| 340 | https://historysoa.com/items/show/340 | The Author, Vol. 11 Issue 10 (March 1901) | <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.+11+Issue+10+%28March+1901%29"><em>The Author</em>, Vol. 11 Issue 10 (March 1901)</a> | | | <a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015006979390" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015006979390</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> | 1901-03-01-The-Author-11-10 | | | | | 169–188 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=89&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=11">11</a> | | | | | | | | | | | <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=76&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=1901-03-01">1901-03-01</a> | | | | | | | 10 | | | 19010301 | The Author.<br />
(The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.)<br />
CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT.<br />
VOL. XI.–No. 1067<br />
VOL. XI.—No. 10.)<br />
_<br />
MARCH 1, 1901.<br />
MARCH 1, 1901.<br />
[PRICE SIXPENCE.<br />
----<br />
--<br />
For the Opinions expressed in papers that are (6.) Not to bind yourself for future work to any publisher.<br />
signed or initialled the Authors alone are As well bind yourself for the future to any one solicitor or<br />
doctor!<br />
responsible. None of the papers or para-<br />
graphs must be taken as expressing the III. THE ROYALTY SYSTEM.<br />
collective opinions of the Committee unless It is above all things necessary to know what the<br />
they are officially signed by G. Herbert proposed royalty means to both sides. It is now possible<br />
for an author to ascertain approximately and very nearly<br />
Thring, Sec.<br />
the truth. From time to time the very important figures<br />
connected with royalties are published in The Author.<br />
Readers can also work out the figures themselves from the<br />
“Cost of Production.”<br />
M HE Secretary of the Society begs to give notice that all<br />
1 remittances are acknowledged by return of post, and IV. A COMMISSION AGREEMENT.<br />
requests that all members not receiving an answer to The main points are :-<br />
important communications within two days will write to him<br />
(1.) Be careful to obtain a fair cost of production.<br />
without delay. All remittances should be crossed Union<br />
(2) Keep control of the advertisements.<br />
Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent by registered<br />
(3.) Keep control of the sale price of the book.<br />
letter only.<br />
GENERAL.<br />
All other forms of agreement are combinations of the four<br />
Communications and letters are invited by the Editor on above mentioned.<br />
all subjects connected with literature, but on no other sub. Such combinations are generally disastrous to the author.<br />
jocts whatever. Articles which cannot be accepted are Never sign any agreement without competent advice from<br />
returned if stamps for the purpose accompany the MSS. the Secretary of the Society.<br />
Stamp all agreements with the Inland Revenue stamp.<br />
Avoid agreements by letter if possible.<br />
The main points which the Society has always demanded<br />
from the outset are :-<br />
GENERAL MEMORANDA.<br />
(1.) That both sides shall know what an agreement<br />
means.<br />
IT ERE are a few standing rules to be observed in an (2.) The inspection of those account books which belong<br />
agreement. There are four methods of dealing to the author. We are advised that this is a right, in the<br />
with literary property :<br />
nature of a common law right, which cannot be denied or<br />
I. SELLING IT OUTRIGHT.<br />
withheld.<br />
This is in some respects the most satisfactory, if a proper<br />
price can be obtained. But the transaction should be<br />
managed by a competent agent, or with the advice of the<br />
WARNINGS TO DRAMATIC AUTHORS.<br />
Secretary of the Society.<br />
II. A PROFIT-SHARING AGREEMENT (a bad form of 1. NTEVER sign an agreement without submitting it to<br />
agreement).<br />
the Secretary of the Society of Authors or some<br />
In this case the following rules should be attended to :<br />
competent legal authority.<br />
(1.) Not to sign any agreement in which the cost of pro- 2. It is well to be extremely careful in negotiating for<br />
duction forms a part without the strictest investigation. the production of a play with anyone except an established<br />
(2.) Not to give the publisher the power of putting the manager.<br />
profits into his own pocket by charging for advertisements<br />
3. There are three forms of dramatic contract for PLAYS<br />
in his own organs : or by charging exchange advertise.<br />
IN THREE OR MORE ACTS :-<br />
ments. Therefore keep control of the advertisements.<br />
(a.) SALE OUTRIGHT OF THE PERFORMING RIGHT.<br />
(3.) Not to allow a special charge for “ office expenses,"<br />
This is unsatisfactory. An author who enters<br />
anless the same allowance is made to the author.<br />
into such a contract should stipulate in the con-<br />
(4.) Not to give up American, Colonial, or Continental<br />
tract for production of the piece by a certain date<br />
rights.<br />
and for proper publication of his name on the<br />
(5.) Not to give up serial or translation rights.<br />
play-bills.<br />
VOL. XI.<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 170 (#236) ############################################<br />
<br />
170<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
experience of ordinary solicitors. Therefore, do not scruple<br />
to use the Society.<br />
3. Send to the Office copies of past agreements and past<br />
accounts with the loan of the books 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 />
4. Before signing any agreement whatever, send the pro.<br />
posed document to the Society for examination.<br />
5. Remember always that in belonging to the Society you<br />
are fighting the battles of other writers, even if you are<br />
reaping no benefit to yourself, and that you are advancing<br />
the best interests of literature in promoting the indepen.<br />
lence of the writer.<br />
6. The Committee have now arranged for the reception of<br />
members' agreements and their preservation in a fireproof<br />
safe. The agreements will, of course, be regarded as con-<br />
fidential documents to be read only by the Secretary, who<br />
will keep the key of the safe. The Society now offers :-(1)<br />
To read and advise upon agreements and publishers. (2) To<br />
stamp agreements in readiness for a possible action upon<br />
them. (3) To keep agreements. (4) To enforce payments<br />
due according to agreements.<br />
(6.) SALE OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE<br />
TO PERFORM ON THE BASIS OF PERCENTAGES<br />
on gross receipts. Percentages vary between<br />
5 and 15 per cent. An anthor 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 />
(c.) SALE OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE<br />
TO PERFORM ON THE BASIS OF ROYALTIES (i.e.,<br />
fixed nightly fees). This method should be<br />
always avoided except in cases where the fees<br />
are likely to be small or difficult to collect. The<br />
other safeguards set out under heading (6.) apply<br />
also in this case.<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 />
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 />
6. Authors should not assign performing rights, but<br />
should grant a licence to perform. The legal distinction is<br />
of great importance.<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 />
8. Never forget that American rights may be exceedingly<br />
valuable. They should never be included in English<br />
agreements without the author obtaining a substantial<br />
consideration.<br />
9. Agreements for collaboration should be carefully<br />
drawn and executed before collaboration is commenced.<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 />
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 />
As these warnings must necessarily be incomplete on<br />
account of the wide range of the subject of dramatic con.<br />
cracts, those authors desirous of further information are<br />
referred to the Secretary of the Society.<br />
THE READING BRANCH.<br />
EMBERS will greatly assist the Society in this<br />
branch of their work by informing young writers of<br />
its existence. Their MSS. can be read and treated<br />
as a composition is treated by a coach. The term MSS.<br />
includes not only works of fiction but poetry and dramatic<br />
works, and when it is possible, under special arrangement,<br />
technical and scientific works. The Readers are writers of<br />
competence and experience. The fee is one guinea.<br />
NOTICES.<br />
THE Editor of The Author begs to remind members of the<br />
1 Society that, although the paper is sent to them free<br />
of charge, the cost of producing it would be a very<br />
heavy charge on the resources of the Society if a great<br />
many members did not forward to the Secretary the modest<br />
68. 6d. subscription for the year.<br />
Communications for The Author should be addressed to<br />
the Offices of the Society, 4, Portugal-street, Lincoln's-inn<br />
Fields, W.C., and should reach the Editor not later than the<br />
21st of each month.<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 />
The present location of the Authors' Club is at 3, White.<br />
hall-court, Charing Cross. Address the Secretary for<br />
information, rules of admission, &c.<br />
HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY.<br />
1. DVERY member has a right to ask for and to receive<br />
L advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub.<br />
lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his<br />
business or the administration of his property. If the<br />
advice sought is such as can be given best by a solici.<br />
tor, the member has a right to an opinion from the<br />
Society's solicitors. If the case is such that Counsel's<br />
opinion is desirable, the Committee will obtain for him<br />
Counsel's opinion. All this without any cost to the member.<br />
2. Remember that questions connected with copyright<br />
and publisher's agreoments do not generally fall within the<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 171 (#237) ############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
171<br />
LITERARY PROPERTY.<br />
1.-FRANCE LEADS THE WAY.<br />
M HE following interesting case, which has<br />
passed through the office, is placed before<br />
the members of the Society, as the opinion<br />
which has been obtained is of interest to all<br />
writers and tends to show the liberality with<br />
which the French nation in copyright legislation<br />
have treated authors all over the world. In the<br />
legislation for the production of literary and<br />
artistic works the French nation has always been<br />
in the vanguard.<br />
A member of the Society, American by birth<br />
and nationality, residing in England, came to the<br />
Society for assistance in regard to what he<br />
thought was a piracy of his work in France. The<br />
question that arose was what interpretation the<br />
French would give to the international arrange-<br />
ments between England and America as affecting<br />
the terms of the Berne Convention. The secre-<br />
tary accordingly immediately wrote to the Société<br />
des Gens de Lettres in Paris, giving particulars<br />
of the case, which were as follows:-<br />
" An author of American nationality who is<br />
domiciled in England produces a book in 1899<br />
simultaneously in England and America, securing<br />
thereby under the existing arrangement between<br />
England and America copyright in both countries.<br />
• The book is then pirated by a French pub-<br />
lisher, and a French translation is put on the<br />
market in Paris and sells well.<br />
“ The author remonstrated with the publisher,<br />
but the publisher refused to pay any compensa-<br />
tion, on the grounds that he pirated from<br />
America.<br />
“ Under the Berne Convention an English<br />
author who has copyright in England is entitled<br />
to protection in France for his translation during<br />
ten years. The question that now arises is,<br />
whether under the French interpretation of inter-<br />
national law an American citizen domiciled in<br />
England, who has obtained English copyright, is<br />
entitled to the benefits of the Berne Convention<br />
as existing between England and France ?”<br />
The French Society, with great courtesy and<br />
promptitude, wrote back and stated that they<br />
would gladly put the question before their own<br />
counsel, and would obtain an opinion for the<br />
Society on the matter.<br />
Accordingly, in due course the secretary re-<br />
ceived the following opinion :-<br />
"In reply to the question proposed by your<br />
English correspondent: — To commence. In<br />
France, in principle, no translation of any work,<br />
French or foreign, can be published without the<br />
authorisation of the author of the work. The<br />
VOL. XI.<br />
author of the translation is certainly invested<br />
with the rights of an author as regards his trans-<br />
lation ; but, as regards the author of the original,<br />
he is guilty of infringement if he has not asked<br />
for authorisation. This is the principle applied<br />
by French jurisprudence by the interpretation of<br />
our law of 1703, of the decree of February, 1810,<br />
and of that of May 28, 1852, without any ques-<br />
tion of reciprocity on the part of the foreigner.<br />
- In any case the effect of the terms of the<br />
articles 2, 3, and 5 of the International Conven-<br />
artin<br />
tion of Sept. 9, 1885 (Berne Convention), is<br />
that, without entering into any question of the<br />
dispositions of the American law, or of the par-<br />
ticular arrangements existing between England<br />
and America, or between America and France<br />
(Federal law of May 3, 1891, and declaration<br />
respecting Belgium, France, Great Britain, and<br />
res<br />
