512 | https://historysoa.com/items/show/512 | The Author, Vol. 16 Issue 04 (January 1906) | <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+04+%28January+1906%29"><em>The Author</em>, Vol. 16 Issue 04 (January 1906)</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> | 1906-01-01-The-Author-16-4 | | | | | 97–128 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | <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=1906-01-01">1906-01-01</a> | | | | | | | 4 | | | 19060101 | be Author.<br />
<br />
(The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors.<br />
<br />
Monthly.)<br />
<br />
FOUNDED BY SIR WALTER BESANT.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Vou. XVI.—No. 4.<br />
<br />
JANUARY I1sT, 1906.<br />
<br />
[Prick SIXPENCE.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
TELEPHONE NUMBER :<br />
<br />
374 VICTORIA.<br />
TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS :<br />
<br />
AUTORIDAD, LONDON.<br />
<br />
—_____+—>—_+___<br />
<br />
NOTICES.<br />
<br />
+<br />
<br />
OR the opinions expressed in papers that are<br />
signed or initialled the authors alone are<br />
responsible. None of the papers or para-<br />
<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 />
Tue Editor begs to inform members of the<br />
Authors’ Society and other readers of The 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 />
—_1+——+—<br />
<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 />
—1 <9<br />
<br />
The Pension Fund of the Society.<br />
<br />
Tur 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 />
<br />
Vou, XVI.<br />
<br />
><br />
<br />
Trust 4 per cent. Certificates, bringing the invest-<br />
ments of the fund to the figures set out below.<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%. £1000<br />
Tioeal WOdNse ea. 500<br />
Victorian Government 3 % Consoli-<br />
dated Inscribed Stock ............-.-<br />
War loan...<br />
London and North Western 3 % Deben-<br />
ture StOCKk 25.9 ee<br />
Egyptian Government Irrigation<br />
Trust 4 % Certificates .............++<br />
<br />
291<br />
201<br />
<br />
250<br />
<br />
200 0 0<br />
<br />
otal. eee £2443 9 2<br />
<br />
Subscriptions, 1905. £8. ds<br />
<br />
July 13, Dunsany, the Right Hon, the<br />
Lord ; : : : : :<br />
Oct. 12, Halford, F. M.<br />
| » suorban, WM.<br />
Nov. 9, “ Francis Daveen”’<br />
» >», Adair, Joseph<br />
21, Thurston, Mrs.<br />
<br />
ae<br />
<br />
Dec. 18, Browne, F. M.<br />
<br />
Donations, 1905.<br />
<br />
July 28, Potter, the Rev. J. Hasluck<br />
Oct. 12, Allen, W. Bird :<br />
Oct. 17, A. O. N. ; : :<br />
Oct. 17, Hawtrey, Miss Valentina<br />
Oct. 31, Williamson, C. N.<br />
<br />
Oct. 31, Williamson, Mrs. .<br />
Nov. 6, Reynolds, Mrs. Fred.<br />
Nov. 9, Wingfield, H.<br />
<br />
Noy. 17, Nash, T. A. .<br />
<br />
Dec. 1, Gibbs, F. L. A.<br />
<br />
Dec. 6, Finch, Madame<br />
<br />
Dec. 15, Egbert, Henry<br />
<br />
Dec. 15, Muir, Ward ;<br />
Dec. 15, Sherwood, Mrs. A. .<br />
<br />
Dec. 18, Sheppard, A. T.<br />
<br />
Dee. 18, 8. I. G. ‘<br />
<br />
CRKH eH acon<br />
<br />
KOR OROCORrRrFOFRCSO<br />
— —_<br />
awe<br />
<br />
_<br />
<br />
_—<br />
S<br />
omoooanoaonoocooorcoe<br />
<br />
fot<br />
o<br />
<br />
<br />
98<br />
COMMITTEE NOTES.<br />
<br />
><br />
<br />
MEETING of the committee was held on<br />
Monday, November 27th, at 39, Old Queen<br />
Street, Storey’s Gate, S.W.<br />
<br />
After the minutes of the previous meeting had<br />
been read and signed, the election of members took<br />
place. The names of those elected will be found<br />
in another column. The committee are pleased to<br />
report that the election of members is still well<br />
maintained, and that the peculiarly large election<br />
of last year of 233 members has been surpassed<br />
during the present year, when 238 members have<br />
been elected. : :<br />
<br />
Certain questions relative to Imperial copyright<br />
and United States copyright were discussed, and<br />
the question of Egypt and the Berne Convention<br />
was considered. The secretary read a letter he had<br />
received from the Foreign Office, and the committee<br />
decided to write for further details with regard to<br />
the jurisdiction of the Mixed Tribunals in Egypt in<br />
cases of copyright.<br />
<br />
The remainder of the sitting was devoted to<br />
<br />
general business.<br />
—_——>+—_<br />
<br />
Cases.<br />
<br />
Eight cases have been in the secretary’s hands<br />
during the past month. Three were for the pay-<br />
ment of money. In one of these the amount has<br />
been paid and forwarded ; the two others are still<br />
in the course of settlement. There has been one<br />
case for accounts and one for money and accounts.<br />
The one for accounts has been settled and the one<br />
for money and accounts is still awaiting the<br />
publisher’s answer. The return of stock and the<br />
cancellation of an agreement between an author<br />
and publisher was another matter that required<br />
adjustment. Although on many occasions the<br />
society has negotiated this kind of settlement<br />
to the satisfaction of both parties, in this special<br />
case the publisher refused to deal with the society.<br />
We quite understand his motive for adopting this<br />
attitude, but are sorry for the member’s sake that<br />
the society has not been able to complete the matter<br />
satisfactorily. No doubt the author will be able to<br />
carry through the negotiations with the publisher<br />
himself. One case which has occurred for infringe-<br />
ment of copyright will not be settled for some time,<br />
owing to the fact that the infringer lives outside<br />
England. The question of the loss of a MS. by<br />
a publisher—always difficult from the legal point of<br />
view, is in the hands of the society’s solicitors for<br />
their opinion. We are pleased to report that the<br />
society’s action in Norway has now been settled,<br />
and the amount for infringement of copyright has<br />
been paid. The other questions in the hands of<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
tere<br />
<br />
the society’s solicitors have not as yet been settled,<br />
but, with the exception of one case, all the matters<br />
in the secretary’s hands prior to the beginning of<br />
last month have been finished. ‘The one unfinished<br />
is rather a complicated question of accounts, but ja.<br />
the secretary has already obtained the statement |<br />
from the publisher.<br />
<br />
ee oe eee<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
December Elections.<br />
<br />
Abbott, J. H. M. . 4, Ilchester Gardens, W.<br />
Brook, Miss Lottie<br />
<br />
1, Waverley Place, St. 2:<br />
John’s Wood, N.W.<br />
<br />
Cooper, T. G. 11, Quay Street, Haver- -<br />
fordwest.<br />
<br />
Crane, Walter 13, Holland Street, Ken- <<.<br />
sington.<br />
<br />
Fry, 0. B. . Westend, Hants.<br />
<br />
Gibbs, F. L. A. The Hall, Bushey, ¥9!<br />
Herts. ;<br />
<br />
Leach, Henry 26, Romola Road, Herne 61:5<br />
Hill, S.E.<br />
<br />
Logan, J., F.R.G.S. Ormond School, Dublin. .i/i!<br />
<br />
Meynell, Mrs. 4, Granville Place Man- -a:¥!<br />
sions, Portman fF.<br />
Square, W.<br />
<br />
Morgan, Miss F.L. . 24, King Street, Car- -in)<br />
marthen. ;<br />
<br />
Nisbet, John Villa Bella Vista, Boule- -3/'<br />
<br />
vard de Cimiez, Nice, 2<br />
<br />
France; and Royal sy<br />
Societies Club, 63, .%<br />
St. James’ Street, 10).<br />
S.W. :<br />
Sheppard, A. T. 54, Huron Road, Upper “0<br />
<br />
Tooting, S.W.<br />
<br />
ee<br />
<br />
BOOKS PUBLISHED BY MEMBERS OF<br />
THE SOCIETY.<br />
<br />
1<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 f<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 />
ARCH AOLOGY.<br />
<br />
THE ARTOF ATTACK. By H.S.COWPER,F.S.A. 83 x 5}.<br />
312 pp. Weverston. Holmes. 10s. n.<br />
<br />
ART.<br />
<br />
How To JDENTIFY OLD CHINESE PORCELAIN. By<br />
Mr. 8. W. Hopa@son. With 40 Illustrations. 8} x 5%.<br />
178 pp. Methuen. 6s.<br />
<br />
PRE-RAPHAELITISM AND THE PRE-RAPHAELITE BRo-<br />
THERHOOD. 2 Vols. By W. HouMAN Hunt. 8} X 53.<br />
512 + 493 pp. Macmillan. 42s. n.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
_ OSWALD BASTABLE AND OTHERS.<br />
<br />
BRITISH PORTRAIT PAINTERS AND ENGRAVERS OF THE<br />
<br />
EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. Kneller to Reynolds. With<br />
<br />
an Introductory Essay and Biographical Notes. By<br />
<br />
EpmMuND Gossy. 154 x 12}. 100 Full page Ilus-<br />
<br />
trations. Goupil. £8 8s. n. and £20 n.<br />
<br />
THE ART OF PORTRAIT PAINTING. By. the Hon. JOHN<br />
Conner. 114 x 8%. 108 pp. Cassell. 10s. 6d. n.<br />
How To DRAW IN PEN AND INK. By HARry FURNISS.<br />
With numerous Illustrations. 10 x 64. 115 pp. Chap-<br />
<br />
man and Hall. 3s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
Axe Herman Haiac AND His Work. By E. A.<br />
ARMSTRONG. £1 ls. n. (Edition strictly limited to<br />
1,500.) (EDITION DE LUXE at £3 3s. sold out.) Fine Art<br />
Society.<br />
<br />
IDEALS IN ART. By WALTER CRANE.<br />
Bell. 10s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
93 x 6. 287 pp.<br />
<br />
BIOGRAPHY.<br />
<br />
Being some Recollections of<br />
9 x 6. 499 pp.<br />
<br />
TWENTY YEARS IN PARIS.<br />
a Literary Life. By R. H. SHERARD.<br />
Hutchinson. 16s. n.<br />
<br />
PETER PAUL REUBENS.<br />
in Painting and Sculpture.<br />
5s. n.<br />
<br />
AUBREY BEARDSLEY.<br />
Edition. Revised and Enlarged.<br />
9} x 7h. 103 pp. Dent. 6s. n.<br />
<br />
THE LETTERS OF WARREN Hastings To His WIFE.<br />
Transcribed in full from the Originals in the British<br />
Museum. Introduced and annotated by SYDNEY C.<br />
GRIER. 9 x 53. 484 pp. Blackwoods. 15s. n.<br />
<br />
Sir Henry Irving. By HALDANE MCFALL. 7} x 5.<br />
128 pp. Foulis. 2s. n.<br />
<br />
THE Story OF THE PRINCESS DES URSINS IN SPAIN.<br />
By Constance Hin. 7% x 5}. 256 pp. Lane.<br />
5s. n.<br />
<br />
Great Masters<br />
<br />
By Hope REA.<br />
138 pp. Bell.<br />
<br />
Ts xX 8.<br />
<br />
By ARTHUR Symons. New<br />
29 Reproductions.<br />
<br />
BOOKS FOR THE YOUNG.<br />
By E.NEsBIT. 8} x<br />
Wells Gardner. 6s.<br />
<br />
5§. 369 pp.<br />
By KATHERINE TYNAN.<br />
<br />
THe LUCK OF THE FAIRFAXES.<br />
8 x 53. 397pp. Collins.<br />
A LirrLe Princess. Being the Whole Story of Sara<br />
Crewe, now told for the first time. By Francis H.<br />
<br />
BURNETT. 8% x 53. 302 pp. Warne. 6s.<br />
<br />
THe Happy Curist. By HAROLD BEGBIE. 6% x 44.<br />
ll7pp. Skeffington. 2s.<br />
<br />
FRIENDS WitHour Facrs. A Fairy’s Rebuke to<br />
Vanity. Written and [llustrated by H. Furniss.<br />
9% x 74. 62pp. S.P.C.K.<br />
<br />
Fun at THE Zoo. Pictures (coloured) by Louis<br />
WAIN. Verses by C. BINGHAM. 5} x 73. Collins.<br />
CLaws AND Paws. By Louis WAIN. 12} x 10}.<br />
<br />
23 pp. Collins.<br />
<br />
A Flower WEDDING.<br />
Decorated by WALTER CRANE.<br />
Cassell. 6s.<br />
<br />
104 x 74. 40 pp.<br />
<br />
BOOKS OF REFERENCE.<br />
Dictionary oF INDIAN BioGRAPHY. By C. E. BuckK-<br />
<br />
LAND. 8 x 5}. 494 pp. Sonnenschein. 7s. 6d.<br />
COOKERY.<br />
<br />
THE AMATEUR Cook. By KATHERINE BURRILL and<br />
Anniz M. Boorse. 73 x 53. 296 pp. Chambers.<br />
38. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
DRAMA.<br />
<br />
A Tragic Play of Church and Stage.<br />
7% x 53. 196 pp. Grant<br />
<br />
THE THEATROCRAT.<br />
<br />
By JoHN DAvIpson.<br />
Richards.<br />
<br />
5s. n.<br />
<br />
Described by two Wallflowers. |<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 99<br />
<br />
EDUCATIONAL.<br />
<br />
ENGLISH COMPOSITION SIMPLIFIED.<br />
Murby. Is. 6d.<br />
<br />
ARITHMETICAL WRINKLES. By J. LOGAN. Sonnenschein.<br />
Is.<br />
<br />
HISTORICAL AND MODERN ATLAS OF THE BRITISH<br />
<br />
By J, LoaGan.<br />
<br />
Empire. By C. G. ROBERTSON and J. G. BaR-<br />
THOLOMEW. 114 x 8%. 64 pp. Methuen. 4s. 6d.n.<br />
Let YoutH BuT Know. A Plea for Reason in Education.<br />
By Kappa. 73 x 5. 256 pp. Methuen. 3s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
BLACKIE’s LITTLE GERMAN CLASSICS. GRIMM’S DIE<br />
ZWEI BRUDER. 40 pp. SCHMID’s DIE OSTEREIER.<br />
40 pp. Edited by A. R. HoPE MoncRIEFF, 6} X 41.<br />
Blackie. 6d. each.<br />
<br />
BLACKIE’s LATIN TEXTS. Edited by W. H. D. Rovuss.<br />
VirGIL. AINEID VI. 30 pp. Blackie. 6d. n. each.<br />
<br />
FICTION.<br />
<br />
THE WEAVERS SHUTTLE. By C. G. HARTLEY (MRs. W.<br />
GALLICHAN). 74 x 4%. 319 pp. Greening. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE CRUISE OF THE “ CONQUISTADOR.” Being the Further<br />
Adventures of the Motor Pirate. By G.S. PATERNOSTER.<br />
7i x 43. 312 pp. The Car Illustrated. 3s. 6d.<br />
<br />
THE ARMY OF A DREAM. By RuDYARD KIPLING.<br />
7i x 5. 62 pp. Macmillan. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
THE WINNING OF WINIFRED. By LOUIS<br />
72 x 5. 310 pp. White. 6s.<br />
<br />
VENDETTA IN VANITY Farr.<br />
7% x 54. 278 pp.<br />
<br />
TRACY.<br />
<br />
By ESTHER MILLER.<br />
Heinemann. 6s.<br />
<br />
THry. By RupyarD KIpLine. 84 x 54. 80 pp.<br />
Macmillan. 6s,<br />
<br />
THE Kine’s REVOKE. By MArGARET L. Woops.<br />
72 x 5. 334 pp. Smith Elder. 6s.<br />
<br />
A PRETENDER. By ANNIE THOMAS. 73 x 5. 318 pp.<br />
<br />
Digby Long. 6s.<br />
HISTORY.<br />
<br />
FLORENTINE PALACES AND THEIR STORIES.<br />
toss. 81 x 5}. 411 pp. Dent. 6s. n.<br />
SOMERSET HOUSE—PAST AND PRESENT. By R. NEED-<br />
HAM and A, WEBSTER. 9 xX 6. 340 pp. Unwin.<br />
<br />
21s. n.<br />
<br />
GLEANINGS FROM VENETIAN History. By FRANCIS<br />
MARION CRAWFORD. 2 Vols. 8 x 54. With 225 Illus-<br />
trations by Joseph Pennell. 517 -+ 441 pp. Macmillan.<br />
21s. n.<br />
<br />
A History oF OUR OWN TIMES. By JUSTIN<br />
McCartHy. 3 Vols. Fine Paper Edition. From the<br />
Accession of Queen Victoria to the Diamond Jubilee,<br />
1897. 61 x 4, 549 + 582 + 596 pp. Chatto & Windus.<br />
<br />
6s. n.<br />
<br />
By JANET<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
LAW.<br />
<br />
STATUTES OF PRACTICAL UTILITY PASSED IN 1905, IN<br />
CONTINUATION OF CHITTY’S STATUTES. With Notes<br />
and selected Statutory Rules. By J. M. Lely. 10 x 6}.<br />
Pp. 557—787. Sweet & Maxwell and Stevens & Sons.<br />
7s. 6d.<br />
<br />
A Digest oF ENGLIsH Civin Law. By EDWARD<br />
<br />
JENKS. Book I. General. 10 x 64. 101 pp. Butter-<br />
worth.<br />
LITERARY.<br />
<br />
STUDIES IN POETRY AND CRITICISM. By JOHN<br />
SHURTON CoLLIns. 83} x 5. 309 pp. Bell. 6s. n.<br />
MISCELLANEOUS.<br />
<br />
Tom BROWNE'S Comic ANNUAL. Christmas, 1905.<br />
<br />
84x 53. Drane. 6d.<br />
WHat Wr TALKED ABOUT.<br />
CAMPBELL. Jarrold & Sons.<br />
<br />
By M. MonTGgoMERY<br />
Is. 6d.<br />
FLEET STREET FROM WITHIN. The Romance and<br />
History of the Daily Paper. By Henry LEACH.<br />
64 x 4}. 192 pp- Arrowsmith and Simpkin, Marshall.<br />
is.<br />
<br />
NATURAL HISTORY.<br />
<br />
Nores oN THE LIFE History OF BRITISH FLOWERING<br />
prants. By the Right Honourable LoRD AVEBURY,<br />
P.c. 9 x 53. 450 pp. Macmillan, 15s. n.<br />
<br />
A Book oF Mortats. Being a record of the good<br />
deeds and good qualities of what humanity is pleased<br />
<br />
to call the lower animals. By F. A. STEEL. 103 x 74.<br />
141 pp. Heinemann. 10s. 6d. n.<br />
PHILOSOPHY.<br />
<br />
A Criticism of Professor Heeckel’s<br />
By Sir OLIvER LODGE.<br />
2s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
LIFE AND MATTER.<br />
“Riddle of the -Universe.”<br />
74 x 5. 200 pp. Williams and Norgate.<br />
<br />
POETRY.<br />
<br />
Tye PASTOR OF WyDON FELL. A Ballad of the North<br />
<br />
Country. By A. M. Buckron. 72 X 6}. 20 pp.<br />
Elkin Mathews. Ils. n.<br />
<br />
New CoLLECTED RHYMES. By ANDREW LANG.<br />
7x 5. 101 pp. Longmans. 4s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
THE Two ARCADIAS, PLAYS AND Porms. By ROSALINE<br />
TRAVERS. With an Introduction by Richard Garnett,<br />
C.B., LL.D. 7% x 54. 142 pp. Brimley Johnson.<br />
<br />
Love’s FICKLED AND OTHER PoEMs. By W. BirD<br />
ALLEN. 6 x 44. 57 pp. Clark.<br />
<br />
Toe IRISH SQUIREENS, AND OTHER<br />
RANDALL MCDONNELL. 7 x 43. 45 pp.<br />
Sealy.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
VERSES. By<br />
Dublin.<br />
<br />
POLITICAL.<br />
<br />
IMPERIALISM. A Study. By J. A. Hopson. Revised<br />
Edition. 74 x 43. 3831 pp. Constable. 2s. 6d. n.<br />
ELECTION ANECDOTES FoR ALL Parties. By J. H.<br />
<br />
SETTLE. 7 x 4%. 140 pp. Skeffington. 1s. n.<br />
<br />
REPRINTS.<br />
<br />
Tur PLAYS AND PoEMS oF ROBERT GREENE. 2 Vols.<br />
Edited with Introduction and Notes. By J. CHURTON<br />
Commins. 9 x 53. 319 pp. and 415 pp. Clarendon<br />
Press. 18s. n.<br />
<br />
THE PoEMS OF WILLIAM COWPER.<br />
Introduction and Notes by J. C. BatLEy. With 27<br />
Illustrations. 83 x 53. 741 pp. Methuen. 10s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
THe Fancy. By JoHN HamiInTon Reynoups. With a<br />
Prefatory Memoir and Notes by John Masefield ; and<br />
Thirteen Illustrations by J. B. Yeats. 7 x 43. 88 pp.<br />
Elkin Mathews. ls. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
A CoLLOTYPE FACSIMILE OF SHAKESPEARE’S POEMS<br />
AND PERICLES. Withan Introduction. By SIDNEY LEE.<br />
104 x 81. Oxford University Press. London: Frowde.<br />
In sets of five volumes. £3 10s.n. and £65s.n. Ina<br />
single volume £3 3s.n. and £4 4s.n.<br />
<br />
PROVERBS IN PORCELAIN, to which is added “AU<br />
Revorr.” A Dramatic Vignette. By AUSTIN DOBSON.<br />
63 x 44. 118 pp. Kegan Paul, 2s 6d. n.<br />
<br />
Edited with an<br />
<br />
SOCIOLOGY.<br />
<br />
THe CANKER AT THE HEART. Being studies from the<br />
Life of the Poor in the Year of Grace, 1905. By L. CoPE<br />
CoRNFORD. 72% x 53. 236 pp. E, Grant Richards.<br />
3s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
THEOLOGY.<br />
THE APOSTLE’S CREED. Six Lectures given in Westminster<br />
<br />
Abbey. By H. C. Beecuine, M.A. (Canon of West-<br />
minster). 7% x 5. 100 pp. Murray. 2s, 6d. n.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Av THE MASTER’s SIDE: STUDIES IN DISCIPLESHIP.<br />
3v the Rev. ANTHONY DEANE, 64 x 44. 99 pp.<br />
<br />
Wells Gardner. Is. 6d.<br />
<br />
Tue LIFE ELYSIAN. Being more leaves from the Auto-<br />
biography of a Soul in Paradise. Recorded for the<br />
Author by R. J, Lens. 73 x 49. 349 pp. Long. 6s.<br />
<br />
Vrrus IN CRETE, OR ‘‘ THINGS WHICH BECOME SOUND<br />
DocrRINe.” By F. BouRDILLON. 7% x 5. 131 pp.<br />
Thynne. 1s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
TRAVEL.<br />
<br />
RounD ABouUT My PEKIN GARDEN.<br />
BALD LITTLE. Illustrated. 9 x 5}.<br />
15s. n.<br />
<br />
THE SOURCE OF THE BLUE NILE. By A. J. HAYES.<br />
Andan Entomological Appendix by E. B. Poulton, F.R.S.<br />
(Hope Professor of Zoology in the University of Oxford).<br />
84 x 53. 315 pp. Smith Elder. 10s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
By Mrs. ARCHI-<br />
284 pp. Unwin:<br />
<br />
LITERARY, DRAMATIC, AND MUSICAL<br />
NOTES. |<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
R. MARION CRAWFORD’S book on a)<br />
Venice was published by Messrs. Mac- © |<br />
<br />
millan & Co. early last month, under the 9:<br />
title, “Gleanings from Venetian History.” The<br />
volume is illustrated with over 200 pictures from =m<br />
drawings by Mr. Joseph Pennell. .<br />
<br />
With the publication of two volumes of lectures<br />
and essays, Canon Beeching completes his task of<br />
arranging the literary remains of the late Canon<br />
Ainger. The subjects of the lectures and essays<br />
are almost entirely of literary interest. Messrs.<br />
Macmillan & Co. are the publishers.<br />
<br />
The same publishers announce a new edition of<br />
Tennyson’s “ In Memoriam,” with the author’s own<br />
notes, It is anticipated that the publication will<br />
excite some interest among students of the poet,<br />
and will give the curious in these matters an<br />
opportunity of comparing many published inter<br />
pretations of the allusive passages with the poet’s<br />
own explanations.<br />
<br />
Mr. Kipling’s story, “ They,” which appeared<br />
last year in “ Traffics and Discoveries,” has just<br />
been issued by Messrs. Macmillan in a volume<br />
accompanied by fifteen coloured illustrations by<br />
Mr. T. H. Townsend.<br />
<br />
Dr. Charles Reinhardt has written, and_ the<br />
London Publicity Company, of 379, Strand, W.C.,<br />
have published, a pamphlet dealing with the con-<br />
sumptive poor of England, in which he traces, in<br />
simple language, the evolution of the disease, and<br />
suggests, as the remedy, the erection and main-<br />
tenance of open-air sanatoria. The price of the<br />
pamphlet is 6d.<br />
<br />
We are requested to state that Mr. Henry R.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
AtATT<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
saunas<br />
<br />
TAB<br />
<br />
has kindly consented to take the place of<br />
the late Mr. F. R. Daldy as honorary secretary of<br />
the Copyright Association. All future communica-<br />
tions should be addressed to him at 1, Berners<br />
Street, W.<br />
<br />
In the preface to his new work, “Notes on the<br />
Life-History of British Flowering Plants,’ pub-<br />
lished by Messrs. Macmillan & Co., Lord Avebury<br />
states that his aim has been to describe points of<br />
interest in the life-history of our British plants ; to<br />
explain as far as possible the reasons for the<br />
structure, form and colour; and to suggest some<br />
of the innumerable problems which still remain for<br />
solution. In addition to 328 illustrations, the book<br />
contains a glossary of scientific terms.<br />
<br />
Vol. IV. of Dr. Beattie Crozier’s “ History of<br />
Intellectual Development ” is nearly complete, and<br />
will be published early in this year. Its sub-title<br />
will be “The Wheel of Wealth,” being a recon-<br />
struction of the science and art of political<br />
economy.<br />
<br />
Dr. Stopford Brooke’s new volume of criticism,<br />
which he is preparing, will probably be entitled<br />
«The Poetic Movement in Ireland.” The book<br />
will be published by Sir Isaac Pitman’s Sons,<br />
and will contain appreciations of Matthew Arnold,<br />
Dante Gabriel Rosetti, Clough, and William<br />
Morris.<br />
<br />
