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Title A name given to the resource The Author Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em> Description An account of the resource A digitised run of the Society of Authors' monthly periodical, <em>The Author</em>, 1890<span>–</span>1914, made available together for the first time.<br /><br />Currently users can browse issues and <a href="https://historysoa.com/items/browse?search=&amp;advanced%5B0%5D%5Bjoiner%5D=and&amp;advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&amp;advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&amp;advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Index&amp;collection=&amp;type=&amp;tags=&amp;exhibit=&amp;date_search_term=&amp;submit_search=Search+For+Items&amp;sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CTitle">indices</a> (not available for all volumes). Full text search for all issues, and other additional search functionality, will be added in 2022. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1890–1914 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context The-Author-Issues Publication Date The date of an event (in YYYY, YYYY-MM or YYYY-MM-DD format) 1898-03-01 Volume 8 Issue 10 Pages Page range in volume 253–276 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 18980301 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin XL he Hutbot\ {The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vol. VIII.—No. 10.] MARCH i, 1898. [Price Sixpence. CONTENTS. PAOE General Memoranda 253 Our President's Birthday 255 Literary Property— 1. General Meeting 255 2. Authors and Debontute-holders 257 3. The night to Destroy 257 V Pirated Music 257 New York Letter. By Norman Hapgood 257 Mr. Nutt Again 289 Notes and News. By the Editor 260 pas ■ Questions and Answers 262 The Criterion of Literary Excellence. By D. F. Hannigan ... 203 Correspondence. — 1. "The Gentle Answer "! 2. A "Bold" Agreement 3. The '• Bluggy" Element. \. Proposed Journalists' Union. 5. The Haunch of Venison. 6. An Appeal to Editors 7. Forego and 1 orgo. 8 Who Bids Highest? 9. A Young Author's Grievance. 10. Honour Among Reviewers. 11. Style and Substance 265 Book Talk 26!) Literature in the Peiiodieals 272 The Books of the Month 275 PUBLICATIONS OF THE SOCIETY. 1. The Annual Report. That for January 1897 can be had on application to the Secretary. 2. The Author. A Monthly Journal devoted especially to the protection and maintenance of Literary Property. Issued to all Members, 6*. 6d. per annum. Back numbers are offered at the following prices: Vol. I., ios. 6d. (Bound); Vols. II., III., and IV., 8«. 6d. each (Bound); Vol. V., 6s. 6d. (Unbound). 3. Literature and the Pension List. By W. Morris Colles, Barrister-at-Law. (Henry GHaisher, 95, Strand, W.C.) 3*. 4. The History of the Sooiete des Gens de Lettres. By S. Squire Sprioge, late Secretary to the Society, is. 5. The Cost of Production. In this work specimens are given of the most important forms of type, size of page, &c, with estimates showing what it costs to produce the more common kinds of books. Henry Glaisher, 95, Strand, W.C. 2*. 6d. 6. The Various Methods of Publication. By S. Squire Sprigge. In this work, compiled from the papers in the Society's offices, the various forms of agreements proposed by Publishers to Authors are examined, and their meaning carefully explained, with an account of the various kinds of fraud which have been made possible by the different clauses in their agreements. Henry Glaisher, 95, Strand, W.C. 3*. 7. Copyright Law Reform. An Exposition of Lord Monkswell's Copyright Bill of 1890. With Extracts from the Report of the Commission of 1878, and an Appendix containing the Berne Convention and the American Copyright Bill. By J. M. Lely. Eyre and Spottis- woode. is. 6d. 8. The Society of Authors. A. Record of its Action from its Foundation. By Walter Besant (Chairman of Committee, 1888—1892). is. 9. The Contract of Publication in Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Switzerland. By Ernst Lunge, J.U.D. 2s. 6d.  ## p. 252 (#694) ############################################ 11 AD VER TISEMENTS. ^l)e §>ociefp of Mutyoxs (gncotporateb). PRESIDENT. O-EOBGE MEREDITH. COUNCIL. The Earl of Drsart. Austin Dobson. A. Cohan Doyle, M.D. A. W. Dubourg. Prop. Michakl Foster, F.R.S. D. W. FRE8HFIBLD. Richard Garnett, C.B., LL.D. Edmund Qosse. H. Rider Haggard. Thomas Hardy. Anthony Hope Hawkins. Jerome K. Jerome. RUDYARD KlPLING. Prof. E. Ray Lankester, F.R.S. W. E. H. Lecky, P.C., M.P. J. M. Lely. Mrs. E. Lynn Linton. Rev. W. J. Loftie, F.S.A. Sir A. C. Mackenzie, Mub.Doo. Prof. J. M. D. Meiklejohn. Sir Edwin Arnold, K.C.I.E., C.S.I. J. M. Barbie. A. W. 1 Beckett. Robert Bateman. F. E. Beddabd, F.R.S. Sir Henry Bergne, K.C.M.G. Sib Walter Besant. Algustinb Bibbell, M.P. Rev. Prof. Bonney, F.R.S. Right Hon. James Bryce, M.P. Right Hon. Lord Burghclere, P.C. Hall Caine. Egebton Castle, F.S.A. P. W. Clayden. Edwabd Clodd. w. mobbis colles. Hon. John Collieb. Sib W. Mabtin Conway. F. Mabion Crawford. Right Hon. G. N. Curzon, P.C, M.P. Herman C Mekivale. Rev. C. H. Middleton-Wake. Sir Lewis Morris. Henry Norman. Miss E. A. Ormerod. J. C. Parkinson. Right Hon. Lobd Pirbrioht, P.C, F.R.S. Sir Feederick Pollock, Bart., LL.D. Walter Herbies Pollock, w. bapti8te scoone8. Miss Flora L. Shaw. G. R. Sims. S. Squire Spbigge. J. J. Stevenson. Francis Stobr. William Moy Thomas. H. D. Traill, D.C.L. Mrs. Humphry Ward. A. W. X Beckett. Sir Walter Besant. Egerton Castle, F.S.A. W. MORBIS COLLES. ART. Hon. John Collier (Chairman) Sir W. Martin Conway. M. H. Spielmann. Miss Charlotte M. Yonge Hon. Counsel — E. M. Undeedown, Q.C COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT. Chairman—H. Rider Haggabd. Sir W. Mabtin Conway. D. W. Freshfield. Anthony Hope Hawkins. J. M. Lely. SUB-COMMITTEES. MUSIC. C Villiers Stanford, Mus.D. (Chairman) Jacques Blumenthal. Sir A. C Mackenzie, Mus.Doo. Henry Nobman. Francis Storr. Solicitors f ^IELD> Boscoe, and Co., Lincoln's Inn Fields. o %ct ors | q Herbert Thring, B.A., 4, Portugal-street. DRAMA. Henry Arthur Jones (Chairman). A. W. a Beckett. Edward Rose. -street. Secretary—G. Herbert Thbino, B-A. OFFICES: 4, Pobtugal Stbeet, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C .A.. IP. W^TT &c SOF, LITERARY AGENTS, Formerly of 2, PATERNOSTER SQUARE, Have now removed to HASTINGS HOUSE, NORFOLK STREET, STRAND, LONDON", W.C. THE TEMPLE TYPEWRITING OFFICE. f TYPEWRITING EXCEPTIONALLY ACCURATE. Moderate prices. Duplicates of Circulars by the latest ^ process. ^ OPINIONS OP CLIENTS.—Distinguished Author:—"The most beautiful typing I have ever Been." Lady or Title:—"The , work waB very well and clearly done." Provincial Editor :—" Many thanks for the spotless neatness and beautiful accuracy." MISS &ENTKY, ELDON CHAMBKR8, 30, FLEET STREET, E.C.  ## p. 253 (#695) ############################################ XL he Hutbor, (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vol. VIII.—No. io.] MARCH i, 1898. [Price Sixpence. For the Opinions expressed in papers that are signed or initialled the Authors alone are responsible. None of the papers or para- graphs must be taken as expressing the collective opinions of the Committee unless they are officially signed by G. Herbert Thring, Sec. THE Secretary of the Society begs to give notice that all remittances are acknowledged by return of post, and requests that all members not receiving an answer to important communications within two days will write to him without delay. All remittances nhould be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be Bent by registered letter only. Communications and letters are invited by the Editor on all subjects connected with literature, but on no other sub- jects whatever. Articles which cannot be accepted are returned if stamps for the purpose accompany the MSS. GENERAL MEMORANDA. 1/^OR some years it has been the practice to insert, in f* every number of The Author, certain " General Con- siderations," Warnings, Notices, &e., for the guidance of the reader. It has been objected as regards these warnings that the tricks or frauds against which they are directed cannot all be guarded against, for obvious reasons. It is, however, well that they should be borne in mind, and if any publisher refuses a clause of precaution he simply reveals bis true character, and Bhould be left to carry on his business in his own way. Let us, however, draw up a few of the rules to be observed in an agreement. There are three methods of dealing with literary property:— I. That of selling it outright. This is in some respects the most satisfactory, if a proper price can be obtained. But the transaction should be managed by a competent agent. II. A profit-sharing agreement. In this case the following rules should be attended to: (1.) Not to sign any agreement in which the oost of pro- duction forms a part. (2.) Not to give the publisher the power of putting the profits into his own pocket by charging for advertisements VOL. VIII. in his own organs: or by charging exchange advertise- ments. (3.) Not to allow a special charge for " office expenses," unless the same allowance is made to the author. (4.) Not to give up American, Colonial, or Continental rights. (5.) Not to give up serial or translation rights. (6.) Not to bind yourself for future work to any publisher. As well bind yourself for the future to any one solicitor or doctor! (7.) To stamp the agreement. III. The royalty system. In this system, which has opened the door to a most amazing amount of overreaching and trading on the author's ignorance, it is above all things necessary to know what the proposed royalty means to both "ides. It is now possible for an author to ascertain approximately and very nearly the truth. From time to time the very important figures connected with royalties are published in The Author. Readers can also work out the figures themselves from the "Cost of Production." Let no one, not even the youngest writer, sign a royalty agreement without finding out what it gives the publisher as well as himself. It has been objected that these precautions presuppose a great success for the book, and that very few books indeed attain to this great success. That is quite true : but there is always this uncertainty of literary property that, although the works of a great many authors carry with them no risk at all, and although of a great many it is known within a few copies what will be their minimum circulation, it is not known what will be their maximum. Therefore every author, for every book, should arrange on tbe chance of a success which will not, probably, come at all; but which may oome. The four points which the Society has always demanded from the outset are:— (1.) That both sides shall know what an agreement means. (2.) The inspection of those account books which belong to the author. We are advised that this is a right, in the nature of a common law right, which cannot be denied or withheld. (3.) That there shall be no secret profits. (4.) That nothing shall be charged which has not been actually paid—for instance, that there shall be no charge for advertisements in the publisher's own organs and none tor exchanged advertisements and that all discounts shall be duly entered. If these points are carefully looked after, the author may rest pretty well assured that he is in right hands. At the same time he will do well to send his agreement to the secretary before he signs it. Z 2  ## p. 254 (#696) ############################################ 254 THE AUTHOR. HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. I. ~T7> VERY member has a right to ask for and to receive JjJ advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of hiB business or the administration of his property. If the advice sought is such as can be given best by a solicitor, the member has a right to an opinion from the Society's solicitors. If the case is such that Counsel's opinion is desirable, the Com- mittee will obtain for him Counsel's opinion. All this without any cost to the member. 2. Remember that questions oonneoted with copyright and publisher's agreements do not generally fall within the experience of ordinary solicitors. Therefore, do not scruple to use the Society first—our solicitors are continually engaged upon such questions for us. 3. Send to the office copies of past agreements and past accounts with the loan of the books represented. This is in order to ascertain what has been the nature of your agree- ments, and the results to author and publisher respectively so far. The Secretary will always be glad to have any agreements, new or old, for inspection and note. The infor- mation thus obtained may prove invaluable. 4. If the examination of your previous business trans- actions by the Secretary proves unfavourable, you should take advice as to a change of publishers. 5. Before signing any agreement whatever, send the pro- posed document to the Society for examination. 6. The Society is acquainted with the methods, and—in the case of fraudulent houses—the tricks of every publish- ing firm in the country. 7. Remember always that in belonging to the Society you are fighting the battles of other writers, even if you are reaping no benefit to yourself, and that you are advancing the best interests of literature in promoting the indepen- dence of the writer. 8. Send to the Editor of The Author notes of everything important to literature that you may hear or meet with. 9. The committee have now arranged for the reception of members' agreements and their preservation in a fireproof safe. The agreements will, of course, be regarded as con- fidential documents to be read only by the Secretary, who will keep the key of the safe. The Society now offers:—(1) To read and advise upon agreements and publishers. (2) To stamp agreements in readiness for a possible action upon them. (3) To keep agreements. (4) To enforce payments due according to agreements. THE AUTHORS' SYNDICATE. MEMBERS are informed: 1. That the Authors' Syndicate takes charge of the business of members of the Society. That it submits MSS. to publishers and editors, concludes agree- ments, examines, passes, and collects accounts, and, gene- rally, relieves members of the trouble of managing business details. 2. That the terms upon which its services can be secured will be forwarded upon detailod application. 3. That the Authors' Syndicate works only for those members of the Society whose work possesses a market value. 4. That the Syndicate can only undertake any negotiations whatever on the distinct understanding that those negotia- tions are placed exclusively in its hands, and that all communications relating thereto are referred to it. 5. That clients can only be seen by the Director by appointment, and that, when possible, at least two days' notice should be given. 6. That every attempt is made to deal with all communi- cations promptly. That stamps should, in all cases, be sent to defray postage. 7. That the Authors' Syndicate does not invite MSS. without previous correspondence; does not hold itself responsible for MSS. forwarded without notice; and that in all cases MSS. must be accompanied by stamps to defray postage. 