<br />
conquered that “desert country by the sea,” to the<br />
Baltic, to which Shakespeare refers.<br />
<br />
Many a pet idea has been crushed upon the<br />
journey. The idea that the Bohemians are thrift-<br />
less, dirty, lazy agitators, has been swept away.<br />
Every inch of soil is utilised; the cottages<br />
are clean ; in one I entered by hazard, fresh tree<br />
branches were in each room ; the man earned Is. 6d.<br />
a day, and on asking why he had thus decorated,<br />
“Oh,” he said, “ we always do that, the scent is so<br />
sweet ; it is healthy.” From earliest morn until<br />
night they are jovially active, quick, alert, and,<br />
when listening to music, never break in with<br />
applause until the final note of the accompanist<br />
has ceased. Never again, I think, will any of our<br />
party compare Bohemia with Ireland. Agitate<br />
they certainly do, these Bohemians, but by self-<br />
help, in such numerous and wonderful ways that<br />
astounded our Jrish members, and we had ardent<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
Nationalists, Home Rulers, and Orangemen in our<br />
party.<br />
<br />
At the town of Kutna Hora (Kuttenberg) a<br />
delightful reception awaited us in the historic little<br />
council chamber, the decoration of which is so<br />
artistic : the walls being illuminated with powerful<br />
paintings of Hus demanding the liberties for the<br />
Bohemians in the Prague University, and George<br />
of Podiebrad being chosen king. The intense<br />
reverence for Hus in a country where nearly all<br />
are members of the Roman Church was beyond<br />
credence to our own members of that church. It<br />
was a wonderful scene in the great church of St.<br />
Barbara, when, as we entered, the great organ<br />
pealed forth, and then, as we foreigners were led<br />
to the choir steps, and faced the church crowded<br />
with the people, chorales were sung by a great<br />
choir; the memento was supreme in effect and<br />
beauty, yet full of reminiscences of the terrific<br />
history that had been enacted there, when our own<br />
great, but forgotten, Englishman, Peter Payne,<br />
had led the Bohemians and controverted the argu-<br />
ments by that other great Englishman, Cardinal<br />
Beaufort. At Domazlice we witnessed scenes more<br />
brilliant than any opera. The peasants in Sunday<br />
dress in blaze of colour; and right lustily they<br />
piped, and danced, and sang. One had to assure<br />
our friends it was not an arranged dressing up, but<br />
the ordinary Sunday or féte day costume.<br />
<br />
Another illusion dispelled is that the English<br />
are not musical. Professor Sevcik, the great<br />
master of Kubelik and Marie Hall, has swept that<br />
from our minds. We met the master at Prague,<br />
and at a reception arranged by the Anglo-American<br />
Club some of his pupils played, Mrs. Mitchell and<br />
Miss Graham, delightfully, artistically, powerfully.<br />
Only two here, but at Prachatic one heard Miss<br />
Hayward, whose technique and expression are<br />
wonderful, and at the little village of Husinec,<br />
where, before the birthplace of John Hus, mayor<br />
and villagers greeted us, we heard, in the theatre<br />
of the village, the four Misses Lucas, who played<br />
with a fervour, precision, and brilliancy that swept<br />
away traces of the thought that (given the<br />
teacher) the English are not musical. We also, at<br />
Budweis, heard the famous Sevcik quartette, and<br />
the “Smetana” Men’s Choir at Pilsen. The<br />
Bohemian masters and composers have conquered<br />
the world to-day, and the Austrian system of<br />
education discovers and fosters genius, be it born<br />
in village, town, or city, be it musical or artistic,<br />
technical, commercial, or agricultural.<br />
<br />
What an experience was it for our English<br />
women to sit down to an exquisite lunch at Domaz-<br />
lice, to be waited upon by young ladies, daughters<br />
of M.P.’s and doctors, dressed in most artistic<br />
dresses, and to be informed that the lunch was<br />
prepared, cooked and served by the young ladies,<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. pg<br />
<br />
and that the dresses, lace, and needlework were all<br />
their own handiwork, for they were students at the<br />
local cooking and needlework schools.<br />
<br />
In the theatres we heard the works of Dvorak,<br />
Smetana and Nedbal, so that our whole progress<br />
was enveloped in culture, art, and music, and this<br />
in a country that even to-day guide-books, like<br />
Baedaker’s, hardly notice, giving only ten lines to<br />
a town like Pilsen, and for an historic old castle<br />
like Bésig, full of architectural and historic in-<br />
terest, merely noting the fact there is a ruin there.<br />
But Bohemia, the real Bohemia, not such places as<br />
Carlsbad and Marienbad, is no longer e sealed<br />
country to English travellers, and her wealth of<br />
river and mountain scenery is a lovely setting to<br />
a most interesting people.<br />
<br />
JAMES BAKER.<br />
<br />
—_———_+—>—_+__——_<br />
<br />