“The Dream and the Business” is the title of<br />
John Oliver Hobbes’ new novel, the publication of<br />
which may be looked for in the early part of this<br />
year.<br />
<br />
Mr. Frederic Harrison has completed a drama on<br />
which he has been engaged since the publication<br />
of his Byzantine romance, “ Theophano.” It is<br />
not a dramatised version of that tale, but it is a<br />
tragedy founded on the same incidents. The play<br />
will not be published until it has appeared on the<br />
stage.<br />
<br />
Geo. Paston’s new work, “ Social Caricatures of<br />
<br />
Clayton<br />
<br />
_ the Eighteenth Century,” has been published by<br />
Messrs. Methuen & Co.<br />
representative view of the<br />
<br />
The book gives a general<br />
social caricatures,<br />
including emblematical, satirical, personal, and<br />
humorous prints of the eighteenth century, and<br />
contains over 200 illustrations. Its price before<br />
publication, £2 2s. nett, has now been increased to<br />
£2 12s. 6d. nett.<br />
<br />
“A History of English Philanthropy,” by Mr.<br />
<br />
B. Kirkman Gray, is an attempt to deal with a<br />
<br />
familiar subject from a new standpoint. The<br />
<br />
interest centres in the resolve to bring the origin<br />
and growth of an institution into relation with the<br />
general sociological problems of the period. The<br />
Volume falls into three divisions: 1. The construc-<br />
<br />
tion of the apparatus of elementary relief following<br />
_ the dissolution of the monasteries, and an attempt<br />
to bring them into touch with the Elizabethan<br />
<br />
AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
101<br />
<br />
poor law. 2. In the Puritan ascendency, the loss<br />
of the insight thus gained. 3. The rise of the<br />
voluntary subscriber at the end of the seventeenth<br />
century, and his growing importance in the<br />
eighteenth century. This account of the evolu-<br />
tion of voluntary associations for philanthropic<br />
action, drawn from the reports of numerous insti-<br />
tutions, opens out many lines of inquiry as to the<br />
social importance of charitable work. The work,<br />
as a whole, should serve as an introduction to the<br />
study of one of the pressing problems of the<br />
present day—What is the meaning and worth of<br />
philanthropy?<br />
<br />
“ How to Identify Old Chinese Porcelain,” by<br />
Mr. S. Willoughby Hodgson, is a book put forth<br />
primarily to help the amateur to make a beginning<br />
in a difficult study. It contains a history of the<br />
art, and explains the difference between English<br />
and Chinese porcelain decorated in blue under the<br />
glaze. The work, published by Messrs. Methuen<br />
& Co., contains many illustrations, taken from both<br />
national and private collections.<br />
<br />
The volume of the “ Poems of Shakespeare,”<br />
which the Oxford University Press have published,<br />
contains five separate introductions by Mr. Sidney<br />
Lee. In these new material is given confirming<br />
Mr. Lee’s theory of the dependence of the “Sonnets”<br />
on foreign models.<br />
<br />
Messrs. Methuen & Oo. have puolished “'The<br />
Student’s Modern Atlas of the British Empire,”<br />
by C. Grant Robertson and F. G. Bartholomew.<br />
The atlas illustrates the historical development<br />
of the British Empire from the earliest times<br />
to the present day, It contains sixty-four maps<br />
with numerous insets, historical tables and notes,<br />
an introduction, an historical gazetteer, a biography<br />
and an index.<br />
<br />
Mr. H. A. Vachell, author of “The Hill” and<br />
“Brothers,” has written a new novel entitled<br />
«A Face of Clay,” which will run as a serial<br />
through the Monthly Review, prior to its<br />
publication in book form by Mr. John Murray.<br />
<br />
Miss Valentina Hawtrey’s translation of “The<br />
Life of St. Mary Magdalen,” from the Italian of<br />
an unknown writer, was published in the early part<br />
of last month by Mr. John Lane.<br />
<br />
Mr. Dent is publishing a new and enlarged<br />
edition of Mr. Arthur Symons’ critical apprecia-<br />
tion of Aubrey Beardsley, which first appeared<br />
some years ago. It has been greatly enlarged,<br />
both in its text and pictures. The price of the<br />
ordinary edition is 6s. nett. There is a large<br />
paper edition, with a hitherto unpublished drawing<br />
by Beardsley.<br />
<br />
Mr. Brimley Johnson published, in the early<br />
part of last month, a volume of verse from the pen<br />
of Miss Rosaline Travers. The book opens with<br />
a drama in blank verse, entitled “ Arcady in Peril.”<br />
102<br />
<br />
The title of the whole work, to which Dr. Richard<br />
Garnett contributes an introduction, is “The Two<br />
Arcadias.” :<br />
<br />
The December issue of the “ Transactions of the<br />
St. Albans and Herts Archeological Society ”<br />
contains an article by Mrs. Knight dealing with<br />
“ Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester.” :<br />
<br />
Mr. Henry James’ “ Impressions of America,”<br />
on which he is now engaged, will probably be<br />
published in the spring of 1906.<br />
<br />
The “Lyceum Annual,” published by the Lyceum<br />
Club, is the first-fruit of its literary members, and<br />
is published as a venture in international<br />
periodicals, The international character of the<br />
work may be gathered from the fact that it<br />
contains contributions from writers in America,<br />
Australia, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, New<br />
Zealand and Roumania, in addition to stories and<br />
articles from a dozen British writers. The price of<br />
the volume is 2s. 6d. nett.<br />
<br />
Among Mr. Eveleigh Nash’s announcements are<br />
a new volume of “Sea Stories” by Mr. Morley<br />
Roberts, and a new novel by Mr. Charles<br />
Marriott, the title of which is “The Lapse of<br />
Vivien Kady.”<br />
<br />
We have been requested to correct an error<br />
which crept into Miss Mary lL. Pendered’s letter<br />
in the December issue of Zhe Author. Miss<br />
Pendered did not write ‘The best must come to<br />
the top, and I would see it gently assisted by the<br />
great English Magazines,” but “The best must<br />
come to the top, and I would see it gently assisted<br />
by the Great English Magazine.”<br />
<br />
‘We understand from “ Rita’’ (Mrs. Desmond<br />
Humphreys) that her book ‘‘ The Seventh Heaven,”<br />
lately issued, is a new edition called for by many<br />
inquiries, as the book has long been out of print.<br />
It has been persistently reviewed as a new and late<br />
work from her pen, whereas it was originally<br />
published some fifteen years ago.<br />
<br />
Miss Marris, whose life of Mr. Joseph<br />
Chamberlain was published by Messrs. Hutchin-<br />
son & OCo., in 1900, has written an abridged<br />
biography of that statesman, which Messrs.<br />
Routledge are hurrying through the press in view<br />
of the coming elections. A large number of<br />
extracts from Mr. Chamberlain’s speeches, defend-<br />
ing his political position, are appended to the<br />
work,<br />
<br />
Mrs. Penny has recently re-written “ Caste and<br />
Creed,” which was originally published as a three-<br />
volume novel. Messrs. Chatto and Windus will<br />
publish the work in one-volume form. The<br />
heroine is a girl who is one half East and one<br />
half West, for as a child in India she has been<br />
brought up under Hindu influence, and as a girl in<br />
England under Christian influence.<br />
<br />
Mr. Watts Dunton hopes to see his new novel<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
out early this year. The title “Carniola” is the<br />
name of the heroine, and the story itself is laid<br />
partly in England, partly in Venice, and partly in<br />
Hungary. Although, like “ Aylwin,” it is a love<br />
story, it is more various in its pictures of life than<br />
that work. We understand that Mr. Watts Dunton<br />
has a further novel in hand.<br />
<br />
We are informed that Mr. Charles P. Sisley, who<br />
is resigning the editorship of the London Magazine<br />
and other Harmsworth publications, has purchased §<br />
a controlling interest in the Library Press, of 9, © 4<br />
Duke Street, Charing Cross, publishers of the well- [sy<br />
known “Cameo Classics,” ‘“ Children’s Classics,” “2 3<br />
&c., and we understand that in future the business ‘za, ;<br />
will be known as Sisley’s, Limited. as<br />
<br />
“The Might of a Wrong-doer,’ by Shirley sf?”<br />
Brice, published by John Long, tells of a murder i9h0*<br />
which for many years passed as a “‘ death from mis- in’.<br />
adventure,” but which at last is traced to its =: #’<br />
author. It is the life tragedy of a lad with high (3i:0"<br />
ideals, who, yielding as a boy to selfish motives, has “ed +<br />
committed a crime, the shadow of which falls list’ ‘<br />
upon his after life, bringing about his rnin, when, 199i<br />
by an act of unselfish honesty, he has angered bow!<br />
the unscrupulous acquaintance who knows his 7 #<br />
secret.<br />
<br />
Mr. A. C. Fifield has just published a new survey (97 "8<br />
of the World’s History, under the title of “ A Bird’s 71%!<br />
Eye View of History,” by “Sursum Corda.” The of). «<br />
author expresses the hope that the work, which is 4 s)i<br />
described as a concise but graphic sequence of 10 #1»<br />
History from the earliest times to the Fall of Con- to.<br />
stantinople before the Turks in 1453, may be of 19 9),,<br />
assistance to those who desire to follow the course 9#iiiy,<br />
of Modern History and politics, a proper under- =%b.<br />
standing of which, in his opinion, can only be «d<br />
obtained by a knowledge of the events of more 90:<br />
remote times. The book is published at the price %F<br />
of 1s. 6d. nett. a<br />
<br />
Messrs. Black announce the publication of a & |<br />
bock on the Italian lakes, by Richard Bagot. io:<br />
The volume is in no sense intended as a guide sbi:<br />
book, but aims merely at furnishing the reader ‘bry:<br />
with some impressions of the scenic beauties and His _<br />
of the historic and artistic traditions of the region | 4<br />
described. The work, illustrated by Mrs. Ella<br />
Du Cane, is published at 20s. net.<br />
<br />
Messrs. Warne & Co. will shortly publish a new<br />
child’s book by Mrs. Hodgson Burnett, based on @<br />
her play “A Little Princess,” which has been<br />
running in America. The book will be illustrated<br />
by Mr. Harold Piffard. ‘<br />
<br />
Mrs. Archibald Little’s new book “ Round<br />
about My Pekin Garden,” which Mr. Fisher<br />
Unwin published recently, is described by its —<br />
author as “a tribute to a time of dalliance in one<br />
of China’s many pleasant places.” It contains<br />
descriptions of walks and excursions in and round<br />
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the Chinese capital, and is illustrated with a<br />
coloured frontispiece and about ninety illustra-<br />
tions, mostly from photographs by the author.<br />
Messrs. Newnes have added to their sixpenny<br />
4 editions “At Sunwich Port,” by W. W. Jacobs ;<br />
~<@ and Mrs. Humphry Ward’s novel “ Eleanor.”<br />
Messrs. Methuen & Co. have published a new<br />
fi edition of “The Poems of William Cowper,”<br />
““@ which Mr. J. C. Bailey has edited. In the<br />
a preparation of his critical introduction and notes,<br />
the editor has been able to consult a large number<br />
of new letters of the poet and his friends. The<br />
“9 work contains more than twenty unpublished<br />
“cf letters, in addition to one entirely new poem.<br />
4 Mr. Rider Haggard has revised the text of his<br />
¥4 “King Solomon’s Mines,” for an illustrated edition<br />
4 which Messrs. Cassell are issuing. The illustra-<br />
¥ tions, which are from drawings by Mr. Russell<br />
Flint, are said to elucidate the text very well.<br />
a Mr. Andrew Lang’s “New Collected Rhymes,”<br />
‘M® which Messrs. Longmans have published, contain<br />
+ aseries of loyal lyrics, cricket rhymes, and poems<br />
“i? “critical of life, art, and literature.” Following<br />
af these are “jubilee poems,” one or two “ folk<br />
* gongs,” and finally a bouquet of ballads.<br />
In “Major Barbara,” produced at the Court<br />
“4? Theatre on November 28th, Mr. Bernard Shaw<br />
takes for his main theme the enthusiasm of a girl<br />
for the work of the Salvation Army, and shows<br />
how it disappears on account of the army’s accept-<br />
ance of a donation of £5,000 from her father, whose<br />
wealth has been amassed by methods which she<br />
+i rightly disapproves. The caste includes Mr. Louis<br />
Granville<br />
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«@ alvert, Miss Annie Russell and Mr.<br />
«Barker.<br />
————"__o—_+—__——_<br />
PARIS NOTES.<br />
’<br />
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— 1<br />
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<br />
<br />
a E Bel Avenir,” by M. René Boylesve, is<br />
another novel by the author of “L’Enfant<br />
<br />
4 la Balustrade.” It is extremely realistic<br />
<br />
and admirably written. Each personage lives and<br />
stands out in relief. One feels that it is a book<br />
which is the result of shrewd and careful observa-<br />
_ tion, and that it has been thought out line by line.<br />
_ The theme of the story is the education of three<br />
young men, and the chief interest centres in them<br />
and in their respective mothers. The most sym-<br />
pathetic family is that of Alex, who is living with<br />
his widowed mother and grandfather near Poitiers.<br />
All goes well until the time comes to decide on the<br />
future career of the young man, who is intelligent<br />
and a general favourite, but without any special<br />
aptitudes. The grandfather had been a magistrate,<br />
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THE AUTHOR.<br />
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103<br />
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and it is finally decided that Alex shall go to Paris<br />
to study law. His mother writes to one of her<br />
friends who is living there, all the necessary<br />
arrangements are made, and the young man com-<br />
mences his student life in the capital. His<br />
mother’s friend has a son Paul, who seems to be<br />
farther advanced in his studies than Alex, but not<br />
so attractive personally, hence there is jealousy<br />
between the two mothers. Money matters soon<br />
become a serious question, for Alex is a spend-<br />
thrift, and means are limited at home. One of<br />
the farms belonging to the family estate has to be<br />
sold, and when the young man fails in his examina-<br />
tion, his mother and grandfather decide to let the<br />
old home and take up their abode with Alex in<br />
Paris. There is a great charm about the descrip-<br />
tion of the simple family life led by the trio in the<br />
neighbourhood of Saint Sulpice, almost in the<br />
heart of the Latin quarter. There is the sublime<br />
devotion and abnegation of the mother, the<br />
philosophy of the old grandfather, and then, by<br />
the side of this, the life of Alex outside his home,<br />
the life led probably by hundreds of his fellow-<br />
students.<br />
<br />
Just as interesting, though far less sympathetic,<br />
is the study of Paul, his family, and his career.<br />
A third psychological study in the book is that<br />
uf a shrewd woman of the lower class named<br />
Lepoiroux. Her husband died just as her child<br />
was born, and the mother of Alex took pity on her,<br />
provided for her, and later on made arrangements<br />
for her son to be educated by the Jesuits. This<br />
boy, Hilaire, makes the best of his opportunities,<br />
studies hard, surpasses Alex and Paul, and, after<br />
obtaining his education from the priests, with the<br />
understanding that he shall later on become one<br />
of them, refuses to take holy orders. The three<br />
young men then pursue their career in Paris.<br />
There are several extremely realistic episodes in<br />
the book, and among others a very touching story<br />
of one of the last of the genuine grisettes. The<br />
author shows very clearly the ugly side of a student’s<br />
life, and his picture is all the more effective as he<br />
merely lays it before us without any comment.<br />
The whole novel is well worth reading. Many of<br />
the personages are not sympathetic, their circle is<br />
a narrow one, their horizon limited, and they care<br />
little what goes on in the world outside, but such<br />
as they are, their portraits are drawn for us by<br />
a true and faithful delineator, and in these days<br />
when books are so plentiful and well-written books<br />
comparatively so rare, the latter are doubly<br />
welcome.<br />
<br />
“Constance,” by Th. Bentzon, is a new edition<br />
of a novel which gained the Montyon prize some<br />
years ago. It has been published now with an<br />
admirable preface by M. Brunetiére. The subject<br />
<br />
of this book is extremely apropos just now, when<br />
<br />
<br />
104<br />
<br />
the question of divorce is being discussed so<br />
warmly in France. The story is told by an able<br />
psychologist, and the principles involved are clearly<br />
set forth, whilst the characters all live and the<br />
interest is well sustained from the first chapter to<br />
the last.<br />
<br />
“De |’Histoire” is the title of another posthu-<br />
mous volume by Barbey d’Aurevilly. It is a<br />
series of critical essays on books by various authors<br />
on widely different subjects. Some of these books<br />
were written quite a long time ago, and yet most of<br />
them are of current interest. The chapter entitled<br />
“Léon XIII. et le Vatican’? seems now to have<br />
been prophetic. ‘“ L’Eglise libre dans |’Htat libre,”<br />
writes the author, “ c’est-a dire l’Eglise morte dans<br />
un Etat délivré delle. . . 2” Speaking of monar-<br />
chies, he says: “Jl y a encore des monarchies<br />
debout, mais elles tremblent sur leurs bases et elles<br />
sont capables de se précipiter demain dans le<br />
gouffre fascinateur des républiques. . . .”<br />
<br />
Two more interesting chapters are those on “ La<br />
Révolution d’Angleterre” and “La Révolution<br />
francaise.” Another essay isa criticism of Macau-<br />
lay’s “History of England from the time of<br />
James IJ.” ‘There are twenty-two essays in all,<br />
among which are “La Gréce Antique,’ “Les<br />
Césars,” ‘Histoire des Pyrénées,’ “ Napoléon,”<br />
“La Révocation de l’Edit de Nantes,” ‘“ La paix<br />
et la tréve de Dieu,’’ “ Rome et la Judée,” ‘ Gus-<br />
tave III.,” and “ Le Comte de Fersen et la cour de<br />
France.”<br />
<br />
“La Russie Libre,” by M. Georges Bourdon, is<br />
profitable reading for all those who care to know<br />
much of contemporary Russian history.<br />
<br />
“La Guerre contre |’ Allemagne,” by the General<br />
Baron Faverot de Kerbrech, is a volume written<br />
from notes taken down by the author during the<br />
campaign of 1870. It is a very graphic picture of<br />
the times, with anecdotes of many men whose<br />
names are honsehold words.<br />
<br />
“ Maxime Gorki” is a little book, published at<br />
one franc, by M. de Vogiié, on the works of the<br />
Russian novelist, who is just at present more read,<br />
perhaps, than any other.<br />
<br />
“Marie Caroline, duchesse de Berry,” by M. de<br />
Reiset, is an illustrated volume dealing rather with<br />
the private life of the unfortunate princess than<br />
with the romantic adventures of the Vendean<br />
struggles.<br />
<br />
Other recent historical works are “La Fortune<br />
des Orléans,” by M. Ad. Lanne ; “ Quinze ans<br />
Ga’histoire,’ by M. Jehan de Witte ; “ L’Amiral<br />
Nelson,’ by M. Armand Dubarry ; ‘ Les Derniers<br />
Républicains,’” by M. Guillaumin.<br />
<br />
* Lamartine de 1816 4 1830, Elvire et les Médi-<br />
tations,” by M. Léon Séché, tells us much that is<br />
interesting about “the exceptional woman who in<br />
life and death was the good genius of Lamartine.”<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“George Sand et sa fille” is a volume by M<br />
Rocheblane judging mother and daughter by their<br />
correspondence.<br />
<br />
Among the new books are “ Le Sphinx rouge,”<br />
by Han Ryner ; “Le Précurseur,” by M. Jacques<br />
Fréhel ; ‘‘Aimons,” by M. Francois Gillette;<br />
“EKeyptiens et Anglais,” by Moustafa Kamel<br />
Pacha, with a preface by Mme. Adam.<br />
<br />
The latest translations from the English are<br />
« Quand le dormeur s’eveillera,’ by H. G. Wells;<br />
“ Une jeune anglaise a Paris,” by Constance Maud,<br />
translated by Gausseron.<br />
<br />
Among the authors who received prizes at the<br />
recent distribution by the French Academy are the<br />
following :—M. Charles Leconte, M. Paul Adam,<br />
Madame Daniel Lesueur, M. Paléologue, M. Guil-<br />
laumin, Mlle. A. de Bovet, M. Jaray for “ La poli-<br />
tique franco-anglaise et l’arbitrage international,”<br />
M. Biorés for “Warren Hastings,” M. Ernest<br />
<br />
Daudet for “Histoire de Emigration pendant |<br />
<br />
la Révolution francaise,’ M. Doumergue for<br />
“ Calvin.”<br />
<br />
La Vie Heuwreuse, a woman’s magazine pub- ©<br />
lished by Messrs. Hachette, has awarded its annual ib<br />
prize of five thousand francs for the best novel of 4%<br />
<br />
the year to M. Romain Rolland for the volume<br />
« Jean-Christophe.” The jury is composed of<br />
twenty well-known women writers, so that it was<br />
scarcely surprising this year that a proposal should<br />
be made to award the prize to a man instead of to<br />
a woman.<br />
<br />
The annual prize of the Goncourt Academy has<br />
been awarded to M. Claude Farrére for his book<br />
“Tes Civilisés.” This author, like Pierre Loti,<br />
is more at home on sea than on land, and it is<br />
thanks to his long voyages in the Far East that he<br />
has been able to give such graphic descriptions of<br />
Oriental countries. He has only written one other<br />
book, entitled “Fumée d@’opium.” Unlike the<br />
jury of the Vie Hewreuse the Goncourt Academy<br />
would refrain from giving their annual prize<br />
rather than award it to an authoress.<br />
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<br />
