| 486 | https://historysoa.com/items/show/486 | The Author, Vol. 14 Issue 01 (October 1903) | <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.+14+Issue+01+%28October+1903%29"><em>The Author</em>, Vol. 14 Issue 01 (October 1903)</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> | 1903-10-01-The-Author-14-1 | | | | | 1–28 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=89&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=14">14</a> | | | | | | | | | | | <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=76&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=1903-10-01">1903-10-01</a> | | | | | | | 1 | | | 19031001 | The Huthor.<br />
<br />
(The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.)<br />
<br />
FOUNDED BY SIR WALTER BESANT.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Vou. XTV.—No. 1.<br />
<br />
THE TELEPHONE.<br />
<br />
+<br />
<br />
THE Telephone connection has now been estab-<br />
lished, and the Society’s number is—<br />
<br />
374 VICTORIA.<br />
—————_+—>—+_____<br />
NOTICES.<br />
<br />
+<br />
<br />
OR the opinions expressed in papers that are<br />
K signed or initialled the authors alone are<br />
responsible. None of the papers or para-<br />
graphs must be taken as expressing the opinion<br />
of the Committee unless such is especially stated<br />
to be the case.<br />
<br />
THE 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 />
<br />
- concerned can obtain them on application.<br />
<br />
—_*+——+—_<br />
<br />
List of Members.<br />
<br />
THE 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 J uly, 1903, as<br />
a supplemental list, at the price of 2d. can now be<br />
obtained at the offices of the Society.<br />
<br />
It will be sold to members or associates of the<br />
Society only.<br />
<br />
—_t——+—__<br />
<br />
The Pension Fund of the Society.<br />
<br />
THE investments of the Pension Fund at<br />
present standing in the names of the Trustees are<br />
as follows. :<br />
<br />
This is a statement of the actual stock ; the<br />
<br />
Vou, XIV.<br />
<br />
OcTOBER Ist, 1903.<br />
<br />
[PRIcE SIXPENCE.<br />
<br />
money value can be easily worked out at the current<br />
price of the market :—<br />
<br />
DOMME oie services £1000 0 0<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
iiocal Loans 3... 500 0 0<br />
<br />
Victorian Government 3 % Consoli-<br />
dated Inscribed Stock ............... 291 19 11<br />
War lvan 2.3 201-953<br />
Total, 2 36 £15993. 9. 2<br />
<br />
Subscriptions.<br />
1903.<br />
<br />
Jan. 1, Pickthall, Marmaduke<br />
<br />
» Deane, Rev. A.C. .<br />
Jan. 4, Anonymous :<br />
<br />
+ Heath, Miss Helena<br />
<br />
» Russell, G. H. ;<br />
Jan. 16, White, Mrs. Caroline<br />
<br />
» Bedford, Miss Jessie<br />
Jan. 19, Shiers-Mason, Mrs.<br />
Jan. 20, Cobbett, Miss Alice :<br />
Jan. 30, Minniken, Miss Bertha M. M.<br />
Jan. 31, Whishaw, Fred : :<br />
<br />
PRS eeHrocesoosorseoogonoocse<br />
od hh<br />
SOOWMMAH OOOO<br />
PEFFRSOSCSOSOSSSSSSOSCSCOSCCSCS<br />
<br />
Feb. 3, Reynolds, Mrs. Fred 5<br />
Feb. 1iy7lincoln, ©, ‘ 5<br />
Feb. 16, Hardy, J. Herbert . : 5<br />
» Haggard, Major Arthur . 5<br />
Feb. 23, Finnemore, John . 5<br />
Mar. 2, Moor, Mrs. St. C. . 0<br />
Mar. 5, Dutton, Mrs. Carrie 15:<br />
Api. 10, Bird, CP... : : ‘ 10<br />
Apl. 10, Campbell, Miss Montgomery . 5<br />
May Lees, R. J... : : : 1<br />
S Wright, J. Fondi 5<br />
Donations.<br />
Jan. 3, Wheelright, Miss E. 010 6<br />
3 Middlemass. Miss Jean » 010 0<br />
Jan. 6, Avebury, The Right Hon.<br />
The Lord . : : 37) 0-0<br />
» Gribble, Francis : 010 0<br />
Jan. 13, Boddington, Miss Helen . 010 6<br />
Jan. 17, White, Mrs. Wollaston Let 0<br />
» Miller, Miss E. T. . 0 5.0<br />
Jan. 19, Kemp, Miss Geraldine 010 6<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
£ s. a.<br />
Jan. 20, Sheldon, Mrs. French 0 5 0<br />
Jan. 29, Roe, Mrs. Harcourt 010 0<br />
Feb. 9, Sherwood, Mrs. : 010 6<br />
Feb. 16, Hocking, The Rey. Silas 11.0<br />
Feb. 18, Boulding, J. W. 010 6<br />
5, Ord, Hubert H. - 010 9<br />
Feb. 20, Price, Miss Eleanor 010 0<br />
» Carlile, Rev. aC. 010 O<br />
Feb. 24, Dixon, Mrs. 5 0 0<br />
Feb. 26, Speakman, Mrs. - 010 0<br />
Mar. 5, Parker, Mrs. N ella 010 0<br />
Mar. 16, Hallward, N.L. . J 1.0<br />
Mar. 20, Henry, Miss Alice . 0 5 0<br />
» Mathieson, Miss Annie . . 010 0<br />
<br />
;, Browne, 'T. A. (“ Rolfe Boldre-<br />
wood”) . : : _ tL 20<br />
Mar. 23, Ward, Mrs. Humphry _. 10 0 0<br />
Apl. 2, Hutton, The Rev. W. H. 2 0 0<br />
Apl. 14, Tournier, Theodore 0 5 0<br />
May King, Paul H. : : 2 010 0<br />
Wynne, Charles Whitworth .10 0 0<br />
» 21, Orred J. Randal 148<br />
June 12, Colles, W. Morris . -10 0 0<br />
» Bateman, Stringer . . 010 6<br />
» Anon 0 5 0<br />
<br />
The following members have also made subscrip-<br />
tions or donations :—<br />
<br />
Meredith, George, President of the Society.<br />
<br />
Thompson, Sir Henry, Bart., F.R.C.S,<br />
<br />
Rashdall, The Rev. H.<br />
<br />
Guthrie, Anstey.<br />
<br />
Robertson, C. B.<br />
<br />
Dowsett, C. F.<br />
<br />
There are in addition other subscribers who do<br />
not desire that, either their names or the amount<br />
they are subscribing should be printed.<br />
<br />
—_—_—_+——_+______<br />
<br />
FROM THE COMMITTEE.<br />
<br />
—_——_—_—_ ++<br />
<br />
HE last meeting of the Committee before<br />
the vacation was held at 39, Old Queen<br />
Street, Storey’s Gate, 8.W., on Wednesday,<br />
<br />
July 8th. Twelve members and associates were<br />
elected, Their names and addresses are set forth<br />
below.<br />
<br />
Other matters connected with the business of<br />
the Society during the vacation, and with the<br />
Besant Memorial were settled.<br />
<br />
Tn addition it was decided to take up a case on<br />
behalf of one of the members against a prominent<br />
publisher who had failed to meet his account.<br />
This case has since been settled—the publisher<br />
has paid up in full.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
Cases.<br />
<br />
Tye last issue of the cases taken up by the<br />
Society on behalf of its members was published<br />
in the June number. That took the list for the<br />
present year down to the middle of May. The<br />
present record therefore covers the four months,<br />
June, July, August, and September. Thirty cases<br />
have been taken up. Of these, thirteen have been<br />
for the return of MSS. ; nine for the payment of<br />
money due; two for money and accounts ; four<br />
for accounts only; and the remaining two for<br />
matters connected with literary property and<br />
copyright.<br />
<br />
Tn ten cases, owing to the prompt attention of<br />
the editors to the secretary's request, the MSS.<br />
were at once returned and forwarded to the<br />
authors. In the other three cases the editors were<br />
unable to find the MSS. As there was no evidence<br />
forthcoming of neglect, or in fact that the MSS.<br />
had actually reached the office, the cases could not<br />
be taken further. Of the cases for money, five<br />
have been successful. The remaining four are<br />
still open, but there is every prospect that they<br />
will terminate satisfactorily. In one case however,<br />
it is probable that the editor will become bankrupt.<br />
Of the claims for account two have been terminated,<br />
the accounts having been rendered ; and two are<br />
still open. The two cases of money and accounts,<br />
owing to the fact that no satisfactory answer could<br />
be obtained, were placed in the hands of the<br />
Society’s solicitors. One case is still pending in<br />
the Courts. In the other case (against a well<br />
known publisher), the amount was paid with costs.<br />
The other two cases referred to as dealing with<br />
literary property have terminated satisfactorily.<br />
<br />
—<br />
<br />
July Elections.<br />
<br />
Ady, Mrs. Henry (Julta Ockham, Ripley, Surrey.<br />
Cartwright<br />
<br />
Corby, Miss E. Esker, Killucan, West-<br />
<br />
meath.<br />
Freed, Thomas, A. H. . Box 76, Nelson, New<br />
Zealand.<br />
Hodgson, Mrs. Wil- By-the-Sea, Exmouth.<br />
loughby<br />
Keene, Mrs. . Quetta, Balmenstan,<br />
India.<br />
<br />
25, St. Thomas Street,<br />
Grosvenor Square, W.<br />
<br />
Grosvenor House, Gros-<br />
yenor Square, South-<br />
ampton.<br />
<br />
Ardblair Castle, Blair-<br />
gowrie, N.B.<br />
<br />
Korbay, Francis -<br />
Mocatta, Mrs. Mary A.<br />
<br />
Oliphant, Capt. P. L. K.<br />
Blair (Philip Laurence<br />
Oliphant)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
ee ee<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 3<br />
<br />
Rogers, Mrs. Fanny . Cape Town, South<br />
Africa.<br />
Russell, Fox : oo Garden Court,<br />
Temple, E.C.<br />
Shepheard-Walwyn, Dalwhinnie, Kenley,<br />
H. W., F.Z.8., F.E.S, Surrey.<br />
Vacaresco, Madame . 17, Rue de P Arcade,<br />
Paris ; Vacaresis,<br />
Roumania.<br />
Oo?<br />
<br />
OUR BOOK AND PLAY TALK.<br />
<br />
+<br />
<br />
POPULAR edition of Sir Lewis Morris’s<br />
“Epic of Hades,” at 1s. 6d. nett, is<br />
announced by Messrs. Kegan Paul & Co,<br />
<br />
for October 1st. Though twenty-seven years have<br />
elapsed since the publication of this poem, which<br />
has gone, we believe, through forty-five editions,<br />
this is the first edition to appeal to the masses, who<br />
it is hoped will appreciate the great reduction in<br />
price now made.<br />
<br />
Sir Lewis Morris has decided to include the<br />
story of “ Niobe,” which has hitherto been published<br />
separately, in the present issue, the entire text of<br />
which he has finally corrected. The poem in<br />
question has a new introduction in verse specially<br />
written by the poet.<br />
<br />
A new and augmented edition of Dr. Richard<br />
Garnett’s, ‘The Twilight of the Gods,” has been<br />
issued by Mr. John Lane. The dedication reads :<br />
‘To Horace Howard Furness and George Brandes.<br />
Dabo duobus testibus meis.? The first edition of<br />
these tales was published in 1888. It contained<br />
sixteen stories, to which twelve are added in the<br />
present impression.<br />
<br />
This volume is the most personally illuminating,<br />
the most characteristic Dr. Garnett has given us .<br />
and that is to say it is well worth reading, and<br />
worth buying for our “ best books” collection.<br />
<br />
The Syndicate of the Cambridge University<br />
Press propose to publish in the course of the<br />
autumn a comprehensive work on the “ History of<br />
Classical Scholarship,” which has been prepared by<br />
the Public Orator, Dr. Sandys. It extends from<br />
about 600 B.c. to the end of the Middle Ages, and<br />
Consists of more than thirty chapters distributed<br />
over six books, dealing with the «“ History of<br />
Scholarship in the Athenian and the Alexandrian<br />
ages ; ”“ The Roman age of Latin and Greek Litera-<br />
ture” ; “ The Byzantine Age” ; and “ The Middle<br />
Ages in the West of Europe.” The text, which fills<br />
six hundred and fifty crown octavo pages (exclusive<br />
of the index), will be accompanied by chronological<br />
<br />
tables, facsimiles from Greek and Latin manuscripts<br />
and other illustrations,<br />
<br />
Colonel Haggard’s new book, “ Sidelights on the<br />
Court of France,” will be issned immediately by<br />
Messrs. Hutchinson, the period treated of being<br />
that from the reign of Francis I. to the death of<br />
Louis XIII., and of course including Henry of<br />
Navarre. Prominence ig given to such characters<br />
as Diana of Poitiers, Marguerite de Valois,<br />
Richelieu and Mazarin. The book is very fully<br />
illustrated.<br />
<br />
Professor Skeat has this year re-issued his text<br />
of “ Havelock the Dane” ; it was formerly printed<br />
for the Early English Text Society, and ‘has ever<br />
since been the standard edition. ‘It is now issued<br />
by the Clarendon Press in a revised and augmented,<br />
but cheaper form, with a preface that contains all<br />
the important criticisms of the poem up to the<br />
present date.<br />
<br />
Professor Skeat is also greatly interested in<br />
looking over the sheets of the « English Dialect<br />
Dictionary ” and making a few suggestions by way<br />
of addition. This important work, edited by Pro-<br />
fessor Wright, of Oxford, is making satisfactory<br />
progress. It is now in type nearly to the end of<br />
the letter Y. Professor Skeat takes special interest<br />
in it, as he was the founder, first secretary, and<br />
finally the director of the English Dialect Society,<br />
which in the course of twenty-four years (1873—<br />
1896) collected and printed some eighty volumes,<br />
thus providing sufficient material to make a founda-<br />
tion for Professor Wright’s further labours,<br />
<br />
A good deal of Professor Skeat’s time is taken<br />
up with attempts to discover or verify the etymolo-<br />
gies of difficult English words, with the view of<br />
rendering some small assistance to the editor of<br />
the “ New English Dictionary.” A few of the latest<br />
results have lately been printed for the Philological<br />
Society of London, but have not yet been issued,<br />
<br />
Dr. Alexander Rattray’s new work, “Divine<br />
Hygiene, or the Sanitary Science of the Sacred<br />
Scriptures” (Nisbet & Co., two vols.) is well<br />
through the printer’s hands, and may be expected<br />
soon. Besides the main theme, the object is the<br />
advocacy of the Holy Bible as the great educational<br />
handbook for humanity ; our pioneer informant in<br />
many subjects ; sole teacher in others ; and its<br />
science and philosophy, though humanly speaking<br />
ancient, not antiquated as often represented, but<br />
advanced. Though professionally treated it is<br />
popularly written, strictly Evangelical, practically<br />
exhaustive, and a vindication of Christianity.<br />
<br />
Mr. Ferrar Fenton, F.R.A.S., is about to issue<br />
a translation of the “ Psalms, Solomon, and<br />
Sacred Writers,” in the original metres, but in<br />
modern English ; and also his “Complete Bible”<br />
<br />
<br />
4<br />
<br />
in modern English. The publishers are Messrs.<br />
S. W. Partridge & Co., of Paternoster Row,<br />
London, E.C. Their Majesties, King Edward<br />
and the German Emperor have intimated that they<br />
will be pleased to accept presentation copies.<br />
<br />
Mr, Justice Condé Williams, of the Supreme<br />
Court of Mauritius, who read _a paper some time<br />
ago at the Royal Colonial Institute on “ The<br />
Future of our Sugar Producing Colonies,” is about<br />
to publish an autobiography under the title of<br />
“From Journalist to Judge.”<br />
<br />
Judge Williams was editor of the Birmingham<br />
Daily Gazette in succession to Dr. Sebastian Evans,<br />
and was for a short period a member of the staff<br />
of the Zimes in Paris. His judicial experiences<br />
extend to South Africa, the West Indies and<br />
Mauritius.<br />
<br />
From Journalist to Judge” will be published<br />
by Mr. G. A. Morton, of 42, George Street, Edin-<br />
burgh.<br />
<br />
“Romantic Tales from the Punjab” (Con-<br />
stable), is the second and final instalment of a<br />
body of Indian stories collected by the Rev.<br />
Charles Swynnerton, on the North-West frontier of<br />
India, of which “Indian Night’s Entertainment ”<br />
(Stock), published ten years ago, was the first.<br />
Tt consists of the more important legends, and is<br />
adorned with over one hundred illustrations by<br />
native hands.<br />
<br />
The longest and most important legend is that<br />
of Raja Rasalu, consisting of twelve separate<br />
stories, each complete in itself, as spoken and<br />
sung by one or other of the three Punjabi bards,<br />
Sharaf and Jama of the Rawal Pindi District, and<br />
Sher of the Hazara District—with the exception of<br />
the first and last stories of the twelve, which,<br />
though mainly attributable to Sharaf, contain a<br />
few details from other story-tellers.<br />
<br />
The rest of the legends in the book, as “ Hir and<br />
Ranjha,” are also of great importance and most<br />
interesting ; while as well there are several short<br />
stories, a careful introduction, and an appendix<br />
containing many notes, and a selection of Punjabi<br />
verses in original from “ Hir and Ranjha,” with<br />
literal translations, and notes philological and<br />
explanatory.<br />
<br />
Professor G. F. Savage-Armstrong, author of<br />
“Stories of Wicklow” and “Ballads of Down,”<br />
is completing a novel which deals with Irish life<br />
in the nineteenth century. He is also writing<br />
miscellaneous poems for publication in volume<br />
form.<br />
<br />
Miss Rosa Nouchette Carey’s new novel “A<br />
Passage Perilous” (Macmillan) has made an<br />
excellent start, the sales of the first edition before<br />
publication being most satisfactory.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
Miss Evelyn Sharp’s latest story, to be pub-<br />
lished immediately by Messrs. Macmillan, is called<br />
“The Children Who Ran Away.” It is meant to<br />
appeal to children about the same age as those who<br />
liked “The Youngest Girl in the School.” This<br />
latter popular story, by the way, is probably going<br />
to be translated into Italian. Miss Sharp’s “ ‘Three<br />
Story Readers,” published last spring, are doing<br />
well. They consist of very easy stories (original,<br />
of course), for children who only just know how to<br />
read, and the stories are just stories, and not<br />
directly instructive in any way: nothing about<br />
them suggests the lesson book.<br />
<br />
Hope Rea, author of “Tuscan Artists,” “* Dona-<br />
tello,” etc., has just completed for Messrs. George<br />
Bell & Son, the “ Rembrandt” for their miniature<br />
series of the Painters. Hope Rea has arranged to<br />
spend the coming winter in Italy for the purpose<br />
of farther study and research connected with<br />
Italian art, and to supplement the material already<br />
acquired for a larger work on medieval and early<br />
Renaissance Art, which this writer has had on<br />
hand for some time.<br />
<br />
The Clarendon Press is publishing “ Selected<br />
Drawings from old Masters in the University<br />
Galleries, and in the Library at Christ Church,<br />
Oxford.” Part I. contains twenty drawings<br />
exactly reproduced in collotype. They are chosen<br />
and described by Mr. Sidney Colvin, Keeper of<br />
Prints and Drawings in the British Museum.<br />
<br />
Messrs. Macmillan & Co. have decided to make<br />
their edition of “Thackeray’s Works” absolutely<br />
exhaustive. They have secured the services of the<br />
well-known Thackeray expert, Mr. Lewis Melville,<br />
author of the “Life of William Makepeace<br />
Thackeray,” etc. With his assistance they pro-<br />
pose to include in this edition a great number of<br />
scattered pieces from Thackeray’s pen, and illus-<br />
trations from his pencil, which have not hitherto<br />
been contained in any collected edition, and many<br />
of which have never been reprinted.<br />
<br />
Mr. Melville is also collating the volumes with<br />
the original editions, and providing bibliographical<br />
introductions and occasional footnotes.<br />
<br />
Mrs. Stepney Rawson’s new noyel will be pub-<br />
lished by Messrs. Hutchinson. It is a romance of<br />
the Romney Marsh and of Rye Town. The action<br />
takes place about 1820, and deals with the warfare<br />
of the landowners and the harbour folk of the<br />
Marsh at Rye, and also with the shipbuilding<br />
industry there, which has since dwindled. There<br />
is a strong love interest, and the story principally<br />
hangs on the personality of a young designer of<br />
boats and ships, who is apprenticed to the chief<br />