8. That the Syndicate undertakes arrangements for lectures by some of the leading members of the Society; that it has a "Transfer Department" for the sale and purchase of journals and periodicals; and that a " Register of Wants and Wanted" is open. Members are invited to communicate their requirements to the Manager. There is an Honorary Advisory Committee, whose services will be called upon in any case of dispute or difficulty. It is perhaps necessary to Btate that the members of the Advisory Committee have no pecuniary interest whatever in the Syndicate. NOTICES. 11HE Editor of The Author begs to remind members of the Society that, although the paper is sent to them free of charge, the cost of producing it would be a very heavy charge on the resources of the Society if a great many members did not forward to the Secretary the modest 6«. 6d. subscription for the year. The Editor is always glad to receive ehort papers and communications on all subjects connected with literature from members and others. Nothing can do more good to the Society than to make The Author complete, attractive, and interesting. Will those who are willing to aid in this work send thoir names and the special subjects on which they are willing to write? Communications for The Author should reach the Editor not later than the 21st of each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any khid, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to communioate to the Editor any points connected with their work whiob it would be advisable in the general interest to publish. Members and others who wish their MSS. read are requested not to send them to the Office without previously communicating with the Secretary. The utmost practicable despatch iB aimed at, and MSS. are read in the order in. which they are received. It must also be distinctly under- stood that the Society does not, under any circumstances, undertake the publication of MSS. The Authors' Club is now open in its new premises, at 3, Whitehall-oourt, Charing Cross. Address the Secretary for information, rules of admission, Ac. Will members take the trouble to ascertain whether they have paid their subscriptions for the year? If they will do thiB, and remit the amount, if still unpaid, or a banker's order, it will greatly assist the Secretary, and save him the trouble of sending out a reminder Members are most earnestly entreated to attend to the following warning. It is a most foolish and may be a most disastrous thing to enter into an agreement binding for a term of years. Let them ask themselves if they would give a solicitor the collection of their rents for five years to come, whatever his conduct, whether he was honest  ## p. 255 (#697) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. or dishonest? Of course they would not. Why then hesitate for a moment when they are asked to sign them- selves into literary bondage for three or five years? "Those who possess the 1 CoBt of Production' are requested to note that the cost of binding has advanced 15 per cent." This clause was inserted three or four years ago. Estimates have, however, recently been obtained which show that the figures in the book may be relied on as nearly correct: as near as is possible. Some remarks have been made upon the amount charged in the " Cost of Production" for advertising. Of course, we have not included any gums which may be charged for inserting advertisements in the publisher's own magazines, or in other magazines by exchange. As agreements too often go, there is nothing to prevent the publisher from sweeping the whole profits of a book into his own pocket, by inserting any number of advertisements in his own magazines, and by exchanging with others. Some there are who call this a form of fraud; it is not known what those who practise this method of swelling their own profits call it. FROM THE COMMITTEE. THE Secretary would be obliged if those members of the Society and others who have entered into dramatic contracts would kindly forward to him copies of the same, together with any notes showing the difficulties to which dramatic authors are exposed. The Secretary, at the desire of the Committee, is undertaking a work dealing with dramatic and musical contracts on the same lines as the "Methods of Publish- ing " already issued by the Society. Those members of the Society who have state- ments of account involving the cost of production would oblige the Secretary by forwarding the statements to the offices of the Society, together with a sample of the page of the book if possible. The Secretary is undertaking on behalf of the Society a fresh edition of the " Cost of Produc- tion." All information, therefore, from members and others will be useful. At the General Meeting of Feb. 17, Mr. Perry Coste asked how many members had replied to the circular letter on the publication of the list of members. The Secretary was unable at the moment to give the number, hut promised to look up the point. He has now done so, and finds that between eight and nine hundred members sent in an answer to the circular. From private inquiries it would appear that those who did not reply desired no change. It is, indeed, obvious that those who wanted a change would have taken this opportunity of expressing their desire. OUR PRESIDENT'S BIRTHDAY. ME. MEREDITH received the following letter on Saturday, Feb. 12. It was a private letter, was signed by thirty men and women of letters, but was not sent from the Society, where the occasion was unfortunately not remembered :— "To George Meredith: "Some comrades in letters who have long valued your work send you a cordial greeting upon your seventieth birthday. "You have attained the first rank in literature, after many years of inadequate recognition. From first to last you have been true to yourself, and have always aimed at the highest mark. We are rejoiced to know that merits once perceived by only a few are now appreciated by a wide and steadily growing circle. We wish you many years of life, during which you may continue to do good work, cheered by the consciousness of good work already achieved, and encouraged by the certainty of a hearty welcome from many sympathetic readers. "(Signed.) J. M. Barrie, Walter Besant, Augustine Birrell, James Bryce, Austin Dobson, Conan Doyle, Edmund Gosse, R. B. Haldane, Thomas Hardy, Frederic Harrison, "John Oliver Hobbes," Henry James, R. C. Jebb, Andrew Lang, W. E. H. Lecky, M. Londin, F. W. Maitland, Alice Meynell, John Morley, F. W. H. Myers, James Payn, Frederick Pollock, Anne Thackeray Ritchie, Henry Sidgwick, Leslie Stephen, Algernon Charles SwiNr burne, Mary A. Ward, G. F. Watts, Theodore Watts-Dunton, Wolseley." Mr. Meredith, acknowledging it in a letter to Mr. Leslie Stephen, wrote: "The recognition that I have always worked honestly to my best, coming from the men and women of highest distinction, touches me deeply. Pray let it be known to them how much they encourage and support me.'' LITERARY PROPERTY. I.—General Meeting. f~|"\HE annual general meeting of the Incorpo- | rated Society of Authors was held on Feb. 17, at 4 p.m., in the rooms of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society, 20, Hanover-square, W Mr. fl. Rider Haggard  ## p. 256 (#698) ############################################ 256 THE AUTHOR. took the chair. Amongst those present were the following:— Mr. Anthony Hope Hawkins, Mr. A. W. a Beckett, Mr. "j. M. Lely, Mr. Egerton Castle, Mr. P. W. Clayden, Mr. Henry Norman, Mrs. George Corbett, Lady Colin Campbell, Mrs. Alfred Baldwin, Mr." A. E. W. Mason, Mr. Silas K. Hocking, Mr. Mowbray Marras, Mr. Edwin Pugh, Mrs. Pennell, Mr. Edward Rose, Mr. Mackenzie Bell, the Rev. Dr, S. Kinns, Miss H. M. Stanton, Mr. Perry Coste, and a great many other members. Mr. Hagoard, on rising, apologised for the absence of Sir Martin Conway, who, as Chairman of the Society for 1898, ought to have occupied his position. He then proceeded to comment on the report of the Society. He stated that the Society was in a flourishing condition, and had elected 180 members during the past year. He went on to explain how the work of the Society had increased enormously during the past year, but he was sorry to say that there were still a good many authors who did not belong to the body. He hoped that all authors would stand by their profession, since even, although individually they might not benefit by the action of the Society, yet collectively they did so benefit, and he trusted that all members present would do their best to establish amongst other authors that esprit dc corps which was necessary to support the profession, and to raise it to its proper status. He submitted that all those members who placed their cases in the Secretary's hands should be pre- pared to carry them through the courts, as it was useless for the Society to take up serious action on behalf of its members if that action was ulti- mately liable to fail owing to the member con- cerned not being desirous of giving evidence. He then stated that the Society had on behalf of its members carried through certain claims against bankrupt papers, but had been unsuccess- ful in obtaining any satisfaction from such papers. The committee now proposed to try and pass a short Bill by which contributors to magazines should be reckoned as preferential creditors, together with clerks, servants, and other em- ployes. He put forward, as an instance, the case of a magazine which fell into difficulties, then issued debentures, the debentures being taken up by people interested in the company. The com- pany becoming involved, the debenture-holders foreclosed, and although the goodwill of the magazine was sold for a large amount the con- tributors were unable to obtain anything, all the money being absorbed by the debenture debt. This was a very unsatisfactory position so far as the authors were concerned. He suggested that if members in the first instance referred to the Secretary with regard to the papers to which they were contributing it would be very possible that they would get such information as would prevent them from further dealings with such papers, and thus they might be spared a very unpleasant position. Mr. Haggard further mentioned that the Society had a short Copyright Bill before Parliament which they hoped to be able to pass through the Commons. The Bill had already- passed the second reading in the House of Lords this Session on the 14th inst., and the Society would use their utmost efforts to secure its passage through the House of Commons. He quoted Lord Knutsford's speech with reference to this Bill. The quotation ran as follows: "Viscount Knutsford thought that there was just a chance that a Bill like that now before their Lordships might get through the other House. On the other hand, a Copyright Consolidation Bill, such as the noble Earl had referred to, would have little or no chance of passing." The Chair- man next referred to the discount question which had occupied the work of a sub-committee of the Society during the autumn, and he repeated the reasons for the Society having been unable to adopt the publishers' suggestions—viz., that in the first instance the committee had come to the decision from the evidence before them that no preventive measures would prove effectual, but would always be evaded, and that apart from this question the proposals of the publishers were really an interference with the doctrines of free trade. He also pointed out that the com- mittee had deemed it unwise from the answers they had received to publish a list of the members of the Society. Before sitting down he asked whether any member had any comment to make on the report. Mr. Perry Coste then rose and asked some questions. It was stated in the report that only one-third had consented to the ptiblication of their names. He would like to know how many had actually answered, as it might be deduced that those who had not answered had given their consent by silence. The Chairman pointed out that he could not at the moment reply to this question, not having the figures at hand, but that the numbers would be printed in The Author. In answer to further questions, he stated that it was not a fair deduc- tion to draw that those who had not answered had desired the publication of their names. Another question referred to the publication of some suggestions made by Mr. Perry Coste in The Author on the occasion of the last annual meeting. He wanted to know whether any members of the Society had expressed an opinion upon them, and the Chairman replied that no one  ## p. 257 (#699) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 257 had written to the Secretary with regard to the matter. After this discussion a vote of thanks was proposed by the Rev. Dr. Samuel Kinns and seconded by Mr. Silas K. Hocking, to the Chair- man, and carried unanimously. Subsequently a vote of thanks was also passed to the Committee and the Secretary for the work they had done during the past year, and this was responded to by Mr. Anthony Hope Hawkins. II.—Authors and Debenture-Holders. The following letters have appeared in the Daily Chronicle, addressed to the editor of that journal:— "Sir,—I quote the following from your report of the meeting of the Society of Authors yester- day :— The Chairman dwelt on the hardships of eontribntors to a certain periodical—cited as an example, and also name- less—who had been unable to get paid for articles, althongh the society had taken np the matter. To meet such a con- dition of things, it was proposed to promote a Bill in Parliament. The object of it—and here were the typical details - would be to give contributors to periodicals, np to a limited amount, a precedence over debenture-holders in instances where the periodical was conducted by a limited company. "Why should authors have precedence over debenture-holders? Take my own case, for instance, which is probably connected with the periodical referred to. I was induced to take over debentures for a considerable amount, had to pay up fully all calls, never received the last year's interest for them, and am required by my fellow- authors to 'take a back seat.' 'In the name of all that's inflammable,' as Mr. Pickwick says, where is the justice or reason of this? Such a proposal savours of childishness.—I am, &c, "Geo. B. Burqin. "Feb. 18." "Sir,—In reply to Mr. Burgin's letter, pub- lished in your issue of the 21st inst., it seems clear that he must have known something of the inner working of the company to which he refers, otherwise he would not have taken over the debentures. He will reap his reward when the debenture-holders are paid in full out of the sum realised by the sale of the company's assets. Other contributors will not be similarly protected. But if the Bill of the Authors' Society had been passed into law before this particular case arose, he would not have needed to protect his own interests by becoming a debenture holder, and other contributors would have enjoyed a protection of which he apparently now possesses a monopoly. Most magazine writers are not capitalists, but humble folk working with brain and hands for their daily bread. They are eminently deserving of a protection similar to that extended to the wage-earners attached to any industry.—Yours faithfully, "Martin Conway, "Chairman of the Authors' Society. "Feb. 22." . III.