511 | https://historysoa.com/items/show/511 | The Author, Vol. 16 Issue 03 (December 1905) | <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=%3Cem%3EThe+Author%3C%2Fem%3E%2C+Vol.+16+Issue+03+%28December+1905%29"><em>The Author</em>, Vol. 16 Issue 03 (December 1905)</a> | | | | | | | | | | | <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Publication">Publication</a> | 1905-12-01-The-Author-16-3 | | | | | 65–96 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=89&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=16">16</a> | | | | | | | | | | | <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=76&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=1905-12-01">1905-12-01</a> | | | | | | | 3 | | | 19051201 | Che Mutbor.<br />
<br />
(The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors.<br />
<br />
FOUNDED BY SIR<br />
<br />
Monthly.)<br />
<br />
WALTER BESANT.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Vou. X VI.—No. 3.<br />
<br />
DECEMBER<br />
<br />
Ist, 1905. [Prick SIXPENCE.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
TELEPHONE NUMBER :<br />
374 VICTORIA.<br />
<br />
TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS :<br />
AUTORIDAD, LONDON.<br />
<br />
—__¢—<—e___<br />
<br />
NOTICES.<br />
<br />
— + <4<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 />
Tue Editor begs to inform members of the<br />
Authors’ Society and other readers of The Author<br />
that the cases which are from time to time quoted<br />
in The Author are cases that have come before the<br />
notice or to the knowledge of the Secretary of the<br />
Society, and that those members of the Society<br />
who desire to have the names of the publishers<br />
concerned can obtain them on application.<br />
<br />
++<br />
<br />
List of Members.<br />
<br />
Tue List of Members of the Society of Authors<br />
published October, 1902, at the price of 6d., and<br />
the elections from October, 1902, to July, 1903, as<br />
a supplemental list, at the price of 2d., can now be<br />
obtained at the offices of the Society.<br />
<br />
They will be sold to members or associates of<br />
the Society only.<br />
<br />
—_—<——_<br />
<br />
The Pension Fund of the Society.<br />
<br />
Tuer Trustees of the Pension Fund met at the<br />
Society’s Offices in April, 1905, and having gone<br />
carefully into the accounts of the fund, decided<br />
to invest a further sum. ‘They have now pur-<br />
chased £200 Egyptian Government Irrigation<br />
<br />
VoL, XVI.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Trust 4 per cent. Certificates, bringing the invest-<br />
ments of the fund to the figures set out below.<br />
<br />
This is a statement of the actual stock; the<br />
money value can be easily worked out at the current<br />
price of the market :—<br />
<br />
Congols 25 6 ee £1000 0 0<br />
Toca ioans 2.3.2.6... ees 500 0 0<br />
Victorian Government 3 % Consoli-<br />
dated Inscribed Stock ............... 291 19 11<br />
Wear Loan... 201 9° 3<br />
London and North Western 3 % Deben-<br />
ture SlOGK 3.2.21. se 250 0 0<br />
Egyptian Government Irrigation<br />
Trust 4% Certificates . : ~ 200 0 0<br />
Wl £2,443 9 2<br />
Subscriptions, 1905. £ sod:<br />
Jan. 12, Anonymous . : : : 2 6<br />
June 16, Teignmouth-Shore, the Rev.<br />
Canon. : TO<br />
<br />
July 13, Dunsany, the ‘Right Hon. the<br />
<br />
Lord . ; : 0 5 0<br />
Oct. 12, Halford, F. M. 0:5 0<br />
<br />
», Lhorbum, W. M. 010 O<br />
Nov. 9, “ Francis Daveen ” 0 5 0<br />
<br />
» >», Adair, Joseph 11 20<br />
<br />
,, 21, Thurston, Mrs. t 10<br />
<br />
Donations, 1905.<br />
<br />
Jan. Middlemas, Miss Jean 010 0<br />
Jan. Bolton, Miss Anna 0 5 0<br />
Jan. 24, Barry, Miss Fanny. 0O- bp 0<br />
Jan. 27, Bencke, Albert : 0 9 0<br />
Jan. 28, Harcourt-Roe, Mrs. 010 O<br />
Feb. 18, French-Sheldon, Mrs. 010 U0<br />
Feb. 21, Lyall, Sir Alfred, P.C. t 0.0<br />
Mar. 28, Kirmse, Mrs. 010 0<br />
April19, Hornung, HE. W. . ; ao 0<br />
May 7, Wynne, 0. Whitworth . 5 0 0<br />
May 16, Alsing, Mrs. J. E. : GO 5 0<br />
May 17, Anonymous . ; 1 1 0<br />
June 6, Drummond, Hamilton § 8 0<br />
<br />
<br />
66<br />
<br />
July 28, Potter, the Rev. J. Hasluck 0<br />
Oct. 12, Allen, W. Bird 0<br />
Oct. 17, A. C. N. : : : 1<br />
Oct. 17, Hawtrey, Miss Valentina 0<br />
Oct. 31, Williamson, C. No : pel<br />
1<br />
1<br />
0<br />
f<br />
<br />
oon<br />
<br />
Oct. 31, Williamson, Mrs. .<br />
Nov. 6, Reynolds, Mrs. Fred.<br />
Nov. 9, Wingfield, H.<br />
<br />
Noy. 17, Nash, T. A.<br />
<br />
_<br />
HOHRHRH Oo<br />
onoocoooo°e<br />
<br />
—_——————_1——_ + _<br />
<br />
COMMITTEE NOTES.<br />
<br />
—_-—<br />
<br />
N the sixth of last month, at four o’clock, at<br />
39, Old Queen Street, S.W., the committee<br />
met together for the November meeting.<br />
<br />
They have much pleasure in reporting a very<br />
large election, numbering thirty-three members and<br />
associates, and bringing the total for the current<br />
year up to two hundred and twenty-six— within<br />
seven of the number elected during 1904. It is<br />
hoped, therefore, that, with the December elections<br />
still to be added, the number may exceed that of<br />
1904, which was an exceptional year. The com-<br />
mittee are exceedingly pleased with the support<br />
that is increasingly given to the society and its<br />
work by the greater number of those who are<br />
engaged in the profession of writing ; but they<br />
will not be content until all writers of every<br />
denomination are included in its ranks.<br />
<br />
On the proposal of Mr. Austin Dobson, seconded<br />
by Mr. A. Hope Hawkins, Mrs. Maxwell (Miss<br />
M. E. Braddon) was elected to the Council<br />
of the Society. There is no need to discuss<br />
Miss Braddon’s title to such a position. The<br />
length and distinction of her literary career entitle<br />
her to the greatest honour which it is possible for<br />
the society to convey.<br />
<br />
After the committee had dealt with the elections,<br />
they proceeded to consider one or two cases which<br />
the secretary had placed before them.<br />
<br />
He reported that the case referring to the ex-<br />
clusive right in the use of a nom de plume had<br />
been satisfactorily settled. The infringer had<br />
withdrawn the name when his attention had been<br />
called to the matter. In another column counsel’s<br />
opinion is printed in full.<br />
<br />
The committee decided, in another case, where<br />
an author's rights had been infringed in Norway,<br />
to obtain the opinion of a Norwegian lawyer as to<br />
the exact position under the law of that country,<br />
and if such opinion favoured the author’s conten-<br />
tion, to carry the matter through the Norwegian<br />
Courts if necessary. The society is now engaged<br />
<br />
in cases in France, Germany and Norway, and it is<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
hoped that the result may be satisfactory in all<br />
these countries, and contribute to the respect of<br />
International Copyright.<br />
<br />
A dispute which had arisen between an author<br />
and an agent was carefully discussed, and finally,<br />
as the opinion of the society’s solicitors was<br />
opposed to the legal contention put forward by the<br />
member, the committee decided they could not<br />
take the case any further.<br />
<br />
The report of the sub-committee on copyright<br />
which had met previously, dealing with the question<br />
of the United States Copyright Law, was submitted<br />
to the committee, who decided to adopt the<br />
suggestions put before them. The committee<br />
regret they cannot, at the moment, give further<br />
details on this point.<br />
<br />
The secretary reported that he had heard from<br />
the Foreign Office with regard to Egypt and the<br />
Berne Convention, and that the matter the society<br />
had put forward would have Lord Lansdowne’s<br />
serious consideration.<br />
<br />
——<br />
<br />
Cases.<br />
<br />
Stncr the last issue there have been in the<br />
secretary's hands nine fresh cases. In four of<br />
these the return of MSS. was claimed. Two<br />
have already been successful. The demands of the<br />
secretary have been complied with, and the MSS.<br />
returned. The other two cases have come into the<br />
secretary’s hands so recently that insufficient time<br />
has elapsed to bring about the settlement. Money<br />
due under contracts has been withheld from two of<br />
our members. In one case the money has been<br />
paid and forwarded to the author, and it is hoped<br />
that the other case may be satisfactorily terminated,<br />
though there is a possibility that the magazine may<br />
go into bankruptcy. Of three cases for accounts<br />
one has been settled. In the remaining two no<br />
answer has yet been received from the offenders.<br />
One publisher has been notoriously careless in<br />
answering letters, but the society has on former<br />
occasions been finally successful, and, no doubt,<br />
finally, will be successful in the present instance.<br />
In the other case the demand is recent.<br />
<br />
With the exception of one case in the United<br />
States, all the cases that were open when the last<br />
number of Zhe Author was issued have been<br />
settled.<br />
<br />
None of the cases in the hands of the society's<br />
solicitors, either at home or abroad, have come on<br />
for trial during the past month. The results will<br />
be duly notified in Zhe Author.<br />
<br />
><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
November<br />
<br />
Adair, Joseph. :<br />
<br />
Anderson, Sir Robert,<br />
K.C.B<br />
<br />
Armour, Miss Frances J.<br />
<br />
Artus, A. Lancelot :<br />
<br />
Baker, Miss B. A. ;<br />
<br />
_Aiatchford, Robert ;<br />
<br />
‘sy,<br />
<br />
Bryden, H. A...<br />
Colomb, George, F.S.A.<br />
Deane, Miss Mary :<br />
<br />
“Francis Daveen”’ :<br />
Hall, Leonard . :<br />
<br />
Hichens, Robert . :<br />
<br />
Lacy, F. St.<br />
A.R.A.M.<br />
<br />
John,<br />
<br />
- Lodge, Sir Oliver, F.R.S.<br />
<br />
Ludlow, Frederick (Fred.<br />
Ludlow)<br />
<br />
Maxwell, Mrs. (“«M. E.<br />
<br />
Braddon ”’)<br />
Moller, Fraulein Clara .<br />
<br />
Nash, Thomas A. . ;<br />
<br />
Ridge, W. Pett .<br />
Robins, Miss Elizabeth<br />
<br />
“ Samuel George ” :<br />
<br />
Snaith, J. C. : :<br />
Sharp, Cecil J... .<br />
<br />
Stephen, Miss A.G.<br />
Thonger, Miss M. Ellen<br />
<br />
Thurston, Mrs. . :<br />
<br />
Waddell, Lieut. - Col.<br />
L. A., C.B.<br />
<br />
Whyte, Wolmer .<br />
<br />
Wingfield, Herbert :<br />
Wingate, A. K. P. :<br />
Winchilsea and Notting-<br />
<br />
ham, The Countess of<br />
<br />
Two of those elected do not desire either their<br />
names or addresses to be printed.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
Elections.<br />
Gill Foot, Egremont,<br />
Cumberland.<br />
<br />
39, Linden Gardens, W.<br />
<br />
Blea Beck, Worcester.<br />
<br />
11, Emperor’s Gate, S.W.<br />
<br />
16, Alexander Square,<br />
S.W.<br />
<br />
42, Deronda Road,<br />
Herne Hill, 8.E.<br />
<br />
Down View, Gore Park<br />
Road, Eastbourne.<br />
<br />
Junior United Service<br />
Club, 8.W.<br />
Hartley, Bourton- -on-<br />
<br />
the-Water, Glos.<br />
<br />
121, St. James’ Street,<br />
Brighton.<br />
<br />
St. Stephen’s, near<br />
Canterbury.<br />
<br />
Savage Club, Adelphi<br />
Terrace, W.C.<br />
<br />
Mariemont, Birming-<br />
ham. ;<br />
<br />
9, Laxey Road, Horfield,<br />
Bristol.<br />
<br />
Taubenstrasse 38, Sch-<br />
werin i. M., Germany.<br />
<br />
60, Elm Park Gardens,<br />
S.W.<br />
<br />
Garrick Club, W.C.<br />
<br />
24, Iverna Gardens,<br />
Kensington, W.<br />
<br />
West Bridgford, Not-<br />
tingham<br />
<br />
183, Adelaide Road,<br />
N.W.<br />
<br />
Peniarth, Dorking.<br />
<br />
19, Cavendish Road,<br />
Leeds.<br />
<br />
20, Victoria<br />
Kensington, W.<br />
<br />
61, Lissenden Mansions,<br />
Highgate Road, N.W.<br />
<br />
34, Chapter Road, Wil-<br />
lesden Green.<br />
<br />
64, Cannon Street, E.C.<br />
<br />
Underwood, Crieff, N.B.<br />
<br />
Harlech, Merioneth.<br />
<br />
Road,<br />
<br />
67<br />
<br />
BOOKS PUBLISHED BY MEMBERS OF<br />
THE SOCIETY.<br />
<br />
+<br />
<br />
Cin the following list we do not propose to give more<br />
than the titles, prices, publishers, etc., of the books<br />
enumerated, with, in special cases, such particulars as may<br />
serve to explain the scope and purpose of the work.<br />
Members are requested to forward information which will<br />
enable the Editor to supply particulars. )<br />
<br />
ANTHROPOLOGY.<br />
THE SECRET OF THE TOTEM. By ANDREWLANG. 9 x 6.<br />
215 pp. Longmans. 10s. 6d.n.<br />
ARCH AZOLOGY.<br />
THE CLYDE Mystery. By ANDREW LANG. 7? x 51.<br />
141 pp. MacLehose. 4s. 6d. n.<br />
ART.<br />
<br />
THE TEMPLE OF ART. A Plea for the Higher Realisation<br />
of the Artistic Vocation. By E. NEWLAND SMITH.<br />
Second Edition. Revised and enlarged. 7? x 54. 151 pp.<br />
Paignton: The Order of the Golden Age. 3s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
ARUNDEL CLUB PUBLICATIONS, 1905. 164 < 12. Robert<br />
Ross, Hon. Secretary, 10, Sheffield Gardens, Kensington,<br />
W.<br />
<br />
PETER PAUL RUBENS.<br />
Great Masters in Painting and Sculpture.<br />
138 pp. Bell. 5s. n.<br />
<br />
BIOGRAPHY.<br />
WILHELMINA, MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. By EDITH<br />
<br />
By Hore REA. Bell’s Series of<br />
8 x of<br />
<br />
E. CUTHELL. 9 x 6. 293 and 411 pp. Chapman<br />
& Hall. 21s. n.<br />
<br />
MASTER WORKERS. By HAROLD BEGBIE. 9 x 5}. 306<br />
pp. Metheun. 7s, 6d. n..<br />
<br />
KATE GREENAWAY. By M. H. SPIELMANN and G. 8.<br />
LAYARD, 9.x 6%. 301 pp. Black. 20s. n.<br />
<br />
ALMOND OF LORETTO. Being the Life and a Selection<br />
from the Letters of Hely Hutchinson Almond. By R. J.<br />
MACKENZIE. 8% x 54. 408pp. Constable. 12s. 6d.n.<br />
<br />
THE ROMANCE OF WoMAN’S INFLUENCE. By ALICE<br />
CoRKRAN. 73 x 5}. 377 pp. Blackie. 6s.<br />
<br />
Mrs. FITZHERBERT AND GEORGEIV. 2 Vols. By W. H.<br />
<br />
WILKINS. 9 x 6%. 350 and 340 pp. Longmans. 36s.<br />
CAPTAIN JOHN SmitH. By A. G. BRADLEY (English Men<br />
of Action). 72 x 54. 226 pp. Macmillan. 2s. 6d.<br />
IN THE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES. Impressions of Literary<br />
People and Others. By LAuRA HAIN FRISWELL.<br />
<br />
9 x 53. 331 pp. Hutchinson. 16s. n.<br />
<br />
BOOKS FOR THE YOUNG.<br />
THE STOWAWAY’S Quest. By Henry CHARLES MOORE.<br />
<br />
72 x 5}. 248 pp. Pitman. 5s.<br />
A Kyicut oF Sr. Joun. A Tale of the Siege of Malta.<br />
<br />
By Captain F. S. Brereton. 7% X 53. 384 pp.<br />
Blackie. 6s.<br />
Sir Toapy Crusor. By S. R. CROCKETT. 8} X 6}.<br />
406 pp. Wells Gardner. 6s.<br />
His Most Dear LADYE. By BEATRICE MARSHALL.<br />
72 x 54. 317 pp. Seeley. 5s.<br />
<br />
How THINGS Went WronG. By RAYMOND JACBERNS.<br />
<br />
243 pp. Wells Gardner. 2s. 6d.<br />
<br />
OLD FASHIONED TALES. Selected by E,. V. LUCAS.<br />
84 x 6. 390 pp. Wells Gardner. 63,<br />
<br />
Rounp THE WorLD. By <A. R. Hops. 10} X 8.<br />
Blackie. Is.<br />
<br />
A SoupIER oF JAPAN. By Capt. F. S. BRERETON,.<br />
74 x 5. 350 pp. Blackie. 5s.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
68<br />
<br />
Mr. PuNcH’s CHILDREN’S BOOK. Edited. by E. V.<br />
<br />
Lucas. 93 x 8}. Punch Office.<br />
<br />
Tur LITTLE ONE'S Book or BiBLE STORIES. By Mrs,<br />
L. HASKELL. 103 x 7}. Blackie. 2s. 6d.<br />
<br />
Micky. By EVELYN SHARP. 7} x 9. 240 pp. Mac-<br />
millan. 4s.<br />
<br />
THe LAY OF THE WEE BROWN WREN. By H. W.<br />
SHEPHEARD WALWYN. 9% x 7}. 43 pp. Longmans.<br />
2s. 6d.<br />
<br />
FAMOUS BRITISH ADMIRALS. By ALBERT LEE. 8} x 5h.<br />
<br />
360 pp. Melrose. 6s.<br />
<br />
TENDER AND TRUE. By L. E. TIDDEMAN. 8 x 54.<br />
361 pp. Religious Tract Society. 3s. 6d.<br />
<br />
Tus WizaRDS or RyErown. A Fairy Tale. By A,<br />
CoNSTANCE SMEDLEY and L. A. TALBOT. 7% X 5.<br />
<br />
265 pp. Hurst & Blackett. 5s.<br />
<br />
DRAMA.<br />
WHITEWASHING JuLIA. By HENRY ARTHUR JONES.<br />
<br />
63 x 44. 136 pp. Macmillan. 2s. 6d.<br />
King WILLIAM THE First. By ARTHUR DILLON.<br />
245 pp. Elkin Mathews. 4s. 6d.<br />
ENGINEERING.<br />
TRANSACTIONS OF THE CIVIL AND MECHANICAL<br />
<br />
ENGINEERS’ SOCIETY. 46th Session, 1904-5. Edited<br />
by A. S. E. ACKERMANN. 8} x 53. 111 pp. Published<br />
by the Society.<br />
<br />
FICTION.<br />
<br />
THE TUNNEL Mystery. By A. W. 4 BECKETT. Geo.<br />
Routledge & Sons, Ltd. 6d. :<br />
<br />
Tue DIFFICULT WAY. By MABEL DEARMER. 7} x 5.<br />
324 pp. Smith, Elder. 6s.<br />
<br />
Witp WueEat. A Dorset Romance. By M. EH. FRANCIS.<br />
<br />
8 x 54. 291 pp. Longmans.<br />
<br />
FRENCH NAN. By AGNES and EGERTON CASTLE.<br />
72 x 5. 216 pp. Smith, Elder. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE UnKNowN Deprus. By Euiior O'DONNELL.<br />
<br />
7k x 5. 315 pp. Greening. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE PRoFESSOR'’S LEGACY. By Mrs, ALFRED SEDGWICK.<br />
72 x 5. 320 pp. Arnold. 63.<br />
<br />
THE Man From America. By Mrs. HENRY DE LA<br />
PASTURE. 74 x 5. 343 pp. Smith, Elder. 6s.<br />
<br />
THE MAKING OF MICHAEL. By Mrs. FRED REYNOLDS.<br />
73 x 5. 310 pp. Allen. 6s.<br />
<br />
JAcoB AND JOHN. By WALTER RAYMOND.<br />
430 pp. Hodder & Stoughton. 6s.<br />
<br />
A SECRET OF LesomBo. By BERTRAM MITFORD.<br />
7% x 54. 300 pp. Hurst & Blackett. 6s.<br />
<br />
THe CHERRY RIBAND. By 8S. R. CROCKETT. 8 x 5.<br />
410 pp. Hodder & Stoughton.<br />
<br />
THE FLAMING SworD. BySinasK.Hockine. 7} x 53.<br />
440 pp. Warne. 33s. 6d.<br />
<br />
‘ue HORNED Own. By W. BouRNE CooKE. 7} x 4.<br />
380 pp. Drane. 6s.<br />
Rep Porracr. By Mary CHOLMONDELEY. New and<br />
cheaper edition. 73 x 5. 374 pp. Arnold. 2s. 6d.<br />
Tur TRAVELLING THIRDS. By GERTRUDE ATHERTON.<br />
74 x 5. 295 pp. Harper. 6s,<br />
<br />
A LAME Doq’s Diary. By S. MACNAUGHTAN.<br />
253 pp. Heinemann. 6s.<br />
<br />
SOPRANO. By F. MARION CRAWFORD. 7} X 5}. 386 pp.<br />
Macmillan. 6s.<br />
<br />
Dick PENTREATH. By KATHERINE TYNAN.<br />
344 pp. Smith, Elder, 6s.<br />
<br />
THE CLEANSING OF THE ‘“ LORDS.”<br />
7% x 54. 303 pp. White. 6s.<br />
<br />
A MAN FROM THE SHIRES. By Mrs. JoHN TAYLOR.<br />
7h x 5. 299pp. Gay & Bird. 6s.<br />
<br />
Wuo was Lapy THUME? By FLORENCE WARDEN.<br />
72 x 6. 320 pp. John Long. 6s.<br />
<br />
72 x O54.<br />
<br />
72% x 5.<br />
<br />
7k xX 5.<br />
<br />
By H. WINTLE.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
Cuirr’s END FARM AND OTHER STORIES. By FLORENCE<br />
<br />
WARDEN. 72 x 5. 318 pp. White. 6s.<br />
Car Taues. By W. L. ALDEN. Illustrated by Louis<br />
Wain. 73 x 5. 303 pp. Digby Long. 6s.<br />
<br />
HISTORY.<br />
<br />
BuURFORD PAPERS. Being Letters of Samuel Crisp to his<br />
Sister at Burford; and other Studies of a Century,<br />
1745—1845. By W. H. Hutton, B.D., Fellow and<br />
Tutor of St. John Baptist College. 9 x 6. 336 pp.<br />
Constable. 7s. 6d, n.<br />
<br />
SOUTHERN ITALY AND SICILY AND THE RULERS OF THE<br />
SoutH. By F. Marion CrAwForp. (New Edition in<br />
One Volume). 8 X 5}. 411 pp. Macmillan. 8s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
STUDIES FROM COURT AND CLOISTER. By J. M. STONE.<br />
9 x 53. 379 pp. Sands. 12s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
LITERARY.<br />
<br />
Tue Day Book oF CLAUDIUS CLEAR. By W. ROBERT-<br />
SON eae 8 x 51. 351 pp. Hodder & Stoughton.<br />
3s. 6d.<br />
<br />
Dip SHAKESPEARE WRITE “TITUS ANDRONICUS?” By<br />
J. M. RoBERTSON. 8 X 54. 255 pp. Watts. 5s. n.<br />
ON TEN PLAYS oF SHAKESPEARE. By STOPFORD A.<br />
<br />
BRooKE. 9 Xx 5. 311 pp.- Constable. 7s. 6d.n.<br />
<br />
THE New RAMBLER. From Desk to Platform. By Sir<br />
LEWIS Morris. 8 x 5}. 327 pp. Longmans. 6s. 6d.n.<br />
<br />
A BEGGAR'S WALLET. Edited by ARCHIBALD STODDART<br />
<br />
WALKER. 10 x 74. 291 pp. Edinburgh and London:<br />
Dobson, Molle.<br />
8} x 5}.<br />
<br />
EDITORIAL WILD OATS.<br />
84 pp. Harper. 2s. n.<br />
<br />
In THE NAME OF THE BODLEIAN AND OTHER ESSAYS.<br />
By AUGUSTINE BIRRELL. 8} X 6. 214 pp. Stock.<br />
58. D.<br />
<br />
THE FRIENDLY TowN. 377 pp. THE OPEN Roap. (New<br />
and Enlarged Edition.) 369 pp. Compiled by EK. V.<br />
Lucas. 7 x 44. Methuen. 5s. each.<br />
<br />
By Mark TWAIN.<br />
<br />
MEDICAL.<br />
<br />
MEDICINE AND THE Pusnic. By S. SQUIRE SPRIGGE,<br />
M.D. 72x 51. 293 pp. Heinemann. 63.<br />
<br />
Tue Foop FactoR IN Disease. By FRANCIS HARE,<br />
M.D. 2 Vols. 8% x 5}. 497 and 535 pp. Longmans,<br />
30s. n.<br />
<br />
Wat Foops Frep Us. By EusTacE MILES. 7} x 43.<br />
93 pp. Newnes. 1s. n. %<br />
<br />
MUSIC,<br />
<br />
Tur CoMPLETE COLLECTION oF IRIsH Music AS<br />
Norep BY GEORGE PxrrtE, LL.D. (1789-1866).<br />
Edited from the original manuscripts by C. VILLIERS<br />
STANFORD. 11 x 73. 397 pp. Boosey.<br />
<br />
NATURAL HISTORY.<br />
<br />
Narure’s Nursery, or Children of the Wilds. By<br />
H. W. SHEPHEARD WALWYN, F.R.Met.Soc., F.Z.8., &e,<br />
7} x 5. 352 pp. Hutchinson. 6s.<br />
<br />
ORIENTAL.<br />
<br />
INDIAN PortRY. Selections rendered into English Verse.<br />
By Romesa Durr, C.F.E. (The Temple Classics).<br />
6x 4. 163 pp. Dent. 1s, 6d. n.<br />
<br />
PAMPHLETS.<br />
<br />
Tye RISE OF THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM IN ENGLAND.<br />
By the Rev. 0. J. RnicHEL. Exeter: Pollard. 6d.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THER AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
POETRY.<br />
NEBULA TO MAN. By Henry R. KNIPE. 12 x 9.<br />
251 pp. Dent. 21s. n.<br />
<br />
By C. WHITWORTH WYNNE.<br />
Kegan Paul. 7s. 6d. n.<br />
By EDEN PHILLPOTTS.<br />
Methuen. 5s, n.<br />
<br />
PoEMS AND PLAYS.<br />
84 x 54. 410 pp.<br />
Up-ALONG AND DOWN-ALONG.<br />
<br />
103 x 7%. 16 pp. 8 Illustrations,<br />
<br />
POLITICAL.<br />
THE FUTURE PEACE OF THE ANGLO-SAxons. By Major<br />
STEWART L. Murray. 8} x 6. 128 pp. Watts. 6d.<br />
A TROPICAL DEPENDENCY. An Outline of the Ancient<br />
History of the Western Soudan, with an Account of the<br />
Modern Settlement of Northern Nigeria. By Fiora L.<br />
<br />
SHAW (Lady Lugard). 10 x 6%. 500 pp. Nisbet.<br />
18s, n.<br />
REPRINTS.<br />
<br />
THE LETTERS OF HORACE WALPOLE. By Mrs, PAGET<br />
TOYNBEE. In 16 Vols. Vols. 13—15. 9 x 6. 447,<br />
448, and 456 pp. Oxford: Clarendon Press. London:<br />
Frowde. £4 n. the set.<br />
<br />
SOCIOLOGY.<br />