Switzerland of July 1.1801). the American author.<br />
who has published his work at the same time in<br />
England and America, enjoys in France the pro-<br />
tection of his rights of translation for ten years<br />
at least from the date of the publication in<br />
England.<br />
"To sum up, by placing himself under the pro-<br />
tection of the Berne Convention, the American<br />
author, although his country has not entered into<br />
the International Union, is protected in France so<br />
far as regards his right of translation, at least for<br />
ten vears, by the mere fact (article 2 of the Con.<br />
vention) that his work has been published in a<br />
upionist country-to wit, England.<br />
“But it must, of course, be understood that<br />
the protection is dependent upon (article 4 D,<br />
March 28, 1852, and 6 Law of July 19, 1893) the<br />
deposit of the copies of the original work in the<br />
Bibliothèque Nationale—that is to say, at present<br />
at the Ministry of the Interior.".<br />
The opinion is that of Mr. Alfred Mack,<br />
advocate to the Court of Appeal in Paris, 9, rue<br />
de Septembre.<br />
The Committee felt deeply indebted to the<br />
French Society for the prompt assistance it gave,<br />
and passed a unanimous vote of thanks for their<br />
courtesy and kindness. The opinion of the<br />
French advocate will be interesting to all<br />
members of the Society.<br />
It is pleasant to state, in addition, that the<br />
French publisher who pirated the work paid an<br />
agreed compensation to the author before he had<br />
received the opinion of the French counsel.<br />
G. H, T.<br />
II.—THE COPYRIGHT Bill.<br />
The King's Speech at the opening of Parlia-<br />
ment, delivered in person by His Majesty,<br />
announced that “legislation has been prepared<br />
for amending the law of literary copyright." In<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 172 (#238) ############################################<br />
<br />
172<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
the House of Commons on the same day (Feb. 14) out of the first edition — they therefore have<br />
the Right Hon. Gerald Balfour, President of the certainly paid the cost of production: of the<br />
Board of Trade, stated his intention of bringing remaining thirty-nine, sixteen are by authors<br />
in on an early day a measure consolidating and popular enough to insure the success of their<br />
amending the law of literary copyright.<br />
books—perhaps not a big success, but more than<br />
The Copyright Bill, which is about to be intro. enough to cover cost of production and royalties<br />
duced by the Board of Trade, will run closely on or purchase, and to leave some kind of profit to<br />
the lines of Lord Monkswell's Bill which passed the publisher. There remain twenty-three, or<br />
the House of Lords last summer, and which was nearly one-half, of which the outsider can only<br />
drafted by Lord Thring. As soon as it is possible say that they are doubtful. These figures show<br />
to obtain a draft of the same, such draft will be rather more than one in a dozen which succeed.<br />
printed in The Author, and the differences exist. But there is much more to be considered. The<br />
ing between the Board of Trade's and Lord outsider does not know the reader's opinion: the<br />
Monkswell's Bills will be dealt with at length. whole of these twenty-three books may have been<br />
G. H. T. most warmly recommended; nor does he know<br />
how many are paid for by the author, a practice<br />
III.- PROJECTED NEW GERMAN COPYRIGHT becoming more and more common, and as disas-<br />
LAW.<br />
trous in its results as can be expected, considering<br />
The Deutsche Reichstag, on its reassembling on the monstrous claims of the Publishers' Committee.<br />
Jan. 8, proceeded to a first reading of the project Nor, again, does the outsider know how many<br />
of a law respecting copyright in works of litera- copies are taken at the outset by the circulating<br />
ture and music. No very great interest is libraries : how many are subscribed by the trade:<br />
apparently taken in the new law, but it is a how many go to the colonies: how many are<br />
hopeful sign that the discussion appears to be copyrighted in the States.<br />
proceeding independently of any party politics. That there is over-production it would be<br />
Our contemporary Das Rechte Feder is dis mischievous to deny. Booksellers, however, are<br />
tinctly despondent about the protection of becoming wary: they cannot be readily talked<br />
authors from publishers, which it compares to over into subscribing a novel : their shelves are<br />
protecting sheep from wolves. Several of the filled with failures and losses. Now, if booksellers<br />
remarks made in the course of the discussion of will not subscribe a book, and if libraries will<br />
the new law indicate on the part of the speakers not take a book, what harm is done to the public<br />
a very elementary idea even of what copyright is. by over-production ? There is more work thrown<br />
on the paragraph-reviewer : and that is all. The<br />
public does not see the books: the bookseller<br />
· IV.-OVER-PRODUCTION.<br />
does not subscribe for them : nobody sees them :<br />
The Publishers' Circular calls attention to the there are hundreds of books produced every year<br />
over-production of six-shilling novels. Not long which are not published, because publishing means<br />
ago a bookseller had fifteen offered him in one exhibition and offering to the public as well as<br />
day, and refused to take any. Not one of these printing.<br />
novels in a dozen, the Circular thinks, pays for the Again, to return to the over-production. There<br />
cost of production. It then advises publishers has arisen quite recently a kind of gambling in<br />
to keep before them for reference the net result of novels. A publisher makes an unexpected<br />
each novel published during the year, and thinks success. He thinks that he may make another.<br />
that the contemplation of these figures will He can afford to lose a certain sum in the experi-<br />
act as a wholesome restraint for the future. ment. How much is his risk? He binds very<br />
Perhaps it might: but one always imagines that few copies : he spends very little money in adver-<br />
every man of business must observe the simple tising the renture: the libraries take a limited<br />
precaution of knowing how his goods sell.<br />
number: the risk is thus reduced to a very small<br />
Let us, however, descend from vague talk to sum. The actual loss may equal the risk; but<br />
facts and figures. It is, of course, easy to say he bas had his venture. And the whole reason<br />
that not one novel in a dozen pays. What kind for the production of so many novels is just the<br />
of dozen is it? Not a baker's dozen, certainly. chance of making a great and unexpected success<br />
For instance, an examination of the advertising —that and nothing more.<br />
pages of the Athenæum of Feb. 23 shows that<br />
eleven publishers — the number may be taken<br />
as representing the fifty or sixty who need be<br />
considered — are advertising, as current novels,<br />
fifty altogether. Of these eleven have passed<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 173 (#239) ############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
173<br />
V.—CANADIAN Notes.<br />
pages additional are devoted to an explanation of<br />
On behalf of Morang and Co., owners of the the methods used in making this inquiry, with<br />
British copyright in “ Ăn Englishwoman's Love the Commissioner's summing up of such evidence<br />
Letters," we have just succeeded in obtaining as he has succeeded in collecting.<br />
judgment of injunction against two local firms<br />
Tables are printed showing (a) the number of<br />
who have been importing cheap American copyright entries, and amount of fees applied,<br />
reprints. The book, unfortunately for the house from July 10, 1870, to Dec. 31, 1900; (6) the<br />
of John Murray, was not copyrighted in the number of entries of foreign and United States<br />
States.<br />
productions respectively, and the fees for the<br />
I notice that a public document of more than same from July 1, 1895, to Dec. 31, 1900; and<br />
usual interest has just been published in the (c) the number of articles deposited at the Copy-<br />
United States in the shape of the report of the right Office during the last three fiscal years. In<br />
Commissioner of Labour in response to the this last table the articles are arranged by classes,<br />
resolution of the Senate of Jan. 23, 1900, direct but no distinction has been made between pro-<br />
ing that official to investigate the effect upon ductions of foreign authorship and works by<br />
labour production and wages of the International native authors, so that it is difficult to see how<br />
Copyright Act, 1891, and report the result of his any deductions can rightly be made from these<br />
inquiries. The large majority of the opinions tables as to the effect of the law upon the number<br />
got heartily favour the law, but the individuals of entries made or articles deposited. It is<br />
or firms represented favour certain changes. assumed that one effect of the law has been<br />
[For list of these see article below on the greatly to increase the number of copyright<br />
International Copyright Act. - ED. Author] entries, because the year 1890 (that immedi-<br />
The fourth proposition—" That the publica- ately preceding the passage of the Act)<br />
tion in the United States of unauthorised trans. shows an increase of but 1813 entries over the<br />
lations of copyrighted books of foreigners, number for 1889, while the year 1891 shows<br />
other than English, should be prohibited ”—is an increase over 1890 of 6119 entries, although<br />
apparently met by the provision in the present<br />
“the Act did not become operative until<br />
United States Revised Statutes, section 4952, as<br />
July 1 of that year.” A careful examination,<br />
amended by the Act of March 3, 1891, reading as<br />
however, of the table of entries and fees, from<br />
follows :-<br />
1870 down, shows such noticeable fluctuations<br />
« And authors or their assigns shall have exclu. that it is doubtful if such an assumption can<br />
sive right to dramatise or translate any of their safely be made. Unfortunately, no exact figures<br />
works for which copyrights shall have been are available for the foreign and United States<br />
obtained under the laws of the United States."<br />
entries, respectively, up to July 1, 1897, but for<br />
WALTER BARWICK.<br />
the three calendar years following the entries<br />
are: 1898, foreign, 7779, United States, 69,095 ;<br />
(Barwick, Aylesworth, and Wright, Barristers<br />
1899, foreign, 8122, United States, 78,370; 1900,<br />
and Solicitors.)<br />
foreign, 8478, United States, 89,489, while the<br />
Toronto.<br />
increase in the entries, foreign and United States,<br />
VI.—THE INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT ACT.<br />
respectively, for the last two years was : 1899,<br />
foreign, 343, United States, 9275; 1900, foreign,<br />
[From the New York Evening Post.]<br />
356, United States, 11,119, showing that, of the<br />
A public document of more than usual yearly increase, the foreign entries made a very<br />
interest is the report of the Commissioner of small proportion. It is probable that, of the<br />
Labour in response to the resolution of the total increase from 1890 to 1891, a larger per-<br />
Senate, of Jan. 23, 1900, directing that official to centage was due to entries for foreign pro-<br />
“ investigate the effect upon labour, production, ductions, but even so, it was probably a small<br />
and wages of the International Copyright Act, proportion of the total increase of 6119; and<br />
approved March 3, 1891, and report the results up to 1900, inclusive, the highest number of<br />
of his inquiries." Such results as were obtainable entries for the productions of foreign authors,<br />
are set out in a pamphlet of ninety-nine pages, of &c., in any one year, since the Act went into<br />
which the last eleven pages consist of a republica force, July 1, 1891, was only 8478.<br />
tion of the copyright laws in force. Of the The Commissioner explains that, on its becoming<br />
remaining text, seventy-seven pages contain apparent that detailed statistical information of<br />
verbatim statements from publishers, leading the character contemplated by the resolution<br />
printers, the American Copyright League, &c., could not be secured, an endeavour was made to<br />
giving opinions, pro and con, as to the value and obtain expressions of opinion from the class of<br />
effect of the Act in question, and less than six people whose conclusions would be of most value<br />
VOL. XI.<br />
z 2<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 174 (#240) ############################################<br />
<br />
174<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
-publishers, printers, and the official members induced led to cheap work, and consequently<br />
of printing unions and allied trades unions-by narrowed the compensation earned by printers as<br />
addressing to them a series of seven questions compared with that obtained through the higher<br />
designed to bring out the views of the persons quality of book production under the protection<br />
and establishments to whom they were submitted, of the copyright law.<br />
regarding the general results of the law as The questions sent out were as follows: (1.)<br />
affecting labour and production. Altogether, Has the international copyright law been detri-<br />
seventy responses were received, of which fifty mental or beneficial to (a) publishers or book<br />
five are set down as regarding the law and its manufacturers ; (6) compositors, pressmen, book-<br />
results more or less favourably, while fifteen binders, and employers generally; (c) American<br />
consider it detrimental.<br />
authors; (d) foreign authors; (e) the book-<br />