shipbuilder of the town.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 5<br />
<br />
Mrs. Rawson, who is peculiarly sensitive to the<br />
atmosphere of Place, has devoted herself to this<br />
little corner of Sussex which she finds packed with<br />
delightful traditions. She has written a number of<br />
stories of new and old Rye; these she hopes to<br />
publish in volume form later on.<br />
<br />
Mr. Hume Nisbet has been travelling for the past<br />
two years, and has been collecting material for<br />
future work. His next romance “The Trust<br />
Trappers ” will be published by Mr. J ohn Long in<br />
the spring of 1904. It deals with millionaires and<br />
corner syndicates. Besides being engaged upon an<br />
Australian romance, Mr. Nisbet is writing his auto-<br />
biography as author, artist and traveller. The<br />
author of “ A Colonial Tramp” has gone through<br />
many adventures by land and sea. This auto-<br />
biography will be profusely illustrated by himself.<br />
<br />
A new edition of “ The Care of Infants” by Dr.<br />
Sophia Jex-Blake will be published immediately by<br />
Mr. George Morton, of Edinburgh, as the first<br />
edition of 5,000 copies has been out of print for<br />
some little time.<br />
<br />
Mr. Bram Stoker’s new novel “The Jewel of<br />
Seven Stars” will be published this month by Mr.<br />
Heinemann. It is something in the vein of<br />
“ Dracula,” and part of it deals with the mysteries<br />
of ancient Egypt.<br />
<br />
Mr. Arthur A. Sykes’s collection of humorous<br />
and satirical pieces from Punch will be published<br />
this month by Messrs. Bradbury and Agnew, under<br />
the title of “Mr. Punch’s Museum, and Other<br />
Matters.” Mr. Sykes has previously brought out<br />
two volumes of reprints from the same source—<br />
“A Book of Words,” and “ Without Permission.”<br />
The book will also contain “ Life’s Little Pro-<br />
blems,” a semi-burlesque series which appeared in<br />
Pearson's Magazine a short while ago.<br />
<br />
Miss Edith ©. Kenyon is publishing a book<br />
through the Religious Tract Society entitled “A<br />
Queen of Nine Days, by her Gentlewoman Margaret<br />
Brown.” The central figure is Lady Jane Grey,<br />
and the story is told by a young lady who enters<br />
her service and remains faithful to her.<br />
<br />
Rita’s next novel “The Jesters,” will appear in<br />
the early autumn. Messrs. Hutchinson & Oo. will<br />
publish it. Rita purposes spending the winter in<br />
South Cornwall to complete further work on which<br />
she is engaged.<br />
<br />
Miss O’Conor Eccles has recently published<br />
through Falion & Co., of Dublin, a “ Reading Book<br />
on Domestic Economy for the Use of Irish Schools,”<br />
which is to be adopted by the Board of Education.<br />
It takes the form of a little story, and contains<br />
such simple, practical instructions as a good<br />
mother of the working-class would give her young<br />
daughter. :<br />
<br />
The Department of Agriculture has presented a<br />
copy to every village library in Ireland. The<br />
Technical Schools of France and Belgium have<br />
long had delightful illustrated primers dealing with<br />
Household Management, Hygiene, Gardening,<br />
Dairy Work, and rural life generally, treated on<br />
similar lines ; but, so far as we know, the volume<br />
referred to is the first of the kind introduced into<br />
schools in the United Kingdom.<br />
<br />
Mr. J. Beattie-Crozier’s “Civilisation and Pro-<br />
gress’ has been translated into Japanese by a<br />
Member of Parliament of Japan.<br />
<br />
We understand from Mr. Leonard Williams that<br />
he has been elected a corresponding member of the<br />
Royal Spanish Academy.<br />
<br />
‘Fishing in Wales,” by Walter M. Gallichan<br />
(Geoffrey Mortimer) which was published a<br />
few months ago, is to be re-issued in a new edition,<br />
with a map and index. This author is writing a<br />
handbook on “ Angling” for Messrs. Pearson’s<br />
Popular Series; and he is publishing a volume on<br />
“Seville” in the Medieval Towns Series during<br />
the autumn.<br />
<br />
Early this month Mr. G. A. Morton will publish<br />
a book by Mr. Robert Aitken entitled “ Windfalls,”<br />
the contents being “Some Stray Leaves Gathered<br />
by a Rolling Stone.”<br />
<br />
Mr. Frankfort Moore’s new novel, “ Shipmates<br />
in Sunshine” (Hutchinson), is an open-air story,<br />
the action taking place on board ship and in the<br />
West Indies.<br />
<br />
Mr. Cutcliffe Hyne’s “‘McTodd” is a volume<br />
of stories published the other day by Messrs.<br />
Macmillan. McTodd is a ship’s engineer, Scotch,<br />
drunken, pugnacious, uncertificated, but a good<br />
mechanician. He relates his various adventures<br />
in the far north, on whaling trips, on shipboard,<br />
or in towns that reek of fish-curing. Need we<br />
say that McTodd has a conscience—of a kind !<br />
<br />
Miss Jetta S. Wolff has just published “Les<br />
Francais d’Autrefois,” Vol. I.—a short history of<br />
France, intended for learners of the language<br />
(Edwin Arnold). Miss Wolff has also lately<br />
written a series of object lessons in practical<br />
French, with a companion yolume containing<br />
translations and notes, ‘intended as a hand-book<br />
for teachers (Blackie & Son). These, and a new<br />
collection of her little stories from the “ Lives<br />
of Saiuts and Mariyrs” (Mowbray), will appear<br />
shortly.<br />
<br />
Madame Mijatovich has been busy with the<br />
preparation of a second edition of her work, “The<br />
History of Modern Servia,” which was published a<br />
good aany years ago. She has now brought the<br />
history up to the accession of King Peter.<br />
Madame Mijatovitch is translating the Servian<br />
<br />
<br />
6<br />
<br />
popular ballads on “ Kralyevitch Marko” (the<br />
King’s son Marko), who is the national hero of the<br />
Servians.<br />
<br />
«The Padre,” by Rose Harrison, author of<br />
“Esther Alington,” honorary secretary of the<br />
Children’s Protection League, will be ready in<br />
October. This is a story “ dedicated to all who<br />
live and work and love the Brotherhood.” _ Price<br />
35. 6d. Itis being published by Richard J. James,<br />
3 & 4, London House Yard, E.C.<br />
<br />
It is authoritatively announced that six years ago<br />
the late Pope Leo XIII. charged Count Soderini<br />
with the task of writing a history of his pontificate.<br />
While leaving the Count entire freedom of judg-<br />
ment, the Pope placed numberless documents<br />
hitherto wholly secret at the writer’s disposal, and<br />
also dictated much material in explanation of his<br />
acts. Mr. F. Marion Crawford is acting in col-<br />
Jaboration with Count Soderini in the preparation<br />
of the Anglo-American edition, which will be<br />
published in London and New York by Messrs.<br />
Macmillan & Co. The work will appear in all<br />
countries in 1904.<br />
<br />
Mrs. Humphry Ward has signed a contract<br />
with Messrs. Harper for her new story, which will<br />
begin to appear in Harper’s Magazine in June<br />
next, The original play written by Mrs. Ward,<br />
in collaboration with Mr. Louis Parker, is to be<br />
produced during the winter season in New York,<br />
with Miss Eleanor Robson in the leading part.<br />
“ Bleanor” is also to be produced in New York<br />
during November, and Mrs. Ward is now revising<br />
the play.<br />
<br />
Anthony Hope has finished a story, which will<br />
be published by Messrs. Hutchinson next year,<br />
entitled “ Double Harness.” Anthony Hope’s new<br />
comedy, “ Captain Dieppe,” founded on a story of<br />
his, and written in collaboration with Mr. Harrison<br />
G. Rhodes, is to be produced in America this<br />
autumn.<br />
<br />
Mr. Cosmo Hamilton has just published, through<br />
Messrs. Hurst and Blackett, a book called “‘ Cupid in<br />
Many Moods.” Isbister & Co. is bringing out, at<br />
an early date, a novelised version of the play<br />
produced last September at the Comedy Theatre,<br />
“The Wisdom of Folly”; and a serious effort of<br />
Mr. Hamilton’s, “We of Adam’s Clay,” occupies a<br />
large portion of this month’s Smart Set, afterwards<br />
to make its appearance in book form simultaneously<br />
here and in America.<br />
<br />
Mr. Cosmo Hamilton’s dramatic version of<br />
Kipling’s “Story of the Gadsby’s” is the next<br />
production at the Haymarket. At present this<br />
busy author is hard at work on some commissions<br />
for plays. In two plays Mr. Hamilton is col-<br />
<br />
laborating with his wife, Miss Beryl Faber, the<br />
actress.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
Mr. H. V. Esmond’s new comedy, “ Billy’s<br />
Little Love Affair,” is going well at The Criterion<br />
Theatre. It is preceded by Miss Rosina Filippi’s<br />
charming playlet, “The Mirror.”<br />
<br />
On Thursday evening, September 10th, 1903,<br />
Mr. Beerbohm Tree produced at His Majesty’s<br />
Theatre Shakespeare’s historical play,“ Richard IT.”<br />
It is a brilliant revival in every sense of the word.<br />
Mr. Tree has specially acknowledged his indebted-<br />
ness to Mr. Percy Anderson, who has designed and<br />
supervised the costumes; and to Mr. G. Ambrose<br />
Lee, of the Heralds’ College, who has directed the<br />
heraldry and ceremonial.<br />
<br />
We understand that some pupils of the Brussels,<br />
Antwerp and Bruges high schools are coming over<br />
to see this revival of “ Richard II.” The play has<br />
been selected as a subject for examination this<br />
year by the Belgian educational authorities.<br />
<br />
a<br />
<br />
PARIS NOTES.<br />
<br />
ee<br />
<br />
bee winter season seems likely to be one of<br />
great activity in the literary world, while<br />
the length of the theatrical programmes is<br />
alarming. So many new plays are announced that<br />
dramatic critics will certainly not have much rest.<br />
<br />
The recent death of M. Gustave Larroumet is<br />
a great loss to the world of letters. For some<br />
years M. Larroumet lectured on French literature<br />
at the Sorbonne. He wrote in the Revue Bleue,,<br />
the Revue des Deux-Mondes, the Revue de Paris,<br />
and the Temps. His work on the life and theatre<br />
of Moliére is a most complete criticism, but the<br />
book which was perhaps his greatest success was<br />
the one he consecrated to Marivaux.<br />
<br />
The death of another literary critic is just<br />
announced, a man whose name is perhaps nob<br />
widely known, but who was one of the interesting<br />
personalities of the Sainte-Beuve literary circle.<br />
M. Jules Levallois, who has just passed away, was<br />
Sainte-Beuve’s secretary. He worked, not only at<br />
the ‘‘ Lundis,” but also at the invaluable book on<br />
Port-Royal. In his day, M. Levallois was a great.<br />
authority on current literature. In the paper<br />
founded by Adolphe Guéroult he wrote the<br />
“ Variétés littéraires,” and his book reviews were<br />
considered as highly as Sarcey’s dramatic criti-<br />
cisms, Jules Levallois had almost outlived the<br />
group of literary friends he knew in the days of<br />
Sainte-Beuve, the de Goncourt brothers, Barbey<br />
d’Aurévilly, Alphonse Daudet, Hector Malot,<br />
Flaubert, About, and others. He retained his keen<br />
intelligence to the last, and_was as bright and<br />
active as a young man. He was a voracious<br />
<br />
reader, and only a few months ago he expressed<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 7<br />
<br />
his thankfulness that his eyesight was so good,<br />
He was then collecting a provision of books in the<br />
library of a mutual friend, and regretting that in<br />
our times people had given up reading, He<br />
belonged essentially to the old school, to the days<br />
when men had time to meet together and “ talk<br />
literature,” and his conversation was worth listen-<br />
ing to. One felt in his presence something of the<br />
atmosphere of the men of intellect with whom he<br />
had associated, for his memories and reminiscences<br />
were a part of himself, and gave a great charm to<br />
all that he said.<br />
<br />
A most interesting book has recently been pub-<br />
lished entitled “ Idées Sociales et Faits Sociaux.”<br />
It contains several lectures which were given last<br />
winter at the house of the Baroness Piérard.<br />
<br />
“ Le Socialisme et son Evolution” is the title<br />
of the lecture by M. Souchon, who tells us that the<br />
idea of socialism is as old as humanity. He traces<br />
it back to the Grecians and Romans, and shows<br />
the various stages through which it has passed.<br />
<br />
“ L’Organisation Professionnelle” is the practical<br />
side of the question, and this is a very thoughtful<br />
article. The most interesting chapter in the book<br />
is the one by M. Riviere, “Vingt Ans de Vie<br />
Sociale.” This is not so much an exposition of<br />
theories as a statement of experiences. M. Riviére<br />
is a practical man, who for the last twenty years<br />
has been watching the results of his own experi-<br />
ments, and who has discovered for the wheels of<br />
his machinery an excellent receipt for oil;<br />
“ Beaucoup de patience, non moins de fermeté, pas<br />
mal de respect pour la liberté de louvrier, avec<br />
addition de justice généreuse, affectueuse méme.”<br />
<br />
A volume of short stories and sketches by<br />
M. Georges Clemenceau, entitled “Aux Embus-<br />
cades de la Vie,” is well worth reading.<br />
<br />
There are in all some fifty stories arranged in<br />
three divisions: “Dans la Foi,” “Dans l’Ordre<br />
Etabli,” and “Dans l’Amour.”<br />
<br />
The subjects are all delicately handled, the<br />
stories themselves light, but there is much to read<br />
between the lines. In “Le Fétiche de Mokou-<br />
bamba,” we have a poor negro who is converted<br />
and reconverted times without number to the<br />
various beliefs and religions of the people who<br />
take an interest in him.<br />
<br />
Then there is a story of a German pastor who<br />
is unfortunate enough to wake up to the idea that<br />
there is no devil. His wife is horrified and thinks<br />
it her duty to leave him, and the members of his<br />
congregation decide that he must be an atheist.<br />
<br />
There is a most amusing story, too, of a poacher,<br />
which serves to show up the absurdity of certain<br />
laws. Another excellent study is “Justin<br />
Cagnard,” a type of the man who works mechanic-<br />
ally. He is described as a “ produit de l’accu-<br />
mulation quotidienne du labeur ancestral obstiné<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
dans le méme sillon. Il était le rouage d’une<br />
machine dont l’impulsion venait uniquement de la<br />
Vitesse acquise des anciens. II n’était ni intelligent,<br />
puisqu’il ne concevait rien au deli de son métier,<br />
ni béte puisque’il suivait avec suects la routine<br />
des affaires... .” The whole volume is full of<br />
the thoughts and reflections of a keen observer of<br />
human nature,<br />
<br />
“Chez les Rois” is another book of short<br />
stories by Adolphe Aderer. The first of thege<br />
stories is, however, not fiction. It is entitled<br />
“ Meyerling,” and is supposed to be a true account<br />
of the celebrated tragedy of the Archduke Rudolf,<br />
The other sketches in the book are more or less<br />
improbable. ‘<br />
<br />
In “Sébastien Trume,” the new novel by M.<br />
Sauvage, we are introduced to a number of indivi-<br />
duals who are all in search of Utopia. Among<br />
them we havea man devoted to the occult sciences,<br />
a priest, a professor who is also a philosopher, an<br />
anarchist and a young man who listens to the<br />
theories and ideas of all the others, and can come<br />
to no conclusion about life and_ its meaning.<br />
When he is in despair, he is fortunate enough to<br />
fall in love with a young girl, who proves to him<br />
that in spite of all worries and difficulties life is<br />
well worth living.<br />
<br />
“Les Gens de Tiest,” by George Vires, is a book<br />
without any strong plot, and is only interesting<br />
as a study of life and customs in a quaint little<br />
Belgian town.<br />
<br />
“ Les Oiseaux s’envolent et les Fleurs tombent ”<br />
is the poetical title of the novel recently published<br />
by M. Elémir Bourges, one of the members of the<br />
Goncourt Academy, We are told that M. Bourges<br />
Spends about ten years in writing a book, and<br />
certainly these five hundred pages must have<br />
required a great amount of time. The scene is<br />
laid in Russia about the year 1845, and the whole<br />
story is full of action. It is distinctly melo-<br />
dramatic, treating of jealousy, the abduction of a<br />
child, and of a boy who is a Grand Duke, but grows<br />
up to manhood, believing himself to be a very ordi-<br />
nary individual. He is discovered asa Communist<br />
after the war of 1870, and destined by his parents<br />
to marry a princess, who proves to be the very<br />
girl with whom he has already fallen in love. The<br />
whole book is full of startling incidents, inter-<br />
spersed with a certain amount of philosophy.<br />
<br />
M. de Réenier’s novel « Mariage de Minuit,” is<br />
disappointing. One expects, perhaps, too much<br />
from a poet, and the tone of this book is distinctly<br />
common-place. It is just the story of a young<br />
orphan girl left without any means of support.<br />
A coasin takes compassion on her and offers her<br />
a home. This cousin is a widow and a woman<br />
of the world, Her reputation is not spotless,<br />
and the young girl’s,position is therefore extremely<br />
<br />
<br />
8<br />
<br />
difficult. The characters are well drawn, but most<br />
of them are 80 uninteresting and vulgar that one<br />
regrets making their acquaintance. On the whole,<br />
there does not seem to be any raison d’ étre for a<br />
book of this kind.<br />
<br />
M. André Hallays has recently published a<br />
book entitled “A travers la France.” It is com-<br />
posed of notes taken during a ramble through<br />
Normandy, Touraine, Burgundy, and Provence.<br />
It is full of historical anecdotes and legends<br />
belonging to the places visited, so that it is an<br />
invaluable guide to anyone making a study of<br />
provincial France. :<br />
<br />
“Une Vie d’ambassadrice au siecle dernier,” by<br />
M. Ernest Davdet, is the biography of the Princess<br />
de Lieven, the celebrated woman who was so well<br />
known in French, Russian and English political<br />
circles from 1825 to 1857. The book is as<br />
interesting aS any novel, giving as it does so<br />
many anecdotes about the men and women of that<br />
epoch.<br />
<br />
Seyeral new writers are coming to the front, and<br />
among them M. Charles Recolin. “ Le Chemin<br />
du Roi,” by this author is a decided success. It<br />
is a story in which all the characters live. ‘Fhe<br />
theme is by no means new but it is worked out<br />
well. Andrette Jouanollou comes of a family<br />
which for more than four hundred years has lived<br />
in the Pyrenees. Her father is an artist whose<br />
two great interests in life are his daughter and his<br />
pottery. Andrette has been educated well, and<br />
has great talent as a poetess. A young farmer iS<br />
in love with her, but she ig romantic and dreads<br />
the thought of a prosaic existence. Just at this<br />
critical time a Parisian comes to the little village.<br />
He edits a review, and is in search of information<br />
concerning certain legends. The schoolmaster<br />
introduces him to Andrette, and the sequel is that<br />
the village girl, with her fresh, romantic ideas,<br />
marries the blasé Parisian. The story reminds<br />
one of the “ Princess. of Thule,” but the French<br />
story is more subtle and the analysis of character<br />