THE WAY OF JOURNALISM.<br />
<br />
—_+——+-<br />
<br />
T is so brief a time ago that I was writing<br />
letters of pathetic appeal to famous authors<br />
and great editors (enclosing essays, poems,<br />
stories, and other samples of my genius), that I can<br />
never bring myself to write a cross or a hurried<br />
note to the people who now sadden me with a sense<br />
of age by asking for my counsel in the difficulties<br />
of their journalistic careers.<br />
But, unlike famous authors and great editors,<br />
I have neither secretary nor clerk at my elbow to<br />
whom I can dictate the softest of blandishments,<br />
and therefore the will to write kindly and helpful<br />
letters to my unknown correspondents suffers, I<br />
find with shame, more and more in the increasing<br />
demands of my work. Therefore it is that the<br />
request of the Editor of The Author to send him a<br />
brief article, is heralded by me as an excellent<br />
opportunity for composing one letter general of<br />
the whole question, which for the rest of my life I<br />
may be able to send through the halfpenny post to<br />
future correspondents, pleasing, and I hope, help-<br />
ing them, while it will deliver me in some small<br />
measure from the dreadful exactions of corres-<br />
pondence, and excuse me from all discourtesy.<br />
* * *k ac aS<br />
<br />
Let me begin by protesting my conviction that<br />
there is not an editor in London who is not<br />
anxiously searching for writers with something to<br />
say. The conviction, common to many minds, that<br />
editors can only be reached through a personal<br />
introduction, and that they are quite careless of<br />
the literary contents of their papers, is a wrong<br />
conviction, a conviction which must be broomed<br />
out of the mind as soon as possible.<br />
<br />
It is true that in some cases a letter of intro-<br />
<br />
duction may secure publication of a characterless<br />
<br />
essay which would otherwise have found its way<br />
back to the author ; but never, I am sure, does the<br />
wine of good copy need the bush of influence. It<br />
is a truth that editors,—who are, remember,<br />
competitors one against the other,—are searchin ¢<br />
the world for writers. ‘Treasure this truth; and<br />
instead of railing against ignorant editors, labour<br />
so to observe the world, and so to express your<br />
observations, that there shall not be one editor in<br />
London unwilling to receive you into his bosom.<br />
<br />
This is the beginning of the gospel of journal-<br />
ism—absolute faith in the discernment of editors.<br />
Assured in his soul of this belief, and emptying<br />
his mind of all little schoolboy conceits and under-<br />
graduate extravagances, let the beginner consider<br />
well within his soul how he shall present himself<br />
before these gods of the Press. What shall he<br />
write about, and in what manner shall he write ?<br />
<br />
Begin by knowing that there is no subject<br />
under the sun, howsoever beautiful, howsoever<br />
profound, howsoever urgent, which can hope to be<br />
admitted to the feast if it be not clothed in the<br />
wedding garment of interest. The newspaper is<br />
meant to interest people. Its mission may be as<br />
high as you please, but it must interest. ‘‘ If God<br />
tires you” said Fénelon, “tell him so.” The world<br />
has a mighty mission, we suppose, but if it did<br />
not interest us there would be neither man of<br />
science nor poet of nature. And the newspaper<br />
may be educating people, may be guiding opinion,<br />
may be forming taste, but if it be not crammed<br />
with interest it will have no readers.<br />
<br />
Choose, then, your subjects from the point of<br />
interest. Look out upon the world and see what<br />
most interests the marching ranks of humanity.<br />
Consider yourself not as the great captain of the<br />
host, nor yet as the chaplain of the forces, but rather<br />
as the minstrel called to the camp-fires to beguile<br />
the quiet hours which separate the march from the<br />
battle. Do not- be afraid to be humble. The<br />
greatest of journalists can never hope to play a<br />
part greater than Homer played before the warriors<br />
of Greece.<br />
<br />
Your chief labour must be observation. You<br />
must study men and women, you must study<br />
nature, you must study literature. You cannot be<br />
a great writer if you are not a cluse observer.<br />
Unless you have seen a thing more clearly than<br />
other people have seen it, you have no excuse for<br />
writing. It is only when you have cultivated the<br />
seeing eye, only when you have seen and reflected<br />
upon what all the rest of the world has merely<br />
glanced at, that you can have justification for<br />
desiring the attention of the newspaper reader.<br />
<br />
You must not be afraid to feel. Cultivate in<br />
yourself the gift of sympathy, the faculty of<br />
responsiveness. Never let your own personality<br />
<br />
get between the retina of your consciousness and<br />
28<br />
<br />
the vibrations of the image of humanity. Stand<br />
