18 20 545 https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/321/1898-10-01-The-Author-9-5.pdf c7516e1e8a0dd73671dabe66be68edbb PDF Text Text ������������������������ Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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) 1898-10-01 Volume 9 Issue 5 Pages Page range in volume 101–124 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 18981001 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin tTbe Hutbor, {The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vol. IX.—No. 5.] OCTOBER 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 poet, and requests that all members not receiving an answer to important communications within two days will write to him without delay. All remittances should be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent 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. FOB sorne years it has been the practice to insert, in every number of The Author, certain "General Con- eiderations," Warnings, Notdoes,&c., 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 his true character, and should 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 cost 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. IX. 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 amonnt of overreaching and trading on the author's ignorance, it is above all things necessary to know what the proposed royalty means to both sides. It is now possible for an author to ascertain approximately and very nearly the truth. From time to time the very important figures oonnected with royalties are published in The Author. Readers oan 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 bo their maximum. Therefore every author, for every book, should arrange on the chanoe of a success which will not, probably, come at all; but which may come. 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 oommon 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 for exchanged advertisements, and that all discounts shall be duly entered. If these points are carefully looked after, the author mar 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. L 2  ## p. 102 (#114) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. i. "JT^VEBY member has a right to ask for and to receive I'J advice upon his agreements, his choioe of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his 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 conneoted with copyright and publisher's agreements do not generally fall within the experience of ordinary solicitors. Therefore, do not scruple to use the Sooiety first—our solicitors are oontinually 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 every- thing important to literature that yon 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 Sooiety 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. Communications for The Author should reach the Editor not later than the 21st of each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Sooiety or not, are invited to- communicate to the Editor any points connected with their work which 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 is 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 present location of the Authors' Club is at 3, White- hall-court, Charing Cross. Address the Seoretary for information, rules of admission, &c. Will members take the trouble to ascertain whether they have paid their subscriptions for the year? If they will do this, 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 or dishonest? Of oourse they would not. Why then hesitate for a moment when they are asked to sign themselves into literary bondage for three or five years? "Those who possess the 'Cost 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 oorrect: 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 sums 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 practiwe this method of swelling their own profits call it- NOTICES. THE 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 6s. 6d. subscription for the year. The Editor is always glad to receive short 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 their names and the special subjects on which they are willing to write t LITERARY PROPERTY. I.—Personal Experiences. 1. IT occurs to me that some of your readers may be interested in a true story of publication within my own experience. About a quarter of a century ago I entered into an agreement with a well-known London publisher, who undertook to bear the expenses of a small book, and to pay me half the profits. It was a very unpretending book, but there was  ## p. 103 (#115) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. supposed to be a reasonable prospect of selling it. At the end of the year in which it was pub- lished I duly received an account of it, by which it appeared that the number of copies sold was insufficient to produce a profit. Each succeeding year a similar account came in, and each time the debt against the book grew somewhat smaller. A fair number of copies were sold, but the charges for binding and advertisements invariably went near to neutralising the profits made by sales. At last, after about thirteen years, the scale was just turned. All the copies were sold out, and the profits were equally divided. My share .came to about a guinea; and of course the pub- lisher's share came to the same amount. With this result I was prepared to rest satisfied. No harm had come of the experiment; and though the profits, amounting to about is. Sd. a year, were not magnificent, still it was all so much to the good. Much to my astonishment, the publisher took a, very different view. He was quite anxious for a second edition, and represented that the cost of reprinting would be less, and the sale would probably improve. It seemed to me not worth the while, and I gave it as my decided opinion that the result would be much the same as before. However, I was overruled, and consented to repeat the «xperiment. The result showed that I was quite right. The Accounts have come in yearly in the old style, though the expenses, instead of being less, were somewhat greater. At present the book has only been on sale for eleven years, so that some years must still elapse before we can expect to have anything to divide. And, as far as I can calcu- late from the latest accounts, I think that, when the edition comes to an end, we stand to lose the guinea which the first edition so successfully achieved. The conclusion which I feel compelled to draw is this, viz., that some of our publishers really know very little about business. I cannot but think that, in this case, I could have done quite as well myself. To sell two editions of a book in more than a quarter of a century, and to make nothing by it after all, seems a very poor performance. Walter W. Sxeat. ii. Since you have done me the honour of thinking that my experiences with publishers would be of interest and profit to our brothers and sisters " in arms," I shall briefly relate them. First of all let me echo the first half of the letter of the New York paper quoted in the September issue of The Author (p 86, col. 2), and sincerely repeat my own thanks to the founder of the Society and Editor of The Author, as well as to the Secretary, whose kind and prompt assistance have for the last four or five years been a constant guide to me, and whose suggestions I have always endeavoured to realise, though, I must admit, only with partial success. This restriction is necessary, for one of our tenets (with the royalty system) is an examina- tion of accounts by an authorised lawyer; to this condition neither I nor any author-friend of mine have ever found a publisher to consent.* The reasons given are always the same: "Self- respect," "pride," "never done," "suspicion of dishonesty," "no one likes his accounts to be pried into by a lawyer," <fcc. These objections, I need hardly say, are valueless. Has one ever heard of a concern in which one partner has no right to have an audit of the accounts of the joint business? Some publishers make a show of conceding the letter of our demand for an "examination of accounts "; they say that they have no objection to an author seeing their books, that these books are always at his disposal. Of course. Of what use is it to show accounts to a man to whom a simple sum is pain, and whose total yearly arithmetical practice probably con- sists in the addition of marks at the end of each term—when he does not get one of his boys to do it! I know that all authors are not so dull; but even if an author is shown the book concerning his works, of what use is that ?—it is the books concerning the printer of these works, those that will show whether the number of copies printed tallies with that accounted for in the royalty. In fact, I would go further, and say, with due deference to our Secretary, that the whole system of examination of accounts as at present suggested, is nugatory. Why should not a publisher have a livre d serrure, not for secret lost words, but for another pichi mignon? What can prevent his having a book for extra copies or extra editions? Of course, this would be dishonest; but an old, large, and respected firm has been found out paying royalty on zod. instead of 11rf! When an old, large, and respectable firm stoops to this infinitesimal swindling, I think authors may well feel suspicious. Again, an old friend who has had a life-long experience of authorship, a man whose name is well known to all who have been to school, who is an old man, and ought to be rich * I am speaking of the publication of school-books only, which alone haa oome under my observation.  ## p. 104 (#116) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. (but is not), when asked as to the best mode of publishing said to me sadly: "My dear friend, whichever way you publish you will be swindled. It is a remarkable fact, but a fact, that books published on the 'lump sum down ' system run through a large number of editions, whereas those on the royalty system always run very slowly." The conclusion he left to me. To take the case theoretically, is it, humanly speakiDg, likely or even possible that a man who is irresponsible, and absolutely safe against detection, should give over to another a large sum due to him, when, first, he knows the latter to be totally ignorant of the amount, and to be in the impossibility of finding out; when, secondly, a small one does just as well; and when, thirdly, there are sundry excuses such as "office expenses," "advertising," &c., to salve our qualms of conscience? After all, does not a publisher want the money more f He has his wife's carriage to keep up, his retinue of servants, his sons at Eton and Harrow, his yacht; and all these expenses are very heavy. As to the poor author, what does he want the money for? He has no wants; if he is cold, he can wrap his rug round his legs! Seriously speaking, there are in the royalty system only two safeguards possible, to my mind. One is old; it was mentioned as possible last year in The Author. It consists in exacting that every authentic copy bear the signature of both author and publisher. This was actually carried out by my father from 1850 to 1870 for his dictionary, and I can remember piles and piles of books arriving to be stamped by him and his secretary. This labour many authors would now shrink from, but there seems to me to be an alternative. It would consist simply in this, that, in the agree- ment, a clause be added to the effect that the printer should be instructed to print not a single copy without the joint signature of author and publisher. As it is, the printer receives orders from the publisher only; he cannot go behind and inquire whether this order is put down in the publisher's accounts to the author. With this clause he could not print extra editions without breaking the law, and most publishers would not even be tempted to give extra orders; for many a man will sin if sure not to be found out, who will shrink before the remotest chance of detection or of appearing dishonest in the eyes of any one person beside himself. I must now humbly, and—I may add—despon- dently, confess a failure on this point. I was recently speaking to a junior member of a good firm. He was praising the absolute straightfor- wardness of his house, saying that he had been through the drudgery and routine, and knew all the wheels and cog-wheels of the huge machinery, concluding that with his own eyes he had seen the perfect honesty of the firm. 1 now asked how, theoretically speaking, his firm would consider the addition of this clause into their agreement. His answer was, I regret to say, that such a thing would be a " slur," Ac.