—The Eight to Destroy. A member of the Society forwarded a MS. to a publisher about a year ago. The publisher stated that he was unable to undertake the publication of the MS. at his own cost, and asked the author to send stamps for its return. This the author neglected to do through inadver- tence. Nearly a year afterwards he received a post card from the publisher stating that unless stamps were sent for the return of the MS. he would have to destroy it. The position taken up by the publisher is legally unsound. Even though the MS. may be forwarded to him without his expressed desire, he is bound to take ordinary care of it. If he wittingly burnt or destroyed the MS. it would be a case of the grossest negligence, and he would be liable to the author for the value of the MS. This is clearly the legal position, and authors are referred to the number of The Author of Feb., 1897, where Counsel's opinion on the matter was fully set forth. _ IV.—Pirated Music. The Daily Mail for Feb. 8 announces that the music publishers of London are going to appeal for Parliamentary protection against the sale of pirated songs at a very cheap rate in the streets. There has been a meeting of the publishers, who have presented a memorial to the Home Secretary calling attention to the publication of these pirated editions. The piracy is not only of the music and the words, but of the words separately. It is hoped to get an Attorney-General's fiat to institute criminal proceedings under the Printers' Act against the offenders. NEW YORK LETTER. New York, Feb. 18. ~]^TO publisher does more for American litera- ls ture than Houghton, Mifflin and Co. Their Riverside Literature Series has a particular popular value in putting the best works of the country within the reach of every- body, usually with valuable notes. Their last volume, just published, includes a number of tales and poems by Edgar Allen Poe, and has an introduction by Professor W. P. Trent, who  ## p. 258 (#700) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. recently published a book on "Southern States- men of the Old Regime." Professor Trent points out what is undoubtedly true, that Poe's position is unique among our authors for the exaggerated praise ■which he has received ou the one hand, and the absurd detraction which he has received on the other. Professor Trent thinks Poe's critical work is dead as literature, but that his poetry stands much higher. These volumes are published at fifteen cents in paper and forty cents in linen. Another recent publi- cation in this series is, the great debate between Robert Young Hayne and Daniel Webster, oue of the most dramatic occurrences in American history. A book on America, which is soon to be pub- lished in England, by Mrs. Atherton, is a reminder that this lady is taken very much more seriously in England when she writes about American affairs than she is by Americans. As her book is on the subject of "American Wives and English Husbands," it may be recalled that the Scribners published a novel last fall called "American Nobility" by a Frenchwoman. It can hardly be stated too often that almost all the departments of American life which he touches are discussed with greater accuracy by Mr. Bryce than by any other foreign critic. It is well known by this time that the Mac- millan Company is extending its field rapidly, especially along the lines of American literature. Among their recent books are, "A History of the United States," by Professor Channing, of Harvard, and some essays on the "Civil War and Reconstruction," by Professor Dunning, of Columbia. At the same time that they go in for such sterling works, their desire to build up a very large business is leading them into what it leads so many publishers into—the issuing of a lot of inferior work. A volume on "American Literature," by Professor Katharine Lee Bates, of Wellesley, for instance, adds nothing to any subject treated in it; and there are a lot of novels, books of travel, &c, without the least value, published purely for immediate sale. I do not call attention to this in order to disapprove of it, but merely to mark one of the results of extending the American business of such a promi- nent house. The same firm has just published a work on "The Finances of New York City," by Edward Durand. Among the most interesting books which will be published within a month or so is a collection called "Emerson, and other Essays," by John Jay Chapman, to be put out by the Scribners. Mr. Chapman is a young lawyer who has recently gone into politics to a certain extent, and also into magazine criticism, in both of which fields he is attracting decided attention. His essays on Browning, Whitman, Stevenson, Michael Angelo's last sonnets, and other literary subjects, are some- times erratic, but always vigorous. The Scribners are also about to publish a book called " The Eugene Field I Knew," by Francis Wilson, which is a story of a long and intimate friendship between the Chicago poet and the only one of our younger actors who is especially known for his interest in literature. Francis Wilson j>lays in the broadest musical farce, but, outside of the theatre, his life is spent in a house full of the best books, and he is a man of real culture. Another book just out, worth mentioning for observers of our literature, is "An Introduction to American Literature," by Henry S. Pancoast, published by Henry Holt and Co. "The Hon. Peter Stirling," by Paul Liecester Ford, is in its sixteenth edition. The success of this book points to the popularity of a field which has been much exploited in American fiction. Politics are now in a formative, interesting, and important state, giving the best kind of material to the novelist. Doubtless the only reason that more use is not made of them is that so little is known about them practically by the kind of people who do our writing. In connection with the talk about Stephen Phillips, it may be noticed that more poetry is read in this country than is commonly supposed. Of course, fiction leads by far, but poetry stands comparison with any other form of literature. Of 543 manuscripts submitted to a Boston publish- ing house in 1897, 212 were fiction; next came verse, 69. There were 44 books for young people; and the remainder were essays, history, travel, biography, and religious works. Our young pub- lishers are showing themselves particularly willing to put out volumes of verse which have any merit. Two subjects connected with the book market in this country have recently been fully dis- cussed by correspondents in the New York Times. One on " The Best Books for Children " resulted in nothing of any value, only a very long collec- tion of lists having nothing in common; but an article by Mrs. Sherwood—a sort of social autho- rity in the newspaper world—ou "What Society Reads," was so plausible that it raised an interest- ing amount of indignant protest. Her opinion was that the smart set reads mainly the most lurid, sentimental, and entirely trashy novels of the day, and that literature of any solidity or worth, even in fiction, is practically unknown in the fashionable circles. Taking all this with a grain of salt, it is yet undoubtedly true that the people in this country who are most conspicuous socially, lack altogether the literary  ## p. 259 (#701) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 259 taste and training which society has in some other lands. The bound volumes of the principal magazines of 1897 suggest some of the individual features. In the Century Magazine the most conspicuous features are Dr. Mitchell's latest novel and Gen. Porter's scries of articles on " Campaigning with Grant," which is the extension of the war paper idea which sent the circulation of this magazine so ripidly upward a few years ago. This maga- zine has, perhaps, more poetry than its rivals, but almost all the verse now published here is without value. - Its miscellaneous articles include many sporting papers and tales of travel. The Scribner's Magazine runs to serials more than any of the others. "The Conduct of Great Busi- nesses," "Undergraduate Life at the Colleges,' Gibson's articles on London, are among them. Harper's has a less definable character than either of the others. It is run more by instinct—by a general feeling or mood of the hour; but pictu- r< st|ue descriptive articles and fiction of the safe and original kind are prominent in it. In the drama some recent English work has been successful, and some decidedly the reverse. Mr. Esmond's "One Summer's Day," which John Drew has just brought to New York, after giving it in other cities, has fallen more flat than that popular actor's productions usually do. "The Tree of Knowledge," on the other hand, by E. C. Carton, is having a steady though not an extreme success. If England is to see " The Conquerors," it will find that whatever success it has is largely a sneers de scandalc, of a rather cheap sort. As a general rule, where indecent drama pays in New York, it is because the large mass of floating population supports it. These 300,000 strangers who are in the city every day, go out of curiosity to see what residents of the city have Ion c since tired of. Norman Hap<*ood. MR. NUTT AGAIN. TN writing to the Academy in Deceml>er last, I Mr. Nutt began by saying, "Nobody heeds statements made by The Author, which are as little likely to mislead as those, let ine say, of La Libre Parole or the New York Sun." In the n< xt letter he says: "I am not a reader of The Author. I do not think 1 hare seen more than two numbers in my life." The italics are ours. A few lines further on he speaks of the "base- lessness of many statements made" in The Author. Yet he never sees it or reads it: he has only seen two numbers. Further on he says that those statements "have since been repeated in VOL. VIII. The Author without one word of qualification." Yet he never sees The Author. Now, in the face of these assertions, which one mint with sorrow describe as unmannerly, Mr. Nutt sends me a long letter about the case which I have exposed already. He asks me to print this letter!!! \ shall not do so, because he cannot in reason wish to set his case in a better light in a paper which nobody heeds, and partly because everything that has to We said upon his last letter has been said—except one point, on which there will perhaps be something more to be said next month. I would only extract from it two passages, which would be amusing if they were not somewhat pitiful. You remember how, in the Academy—see Last month's Author—he laid it down that a 6s. book contained 388 pages "at least." I called attention to the word "at least," because by means of that limitation he thought he would bowl over our figures. He now calls it an " average." No: nothing at all was said of an average. He also endeavours to call away attention from the main issue by offering to get up a jury to decide how many " overs" there are. What can any jury tell us that we do not know? Of "overs" there may be many—few—none. That is all that can be said. On Kisk. In consequence of Mr. Nutt's assertion that The Author has stated on several occasions that "publishers always recover their outlay and never make any losses," I have been looking back through the pages of The Author. I cannot find that statement made even once, not to speak of repetitions. I do find, however, several state- ments on the subject of risk. Thus I find, Vol. I., p. 165: "The publisher, who very, very seldom knowingly runs any risk at all, may lose, because in all trades there are mistakes made, on one or two books, but as the general result of a large business he is certain, as his business is now conducted, not to lose." This was in answer to an argument that he might have no risk on one or two books, but that, on the whole, there is risk. My point was the exact eon- verse. And it is most certainly true, as the Hourishing condition of the trade shows, and the number of new publishers constantly springing up. If it were not true the trade would collapse. But that is not what Mr. Nutt says I stated. Again, Vol. I., p. 209, it is stated: "In no trade need there be fewer losses than in the publishing trade. They very seldom—it cannot be repeated too often, or be too strongly asserted—they very seldom take any risk whatever." When we see publisher after publisher expecting the writer to A A  ## p. 260 (#702) ############################################ 260 THE AUTHOR. pay for production: when the young writer goes from one to the other in vain, the truth of this statement becomes manifest. Fortunately there are exceptions. Again, in Vol. II., p. 108, I pointed out that the publisher's risk, where there was any, was the liability, not the outlay, less the first returns. In other words, if the book costs .£100, and the first three months' returns were £ 101, there would be no money paid, and no risk; if .£99, there would be a risk of £1 to be covered by following sales. In the same volume, p. 179, I call Mr. Putnam to account for saying "that the Authors' Society contend that the publishers never take any risk." For "never," I say, he must put "rarely," and then it will be true. And again, p. 146, I call the attention of Mr. Lang to a passage in which he accuses me of say- ing that "there is no risk in publishing." Plenty of risk, but very few publishers take a bit more than they can help. All this, however, is not what Mr. Nutt alleges. Now, I have been through the first four volumes, and this is what I find. It is all most perfectly and absolutely true. But it is not what Mr. Nutt alleges. I am now, however, waiting for a reply to my last letter, the fourth he has received on the subject, inviting him to tell me where he' found those passar/es tchich he quotes. W. B. NOTES AND NEWS. [N another column will be found a note from the Secretary, inviting readers to send him (1) copies of dramatic or musical agree- ments; (2) copies of publishers' accounts where t he author had consented to an administration of his property on a profit-sharing agreement. In the latter case it would be well to lend the Secre- tary a copy of the book, in order to ascertain the size of the page, the form of the type, the quality of the paper, and the true cost of the binding. If readers will only help in this manner, the new edition of the "Cost of Production" may be greatly helped. For my own part, as I was Chairman when the first edition was produced, I know what great pains were taken to get at the facts. I also know that nothing the Society has ever done has produced such widespread benefits to writers: that the figures liave been most impu- dently denied: but no denial has ever been accom- panied by any proof: that estimates such as the three published in last month's Author have proved the general correctness up to the hilt, and t hai printers have expressed themselves (privately) as quite willing to execute work in bulk, not by single volumes, on these figures. At the same time I have always felt somewhat dissatisfied with them: they were always put forward as approximate, I wanted to be nearer the truth, and now I think we shall get nearer. The result will be, I believe, to show that pro- duction costs less than what we advanced. The composition will be perhaps more: the machining certainly less: the paper very much less: the binding less. As for the advertising, that was put down in the rough at ,£20 and ,£30. Now for an ordinary book — say of essays, memoirs, minor travels, biography, &c.