more delicately treated.<br />
<br />
Among other new novels recently published are<br />
“Te Rival de Don Juan,” by M. Louis Bertrand ;<br />
“Tes Paradis,” by Auguste Germain ; “La Com-<br />
tesse Panier,’” by M. de Comminges 5 “ Marilisse,”<br />
by M. Marcelin ; ‘Mademoiselle de Fougeres,”<br />
by Ernest Daudet ; “ Un Menage dernier eri,” by<br />
Gyp 3 * Flamen,” by Mme. Caro.<br />
<br />
Mile. Hélene Vacaresco has ]<br />
yolume of poems entitled “ Lueurs et<br />
among which are some gems.<br />
<br />
In the action brought by M. Léon de Rosny,<br />
the Orientalist, against MM. Boex, to restrain<br />
them from using the name of J. H. Rosny in<br />
signing their literary work, the plaintiff was non-<br />
suited, The Court held that as the brothers<br />
<br />
ust published a<br />
Flammes,”<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
Rosny had used that pen-name for seventeen years<br />
without any protest from M. Léon de Rosny, and<br />
that as their publications were of an entirely<br />
different nature from his, there could be no con-<br />
fusion caused by the brothers Rosny continuing<br />
to sign the name they had adopted.<br />
<br />
A literary convention has been concluded<br />
between France and Montenegro for a period of<br />
ten years. The two governments undertake to<br />
prevent any illicit reproduction of artistic and<br />
literary works on their respective territories.<br />
<br />
M. ‘Liebler has made arrangements with M.<br />
Henry Bataille for the production of this author’s<br />
new five-act play, “ Mademoiselle de la Valliere,” in<br />
se York. he piece is to be put on in London<br />
also.<br />
<br />
The principal play at the Sarah<br />
Theatre this winter will be “ La Sorciére,” by<br />
M. Sardou. The scene is laid in Toledo during<br />
the troubled times of the struggles with the<br />
Moors. The first night is announced for the end<br />
of November.<br />
<br />
M. Bour, who ran the International Theatre in<br />
Paris last year, has now taken over the Trianon<br />
Theatre and made arrangements for producing<br />
some extremely interesting new plays. He opens<br />
with one by M. Paul Loyson, the son of Pere<br />
Hyacinthe.<br />
<br />
M. Porel has a very long programme for us this<br />
season, and Madame Réjane has some important<br />
creations. Among the new pieces are “ Antoinette<br />
Sabrier,” by Romain Coolus ; “La Meilleure Part,”<br />
by MM. Pierre de Coulevain and Pierre Decourcelle ;<br />
“Tes Menottes,” by MM. Simon and Xanrof.<br />
<br />
‘he Odeon Theatre opens with “ Resurrection,”<br />
and is soon to produce the French version of<br />
«The Second Mrs. Tanqueray,” and later on<br />
«“ Plorise Bonheur,” by M. Brisson.<br />
<br />
Auys HaLLarD.<br />
<br />
Bernhardt<br />
<br />
—__—__-—> +<br />
<br />
LITERARY, DRAMATIC, AND MUSICAL<br />
PROPERTY.<br />
<br />
——<br />
Dumas Translations.<br />
<br />
N announcement has appeared in many of the<br />
literary papers that Messrs. Methuen & Co.<br />
have commenced the publication of a new<br />
<br />
English translation of the novels of Dumas, under<br />
the editorship of Mr. A. R. Allinson. The notice<br />
states that Mr. Allinson’s competence is un-<br />
questioned and that he is assisted by a group of<br />
able scholars, and ends with these words, “It is a<br />
bold scheme, and we hope Messrs. Methuen will<br />
have an immense success with it.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
aeons<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“matter: out of the 18th section<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 9<br />
<br />
We should hope so too, did not a letter lie before<br />
us, written by the editor, inviting the co-operation<br />
of one not unknown as a writer and translator, on<br />
the following terms—a remuneration of 2s. per<br />
thousand words, printer’s estimate of length to<br />
be taken as final, and the translation to be issued<br />
in the name of the editor (Mr. Allinson) as being<br />
generally responsible for the whole series,<br />
<br />
If we work out the sum more completely, we<br />
find that a novel of 200,000 words would bring<br />
the translator £20.<br />
<br />
We do not know whether this “bold” offer<br />
emanates from the firm of Messrs. Methuen or<br />
from Mr. Allinson. But will it be accepted ? We<br />
trust not.<br />
<br />
For if the “able scholar” is writing for a liveli-<br />
hood, he will hardly attain it at this price. If<br />
for pleasure, it is not fair that he should undersell<br />
his fellow members of the profession of letters in<br />
the labour market.<br />
<br />
It is to be observed that the translator will not<br />
even gain the merit of his work which Mr.<br />
Allinson proposes to appropriate.<br />
<br />
———+—_<br />
<br />
The Serial Use,<br />
<br />
Tux following point merits the attention of<br />
members of the Society :—An author wrote an<br />
article for an American magazine called Outing, a<br />
periodical holding a strong position in the United<br />
States, and copyrighted on both sides of the<br />
Atlantic. The member, so far as he was concerned,<br />
had no intention whatever of transferring to the<br />
magazine a larger portion of his property than the<br />
right to produce in serial form in that paper. The<br />
article was published in due course. Imagine his<br />
astonishment, however, when, at a later date, it re-<br />
appeared in an English magazine. He put his<br />
objection before the Editor of Outing and com-<br />
plained of the use thut had been made of his MS.<br />
The Editor pointed out to him that although<br />
perhaps he had not intended to convey the whole<br />
serial use, yet he had altered the receipt that<br />
had been forwarded to him in his own hand-<br />
writing from “ All rights to your MS.” to “The<br />
right of serial use, of your MS.” without in any<br />
way limiting the serial use. The member then<br />
referred the matter to the Secretary of the Society<br />
in order to obtain a decision as to his exact legal<br />
position, and was informed that, under the circum-<br />
stances of the case, the Editor of Outing was acting<br />
entirely within his rights.<br />
<br />
The point to which the attention of members<br />
must be called is (1) to be careful when they<br />
enter into contracts with editors of magazines<br />
as to the rights which they sell ; (2) to take the<br />
of the Act by<br />
<br />
making an express contract ; and (3) to limit the<br />
express contract to serial use in one issue of the<br />
magazine.<br />
<br />
Tt was not long ago that Mr. Longman, at the<br />
meeting of the Publishers’ Association, complained<br />
of this sale without limitation of serial rights, and<br />
the serious loss that might result to a publisher<br />
who purchased the copyright without knowledge<br />
of this contract. The point was dealt with in<br />
detail in The Author.<br />
<br />
ot<br />
<br />
Nethersole +. Bell.<br />
<br />
Ty the above-named case, an action was brought<br />
by Miss Olea Nethersole for infringement of her<br />
rights ina play called Sapho,” which was written<br />
by Clyde Fitch, the well known American<br />
dramatist, and taken from Monsieur Daudet’s<br />
novel. The defendants also produced a play called<br />
“Sapho,” and put forward in their defence that<br />
their play was written in Australia in 1899, before<br />
the date of Mr. Fitch’s play, and was an adaptation<br />
from an English translation of the novel.<br />
<br />
The first point to be decided in this, as indeed in<br />
every question of infringement of copyright, is how<br />
far one play corresponds with or appears to have been<br />
taken from the other. This point must be settled<br />
on general principles, and for this reason the<br />
matter was referred to a theatrical expert, Mr.<br />
Seymour Hicks. The second question to be<br />
decided is whether the evidence shows that both<br />
plays were taken from an original source, or<br />
whether one play or, at any rate, great parts of it<br />
were taken from the other. Mr. Seymour Hicks’<br />
report has not been set forth in any of the papers,<br />
but it would appear that he had no doubt in his<br />
mind that the play of the defendants contained<br />
great portions of the action of Mr, Fitch’s play.<br />
The second question then had to be determined.<br />
Whether it was possible that the defendants could<br />
have written their play from a common origin, or<br />
whether there was any deliberate adaptation from<br />
the other work. Mr. Justice Farwell, in summing<br />
up, came to the conclusion that he was unable to<br />
accept the explanation of the defendants that<br />
nothing was taken from Mr. Fitch’s play. He<br />
found it impossible to think that so many similari-<br />
ties were merely coincidences, and he gave jude-<br />
ment for the plaintiff with costs,<br />
<br />
Every verdict in a case of this kind adds some<br />
fresh argument, and some further evidence as to<br />
the manner and method by which a case of infringe-<br />
ment should be determined. Therefore the judgment<br />
should be studied, As, however, an infringement<br />
of copyright is not essentially a matter of law, but<br />
of fact, the ultimate verdict must in most cases be<br />
doubtful.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
10<br />
<br />
Springfield *. Thame.<br />
<br />
THs was a case of infringement of copyright of<br />
a different kind from that set forth in Nethersole v.<br />
Bell. The plaintiff wrote an article on a piece of<br />
news, describing an escape from drowning of Dr.<br />
MacHardy, Professor of Ophthalmology at King’s<br />
College Hospital.<br />
<br />
The article was produced, subject to considerable<br />
editorial alteration, in the Daily Mail, and also<br />
appeared in the W estminster Gazette and in the<br />
Daily Chronicle. The Evening Standard reprinted<br />
the article with very slight alteration from the<br />
Daily Mail version, and the plaintiff demanded<br />
full payment, but was refused on the ground that<br />
the article had not come direct from him. The<br />
defendants, however, offered the sum of 2s. 6d.,<br />
which was not accepted.<br />
<br />
It is an exceedingly difficult matter to give a<br />
fair exposition of a case of this kind, unless it is<br />
possible to quote the original paragraph as written<br />
by the plaintiff, the paragraph in the Daily Mail,<br />
and the paragraph that appeared in the Avening<br />
Standard, but the Judge, Mr. Justice Joyce,<br />
evidently came to the conclusion that the editor of<br />
the Daily Mail had so altered the paragraph that<br />
although he had taken the piece of news from the<br />
plaintiff he had virtually made the paragraph his<br />
own by the alteration. But the plaintiff had been<br />
paid for the use the editor of the Daily Mail had<br />
made of his work. The cutting from the Evening<br />
Standard was merely a statement of a piece of<br />
news, though his Lordship seemed to think that if<br />
the Daily Mail had inserted the plaintiff's “copy”<br />
verbatim et literatim, and the Evening Standard had<br />
then printed the paragraph, they would have been<br />
liable. The Judge therefore came to the conclusion<br />
that the plaintiff’s action must fail.<br />
<br />
The Referee, the following week, making fun of<br />
the eccentricities of Copyright Law, wrote as<br />
follows :—<br />
<br />
“Now that an English Judge has decided that a sub-<br />
editor altering a word or two in a paragraph becomes the<br />
author, the Incorporated Society of Authors is going to get<br />
rid of its committee of original writers and fill up the<br />
vacancies with sub-editors.<br />
<br />
“THE NEw CoPYRIGHT.<br />
“The greatest author on the earth<br />
Sent in a par. of passing worth,<br />
<br />
J, changing ‘sailor’ into ‘tar,’<br />
Became the author of the par.”<br />
<br />
———————__+——_+_____<br />
<br />
CIVIL LIST PENSIONS.<br />
<br />
—<br />
<br />
HE following is the list of pensions for 1902<br />
to March, 1908. This statement always<br />
draws the attention of members of the<br />
<br />
literary profession, as one of the first objects of<br />
the Act is to reward those who, “ by their useful<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
discoveries in science and attainments in literature<br />
and the arts have merited the gracious considera-<br />
<br />
tion of their sovereign and the gratitude of their<br />
country.”<br />
<br />
It is instructive to follow the extent to which<br />
these purposes have been fulfilled :—<br />
<br />
1902.— May 8.<br />
Miss Rhoda Broughton, in consideration of her merits £<br />
as a writer of fiction ... me a wae ae 18<br />
Mrs. Adelaide Fanny Eyre, in consideration of the<br />
services of her late husband, Mr. Edward John Eyre,<br />
the Australian Explorer and Governor of Jamaica 100<br />
William Raymond Fitzgerald, George Francis Fitz-<br />
gerald, and John Jellett Fitzgerald ... ane ... 100<br />
During the minority of any one of them, and in<br />
recognition of the services rendered to Science<br />
and Education by their late father, Professor<br />
George Francis Fitzgerald, F.R.S.: in trust to<br />
their mother, Mrs. Harriet Fitzgerald.<br />
Mr. Worthington George Smith, in consideration of<br />
his services to Archeology and Botanical illustra-<br />
tion, and of his inadequate means of support<br />
<br />
ore<br />
<br />
September 12.<br />
<br />
Mrs. Zaré Elizabeth Blacker, in recognition of the<br />
services of her late husband, Dr. A. Barry Blacker,<br />
M.D., who lost his life through his devotion to<br />
medical research ae oe ae ees 120<br />
<br />
October 21.<br />
<br />
Mr. Justin McCarthy, in recognition of his services<br />
to literature... or ae Be x -- 250<br />
<br />
Mrs. Margaret Duncan Adamson, in consideration of<br />
the services rendered to Philosophy by her late<br />
husband, Professor Robert Adamson, and of her<br />
straitened circumstances ges ee ee ie<br />
<br />
Miss Florence Buchanan, in consideration of her<br />
scientific researches and consequent failure of<br />
sight, and of her inadequate means of support .. 50<br />
<br />
December 20<br />
<br />
Miss Beatrice Hatch... aa si ae 23<br />
Miss Ethel Hatch ves ees cae ae se e:<br />
Miss Evelyn Hatch ee cae aoe a cus<br />
In consideration of the services of their father, the<br />
late Rev. Edwin Hatch, in connection with<br />
Ecclesiastical History, and of their straitened<br />
circumstances, such pensious to be additional<br />
<br />
to their existing pensions.<br />
<br />
1903.—March 25.<br />
Mr. James Sully, in recognition of his services to<br />
Psychology --- es ee oon Sos oe<br />
Mr. Alexander Carmichael and Mrs. Mary Frances<br />
Carmichael, jointly and to the survivor of them,<br />
in recognition of Mr. Carmichael’s services to the<br />
study of Gaelic Folk Lore and Literature ... io oe<br />
Miss Mary Elizabeth Maxwell Simpson, in considera-<br />
tion of the eminence as a chemist of her late father,<br />
Professor Maxwell Simpson, and of her straitened<br />
circumstances ... Oe ves a8 ove ee<br />
Miss Bertha Meriton Gardiner, in consideration of the<br />
eminence of her late husband, Mr. 8. R. Gardiner,<br />
asa historian .. ets see i ase on<br />
Mrs. Jane Earle, in consideration of the services of<br />
her late husband, Professor John Earle, to English<br />
Literature and Philology AS aes sk DO.<br />
<br />
105<br />
<br />
40<br />
<br />
78<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Tol «ee ee<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 11<br />
<br />
A MUSIC PUBLISHERS’ PROFITS.<br />
<br />
te<br />
<br />
WRITER in The Vocalist, a paper whose<br />
opinion no doubt thrills the musical world,<br />
has thought fit to criticise an article that<br />
<br />
appeared in the January, 1903, number of The<br />
<br />
Author.<br />
<br />
This article to which readers are particularly<br />
referred was entitled “ A Musical Agreement,” and<br />
set forth one ef those antediluvian documents<br />
which the musical publisher is still in the habit of<br />
imposing on the author of music. The comments<br />
accompanying were drastic, but well deserved.<br />
The end of the article set out a few figures of the<br />
cost of musical publication and of the musical<br />
publisher’s profits.<br />
<br />
The writer in The Vocalist, like a skilful advo-<br />
cate, ignores the terms of the agreement and the<br />
caustic remarks—perhaps he catches a scintillation<br />
of truth—and proceeds to expose to his own satis-<br />
faction the falsity of the figures. In his trite<br />
criticism he sneers at the writer—‘a little know-<br />
ledge may prove a dangerous thing.” He then<br />
proceeds to show not only how impossible it is for<br />
a music publisher to make a fortune, but how for<br />
an absolute certainty he is bound to become bank-<br />
rupt. The retort is obvious, “if a little knowledge<br />
is a dangerous thing,” “too much learning hath<br />
<br />
made him mad.”<br />
Please note his figures, the following is an<br />
extract from his luminous statement—<br />
<br />
“When a song is published, the first thing to be done is<br />
to place it on the market, which may be done in three<br />
different ways, according to the intention of the publisher,<br />
whose common experience is that although the first is a<br />
sine quad non, the two others are essential to commercial<br />
success.<br />
<br />
“(1) By empowering a traveller to tour the country with<br />
a copy of the song in question amongst his samples,<br />
soliciting orders for ‘the latest novelties,” from the retail<br />
trade, i.e., the music seller.<br />
<br />
(2) By engaging popular singers to warble the strains<br />
of ‘the latest novelty’ at their public engagements, before<br />
their highly expectant audiences.<br />
<br />
** (3) By advertising this latter fact in the columns of a<br />
daily newspaper, which is usually done on the front page<br />
of The Duily Telegraph.<br />
<br />
“Now these three things are usually made to work<br />
together,<br />
<br />
“We must therefore calculate, although somewhat<br />
toughly, the cost of carrying out these operations.<br />
<br />
“Cost of No. 1.—A traveller's expenses cannot work out<br />
at much less than £6 per week; his remuneration is<br />
probably from £1 to £3 a week fixed wages, plus a 10 per<br />
cent. commission ; but whatever his system of remuneration,<br />
it must surely amount to not less than £4 a week, judging<br />
by the superior class of man that must necessarily be<br />
engaged in this work. This works out at £10 a week, or<br />
allowing for a period during which the weekly expenditure<br />
is withheld while on holiday, £400 a year cost to the<br />
publisher, Now, assuming that the traveller has ten<br />
novelties constantly going, and calculating that one half<br />
<br />
of his usefulness is to push novelties, it means £200 is<br />
spent in ‘pushing’ say twenty novelties a year ; in other<br />
words the proportionate share of each song towards this<br />
expense is £10 a year,<br />
<br />
“Obviously this is but a rough calculation, but it is<br />
based on the facts as known by practical experience,<br />
<br />
“The cost under heading No. 2 is by no means easy to<br />
apportion, for although a publisher knows quite well that<br />
a good hearing is absolutely necessary to secure orders from<br />
his customers, the singers also know quite as well that their<br />
services have such a distinct market value that they are<br />
able to command high prices ‘for taking up ’ new songs,<br />
It is quite true that some singers sing songs simply because<br />
they suit the voice, or because the songs are artistic and<br />