POVERTY AND HEREDITARY GENIUS. By F.C. CONSTABLE.<br />
$x 5. 139 pp. Fifield. 2s. n.<br />
<br />
IN THE GooD OLD Times. A Review of the Social,<br />
Industrial, and Moral Life of England during the<br />
last Century and a-Half. By J. C. WRIGHT. 9 x 53.<br />
366 pp. Elliot Stock. 6s. n.<br />
<br />
A HIsTORY OF ENGLISH PHILANTHROPY. By B. KIRKMAN<br />
GRAY. 82 x 5}. 302 pp. P.S8. King. 7s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
SPORT.<br />
THE SALT OF My Lire. By F. G. AFLALO. 84 x 54.<br />
277 pp. Pitman. 7s. 6d. n.<br />
THEOLOGY.<br />
THE EVANGELIST MontHuy. Vol. for 1905. Edited by<br />
the Rev. A. WHYMPERand FLORENCE MOORE. 9? X 7}.<br />
<br />
284 pp. Bemrose. 2s.<br />
<br />
THE GRACE OF EPISCOPACY, AND OTHER SERMONS. By<br />
H. C. BEECHING, D.Litt. 74 x 5. 254 pp. Nisbet.<br />
3s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
JESUS OF NAZARETH. By EDWARD CLODD. 8% x 6.<br />
119 pp. Watts. 6d.<br />
<br />
TOPOGRAPHY.<br />
In THE MARCH AND BORDERLAND OF WALES. By A. G.<br />
BRADLEY. With Sketches of the Country. By W. M.<br />
MEREDITH. 93 x 6}. 430 pp. Constable. 10s. 6d. n.<br />
<br />
TRAVEL.<br />
IypIa oF To-pay. By WaLreR DEL Mar. 8} x 5.<br />
288 pp. Black. 6s. n.<br />
Iv THE TRACK OF THE Moors. By SYBIL FITZGERALD.<br />
104 x 74. 204 pp. Dent. 21s. n.<br />
THE ITALIAN LAKES DESCRIBED. By RICHARD BAGOT.<br />
Painted by Ella du Cane. 9 x 64. 201 pp. Black.<br />
<br />
208. n.<br />
A Boon OF THE RIVIERA. By S. BARING GOULD.<br />
7% x 51, 320 pp. Methuen. 6s.<br />
————_+-—<>—_+—_______<br />
LITERARY, DRAMATIC, AND MUSICAL<br />
<br />
; NOTES.<br />
\ | RS. JEAN CARLYLE GRAHAM'S illus-<br />
<br />
trated work on San Gimiguano has been<br />
_ delayed by the leisurely proceedings of<br />
Italian archivists. ‘Certain necessary documents of<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
69<br />
<br />
the quattro cento and cinque cento, which have<br />
reposed undisturbed under the dust of centuries in<br />
various Tuscan archives, are now being laboriously<br />
unearthed. Until these are copied, the book cannot<br />
be brought to a close.<br />
<br />
We understand that Mr. A. Pavitt, author of<br />
“Two Friends of Old England,” which we noticed<br />
in October, has been appointed Knight of the<br />
Legion of Honour.<br />
<br />
“The Truth about Man,” by A. Spinster, pub-<br />
lished by Messrs. Hutchinson & Co. recently, has<br />
gone into a second edition. The writer of this<br />
book has, we understand, another work to follow<br />
it, in the form of a novel.<br />
<br />
H.R.H. the Princess of Wales has been<br />
pleased to accept a copy of Mr. Walter Del Mar’s<br />
“India of To-day,” which we referred to in our<br />
last issue.<br />
<br />
“ French Nan,” by Agnes and Egerton Castle,<br />
which Messrs. Smith, Elder & Co. published a few<br />
weeks ago, is an eighteenth century story, telling<br />
of the conflict of hearts and wits, between a spoilt<br />
young beauty bred amid the artificialities of the<br />
Versailles Court, and her English husband, a<br />
chivairous but strong-willed country-loving squire.<br />
<br />
The same publishers have also issued Mrs. De La<br />
Pasture’s new novel entitled “The Man from<br />
America.” The scenes of the story are laid in the<br />
west country and in London, and the love interest<br />
is concerned exclusively with the courtship of men<br />
and maidens. The theme is the descent of an<br />
adventurous American upon a primitive cottage<br />
home in Devon.<br />
<br />
Messrs. Smith, Elder & Co. have also published<br />
a new novel by Katherine Tynan, under the title<br />
of “Dick Pentreath.” The atmosphere of the<br />
story is that of English country life, and the<br />
personages introduced are mainly those who make<br />
up society in a very quiet and exclusive English<br />
county.<br />
<br />
Mr. F. G. Aflalo has written his reminiscences<br />
as an angler in a book which Sir Isaac Pitman &<br />
Sons have published, under the title of “The Salt<br />
of My Life.” The book contains nearly fifty illus-<br />
trations from photographs of actual fishing experi-<br />
ences. The price of the volume is 7s. 6d. net.<br />
<br />
Miss Evelyn Sharp’s new book, “ Micky,” is a<br />
story of a little boy of six, who lives in an imagi-<br />
native world peopled with fairies and dragons,<br />
and beautiful princesses who are shut up in towers<br />
and are rescued by wonderful princes. Messrs.<br />
Macmillan & Co. are the publishers.<br />
<br />
Messrs. Kegan Paul & Co. announce the pub-<br />
lication of a collected edition of the poems and<br />
plays of Mr, C. Whitworth Wynne. About a third<br />
of the volume is new matter.<br />
<br />
“A Book of Mortals: being a Record of the<br />
Good Deeds and Qualities of what Humanity is<br />
<br />
<br />
70<br />
<br />
pleased to call the Lower Animals,” is the title of<br />
Mrs. Flora Annie Steel’s new book which Mr.<br />
Heinemann has published. The work is a plea for<br />
the recognition of what may be called the human<br />
side of animals and their far-reaching influence upon<br />
man. Examples are taken from modern instances<br />
as well as from the myths of Hast and West.<br />
<br />
Mr. Holman Hunt’s work, “ Pre-Raphaelitism<br />
and the Pre-Raphaelite,” which is rapidly approach-<br />
ing completion, will form two volumes, which will<br />
be enriched with forty photogravure plates and<br />
many illustrations in the text. In the opening<br />
words of this work, which Messrs. Macmillan & Co.<br />
will publish, Mr. Hunt opines that the time has<br />
come for a complete and final history of the<br />
reform movement which began in 1848.<br />
<br />
Mr. Elliot Stock published about the middle of<br />
November a new work by Mr. J. ©. Wright,<br />
entitled “In the Good Old Times.” Its aim is to<br />
show the changes in the social, industrial, and<br />
moral condition of England during the last century<br />
and a half, and particularly to note the achieve-<br />
ments of the later half of the nineteenth century.<br />
By numerous examples and quotations, the author<br />
seeks to prove that former days were not better<br />
than these—generally speaking were not so good—<br />
but at the same time he is disposed to look with<br />
a kindly eye on a period which was a turning<br />
point in the country’s history.<br />
<br />
“The Lay of the Wee Brown Wren,” by H. W.<br />
Shepheard-Walwyn, is a romance from bird life,<br />
in verse, with fifty-four illustrations from the<br />
author’s photographs. Messrs. Longmans & Co.<br />
are the publishers.<br />
<br />
Mr. Archibald Colquhoun’s book, ‘The Africander<br />
Land,” published by Mr. John Murray, is the fruit<br />
of a visit which the writer recently paid to South<br />
Africa, and its aim is to depict, untinged by<br />
partisan bias, the present political, social, and<br />
economic state of that country.<br />
<br />
Miss Beatrice Harraden’s new story, which<br />
Messrs. Methuen & Co. will publish shortly, will pro-<br />
bably be entitled “‘ The Scholar’s Daughter.” It has<br />
for its heroine the daughter of a retired bookworm.<br />
<br />
Mr. Baring Gould’s book, dealing with the<br />
Riviera, which Messrs. Methuen have also pub-<br />
lished, contains an account of the coast from<br />
Marseilles to Savona, and treats not only of its<br />
history, but of its geology and botany.<br />
<br />
Mr. J. W. Caldicott has written, and Messrs.<br />
Bemrose are publishing, an illustrated work on the<br />
values of old English silver and Sheffield plate,<br />
from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century. It<br />
is claimed that the work is a practical guide,<br />
written both for the buyer and seller. The price<br />
to subscribers is two guineas net.<br />
<br />
“A Golden Trust,” by Theo. Douglas (Mrs.<br />
H. D. Everett), which Messrs. Smith, Elder & Co.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
published in the early part of last month, ran as a<br />
serial through the pages of The Graphic during<br />
last summer. The scene of the story is laid partly<br />
in the home of Northumbrian wreckers, which<br />
conceals a treasure, partly in the Paris of 1792,<br />
whither the murderous designs of his kinsman<br />
drive the young hero.<br />
<br />
Mr. J. M. Lely’s Annual Edition of the Statutes<br />
of Practical Utility and Selected Statutory Rules,<br />
which was published last month (Sweet and<br />
Maxwell: Stevens & Sons, 7s. 6d.), contains,<br />
in addition to the Aliens Act, the Unemployed<br />
Workmen Act, the Trade Marks Act, and nine<br />
other of the twenty-three Acts passed last session,<br />
the Education Code and Secondary School Regula-<br />
tions of the Board of Education ; the Orders,<br />
Circulars, and Regulations of the Local Govern-<br />
ment Board under the Unemployed Workmen<br />
Act, and the Licensing Rules of the Home Office,<br />
which were issued at too late a date to be included<br />
in last year’s collection.<br />
<br />
“My Pretty Jane ; or, Judy and I,” is the title<br />
of a story by Alfred Pretor, published in London<br />
by Geo. Bell & Sons, and in Cambridge by<br />
Deighton, Bell & Co. The work is a studied<br />
comparison of the fidelity of a dog with that of a<br />
lover. The author depicts the failure of the lover<br />
in the first test to which he is put, and contrasts it<br />
with the fidelity of the dog which ends with death.<br />
<br />
“ Up-Along and Down-Along ” ig a volume of<br />
poems of the west country, by Eden Phillpotts,<br />
which Messrs. Methuen & Co. published early last<br />
month.<br />
<br />
The Strand Magazine for this month contains<br />
the opening chapters of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s<br />
new story “Sir Nigel.” The story which is<br />
written in the manner of “The White Company,”<br />
will be published in book form by Messrs. Smith,<br />
Elder & Co.<br />
<br />
“The Stowaway’s Quest” is the title of Mr.<br />
Henry Charles Moore’s latest book for boys. It<br />
describes adventures at sea, in Matabeleland, in<br />
Barotseland, and is published by Sir Isaac Pitman<br />
& Sons, Ltd.<br />
<br />
Miss Edith A. Barnett left about the middle of<br />
<br />
ast month for a trip to New Zealand and round<br />
<br />
the world. Miss Barnett, who expects to be away<br />
for ten ot twelve months, hopes to bring out a new<br />
book in the spring of 1906.<br />
<br />
The city of Prague has just done honour to an<br />
English author, by voting in its senate and council<br />
the great silver medal of merit of Prague to Mr.<br />
<br />
James Baker, author of “ The Inseparables,” &¢.,<br />
<br />
“for his efficient efforts to propagate the knowledge<br />
of the kingdom of Bohemia and its capital of Prague,<br />
by means of numerous books and articles pub-<br />
lished during the last twenty years.” The medal<br />
bears on the obverse the arms of Prague and<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
i, @<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. at<br />
<br />
“Praga Caput Regni”; and on the reverse, a<br />
figure of Fame standing by the Bohemian lion,<br />
holding forth a wreath of bays, with an inscrip-<br />
tion, With the medal is an illuminated diploma<br />
on vellum, signed by Dr. Srb (the chief burgo-<br />
master) ; a covering official letter in Bohemian,<br />
with English translation, also illuminated, was sent<br />
with it.<br />
<br />
Our former secretary, Dr. Squire Sprigge, has<br />
just published a book with Mr. William Heine-<br />
mann, entitled “ Medicine and the Public.” It<br />
has for its object the evoking of a more widespread<br />
sympathy than at present exists for the difficulties<br />
which medical men undergo in the exercise of their<br />
professional duties. Dr. Sprigge adduces statistics<br />
and official information as to the distribution and<br />
qualification of doctors, points to manifold abuses<br />
in medical practice, and is never afraid to indicate<br />
the lines upon which reform should run for the<br />
public good. The fairness of the book is con-<br />
spicuous, for throughout all the recommendations<br />
for reform the popular interest is kept steadily to<br />
the fore ; it is never subordinated to the welfare of<br />
the class. Dr. Sprigge advocates various amend-<br />
ments—some of them of a drastic nature—to<br />
the existing Medical Acts. Everyone knows that<br />
Parliament will turn a deaf ear to mere professional<br />
grievances, but may be persuaded to listen to a<br />
ery for reform based upon public needs.<br />
<br />
“Somerset House, Past and Present,” is the<br />
title of a work by R. Needham and A. Webster, in<br />
which is given a continuous record of its history,<br />
from its foundation by the Lord Protector in 1547<br />
to the present day. The volume, which Mr. Fisher<br />
Unwin is publishing at the price of 21s., is illus-<br />
trated with reproductions of prints and a series of<br />
modern photographs.<br />
<br />
Part I. of “King William I.,” written by<br />
Mr. Arthur Dillon and published by Mr. Elkin<br />
Mathews, deals with the great duke’s marriage<br />
with Matilda of Flanders, and his strengthening<br />
of his power in Normandy; Part II., with his<br />
overthrow of Harold, giving the incident of Edith<br />
Swan-neck at Senlac; and concludes with his<br />
crowning as King of England ; and Part III., with<br />
his quarrel with his rebellious son Robert, his<br />
difference with his queen, and his death.<br />
<br />
Messrs. Skeffington will publish shortly a new<br />
book, entitled “The Happy Christ,” in which Mr.<br />
Harold Begbie endeavours to prove that the con-<br />
templation of Christ as a Man of Sorrows is due to<br />
the last act in the Saviour’s life, and is in direct<br />
contradiction to the life itself.<br />
<br />
The 1906 edition of ‘ Who’s Who ?” which will<br />
be published by Messrs. Black on December 8th,<br />
will contain a couple of thousand more biographies<br />
than its predecessor, and in order still further to<br />
increase the utility of the book the number of a<br />
<br />
man’s sons and daughters will be recorded, also<br />
his motor-car number, telephone number, and<br />
telegraphic address, where necessary.<br />
<br />
The other year-books published by the same<br />
firm, viz., “ Who’s Who? Year-Book,” “ English-<br />
woman’s Year-Book,” and “The Writers and<br />
Artists’ Year-Book ”—the last named just acquired<br />
by them—vwill all be published about the same time.<br />
<br />
“The Voysey Inheritance,” by H. Granville<br />
Barker, produced at the Court Theatre on<br />
November 7th, 1905, depicts the downfall of the<br />
family of an apparently respectable solicitor. He<br />
dies suddenly, and leaves as a legacy a business<br />
which he has only been able to maintain by<br />
persistent perversion of his clients’ money. The<br />
effect of this position on the various parties<br />
mainly concerned, and the discussion which it<br />
produces, form the theme of the play, which was<br />
adequately interpreted by a caste including Miss<br />
Florence Haydon, Mr. Eugene Mayeur, and<br />
Mr. Dennis Eadie.<br />
<br />
«The Temptation of Samuel Burge,” by W. W.<br />
Jacobs and Frederick Fenn, was produced at the<br />
Imperial Theatre on November 9th, in front of.<br />
“The Perfect Lover.” The main character—the<br />
converted burglar, whose peculiarities are, no<br />
doubt, familiar to all who have read the story upon<br />
which the piece is founded—was taken by Mr. A<br />
E. George.<br />
<br />
Mr. Alfred Sutro’s one-act play, “ The Correct<br />
Thing,” performed at the Shaftesbury Theatre on<br />
November 4th, is a social sketch describing the<br />
manner in which a man of the world has to<br />
disembarrass himself of the mistress of whom he<br />
tires, and whose affections threaten to interfere<br />
with his chances of social success. The caste<br />
included Miss Darragh and Mr. Nye Chart.<br />
<br />
An original satirical comedy, entitled “The<br />
Assignation,”’ will be produced at the Haymarket<br />
Theatre on December 7th, at a matinée. A pre-<br />
liminary performance of the play will be given at<br />
the Grand Stand, Ascot, at a matinée on the<br />
4th December. The proceeds of both performances<br />
will be in aid of the Royal Waterloo Hospital.<br />
Among the distinguished performers taking part<br />
are Miss Genevieve Ward, Miss Edyth Olive,<br />
Miss Marie Illington, Mr. Gerald Du Maurier, and<br />
Miss Ethel Irving.<br />
<br />
oo ——_—_—<br />
<br />
PARIS NOTES.<br />
<br />
— +<br />
<br />
JOSE-MARIA DE HEREDIA, whose<br />
recent death is so universally deplored,<br />
had been a member of the French<br />
<br />
Academy since the year 1894. M. de Heredia’s<br />
<br />
literary celebrity was earned by his one volume of<br />
<br />
<br />
72<br />
<br />
absolutely perfect poems, “ Les T'rophées.” These<br />
poems were the result of long years of patient<br />
work, and the fame of some of the best-known ones<br />
is world-wide. “ Fuite des Centaures,” ‘‘ Les Con-<br />
quérants,” “ Soleil couchant,” “Soir de Bataille,”<br />
and “Le vieil Orfévre,” are among those which<br />
are most frequently quoted. M. de Heredia was<br />
buried in the little cemetery of Bon Secours, near<br />
Rouen. The President of the Socicté des Gens de<br />
Lettres pronounced a farewell at the grave.<br />
<br />
The following are extracts from the funeral<br />
oration :<br />
<br />
“ Messieurs, il y eut & Paris un écrivain d’une<br />
production si parfaite qu’elle signifie dans un seul<br />
volume, et bien mieux qu’un amas de livres, le<br />
labeur constant de lentes et patientes années : un<br />
écrivain si passionnément épris de son art quwil put<br />
justement relever la fiere devise de Ronsard :<br />
<br />
L’honneur sans plus du verd laurier m’agrée ...<br />
<br />
“Le temps de cet écrivain était, par conséquent,<br />
précieux entre tous... . Pourtant, chaque fois<br />
qu’un inconnu frappait 4 sa porte et lui disait :<br />
‘Maitre, j’ai mis mon effort dans ces vers, dans<br />
cette prose ; écoutez-moi, conseillez-moi,’ le grand<br />
écrivain posait sa plume, souriait au néophyte, et<br />
lui disait : ‘ Asseyez-vous et lisez. . . .’ La chose<br />
lue était-elle indifférente ? il osait le dire, mais si<br />
paternellement que la blessure était pansée aussitot<br />
que faite. Si, par contre, il devinait des promesses<br />
de talent, comme il savait, de sa voix chaude et<br />
retentissante, conforter le poste, célébrer l’ceuvre,<br />
aider A sa fortune !<br />
<br />
“ Messieurs, il y eut un tel écrivain 4 Paris. .<br />
Nous ne savons pas s'il en existe un autre dune<br />
Ame aussi généreuse, maintenant que José-Maria<br />
de Heredia est mort... .<br />
<br />
“Voila pourquoi non seulement la gloire littéraire<br />
de la France est aujourd’hui en deuil par ce deuil,<br />
mais aussi, corporativement, tous les gens de<br />
lettres. Ils ont perdu un de leurs protecteurs, un<br />
de leurs guides, un de leurs parrains. Voila<br />
pourquoi aussi leur Compagnie devait étre repré-<br />
sentée ici et témoigner des rares vertus profession-<br />
nelles du Maitre que nous pleurons.”<br />
<br />
“Au Pays de lHarmonie,” by M. Georges<br />
Delbruck, is a novel written with the one aim and<br />
object of exposing a philosophical doctrine, which<br />
the author proposes later on to treat in further<br />
detail. We are taken, in this book, to a land in<br />
which the “struggle for life” is unknown, a land<br />
where all things are beautiful, where the people<br />
dwell together in perfect harmony and happiness.<br />
A traveller from modern France arrives in this<br />
wonderful country. He is a typical, up-to-date<br />
sportsman and man of the world. He has done<br />
everything, seen everything, been everywhere, and,<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
at the age of thirty, decides to make some great<br />
discovery or bring out some marvellous invention.<br />
His great difficulty is that in this present century<br />
nearly everything has been discovered, there are<br />
so few possibilities left for him. Finally he builds<br />
an air-ship and on his trial journey in it discovers<br />
the “Land of Harmony,” which is situated in the<br />
very centre of Africa. He finds there a race of<br />
people hundreds of years in advance of all Euro-<br />
peans in matters of science and civilisation. The<br />
watchwords of this extraordinary race are Beauty,<br />
Harmony, and Love, and the inhabitants of this<br />
wonderful country have attained to such perfection<br />
by obeying the wishes and instructions of their<br />
founder, Déon. The chapter containing these<br />
commandments is one of the finest in the book.<br />
Psychological, physiological end social problems<br />
are all treated and new laws are laid down which<br />
differ vastly from those now in vogue in many So-<br />
called civilised countries of the present day.<br />
Among the new precepts are the following : “ Ilne<br />
faut ni punir, ni pardonner, il faut guérir. Il ne<br />
faut pas critiquer, il faut créer; il ne faut pas<br />
gémir, il faut produire; il ne faut pas réver, il<br />
faut penser.” Lysias, one of the inhabitants of<br />
this country, explains that while our revolutionists<br />
have been fruitlessly endeavouring to suppress<br />
wealth, his compatriots have effectually suppressed<br />
<br />
poverty, and that while, for twenty centuries, our<br />
<br />
activity has been employed in destroying our<br />
fellow-creatures they have used their energy in<br />
creating and improving. We have been making<br />
of our earth a valley of tears, whilst they have<br />
made of their land a wonderful garden of beauty,<br />
harmony and love. Whilst we have been, and<br />
still are, grovelling in superstition and ignorance<br />
they have been climbing to the heights of ideal<br />
beauty based on science, so that their life now is<br />
glorious yet simple, whilst ours is dull, petty and<br />
complex. The book is curious and original, full<br />
of thought and ideas, and will no doubt be much<br />
discussed here on account of its daring theories<br />
and ideals.<br />
<br />
“Le Fardeau,” by Hugues Lapaire, is a study<br />
of peasant life and psychology. Weare introduced<br />
to the inhabitants of a certain country village in<br />
the centre of France. The story is very true to<br />
life; the primitive simplicity of these humble<br />