Commissioner Wright points out that the purchasing public ? (2.) In what respects has<br />
clause requiring the manufacture in the United the law been detrimental or beneficial to each of<br />
States of copyright works, the feature of the law the above-mentioned classes ? (3.) Has the<br />
directly affecting “labour, production, and effect of the law been to increase or to reduce the<br />
wagas," was adopted at the instance of the selling price of books ? About how much per<br />
typographical unions; but although prominent cent. ? (4.) Was “piracy,” as practised prior to<br />
members of the International Typographical the enactment of the international copyright law,<br />
Union in several principal cities were personally beneficial or injurious to printers or publishers ?<br />
interviewed, and requested to submit facts and (5.) Do American and European publishers<br />
their own views regarding the beneficial or detri. exchange stereotype plates, or are European plates<br />
mental effects of the Act, only oral statements used to any extent in the production of books in<br />
could be obtained from some of them, to the America ? (6.) What is your general opinion as to<br />
effect "that, in their opinion, the law has been the operation and effect of the international copy-<br />
of no real benefit to printers or allied crafts- right law ? (7.) In what respects do you think<br />
men ; that the manufacturing clause of the the law in question should be amended or changed ?<br />
law, requiring copyrighted works of foreign The responses to these questions indicate,<br />
authors to be printed from type set or from according to the summary, that a large majority<br />
plates made from type set in the United States of the establishments interviewed heartily favour<br />
is violated to a considerable extent by the fraudu- the law, believing it to be highly beneficial in its<br />
lent importation from Europe of stereotype general operation and effect, although some of<br />
plates, which are used for the printing of such them criticise certain of its features, and express<br />
works in the United States ; and that the effect their views as to amendments of the law that are<br />
of the law is to confine the labour of production deemed desirable. On ihe other hand, “a com-<br />
of each copyrighted work to the employees of the paratively small but highly respectable number"<br />
single establishment to whom the monopoly of of establishments are said to be “utterly opposed<br />
publication is secured under the law, whereas to the law,” believing it to be pernicious in prac-<br />
were it not for the law, the works of many<br />
tice and wrong in principle.<br />
foreign authors would be published by several<br />
Whether favourable or adverse to the law, the<br />
different establishments, thus giving employment<br />
to a largely increased number of operatives."<br />
individuals or firms represented favour certain<br />
The Coinmissioner adds that effort was made to<br />
changes in the copyright laws now in force, the<br />
secure definite statements giving instances of<br />
principal alterations proposed being summarised<br />
as follows:-<br />
violation of the “ manufacturing clause," but<br />
none could be obtained, and no expression of<br />
(1.) It is believed by many publishers that the "manu.<br />
facturing clause," requiring the manufacture wholly within<br />
views beyond oral ones, such as quoted, could be<br />
the United States of copyrighted books, photograpbs,<br />
secured.<br />
chromos, or lithographs, whether the work of residents or<br />
It is to be presumed that the statement that, non-residents, should be abrogated.<br />
were it not for the existing law, the works of (2.) That the requirement of publication of copyright<br />
many foreign authors would be published by<br />
works in the United States not later than the date of their<br />
publication in any other country (which has the effect of<br />
several different establishments, thus giving<br />
requiring simultaneous publication on both sides of the<br />
employment to a largely increased number of<br />
Atlantic of the works of English (and American] authors)<br />
operatives, is made in remembrance of the old should be changed so as to allow a reasonable time to elapse<br />
times of literary piracy, when there was a possi between publication abroad and at home.<br />
bility of free scrambling for the works of popular<br />
(3.) That the term of existence of copyright should be<br />
extended beyond the limited period now granted.<br />
foreign authors; but the document under con-<br />
(4.) That the publication in the United States of un-<br />
sideration contains evidence from most competent authorised translations of copyrighted books of foreigners<br />
sources that the competition this very scramble other than English should be prohibited.<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 175 (#241) ############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
175<br />
OUTU<br />
........<br />
This last proposition would seem to be<br />
adequately met by the provision in the present<br />
law, Revised Statutes, section 4952, as amended<br />
by the Act of March 3, 1891, reading as follows:<br />
“And authors or their assigns shall have exclu.<br />
sive right to dramatise or translate any of their<br />
works for which copyright shall have been<br />
obtained under the laws of the United States."<br />
What is desired, apparently, is that in the case<br />
of books in foreign languages, not now copy.<br />
righted in the United States by reason of the<br />
type-setting stipulation, the author or assignee<br />
should be allowed to secure copyright on an<br />
authorised English translation, to the exclusion<br />
of any unauthorised translation into Englisb.<br />
Thanks are due to Commissioner Wright for<br />
having elicited and brought together the very<br />
interesting and valuable opinions on this impor-<br />
tant subject printed in his report, and we hope<br />
in a subsequent article to present a collated<br />
summary of them.<br />
Roe, Mrs. Harcourt<br />
Rossetti, W. M. ...... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ......<br />
S. B. .........................<br />
Sanderson, Sir J. B. ...........<br />
Skeat, The Rev. Prof. ..............<br />
Spielmann, M. H.<br />
Stanton, Miss H. M. E<br />
Toplis, Miss G. .......<br />
Tweedie, Mrs. Alec................<br />
Watt, A. P........<br />
Wheelwright, Migg E. E. ...<br />
Williams, rs. E. L. ........<br />
SUBSCRIPTIONS.<br />
Aidë, Hamilton (for a period of five years)......<br />
Alexander, A. ..........<br />
Avery, Harold ............<br />
.........<br />
Beckett, A. W. à ......<br />
Bebant, Sir Walter.....<br />
Bonney, Rev. Prof. T. G. ...........<br />
Brodhurst, Spencer.<br />
Clodd, Edward<br />
Cresswell, Rev. H. ............<br />
Crockett, S. R.<br />
Dobson, Austin (annual amount anstated-for<br />
10<br />
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Ooouoen ocenomenoumero on one on onenen om<br />
-oo o o o ōn our one-oő õenann oooo ono oro<br />
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000<br />
I001<br />
)<br />
................................................<br />
PENSION FUND.<br />
18.......<br />
Ellis, Miss M. A....<br />
Esmond, H. V. .......................................<br />
Gilbert, W. S......<br />
Gribble, F. ....<br />
Guthrie, Anstey..<br />
.....................<br />
Gwynn, S. ..........<br />
Hawkins, A. Hope<br />
Home, Francis....<br />
Jerome, Jerome K. ..............<br />
Kelly, C. A........................<br />
Lely, J. M. ..............<br />
Marchmont, A. W. ...............<br />
Pemberton, Max............<br />
Pendered, Miss Mary L. ..................<br />
Pinero, A. W.....<br />
Roberts, Morley ........................<br />
Rose, Edward .................<br />
Sinclair, Miss ...........<br />
Stanley, Mrs. ....<br />
Ward, Mrs. Humphry ...........<br />
Watt, A. P. .......<br />
:<br />
:<br />
:<br />
:<br />
:<br />
:<br />
:<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
:<br />
-<br />
>g-<br />
..............<br />
NHE following is the list of donations<br />
and subscriptions at present promised or<br />
received :-<br />
DONATIONS.<br />
A. S. ...<br />
£100 0 0<br />
Alcott, E. ...........<br />
50<br />
Anonymous .....<br />
100 0 0<br />
Baldwin, Mrs. A. .........<br />
Barrie, J. M.<br />
100 0 0<br />
Benecke, Miss Ida ..<br />
3 0 0<br />
Besant, Sir Walter........<br />
100 0 0<br />
Boevey, Miss Crawley ....<br />
Chambers, Miss Beatrica ...........................<br />
0 3 6<br />
Cordeaux, Miss .................. ..........<br />
5 0 0<br />
Craigie, Mrs. .........<br />
100 0 0<br />
Doyle, A. Conan ..........<br />
...........<br />
100 0 0<br />
Esler, Mrs. Rentoul (for three years) ............ 5 0 0<br />
Esmond, H. V.<br />
3 3 0<br />
Fowler, Miss E. T.<br />
10 10 0<br />
Freshfield, D. W........<br />
100 0 0<br />
Gibbs, Miss .<br />
100<br />
Hawking, A. Hope ............<br />
200 0 0<br />
Hutchinson, Rev. H. ........<br />
2 0 0<br />
Jacberns, Raymond .................<br />
I 10<br />
Jones, Henry Arthur................................<br />
Keltie, J. Scott .......................................<br />
Kipling, Rudyard ...................................<br />
100 00<br />
Loftie, Rev. W. J. .....................................<br />
Macfarlane, H. .......<br />
Marshall, Capt. R. .<br />
Meredith, George .........<br />
Moncrieff, R. Hope.<br />
Norris, W. E..<br />
Oliphant, Kingston<br />
Parker, Gilbert ...................<br />
100 00<br />
Phillpotts, Eden ....................................... 10 0 0<br />
Pollock, Sir Frederick ............<br />
5 5 0<br />
NEW YORK LETTER.<br />
.<br />
öwen : nonow -<br />
mooooooo-000-OooooWo O O OWNOOO-000<br />
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO<br />
.<br />
.<br />
M<br />
.<br />
.<br />
New York City, Feb. 12.<br />
HE United States Senate last year passed a<br />
resolution which directed the Bureau of<br />
Labour to investigate the effect of the<br />
International Copyright Act upon labour, pro-<br />
duction, and wages in this country. The Bureau<br />
has made its report, through Mr. Commissioner<br />
Wright, who sought the required information<br />
among the heads of the International Typo-<br />
graphical Union, the leading American book<br />
publishers, and the documents on file in the Con.<br />
gressional Library and the Treasury Department.<br />
Such reports are doubtless more significant to<br />
those who happen to know precisely what the<br />
.......<br />
ܘ ܘ ܘ ܘ ܘ ܘ ܘ ܘ ܘ ܘ<br />
.<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 176 (#242) ############################################<br />
<br />
176<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
Bureau wished to find, than they are to those in This last sentiment of Colonel Watterson's<br />
ignorance of the Bureau's desires, but neverthe- comment is familiarly prevalent with us, where,<br />
less the recommendations made to the Senate indeed, the man of letters seldom enters with<br />
may be of general importance and interest either force or grace upon the discussion of public<br />
(see p. 174).<br />
questions. Mark Twain, for example, has pro-<br />
Congress has taken no action upon the results voked a sizeable storm by an article in the last<br />
of the investigations of its commission. We do number of the North American Review. Mr.<br />
not believe that any change in the law would be Clemens's effort is called "To the Person sitting<br />
proposed without obtaining the testimony of in Darkness”; and, while our famous humorist's<br />
working authors, to whom apparently the Bureau purpose in writing it is not quite clear, it seems<br />
of Labour did not appeal.<br />
to be an arraignment of the methods of civilisa-<br />
An editorial writer of the New York Book tion in dealing with the non-civilised. He pays<br />
Buyer makes the meaty suggestion that the his respects to Mr. Chamberlain, Emperor William,<br />
growth of the American reading public has not and President McKinley. “Mr. Chamberlain<br />
been quite so great as has been believed of late, manufactures a war out of materials so inade-<br />
but rather that the international copyright Act quate and so fanciful that they make the boxes<br />
has given our writers an equal opportunity by grieve and the gallery laugh, and he tries hard<br />
outlawing the cheap and pirated English reprints. to persuade himself that it isn't purely a private<br />
We are reminded of the ingenuous lady in “ The raid for cash, but has a sort of dim, vague re-<br />
Rise of Silas Lapham ” who asks: “Is · Daniel spectability about it somewhere, if he could only<br />
Deronda' a new book? It has only just got into find the spot; and that, by-and-by, he can scour<br />
the Seaside Library.” Good writers are now the flag clean again after he has finished dragging<br />
brought at once before the public, without the it through the mud, and make it shine and fash<br />
offices of Seaside Libraries, and make their great in the vault of Heaven once more as it shone and<br />
and popular successes, but we must not forget flashed there a thousand years in the world's<br />
that the old collections of unauthorised reprints respect until he laid his unfaithful hand upon it."<br />
were evidences of a vast reading public in the Mr. Clemens's animadversions on McKinleyism<br />
United States before the days of “Richard are, to us at least, even more surprising. Our<br />
Carvel” and “ To Have and to Hold.” For the administration in the Philippines, he observes,<br />
vogue of American authors among us, we must has treacherously stamped out a just and intelli-<br />
thank the advocates of international copyright gent and well-ordered republic; has stabbed an<br />
while we doff caps to the talented young oppor- ally in the back and slapped the face of a guest ;<br />
tunism of American literary workers.<br />
has invited our clean young men to shoulder a<br />
We have regarded with especial interest the discredited musket and to do bandit's work under<br />