appeal to their better feelings, but such cases are compara-<br />
tively rare, and the majority of singers still sing royalty<br />
songs for royalties’ sake. Far be it from me to say that if<br />
a singer has assisted to earn money for the publisher and<br />
the royalty owner, he or she is not fairly entitled to some<br />
of the spoil. But the risk to the publisher under existing<br />
<br />
_ conditions is, nevertheless, considerable, for it is well known<br />
<br />
how useless it is to try any one or two singers for one or<br />
two dozens (this has become the trade term for professional<br />
assistance)—if it be done at all it should be done thoroughly,<br />
and a gross of programmes is perhaps the very fewest that<br />
can be of any material service, Now, supposing the price<br />
per programme be taken at an average of seven shillings,<br />
this means casting about £50 as bread upon the waters,<br />
hoping to find it after very many days of patient watchine<br />
and waiting. .<br />
<br />
“So far the cost of making each song known to the<br />
public is £60.<br />
<br />
“ Cost under heading No. 3.—We now come to what may<br />
at first sight seem to be the least necessary, and the least<br />
profitable expense in connection with farming songs, ie.,<br />
advertising the fact of its being sung by a certain singer at<br />
a certain place on a certain day in a certain paper. Whether<br />
this be profitable or no, I am not prepared to express my<br />
candid opinion ; it is sufficient that custom has made it<br />
almost absolutely necessary. Now, the cost of advertising<br />
In Lhe Daily Telegraph (the recognised medium) is about<br />
5s. for the insertion of each song ; six insertions a week,<br />
therefore, amount to £1 10s. (no reduction on taking a<br />
quantity), or for—say three months, £18.<br />
<br />
“It will thus be seen that in addition to the initial cost<br />
of printing 2,000 copies of a song (which, bear in mind, the<br />
writer of the article in The Author generously puts at £15)<br />
other expenses amounted to £78, It is not for one moment<br />
suggested that a publisher expends as much on exploiting<br />
each of all the songs he publishes, but on an average it may<br />
be taken as a reasonable estimate of the expense he incurs<br />
in the case of songs that he reasonably hopes to sell.”<br />
<br />
It will be seen this man of knowledge takes £78<br />
as a not unreasonable figure for advertising one<br />
song. His words are “on an average,” ete,<br />
<br />
The case must not be overstated, say then<br />
£60.<br />
<br />
He accepts the cost of production, quoted in<br />
The Author of January—£15 for 2,000 copies—<br />
with a sneer. “ Many publishers,” he says in the<br />
early part of this article, “ would be only too pleased<br />
to publish a song on these terms.”<br />
<br />
We will accept the same figure,<br />
<br />
So far, then, in our efforts to save the publisher<br />
from bankruptcy, let the cost of production be<br />
limited to £75: £15 printing, etc., for 2,000<br />
copies, £60 for advertising and marketing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
12<br />
<br />
He then continues :<br />
<br />
** “We leave for the present the question of rent, salaries,<br />
And other incidental expenses of maintaining the up-keep<br />
of an office, which are part and parcel of the machinery of<br />
publishing a song, for each song clearly has to bear its share<br />
of these expenses, which, it is needless to say, are heavy.<br />
So far we have dealt only with the expense of what is known<br />
as “placing a song on the market,” and it can easily be seen<br />
that the mere printing of copies is but a trifle compared<br />
with the greater expense of dealing with the copies when<br />
printed. Now let us turn to the more important question<br />
of selling them. Happy, indeed, is the man who positively<br />
knows that he will certainly sell 1,500 of the 2,000 copies<br />
he has made, even if two, or, if you will, ten years are<br />
allowed for doing it. Why, the actual experience of pub-<br />
lishers is, that on an average, taking large houses (which<br />
can always command some gort of sale) with the small, only<br />
one song in twenty ever exceeds a sale of 1,000 copies, and<br />
songs which reach a sale of 5,000 in a year are quite excep-<br />
tional, and it is safe to say that out of every fifty songs<br />
published in London, at least forty never see a second<br />
edition, and of the other ten only one or two go into a fifth<br />
edition. So much, then, for the numbers. But what of<br />
prices? The contributor to Zhe Author calculates that the<br />
net return is ls. 2d. per copy.<br />
<br />
This ignorance is tantalizing to the publisher, and provokes<br />
exasperation. Why, the novelty rate is never higher than<br />
one-sixth of the marked price (4s.) which, of course, is only<br />
Sd. each, and very many novelties are sold in the present<br />
days of keen competition at one-eighth, which is only 6d.<br />
each. We will not mention lower rates, although they are<br />
known to most music publishers. This rate, obviously, is<br />
not permanent ; if it were, the publisher could not continue<br />
his business for six months, unless he carried it on as a<br />
hobby, or were actuated by philanthropic motives. No! as<br />
soon as a song shows vitality, and * is asked for” over the<br />
music-seller’s counter, then a ray of hope does indeed enter<br />
the counting-house, for he is able to raise his prices, and<br />
when the music-seller orders what he requires, he has to pay<br />
in the early days of success 10d. per copy ;_ but if the song<br />
has reached a certain height of prosperity, he pays an even<br />
shilling, provided he can order a quantity at a time ; if,<br />
however, he requires only a few, then the contributor to<br />
The Author is actually correct, the publisher really and<br />
truly receives ls. 2d. entire.<br />
<br />
Tn the above I have, perhaps, exposed certain trade<br />
secrets; but there are few people who are nowadays not<br />
more or less acquainted with them. I may be pardoned,<br />
therefore, if I have exposed one of the most fallacious<br />
statements ever uttered in a respectable paper of any status<br />
or standing.<br />
<br />
But I have not exhausted the subject by any means, and,<br />
although I must not presume on the space allotted to me, I<br />
must breathe a sigh over bad debts and long credits which,<br />
in the music trade, are without parallel elsewhere. These<br />
have to be provided for, however, and, even in the case of<br />
most cautious publishers they are a very serious item.”<br />
<br />
He is tantalised and provoked to exasperation.<br />
To ease his mind he blurts out strange trade secrets,<br />
that seemingly pervert all the politico-economical<br />
doctrines of supply and demand. For in this<br />
remarkable trade a large demand with infinite<br />
capacity for supply—reproduction is simple and<br />
expansive-—makes the product dearer, not cheaper.<br />
<br />
But his figures are no doubt correct.<br />
<br />
Again, to give his figures every advantage, in<br />
order if possible to save him from the ruin, which,<br />
according to the statement, must be the unenviable<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
end of “all those rash enough to produce songs,<br />
let it be supposed that the average price of each<br />
song is 10d., and that 1,500 out of the 2,000 are<br />
sold (an absurd estimate, according to his<br />
figures). He would then realise 15,000 pence,<br />
or 1,250 shillings, or £62 10s. On each song,<br />
therefore, he loses £75 — £62 10s. = £12 10s.<br />
Therefore, on the 40 songs out of the 50 he loses<br />
<br />
40 x 124= 40 % 25 = LOO" = £500.<br />
<br />
It is evident that the bankruptcy court must<br />
claim its victim. For if the publisher’s actual<br />
figures are taken, his loss must at the lowest<br />
computation be half as large again.<br />
<br />
It cannot be that, to save himself from this pre-<br />
ordained destruction, he sucks the blood of the<br />
composer.<br />
<br />
Perhaps other members of this generous class<br />
of philanthropic tradesmen who, so it is rumoured,<br />
make their contracts by word of mouth across their<br />
dining tables over the nuts and wine, may repudiate<br />
with indignation such a statement.<br />
<br />
But what does the musical composer say ?<br />
<br />
i<br />
<br />
MAGAZINE CONTENTS.<br />
<br />
ear<br />
BLACKWOOD’S MAGAZINE<br />
<br />
ONTAINS a graphic description by Mr. Reginald<br />
C Wyon of what he has seen in Macedonia, and other<br />
articles in the number are :<br />
<br />
The Homes and Haunts of Edward Fitzgerald. By his<br />
grand-niece, Mary Bleanor Fitzgerald Kerrich.<br />
<br />
‘An Irish Salmon River. By Sir Herbert Maxwell.<br />
<br />
The Man Who Knew. A short story by Perceval<br />
Gibbon.<br />
<br />
Personalia : Political, Social, and Various. By Sigma.<br />
<br />
Translations from Leopardi. By Sir Theodore Martin,<br />
K.C.B.<br />
<br />
Scolopaxiana : How to Walk for and Shoot Snipe.<br />
<br />
Marco Polo. By Charles Whibley.<br />
<br />
Lord Salisbury ; Humiliation ; Musings Without Method.<br />
<br />
‘A Malay Deer Drive. By George Maxwell.<br />
<br />
The Fiscal Crisis.<br />
<br />
Tur CORNHILL MAGAZINE.<br />
<br />
Barlasch of the Guard (Chapters xxviiii—xxx.). By<br />
Henry Seton Merriman (concluded).<br />
<br />
In Guipuzcoa, II, By Mrs. Woods.<br />
<br />
The Old Colonial System and Preferential Trade. By<br />
Sidney Low, L.C.C.<br />
<br />
“Rachel.” By Hugh Clifford, C.M.G.<br />
<br />
Some Recent Speculations on the Constitution of Matter.<br />
By W. A. Shenstone, F.R.S.<br />
<br />
The Pleasures of Fishing. By Stephen Gwynn.<br />
<br />
“ Sportie.” By Miss Constance B. Maud.<br />
<br />
‘A Visit to “ Le Procts Humbert.”<br />
<br />
Doggerel Ditties. By Dogberry.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
BRON AISI<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Sos<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 13<br />
<br />
A Pastoral.<br />
Poetic Justice.<br />
The Lapse of the Professor.<br />
<br />
By the Rev. H. G. D. Latham.<br />
By W. Basil Worsfold.<br />
By Arthur H. Henderson.<br />
<br />
FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW.<br />
<br />
Mr. Balfour’s Economic Creed.<br />
Lord Salisbury. By Sidney Low.<br />
The Evolution of French Contemporary Literature. By<br />
Octave Uzanne.<br />
The Fiscal Problem—<br />
() Article by Professor W. T. Hewins.<br />
(2) Sir Robert Peel and Mr. Chamberlain.<br />
Spender.<br />
(3) Will a Preference Tariff oppress the Poor ? By<br />
David Christie Murray<br />
War Commission Report. By Major Arthur Griffiths,<br />
The Macedonian Question. By H. N. Brailsford.<br />
Legend and Marie Bashkirtseff, By Prince Kara-<br />
georgvich.<br />
French Friendship and Naval Economy. By Archibald<br />
8. Hurd.<br />
Children’s Prayers and Prayer Manuals.<br />
H. Cooper.<br />
What Ireland Really Needs. By Sampson Morgan.<br />
A Maker of Empire. S. F. Bullock.<br />
The Questioners. By Herbert Trench.<br />
Theophano: The Crusade of the Tenth<br />
Frederic Harrison.<br />
Correspondence—<br />
(1) The Coming Ireland.<br />
(2) Mankind in the Making,<br />
<br />
By Harold<br />
<br />
By Edward<br />
<br />
Century.<br />
<br />
By Lady Bathurst.<br />
By Sir Wm. Bennett,<br />
<br />
LONGMAN’S MAGAZINE,<br />
<br />
Nature’s Comedian (Chapters vii., viii), By W. 5<br />
Norris,<br />
<br />
Wagers. By D. H. Wilson.<br />
<br />
Last Year. By A.C. S.<br />
<br />
A Michaelmas Move. By Chas. Fielding Marsh.<br />
<br />
Loafing-time. By Fred. Whishaw.<br />
<br />
Jellyby’s Plot.<br />
<br />
Egyptian Irrigation Works,<br />
A.M. Inst.C.E,<br />
<br />
Scholarship Howlers. By G. Stanley Ellis,<br />
<br />
At the Sign of the Ship. By Andrew Lang.<br />
<br />
By Lawrence Gibbs,<br />
<br />
MACMILLAN’S MAGAZINE,<br />
<br />
John Maxwell’s Marriage (Chapters xxix.—xxxii,), By<br />
Stephen Gwynn.<br />
<br />
Wreckage of Empire. By Hugh Clifford, C.M.G.<br />
<br />
The Sayings of Sir Oracle.<br />
<br />
Borough Councils and Rising Rates,<br />
Emmel, Ph.D.<br />
<br />
Hope.<br />
<br />
The Amusements of the People.<br />
<br />
Some Opinions of a Pedagogue.<br />
<br />
A Toiler’s Romance.<br />
<br />
The Irregulars of the N avy. By W. J. Fletcher,<br />
<br />
By Aloys N,<br />
<br />
By J. G. Leigh.<br />
By 8. T, Irwin.<br />
<br />
THE PALL MALL MAGAZINE,<br />
<br />
Phil May ; the Manand the Artist (with his last sketches<br />
in pen and pencil and coloured plates).<br />
<br />
The Brighton Road and the Motor Car. By C. G. Harper,<br />
(Illustrated by the Author.)<br />
<br />
The Discoverers of Radium. (With Portraits.)<br />
<br />
Hotels and Hotel Life in New York. (Ilustrated.)<br />
<br />
Literary Geography : the Lake Country. By William<br />
Sharp.<br />
<br />
Stories by Maurice Hewlett, John Oliver Hobbes, Sir<br />
F. C. Burnand, U, L. Sil berrad, and other well-known<br />
writers.<br />
<br />
.<br />
THE WorwD’s Work.<br />
<br />
Gladstone in his Last Days. Unpublished Sketch by A,<br />
S. Forrest. (Coloured frontispiece.)<br />
<br />
The March of Events: An Editorial Comment. (With<br />
full-page portraits of Mr. Gladstone (never before pub-<br />
lished), Mr. John Morley, M.P., Mr. Herbert Gladstone,<br />
M.P. (from special sittings), and the Hon. Whe Dp,<br />
Smith, M.P.),<br />
<br />
Mr. Balfour's Economics.<br />
<br />
German Agriculture under<br />
Dawson.<br />
<br />
Mr. Morley’s Life of Gladstone.<br />
C<br />
<br />
By Alfred Emmott, M.P.<br />
Protection, 3y W. H.<br />
<br />
By Augustine Birrell,<br />
K<br />
Why the Navy Costs so Much,<br />
The Day’s Work at W. H. Smith & Son’s,<br />
<br />
Sculpture by Machinery. (Illustrated.)<br />
<br />
The Poor Man’s Cow. By Home Counties, (Illustrated.)<br />
<br />
The Trade Union Congress.<br />
<br />
A Teetotal Island. By Charles T. Bateman,<br />
<br />
What Theatres Cost. By Fitzroy Gardner.<br />
<br />
Russia in Manchuria. By Alfred Stead. (Illustrated.)<br />
<br />
The Art of Swimming. By Montague A. Holbein,<br />
Cllustrated.)<br />
<br />
The Social Life of the Soldier,<br />
(IUustrated.)<br />
<br />
The Royal Commission and the War Office.<br />
<br />
Ocean Sanatoria. By Eustace Miles.<br />
<br />
The National Physical Laboratory.<br />
Carpenter, Ph.D.<br />
<br />
Gymnastics for Girls. Clustrated.)<br />
<br />
The Coming of the Motor Cab. (Illustrated.)<br />
<br />
The Books of the Month, (With portraits of Mr. James<br />
Lane Allen, Ellen Thorneycroft Fowler (Mas. Felkin), Dr,<br />
William Barry, Mr. Bernard Shaw.)<br />
<br />
The World of Women’s Work.<br />
<br />
Among the World’s Workers,<br />
<br />
By Archibald 8. Hurd,<br />
(ustrated.)<br />
<br />
3y Horace Wyndham.<br />
<br />
By W. C. H.<br />
<br />
QUARTERLY REVIEW.<br />
<br />
The forthcoming number will contain the following<br />
articles among others :—<br />
<br />
Sophocles and the Greek Genius,<br />
<br />
The Religion of Napoleon I. By J. Holland Rose.<br />
<br />
The Novels of Mr, Henry James.<br />
<br />
Our Orchards and Fruit-Gardens, By W. E. Bear.<br />
<br />
The Time-Spirit in German Literature. By Walter<br />
Sichel.<br />
<br />
Leo XIII. and his Successor.<br />
Richard Bagot.<br />
<br />
Impressions of South Africa, 1901 and 1903.<br />
<br />
The Journal of Montaigne.<br />
<br />
Macedonia and the Powers.<br />
<br />
The War Commission and Army Reform,<br />
Wilkinson.<br />
<br />
Lord Salisbury.<br />
<br />
Protective Retaliation,<br />
<br />
Mr. Morley’s Life of Mr, Gladstone,<br />
<br />
——1—~@—-<br />
TRADE NOTES.<br />
<br />
eee<br />
Land and Water (1902), Ltd.<br />
<br />
N | OTICE has been given that a petition for the<br />
winding up of the above company was<br />
on the 7th ult. presented to the Court by<br />
<br />
Spalding and Hodge, Ltd., of Drury Lane, London,<br />
creditors of the company, and that the said peti-<br />
tion will be heard betore Mr, Justice Buckley, at<br />
the Royal Courts of Justice, on the 27th inst.<br />
<br />
(Second Article.) By<br />
<br />
By Spencer<br />
<br />
<br />
14 THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
WARNINGS TO THE PRODUCERS<br />
OF BOOKS.<br />
<br />
—— + —<br />
<br />
ERE are a few standing rules to be observed in an<br />
agreement. There are four methods of dealing<br />
<br />
with literary property :—<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 />
Tn 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 />
“(.) 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 />
<br />
doctor !<br />
<br />
Ill. 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 />
All other forms of agreement are combinations of the four<br />
above mentioned.<br />
<br />
Such combinations are generally disastrous to the author.<br />
<br />
Never sign any agreement without competent advice from<br />
the Secretary of the Society.<br />
<br />
Stamp all agreements with the Inland Revenue stamp.<br />
<br />
Avoid agreements by letter if possible.<br />
<br />
The main points which the Society has always demanded<br />
from the outset are :—<br />
<br />
1.) That both sides shall know what an agreement<br />
means.<br />
<br />
(2.) The inspection of those account books which belong<br />
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 />
——__+—>_+__"__<br />
<br />
WARNINGS TO DRAMATIC AUTHORS.<br />
<br />
Saar<br />
EVER sign an agreement without submitting it to the<br />
Secretary of the Society of Authors or some com-<br />
_ petent legal authority.<br />
2. 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 />
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 in advance 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 (‘.¢., 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. ‘hey 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 />
——+——_—__—_<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 />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
should be especially careful therefore when entering into<br />
an agreement, and should take into particular consideration<br />
the warnings stated above.<br />
<br />
a<br />
<br />
HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY.<br />
<br />
—_— +<br />
<br />
1 VERY member has a right toask for and to receive<br />
: advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub-<br />
lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his<br />
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 ordinarysolicitors. Therefore, do not scruple to use<br />
<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 />
This<br />
<br />
8. Many agents neglect to stamp agreements.<br />
The<br />
<br />
must be done within fourteen days of first execution,<br />
Secretary will undertake it on behalf of members.<br />
<br />
9. Some agents endeavour to prevent authors from<br />
referring matters to the Secretary of the Society ; sO<br />
do some publishers. Members can make their own<br />
deductions and act accordingly.<br />
<br />
10. The subscription to the Society is £1 4s. per<br />
annum., or £10 10s. for life membership.<br />
<br />
15<br />
THE READING BRANCH.<br />
<br />
——>—»<br />
<br />
EMBERS will greatly assist the Society in this<br />
N 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 />
<br />
NOTICES.<br />
—+—~>—+—_<br />
<br />
HE Editor of The Author begs to remind members of<br />
<br />
the Society that, although the paper is sent to them<br />
<br />
free of charge, the cost of producing it would be a<br />
<br />
very heavy charge on the resources of the Society if a great<br />
<br />
many members did not forward to the Secretary the modest<br />
5s. 6d. subscription for the year.<br />
<br />