people, their independence of character, the hard,<br />
plain existence they lead, their every-day tasks,<br />
their love affairs and their sorrows—everything is<br />
touched upon with great delicacy and exactitude.<br />
The “burden” to which the book owes its title is<br />
the load on the conscience of a young peasant,<br />
Claude Jacquet, who, in his anxiety to win the<br />
woman whom in his rough way he adores, steals<br />
the savings of an old peasant woman, and then<br />
allows suspicion to rest upon an old man. The<br />
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<br />
THE AUTHOR. 73<br />
<br />
remorse and repentance are well depicted, and the<br />
whole story is well told.<br />
<br />
“ Avant l’Amour,” by Mme. Marcelle Tinayre,<br />
is another powerful novel by the author of “La<br />
Maison du Péché.” Ever since the publication of<br />
the latter book all novel readers have been<br />
anxiously awaiting another work of equal charm<br />
from the pen of the same writer. The present one<br />
is strong, but not convincing, as there is much<br />
that appears to be overdrawn.<br />
<br />
“Comment vout les Reines,” by Colette Yver, is<br />
a story dedicated to wives of politicians who,<br />
thanks to the pre-occupation of their husbands,<br />
are doomed to a life of solitude.<br />
<br />
“Ta Valeur de la Science,” by M. Poincaré, of<br />
the Institute of France, is an interesting book of<br />
scientific philosophy.<br />
<br />
Among the new novels are “‘ Les Bonshommes en<br />
Papier,” by M. Jules Perrin ; ‘“ Fumée d’Opium,”<br />
by M. Claude Farrere ; “ Les Papiers Brilés,” by<br />
M. Montégut; “Les Martyrs de Lyon,” by<br />
M. Baumann: “La Conquéte de Paris,” by<br />
M. Paul Segonzac ; “Le Précurseur” by M. Jacques<br />
Fréhel ; “‘ Les Hannetons de Paris,” by M. Georges<br />
Lecomte. Among other new books are “La<br />
Comédie Protectionniste,’ by M. Yves Guyot ;<br />
«Visite sur un Champ de Bataille,” by Maurice<br />
Barres; ‘‘ Vers lHglise Libre,” by Julien de<br />
Narfon ; “Les Noéls Frangais,” by M. Noél<br />
Hervé.<br />
<br />
The following publications are shortly expected :<br />
“Memoires de Granet,” by Ludovic Halévy ;<br />
“Coeur de Josanne,” by Marcelle Tinayre ;<br />
“ Jean d’Arc,” by Anatole France ; ‘‘ Balzac,” by<br />
M. Brunetiére.<br />
<br />
The death of Jules Oppert is a great loss to the<br />
Assyriologists—he was one of the four greatest<br />
of our times. Sir Henry Rawlinson is generally<br />
acknowledged to be the first. Fox Talbot and<br />
Hincks are the other two.<br />
<br />
We are told in a French paper that a Biblio-<br />
graphical Bureau has been founded in Rome. The<br />
idea of it is to provide savants with information<br />
they may require at the least possible expense.<br />
The Bureau will, when required, supply a réswmé<br />
of documents or manuscripts, and even send a<br />
photograph of them if necessary. The director is<br />
Professor Henri Celani.<br />
<br />
The question has been raised as to whether the<br />
yearly prize given by the Académie Goncourt can<br />
be awarded to M. Jules Huret for his book,<br />
“New York 4 San Francisco.” The objection<br />
brought forward is that this is not a work of<br />
Mmagination, but it is said that M. Octave<br />
Mirbeau is to plead in favour of M. Huret.<br />
<br />
In the Revue des Deux Mondes of November 1st,<br />
M. de Vogiié writes on “ Les Villes Hanséatiques.”<br />
<br />
Tn a recent number of the Revue de Paris, the<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Lettres & ma Niéce,” by Flaubert, give some<br />
te details about that author’s work and<br />
ife.<br />
<br />
In a recent number of the Revue des Deua<br />
Mondes, Alfred Fouillée writes an able article on<br />
“La Science des Mceurs.”<br />
<br />
At the Francais, M. Hervieu has read his three-<br />
act play “ Le Reveil.” MM. Donnay is now finishing<br />
his “ Paraitre,” and M. Bataille has a play to be<br />
given this season entitled “ Potiche.”<br />
<br />
“La Vieillesse de Don Juan,” by Pierre Barbier<br />
and Mounet-Sully, is not to be played at the<br />
Frangais, as was at first thought.<br />
<br />
The Comédie-Frangaise celebrated recently the<br />
twentieth anniversary of M. Jules Claretie’s<br />
administration. It is generally acknowledged that<br />
the post he holds is one of the most difficult, and<br />
that it would be almost impossible to find in France,<br />
at this moment, anyone to replace him.<br />
<br />
One of the events of the theatrical season has<br />
been the representation of “ Les Bas-Fonds,” by<br />
Gorki, at the theatre of L’Ciuvre with La Duse in<br />
the principalvéle. “La Rafale,” by Henry Bernstein,<br />
at the Gymnase, has certainly been the greatest<br />
success hitherto of this season. It is an admirably<br />
written play, and has been greatly appreciated by<br />
the public.<br />
<br />
“Tia Marche Nuptiale,” by M. Henry Bataille,<br />
has been given at the Vaudeville. It is a work<br />
that would have been more convincing probably in<br />
anovel. A young girl, of good family, elopes with<br />
her music master. She marries him and lives in<br />
Paris in poverty. She then visits one of her convent<br />
friends whose husband makes love to her and pro-<br />
poses a second elopement, upon which she commits<br />
suicide.<br />
<br />
“ Bertrade,’ by M. Jules Lemaitre, has been<br />
produced at the Renaissance, but is not a play<br />
likely to hold the bill a long time.<br />
<br />
Mme. Rejane is to have a theatre of her own,<br />
and will probably put on first a piece by M. Capus.<br />
<br />
M. Saint-Saéns has written the three acts of his<br />
opera “ L’Ancétre,” which is to be staged during<br />
the winter.<br />
<br />
For the Gaité, M. Bazin’s novel, “Les Oberlé,”<br />
has been adapted for the stage by M. Haraucourt.<br />
<br />
Other plays announced at this theatre are<br />
“T/Attentat,” by MM. Capus and Descaves, and<br />
“‘ Qhantecler,” by M. Rostand.<br />
<br />
Among the new plays to be produced at the<br />
Vaudeville are “Le Bourgeon,” by M. Georges<br />
Feydeau, and “La Cousine Bette,” by Balzac,<br />
adapted by M. Pierre Decourcelle.<br />
<br />
M. Antoine has a long list of pieces to produce,<br />
some of which are ‘“‘L’Employé du Gaz,” by M.<br />
Dieudonné ; “ Mile. Bourrat,” by M. Claude Anet,<br />
and “ Vieil Heidelberg.”<br />
<br />
Auys HaLLarp.<br />
SPANISH NOTES.<br />
<br />
+ —<br />
<br />
ON BENITO GALDOS has not been idle<br />
during his so-called holiday in Cartagena,<br />
for he has worked several hours every day at<br />
<br />
the correction of the proofs of his new novel,<br />
“‘Qasandra,” which is written in the form of a<br />
dialogue, like El Abuelo” ; andthe third and last<br />
series of his “Episodios Nacionales” will appear<br />
under the title of “Prim y La de los tristes<br />
destinos.” The great author showed the genial<br />
side of his nature by his visit to the Cacharreria,<br />
which is a club for young people ; and, in con-<br />
versation with a few friends, he has enjoyed the<br />
fine sea view and the climate, which rivals that of<br />
his native spot—the Canary Isles.<br />
<br />
Senor Palaeio Valdés seems also to have<br />
mingled work with his recreation during the sum-<br />
mer and autumn months at La Hendaye in the<br />
Pyrenees, for he tells me that he is engaged on a<br />
new novel, which will be published in the early<br />
spring. The last romance of this popular novelist<br />
is entitled “La Aldea Perdida” (“The Lost<br />
Hamlet”), and it is with the pen of a true artist<br />
that he describes the transformation of village life<br />
and character, when the place falls into the hands of<br />
amining company. The author’s rank in moral<br />
philosophy, of which he is a great authority in<br />
the Atheneum at Madrid, gives particular point<br />
to the psychological side of his novels, and in<br />
“The Aldea Perdida” this grip on the characters<br />
gives an unusual interest to their evolution in the<br />
stirring events recorded.<br />
<br />
To pass from the pen to the brush—and<br />
as Valdés shows in his article on “ Art and<br />
her Schools” (which I have just translated<br />
into English), the two arts are closely related<br />
it is in the studio of Lino Iborra that one<br />
sees the high standard of modern Spanish art in<br />
the hands of a first-rate painter. The artist’s<br />
medals, and especially the Cross of Alfonso XII.,<br />
prove that his work is much appreciated. His<br />
“ Sheepfold” received high distinction at the last<br />
exhibition at Munich, and although animals are<br />
Iborra’s speciality, such figure paintings as<br />
“Rachel,” “My Daughter's Death,” “Judas<br />
Selling Jesus,” brought him renown ; whilst the<br />
picture called “ The Master is Coming,” now hung<br />
in the Exhibition of Modern Paintings in Madrid,<br />
shows a further development in the painter’s<br />
powers. The well-known Spanish novelist, Blasco<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Ibafiez reveals a great power as an art critic in his<br />
book called “En el pais del Arte” (“In the<br />
Country of Art”), in which he gives an erudite<br />
account of his three months’ tour in Italy. The<br />
descriptions of the masterpieces of the country are<br />
very forcible, and the interest of the book is<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
increased by his historical settings of his subject,<br />
and the mention he makes of the great littérateurs<br />
of the land down to Fernando de Amicis of the<br />
present day, for whom he expresses great personal<br />
admiration.<br />
<br />
The success of “ Aire de fuera,” on the boards<br />
at Madrid, shows that the author, Linares-Rivas<br />
Astray, is a first-class dramatist, for, although he<br />
treats of ordinary “high life” in the Spanish<br />
capital, it is the treatment of one who sees beneath<br />
the surface of society.<br />
<br />
The recent visit of M. Loubet to Madrid was<br />
not only the occasion of a gala evening at the<br />
theatre, a review, etc., but the French President<br />
was shown the palatial offices of the illustrated<br />
paper, Blanco y negro, with its marble staircase,<br />
frescoed reading-room and picture gallery, as well<br />
as its printing machines of the latest inventions.<br />
Moreover, as photography has made such strides<br />
in Spain, Napoleon, the expert in cinematographic<br />
views, gave an exhibition of subjects before<br />
Alfonso XIII. and his distinguished French guest,<br />
when the programme included a series of views<br />
of the Lady Warwick College at Studley Castle,<br />
during the visit of Colonel Figuerola Feretti,<br />
when he was invited to inspect this system of<br />
agricultural education. The King of Spain has<br />
lately taken a fresh step for the advance of<br />
natural science, by signing a royal decree for the<br />
establishment of a biological laboratory on the<br />
coast of Morocco, more especially for the study<br />
of the fauna and flora peculiar to those parts.<br />
Moreover, it is understood that it is at the desire<br />
of King Alfonso that the Ministry of Agriculture<br />
is about to organise a course of agricultural study<br />
for soldiers whilst in active service, so that they<br />
will be better equipped for their lives on the land<br />
when their time in the army is over.<br />
<br />
The Spaniards are certainly appreciative of<br />
clever women, for they are taking steps to erect a<br />
monument to the well-known authoress, Emilia<br />
Pardo Bazan, and various important literary<br />
centres are organising a commission to carry out<br />
the idea. Further recognition of woman’s work<br />
has been shown by Sefiora Carmen Burgos de Segiii,<br />
the foremost lady journalist in Spain, being com-<br />
missioned by the Minister of Education in Madrid<br />
to visit all the most important centres of woman’s<br />
education on the Continent, and these reports are<br />
not only made officially to her native land, but<br />
they are also published in her Spanish newspaper,<br />
El diario Universel de Madrid. The country-<br />
women of the Spanish writer are now hearing of<br />
her experiences in France ; and it will not be<br />
long before they read in the Spanish Press the<br />
impressions she will receive on woman’s work<br />
in England.<br />
<br />
RACHEL CHALLICE.<br />
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<br />
THE AUTHOR. 75<br />
<br />
GERMAN LAW RESPECTING PUBLISHERS’<br />
RIGHTS AND CONTRACTS.<br />
<br />
—<br />
Section 1.<br />
FYF\HE author under agreement with the pub-<br />
[' lisher relating to a work of literature or<br />
music is bound to hand over to the pub-<br />
lisher the work to be reproduced or distributed by<br />
the publisher. The publisher is bound to reproduce<br />
and distribute the work.<br />
<br />
Section 2.<br />
<br />
The author must not during the continuance of<br />
the contract reproduce or distribute the work so<br />
far as such reproduction or distribution is forbidden<br />
to a third party as long as the copyright lasts.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless the privilege of reproduction and<br />
distribution remains with the author for :<br />
<br />
1. The translation into another language or<br />
another dialect.<br />
<br />
2. The rendering of a story in dramatic form or<br />
a stage play in the form of a story.<br />
<br />
3. The elaboration of a musical work, as long as<br />
it is not merely an extract, or a transposition into<br />
another key, or an arrangement for another voice<br />
(Tonart oder Stimmlage).*<br />
<br />
The author is also privileged to reproduce and<br />
distribute a work in a collected edition (Gesammt-<br />
ausgabe) when twenty years have elapsed, reckon-<br />
ing from the end of the calendar year in which<br />
the work was published.<br />
<br />
Section 3.<br />
Articles inserted in a collective work for which<br />
an author is not entitled to obtain remuneration,<br />
can be used by him elsewhere as soon as a year has<br />
<br />
elapsed, reckoning from the end of the calendar<br />
year in which they appeared.<br />
<br />
Section 4.<br />
<br />
The publisher is not entitled to make use of a<br />
single work in an edition of collected works, nor of<br />
a collective work or portions either of an edition of<br />
collected works or of a collective work for a<br />
separate edition. In so far, however, as such use<br />
of the works is free to everyone during the duration<br />
of copyright it is free to the publisher.<br />
<br />
Section 5.<br />
<br />
The publisher is only entitled to one edition.<br />
If the right of preparing several editions is granted<br />
him, then in case of doubt the same agreement<br />
holds good for every new edition as for the one<br />
above mentioned.<br />
<br />
If the number of copies is not specified then<br />
the publisher has the right of producing 1,000<br />
<br />
* German musical authorities are doubtful as to the<br />
exact legal interpretation of these two words.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
copies. If the publisher, before reproduction has<br />
commenced, has by agreement with the author<br />
fixed the number of the edition at less than 1,000<br />
copies, then the publisher is only entitled to pro-<br />
duce an edition of the number agreed,<br />
<br />
Section 6.<br />
<br />
The customary “extra copies” are not reckoned<br />
in the number of the edition agreed upon. The<br />
same holds good of free copies as long as their<br />
number does not exceed the twentieth part of the<br />
edition agreed upon. ‘ Extra copies” which have<br />
not been used for replacing or completing those<br />
that happen to be damaged may not be distributed<br />
by the publisher.<br />
<br />
Section 7.<br />
<br />
If the copies which the publisher has in his<br />
warehouse are destroyed he can replace them by<br />
others ; but he must first give notice to the author.<br />
<br />
Section 8.<br />
<br />
So far as the author under sections 2—7 is pledged<br />
not to reproduce and distribute and to concede<br />
reproduction and distribution to the publisher, so<br />
far is he bound to procure for the publisher the<br />
exclusive right of reproduction and publication in<br />
the absence of any agreement to the contrary in the<br />
contract.<br />
<br />
Section 9.<br />
<br />
The right of publication (Verlagsrecht) begins<br />
with the delivery of the work to the publisher, and<br />
ends with the termination of the contract.<br />
<br />
As long as the protection of the publishing con-<br />
tract demands it the publisher can put into force<br />
against the author, as well as against a third<br />
person, those privileges which are provided by the<br />
law for the protection of copyright.<br />
<br />
Section 10.<br />
<br />
The author is bound to hand the work to the<br />
publisher in a condition fit for reproduction.<br />
<br />
Section 11.<br />
<br />
If the contract with the publisher refers to a<br />
work already completed, then the work must be<br />
handed over immediately. If the work is to be<br />
produced only after the signing of the contract,<br />
the date of its delivery is to be determined by the<br />
scope of the work. If that, however, in no way<br />
determines the date, the period shall be reckoned<br />
by the time within which the author, according to<br />
his circumstances, shall be able to produce the<br />
work. Other engagements of the author are only<br />
left out of consideration in reckoning the period if<br />
the publisher at the time of signing the contract<br />
neither knew nor could know of them.<br />
<br />
<br />
76<br />
<br />
Section 12.<br />
<br />
The author is entitled to make alterations in the<br />
work until the completion of the reproduction.<br />
Before the preparation of a new edition the pub-<br />
lisher must afford the author opportunities of<br />
revision. Alterations are permissible only to such<br />
an extent as shall not injure the just interests of<br />
the publisher. The author may have the altera-<br />
tions made by a third person.<br />
<br />
If the author, after the beginning of the repro-<br />
duction, makes alterations which exceed the ordi-<br />
nary usage, he is bound to detray the consequent<br />
expenses. He is not under an obligation to do<br />
this in a case where the circumstances necessitating<br />
the alterations have occurred since the completion<br />
of the work.<br />
<br />
Section 13.<br />
<br />
The publisher may not make abbreviations or<br />
alterations either in the work itself or in the title<br />
or in the descriptions of the author.<br />
<br />
Alterations to which the author cannot fairly<br />
and honestly refuse his consent are permissible.<br />
<br />
Section 14.<br />
<br />
The publisher is bound to reproduce and dis-<br />
tribute the work in a suitable form and in the<br />
customary manner. The form and the appearance<br />
of the copies shall be determined by the publisher<br />
in accordance with the customs of the book trade,<br />
and also with due consideration of the aim and<br />
contents of the book.<br />
<br />
Section 15.<br />
<br />
The publisher must begin the reproduction as<br />
soon as he has received the completed work. If<br />
the work appears in parts, the reproduction must<br />
begin as soon as the author has delivered a part<br />
destined to appear in the regular order.<br />
<br />
Section 16.<br />
<br />
The publisher is bound to produce the number<br />
of copies which he is entitled to produce according<br />
to the contract or according to section 5. He<br />
must take such measures in good time as will<br />
provide against the stock being sold out.<br />
<br />
Section 17.<br />
<br />
A publisher who has the right of producing a<br />
new edition, is not bound to avail himself of this<br />
right. The author can fix a time for the exercise<br />
of this right. On the termination of the time<br />
fixed the author is entitled to cancel the contract<br />
if the production has not taken place. If the<br />
publisher has refused to reproduce the author need<br />
not fix a time.<br />
<br />
Section 18.<br />
<br />
If after signing the contract the purpose which<br />
the work was to serve does not exist, the publisher<br />
can cancel the agreement. The author’s right to<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
remuneration remains unaltered. The same holds<br />
good when the subject of an agreement is a con-<br />
tribution to a collective work and the reproduction<br />
of the collective work does not take place.<br />
<br />
Section 19.<br />
<br />
If fresh copies of a collective work are produced<br />
then the publisher is entitled with the consent of<br />
the editor to leave out single contributions.<br />
<br />
Section 20.<br />
The publisher must provide for corrections. He<br />
must supply the author in good time with one<br />
roof for correction. The proof counts as approved<br />
if the author does not within a stated period<br />
notify the publisher of his objections.<br />
<br />
Section 21.<br />
<br />
The publisher has the right to fix the published<br />
price at which the work shall be sold in the case<br />
of every edition. He may lower the price as long<br />
as the just interests of the author are not injured<br />
thereby. For the raising of the price the consent<br />
of the author is necessary always.<br />
<br />
Section 22.<br />
<br />
The publisher is bound to pay the author the<br />
stipulated remuneration. Remuneration is to be<br />
considered as tacitly implied when the circum-<br />
stances show that it could not be expected that the<br />
work should be handed over without remuneration.<br />
<br />
Tf the amount of the remuneration is not stated,<br />
an equitable payment in money is to be regarded<br />
as agreed upop.<br />
<br />
Section 23.<br />
<br />
Remuneration is to be paid upon delivery of the<br />
work. If the amount of the remuneration is not<br />
fixed, or depends upon the dimensions of the<br />
published work, in particular upon the number of<br />
sheets, then the remuneration is due when the<br />
work appears.<br />
<br />
Section 24.<br />
<br />
When the remuneration depends upon the sale,<br />
the publisher must annually present the author<br />
with an account for the previous commercial year,<br />
and permit him to examine his books, so far as<br />
may be necessary for the verification of the account.<br />