on one side to receive the picture. The picture<br />
is of more importance than your own notions of<br />
propriety. Do not condemn the tears of Little<br />
Nell till you have drawn a finer character than<br />
Mrs. Nickleby. Feel joy and feel pain as other<br />
people feel them. Have sympathy with all<br />
men.<br />
<br />
Then, when you have observed the world, and<br />
when you have cultivated in your mind the gift of<br />
sympathy with humanity, consider the style in<br />
which you shall present your reflections to the<br />
reader. At first you are sure to begin jumpily,<br />
self-consciously, with grimaces and contortions,<br />
aping the styles of other men, and murdering<br />
them. Do not be disheartened. Put these early<br />
writings on one side, and look at them six weeks<br />
hence. Through the blushes and the tears which<br />
will cover you with confusion you may yet see in<br />
that poor article of yours more clearly than in all<br />
the works of all the greatest geniuses, your own<br />
sure road to success. You will see exactly where<br />
you were affected, where you were unnatural,<br />
where you were pompous, where you were stupid,<br />
and where yoa were tedious. You will see exactly<br />
how to avoid all these mistakes in future; and<br />
practice will gradually bring you into the kingdom<br />
of your own natural style.<br />
<br />
Do not write a great deal, but write something<br />
<br />
every day. Let the act of writing become easy to<br />
you. And strive above all things so to become<br />
<br />
interested in your subject that you are carried<br />
away by it, and know not how you have written,<br />
scarce, indeed, what you have written, till the last<br />
word is drawn from your soul. Then when the<br />
creative side of your brain has done its work, let<br />
the critical emerge and do its work as well. Go<br />
over the paper again and again, striking out every<br />
word that rings falsely, scratching out every sen-<br />
tence that is unessential, and buckling up the<br />
whole composition so that it reads with a rhythm<br />
from beginning to end, and has not one dull line<br />
or one impertinent word from the first to the last.<br />
Avoid as far as possible a painful search for ‘the<br />
inevitable word.” He is a bad writer who makes<br />
you pause to say “ that’s a good word,” or “ that’s<br />
a brave phrase” ; he is a great writer who carries<br />
you under the magic of his art away from all such<br />
questions of style and effect, and clean transports<br />
you into the region of his fancy. Study to be<br />
natural. Employ all the graces of language and<br />
all the felicities of manner which are within your<br />
reach, and which commend themselves to your<br />
critical faculty ; but just so far, and not a comma<br />
farther, than they are natural to you.<br />
<br />
In this manner would I speak (not, I hope,<br />
too didactically), to the boy setting out with his<br />
pen to fight the world. But there is yet one more<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
word to say. A quicker road to success than lies<br />
in writing articles, and verses, and stories from<br />
your own room, is that which takes the observer<br />
into the streets of the town and makes him a<br />
chronicler of the day’s drama. I would advise a<br />
young man who desires to be a thorough jour-<br />
nalist, to set his affections upon one paper, and to<br />
drop into the editor’s letter-box, night after night,<br />
some brief record of the day’s events, some story or<br />
description, so full of interest and human curiosity,<br />
that it must ueeds take a front place in the morn-<br />
ing’s paper. Such work—if it be finely done—<br />
though ill-rewarded at first, ends, I am sure, in<br />
that first step to success, a permanent employ-<br />
ment on the editorial staff. This I believe to be<br />
the royal road to journalism, and, perhaps, there<br />
are fewer people walking this way than on any<br />
other path of human activity.<br />
<br />
I do not think there is a more interesting<br />
profession open to men than this fast and furious<br />
profession of daily letters: but it is a profession<br />
full of bitterness for the bad or inefficient work-<br />
man, and full of disappointment for the stubborn,<br />
self-preaching, egoist. Its prizes are for men<br />
capable of repressing their own gospels of sal-<br />
vation, and cheerfully willing to serve the public<br />
in the capacity of gossip and tale-teller. And from<br />
the beginning to the end it means work,—hard,<br />
honest, conscientious, and devoted work. If a<br />
man be a keen observer, if he be modest in his<br />
ambitions, and if he work with all his heart, and<br />
with all his mind, and with all his soul,—seeking<br />
always to interest his patrons—he will need but<br />
little elbowing and pushing to reach the rewards<br />
of journalism.<br />
<br />
Haroup BEGBIE.<br />
1<br />
<br />
WANTED—A NEW MODEL!<br />
<br />
——<br />
<br />
\ \ JE have to-day such an accumulation of<br />
magazines that our bookstalls lie sub-<br />