Communications for Zhe Author should be addressed to<br />
the Offices of the Society, 39, Old Queen Street, Storey’s<br />
Gate, S.W., and should reach the Editor not later than<br />
the 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 />
i<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 />
—1—~ +.<br />
<br />
The Secretary of the Society begs to give notice<br />
that all remittances are acknowledged by return of post,<br />
and he requests members who do not receive an<br />
answer to important communications within two days to<br />
write to him without delay. All remittances should be<br />
crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery Lane, or be sent<br />
by registered letter only.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
AUTHORITIES,<br />
<br />
—+—~>—+<br />
<br />
HERE has been some mention in the papers<br />
, since the last issue of The Author of Russian<br />
copyright, and it has been suggested that<br />
it is possible to obtain protection in that country.<br />
Inquiries we have made do not confirm this state-<br />
ment. Even the Russian author himself cannot<br />
always obtain security, as different laws with regard<br />
to copyright hold in different portions of Russia.<br />
To begin with, the author who publishes in<br />
Russia, in order to obtain any protection must<br />
be a Russian. This is a sine gud non. Even then<br />
he does not always obtain what he wants.<br />
We understand, however, that Russia is taking<br />
<br />
<br />
16<br />
<br />
steps (this understanding, like the proposal for<br />
copyright legislation in the Empire, has been<br />
prominent for many years) to consolidate all the<br />
local laws with a view to subsequent amendment.<br />
<br />
It is to be hoped that this development will be<br />
realised at no distant date.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
An article will be found in another column<br />
dealing with the commercial aspects of authorship,<br />
and refuting the contention of those who find that<br />
it suits their interests to deny the right of literature<br />
to have a commercial side. It was largely for the<br />
benefit of authors in their endeavour to understand<br />
the commercial possibilities of their work, and to<br />
secure the benefits from it which business-like<br />
methods afford, that the Society of Authors was<br />
founded, and has carried on its work ever since.<br />
<br />
Its members include men and women belonging to -<br />
<br />
all the three classes of writers into which the<br />
article in question divides authors, and the work<br />
which it carries on for individuals benefits authors<br />
as a whole, whether they be its members or not.<br />
From this point of view we would urge all writers<br />
to consider whether they are justified in accepting<br />
the advantages which the Society has gained for<br />
them without seeking to extend and increase those<br />
advantages for themselves and for others by joining<br />
the Society.<br />
<br />
-. We must record, if somewhat behind time, the<br />
marriage of Mr. Anthony Hope Hawkins, our late<br />
chairman, to Miss Elizabeth Sheldon, on the Ist<br />
of July. A number of present and former members<br />
of our committee combined with the President of<br />
the Society in presenting Mr. Anthony Hope<br />
Hawkins on the happy occasion with a silver punch-<br />
bowl and ladle as some token of their friendship<br />
and good wishes and appreciation of the services he<br />
has rendered the Society. The Society of Authors<br />
has never had a chairman who has been more devoted<br />
to its work, or has, by his unfailing courtesy,<br />
tact, and sound judgment, done more to promote<br />
its efficiency and success. All connected with it<br />
will, we are sure, unite in congratulations to Mr.<br />
Hawkins, coupled with the selfish hope that he<br />
may long be able to spare time to assist in its<br />
mavagement, and thus lighten the labour of his<br />
suCcCeSSOrs.<br />
<br />
Mempers of the Society have no doubt seen the<br />
letter which appeared in the papers towards the<br />
end of July, signed by the President and Chairman<br />
of the Committee, referring to the proposed public<br />
memorial to Sir Walter Besant.<br />
<br />
We are glad to have the opportunity to correct a<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
slight mistake which occurred in that letter. It<br />
stated that the sum of £340 was raised from among<br />
members of the Society only. This is not exactly<br />
true, as on looking through the list, we find two<br />
of the subscribers were not members of the Society.<br />
Messrs. A. P. Watt & Son, of which firm Mr. A.<br />
P. Watt, for many years Sir Walter Besant’s<br />
literary agent and finally his literary executor, is<br />
senior partner, made a subscription of twenty-five<br />
guineas. This amount is included in the sum of<br />
£340.<br />
<br />
Aw offer was made, by a firm whose only excuse<br />
can be that they do not hold the highest position in<br />
the rank of publishers, of £10 for an original novel<br />
of 60,000 words from the pen of a writer not<br />
altogether unknown for his ability, but unfortu-<br />
nately notorious for his chronic impecuniosity.<br />
The offer was, we are glad to say, rejected, If<br />
the work was worth printing at all, it was worth<br />
more than the amount stated.<br />
<br />
THE list of elections from October, 1902, to<br />
July 1903, will be published during the course of<br />
the month, as a supplement to the list of the<br />
Society already published.<br />
<br />
The cost of the Supplementary list will be two-<br />
<br />
pence.<br />
<br />
1<br />
<br />
OBITUARY.<br />
<br />
——<br />
<br />
R. WILLIAM WESTALL, the Novelist,<br />
died on Wednesday, the 9th of September,<br />
at the age of sixty-nine.<br />
<br />
He had been a supporter of the Society almost<br />
since its foundation. He joined in 1888.<br />
<br />
He was a writer of many novels, and although<br />
none of them ever became a great popular success,<br />
yet he was a sound craftsman and a careful worker,<br />
and knew well how to write an interesting book of<br />
incident and adventure. It is sad to have to<br />
chronicle the death of the older members.<br />
<br />
WE regret to announce also the death of the<br />
Rev. Prebendary Godfrey Thring, who had been a<br />
member of the society for nearly ten years. As a<br />
hymn writer he was exceedingly well known, some<br />
of his verses being the most popular in Hymns<br />
Ancient and Modern.<br />
<br />
His Church of England Hymn Book is now in<br />
the third edition.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
THE PERIL OF SHAKESPEAREAN<br />
RESEARCH.<br />
<br />
—_1—@—+—_<br />
<br />
OR some years past scarcely a month passes<br />
without receipt of a communication from a<br />
confiding stranger, to the effect that he has<br />
<br />
discovered some piece of information concerning<br />
Shakespeare which has hitherto eluded research.<br />
Very often has a correspondent put himself to the<br />
trouble of forwarding a photograph of the title-<br />
page of a late 16th or early 17th century book, on<br />
which has been scrawled in old-fashioned script<br />
the familiar name of William Shakespeare. At<br />
intervals, which seem to recur with mathematical<br />
regularity, I receive intelligence that a portrait of<br />
the poet, of which nothing is hitherto known, has<br />
come to light in some recondite corner of the<br />
country, and it is usually added that a contem-<br />
porary inscription settles all doubt of authenticity.<br />
<br />
I wish to speak with respect and gratitude of<br />
these confidences. I welcome them, and have no<br />
wish to repress them. But truth does not permit<br />
me to affirm that such as have yet reached me have<br />
done more than enlarge my conception of the scope<br />
of human credulity. I look forward to the day<br />
when the postman shall, through the generosity of<br />
some appreciative reader of my biography of Shake-<br />
speare, deliver at my door an autograph of the<br />
dramatist of which nothing has been heard before,<br />
or a genuine portrait of contemporary date, the<br />
existence of which has never been suspected. But<br />
up to the moment of writing, despite the good<br />
intentions of my correspondents, no experience of<br />
the kind has befallen me.<br />
<br />
There is something pathetic in the frequency<br />
with which correspondents, obviously of un-<br />
blemished character and most generous instinct,<br />
send me almost tearful expressions of regret that I<br />
should have hitherto ignored one particular docu-<br />
ment, which throws (in their eyes) a curious gleam<br />
on the dramatist’s private life. At least six times<br />
a year am I reminded how it is recorded in more<br />
than one obscure 18th century periodical that the<br />
dramatist, George Peele, wrote to his friend Marle<br />
or Marlowe, in an extant letter, of a merry meeting<br />
at a place called the “Globe” (which some take<br />
tobe a tavern). At that surprising assembly there<br />
were present, I am trustfully assured, not merely<br />
Edward Alleyn, the actor, not merely Ben Jonson,<br />
but Shakespeare himself, and together these cele-<br />
brated men are said to have discussed a passage in<br />
the new play of “ Hamlet.” The reported talk is<br />
at the best tame prattle. Yet here, if anywhere, I<br />
am often told, is Shakespeare revealed in uncon-<br />
stramed intercourse with professional associates.<br />
Are such revelations numerous enough, I am asked,<br />
to exeuse a biographer for overlooking this one ?<br />
<br />
17<br />
<br />
Unfortunately for my informants’ argument, the<br />
letter in question is an 18th century fabrication of<br />
no intrinsic brilliance or wit. It bears on its<br />
dull face’ marks of criminality which could only<br />
escape the notice of the uninformed. It is not<br />
likely to mislead the critical. Nevertheless it has<br />
deceived many of my uncritical correspondents, and<br />
largely for this reason it has constantly found its<br />
way into print without meeting serious confutation.<br />
It may therefore be worth while setting its true<br />
origin and subsequent history on record. Nothing<br />
that I can do is likely in all the circumstances of<br />
the case to prevent an occasional resurrection of<br />
the bodiless and spiritless creation, but at present<br />
the meagre spectre appears to walk in various<br />
quarters unimpeded, and an endeavour to lay it<br />
here may not be without its uses.<br />
<br />
Through the first half of 1763 there was published<br />
a monthly magazine called the Theatrical Review,<br />
or Annals of the Drama, an anonymous miscellany<br />
of dramatic biography and criticism. It ceased<br />
at the end of six months, and the six instalments<br />
were re-issued as “ Volume I.” at the end of June,<br />
1763; that volume had no successor.* The<br />
Theatrical Review, a colourless contribution to<br />
the journalism of the day, lacked powers of<br />
endurance. All that is worth noting of it now<br />
is that among its contributors was at least one<br />
interesting personality. He was a young man of<br />
good education and independent means, who had<br />
chambers in the Temple, and was enthusiastically<br />
applying himself to a study of Shakespeare and<br />
Elizabethan dramatic literature. His name, George<br />
Steevens, acquired in later years world-wide fame<br />
as that of the most learned of Shakespearean com-<br />
mentators. Of the real value of Steevens’s scholar-<br />
ship no question is admissible, and his reputation<br />
justly grew with his years. Yet Steevens’s temper<br />
was singularly perverse and mischievous. His con-<br />
fidence in his own powers led him to contemn the<br />
powers of other people. He enjoyed nothing so<br />
much as mystifying those who were engaged in the<br />
same pursuits as himself, and his favourite method<br />
of mystification was to announce anonymously<br />
the discovery of documents which owed all their<br />
existence to his own ingenuity. This, he admitted,<br />
was his notion of “fun.” Whenever the whim<br />
seized him, he would in gravest manner reveal to<br />
the Press, or even contrive to bring to the notice of a<br />
learned society, some alleged relic in manuscript or<br />
in stone which he had deliberately manufactured.<br />
His sole aim was to recreate himself with laughter<br />
at the perplexity that such unholy pranks invariably<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
* Other independent publications of similar character<br />
appeared under the identical title in 1758 and 1772. The<br />
latter collected the ephemeral dramatic criticisms of John<br />
Potter, a well-known writer for the stage,<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
18<br />
<br />
aroused. It is one of these Puck-like tricks that<br />
has spread confusion among my correspondents.<br />
<br />
The Theatrical Review, in its second number,<br />
offered an anonymous biography of the great<br />
actor and theatrical manager of Shakespeare’s<br />
day, Edward Alleyn. This biography was clearly<br />
one of Steevens’s earliest efforts. It is for the most<br />
part an innocent compilation. But it contains<br />
one passage in its author’s characteristic vein of<br />
mischief, which requires close attention in this place.<br />
Midway in the essay the reader was solemnly assured<br />
that a brand-new contemporary reference to Alleyn’s<br />
eminent associate Shakespeare was at his disposal.<br />
The new story “ carries with it ” (he was told) “ all<br />
the air of probability and truth, and has never been<br />
in print before.” “A gentleman of honour and<br />
veracity,” ran the next sentences, which artfully<br />
put the unwary student off his guard, “ in the com-<br />
mission of the peace for Middlesex, has shown us a<br />
letter dated in the year 1600, which he assures us has<br />
been in the possession of his family, by the mother’s<br />
side, for a long series of years, and which bears all<br />
the marks of antiquity.” The superscription was<br />
interpreted to run, “For Master Henrie Marle<br />
livynge at the sygne of the rose by the palace.”<br />
There followed at full length the paper of which<br />
the family of the honourable and veracious gentle-<br />
man “in the commission of the peace for Middlesex ”<br />
had become possessed “ by the mother’s side.” The<br />
words were these :—<br />
<br />
“ FRIENDE MARLE,<br />
<br />
“1 must desyre that my syster hyr watche, and<br />
the cookerie booke you promysed, may be sent by the man.<br />
I never longed for thy company more than last night ; we<br />
were all very merrye at the Globe, when Ned Alleyn did<br />
not scruple to affyrme pleasantely to thy friend Will, that<br />
he had stolen his speech about the qualityes of an actor’s<br />
excellencye, in Hamlet hys tragedye, from conversations<br />
manyfold which had passed between them, and opinyons<br />
given by Allen touchinge the subject. Shakespeare did<br />
not take this talke in good sorte; but Jonson put an end<br />
to the stryfe with wittielie saying, ‘“ This affaire needeth<br />
no contentione; you stole it from Ned, no doubt ; do not<br />
marvel ; have you not seen him act tymes out of number”?<br />
<br />
“Believe me most syncerelie,<br />
“ Harrie<br />
“ Thyne<br />
“G, PEEL.”<br />
<br />
The text of this strangely-spelt, strangely-<br />
worded epistle, with its puny efforts at a jest, was<br />
succeeded by a suggestion that “G. Peel,’ the<br />
alleged signatory, could be none other than George<br />
Peele, the dramatist, who achieved reputation in<br />
Shakespeare’s early days.<br />
<br />
Thus the freakish Steevens baited his hook.<br />
The sport which followed must have exceeded the<br />
impish angler’s expectations. Any one familiar<br />
with the bare outline of Elizabethan literary history<br />
should have perceived that a trap had been set.<br />
The letter was assigned to the year 1600. Shake-<br />
<br />
speare’s play of “ Hamlet,” to the performance of<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
which it unconcernedly refers, was not produced<br />
before 1602 ; at that date George Peele had lain<br />
full four years in his grave. Peele could never<br />
have passed the portals of the theatre called the<br />
“ Globe’; for it was not built until 1599. No<br />
tavern of the name is known. The surname of<br />
the peisoas to whom the letter was pretended to<br />
have been addressed, is suspicious. ‘ Marle” was<br />
one way of spelling “ Marlowe” at a period when<br />
forms of surnames varied with the caprice of the<br />
writer. The great dramatist, Christopher Marle,<br />
or Marloe, or Marlowe, had died in 1593; but<br />
“Henrie Marle” is counterfeit coinage of no<br />
doubtful stamp. The language and the style of<br />
the letter are obviously undeserving of serious<br />
examination. They are of a far later period than<br />
the Elizabethan age. Safely might the heaviest<br />
odds be laid that in no year of the reign of Queen<br />
Elizabeth ‘did friende Marle promyse G. Peel his<br />
syster that he would send hyr watche and the<br />
cookerie booke by the man,” or that “ Ned Alleyn<br />
made pleasante affirmation to G. Peel of friend Will’s<br />
theft of the speech in ‘Hamlet’ concerning an<br />
actor’s excellencye.”’ From top to toe the imposture<br />
stands confessed. But the general reader of the<br />
eighteenth century was confiding, unsuspicious,<br />
greedy of novel information. The description of<br />
the source of the document seemed to him precise<br />
enough to silence doubt. The Theatrical Review<br />
of 1763 succeeded in launching the fraud on a<br />
quite triumphal progress.<br />
<br />
Again and again, as the century advanced, was<br />
G. Peel’s declaration to “friend Marle” paraded,<br />
without hint of its falsity, to the gaze of purblind<br />
snappers-up of Shakespearean trifles. Seven years<br />
after its first publication, the epistle found admis-<br />
sion in a somewhat altered setting into so reputable<br />
a periodical as the “Annual Register.” Burke<br />
was still connected with that useful publication,<br />
and whatever information the “ Register” shielded,<br />
was reckoned to be of veracity. ‘‘G,. Peel” and<br />
“friende Marle” were there suffered to play their<br />
pranks in the best society in the year 1770.<br />
<br />
In 1777 there appeared an ambitious work of<br />
reference, entitled “‘ Biographia Literaria; or a<br />
Biographical History of Literature,” which gave its<br />
author, John Berkenhout,a free-thinking physician,<br />
his chief claim to remembrance. Steevens was a<br />
friend of his, and helped him in the preparation of<br />
the book. Into his account of Shakespeare, the<br />
credulous Berkenhout introduced quite honestly<br />
the fourteen-year old forgery. The reputed date<br />
of 1600, which the supposititious justice of the peace<br />
had given it in the Theatrical Review, was now<br />
suppressed. Berkenhout confined comment to the<br />
halting reminiscence, ‘‘ Whence I copied this letter<br />
T do not recollect, but I remember that at the time of<br />
transcribing it I had no doubt of its authenticity.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
Thrice had the trick been worked effectively in<br />
conspicuous places before Steevens died in 1800.<br />
But the evil that he did lived after him, and within<br />
a year of his death the old banner of imposture was<br />
waved by a living hand more vigorously than before.<br />
A correspondent, who concealed his identity under<br />
the signature of “Grenovicus,” sent Peel’s letter to<br />
the Gentleman’s Magazine in 1801, and it was duly<br />