<br />
Section 25.<br />
<br />
The publisher of a literary work is bound to<br />
send the author one free copy for every hundred<br />
copies printed; but under no circumstances less<br />
than five, or more than fifteen. He is also bound<br />
to deliver the author on his demand one proof<br />
copy. The publisher of a musical work is also<br />
bound to send the author the customary number<br />
of free copies.<br />
<br />
In the case of articles appearing in collective<br />
works separate reprints may be sent as free copies.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 77<br />
<br />
Section 26.<br />
<br />
The publisher must, at the author’s request,<br />
supply him with copies of the work which are at<br />
his disposal, at the lowest trade price.<br />
<br />
Section 27.<br />
<br />
The publisher is bound to restore the manu-<br />
script of the work to the author as soon as the<br />
work has been reproduced, provided that the<br />
author has stipulated for this return of the manu-<br />
script before the beginning of the reproduction.<br />
<br />
Section 28.<br />
<br />
In the absence of special agreement to the con-<br />
trary between the publisher and the author, the pub-<br />
lisher’s rights are assignable. But the publisher<br />
cannot, without the consent of the author, assign<br />
his rights under a contract which is only con-<br />
cluded with reference to separate works. Consent<br />
cannot be unreasonably withheld. If the pub-<br />
lisher demands a declaration from the author of<br />
his consent this is regarded as given if the author<br />
has not declared his refusal within two months<br />
after the receipt of the demand from the publisher.<br />
<br />
The reproduction and distribution of the work,<br />
which are the publisher’s duty, can be effected by<br />
his assignee. In the case when the publisher’s<br />
assignee makes himself responsible to the pub-<br />
lisher for reproduction and distribution of the<br />
work, he becomes also, together with the publisher,<br />
jointly liable to the author for the performance of<br />
all the obligations under the contract. At the<br />
same time the obligation does not extend to the<br />
payment of damages already accrued due.<br />
<br />
Section 29.<br />
<br />
If the publisher’s agreement is confined to a<br />
definite number of editions or of copies, the con-<br />
tract ceases when the editions or vopies are<br />
exhausted.<br />
<br />
The publisher is bound to inform the author, at<br />
the latter’s request, if the single edition or the<br />
specified number of copies is exhausted.<br />
<br />
If the agreement is concluded for a definite<br />
time, then at the expiration of this time the pub-<br />
lisher is not entitled to distribute the remaining<br />
copies.<br />
<br />
Section 30.<br />
<br />
If the work is not, either wholly or in part,<br />
delivered at the specified time, the publisher can,<br />
instead of insisting on his right to demand the<br />
fulfilment of his contract, fix a certain reasonable<br />
time for the delivery of the work by the author,<br />
and give notice that after the expiration of this<br />
_time he will refuse to accept the work. If, even<br />
before the date at which the work ought (in con-<br />
formity with the contract) to be delivered, it<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
appears it will not be delivered, then the publisher<br />
may immediately mention the extension of time<br />
allowable. The period must be so calculated that<br />
it does not expire before the date originally fixed,<br />
At the expiration of this extension of time, if the<br />
work has still not been delivered, the publisher<br />
has the right to cancel the contract, but not to<br />
demand that the work shall be delivered to him.<br />
<br />
This extension of time is unnecessary when it is<br />
impossible to produce the work within the period,<br />
or when the author refuses to produce the work,<br />
or when the immediate cancellation of the agree-<br />
ment is justified by some particular interest of the<br />
publisher’s. Cancellation of the agreement is<br />
forbidden when it is clear that non-delivery of the<br />
work at the time specified causes the publisher<br />
merely an insignificant loss.<br />
<br />
These regulations do not affect the rights which<br />
belong to the publisher when the author does not<br />
deliver the work in proper time.<br />
<br />
Section 31.<br />
<br />
The regnlations of section 30 also apply when<br />
the work does not present the qualities stipulated<br />
for in the agreement.<br />
<br />
In the case where the failure is due to circum-<br />
stances under the control of the author, the pub-<br />
lisher, instead of cancelling the contract conform-<br />
able with section 30, has the right to proceed for<br />
damages for non-fulfilment of contract.<br />
<br />
Section 32.<br />
<br />
If the work has not been produced and dis-<br />
tributed in accordance with the contract, the<br />
regulations of section 30 are by analogy applicable<br />
in favour of the author.<br />
<br />
Seclion 88,<br />
<br />
If the work is accidentally destroyed after having<br />
been delivered to the publisher, the author retains<br />
his right to remuneration. In other respects the<br />
parties are released from their contract.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless the author is bound at the demand<br />
of the publisher to deliver, for a reasonable con-<br />
sideration, another work identical in its essential<br />
parts with the first, if he can re-write the work<br />
without too great difficulty, with the assistance of<br />
his preparatory notes, or of other materials. If<br />
the author offers to deliver gratuitously a similar<br />
work within a reasonable period, the publisher is<br />
bound to reproduce and distribute it in place of<br />
the work which has perished. Hither party can<br />
also claim these rights when the work, after having<br />
been delivered, has perished in consequence of an<br />
act for which the other party was responsible.<br />
The fact that the publisher has been placed in a<br />
position to accept delivery of the work is equivalent<br />
to its delivery.<br />
<br />
<br />
78<br />
<br />
Section 34.<br />
<br />
If the author dies before he has finished the<br />
work, and a portion of the work has been delivered<br />
to the publisher, the publisher has the right to<br />
maintain his contract (so far as the part delivered<br />
is concerned) by a declaration addressed to the<br />
heirs of the author.<br />
<br />
The heir can appoint the publisher a reasonable<br />
period for the exercise of the right mentioned in<br />
the previous paragraph. This right expires if the<br />
publisher does not, before the end of this period,<br />
state his intention of maintaining his agreement.<br />
These regulations apply in like manner if the<br />
completion of the work is impossible in consequence<br />
of some other circumstance for which the author<br />
is not responsible.<br />
<br />
Section 35.<br />
<br />
Up to the beginning of the reproduction the<br />
author is entitled to withdraw from the contract<br />
if circumstances arise which could not be foreseen<br />
on the signing of the contract, and which would<br />
have stopped the author from publishing the work,<br />
after he had known the circumstances and fully<br />
considered the case. If the publisher is entitled<br />
to produce another edition, then these regulations<br />
will also apply for the new edition. If the author<br />
cancels the agreement on the grounds set forth in<br />
paragraph 1 then he is bound to remunerate the<br />
publisher for the expenses he has incurred.<br />
<br />
If he publishes the work elsewhere, in the course<br />
of a year after cancellation, then he is bound to<br />
pay damages for non-fulfilment of contract, except<br />
in the case when the author has proposed to the<br />
publisher that he should ultimately execute the<br />
agreement, and the publisher has refused this<br />
proposition.<br />
<br />
Section 36.<br />
<br />
(This section refers to the bankruptcy of a pub-<br />
lisher and the legal position of his trustee or<br />
assignee.)<br />
<br />
. Section 37.<br />
<br />
The regulations dealing with the right of<br />
cancellation of contracts under sections 346 to 356<br />
of the Civil Code apply equally by analogy to the<br />
right to cancel a publisher’s contract in sections 17,<br />
30, 35, 36. If the motive for cancellation is a<br />
circumstance for which the other contracting party<br />
is not responsible the responsibility will be deter-<br />
mined according to the regulations relative to<br />
restitution on account of any advantage unlawfully<br />
allowed.<br />
<br />
Section 38.<br />
When the agreement is cancelled after delivery<br />
<br />
of the whole or a part of the work, then it will<br />
depend on the circumstances whether the contract<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
shall be held to be binding in part. It makes no<br />
difference whether the cancelling takes place in<br />
consequence of the Act, or in consequence of a<br />
clause in the contract. In case of doubt the con-<br />
tract will be binding in so far as it applies to<br />
copies which are no longer at the disposal of the<br />
publisher, to earlier portions of the work, or to<br />
editions which have already appeared.<br />
<br />
In go far as the agreement is binding, the author<br />
may claim a corresponding part of the proceeds of<br />
sale, These regulations can be applied also when<br />
the contract is cancelled in any other manner.<br />
<br />
Section 39.<br />
<br />
If agreement is made concerning a non-copyright<br />
work the author is not bound to secure to the<br />
publisher the rights of publication.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless if the author fraudulently conceals<br />
from the publisher the fact that the work has been<br />
previously published elsewhere, then by analogy<br />
the regulations of the Civil Code are applicable,<br />
which declares the vendor responsible for the<br />
non-existence of the rights transferred.<br />
<br />
The author must abstain from reproducing and<br />
distributing the work in conformity with the<br />
provisions of section 2 exactly as if a copyright<br />
existed. This restriction ceases six months after<br />
the publication of the work by the publisher.<br />
<br />
Section 40.<br />
<br />
In the case of section 39 the publisher has in<br />
common with any third person, the right to<br />
reproduce the work which he has published, either<br />
with or without alterations. This regulation does<br />
not, however, apply if according to the agreement<br />
the production of new editions or of more copies<br />
depends upon special payments.<br />
<br />
Section 41.<br />
<br />
In the absence of any regulations of sections 42<br />
to 46 to the contrary the regulations of this law<br />
are applicable when articles are accepted with a<br />
view to publishing in a newspaper, a review or any<br />
other periodical collective work.<br />
<br />
Section 42.<br />
<br />
As long as circumstances do not prove that the<br />
publisher is to receive the exclusive rights of<br />
reproduction and distribution. The author retains<br />
the right freely to dispose of his article. :<br />
<br />
After the publisher has acquired the exclusive<br />
right of reproduction and distribution of such an<br />
article, the author can freely dispose of it after the<br />
expiration of one calendar year from the date of<br />
publication. If the article is destined for a news-<br />
paper then the author has this privilege (of freely<br />
disposing) as soon as it is published.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
Section 48.<br />
<br />
No restriction is laid upon the publisher respect-<br />
ing the number of copies of articles for a collective<br />
work. The regulations of section 20 Div. 1<br />
Sentence 2 do not apply.<br />
<br />
Section 44.<br />
<br />
When the article appears without the author's<br />
name, the publisher is entitled to make in the text<br />
such alterations as it is usual to make in collective<br />
works of the same description.<br />
<br />
Section 45.<br />
<br />
If the article has not been published within one<br />
year from the date of its delivery to the publisher,<br />
the author can cancel the contract. The author’s<br />
right to remuneration remains intact.<br />
<br />
A claim to reproduction and distribution of the<br />
article, or for damages on account of non-fulfil-<br />
ment, is only due to the author if the period of<br />
time in which the article should be published, has<br />
been fixed by the publisher.<br />
<br />
Section 46.<br />
<br />
If the article appears in a newspaper the author<br />
cannot claim free copies. The publisher is not<br />
bound to accord the author copies at the usual<br />
trade price.<br />
<br />
Section 47.<br />
<br />
If anyone undertakes to create a work in accor-<br />
dance with a plan which the person giving the<br />
commission describes exactly, determining both<br />
the contents of the work, and the manner in which<br />
the subject shall be treated in case of doubt, the<br />
person giving the commission is not bound to<br />
reproduce and distribute the work.<br />
<br />
The same rule applies when the work of the<br />
author consists in collaboration in the production<br />
of encyclopeedias, or in auxiliary or supplementary<br />
labours for the works of others, or for a collective<br />
work.<br />
<br />
Section 48.<br />
<br />
The provisions of this law also apply when the<br />
person who makes the contract with the publisher<br />
is not the author.<br />
<br />
Section 49.<br />
<br />
In civil actions, in which by claim or counter-<br />
claim, a right is made valid on the basis of the<br />
regulations of this law, the final appeal and<br />
decision lie within the jurisdiction of the Supreme<br />
Court of the Empire in accordance with Section 8<br />
of the law dealing with judicial organisation.<br />
<br />
Translated from the German by<br />
Go. i. 7.<br />
<br />
19<br />
PROPERTY IN A “NOM DE PLUME,”<br />
<br />
1<br />
COUNSEL’S OPINION.<br />
<br />
N the November number of The Author it<br />
I was stated that the committee had decided at<br />
their meeting in October to take counsel’s<br />
opinion on the question of an author’s property in<br />
a nom de plume, and, further, that as counsel’s<br />
opinion had been in favour of the member’s con-<br />
tention of her right of property, the committee of<br />
the society had decided to take the matter up.<br />
When the solicitors of the society wrote to the<br />
editor of the offending paper, he at once, on his<br />
attention being drawn to the point, frankly and<br />
courteously consented to withdraw the heading of<br />
the column which was the cause of complaint, and<br />
the matter thus terminated satisfactorily, without<br />
the necessity of any further action. For some<br />
reasons we regret that no legal decision was come<br />
to, as the point—the property that it is possible to<br />
acquire in a name—is one of great importance to<br />
all authors, whether they write under a nom de<br />
plume or not. As it is not at all unlikely that the<br />
same question may arise from time to time, the<br />
case as laid before counsel, together with his<br />
opinion on the points put forward, is printed<br />
below.<br />
CASE.<br />
<br />
Mrs. W. Desmond Humphreys is a novelist who<br />
has, during the last twenty-five years, written a<br />
large number of books under the nom de plume of<br />
“ Rita,” which has become in consequence a very<br />
well-known name amongst readers generally.<br />
<br />
Mrs. Humphreys has written some fifty-two<br />
novels under this name.<br />
<br />
A list of the chief ones will be found under the<br />
entry “ Rita,” in “ Who’s Who ?” for 1905.<br />
<br />
There can, we believe, be no doubt that the<br />
name of “Rita” is widely associated with Mrs.<br />
Humphreys’ work, that when the name is used in<br />
newspapers and elsewhere Mrs. Humphreys is the<br />
person intended to be referred to, and that it is of<br />
distinct pecuniary value in literary and journalistic<br />
circles; what may be called Mrs. Humphreys’<br />
literary “ good-will’? having become attached to it.<br />
On the other hand it is, we believe, a not uncommon<br />
name, and cannot, we think, be regarded as in any<br />
sense a “fancy ” or invented word.<br />
<br />
Mrs. Humphreys has been a good deal annoyed<br />
of late by the publication in a provincial journal<br />
of a “ children’s page,” purporting to be conducted<br />
by “ Rita.” Mrs. Humphreys says she is constantly<br />
being told that she writes in this paper—a report<br />
which is at once annoying and calculated also to<br />
injure her literary reputation, and consequently, in<br />
<br />
<br />
80<br />
<br />
the long run, her pecuniary results also, which ulti-<br />
mately depend largely upon that reputation. The<br />
question arises, whether Mrs. Humphreys can in<br />
any way prevent this annoyance and the use of her<br />
name ?<br />
<br />
The answer to this question depends, we<br />
suppose, upon the same principles as those which<br />
have been applied in the case of trade names<br />
generally, though there are some practical differ-<br />
ences in applying those principles to the profession<br />
of authorship. We suggest that if an author<br />
writes and acquires a reputation under an invented<br />
and fancy name he would be able to protect<br />
himself against the use of that name unfairly by<br />
other authors. Further, we submit that the fact<br />
of an author using a name already known does not<br />
alter his rights, save, of course, that no other person<br />
could we suppose be prohibited from writing under<br />
his own name. Upon these principles we should<br />
suggest that if any other person published a novel<br />
simply as by “ Rita,” as she could easily distinguish<br />
her work by adding her surname, according to the<br />
ordinary practice, she would equally be restrained<br />
from using the word “ Rita” alone. As regards<br />
this user in a newspaper, the question presents<br />
perhaps rather greater difficulty, but Mrs.<br />
Humphreys has, for the last ten years, constantly<br />
written under the name “Rita” in a_ large<br />
number of newspapers, and her name is well<br />
known.<br />
<br />
Tt is, no doubt, the usual practice to write<br />
“children’s pages” in newspapers under some<br />
fancy or other name than that of the person<br />
writing. The full name of the writer is seldom<br />
ised. Some name is chosen, either the writer’s<br />
own, or more commonly some other. ‘The name<br />
in this case is, we expect, so far as the author of<br />
the page is concerned, a fancy name, and if so,<br />
why have chosen “ Rita” ?<br />
<br />
There may have been no intention to mislead<br />
anyone, but we take it an innocent intention is not<br />
sufficient.<br />
<br />
The question is, have Mrs. Humphreys’ rights<br />
in the name of “ Rita” been infringed in fact ?<br />
Mrs. Humphreys is as well known as a journalist<br />
under the name “ Rita” as a novelist, so that the<br />
fact of the name being used for newspaper work<br />
as distinguished from novels could not be made<br />
use of, We suggest, therefore, that in this case<br />
also Mrs. Humphreys would have a remedy by<br />
injunction to prevent this writer from trading on<br />
«“ Rita’s” literary reputation.<br />
<br />
Counsel is desired to advise Mrs. Humphreys :<br />
<br />
1. Whether she can restrain the writer in the<br />
provincial journal from conducting the “ children’s<br />
page” under the name “ Rita,” and the proprietors<br />
from permitting such user ; or whether she has any<br />
other and what remedy in the matter ?<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
2. Whether, if another writer published a novel<br />
in ordinary book form, under the name of “ Rita,”<br />
he could be restrained from such user of the name ?<br />
<br />
3. Generally, whether Mrs. Humphreys has<br />
acquired any and what rights in the name “ Rita?”<br />
<br />
OPINION.<br />
<br />
In my opinion, where an author has gained a<br />
reputation for his works, and has become known to<br />
the public under a nom de plume as the writer of<br />
such works, he has the right to prevent any other<br />
person from holding out to the world that such<br />
author is the writer of literary matter which he<br />
never wrote. If it were otherwise, writers of<br />
inferior merit would be able to put their composi-<br />
tions before the public under the names of writers<br />
of high standing and authority, and thereby per-<br />
petuate a fraud, not only on the writer whose<br />
name is used, but also on the public. ;<br />
<br />
I further think that the principles which govern<br />
cases of trade names generally are applicable to<br />
this case.<br />
<br />
The law on the subject is very pithily put by Lord<br />
Halsbury, L.C., in Reddaway v. Banham ( [1896]<br />
A. C., p. 204), where he says, * The principle of<br />
law may be very plainly stated, and that is, that<br />
nobody has any right to represent his goods as the<br />
goods of somebody else.” In Lord Byron v. John-<br />
stone (2 Merivale, 29) the defendant was restrained<br />
from advertising for sale certain poems, which he<br />
represented by the advertisement to be the work<br />
of Lord Byron when such was not the case. In<br />
Besant v. Moffat and Paige (84 L. T. Journal, 152),<br />
upon an application for an interim injunction, it<br />
was held that the publisher was wrong in repre-<br />
senting that a book was written by Sir Walter<br />
Besant when it had not been written by him, but<br />
upon the defendant undertaking to block out the<br />
words objected to no order was made on the<br />
motion.<br />
<br />
In view of these cases, and the case of Metzler v.<br />
Wood (L. R. 8 ©. D. 606), I think it is clear that<br />
if Mrs. Humphreys had written her books and<br />
articles in her own name, she would be entitled to<br />
restrain anyone else from using her name, as the<br />
writer of works which were not hers, in such a<br />
manner as would be calculated to deceive persons<br />
into the belief that they were Mrs. Humphreys’<br />
works.<br />
<br />