political aspirations of Mr. Hope and other a flag which bandits have been accustomed to<br />
British men of letters. Within the month, two fear, not to follow ; has debauched America's<br />
of our popular authors have had a try at states honour and blackened her face before the world.<br />
manship, with results which cannot be called It appears that Mark Twain is Colonel Watter-<br />
entirely gratifying. Mr. F. Hopkinson Smith, son's " hopeless politician” in more senses than<br />
the pleasant creator of “ Colonel Carter of one, but it is something of a comfort to remark<br />
Cartersville," has announced that Mrs. Stowe's that American authors are more concerned by<br />
“Uncle Tom's Cabin ” did as much as any one Mr. Clemens's pyrotechnical exhibition than is<br />
thing to precipitate our Civil War, and that the the American public at large. As a real factor<br />
novel was a “vicious, appalling, criminal mis. in our politics, the literary man is still reputed<br />
take.” Mr. Smith advances it as his opinion generally negligible.<br />
that the very reason why a compromise between Another enlivenment of the winter has been the<br />
the North and the South was impossible was appearance of M. Coquelin upon the witness<br />
because books of that sort were written, and that stand in Chicago and his evidence in a law suit<br />
poor Mrs. Stowe brought about the war by brought by a Mr. Gross, of that sprightly metro-<br />
“ viciously” presenting a mistaken and distorted polis, for the purpose of establishing Mr. Gross's<br />
view of the situation. Many critics have taken legal rights as the author of “Cyrano de<br />
issue with Mr. Smith, and none in a more con. Bergerac," ordinarily set down as the work of M.<br />
vincing vein than Colonel Watterson, a well. Rostand. Mr. Gross asserts that several years<br />
known Southern editor, who declares that Mrs. ago he wrote a piece called, unless I am mistaken,<br />
Stowe's novel was merely a spoke in an inexor- “The Merchant Prince of Corneville,” that this<br />
able wheel, which for the time being represented masterpiece was for a lengthy period in the hands<br />
perpetual motion, and that there “ never was yet of M. Rostand, and that most of it was incorpo-<br />
a literary man who was not a hopeless politician.” rated, with neither acknowledgment nor remune-<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 177 (#243) ############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
177<br />
ration, into the play in which M. Coquelin is so<br />
MORTUARY PARAGRAPH.<br />
successful. The Chicagoan has been persistent Prominent in the obituary list of the past<br />
in his claim—so persistent, it seems, that M. month figure the names of two eminent Acade-<br />
Coquelin spent an entire morning in giving micians—the Duc de Broglie and the Vicomte Henri<br />
his evidence, and sustained his part with his de Bornier. The former-symbol in his later years<br />
usual careful facility. After it was over the of moderation, wisdom, and comprehensive<br />
distinguished Frenchuan said, with tears in his indulgence—was an erudite writer, an ardent<br />
eyes, that he had wasted two hours and a half of Conservative, and a defective politician. Though<br />
his life. Mr. Gross's suit is as yet undetermined, “ he acted the part of Richelieu to that modern<br />
but Mme. Bernhardt and M. Čoquelin have not Louis XIII. called MacMahon, and leaves no other<br />
excluded “ Cyrano" from their repertory.<br />
trace in French history than the record of an<br />
John RUSSELL DAVIDSON.<br />
impossible enterprise and two incoherent endea-<br />
vours ”—his historical research, literary talent,<br />
and political probity earned him the respect and<br />
esteem of his colleagues. “Le Secret du Roi,”<br />
“Marie-Thérèse et Frédéric II.,” and “ L'Histoire<br />
PARIS LETTER.<br />
de l'Eglise chrétienne au quatrième siècle” (the<br />
latter being a collection of rather remarkable<br />
4 bis, rue des Beaux-Arts.<br />
articles, formerly published in the Revue des<br />
Deux Mondes, etc.), rank among M. de Broglie's<br />
· It was just that Providence destined the Queen best-known works. He had attained the ripe<br />
of the greatest maritime Power of the adiverse to breathe<br />
her parting sigh in this Osborne residence, in this Isle of age of eigay..years.<br />
Wight bathed by the waves, facing tbe Portsmouth Arsenal,<br />
In the Vicomte Henri de Bornier France<br />
symbol of Imperial power and soul of the British Navy. It mourns one of her noblest sons and most gifted<br />
was just that the English fleet should be the first to render<br />
poets. His life was pure and good. All his<br />
the last rites to Queen Victoria. It was just, also, that<br />
the maritime Powers of the world—from France to Japan,<br />
writings were characterised by a chivalrous en-<br />
from Portugal to Germany-should take part in this cere-<br />
thusiasm and lofty patriotism. His physical<br />
mony. ... in rendering a supreme homage to the defects were forgotten immediately he opened his<br />
Queen of whom posterity will anite with her contemporaries lips. Nothing was niggardly in this little man,<br />
in saying that as perfect wife, mother, and sovereign, she save his stature. He came to Paris, poor and<br />
carried with her to the tomb the respect and admiration of friendless, over fifty years ago. A shabby garret<br />
all the nations of the earth.<br />
in the rue du Bac was the only shelter within the<br />
CYUCH was the tribute paid our late beloved limits of his narrow purse; an evening stroll<br />
Sovereign by the Figaro correspondent in among the narrow streets and quaint bookstalls<br />
a leading article detailing the impressive of the Latin Quarter his favourite recreation.<br />
concluding pageant of her long and illustrious Lingering wistfully one evening outside the<br />
reign. Nor have the other standard French Odéon theatre, he encountered a discontented<br />
papers been a whit behindhand in their expres- habitué who good-naturedly offered the stripling<br />
sions of esteem and regret. Le Matin alone the use of his check. The young de Bornier<br />
ventured on essaying a caustic tone; but the force eagerly accepted the proffered ticket, and made<br />
of cultivated public opinion speedily induced the the acquaintance of the Odéon fencing-master,<br />
adoption of a more respectful and dignified to whom he timidly submitted an historical drama<br />
phraseology. Among the upper classes, and in entitled “Du Guesclin.”. Shortly after he pub-<br />
official circles, the manifestations of sympathy lished a volume of poems, “ Premières Feuilles,”<br />
and regret were undoubtedly sincere. But the which was honoured with the approbation of Victor<br />
feeling of the bulk of the population remains Hugo, Chateaubriand, and Béranger. In 1848<br />
unchanged. A certain most impolitic publica he entered the Arsenal library (of which he became<br />
tion hawked in the street, and the inimical curator in 1889), and in 1895 his magnificent<br />
caricatures of the new monarch which appeared epic drama, “La Fille de Roland," was per-<br />
on the boulevards ere the week was out, sufficiently formed with unprecedented success at the Théatre<br />
indicated the sentiments of the masses. The Française by Mme. Sarah Bernhardt and M.<br />
demagogues of the French Press assuredly envy Mounet Sully. “ Les Noces d'Attila” and<br />
our Royal House the loyal esteem of its subjects, “Le Fils de l'Arétin” were followed in 1899<br />
since they so persistently seek to tarnish its by a second dramatic masterpiece entitled<br />
merits in the eyes of their own countrymen. “ France. . d'Abord!” M. de Bornier was<br />
Under these circumstances their disparagement elected a member of the French Academy in<br />
must be accepted as an involuntary and reluctant 1893. He died eight years later, Jan. 29, aged<br />
seventy-six years.<br />
homage.<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 178 (#244) ############################################<br />
<br />
178<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
M.Jules Barbier (born 1825), author of upwards<br />
of a hundred popular plays and librettos, and<br />
several volumes of graceful verse; Mme. Edmond<br />
Caro, an agreeable novelist and accomplished<br />
member of Parisian society; M. Arthur Desjardins,<br />
a thoughtful writer, whose articles on the Peace<br />
Conference at The Hague and the Transvaal War<br />
made quite a sensation here; and M. Maurice<br />
Block, economist and statistician (born in 1816),<br />
contributor to the Figaro, Temps, Journal des<br />
Economistes, &c., have likewise passed away since<br />
my last letter,<br />
A THREEFOLD PROGRESS.<br />
Three new institutions-marking three distinct<br />
steps in advance in the respective domains of<br />
feminism, psychology, and ästhetics—have held<br />
their inauguration fetes within a few days of one<br />
another. (1) L'Association des Étudiantes de<br />
Paris (8, rue Danton); (2) L'Institut Psycho-<br />
logique International; (3) Le Collège d'Esthétique<br />
Moderne. The object of the Association des<br />
Étudiantes is a rapprocher les étudiantes de<br />
diverses facultés, à faire naître entre elles des liens<br />
d'intimité et de solidarité, à les encourager dans<br />
leurs études en leur fournissant un appui moral et<br />
des secours matériels. Non-members are admitted<br />
to the lectures given at the Feminine Students'<br />
Club. L'Institut Psychologique International is<br />
reported to have already established branch<br />
societies in London and in several Continental<br />
towns. Its exponents assert that this science will<br />
play an important role in the criminal jurispru.<br />
dence, pedagogy, and therapeutics of the future.<br />
Information re the progress achieved by the<br />
various sections of the society will be published<br />
in the Bulletin de l'Institut. (3) M. Bjöern.<br />
stjerne Björnson, the great Norwegian writer,<br />
t;<br />
presided ai the inauguration ceremony of the<br />
Collège d'Esthétique, of which M. Emile Zola has<br />
accepted the office of honorary president. A<br />
number of literary celebrities were present on<br />
this occasion. M. de Bouhélier dwelt at some<br />
length on the object of the foundation, and M.<br />
Le Blond on the practical advantages to be<br />
obtained from the mutual federation of the<br />
representatives of literature, art, and science.<br />
“Modern Beauty” was the appropriate title of<br />
the first lecture delivered under the auspices of<br />
the new college.<br />
Famous AUTOGRAPHS.<br />
The various prices obtained at recent sales for<br />
sundry autograph letters, signed by illustrious<br />
defunct writers, give a tolerably correct idea of<br />
the actual mercantile value and popularity of the<br />
works of those lights of literature, to wit :-<br />
A letter written by Voltaire fetched 135<br />
francs ; a literary letter (lettre littéraire), by<br />
Sainte-Beuve, 120 francs; seventeen letters of<br />
Madame de Stael were sold for 410 francs; a<br />
letter from Chateaubriand to M. de Vitrolles<br />
immediately fetched 105 francs; a letter from<br />
Diderot to Grimm, 380 francs; a letter from<br />
Barbey d'Aurevilly to a lady, 120 francs ; a<br />
genuine Balzac autograph (in the commencement<br />
of “ Père Goriot "), 52 francs; while a letter<br />
written by Alexandre Dumas fils to a literary<br />
critic obtained 125 francs, being 67 francs in<br />
advance of the sum given for an autograph letter<br />
written by Cathérine de Médicis to her Royal<br />
son, Charles IX. A literary letter from Emile<br />
Augier to a dramatic critic fetched the compara-<br />
tively small sum of 29 francs; while a literary<br />
letter from M. Paul Bourget's pen obtained 30<br />
francs-notwithstanding the fact that its author<br />
is still living. The autographs of George Sand<br />
are rare, and, consequently, much sought after.<br />
An expert is reported to have asserted that an<br />
autograph letter of George Sand is worth more<br />
at the present time than the amount originally<br />
received by the famous author for several of her<br />
most popular works.<br />
IN THE LAW COURTS.<br />
Legal arbitration is slowly but surely super-<br />
seding the homicidal duel which was so highly<br />
in favour during certain epochs in the last<br />
century. That an historian can, when necessary,<br />
quote a passage from an article, book, or speech,<br />
without the author's authorisation, is established<br />
by the “ Droit de Citation Littéraire.” Whether<br />
an editor or author can likewise reproduce a<br />
sketch or caricature, without the artist's permis-<br />
sion, is the question the law has been called on to<br />
decide in the action brought by M. Ibels, carica-<br />
turist of the Sifflet, against M. Grand-Carteret re<br />
the latter's interesting publication, “L'Affaire et<br />
l'Image." Maître Labori pleaded on behalf of<br />
M. Ibels; Maître G. Maillard upheld the right of<br />
“ Citation Graphique”; and Maître Levy-Salle<br />
appeared on behalf of the Siècle, at whose office<br />
the offending work was published.<br />
A propos of the action for libel brought by M.<br />
Bruyerre, the well-known dramatist, against his<br />
political adversary, M. Montorgueil of the Eclair,<br />
on account of an injurious personal article pub-<br />
lished in the latter paper Feb. II, 1900, the<br />
First Civil Chamber has at last arrived at the<br />
following decision :-<br />
“Seeing that—in an article entitled 'L'Envers<br />
d'un drame,' published in the Éclair, Feb. 11,<br />
1900–Georges Montorgueil has imputed to<br />
Louis Bruyerre actions hurtful to his honour,<br />
and prejudicial to his public reputation; ...<br />
that Montorgueil vainly asserts to have been<br />
within his right in censuring the private indi-<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 179 (#245) ############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
179<br />
viduality of a writer who had himself given to<br />