merged under them, as beneath the waves<br />
of an ever-flowing, ever-increasing tide. Each<br />
month gees a new one, if not more, and they all<br />
fight desperately for existence, in a blatant war-<br />
fare of sensationalism. But with all this ‘water,<br />
water everywhere’ many of us find ‘not a drop to<br />
drink.’ We are up to the chin in stuff we cannot<br />
swallow, and find little or nothing upon which to<br />
quench our literary thirst. For, to many of us,<br />
these highly glazed, highly coloured, highly adver-<br />
tised and emphasised magazines afford a kind of<br />
mental nausea, and the sight of a bookstall groan-<br />
ing under them is like a table spread with gorgeous<br />
empty platters before a hungry man.<br />
Why should there be nothing in them that we<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
i can read—we, that section of the British public<br />
4) whose taste has been trained not to enjoy Choppy<br />
4G Bits or Royal Family Magazines, or Rushed Re-<br />
views, or Mincemeat Monthlies? Is it for our<br />
ai sins? What have we done? And where are all<br />
‘ge our good short story writers—those whose work we<br />
af find occasionally in volume form? We look in<br />
e, vain within the pages of our journals for the<br />
“fj thoughtful, literary, stimulating work of those<br />
i whose tales used to appear now and again in<br />
94 periodicals, but now only in book form. We<br />
Ms all know a choice half dozen or so, forgotten<br />
ud by the world, who have given us promise of<br />
vie greatness. Where are they ? Once in a blne<br />
2 moon we meet one of them, but his work seems to<br />
sf have crept into the magazine by acgident, and<br />
iii through no fault of the editor ! Forfonr monthly<br />
i and weekly magazines are now devoted to the<br />
de obvious and commonplace; nothing original,<br />
ide subtle or in any way unconventional ever seems to<br />
<br />
ai find_a place in them.<br />
\ Cheir aim is all to please a class that delights in<br />
<br />
i crude sensation, intricate plot, rapid incident and<br />
“1 treacly sentiment ; that revels in pictures of men<br />
¥) flying at each other’s throats, falling off precipices<br />
“1 or being shot out of motor cars. To this class it does<br />
64 not matter how ancient, how trivial or how im-<br />
“ possible the story, how badl y the English language<br />
<br />
is maltreated, so long as something happens in<br />
we every paragraph, something that can be decorated<br />
i with blood-curdling illustrations, and so long as<br />
“d the pages are cut up into loose dialogue, plentifully<br />
“ sprinkled with sentimentality and notes of ex-<br />
5. clamation.<br />
<br />
_ But are our editors entirely right in thinking<br />
wf that only this kind of stuff will sell? Is nothing<br />
4 else wanted? These are questions we may reason-<br />
‘) ably ask ourselves when we see the better class of<br />
& American magazines— Harpers, Scribners, Atlantic<br />
Monthly, The Century, ete—pouring into our<br />
market, lying about on our tables; and this in<br />
| spite of the fact that we are not particularly<br />
interested in long articles dealing with American<br />
/ statesmen and generals. Why do we want all<br />
4) these, why encourage literary aliens ? The answer<br />
® is plain enough. Because they give us something<br />
* we need, that no English magazine gives us.<br />
Because we’ve nothing of our own to compare<br />
with them in literary excellence, in freshness, fancy<br />
and advanced thought.<br />
<br />
This is written with all due respect to the best<br />
magazines we have, to Blackwood, Macmillan, Temple<br />
Bar, Longman’s and one or two more who honestly<br />
strive to reach a certain standard. No work that<br />
is slovenly or abject gets into their pages, and we<br />
are grateful forthem. But are they not—let it be<br />
whispered under our breath and with reverence—<br />
are they not just a trifle dull and more than a<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
29<br />
<br />
trifle stereotyped ? Do they ever dare to print a<br />
new and startling idea, a subtle or highly imavina-<br />
tive piece of work ? Must not the thing that is<br />
acceptable to them be moulded on a certain pattern,<br />
worked out upon lines that have become familiar to<br />
their readers, by constant repetition, for a generation<br />
or so? / Do they not, in fact, represent toryism in<br />
letters, and stand up against innovation in any<br />
form, as pillars of propriety and established<br />
order ?<br />
<br />
Of course many persons will stoutly maintain<br />
that all the tales of the world have been told, and<br />
that we can but tell them over and over again.<br />
Human nature, they will say, is human nature, and<br />
remains just as it was centuries and exons ago;<br />
nothing alters but the unessential and everything<br />
goes on just as it did. They say this, but do they<br />
believe it, or is it one of those trite doctrines that<br />
are accepted without sifting, and therefore without<br />
true conviction? Can anyone seriously believe<br />