T have not been able to find any English case<br />
where the writer has used a “nom de plume,” but<br />
in my opinion the user would not alter the prin-<br />
ciples to be applied.<br />
<br />
There are, however, two American cases upon<br />
the subject, viz., Clemens v. Such (Sebastian’s<br />
Digest, 429) and Clemens v. Belford (11 Biss. 459).<br />
In the first case it was held that the plaintiff,<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 81<br />
<br />
whose works were published under the “nom de<br />
plume” of Mark Twain, was entitled to restrain<br />
the unauthorised use of that name by another<br />
person.<br />
<br />
In the second case, it was held that an author<br />
who is known to the public under a “nom de<br />
plume” has the right to prevent the publication<br />
of matter which he did not write, in connection<br />
with his “nom de plume” and purporting to be<br />
written by him.<br />
<br />
Of course, the American decisions are not binding<br />
on the English courts, but in my view they were<br />
correctly decided in accordance with the principles<br />
of English law.<br />
<br />
In all cases of this description the plain-<br />
tiff must, of course, show that deception is<br />
probable, but in the present I do not think the<br />
Court would have much difficulty in arriving at<br />
such a conclusion. The Judge, however, cannot<br />
act on the mere view, but he must be satisfied by<br />
independent evidence that there is at least a<br />
reasonable probability of deception (London General<br />
Omnibus Co. v. Lavell [1901] 1 Ch. 185). There<br />
ought to be no difficulty in getting this evidence,<br />
as | understand from my instructions that Mrs.<br />
Humphreys is being constantly told that she<br />
writes for the provincial journal. I think it is<br />
immaterial whether or not the writer in the pro-<br />
vincial journal used the name fraudulently (see Worth<br />
Cheshire and Manchester Brewery Co. v. Manchester<br />
Brewery Co. [1899] A. C. 83), although if it should<br />
be proved that the writer has assumed the name of<br />
“Rita,” it would be almost sufficient evidence of<br />
fraud if taken alone (see per Turner, L.J., in Burgess<br />
v. Burgess, 3 De G. M. & G. 896).<br />
<br />
Assuming that the facts which I have indicated<br />
above can be proved, I am of opinion that :<br />
<br />
1. Mrs. Humphreys can restrain the writer in the<br />
provincial paper from conducting the “ children’s<br />
page,” under the name of “ Rita,” and the pro-<br />
prietors from permitting such user.<br />
<br />
She is also entitled to damages, but most<br />
probably they would be only nominal, as it would<br />
be very difficult to prove any specific damage.<br />
<br />
2 and 3. Mrs. Humphreys can restrain any<br />
person from using the nom de plume of “ Rita”<br />
to any literary work, which has not been written<br />
by Mrs. Humphreys, in any manner as is calculated<br />
to deceive persons into the belief that it is the work<br />
of Mrs. Humphreys.<br />
<br />
Lastly, before taking any proceedings against<br />
either the writer in the provincial journal or the<br />
proprietors thereof, a letter should be written<br />
asking them to discontinue the use of the name<br />
* Rita.”<br />
<br />
W. OuiverR Hones.<br />
1, King’s Bench Walk,<br />
Temple, E.C.<br />
<br />
MAGAZINE CONTENTS.<br />
<br />
od<br />
<br />
BOOKMAN.<br />
Geo. Macdonald. By James Moffatt.<br />
<br />
Book MONTHLY.<br />
<br />
The Modern Novel. By Hubert Bland.<br />
A Literary Peer.<br />
<br />
CHAMBERS’ JOURNAL.<br />
With Coleridge at Samuel Rogers’. By Robert McClure.<br />
<br />
CONTEMPORARY REVIEW.<br />
The Narratives of the Resurrection, By G. Margoliouth.<br />
Old and New Lights on Shakespeare’s “ Hamlet.” By<br />
Prof. Churton Collins.<br />
Humanism asa Religion. By R. Christie.<br />
<br />
CORNHILL.<br />
The Creation of the British Museum. By Sir E. Maunde<br />
Thompson, K.C.B.<br />
A Book of Martyrs. By Dora Greenwell McChesney.<br />
<br />
FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW.<br />
<br />
Geo. Farquhar. By. Wm. Archer.<br />
<br />
Sir Oliver Lodge on Religion and Science. By W. H.<br />
Mallock.<br />
<br />
A Classic of the Chase. By E. H. Lacon Watson.<br />
<br />
Life and Literature in France. By W. Lawler Wilson.<br />
<br />
Henry Irving: A Personal Reminiscence. By TE, 8:<br />
Escott.<br />
<br />
INDEPENDENT REVIEW.<br />
Charles Lamb. By Herbert Paul.<br />
<br />
MACMILLAN’S MAGAZINE,<br />
<br />
Matthew Arnold as a Social Reformer. By H. H.<br />
Dodwell.<br />
MONTHLY REVIEW.<br />
Charles Lamb. By Arthur Symons.<br />
Living Legends of the Saints. By Lady Gregory.<br />
Society Journalism. By Stephen Stapleton.<br />
<br />
NATIONAL REVIEW.<br />
Arisoto. By W. J. Courthorpe, C.B.<br />
Some Public Aspects of “The Times” Book Club, By<br />
Hugh Chisholm,<br />
<br />
NINETEENTH CENTURY.<br />
<br />
Latin for Girls. By Stephen Paget.<br />
The Deans and the Athanasian Creed. By The Very<br />
Rev. The Dean of Winchester.<br />
The Gaelic League. By The Countess Dowager of<br />
Desart.<br />
PALL MALL MAGAZINE.<br />
Thomas Hardy and The Land of Wessex. By Clive<br />
<br />
Holland. : d<br />
The Romance of a French Artist: Felix Ziem. By<br />
<br />
Frederic Lees.<br />
Lord Acton’s List of Books. By Lord Avebury,<br />
<br />
TEMPLE BAR.<br />
Some Recent Tragedy. By A. Balliol.<br />
<br />
WorLp’s WORK.<br />
The Education of an Artist. By GC. Lewis Hind,<br />
<br />
(There are no articles dealing with Literary, Dramatic,<br />
or Musical Subjects in Blackwood’s Magazine or The<br />
<br />
Month.)<br />
82<br />
<br />
WARNINGS TO THE PRODUCERS<br />
OF BOOKS.<br />
<br />
———+—<br />
ERE are a few standing rules to be observed in an<br />
agreement. There are four methods of dealing<br />
with literary property :-—<br />
<br />
I. Selling it Outright.<br />
<br />
This is sometimes satisfactory, if a proper price can be<br />
obtained. But the transaction should be managed by a<br />
competent agent, or with the advice of the Secretary of<br />
the Society.<br />
<br />
Il. A Profit-Sharing Agreement (a bad form of<br />
agreement),<br />
<br />
In this case the following rules should be attended to:<br />
<br />
(1.) Not to sign any agreement in which the cost of pro-<br />
duetion 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 />
(8.) Not to allow a special charge for “ office expenses,”<br />
unless the same allowance is made to the author.<br />
<br />
(4.) Not to give up American, Colonial, or Continental<br />
rights. : :<br />
<br />
(5.) Not to give up serial or translation rights. :<br />
<br />
(6.) Not to bind yourself for future work to any publisher.<br />
As well bind yourself for the future to any one solicitor or<br />
doctor !<br />
<br />
III. The Royalty System.<br />
<br />
This is perhaps, with certain limitations, the best form<br />
of agreement. It is above all things necessary to know<br />
what the proposed royalty means to both sides. It is now<br />
possible for an author to ascertain approximately the<br />
truth. From time to time very important figures connected<br />
with royalties are published in Zhe Author,<br />
<br />
IV. A Commission Agreement.<br />
<br />
The main points are :-— :<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 combimations 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 />
—————_1—__+—__—_<br />
<br />
WARNINGS TO DRAMATIC AUTHORS.<br />
<br />
oe :<br />
EVER sign an agreement without submitting it to the<br />
Secretary of the Society of Authors or some com-<br />
: “petent legal authority.<br />
2. {t is well to be extremely careful in negotiating for<br />
the production of a play with anyone except an established<br />
manager,<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
3. There are three forms of dramatic contract for plays<br />
in three or more acts :—<br />
<br />
(a.) Sale outright of the performing right. This<br />
is unsatisfactory. An author who enters into<br />
such a contract should stipulate in the contract<br />
for production of the piece by a certain date<br />
and for proper publication of his name on the<br />
play-bills.<br />
<br />
_(b.) Sale of performing right or of a licence to<br />
perform on the basis of percentages on<br />
gross receipts. Percentages vary between 6<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 (6.) apply<br />
also in this case.<br />
<br />
4, Plays in one act are often sold outright, but it is<br />
better to obtain a small nightly fee if possible, and a sum<br />
paid in advance of such fees in any event. It is extremely<br />
important that the amateur rights of one-act plays should<br />
be reserved.<br />
<br />
5. Authors should remember that performing rights can<br />
be limited, and are usually limited, by town, country, and<br />
time. This is most important.<br />
<br />
6. Authors should not assign performing rights, but<br />
should grant a licence to perform. ‘The legal distinction is<br />
of great importance.<br />
<br />
7. Authors should remember that performing rights in a<br />
play are distinct from literary copyright. A manager<br />
holding the performing right or licence to perform cannot<br />
print the book of the words.<br />
<br />
8. Never forget that United States rights may be exceed-<br />
ingly valuable. ‘They should never be included in English<br />
agreements without the author obtaining a substantial<br />
consideration.<br />
<br />
9. Agreements for collaboration should be carefully<br />
<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 />
<br />
property. The musical composer has very often the two —<br />
<br />
rights to deal with—performing right and copyright, He<br />
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+e<br />
ec<br />
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<br />
THE AUTHOR. 83<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 />
9<br />
<br />
HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY.<br />
<br />
a<br />
<br />
1. VERY member has a right toask for and to receive<br />
advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub-<br />
lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his<br />
<br />
business or the administration of his property. The<br />
<br />
Secretary of the Society is a solicitor, but if there is any<br />
<br />
special reason the Secretary will refer the case to the<br />
<br />
Solicitors of the Society. Further, the Committee, if they<br />
<br />
deem it desirable, will obtain counsel's opinion. All this<br />
<br />
without any cost to the member.<br />
<br />
2. Remember that questions connected with copyright<br />
and publishers’ agreements do not fall within the experi-<br />
ence of ordinarysolicitors. Therefore, do not scruple to use<br />
the Society.<br />
<br />
3. Send to the Office copies of past agreements and past<br />
accounts, with a copy of the book represented. The<br />
Secretary will always be glad to have any agreements, new<br />
or old, for inspection and note. The information thus<br />
obtained may prove invaluable.<br />
<br />
4. Before signing any agreement whatever, send<br />
the document to the Society for examination.<br />
<br />
5. Remember always that in belonging to the Society<br />
you are fighting the battles of other writers, even if you<br />
are reaping no benefit to yourself, and that you are<br />
advancing the best interests of your calling in promoting<br />
the independence of the writer, the dramatist, the composer.<br />
<br />
6. The Committee have now arranged for the reception<br />
of members’ agreements and their preservation in a fire-<br />
proof safe. The agreements will, of course, be regarded as<br />
confidential documents to be read only by the Secretary,<br />
who will keep the key of the safe. ‘The Society now offers:<br />
—(1) To read and advise upon agreements and to give<br />
advice concerning publishers. (2) To stamp agreements<br />
in readiness for a possible action upon them. (3) To keep<br />
agreements. (4) To enforce payments due according to<br />
agreements. Fuller particulars of the Society’s work<br />
can be obtained in the Prospectus.<br />
<br />
7. No contract should be entered into with a literary<br />
aah without the advice of the Secretary of the Society.<br />
<br />
embers 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 />
The<br />
<br />
8. Many agents neglect to stamp agreements.<br />
must be done within fourteen days of first execution.<br />
Secretary will undertake it on behalf of members,<br />
<br />
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 1s. per<br />
annum, or £10 10s for life membership.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
TO MUSICAL COMPOSERS.<br />
<br />
=o<br />
<br />
Gee: Society undertakes to stamp copies of music on<br />
behalf of its members for the fee of 6d. per 100 or<br />
part of 100. The members’ stamps are kept in the<br />
Society’s safe. The musical publishers communicate direct<br />
with the Secretary, and the voucher is then forwarded to<br />
the members, who are thus saved much unnecessary trouble.<br />
<br />
——_—— +o —_<br />
<br />
THE READING BRANCH.<br />
<br />
ee ee oe<br />
<br />
EMBERS will greatly assist the Society in this<br />
branch of its work by informing young writers<br />
of its existence. Their MSS. can be read and<br />
<br />
treated as a composition is treated by a coach. The term<br />
MSS. includes not only works of fiction, but poetry<br />
and dramatic works, and when it is possible, under<br />
<br />
special arrangement, technical and scientific works. The<br />
Readers are writers of competence and experience. The<br />
<br />
fee is one guinea.<br />
—_—————_.—>—_e_____<br />
<br />
NOTICES.<br />
<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 “ The Author” should be addressed<br />
to the Offices of the Society, 39, Old Queen Street, Storey’s<br />
Gate, S.W., and should reach the Editor not later than the<br />
21st of each month.<br />
<br />
All persons engaged in literary work of any kind,<br />
whether members of the Society or not, are invited to<br />
communicate to the Editor any points connected with their<br />
work which it would be advisable in the general interest to<br />
publish.<br />
<br />
Communications and letters are invited by the<br />
Editor on all subjects connected with literature, but on<br />
no other subjects whatever. Every effort will be made to<br />
return articles which cannot be accepted.<br />
<br />
ges<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 />
a<br />
<br />
LEGAL AND GENERAL LIFE ASSURANCE<br />
SOCIETY.<br />
<br />
1<br />
<br />
ENSIONS to commence at any selected age,<br />
either with or without Life Assurance, can<br />
be obtained from this society.<br />
<br />
Full particulars can be obtained from the City<br />
Branch Manager, Legal and General Life Assurance<br />
Society, 158, Leadenhall Street, London, H.C.<br />
AUTHORITIES.<br />
<br />
—_——<br />
<br />
E must congratulate Sir George Darwin on<br />
receiving the Birthday honour of K.C.B.<br />
‘he son of a distinguished father, he has<br />
followed in his father’s footsteps as @ man of science.<br />
He was Second Wrangler and Smith’s Prizeman<br />
in 1868 at Cambridge, and was elected a Fellow of<br />
Trinity College in the following year. This year,<br />
everyone will remember, he was President of the<br />
British Association, and in South Africa opened<br />
the bridge over the Falls of the Zambesi.<br />
His writings on scientific subjects are well<br />
known, but too numerous to recount in detail.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Iv is constantly argued that the success of adver-<br />
tisement depends upon its persistence ; that after<br />
a certain amount of repeated advertisement the<br />
mind receives the obsession of a certain idea and<br />
yields to this obsession.<br />
<br />
It is essential from time to time to apply this<br />
principle in The Author, and to repeat the faults<br />
of various methods of dealing with literary pro-<br />
perty suggested by publishers, editors, and agents,<br />
so that, finally, members may be convinced of the<br />
points to be avoided. This repetition—from our<br />
point of view completely satisfactory—has, how-<br />
ever, its drawbacks. For those authors who are<br />
capable of managing their own business satisfac-<br />
torily, or whose position is such that they are not<br />
over careful about driving hard bargains, some-<br />
times come to the conclusion that the Society of<br />
Authors is the embittered enemy of all publishers.<br />
It is needless to repeat, what has been repeated so<br />
often, that the society is nothin of the kind.<br />
<br />
Only the other day a certain ell known author,<br />
on being asked to join the society, refused to do<br />
so for the reason already mentioned. If the accu-<br />
sation were true—which we deny—there would<br />
still remain many reasons why the author, however<br />
successful, and however little he might need the<br />
help of the society in the conduct of his own special<br />
business, should still become a member. He<br />
benefits indirectly, and he has no right to live or<br />
to gain part of his livelihood from the guineas of<br />
his more gregarious fellow writers. It is possible<br />
he might deny the position, but he should remember<br />
that every effort made by the society to obtain<br />
better copyright laws in Great Britain, her colonies<br />
and dependencies, in the United States, and in the<br />
direction of international legislation, or to obtain<br />
a wider protection by agitation for the adhesion of<br />
other countries to the Berne Convention, increases<br />
the value of his property. This applies to the case<br />
of an author of established position more than to<br />
the case of a beginner.<br />
<br />
It is needless also to mention that the committee<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
of the society have all these points before them,<br />
and are constantly moving in one direction or<br />
another to increase and to protect the value of<br />
literary property.<br />
<br />
Tt is for reasons such as these, then, that every<br />
writer should join the society. The guinea paid<br />
is not in charity—it is paid to an insurance<br />
company.<br />
<br />
In this month’s issue we print the German Law ~<br />
<br />
of Publishers’ Contracts. In the July, 1905,<br />
number we printed the German Law of Copy-<br />
right. These two translations cover the Acts<br />
dealing with literary property in Germany, and<br />
deserve the careful consideration of members of<br />
the society. The former law, that of publishers’<br />
contracts, is a most interesting document, showing<br />
with what minute preciseness legislation is carried<br />
in the Fatherland. We may fairly say that it<br />
would be impossible for such a law to pass through<br />
the Parliament of Great Britain. However, it is<br />
an exceedingly instructive document, and a studied<br />
perusal will enable the author to obtain many<br />
suggestions of clauses and terms to be embodied in<br />
contracts with publishers.<br />
<br />
There are some points, however, which would<br />
appear almost superfluous. For instance, in<br />
Section 1, “1f there is an agreement between<br />
the author and the publisher to publish a work,<br />
the author undertakes to deliver the work and the<br />
publisher undertakes to reproduce and distribute<br />
it.” Again, in Section 29, “if the agreement<br />
with the publisher is restricted to a definite<br />
number of editions the relationship of the con-<br />
tracting parties ceases when the editions or copies<br />
are exhausted.” There are other examples of<br />
what would appear to be self-evident platitudes.<br />
<br />
Of the clauses containing useful hints to authors<br />
we should like to draw attention to clause 5.<br />
“In the absence of agreement the publisher is<br />
only entitled to produce one edition limited to<br />
1,000 copies.” Again, in clause 8 (a hint for<br />
publishers) in the absence of any stipulation to<br />
the contrary the author must secure to the pub-<br />
lisher the exclusive right of reproduction and<br />
distribution.<br />
<br />
In clause 12, again, there are some curious<br />
points which refer to the alterations allowed to<br />
authors, In clause 23 payment to the author<br />
becomes due on delivery of the work to the pub-<br />
lisher—a most important point often overlooked<br />
in English contracts. We do not desire to go<br />
through the law clause by clause, but leave to<br />
members of the society the full consideration, as<br />
the study will afford them many useful ideas as<br />
to the manner of dealing with their literary<br />
<br />
property.<br />
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6<br />
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THE AUTHOR. 85<br />
<br />
THE PENSION FUND CO MMITTEE.<br />
<br />
1<br />
<br />
N order to give members of the society, should<br />
I they desire to appoint a fresh member to the<br />
Pension Fund Committee, full time to act,<br />
it has been thought advisable to place in Zhe Author<br />
a complete statement of the method of election<br />
under the scheme for administration of the Pension<br />
Fund. Under that scheme the committee is com-<br />
posed of three members elected by the committee<br />
of the society, three members elected by the society<br />
at the general meeting, and the chairman of the<br />
society for the time being, ex-officio. The three<br />
members elected at the general meeting when the<br />
fund was started were Mr. Morley Roberts, Mr.<br />
M. H. Spielmann, and Mrs. Alec ‘Tweedie. These<br />
have in turn during the past three years resigned,<br />
and, submitting their names for re-election, have<br />
been unanimously re-elected. This year Mr.<br />
Morley Roberts again, under the rules of the<br />
scheme, tenders his resignation and submits his<br />
name forre-election. The members have power to<br />
put forward other names under clause 9, which<br />
runs as follows :—<br />
<br />
Any candidate for election to the Pension Fund Com-<br />
mittee by the members of the society (not being a retiring<br />
member of such committee) shall be nominated in writing<br />
to the secretary at least three weeks prior to the general<br />
meeting at which such candidate is to be proposed, and the<br />
nomination of each such candidate shall be subscribed by<br />