— or for the kind of novel which is certain not to get beyond seven or eight hundred—of which there are a great numl>er— the average publisher does not advertise to any- thing like that extent. He may exchange with monthly magazines for nothing: but as regards advertisements for which he has to pay, .£ 10 is about his limit. And this means $d. a volume on such a sale. On the other hand, in the few instances where a book has a wide circulation, instead of £20 the advertisements mav run up to £50 and more. I have seen a note, which I neglected to cut out, in a certain paper, to the effect that a pub- lisher, or some publishers, design the establishment of small book shops about the town. This seems like a deliberate attempt to extinguish, once for all, the retail bookseller. Perhaps they propose to recognise in this way the fact of his extinction. But he is not dead yet, and perhaps he will recover. We have suggested certain steps, and are ready to suggest other steps, by which his position may be improved. These recommenda- tions are in the hands of the Booksellers' Associa- tion. They have tried the publishers, and have received from them the recommendation to become their slaves. I venture to think that if they will turn to the authors in a conciliatory spirit, things might be arranged which would really advance their cause—which is the cause of those who write, but not necessarily the cause of the middleman. Meantime the book shops might teach their proprietors the kind of risk which the booksellers run daily. It should prove a whole- some lesson. A member of the Society sends me a collection of reviews of two books by himself. There are nine of the first and dozens of the second. They are all laudatory; some are enthusiastic. They all appeared in journals of good standing—some of the highest standing. Why, asks the author, have my books, in spite of these reviews, proved financially disastrous? This is a question which has lx>en put by many writers. The answer seems  ## p. 261 (#703) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. to be, first, that people no longer care much for the "opinions" of reviewers. Their authority has very greatly decreased. If further proof were wanted, cases might be adduced of books virulently attacked by reviewers which proceeded immediately and without the least check to a great circulation. One is not blaming the reviewer, but stating the position. What is the reason for the decay in the authority of the review? The critic of the day is not so savage as his prede- cessor of the earlier part of the century. He is more polite, and he does not, as a rule, jump upon every book as if it was a personal enemy. He is, I think, a more competent critic and a safer guide. How, then, has it come to pass that he is so little regarded? I have talked this matter over with many journalists. I find that their opinion is the same as my own. The decay of authority in the literary columns is mainly due to the prevalent desire to review everything that is published. Now, as has been pointed out in this paper before, it is impossible—perfectly im- possible—by any conceivable rate of pay, to get a reviewer to read a book which he has to discuss in a dozen or twenty lines. The result is often a weak stream of generalities, with a word of fault-find- ing, a thing quite easy for any book ever written, whether it be read or not—and only vague words of praise, because praise if it is sincere must be based on actual reading. All journalists seem to be agreed on one point: there must be a selection of books for review as there is a selection of news and letters and communications. There are still admirable reviews in the daily papers, but even their authority is lowered by the column of short notices and paragraphs which do not even tell the reader the nature, the bare outlines, of the book reviewed. A publisher may say that if he sends a paper all his books he expects something in return. It has been reported that some of them hint at the value of advertisements. As regards the latter argument, it is certain that books must be advertised, and that they must be advertised by preference in those journals whose literary autho- rity stands high. As regards the value of all the Press copies, it must be remembered that if they belong to works which do not sell largely, the value of the Press copy is the value of the remainder copy—that and no more: that in the few instances where they belong to successful works, their value, which is represented by the trade price of each, not the advertised price, would be fully repaid, and a hundredfold repaid, by a single serious review devoted to one out of twenty. ^ We are constantly told that we are not a book- buying nation. Yet when figures get into print they are amazing: there are, for instance, over 400 publishers in London alone: many of them are quite small publishers: some are companies which publish religious books: some are pub- lishers of cheap educational books: taken all together they produce about 6000 books every year, which, counting only one edition of one thousand to each, shows that 6,000,000 copies are published at least, if not sold. It is not possible to arrive, even approximately, at the numbers actually bought by the public, but as publishers produce books to be sold, it is probable that we may reckon on the sale of three-fourths of that number, namely, 4,500,000 copies. In addition, there is the sale of books of current literature and that of non-copyright works. It is quite impossible to estimate the number of books belonging to the latter class. Sometimes, however, there are gleams of light. Thus -. a writer in Chambers's Journal speaks of the enormous sale of Scott. He says that of their cheap editions, Messrs. A. and C. Black, between 1851 and 1890, sold 3,000,000 copies. This statement is very much below the mark. I am enabled to state that the sale of their sixpenny edition between 1866 and i8yo amounted to the enormous number of five millions and a half! Other publishers have produced editions of Scott which have also, perhaps, sold by millions. But Scott is not the only writer who has attained universal popularity. What about Dickens r What about Marryat? What about individual books, such as "The Woman in White": "The Cloister and the Hearth": "The Mill on the Floss," &c.? When our free libraries are every day crowded with readers: when all the available books are taken out and read at home: when books are printed ready for circu- lation, if they are not circulated, by the million, we cannot be accused of being a people who do not read: we cannot be accused of being a people who do not buy books. The meaning of the " tax" commonly supposed to be laid upon publishers alone by the rule of supplying a copy of every book, or every new- edition, to five libraries has never, I believe, hitherto been examined or pointed out. A recent letter in the Times made a series of most amazing statements which nobody challenged. Indeed, another writer called attention to the figures as "fair," which was still more amazing than the previous statement. 1. The writer first gave as his conclusion that the average price of a l>ook is 5? As to  ## p. 262 (#704) ############################################ 262 THE AUTHOR. that average, inquiry can lie made when the source of his discovery is accessible. Let it pass, however, for the present. He then says that when a publisher sends a book to the libraries he loses 5*. by every volume. That makes, for 6000 volumes, £7 500 a year. He next assumes that there has been the same output of books every year for the last sixty years, an assump- tion which naturally enables him to put the publishers' "tax" at a very high figure indeed. i. "The publisher loses 5*. by every book pub- lished at that price which he gives away." Tiet us take the statement. The trade price of a 5s. book is generally 2*. lod. What the publisher loses, there- fore, is not 58., but 2s. lod. But a great number of books are now pub- lished on a royalty. On such books the author's royalty would be, say, I*. The publisher's loss is, therefore, not 5.V., nor 2s. iod., but is. lod. But, again, most books, the vast majority of l>ooks, do not sell right out. Many leave "remainders" which are sold at a few pence each. Now, in every rase where there is a remainder there has been no loss by this ta.v at all. For instance. If an edition of 1000 has been printed, and after the sale is over there are twenty copies remaining, which with the five given to the libraries make twenty-five, the demand has not been equal to the supply by twenty-five copies. How, then, can there be any loss on these five copies 3. The tax would appear to be a burden when the demand is greater than the supply, but even then new editions come out, to be followed by remainders in the long run. It is, therefore, a tax which, if it is real at all, is very small. 4. It is also real when authors print their own works for which the demand is equal to the supply. 5. It appears also to be real in the case of expensive editions, though even here the consideration of the remainder may apply. But the whole of the argument as implying a hardship on publishers is condemned by the existence of the remainder stock. It is rather late in the day to call attention to Mr. William Archer's Lecture on Living Poets— rather on the younger living poets. It was remark- able for the display of a generous spirit of appre- ciation, and a desire, quite unusual among critics, to find out in a poet all that is ljest in him. When a poet is a poet, he would have that man praised for the strength of his work when it is strong, not condemned for his work when it becomes weak: and at the same time he showed himself ready to receive with extreme intolerance the rhymester who is not a poet. The passages he quoted assured a great many living poets of his regard for them as poets. Walter Bksant. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. Versohmerzen werd' ich diesen Schlag, das weiss ich, Demi was verschmerzte nicht der Mensob. T11 HE above lines are by Schiller, and are to lie I found (in a slightly different form to that quoted by "Querist" on p. 247 of The Author) in "Wallenstein's Tod," Act V., Sc. 3. Coleridge, in a note to his own translation, adds the literal rendering :— I shall grieve down this blow, of that I'm conscious: What does not man grieve down p A reference is given to the passage in Fliigel'.s Dictionary (4th edit. i8gi), under "verseh- merzen." J. E. Sandys. St. John's College, Cambridge. I beg to answer the question asked by "Querist" in The Author for Feb. The quotation is taken from Schiller's " Wallen- stein's Tod," Act V., Sc. 3. The words are put into the mouth of Wallenstein himself, and the passage in full is as follows :— Vereohmerzen werd' ich diesen Schlag. das weiss ich, Denn was verschmerzte nicht der Mensch; Vom H<"<ohsten Wie vom Gemeinsten lernt er sioh entwihnen, Denn ihn besiegen die gewalt' gen Stnnden. Bexley. Stella M. During. I think I can answer the question put by your correspondent "Querist." He asks where the following lines come from :— Ich will versohmerzen diesen Sohlag, das weiss ich, Denn was verschmerzte nicht der Mensch. I believe that they come from Schiller's "Wallenstein," Act V., Sc. 1, and that they rightly run as follows :— Yerschmerzen werd' ich diesen Schlag, das weiss ich; Denn was verschmerzte nicht der Mensch? Coleridge in his "Wallenstein " translates them thus :— This anguish will be wearied down, I know; What pang is permanent with man? And he adds in a note that this is "a very inadequate translation of the original." Liverpool. C. B. Roylance-Krnt.  ## p. 263 (#705) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 263 MB. BUSKIN AS PUBLISHER "f I ^HE publication of Mr. Ruskin's books is I an experiment which, should not be omitted. It is well known that tbe author has been his own publisher for many years; but the details of the concern are not generally known. There was no special friction between the Messrs. Smith and Elder and the author of 'Modern Painters' which led to the change. It was a matter of principle, far deeper than could possibly be involved in a passing dispute. It was simply that the author felt that the men who produced books did not get their proper share of the rewards, and that the public did not get the full value of their outlay. And the reason, he felt, was that too great a propor- tion was swallowed up in the transit from author to public. Therefore, it seemed clear that the remedy should be found in the establishment of closer contact between writer and reader. Here was his problem, and he resolved to experiment. "Fortunately, Mr. Ruskin had discovered a man after his own heart on whom he could rely for help. This man was a working-man student he had met in his drawing class at Great Ormond- street, in whom he thought he saw possibilities of better work. He had at once taken him in hand, and later business developments have shown the instinct to have been a right one. It was in 1854 that the Professor and his future publisher first met, and during the three suc- ceeding years their relationship was of the closest kind. George Allen was taught engraving and etching by Mr. Le Keux, who had done some exquisite work for Mr. Ruskin, and then some mezzotint instruction was given by Thomas Lupton, who had been engraver to Turner. "Having obtained his engraver and otherwise useful man, the next thing was to get his printing press and make arrangements for binding. These were all established in the beautiful and quiet village of Orpington in Kent, and the master personally presided over the works for several years. It was a gigantic undertaking, and critics laughed at the publishing business ' planted in the middle of a country field'; but it became a pheno- menal success. "The first book issued was 'Fors Clavigera,' and an early number of that work contained the following explanation:— It costs me £V> to print 1000, and £5 more to give yon a pictnre, and a penny off my sevenpence to send yon tbe book; a thousand sixpences are £2b; when yon have bought a thousand ' Fors' of me, I shall therefore have £5 for my trouble, and my Bingle shopman, Mr. Allen, £5 for bis; we won't work for less, either of us. And I mean to sell all my large books, henceforward, in tbe same way, well printed, well bound, and at a fixed price; and the trade may charge VOL. VIII. a proper and acknowledged profit in retailing the book. Then the public will know what they are about, and so will tradesmen. I, the first producer, answer, to tbe best of my power, for the quality of the book—paper, binding, eloquence, and all; the retail dealer oharges what he ought to charge openly; and if the public do not choose to give it, they can't get the book. That is what I call legitimate business. "Since then the business has steadily increased, and, when such big undertakings as the produc- tion of a new edition of ' Modern Painters' and 'The Stones of Venice' were proceeded with, the accommodation of the Kentish village was found insufficient, and a London house had to be opened. The main work, however, of the making of the books of Mr. Ruskin is still done amid the pleasant surroundings of the village of Orpington."