NOTES AND NEWS.<br />
the publicity of the stage a domestic drama in<br />
which he was one of the actors; that, though the "T ITERATURE” puts in a timely word in<br />
dramatic and literary author's work may be<br />
favour of the recognition of men and<br />
within the critic's jurisdiction, it is not the same<br />
women of letters. It points out that,<br />
with his private conduct—whether or not the according to some, an Academy of Letters would<br />
latter be in harmony with his work”-for these, be a foundation worthy of a new reign. The<br />
and sundry other reasons duly detailed by the subject is thorny, and must be discussed else-<br />
First Chamber, M. Montorgueil was condemned where. It also points to a reform in the distri-<br />
to pay one thousand francs indemnity to bution of pensions never intended for the widows<br />
M. Bruyerre, as compensation for the injurious of Government officials, and further suggests<br />
article published in the Eclair. The last that a more adequate recognition should be given<br />
cited phrases in the above judgment, joined to the claims of men and women of letters. The<br />
to the 5000 francs (2000 francs d'amende, 3000 Author has advocated these reforms for some<br />
francs de dommages intérêts), which the Ninth vears, and we ought to rejoice that a paper<br />
Civil Chamber has ordered the director of the<br />
of wide circulation has at last taken up the<br />
Petit Caporal to disburse for having indulged in subject. Of course, the initial objection will be<br />
a somewhat similar freedom of language regarding raised that authors themselves may be jealous<br />
the Seine-et-Oise deputy, M. Perillier, afford<br />
whatever distributions are granted. Perhaps :<br />
matter for wholesome reflection to several but this point may be neglected. There are dis-<br />
impetuous French journalists who are extremely contented members of the Bar and of the medical<br />
redoubtable—in print.<br />
profession, but the fact does not interfere with<br />
the recognition of lawyers and doctors as worthy<br />
RECENT PUBLICATIONS.<br />
of the national distinctious. It is not in order to<br />
. “Monsieur Bergeret à Paris," by M. Anatole<br />
please writers that we ask for recognition of<br />
France (chez the Figaro), which is asserted to<br />
letters: it is in order to teach the people the very<br />
have attained its thirty-ninth edition in three<br />
great and necessary lesson that literature is an<br />
days; “Le Friquet,” by “Gyp” (chez E. Flam-<br />
occupation, profession, or calling that is worthy<br />
marion); “L'Essai d'une psychologie politique<br />
of respect. When the State begins to honour<br />
du peuple Anglais au dix-neuvième siècle," by<br />
letters systematically, the people will begin to<br />
M. E. Boutmy (chez Armand Colin), a most inter-<br />
respect the calling of literature.<br />
esting work whose import is sufficiently indicated<br />
by its title; “ Problèmes politiques du temps<br />
présent,” by M. Emil Faguet (chez Armand Colin); The following passage is taken by permis-<br />
“ Fléau qui passe," a sensational novel by M. sion from Mr. Churton Collins's new volume,<br />
Ernest Daudet, the clever inheritor of a famous “Ephemera Critica,” which has just been pub-<br />
patronymic; “ Vallobra," by M. Paul Alexis, lished by Messrs Constable :-<br />
which narrates the history of a well-known<br />
Matthew Arnold very truly observed that one of the<br />
Parisian statesman under the transparent dis most unfortunate tendencies of our time was the tendency<br />
guise of a fictitious personage; “Notre Ennemi," to over-estimate the performances of “the averago<br />
by M. Cattier, being a well-written novel, dealing<br />
man." The over-estimation of these performances is<br />
no longer a tendency, but an established custom.<br />
with the pernicious effects caused by alcohol;<br />
Literature in all its branches is rapidly becoming his<br />
“ Midship,” a promising first novel by M. Pierre<br />
monopoly. As judged and judge, as author and critic,<br />
Custot, a young author of talent; “ Études et there is every indication that he will proceed from<br />
Réflexions d'un pessimiste," by M. Challemel. triumph to triumph, and establish his cult wherever books<br />
Lacour (chez Fasquelle), the said pessimist being<br />
are read. Now the only sphere in which “ the average<br />
man" is entitled to homage is a moral one, and he is most<br />
an elegant and interesting writer; and “ Les<br />
venerable when he is passive and anambitious. But if<br />
Femmes docteurs en médecine, dans tous les<br />
ambition and the love of fame are awakened in him, he is<br />
pays,” by Madame Haryett Fontanges.<br />
capable of becoming exceedingly corrapt and of forfeiting<br />
DARRACOTTE Scott.<br />
every title to veneration. He is capable of resorting to all<br />
the devices to which men are forced to resort in manufac.<br />
turing factitious reputations, to imposture, to fraud, to<br />
circulating false currencies of his own, and to assisting<br />
others in the circulation of theirs. Even when he is free<br />
from these vices, so far as their deliberate practice is con-<br />
cerned, he is scarcely less mischievous if he be ancontrolled.<br />
To say that his standard is never likely to be a high one,<br />
either with reference to his own achievements or with<br />
reference to what he exacts from others, and to say that<br />
the systematic substitution of inferior standards for high<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 180 (#246) ############################################<br />
<br />
180<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
ones must affect literature and all that is involved in its<br />
infuence, most disastrously, is to say what will be generally<br />
acknowledged. And he has everything, unhappily, in his<br />
favour-numbers, influence, the spirit of the age. For one<br />
who sees through him and takes his measure, there are<br />
thousands who do not: for one who could discern the<br />
justice of an exposure of his shortcomings, there are<br />
thousands who would attribute that exposure to personal<br />
enmity and to dishonest motives. His power, indeed, is<br />
becoming almost irresistible. The one thing which he and<br />
bis fellows thoroughly anderstand is the formidable advan.<br />
tage of co-operation. The consequence is that there are pro-<br />
bably not half a dozen reviews and newspapers now left which<br />
they are not able practically to coerce. An editor is obliged<br />
to assume honesty in those who contribute to his columns,<br />
and also to avail himself of the services of men who can<br />
write good articles, if they write bad books. In the first<br />
case, it is not open to him to question the justice of the<br />
verdict pronounced ; in the second case, the courtesy of<br />
the gentleman very naturally and properly predominates,<br />
onder such circumstances, over public considerations—and<br />
bow can truth be told ? Nor is this all. Assuming that<br />
an editor is free from such ties, be bas to consult the<br />
interests of bis paper, to study popularity, and not to<br />
estrange those who are, from a commercial point of view,<br />
the mainstay of all our literary journals, those who adver<br />
tise in them—the publishers. “If,” said an editor to me<br />
once, “I were to tell the truth as forcibly as I could wish<br />
to do, about the books sent to me for review, in six months<br />
my proprietors would be in the bankruptcy court." It is in<br />
the power of the pablishers to ruin any literary journal.<br />
There is probably not a single review in London which<br />
would survive the withdrawal of the publishers' advertise.<br />
ments.<br />
equality in his work to over-production. A letter which<br />
Mr. Marsh has just addressed to the chief literary journals<br />
explains both the inequality and the apparent rapidity of<br />
his work. It seems that the publishers to whom his earlier<br />
work was sold are taking advantage of his present popalarity<br />
in a fashion that must be called at least disingenuous.<br />
“During the last year or two,” says Mr. Marsh, “work of<br />
mine which appeared in print twelve years ago has been<br />
brought out as new. The impression has consequently<br />
grown up that I flood the market with books turned out by<br />
machinery. ... An author can have no reasonable<br />
objection to the production of fresh editions of his books,<br />
but he has every right to protest against his old work being<br />
issued by owners of copyrights as if it were new. It is<br />
unfair to the public, to reviewers, and to the writer himself.”<br />
With this protest we are entirely in accord. Only it must<br />
be said that the author has always a prospective remedy<br />
against this sort of ill-usage by declining to part with the<br />
copyright of his books. No doubt at present this is a<br />
counsel of perfection. The young writer who can only get<br />
his works issued on condition that he sells them outright can<br />
hardly be expected to choose the alternative of not appear-<br />
ing in print. But the sooner the Society of Authors<br />
succeed in getting every writer to follow their banner in the<br />
contest for the author's full rights the better it will be for<br />
the writing and reading world. In the apparent remoteness<br />
of that happy consummation it ought to be no difficult<br />
thing to guard against this particular trick of the unscrupo-<br />
lous publisher by inserting in the next Copyright Act a<br />
brief clause to ensure that the date of original publica-<br />
tion shall be placed on the back of the title-page of every<br />
new edition. Messrs. Macmillan and some other publishers<br />
have already adopted this plan, which is most helpful to the<br />
bibliographer. We gbould like to see it made compulsory,<br />
whether by legislation or by the force of public opinion.<br />
The above extract, made by permission of the<br />
author, should be very carefully considered by<br />
our readers. Brief comments, or additional evi.<br />
dence, on the subject are invited, but not vague<br />
talk. It is hoped to return to the subject in<br />
the April number. There are not many points<br />
connected with the well-being, the interests, and<br />
the independence of literature more important<br />
than those raised by Mr. Collins.<br />
I have received, by the kindness of Miss<br />
Clementina Black, one of the vice-presidents of<br />
the Women's Industrial Council, their report for<br />
the last year. An appeal is there made for<br />
additions to the library. The books, which now<br />
number over 1000, are used for twenty-seven<br />
associations, each of which is entitled to so many<br />
volumes a year. There is very little margin for<br />
the purchase of books, and the report asks for<br />
be report asks for<br />
presents of books. Will members and readers<br />
make a note of the request and write for a copy<br />
Copy<br />
of the report? The office of the Council is at<br />
12, Buckingham-street, Strand. Members would<br />
perhaps see their way to sending copies of their<br />
own books.<br />
The foregoing note is from the Manchester<br />
Guardian. The grievance is, as there stated, the<br />
republication of old work as if it was new. That<br />
is to say, most agreements, whether of royalty, or<br />
of profit sharing (?), or of commission, or by<br />
sale outright, include the power of republication<br />
in any form and at any time. This, however, is<br />
not necessarily the sale of copyright. The dis-<br />
tinction has been often laid down by Mr. Thring,<br />
and will be explained again. As regards, how-<br />
ever, the right of republication, with which we are<br />
here concerned, it would be possible, perhaps, to<br />
get a short clause to the effect suggested inserted<br />
in the Bill, but in the case of young writers,<br />
anxious above all things to get their chance of<br />
being heard, nothing would be easier than a clause<br />
in the agreement securing that right to the pub.<br />
lisher despite the<br />
lisher despite the Copyright Bill. No clause in<br />
an Act, I believe, can be so framed as not to be<br />
set aside by agreement. The only possible way<br />
to meet this difficulty, and a great many others<br />
of the same kind, is what I have elsewhere<br />
described as the “ Method of the Future," which<br />
is simply for a writer of position in any branch to<br />
take over the publication of his own work with a<br />
commission publisher who is nothing else. As<br />
soon as this system is universally adopted—there<br />
The surprising fecundity of a novelist of some reputation,<br />
Mr. Ricbard Marsb, has been more than once commented<br />
opon by the critics, who have attributed a certain lack of<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 181 (#247) ############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
181<br />
is no trouble about it, and in the case of such a<br />
PUBLISHING ON COMMISSION.<br />
writer no risk-the ordinary publisher would be<br />
left with the rubbish to deal with as he pleases. CYOME interest has been awakened by the<br />
We should then hear no more of those monstrous<br />
paper in the February number of The<br />
claims advanced by the Publishers' Association " Author on the “ Method of the Future.”<br />
which demand practically the right to take just Letters have been received by the Editor asking<br />
whatever they please for themselves, with com- if the facts and conclusions there stated can<br />
missions on everything and unlimited power over possibly be based on agreements issued by<br />
advertisements.<br />
respectable firms. One writer abuses the Editor<br />
in round terms for untruthfulness in letting it<br />
Meantime, and until writers of distinction<br />
be supposed that the terms as set forth in that<br />
understand their own power as a commercial paper can really be advanced in accordance<br />
factor, and are prepared to take as much care with the conditions of the Publishers' Associa-<br />