that the thoughts and emotions of—say a modern<br />
stockbroker—resemble in any sense, those of an<br />
Ancient Briton, or even an Arthurian Knight ?<br />
Certain elemental desires, it is true, remain<br />
tolerably constant through the ages, but they are<br />
always resolving into new forms, new ideas, new<br />
motives, new opinions; always casting up new<br />
problems. Just as there are chemical changes<br />
taking place continually in matter, so are there<br />
psychic changes in the immaterial elements that<br />
go to the making of individuals and of states.<br />
This is mere truism, and yet there are folk who<br />
would seem to wish us to believe that the men and<br />
women of to-day, the day of automobilism, wireless<br />
telegraphy, and the hourly out-pouring of the press,<br />
do not differ from the men and women who existed<br />
a thousand years before the stage coach, the six-<br />
penny post and the weekly news sheet.<br />
<br />
It is this curious, half-formed belief that is the<br />
cause of our monotonous story-telling. It offers a<br />
reason why our fiction still teems with forged<br />
wills, stolen diamonds, wards who fall in love with<br />
their guardians, silly lovers who are parted by<br />
plotting rivals, pattern-plate love affairs of un-<br />
<br />
interesting young persons, everlasting cases of<br />
mistaken identity and so forth ad nauseam.<br />
<br />
Everything is turned out to order and sample, as if<br />
made by machinery ; nothing original, profound or<br />
suggestive is permitted ; every situation must be<br />
expected, obvious, based on fixed and accepted<br />
canons ; and all the vital changes that are working<br />
beneath the surface, all the complications of human<br />
passion, motive and aspiration, the things that<br />
really matter and really interest the thoughtful—<br />
where are they? We find them in our novels,<br />
some of them; there is no taboo against the clash<br />
of physical and psychic forces, the most searching<br />
soul analysis, in our books. But in the ‘ family<br />
380<br />
<br />
magazine,’ whose pages are filled with glowing<br />
accounts of our most famous courtezans, illustrated<br />
with pictures of their bedrooms and boudoirs, the<br />
merest suggestion of a moral problem is rigidly ex-<br />
cluded. Our wives and daughters may read of,<br />
and sigh for, the almost fabulous gifts of fortune<br />
that fall at the feet of a modern Messalina, but<br />
their chaste eyes must not rest upon the word<br />
‘passion’ or read about a sex problem !<br />
<br />
This, of course, is but one of the subjects tabooed<br />
in our magazines, one that needs great delicacy of<br />
treatment and can easily be done to death. But<br />
where are all those other ideas and subjects that<br />
inspired our short story writers in the past, that gave<br />
us Scenes from Clerical Life, The Beleaguered<br />
City, Will o° the Mill and Markheim ; that sent<br />
us from over the water the Van Bidder Stories,<br />
the fine analytical studies of Henry James and the<br />
inimitable character sketches of Mary E. Wilkins ?<br />
Have we no one to-day who can write thus, with<br />
intellectual insight and ineffable charm? The<br />
man who set himself to read all our magazines for<br />
the current month (were that possible) might well<br />
think so.<br />
<br />
It is the conviction of the present writer that he<br />
would be wrong. Judging from certain volumes<br />
<br />
it is safe to conclude that the supply is not<br />
lacking, but the demand—or rather, the market<br />
<br />
for its appearance. There can be little doubt<br />
that, stowed away in dusty drawers and cup-<br />
boards, lies a neglected mass of original work<br />
as fine as any we have had, work that has been<br />
refused by every editor in London purely on account<br />
of ‘unsuitability ;’ much of it by well-known<br />
writers now pot-boiling in disgust ; the rest by un-<br />
known talent, striving in the dark for perfection.<br />
For while the famous author may always cherish<br />
a hope of seeing his storiettes appear in a volume,<br />
on the strength of his name, the untamed can<br />
never expect that chance, unless he publishes them<br />
at his own expense.<br />
<br />
Say, is this not true, authors—men and women ?<br />
Have you not all certain darlings of your mind that<br />
you are well convinced are of your highest<br />
inspiration and best execution, yet know. to be<br />
utterly outside the market? Is there one of you<br />
who has not some such ware hidden away in dust<br />
and darkness, waiting for the magazine that is so<br />
long a-coming, that seems as if it never will<br />
come ?<br />
<br />
But surely it musé come, sooner or later. The<br />
demand is growing, the supply must follow. We<br />
want it badly—the Great English Magazine that is<br />
to send the Americans home and give us literature,<br />
thought, ideas, art, of our own; something upon<br />
which our intellect and imagination can feed, by<br />
which our genius can be stimulated. Not the<br />
poor, puny, but well-meant effort of a little literary<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