In a recent number of the Revue des Deux ae<br />
<br />
Mondes M. Auguste Filon writes on “ Bernard Shaw<br />
et son théatre.”” He points out that, although an<br />
<br />
Englishman, Bernard Shaw’s plays have more ><br />
<br />
success in Germany and America than in his own 97<br />
country. This critic considers that though rich in 4°<br />
<br />
character, the plays are poor as regards dramatie<br />
situation. In the same number of this review<br />
is an article by Maurice Barres on “Un<br />
voyage A Sparte.” ,<br />
an interesting article by Madame Arvéde Barine<br />
on acurious historical episode of 1707. The letters<br />
from Flaubert to his niece are continued in this<br />
number.<br />
<br />
An extremely interesting series of articles is now<br />
appearing in La Revue, entitled “ La Morale sans<br />
<br />
In the Revue de Paris there is 4:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
a<br />
ca<br />
a<br />
<br />
te<br />
<br />
Dieu.” They are written by MM. Berthelot,<br />
Brunetidre, Claretie, Faguet, Anatole France, Jules<br />
Lemaitre, Octave Mirbeau, Max Nordau, Charles<br />
Richet, Sully Prudhomme, and other well-known<br />
authors. In the December number of La Revue<br />
there is also an article by Madame Juliette Adam<br />
on Moustafa Kamel Pacha, the head of the<br />
nationalist party in Egypt, and various articles on<br />
questions of the moment, “ Les Types littéraires<br />
de la Crise russe,” ‘La Presse turque,”’ “La<br />
Diplomatie allemande,” &c.<br />
<br />
At the Comédie-Frangaise the event of the<br />
month is the new piece by M. Paul Hervieu,<br />
entitled “Le Réveil.” M. Claretie has just<br />
received a comedy in two acts by M. Daniel Riche,<br />
the title of which is “Le Prétexte.” “Claire<br />
Fresneau,” a piece in three acts by MM. Paul<br />
and Victor Margueritte, has also been received for<br />
the Comédie Francaise. At the Odéon “ Jeunesse ”<br />
has been produced. :<br />
<br />
The adaptation of Balzac’s “ La Cousine Bette,”<br />
by Pierre Decourcelle, is having great success at the<br />
Vaudeville, and at the Gaité M. Bazin’s novel<br />
“T/Oberlé,” adapted for the stage by M. Harau-<br />
court, is still running.<br />
<br />
At the Nouvelle Comédie (formerly the Bodiniére)<br />
a one-act play entitled “La Nuit Rouge,” by<br />
MM. Charles Foley and A. de Lorde, has had, and<br />
is still having, immense success. It is, like “ Heard<br />
at the Telephone,” adapted from one of M. Foley's<br />
stories, and the scene takes place in the signal-box<br />
of a railway station. The pointsman is compelled<br />
by duty to remain at his post, while from the win-<br />
dow of his signal-box he sees his fiancée overtaken<br />
at midnight by assassins. The moral strugele<br />
between the two duties makes the play a stronger<br />
one than “ Heard at the Telephone,” which is now<br />
running again at the Antoine Theatre.<br />
<br />
Anys HALLARD.<br />
<br />
—___—_+—_<>_0—__—__<br />
<br />
SPANISH NOTES.<br />
<br />
+<br />
<br />
. Spanish literary world has been mainly<br />
<br />
marked by striking scientific and dramatic<br />
<br />
works during the last month. The most<br />
notable one of the former class is that by Joaquin<br />
Castellarnau, entitled ‘Estudio del systema<br />
lefioso de las especies forestales”’ (a study of the<br />
timber class of the forest species). The author<br />
has long been well known for his scientific reports<br />
on such subjects as firs, the unity of the generative<br />
plan in the vegetable kingdom, the ornithology<br />
<br />
_ of the royal seat of San Ildefonso, etc., which have<br />
<br />
appeared in the annals of the Spanish Society of<br />
Natural History, and have given him a high rank<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
105<br />
<br />
among natural scientists. This last work is an<br />
erudite explanation of the nutrition and the<br />
internal structure of the vegetable class, and it is<br />
so scientifically supported by the microscopic<br />
investigation brought to bear upon it that the<br />
gradual transformation of chemical substances<br />
into the organic material of living things is seen<br />
to be a natural sequence of facts. The great<br />
naturalist’s laboratory in Segovia has promised also<br />
to be the scene of. the microscopical discoveries of<br />
the chemical changes induced by the want of<br />
water, and the constant action of air and dampness<br />
upon the vegetable system.<br />
<br />
In his play called “ Love and Science,” which is<br />
now being performed at one of the chief theatres<br />
of Madrid, Galdos portrays a clever physician,<br />
who tries to train his children in his own intel-<br />
lectual lines of thought. Some of the situations<br />
are strong presentations of psychological truths,<br />
but the dénowement rather falsifies the hopes which<br />
the commencement of the work promised. The<br />
well-known dramatist, Ignacio Inglesias, has cer-<br />
tainly struck a good blow for his country by his<br />
play entitled ‘‘ Urracas” (Magpies), for it is a<br />
powerful exposé of the evils attending the wide-<br />
spread lottery system of the South. A simple,<br />
happy household is nearly wrecked by the unbridled<br />
avarice and cruelty evoked by the craving for the<br />
unearned wealth. At the distribution of tickets<br />
the room of a quiet, respectable citizen is changed<br />
into a pandemonium, and Peregrin, the hero, find-<br />
ing himself robbed of all he possessed and a victim<br />
of the evil passions around him, awakes to the<br />
realisation of the value of love and work, which<br />
had been temporarily submerged by the fever of<br />
chance. The alternate sway of terror and joy,<br />
disgust and content, is well rendered by such actors<br />
as Llano, Rosario, Pino, and Enrique Borras.<br />
<br />
The Spanish Press reports with pride that //<br />
Giornale d@ Italia says that no modern French<br />
dramatist can compare with Jacinto Benavente,<br />
and certainly “ Los Malhechores del Bien” (well-<br />
meaning malefactors) shows that he is a playwright<br />
of a high order, for he sustains the interest of the<br />
audience in the evolution of the story, show-<br />
ing how all the laws of suitability, which only can<br />
be the base of a happy marriage, can be upset by<br />
the well-intentioned, but short-sighted wishes of<br />
people only concerned with outward prosperity.<br />
To Heliodoro, the original thinker, such a union<br />
appeared a crime, and he is fortunately able to<br />
prevent his sister, the Marquise, pursuing the<br />
matrimonial plan for her protégée, which would<br />
have been her moral death. “You would give<br />
<br />
the girl luxury and wealth, but I have secured<br />
for her the love and liberty, which are of far higher<br />
worth,”<br />
<br />
‘The expression of such a sentiment on the<br />
<br />
<br />
106<br />
<br />
Spanish stage shows that strides are being made<br />
jn woman’s education ; and those interested in<br />
the question are pleased to see that the institution<br />
of the college for middle-class girls by the ladies’<br />
committee, under the presidency of the Marquise<br />
de Ayerbe, in conjunction with the Ibero- American<br />
Society, will take place early in January. This event<br />
will mark a new era for Spain, and Her Majesty<br />
Queen Maria Christina has expressed her sympathy<br />
with it, for hitherto the education of girls has been<br />
chiefy vested in the hands of governesses at home ;<br />
and such books as “El Intruso” (The Intruder),<br />
by Blasco Ibaiiez, show how fatal to the happiness<br />
of home life is the present want of the education<br />
of women.<br />
<br />
Last week the Spanish Press rang with the plea<br />
of Montero Rios for the unity of the integral<br />
elements of the Government. ‘It is the want of<br />
this union,” said this orator, who has so recently<br />
resigned his post of Prime Minister, “‘ which made<br />
the course of the last cabinets so brief and diffi-<br />
cult, and which will make that of the present or<br />
any subsequent cabinet unbearably arduous and<br />
painfully uncertain.”<br />
<br />
The words of the ex-Premier have an especial<br />
import as the cabinet now appointed, under the<br />
premiership of the distinguished Moret, who con-<br />
descended to discourse to me so eloquently when I<br />
was in Madrid on the necessity of the improved<br />
education of women, is the fifth in office in the<br />
course of one year, and one can understand the<br />
consequent standstill of legislation on matters<br />
which concern the vital interests of the country.<br />
In despair at the want and misery caused by the<br />
crippled industries, Boada, in the province of<br />
Salamanca, recently sent an official request to<br />
Buenos Aires to be allowed to emigrate thither,<br />
“ with all their labourers, artisans, blacksmiths, and<br />
officials,” for, as they pathetically said, “ the love<br />
of their country could not give them bread to live<br />
in it.”<br />
<br />
This projected departure of hundreds of capable<br />
people seems likely to show the necessity of the<br />
unity of Government for which Montero Rios<br />
pleads so eloquently, and which can only be<br />
obtained by the parliamentary deputies being<br />
elected by the votes of the public, instead of the<br />
voice of the ministry ; and Ramiro Maeztu is now<br />
reporting to his country the English system of<br />
parliamentary elections, which gives the people a<br />
voice inthe government. Such patriots as Figue-<br />
rola Ferretti, who sacrificed himself to voicing<br />
the plea for this reform, may thus still live to see<br />
their countrymen recording their votes at the polls<br />
as monarchists, and forming a steady Govern-<br />
ment for the legislation of a land which is, as<br />
Maeztu says, “fitted by nature to sustain more<br />
than fifty millions of inhabitants.”<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
Free from the continual chaos of changes of<br />
ministry, the country will have time to settle the<br />
laws respecting the Customs reform, the com-<br />
mercial treaties, and the wine tariff ; and to these<br />
courses the Spaniards are naturally stimulated by<br />
the recent report from their special correspondent<br />
in Berlin, which shows that the trade between<br />
Germany and Spain is steadily increasing, and<br />
the satisfaction of the demands of the German<br />
commissioners in the Peninsula will add much<br />
to the prosperity of the land. Moreover, as there<br />
is now a large market for Spanish wines in Italy,<br />
it will remain for the country to sustain its<br />
reputation in that line at the forthcoming exhibi-<br />
tion at Milan, instead of only following the sug-<br />
gestion of Seor Villanueva to send some specimens<br />
of Spanish shipbuilding.<br />
<br />
This call to action about the Commission of<br />
Treaties is published in the Spanish Press, and<br />
supported by the appeal of José Juan Cadenos for<br />
a legislation which will set the seal to the present<br />
advantageous trend of commerce. Spain is cer-<br />
tainly favourably inclined to foreign influences, and<br />
it may be mentioned that the first public sign of<br />
preference for the royal alliance with England which<br />
is now so much discussed, was manifested by the<br />
overwhelming majority of votes accorded to the<br />
Princess Ena of Battenberg, when a competition<br />
was opened some months ago in the pages of the<br />
illustrated Spanish paper, 4.B.C., whereby the<br />
lady readers were severally invited to give their<br />
mark of approval to the particular princess among<br />
the number of whose portraits were published as<br />
eligible for the crown of Spain.<br />
<br />
Percy Hotspur.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
MISLEADING TITLES.<br />
<br />
—<br />
<br />
HE book trade is peculiar in this, that no two<br />
books are in the slightest degree alike.<br />
Hence it is impossible to estimate with<br />
<br />
accuracy the value of a book until it has been read<br />
through from beginning to end. When that pro-<br />
cess has been completed the value is, in a few<br />
cases, increased, but in the majority either<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
cane<br />
<br />
bit<br />
tee<br />
agit<br />
gps<br />
63<br />
<br />
‘01!<br />
pail<br />
<br />
oar<br />
AIO<br />
Om<br />
Gh<br />
<br />
destroyed altogether or reduced enormously. More- 9 c<br />
<br />
over there cannot be any standard value in a oe a<br />
The<br />
<br />
value of a mutton chop is to most persons some<br />
<br />
for each buyer has a totally different taste.<br />
<br />
thing between sixpence and a shilling, but the<br />
<br />
value of a book may be to some few appreciators ©<br />
<br />
very great, and to the rest of mankind nothing<br />
at all.<br />
In these peculiar conditions it is, perhaps, not<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
our knowledge in money and in time.<br />
Us were taken in by “An Englishwoman’s Love<br />
_ Letters,” which had not the look of a work of<br />
<br />
surprising that the purveyors of books should have<br />
given up all idea of suiting individual requirements.<br />
They have deliberately done their utmost to dis-<br />
courage independence of mind. Competition<br />
in the trade has been competition in fashion-<br />
making ; with the natural result that the book-<br />
buying public has been narrowed to those<br />
comparatively few persons who do not care much<br />
what the contents of a book may be, but can be<br />
herded together, and forced to accept any book that<br />
they believe others are discussing and buying.<br />
<br />
It has recently been discovered that there is<br />
another public—that there are many who would<br />
enter the market if they were assisted in the task<br />
of estimating the quality and value of the articles<br />
offered. Hitherto, men who can easily afford to<br />
buy hundreds of books every year have been chary<br />
about risking their money over a single specimen,<br />
not knowing what they were likely to find in their<br />
hands. The trade has supposed this reluctance to<br />
buy books was due to want of literary taste. It<br />
was, in fact, due to excess of literary taste in pro-<br />
portion to the opportunities offered for indulging<br />
that taste.<br />
<br />
Authors might do well to consider whether they<br />
also have not sometimes been to blame. Are the<br />
titles they give to their books always so carefully<br />
chosen as to leave no room for doubt as to the<br />
general nature and aim of the work? There is<br />
some ground for thinking that, since the value of<br />
a “catchy” headline has come to be realised,<br />
authors, in their turn, have been trying, by means<br />
of deceptive titles, to palm off upon a guileless<br />
public books which are not what they seem to be.<br />
Any habitual reader of novels would know that<br />
“Cometh up as a Flower ” is not a work on botany,<br />
and that ‘‘ The Seven Streams ” is not a treatise on<br />
physical geography. Buta botanist or physicist who<br />
does not happen to be acquainted with the modern<br />
affected fashion in titles for fiction might easily<br />
be deceived by these names: and before we laugh<br />
at such simplicity we should consider whether even<br />
the most experienced are not sometimes deceived.<br />
<br />
_ Weall know now that a book called “ All about My<br />
<br />
Garden” may be poetry, or fiction, or cookery<br />
‘Tecipes, or wise sayings, but we have had to buy<br />
Many of<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
fiction. Who could tell that “ The Life of John<br />
William Walshe, F.S.A.,” is not a biography ?”<br />
It never was easy to distinguish between geo-<br />
graphy, topography, and travel; many books are<br />
‘difficult to place in their correct sub-heading.<br />
<br />
_ But, until late years, the two elementary classes of<br />
: ™ Fiction’ and “ Not Fiction” were easily recog-<br />
<br />
Nised. Now, however, the most expert reader<br />
Must be continually at fault in dividing books into<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
107<br />
<br />
their two great branches, by the title alone. Here<br />
are some examples, gathered in a few minutes from<br />
the catalogue of a circulating library. Many<br />
specimens far more perplexing could doubtless be<br />
found without difficulty :—<br />
<br />
Britain’s Greatness Foretold.<br />
<br />
Britons at Bay.<br />
<br />
Enchanted Woods.<br />
<br />
The Wise Woods.<br />
<br />
The Mystic Rose.<br />
<br />
The Rose Garden.<br />
<br />
Roses.<br />
<br />
The Vision Splendid.<br />
<br />
The Money Market.<br />
<br />
Lady Anne’s Waik.<br />
<br />
An Appeal to Rome.<br />
<br />
The Magic of Rome.<br />
<br />
The Heart of Rome.<br />
<br />
The Spirit of Rome.<br />
<br />
The Purple Cloud.<br />
<br />
The Long White Cloud.<br />
<br />
The World’s Desire.<br />
<br />
The World’s Desires.<br />
<br />
It is curious to observe that, while serious books<br />
are given a skittish appearance, writers of fiction<br />
prefer a solemn aspect. In some cases the author<br />
soothes his conscience with a sub-title : but what,<br />
then, is the aim and object of the title? Here is<br />
a typical example of the wrong principle : “The<br />
Art of Creation: Essays on the Seif and its<br />
Powers.” The chief title, which is all that most<br />
catalogues print, is obscure, and should be elimi-<br />
nated in favour of the sub-titles. ‘Those who are<br />
attracted by the title might be the very persons<br />
who do not desire a book of that kind ; while<br />
others who want just such a book as that described<br />
by the sub-title are unable to find it. It may be<br />
that most authors would prefer to seil their<br />
books to disappointed, perhaps enraged, pur-<br />
chasers, rather than fail to sell at all. But it must<br />
often be the case that the book would scll better<br />
if the title left no room for doubt as to the con-<br />
tents. If some are caught, others are repelled by<br />
the vague and mysterious.<br />
<br />
In some instances the title is so misleading that<br />
one wonders whether the law would not come to<br />
the rescue of a deluded purchaser. I had sent to<br />
me the other day three large volumes purporting<br />
to be a “History,” which were something quite<br />
different, not answering to the title in the smallest<br />
degree. Surely I ought to be compensated for the<br />
loss I have sustained, and the responsible person<br />
punished for the deceit practised upon me. How-<br />
ever that may be, and apart from the morality of<br />
the thing, it is worth remembering that a character<br />
for honesty may be of value to authors as much as<br />
to any other traders. Authors can assist the dis-<br />
tributors in establishing good relations with the<br />
<br />
<br />
108<br />
<br />
Misleading titles, whether accidental or<br />
intentional, work in the opposite direction. They<br />
put books into the wrong hands, and thus tend to<br />
keep away the best clients. They are a misfortune<br />
for all concerned, for authors as well as distributors<br />
<br />
and readers.<br />
<br />
public.<br />
<br />
Norwoop YOuNG.<br />
<br />
—_———_+—>_+—___<br />
<br />
RE GRANT RICHARDS’ ESTATE.<br />
<br />
oe<br />
<br />
E F. T. GRANT RICHARDS, of 2, Park<br />
Crescent, Portland Place, carrying on busi-<br />
ness at 48, Leicester Square, and 8, Smart’s<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Buildings, Drury Lane, all in the County of London,<br />
Publisher. Under Receiving Order dated the<br />
Dr.<br />
Estimated<br />
to produce per p,<br />
Debtors RECEIPTS.<br />
Statement.<br />
To Total Receipts from Date £3. di. £ sd,<br />
of Receiving Order, viz. : :<br />
Stock-in-Trade ... we 18711 20.0<br />
Copyrights and Publish-<br />
ing Rights ... ... 12,514 4 6<br />
4,991 16<br />
Lease of No. 8, Smart’s<br />
Buildings 700 0 O ae<br />
Office Furniture... oe 150 0 0 42 5 6<br />
“World of Billiards”<br />
Shares ... Se ae 200 0 0 ---<br />
Surplus from Securities<br />
in the hands of Credi-<br />
tors fully secured 8,920 10 8 342 0 1<br />
Receipts ver ‘Trading Q :<br />
Account is Ae 4,513 6 9<br />
Other Receipts ... > =<br />
Total... ... £41,195 15 2 9,889 9 0<br />
Less—<br />
Deposit returned to<br />
Petitioner... AG ---<br />
Payments to redee<br />
Securities... : 454 6 6<br />
Costs of execution ... —<br />
Payments per Trad-<br />
ing Account .» 2,448 16 0<br />
2,898 2 6<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Net Realisations £6,991 6 6<br />
<br />
eee<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
| By Board of Trade and Court Fees (including<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
17th day of January, 1905. Statement showing<br />
position of Estate at date of declaring a First<br />
Dividend is printed below.<br />
<br />
The assets not yet realised are estimated to pro-<br />
duce £4,000. Creditors can obtain any further<br />
information by inquiry at the office of the Trustee,<br />
<br />
Dated this 6th day of December, 1905.<br />
H. A. MONCRIEFF,<br />
Trustee,<br />
<br />
It. will afford a subject of serious consideration<br />
to the creditors to note the difference between the<br />
debtor’s estimate and the net realisations ; but it<br />
is an unfortunate fact that no property depreciates<br />
more quickly than literary property if the flow of<br />
the circulation of a book is suddenly stopped.<br />
<br />
G. H<br />
<br />
Cr.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
PAYMENTS,<br />
<br />
£ 82<br />
<br />
Stamp of £5 on Petition) ao a 78 6 2<br />
<br />
Bard:<br />
<br />
Law Costs of Petition under<br />
taxation, estimated<br />
<br />
Law Costs ... bee hee<br />
<br />
Other Law Costs,some under<br />
taxation, estimated<br />
<br />
60 0 0<br />
216.04<br />
800 0 0<br />
<br />
1,075<br />
Trustee’s remuneration, as<br />
fixed by the Committee<br />
of Inspection, viz.: 5 per<br />
cent. on £6,991 6s. 6d.<br />
assets realized : ie<br />
<br />
5 per cent. on £4,280 2s. 6d.<br />
<br />
assets distributed in divi-<br />
dend<br />
<br />
349 11 4<br />
<br />