reprinted in the number for June. ‘“Grenovicus”<br />
had the assurance to claim the letter as his own<br />
discovery. ‘‘To my knowledge,” he wrote, “ it has<br />
never yet appeared in print.” He refrained from<br />
indicating how he had gained access to it, but<br />
congratulated himself and the readers of the<br />
Gentleman’s Magazine on the valiant feast he<br />
provided for them. His act was apparently taken<br />
by the readers of the Gentleman's Magazine at his<br />
own valuation.<br />
<br />
Not that the discerning critic elsewhere remained<br />
altogether passive. Isaac D’Israeli denounced the<br />
fraud in his “ Curiosities of Literature,” but he and<br />
others did their protesting gently. The fraud<br />
looked to them too shamefaced to merit a vigorous<br />
onslaught. They imagined the misbegotten epistle<br />
must die of its own inanity. In this they mis-<br />
calculated the credulity of the general reader.<br />
“Grenovicus” of the Gentleman's Magazine had<br />
numerous disciples. Many a time during the<br />
past century has his exploit been repeated, and<br />
“@, Peel” has emerged from the shades of a long-<br />
forgotten book or periodical to disfigure the page<br />
of a modern popular magazine. I have met him<br />
in all his impudence in at least one collection<br />
of Shakespeareana published during the present<br />
century. His occasional re-interment in the future<br />
from the time-honoured jungle of the ‘‘ Annual<br />
Register ” the Gentleman’s Magazine may safely be<br />
prophesied. In those dusky retreats the forged<br />
letter lurks unchallenged, and there will always be<br />
some explorers, who, being strangers to exact know-<br />
ledge, will from time to time suddenly run the<br />
unhallowed thing to earth and bring it forth asa<br />
new and unsuspected truth.<br />
<br />
Perhaps forgery is too big a word to apply to<br />
Steevens’s insolent concoction. Others worked at<br />
later periods on lines similar to his ; but, unlike his<br />
disciples, he did not seek from his misdirected<br />
ingenuity pecuniary gain or even notoriety; for he<br />
never set his name to this invention of “Peel” and<br />
“Marle,” and their insipid chatter about “ Hamlet ”<br />
at the “Globe.” It is difficult to detect humour<br />
in Steevens’s endeavour to delude the unwary.<br />
But the perversity of the human intellect has no<br />
limits. This ungainly example of it is only worth<br />
attention because it has sailed under its false colours<br />
without serious molestation for one hundred and<br />
<br />
forty years.<br />
Sripney Lug.<br />
<br />
19<br />
<br />
THE COMMERCIAL ASPECTS OF<br />
AUTHORSHIP.<br />
—_+———_<br />
<br />
UTHORS may be classified in various ways,<br />
according to the point of view from which<br />
they are regarded. For the purposes of<br />
<br />
this paper they may be divided roughly into three<br />
classes : (1) Those who live by tlieir work. (2)<br />
Those who supplement by their work incomes<br />
derived from other sources sufficient to enable<br />
them to live without writing. (3) Those who.<br />
write without relying on the profits of their work<br />
to any appreciable extent. There are also men<br />
and women not yet ranking as authors who aspire<br />
to belong to one of these classes. Hach of the<br />
three classes defined above may again be divided<br />
into two sections, the one consisting of those who<br />
pay to their business relations with business men<br />
publishing their writings as close attention as they<br />
can, and the other of those who do not. The object<br />
of an autbor in paying attention to business is<br />
usually to make the full profit which is his due.<br />
This, however, need not be his only motive, for in<br />
some cases a writer is chiefly concerned with<br />
gaining access to the largest possible number of<br />
the public in order to make his opinions known,<br />
or for other reasons, and then the methods by<br />
which his work is circulated, and the considera-<br />
tion and supervision of details connected with this<br />
may be of importance to him. The largest pro-<br />
portion of those who from indifference to pecuniary<br />
considerations or other causes do not make as<br />
large a profit as they are fairly entitled to do,<br />
naturally belong to the third of the classes sug-<br />
gested. There are, however, many of them to be<br />
found in the second, and a smaller proportion in<br />
the first. On the other hand, there are some who<br />
obtain full value for their literary wares, who<br />
might by their position be supposed to be in-<br />
different in the matter. The eminent statesman<br />
who writes on “Fiscal Fatuity” in a heavy<br />
magazine, and the lady of title who publishes an<br />
article in a lighter periodical on “Ought Girls to<br />
Chaperon their Mothers ?” may be looked on by<br />
some of their fellow-contributors as essentially<br />
amateurs, but they are as a rule not only desirous,<br />
but thoroughly able to obtain very good prices.<br />
Their competition may be regarded by some writers<br />
as not quite fair, but it is at least as honourable as<br />
that of those who endeavour to obtain publication<br />
by underselling others to whom payment is a more<br />
necessary consideration than to themselves. It is<br />
to writers who neglect, and possibly despise, the<br />
business side of the author’s calling that this<br />
paper is primarily directed, and particularly to<br />
any who may not avail themselves of the assistance<br />
in such matters which the Society of Authors<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
20<br />
<br />
supplies. They are principally to be found outside<br />
its ranks; but the circulation of Zhe Author is<br />
not confined to members, nor has the society in<br />
establishing and strengthening the commercial<br />
position of authorship benefited its members<br />
only.<br />
<br />
That authorship should have a commercial<br />
position, or a commercial aspect at all, is treated<br />
by some as undesirable. This view is put forward<br />
both by those who wish to make as much money<br />
as possible by exploiting the author’s work, and<br />
by others who claim that art should be pursued<br />
“for art’s sake,” and see something degrading in<br />
an author bargaining for the best price obtain-<br />
able, as if he were a mere capitalist or artizan, or<br />
any other person seeking a livelihood. ‘ Art for<br />
art’s sake” is an attractive ideal programme con-<br />
densed into proverbial form, but like many charming<br />
ideas it is more frequently recommended to others<br />
than carried into practice by those who preach it.<br />
Even they who claim to pursue “art for art’s<br />
sake? and gain the reputation of actually doing<br />
so, may to some extent be deceiving themselves<br />
and others. “ Art for amusement’s sake” is quite<br />
a different thing, and so is “art for notoriety’s<br />
sake.” Either can be quite harmless to those<br />
immediately concerned, but may to some extent<br />
affect fellow artists injuriously.<br />
<br />
At the last dinner of the Incorporated Society<br />
of Authors, Mr. Rider Haggard made a<br />
speech in which incidentally he proclaimed his<br />
opinion that Milton, when he accepted £10 for<br />
“Paradise Lost,” did so for no other reason<br />
than because it was the best price he could get.<br />
Turning to our own times and mentally reviewing<br />
the names of those held eminent in the artistic<br />
professions, we should find it difficult to discover<br />
many who pursue a different policy. We might,<br />
indeed, among the ablest writers, painters, sculptors<br />
and actors of to-day light upon some who are not<br />
keen men or women of business, and who conse-<br />
quently do not get for their work the bes! price<br />
possible. We should find both among those out-<br />
wardly most successful and those less so, many<br />
doing their best work without regard for the question<br />
whether their best work in an artistic sense would<br />
be most popular or most lucrative, but we should<br />
not find or expect to find them giving away<br />
their productions for less than the market value<br />
vis they had succeeded in establishing for<br />
them.<br />
<br />
It would, therefore, be impossible to say with<br />
truth that in the professions selected above as<br />
entitled to be termed artistic, the best workers<br />
were indifferent to pecuniary *value or would<br />
repudiate the existence of a business side to art.<br />
They would not obtrude it nor should anyone else.<br />
The Author, however, is the organ of a society<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
which concerns itself principally with the business<br />
aspects of authorship, and these aspects are<br />
necessarily conspicuous in its pages.<br />
<br />
If, however, it is conceded that authorship has its<br />
commercial side, which is not altogether undeserving<br />
of consideration, it may be worth while to ask<br />
whether authors who are indifferent in business<br />
matters can in any case justify their attitude.<br />
They are not to be found in great numbers, per-<br />
haps, in the class of professional writers, but all<br />
must recognise the fact that loose business methods<br />
may substantially diminish the circulation of the<br />
author’s work if it is his ambition to increase the<br />
number of his readers, and that from a pecuniary<br />
point of view they can increase the profits of no<br />
one except the publisher. It has, however, been<br />
pointed out that there are authors to whom their<br />
literary work as such is not essential to their liveli-<br />
hood. A considerable bulk of literature is put upon<br />
the market by these, while some of it is of high<br />
value, both from a pecuniary point of view and<br />
otherwise. Many scientific writers, compilers of<br />
educational books, travellers and biographers, for<br />
example, are to be found among authors who do<br />
not live by their pens, as well as among producers<br />
of fiction, poetry, and lighter literary work. It is<br />
among these that the business possibilities of<br />
authorship are most frequently neglected, and if<br />
they are reminded of them, they have many reasons<br />
to give for their indifference.<br />
<br />
In the first place they may say that the matter<br />
is their concern, and the concern of no one else.<br />
In this they are only partly right. To object<br />
to one person under-selling another savours of<br />
trades unionism and of protective policies, regarded<br />
by some as leading to objectionable interference<br />
with the freedom of contract. There is, however,<br />
an undeniable hardship inflicted upon all in a<br />
weak position (7.e., those who have to work to live<br />
and who are struggling to do so), when others in<br />
a stronger position (i.e., those subject to no such<br />
necessity) under-sell them, or by acquiescing in<br />
lax business ways, make it difficult for any to<br />
insist upon stricter methods. These are the<br />
principal results of easy going ways, where the<br />
relations between the author and the publisher or<br />
editor are concerned. ‘Those, however, who are<br />
under discussion may say on the other hand:<br />
“We pursue a course which suits our objects.<br />
We desire to obtain public notice, for perfectly<br />
honest reasons. We write upon topics which we<br />
<br />
seek to make widely known, and we can best make<br />
<br />
them known by giving the terms asked by those<br />
who can secure a large circulation for us.” To<br />
such as these it may be pointed out that stricter<br />
methods will enable them to secure what they<br />
desire with greater certainty. Price is not the only<br />
important point which is stipulated for‘in a literary<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 21<br />
<br />
contract. The conditions under which the work<br />
will be placed upon the market, the manner in<br />
which it will be advertised, and other details also<br />
of importance have to be provided for, and the<br />
contract to publish will not be carried out with<br />
less energy, because the author understands and<br />
expects to be informed of the steps which are taken<br />
to secure the desired result. Even those, there-<br />
fore, to whom the possible money value of literary<br />
work is of no interest cannot afford to neglect the<br />
business side of literature, if they are in earnest<br />
in writing at all. Those who are not in earnest<br />
are recommended to become so, or to leave litera-<br />
ture alone.<br />
<br />
In any case the commercial aspects of author-<br />
ship are worthy of the study of all writers. It has<br />
already been said that such matters need not<br />
be made obtrusive, but it may also be observed<br />
that the more carefully they are attended to, the<br />
less likely they are to be forced into prominence.<br />
It is the author who is loose in his business<br />
arrangements in their early stages who finds<br />
himself later on obliged to make them public in a<br />
court of law, or to forego advantages to which his<br />
indifference is less absolute than he supposed.<br />
<br />
H, A. A.<br />
$$<br />
<br />
GOLLANCZ vy. J. M. DENT & CO.<br />
————1—<br />
OME of our readers may have noticed in the<br />
daily papers some months ago the report of<br />
a law case of interest to authors under the<br />
above title. It has not previously been mentioned<br />
in The Author because the case decided in the<br />
Courts covered only part of the area of controversy<br />
between the parties. All matters in dispute were<br />
ultimately satisfactorily settled with the assistance<br />
of the Society, and the points of interest to authors<br />
may now be referred to.<br />
<br />
The essential facts are as follows: Mr. Gollancz<br />
was the editor of “The Temple Shakespeare,”<br />
published by Messrs. J. M. Dent & Co.; he also<br />
occupied till 1901 the position of general literary<br />
adviser to that firm, and was editor of the “ Temple<br />
Classics,” etc. The documents embodying the<br />
terms under which the parties were working<br />
together were informal, and the recent actions<br />
arose out of the obscurity of some provisions of<br />
these documents. The moral of the case is the old<br />
caution which can never be urged too strongly on<br />
authors: that their business arrangements should<br />
be clearly and accurately defined, however close,<br />
as in the present instance, may be their relations<br />
with their publishers. When Mr. Gollancz sought<br />
and obtained the help of the Committee in 1901<br />
his relations with his publishers had become very<br />
strained, and, shortly afterwards, Messrs, Dent<br />
<br />
gave him notice to put an end to his engagement as<br />
their literary adviser, and Mr. Gollancz felt obliged<br />
to take action against them. The questions that<br />
arose in this action will be dealt with presently,<br />
<br />
In the following spring (1902) Messrs. Dent<br />
announced the production of a “Temple Shakes-<br />
peare for Schools,” edited, not by Mr. Gollancz, but<br />
by Mr. Oliphant Smeaton and other writers.<br />
Mr. Gollancz deeming this to be an infringement<br />
of his rights, protested, and, failing to obtain<br />
redress, commenced an action for an injunction<br />
and damages in the Chancery Division. By<br />
one of the clauses of the agreement as to “The<br />
Temple Shakespeare,” it had been agreed that, in<br />
the event of a cheaper or other form of edition of<br />
any or either of the plays of Shakespeare being<br />
thought desirable by Messrs. Dent, it should form the<br />
subject of a new agreement with Mr. Gollancz on<br />
proratd terms. A School Edition had been long in<br />
contemplation in pursuance of this agreement, and<br />
before the breach between the parties a definite<br />
arrangement had been come to as to the amount<br />
of royalty to be paid to Mr. Gollancz.<br />
<br />
As Messrs. Dent persisted in bringing out “The<br />
Temple Shakespeare for Schools,” the Chancery<br />
action was proceeded with, and came on for hearing<br />
before Mr. Justice Swinfen-Eady on March 26th<br />
and 27th, 1903. The defence raised by the<br />
publishers was that the clause quoted above only<br />
referred to a cheaper or dearer edition of “The<br />
Temple Shakespeare,” but the judge overruled this<br />
contention, and, adopting Mr. Gollancz’s view of<br />
the meaning of the agreement and of his arrange-<br />
ments with Messrs. Dent, gave judgment in his<br />
favour for damages and costs.<br />
<br />
Mr. Justice Swinfen-Eady in his judgment<br />
remarked that the School Edition, as ultimately<br />
brought out by Messrs. Dent, although not an<br />
infringement of the copyright of “The Temple<br />
Shakespeare” (which, in fact, is vested in the pub-<br />
lishers) was intended to have the benefit of the<br />
reputation of that work. In fact, it was necessary<br />
for Mr. Gollancz (as this remark of the judge<br />
shows) to establish that he had no connection with<br />
the School Edition which bore the name of “The<br />
Temple Shakespeare.”<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Mr. Gollancz’s action for wrongful<br />
dismissal was awaiting hearing in the King’s<br />
Bench Division (where work is more in arrear<br />
than in the Chancery Division). The main points<br />
in this action, which are of general interest, were<br />
two: first, whether Messrs. Dent had any right<br />
to put an end to Mr. Gollancz’s engagement as<br />
their literary adviser which, on the wording of the<br />
letters that had passed, appeared to be (what Mr.<br />
Gollancz had always understood it to be) a life<br />
contract ; and, secondly, whether “The Temple<br />
Cyclopedic Primers,” a series planned by Mr.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
22<br />
<br />
Gollanez and published by Messrs. Dent, were<br />
to continue to be treated as “School Books” pro-<br />
cured by Mr. Gollancz for the publishers, so as<br />
to entitle him to a stipulated royalty thereon. In<br />
the result, satisfactory terms of settlement of all<br />
disputes between the parties were arrived at with-<br />
out this case coming on in Court, so that the deci-<br />
sion of the Court was not obtained on these points,<br />
one of which would have been of much general<br />
interest—i.e., the meaning and extent of the<br />
expression “School Books.” By the terms of<br />
settlement, however, the justification of Mr.<br />
Gollancz’s action was fully recognised by the<br />
publishers paying, in addition to all costs, a sub-<br />
stantial sum as compensation, and agreeing to<br />
continue the payment of royalty on the Primers,<br />
as arranged for by Mr. Gollancz.<br />
<br />
SPECIAL INSURANCE SCHEME.<br />
<br />
oo<br />
<br />
i HE Directors of the Legal and General Life<br />
Assurance Society are prepared to grant to<br />
members of the Society of Authors the<br />
<br />
following reduction from the tariff rates of endow-<br />
<br />
ment and whole-life assurance, viz. :<br />
10 % (ten per cent.) off the first premium paid.<br />
5 % (five per cent.) off each subsequent premium,<br />
<br />
The distinctive features of the Society are :<br />
<br />
(a) Perfected maximum policies by which life<br />
insurance is provided at the lowest possible cost.<br />
For example:<br />
<br />
Age 30, £1 16s. 0d. per £100 insured.<br />
Age 40, £2 10s. Od. per £100 insured.<br />
Age 50, £3 14s. 4d. per £100 insured.<br />
<br />
(0) With-profit endowment assurance, payable<br />
‘at any age, or previous death, to which the Society<br />
allots the largest bonus of any Insurance Company,<br />