clique or mutual admiration society ; not a vehicle<br />
for morbid melancholy, or flippant Anglo-Gallicism<br />
or any of the thousand cults that afflict society<br />
We have seen enough of such anemic failures<br />
they are moribund from their birth. Our Great<br />
English Magazine must be sound and solvent, under<br />
sane and sober management, subject to no whims<br />
or freaks, dependent upon no small colerie, no sing]<br />
influence. ‘There must be a business head behind<br />
it, as well asa thinkev’s brain, an artist’s taste, an<br />
enthusiast’s heart. It must be published by a<br />
strong syndicate—one that can wait (which is to ~<br />
say, that a large capital is indispensable), and<br />
edited by more than one distinguished man 0<br />
letters. Moreover, it must be fearless and<br />
catholic, regardless of Mrs. Grundy and the Young<br />
Person, while, rejecting all that is ugly and plague-_<br />
spotted, catering for every taste that may claim to<br />
be called taste, aiming not merely at what will pay<br />
now, but what will stand fast and firm in th<br />
future, both as a literary model and a financial<br />
investment.<br />
<br />
This New Model, then, must be daring with —<br />
discretion, independent, lofty and secure. Hvery-_<br />
thing about it must be of the best possible; the”<br />
best paper and print, pictures (if it has any),<br />
poetry and prose, that can be bought for gold and —<br />
found by discernment. Who knows what buried<br />
treasures it might bring to light, what brilliant<br />
fiction from masters almost silent, what poems,<br />
what essays? Who knows what obscure genius it<br />
might reveal? Have we lost all faith in ourselves,<br />
in the English spirit that inspired Chaucer and<br />
Shakespeare, Fielding and Defoe? Are we<br />
content to go on for ever wallowing in Choppy<br />
Bits and Monthly Magazines of Mincemeat ?<br />
<br />
We want this new magazine—we want it<br />
desperately—as a medium for our creative thought,<br />
our artistic development. All that which has<br />
made England’s great literary past—her poetic<br />
conception, her spiritual profundity, her mordant<br />
satire, her crisp humour, her perception of and<br />
deep insight into character—can find no place now<br />
either in the crusted and cobwebby pages of our<br />
high-class magazines and reviews (meritorious as<br />
they are up to a certain point), and far less in the<br />
gaudy and obstreperous outpourings of Carmelite<br />
and Henrietta Streets. The former are too<br />
timorous of giving offence; the latter are mere<br />
money-making machines, frankly spurning any-<br />
thing that resembles literature. We need an open<br />
space to grow in, unlimited by the restrictions of<br />
conservatism, unchoked by the weeds of com-<br />
mercialism. In fact, we need a home for the soul<br />
of things literary. The shells and husks of a pas<br />
age will not serve us much longer; we hunger<br />
already for something more satisfying, for a glimpse<br />
into the heart and brain of humanity, for research<br />
<br />
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into the meaning and tendencies of our present<br />
life, into the problems and potentialities of the<br />
future.<br />
<br />
And the time is ripe. Such a magazine as this<br />
we desire would not make the fortunes of its<br />
promoters in a few short years. At first there<br />
would be unavoidable loss on it. But in time to<br />
come it would be as surely ‘a good property’ as<br />
| it would bea national boon. The British public<br />
{ has an instinctive leaning towards everything<br />
_ aristocratic, a deeply inherited sense of respect for<br />
what is noble ; and once convince it that the new<br />
| magazine is an aristocrat in letters, that it is read<br />
by all those of cultured taste, and you will soon see<br />
that magazine on the table of every householder<br />
who can afford a shilling a month, whether he read<br />
_ itor not. And why should he not read it? He<br />
<br />
must buy and read good books, or our masterpieces<br />
would not be reprinted by thousands yearly. Is<br />
there any reason then, why he should not appre-<br />
ciate a good magazine if it were set before him?<br />
As a matter of fact there are thousands of readers<br />
to-day who have given up taking in periodicals<br />
» simply because they can find nothing they care to<br />
_ read in them.<br />
<br />
Are we to sit till Doomsday under the ban of<br />
_ being a nation of shopkeepers, ignorant of art, of<br />
<br />
all that is subtle, beautiful and refined? Are we<br />
really less capable of artistic judgment or creation<br />
than our neighbours, the French, or our cousins,<br />
the Americans? Do not believe it. We have a<br />
populace for Choppy Bits, and so have they, no less<br />
vulgar and attracted by gimcracks. But we have<br />
also a public that thirsts for something better, that<br />
is, perhaps, the most thoughtful and earnest reading<br />
public in the world. All we want is a leader of<br />