—From "Character Sketch of John Ruskin," in the Revieic of Reviews, Jan. 15. THE CRITERION OP LITERARY EXCELLENCE. THE question recently raised by Professor Courthope, as to the extent to which the principle of authority may be introduced into the province of literature, is one of more than academic interest. Owing to the fact that in our own time criticism has run riot, and, in some cases, actually degenerated into the mere expression of egoistic partiality, it is assumed that differences of taste are in their nature irreconcilable and incomprehensible, and that, therefore, there can be no criterion of literary excellence. Now, this notion rests on a fallacy of the worst description. The ignorance or incompetence of individual critics should not lead us to the false conclusion that loose or bad criticism has any intrinsic value. The appreciation of literary productions requires not merely education, but a rare faculty for dis- tinguishing between superior and inferior work. The tendency to praise or dispraise either a poem or a novel indiscriminately—or perhaps through interested motives—of which unfortunately we find too many examples nowadays, cannot be too strongly condemned. If criticism had not become such an " unweeded garden," the irrespon- sible or dishonest reviewer would be treated as a species of blackleg, and would be deservedly banished from the world of letters. There is such a thing as sound criticism, and the just appreciation of authors and of their specific works is entirely within the range of possibility. The whims or prejudices of indivi- duals can in no way modify the truth of this pro- position. Mr. Alfred Austin may regard Byron B B  ## p. 264 (#706) ############################################ 264 THE AUTHOR. as the greatest poet of the nineteenth century, while Professor Dowden may dogmatically assert that the author of " Childe Harold " is " dead and buried." The opinions of these gentlemen do not determine the question as to Byron's real place amongst poets. Nor is a collection of such opinions entitled necessarily to greater weight, however distinguished may be the persons who happen to give expression to them, unless they are found to be based on critical canons which are logically indisputable. For this reason, nothing can be more grotesque than the hysterical violence with which Mr. Swinburne in some of his attempts at criticism deuounces poets whom he dislikes and eulogises those whom he admires. Unreasoning likes and dislikes are as fatal to right judgment in dealing with literary works as they are to our true knowledge of human life and character. Curiously enough, this subject has hitherto received no attention from writers on aesthetics. It must be acknowledged that Mr. Buskin in his "Modern Painters " did something to enable us to apply fixed principles to the pictorial art; and yet his exaggerated estimate of Turner shows that he himself was not exempt from that enslavement to blind prejudice which is the worst vice of a critic. It may seem a perilous thing to lay down that every production which comes under the head of literature may be subjected to an infallible criterion. Such a statement appears, at first sight, opposed to the experimental method of reason- ing, of which Mill was the most noteworthy representative. But literature is not a matter of experiment. It is essentially the pursuit of an ideal, and when it ceases to have any ideal, it ceases to be literature. This explains the failure of M. Zola's attempts to establish a school of fiction on a purely materialistic and experimental basis. Novels may be transcripts of life; but, if they are only transcripts of human animality, they are utterly false, for they ignore the essen- tial elements in man's being. The Bougon- Macquart series will be regarded by posterity as sawdust—the mere skin and bones of humanity. Even -the late Guy de Maupassant, whom M. Zola claimed as a disciple, threw off the yoke of materialism, and in "Pierre et Jean" and "Mont-Oriol" showed that he recognised will and conscience as factors in human existence which could not be overlooked. What, theu, is this criterion which should be applied to every literary work, and which, if properly applied, will unerringly determine its worth? We may lay down four canons, or rules, on the subject:—A literary work should have unity of idea; it should have cohesion of structure; it should enlarge or enrich our knowledge of life or of the universe; and it should be written in a style possessing either originality or distinction. No work which fails to comply wirh these canons can ever be ranked amongst the masterpieces of literature. If we apply the test to Shakespeare, we shall find that his greatest plays fulfil the requirements of the rules above laid down. For instance, it cannot be denied that " Hamlet" and "Macbeth" exhibit unity of idea and cohesion of structure ; that they add to our knowledge of the human heart, and reveal the workings of the passions in a new light; and finally, that they are written in a style at once dignified and marvellously original. The same observations may be made with regard to Goethe's "Faust." Coming down to writers of a later epoch, we find that the canons we have formulated may be applied to a book like "Gulliver's Travels," though scarcely to a work such as "Bobinson Crusoe," for Defoe, with all his wonderful gifts as a story-teller, had a commonplace style, and certainly "the light that never was on sea or land" does not cast its radiance over his rather prosaic narrative. According to our standard, "Tom Jones " must be considered a masterpiece of fiction. Of course Balzac's "Comedie Humaine," viewed in its tout ensemble instead of being taken in fragments, will harmonise with our canons of criticism. The poets of the century will be found nearly all to fall short of the highest standard of literary excellence, if the rules we have formulated be correct. Perhaps the only exceptions are Cole- ridge's "Ancient Mariner," and two works of Shelley, "The Ceuci" and "Prometheus Un- bound." Byron's magnificent " Childe Harold," and his astounding serio-comic epic "Don Juan" (if such a description of it is allowable) are, after" all, only fragments. Wordsworth, too, has produced only an immense fragment in "The Excursion"; and in any event the inequality of his style causes the work to fall short of per- fection. It may be dangerous, having regard to the tenacity of old-fashioned prejudice in favour of individual authors, to pursue the subject much further. Scott will always have his admirers ; but none of the Waverley novels will stand the test of our criterion. It might not unjustly perhaps be claimed for Thackeray that, in " Vanity Fair" and in "Esmond," he produced works which satisfy even this high standard of literary excellence. Ji unity of design and beauty of style alone could constitute a work of com- paratively slender dimensions a masterpiece of fiction, Hawthorne's "Scarlet Letter" should  ## p. 265 (#707) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. take rank beside the greatest works in prose literature. These remarks are only tentative, for the diffi- culty of the subject is obviously enormous. Even if our general propositions be correct, their application is by no means easy. It is, however, useful to point out the path along which the critic ■of the future should travel. Personal predilection must give place to rational compirison and conscientious appreciation based on clearly- defined principles before anything like a science, •or even an art, of criticism can be said to exist. It is time that the clamorous " ego" should dis- appear from the pages of reviews, and that those who write about books should realise their organic character and the necessity for dealing with them as systematic expressions of human intelligence. D. F. Hannigan. CORRESPONDENCE. I. —" The Gentle Answer "! IRECEIVED, with a returned MS., the following printed communication from the Illustrated American Office, New York. It is in such contrast to the brevity of the English ■editorial style, and contains so much which literary beginners would do well to remember, that you may like to print it. E. L. A. Dear Sir,—We thank you heartily for the favour you have shown us in submitting this contribution. We have carefully examined it, and are sincerely sorry that it does not seem available for our use. Of course you are Aware that many considerations besides intrinsic quality must govern the acceptance of contributions. Among these considerations are the policy and scope of this journal, the space at our disposal, the matter already on hand, the previous treatment of the same theme, and the length and style of the article. Much admirable fiction is reluctantly declined because of length or because of variation from the type desired. Great numbers of pleasing and interesting photographs are returned because of pecu- liarities which make good reproduction impossible. All contributions submitted are appreciated and are thoroughly considered. On account of the limits of the editors' time, we beg that the absence of criticism or of specified reasons for the return of contributions will in all oases be kindly ■excused.—Respectfully yours,—The Editors. II. —A "Bold" Agreement. Last year I sent you a copy of an agreement from a certain firm. At that time I could not lay my hands on the enclosed copy. Yesterday I came across it, and I gladly send it to you, as it is only by showing up these publishing gentry that simple aspirants can be put on their guard. The agreement I send is too glaringly bold to take in, I should fancy, the greatest ignoramus breathing. Still, it is as well that you should see it. If I may do so, let me urge upon beginners the necessity there is for their seeking good advice before their first long effort is submitted to a publisher. Quite recently I had a reader's opinion, for the comparatively small fee of a guinea, on a story. That opinion was favourable, but the reader very candidly pointed out a flaw in the plot. The opinion was, I say, flattering, but the flaw marred the technicality of the narra- tive. Now, had I sent the MS. on its rounds, and had it been sent back to me again and again, I would, in all probability, have had some nasty things to say about stupid publishers who could not appreciate talent! The reader has put me on the right track, and I will know, when the pub- lishers say "No," that they have their hands too full to be bothered with my first decent effort. We never t>ee ourselves as others see us; nor can we realise how our grand ideas, exciting scenes, and sprightly dialogues read until an utter stranger, and one competent to offer an opinion, gives an estimate of our work. S. R. Dear Sir,—We have given the work our careful atten- tion, and our opinion of it being favourable, we have decided to offer you the following favourable terms for its pro- duction and publication, viz.: That, in consideration of a payment from you of £66 (.£36 on signing the agreement and ^£30 when you see the last proofs), we agree to produce your book, publish it at the popular price of 3s. 6d., hand- somely bound in cloth, gold lettered, good paper and type, and print a first edition of 1000 copies, to be followed by further editions as demands warrant. The expenses of all future editions would be borne entirely by us, you receiving half the profits. The above amount would constitute your sole outlay, the copyright remaining your property. Author to receive two-thirds of the prooeeda of sales on the first edition. It may be, perhaps, superfluous to mention that adver- tising, reviewing, and all the other technicalities of pub- lishing necessary for placing the book on the market, would have our especial care. We should advertise the book at our sole expense to the amount of .£10, thus bringing your name and the work well before the public —Faithfully yours, and Co. [This agreement has been sent to us, word for word the same, dozens of times. There was formerly one "firm" practising in this way. There are now two.—Ed.] III.—The "Bluggy" Element. In looking over the magazines of the day, I am reminded of an old woman who objected to her new minister's preaching on the ground that she liked to hear sermons t hat made her spinal marrow creep, for, judging by the popular taste in litera- ture, the majority of people appear to be of the same opinion. Take up almost any magazine, is there a page which does not harrow the reader's  ## p. 266 (#708) ############################################ 266 THE AUTHOR. feelings with tales of horror and crime; and, us if the pen were not powerful enough to this end, the pencil is called to its aid, and picture after picture portrays scenes of murder, bloodshed, and every conceivable horror, so that no point of misery shall miss its mark. To the sensitive reader half an hour with the magazines is as depressing in its effects as a visit to the cave of Trophonius to those who of old consulted the oracle. Instead of being cheered and calmed to face and endure the trials and vexations of life, he is led into regions dark with despair, where Thousand phantoms joined— Prompt to deeds accursed the mind. L S. IV.—Proposed Journalists' Union. Your correspondent "Still in Grub Street" has perhaps not considered that by paying after production, when dealing with authors not known to them, editors gain a certain amount of protec- tion against fraud. Not very long ago I came across a story of my own that had come out anony- mously in the St. James's Gazette a year or two before, elegantly illustrated, and under a name certainly not mine, in a monthly periodical. I communicated, of course, with the editor, but it was too late. It was not his fault, of course, that he had not read it before, and the person who had sent it to him had pressed for early payment, received it, and quitted his address. The fraud is so simple that payment after an opportunity has betn given for possible detection is the only safeguard an editor can have, and what little experience of editing I have had myself has increased my belief in the necessity for it as a general rule. Where the writer is known to the editor, I firmly believe that by paying cash he could as a rule oblige the writer with profit to himself, as most writers would accept a smaller price if it were a case of " money' down." E. A. A. V.—The Haunch of Venison. If the writer of the " neat little letter" quoted in this month's Author be correctly reported, it would seem that even he might know his Gold- smith better. Six mistakes—" to be precise," four wrong words, and two which have been mulcted of the elisions due to them—are surely more than a fair allowance for a couple of lines. There may be other versions, but the one which I possess is as follows :—■ Thanks, my Lord, for your ven'son, for finer or fatter, Ne'er ranged in a forest, or smoked in a platter. As to the letter "e," I notice that the printer of the Atheneeum is befogged by the changes now in progress, and spells " forbears "—substantive- —without the " e," which is its just due. S. G. VI.