over their literary property as they now take over tion. It would, indeed, be difficult to believe<br />
an estate, a house, a coal mine, the only thing to that such figures were possible were not the<br />
do is to insist upon a clause in the original agree. documents before the world as issued by the<br />
ment to the effect pointed out by the Manchester comunittee of that body-documents which are,<br />
Guardian. This clause should be adopted at indeed, truly wonderful.<br />
once by all literary agents. Perhaps the Com. In justification of that paper let us quote the<br />
mittee of the Society will take up the matter. documents themselves.<br />
The meaning of publishing by commission has<br />
There is, of course. no hope whatever that a hitherto been understood to be that the pub-<br />
publisher who is in possession of an early and a lisher puts the book through the press—the<br />
forgotten work by an author who becomes<br />
corrections being, of course, made by the author<br />
popular will not take advantage of that popularity<br />
-advertises it, and sends it round the trade in<br />
for his own interests. As well believe what some the usual routine. For this work he was con-<br />
publishers still pretend, that the trade exists for sidered to be properly paid by a commission on<br />
no other purpose than the advancement of litera- the sales. Observe that he ran no risk: his<br />
ture. One might as well pretend that a glover in<br />
work was of a purely routine character: it takes<br />
Bond-street exists for no other purpose than the<br />
a few minutes only to decide the type, paper,<br />
improvement and advancement of the tannery<br />
and binding-I speak from experience, because I<br />
interest. Both glover and publisher exist for the<br />
have done this work myself for many books.<br />
sake of making money by their trade. The state-<br />
For the use of his office, and for that very<br />
ment is not an accusation: it is a plain fact. In small amount of personal service, he received a<br />
the same way brewers, although they are some-<br />
commission.<br />
times raised to the House of Lords, exist for the All this is now altered. The publishers demand<br />
purpose of making money by their trade. The in addition to the commission a blank percentage<br />
same thing may also be said, of course, as regards upon everything. In addition, mind, not in sub-<br />
the professions. Anyone, in fact, who is paid for stitution for a commission. In addition, every-<br />
the exercise of his skill is, in a sense, a trades- thing is to be so charged as to make it the interest<br />
man. If we recognise this fact in all its bearings<br />
of the publishers to make the unhappy author<br />
we shall be saved a large amount of gush and<br />
accept as high an estimate as they think will<br />
subsequent ill-feeling. We come back, over and<br />
be possible, an estimate furnished, observe, by<br />
over again, to the broad distinction between litera-<br />
themselves, not by printers, binders, and paper-<br />
ture as an art and literature as a profession, trade,<br />
makers. Here, however, are the exact terms,<br />
or calling. And from the former point of view taken from their own published “ Forms of Agree-<br />
there is no possibility of estimating literature by ment":<br />
means of money-eg., a writer who is indignant (1) There is to be a blank fee paid in advance,<br />
because Milton received only £10 for “ Paradise in order, one supposes, to meet the case in which<br />
Lost” misunderstands the whole question, there would be no sales. It should be a fee“ on<br />
while the sum paid for “ Paradise Lost" should account” of commission, which, if moderate,<br />
in equity-perhaps it did-represent the com-<br />
would be fair.<br />
mercial value of the poem at the time.<br />
(2) The estimate above-mentioned to be sent<br />
WALTER BESANT.<br />
in by the publisher (!) on which he is to charge a<br />
commission. So that the door is left open to<br />
direct fraud and overcharge in the estimate, on<br />
which, not on the actual cost, the publisher is to<br />
charge a commission.<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 182 (#248) ############################################<br />
<br />
182<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
But why even on the exact cost? What is notices of certain books. Among other short<br />
the publisher paid for at all, except for the very articles is an extract from the New York Tribune<br />
trifling service of sending the book to the on the literary agert. It is sad to observe that<br />
printers ? He receives a commission on the sales, the American publisher loves him not. The<br />
for which he gives the use of his office and such reason is, according to the Tribune, not that he<br />
personal service as he renders.<br />
conducts affairs of business from a business<br />
(3) A discount added to the commission on the point of view, but because he breaks up “the<br />
charges of not more—which, of course, will be pleasant personal relations between the authors<br />
interpreted " not less "—than 71 per cent. and the publishers.” It is not for us to<br />
(4) Payment of all their charges in advance. inquire into the history of those relations in<br />
(5) A blank commission on the sales.<br />
the United States. On our side the relations<br />
(6) Accounts rendered and payment made a have been pleasant, very pleasant-for publishers,<br />
blank number of months afterwards.<br />
that is, so long as authors never inquired what<br />
If the reader will apply figures to these con- they meant. When an abominable and deplor-<br />
ditions it will be found that the paper in able spirit of curiosity impelled them to ascer-<br />
The Author understated the case.<br />
tain for themselves the meaning of royalties,<br />
In addition, however, to these conditions the “half profits,” advertisements, printing, paper,<br />
“ draft agreements” preserve an absolute silence and binding, there was an outcry. The ways<br />
about charging advertisements not paid for, i.e., in of pleasantness and the paths of peace were<br />
the publishers' own organs and by exchange. disturbed. The old friendly relations were<br />
This silence must be designed in the face of the destroyed. In other words, the old suspicions<br />
representations continually made as to these and heartburnings which characterised the old<br />
charges. Nothing, observe, is to prevent a pub- relations were explained and investigated. So<br />
lisher from charging whatever he pleases for far, the position of the author, with us, has been<br />
advertising a book in a way which costs him enormously improved, while the publisher has<br />
nothing. And not one word is said by the ceased to maunder and to mourn over the<br />
Publishers' Association in condemnation of this imaginary friendly relations of old. Occasionally,<br />
power or the practice.<br />
too, he still catches an author who is credulous<br />
Observe, also, that, so far as is known, not a enough to believe that in publishing, alone among<br />
single publisher has remonstrated with these all transactions affecting property, the word of<br />
monstrous claims : so that not only the small fry, one side is to be accepted without question or<br />
but also the most important houses, have endorsed doubt.<br />
and approved these Forms.<br />
Under these circumstances it is surely common<br />
prudence not to give a book to be published on CANADIAN SOCIETY OF AUTHORS.<br />
commission to a general publisher.<br />
The conditions thus set forth are not hard to REPORT READ AT THE ANNUAL MEET-<br />
understand. Readers will be able to strengthen<br />
ING—TORONTO, JAN. 21, 1901.<br />
the Society's hands very materially by making THE Canadian Society of Authors was formed<br />
them known among their friends.<br />
W. B. 1 at a meeting summoned by circulars<br />
addressed to all known writers in Canada,<br />
and held at the Canadian Institute, Feb. 6, 1899,<br />
on a resolution moved by Hon. G. W. Ross,<br />
THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN AUTHORS. seconded by the late Professor Rand, and carried<br />
with practical unanimity. Through a variety of<br />
THE Bulletin of this Society for Dec. 1900 is causes, however, the holding of the first annual<br />
1 before us. It contains an account of a meeting has been delayed until the present date,<br />
dinner given to Mark Twain, with his although, according to ordinary routine, it would<br />
speech on the occasion-an excellent speech, of have been held at an earlier period.<br />
course. There is no one in this country who is After inauguration, the following officers of the<br />
not prepared to acknowledge the tribute of the Society were elected :-Hon. President, Goldwin<br />
Washington Post quoted in the Bulletin. Only, Smith, D.C.L. ; President, Hon. G. W. Ross;<br />
instead of “this vast country," one would be dis- Vice-presidents, Hon. J. W. Longley (Halifax),<br />
posed to substitute the words “the vast territories W. D. Lighthall (Montreal), and Professor<br />
governed by the Anglo-Saxon communities.” Mavor (Toronto); Secretary, Bernard McEvoy ;<br />
The rest of the Bulletin is made up mainly of Executive, Messrs. James Bain, O. A. Howland, J.<br />
short paragraphs. There is nothing in it con- Castell Hopkins, John A. Cooper, B. E. Walker,<br />
cerning literary property. There are, however, and Pelham Edgar.<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 183 (#249) ############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
183<br />
Immediate efforts to increase the number of Your secretary has collected a considerable<br />
members were made by correspondence with quantity of information regarding the writings<br />
Canadian authors, and a membership of eighty- of members of the Society, which is available for<br />
three has been enrolled, of which thirty reside in any future action that may be taken in connection<br />
Toronto, twenty-eight in other parts of Ontario, with it.<br />
twelve in Quebec, two in Nova Scotia, four in Your Society has to lament the loss of two<br />
British Columbia, three in London (England), members by death-viz., Professor Theodore<br />
two in the North-West Territory, one in California, Rand, of Toronto, and Hon. J. Marchand, of<br />
and one in New York. Numerous letters were Quebec.<br />
received, approving of the incorporation of<br />
Canadian authors into a permanent organisa-<br />
tion.<br />
THE FRASER HOMES FOR INDIGENT<br />
Your Society early gave its attention to the<br />
AUTHORS.<br />
study of the question of Canadian Copyright,<br />
which, at its inception, was in an unsettled and NHE homes at Colinton, to found which the<br />
unsatisfactory state. In accordance with a reso-<br />
late Sir William Fraser, K.C.B., LL.D.,<br />
lution of your Society, the president prepared a - bequeathed £25,000, have now been built,<br />
comprehensive memorandum on the subject which and are ready for occupation. Sir William, it<br />
was printed and freely distributed. This was may perhaps be remembered, directed his trustees<br />
subsequently the basis of discussion at several to apply the sum mentioned " in the foundation<br />
meetings of your executive, and ultimately and endowment of certain homes for the poor in<br />
certain clauses were agreed upon which it was the city or county of Edinburgh,” declaring it to.<br />
recommended should form a part of any fresh be his wish that the persons to be benefited<br />
legislation on the subject that might shortly be “should include preferentially those who may be<br />
introduced in the Dominion Parliament, while ascertained to be authors or artists, and who,<br />
Vice-President Professor Mavor, who was going either from non-success in the profession or work<br />
to England, was deputed to lay the views of your of literature or of art, or from whatever other<br />
Society before a Committee of the House of cause, are in necessitous circumstances, the<br />
Lords, which at that time was considering a new character of the said beneficiaries being always<br />
Copyright Act. This he did with considerable found to be satisfactory to the administrators.”<br />
success, appearing on several occasions before the The rules and regulations to be made for admis.<br />
Committee, and interviewing many persons con- sion to the homes, and for their management,<br />
cerned. Messrs. 0. A. Howland and A. H. F. were left entirely to the discretion of the trustees.<br />
Lefroy also gave careful attention to important Ground was feued by Sir William's trustees in<br />
legal aspects of the question, and made a valuable the vicinity of Colinton railway station, and the<br />
report thereupon, which was laid before the work of building the houses was begun in May<br />
Ministers at Ottawa who were considering a new last. The site is an excellent one. It is on the<br />
Copyright Act. Professor Mavor subsequently high ground to the north of the railway, and<br />
attended at Ottawa and explained the views of overlooking the village of Colinton. The build-<br />
your Society to several members of the Cabinet. ings consist of twelve houses, forming three sides<br />
Your Society may therefore legitimately consider of a square, and facing a central court. This<br />
that it exerted a proper and significant influence court has been nicely laid out, and has a terraced<br />
in connection with the preparation and passing walk round it, and a small fountain in the centre.<br />
of the fairly satisfactory Copyright Bill which The houses vary in size from two to four rooms,<br />
received the assent of the Governor-General last and are fitted up with all the latest sanitary and<br />
year, and that it has done its best to place its other conveniences. There is a large hall and<br />
ideas on the subject of copyright before the reading room which is to be used by the inhabi.<br />
Imperial authorities in London.<br />
tants of the homes in common. The buildings<br />
On Oct. 24, 1899, your Society held a banquet have a highly picturesque appearance. They are<br />