courage, a man who can command both confidence<br />
© and capital. It is for him to step boldly over the<br />
<br />
| dead bodies of past failures, heeding them only<br />
with a view to profit by their errors, and to throw<br />
himself into the present breach with pluck and<br />
enterprise. Englishmen have never shown a lack<br />
of pluck or enterprise in other adventures ; they<br />
fling their energies and their gold daily into the<br />
wildest speculations. Can no one be found to face<br />
arisk in this most urgent cause? There never<br />
was yet a cause in England, however forlorn, that<br />
lacked a champion to lead it.<br />
Where is he ?<br />
Mary L. PENDERED.<br />
——__—__+—~—« S<br />
THE TRADE IN BOOKS.<br />
SS<br />
<br />
OOKS are unlike ordinary articles of com-<br />
<br />
merce in one important respect, viz. : that<br />
<br />
their use and enjoyment does not depend<br />
upon personal ownership. The loan of a book may<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
3L<br />
<br />
be, and often is, far more valuable to the reader<br />
than the ownership of the same book by gift or<br />
purchase. A book that is /ent can be read and<br />
returned to the owner, its purpose being fully<br />
served by this process. A book that is bought<br />
entails both the cost of purchase and the provision<br />
by the owner of suitable storage or house room.<br />
Many owners of books possess fine libraries with-<br />
out ever making use of them for reading. They<br />
may, in fact, have no taste for reading at all, and<br />
may be quite content to own books for the use and<br />
enjoyment of others who have the taste for reading,<br />
and the knowledge to make use of books.<br />
<br />
The principal and permanent obstacle to the<br />
extension of the ordinary trade in books is the<br />
common desire to read books without the cost of<br />
buying and housing them. For one person that<br />
desires to possess a book by purchase many hun-<br />
dreds of persons desire, for all sorts of reasons,<br />
to read books and make use of them without<br />
purchase. The reading of a book may or may<br />
not lead to a subsequent purchase. In the vast<br />
majority of cases books, however valuable and<br />
instructive, will be read and returned without<br />
purchase. But the public which can obtain<br />
books on loan possesses at least the great advan-<br />
tage of being able to form their own opinion<br />
about books, instead of merely reading what other<br />
persons think about them. It is, of course, open<br />
to question whether increased facilities for reading<br />
new books will necessarily lead to increased sales.<br />
The reading public, including many authors, will<br />
probably say yes. Publishers as a class evidently<br />
think not.<br />
<br />
The circulating library provides indeed a small<br />
concession to the popular demand for books on loan.<br />
But it is notorious that the public wants are very<br />
imperfectly supplied by libraries of this class.<br />
Delays and difficulties of many kinds are incidental<br />
to the business of lending libraries, as every sub-<br />
scriber knows to his cost. It is obvious that when<br />
many persons desire to read at the same time some<br />
new and popular book the great majority of readers<br />
must either buy the book for themselves, or wait<br />
an indefinite time until their turn comes round.<br />
Moreover, many of the most valuable and costly<br />
works appeal only to a limited class, and these<br />
never find their way into circulating libraries at<br />
all. The condition of purchase, in fact, excludes<br />
these works from general circulation altogether.<br />
<br />
The question naturally arises why the popular<br />
demand for books of all kinds om loan cannot be<br />
met on reasonable business terms without obstruc-<br />
tion or delay ? The ideal system of book supply<br />
would provide reasonable facilities to responsible<br />
applicants to peruse and form their own opinion<br />
regarding new books of all kinds. If this general<br />
principle be kept in view there are many different<br />
82<br />
<br />
ways in which effect might be given to it. For<br />
example, publishers might, if they thought fit,<br />
combine to establish a central library or book<br />
exchange where all the new publications advertised<br />
from week to week might be on view, and all<br />
reasonable facilities be provided for perusal on the<br />
spot, and for examination by all responsible persons.<br />
Persons who desired to read such books at their<br />
own leisure, and in their own homes, might be<br />
encouraged to do so by the arrangement of some<br />
proper system of granting copies 0” loan, the terms<br />
charged being based upon the published price, and<br />
the nature of each work. Some scheme based on<br />
these lines would increase greatly the value of all<br />
publishers’ circulars, which under present con-<br />
ditions are of no value at all except to a very small<br />
class. Professional reviewing of books is likely to<br />
be improved materially by enabling the reading<br />