—in fact, the old story. However, either of these clauses would be suffi- cient to relieve the present unpleasant strain in the relations between author and publisher. The ideal would be a complete audit of printer's and publisher's accounts; if this be conceded, there is no reason for the partners in literary property ever to quarrel and tight. An author would feel in his publisher the same confidence as in his. banker. It is therefore seen that within my experience no publisher consents in his agreements to a legal examination of accounts—nay, more, to any check upou possible dishonesty. In this suspicion of possible dishonesty lies all the unpleasantness of the relations between author and publisher, and until it is removed, this unpleasantness expressed or understood will subsist. If you are honest, show it. An honest man is glad to do so; in fact, he is grateful that suspicion of his honesty be made impossible. Honesty never shuns the light. How do you expect to be trusted (as you should be) if you purposely and deliberately take the attitude best calculated to rouse suspicion? In these remarks I have only considered the royalty system, because it is undoubtedly the most important; for it is the fairest to both, parties. With a sum down either publisher or author (theoretically, at any rate) loses a legiti- mate part of his profits. In the royalty system the publisher qua capitalist reaps a high profit for his investment and "risk." This is right; but this should be all, and no possible doubt should be left to lurk in the author's mind. Sooner or later, the system of honest royalty will prevail; if the large, old, and respected firms adhere to their high and mighty ways, they will be replaced by new firms whose dealings are above board, and therefore completely satisfactory to the author. But the sooner the older firms alter their ways the better, or they will only be supported by young and untried authors, and left by those who are sure of a certain amount of sale. I now come to the practical conclusion of my tdtonnements. Eighteen months ago I tried to* get a well-known firm to publish a book of mine "on commission." I went; I offered to take all "risks," and, whereas they give a 10 per cent, royalty, / offered them a 15 per cent. royalty on.  ## p. 105 (#117) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. the sales. This proved too much. "What!" exclaimed the head, " / become author aud you publisher! No thank you!" The cat was out of the bag: huge profits or no deal. At last, after much seeking, I heard of a large firm of "distributors" who also take up pub- lishing, and came to the most satisfactory arrange- ment, which, I see in The Author (August, p. 59, col. 2) has been also adopted by Miss Braddon. I send my MS. to the printer and the books to the agent who distributes them to the booksellers, and asks me for supplies. All is here above board; and hitherto I have had nothing but satisfaction. There are three points I would finally men- tion: 1. Choose your publisher or agent in or near Paternoster-row—it will avoid disappoint- ment. Booksellers send there every day, and their profits are so low that they can barely be expected to pay extra fares for their col- lectors to go further away, hence the excuses "out of print" or "binding" that are given to inquirers. 2. The two other points are Nos. 3 and 4 in the scheme agreed upon by the Booksellers' Associa- tion and our Society and named in The Author (Aug. 1898, p. 63, coi. 1, fin.). "Books are to be sent on sale or return." Undoubtedly the plan offers many advantages. Unfortunately, on the one hand, I am told by a large firm of publishers that, after very many years' experience, they find that the system is not to be recommended; they say that many book- sellers strongly object to it, on the ground that books get mislaid in their stock and that they have to pay for goods they did not order and did not want; besides, that too many of the books are returned more or less damaged and require fresh binding. On the other hand, I must confess that book- sellers, for whom I feel the sincerest sympathy, are very remiss. A draper, a hair-dresser, or any other retail house will hardly allow you to leave the shop without making some purchase, however useless to yourself. On the contrary, I have hardly ever in England, save in Oxford, been shown a book that might be useful or agreeable, or urged to buy one;. and I suppose the experience of others coincides with mine. To this supine- ness might be attributed the regrettable depres- sion in the bookselling trade as well as to the cut-throat competition that booksellers have prac- tised against one another. If a member of the Society knew of an issue to this impasse I am sure he would be doing yeoman service to the Society by a communication. 3. My third remark refers to No. 4 of the scheme mentioned above: "the odd copy is to be abolished." As the odd copy is generally given to the bookseller on a whole order, even if it consists of different books, and as the profits of the bookseller are generally so small, it seems that the odd copy is an advantage that should hardly be denied to him. It is an encouragement for him to buy and therefore to place books before the public. I cannot conclude without anticipating a certain amount of misrepresentation to which my condemnatory remarks against some pub- lishers might give rise. I am fully alive to the valuable help given to authors by good publishers, and gladly acknow- ledge the same with a personal feeling of gratitude. How many readers, schoolmasters, and others will take up a book merely because it bears the name of a good firm ?" The book must be good since so-and-so publish it." That name is a sort of hall mark. Besides, a good publisher will give a young author a start which will be the initial point of a brilliant career. Finally, by friendly words of encouragement, pub- lishers often give fresh life and ardour to a despondent and nervous author. In a word, it would require but a very little concession on the part of the publishers to make their relation with authors perfectly pleasant and cordial, as they should be—as pleasant as those between an author and his banker. This long tale of experiences and these many remarks may be of use to other members. I trust they may. I offer them in that hope. At any rate, they will prove conclusively how useful The Author is, and what good work the Society does in a way that it probably never suspects. Many besides myself have doubtless imbibed and thought out the ideas and doctrines propounded in The Author, and have individually and obscurely approached the publishers in the same direction. If, however, there was a little more esprit de corps among authors, publishers would make at once con- cessions which they will have ultimately to make, and which seem to me to be merely a concession to the ordinary principles of honesty. Victor Spiers. II.—The Publishers' Draft Agreements. 1. I would call attention to certain facts in the publishers' draft agreements which deserve to be borne in mind very carefully. 1. There is not a word said as to any means of checking accounts or preventing dishonesty. Alone among all men in the world of any trade or calling whatever, the publisher regards himself as a person whose honour and honesty are  ## p. 106 (#118) ############################################ io6 THE AUTHOR. absolutely beyond the reach of suspicion. He is like Caesar's wife: he is like the French army: he is unlike any other person or any other institu- tion, and this in the face of the scandals and exposures constantly made in these columns. 2. The right of taking—or purloining—as much of the profits as he pleases by advertising in his own organs or by exchanges is carefully reserved by preserving silence on the subject. 3. In second and following editions the cost of production is greatly—very greatly—reduced. There is no composition, no moulding or stereo- typing, no corrections, very little advertising. The cost of an ordinary six shilling book may be reduced to less than od., yet no change is made in the author's royalty and no better terms are offered to the bookseller. n. No criticisms in The Author on the methods of publishers have ever equalled in point and brutal frankness their own recent f ulmination. What do publishers take us for? Do they imagine that because we are authors we are entirely devoid of business capacity, and have returned to our first childhood? With them apparently might is right, and their publishers' agreements are clearly constructed with a cordial recognition of this principle. The insult of the whole thing is, to my mind, the worst feature. Authors are not credited with common sense, to say nothing of ordinary acuteness. They are therefore to be treated with a high hand. I am convinced that publishers have dealt themselves a heavy, if not disastrous, blow. In their blind and reckless policy they would kill the goose that lays the golden egss; for it is quite certain their very existence depends on the author, while the converse is not by any means the case. Do they really think that anyone except the struggling amateur will submit work to them under these new conditions? If so, their credu- lity is on a par with their " agreements." In these proposals publishers have found a short cut to the tether-end of the authors' patience; and those whose work is marketable will, in many instances, rid themselves of this publishers' incubus altogether and follow the excellent examples of Miss Braddon and others —examples which I, for one, will imitate at the earliest opportunity. Spero Melioka. m. Tour invitation in the September Author for an expression of opinion by all your readers on the subject of the publishers' Draft Agree- ments is my excuse for the present communica- tion. I at once confess that in the past I have