at the Temple Café, Toronto, which was attended of stone, and are harled and whitewashed, the<br />
by about sixty members and friends, the guests red corn-sickle dressings standing out boldly<br />
being Mr. Gilbert Parker and Mr. George against the white surroundings. The court has<br />
Herbert Thring, Secretary of the Society of a southern aspect, and commands a magnificent<br />
Authors, Great Britain.<br />
view, bounded only by the Pentlands.<br />
On April 9, 1900, your Society gave an evening The balance of the £25,000, after payment of<br />
reception to Louis Frechette, C.M.G., at the the cost of erecting the homes, is to be invested<br />
Canadian Institute, which was attended by about by the trustees, and the income applied in the<br />
100 members and friends.<br />
upkeep of the buildings, and other necessary<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 184 (#250) ############################################<br />
<br />
184<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
expenditure. The balance of income still remain-<br />
ing is to be applied for behoof of the inmates of<br />
the homes. The trustees also reserve to themselves<br />
power to receive donations.-Scots Pictorial.<br />
CORRESPONDENCE.<br />
owners of the copyright something; I never<br />
heard of an English reprinter sending those who<br />
are morally the holders of the copyright a six-<br />
pence.<br />
I have been told, on what I believe to be good<br />
authority, that at least one “eminent” publish-<br />
ing firm have reprints of popular books ready to<br />
bring out the moment they are free of the law.<br />
I remember, when I first knew anything of the<br />
publishing trade (alas, 'tis hard on sixty years<br />
since), two publishers—Tegg and Daly-used to<br />
be spoken of as by no means reputable because<br />
their chief trade was that of pouncing on books<br />
the copyright of which had expired. Moral<br />
feeling does not appear to have grown stronger in<br />
fifty years.<br />
F. S. ELLIS.<br />
I.—THE MOTE AND THE BEAM.<br />
TN times gone by English publishers have been<br />
1 as loud as English authors in their con-<br />
demnation of the practice of literary piracy<br />
in the United States of America. I imagine they<br />
would still think themselves aggrieved where books<br />
are reprinted of which the publisher has neglected<br />
or been unable to fulfil the conditions of the<br />
American Copyright Act. But will the English<br />
publishers, who make it a practice to pounce down<br />
on the works of any popular author the moment<br />
they are out of copyright, explain to us how<br />
much better they are than their American<br />
brethren whom they so freely and justly<br />
condemn ? The answer or excuse is the same in<br />
both cases. “There is no copyright.” “The<br />
copyright has expired.” I would ask these<br />
gentlemen what would be the case with them if<br />
the law protected the author for twenty years<br />
instead of forty, or ten, or five, or one? If their<br />
conscience allows them to appropriate a book as<br />
soon as the law ceases to protect it, would they<br />
be a bit more scrupulous if they had immunity<br />
after a shorter period ?<br />
A particularly outrageous, not to say dis-<br />
graceful, form of this practice I complain of is,<br />
where cheap reprints are issued of early editions<br />
of books which were afterwards revised and<br />
recast by the author, misleading those who know<br />
no better to suppose they are buying a complete<br />
book, when they are in truth having imposed<br />
upon them a book which the author would desire<br />
to withdraw from circulation. The case of<br />
avowed facsimile reprints is, of course, another<br />
matter; to those I do not refer.<br />
I lately came on a reprint of the first and<br />
boyish version of a poem, which the author<br />
subsequently rewrote, put forth without one word<br />
of explanation. This crude version was printed<br />
in a magazine in 1850, while the author's revised<br />
version did not appear till 1870. Hence the<br />
sketch is at the mercy of the pirate while the<br />
complete version is not. The English publisher's<br />
code of honour in reprinting “out of copyright”<br />
books seems to me to be exactly on a par with<br />
that of the American publisher who reprints " no<br />
copyright” books. But there is a difference.<br />
Many of the American houses would send the<br />
II.-BOOKS AND REVIEWS-A REPLY.<br />
I did not think that the propositions which I<br />
presumed to advance in the January Author<br />
would call forth such an interesting paper as that<br />
entitled “Books and Reviews,” by our Editor.<br />
As my few remarks have caused a little interest,<br />
perhaps I ought to say something to vindicate<br />
my position, which I find rather awkward owing<br />
to the indefinite nature of certain sentences in<br />
my first letter.<br />
I certainly said that “reviews are intended for<br />
the guidance of readers,” but I did not add<br />
criticism, which the Editor has done, in the<br />
first sentence of his second paragraph. I must<br />
express my sorrow for not placing the term<br />
“review" between inverted commas, which I<br />
meant to do, and thus should have run less risk<br />
of being misunderstood. It is the “ reviewing,"<br />
or lumping system, to which I referred, for the<br />
word conveyed very little other meaning to me,<br />
True! I always thought there might be a subtle<br />
significance in the term-a hidden meaning<br />
known only to the writers—but to me such<br />
“reviews” only meant a guide to readers ; criti.<br />
cism has always appeared to me to be quite<br />
another matter.<br />
Our editor very rightly says that these<br />
“ reviews should be, first of all, designed to mark<br />
and to illustrate the present condition of litera-<br />
ture; to maintain a standard, and to keep before<br />
the world the canons of criticisms." Very true;<br />
they should have this intention, but have<br />
they? If they are so designed, very few signs of<br />
such intentions are visible. After reading the<br />
editor's article I made a careful study of the<br />
review columns in the principal literary papers,<br />
and the conclusion I was compelled to form was<br />
that very few papers indeed act up to the ideal of<br />
criticism so ably portrayed by him. There are a<br />
few which do so, but I need only mention two of<br />
the best—the Scotsman and the Manchester<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 185 (#251) ############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
185<br />
un U-<br />
Guardian. I don't know what the system to literature. Here let me say in reply to<br />
of these papers may be, but as nearly every H. M. E. Stanton's letter that I am a devoted<br />
review, even in the same class of litera- book lover ; to me books are the dearest things<br />
ture, differs from the others in the general on earth; they are materialised thoughts, and as<br />
character and style of writing, I should say that such I love to review them, no matter how bad<br />
they adopt the system of the Glasgow Herald, they inay be, for even in those amateurish<br />
and give one book per week to a private reviewer. attempts which no one will review I find grains<br />
No matter how they work it, their critical columns of golden thought, even though they are expressed<br />
are worth reading, both as specimens of critical in unliterary and ungrammatical words. These<br />
art, and also as guides to the best in literature books have no claim to be called contributions to<br />
No doubt the old-fashioned critical articles were literature, yet I review them all the same-for<br />
the best; blackguardly though they may have been, my own benefit; the editors for whom I work<br />
one would prefer those murderous slatings of fifty would not use the reviews if I sent them. Such<br />
years ago rather than the “review” of to-day. books come in the parcels with the good ones-<br />
A book must have been a contribution to literature evidently the editors who send them think they<br />
to get even condemnation; to-day neither the may be useful to my barber ; but the barber does<br />
author nor the public can know of what literary not see them; they are stored upon my shelves<br />
value a book is from the Press notices. Have we with any little good points carefully marked.<br />
to assume that with the higher standard of educa- To me they are the dead and gone fancies of<br />
tion, the greater output of good books, the many a struggling mind, and I love them.<br />
correspondingly greater number of critical readers, I do not go so far as to suggest the wholesale<br />
and last, but by no means least, the rapid publication of bad books, but I do say that there<br />
advances made in journalism, the standard of may be good even in the worst. Certainly a book<br />
criticism has degenerated ? I greatly fear that should not be condemned for, perhaps, a few<br />
this melancholy question must be answered in the phrases of questionable morale, as so many are.<br />
affirmative. Why should the greater output of Like immoral pictures, immoral books can be<br />
books have this result, assuming that every book exquisite works of art, and should be treated as<br />
is to-day regarded as a literary event, to be such ; their literary value should be discussed<br />
judged accordingly? Even the few brief lines apart from the critic's notions of morality. The<br />
given in the“ lumping "columns of the Spectator reviewer is not required to give his religious<br />
might be in accordance with the canons (sic) opinions, but his literary judgment, which should<br />
of criticism. Better still, if a book ought to be not be so much his own opinion as a proper expo-<br />
noticed at all, why should it not receive a para- sition of the canons of literature.<br />
graph of some few dozen lines, and let these With regard to my other proposition, that<br />
lines be well written? Let praise or condemna authors “ do not buy books,” I referred more to<br />
tion be given in well-formed sentences, stating novels—modern novels. Of course, every author<br />
the literary reasons why such praise or condemna -and novelist-buys his Scott, Dickens, and<br />
tion is given. There is too much of the personal Thackeray, if he can afford it, and also the works<br />
element in modern "reviewing," and à propos of our great contemporaries; but I do not think<br />
of this a reference pregnant with meaning they buy novels that are talked about in the<br />
is given by Mr. T. Edgar Pemberton in his papers as other members of society are supposed<br />
newly-published treatise on Bret Harte, concern to do. Again, in reply to H. M. E. Stanton, it is to<br />
ing the first appearance of “ The Luck of Roaring this kind of literature that my “principle”<br />
Camp." A narrow-minded printer and a prudish applies. I never bought a modern “popular"<br />
young lady proof-reader objected to a phrase in novel, but I have bought, and love to buy, as<br />
the story, with the result that a magnificent piece many books as I can afford from the pens of<br />
of word-painting was nearly lost to the world. It such writers as our editor, J. M. Barrie, and<br />
was only through the firmness of both author George Meredith. Books from these masters are<br />
and publisher that the story was printed. One is as necessary to the young writer as books on<br />
inclined to think that much of this sort of thing anatomy are to the medical student. No; I am<br />
still goes on. How many good books are not tired of the books, even after I have<br />
“slated” through the prejudice taken by some “reviewed” them—they are always things of<br />
narrow-minded reviewers against certain phrases joy; but I certainly weary of the long, “ lump-<br />
in them? I venture to say there are many ing" columns of Press notices which are in every<br />
hundreds. We want—very much want-review- way so useless. There is both instruction and<br />
ing done for the sake of pure art; each article interest in such critical articles as appear in the<br />
should in itself be a specimen of critical art; and Saturday Review, and monthly in the Bookman,<br />
it should treat its subject also as a contribution which of all purely literary papers is distinctly<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 186 (#252) ############################################<br />
<br />
186<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
the best. The criticisms contained in this latter<br />
journal combine nearly all the designs of criti.<br />
cism mentioned by Sir Walter Besant; but, alas!<br />
when will the dailies and weeklies turn out such<br />
paragraphs as the Bookman ? Certainly all of<br />
us who have the privilege of reviewing—and a<br />
noble work it is, if well done-should aim at<br />
attaining this high standard.<br />
Jas. BAGNALL-STUBBS.<br />
BOOK AND PLAY TALK.<br />
DROFESSOR YORK POWELL is engaged<br />
on a book which will be called “ The Reign<br />
he Reign<br />
published by Messrs. Constable.<br />
“The Fish Crown in Dispute,” the fairy tale<br />
by Miss F. Lancaster Lucas, which Messrs.<br />
Skeffington and Son will publish at Easter, is of<br />
interest as being the first book dedicated to<br />
H.R.H. the Duchess of Cornwall and York in her<br />
new title, she having graciously accepted the<br />
dedication.<br />
Dr. H. Bellyse Baildon will issue a book through<br />
Chatto and Windus this month, entitled “Robert<br />
Louis Stevenson : a Life Study in Criticism.” Dr.<br />
Baildon was a schoolfellow of Robert Louis<br />
Stevenson, and in later life correspondence kept<br />
them in touch with each other. When Steven.<br />
son had made a name, Dr. Baildon had become<br />
a lecturer on English Literature to German<br />
students on the Continent, and he tried to infuse<br />
into his pupils an admiration for Stevenson's<br />
work as being something more than mere adven.<br />
ture books. The book will contain a portrait<br />
hitherto unpublished, and will be uniform with<br />