public to form for themselves their own estimate<br />
of books ; and probably reviewers themselves would<br />
be the first persons to welcome a new departure on<br />
the lines proposed.<br />
<br />
There are, no doubt, many other ways in which<br />
the public demand for access to new books might<br />
be largely encouraged if publishers thought it<br />
desirable. Whether they would lead to increased<br />
sales or not may, of course, be disputed ; but there<br />
can be no doubt at all that books would be adver-<br />
tised far more effectually by encouraging the public<br />
to read them than is possible under the present<br />
system of circulars and literary reviews. This<br />
system is intended to promote sales, but those who<br />
desire to read without purchase are apt to be<br />
entirely indifferent to the opinions of professional<br />
critics, and will always preter to form their own<br />
opinions for themselves without guidance.<br />
<br />
Apart from these considerations it seems on<br />
general principles to be quite clear that the public<br />
demand for the perusal of new publications without<br />
any intention or desire to purchase is one which<br />
ought, on mere business principles, to be met in<br />
some way or another. As long as new books can<br />
be obtained by purchase only the vast majority of<br />
readers will simply refrain from reading them until<br />
access can be obtained on some more favourable<br />
terms. Authors as well as publishers are con-<br />
siderably interested in this question. The existing<br />
system has been created by publishers primarily<br />
for the protection of their own interests as capita-<br />
lists and producers. In this capacity they are<br />
simple monopolists, and are little likely, as all<br />
experience shows, to take a very enlightened view<br />
either of public interests or of their own advantage.<br />
Publishers will of course contend that they know<br />
their own business far better than any irresponsible<br />
critic ; but authors may reasonably complain that<br />
the interests of the reading public—which is the<br />
final court of appeal—are not sufficiently consulted<br />
<br />
’<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
in this matter. If effect could be given to the<br />
proposals suggested readers would assuredly be —<br />
multiplied a hundredfold, and the whole trade in<br />
books would receive an impetus which might go —<br />
far to reconcile even the most conservative pub-<br />
lisher to a radical change of system. In any case —<br />
the subject is one which seems to be well worth |<br />
consideration by all who are interested in books,<br />
either as authors, publishers, or readers. Si quid<br />
novisti rectius istis, candidus imperti, si non his utere<br />
mecum.<br />
<br />
$+<br />
<br />
CORRESPONDENCE.<br />
<br />
—t+—< +<br />
<br />
Sir,—The following may possibly be of interest<br />
to members of the Society :—<br />
<br />
In 1882-1887 I brought out a “History of<br />
Freemasonry” which, in the then absence of Inter-<br />
national copyright, was promptly pirated in the<br />
United States and euphoniously described by the<br />
publishers (John C. Yorston & Co.) as the<br />
“American Edition,’ and in the preparation of<br />
it I was said to have been “assisted” by three<br />
prominent American masons, whose “ assistance,”<br />
by the way, had been totally unknown to me.<br />
<br />
Last year (1904) I placed on the market “A<br />
Concise History of Freemasonry,” which was pub-<br />
lished in this country by Gale and Polden, of<br />
2, Amen Corner, E.C.; and (a real ‘ American<br />
Edition”) by the Macoy Company, of 34, Park<br />
Row, New York, in accordance with the Inter-<br />
national Copyright Act of 1891.<br />
<br />
In the Keystone (Philadelphia) of June 17th,<br />
1905, on the eighth page of which the name of John<br />
©. Yorston is given as “managing editor,” there<br />
appears (p. 10): “Nearly ready, new revised<br />
unabridged American edition of Robert Freke<br />
Gould’s ‘Complete History of Freemasonry,’ to be<br />
issued in five volumes, revised down to the present<br />
time, 1905, and to which is added new additional<br />
matter and features of great interest and impor-<br />
tance. . . . The Board of Editors are all recognised<br />
authorities throughout the world pertaining to all<br />
Masonic matters and history, and Ir Is THE ONLY<br />
{sic} official and standard authority in the world.”<br />
‘Further particulars,” it is also stated, “may be<br />
obtained of the John C. Yorston Publishing Co.,<br />
Philadelphia.”<br />
<br />
For impudence, the above will be hard to beat, —<br />
and I shall conclude by expressing a hope that the ~<br />
efforts of the publishers, together with those of the<br />
“ Board of Editors ’”»—whose names have not yet<br />
been revealed—to float an “American Edition”<br />
of my original “ History of Freemasonry ” may<br />
meet with the fate they deserve.<br />
<br />
R. F. GouLp. | https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/509/1905-10-01-The-Author-16-1.pdf | publications, The Author |