thought your painting of the picture of the publisher rather on the black side than otherwise. I was grievously mistaken. As you remark, your past statements have fallen far short of the truth. All authors are deeply indebted to the Society for its strenuous fight—in the face of direst ridicule—on behalf of the rights and just dues of literary property. There is but one remedy for the present state of affairs, and now that the matter is laid bare befoi.e all who care to read, it is devoutly to be hoped that that remedy will be applied. It is that the stronger writers make a firm stand for equitable agreements. Beginners—like myself—are as dust in the balance. We can do little. It is for the giants in the literary world to turn the scale. Many of the best known names in literature are on the list of the Authors' Society. If they present their ultimatum much can be accomplished. It seems to me incredible that even the most inexperienced, most eager-to-get-into-print young author would sign the agreements put forth by the publishers; yet if this is not the case, why publish them at all? From a business point of view they are amazing—almost absurd. I have had many business agreements through my hands, but, so far as my experience goes, no business man who prides himself on any commercial acumen whatever, would so give himself away as to propound—even to his employee—such ridiculous conditions as those in question contain. I have always been led to believe that an agreement to be valid must set forth reasonable advantages accruing to both parties. In those under discus- sion where do the author's advantages appear? You ask for brevity; but before concluding may I state two suggestions which have occurred to me that may appeal to you as being worth dis- cussion: 1. Would it not now be advisable for the Society to frame a set of agreements which shall adequately protect the author as pro- ducer, whilst giving the publisher what is his due as distributor? 2. I believe that one or two well-known authors, to their own distinct advantage, have acted as their own distributors. On the same basis could not the Society establish a distributing department? This arrange- ment would, I think, serve a two-fold purpose. (1) To many members of the Society, whose names are a guarantee of good work, it would doubtless be a welcome innovation. (2) It would drive home the lesson the Society wishes to inculcate more forcibly than any other course. J. C. S.  ## p. 107 (#119) ############################################ THE A UTHOR. III.—The Registration of Titles. There has been some discussion in the papers lately with regard to the question of titles in books and the registration of titles. As it appears from most of the correspondence that the writers are ignorant of the law that bears upon the question relating to the property in titles—as they speak of "Copyright in Titles," whereas no such thing as copyright exists in titles—it may be as well to make a few remarks on the subject. The law referring to the right of property in a title is very clear. The interpretation of that law is exceedingly difficult and complicated. Each ease has to be decided by its own particular evidence. The law bearing on the right of pro- perty in titles comes under, and is in some ways analogous to, Trade Mark law, but titles cannot be registered like trade marks. The main ques- tion to be decided on each case, however, is whether a fraud has been committed on the public. To take an example: Suppose A. pub- lishes a book with a certain title, and the book has an established reputation and a continued and established sale, it would be impossible for B. to produce a book with a similar title, as people might obtain B.'s book when desiring to obtain A.'s, and thus would be defrauded by B.'s conduct; but, to give A. a property, A.'s book must have established itself on the market, and must be in continuous sale. The difficulty of the interpretation of the law is therefore evident, as it can only be decided on the facts of each particular case and by each individual judge as to what will constitute an established position of A.'s book on the market. The most curious case on the subject was a case entitled Maxwell v. Hogg. Messrs. Hogg, in 1863, registered an intended new magazine to be called Belgravia. In 1866, such magazine not having appeared, Mr. Maxwell, in ignorance of what Messrs. Hogg had done, projected a maga- zine with the same name, and incurred con- siderable expense in preparing it, and exten- sively advertising it in August and Sep- tember, as about to appear in October. Messrs. Hogg, knowing of this, made hasty preparations for bringing out their own magazine before that of Mr. Maxwell could appear, and in the mean- time accepted an order from Mr. Maxwell for advertising his (Mr. Maxwell's) magazine on the covers of their own publications, and the first day on which they informed Mr. Maxwell that they objected to his publishing a magazine under that name was Sept. 25, on which day the first number of Messrs. Hogg's magazine appeared. Mr. Maxwell's magazine appeared in October. VOL. IX. Under these circumstances, on a bill filed by Mr. Maxwell, it was held, that Mr. Maxwell's adver- tisements and expenditure "did not give Mm any exclusive right to the use of the name '• Bel- gravia," and that he could not restrain Messrs. Hogg from publishing a magazine under the same name, the first number of which appeared before Mr. Maxwell had published his; and on a bill filed by Messrs. Hogg, that the registration by them of the title of an intended publication could not confer upon them a copyright in that name, and that, in the circumstances of the case, they had not acquired any right to restrain Mr. Maxwell from using the name as being Messrs. Hogg's trade mark. It would appear also that if one person pub- lished a scientific book with the same title as a book of poems by another person, no action would lie, as there would be no fraud on the public, it being impossible that any person in- tending to buy the scientific book would be deceived into buying a book of poems, or the reverse. The clear facts to be remembered with regard to title, then, may be considered as follows: 1. There is no copyright in a title. 2. An author has only property in a title when his book has a reputation on the market, is selling, and when such reputation and sale are prejudiced by the production of any book with the same or similar title. 3. The Courts must be the final arbiters on the facts of each particular case. 4. Though the law is clear, the interpretation of that law is exceedingly difficult. 5. Registration of a title merely gives no pro- perty in that title. 6. From a practical point of view, therefore, it is better for an author as a rule to settle a point on reasonable terms than to go to law. 7. It is better still for an author not to mention his title to anyone until his book is produced. Those who through personal experience have come across the question for the first time con- sider the matter as a difficulty but recently discovered, which needs immediate amendment; they may, however, rest assured that the question of legislating more fully on the point has been deeply and thoroughly discussed and considered by all those who have attempted to legislate on copyright or who are interested in the affairs of authorship. It is not a simple or one-sided question. It is exceedingly complicated, and has many sides. At present no remedy has been devised suffi- ciently satisfactory to embody in any of the draft Copyright Bills. "G. H. Thring. M  ## p. 108 (#120) ############################################ io8 THE AUTHOR. IV.—Two Curious Cases, i. Refusing to Reprint a Book. Some years ago one of the largest publishing firms in England entered into a contract with a young author for the publication of a technical book. The terms of the agreement were roughly as follows: That the publisher should stand all risk of the cost of production, and should pay the author 10 per cent. after the sale of the first 2000 copies: That the copyright should belong to the publisher. The further details of the contract it is un- necessary to enter into, except to state that the publisher had practical control of the book over all the world. The book did not have a rapid sale, but, owing to its rather unique qualities, had a steady and continued one. Eight years after its first publi- cation the 2000 copies were sold out. On the author writing to the publisher and requesting that the book should be reprinted, he received a letter stating that, as there was not sufficient demand for the book amongst their customers, they would not reprint it, but they offered to sell the plates and their rights under the agreement to the author for £6, ending their letter with the fol- lowing statement: "Which is half of our loss to this date on the book." The following particulars may tend to explain the position of the author and publisher: First. The cost of production of 2000 copies of a book of the size and price referred to should be easily covered by the sale of 2000 copies. Secondly. The author should never have sold his copyright. Thirdly. Ten per cent. would have been a small royalty if offered to the author from the beginning. Lastly. After the publishers have reaped all the benefits they possibly can from the sale of the book they refuse to reprint. What their reason may be for this refusal of course it is impossible to know. They had the plates. There would there- fore only be the cost of print and paper. It could not possibly have been the very small re- muneration due to the author. The question, then, must be left an open one, but from the author's point of view the treatment was distinctly bad, and this treatment was from one of the largest firms of publishers in England. As the copyright belongs to the publishers the unfortunate author is practically at their mercy. 2. A Series of Mistakes. 1. The authors undertook to pay for the print- ing, binding—in a word, the manufacture. 2. Accounts were to be made half yearly, pay- ment six months later; so that the publishers gained, and the author lost, the interest on their property for an average of nine months. 3. The author retained the right of sale in Ireland. 4. Published price, 3s. Sales to be accounted for at id. over two-thirds, i.e., at 2s. id.; but 13 as 12, making the return of each book is. 1 i_fed. 5. For printing, binding, and stereotyping the author was to pay is. 1 \d. each for the first 2000, after that j\d. for following orders of 2000 each. That is to say, the book was alleged to cost £.112 10s. for the first edition of 2000, and .£64 iis. Sd. for all subsequent editions of 2000. The publishers were to receive 20 per cent. on all sales in England, and 10 per cent on all sales in Ireland, where the price was to be 2.1. net. The book sold largelv in Ireland. The author does not seem to have questioned the charge for printing, which may therefore be left. 6. When the first account came in a sum of .£5 was charged for moulding, which was actually included in the estimate, being a part of the process of stereotyping. The general charge for moulding is 5*. or 6*. a sheet, so that if the charge for moulding is correct, the book should contain i6| sheets, or 264 pages. 