at least three members of the society. A list of the names<br />
of the candidates so nominated shall be sent to the members<br />
of the society, with the annual report of the Managing<br />
Committee, and those candidates obtaining the most votes<br />
at the general meeting shall be elected to serve on the<br />
Pension Fund Committee.<br />
<br />
In case any member should desire to refer to the<br />
list of members, a copy, with the exception of<br />
those members referred to in the note at the<br />
beginning, can be obtained at the society’s office.<br />
This list, dated 1902, owing to the small demand,<br />
has not been re-edited, and is, therefore, not<br />
absolutely accurate. A further list of the elections<br />
for 1903 was published in separate form, and all<br />
further elections have been duly notified in The<br />
Author. They can easily be referred to, as all<br />
members receive a copy every month.<br />
<br />
It would be as well, therefore, should any of the<br />
members desire to put forward a candidate, to take<br />
the matter within their immediate consideration.<br />
The general meeting of the society has usually<br />
been held towards the end of February or the<br />
beginning of March. This notice will be repeated<br />
in the January number of 7'he Author. It is<br />
essential that all nominations should be in the<br />
hands of the secretary before the 31st of January,<br />
1906.<br />
<br />
THE NOBEL PRIZE COMMITTEE.<br />
ee<br />
HE Nobel Prize Committee of the Society of<br />
Authors met on November 15th at the<br />
offices of the society, 39, Old Queen Street,<br />
when the chair was taken by Lord Avebury.<br />
Among those present were Mr. Austin Dobson,<br />
Mr. Edmund Gosse, Mrs. John Richard Green,<br />
and Sir Donald Mackenzie Wallace; Mr. G.<br />
Herbert Thring acted as secretary.<br />
<br />
The chairman expressed the hope that the<br />
English Nobel Committee would not be dis-<br />
couraged if the prize of £8,250 should this year<br />
be awarded to a foreign poet or poets, since we<br />
have the assurance of the director of the Swedish<br />
Academy that any “idealistic” writer strongly<br />
supported by the authors of England “ has every<br />
prospect of gaining the Nobel prize for litera-<br />
ture at some future time.” Mr. Austin Dobson<br />
suggested that unanimity and persistence were of<br />
the greatest importance, and that the committee<br />
should not be impatient if the prize were not<br />
immediately given to the English candidate. <At<br />
the suggestion of Mr. Gosse it was agreed that the<br />
committee should take the same steps as were<br />
taken last year to collect the votes of all qualified<br />
British voters.<br />
<br />
————Cc—>—o——_<br />
<br />
SOME CANADIAN WRITERS.<br />
<br />
a te<br />
No. 1.—PortTry.<br />
<br />
HE Editor of The Author has asked me to<br />
write something about Canadian literature,<br />
with which a residence of seventeen years<br />
<br />
in the Dominion may be supposed to have made<br />
me acquainted. I comply with his request with<br />
some diffidence, knowing the “invidious bar”<br />
that stands in the way of him who would treat of<br />
living artists, whether of the pen or brush, and<br />
knowing also the difficulty of escaping, in such an<br />
article as the editor wants, from a certain simi-<br />
larity to a mere list of names, that might remind<br />
one of a directory or of the genealogical chapters<br />
of the Book of Chronicles.<br />
<br />
It is not possible to speak of everybody, and it<br />
must be said that this article does not touch the<br />
French-Canadian branch of the subject.<br />
<br />
I will speak first of poets. In the preface to his<br />
valuable and laborious “ Bibliography of Canadian<br />
Poetry,” published in 1899, Mr. O. C. James says<br />
that it is “based on a collection of about four<br />
hundred volumes and pamphlets brought together<br />
by the author during the last ten years, and now<br />
in the library of Victoria University, Toronto.”<br />
<br />
The earliest book of poetry in Mr. James’s list<br />
is “The New Gentle Shepherd,” by Lieutenant<br />
Adam Allan, which was published in 1798. ‘Two<br />
<br />
<br />
86<br />
<br />
volumes of Canadian poetry were published in 1815<br />
and one in 1816, after which came a hiatus of<br />
seven lean years in which no poet ventured into<br />
the open. Perhaps the fate of those three earlier<br />
works showed that the air of Canada in that day<br />
was a little too frigid for poets.<br />
<br />
From 1824 to 1850, however, there was no year<br />
without the appearance of some modest book of<br />
Canadian verse, and in 1846 no fewer than six saw<br />
the light. It is touching to look at some of these<br />
yolumes, which bear the marks of rural printing<br />
presses, well-worn type, and home-made binding.<br />
‘After 1850 the number of singers began to grow<br />
larger, so that in the following decade forty-five<br />
poets ventured before the public, and in the next<br />
sixty-six. From 1870 to the end of the century<br />
the poetical output of the publishers steadily<br />
increased, till it culminated in its last decade with<br />
no fewer than one hundred and forty-one volumes,<br />
which, for a population of five millions, containing<br />
no leisured class, is a little remarkable.<br />
<br />
In 1864, Rev. Dr. Dewart published a work<br />
entitled ‘Selections from Canadian Poets.” In<br />
that book forty-seven authors are noticed, and one<br />
hundred and seventy-two poems. In 1889, Mr.<br />
W. D. Lighthall, of Montreal, issued his collection<br />
entitled “Songs of the Great Dominion,” in which<br />
we find fifty-six authors and one hundred and sixty-<br />
three poems. In 1900, Dr. Theodore H. Rand<br />
gave us his “ Treasury of Canadian Verse,” which<br />
quotes three hundred and forty-four poems from<br />
cone hundred and thirty-five authors. From these<br />
interesting books one may derive much informa-<br />
tion as to Canadian poetry, and a comparison of<br />
them enables us somewhat clearly to judge as to<br />
the respective places of Canadign poets according<br />
to the opinion of competent judges. Among those<br />
who have passed away, the most prominent names<br />
‘are those of Charles Heavysege, Charles Sangster,<br />
D’Arcy McGee, Alex. McLachlan, Isabella<br />
Valancy Crawford, and Archibald Lampman. To<br />
read the lives of these writers is to feel through<br />
what difficulties poetic genius has, in this country,<br />
‘struggled to its goal.<br />
<br />
Of Heavysege’s great poem, ‘“ Saul,” published<br />
anonymously in Montreal in 1857, the North<br />
British Review for August, 1858, says : “ We have<br />
before us perhaps the only copy that has crossed<br />
the Atlantic. At all events we have heard of no<br />
other, as it is probable we should have done,<br />
through some public or private notice, seeing that<br />
the work is indubitably one of the most remarkable<br />
English poems ever written out of Great Britain.”<br />
<br />
Dr. Dewart assigns to Charles Sangster the first<br />
place among Canadian poets. While I do not<br />
agree with this verdict, I am willing to concede<br />
him a high place as one of the most representative<br />
.of our Canadian bards.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
He was born in Canada, his themes are Canadian,<br />
he lived in an atmosphere of Canadian sentiment,<br />
and everything he wrote is permeated with the<br />
spirit of the scenery of his country. He may be<br />
said to be the pioneer of what has developed into<br />
that distinctively Canadian school of verse which has<br />
been inspired by the grandeur of our mountains<br />
and forests, and the impressiveness of our lakes,<br />
rivers, waterfalls, and boundless prairies.<br />
<br />
Thomas D’Arcy McGee, M.P., was born in<br />
Treland in 1825, and came to Canada in 1857.<br />
He was a Canadian statesman of high repute, and<br />
was assassinated in the vicinity of the parliament<br />
buildings in Ottawa, in 1868. He was the author<br />
of “Canadian Ballads and Occasional Verses,” and<br />
his poem entitled, “ Our Ladye of the Snow,” is as<br />
good as any of Sir Walter Scott’s.<br />
<br />
Alexander McLachlan has been called the Burns<br />
of Canada, and that is, perhaps, a convenient way<br />
of indicating his status to the over-seas reader.<br />
Like Burns, he was a farmer. In his work, as in<br />
that of D’Arcy McGee, the divine Celtic fire is<br />
visible. The following verses are from his poem<br />
entitled “ The Scot.”<br />
<br />
“ Dour as a door-nail he’s indeed ;<br />
To change an item of his creed<br />
Is tearing hair oot o’ his heid,<br />
<br />
He winna budge,<br />
Nor will he either drive or lead,<br />
But just ery ‘Fudge !’<br />
<br />
“ And in his bonnet apt is he<br />
To hae some great big bumming bee,<br />
Sic as his Stuart loyalty,<br />
When hope is past ;<br />
Despite their stupid tyranny,<br />
True to the last.<br />
<br />
“A man o’ passionate convictions,<br />
A mixture queer o’ contradictions,<br />
Big, liberal, but wi’ stern restrictions ;<br />
Yet at the core,<br />
To a’ mankind wi’ benedictions,<br />
His heart rins o’er.”’<br />
<br />
To the memory of Isabella Valancy Crawford,<br />
who came to Canada from Ireland in 1856, and<br />
died in Toronto in 1887, at the age of 36, an<br />
increasing number of tributes is yearly offered.<br />
As the appreciation of what is truly worthy in<br />
Canadian poetry becomes more cultured and<br />
critical, her fame is bound to increase, though she<br />
produced very little, and died disappointed at the<br />
lack of recognition which was the fate of her<br />
publications.<br />
<br />
The name of Archibald Lampman seems to bring<br />
us suddenly down to the present, since he died in<br />
Ottawa but six short years ago ; so young—he was<br />
only thirty-eight—that one almost feels he ought<br />
to be living now. Living he is, still, in the hearts<br />
of all who knew him, for he was not only a poet,<br />
<br />
but the most lovable of Nature’s gentlemen. His<br />
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THE AUTHOR. 87<br />
<br />
complete poems in a volume of four hundred and<br />
seventy-two pages, edited by his friend and fellow<br />
poet, Duncan Campbell Scott, with a memoir which<br />
is one of the most beautiful examples of biographical<br />
literature in the language, were published in 1900.<br />
<br />
As heat is measured by the quantity of ice it<br />
will melt, a poet’s ability may be roughly judged<br />
by his skill in attacking a prosaic subject. I will<br />
quote Lampman’s sonnet entitled “ The Railway<br />
Station” :—<br />
<br />
“The darkness brings no quiet here, the light<br />
No waking : ever on my blinded brain<br />
The flare of lights, the rush, and cry, and strain,<br />
The engines’ scream, the hiss and thunder smite ;<br />
I see the hurrying crowds, the clasp, the flight,<br />
Faces that touch, eyes that are dim with pain ;<br />
I see the hoarse wheels turn, and the great train<br />
Move labouring out into the bournless night.<br />
<br />
“So many souls within its dim recesses,<br />
So many bright, so many mournful eyes :<br />
Mine eyes that watch grow fixed with dreams and<br />
guesses ;<br />
What threads of life, what hidden histories,<br />
What sweet or passionate dreams and dark distresses,<br />
What unknown thoughts, what various agonies! ”<br />
<br />
Writing of Lampman in the Canadian Magazine<br />
some years ago, Mr. Arthur J. Stringer, himself a<br />
Canadian poet and critic of no mean ability, says :<br />
“Of the group of Canadian poets who have<br />
obtained a recognised standing—Roberts, Lamp-<br />
man, Carman, Campbell and Scott—probably<br />
Lampman is the most thoroughly Canadian, and<br />
in Canada the most popular. He is not as<br />
scholarly as Roberts; he has not the strong<br />
imaginative power of Campbell ; he may not have<br />
the mysterious melody of language peculiar<br />
to Carman, nor the pleasing daintiness and<br />
occasional felicitousness of Scott; but he is the<br />
strongest and broadest poet of the group,<br />
possessing the most of what Landor has called<br />
‘substantiality.” He has an artist's eye for<br />
colour, and the quiet thoughtfulness of a student<br />
for scenery—the true nature poet.”<br />
<br />
This quotation is not only valuable for what it<br />
says about Lampman, but it suitably introduces<br />
our other chief poets, Charles G. D. Roberts, Bliss<br />
Carman, William Wilfred Campbell, and Duncan<br />
Campbell Scott, to whom I will add R. H.<br />
Kernighan, Frederick George Scott, Ethelwyn<br />
Wetherald, and W. H. Drummond, as the best<br />
selection I can make for this poetical guest-table.<br />
<br />
Charles G. D. Roberts has done so much in the<br />
forty-five years of his life, not only in poetry, but<br />
in other departments of writing, that he necessarily<br />
takes a chief place in any comparative view of our<br />
literature. He had a good start, for he comes of a<br />
cultured family, and he received an adequate and<br />
comprehensive education, The variety of his aims<br />
<br />
may have hindered in some degree the production of<br />
the monumental ; but he has written four or five<br />
volumes of noble poetry, a most readable and useful<br />
History of Canada, several picturesque Canadian<br />
stories, a few charmingly-handled _ historical<br />
romances, the best “animal stories’? that have<br />
been written on the continent, and of late a<br />
quantity of flesh-coloured verse that rivals Swin-<br />
burne and hints at Rossetti. If thereis a touch of<br />
the chameleon in his genius, the genius is there ;<br />
and if he had lived and written in England instead<br />
of in Canada his fame would by this time be<br />
world-wide, since he is, on the whole, in advance of<br />
most of his English contemporaries in poetry. I<br />
have only room for a few lines from Roberts—this<br />
whole magazine might well be taken up by quota-<br />
tions from his verse :<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“THE FALLING LEAVES.<br />
<br />
“ Lightly He blows, and at His breath they fall,<br />
The perishing kindreds of the leaves ; they drift,<br />
Spent flames of scarlet, gold aérial,<br />
<br />
Across the hollow year, noiseless and swift.<br />
Lightly He blows, and countless as the falling<br />
Of snow by night upon a solemn sea,<br />
<br />
The ages circle down beyond recalling,<br />
<br />
To strew the hollows of Eternity.<br />
<br />
He sees them drifting through the spaces dim,<br />
And leaves and ages are as one to Him.”<br />
<br />
Bliss Carman, a cousin of the foregoing, is an<br />
unmistakable poet. He is another of the young<br />
men, who having celebrated their native country in<br />
serious, and no doubt sincere poetry, have, like<br />
Roberts, been carried by the torrential stream of<br />
life to the accelerated atmosphere of American<br />
cities, where life goes with a greater rush than in<br />
London because the air is more stimulating, and<br />
there is more money per capita to spend ; where,<br />
also, the English poise and phlegm are absent.<br />
The circumstances and conditions of Carman’s<br />
education were the same as those of Roberts, except<br />
that he took post-graduate courses at Harvard and<br />
Edinburgh. He also, like his kinsman, indulged<br />
somewhat in editorial work, but ultimately forsook<br />
the chair for the freer road of independent literary<br />
endeavour. That this road léd him far afield, the<br />
titles of two of his books, “Songs from Vagabon-<br />
dia” and ‘More Songs from Vagabondia,” seem<br />
to indicate. He had already, however, shown his<br />
distinctive poetic genius, in his books “ Low Tide<br />
on Grand Pré,” “ Behind the Arras—a book of the<br />
Unseen,” and “ Ballads of Lost Haven.” He writes<br />
splendidly of the sea—no poet better ; living or<br />
dead.<br />
<br />
“QO, the shambling sea is a sexton old,<br />
And well his work is done.<br />
<br />
With an equal grave for lord and knave<br />
He buries them every one.<br />
<br />
<br />
THE<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip,<br />
He makes for the nearest shore ;<br />
<br />
And God, who sent him a thousand ship,<br />
Will send him a thousand more.<br />
<br />
“ But some he'll save for a bleaching grave,<br />
And shoulder them in to shore—<br />
Shoulder them in, shoulder them in,<br />
Shoulder them in to shore.”<br />
<br />
But Carman can write other poems besides those<br />
which somehow remind us of the volume, the<br />
strength, and the irresistible impetuosity of a<br />
brass band. He has the poet’s subtle insight, and<br />
he understands the delicate flavour of word and<br />
phrase. Withal he has originality and a com-<br />
prehensive grasp of life that are rare in modern<br />
<br />
oets.<br />
<br />
William Wilfred Campbell was born in Western<br />
Ontario in 1861, studied at Toronto University,<br />
and has been in the Canadian civil service for<br />
some years. His poetry has frequently appeared<br />
in the best magazines on both sides of the Atlantic,<br />
and he is a writer of great originality and power.<br />
It was with respect to a poem of his that a com-<br />
petent reviewer wrote: “The nearest approach to<br />
a great poem that has cropped out in_ current<br />
literature for many a long day is ‘The Mother.’ ”<br />
This poem first appeared in an American magazine<br />
in 1891 and at once stamped its author as a man<br />
of conspicuous and virile originality and force of<br />
imagination. He has published “ Lake Lyrics and<br />
other Poems,” “The Dread Voyage,” ‘“ Mordred<br />
and Hildebrand ” and “ Over the Hills of Dream.”<br />
These four books of verse place him in a high<br />
position in contemporary verse. He has written<br />
also a very beautiful elegy on his fellow-poet<br />
Lampman, which begins :— ,<br />
<br />
“ Soft fall the February snows, and soft<br />
<br />
Falls on my heart the snow of wintry pain ;<br />
For never more, by wood or field or croft,<br />
Will he we knew walk with his loved again ;<br />
No more with eyes adream and scul aloft,<br />
<br />
In those high moods where love and beauty reign<br />
Greet his familiar fields, his skies without a stain.”<br />
<br />
And he has written several other pieces of occa-<br />
sional or national interest. His is no vagrant<br />
muse, though he knows his Hastern Canada, and<br />
his eye for the larger aspects of nature is un-<br />
doubtedly keen.<br />
<br />
Duncan Campbell Scott, besides being a most<br />
artistic and genuine poet, is a very competent<br />
member of the civil service of Canada, where he<br />
holds a highly responsible position in the Depart-<br />
ment of Indian Affairs.<br />
<br />
For the sweetness of his song, and its dainty .<br />
perfection of form, Scott stands to a great extent<br />
alone. There is a delicate reticence, and a high-<br />
bred refinement about his poetry which marks it as<br />
the work of a masterly literary craftsman. He is<br />
a devotee of music, and there is music in all his<br />
<br />
AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
lines. Besides this there is a condensed force in<br />
some of his utterances that marks them as the<br />
sublimed essence of a strong and subtle mind. He<br />
has produced less than some Canadian poets,<br />
having issued but two books, “ The Magic House”<br />
in 1893, and “ Labour and the Angel” in 1898,<br />
but of the high quality of his output there is no<br />
question.<br />
<br />
In R. H. Kernighan, who has written much<br />
verse, more or less fugitive, under the nom de<br />
plume of “The Khan,” and has published a very<br />
popular volume of poems entitled “The Khan’s<br />
Canticles,”” we have an example of genuine native<br />
genius, essentially Canadian, imitative of nobody,<br />
full of vigour, and giving evidence everywhere of<br />
being that of a poet born and not made. He is a<br />
farmer, and has had no advantages of higher edu-<br />
cation, but where any of the poets before mentioned<br />
has an audience of a hundred, Kernighan has a<br />
thousand. The others appeal chiefly or solely to<br />
the “fit audience though few.” Kernighan<br />
appeals to everybody.<br />
<br />
Another poet who has a similarly wide circle of<br />
readers is Dr. W. H. Drummond, medical practi-<br />
tioner, hunter, camper, and sympachetic interpreter<br />
of the French Canadian habitant to his fellow<br />
Canadians who speak English, and to people of all<br />
English-speaking countries. Dr. Drummond may<br />
be said to have discovered the habitant just as<br />
Mr. Kipling discovered Tommy Atkins. He is<br />
the only Canadian poet who has had the pleasure<br />
of seeing his works run into many and large<br />
editions. The medium of expression he adopts<br />
is the habitants broken English, so that all his<br />
poems have a certain dramatic force. It is the<br />
peasant of Quebec who speaks and says :—<br />
<br />
“ Venez ici, mon cher ami, an’ sit down by me—so,<br />
An’ I will tole you story of ole tam long ago—<br />
W’en ev'ryting is happy—w’en all de bird is sing,<br />
An’ me !—I’m young and strong lak moose an’ not afraid<br />
no ting” ;<br />
<br />
and who tells us on the occasion of the late<br />
Queen’s jubilee :—<br />
<br />
“ Yaas, dat is de way Victoriaw fin’ us dis jubilee,<br />
Sometam’ we mak fuss about not’ing, but it’s all on de<br />
familee,<br />
An’ wenever dere’s danger roun’ her, no matter on sea<br />
or lan’,<br />
She'll find that les Canayens can<br />
Englishman.”<br />
<br />
fight de sam as bes’<br />
<br />
Miss Ethelwyn Wetherald is not only an in-<br />
dustrious contributor of prose articles to the<br />
magazines, but she is distinguished as a poet whose<br />
work has received much appreciation during the<br />
last decade. That she is a genuine lover of Nature<br />
and a skilful interpreter of Nature’s moods is shown<br />
in the three books of verse she has published :<br />
“The House of the Trees,” “Tangled in Stars,”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
and “The Radiant Road.” Much of her work<br />
has a piquant lightness of touch and originality<br />
that give it a distinctive character. I have only<br />
= room for a small quotation :—<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“THE SCHOOL OF PAIN.<br />
<br />