viz., 88s. per cent. compound.<br />
<br />
Thereby a £100 policy increases as follows :<br />
<br />
Duration 10years. 20 years. 30 years. 40 years.<br />
Amount £120 £144 £172 £206<br />
<br />
Special quotations for old-age pensions may be<br />
had on application to the City office, 158, Leaden-<br />
hall Street, E.C., where any further information<br />
may be obtained.<br />
<br />
The directors will be glad to afford every<br />
facility for the working of the scheme, which<br />
they think will be of advantage to the members<br />
-of the Society of Authors.<br />
<br />
J. P. B. BLAKE,<br />
City Branch.<br />
<br />
158, Leadenhall Street, E.C.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
A GOOD BOOK.<br />
<br />
—— +<br />
<br />
V E are glad to welcome a new—the fifth—<br />
impression of Professor Raleigh’s manual,<br />
“The English Novel.”* Modestly<br />
<br />
described by its author as a little book on a<br />
<br />
great subject, it gives in its two hundred and<br />
<br />
eighty pages a singularly effective sketch of the<br />
history of this branch of literature from Malory to<br />
<br />
Scott, with critical studies of the chief English<br />
<br />
novelists before the appearance of the author of<br />
<br />
“‘ Waverley,” these two purposes being “connected<br />
<br />
by certain general lines of reasoning and specula-<br />
<br />
tion on the nature and development of the novel.”<br />
<br />
The historical sketch is adequate, the criticism<br />
generally penetrating and just, but it is in the<br />
connecting lines that we have found most pleasure.<br />
No book dealing with literary principles can fail<br />
to contain something of interest to authors, and<br />
the great expectations with which we approach any<br />
contribution to the subject by so eminent an<br />
authority as Professor Raleigh are fully realised.<br />
<br />
in so brief a note as this it is impossible to<br />
attempt to criticise this little manual ; we prefer<br />
to praise it in general terms and recommend it to<br />
the attention of literary men. Most books of the<br />
kind lose sight of the historical purpose and tend<br />
to become only critical studies ; Professor Raleigh<br />
contrives in the space at his disposal to keep both<br />
his objects prominently before him. His style is<br />
admirably simple and direct, and one lays aside<br />
the book with a clear knowledge of the steps by<br />
which the novel has risen to what it is, and also<br />
with the memory of many illuminating phrases<br />
emanating from a finely critical mind, and delicately<br />
and humorously couched.<br />
<br />
The pedigree of the English novel, as set forth<br />
here, derives from the novella of the Italians and<br />
the romance of chivalry ; the successive stages are<br />
represented by the “ Gesta Romanorum,” Malory’s<br />
“Morte Darthur,” Lyly’s “ Euphues” (strictly<br />
speaking, the first original prose novel written in<br />
English), the novellet or love pamphlet of Greene<br />
and Nash, “‘ The Character ”’ ; the realistic accounts<br />
of adventure represented by Defoe; the picaresque,<br />
the autobiographic, the Schools of Terror, repre-<br />
sented by Mrs. Radcliffe and Maturin, and of<br />
Theory represented by Godwin, the story of<br />
domestic satire, and lastly the union of the novel<br />
proper with the romance which was effected by<br />
Sir Walter Scott.<br />
<br />
Professor Raleigh avoids the confusion which is<br />
a frequent demerit in genealogies of this kind, and<br />
he chronicles vividly the conflict that was waged<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
*«“The English Novel,’ by Walter Raleigh; fifth<br />
impression, popular edition : London, John Murray, 1903,<br />
3s. 6d.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
between prose fiction and the drama, ultimately<br />
won for the novel in the eighteenth century, and<br />
the later conflict between verse and prose for “ the<br />
prerogative possession of romantic themes,” when<br />
prose was again the victor.<br />
<br />
We wish we had space to quote some of the<br />
many remarks that have arrested our attention<br />
and appealed to our reason during our perusal of<br />
this book. It is Professor Raleigh’s merit that<br />
they are propounded unostentatiously, and as a<br />
matter of course, but from some points of view<br />
perhaps this merit may be regretted, for many<br />
more popular reputations have been upreared on<br />
less sound foundations. With the last one in the<br />
volume we may conclude, confident that its truth<br />
is sufficient apology for its triteness : “‘ Quod semper<br />
et ubique et ab omnibus is the saving creed of a<br />
<br />
novelist.”<br />
2<br />
<br />
TWO KINDS OF AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
—_—t—— +<br />
<br />
“PYFNHE Truth about an Author’’* is an anony-<br />
mous satire on the profession of letters,<br />
so skilfully accomplished that it would<br />
<br />
not be hard to take it seriously and to be vastly<br />
<br />
annoyed that it should have been written, in spite<br />
ofitsgenuine humour. It narrates the career of one<br />
who, starting in the Inferno of provincial journalism,<br />
attains at length to a kind of suburban purgatory,<br />
and emerges at last into a peculiar paradise of<br />
poultry, Dalmatian dogs, and little grey mares in<br />
phaetons. Itis, in short, a criticism of the literary<br />
life elaborated from the pages of a ledger, but<br />
unless our critical sense is sadly at fault, it is<br />
written by one who, however greatly he may have<br />
regarded literature merely as a trade, had the wit<br />
to see the irony of his own attitude and that of his<br />
admirers. Heischarmingly candid : ‘“ Ofcourse,”<br />
he says, “when I am working on my own initia-<br />
tive, for the sole advancement of my artistic<br />
reputation, I ignore finance and think of glory<br />
alone. It cannot, however, be too clearly under-<br />
stood, that the professional author . . . is eternally<br />
compromising between glory and something more<br />
edible and warmer at nights....I am _ not<br />
speaking of geniuses with a mania for posterity.”<br />
<br />
It is obvious, indeed, that he is not. He is, or<br />
pretends to be, one of that admirable and daily<br />
increasing class which frankly, with no esthetic<br />
pretensions to the contrary, provides sustenance<br />
for the melodramatic appetite of the English<br />
general reader. He admits that he was never<br />
urged to write except by impulses not usually<br />
esteemed artistic. But he sits down to write his<br />
first novel under the ‘“ sweet influences (sic) of the<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
* “The Truth About an Author” : Constable, 1908.<br />
<br />
23<br />
<br />
Goncourts, Turgenev, Flaubert, and Maupassant.”<br />
Such a galaxy of names would certainly arouse the<br />
suspicions of the class to which he claims to<br />
belong, yet, after all, it is said that our most<br />
notorious female fictionist battens in secret on<br />
Shakespeare, Milton, and the Bible. For ourselves,<br />
we regard “The Truth about an Author” as an<br />
admirable piece of invective, but those who con-<br />
template literature, as the wise contemplate matri-<br />
mony, simply as a profitable if unpleasant meétier,<br />
will be able to find some valuable information in<br />
the author’s remarks about journalism. At any<br />
rate, the book is a relief after the silly and serious<br />
guides that profess to teach the literary art, and<br />
only succeed in exposing the dreariness of an<br />
existence that the lack or decline of artistic<br />
enthusiasm has reduced to a meticulous drudgery.<br />
<br />
A very different kind of personality is exhibited<br />
in an article called ‘“‘ Letters to a Young Writer,”<br />
published in Cornhill for July, 1903. The author<br />
of the article, at the outset of his literary career,<br />
had the good fortune to meet a mature craftsman,<br />
who lavished the wealth of his experience on<br />
his pupil with a most breezy and unpedantic<br />
generosity. The extracts from his letters are all<br />
too few—some day, we hope, the recipient, in the<br />
interests of youth and literature, may be induced<br />
to give us a larger tale—but they are all admirable,<br />
enthusiastic, great-hearted, and full of a golden<br />
common-sense, a charming and spontaneous humour,<br />
that might well have been dated from Vailima.<br />
He was always ready to read and criticise the work<br />
of his young friend, and his criticisms are invari-<br />
ably delightful and of solid value. Here is one:<br />
<br />
‘* But how about that ball? There is a long description<br />
of a ball, and in the long description there is nothing new<br />
except when she asks him to dance with her. But by God<br />
you are not justified in describing the band.”<br />
<br />
And another, after some advice about the<br />
financial side of letters :<br />
<br />
‘J do not care whether you are or are not angry with me<br />
for putting this matter plainly. I do care that you<br />
should not be discouraged by what I have said. You must<br />
not lose your head either in success or disappointment.<br />
Every art requires a long apprenticeship. If youallowthe<br />
commercial attitude of your art to press too heavily upon<br />
you, the art will be injured.”<br />
<br />
And again :<br />
<br />
“ Don’t lay yourself out to be smart.<br />
any demi-god or set.<br />
Don’t write to vex or to please any mere mortals.<br />
just to make yourself cry and laugh and swear.”<br />
<br />
One is tempted to continue re-quoting the<br />
quotations of his disciple, despite the fear of the<br />
Procrustean surgery of editors. ‘The words of this<br />
critic, “‘as keen as he was gentle,” were, to follow<br />
the disciple’s phrase, as humbling as they were<br />
bracing. “What can be said of a man who<br />
<br />
Don’t write against<br />
Don’t write for any demi-god or set.<br />
Write<br />
<br />
<br />
24<br />
<br />
believed in one before one was a man_ oneself,<br />
before anybody else dreamt of doing so? Nothing ;<br />
for he is dead and gone and cannot hear, nor ever<br />
know. But I like to think of him on those<br />
enchanted seas of his, overhauled by an argosy<br />
laden with his own letters, dashed off and forgotten<br />
when he was here; for he will be the first to appre-<br />
ciate them, spontaneously and impersonally as<br />
of old, and I can almost hear him laugh.” That<br />
is how the disciple’s tribute to his master’s<br />
memory ends, and the words are no mean proof<br />
that all the cheering counsel he received of old was<br />
effective in developing a writer of English, and of<br />
winning a fast and unforgetful friend. Someone,<br />
—is it Nietzche ? has said that it is impossible. to<br />
think of a fine personality without experiencing a<br />
sense of liberation, a certainty that humanity can<br />
never become wholly and rigidly sordid. One<br />
feels, as one reads the extracts from the haphazard<br />
letters of this nameless writer, that he was one of<br />
those who possessed that total lack of bitterness<br />
which is the true wisdom, that frank, unpatronising<br />
kindliness which alone can, in the real sense of the<br />
word, educate ; and that even though the literary<br />
fruit of his life’s work be unenduring, yet his<br />
memorial has not perished with him.<br />
<br />
Sr. Joun Lucas.<br />
oo —__-<br />
<br />
CONCAVE AND CONYEX.<br />
eas<br />
<br />
T fell to my lot a few days ago to read a novel<br />
<br />
for a publisher. As is his practice when<br />
<br />
submitting books to my opinion the publisher<br />
had carefully removed from the copy the name and<br />
address of the author and anything which might<br />
furnish me with a clue to his identity, thus leaving<br />
it to me to pass judgment solely upon the merit of<br />
the work and reserving to himself the power to<br />
take into consideration such other points as<br />
“name” and “public” and the rest. The book<br />
was light comedy ; it had no startling originality<br />
of plot, but such as it possessed was ingeniously<br />
planned and dexterously handled. I gave my<br />
employer an outline of. the story, a general criticism<br />
of its style and treatment, my advice—in this case<br />
to accept the book—and my estimate of the com-<br />
mercial possibilities of the work ; and I concluded<br />
my letter by suggesting that it would be kind to<br />
advise the author to secure his dramatic rights in<br />
the story, and offering to furnish any information<br />
desired about the formalities to be observed in<br />
that connection.<br />
<br />
I have assisted at these formalities on more than<br />
one occasion ; they are extravagantly farcical, and<br />
need not be detailed here ; but however farcical<br />
the author has, upon their completion, secured his<br />
play right in the manner prescribed by law, and<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
there is an end of the matter, and in all probability<br />
the play is never heard of again.<br />
<br />
It is a common-place that a good novel does not<br />
make a good play, and the reason is obvious ; there<br />
is as great a difference between the literary and<br />
the dramatic presentation of an idea as there is<br />
between the concave and the convex surfaces of an<br />
egg shell ; a novel is one thing, a play something<br />
else ; both are composed of the same material but<br />
they are intended to be regarded from opposite<br />
points of view. That there are authors who write<br />
and communicate to the public both plays and<br />
novels, I am, of course, aware, and J am disposed<br />
to think that the writer whose anonymous manu-<br />
script has suggested these reflections to me, is one<br />
of the most prominent among them. Still, the<br />
ability to treat a subject twice, from the inside<br />
point of view which is the novelist’s business, and<br />
from the outside point of view as the audience see<br />
it which is the dramatist’s business, is not common.<br />
Such authors will, however, support my contention<br />
that the play and the book are two substantive pieces<br />
of work, bearing no closer relationship than that they<br />
deal in their respective fashions with the same<br />
theme, and owing no obligation the one to the other.<br />
<br />
My anonymous acquaintance has written an<br />
amusing story, the material of which might be<br />
used to make a successful trifling comedy, and I,<br />
being a conscientious man, have suggested that he<br />
shall take advantage of the ridiculous methods per-<br />
mitted by our legislature and secure his dramatic<br />
rights. Yet all the time I have a conviction that<br />
his chances of success as a dramatist are in inverse<br />
proportion to his chances of success as a novelist,<br />
and that if the law of probabilities holds good I<br />
am recommending him to commit a sort of suicide.<br />
The lessee of one hall in London told me that the<br />
number of plays produced for copyright purposes<br />
on his stage was more than three hundred a year,<br />
and that he could not recall the name of one which<br />
had been reproduced elsewhere ; at any rate my<br />
friend will join a numerous company.<br />
<br />
But I shall be told that there is always the<br />
possibility of huge profits, and that the author<br />
will be foolish if he does not protect his dramatic<br />
rights by the prescribed method, inasmuch as he<br />
will then be doubly safe when some intelligent<br />
person sees the dramatic potentialities of the novel ;<br />
he will be the owner of the play in which he has<br />
statutory play right, and also able to invoke the<br />
more doubtful assistance of an injunction against<br />
infringement of copyright on the precedent of the<br />
decision in the case of Warne v. Seebohm.<br />
<br />
Quite so; but it seems to me that the whole<br />
thing rests upon an unsound foundation. Rights<br />
<br />
in property presuppose the existence of property ;<br />
in the case in point the existence of any is doubtful.<br />
The plays knocked up for purposes of technical<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
representation have not, and are not even intended<br />
to have, any commercial value ; they are blown<br />
together with the object of meeting certain legal<br />
requirements, and so of anticipating any attempt<br />
by a bond fide dramatist to use for his advantage<br />
any of the produce of the novelist’s brains. If<br />
this safe-guarding of property, created in a manner<br />
not specifically defined, but at all events created<br />
incidentally and not by first intention, is the object<br />
of the law, then I think it might be achieved in<br />
some less contemptible and clumsy fashion; the<br />
English law might be altered to conform with<br />
that obtaining in the United States, by which<br />
p: tential dramatic rights are protected by the pub-<br />
lication of the novel; our present system isunworthy,<br />
and if devised only in the interests of the novelist,<br />
it is also needlessly expensive and troublesome.<br />
<br />
If, moreover, the subject were to be dealt with<br />
logically and consistently, all novelists should be<br />
warned to protect their interests and produce<br />
dramatic versions of all their novels “ for copyright<br />
purposes” ; doubtless some enterprising person<br />
would then appear and devote his attention<br />
exclusively to this business: he need never be<br />
out of work in these days. Until such an agency<br />
is actually opened, things will probably remain in<br />
their present absurd condition, and the validity of<br />
the protection which novelists flatter themselves<br />
they have secured by their technical performances<br />
will not be too closely examined.<br />
<br />
Is it, again, to the best interest that it should be<br />
secured at all? I know it is a heresy, but speaking<br />
as one who aspires to be a novelist and who has<br />
not taken to writing for his health, I confess I can<br />
see another side to the matter. An interesting<br />
volume might be compiled, with some such title<br />
as ‘The Foundations of Fiction,” tracing the<br />
common origin of all novels. It would be a<br />
difficult matter for any novelist to establish a<br />
claim to be the originator of any idea, or even<br />
situation ; and if a dramatist utilised the theme<br />
of my excellent novel and manufactured therewith<br />
his excellent play, I am prepared to hear his counsel<br />
argue that as the producer of a substantive work of<br />
art of commercial value his client is entitled to all<br />
the fruits of his labour. More, if the play were a<br />
great one I can conceive its being a public misfortune<br />
that its communication to the world should be pre-<br />
vented by the existence of my own dramatic version<br />
of the theme concocted “tor copyright purposes,”<br />
and produced in the perfunctory manner which<br />
apparently satisfies the law.<br />
<br />
That the dramatist would make handsome pro-<br />
posals to me for a division of the profits accruing<br />
from his play, and that I should deal handsomely<br />
with him, of course goes without saying. Iam the<br />
most sweetly reasonable member of a sweetly reason-<br />
able fraternity, but the amiability and indifference<br />
<br />
25<br />
<br />
to sordid considerations which characterise British<br />
novelists is not the subject of this somewhat<br />
heretical note. It is written with the object<br />
of advising novelists to consider seriously the<br />
validity of the protection they fancy they secnre<br />
by this formal dramatisation of their novels, and<br />