7. A second item in the account showed that the first 3000 copies had been charged at the same rate as that agreed upon for the first 2000. 8. A third item showed that a few pages over and above those of the original estimate had been charged for as printing aDd binding (!) Now, they would certainly make a difference in the printing, but could they make a difference in the binding? 9. On the author representing that the original estimate included stereotyping, the charge for £5 was withdrawn. 10. As to the second mistake, that, too, was withdrawn. 11. Then the publisher began to make delays and to send up accounts complicated and in- volved. Finally, the author placed them in the hands of an actuary, who found out that the publisher owed the author the sum of .£150 (less a small payment made on account), and the author compelled him to pay it. ANOTHER WORD ON ROYALTIES- fl^HKEE months ago we gave in The Author I certain figures which were actual estimates tendered by printers. The example is, as usual, the 6*. book, not necessarily a novel. From these figures the following may be made out.  ## p. 109 (#121) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. A book of 20 sheets of 16 pages to a sheet: or of 10 sheets of 32 pages to a sheet: in small pica type: with 29 lines and about 300 words to a page, costs to produce, on estimates like all those given in these columns, real and not invented: An edition of 1000 copies will cost about Is. 6d. or is. yd. to produce. This is the kind of book which has a limited sale and will not go into a second edition. An edition of 2000 copies, including moulding for a second edition and a moderate amount of advertising, can be produced for thirteen or fourteen pence. An edition of 3000 copies can be produced for a shilling a copy, including moulding, but not stereotyping. But a second edition of 3000 copies, with stereotyping, can be produced for eightpence. In the second edition there is neither composi- tion, nor corrections, nor moulding, and very little advertising. It is quite possible to reduce these figures still lower. Paper was never so cheap, and becomes cheaper. Now any royalty that may be offered must be based upon these figures, or something like them. On the first, or only, edition of 1000 copies the publisher and author begin to divide after 520 copies are sold; they may make more, however, than is apparent, because they need not " mould" a book which is not going into a new edition: they do not bind more than they want: and they do not advertise so much as is set down. On the second supposition if all the copies are sold, a profit is made of about .£230. On the third, of about .£380. On the last, however, and on all following editions, there is a great change. The profit on every copy, if all are sold, may , now actually reach the sum of 2s. l0d. Observe carefully that no further concession is ever made to the bookseller when this improve- ment sets in. It is therefore quite clear that he has been, and is, treated with great injustice. What change is made in the position of the author? As a rule, none. The publisher sweeps all into his own pocket. It is therefore necessary that the whole system of royalties should be altered, and to this point we shall next proceed. Meantime we remark that the huge saving on the cost of production in the second and subsequent editions is not so much as alluded to in the publishers' Draft Agreements. We must imagine the committee agreeing together at their sittings, because they could not possibly ignore the point, in a solemn and heartfelt prayer that authors would never find it out. A bookseller, quoted on another page, writes: "The odd copy is a curse to us. I can get a 6*. book for 3*. gd. by taking seven. But I must sell them all or I lose. For an odd copy I must pay 4*. 2d." He sells it at 4*. 6d. In the latter case, he gets 4rf. profit, in the former gd., out of which he has to pay carriage and his office expenses. The publisher for the same volume—in the second edition which, by our figures, costs Sd. a copy—pockets 2*. l0d. less the sum he gives the author—rarely, until lately, more than 1 s. So we have the scale of profits :— Author, who contributes all the work, is. Bookseller, who takes most of the risk, 4d., or at best gd. Publisher, who takes the rest of the risk, if there is any, has I*, l0d. It hardly seems quite equitable, does it? Let us draw up another table showing what various royalties mean for the second and follow- ing agreements. We must, however, point out that these figures are not final. Every step which we take forward brings us to a clearer under- standing of the facts, i.e., of the enormous profits hitherto made by publishers. That they think themselves absolutely entitled by right to enormous profits, and that they believe book sellers and authors entitled to no profit at all, is clearly shown by their Draft Agreements. Here, however, are the figures for the second edition:— On a 6s. volume gives the A percentage of Publisher Author s. d. ,. d. 5 2 6f ° 3i 10 2 2| 0 7i 15 '"* 0 IOj 20 1 7i I 2f 25 1 4 i 6 3° • of '9s 35 0 8} 40 0 5* 2 4.i 45 0 if 2 8f But, says the publisher, "There are my office expenses." Quite so. Every business has its office expenses. There are also the author's office expenses, and there are the bookseller's expenses. Another way to approach the subject, and perhaps a better way, because all the copies will not perhaps be sold, is to let the royalty begin when the cost of producing the edition is defrayed. This method, however, can only be allowed where the publisher gives proofs of honesty. Thus, if the second edition of 3000 copies costs .£95, the expense is defrayed by the sale of 544 copies. If it costs a little more or less, because this  ## p. 110 (#122) ############################################ tio THE AUTHOR. estimate is only for a book of a definite size and price, this number can be changed. Since the rest of the edition is pure profit, all that has to be done is to arrange the proporlion. I would suggest: (i.) For the bookseller, better terms in second and following editions: he should claim the right to share in the increased profit; (2.) For the publisher, one-third of what is left when the cost is paid. (3.) For the author, two-thirds. THE CASE OF THE BOOKSELLER, IEARNESTLY invite booksellers to a con- sideration of the figures given in these columns. The question of terms and shares and charges most closely concerns the author, which is my excuse for speaking on the subject. In reference to the figures, my own scheme is something as follows: 1. The present system, by which the bookseller has to take all the risk, should be replaced by a system of sale or return; that is to say, that the bookseller should be free to order, as at present, as many books as he pleases, but that, in order for other books to get a chance of exhibition or sale, the publisher should send him copies on sale or return. The bookseller, however, must be free to refuse or to take these books. It is objected that they sometimes get lost or soiled. Well, if they cannot be sold on the bookseller's shelves, they will certainly not be sold on the publisher's or the bookbinder's shelves. There is, therefore, no real loss. 2. In the choice of books on order, the book- seller is at present guided by the name of the author, his own judgment of a book, and the demand for a book. He wants them to unite advice and information. For this purpose he wants a small and private paper devoted entirely to his own interests. In this paper he should receive every month a brief account of such books as are likely to be popular. He might thus be saved from heavy loss. The cost of this little paper, with the editor or reader, would be covered by a guinea subscription from every member of the Association. Publishers would, of course, have to send copies of books to the office of the paper. This paper need not concern itself with any other ii'.atter than (1) the figures which have proved so useful to ourselves: those, namely, which show the cost of production, the position of the authors, and that of the booksellers; and (2) the advice as to the new books offered. It would be most necessary to find readers of the utmost integrity, who could be relied upon not to take bribes or to recommend friends. With this object it would be desirable to find a person wholly unconnected with London coteries. 3. Armed with a knowledge of these figures, it would be easy for the Booksellers' Association to demand equitable terms. It is ominous that many publishers, when the royalties of authors began to be raised, declared that they would have to raise their terms to the booksellers. 4. I have long thought that the Association might provide itself with editions of non-copy- right works. Such editions would cost them nothing—literally nothing. Consider," The Vicar of Wakefield" is a book that is certain always to sell. If a cheap shilling edition of that work were issued by the Booksellers' Association for themselves, and, if every bookseller took no more than three copies, the whole expense would be defrayed, while, if 10,000 copies were sold, there would be a considerable profit. This is a certain source of income: there would be no loss: the Authors' Society would perhaps advise in the choice of the series. The trade price of the Asso- ciation's own series, instead of being 8|rf. would be 6rf. and still leave a margin. A country bookseller sends a publisher's list of prices. It is as follows. They are nearly all cheap books: Published Price. d. 6 0 o 6 6 o 6 o 6 Trade Price. 8. d. 5 4 2 1 6 9 5 1 41 If seven Copies of each are Ordered. s. d. U Twelve "As- sorted," then as Thirteen. d. o o 4 3i 7 Ti o 7S 4 If, be points out, he takes an "assorted" lot— four at is.: three at 2*. 6rf.: three at 3*. 6d. -. one at 5*.: one at 6*.: one at 7s. 6d.: and receives in addition to the above allowances a discount of 5 per cent. for payment to time; "and if I sell the whole lot I make a handsome profit of 3s. 5<Z., out of which must be deducted the carriage, which amounts to is. or is. 3rf." In a word, out of a margin of 2s. 3c/*., outlay of £1 7*. 3rf., the bookseller takes sale, and has to pay rent, rates and taxes, ants and other expenses. "It is only," he writes, "a question of time for the country bookseller to be driven out of exist- on an risk of assist-  ## p. 111 (#123) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. ence, unless the present arrangements are speedily altered." And so, indeed, it seems to me. How does the publisher stand, therefore, as regards author and bookseller? The following figures show the necessity of understanding the whole case, including the production, the book- seller and the author. We take the "assorted" price and 13 as 12. The cost of production is set do .vn on an average book: < ublished Price. Trade Prloe less 5 per Cost of Production. Author's Rojaltv 10 per ct-nt. Author's Royalty 20 per cent. cent. *. d. *. d f. d. d. ». d. 7 6 4 9 ■ 3 9 1 6 6 0 3 9i I 0 r. 1 1'i 5 0 3 2 0 10 6 I 0 3 6 2 i\ 0 8 4s, 0 8| 2 6 1 6 0 7 3 0 6 Now consider the respective winnings of each of the three in this delightful game: (1.) Author's royalty at 10 per cent.: Price of book. Author at 10 per <*r•nt. d. 9 71 6 41 1 Publisher. «. d. 2 9 2 If 1 10 o 8 Bookseller. d. o ioj o 8.1 o 7 ° 5i o 34 (2.) If the author has 20 per cent. we have the fol.owing figures, cost of production and trade price as before: Price of book. Author at 20 per <,mt. Publisher. Bookseller. ,. d. S. d. s. d. 7 6 1 6 2 0 0 ioi 6 0 I 2* ■ 5! 