“This is the hard school kept by Pain,<br />
With pupils sad and white ;<br />
While some shed tears like falling rain<br />
From dreary morn till night ;<br />
‘Some knit the brow and clench the fist,<br />
And fill the heart with hate :<br />
And some cross languid wrist on wrist<br />
And say Pain is their fate.<br />
<br />
* But those that study very hard,<br />
<br />
And learn that Pain can bless,<br />
Are sent out in a leafy yard<br />
To play with Happiness.”<br />
<br />
Though Frederick George Scott is the last name<br />
to be mentioned in this division of the subject, he<br />
is by no means our least poet. On the contrary,<br />
he works on a high plane of excellence ; very little<br />
of his published poetry can be reckoned as mediocre,<br />
and occasionally he reaches the sublime. Indeed<br />
it is impossible to rise from a perusal of such a<br />
poem, for instance, as his “ Samson,” or some of<br />
his sonnets, without feeling that he takes a very<br />
high place in contemporary poetic literature,<br />
whether of this continent or of England. He has<br />
published three books of verse: ‘The Soul’s<br />
Quest,” “My Lattice,’ and “The Un-named<br />
Lake ;” and he has also written several stories of<br />
considerable interest and merit. There is perhaps<br />
less of a distinctively Canadian flavour about his<br />
verse than in that of his confréres, and there is<br />
not so much celebration of the aspects of Nature.<br />
<br />
BernarD McEvoy.<br />
(To be continued.)<br />
<br />
—_———_o—>—_+__—_<br />
<br />
“LITERATURE” IN ADVERTISEMENTS.<br />
<br />
—<br />
<br />
HAT is “literature”? and what is the<br />
scope of its applicability to written com-<br />
position? very century upsets the<br />
<br />
standards of its forerunner, or literature might be<br />
pronounced comprehensively the work of men of<br />
letters, that is to say, of the esoteric devotees of<br />
grammar, syntax, style and expression. But here,<br />
come to me within the last few days from an<br />
American agency for the “ placing” of “ copy,” are<br />
a letter and a bulky package of circulars and<br />
pamphlets. The latter include a booklet of written<br />
testimonials to the firm ; another, treating of its<br />
school for journalism, with fecs, diplomas, certi-<br />
ficates and all the rest of it, very praiseworthy and<br />
profitable ; various leaflets containing urgent<br />
entreaties and calls upon man and womankind<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
89<br />
<br />
generally to make or augment their incomes by an<br />
investment of their waste faculties in the gold<br />
mines of fiction (of which “there is not half<br />
enough to go around”); and, finally, forms to fill<br />
in, would I become one of that industrial army<br />
of “writers for profit.” Well, we have no right<br />
of quarrel with all this. If fiction has become the<br />
very bread of life, there must arise A. B. O.’s to<br />
meet a demand for which the humble bakery 1s<br />
inadequate. But why refer to such a budget of<br />
business self-puffery as “literature”? That is my<br />
anxious difficulty. ‘‘ After you have carefully read<br />
our literature,” says the Agency’s paternal letter,<br />
referring to the voluminous package. I have read<br />
it, or some of it. It is good plain advertising<br />
stuff, but it will not compare, say, with ‘‘ The<br />
Critic,’ or Autolycus’ crying of his wares in<br />
Bohemia. To call it literature seems to me to<br />
smack of those verbal appropriations to contorted<br />
uses by the free and independent, which dispossess<br />
the old without dignifying the new. Perhaps if<br />
American letters basked in the light of their own<br />
stately antiquity, Americans would be more jealous<br />
of the term. Perhaps if—this, that or the other<br />
had happened differently !<br />
<br />
What an utterly idle speculation! and yet how<br />
the kingdom of romance is builded on such. “ Of<br />
all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are<br />
these, ‘It might have been.’” America, for<br />
instance, might have had at this day a very damask<br />
of historical dyes to paint into her literature, had<br />
not that confederacy of States limited her drafts<br />
upon romance to a beggarly couple of wars. There<br />
were the original thirteen, each sovereign and<br />
independent, and at the outset intending to<br />
remain so : thirteen embryo principalities, duchies,<br />
counties—or twelve, or eleven, perhaps, with a<br />
virulent republic interposed here and_ there.<br />
Think of it! Washington’s struggle for the<br />
suzerainty, his hard-wrung success, and the piece-<br />
meal lopping of its limbs by his rival survivors,<br />
the rise of the Salt Lake popes, instead of a Zion<br />
whopping creation ; anarchy, militarism, chaos,<br />
reason, in turn and intermingling ; a constellation<br />
of despotisms ; falling stars and fountains running<br />
blood ; the tocsin ; slaughter and frenzy in the<br />
streets; State marching on State, the clashing<br />
cymbals of discordance ; sack, pillage, the roar of<br />
musketry and babbled prayers of girls. Then, the<br />
sense of design emerging—wild theories of order,<br />
and patterns of art and government ; fervid<br />
apostolicism and a Christ-like vision of beauty ;<br />
mutinies of wickedness bubbling here and there,<br />
and complicating the design in their suppression—<br />
at the end, Roosevelt crowned King, at Washington,<br />
of the United States.<br />
<br />
Dismal, dismal! a lurid thing to picture ; and,<br />
instead, the gods of progress be praised ! we have<br />
<br />
<br />
90<br />
<br />
‘‘ literature” in business circulars, art in advertise-<br />
ments, and a religion—not common, or Catholic,<br />
but of commonness. Romance’s potentialities<br />
have ended in electric cars, and heaven and earth<br />
run upon parallel lines.<br />
<br />
Still, it is not yet illegal, though it is out of<br />
date, for a dreamer to dream. Whittier’s postulate<br />
turns, after all, upon a question of dollars, the<br />
republican cachet of distinction. Suppose the<br />
inroad of enterprisers bringing steel instead of<br />
finance to the internecine problem; suppose<br />
adventure running free, nor brought up blank<br />
against that impenetrable keep of Wall Street.<br />
We should not have had Bartholdi’s gigantic<br />
statue of Liberty, it is true; nor, on the other<br />
hand, should we have had business advertisement<br />
expressing itself in the following terms of elegance :<br />
“First thing you know, a good, snappy, zero day<br />
will catch you outside of an ulster.” We should<br />
have had, perhaps, at this day, a multiplex tradi-<br />
tion of conflicts in the matter of all that makes<br />
for picturesqueness—war, art and love—the ruins<br />
of a Doges’ palace at New York, of a causeway in<br />
Colorado built entirely of silver bricks by some<br />
self-exalted hidalgo of New Mexico. With such a<br />
continent, such enterprise, such a vigorous hybrid<br />
race, a century would have sufficed for the weaving<br />
of a very tapestry of history ; and, instead, we<br />
have America—it is her boast—leading the<br />
commonsense of creation.<br />
<br />
Art—it is a lamentable fact—abhors a mild and<br />
sagacious order. She derives of the gods, before<br />
reason was. Tyranny and passion are her right<br />
provocatives; dirt and decay a necessary part<br />
of her kaleidoscopic scheme. She withers in the<br />
breath of municipalities, fears ostentation, shrinks<br />
from the very term progressiveness. In statuary,<br />
in architecture, she knows her place subordinate to<br />
the mountains. She will not dwart her trees, nor,<br />
as literature, allow her appropriation to a circular.<br />
At least, that is the creed of her acolytes of the<br />
Old World, but our transatlantic Agency thinks<br />
otherwise.<br />
<br />
———_—__$_-——<br />
<br />
A CANDID FRIEND.<br />
<br />
++<br />
<br />
““F you think,” said Desmond, reloading the<br />
pipe, which had gone out during his ener-<br />
getic denunciation of my craft, “if you<br />
<br />
think of the hundreds of abortive novels -<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“ Well,’ I answered, “ then for consolation you<br />
must remind yourself of the thousands of acorns<br />
that make food for pigs to every one that grows<br />
into an oak.”<br />
<br />
“Do you mean to suggest that the more trash is<br />
published, the more literature we may expect?”<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
demanded Desmond, striking a match and letting<br />
it go out before he used it.<br />
<br />
“Perhaps,” I suggested, “ we ought to find a<br />
fresh name for it.”<br />
<br />
“Certainly, nobody in his senses,” he cried,<br />
“would describe its manufacturers as Men of<br />
Letters.”<br />
<br />
“Yet what ought we to be called ? We are not<br />
precisely journalists, although the work of a man<br />
who puts forth two or three novels and goodness<br />
knows how many short stories a year, seems to<br />
resemble journalism. After all,” I said, “a story-<br />
teller is an inoffensive person "<br />
<br />
“’m, sometimes. It depends on the story.”<br />
<br />
“ You were kind enough to say you would point<br />
out some of our most glaring faults,’ I reminded<br />
him—a little unnecessarily.<br />
<br />
Desmond crossed his legs and scowled as he<br />
struck a third match :<br />
<br />
“A rather large order,” he muttered. “ But<br />
what strikes me first is your egregious confusion<br />
of thought. You are utterly unable to discriminate<br />
between love—which seems to be the proper sub-<br />
ject for a novelist, and the—improper subject,<br />
which also begins with an ‘L.’ In fact the con-<br />
temporary novel may be defined as a study of bad<br />
manners.”<br />
<br />
“Would you wish all novels to be society<br />
novels ?” I asked.<br />
<br />
“My dear fellow,” he answered, with the air of<br />
a man who was scoring a point, ‘‘ those are pre-<br />
cisely what I had in my mind. Uncultivated<br />
manners are no more bad manners than humble<br />
life is bad life. Then,” he continued, ‘‘ your tales<br />
are far too long.”<br />
<br />
“They are shorter than they used to be and we<br />
are constantly being told that we are incapable of<br />
a sustained effort.”<br />
<br />
“Ttisvery often because athree andsixpenny book<br />
naturally brings in less than a six shilling one,”<br />
said Desmond, with a rather unpleasant laugh.<br />
“ However,” he added, “there may be something<br />
to be thankful for if what you say is right. But<br />
was any English novel ever written which wouldn’t<br />
be improved by curtailment? That is where the<br />
press notices often mislead one. Your reviewer is<br />
a practised and judicious skipper—otherwise he<br />
couldn’t keep on. He digs out the plot which I<br />
suppose is generally hidden away somewhere in<br />
the three hundred and fifty pages and it sounds<br />
interesting enough in his summary, but when one<br />
comes to the book one is lost in the maze of<br />
twaddle.”’<br />
<br />
“Yet I constantly read that our stories are too<br />
‘thin’—that our younger writers keep too closely<br />
to the fable, and you must admit that some quite<br />
unnecessary characters are amongst the best that<br />
have ever been drawn.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 91<br />
<br />
“ Oh dear yes,” said Desmond. “Tam prepared<br />
to forgive you almost anything provided you draw<br />
me a character.”<br />
<br />
“Then what on earth are you growling about ?”<br />
I asked, pushing across the whiskey.<br />
<br />
“You insist on relating your incidents twice<br />
over,” he answered. “ First in dialogue, again in<br />
what you would call the analysis. You may de-<br />
scribe your scene either dramatically or in narrative,<br />
but why do both? Read the conversations in an<br />
average novel and you can usually gather all you<br />
wish to know, but as if the author distrusted him-<br />
self, he almost invariably goes on to explain them<br />
as well.”<br />
<br />
“ Still,’ I urged, “an explanation may be<br />
illuminating. Mayn’t there be an advantage in<br />
judicious repetition. You become more saturated<br />
with the subject.”<br />
<br />
“How often is it worth while ?” he demanded.<br />
“ Give your readers credit for a little imagination if<br />
you possess none yourself. Now explain this,” he<br />
continued, still appearing to find a difficulty in<br />
making his pipe draw. ‘‘ Leaving on one side the<br />
relative literary merits of plays and novels, why do<br />
people insist more and more on being amused.<br />
when they go to the theatre, but less and less<br />
when they read fiction ?”<br />
<br />
« Now you are accusing us of a lack of humour,”<br />
I suggested.<br />
<br />
“Humour” he exclaimed, throwing his arms<br />
above his head. “Humour! That is a great<br />
thing to ask for. Humour, let me tell you, is one<br />
of the rarest qualities in the world. Of course the<br />
word is generally used when one means merely a<br />
sense of the ridiculous.”<br />
<br />
“ What is the difference ? ”<br />
<br />
“Oh well, I take it that humour implies a touch<br />
of emotion combined with an idea of incongruity.<br />
Humour surely lies betwixt tears and smiles, closely<br />
akin to both. We mustn’t expect to find it very<br />
often. I stipulate for something far more com-<br />
onan simply for a little—well, for a little<br />
<br />
un.”<br />
<br />
«A funny novel would be as depressing as a<br />
fonny man,” I returned.<br />
<br />
“7 don’t wish for a funny novel, but for a novel<br />
with some fun init . . . quiteanother thing. On<br />
the stage we have a good deal of what is at least<br />
intended for fun. In novels with one or two<br />
exceptions we have remarkably little. Now, how<br />
do you account for that ?” he asked, leaning back<br />
in his chair as if he were content to wait in vain<br />
for a reply.<br />
<br />
“(Can it be,’ I ventured, “because a larger<br />
proportion of men go to the theatre than to the<br />
<br />
circulating libraries ? The bulk of novel readers<br />
are women and one naturally tries to suit one’s<br />
public.”<br />
<br />
Desmond glared at me over his spectacles, so<br />
that I began to feel more than ever like a guilty<br />
thing :<br />
<br />
“You justify that kind of truckling?” he<br />
exclaimed.<br />
<br />
« A man who tells you a story that you don’t<br />
wish to hear, is just a bore, you know.”<br />
<br />
“ Besides,” said Desmond, “ you must be forget-<br />
ting that the moralists warn us that the craving<br />
for amusement on the part of women is one of the<br />
serious evils of the day.”<br />
<br />
“What they crave is entertainment,” I returned.<br />
“They require their attention to be held. Now<br />
‘amusement’ seems to signify entertainment with<br />
agreeable objects.”<br />
<br />
“The fact of the matter is,” cried Desmond,<br />
“that novel writing is ceasing to be an art.”<br />
<br />
«“T was under the impression,” I said very<br />
humbly, “that in spite of all our faults, we<br />
were credited with a certain improvement in<br />
technique.”<br />
<br />
« Well, that may be so,” he admitted grudgingly.<br />
“A good many of you are clever, but few are wise.<br />
No doubt many write fairly well, but what you<br />
have to say is not often concerned with the<br />
beautiful.”<br />
<br />
“You forget that for the most part we have to<br />
deal with modern life !”<br />
<br />
“My dear chap, you shouldn’t try to be cynical<br />
off duty,” was the answer. “If you are worth your<br />
salt, you ought to have enough insight to see<br />
through the trappings that modern life is as<br />
beautiful and as ugly—neither more nor less—as<br />
life has ever been. You simply put beauty on the<br />
shelf—or at least,’ he added, with a laugh,<br />
“you don’t. Look through the contents of any<br />
circulating library—I see girls doing it every<br />
week.”<br />
<br />
“Oh come,” I cried, “you are not going to drag<br />
the young person into it again.”<br />
<br />
“Well, I certainly don’t like her books,” he<br />
confessed. “And yet, you prohibit certain<br />
undesirable advertisements on street hoardings.<br />
The circulating library shelves are almost as<br />
accessible. Still, we will leave the young person<br />
out of it, and think only of those others who still<br />
possess a sense of decency. If you are not careful<br />
you will have a censor of novels as well as of<br />
plays.”<br />
<br />
“ Poor wretch !<br />
sinecure !”<br />
<br />
«J was going to say when you interrupted me,”<br />
Desmond continued, “that if you look through the<br />
shelves of any circulating library, it is absolutely<br />
appalling to open one book after another full<br />
of sheer hideousness. I suppose, though, it<br />
is rather old-fashioned to believe that vice is<br />
hideous.”<br />
<br />
His berth wouldn’t be a<br />
<br />
<br />
92<br />
<br />
«You ought to define your terms,” I hinted.<br />
<br />
But Desmond shook his head :<br />
<br />
“ Tt’s too close to midnight,” he said.<br />
<br />
“Anyhow, you must admit that a great deal<br />
depends on the treatment,” I persisted.<br />
<br />
“A great deal, I grant. But then the open<br />
air treatment is ousting every other. The windows<br />
are thrown up, the blinds are absent, very nearly<br />
everything is done out of doors. Surely there are<br />
human functions which it is undesirable to witness,<br />
to talk about, even to write about.”<br />
<br />
“In fact, you would discourage any attempt to<br />
deal seriously with life !”<br />
<br />
“ With life! Good Lord,” cried Desmond, “ isn’t<br />
it possible to deal seriously with life and yet not to<br />
be everlastingly trafficking with the seventh<br />
commandment.”<br />
<br />
“ You would prefer a story with a moral !”<br />
<br />
“ ] should hate it,” he answered, furiously. “It<br />
may be as unmoral as you please, but for goodness’<br />
sake let me have something as a change from<br />
immorality. Don’t you understand that ugliness<br />
in art should be used only as a foil to beauty ! But<br />
you make the hideous an end in itself. You are sel-<br />
dom tragic, but instead of making me shudder, you<br />
make me sick, and you compel me to hold my<br />
nostrils instead of my sides.”<br />
<br />
“Well,” I suggested, “let me give you some<br />
more whiskey.”<br />
<br />
“No, thank you, no more to-night,” said<br />
Desmond and the following day I learned that he<br />
was keeping his bed with influenza. Of course, he<br />
must have been sickening the previous night ; no<br />
doubt the poor fellow’s temperature had already<br />
risen above the normal, thus accounting for his<br />
extremely crude and sweeping assertions. 3<br />
<br />
——____+—~»—_ —__<_<br />
<br />
COMMENTS ON COMMENTS.<br />
<br />
1<br />
<br />
CANNOT allow the “ Comments on Thack-<br />
<br />
eray’s ‘Essay on Pope,” which appeared<br />
<br />
in the November issue of Zhe Author, to pass<br />
without one or two words of protest.<br />
<br />
The contemptuous estimate of Pope’s character by<br />
the writer of the article will be rather galling to those<br />
to whom his personal good qualities far outweigh<br />
his disagreeable ones. It must never be forgotten,<br />
<br />
in thinking over what he accomplished, that he<br />
was deformed, and from a child of a sickly nature.<br />
And yet a weak body must have contained a strong<br />
and attractive mind, to allure to itself as staunch<br />
and life-long friends the author of the “ Beggar’s<br />
Opera,” John Gay; he of the “ Seasons,” James<br />
Thomson ; and last, but perhaps the greatest of<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
the trio, Dean Swift. Nor must I omit “ My St.<br />
John,” the brilliant and versatile politician, Lord<br />
Bolingbroke :— :<br />
<br />
“ Awake, my St. John ! leave all meaner things<br />
To low ambition and the pride of kings.<br />
Let us (since life can little more supply<br />
Than just to look about us and to die)<br />
Expatiate free o’er all this scene of man.<br />
<br />
. * * + -<br />
<br />
Laugh where we must, be candid where we can ;<br />
But vindicate the ways of God to man.”<br />
<br />
This keynote is struck by one of whom, accord-<br />
ing to the essayist in The Author, “it is a little<br />
difficult to think generously.”<br />
<br />
That Pope’s heart was in the right place is<br />
evidenced, I think, by the modest and truly<br />
unselfish wish that his might be the task to<br />
“rock the cradle of reposing age .. . and keep<br />
awhile one parent from the sky.” The most<br />
virulent critics do not deny that he was a good<br />
son to father and mother. That he was capable of<br />
deeper feelings than he is given credit for in the<br />
article under review is proved by the mournful<br />
lines commencing :—<br />
<br />
“ How loved, how honoured once,” etc.<br />
<br />
These are worthy of being placed side by side<br />
with the solemn, the sad, the true reflection on<br />
human existence as “rounded by a sleep,” which<br />
is one of the gems in Shakespeare’s “ Tempest.”<br />
<br />
This man, whose “ philosophy of life is just one<br />
bitter satire,” so the comments run; this mis-<br />
shapen, small and delicate creature, how reads a<br />
portion of his literary record? This is what<br />
Professor Henry Morley says :—‘‘ Under Queen<br />
Anne he was anoriginal poet . . . under George I.<br />
he was a translator and made much money . . . he<br />
also edited Shakespeare, but with little profit to<br />
himself, for Shakespeare was but a Philistine in the<br />
eyes of the French classical critics.” This man,<br />
then, of sarcasm, more or less venomous, more or<br />
less cruel, could so admire the ‘ unvalued book :<br />
(so spoken of by Milton in his day) that at little<br />
profit to himself, but with much labour, he edited<br />
Shakespeare’s plays; he tried to turn men’s<br />
attention “from the culture of the snuff-box and<br />
the fan” to the problems and pathos of humanity,<br />
as discussed and displayed in undying glory of wit<br />
and wisdom and individuality of character—those<br />
plays whose words of matchless diction irradiate<br />
with beauty and truth.<br />
<br />
One more quotation from the comments ere I<br />
bring my remarks to a close :— There is hardly a<br />
page in all Pope’s poetry which does not hold a<br />