the six-shilling edition of Stevenson's works.<br />
Mrs. Katharine S. Macquoid, the novelist and<br />
travel - book writer, quietly kept her golden<br />
wedding day on Jan. 28. She has been working<br />
for the public for nearly forty years. Her health<br />
is delicate, but she still works, when health<br />
permits, with her accustomed spirit. She has<br />
lately finished a historical romance.<br />
Mr. B. T. Batsford announces a second issue<br />
of Mr. Edwin 0. Sachs's monumental work,<br />
“Modern Opera Houses and Theatres,” which<br />
will be published in the spring. Mr. Sachs's work<br />
comprises three grand folio volumes with two<br />
hundred and twenty plates, and over one thousand<br />
illustrations, and the first edition appeared<br />
between 1896 and 1898, after having required<br />
more than eight years' preparation. The work is<br />
the most comprehensive on any special architec-<br />
tural subject published during the past century,<br />
The new issue will be in no wise inferior to the<br />
original, and will contain a special prefatory<br />
note dealing with the latest developments and<br />
improvements in theatre architecture which Mr.<br />
Sachs has to such a great extent been instru-<br />
mental in bringing about, not only at home, but<br />
in foreign countries.<br />
A new novel is announced by Miss Mina<br />
Sandeman, entitled “ Veronica Verdant."<br />
Mr. Frederic Carrel, the author of “The Pro-<br />
gress of Pauline Kessler," is now reading the<br />
proofs of his new novel “ Paul Le Maistre.”<br />
Mr. Charles Grant, the author of “The Middle<br />
Temple,” “A Baltic Cruise,” “La Marguerite,”<br />
is writing an account of his cruise to the Mediter-<br />
is writing<br />
ranean, and of his travels in Sicily, Sardinia,<br />
and Corsica. The book will be ready early<br />
in March.<br />
Mr. Poultney Bigelow sails for America imme-<br />
diately in order to lecture at Yale and Columbia<br />
Universities on the History of Colonies and their<br />
Administration. He proposes to return as soon<br />
as the lectures have been given.<br />
Mr. John Cordy Jeaffreson died on Feb. 2, at<br />
Maida Vale. London, in his seventy-first year.<br />
Although chiefly known for his works on the<br />
learned professions—“A Book about Doctors,"<br />
“A Book about Lawyers,” and “A Book about<br />
the Clergy”_Mr. Jeaffreson's work in fiction.<br />
especially “ Not Dead Yet," was also popular.<br />
A book of his personal reminiscences appeared<br />
about seven years ago.<br />
The Rev. Henry Grey Graham, author of<br />
“Social Life in Scotland in the Eighteenth Cen-<br />
tury,” which has been published in a one-volume<br />
edition, is engaged on a volume dealing with the<br />
Scottish literature and literary men of the same<br />
period. It will not be ready till about the end of<br />
the year.<br />
Mr. Thomas Wright's forthcoming edition of<br />
Cowper's Letters will contain many new letters.<br />
cowpers<br />
from the original manuscripts.<br />
The author of “An Englishwoman's Love<br />
Letters,” concerning whose identity there has<br />
been so much feverish curiosity, is stated to be<br />
Mr. Laurence Housman.<br />
The Life of the late Bishop of London (Dr.<br />
Mandell Creighton) has been undertaken by Mrs.<br />
Creighton, and will be published by Messrs.<br />
Longmans, Green and Co. Mrs. Creighton<br />
appeals to those who may have letters from the<br />
Bishop to lend them to her for the purposes of<br />
the work.<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 187 (#253) ############################################<br />
<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
187<br />
A history of the recent campaign in Ashanti<br />
by an officer who was with the relieving force is<br />
about to be published by Messrs. Methuen. The<br />
author is Captain H. J. C. Biss. The book will<br />
be fully illustrated with photographs and plans.<br />
Lady Hodgson, wife of Sir Frederic Hodgson,<br />
formerly Governor of the Gold Coast, has written<br />
an account of the siege of Coomassie, which is<br />
published by Messrs. Pearson.<br />
“Anticipations” is the title of a new work upon<br />
which Mr. H. G. Wells is at present engaged.<br />
It is to be a series of speculations on the world's<br />
development, based on scientific knowledge and a<br />
reasoned survey of the tendencies of the age.<br />
The work will first appear serially in one of the<br />
monthly reviews.<br />
Literature understands that the late Mr. Stephen<br />
Crane's uncompleted novel “ The O'Ruddy,” is<br />
being finished by Mr. A. E. W. Mason, and will<br />
be dramatised and produced by Mr. David<br />
Belasco.<br />
Mr. A. C. Bradley, who has been Professor<br />
of Modern Literature at University College,<br />
Liverpool, and at Glasgow University, now<br />
succeeds Professor Courthope in the Chair of<br />
Poetry at Oxford. Mr. W. J. Woodhouse,<br />
M.A., Lecturer in Ancient History and Political<br />
Philosophy at St. Andrew's, has been elected<br />
to the Professorship of Greek at the Univer-<br />
sity of Sydney. Mr. Woodhouse's “Tutorial<br />
History of Greece" will be published in a few<br />
months.<br />
"A State Secret, and Other Stories," by Mrs.<br />
Croker, and a novel entitled “A Narrow Way,"<br />
by Miss Mary Findlater, are being published by<br />
Messrs. Methuen.<br />
A recent number of Light, the weekly organ of<br />
spiritualism, contained the following curious<br />
announcement from the hon. secretary of the<br />
Society of Spiritists:<br />
We have received two or three messages from Florence<br />
Marryat-the first on the day of her funeral, and others at<br />
different times since then, during our materialisation<br />
séances. She stated that she hoped to communicate with<br />
as abortly, but that she would never materialise, as that<br />
was not a part of her work in the other life, but we ander.<br />
stood that she would dictate a book to us of experiences<br />
since she crossed the river. She wished it taken down in<br />
shorthand, and we have made arrangements for this to be<br />
done.<br />
Mr. William Archer contributes to the Inter-<br />
national Monthly for February (London: The<br />
International News Company) a paper entitled<br />
" The Real Ibsen.” He remarks at the outset<br />
that Henrik Ibsen has been more widely miss<br />
understood than any artist, past or present.<br />
After dealing with the points upon which he<br />
claims that Ibsen has been misunderstood, Mr.<br />
Archer in conclusion says:<br />
T he people who seek to construct a "gospel,” a consistent<br />
body of doctrine, from bis works, are spinning ropes of<br />
sand. He is “everything by turns and nothing long." He<br />
is neither an individualist nor a socialist, neither an aristo.<br />
crat nor a democrat, neither an optimist nor a pessimist.<br />
He is simply a dramatist, looking with piercing eyes at the<br />
world of men and women, and translating into poetry this<br />
episode and that from the inexhaustible pageant. Poetry-<br />
poetry: that is the first word and the last of any true<br />
appreciation of Ibsen. It is largely because he has applied<br />
to purposes of poetry a vehicle hitherto ased only for<br />
prosaio ends that he has been so strangely misunderstood.<br />
But the period of misunderstanding is passing away, and<br />
the real Ibsen is emerging from the mists in which pre-<br />
jadice and imperfect knowledge have enveloped him, to take<br />
his predestined place among the great poets of the nine-<br />
teenth century.<br />
Journalism is in a flourishing condition in the<br />
Argentine Republic, where it enjovs perfect<br />
liberty, and, according to the U.S. Education<br />
Report, is constantly increasing in influence and<br />
improving in quality. In 1881 only 165 news-<br />
papers and periodicals were published in the<br />
entire country, but in 1896 the number had<br />
increased to 610, of which 279 were published in<br />
the capital city, 327 in the provinces, and four in<br />
the national territories. The best newspapers<br />
correspond in size to the leading daily papers of<br />
the United States. They have a complete tele-<br />
grapbic service, and publish every day dispatches<br />
giving the important news from all parts of the<br />
world.<br />
“Premières of the Year” is a volume by Mr.<br />
J. T. Grein, which Mr. Macqueen is about to<br />
publish.<br />
Mr. Max Pemberton's new novel, “ Pro Patria,”<br />
which ran serially in the Windsor Magazine, will<br />
be published this month by Messrs. Ward, Lock<br />
and Co. It is reported that Mr. Pemberton has<br />
written a comedy for Miss Julia Neilson and Mr.<br />
Fred Terry.<br />
Mrs. Aylmer Gowing's new novel, entitled “A<br />
Spider's Web," is now ready, and may be<br />
had of all booksellers. It is described as a<br />
work of considerable strength and of sustained<br />
interest.<br />
A new novel by Mrs. de Courcy Laffan (Mrs.<br />
Leith Adams) may be looked for early in the<br />
spring. It will be entitled “ The Vicar of Dale<br />
End: a Study,' and dedicated, by special permis-<br />
sion, to Sir Henry Irving. The story is founded<br />
on certain facts that happened about a hundred<br />
years ago. A volume of collected stories (from<br />
All the Year Round and Household Words), by<br />
the same writer, is in the press, and will shortly<br />
be published; as also a third and cheaper edition<br />
of "The Prince's Feathers.”<br />
<br />
<br />
## p. 188 (#254) ############################################<br />
<br />
188<br />
THE AUTHOR.<br />
Messrs. Jarrold and Sons have issued a new to-day seems too crude to deal with its delicate<br />
two-shilling edition of Mrs. de Courcy Laffan's perfection. The front, in Shaftesbury-avenue,<br />
earlier works, under the title of “ The Imperial reminds one of a pavilion in the park of Versailles,<br />
Series.”<br />
although at the same time it asserts itself as<br />
On Feb. 6, Mrs. Laffan lectured before a<br />
undoubtedly a theatre.” The house was opened<br />
crowded and distinguished audience, at the<br />
with “The Belle of Bohemia,” a musical farce<br />
Sesame Club, on “Fictional Literature as a<br />
written by Mr. Harry B. Smith, the music by Mr.<br />
Profession for Women.”<br />
Ludwig Englander.<br />
Mr. F. D. Bvrne has translated Sudermann's The new Savoy opera, “ The Emerald Isle,” is<br />
“ Johannisfeur" on an order from Mrs. Patrick<br />
intended for production about Easter. The<br />
Campbell. It is a four-act play in the East<br />
libretto is by Captain Basil Hood, and the late<br />
Prussian dialect. The English title given is<br />
Sir Arthur Sullivan's partial setting is being<br />
“Bonfire Night,"<br />
completed by Mr. Edward German.<br />
Mr. W. S. Crockett is the author of a book on<br />
Mrs. Langtry will open the reconstructed<br />
“ The Scott Country.” which Messrs. A. and C. Imperial Theatre, on April 18, with her new play<br />
Black are about to publish. It aims at present.<br />
founded on the life of Marie Antoinette.<br />
ing information upon the district associated with A dramatised version of “ Vanity Fair” has<br />
Sir Walter Scott upon a more compact and com- been secured by Mr. Frank Curzon, and will<br />
prehensive plan than has yet been attempted. probably be the next production at the Prince of<br />
Mr. Crockett is the author of “In Praise of Wales's Theatre. Miss Marie Tempest, who is<br />
Tweed.”<br />
now playing in “ Peg Woffington” at that<br />
Professor Masson is writing his “Reminiscences theatre, is spoken of for the part of Becky Sharp.<br />
of a Literary Life.”<br />
A new modern comedy by Mr. R. C. Carton<br />
Mr. A. Lys Baldry is engaged on a large illus-, will be produced at the Criterion about Easter.<br />
trated volume to be called “ Professor Hubert Meanwhile that house is about to witness a<br />
von Herkomer and his Works.” It is not revival of Mr. Sydney Grundy's adaptation from<br />
expected to be ready before the autumn. Messrs. “Les Surprises du Divorce,” entitled “ Mamma."<br />
Bell are the publishers.<br />
Sir Henry Irving has accepted a play by Mr.<br />
Mme. Sarah Grand's new novel, “ Babs the Fergus Hume.<br />
Impossible,” will be published in a few weeks by<br />
Messrs. Hutchinson. The same firm will issue<br />
A morning performance of Mr. Zangwill's<br />
Miss Adeline Sergeant's new novel, “ The Trea-<br />
comedy, “ The Revolt of the Daughters," is being<br />
arranged by Mr. J. T. Grein for a day in March.<br />
sure of Captain Scarlett.”<br />
Mr. Forbes Robertson begins his management<br />
Mr Warwick H. Draper has written a book on of the Comedy on April 20.<br />
King Alfred, which Mr. Elliot Stock is publishing,<br />
It will have an introduction from the pen of the<br />
Bishop of Hereford.<br />
Mr. Neil Munro's new novel, “ Doom Castle,"<br />
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THE THRUSH :<br />
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CONTENTS OF MARCH NUMBER<br />
SONNET — To the Kaiser Wilhelm. By | THE SONG of the SOUL. By W. S.<br />
A. P. GRAVES, M.A.<br />
| THE LAST LULLABY. By LAURENCE<br />
ROSE o' the WORLD. By NORA HOPPER. |<br />
ALMA TADEM 1.<br />
THE MILKY WAY. By NORMAN GALE.<br />
In other numbers Poems will appear from the following LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS :-<br />
DR. RICHARD GARNETT,<br />
The late LORD LYTTON.<br />
THOMAS HARDY.<br />
W. E. HENLEY,<br />
LADY FLORENCE DOUGLAS,<br />
LADY MARGARET SACK VILLE,<br />
DR. EDMUND GOSSE.<br />
O. WHIT WORTH WYNNE,<br />
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VIOTOR PLARR.<br />
DR GILBERT MURRAY,<br />
ROBERT DENNIS.<br />
SARAH DOUDNEY,<br />
CLIFTON BINGHAM,<br />
FRANCIS PREVOST,<br />
WILLIAM OANTON.<br />
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JOAN HUTCHINSON,<br />
WILLIAM SHARP.<br />
SIR LEWIS MORRIS,<br />
CANON RAWNSLEY,<br />
ISRAEL GOLLANEZ,<br />
ARTEUR SYMONS,<br />
JUSTIN H. MCCARTHY,<br />
THE EDITOR, AND MANY OTHERS.<br />
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