0 8^ 5 0 I O 1 4 0 7 3 6 O 83 0 7hl 0 si 2 6 0 6 0 5 0 31 These figures are recommended for careful consideration. The cost of production is only approximate, but it is just above the average. For instance, I have before me an estimate for producing a book which may be priced at js. 6d., 6s., or 58., according to the fancy of the publisher. The price for an edition of 3000 copies, composing, printing and paper, is 6d. a copy, and it is every day done more cheaply. The binding will be under 4d. These figures show the position of the book- seller, author, and publisher, on those books only which the bookseller buys of the publisher. But a j;reat part of the business is carried on by m ans of the distributing agents, who get better VOL. IX ti-nns. Therefore we have arrived at 3*. 6d. as the average sum received by the publisher for a 6*. book. As regard the cost, however, it must be remembered that the second and following editions cost a great deal less than the first. W. B. NOTES AND NEWS. IN another column I submit certain figures to the consideration of booksellers. I have long felt that their case demands the atten- tion of all persons interested in literature from the literary as well as the commercial point of view. In getting some relief for them we should be advancing our own interests from both points of view. If literature is to reach the people it must l.e exhibited and offered for sale. If the bookseller cannot do this, who can? I invite readers of The Author to consider this point, and if they have any advice to tender I shall be glad to receive it. Also in that other column will be found a note from a country bookseller about publishers' terms. It shows that if he takes an "assorted" lot, that is, thirteen, from a list, he gets them as twelve. It also shows that if he sells them at the discount price of 25 per cent. off, he makes the handsome profit of 2*-. 3rf. from the whole. It he does not succeed in selling the whole he loses that profit. Do these figures bring home to us the present position of the bookseller? What do the publishers want to do? They would raise the price of books to the public: they would make the bookseller still go on taking most of the risk: they would bind him in chains so that he should not be allowed to do what what he pleased with his own. What do they propose to do with the author: They claim the right to charge what they please in addition to every item of cost: to charge what they p/ease for office expenses. I have shown that they may, if they please, take what share of the profits they please, and call it humorously half profits. I do not think that one point in the recent pro- posal to enslave the bookseller has received quite the attention which it deserves. A 6*. book was to be "reduced" to 5*. That meant increased from 4.V. 6d. to 5s. The booksellers who now pay various sums from 3*. ~\d. to 4*. 2d., but averag- ing 3s. 8rf., were to pay 3s. l0d. The publishers therefore proposed an extra 2d. a volume for themselves under this arrangement. This they called a disinterested Btep in the interests of the  ## p. 112 (#124) ############################################ I I 2 THE A UTHOR. bookseller. At their meeting one gentleman was so ill-advised as to ask what the author would gain —or lose—by the change. Nothing was said. It is easy to understand, however, what would happen to the unfortunate third partner. All his royalties now are calculated on the price being 6s. His friends the publishers would, perhaps, say, "My dear fellow, we sell the book more cheaply, but you shall not lose. You had the magnificent royalty of 10 per cent. before—you shall hare it still.' There! And now go and write to the papers, and say that even a publisher, despite the Society of Authors, can be nobly just!" .And I wonder how many of our members there are who see through the simple trick. Why, it is exactly like that really very pretty trick in which the author is made to agree to " half the royalty" if the publisher sells the book at " half the price." One practitioner, a deeply honourable man— religious, too—played this game, as has already been exposed, with a two volume novel. The "face " price was a guinea: the library price was generally something under half-a-guinea: all the copies, therefore, were sold under half price. And I wonder how many have fallen victims to a trick that is so barefaced and so simple. It would have been just the same with the royalties under the pro- pose'I change, and, as in the famous "half price half royalty " trick, no one would have been more surprised than the publisher himself when the truth was communicated to him. Here are some figures showing the " half price, half royalty" trick. The trade price of a 6s. book is, say, 3s. Sd. The author has a 20 per cent. royalty upon it, i.e., is. 2\d. The cost of production is is. The publisher gets is. 5frf. He sells the book at 3*., which is what lie calls "half price." The author has to take a half royalty, j\d. The publisher now gets is. 4-J-tf., so that if he were to reduce the price of his book he onlv gets *d. less, while the author is reduced b7 7\d. In the other case of a net book reduced to 5s., but the trade priee increased to 3s. i0d., the 10 per cent. royalty would be 6d.: the 20 per cent. royalty is., and soon, compared with 7|rf., i*. 2}d., and so on. _____ It is announced as a "new departure " that a firm of publishers — Messrs. Macmillan — are going to produce a book "on the instalment system." Is that new? Why, travellers have been going up and down the country getting subscribe s to pay by instalments for many years. The book tout is an old and well-established nuisance. The work is to be sold by the book- sellers, and the paragraph before m*» says, '• Book- sellers will now have an opportunity of showing to what extent they are able and willing to benefit by a departure which is clearly in their interest." How it is more in their interest to sell in this way than in any other is not explained. Clearly it is for the interest of the publishers that the booksellers should sell their wares for them. But, unless better terms than usual are offered the unhappy booksellers, of which the world knows nothing, it is difficult to understand the special interest to the booksellers in "the new departure." Now, when the slavery scheme was to the front the bookseller was admonished that the new departure was to " his intere-t," but nothing was said then, or now, as to the interest of the publishers. From time to time there appears in the papers a correspondence about a title the use of which has been challenged by some publisher or author who had previously used it. The case affords an opportunity for a good deal of loose talk on the difficulty of finding titles which have not been used. Everybody has adventures of his own to relate, and certainly some cases are very hard. A title which seems exactly to suit the book has to be abandoned in a hurry and a new one chosen. Yet the first struck a note: it seemed to prepare the reader for what followed. A few weeks ago I received and was asked to publish a correspondence on the subject. It seemed to me that more would be gained by getting a state- ment of the law upon the subject. Hence the paper by Mr. Thring, in which the reader is instructed as to the kind of protection which the law grants to owners of literary property in this respect. Tbe whole point seems to be this: There is no copyright in a title, but if A. B. brings out a book bearing the same title as one already before the public, and if it can be proved that the sale of the second book is injuring, or likely to injure, that of the first, a court of law would probably restrain A. B. from continuing the sale of his book under that title. Walter Besant. THE NAME OF THE PUBLISHER. 1. IHAVE made inquiries in various directions as to my opinion that the public do not care about the name of the publisher. The reply from the general reader has been mostly to the effect that he cares no more about the name of the publisher than the name of the printer. Two or  ## p. 113 (#125) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. three reply that they know Dent's books to be wonderfully got up, and that they like John Lane's books for the same reason. Otherwise they do not mind. I subjoin two or three opinions. I am glad to publish the opinion of Mr. Alfred Wilson, though he does not agree with me, because his illustration of the importance to an author of getting his books all together shows that in such a case the name of the publisher is a considera- tion. W. B. II. I notice that in your August number the Editor says that "the public care nothing . . . who is the publisher of a book," and that ihey are absolutely indifferent to this. Any bookseller will know, as I do, that the public looks at a new book of travel, if published by Murray, or a new book of belles lettres pub- lished by Macmillan, with a prepossession in its favour. The remark is often made to me, " I don't know the author, but the book is published by , it is likely to be good." A cheap his orical resume has the chances much against it, prima facie, but let it be issued at 5*. in the Story of the Nations series, and it is (•ure of a certain amount of success at least. It is well known to all booksellers that if an author has an odd book or two by a publisher other than his regular one, however well it may sell at the time, it is soon forgotten, and has a comp iratively small sale. When "Romola" could not be had uniform with George Eliot's other works it had a much smaller sale than the others, now it sells quite as well. Certainly a new book by the writer of the moment will sell equally well at first, whoever publishes it, but the after sale will with equal cei tainty be much affected by its omission from the list of the author's other books. In short, I believe it to be to an author's interest to go to a good publisher, and to keep to himself if possible; and if his terms are some- what higher than those of a seconil-rate firm, it will yet be often worth while to accede to them. Perhaps I may claim that my opinions on the subject, whether right or wrong, are at least impartial, as I have not the least pecuniary interest in the matter, one way or another. Alfred Wilson (Bookseller). 18. Grracechurch-street, E.C. in. I am a reader of books, not a writer. I suppose I am one of the public. In answer to your question, I confess that I have never troubled myself with the name of the publisher. I know the names of Longman and Murray, and one or two more, I suppose, but I do not think they have any more to do with the contents of the book than the paper-maker. I suppose there is a paper-maker somewhere, but I am not concerned to know his name. One of the Public. IV. The question is a very simple one, and easily answered. I don't believe one ordinary reader in twenty ever troubles about the name of the publisher; but is not this on account of his modesty? Run your eye along any of your shelves. What strikes you is the title of the book and its author's name. In many cases the publisher's name is not apparent at all:— 4 Tennyson's Works id Sonnete Si i's Garden a tat W .