214 0 1<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Special Manager’s charges ee ene<br />
Person appointed to assist Debtor under<br />
s. 70 of Bankruptcy Act, 1883 ...<br />
Auctioneers’ charges as taxed<br />
Other taxed costs<br />
Costs of possession ... : os ees<br />
Cost of Notices in “Gazette” and local<br />
papers... os s : oes<br />
Incidental outlay<br />
<br />
Total cost of realization<br />
Allowance to Debtor<br />
<br />
Creditors, Viz. — S$ a.<br />
6 Preferential 341 11 6<br />
812 Unsecured. First<br />
<br />
Dividend now declared<br />
of 2s. in the £ on<br />
£42,802 lbs. 8d. 4,280 2 6<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The Debtor's estimate of amount expected to<br />
rank for dividend was £44,551 0s. 8d.<br />
Balance ... o i<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
£6,991 6 6<br />
<br />
<br />
f<br />
i<br />
=<br />
i<br />
<br />
MACMILLAN v. DENT.<br />
<br />
——-——<br />
<br />
(Reprinted with the kind permission of the Editor from<br />
the Law Journal, December 9th, 1905).<br />
<br />
HIS was a witness action to determine the<br />
<br />
" right of publication of sixteen letters written<br />
<br />
between 1798 and 1840 by Charles Lamb,<br />
<br />
the famous essayist, to his friend Robert Lloyd,<br />
<br />
which had been found in an old box in the posses-<br />
<br />
sion of Mr. and Mrs. Steeds, descendants of the<br />
Lloyd family.<br />
<br />
On May 5th, 1895, the plaintiffs Smith, Elder<br />
& Co., publishers, bought from the Steeds for<br />
£250 all copyright which they possessed and the<br />
exclusive right of publishing the letters, the<br />
originals of which were returned to the Steeds<br />
after making copies, which were subsequently used<br />
in a book entitled “Lamb and the Lloyds,”<br />
published in 1898.<br />
<br />
In 1899 the plaintiffs Smith, Elder & Co. granted<br />
a licence to the plaintiffs Macmillan (Lim.) to use<br />
the letters for another edition of Lamb’s letters.<br />
<br />
In 1902 the defendants, J. M. Dent & Co., also<br />
publishers, being aware of the previous transac-<br />
tion, bought for £250 from the Steeds, the original<br />
autograph letters with other literary papers, and<br />
also “ any right which they might still have in the<br />
letters.”<br />
<br />
In 1903 the defendants published the letters in<br />
an edition of Lamb’s letters, and the plaintiffs in<br />
April, 1904, commenced this action for infringe-<br />
ment of their registered copyright.<br />
<br />
In January, 1905, administration de bonis non<br />
to Charles Lamb’s estate was granted to one Moxon,<br />
the only son of the residuary legatee under Charles<br />
Lamb’s will, who subsequently assigned all his<br />
rights, if any, to the defendants.<br />
<br />
T. B. Scrutton, K.C., and R. A. Wright, for the<br />
plaintiffs, contended that the plaintiffs had ‘ the<br />
property of the proprietor of the author’s manu-<br />
script” at the time of the publication by them and<br />
were therefore entitled to sue for infringement.<br />
<br />
W. O. Danckwerts, K.C., and L. B. Sebastian,<br />
for the defendants, argued that the defendants,<br />
having the original letters and the rights of<br />
Charles Lamb’s representatives, had such an<br />
interest in the private letters as to disentitle the<br />
plaintiffs to obtain any registered copyright or<br />
even to publish them—Pope v. Curl (1741), 2<br />
Atk. 342 ; Gee v. Pritchard (1818), 2 Swanst. 402 ;<br />
Thompson v. Stanhope (1774), Amb. 737 5 Queens-<br />
berry (Duke of) v. Shebbeare (1758), 2 Eden, 329 ;<br />
Oliver v. Oliver (1861), 31 Law J. Rep. Chane. 4 ;<br />
11 C. B. (ws.) 139; Lytton (Harl of) v. Deevey<br />
(1884), 54 Law J. Rep. Chance. 293 ; Labouchere<br />
v. Hess (1898), 77 L. T. 559 ; and Caird v. Sime<br />
<br />
1887), 57 Law J Rep. P.C. 2; L. R. 12 App.<br />
<br />
as. 326,<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
109<br />
<br />
Kekewich, J., said it was an extremely difficult<br />
question, but he thought that the defendants’ title<br />
through the Steeds was obviously defective, as the<br />
Steeds had assigned to the plaintiffs ; while it was<br />
difficult to see how, at such a distance of time, the<br />
administrator of Charles Lamb could have any<br />
right in them at the date of his death. The com-<br />
mon law was perfectly clear up to a certain point<br />
that the writer of letters has a right to prevent<br />
their publication, but on the true construction of<br />
sect. 3 of the Copyright Act, 1842, he thought<br />
that the plaintiffs were entitled to succeed. He<br />
accordingly declared that the right of publishing<br />
these particular letters vested in the plaintiffs<br />
Smith, Elder & Co., and ordered the defendants to<br />
render an account of profits and to pay the costs.<br />
<br />
—_____e—o—_+—____.<br />
<br />
SERIAL RIGHTS.<br />
<br />
—+—+—<br />
<br />
IR,—The following experience, through which<br />
I have just passed, may afford a useful<br />
warning to my fellow-writers.<br />
<br />
I offered the serial rights of astory [ was writing<br />
to an important provincial firm, who, when I had<br />
sent them the first half to read, replied that the<br />
story had already been offered to them by my<br />
agent.<br />
<br />
As the story was in the hands of no agent, I<br />
knew that the serial rights in question could have<br />
been offered by no one but a well-known publisher,<br />
who had asked me for a novel, and to whom T had<br />
in reply offered the volume rights of this same<br />
story.<br />
<br />
Inquiry proved that this publisher, whose name<br />
I will give to any writer who would like to know<br />
it, had been offering the serial rights of my novel,<br />
although he possessed no rights whatever in the<br />
story, and although the serial rights were not on<br />
offer to him.<br />
<br />
I also discovered that the provincial firm I have<br />
mentioned had been going from publisher to pub-<br />
lisher on the look-out for a strong serial story,<br />
surely a backstairs method of obtaining what they<br />
wanted, and little more to their credit than the<br />
action of the publisher himself was to his.<br />
<br />
Yours faithfully,<br />
FLORENCE WARDEN.<br />
<br />
The letter which is printed above has been<br />
received at the society’s office.<br />
<br />
The subject is one which concerns all those<br />
members who are engaged in writing fiction, Serial<br />
rights, if properly managed, can be a source of very<br />
considerable income to members of the society,<br />
and in placing serial rights, the agent is perhaps<br />
of more use than in the disposal of any other kind<br />
<br />
<br />
110<br />
<br />
of literary property. To place these rights in<br />
both Great Britain and the United States effec-<br />
tually and simultaneously is a matter very often of<br />
considerable difficulty even for a writer whose<br />
name is well-known. It is needless to repeat that<br />
the agent’s charge for placing these rights is, as a<br />
general rule, 10 per cent. for England and some-<br />
times 15 per cent. for the United States. Such<br />
remuneration, in the case of some authors, brings<br />
in a large return to the agent, and in these<br />
instances no doubt it would be as well to make a<br />
special contract with the agent on the matter, but<br />
though the agent charges 10 per cent., the pub-<br />
lisher charges from 25 to 50 per cent. on the nett<br />
returns if these rights are left to his disposition,<br />
and out of the hundreds of agreements that have<br />
come before the secretary he has never seen a lower<br />
charge in a publisher’s agreement for the placing<br />
of serial rights than 20 per cent. This is not the<br />
only difficulty that may arise by the author leaving<br />
these rights in the publisher’s hands. First, the<br />
author, in carelessly settling an agreement, often<br />
passes over this clause thinking it is merely formal,<br />
and that he is dealing with the publisher merely<br />
for the book publication. He finds the publication<br />
<br />
of his book delayed for twelve months and more<br />
owing to the publisher’s endeavour to obtain his<br />
50 per cent. of the profits of the serialisation, and<br />
<br />
he thereby loses a valuable market. It may be of<br />
great importance that his book should appear at a<br />
fixed time. Secondly, publishers have not the<br />
facilities for placing serial rights that an agent has.<br />
If he is a good publisher, his time is too much<br />
taken up with his own business to attend to the<br />
sale of serial work, and vice versd if he is attending<br />
to the sale of serial work he is not attending to his<br />
proper business. Thirdly, it not infrequently<br />
happens that the author obtains an offer for the<br />
serial rights himself, and in these circumstances it<br />
is a great trial to be bound to pay the publisher<br />
50 per cent. for doing nothing; but when the<br />
publisher acts as his own “ drummer ”—if we may<br />
use an expression borrowed from the United States<br />
—he is playing the game very low. This special<br />
feature, although it has been a cause of complaint<br />
against the agent, has never, hitherto, been a cause<br />
of complaint against the publisher. Agents not<br />
infrequently go round to publishers and editors and<br />
endeavour to obtain offers for authors who may, or<br />
may not, be their clients, and, if successful, place<br />
the offer before the author. This method of doing<br />
business may be of great advantage for authors who<br />
are their clients, but for authors who are not<br />
their clients it is very often a source of difficulty<br />
and danger. It is not necessary again to point<br />
out the disadvantage of dealing with agents in<br />
these circumstances. We desire to confine our-<br />
selves to publishers as agents, and to repeat that<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
authors cannot be too strongly advised not to<br />
leave the placing of their minor rights, 7.¢., serial<br />
rights, translation, and Continental rights, in the<br />
hands of the publisher.<br />
<br />
ee<br />
<br />
REGARDING SIMILAR NAMES.<br />
<br />
+<br />
<br />
I HAVE read with very great interest the paper<br />
<br />
“Property in-a Mom de Plume,” and am<br />
<br />
wishful to venture upon a suggestion or<br />
two, if you can but spare me a little space.<br />
<br />
It seems to me, that whether “Rita” (Mrs.<br />
Humphreys) will be able to make good her claim<br />
to the exclusive use of her nom de plume or not,<br />
there is still something that must prove very un-<br />
satisfactory to the author in the present method of<br />
identifying himself with his books, merely by<br />
attaching thereto his name.<br />
<br />
I believe I am right in assuming that, should<br />
the writer of the “children’s pages” in some un-<br />
known publication prove that her surname is<br />
“ Rita,” no power could prevent her, should she<br />
so choose, from attaching that name to any work<br />
from her pen; and, even though she should be<br />
forced to prefix it by her initials, there would<br />
be always a large number of readers who would<br />
think merely that “ Rita” had taken to using the<br />
first letters of her christian names, so as to have<br />
her name distinguishable from the “ other” Rita.<br />
Then would rise among the members of the public<br />
another form of confusion. The question would<br />
be asked: “ Which is che ‘Rita’?” And some<br />
would answer: “The one without any initials.”<br />
But others, again, would reply, ‘“ ‘lhe one with the<br />
initials.” And the deuce himself would be<br />
bothered in the end to say which was which. Of<br />
course, I am aware that it is ridiculously im-<br />
probable that the new ‘ Rita” should prove to<br />
have made use of her own name, and I have but<br />
pre-supposed this to make clear my point.<br />
<br />
Leaving now the case of Mrs. Humphreys, all<br />
readers will be able to call to mind the confusion<br />
ot identity ensuing upon two writers, possessing<br />
the same name, making their appearance. ‘True,<br />
their initials may be different ; but to discriminate<br />
by means of initials is a work requiring some<br />
effort of memory, more than it is wise for an<br />
author to expect from the “big” public. Re-<br />
calling a few instances of authors possessing names<br />
alike, we have books from the pens of J. L. Allen<br />
—G. Allen; A. Barr—R. Barr; E. Castle—G.<br />
Castle; R. N. Carey—W. Carey; F. J. Fraser—<br />
Mrs. Fraser; A. K. Green—J. R. Green; J.<br />
Hocking—S. Hocking; A. Hope—G. Hope; F.<br />
Norris—W. E. Norris; ©. Russell—W. Russell—<br />
G. H. Russell ; H. G. Wells, and another Wells.<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
I might go on and fill a page, but these are suffi-<br />
cient to show how confusing to the “big” public<br />
must be such similarity in names. Therefore, it<br />
seems to me that now, whilst this case of Mrs.<br />
Humphreys is before the Society, it might be a<br />
sensible thing to consider seriously some means<br />
that shall secure to authors a certainty of no one<br />
coming into the field in future and selling “ stuff”<br />
under, and often to the detriment of, some more<br />
renowned name.<br />
<br />
The expedient I have to suggest may seem some-<br />
what primitive, and some will cry out against the<br />
odour of trade which, at first, it will appear to<br />
carry; but, at least, let me put forth my idea.<br />
It is that each author, in addition to his name,<br />
have some distinguishing totem or mark, Thus,<br />
Kipling might print his name always with, say,<br />
a “camuel” or an elephant’s head alongside of it ;<br />
this last, indeed, being practically what Messrs.<br />
Macmillan are doing at the present time on the<br />
covers of his books. Bullen might distinguish<br />
himself—as he has done already in type—by means<br />
of a whale ; Mason by four feathers; H. G. Wells<br />
by means of a star; Cutcliffe Hyne by means of a<br />
kettle; and so forth. I imagine that each of<br />
these designs could be registered in the same<br />
way as a trade mark, and, therefore, confer upon<br />
<br />
their owners the right to take proceedings against<br />
<br />
any who should copy them. I would suggest that<br />
such totem or signation be printed not only on the<br />
covers of books, and at the heads of magazine<br />
stories and articles, but also at the heading of<br />
every chapter throughout a book, and in such<br />
wise the reader would become familiar with it,<br />
and associate it always with the author whom it<br />
identified. Further, that in all advertisements of<br />
a book or literary work, the totem be in evidence<br />
beside the author’s name.<br />
<br />
One thought more : editors of magazines might<br />
object to the trouble of preparing special blocks<br />
of the author’s totem—especially in the case of<br />
anunknown man. To obviate this, the author could<br />
have one or two made—they would cost very little<br />
—and send one to the editor of any periodical ac-<br />
cepting any of his stuff: of course, asking for its<br />
return.<br />
<br />
Such an expedient as I have suggested should<br />
prevent confusion, though a thousand Smiths,<br />
Browns, and Robinsons chose each of them to<br />
court immortality by that most fallible of methods<br />
—a book: One could go to the bookstall :<br />
<br />
“J want Smith’s latest book, please. Er—I’m<br />
afraid I’ve forgotten the title.”<br />
<br />
“Yes, sir—certainly. Perhaps you can re-<br />
member which Smith it is, sir?”<br />
<br />
““Q yes; the Smith who always has a pair of<br />
tongs printed on the covers of his book.”<br />
<br />
“Very good, sir.”<br />
<br />
111<br />
<br />
Then to small boy :<br />
<br />
“Tom, fetch down the last thing<br />
Smith’s.”<br />
<br />
And there you are.<br />
<br />
WinuraAm Hopr Hopason.<br />
<br />
of Tongs<br />
<br />
Nn aE EERIE<br />
<br />
MAGAZINE CONTENTS.<br />
<br />
+<br />
<br />
BOOKMAN.<br />
<br />
Antonio in “The Merchant of Venice ”<br />
<br />
A Character Study. By Jane T. Stoddart.<br />
<br />
Classics of the Nursery: or the Development of Books<br />
for Boys and Girls. By Thomas Seccombe.<br />
<br />
Book MONTHLY.<br />
<br />
Ghosts of Yesterday, and Why They Are No More in<br />
<br />
Current English Fiction. By Hubert Bland.<br />
CHAMBERS’ JOURNAT..<br />
Rejected by the Publishers.<br />
<br />
CORNHILL.<br />
An Examination in English Literature.<br />
Canon Beeching.<br />
The Christmas Book.<br />
<br />
By the Rev.<br />
By Joseph Shaylor,<br />
<br />
CONTEMPORARY REVIEW.<br />
<br />
By G. G. Coulton.<br />
By Emma Marie<br />
<br />
Catholic Truth and Historical Truth.<br />
The Relation of ‘Theology to Religion.<br />
Caillard.<br />
<br />
FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW.<br />
<br />
René Bazin. By André Turquet.<br />
<br />
Jos¢—Maria de Heredia. By Thomas Seccombe and<br />
L. M. Brandin.<br />
<br />
Mr. Mallock on Knowledge and Belief.<br />
Lodge, LL.D.<br />
<br />
Three Scandinavian Schools of Composers.<br />
Keeton.<br />
<br />
By Sir Oliver<br />
By A. E.<br />
<br />
MACMILLAN’S MAGAZINE.<br />
<br />
The Catalogues of the Library of the British Museum.<br />
By Rudolf de Cordova.<br />
MONTH.<br />
By J.H Pallen.<br />
By the<br />
<br />
Edmund Campion’s History of Ireland.<br />
The Great Antiphons: Heralds of Christmas.<br />
Rey. Herbert Thurston.<br />
<br />
MONTHLY REVIEW.<br />
<br />
Public School Education. By A. C. Benson.<br />
Italian Painting in the Prado Gallery.<br />
Hutton.<br />
<br />
By Edward<br />
<br />
NATIONAL REVIEW.<br />
Modern Biblical Criticism and the Pulpit.<br />
Rey. R. J. Campbell.<br />
NINETEENTH CENTURY.<br />
<br />
Some Aspects of the Stage. By Adolphus Vane Tempest.<br />
The Deans and the Athanasian Creed. By the Rey. W.<br />
Crouch.<br />
<br />
By the<br />
<br />
PALL MALL MAGAZINE.<br />
<br />
British Musical Progress. By Frederick Norman.<br />
Modern Ceramic Art.<br />
<br />
(There are no articles dealing with Literary, Dramatic,<br />
or Musical Subjects in Blackwood’s Magazine or Temple<br />
Bar.)<br />
<br />
<br />
112<br />
<br />
WARNINGS TO THE PRODUCERS<br />
OF BOOKS.<br />
<br />
eo<br />
<br />
ERE are a few standing rules to be observed in an<br />
<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 />
duction 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 is now<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 />
IY. 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 />
Allother 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 />
to the 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 />
—_+——_e__——__<br />
<br />
WARNINGS TO DRAMATIC AUTHORS.<br />
<br />
—— oe —<br />
<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 />
<br />
2. It is well to be extremely careful in negotiating for<br />
the production of a play with anyone except an established<br />
manager.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THR AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
8. 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 gross receipts<br />
in preference to the American system. Should<br />
obtain a sum inadvance of percentages. A fixed<br />
date on or before which the play should be<br />
performed.<br />
<br />
(c.) Sale of performing right or of a licence to<br />
perform on the basis of royalties (‘.c., fixed<br />
nightly fees). This 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. The 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 />
—__————_e—>—_e__—_<br />
<br />
WARNINGS TO MUSICAL COMPOSERS.<br />
<br />
——<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 />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<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 />
<br />
<br />
+-—<—__+—___—__<br />
<br />
HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY.<br />
<br />
—_1—~<>—+ —<br />
<br />
ve VERY member has a right toask for and to receive<br />
<br />
advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub-<br />
<br />
lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his<br />
business or the administration of his property. The<br />
Secretary of the Society is a solicitor, but if there is any<br />
special reason the Secretary will refer the case to the<br />
Solicitors of the Society. Further, the Committee, if they<br />
deem it desirable, will obtain counsel's opinion. All this<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) To 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. This<br />
must be done within fourteen days of first execution. The<br />
Secretary will undertake it on behalf of members.<br />
<br />
9. Some agents endeayour 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 />
THE AUTHOR. 113<br />
<br />
TO MUSICAL COMPOSERS.<br />
<br />
—_-———_<br />
<br />
HE Society undertakes to stamp copies of music on<br />
behalf of 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 />
ee<br />
<br />
THE READING BRANCH.<br />
<br />
—-+>+<br />
<br />
MEMBERS will greatly assist the Society in this<br />
M branch of its work by informing young writers<br />
of its existence. ‘Their MSS. can be read and<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 />
special arrangement, technical and scientific works. The<br />
Readers are writers of competence and experience. The<br />
fee is one guinea.<br />
—___—_-—_@—+_____-<br />
<br />
NOTICES.<br />
<br />
—_+—+—_<br />
<br />
YT | Editor of Zhe Author begs to remind members of<br />
<br />
<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 />
very heavy charge on the resources of the Society if a great<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 Offices of the Society, 39, Old Queen Street, Storey’s<br />
Gate, §.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. Every effort will be made to<br />
return articles which cannot be accepted.<br />
<br />
soe<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 />
—_——_____—_>_o—___—_<br />
<br />
LEGAL AND GENERAL LIFE ASSURANCE<br />
SOCIETY.<br />
<br />
—1—~—+—<br />
<br />
ENSIONS to commence at any selected age,<br />
either with or without Life Assurance, can<br />
be obtained from this society.<br />
<br />
Full particulars can be obtained from the City<br />