of eliciting some expression of opinion as to whether<br />
it is really in their own interests and—what is<br />
perhaps of more importance—in the interests of<br />
the community at large, that it should be done<br />
<br />
at all.<br />
V. BE. M.<br />
<br />
0 —— © —<br />
<br />
THE WOMEN WRITERS’ CLUB,<br />
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA.<br />
<br />
——~<—+——<br />
<br />
“VT J\ARLY in the year 1902 a movement was set<br />
S Hy on foot to start a society of women writers<br />
<br />
and journalists in Melbourne. The informal<br />
preliminary meetings were held at the rooms of<br />
Miss C. H. Thomson, The Rialto, Collins Street.<br />
The idea gradually took shape, and on May Ist<br />
the new club came into existence. Admission to<br />
membership is confined to women who are or who<br />
have been actively engaged in literary work of<br />
any description. The Society began with every<br />
encouragement from editors, brother journalists,<br />
black and white artists, and the reading public.<br />
Mr. Donald Macdonald, the well-known South<br />
African war correspondent, came forward with an<br />
offer of a lecture on “ War and Peace.” Thanks<br />
to the lecturer and to the assistance given by Miss<br />
M. G. Bruce as honorary secretary, this brought<br />
in a comfortable sum with which to furnish the<br />
club rooms. The membership for the first year<br />
was 45. The Society has its abode in Flinders<br />
Buildings, Flinders Street. Meetings, social and<br />
literary, have been held during the year, the most<br />
noteworthy being when, last June, the club had the<br />
honour of entertaining and admitting as its first<br />
visiting member Miss Catherine H. Spence, of<br />
South Australia, who was a veteran literary woman<br />
long before her name became associated with pro-<br />
portional representation. Besides serving as a<br />
bond of social union the club hopes to be able to<br />
extend a friendly hand to visiting writers, whether<br />
from the neighbouring states or from other lands.<br />
There is a plentiful supply of magazines and the<br />
nucleus of a small library of such works of reference<br />
as will be found useful to professional writers.<br />
The first committee elected included Mrs. Cross<br />
(Ada Cambridge), Mrs. Donald Macdonald, Mrs.<br />
I. Aronson, Mrs. Baverstock, Miss Ethel Castilla,<br />
Miss F. F. Elmes, Mrs. Sadleir Forster, Miss<br />
Henrietta McGowan, Miss C. H. Thomson, Mrs.<br />
Evelyn Gough (hon. treasurer), and Miss Alice<br />
Henry (hon. secretary).<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
26<br />
A CAPE LETTER.<br />
<br />
—+——+ —<br />
<br />
EGISLATION for the protection of works of<br />
art has at last been introduced into the<br />
Parliament of this Colony. At the present<br />
<br />
time, no artistic copyright whatever is in existence<br />
here, though literary and musical works have been<br />
protected by two Acts, dated respectively 1873 and<br />
1888. For some years past, the Copyright Section<br />
of the Cape Town Photographic Society —number-<br />
ing among its members several prominent painters<br />
—has been endeavouring to secure the termina-<br />
tion of this discouraging state of affairs; and,<br />
after the war had temporarily paralysed all such<br />
legislation, an effort was made to obtain the<br />
introduction of a bill during last Session. Parlia-<br />
ment, however, was at that time too busy wrangling<br />
over racial questions, and the Bill has had to<br />
stand over until the evening of the present<br />
Session. 1t has now passed its second reading<br />
in the Lower House, and its promoters have<br />
every hope that it will complete its course before<br />
Parliament rises.<br />
<br />
The Bill, as printed, defines a work of art as<br />
“ painting or drawing and the design thereof, or<br />
a photograph and the negative thereof, or an<br />
engraving,” and secures the copyright of such<br />
works for fifty years from date of publication<br />
or of registration, whichever of these events may<br />
first occur. Registration is made essential to<br />
obtaining copyright, but works which have been<br />
registered in the United Kingdom are, without<br />
further legislation, protected for the period speci-<br />
fied in the Imperial Act concerned. The latter<br />
provision, which is of course of great importance<br />
to English proprietors, may, at the Governor’s<br />
discretion, be extended to the other British<br />
Colonies, and to foreign countries similarly favoured<br />
in the Kingdom. Some minor clauses of the Bill<br />
deal with fraudulent signature or disposal, and<br />
with alteration, of artistic products ; and another<br />
prohibits the exhibition of any portrait executed on<br />
commission, if its subject, or the artist’s client,<br />
shall object thereto.<br />
<br />
Mr. G. Crosland Robinson, who is one of the<br />
gentlemen connected with the above matter, has<br />
been elected President of the South African Society<br />
of Artists, in succession to Mr. J. 8. Morland, who<br />
has left the Colony.<br />
<br />
The first annual session of the South African<br />
Association for the Advancement of Science was<br />
held this year, in Cape Town. Many instructive<br />
papers were read, and several interesting excur-<br />
sions organised during the proceedings, a full<br />
report of which is now in the Press. The Colonial<br />
Government has made a grant of money to cover<br />
the costs of this publication.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
“Cape Colony for the Settler,” by A. R. E,<br />
Burton, F.R.G.S., issued by the Government,<br />
through Messrs. P, 8. King & Co., London, and<br />
J. CG. Juta & Co., Cape Town, is a handbook of<br />
the physical and industrial conditions of the<br />
Colony, each electoral division of which is<br />
separately treated. This volume, which contains<br />
a number of plates, including eight maps, is<br />
intended for the special purpose indicated in its<br />
title, and does not supersede the late John Noble’s<br />
“ Official Handbook” of the Colony, although,<br />
within its scope, more completely up-to-date.<br />
<br />
“Basutoland: Its Legends and Customs”<br />
(London: Nichois & Co.), is the title of a little<br />
volume by Mrs. Minnie Martin, the wife of a<br />
Government Official in the territory named. The<br />
book contains much interesting information con-<br />
cerning the history and mode of life of the Basuto<br />
people, together with a brief description of the<br />
physical features of their beautiful country, whilst<br />
the final chapters consist of native folk-tales<br />
brimful of quaint superstition.<br />
<br />
“The Union-Castle Atlas of South Africa”<br />
(London, The Union-Castle Mail Steamship Co.,<br />
Ltd. ; Cape Town, J. C. Juta & Co.), is a large<br />
octavo containing twenty-one double-page map-<br />
plates, excellently printed in colours ; in addition<br />
to which there are forty-two pages of letterpress<br />
relating to the geography, climate, resources and<br />
history of the country.<br />
<br />
English publishers have recently issued two<br />
novels by South African writers on South African<br />
subjects. These are “A Burgher Quixote,” by<br />
Mr. Douglas Blackburn, and “ The Story of Eden,”<br />
by Mr. Dolf Wyllarde.<br />
<br />
Little that is worthy of note has been produced<br />
by local publishers since the date of my last letter.<br />
To meet a need caused by the all-affecting war,<br />
Messrs. Juta have published a small treatise by<br />
Mr. W. A. Burn, entitled “Claims against the<br />
Military. The Law as to Requisitioning, and the<br />
Hague Convention on Laws and Customs of<br />
War.” In this, the terms of the Hague Conven-<br />
tion are printed both in the original French, and<br />
in English.<br />
<br />
One of the local productions connected with Mr.<br />
Chamberlain’s visit to South Africa was the first<br />
part of “The Commission and ‘Travels of H.M.S.<br />
Good Hope,” a brochure written by R. Moore, a<br />
member of the warship’s crew. The author’s action,<br />
however, proved to be out of harmony with the Navy<br />
Regulations, and his literary career was suspended<br />
by a sentence of imprisonment. An illustrated<br />
guide-book of the Cape Peninsula and environs,<br />
entitled “Cape Pleasure Resorts,” a few educa-<br />
tional works, and a few volumes of Law Reports<br />
and Parliamentary Debates, complete the list of<br />
book publications. New magazines continue to<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THER AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
appear in comparatively large numbers. Among<br />
these are the following monthlies:—The South<br />
African Medical Record, Catholic South Africa,<br />
Civil Service Review, the Twentieth Century,—A<br />
Magazine of Commerce, and De Goede Hoop—a non-<br />
political illustrated paper, in the Dutch language.<br />
From Durban, we hear of a new weekly paperentitled<br />
Indian Opinion, published in the English, Gujarati,<br />
‘Tamil and Hindi languages, in the interests of the<br />
British Indians of Natal.<br />
<br />
The MS. of a “ Life”? of Sir Richard Southey has<br />
just been completed by the Hon. Alexander Wilmot,<br />
author of a number of historical and general works<br />
on South African subjects. The late Sir Richard<br />
Southey was for many years a prominent Colonial<br />
statesman and volunteer officer, seeing much<br />
service in the Kaffir Wars, and holding various<br />
diplomatic posts. His later appointments included<br />
those of Colonial Secretary, and of Governor of<br />
Griqualand West. The book will be published by<br />
Mr. T. M. Miller, of Cape Town.<br />
<br />
A prize of 10/., offered by the Guild of Loyal<br />
Women of South Africa, for a South Africa Patriotic<br />
Poem, has been awarded to Miss Ethel M. Hewitt,<br />
who dates from London. The competitors num-<br />
bered about seventy, and the judging was under-<br />
taken by Lady Gill, wife of the Astronomer Royal,<br />
and Mr. Rudyard Kipling, who was at the time on<br />
one of his visits to the Cape.<br />
<br />
After prolonged negotiations between the parties<br />
concerned, the case of Sass v. Wheeler has been<br />
settled out of Court, the defendants agreeing to pay<br />
over the sum of £75. This case was recorded in<br />
The Author many months ago. Messrs. Wheeler<br />
represented Mr. McKee Rankin and Miss Nance<br />
O'Neill, whose right to perform “Magda” in<br />
South Africa was challenged by Mr. Sass.<br />
<br />
The death has occurred of Mrs. Sarah Heckford,<br />
author of “A Lady Trader in the Transvaal”<br />
(London, 1882), and well-known in the late<br />
Republic by her energy as an educational reformer,<br />
as well as by her literary work. Another lady<br />
associated with literature has lately passed away<br />
in the person of Mrs. Alexander Scott, one of the<br />
historic “settlers of 1820,” and a sister of Thomas<br />
Pringle, the South African poet, for whose verse<br />
she is said to have maintained a great affection to<br />
the end of a long life.<br />
<br />
SypNEY YORKE Forp.<br />
<br />
Cape Town,<br />
August 19, 1903.<br />
<br />
27<br />
<br />
DR. JOHNSON AND BOOKSELLERS’<br />
PROFITS.<br />
<br />
—————+ —<br />
<br />
HE following extract from a letter of Dr.<br />
Johnson to the Rev. Dr. Wetherell, dated<br />
March 12th, 1776, may be of interest to<br />
<br />
readers. It runs as follows :<br />
<br />
“Tt is, perhaps, not considered through how<br />
many hands a book often passes, before it comes<br />
into those of the reader; or what part of profit<br />
each hand must retain, as a motive for transmitting<br />
it to the next.<br />
<br />
“We will call our primary agent in London,<br />
Mr. Cadell, who receives our books from us, gives<br />
them room in his warehouse, and issues them on<br />
demand; by him they are sold to Mr. Dilly, a<br />
wholesale bookseller, who sends them into the<br />
country; and the last seller is the country seller.<br />
Here are three profits to be paid between the<br />
printer and the reader, or in the style of commerce,<br />
between the manufacturer and the consumer; and<br />
if any of these profits is too penuriously distributed,<br />
the process of commerce is interrupted.<br />
<br />
“We are now come to the practical question,<br />
what is to be done? You will tell me, with<br />
reason, that I have said nothing, till I declare how<br />
much, according to my opinion, of the ultimate<br />
price ought to be distributed through the whole<br />
succession of sale.<br />
<br />
“The deduction, I am afraid, will appear very<br />
great : but let it be considered before it is refused.<br />
We must allow, for profit, between thirty and<br />
thirty-five per cent., between six and seven shillings<br />
in the pound; that is, for every book which costs<br />
the last buyer twenty shillings, we must charge<br />
Mr. Cadell with something less than fourteen.<br />
We must set the copies at fourteen shillings each,<br />
and superadd what is called the quarterly book, or<br />
for every hundred books so charged we must<br />
deliver an hundred and four.<br />
<br />
‘“‘ The profits will then stand thus :<br />
<br />
“Mr. Cadell, who runs no hazard, and gives no<br />
credit, will be paid for warehouse room and attend-<br />
ance by a shilling profit on each book, and his<br />
chance of the quarterly book.<br />
<br />
“Mr. Dilly, who buys the book for fifteen<br />
shillings, and who will expect the quarterly book<br />
if he takes five and twenty, will send it to his<br />
country customer at sixteen and sixpence, by<br />
which, at the hazard of loss, and the certainty of<br />
long credit, he gains the regular profit of ten per<br />
cent., which is expected in the wholesale trade.<br />
<br />
“The country bookseller, buying at sixteen and<br />
sixpence, and commonly trusting a considerable<br />
time, gains but three and sixpence, and if he trusts<br />
a year, not much more than two and sixpence ;<br />
otherwise than as he may, perhaps, take as long<br />
credit as he gives.<br />
28 THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
“With less profit than this, and more you see<br />
he cannot have, the country bookseller cannot<br />
live; for his receipts are small, and his debts<br />
sometimes bad. oO<br />
<br />
“Thus, dear sir, I have been incited by Dr.<br />
’s letter to give you a detail of the circulation<br />
of books, which, perhaps, every man has not had<br />
opportunity of knowing ; and which those who<br />
know it, do not, perhaps, always distinctly con-<br />
sider,<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Tam, &e.,<br />
Sam. JOHNSON.”<br />
SS<br />
<br />
CORRESPONDENCE.<br />
<br />
——<br />
<br />
To the Editor of THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
Srr,—An article appeared in the Daily Mail<br />
for September 15th, signed “ Stanhope Sprigg,”<br />
giving some particulars touching _ publishers’<br />
readers.<br />
<br />
As a publisher’s reader myself, I should like to<br />
point out that the statements contained are<br />
incorrect. I say nothing of the objectionable task<br />
that a publisher’s reader may have of sitting in<br />
judgment on fellow craftsmen, but I should like to<br />
point out that the remuneration is not, as stated,<br />
£1 1s. per MS. The writer in the Daily Mail<br />
seems to consider that £1 1s.a MS. is low. Ihave<br />
much pleasure in informing him, from bitter experi-<br />
ence, that many of the publishers do not pay more<br />
than 10s. 6d. a MS., and some as low a 6s. 8d.<br />
or three for £1.<br />
<br />
Thinking this information may be of interest to<br />
some of your readers,<br />
<br />
I beg to remain, yours faithfully,<br />
isle<br />
<br />
+<br />
<br />
BOOK PURCHASERS AND BOOKSELLERS.<br />
(Reprinted from the Zimes of Sept. 18th.)<br />
<br />
Sir,—The following actual experience may<br />
perhaps help to explain the difficulty in obtaining<br />
the books they want which is a constant experience<br />
in the lives of a large number of readers through-<br />
out the British Empire. A well-known London<br />
firm of booksellers who supply books to the<br />
Colonies seriously protested against our annoying<br />
practice of adding a complete list of our Colonial<br />
Library to our lists of new and forthcoming<br />
volumes which we issue from time to time. The<br />
serious objection to this practice—at least the<br />
objection seriously urged—was that the firm in<br />
question constantly received orders for the volumes<br />
in our Colonial Library, and, “of course,” they did<br />
not have them in stéck. If we could not vouch<br />
for this as an actual fact, surely such an attitude<br />
<br />
would be incredible. The ostensible business of<br />
the firm in question is bookselling.<br />
Yours faithfully,<br />
ARCHIBALD ConstTaBLE & Co. (LIMITED).<br />
2, Whitehall Gardens, S.W., September 16.<br />
<br />
—<br />
A LITERARY FRAUD.<br />
<br />
Str,—The following paragraph appeared in a well-<br />
known, influential weekly paper. Its authenticity<br />
does not admit of a doubt, and the high position<br />
of the periodical isan assurance that the information<br />
is bond fide.<br />
<br />
‘“T could give you the names of several men, and<br />
women too, who are féted and flattered and made<br />
lions of on the strength of books not a line of which<br />
they have written, or could write if they would. I<br />
myself have just completed a novel of 120,000<br />
words, which will swell the reputation of a certain<br />
popular lady writer.”’<br />
<br />
Other instances, which I need not particularize,<br />
of similar malpractices have fallen under my own<br />
notice. Of course, the perpetrators of these frauds<br />
are pledged to silence and secrecy. The person<br />
who is writing for a livelihood naturally will not<br />
divulge names ; the celebrity who is fattening on<br />
the hack’s brains laughs in his sleeve at the<br />
uncritical, gullible public, and enjoys ill-gotten<br />
gains. It is altogether a disgraceful and debasing<br />
business ; a detestable crime so difficult to prove<br />
and punish.<br />
<br />
Of course, the rage for names, stimulated by<br />
papers devoted to personalities; the craving to<br />
read something by an author who has perhaps<br />
startled the public with daring revelations of gush<br />
or indiscretion, may account for these spurious<br />
imitations. May be, a series of judicious personal<br />
paragraphs, unveracious interviews, or audacious<br />
logrolling may have lifted a commonplace romancer<br />
into dazzling eminence, so that an extraordinary<br />
demand has sprang up for the gifted writer’s books,<br />
and as time and opportunity have limits, the pro-<br />
ductions must be continued by the hacks engaged<br />
for the purpose. I have quoted the actual words<br />
of one in this article, but there must be hundreds<br />
of others ; unknown scribes, who, unable to launch<br />
their own ventures, are at this moment encouraging<br />
the greed of known authors and publishers.<br />
<br />
Is it not possible for this fraud to be stopped or<br />
checked ? If not, it will continue to flourish and<br />
increase, till the time may come when all lucky<br />
authors who have made hits may live in leisured<br />
ease on immense incomes solely derived by this<br />
specious fraud. Is it not of sufficient importance<br />
to engage the attention of the Society of Authors ?<br />
Is it not a disgrace to literature, a stigma on the<br />
profession, and a trial to all honest, literary effort ?<br />
<br />
IstporE G. ASCHER. | https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/486/1903-10-01-The-Author-14-1.pdf | publications, The Author |