*» Barrie. rCraftsma Q ..0 m a "3 W. Besant. '5 P £ i o < o Poems ai & M Veroniof Alfred Barraok R § & The Littl s TheMaste Still, the publisher has an important function to perform. We cannot certainly have a coat without the weaver of the cloth (author), but we should do very badly without the tailor (pub- lisher). Joseph Parkek. 39, Drvden-streot, Nottingham. Sept. i, 1898. V. Mr. Henry Glaisher, on being asked if the public inquire or care about the publisher of a book, says :—" If a buyer has come for a special book which he desires to possess, he cares nothing about the name of the publisher: it makes no difference to him. If, however, he is looking over the shelves, intending to buy a book and uncertain whether to do so or not, his decision will often be made with reference to the publisher. If he sees a name which he has not learned to associate with rubbish, but the reverse, he will take that book in preference to one issued by a publisher whom he does not know, or whom he knows unfavourably. For this reason it is a decided advantage to have the name of a pub- lisher of repute on the title page. That is to say, one of twenty houses, and it matters little which."  ## p. 114 (#126) ############################################ ii4 THE AUTHOR. THE DRAMATISATION OF NOVELS. [From the Grwloi*.] NOUS recevons de notre correspondant de Londres l'intéressante lettre suivante: Londres, 25 août. L'éloquente et énergique protestation de M. Emile Bergerat, reproduite par le Gaulois dans le courant de ce mois, contre l'usage de drama- tiser les romans français en Angleterre sans l'autorisation des auteurs, et le caractéristique incident survenu ces jours derniers entre MM. Victorien Sardou et Oscar Méténier d'une part, et M. Paul Potter de l'autre, au sujet de la pièce dramatique lirée ou adaptée de la Haine et de Mlle. Fi/r par l'auteur américain, ont attiré à nouveau l'attention du public anglais sur quelques points particulièrement défectueux de la législation actuelle concernant la propriété littéraire. Une de ces imperfections, des plus graves, est sans contredit le droit légal, octroyé parle dixième article de la Convention de Berne, de faire repré- senter sur la scène un roman dramatisé sans le consentement de l'auteur. Cet article inique, M. Emile Bergerat nous l'a fait observer, n'a jamais pu être abrogé malgré les incessants efforts des délégués français aux congres internationaux réunis pour décider des droits artistiques et littéraires. La délégation britannique, seule entre toutes, s'y opposa systématiquement et de toutes ses forces, non sans reconnaître, par manière d'amende honorable, que " c'était là une chose fâcheuse." On ne saurait mieux s'accuser, et à la vérité ce serait se méprendre que de ne pas croire que tel est le sentiment unanime du monde des lettres en Angleterre. Et pour preuves voici deux lettres, que M. Henry Arthur Jones, un des auteurs dramatiques les plus distingués d'outre-Manche, et sir Walter Besant, le romancier bien connu, ont eu la courtoisie de m'adresser sur cette intéressante question. Lisons d'abord la lettre de M. Henry Arthur Jones. A sa mordante franchise, on y reconnaît l'auteur des Masqwraders et du Triomphe des Philistins: "Cher Monsieur,—En réponse a votre lettre, permettez-moi de déclarer qui ma cordiale sym- pathie est acquise aux auteurs français qui se plaignent que leurs œuvres soient mises à con- tribution et en état discrédit pour le théâtre anglais. Parmi les honnêtes gens, il ne saurait exister deux opinions sur cette matière. Que ce soit légal ou non, c'est un vol : un honnête homme ne s'appropriera jamais le mouchoir d'un autre, même s'il sait qu'il ne sera pas traduit devant les tribunaux pour ce fait; il s'appropriera encore moins le produit de la pensée d'autrui. "Je participerai cordialement à toute mesure tendant à protéger en Angleterre les droits légaux des auteurs français. En attendant, je ne saurai exprimer trop fortement mon dégoût pour un usage, qui est, en général, aussi préjudiciable aux intérêts du drame qu'aux intérêts de l'honnêteté internationale. "Veuillez agréer, cher monsieur, etc. "Henry Arthur Jones." La lettre plus détaillée de sir Walter Besant, l'éminent romancier qui, depuis de longues années, s'occupe activement de l'amélioration des lois relatives aux droits d'auteur, est non moins affirmative que celle de M. Henry Arthur Jones. La voici: "Cher Monsieur,—La question de propriété littéraire en ce qui concerne la dramatisation d'un roman est telle que vous l'avez expliquée. L'adaptateur est inattaquable devant la loi, si, en se servant du canevas, il ne se sert en même temps de la partie dialoguée du roman. "La Société des Auteurs *t institué, en plusieurs occasions, des comités à l'effet de preparer un bill sur la propriété littéraire. Une des clauses de ce 6/7/ interdit la dramatisation des romans. Ce bill a été lu déjà, en seconde lecture, par lord Monks- well, â la chambre des lords. Ceux-ci se décidèrent alors, bien inutilement, du reste, à instituer à leur tour une commission d'enquête, chargée de rédiger un rapport sur des faits connus de tout le monde. Croira-t-on en France que cette commission ne tint aucun compte de l'existence des auteurs? Elle se contenta de recueillir les témoignages de quelques éditeurs et ce fut tout. "Après que j'eus signalé dans la presse cette manque d'égards à la littérature, la commission me convoqua incontinent et sans cérémonie devant elle. C'était là un manque de courtoisie auquel je ne m'attendais guère de la part d'une com- mission nommée par les Lords. Comme je m'étais toujours occupé cependant de l'adminis- tration de la propriété littéraire par les éditeurs, et comme je ne faisais pas partie du " copyright committee nommé par la Société des Auteurs, je n'eus pas l'occasion de me plaindre de cette impolitesse. Je refusai néanmoins de paraître comme témoin alléguant que je ne fusais pas partie de te comité. "Le monde littéraire désire profondément re- médier, entre autres injustices, à celle dont il est ici question. Je doute cependant de l'efficacité de nos efforts, du moins pour quelque temps encore. Il se présente, en effet, cette difficulté: la colonie du Canada, et je crois aussi l'Australie,.  ## p. 115 (#127) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. réclament le droit de rédiger leurs propres lois sur la propriété littéraire. La promulgation d'un bill en Angleterre pourrait donc susciter d'acri- monieuses discussions relativement au droit de législation de la mère-patrie, et à celui reven- diqué par ses colonies, et le gouvernement actuel ne se souci guère de soulever de telles discussions. Le cas et des plus intéressants et je vous con- seille d'y donner toute votre attention. Je n'ai pas de doute que notre secrétaire, M. G. H. Thring, serait heureux de vous donner connaissance des point s principaux de la question, laquelle ne peut manquer d'offrir un vif intérêt à vos compatriotes, toujours prêts à marquer aux hommes de lettres le respect que nos Lords ont jugé convenable de transmettre aux éditeurs. "Soyez cependant assuré, cher monsieur, que nous ferons tout ce qui est en notre pouvoir, afin que la loi actuellement en vigueur soit revisée et que les droits d'auteur d'un roman soient respectés. "Veuillez agréer, cher monsieur, etc. "Walter Besant." Il importe de s' arrêter ici sur un des passages les plus instructifs de la lettre de sir Walter Besant. C'est celui qui a trait au bill lu en seconde lecture, par Lord Monkswell, à la Chambre des lords, le 1 1 mai 1891. Ce projet de loi, élaboré, comme nous le dit sir Walter Besant, sous les auspices de la Société des Auteurs de la Grande-Bretagne, contient l'impor- tante clause qui suit: "Comme il n'existe aucune propriété sur les idées, il est facile de s'approprier, sans commettre aucun acte attentatoire au droit d'auteur, la trame entière d'un roman et de la reproduire en fait sous forme dramatique. Nous proposons de déclarer ces actes qui, maintenant ne sont que moralement condamnables, ligalement punis- sables. . . ." Pourquoi, depuis 1891, les législateurs de la Grande-Bretagne ne se sont-ils plus occupés du bill soumis par lord Monkswell 't Sir Walter Besant nous donne la raison, assez convaincante du reste, que le gouvernement actuel ne désire guère soulever des discussions tendant à régler sur une nouvelle base les rapports de la métro- pole avec les colonies. En effet, une des dispositions du projet de loi lu par lord Monkswell accordait aux colonies la liberté de législation relativement à la propriété littéraire, et cela eût éf é, selon l'opinion du comte de Kimberley et du lord-cbancelier, un achemine- ment vers la destruction de l'unité de l'empire britannique, au point de vue de la protection internationale de la propriété littéraire. L'année dernière cependant, lord Monkswell revint de nouveau à l'attaque et la Chambre des lords résolut de se réunir en comité secret afin de discuter le projet de loi, article par article. H est à espérer que les pairs d'Angleterre nous feront bientôt connaître le résultat de leurs débats et que le bill sera renvoyé à la Chambre des com- munes, pour y recevoir force de loi. On ne saurait trop se hâter, car les tripatouiLkws continuent leur besogne. n T. Beatjgeard. Nous recevons la lettre suivante :— "Saint-Lunaire (Ille-et-Vilaine), villa Caliban, 29 août 1898. "Mon cher Nicolet,—Il y a d'honnêtes gens dans les Lettres, et à Londres comme ailleurs. Deux de nos confrères d'outre-Manche, M. Henry Arthur Jones et sir Walter Besant nous en donnent fièrement la preuve. J'ai lu leurs lettres de réponse à la consultation de M. T. Beaugeard, le correspondant du Gaulois en Angleterre; elles me paraissent décisives. Au nom des principes de droiture communs à tous les peuples, et honneur de toutes les races, ces nobles esprits flétrissent la piraterie littéraire, sous quelque drapeau qui la couvre et dans quelques eaux qu'on l'exerce. Le débat est donc clos de ce côté par un arrêt de la simple conscience publique, et, elle aussi, grâce à Dieu, internationale. "Il n'y a plus qu'à en attendre la sanction.— Cette sanction, écrit sir Walter Besant, ne dépend plus que de la Chambre des lords, déjà saisie par lord Monkswell de la question d'ensemble de la propriété littéraire, question, ajoute-t-il, qui serait depuis longtemps résolue au gré des intérêts lésés, s'il ne s'y entremêlait point . . . de la politique !