Branch Manager, Legal and General Life Assurance<br />
Society, 158, Leadenhall Street, London, E.C.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
114 THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
AUTHORITIES.<br />
<br />
oe<br />
<br />
E regret to hear that Mr. George Meredith,<br />
the President of the Society, was unable<br />
to attend the King’s Investiture at Buck-<br />
<br />
ingham Palace, owing to the fact that he had not<br />
sufficiently recovered from the accident which<br />
occurred to him some little time ago. It is with<br />
much pleasure, however, that we see the Order of<br />
Merit, with the insignia and the warrant, was, by<br />
the command of his Majesty, officially conveyed to<br />
Mr. Meredith at Box Hill, Dorking.<br />
<br />
We see that Mr. E. Marston has been writing<br />
to the Times concerning the book trade in the<br />
Australian market. ‘<br />
<br />
It is common property that the Australians have<br />
drafted, and are pushing forward, a Copyright<br />
Bill; but it would not only be inexpedient, but<br />
impossible, to discuss it at the present time. The<br />
question Mr. Marston raises, however, is really one<br />
of contract between the American and Australian<br />
booksellers. It would be quite possible for an<br />
American publisher to publish simultaneously in<br />
America and Australia, thus securing the British<br />
copyright, and then sell a licence to publish for<br />
the Australian colonies, and retain a further licence<br />
for England, Canada, and other portions of the<br />
world should he think fit. Mr. Marston says:<br />
“ According to the present law there is absolutely<br />
nothing to prevent an American publisher or<br />
author selling his copyright to an Australian<br />
publisher in Sydney, and, by publishing there<br />
first, secure for himself copyright throughout the<br />
British dominions ; but then, of course, he cannot<br />
sell to an English publisher as well—that would<br />
be selling his copyright twice over.”<br />
<br />
Mr. Marston seems to have forgotten the fact<br />
that once the American publisher or author has<br />
secured the copyright, it is not essential that he<br />
should sell his whole copyright to the Australian<br />
publisher, but, as we have suggested, he may<br />
merely sell a limited licence to publish. In the<br />
same way, it is not an uncommon thing for an<br />
English author, when he has once secured his<br />
copyright, to make separate contracts for Canada,<br />
for the United States, and sometimes, even, for<br />
Australia and India.<br />
<br />
It is possible that the whole copyright question<br />
may be before the public at no distant date, when<br />
Mr. Marston will have ample opportunity of dis-<br />
cussing the points to which he refers.<br />
<br />
For many years past we have had our eye on<br />
the third section of the Copyright Act of 1842,<br />
<br />
which, referring to works published after the death<br />
of their author, runs as follows :—<br />
<br />
‘And the copyright of every book which shall be pub-<br />
lished after the death of its author shall endure for the term<br />
of forty-two years from the publication thereof, and shall<br />
be the property of the proprietor of the author’s manuscript<br />
from which such book shall be first published, and his<br />
assigns.”<br />
<br />
Often has it been the custom for the personal<br />
representatives, trusting to the common law right<br />
of an author, and therefore, after his decease of<br />
his personal representatives, to control the right<br />
to publish unpublished work, to insist upon<br />
the right of sanctioning, or withholding their<br />
sanction, from the publication of letters. It was<br />
not long ago that a case came before the secretary<br />
of the society in which one of its members held<br />
the MS. of a deceased author, and his right to<br />
publish the same was disputed, on the ground<br />
that the right of publication was vested in the<br />
personal representatives. This case referred to a<br />
completed MS., and not to letters. The secretary<br />
of the society, advised that the right of publication<br />
rested with the member under section 3, the<br />
statutory right overruling the common law right.<br />
But as no judgment existed on the point, it was<br />
decided to take counsel’s opinion, and counsel’s<br />
opinion supported the view of the secretary. This<br />
interpretation of the Act has now been confirmed.<br />
Mr. Justice Kekewich appears by his decision to<br />
hold that section 3 embraces not only MSS., but<br />
also letters.<br />
<br />
It would be satisfactory, however, if the matter<br />
were carried to a higher court, as there is no<br />
doubt that the decision will upset the view of the<br />
law which many have adopted.<br />
<br />
We see that the Daily Mail for December 7th<br />
states : “‘ Mr. Macgillivray lays it down, copyright<br />
is personal property, and descends on the death of<br />
the owner to his personal representatives. That<br />
view had been generally held and acted upon.”<br />
<br />
The writer in the Datiy Mail has mistaken the<br />
position. The decision given in Mr. Justice<br />
Kekewich’s court does not alter Mr. Macgillivray’s<br />
statement in the least. The question is, whether<br />
the right to sanction the publication of MSS.<br />
unpublished at the author’s death lies with the<br />
personal representatives or with the owner of the<br />
MSS. This is not copyright—copyright being<br />
entirely a creature of statute. It has now been<br />
decided that the common law right which was<br />
supposed to exist in the personal representatives,<br />
enabling them to sanction or to withhold their<br />
sanction for publication, is overriden in the par-<br />
ticular case, Macmillan v. Dent, by section 8 of the<br />
statute of 1842, quoted above. Mr. Macgillivray’s<br />
statement still holds good, for since the property<br />
becomes copyright under the statute by the<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
publication of the letters or MS. in the possession of<br />
a person after the decease of the author, the property<br />
will descend to his personal representatives as<br />
personal property. By the kindness of the Editor<br />
of the Law Journal we are printing a report of the<br />
case ; but we hope to print in a later issue the full<br />
judgment, of which we have been unable to obtain<br />
a copy for this issue.<br />
<br />
We thought that the half-profit agreement had<br />
died a natural death many years ago, but, like the<br />
hardy annual, it seems to come up again and<br />
again.<br />
<br />
One publishing house in particular, by no means<br />
the least of the publishing houses of England in<br />
its own and the public’s reputation, is continually<br />
putting forward this method of publication, and<br />
from the number of half-profit agreements that<br />
have come recently before the secretary, seems<br />
to publish an increasing number of books on<br />
this basis. The publishers state that they<br />
advise this form of agreement, and that it is a<br />
satisfactory form for the author. The usual<br />
consequence follows : the result is unsatisfactory<br />
to the author. It cannot be repeated too often<br />
that the difference in the profits of an author<br />
publishing under the half-profit agreement, and<br />
those of an author publishing under the royalty<br />
agreement, is extraordinary, though both forms of<br />
agreement seem to pay the publisher equally well.<br />
In addition the accounts are complicated and<br />
difficult to understand, and cannot fail to give rise<br />
to an uneasy feeling in the author’s mind. For<br />
the author is absolutely ignorant of the cost of<br />
production and methods of advertisement, and<br />
those items which should be settled to the minutest<br />
detail before the contract is signed, in order to<br />
assist the author in calculating his possible returns,<br />
are generally left in the hands of the publisher,<br />
and come as ashock to the author’s system only<br />
when the first accounts are rendered. We regret<br />
having to publish this warning against the half-<br />
profit agreement once more, as we had hoped that<br />
publishers anxious for their own reputation, and<br />
the Publishers’ Association, would have finally<br />
discarded it.<br />
<br />
—_ +4 —<br />
<br />
THE PENSION FUND COMMITTEE.<br />
<br />
1<br />
<br />
i order to give members of the society, should<br />
they desire to appoint a fresh member to the<br />
Pension Fund Committee, full time to act,<br />
<br />
it has been thought advisable to place in The Author<br />
<br />
a complete statement of the method of election<br />
<br />
under the scheme for administration of the Pension<br />
<br />
Fund. Under that scheme the committee is com-<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 115<br />
<br />
posed of three members elected by the committee<br />
of the society, three members elected by the society<br />
at the general meeting, and the chairman of the<br />
society for the time being, ez-officio. The three<br />
members elected at the general meeting when the<br />
fund was started were Mr. Morley Roberts, Mr.<br />
M. H. Spielmann, and Mrs. Alec Tweedie. These<br />
have in turn during the past three years resigned,<br />
and, submitting their names for re-election, have<br />
been unanimously re-elected. This year Mr.<br />
Morley Roberts again, under the rules of the<br />
scheme, tenders his resignation and submits his<br />
name for re-election. The members have power to<br />
put forward other names under clause 9, which<br />
runs as follows :—<br />
<br />
Any candidate for election to the Pension Fund Com-<br />
mittee by the members of the society (not being a retiring<br />
member of such committee) shall be nominated in writing<br />
to the secretary at least three weeks prior to the general<br />
meeting at which such candidate is to be proposed, and the<br />
nomination of each such candidate shall be subscribed by<br />
at least three members of the society. A list of the names<br />
of the candidates so nominated shall be sent to the members<br />
of the society, with the annual report of the Managing<br />
Committee, and those candidates obtaining the most votes<br />
at the general meeting shall be elected to serve on the<br />
Pension Fund Committee.<br />
<br />
In case any member should desire to refer to the<br />
list of members, a copy, with the exception of<br />
those members referred to in the note at the<br />
beginning, can be obtained at the society’s office.<br />
This list, dated 1902, owing to the small demand,<br />
has not been re-edited, and is, therefore, not<br />
absolutely accurate. A further list of the elections<br />
for 1903 was published in separate form, and all<br />
further elections have been duly notified in 7he<br />
Author. They can easily be referred to, as all<br />
members receive a copy every month.<br />
<br />
Tt would be as well, therefore, should any of the<br />
members desire to put forward a candidate, to take<br />
the matter within their immediate consideration.<br />
The general meeting of the society has usually<br />
been held towards the end of February or the<br />
beginning of March. It is essential that all nomi-<br />
nations should be in the hands of the secretary<br />
before the 31st of January, 1906.<br />
<br />
—+—~<+ —<br />
<br />
SIR RICHARD JEBB.<br />
<br />
———~<br />
<br />
IR RICHARD JEBB was not, I am told, a<br />
member of our Society; but our Society,<br />
none the less, owes, and will pay, its tribute<br />
<br />
to the memory of an author who was, unquestion-<br />
ably, the greatest classical scholar of his generation,<br />
not in England only, but in the world.<br />
<br />
The justest appreciation of Jebb’s work will<br />
116<br />
<br />
perhaps be to say that it combined what are gener-<br />
ally considered the distinctive merits of Cambridge<br />
and Oxford scholarship. We look, as a rule, to<br />
Cambridge for technical perfection in the craft of<br />
scholarship ;_ to Oxford for its use in fruitful<br />
association with polite learning of other kinds.<br />
In “ pure ” scholarship of the Cambridge sort Jebb<br />
had no equal. He particularly excelled in those<br />
ingenious exercises in composition which are the<br />
supreme test of scholarship—those “tours de<br />
force” in which so many Cambridge scholars have<br />
found their favourite recreation. Benjamin Hall<br />
Kennedy’srendering into Latinelegiacs of a circular<br />
calling a meeting of a Sanitary Board is perhaps<br />
the best known production of the kind. Jebb’s<br />
reproduction of “ Abt Vogler.” as a Pindaric Ode<br />
ranks, not with it, but above it. Mastery of the<br />
Greek language could go no further. The feat<br />
astonished Jebb’s contemporaries ; it would doubt-<br />
less have astonished Pindar. As an example of<br />
his skill in composition of a more conventional<br />
order, one is tempted to quote his version of,<br />
“ Home they brought her warrior dead” :—<br />
<br />
Mortuus a bello sua fertur in atria miles ;<br />
Nec fluit ad terram sponsa, nec ore gemit.<br />
Aspiciunt, unfque canunt hee voce puelle :<br />
“A! fleat, est lacrimis, ne moriatur, opus.”<br />
Inde viri repetunt, submisso murmure, laudes :<br />
“ Dignus erat,” narrant, “quem sequeretur amor ;<br />
Fidus amicitiis, ipsos generosus is hostes.”<br />
Illa tamen nullos dat stupefacta sonos.<br />
Labitur e mediis nota statione puellis<br />
Et leviter gradiens nympha cadaver adit. ><br />
Demovet a rigido feralem sindona vultu ;<br />
Tia tamen siccis torpet, ut ante, genis.<br />
Surgit ibi ter sex lustris jam consita nutrix,<br />
In gremium pignus dat puerile viri.<br />
Imber ut aestivus, rupit pia lacrima fontes——<br />
“Tu, puer, in vita cur morer,” inquit, “ eris.”<br />
<br />
Scholars of Jebb’s high mark are generally<br />
scholars and nothing more. Jebb was a man of<br />
letters also. Even when he merely edited<br />
“Sophocles” for schools, the man of letters stood<br />
revealed. Many of us can date our delight in the<br />
literature of Greece from the moment when his<br />
“ Ajax” was first put into our hands. Afterwards, as<br />
all the world knows, he edited ‘‘Sophocles” for<br />
scholars, and, at a stroke, superseded all the earlier<br />
editions. His translations were as eloquent as<br />
Jowett’s, while they were also distinguished by an<br />
accuracy to which Jowett did not pretend—or, at<br />
all events, did not attain. His volume on Bentley<br />
in the “English Men of Letters Series” showed<br />
humour and humanity as well as erudition. No<br />
man could have represented Cambridge more<br />
fittingly, whether in the Commons’ House of Parlia-<br />
ment or in the select ranks of the recently<br />
constituted Order of Merit.<br />
<br />
FRANCIS GRIBBLE.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
UNITED STATES NOTES.<br />
<br />
—+—— + —<br />
<br />
HOUGH we have not as yet before us definite<br />
data as to the complete year, it may be<br />
asserted without hesitation that the output<br />
<br />
of books during 1905 has been one of the largest on<br />
record. ‘There is an increase of a third over last<br />
year’s aggregate of full publications ; and the list is<br />
the largest of any recent year since 1901. Some of<br />
these books, such as Mrs. Pennell’s Life of Charles<br />
Godfrey Leland, will, no doubt, overflow into next<br />
year ; but, with all such deductions, the sum total<br />
is almost unprecedented.<br />
<br />
Mr. Henry James and Mrs. Craigie have<br />
renewed their acquaintance with America; and<br />
we have also had visits from England, by Mrs.<br />
Humphry Ward and Mr. Jerome K. Jerome.<br />
Mrs. Ward has not as yet, so far as we can<br />
remember, portrayed an American, so that one<br />
awaits results with some degree of curiosity.<br />
<br />
An interesting subject for comparison is Mr.<br />
James’s “English Hours,” and Mr. W. D. Howell’s<br />
“London Films,” though the former is not new.<br />
Both will be appreciated by some who do not<br />
invariably relish the fictional methods of these<br />
distinguished writers. Mr. James has also pub-<br />
lished his lectures upon Balzac and his Bryn<br />
Mawr deliverance, “ The Question of Our Speech,”<br />
both of which contain some highly suggestive<br />
criticism.<br />
<br />
We are glad to fancy that we can discern some<br />
revival of the Essay, not only from the above<br />
instances, but in others, like Dr. Van Dyke's<br />
graceful “Essays in Application,” Prof. Trent’s<br />
“Greatness in Literature,” and the “ Shelburne<br />
<br />
Essays” of Paul Elmer-More, not to mention any:<br />
<br />
more. And in this connection we should like to<br />
testify our appreciation of an article written for the<br />
Dial by Mr. Charles Leonard Moore upon “Style<br />
in Literature.” Though he has some unkind<br />
remarks upon the English language, maintaining,<br />
in fact, that “the great mass of our words are low<br />
or indifferent,’ amends are made by the contention<br />
that words in themselves have very little to do<br />
with the evolution of style, in which English is<br />
pre-eminent. This last is the main thesis, and it<br />
is admirably sustained.<br />
<br />
The President has enriched the literature of<br />
sport by his “Outdoor Pastimes of an American<br />
Hunter,” thus adding another item to the long and<br />
varied catalogue of his literary achievements. Bear<br />
hunting in Colorado, wolf hunting in Oklahoma,<br />
hunting with cougar hounds, and the chase of the<br />
prong-buck, are amongst its most fascinating<br />
chapters.<br />
<br />
Mr. John Burroughs appeals to the nature lover<br />
rather than the sportsman in his “ Ways of Nature.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
(he<br />
<br />
ila<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
He does not believe in animal psychology, and<br />
advises writers to humanise their facts if they can,<br />
but to “leave the dog a dog and the straddle-bug<br />
a straddle-bug.” This is not exactly the method of<br />
Mr. Thompson Seton ; and had he followed it,<br />
what would have remained of Mr. Charles Roberts’s<br />
remarkable “ biography,” “Red Fox”?<br />
<br />
Ornithologists and others will be delighted with<br />
the sumptuous record which Mr. C. William Beebe<br />
has published of the quest of himself and his wife<br />
after birds in Mexico. ‘Iwo other notable out-<br />
door books of the season are William J. Long’s<br />
“Northern Trails,” and animal stories, called<br />
collectively ‘“‘The Race of the Swift,” by Edwin C.<br />
Litsey, which excel both in observation and<br />
descriptive power.<br />
<br />
The controversy about the commercialisation of<br />
Literature is still raging in various quarters. One<br />
hopes that some good may be the outcome, at least<br />
to the public. The contestants themselves blink<br />
certain facts : on the one side, that books are and<br />
must be bought and sold, if authors are to live, on<br />
the other, that good taste counts for something in<br />
the eyes of those who have even a modicum of<br />
culture, not to speak of intelligence.<br />
<br />
We note the first conviction under the new copy-<br />
right law, as having occurred in the United States<br />
District Court at Keokuk, Ia., on October 29th.<br />
James L. Glass was found guilty of producing a<br />
play on which a theatrical manager of Minneapolis<br />
held copyright.<br />
<br />
In its October number, the Bookman asserted<br />
that a certain popular motor-novel was “ frankly<br />
and flatly the advertisement of a make of auto-<br />
mobile, of an automobile tyre, and of a toilet soap,”<br />
and further, that a suit had been brought by a<br />
German firm of motor-manufacturers against the<br />
authors in connection with certain disparagements<br />
of their machine in the novel. We are happy to<br />
say that all these charges were unfounded ; and<br />
the periodical makes full amends this month for its<br />
unusual lapse. It is at present running “ A Motor<br />
Car Divorce” through its own pages as a serial ;<br />
so far there has been more of the motor than the<br />
divorce.<br />
<br />
America has had the distinction of introducing<br />
to the English-speaking world the author of<br />
“Peer Gynt” and “Brand” as a letter-writer.<br />
The late Dr. Albert Bielschowsky’s great life of<br />
Goethe has also been translated by an American,<br />
Dr. W. A. Cooper, the first section of whose work<br />
has appeared within the past month.<br />
<br />
Of international importance is also Captain<br />
Mahan’s last work on the War of 1812, also,<br />
perhaps, Poultney Bigelow’s “ The German<br />
Struggle for Liberty,” the issue of the fourth<br />
volume of which completes the work.<br />
<br />
Of scarcely less rank will be held Dr. John<br />
<br />
Ti%<br />
<br />
Basset Moore’s “ American Diplomacy, its Spirit<br />
and Achievements,” and Prof. Breasted’s “ History<br />
of Egypt”; whilst W. W. Rockhill’s ‘* China’s<br />
Intercourse with Corea,” and the ‘General<br />
Sociology,” issued by the Chicago Press for<br />
Prof. Albion W. Small, have far more than a<br />
national interest. From the same quarter comes<br />
Prof. Milyoukov’s timely “Lectures on Russian<br />
Civilisation.”<br />
<br />
A second volume of Prof. Dunning’s useful<br />
and well-written work on the “History of<br />
Political Theories” has appeared. It extends<br />
from Luther to Montesquieu, and includes sum-<br />
maries of the political doctrines of Bodin, Grotius,<br />
Hobbes, the Catholic Controversialists, the English<br />
Puritan Philosophers, and Locke.<br />
<br />
Mr. Geo. H. Warner’s study of the Semitic<br />
problem, “ The Jewish Spectre,” is an indictment<br />
of theocracy rather than an attack upon its votaries.<br />
It is full of varied information, and bristles with<br />
controversial matter, but does not advance the<br />
question far.<br />
<br />
Dr. Frank J. Goodnow’s “ Principles of<br />
the Administrative Law of the United States”<br />
is an important contribution to its subjects,<br />
designed not only for jurists and students of law,<br />