satire.” Well, I find many pages quite otherwise.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR. 93<br />
<br />
4 As, for instance, I find on one page this glorious<br />
og poetry, as fine as anything ever written :—<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
fe<br />
<br />
4<br />
<br />
HT<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“What blessings Thy free bounty gives,<br />
Let me not cast away ;<br />
For God is paid when man receives,<br />
To enjoy is to obey.<br />
<br />
“Tf Tam right, Thy grace impart<br />
Still in the right to stay ;<br />
If I am wrong, oh, teach my heart<br />
To find that better way.<br />
<br />
“ Teach me to feel another’s woe,<br />
To hide the fault I see ;<br />
That mercy I to others show,<br />
That mercy show to me.<br />
<br />
“This day be bread and peace my lot :<br />
All else beneath the sun<br />
Thou know’st if best bestowed or not ;<br />
And let Thy will be done.”<br />
<br />
There are many whoare proud of being English-<br />
men ; there are not a few who are just as proud of<br />
the heritage left to them by the “little crooked<br />
thing” in their land’s language. Filmy fancies,<br />
charming conceits, and the ‘solid pudding” of<br />
sound common sense are offered to all with a wealth<br />
of graceful poetic illustration. It is as a com-<br />
panion Pope excels. He ranges ‘from grave to<br />
gay, from lively to severe”; he is a persuasive<br />
teacher of worldly prudence, of good morals, of<br />
healthy hopes, and this without the jargon of the<br />
schools and, above all, without cant.<br />
<br />
J. Harris BRIGHOUSE.<br />
<br />
——_+—<—_+___—__-<br />
<br />
THE TWENTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS OF<br />
THE INTERNATIONAL LITERARY AND<br />
ARTISTIC ASSOCIATION.<br />
<br />
——>—<br />
<br />
(Liége, Brussels, Antwerp ; 18-24 September,<br />
1905.)<br />
<br />
HIS congress, brightened by a greater diver-<br />
<br />
sity than usual of féfes and excursions of<br />
<br />
: a very interesting character, consisted of<br />
six séances. Three were held at lLiége, one at<br />
Brussels, and one at Antwerp. Of these, four<br />
were devoted to strictly copyright questions ; the<br />
subjects under discussion in the first and last<br />
were connected with the important problem of<br />
the further extension of the Berne Convention.<br />
Several of the debates were occupied with the<br />
consideration of questions that are only of secon-<br />
dary interest to authors, such as ‘The Industrial<br />
Applications of Art,” “The Public Performance<br />
of Musical Works,” ‘Gratuitous Performances,”<br />
* Protection of Public Sites and Ancient<br />
<br />
Monuments,” and “The Protection of Objects in<br />
Museums.” A mention of these may suffice. The<br />
purely literary questions were, however, of very<br />
great interest, and will demand fuller attention.<br />
<br />
Foremost amongst the literary questions must<br />
be placed the duration of copyright, which was<br />
discussed at some length. This is a matter of<br />
the highest interest to all authors, and of particular<br />
interest to British authors, who may be well dis-<br />
contented with having a duration of rights shorter<br />
than that accorded by many insignificant States<br />
possessing but a poor literature, and that dura-<br />
tion of rights placed upon a confused and highly<br />
unsatisfactory basis. We call the basis unsatis-<br />
factory because it is liable in certain cases to be<br />
calculated from the date of the first publication<br />
of the work protected. That date is often, even<br />
in the case of well-known authors, extremely<br />
difficult to discover. The date of the author's<br />
death, on the other hand, can be always easily<br />
ascertained. And for that reason alone pro-<br />
tection for life, anda definite period afterwards,<br />
is infinitely to be preferred to any arrangement<br />
based upon the moment of the publication of<br />
a work. The congress was, of course, entirely<br />
opposed to quaint anomalies of any kind.<br />
<br />
In fact, they found a constant source of grave<br />
inconveniences even in the diversities of the dura-<br />
tions of copyright in the different countries of<br />
the union. When legal action is taken in accor-<br />
dance with the provisions of the Convention, the<br />
judges find themselves in every case obliged to<br />
take into consideration the durations of copyright<br />
in the country of origin, and in the country of<br />
reproduction ; and where a difference of duration<br />
exists, difficulties of various kinds invariably<br />
arise, whilst in any case only the shorter period<br />
can be legally dealt with. The result of this<br />
is an amount of confusion that has much assisted<br />
to generate a cynical scepticism concerning the<br />
actual utility of the Berne Convention. This is<br />
to be deplored. But all these difficulties will<br />
immediately vanish as soon as a general radical<br />
reform shall have made the duration of copyright<br />
equal in all States. ‘The advantages of such a<br />
reform would be so great that anything to be<br />
urged against it may be justly held to be of<br />
minimal importance. A comparison of the various<br />
durations of copyright led the congress to believe<br />
that the period of “life and fifty years afterwards ”<br />
seemed to have the best chance of universal accept-<br />
ance. The congress was unanimous on this im-<br />
portant point. At the same time it was disposed<br />
to consider of no small moment the fact that the<br />
term of protection in Spain is life and eighty years<br />
afterwards. For which reason the congress opined<br />
that life and fifty years should be regarded as a<br />
minimum.<br />
<br />
<br />
94<br />
<br />
A more complicated question is that of formali-<br />
ties, and this question occupies a larger space than<br />
any other in the report of the congress. The<br />
congress was of opinion that in international<br />
relations formalities have no right to exist. They<br />
are the source of nothing but nuisances, and con-<br />
stantly impede successful legal proceedings. It<br />
was contended that the mere fact of having pub-<br />
lished a book should entitle the author to all<br />
rights accorded him by the Convention. (This<br />
amounts to the suppression of the second clause<br />
of Article 2.) It appears that at present the<br />
formalities of deposition or registration, or of<br />
both, are necessary only in Haiti, Spain, and<br />
Italy. Italy and Spain allow the author some<br />
time during which to comply with the requirements<br />
—but at the risk of piracy, against which he can-<br />
not proceed during the interval. In Great Britain,<br />
France, and Japan, deposition and registration are<br />
necessary only before taking legal action. The<br />
various speakers on the subject were theoretically<br />
in favour of the complete suppression of formall-<br />
ties, and regarded this as the certain ultimate<br />
solution of the various difficulties. But it was<br />
admitted that, at least at present, it was highly<br />
doubtful whether this was possible. Meanwhile,<br />
the proposition that the neglect of formalities should<br />
have no international importance involved the in-<br />
consistency that, in this case, it would be possible<br />
for an author who had no rights in the country of<br />
origin, to have in other States larger rights than<br />
its own citizens legally enjoyed. On the question<br />
being put to the vote, a fundamental proposition in<br />
favour of the abolition of formalities was carried.<br />
<br />
A suggestion that a new form should be given<br />
to Article 14 of the Convention, which deals with<br />
retroactivity, led to a discussion of a somewhat<br />
confused character. The danger of trespass<br />
beyond the legitimate province of international<br />
relations appeared to be involved, and the con-<br />
ference contented itself with a modified resolution,<br />
which will be found below. :<br />
<br />
The fourth article of the Convention was also<br />
subjected to criticism, as wanting in “system.” A<br />
new text was proposed, but as it was not discussed,<br />
nor indeed regarded as final, it may suffice to say<br />
that it offers a somewhat fuller and more orderly<br />
definition of what should be understood by<br />
“literary and artistic works.” Scenic decorations<br />
in theatres, photographs, architectural designs,<br />
engineers’ designs, and lectures would be included.<br />
The report mentions also that a hope was enter-<br />
tained that the duration of secondary rights (trans-<br />
lations, &c.) would ultimately be made commen-<br />
gurate with the duration of the copyright itself.<br />
<br />
In the discussion of the Extension of the Union,<br />
three States only of those which are outside it<br />
came into consideration—the United States of<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
America, Holland, and Roumania. A full dis-<br />
cussion of the relations of the unionist countries<br />
with the United States was not possible; and the<br />
congress contented itself with acquiescing in<br />
M. Osterrieth’s conclusions, which recommended<br />
that, on the one hand, the unionist countries —<br />
should make common cause in seriously pressing<br />
the United States to accord strangers a more<br />
satisfactory protection; and that, on the other ©<br />
hand, within the United States themselves authors<br />
<br />
and publishers should take a saner view of the © ij<br />
advantages that would accrue to themselves from "2<br />
this protection, in the shape of a higher develop-<br />
ment of the national literature. :<br />
<br />
Holland was described as “The Holy Land of ©<br />
Pirates” : a country where ‘‘ a coalition of mercan-<br />
tile interests, ingeniously disguised as protective<br />
of national labour, and yet more ingeniously as a<br />
means of popular diffusion of the highest forms<br />
of literature,” supported a system that paid no~<br />
regard to rights of any kind. It was further<br />
hinted that, even at the present date, literature<br />
is not considered a profession in Holland. All §<br />
authors are mere dilettanti who amuse themselves _<br />
with writing in their spare moments, and any man<br />
who considers his pen a source of income is<br />
beneath contempt. Some hopes of more en-<br />
lightened views are, however, entertained since<br />
the foundation of the Dutch Society of Authors<br />
(Vereeniging van Letterkundigen), which has on<br />
its roll of members the names of 120 of the best<br />
known writers in Holland.<br />
<br />
The Roumanian Government, on the other<br />
hand, was officially represented. The delegate<br />
was not able to announce the adhesion of Roumania<br />
to the Berne Convention—an adhesion mistakenly<br />
reported in some journals. But he informed the<br />
congress that his government was engaged in<br />
drafting a new copyright law, which will supersede<br />
the imperfect one of 1862. The passing of this<br />
new statute will greatly facilitate Roumania’s<br />
adhesion to the Berne Convention. And in the<br />
name of his government he invited the association<br />
to hold their next congress at Bucharest, an<br />
invitation that was immediately accepted.<br />
<br />
The following resolutions, with some others of<br />
minor interest, were passed by the congress.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The congress again approves the project of the<br />
revision of the Berne Convention adopted at the -<br />
congresses of Weimar and Marseilles, and it desires<br />
that the provisions affirming the following principles<br />
should be inserted in the project :-—<br />
<br />
I<br />
The enjoyment of the rights recognised by the ye<br />
Convention ought not to be conditional upon Hite<br />
compliance with any formality.<br />
<br />
<br />
AMigogon T<br />
<br />
tte<br />
<br />
(a Ode<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
yt ge<br />
Og<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
7) dramatic talent—‘ The Pioneers.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THER AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
LT,<br />
<br />
The duration of copyright shall be a minimum<br />
of the life of the author and fifty years afterwards.<br />
<br />
Il.<br />
<br />
The stipulationsrespecting retroactivity (Art. 14)<br />
should apply to all new rights recognised by the<br />
Conferences of Revision.<br />
<br />
—_—_————_+—_—___——__<br />
<br />
CORRESPONDENCE.<br />
<br />
os<br />
Pornts oF VIEW.<br />
Str,—May I offer a few words in reply to<br />
<br />
1 Mr. Ascher’s interesting article in the November<br />
_ Author ?<br />
<br />
I do not think my point of view actually diverged<br />
from that expressed in Mr. Begbie’s sensible advice<br />
to journalists. He dealt frankly with the com-<br />
mercial side of our profession: I dealt with the<br />
artistic, and the two sides have little to do with<br />
each other.<br />
<br />
The fact I wished to emphasise was, that while<br />
there is a mighty number of magazines for a<br />
certain class of reader, another class, and not a<br />
small one, goes lacking. Also, that there is no<br />
opening in our English magazines for original<br />
work of a high order.<br />
<br />
He who writes to make a living and he who<br />
writes because he can’t help it need not interfere<br />
with each other. The best advice to the former<br />
is: “Strive to please the ordinary public.” The<br />
best advice to the latter is: “Strive to satisfy<br />
your own artistic conscience and the most fastidious<br />
taste.” Some day or other the best must come to<br />
the top, but the process is a slow one at present—<br />
much slower than in the days of George Eliot and<br />
Jane Austen—and I would see it gently assisted by<br />
the great English magazines, whose readers are<br />
waiting impatiently for it—those readers who want<br />
literature, not journalism.<br />
<br />
Thanking Mr. Ascher for the kind things he<br />
says of my work.<br />
<br />
T am, yours truly,<br />
<br />
Mary L. PENDERED.<br />
—_-—<—+—<br />
<br />
Matters DRAMATIC.<br />
<br />
Dear Sir,—As no one, so far, has called<br />
attention in Ze Author to what is, in my opinion,<br />
one of the most interesting literary events of the<br />
passing year, may I be permitted todoso. I refer<br />
to the formation of a new society, whose primary<br />
object is the discovery and exploitation of native<br />
Under the<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
95<br />
<br />
management of a strong executive council, of<br />
which Mr. Arthur Bourchier is chairman, the<br />
society proposes not “ to bewail the decadence of<br />
the British drama,” but to give a hitherto non-<br />
existent chance to the as-yet-unacted British<br />
dramatists, who may, it is hoped, revive it. Plays<br />
can be sent in by the aspiring playwright, whether<br />
a member of the society or not, with the certainty<br />
of their consideration by the council. From<br />
amongst the number submitted the most suitable<br />
for theatrical representation will be chosen, and<br />
duly presented to an audience which should be<br />
ideal from a dramatic author’s point of view, for it<br />
will consist of theatrical managers, actors, authors,<br />
brother-playwrights, and others whose first interest<br />
is in the play as a play ; and not as a vehicle for an<br />
hour or two’s amusement. The inaugural per-<br />
formance is to take place at the Scala Theatre on<br />
December 17th next, and has already aroused<br />
widespread interest. The welcome accorded to<br />
the new society can only be described as enthu-<br />
siastic, but an increase of membership is very<br />
desirable. The subscription is one guinea for the<br />
year, and carries with it the right to two tickets<br />
for every performance given by the society. Any<br />
enquiries addressed to the hon. sec., 1, Trafalgar<br />
Buildings, Northumberland Avenue, W.C., will,<br />
I am sure, be readily answered, and | would<br />
suggest that all who have the interests of the<br />
British drama at heart should put themselves in<br />
communication with him forthwith.<br />
<br />
SretitaA M. Dirine.<br />
<br />
rt<br />
<br />
THE JATERATURE OF AUSTRALIA.<br />
<br />
i<br />
<br />
Duar Srr,—Noticing an interesting account of<br />
Australian writers in your last issue, | was some-<br />
what surprised—considering its fullness—that no<br />
mention was made of that best known of all<br />
colonial novelists, Ethel Turner, whose stories for<br />
children have been so well received in England.<br />
In Australia, as I happen to have heard from<br />
friends in that country, she is, without exaggera-<br />
tion, a household name, far above many your<br />
writer has mentioned, and equal to any that he<br />
has. I have also read and noticed reviewed this<br />
year a novel by * Constance Clyde,” which gives a<br />
new and vivid description of Sydney city life, she,<br />
I read from one of the reviews, being a well-<br />
known writer on one or two of the best papers in<br />
Australia. oe a<br />
<br />
Hoping you will pardon this slight criticism of<br />
your correspondent’s article.<br />
<br />
Yours obediently,<br />
<br />
E. BROADFIELD.<br />
<br />
<br />
96<br />
Il.<br />
<br />
Srr,—I am very sorry for the omission of Miss<br />
Ethel Turner’s name from my article on “« Aus-<br />
tralian Literature,” and do not know how I came<br />
to forget so well known an author. I am glad<br />
that the error will be corrected by the publication<br />
of your correspondent’s letter on the subject.<br />
<br />
Indeed, I fear that owing to my not having been<br />
lately in the colonies, there may be yet other<br />
omissions, but I trust this may not be the case<br />
with authors of note. My idea was rather to give<br />
the general trend of Australian literature from its<br />
beginning than to enumerate contemporary writers,<br />
and I confess that I do not know the author,<br />
“Constance Clyde,” of whom your correspondent<br />
speaks.<br />
<br />
I am, yours sincerely,<br />
<br />
R. M. PRAED.<br />
<br />
CHAPTER HEADLINES.<br />
<br />
Dear Srr,—A novel reader recently asked me<br />
why many books are now published without chapter<br />
headings. Can any novelist answer ? Is it art,<br />
or simply idleness, or just a vogue ?<br />
<br />
If the chapters of a novel have no title or head-<br />
line, why not abolish the table of contents also ?<br />
Such information as “Ch. V. p. 50” is of no use<br />
to anyone. It would be much better to put the<br />
number of each chapter either as a headline, or a<br />
“Sig.” on each odd page.<br />
<br />
Then, what is the use of repeating the title of a<br />
novel as its headline on every page. “Old Brown”<br />
may be all right on the cover, but as he probably<br />
is the subject of every one of three hundred pages<br />
it is quite unnecessary to have the title paraded in<br />
large caps three hundred times or more. When<br />
the title is no indication to the contents of the<br />
volume its vain repetition is but the constant<br />
reiteration of an unwarrantable impertinence.<br />
<br />
In a recently-issued American novel the story is<br />
divided into more than half-a-dozen titled “books,”<br />
and each book consists of from six to twelve un-<br />
titled chapters—but there is no table of contents !<br />
There appears to be no rule, and the practice<br />
varies.<br />
<br />
Any story which is not intended to be read<br />
through at a single sitting should consist of<br />
sections; and, as a convenience to the reader,<br />
these sections or chapters should be named rather<br />
than numbered only. his is my opinion and<br />
that of novel readers I have consulted. What do<br />
the novelists say ?<br />
<br />
WILL. GREENER.<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
<br />
Unit oF AN EbITION,<br />
<br />
Srr,—With reference to what is mentioned in<br />
the November issue of Zhe Author, under the<br />
heading of ‘‘ Committee Notes,” about the unit of<br />
an edition, I would like to suggest (what, doubtless,<br />
has already been proposed) that the society agree<br />
with the Publishers’ Association that the word<br />
“sedition” mean all the copies of a work in which the<br />
wording is the same, and the word “ issue” all those<br />
copies of an edition which are published at one<br />
time. To say that a work is in its second or any<br />
other edition would then show how many times it<br />
has undergone alteration. These words are, I<br />
think, used in this sense by Messrs. Macmillan, but<br />
I do not know whether by any other firm of<br />
publishers.<br />
<br />
There does not seem to me much real need to<br />
define how many copies constitute either an issue<br />
or an edition, for the number must depend so much<br />
upon the nature of the work ; but what people do<br />
most urgently want to know is that they are buy-<br />
ing really a copy of the latest revised issue of any<br />
work, and the use of the word edition in the<br />
above-suggested sense, with the date, would always<br />
give them that information.<br />
<br />
Husert Hass.<br />
<br />
A Muissine VOLUME.<br />
<br />
Sir,—Permit me to rectify two slight slips<br />
which crept into my communication under this<br />
head in last month’s organ.<br />
<br />
The name of the supposed authoress of “ Rebecca,<br />
or the Victim of Duplicity,” is Mrs. Holebrook of<br />
Sandon, Derbyshire, and the precise style of the<br />
present resting-place of the two volumes, the<br />
Library of the University of Paris, Bibliotheque<br />
de la Sorbonne. I may add that the third volume<br />
we are so anxious to find has not, as yet, been<br />
traced.<br />
<br />
Crcil CLARKE.<br />
<br />
——<br />
<br />
REFERENCE BOOKS.<br />
<br />
Srr,—In reply<br />
Littérateur ” on page 64 of the November number,<br />
he should certainly obtain a copy of F. Howard<br />
Collins’s ‘Author and Printer,”<br />
revised, in which he will find on p. xiv. the books<br />
constituting ‘a useful library of reference,” from<br />
which a selection for travelling could be made.<br />
<br />
A MEMBER.<br />
<br />
to the question of “A Struggling —<br />
<br />
second edition — | https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/511/1905-12-01-The-Author-16-3.pdf | publications, The Author |