—Oh! cette politique que l'on recontre partout où l'on ne cherche que de la justice, quelle vie elle nous fait, et dans quelle Europe! "Ici, le plus simple et le plus modeste droit des gens, id est: le droit au revenu de la propagation des fruits du talent et du travail, ne se heurterait plus, paraît-il, qu'aux prétentions autonomiques de l'Australie et du Canada, qui pourraient refuser le bénéfice même d'une telle réforme parce qu'elle émanerait de la jurisprudence anglaise et lui viendrait de la mère-patrie. Ces colonies, en effet, ne souffrent plus d'autre législation que la leur, et la communauté de la langue ne leur impose pas la solidarité philo- logique. "Si j'entends bien sir Walter Besant, là serait le motif de la réserve des Lords et de leur retard à proposer aux communes les tables de la pro- priété littéraire garantie. Car, en effet, si l'Australie et le Canada nous leurrent au moment où l'Angleterre renonce à nous leurrer, si nos ouvrages paraissent, démarqués, non ré- munérés, volés enfin, à Sydney ou à Québec, en langue anglaise, au lieu d'être publiés à Londres,  ## p. 116 (#128) ############################################ n6 THE AUTHOR. la mere-patrie est dupe du marche, et son honneur lui reste pour compte. Mylords, le propre de l'honneur est de rester pour compte. II me semble, d'ailleurs, que l'Angleterre est assez riche pour s'en payer de gratuit, de l'honneur qui demeure en fricbe et ne rapporte rien a ses seigneurs. "Au resume, mon cher Nicolet, attendons un peu, puisque ce tres loyal et brave homme de Walter Besant nous convie a la patience, et fions-nous a lord Monkswell, qui travaille pour nous la probite anglo-saxonne. II est vrai que, d'autre part, l'avise correspondant du Gaulois nous presse de nous defendre contre le dd- bordement grandissant de ce qu'il veut bien appeler, pour me flatter, le tripatouillage, de telle sorte que nous voila entre les deux conseils comme l'ane de Buridan entre les deux picotins d'avoine. "Le plus sage serait, je crois, de provoquer un nouveau congres de Berne et de renouveler l'essai d'entente professionnelle de septembre 1887. Un grand poete, Charles Algernon Swinburne, universellement admire, pour l'Angle- terre; le comte Leon Tolstoi, pour la Russie, et notre Victorien Sardou, ne refuseraient pas d'en presider les seances, et les autres pays de l'Tlnion s'y feraient representer par des maitres nationaux non moins illustres et autorises, car il faut en finir peut-etre. J'y invite de la part de sir Walter Besant le Canada et l'Australie, et au nom de la presse francaise j'y reinvite la Belgique, qui a adhere a la convention de Berne, mais dont un citoyen m'ecrit, ce matin meme, de Bruxelles, 'En sept supplements de dimanche, cinq journaux bruxellois ont reproduit, sans en indiqu < la source, souvent meme sans designation d'aut . , cent vingt-neuf articles, nouvelles ou chroniques du Journal, Gaulois, etc., etc' "Et ceci, ami Nicolet, est memorable "Cordiales poignees de mains. "Emile Bergerat." .?»•«*— THE DEMAND FOR CHEAP BOOKS IN AMERICA. THE article in a recent number of the New York Tribune on the subject of cheap books attracted much attention, and many people who read it believed (says that journal) that by placing wholesome literature on the market at reasonable prices the unclean books of the United States would be driven out of the market and would follow the "penny dreadfuls" of England. Mr. John Elderkin said that he agreed with Sir Walter Besant, and saw only good in cheap books of a superior kind. He said: "It is now over twenty-five years since Donnelly, Lloyd, and Co., of Chicago, began the reprinting of standard novels in cheap paper quartos under the name of 'The Lakeside Library,' in order to fill in the time in dull seasons, when their presses were unoccupied by commercial printing, which was the business carried on by the firm. It was fully a year before this enterprise attracted any attention, although the circulation of novels in this cheap form was constantly increasing and the New York people were growing restive at the probable results. I remember riding uptown in the street- car with J. W. Harper, jun., a noble man, who was at that time the head of the firm of Harper and Bros., and urging him to protect his library of select novels by beginning their reissue at once in similar form. Mr. Harper did not realise fully at that time the gravity of the situation, and it was not until after the 'Seaside Library' had achieved a great success that the Harpers entered the field with their ' Franklin Square Library.' "The magnitude of the issue in cheap form of the standard novels is not realised by the pub- lishers of books in good bindings, or by the public generally. In the ' Seaside Library ' alone there were half a million copies sold of every one of Dickens's books during the first five years of their publication in that form. The novels of Sir Walter Scott, Amelia B. Edwards, Mrs. Henry Wood, "Ouida," William M. Thacke- ray, Fenimore Cooper, W. Clark Russell, and all the popular novelists who have come on the stage since have enjoyed an enormous popu- larity through the facility and cheapness of manufacture and the low rate of postage, not to speak of the competition among publishers, which have combined to send their works over the country in almost incredible quantities, bringing them within the reach of rich and poor. Later have come the 10 cent magazines, which have had such great success, and which are a direct offshoot of the cheap library serials. "I believe that the habit of reading and the number of readers of books in this country have been increased many fold by this good literature issued in cheap form. Now everybody reads books, and not even the daily newspapers, with their war extras and all the stimulating attrac- tions of pictures and coloured inks and blanket sheets, are able to counteract the strong desire on the part of the public for good fiction, which continues to sell in rather better form of paper and binding in enormous quantities. I think we have the greatest reading public in America  ## p. 117 (#129) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. n7 which has ever existed in the history of the world, and that the taste of this public is improv- ing and demands a higher quality of literary work and illustration. In the old library serials it was the really good novels that had the largest sale. "That the better class of books has decreased the demand for all the class of literature which was formerly published in the dime novel series and in the weekly story papers is well known to all publishers of such matter. The dime novel business has absolutely passed out of existence. All the cheap weekly papers that have not materially changed their form and improved their literary contents and their illustrations have lost greatly in circulation. I could name a dozen authors who supplied the weekly press with the popular serials whose names were kuown from one end of the country to the other who are now almost forgotten and who have left no successors. Some of these writers had incomes of 10,000 dollars a year. I once offered the late Mrs. May Agnes Fleming 75,000 dollars for ten stories, which offer was declined. There is no such demand for stories by writers of Mrs. Fleming's quality as would justify any publisher of a cheap weekly paper in paying more than 500 dollars for a serial by one of them. The indications ef the improvement in the taste of the public in reading matter crop out on every side, and, prices being equal, the majority of readers will take the better book. My experience of twenty-five years as an editor justifies me in saying that the average quality of literary matter offered in the weekly papers is higher, showing that literary cultiva- tion of aspirants has improved, and that the average intelligence and faculty of writing are advancing. "I believe that books and libraries in this country are to enjoy still greater appreciation, and that we have been sowing seed in the last twenty- five years which will give to our publishers during the twentieth century an immensely remunerative business." Stephen F. Farrelly, manager of the American News Company, did not agree wholly with Mr. Elderkin as to the dislodgement of the low grade literature. "Cheap books," he said, " have stimulated the business and have made the sales larger every year, and have surely given those people who had the inclination an opportunity to read good books; but they have not driven the blood-and-thunder novels from the market. There is still a great demand for them, and I think it will continue for some time. There can be no doubt as to the improvement of the public taste through cheap books. This is shown by the great demand for the popular modern novels, somo of which have sold in phenomenal quantities." Mr. Farrelly said that standard works in cheap form could not be sold, and were really out of the market. People who want sets of Dickens, Scott, Thackeray, or other standard writers buy them for their libraries and want good and expen- sive editions; but new English novels and popular translations are wanted in cheap form. CORRESPONDENCE. I.—His First Play. I'VE been for some years the at once happy and unhappy author of a first play. You'll have guessed rightly that my happiness arises from my appreciation of the merits of that play, but you'll have guessed wrongly that my unhappiness arises from want of equal apprecia- tion on the part of managers. "It's wus nor that": I'm unhappy because it seems to me use- less to offer the piece to a manager at all—and I've never yet done so. It's in two acts, contains nine scenes, and—as far as I can judge from reading it aloud, and allowing time for "business" and scene-shifting —would take about an hour and a quarter, certainly not over an hour and a half. Now, it used to be common for a manager to give three pieces in an evening, and usually one of them, often two, would be of middle length. But the middle-length piece seems to have disappeared altogether. The entire performance now consists either of a single play taking three hours, or of two plays, of which the first takes only from half to three-quarters of an hour, while the second takes from two and a quarter to two and a half hours. I can't either shorten or lengthen the play without injuring it. And, rather than do that, I'd print it as a piece of literature, and never try to get it acted at all. But, if I wait ten years, is there any chance that the middle-length piece will have its day again? Or is there possibly even now a manager here and there in this country, or in America, who'd take such plays if he could get them to his mind? If so, where or how may he be found? I've been asked "Why don't you print it? That wouldn't prevent its being played after- wards." But wouldn't it? Wouldn't a manager think its freshness lost? Of course, if I did print it, probably only a few dozen people would ever see it; but the manager wouldn't know that —or, if he did know it, he might be so unac- quainted with the habits of the reading public as  ## p. 118 (#130) ############################################ n8 THE AUTHOR. to suppose that the number of its readers must bear some relation to its interest. But is there any objection to printing "for private circulation only," and sending in that form to managers for their consideration? And would there be any harm in sending to reviews as well, for the purpose of obtaining press opinions which might help to get the piece pro- duced? Van Drusen. II.