but also for those actually engaged in official work.<br />
<br />
Amongst biographical works of strong interest<br />
we would single out Mrs. Bayard Taylor's “On<br />
Two Continents,” and Thos. Wentworth Hig-<br />
ginson’s “ Parts of a Man’s Life.” The author<br />
of the former is the translater of “ Faust’s”<br />
second wife, née Marie Hansen. She gives us<br />
portraits of Thackeray, Horace Greeley, and<br />
George P. Putnam, amongst other celebrities, and<br />
relates anecdotes of Browning and Bret Harte.<br />
Col. Higginson’s medley of reminiscence and<br />
reflection will prove of interest to readers in two<br />
continents. The volume, which has a decidedly<br />
optimistic tone, contains interesting comparisons<br />
of Englishmen and Americans based on a wide<br />
personal knowledge of both, and some outspoken<br />
criticism of Herbert Spencer. Then there are<br />
volumes on Lowell and Blaine, by Ferris Greenslet<br />
and Edward Stanwood ; and the first complete life<br />
of Sidney Lanier, which comes from the pen of<br />
Edwin Mim. “The True Andrew Jackson,” by<br />
Cyrus Townsend Brady, is a careful study of<br />
another American worthy.<br />
<br />
A work of some authority upon an important<br />
subject, is Charles A. Conant’s “ Principles of<br />
Money and Banking.”<br />
<br />
Randell Parrish’s “Historic Illinois’ may be<br />
commended to students of American history,<br />
together with George Wharton James’s account of<br />
the Franciscan missions of California.<br />
<br />
Probably the most significant publications<br />
concerning art are 8. Isham’s “ History of<br />
118<br />
<br />
American Painting,” and Kenyon Cox’s “Old<br />
Masters and New.”<br />
<br />
Coming to fiction, we have had new works from<br />
Mrs. Wharton, Mrs. Atherton, M. E. Wilkins,<br />
and R. W. Chambers, besides Mark Twain’s<br />
“« Rditorial Wild Oats,” and the inevitable Marion<br />
Crawford novel.<br />
<br />
“The House of Mirth,” a relentless study of<br />
New York society, from the point of view of one<br />
of its victims, will, we think, fully maintain its<br />
author’s reputation ; whether the same can be said<br />
for “The Travelling Thirds” of Mrs. Atherton<br />
is more doubtful. Mrs. Wilkins Freeman, and that<br />
best of American romancers, Mr. Chambers, are as<br />
excellent as ever in their different ways.<br />
<br />
There is a new “ Uncle Remus” book for young<br />
and old ; and Kate Douglas Wiggin has renewed<br />
her hold upon her public with her charming “‘ Roge<br />
o’ the River.”<br />
<br />
Booth Tarkington has probably never done any-<br />
thing better than his ‘‘ Conquest of Canaan” ; and<br />
Emerson Hough’s “ Heart’s Desire,” is a capital<br />
western story with plenty of atmosphere.<br />
<br />
“The Edge of Circumstance,” by Edward Noble,<br />
is a strong sea story.<br />
<br />
There is originality in “The Ballingtons,” by<br />
Frances Squire, a new writer, if we mistake not.<br />
<br />
James Huneker’s short stories, labelled ‘ Vision-<br />
aries,” will be judged morbid by some readers and<br />
praised as uncommon by others ; they are, at any<br />
rate not to be set down as conventional.<br />
<br />
The author of “ The Plum Tree” has written a<br />
story of “high and frenzied finance” in his new<br />
work, “The New Deluge,” but has skilfully inter-<br />
woven it with love interest.<br />
<br />
We could enumerate many another novel,<br />
displaying unusual talent, but must conclude the<br />
catalogue with ‘‘ Shakespeare’s Sweetheart,” which<br />
purports to be Anne Hathaway’s love story, written<br />
by herself, deposited in the hands of Ben Jonson,<br />
and recently discovered among old archives !<br />
<br />
An English novel holds the highest place in the<br />
most recently compiled list of ‘ best-sellers,” Mr.<br />
McCutcheon’s newest story “Nedra” coming<br />
second, with Mrs. Wharton and Kate Douglas<br />
Wiggin taking the next two. places. We con-<br />
gratulate the author of “The House of Mirth”<br />
upon her popularity.<br />
<br />
America has had to mourn this year a heavy loss,<br />
both to her literature and her statesmanship, in the<br />
death of Mr. John Hay, upon whose achievements<br />
we need not dwell here. Mrs. Mary Mapes Dodge,<br />
who died in the succeeding month, was a lesser light<br />
in the firmament. But her Dutch story, “ Hans<br />
Brinker,” endeared her to more than one genera-<br />
tion of children, and her recently published<br />
“ Poems and Verses” had some success, whilst she<br />
did good service as editor of St. Nicholas.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
There have been no other recent losses of note ;<br />
but the year which has seen the death of “ Rip Van<br />
Winkle” and the author of the “Pike Country<br />
Ballads,” as well as Lafcadio Hearn and Laurence<br />
Hutton, has left sad gaps in American literature<br />
and art. Just before going to press we heard of<br />
the death of Henry Harland, one of the select<br />
band of what may be called Anglo-American<br />
authors. “The Cardinal’s Snuff-Box” alone would<br />
have assured him a niche in the temple of fame.<br />
<br />
—_+-~<— —_<br />
<br />
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT ON COPYRIGHT<br />
LEGISLATION.<br />
<br />
—— ><br />
<br />
(The following is quoted from the American Publishers’<br />
Weekly of December 9th, 1905.)<br />
<br />
RESIDENT ROOSEVELT in his annual<br />
message, transmitted to Congress on De-<br />
cember 5th, refers to the United States<br />
<br />
copyright laws as follows :<br />
<br />
“*QOur copyright laws urgently need revision.<br />
They are imperfect in definition, confused and<br />
inconsistent in expression ; they omit provision<br />
for many articles which, under modern reproduc-<br />
tive processes are entitled to protection; they<br />
impose hardships upon the copyright proprietor<br />
which are not essential to the fair protection of<br />
the public ; they are difficult for the courts to<br />
interpret and impossible for the Copyright Office<br />
to administer with satisfaction to the public.<br />
Attempts to improve them by amendment have<br />
been frequent, no less than twelve Acts for the<br />
purpose having been passed since the Revised<br />
Statutes. To perfect them by further amendment<br />
seems impracticable. A complete revision of them<br />
is essential. Such a revision, to meet modern<br />
conditions, has been found necessary in Germany,<br />
Austria, Sweden, and other foreign countries, and<br />
bills embodying it are pending in England and<br />
the Australian colonies. It has been urged here,<br />
and proposals for a commission to undertake it<br />
have, from time to time, been pressed upon the<br />
Congress. The inconveniences of the present con-<br />
ditions being so great, an attempt to frame appro-<br />
priate legislation has been made by the Copyright<br />
Office, which has called conferences of thé various<br />
interests especially and practically concerned with<br />
the operation of the copyright laws. It has secured<br />
from them suggestions as to the changes necessary :<br />
it has added from its own experience and investiga-<br />
tions, and it has drafted a bill which embodies<br />
such of these changes and additions as, after full<br />
discussion and expert criticism, appeared to be<br />
sound and safe. In form this bill would replace<br />
the existing insufficient and inconsistent laws by<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
one general copyright statute. It will be presented<br />
to the Congress at the coming session. It deserves<br />
prompt consideration.<br />
<br />
999<br />
<br />
1<br />
<br />
ANTHONY TROLLOPE.<br />
<br />
ane<br />
J. THe WaGce-EARNER.<br />
<br />
OME few years ago a well-known man of<br />
letters, writing of Victorian novelists, gave<br />
it as his opinion that among disappearing<br />
<br />
authors must be included Charles Reade, Charles<br />
Lever, and Anthony Trollope. This statement<br />
must not be allowed to pass unchallenged ; for<br />
Reade must surely endure, by virtue of the great<br />
historical romance, “The Cloister and the<br />
Hearth,” and the delightful, pathetic “¢ Christie<br />
Johnstone”; and it is inconceivable that the<br />
world will be content to let die the rollicking,<br />
madcap stories of “Harry Lorrequer.” These<br />
writers were fully appreciated during their lifetime<br />
—indeed, in the case of some of their books, they<br />
may have been over-praised—and the adverse criti-<br />
cism to which they have since been subjected may,<br />
perhaps, be attributed to the apparently inevitable<br />
reaction./ Every writer has his ups and downs in<br />
the estimation of the generations immediately<br />
succeeding his own; but of all the mighty none<br />
have fallen so low as Anthony Trollope. His has<br />
been the worst fate that can befall a writer; he<br />
has not been abused, he has been ignored. He is<br />
not disappearing : he has disappeared ; and reaction<br />
alone cannot satisfactorily account for the lowly<br />
position he occupies to-day, with few so poor as to<br />
do him reverence. Indeed, so entirely have his<br />
books gone out of fashion that, in this age of<br />
reprints, when an attempt is made to galvanise<br />
into life the works of Mrs. Aphra Behn and<br />
Mr. R. M. Bird, it is impossible to obtain a set of<br />
his best books. Trollope’s most ardent admirers<br />
would not ask, nor could they desire, a complete<br />
edition of his writings. His books of travel, ‘The<br />
West Indies,” “ North America,” “ Australia,” and<br />
“New Zealand,” and “South Africa,” may be<br />
allowed to sink into oblivion ; and with them may<br />
go the monograph on Cicero, and that work to which<br />
Dean Merivale referred as “your comic Ceasar.”<br />
It is as a novelist Trollope has come down to us,<br />
and it is as a novelist he will live for posterity. .~<br />
He wrote much, far too much ; and many, nay,<br />
the majority, of his stories may be put aside. His<br />
industry was prodigious, and in quantity he<br />
rivalled another author who to-day also does not<br />
receive his full share of praise—Bulwer Lytton.<br />
“ T feel confident,” Trollope said, speaking of the<br />
years 1859 to 1871, “that in amount no other writer<br />
<br />
119<br />
<br />
contributed so much during that time to English<br />
literature.” The truth of his remark cannot be<br />
gainsaid, and the output is the more remarkable<br />
in so much as during this period he was a busy<br />
Civil servant. The secret of his prolixity is that<br />
he never waited for the spirit to move him. The<br />
mere word “inspiration ” aroused his ire ; and for<br />
the men who thought they could work only when<br />
“inspired ” his contempt was boundless. “ ‘To me<br />
it would not be more absurd if the shoemaker were<br />
to wait for inspiration, or the tallow-chandler for<br />
the divine moment of melting,” he declared. “If<br />
the man whose business it is to write has eaten<br />
too many good things, or has drunk too much, or<br />
has smoked too many cigars—as men who write<br />
will sometimes do—then his condition may be<br />
unfavourable for work ; but so will be the condi-<br />
tion of a shoemaker who has been similarly<br />
imprudent. I have sometimes thought that the<br />
inspiration wanted has been the remedy which<br />
time will give to the evil results of such impru-<br />
dence: Mens sana in corpore sano. The author<br />
wants that, as does every workman—that and a<br />
habit of industry. I was once told that the surest<br />
aid to the writing of a book was a piece of<br />
cobbler’s wax on my chair. I certainly believe<br />
in the cobbler’s wax much more than in the<br />
inspiration.”<br />
<br />
Undoubtedly Trollope adhered to the cobbler’s<br />
wax theory all the days of his life. He found he<br />
could write as well when he was travelling as when<br />
seated at his desk—the proof of this is to be found<br />
in the merits of “ Barchester Towers,” written<br />
almost entirely in railway carriages. For many<br />
years, while in the postal service, he rose at half-<br />
past five and worked until half-past eight, writing<br />
two hundred and fifty words every quarter of an<br />
hour ; and he found the words came as regularly<br />
as his watch went. It is unlikely he would have<br />
done better work if he had not laboured so<br />
methodically, but it is probable he would not have<br />
turned out so many mediocre works.<br />
<br />
Perhaps the temporary eclipse of Trollope is<br />
largely due to his autobiography. “ I confess,” he<br />
said therein, in a characteristic passage, “ that my<br />
first object in taking to literature as a profession<br />
was that which is common to the barrister when<br />
he goes to the bar, and to the baker when he sets<br />
up his oven. I wished to make an income on<br />
which I and those belonging to me might live in<br />
comfort.” Nothing could be more laudable! He<br />
prided himself upon being a tradesman, ready and<br />
willing to work to order. Again and again he<br />
declared ostentatiously that he wrote only for<br />
money ; that he found his reward in the publishers’<br />
cheque, and that he attributed to the pecuniary<br />
result of his labours all the importance he felt them<br />
to have at the time. The autobiography bristles<br />
<br />
<br />
120<br />
<br />
with figures. He tells us that in 1847 he pub-<br />
lished his first book, ‘‘ The MacDermotts of Bally-<br />
jeloran,” on the half-profits system. ‘I can with<br />
| truth declare that I expected nothing,” he has<br />
| recorded, “and I got nothing.” In the following<br />
| year Colburn brought out “The Kellys and the<br />
O’Kellys.” The terms were the same, and so was<br />
the result. The former was still-born ; the latter<br />
sold to the extent of 140 of the 375 copies printed.<br />
These stories of Irish life failing to attract, in 1850<br />
he published an historical romance, “ lia Vendée,”<br />
for which, on delivery of the manuscript, he received<br />
£20 on account of future profits. It was not until five<br />
years later that “The Warden” appeared. For this<br />
he received £20 3s. 9d. But “The Warden,” though<br />
its pecuniary success was infinitesimal, attracted<br />
attention in the Press, and the author began to be<br />
regarded as one with whom it might be necessary<br />
to reckon. Even the publishers were impressed,<br />
and Longmans offered to print the next novel and<br />
to pay in advance £100. This was “ Barchester<br />
Towers.” During twenty years these two books,<br />
the first of the Barset series, brought the author<br />
£727 lls. 3d. “The Three Clerks” followed,<br />
Bentley buying the copyright for £250.<br />
Thus encouraged, Trollope demanded £400 for<br />
“ Doctor Thorne.” Bentley would not give more<br />
than £300, so the author, who was leaving ye<br />
“T sai<br />
<br />
the next day, went to Chapman & Hall.<br />
what I had to say to Mr. Edward Chapman in a<br />
<br />
quick torrent of words. Looking at me as he<br />
might have done at a highway robber who had<br />
stopped him on Hounslow Heath, he said he sup-<br />
posed he might do as I desired. I considered this<br />
| to be asale, and it was a sale. I remember that<br />
| he held the poker in his hand all the time I was<br />
with him ; but, in truth, even if he had declined<br />
to buy the book, there would have been no danger.”<br />
“The Bertrams”’ went to the same firm for the<br />
game sum ; and, in the meantime, his first book of<br />
travels having proved a success, he demanded<br />
£600 for an Irish novel as yet unwritten, “ Castle<br />
Richmond.” ‘“Framley Parsonage” was com-<br />
missioned for Zhe Cornhill Magazine for £1,000 ;<br />
and after this he received £600 for a one-volume<br />
novel, or £8,000 for a story running to twenty<br />
parts. Sometimes he received more—once, at least,<br />
he was given £3,525 : for many years he contrived<br />
to keep up his price, and, though in later days<br />
he was compelled to accept considerably less, it<br />
is wonderful, remembering his enormous output,<br />
he should have been able to sustain it so long.<br />
Including £7,000 made by journalism—political,<br />
critical, and sporting articles—he earned £70,000,<br />
which result he looked upon as “ comfortable, but<br />
not splendid.” Considering his popularity, it was<br />
certainly not magnificent. Literature was then<br />
the worst paid profession. Think what a doctor<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
or a barrister of similar eminence would have<br />
made! ‘To-day, thanks partly to the American<br />
copyright law, a popular writer may amass a<br />
modest competence with one book.<br />
<br />
Now, all authors write for money. But if they<br />
are worth their salt, they take pleasure in their<br />
work. Despite the unfortunate autobiography, it<br />
is probable Trollope did not differ greatly from his<br />
fellow-workers. Certainly his desire for money<br />
never induced him deliberately to lower the standard<br />
of his work ; and, thongh he may not have realised<br />
it, he loved the pen, for surely no one, not urged<br />
by want of pence, could otherwise have worked so<br />
hard as he. He was proud of his books, and<br />
believed that some at least might live; while his<br />
affection for his characters was profound. The<br />
public naturally has not gone below the surface,<br />
and it has accepted Trollope’s statements without<br />
reservation. It will not willingly think, however,<br />
of the man of letters as a tradesman, turning out<br />
his wares with one eye on his paper and the other<br />
on his banking account. It likes to think of him<br />
as imbued with romance: it will not place the<br />
writing of books on the same plane as the making |<br />
of buttons or the baking of bricks ; and it is dis-<br />
gusted to learn that one of its favourites always<br />
wrote so many words in so many minutes. It dis-<br />
tinguishes, as Trollope would not, between the<br />
work of the brain and the work of the hand, It<br />
has already been said that the first book in which<br />
Trollope did himself justice was “The Warden.”<br />
Within the next few years he issued “ Barchester<br />
Towers,” ‘‘ Dr. Thorne,” “ Framley Parsonage,”<br />
and ‘‘ The Last Chronicles of Barset.” These are<br />
the Barset series of novels, and, undoubtedly, they<br />
contain his best work. During this period appeared<br />
also “ The Small House at Allington,” “ The Three<br />
<br />
Clerks,” and “ Orley Farm” ; and later, ‘Can You<br />
<br />
Forgive Her ?” “Phineas Finn,” “ Phineas Redux,”<br />
and “The Prime Minister,” in all of which is a<br />
semi-political atmosphere. The student of English<br />
literature may be content with these, though<br />
perhaps “The Eustace Diamonds” might repay<br />
perusal. These are the books upon which Trollope’s<br />
fame depends, and a very sound basis it is upon<br />
which to rest a reputation.<br />
<br />
Trollope’s most enduring title to rank with the<br />
greater novelists is as the chronicler of Barsetshire.<br />
The new shire he added to the English counties<br />
was very real to him, and he had it all in his mind<br />
—its roads and railroads, its towns and parishes,<br />
its members of parliament, its different hunts, its<br />
great lords and their castles, its squires and their<br />
parks, its rectors and their churches. Alone of<br />
the working population he had nothing to say ; not<br />
of the village shopkeepers, nor, though he insisted<br />
on the fact that Barsetshire was entirely agricul-<br />
tural, of the farmer and his labourers. On the<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
one side he saw Gatherum Castle, where lived the<br />
Duke of Omnium in almost feudal state, and the<br />
great county families ; on the other, the professional<br />
nen, the doctors, clergymen and attorneys.<br />
<br />
When he invented Barsetshire he limited his<br />
outlook to the cathedral city ; and in his famous<br />
trilogy, he confined himself mainly to the exposi-<br />
tion of the humours of clerical life, and to the<br />
introduction of ecclesiastical dignitaries. He wrote<br />
of their respectable, humdrum lives ; of their little<br />
squabbles, their ambitions, hopes and disappoint-<br />
ments, failures and successes ; and if at times he<br />
was severe, at least he was always fair, and he<br />
presented no theatrical figures of ranting parsons<br />
and red-nosed, over-fed rectors. Satire he some-<br />
times allowed himself, but caricature never ; and<br />
if Precentor Harding was the best, the hishop’s<br />
chaplain, Slope, was the worst.<br />
<br />
He was agreeably surprised to find he could<br />
write so well about clergymen. He has related<br />
proudly how he was often asked in what period of<br />
his early life he had lived so long in a cathedral<br />
city as to have become intimate with the ways ofa<br />
close. Asa matter of fact he had never resided<br />
for any length of time in any cathedral city, except<br />
the metropolis, and he was not closely acquainted<br />
with any clergyman. “ My archdeacon (Grantly),<br />
who has been said to be life-like, was the result<br />
simply of an effort of my moral consciousness. It<br />
was such as that, in my opinion, that an arch-<br />
deacon should be, or, at any rate, would be with<br />
such advantages as an archdeacon might have<br />
been ; and lo! an archdeacon was produced, who<br />
has been declared by competent authorities to be<br />
an archdeacon to the very ground.” ‘The accuracy<br />
of Trollope’s ecclesiastical figures has never been<br />
called into question, and, indeed, he wrote of them<br />
as easily, and with an instinct as true, as young<br />
Benjamin Disraeli wrote of dukes.<br />
<br />
Lewis MELVILLE.<br />
<br />
—+-—>—9 —<br />
<br />
THE LITERARY YEAR BOOK.*<br />
<br />
aes<br />
1.<br />
Law AND LETTERS.<br />
<br />
E have received the tenth annual edition of<br />
the “ Literary Year Book,” but as it came<br />
to hand just as Zhe Author was going to<br />
<br />
press for January, it has been impossible to review<br />
the legal portion exhaustively. Forina book which<br />