—An Appeal to Editors. I believe that The Author is widely read by editors of the best kind. Some of them are unable to effect such reforms as I venture to- suggest here; to others, who have the power, they may not have occurred. Reform No. 1 is the acknowledgment by post- card of the receipt of MS. within a reasonable time of its coming to hand. Registering MS. is an unnecessary expense, as no perfectly sane author sends out a MS. without keeping a copy. Reform No. i is already followed by one paper to this writer's knowledge. Reform No. 2.—The return of MSS. within a reasonable time. Six months is not a reasonable time; three months is as long as a decent fellow who has thought about the matter will keep a MS., or allow his subordinates to do so. As an addendum to Reform No. 2, I would respectfully suggest that an editor who keeps a MS. which deals with a passing topic, a moment longer than is necessary, ought to be kicked; and that the said editor who disregards applications for its return, whether civilly and reasonably couched or inspired with righteous indignation, ought to be kicked again, and harder. May the writer be allowed to add here that, when he says kicked, he means kicked. Reform No. 3.—That an editor who has decided to retain a MS. for publication should, wherever it is possible (and how often is it otherwise ?), intimate his intention to the writer; otherwise the author must waste time and money over the wretched paper or magazine till either his MS. is published or returned. The signatory, for example, whose output is large and returns in- considerable, spends shillings weekly, which he can't afford, and wastes unnumbered hours in looking through his papers. An objection may be taken to this reform, that all editors are careful and all are honest, so that the author need not trouble to see to the appearance of his MS., since the cheque's the thing, and that will come along right enough. The objection may be dismissed, and the objector as idealist or ass, ac- cording to taste, which brings me to Reform No. 4.—That the editor through his subordinate should always specify in respect of what article, appearing in what medium, and on what date the payment is made. That author is in a parlous state, whom, though the most jaded of hack writers, the joy of appearing in print has ceased to stimulate. More, his published work is an advertisement for him and he has a right to a  ## p. 267 (#709) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 267 copy of it . An alternative Reform No. 4 is that the editor shall order that a copy of the publication in which a contribution apjiears shall be sent to the contributor. I am aware that is sometimes done, but how often? Reform No. 5.—That an editor shall not embezzle postage stamps sent to him in good faith by his contributors for quite other purposes. Or that if he does, by right omnipotent, so deal with the postage stamps, he shall not deduct id. from a remittance for the cheque. The objection that the office boy collars the postage stamps may be dismissed. The contributions are not sent to the office boy, and the cont ributor has no cognisance of him: the editor is the responsible person. Reform No. 6.—That the editor shall wash his hands before reading MS., since re-typing costs money and re-writing time. Reform No. 7.—That the editor shall give the MS. of the unknown outsider as much considera- tion as he does to that sent in to him by his friends, his acquaintances, and the " doosid smart chap" he vaguely recollects Tomkins of the Weasel introduced to him about two in the morning at the club. Note.- The signatory declines to be fathered with any ridiculous inferences, as that he believes all editors have dirty hands, that they all see that kissing goes by favour, that they all steal postage stamps, and so forth. He wishes them, however, to grasp the initial fact that contributors are as much entitled to fair treatment as bootblacks. >>m_ Balbus. VII.—FoKEGO AND FoROO. Will you allow me to point out to yt»ur corre- spondent "S. G." that he confuses two separate words, "forgo," meaning "to go without,'- and "forego," meaniog " to go before." The place of the latter has been taken by "precede," and the word, hardly survives except in the adjectival use of its past participle, "a foregone conclusion," a survival due probably to the circumstance that the past participle of "precede" is not capable of being employed in the same sense. No person surely with any claim to education would write "a forgone conclusion "; but there are, perhaps, some who have failed to note the erroneousness of "a reward foregone." Clementina Black. VIII.—Who Bids Highest r There is a question which perplexes me, and may perplex other young authors. Perhaps you may think it worth while to answer it in the columns of The Jut/tor. Am I justified in submitting a MS. to two editors or publishers at once? That is to say, do I, by the act of sending it to A. B. for inspection, enter into any understood contract that he shall have the refusal of it? I cannot see that I do. but friends with whom I have discussed the m ttter appear to think otherwise. Suppose that I do send two copies of a MS. simultaneously to A. B. and C. D., I do not make either of them a formal offer of the MS., because I mention 110 terms. They would not, presumably, be justified in using it without an agreement. I send the MS. in order that, when they have inspected it, negotiations may Ihj opened if desirable. It is clear that I should know much better how to negotiate with A. B. if I knew what C. D. was willing to give me. I am at liberty to withdraw the MS. from either A. B. or C. I), at any time, and why not withdraw it from on! in conse- q> ence of an advantageous offer received from the other Y An employe of any kind does not, I believe, hesitate to negotiate for two posts at once, up to the point of entering into a definite en^a^ement. Am I mistaken in considering the two cases to lie parallel? M. C. A. [As to the above proposal, there seems no reason why a person who has anything to sell should not offer it to a dozen people at once and accept the highest otter. There are, however, certain considerations which make it undesirable that this method should be adopted generally by authors. First of all, at the outset the first impulse of the better class of publishers would be to send the MS. back if they knew that it was offered to other houses at the same time. But if the practice became common they would have to adapt them- selves to it, as they have adapted themselves to the literary agent, after declaring that they would have nothing to do with him. In the second place, we have always strongly recommended authors to put their business relations in the hands of business men. The literary agent might very well inform a publisher that he intended to offer the work to others and that he should take the best offer, but such a method of procedure seems to come better from a man of business than from the author himself. There are other reasons why this method should not be adopted, except by those who know the position and character of the publishers. One is that certain publishers are people with whom no one should be connected in any way; that is to say, it is quite certain that they will "best" the author by some trick or other if they can. Another is that there are publishers who do not stem able to circulate the books which they have produced. A third reason is that there are others  ## p. 268 (#710) ############################################ 268 THE AUTHOR. whose credit is shaky and who might offer large terms in order to get a book, and in the long run be unable to carry them out. These three con- siderations are extremely important, and the ordinary author cannot be expected to know any- thing about them.—Ed.] IX.—A Youno Author's Grievance. "C. B. B.'s " experience is not unique. It took me some years to collect the notes for an article. When the article was written it was accepted, but I had to wait nearly another eighteen months for publication—and for my money. Another article has been in an editor's hands nearly twelve months. I know not if it is accepted. All the time I am precluded from offering that or any similar article elsewhere. "C. B. B." speaks of contributions sent in on chance. And of course many good articles are sent to just the wrong magazines; because it tak> s an author a lifetime to find out the special needs of all the different publications. Cannot some of this chance be eliminated? Conld not The Author publish a list of magazines, noting the particular lines which they affect? And further, as it is the practice with some, especially scientific, magazines not to pay anything for contributions, could not they be listed to prevent wasted efforts !J Agency between authors and editors might do much to direct MSS. to the right channels, but agents will not work for unknown authors. Even "the Authors' Syndicate works only for those whose work promises a market value.'' This s^ems to shut out the young author, for he scarcely knows if his work does possess a market value. Even the highest class of scientific work is shut out, for though it is piiblished, and sometimes at great cost, the poor author gets nothing. J. I). X.—Honour among Reviewers. "Pay no attention to reviews," wrote Matthew Arnold to a charming contemporary poet and essayist; "leave thorn to your publishers." A very humble member of the authors' craft ventures to put an interpretation of his own on Arnold's counsel, and to say with emphasis to his fellow workmen: Never reply to a reviewer. Last year Sir Martin Conway gave his opinions on the ethics of reviewing in a remarkable letter to The Author. His contention was that a reviewer had an indubitable right to condemn a book in one journal and to notice it favourably in another. To anyone familiar with "Little Dorrit," it was impossible not to be reminded of the opinions of Mr. Henry Gowan on his absent friends. Here would lie a tolerable specimen: "Jones is an ass; yet he's the dearest, kindest, brightest, fellow in the world." However, the significant question raised by Sir Martin Conway in The Author, and dealt with in a less apprecia- tive fashion by Mr. William Archer elsewhere, » as the fact that one man may have the power of reviewing the same book in a considerable number of wholly independent newspapers. And here it is that the author should be on his guard. A man may have devoted months, perhaps years, to a single work: in some instances that work may have involved him in the necessity of travel and residence abroad: as a rule he has common sense enough to know that the result , like all mortal results, is far from perfection; yet he offers his book with a conscience fairly at ease to the public. It may fall into the hands of a jaded reviewer, who makes a dozen slips in a* many lines. The author, full of his own subject, and armed, as he thinks, at all points, is amused, and undertakes to set bis critic right. The truth is made clear, the author triumphs; but he little knows at what cost to himself. Those who, either in social life or in the world of letters, engage with such light hearts in murdering the reputations of others, are usually the most thin-skinned of creatures themselves. There is no man more restlessly vindictive than a critic whose ignorance has been publicly exposed. Unhappily, the system of reviewing referred to gives him all the advantages he requires for soothing his mortified self-esteem, among these advantages being the consciousness that while nobody but the author and his publisher would ever think of reading a favourable review, every man and woman acquainted with the author pores with joy over one which is hostile to him. So the reviewer, armed at all points in his turn, goes on his way complacently. In one journal after another, and with ever increased remorse- lessness, he pursues his victim. And thus what seems to the unwary a practical unanimity of censure is frequently no more than a cloak for the active malignity of one man. The advice, then, cannot be too often repeated: under no imaginable provocation answer a re viewer. Ne Obliviscari. XL- -Style and Substance. Pray do not take amiss what I am going to say; let me assure you that far from lteing a fault-finder your persistent adherence to facts in matters relating to publishers and their ways affords me quiet mirth, waxing into something like glee as the gridiron gets hotter and hotter; and I join in the laughter-provoking discomfiture  ## p. 269 (#711) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 269 of a foe who, from behind a bush, tries to wing a poisoned arrow into your ranks. Speaking of the Academy "Crown" you remark, " That the practice will produce a bene- ficial effect on literature I do not doubt, for the simple reason that style and form will be theJirst things considered, and that young writers wi'l have the necessity of attending to style and form kept constantly before their eyes." The dangling before the eyes of young men of a £ 100 or a ,£50 prize may be a proper incen- tive to the cultivation of literature as a profession —i.e., as a means of living, but surely not for that higher mental culture which seeks the enlarge- ment of the understanding, of power to compre- hend that which lies within the range of man's ken. Style and form are graceful adornments, but what of the body they are to adorn? Is the carver of a graven image to rank higher than the discoverer of a great truth? Is mental conception and development to maturity—the creator—to be veiled in presence of the artist? Clear eyes and lissom fingers are very good tools to work with, but how superficial of themselves. There can be no room for doubting which of the two is the better for both old and young to aim at, and I can well believe that you, sir, would insist upon a writer having in him some solid matter upon which to exercise his art. Would it not then be well to point out to youthful aspirants—and others—the necessity of paying some attention to mental achievement l>efore indulging in artistic display? Then, possibly, readers might lie spared some enormities which a tickle fancy, owning no allegiance to reason and disdaining probability, inflicts upon their too receptive minds. The vagaries of unbridled imagination when decked out in the newest "style" and finest "form" of modern art. are fascinating, but a trifle misleading. But all that doesn't matter if there is only—" money in it," and it " catches on." Highbury, N. Ed. Vincent Heward. BOOK TALE. ITERANCES MACNAB," the author of a 1 work entitled "On Veldt and Farm: In Bechuanaland, Cape Colony, the Trans- vaal, and Natal," published about a ypar ago, has now written a work on British Columbia, over the greater part of which she has travelled alone. The point of view of the book is indicated by its title—"British Columbia for Settlers." It will )«; published by Messrs. Chapman anil Hall. The writer is a Miss Praser, and is of the family which created Fraser't Magazitie. Sir William Flower has collected a number of his essays on natural history and such subjects, whic'h will form a volume to be published shortly by Messrs. Macmillan. Mr. William O'Brien, M.P., is writing a novel of the Elizabethan age, which Mr. Unwin will bring out. The scene is laid in western and north-western Ireland, and the title of the 9tory is " A Queen of Men." Mr. O'Brien is already the author of one work of fiction—" When We Were Boys." A translation of Ferdinand Gregorovius's work on the Emperor Hadrian is being done by Miss Mary Robinson, and will be published in a volume by Messrs. Macmillan, and entitled " The Emperor Hadrian: A Picture of the Roman Hellenic World in His Time." Professor Pelham, of Oxford, has written a preface for Miss Robinson. Mr. Harold Spender is gathering the fruits of two summers spent in the high mountains of the Pyrenees, in a volume to be published next month by Messrs. Innes. An account of the Republic of Andorra will be given. Mr. Llewelyn Smith will contribute appendices and illustrate the book. Mr. Spender is a member of the Alpine Club. A three-volume work on West Africa, is being pushed forward for publication by the Imperial Press, Limited, in view of the universal interest in that part of the world at the present time. The author is Major A. F. Mockler- Ferryman, who has large experience in these regions. British East Africa is the subject of a work by Mr. W. W. A. Fitzgerald, which the firm of Chapman and Hall are to issue immediately. The author travelled during over two years through the coast lands there on a special mission from the Imperial British East Africa for tin- purpose of exploring and reporting upon the agricultural and other capabilities of these little- known countries. In the book there will be twelve maps and sketch maps and numerous illustrations. The eminent cricketer, Dr. W. Q. Grace, is writing his reminiscences. Mr. Bowden will publish the volume during the summer. A new novel by Sir Walter Besaut, entitled "The Changeling," begins in Chapman's Magazine for March. Professor John Milne has written a volume on earthquakes for the International Science Series, published by Messrs. Kegau Paul.  ## p. 270 (#712) ############################################ 270 THE AUTHOR. Miss Menie Muriel Dowie (Mrs. Norman) has written a novel, which is about to appear, called '• The Crook of the Bough." It is to a large extent a study in the difference of the Eastern and the Western temperament, the action taking place in the Balkans and in London. The conclusion, if the quotation from Mr. Watson on the title-page be an index to this, is that the two types are well-nigh irreconcileable. The author studied the Eastern character from life during a journey to the Balkans two years ago. Mrs. Steele is at present staying at Lucknow. Her next book will probably deal with the plague and the famine in India. Mrs. Humphry Ward's new novel is likely to be ready in May. Studies of childhood, by Miss K. Douglas King, will be published by Mr. Lane in the form of a volume of stories, entitled "The Child Who Will Never Grow Old." Count Tolstoy is not now to issue his expected novel, as his attitude towards the purpose of the Btory—which was to be a study in sex morality —has undergone a change. A novel entitled "The Philanthropist," by a new writer, Miss Lucy Maynard, is to be published by Messrs. Methuen. "The Consecration of the Hetty Fleet" is a new novel by Mr. St John Adcock, which Messrs Skeftington are to publish soon. Mr. John Buchau is writing a Jacobite storv, to be called " A Lost Lady of Old Years." He 'is also preparing for publication a collection of short stories, which will be entitled "Grey Weather." 1 Mr. Buchan's Chambers's Journal serial, " John Burnet of Barns," is to be published by Mr. Lane. A travesty of Mr. H. G. Wells's " The War of the Worlds" has Ix-eu written by Mr. C. L. Graves and Mr. E. V. Lucas, entitled " The War of the Wennses." Mr. Bret Harte's "Tales of Trail and Town" will be publish? 1 by Messrs. Chut to and Wind us this week. Miss Arabella Kenealy has written a new story, entitled " Woman and the Shadow," which will he published in a few days by Messrs. Hutchin- son. The heroine of this story by the author of "Dr. Janet of Harley-.street," lives for a time en fami lie with some aristocratic connections who have a title but no money. For this association with blue blood she pays liberally. Mr. Fergus Hume has a new novel in twelve sections, entitled "Hagar of the Pawnshop," about to l>e published by Messrs. Skeftington. Within the next few days, Mr. Ernest G. Henham's new novel, "Tenebrae," will be pub- lished by Messrs. Skeftiugton. "Under One Cover" is the title of a collection of stories by Mr. Baring Gould, Mr. Henhain, Mr. Richard Marsh, Mr. Fergus Hume, and others, which Messrs. Skeftington are publishing. The last books to come from the Kelmscott Press will be " Love is Enough," and " A Note by William Moiris." They will appear on the 24th inst. The former will have two illustrations by Sir Edward Burne-Jones. "Hints for Eton Masters," is a volume by the late Mr. William Cory, who was connected with the famous school from 1845 to 1872. The Oxford University Press is about to issue the work, which makes rather a wider appeal than its title suggests. Mr. Lewis Sergeant, who has finished an his- torical sketch of "The Franks," for the Story of the the Nation Series, has entered the ranks of novelists. His first essay in this field, "The Caprice of Julia" (Hurst and Blackett ), deals partly with theatrical life. Stage life is also dealt with, though not from what may be willed the strenuous point of view, in Mr. Francis Gribble's new novel, which Messrs Innes are to publish, called "Sunlight and Limelight." Mr. Meredith is revising his Essays and Poems for publication in May in the collected edition of his works (Constable), which will then be com- pleted. Curiously, Mr. Meredith had lost sight of a poem which appeared in the Pull Mall (lazelle ten or twelve years ago, and which was lately recalled to his recollection by a fellow guest reciting it to him at Mr. Edward Clodd's seaside residence. A second series of "The Law's Lumber Room," by Mr. Francis Watt, is to be issued shortly from the Bodley Head. Among the articles are "Tyburn Tree," "Some Disused Roads to Matrimony," "The Border Laws," and " The Serjeant-at-Law." Mr. Lewis Day is at work on a volume of "Alphabets Old and New." It will consist of illustrations, with short letterpress descriptions. "Studies on Many Subjects," by the late Rev. Samuel Harvey Reynolds, vicar of East. Ham from 1871 to 1893, and author of "The Rise of the Modern European System," is about to be pub- lished by Mr. Edward Arnold  ## p. 271 (#713) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 271 Mrs. Ritchie, the novelist's daughter, is to write an introduction to each volume of the biographical edition of Thackeray's works which Messrs. Smith and Elder are about to issue. New examples of the letters and drawings of Thackeray will be given, and reproductions of a number of little known portraits, including those by Maclise which the Garrick Club are lending. M. Max Rooses, keeper of the Plantin-Moretus Museum, Antwerp, has undertaken to continue the publication of Rubens's correspondence, the first volume of which appeared in 1887 by the care of his colleague, the late M. Charles Ruelens, whereas the second,extending from 1609 to 1622, is now about to be published. He asks, by means of the Times, that the private possessors, as well as the custodians of public collections, who have any autographs of Rubens, should advise him of their existence. The Daily News is moved with concern for the English of the Queen's Speech at the opening of Parliament. In the first place, a reference was made to expenditure which is beyond "former precedent." On reading the following sentence the term in apposition to " elsewhere" is naturally inquired for: "A portion of the Afridi tribes have not accepted the terms offered to them, but elsewhere the operations have been brought to a successful close." In the reference to Crete it was stated that: "The difficulty of arriving at an unanimous agreement upon some points has unduly protracted their deliberations (i.e., the deliberations of the Powers), but I hope that these obstacles will before long be sur- mounted." What obstacles? As "the diffi- culty" is the subject in this sentence, "that obstacle" would appear to be the appropriate phrase. Our contemporary observes also "an unanimous agreement." Mr. Arthur Waugh is publishing through Mr. Arrowsinith a volume of verse entitled " Legends of the Wheel." The "wheel" is of course the bicycle. A book on Harrow School, edited by Mr. E. W. Howson and Mr. Townsend Wamer, and containing contributions by Harrow masters and old pupils—among the latter Lord Crewe, Sir Henry Cunningham, Sir Charles Dalrymple, M.P., Mr. Walter Long, and Mr. Chandos Leigh, Q.C.—is to be published by Mr. Edward Arnold. Earl Spencer, chairman of the governors, writes a preface to the work. Mr. MacAlister,the hon. secretary of the Library Association, has received an intimation from the Home Office to the effect that Her Majesty and Council have been graciously pleased to grant a royal charter of incorporation to the Library Association. In October next (says the Illustrated London News) Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton will publish the first number of a new religious periodical under the title of Ian Maclaren's Magazine. It will bd edited by the Rev. John Watson (Ian Maclaren) and Dr. Robertson Nicoll, and it is understood that the former will henceforth confine his writings to it. "Mirabeau," by Mr. P. F. Willert, will be the next volume in Messrs. Macinillan's Foreign Statesmen Series. Professor Michael Foster and Professor Ray Lankester are editing the papers contributed by Professor Huxley to the journals of the Royal, Linnean, and other societies. There will be three volumes, the first of which is due. A number of the papers appear in the edition of his works which Professor Huxley arranged shortly before his death. Canon Rawlinson's biography—largely made up, however, of diaries—of Major-General Sir Henry Rawlinson, will have a preface by Lord Roberts. We mentioned some time 6ince that the Glasgow Weekly Herald offered ten guineas each for short serial tales in five instalments, and one guinea for short weekly tales. The offer for short serials has now been withdrawn, and the editor has been compelled to warn contributors of weekly tales that so many excellent examples of these have been received and accepted that contributors need have no hope of tales appearing earlier than twelve months after thev are accepted. The Brotherhood Publishing Company is now circulating, under the title "What is Art r" a translation of a work by Count Tolstoy. This title was anticipated in 1885 by Mr. J. Stanley Little, and used by him for a book on art, published by Swan Sonneuschein. Mr. Little has had in preparation for some time past a second edition of his work, and there seems to be some prospect of a conflict of title. Count Tolstoy's book was originally announced as " On Art"; but it issued from the press in this country under the title to which Mr. Little has certainly the prior claim. Messrs. Seeley and Co. have recently published a new historical romance by Mrs. Marshall, "In the Choir of Westminster Abbey in the Time of Henry Purcell." It will be followed shortly by a story of "The Queen of Hearts " (the Princess Elizabeth) by the same author. Mrs. Marshall's works are published in the Tauchnitz edition, and are translated into German and French.  ## p. 272 (#714) ############################################ 272 THE AUTHOR. The fifth volume of the " English Catalogue of Books" will be published very soon. It covers the years 1890-1897. The editor invites authors who have published books within these limits to send him, c/o. Messrs. Sampson Low, Marston, and Co., Fetter-lane, the full titles, sizes, prices, year and month of publication, with the author's and publisher's names, as soon as possible. Another serial by Jean Middlemass, entitled "In Storm and Strife," is about to appear in the newspapers of the National Press Agency. The author's "Blanche Coningham's Surrender," has just been published by Messrs. White. Mr. Alan Oscar, the sea story writer, has written for the Strand Magazine a true sea story, recounting one of his own experiences. It will be illustrated by the author. In "The Devout Pilgrim's Guide to the Holy Land in the Way of Prayer," by Elizabeth Harcourt Mitchell (Church Printing Company, 11, Burleigh-street, Strand. 5*.), Mrs. Mitchell has tried to turn the thoughts of tourists in Palestine towards the devotional aspects of their tour, and hopes to make the work a companion to Murray and Baedeker's guides. Written at the request of the English Bishop in Jerusalem, it gives a very short account of each place, then the whole of the Scripture narrative concerning it, so that a hurried horseman need not wait to look out texts. This is followed by a short reflection and act of devotion, and sometimes Dy a few religious verses. A list of English churches in the Holy Land gives it a practical value. The German rights of Mr. Charles Lowe's historical romance of the Seven Yeais' War—"A Fallen Star; or, the Scots of Frederick "—kavn been acquired by the Deutsche Verlagsantalt of Stuttgart and Leipzig, which will shortly issue a translation from the pen of a distinguish°d German litterateur. Mr. Lowe has written for the Northern Newspaper Syndicate a series of ten articles on " Our Future King," which are also to appear in booklet form. "Heroes of the Reformation" is the title of the newest of new series. The first volume will be "Luther," by Professor Eyster Jacobs, of Philadelphia. In appearance the volumes will resemble those of the "Heroes of the Nations" series by the same publishers—Messrs. Putnam; and they will be issued at the rate of three per annum. Mr. Bernard Wentworth, author of "The Master of Hullingham Manor" and "Allerton Farm," had a blank verse poem in the Western Mail of Jan. 15, entitled " Anti-Agnosticism: A Vision." Another poem by the same author was published in the Western Mail of Jan. 29, 1897, entitled "Tintagel, by the Cornish Sea." This has passed into a second edition in booklet form, published by Messrs. Weighell and Co., Laun- ceston. An inscription to the memory of one Richard Hill, a contemporary of Shakespeare and an alderman and mayor of the town, who died in 1593, has been brought to light by the work of restoring Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-on-Avon. The first sentence over the rudely carved raised tomb is a Hebrew text from Job, the next is Greek, and the latter part of the inscription is as follows:— Hore lieth intombed the corps of Richard Hil, A woollen draper being in his time; Whose virtves live, whose fame dooth floriah stil, Thovgh hee deaolvi-d be to dvst and slime, A mirror he and paterae may be made, For evch as shall svekcead him in that trade; He did not vse to sweare, to glose, either faigne, His brother to defravde in burguninge; Hee woold not strive to get excessive gaine In ani cloth or other kinde of thinge: His servant. S. I., this trveth can testilie. A witness that beheld it with mi eie. Two novelties in the book world of the past month have been a book by Charles Dickens and one by Mr. Buskin. The Dickens volume, published by Mr. George Bedway, consists of a number of scattered papers, most of which appeared in Household Words, which have been collected by Mr. F. C. Henvon, who is well known for his research in everything that re'ates to the great novelist. Mr. Ruskin's book, published, of course, by Mr. George Allen, consists of a series of lectures on landscape, delivered at Oxford in the Lent term, 1871. LITERATURE IN THE PERIODICALS- Public Libraries, Authors, and Pub- lishers: Views of Mr. Spencer and Mr. Lecky.