is supposed to be issued for the benefit of authors,<br />
the matter that comes under the heading Law and<br />
Letters should meet with the most exact scrutiny.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
* «he Literary Year Book,’ 1906. George Routledge<br />
<br />
& Sons. 5s, net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
121<br />
<br />
We have taken a cursory glance at this portion<br />
of the book, but regret to notice that it has not<br />
been altered in any way, as far as we can see, since<br />
last year. At any rate, the mistakes pointed<br />
out in Zhe Author have not been corrected. It<br />
may have been too late to add the important<br />
case which has just been tried in the Courts.<br />
Smith, Elder and Macmillan & Co. vy. J. M. Dent<br />
& Co. This may justify its omission, but the case<br />
is one of such importance that some subsidiary<br />
note ought, if possible, to have been inserted.<br />
<br />
The paragraph dealing with section 18 of the<br />
Copyright Act still retains the false statement that<br />
“the contract between the contributing author and<br />
the publisher or proprietor of the periodical work<br />
need not be in writing, nor is an express agreement<br />
that the copyright shall belong to the latter neces-<br />
sary ; and thus in ordinary cases the agreement<br />
that the copyright shall belong to the publisher or<br />
proprietor may be inferred from the mere employ-<br />
ment and payment of the author.” In support of<br />
this statement the editor refers to the case of<br />
Aflalo v. Lawrence and Bullen. That case dealt<br />
merely with encyclopedias, and the point has<br />
never been settled with reference to periodicals.<br />
It is quite possible that a judgment of this kind,<br />
which applied to encyclopedias, might not apply<br />
to periodicals, as an encyclopedia is looked upon<br />
as having a permanent and lasting position which<br />
the contents of periodicals, when published in<br />
periodical form, have not. Again, at the com-<br />
mencement of the same paragraph, the writer<br />
states : “ As regards literary work contributed to<br />
encyclopedias or for periodical or serial publica-<br />
tion on the terms that the copyright shall belong<br />
to the publisher or proprietor, the copyright in all<br />
such work becomes the property of the publisher<br />
or proprietor,” &c., &c. He does not mention the<br />
most important point, that such work must be paid<br />
forthe mere agreement that the copyright shall<br />
belong to the publisher or proprietor is not<br />
<br />
sufficient.<br />
<br />
Again, referring to colonial copyright, he has<br />
made no mention of the Act passed through the<br />
Canadian House on July Ist, 1900. As this Act<br />
is one of some importance, it should not have been<br />
omitted.<br />
<br />
The writer maintains the same views as ex-<br />
pressed in former years on authors, publishers, and<br />
agents, and again omits all mention of the Authors”<br />
Society in his statement, ‘“ Who will protect the:<br />
author against the rapacity of the agent.” It would<br />
have been fair, in view of the position the Society<br />
holds, to have mentioned its name when raising<br />
questions of this kind, for as the Society is in no<br />
way connected with the financial success of the<br />
production of books, it can take an absolutely<br />
impartial view, and can and does act as effectually<br />
<br />
<br />
122<br />
<br />
against agents as against publishers. His view of<br />
agents is, on the whole, in accord with that which<br />
has been expressed from time to time in The Author.<br />
<br />
Lastly, the criticism of agreements lacks many<br />
important points for the protection of both<br />
author and publisher, and cannot be considered<br />
at all exhaustive, and the propositions put for-<br />
ward are in many ways unsatisfactory from the<br />
author’s standpoint. The writer inveighs bitterly<br />
against the advance on royalties, and states: “In<br />
all business transactions the last person to whom<br />
one would go with a request for ready money is<br />
the person who has already staked his capital in a<br />
speculation suggested by the borrower.” He does<br />
not for a moment seem to consider the author’s<br />
capital as represented by his MS., which may, in<br />
some cases, be the work of years ; but, surely, quite<br />
apart from this point, if a publisher, who is a man<br />
of business, considers it worth his while to advance<br />
money on royalties, it is absurd to characterise<br />
such an arrangement as unreasonable. Business<br />
men do not readily enter into unbusinesslike agree-<br />
ments, or else they cannot be looked upon as fit<br />
persons to act as publishers. The forms of agree-<br />
ment which the writer has chosen to criticise are<br />
certainly not the best forms of agreement that<br />
come on the market, and if this work is to be<br />
of the value to authors that it ought to be, the<br />
writer must keep their point of view more promi-<br />
nently before him. He may take it for granted<br />
that a business man like the publisher will not buy<br />
the ‘‘Literary Year Book” in order to obtain<br />
advice on agreements, but to the author such a<br />
work should be of the greatest assistance; but if<br />
an author were to act on the advice at present given,<br />
he might find himself—unless he were a member of<br />
the Society of Authors—in considerable difficulties.<br />
<br />
G. H. T.<br />
Il.<br />
GENERAL REVIEW.<br />
<br />
WessteR deems that ‘“ Precision in the use of<br />
words is of prime excellence.” Especially should<br />
this be the case in the compilation of what is<br />
called a bookman’s directory. To substantiate<br />
convincingly the desirability of stricter atten-<br />
tion to detail, we pointed out, in six columns of<br />
The Author last year, many unfortunate slips.<br />
The object was to get them rectified in a future<br />
edition. This would have pleased us more than<br />
the grateful acknowledgment in this year’s preface,<br />
that “ Special thanks are due to The Author for its<br />
full and suggestive reviews of the last volume of<br />
the annual. The reviewer was, if anything, a<br />
trifle too precise about details, such as the inclusion<br />
of Shenstone’s birthday in our calendar ; but in this<br />
particular, and in other respects, a genuine attempt<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
has been made to carry out his wishes, directed ag<br />
they are to the same object as our own—the pro-<br />
vision of a serviceable annual for the use of<br />
members of all branches of the literary world.”<br />
<br />
Now, this is very pretty. Relying on such<br />
blandishments one feels that at last a Literary<br />
Year Book, worthy of the land of Shakespeare,<br />
after twelve months’ careful and accurate collation<br />
of material, has been evolved to do honour to the<br />
profession of letters in general, and the firm of<br />
Messrs. Routledge in particular. But it is the<br />
duty of a reviewer not to be biased by prefatory<br />
compliment, no matter how elegantly it is worded.<br />
We repeat that our remarks last year were not due<br />
tocaprice. It is pleasant to knowthat they have been<br />
received in the spirit in which they were written.<br />
Yet we fail to perceive how it is possible, in a book<br />
of reference, to be “ too precise about detail.”<br />
<br />
The editor expresses a hope that credit will be<br />
given for his endeavours and indulgence for his<br />
mistakes. We are ready to give full measure of<br />
‘credit ” where it may be due, although the pub-<br />
lishers may not supply the Year Book on the same<br />
terms. Before bestowing the laurel wreath, how-<br />
ever, it is necessary to examine the volume as far<br />
as space permits, in order to ascertain and estimate<br />
what exertions have heen made by way of in:prov-<br />
ing on the issue of 1905. It was a saying of Sir<br />
Joshua Reynolds that “ Excellence is never granted<br />
to man but as a reward of labour.” It is not our<br />
intention to undervalue the care which the com-<br />
pilers may have taken in the production of this<br />
Year Book ; but it is the duty of the troublesome<br />
reviewer, who holds a brief for the purchaser<br />
rather than the publisher, to discover whether<br />
pains have been taken to make the book really<br />
serviceable, or if the necessary work has been<br />
delayed unduly and the publisher has relied on<br />
hoodwinking the critic by reshuffling various<br />
sections and singing to him, in an imploring tone<br />
of voice, “Please go gently,” & la “Spring<br />
Chicken.”<br />
<br />
OBITUARY.<br />
<br />
This year the Obituary List, instead of occupy-<br />
ing five pages, has been reduced to a paragraph,<br />
the omissions including the death, as far back as<br />
last April, of the well-known war-correspondent,<br />
Henry Pearse; in July of Captain Montagu<br />
Burrows, Chichele Professor of Modern History at<br />
Oxford ; and in September of Walter Macfarren,<br />
who, for half a century, was reviewer to the<br />
Queen, and whose ‘“ Memories,” published before<br />
his death, are not mentioned in the biographical<br />
section. If abstracts from the daily papers were<br />
taken systematically day by day during the year,<br />
the record of departed writers would be complete<br />
and more reliable for future reference.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
aS<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
Tue INDEX.<br />
<br />
We are pleased to note that the contents list has<br />
been rearranged alphabetically. Yet it is not so<br />
good a key to unlock the contents of the book as it<br />
might be made. For example, if one wishes to<br />
refer to the titles of works classified under the<br />
headings of theology, art, or fiction, considering<br />
that these three sections occupy forty-four pages,<br />
it seems strange that they should not be separated<br />
in the Index from the general heading “‘ Catalogue<br />
Raisonné.” Moreover, what is the meaning of<br />
“Fayourite Books of 1906,” paged in the Index<br />
exliv. 2? There is no such section on that page.<br />
Why cannot there be, as is customary in Whitaker<br />
and most books required for rapid reference, first,<br />
a contents table showing the general arrangement of<br />
material, and, secondly, a general Index of a com-<br />
prehensive character, so as to enable the inquirer to<br />
take in the component parts of the volume at a<br />
glance? But here the indexing is muddled. First<br />
we have, on page 11, an Index which is neither a<br />
contents table nor an index, and on page 321 we have<br />
a table of the contents of Part II., and, two pages<br />
further on, a statement of the contents of the legal<br />
section, although these lists are not notified in the<br />
Contents-Index at the beginning of the book. If<br />
the various sections were arranged alphabetically,<br />
the inquirer-within might be_ helped, instead of<br />
being confused by “ Libraries” coming after<br />
“Societies,” “Booksellers” after “ Law and<br />
Letters,’ and so forth.<br />
<br />
AUTHORS.<br />
<br />
Last year, in looking through this list, we<br />
marked privately in our copy the inclusion of the<br />
name of Sir Frederic Bateman, whose death had<br />
been announced in the papers months before.<br />
Turning to the letter “ B” this year, we find that<br />
the honoured name of that long-since departed<br />
physician is still classed amongst living writers.<br />
After this, the introductory assurance of the care<br />
which has been taken regarding the list of authors<br />
loses weight. We have ticked the name of another<br />
dead literary lion in order to see whether, twelve<br />
months hence, the Year Book will still proclaim<br />
that he has been resurrected. Although, in the<br />
majority of cases, if an author fails to make the<br />
return requested, it may be safe to reinsert the<br />
entry regarding him, an exception should be made<br />
and particular care taken concerning all writers<br />
over seventy years of age.<br />
<br />
CATALOGUE RAISONNE.<br />
<br />
Turning to the Classified Catalogue—we beg<br />
pardon, ‘‘ Catalogue Raisonné ”—it is gratifying to<br />
note that, according to the sub-title of this section,<br />
it is confined to “Twentieth Century Literature.”<br />
<br />
123<br />
<br />
That, we take it, implies that books published<br />
before the year 1900 are excluded. Nevertheless,<br />
on the first page of this list of titles, which the<br />
preface tells us has been drawn up with “ consider-<br />
able pains,” we note “ Art in Provincial France,”<br />
published in 1838, three books dated in the<br />
"seventies, and as many in the ’eighties—showing<br />
that the sub-title isa misnomer. This Catalogue<br />
Raisonné occupies no fewer than 143 pages in the<br />
book. As these are indicated by Roman numerals,<br />
the inference is, that, while the bulk of the sheets<br />
have been printed in advance, and go to press<br />
shortly after December 1 (see note on p. 33), this<br />
section has been kept back and inserted at the last<br />
moment, so as to be quite up-to-date. Why, there-<br />
fore, should there be so many omissions? At the<br />
risk of being again called ‘a trifle too precise,”<br />
we give a few of the exclusions. Our list could<br />
be considerably extended did space in these columns<br />
<br />
permit.<br />
<br />
Under the heading of Art, ANTIQUITIES, and<br />
following books are con-<br />
spicuous by their absence —<br />
<br />
ARCHITECTURE,<br />
<br />
the<br />
<br />
Furniture of Windsor G. F. Laking. Bradbury and<br />
Castle. Agnew.<br />
Great Zambabwe. R. N. Hall. Methuen.<br />
<br />
Lace Book.<br />
<br />
Singing of the Future.<br />
<br />
Hudson Moore.<br />
<br />
Chapman and<br />
Hall.<br />
<br />
Ffrangcon Davies. Lane.<br />
<br />
Under BroGrapuy there is no mention of —<br />
<br />
Brahms, 2 vols. Florence May. Arnold.<br />
<br />
Bygone Years. Leveson-Gower. Murray.<br />
<br />
Bygones Worth Re- G.J.Holyoake. Unwin.<br />
membering, 2 vols.<br />
<br />
Froude. Herbert Paul. Pitman.<br />
<br />
Mary Queen of Scots, Henderson. Hutchinson.<br />
2 vols.<br />
<br />
Mirabeau and the Warwick. Lippincott.<br />
<br />
French Revolution.<br />
William Pitt, 3 vols.<br />
<br />
Von Reville.<br />
<br />
Cotta’sche Buch-<br />
<br />
handlung.<br />
Queen Henrietta Taylor. Hutchinson.<br />
Maria, 2 vols.<br />
Wemyss Reid. Stuart Reid. Cassell.<br />
Scarlatti. Dent. Arnold,<br />
Taine, vol. 3. “ Historian.” Hachette.<br />
<br />
Under Ficrron, many books which have met<br />
with more than usually favourable comments in the<br />
Press have been overlooked. Amongst these we<br />
<br />
note —<br />
<br />
Ayesha. Haggard. Ward Locke.<br />
<br />
Barbara Rebell. Mrs. Belloc- Heinemann.<br />
Lowndes.<br />
<br />
Heritage of the Free. Edna Lyall. Hodder and<br />
<br />
Stoughton.<br />
<br />
Irrational Knot. Bernard Shaw. Constable.<br />
<br />
The Lake. George Moore. Heinemann,<br />
<br />
Lohengrin. Bernard Capes. Dean.<br />
<br />
Saints in Society. Mrs. Baillie- Unwin.<br />
Saunders.<br />
124<br />
<br />
Mrs. Baillie-Saunders’ name is also omitted from<br />
the list of authors, although she was much adver-<br />
tised as the winner of a £100 prize in the autumn<br />
publications, before the Year Book went to press.<br />
<br />
We fail to find under the ambiguous heading of<br />
GENERAL LirerRATURE the following books, which<br />
might well have been included —<br />
<br />
The Awakening of OkakuraKakuzo, Murray.<br />
Japan.<br />
<br />
Jiu-Jitsu.<br />
<br />
Secret of the Totem.<br />
<br />
On Ten Plays of Shake-<br />
speare.<br />
<br />
Captain Skinner.<br />
Andrew Lang.<br />
Stopford Brooke.<br />
<br />
Gay and Bird.<br />
Longmans.<br />
Constable.<br />
<br />
Under Porrry there is no mention of —<br />
<br />
History of Ottoman Gibb.<br />
Poetry, Vol. 4.<br />
<br />
Luzac.<br />
<br />
Under THEOLOGY we do not see<br />
<br />
Williams and<br />
Norgate.<br />
Chapman and<br />
<br />
Hall.<br />
<br />
Evolution of Religion. Farnell.<br />
g<br />
<br />
Reconstruction of Be- Malloch.<br />
lief.<br />
<br />
Under TraveL and Topograpuy the following<br />
are left out —<br />
<br />
Gabriel<br />
taux.<br />
Cox.<br />
Macdonald.<br />
Alfred Stead.<br />
Barclay.<br />
Hollis.<br />
<br />
Contemporary France, Hano- Constable.<br />
vol. 2.<br />
<br />
Forests of England.<br />
<br />
In Search of Eldorado.<br />
<br />
Great Japan.<br />
<br />
Land of the Horn.<br />
<br />
The Masai.<br />
<br />
Methuen.<br />
<br />
Unwin.<br />
<br />
Lane.<br />
<br />
Unwin,<br />
<br />
Clarendon<br />
Press.<br />
<br />
Baron Constable.<br />
atsu.<br />
<br />
Cooper.<br />
<br />
Sir H. Maxwell.<br />
<br />
Captain Scott.<br />
<br />
The Risen Sun. Suyen-<br />
<br />
Story of York.<br />
<br />
Story of the Tweed.<br />
<br />
Voyage of the Dis-<br />
covery, 2 vols.<br />
<br />
Stock.<br />
Nisbet.<br />
Smith, Elder.<br />
<br />
The 12 blank pages which should have been<br />
indexed cxlix. for “ Favourite Books of 1906,”<br />
however, furnish space for noting the many excel-<br />
lent volumes omitted. ‘Future recensions,” we<br />
are assured in the preface, “will be fuller and<br />
more accurate.” Let us hope that this excellent<br />
intention will not furnish a supplementary paving-<br />
stone to a place never mentioned in polite society.<br />
Nevertheless, if the resolution is carried out, we<br />
venture to recommend that the bulk of the volume<br />
should not be increased unnecessarily, but that<br />
all titles of books prior to 1901—or five years<br />
preceding date of issue—be eliminated.<br />
<br />
REVIEWS.<br />
<br />
Only two books helpful to the literary worker<br />
are here given. Mention might at least have been<br />
made of that important publication “The Rhymer’s<br />
Lexicon,” by A. Loring, with an introduction by<br />
Prof. Saintsbury.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
PUBLISHERS.<br />
<br />
The list of publishers, we are informed, has been<br />
thoroughly revised at first hand, and the informa-<br />
tion is based on replies received to circulars. This,<br />
of course, is: as it should be; but, after the pre-<br />
fatory statement that a ‘genuine’ attempt has<br />
been made to correct the omissions of last year, so<br />
as to make the book serviceable for the use of<br />
members of “all branches of the literary world,”<br />
it comes as a shock to find that the section devoted<br />
to ‘Foreign Publishers” has not been altered in<br />
any way. Surely this is a “just requirement” on<br />
the part of authors living abroad. There was<br />
ample time to do what was needed in twelve<br />
months, and to remove from the Year Book the<br />
reproach that not a single firm in Geneva or Neuf-<br />
chatel is mentioned, and that the publishing houses<br />
of Rome are overlooked.<br />
<br />
PERIODICALS.<br />
<br />
Checking the list of “ Periodical Publications ”<br />
with the flagrant omissions and mistakes pointed<br />
out last year, we find that this section is much<br />
improved. We tender our most cordial felicita-<br />
tions. Another year approximate payments per<br />
thousand words, by editors of those periodicals<br />
who welcome outside contributions, might be<br />
more generally indicated. A minority of promi-<br />
nent writers may command their own prices. What<br />
the majority of contributors, especially those living<br />
at a distance from Fleet Street, desire to know is<br />
the average rate of remuneration given.<br />
<br />
SOCIETIES.<br />
<br />
We are assured that the list of societies has<br />
been thoroughly revised. We feel thankful for this<br />
statement, until we read, on page 5384, that the<br />
“Sette of Odd Volumes” dines at Limmer’s Hotel<br />
on the fourth Tuesday in each month. Some two<br />
years ago the entire Press of the country was para-<br />
graphed with a veiled advertisement regarding the<br />
metamorphosis of thesporting hostelry into a piano<br />
shop. The “Odd Volumes,” when they dine<br />
together every fourth Tuesday, must feel excep-<br />
tionally odd, with pianos allaround them. Buttue<br />
question is, are such premises licensed for the<br />
purposes of dining ? Moreover, if this literary club<br />
which meets on Tuesdays at Limmer’s is included,<br />
why should the “Fraternity of the Whitefriars,”<br />
which foregathers on Friday evenings, at Ander-<br />
ton’s Hotel, be excluded ?<br />
<br />
LIBRARIES.<br />
<br />
So far as Great Britain is concerned, the freshly<br />
prepared library section is animprovement on last<br />
year. Again, we offer felicitations. But, owing<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
to letters received from correspondents residing<br />
abroad, we begged last year that interest and<br />
yalue might be added to this annual, by mention<br />
of certain renowned public libraries on the Con-<br />
tinent. We specified a number of omissions.<br />
Alas, the old and useless list has been again<br />
published without revision. Le.<br />
<br />
In conclusion, we hark back to the fascinating<br />
: preface. In this, the editor says, that © No<br />
a responsibility can be taken for unintentional errors<br />
q in this issue.” Zrgo, he takes responsibility for<br />
intentional errors, although we thought that an<br />
“error” was always an “ involuntary deviation ”<br />
from the path of rectitude, whereas a deliberate<br />
4 misstatement was—whisper it softly—an in-<br />
“@ gannation. If we have pointed out more short-<br />
of comings than virtues, we have done so regretfully<br />
and without prejudice. We are not uncharitable,<br />
and have no desire to detract from the unques-<br />
tioned value of the major part of the material. By<br />
those who live dependent on the pen, and have to<br />
find constantly fresh markets for their literary<br />
labours, there is much advantage to be derived<br />
from the 1906 Year Book. Seeing how numerous<br />
is this body of men and women writers, the issue<br />
even of an imperfect Literary Directory is a matter<br />
‘ of no small moment, and any effort made to supply<br />
the requirements of authors and journalists merits<br />
i wide support. It has not been our intention,<br />
therefore, to overlook the usefulness of much solid<br />
stuff by unduly magnifying the flaws we have come<br />
ws across. So far Messrs. Routledge have no rival in<br />
the field. That fact ought to encourage the Editor<br />
to improve, diligently, a property which should<br />
become very valuable alike to publishers and pur-<br />
chasers. Nothing but constant and precise atten-<br />
tion to detail, however, makes for perfection in a<br />
directory. Carelessness in such matters does more<br />
damage than want of knowledge.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
A. B.<br />
<br />
—-->+—_<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
LITERARY TREASURE TROYE.*<br />
<br />
_—<br />
<br />
4 / ELL printed, handsomely bound (although<br />
perhaps not quite so substantially as is<br />
advisable), and arranged—so far as their<br />
<br />
contents go—with taste and skill of the highest<br />
order, the four volumes containing this encyclopedic<br />
record of English literature of fifteen successive<br />
centuries reflect the greatest possible credit on<br />
both editors and publisher alike. The avowed<br />
design of those responsible for this catholic and<br />
discriminatingly sympathetic compilation has been<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
* “English Literature,” an illustrated record, in four<br />
volumes. By Richard Garnett, C.B., LL.D., and Edmund<br />
Gosse, M.A., LL.D. London: William Heinemann.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
125<br />
<br />
to produce a work which shall at once stimulate<br />
and gratify intelligent interest in English authors,<br />
from the first of their number who committed his<br />
thoughts to paper down to those of the end of the<br />
nineteenth century. Readers and writers are thus<br />
introduced to one another, and the latter can,<br />
through this medium, learn for themselves exactly<br />
what manner of men were and are those who have<br />
fired their enthusiasm on the printed page. They<br />
may find out here where and when those authors<br />
lived, what books they wrote, what measure of suc-<br />
cess they achieved, and how they appealed to their<br />
contemporaries. Further than this, the volumes<br />
are illustrated both by portraits and reproductions<br />
of documents, wherever necessary for the elucidation<br />
of any special point referred to in the text. In<br />
brief, the compilation forms a rapid, but careful,<br />
summary of the country’s literary history which,<br />
without professing to be exhaustive, nevertheless<br />
presents a wealth of easily assimilated information<br />
that has never yet been obtainable within a com-<br />
paratively restricted area. A fascinating record is<br />
the result, and one upon which the editors,<br />
Dr. Garnett and Mr. Edmund Gosse, cannot be<br />
too highly congratulated.<br />
<br />
Not the least attractive feature of this record is<br />
furnished by the inclusion therein of biographies<br />
of the authors referred to in the main critical<br />
narrative. These have been selected from among<br />
practically every writer whose work has had any<br />
real influence upon this country’s literature. Con-<br />
siderations of space have perhaps been responsible<br />
for a few omissions here and there, but they are<br />
certainly not important ones. In the first volume,<br />
which is prepared by Dr. Garnett, the period<br />
under examination ranges from the pre-Christian<br />
era down to that of the first Tudors, from the<br />
scarcely more than legendary Widsith (in all pro-<br />
bability, by the way, an assumed name—for the<br />
use of such a disguise is by no means a modern<br />
innovation) down to the George Cavendish, who<br />
wrote an excellent account of Cardinal Wolsey’s<br />
life. This is a stirring piece of writing and a<br />
vivid representation of its subject. A thoughtful<br />
essay on Chaucer, and an informative chapter on<br />
the history of the English Bible and the evolution<br />
of the religious drama are the notable features of<br />
this initial volume. The illustrations—many of<br />
them reproductions from rare MSS. in the British<br />
Museum—give an added interest and value to the<br />
accompanying letterpress.<br />
<br />
In the second volume, which covers but seventy<br />
years (whereas its predecessor gives the literary<br />
history of seven centuries) the period under<br />
examination commences with Henry VIII. and<br />
ends with Milton. ‘wo chapters are devoted to<br />
Shakespeare. ‘These, from the pen of Dr. Garnett,<br />
do not appear to say very much that has not been<br />
126<br />
<br />
said before, but they contain some interesting<br />
remarks on the vexed question of the chronology<br />
of the dramatist’s plays. Mr. Gosse follows with<br />
three chapters on the Jacobean authors in the<br />
fields of poetry, prose, and drama. The influence<br />
on Letters occasioned by the death of Elizabeth<br />
was a subtle one, but none the less a strongly<br />
marked one. It gave the death blow to the<br />
almost medizval sentiment which the Virgin<br />
Queen had so stoutly upheld throughout her long<br />
sway, thus delaying the renaissance for which the<br />
country was hungering. JamesJ. hankered him-<br />
self after literary fame with all the ardour of a<br />
“popular” novelist of the present day, and<br />
effusively welcomed everyone who could wield a<br />
pen. Judging from the specimens here given, some<br />
of his kingly lucubrations are amateurish in the<br />
extreme, despite his proud boast, in “ Invocations to<br />
thé Goddis,” ‘I lofty Virgil shall to life restore,”<br />
and similar comforting assurances scattered about<br />
in his other efforts. Yet it will ever be remembered<br />
that the issue of the Bible in its present form was<br />
due to his instrumentality. The concluding<br />
<br />
chapter of this section treats largely of the<br />
historians, such as Sir John Hayward (knighted<br />
for his researches in 1619), Sir Henry Spelman,<br />
and Richard Knolles (who won the admiration of<br />
<br />
so severe a critic as Dr. Johnson).<br />
<br />
The. third volume merits, perhaps, a special word<br />
of commendation on account of its illustrations.<br />
The choice of these could hardly have been<br />
improved upon, including as it does characteristic<br />
examples of the artistic genius of Rowlandson<br />
and Hogarth, together with portraits by Reynolds<br />
and Gainsborough of the literary giants of the<br />
period (from Milton to Johnson), and reproductions<br />
of the title-pages of famous first editions. What,<br />
for want of a better term, may be called the<br />
democratisation which the cause of authorship<br />
underwent in England during the fifth and sixth<br />
decades of the eighteenth century is remarked<br />
upon in illuminating fashion. With the death of<br />
Anne, and the consequent removal of the some-<br />
what debilitating influence she exercised upon<br />
literary growths, the love of reading spread rapidly<br />
among allclasses. Books and authorship generally<br />
were no longer the close preserve of the aristocracy.<br />
English literature spread its wings and extended<br />
its influence. Instead of being insular and almost<br />
entirely confined to London, it became cosmo-<br />
politan and European. France, Italy and Germany<br />
recognised its worth and were proud to borrow<br />
from it. The great Continental writers—Rousseau<br />
in particular—welcomed the work of British<br />
authors into the salons of Paris, Rome and Berlin,<br />
while our own men of letters borrowed freely from<br />
the genius of their foreign models. The mutual<br />
interchange of thought, combined with the healthy<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
rivalry thus brought about, had the happiest<br />
results. To its stimulating influence we owe the<br />
rescue of English literature from the slough into<br />
which it had fallen, and the loosening of the<br />
pedagogic shackles that had bound it so long.<br />
<br />
The scope of the fourth and final volume is to<br />
give a survey of the age which commenced with<br />
Johnson and terminated with Tennyson. The<br />
limit of the period under review is the death of<br />
Queen Victoria, and, except in the epilogue, no<br />
living writer is dealt with. The four chapters of<br />
this last section discuss respectively the ages of<br />
Wordsworth, Byron, the Early Victorians, and<br />
Tennyson. They make up a critical estimate—<br />
unmarked, one is glad to note, by any arrogant<br />
dogmatism—of English literature from 1780 down<br />
to within the dawn of the twentieth century. The<br />
opinions expressed are, as must always be the case<br />
in any such undertaking, formed in accordance<br />
with the individual temperament of the historian,<br />
formed on a series of esthetic principles. Although<br />
this may be an unsatisfactory way of creating a<br />
critical estimate of books and writers, it is at least<br />
less open to abuse than any other. As Mr. Gosse<br />
points out, “ The history of literary criticism is a<br />
record of conflicting opinion, of blind prejudice, of<br />
violent volte-faces, of discord and misapprehension.’<br />
In his own day Shakespeare occupied but a small<br />
niche: to-day he is universally regarded as an<br />
inspired genius. Conversely, a great reputation<br />
in one age becomes a laughing-stock in another.<br />
The reason for this is not far to seek. Changes<br />
are constantly passing over human thought which<br />
materially affect the whole atmosphere of criticism.<br />
The individualist method has at times reduced<br />
really great minds into ludicrous excesses, but,<br />
despite this, it still remains the best we have.<br />
<br />
Horace WYNDHAM.<br />
<br />
————+<br />
<br />
THE “ MIRACLE’S” OBITUARIES.<br />
<br />
—+~ +<br />
<br />
« ULLO, you're alive!” exclaimed (with<br />
variations) four out of seven men stand-<br />
ing in a group round the tape in the<br />
<br />
hall of the Pandemonium Club.<br />
<br />
“How did you manage it?” asked the other<br />
three, or they used words to that effect, and the<br />
last comer, declining to corroborate what was<br />
evident to everyone, growled a few words of<br />
explanation in reply to the question.<br />
<br />
“Nothing else to do; fog everywhere; saw<br />
nothing ; came away first train ; wrote a column<br />
on all that a new dockyard must contain, before<br />
going down ; wrote half-a-column on fog in the<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
ae ae<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
train. I had the only empty carriage to myself,<br />
and we stopped for ten minutes out of every five ;<br />
sent my copy down to the office from the station,<br />
and came on here. Anything else you'd like to<br />
know ?”<br />
<br />
«You came away before the show was over?”<br />
<br />
“Why not? If a retiring first Lord of the<br />
Admiralty chooses to give a beanfeast to the<br />
Cabinet and all that’s left of his followers in the<br />
House to celebrate the opening of a new dockyard<br />
that nobody wants, need I wait for their departure<br />
for London before describing a ceremony that<br />
nobody could see?”<br />
<br />
“Tjucky you didn’t try to come up in their<br />
train and get personal interviews with statesmen<br />
vacating office ?” said the youngest of the seven.<br />
<br />
The last comer was becoming interested in their<br />
demeanour. He took up the tape, at the other<br />
end of which the machine choked and clucked like<br />
a croupy hen trying to attract attention to the<br />
latest failure in eggs.<br />
<br />
“If anything has happened I wish you'd say so<br />
plainly,” he grumbled. “I’ve had four hours in<br />
the train over a two hours’ journey, and I know<br />
nothing. Has anything happened ?”<br />
<br />
The youngest condescended to be explanatory.<br />
<br />
«Nothing at all,” he remarked lightly. “ Only<br />
a smash half-way down the line ; not more than<br />
nine Cabinet Ministers killed, and only thirteen<br />
remains of common M.P.’s identified up to now !”<br />
<br />
“ What !”<br />
<br />
“Never know your luck—eh ?<br />
passed just before ?”<br />
<br />
The last comer was looking dazed, but was<br />
evidently making an effort.<br />
<br />
“ Anybody thirsty ?” he asked at last, adding,<br />
“oo into the smoking-room.”<br />
<br />
They acted upon his invitation without demur,<br />
leaving him to hang up his overcoat and give<br />
orders to the waiter. It was an occasion which no<br />
doubt demanded some form of celebration, but<br />
when he appeared a few minutes later, preceded<br />
by a tray loaded with magnums of champagne,<br />
and a box of the club’s longest and costliest cigars,<br />
they iooked a little surprised, and one of them<br />
hinted in a whisper that the train which came<br />
through must at least have been provided with a<br />
refreshment bar.<br />
<br />
Their entertainer, seated on the edge of the<br />
table before them while the waiter drew corks and<br />
filled glasses, was apparently reckoning with the<br />
aid of his fingers.<br />
<br />
“ Here’s to fog and newspaper managers,” he<br />
said, raising his glass, while they followed his<br />
example, ‘nine and thirteen make twenty-two.<br />
Poor beggars,” he went on meditatively, “it’s<br />
death to them, but it’s a good start in the New<br />
Year for me. Perhaps you don’t understand.”<br />
<br />
You must have<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 127<br />
<br />
The eldest journalist present remarked that he<br />
was gifted with invention but not with second<br />
sight, and refilled his glass, and the other<br />
continued.<br />
<br />
“ Half-a-dozen years ago, as you all know, the<br />
Miracle was restarted with the idea that it was to<br />
be made a live paper at a popular price. It began<br />
by giving away half-a-pound of tea weekly to its<br />
subscribers, and it promised, to those who paid by<br />
the year, a sausage for breakfast as well, but it did<br />
not quite get so far as fulfilling that. Still, it<br />
increased its circulation. Just about that time<br />
the editor sent for me, and told me that all the<br />
biographies they had in the office—the obituary<br />
notices, you know—were obsolete and wanted<br />
writing up-to-date, and that many of them relating<br />
to new men in the Government and new members<br />
of Parliament had never been written at all. He<br />
wanted them all done in a new way, too; done so<br />
as to be worthy of a ‘live paper ’—he seemed<br />
fond of the expression, and used it all the time.<br />
The terms he offered were uncommonly good ;<br />
something like a tenner a life, and anything over<br />
a column extra at the same rate, so I jumped at it and<br />
thought I’d struck it rich at last. I got the price<br />
put in writing, threw myself into the job, and as I<br />
was slack at the time did very little else for a year.<br />
They were not common ‘ Who’s Who ?’ sort of<br />
work. He said they were to be done from ‘the<br />
inside’; and that is what I tried for. I inter-<br />
viewed the men themselves, and had to keep it dark<br />
that the notice was not to be printed till they were<br />
dead. JI saw their parents when they had any, and<br />
I talked to two old nurses more than eighty years<br />
old. I interviewed their wives—I interviewed<br />
their housemaids. The housemaids told me a few<br />
useful things. The wives mostly told me what no<br />
one would ever have believed, except one who<br />
became confidential and told me things that even<br />
the Miracle would not have printed. In short—I<br />
did it jolly well and the editor said so, and when I<br />
asked for payment he gave me a special note and<br />
asked me to apply personally to the manager.”<br />
<br />
“Ah,” said someone, “what did the manager<br />
say ?”<br />
<br />
“‘Oh, he liked the notices very much too, and<br />
said so. I observed casually that a tenner apiece<br />
had been arranged for, and that as I had written<br />
about seventy-two, I wanted a cheque on<br />
account<br />
<br />
«And he said they would think of it when all<br />
were completed,” suggested the man who had<br />
spoken before.<br />
<br />
“Not he; he said that, like other matter, the<br />
obituary notices on the Miracle were paid for<br />
immediately after publication.”<br />
<br />
The gentle murmur, scarcely to be called a<br />
groan, that went round the group of listeners was<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THRE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
suggestive of patience in tribulation rather than of<br />
resentment or even surprise.<br />
<br />
“T said what I could, of course, and he told me<br />
newspapers had to live ; though it did not seem to<br />
strike him that journalists might find it difficult to<br />
write for newspapers unless they could live too.<br />
He was quite polite and said that no doubt I should<br />
regard my work as an investment of capital bring-<br />
ing in interest at a fair rate, with just those<br />
fluctuations dependent upon fortune that are<br />
attractive to a speculative mind.”<br />
<br />
“Did you tell him that half the men you had<br />
written about would probably outlive you ?” asked<br />
a clean-shaven man.<br />
<br />
“ Not being a lawyer I did not take the trouble<br />
to make obvious points. I said rather more than<br />
I can remember, and I ended by telling him that<br />
nothing so iniquitous had been attempted since<br />
the eighth commandment forbade larceny, but he<br />
only smiled and said that of course there were<br />
well-established precedents for all that was done on<br />
the Miracle, so I left him. But now a<br />
<br />
“Now, you’ve scooped it; and as half your<br />
biographies refer to men who would have lost their<br />
seats in the House in a month’s time you are<br />
considerably lucky—there will have to be some<br />
notice as to each, and the Miracle won’t be able to<br />
say that your work was not used at all.”<br />
<br />
“ That is so, of course.”<br />
<br />
He seated himself in an easy chair and stretched<br />
out his feet towards the fire.<br />
<br />
The clean-shaven man had not quite liked the<br />
tone adopted towards him, and had been meditating<br />
deeply.<br />
<br />
“ Do you feel nervous ?” he asked suddenly.<br />
<br />
“ Of course not—why should I?”<br />
<br />
“Leaving out the question of motive for the<br />
present,” began the other in measured tones, ‘“ you<br />
passed the spot shortly before the accident hap-<br />
pened, and you say that your train often stopped<br />
for ten minutes at a time ; [ suppose anyone in it<br />
could have laid the usual iron chair on the line—<br />
or a few large stones—without being seen in the fog,<br />
and you had the only empty carriage to yourself.<br />
It is not usual, I suppose, for a journalist to leave<br />
what he is going to report before everything is<br />
over, when he need not do so—and just look at<br />
the motive! Now I come to think of it, the tele-<br />
gram says that foul play alone can account for an<br />
accident at such a spot. Of course we can all<br />
point to your evident pleasure at the news, and<br />
your noteworthy absence of surprise and sorrow at<br />
so terrible a catastrophe—your want of gratitude<br />
to Providence for your own escape—and the<br />
motive ye<br />
<br />
His host was pulling at his cigar with a contented<br />
and benignant smile upon his face.<br />
<br />
“Tt does seem as if I was growing a little<br />
<br />
hard-hearted,” he remarked, interrupting; ‘but<br />
twenty-two articles at a tenner apiece—all the work<br />
done—and perhaps more to follow, don’t fall in every<br />
working day. It’s only a question of your point<br />
of view. From my point of view it is a pity that<br />
it was not the roof of the station when they were<br />
all getting out of the train! Anyhow we shall see<br />
what the Miracle has to say about the negligence<br />
of railway companies, and the wanton sacrifice of<br />
valuable lives to earn dividends.”<br />
<br />
+<br />
<br />
THE NOBEL PRIZE.<br />
ee<br />
N December 11th, under the rules of the<br />
Nobel Prize Foundation, the awards for 1905<br />
were declared by those bodies anthorised to<br />
make the selection.<br />
<br />
The literary prize has this year been awarded to<br />
Henryk Sienkiewicz, the Polish novelist, who is<br />
known to all English readers for his powerful novel<br />
“Quo Vadis,” which made his literary fame<br />
international.<br />
<br />
The following is a list of the prizewinners in<br />
former years :—<br />
<br />
1901. The French poet, Sully Prudhomme.<br />
<br />
1902. The German historian, Th. Mommsen.<br />
<br />
1903. The Norwegian poet, Bjdérnstjerne<br />
Bjornson.<br />
<br />
1904.<br />
<br />
The Provencal poet, Fr. Mistral, and to<br />
the Spanish dramatist, José Echegaray.<br />
<br />
ee<br />
<br />
CORRESPONDENCE.<br />
ae<br />
On AGREEMENTS.<br />
<br />
Sir,—A considerable time since Sir Walter<br />
Besant pointed out that it was the right of the<br />
seller to draw the agreement. I believe that this<br />
statement was, from a business point of view, per-<br />
fectly correct. Have authors yet taken any steps<br />
towards availing themselves of their right to draw<br />
the agreement ? And if not, why not ?<br />
<br />
Also, in many cases at least, authors are invited<br />
to contribute towards the cost of production. In<br />
business the individual who assists with money<br />
another insufficiently supplied with capital to<br />
conduct his affairs, rightly claims and enjoys a<br />
definite share in the control of every step subse-<br />
quently taken in the use of that money. Do<br />
authors (if any are still so weak) who contribute<br />
money towards the costs of production, sist<br />
upon being consulted by the person to whom they<br />
have lent their money respecting all the steps<br />
which be subsequently taken ? And if not, why<br />
<br />
not ?<br />
EB, K. | https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/512/1906-01-01-The-Author-16-4.pdf | publications, The Author |