—Mr. J. A. Steuart on Bookselling and Reviews.—Newspapers and the Libel Law.—Count Tolstoi on Maupassant and Fiction. The principal subject of discussion during the past month has been the relations of authors and publishers to free libraries, upon which the views of Mr. Herbert Spencer and Mr. W. E. H. Lecky have been given. Mr. E. Marston vented the question in the Times by setting forth certain figures upon what he called the "enormous tax"  ## p. 273 (#715) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 273 that publishers have to pay in being obliged to present to the nation five copies of every book that they publish. He estimated that, during the eight years, 1890-97, 250,000 volumes have been thus presented to the British Museum and the four other public libraries of Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, and Dublin, which, if taken at the average published price of 5*. per volume, amounts to .£62,500; or, extending the period to the whole of Her Majesty's reign, 1,500,000 books, equal to •£375,000. As to this estimate, see " Notes and News," p. 261. Mr. Herbert Spencer pointed out that (exclud- ing non-copyright books) the burden is not borne mainly by the publishers; it is borne in chief measure, and often wholly, by the authors. Mr. Spencer goes on to say :— It is borne indirectly by the antbora in all tboae cases where there is sold the copyright of an edition, or where there is an agreement to pay half profits or a royalty; for in all such cases the publisher, in estimating the expenses of publication, sets down the gratis copies to be distributed, including among these the copies for the public libraries. This is one of the items which together form a total on the basis of which the amount offered to the author, under either form of publication, is calculated. And hence, whatever burden the cost of the five copies may be to the publisher, that burden is practically transferred to the author when settling the terms. But the burden falls directly upon the author in all cases of publication by commission. In the publisher's accounts the author is debited with the five copies, as he is with all gratis copies distributed on his behalf. The tax is levied by the nation on him whether he makes anything by his book or not, and no less when it entails on him a loss. During the firBt twelve years of my literary life every one of my books failed to pay for its paper, print, and advertisements, and for many years after failed to pay my small living expenses—every one of them made me the poorer. Never- theless, the forty millions of people constituting the nation demanded of the impoverished brain-worker five gratis copies of each. There is only one simile occurring to me which at all represents the faot, and that in but a feeble way—Dives asking alms of Lazarus! Mr. Lecky took an opposite side. I am always reluctant to differ from anything which Mr- Herbert Spencer writes, but I earnestly trust that the old and well-established obligation of sending a copy of all books published in the kingdom to five public libraries may not cease to be limited to the British Museum. It is scarcely possible to overrate the importance to those who are engaged in literary research of having accessible libraries where they are certain to find all such books easily and gratuitously, and I should much regret if this privilege were confined to London students. The tendency to centralise literary life in the metropolis is already more than sufficiently strong, and suoh a measure would certainly increase it. In this, as in most things, we have to strike a balance between good and evil. In the case of valuable illustrated books which are printed in small numbers, the present system is no doubt a hardship; but as the chief expense of a book is laying down the type, the cost of the few additional copies is in most caBes trivial. A little known writer who has sterling merit will almost certainly find readers in a public library, who will repay his outlay by helping to accelerate the period of his popularity; and even when books remain permanently un- remunerative it is often some satisfaction to their authors to know that they have found a dignified resting-place. In my opinion any change that made these great libraries less complete than at present would be a serious calamity to literature. To the above letter Mr. Herbert Spencer makes the following re[dy :— Mr. Lecky rightly says of the required gifts to libraries that11 the cost of the few additional copies is in most cases trivial." To Mr. Lecky it has always been so, and it is so to me at present; but it is not so to the struggling author, *ith whom for long years it is a question whether he will sink or swim. Moreover, his first loss is the parent of a second and larger loss. The few copies which the State takes from him are used by it to intercept the buyers of many copies. After the year of grace during which his book is withheld, numbers who would otherwise purchase it read it at the museum library, and already a loser, he loses much more. While agreeing with Mr. Lecky that facilities for literary research are very desirable, I do not agree that they can be achieved only through public institutions. Fifty odd years ago some men of letters and others (Mr. Carlyle being a chief mover) set up the London Library for the purpose of facilitating research, the British Museum library failing in sundry respects to meet their needs. From the London Library books may be taken home; fifteen may be had out at a time, and if any book a student wants is of appreciable value it is bought for him and afterwards put on the shelves. The library has now 175,000 volumes and grows at an increasing rate. Of course it is far from all-embracing. But, had there existed no public libraries: had the felt need prompted establishment of it a generation or more earlier; had its claims then become widely known, as they would; had it received, as it now does, gifts of books and of private libraries, as well as probably dona- tions and bequests of money, it would by this time have gone far to fulfil all the requirements. It is true that we have not, like the Americans, millionaires who found universities or build magnificent observatories. Still, there are instances of the required public spirit; and when we learn that in 1890 charitable bequests reached over .£1,000,000, that within the few preceding years bequests for art galleries and oollectionB had reached over half a million, and that London and Edinburgh and other places have recently witnessed kindred gifts, it is not an over- sanguine calculation that, under pressure of the need, an institution like the London Library, earlier founded, would before now have grown to vast proportions, quite meeting the want, and would have accumulated a fund .(.£200,000) the interest of which would suffice to purchase copies of all new works. But now from this Bide issue let me return to the main issue. Grant that to facilitate literary research there must be public libraries. Does it follow that these must be recruited by oopies of all new works taken from their authors under penalty r Is it not possible that copies may be bought? Admit the want, and the first question arising is : By whom shall the cost of satisfying it be borne? Shall the public who profit by the books bear it, or the authors who have laboured to produce the books P Shall the tax be paid by the many millions benefited, or by the few hundreds who benefit them P As implied above, I accept neither alternative. But, assuming that one must be accepted, then I say that in equity the burden should be borne by the State with its hundred millions of revenue, and not imposed on a small class of men, most of them needy,  ## p. 274 (#716) ############################################ 274 THE AUTHOR. and many of them passing their lives " in shallows and in miseries." Among the variety of opinions current on the question of the value of reviews, comes Mr. J. A. Steuart's advice to booksellers to utilise these more than they do. The editor of the Publishers' Circular, in a paper in the Fortnightly for February, estimates the whole present position of the commercial interests of literature, and he counsels more push being exhibited in the retail trade to advertise books. "At present," he remarks, "the advertising is left wholly to the publisher, a circumstance which may have sug- gested to the Authors' Society that hint to the retail trade about energy and enterprise." The man in the street does not read reviews, but it is the business of booksellers to parade these reviews before him, with practical results. "I know one bookseller who, when he finds a eulo- gistic review of a new book, instantly cuts it out and displays it in a conspicuous manner. He tells me the system is a gratifying success. Could other booksellers not follow his example?" Mr. Steuart views with disfavour the recommendation of the sub-committee of the Society of Authors that booksellers should bring out new editions of non-copyright books on their own account: "It would merely mean the creation of a publisher and the spoiling of a bookseller; and of pub- lishers we have no scarcity, either for old books or new." Mr. Steuart finally observes that it is clearly to the interest of all concerned to have a prosperous retail trade; and he agrees with the secretary of the Society of Booksellers that the work of reform is but beginning. Reference was made in The. Author a few months ago to the dangerous simplicity of getting up actions for libel against newspapers, and to the remarks of the Lord Chief Justice upon the frivolity which often distinguishes the grounds for such actions. The Daily News states that the list for the Hihvy Sittings on the Queen's Bench Division contains thirty actions for libel, mostly against newspapers. Anyone who brings an action against a leading newspaper is sure of getting his costs and damages if he succeeds; if he fails he may be, and very often is, unable to pay the costs either of the journal against which he has proceeded or of the solicitor who has taken up his case on speculation. The Daily News is satisfied that the result of a case tried before Mr. Justice Hawkins the other day, following as it does the actions recently laughed out of court by the Lord Chief Justice, warrant us in believing that happier days have really at last dawned upon journalists. A Bill was introduced last Session by Mr. Boscawen to amend the law, and it is being brought in again this year. It is supported by members of all political parties, including Sir Albert Rollit, a Conservative; Mr. Frederick Wilson, a Liberal; and Mr. T. P. O'Connor, an Irish Nationalist. The first clause provides that particulars of the libel or libels, with dates, must be endorsed on the writ. This is to give the defendants an opportunity of at once apologising or paying money into court without waiting for the next stage, the statement of claim, and thereby incurring needless expense, which may l)e very considerable. The second clause allows of alter- native pleadings. The law at present, for no assignable or intelligible reason, forbids alterna- tive pleading in actions of libel, and in actions of libel alone. In an article on " Maupassant and Fiction" in the February numlier of Chapman's Magazine, Count Tolstoi represents this writer as having, in all his novels subsequent to "Bel Ami," bowed to the theory that in a work of art it is not only of no moment to have a clear conception of right and wrong, but that, on the contrary, an artist must igncre all moral considerations, and that there is even a peculiar merit in his power to do so. The theory set forth above is not only supreme at present in a Parisian circle, but amongst artists everywhere; it is fashionable. More, Count Tolstoi thinks French authors are at fault in the matter of describing their nation. "For France to exist as we know her, with her truly great acquirements in science and art, and her civic, national, and moral improvement of humanity, the working people which has main- tained and is supporting this France upon its shoulders must be composed not of brutes, but of men with great mental capacity." If we turn, meantime to M. Bastide's pjaper in the Fortnightly for February (" Cacoethes Literarum") we get the suggestion that in France literature is a disease. There is a ministry of fine arts; theatres are subsidised ; numerous pensions and still more numerous honours granted; anyone may dabble in literature; there is no risk whatever. "The novel's objective, even exteriorily," says Count Tolstoi, " is the description of one or many com- plete human lives, and therefore the writer of a novel must have a clear and fine conception of what is right and wrong in life." This De Maupassant had not; but, fortunately, he wrote short stories, "in which he did not cramp himself by the false theory he had accepted."  ## p. 275 (#717) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 275 THE BOOES OF THE MONTH. [Jan. "24 to Feb. 23.—262 Books.] Adams, Brooks. Law of Civilisation and Decay. 7/6 net Macmillan. Allen, A. V. G. Christian Institution!. 12'- T. andT. Clark. Anderson, J. G. Manual of French Prose Construction. 5/- Klackie. Anonymous (** Lucus a non Lucendo "). Ray a from the Starry Host. A/. Roxburgbe. Anonymous. Novels and Novelists. 7/fi net. W H. Allen. Armitage. E. Pictures and Drawings selected from the Works of. Low. Bliss. Richards. O. Allen. Blackwood. Burns and Oatea, Blackwood. Head ley. Macmillan. Oliphant. Dulau. Macmillan. Unicorn Press. £8 net or £» 8s. net Atherton, Gertrude. His Fortunate Grace. 2 6. Atkinson. A. G, B St Botolph. Aldgate. 5 - net. Attwell, H. Panaies Irom Frencb Gardens. 2 - Audon, H. W. Higher Latin Unseens. 2/6. AvK White. A Noble Revenge. 8/6. Baden-Powell, Sir G. The Saving or Ireland. 7/6. Baker, W. K. John T. Dorland. 67- Bates, Katharine Lee. American Literature. 6/- Bayne, W James Thomson (Famous Scots). I/G. Baedeker. Karl. Spain and Portugal. 16 - Bailey, L. H. Lessons with Plants. 7/6. Barsac, L. Shadow and Fireflies. 3 6 net. Batiffol, P. (tr. by A. M. Y. Baylaj). History of the Roman Breviary. 7,6. Longman. Bengougb, Maj.-Gen. H Preparatory Battle Formations. 1 - net. Gale and Polden. Benson, E. F. The Vintage. «/- Methuen. Bet ham-Ed wards, M. (ed ). Autobiography of Arthur Young. 12 G. Smith, Elder. Bet bam-Ed wards. M. A Storm-rent Sky. G/- Hurst. Bickersteth, E. Our Heritage In the Church. C/- Low. Birtt, W. B. By the Roaring Reuss. 5/- Constable. BlennerhaaBctt, Sir Rowland. University Education in England, France, and Germany. 1/- Murray. Bodley, J. E. C. France 21/-net. Macmillan. Bogg, E. The Border Country. Leeds: E. Bogg. Bo las, T. 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