—Cheap Literature—An Echo from a Bookseller. Do not worry about the man who win sell a magazine at $d. Some people were alarmed when Mr. Stead supplied the best of all litera- ture at one penny per volume. He sold them, I suppose, in millions. We stocked them, and sold hundreds of some numbers for the first dozen or so; then we had less call for them, the novelty had worn off. Lawyers could have plenty of work at a penny a letter, but their fee is 3*. \d. Authors, don't worry! Get as much as you can for your work. If you give men your brains they won't appreciate it, and if Harmsworth was to give his magazine away he would not get all the custom; and if the Nineteenth Century was a penny a time very few more people would read it. There must be people to provide "all sorts and conditions of men" with the literature they want, and it is the lucky man who can read what the public really want, and can afford to do it at a price that will suit the pocket s of those he caters for. Get a shilling magazine as much worth is. as Harmsworth's, and it will sell pro- portionately well. nii J. P. III.—Typewritten Manuscripts (?). As a new member, may I ask if any notice of what would appear a contradiction in terms, has up to now been taken in your columns? I refer to the term used by editors " type-written manu- script*." Now, if a MS. be type-written it is quite evident that it cannot claim to being manuscript. Perhaps it seems a small matter, but surely our langua.e is not so poor, as be obliged to keep to the old term, when such an order of things has almost passed away. Permit me to make clearer my meaning. Pub- lishers advertise sometimes after this manner, as do also editors— 1. Type-written manuscripts (?) will receive careful attention," or 2. "Manuscripts of all kinds will receive con- sideration, &c." Alas! for the writer who knows no better, his beautifully Aanrf-written MS. receives but a passing glance—unless his writing is already well-known to the reader—many publishers not troubling to read books or articles unless type- written. Now, beginners are not all aware of this fact. Would not it be to the credit of the Society of Authors to put right this little matter? Auden Amyand. IV.—Amateur Journals. I have read with interest the correspondence on this subject, and while I believe that amateur journalism is no occupation for adults, I am assured from my own experience of it that very many writers of eminence have made their first bows to a reading public (small, but enthusiastic perhaps) by its means. As a child's toys predict the future tastes of the man, so does association with amateur journalism—in the youthful— indicate a natural inborn love of literature. The mature amateur journalist avows incom- petency and vanity since he would gladly join the ranks of paid writers had he talent enough for the purpose, but not being able to encompass this object, gratifies his conceit by gratuitous con- tributions to whatsoever publications will accept them. "No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money," observed Dr. Johnson. Amateur writers of years of discretion should ponder upon it awhile. The inclosed little production I venture to send for your inspection, in which I am un- certain whether to take pride or shame after the lapse of intervening years, but over which I was at the time greatly busied, sufficed to introduce at least one young scribbler to print, whose book- lets are now familiar in our mouths as household words, and whose personality is pronounced in the London world of letters. The list of contributors will, I am sure, prove very interesting as years roll on. Meanwhile the editor is striving to emulate the successes of one or two of his staff. As Miss M. L. Pendered says, a magazine for young—necessarily amateur—writers, conducted by a professional editor, sympathetic and dis- criminating, might act with wholesome effect on the rising generation of writers; but its circula- tion would be restricted to the contributors and those interested in their work. To the general public their names would still remain unknown. Herbert W. Smith.  ## p. 119 (#131) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. n9 BOOK TALE. DEAN STUBBS has written for the Vic- torian Era series a work entitled" Charles Kingsley and the Christian Social Move- ment." The book will contain two poems by Kingsley, which were originally published anony- mously in the group of tracts called " Politics for the People," and which have not appeared in the .collected edition of Kingsley. Messrs. Blackie will publish the book next month. A series of twelve books, furnishing a view of the world in 1900, is projected by Mr. Heine- oiann, under the editorship of Professor H. J. Mackinder. The first will be published at the beginning of next year, and the whole series will be completed early in 1900. Among the volumes and their authors are the following: "Britain and the North Atlantic," by Professor Mackinder; "Scandinavia and the Arctic Ocean," by Sir Clement R. Markham; "France and the Mediter- ranean," by M. Elisce Eeclus; "Central Europe," by Professor Joseph Partsch; "Africa," by Dr. J. Scott Keltie; "The Near East," by Mr . D. G. Hogarth; "The Far East," by Mr. Archibald Little; "The Russian Empire," by Prince Kro- potkin; "India," by Colonel Sir Thomas Holdich; and " Australasia and Antarctics," by Dr. H. 0. Forbes. Mr. Harry Quilter is about to start business as publisher, with a view of filling the place left vacant by the death of William Morris and the closing of the Kelmscott Press. Fine art works will be his chief mitier, but he will also publish novels and general works, in which the printing, design, decoration, and binding will be made a feature. The first book from Mr. Quilter will appear next month. Mr. John Davidson's long-expected new lite- rary play will be published by Mr. Lane this month. "The New Rorne " is the title of a volume of verse by Mr. Robert Buchanan, which is to appear shortly. Miss Helen Hay, daughter of the American Ambassador, will bring out in London this autumn, through Messrs. Duckworth, a volume of poems, with the title " Some Verses." A new volume of stories, by Ian Maclaren, will appear during the autumn from Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton. Mr. Crockett's Graphic serial, " The Red Axe," will be published shortly by Messrs. Smith, Elder, and Co. A new serial by him will begin in the Cornhill for 1899. A new edition of the works of Whyte-Melville is being edited by Sir Herbert Maxwell, for pub- lication by Messrs. Thacker. Mr. J. W. Headlam, of Cambridge, is preparing a volume on Bismarck and the new German Empire, which Messrs. Putnam will publish. Mr. William Jacks, formerly M. P. for Stirling- shire, who published a translation of Lessing's "Nathan " four years ago, has for some time been engaged upon a life of Bismarck, which will appear shortly. Two forthcoming biographies which will appeal to ecclesiastical readers are the Life and Letters of Dr. Henry Robert Eeynolds, by his sisters, and an account of the late Dr. Stoughton's career, by his daughter. Both will be brought out by Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton. A third work of similar interest is the Life of the Master of Uppingham, the Bev. Edward Thring, which has been written by his friend, Mr. George B. Parkin, Headmaster of the Collegiate School, Frederiekton, New Brunswick, and will be published shortly by Messrs. Macmillan. The life of Professor Henry Drummond, by Professor George Adam Smith, and that of the Rev. Dr. Dale, by his son, Mr. A. W. Dale, both to be published also by Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton, are other interesting contributions to the leligious bio- graphies of the year. For the art interest, the book of this autumn will be the memoir of Sir John Millais, which has been done by his son, Mr. J. G. Millais, assisted by the copious diaries and notes kept methodically by the late President of the Royal Academy. Mr. Justin McCarthy has written a short history of the United States, designed for Eng- lish readers. It will come shortly from Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton. Mr. George Gissing is editing an issue of Dickens's works for Messrs. Methuen. The last story written by the late Mr. James Payn is believed to be that which a " Christmas Tree," to be published by Messrs. Downey, will contain. It will be side by side in the volume with contributions by Miss Braddon, Mr. Frankfort Moore, Mr. Christie Murray, Mr. Baring Gould, Mr. G. Manville Fenn, and others. A new novel by Mr. Anthony Hope is to begin its serial appearance after Christmas, the title being " The King's Mirror," and the hero a royal lad, whose nurse not only imparts to him an idea of his greatness as a born king, but spanks him. Sportswomen are about to have a library for themselves. Miss Frances Slaughter is editing a series of volumes in which Mrs. Burn, daughter of Colonel Anstruther Thomson, writes on fox- hunting, Mrs. Penn Curzon, whose father was formerly master of the Devon and Somerset Staghounds, on stag hunting, and Susan, Countess  ## p. 120 (#132) ############################################ 120 THE AUTHOR. of Malmesbury, on angling, while other noted sportswomen deal with various fields. There are to be two volumes at present, and possibly a third afterwards in this Sportswoman's Library, which Messrs. Constable are to publish, and which will be dedicated to the Countess of Worcester. One of the most popular books of this year is likely to be the biography of the late "Lewis Carroll," the children's favourite, which has been written by his nephew, Mr. S. D. Collingwood, and will be published at a moderate price by Mr. Fisher Unwin. It will be illustrated by many of his own sketches. Mr. Dodgson in his early years compiled three magazines, in manuscript, in which the genius which was afterwards to be shown in " Alice in Wonderland," is exhibited in little. There is also the record of a Russian tour with Canon Liddon, and new portraits of Mr. Ruskin, Tennyson, the Rossettis, Mr. Holman Hunt, Mr. George Macdonald, and others. Official people will be interested in the life of the late Mr. Henry Cecil Baikes, Postmaster- General, which is written by Mr. St. John Raikes and will be published this autumn. The new novel by Mrs. Edna Lyall, which is to appear this month, is laid in Keswick and London during the seventeenth century. "Hope the Hermit" is its title, and among the real characters who are introduced are George Fox and Archbishop Tillotson. A volume of essays on the philosophy of religion, by Mr. T. Bailey Saunders, will appear shortly. An interesting contribution to the literature on the pre-Baphaelite movement is about to be published. It will be Mr. Ruskin's letters to Rossetti between the years 1852 and 1867, which relate to various subjects, but are mainly con- nected with art. The volume, which is edited by Mr. William Rossetti and published by Mr. George Allen, will also contain letters by Brown- ing, Bell Scott, Coventry Patmore, and others. Mr. Euskin enjoys good health. "The Life of William Morris," by Mr. J. W. Mackail, will appear this autumn from Messrs. Longmans. A study by Mr. Sheridan Pureell, of Cardinal Newman as Anglican and as Catholic, will be published by Messrs. Macmillan. A novel by Mr. A. J. Dawson, dealing with Moorish life in the Riff country, and in Tangier, and entitled " Bismillah," is to be published in a few days by Messrs. Macmillan. Miss Charlotte M. Yonge has written a history of the parishes of Hursley and Otterbourne, which Messrs. Macmillan will publish. A biography of Sir Astley Cooper Key, by Admiral Colomb, is among Messrs. Methuen's forthcoming books. A new threepenny magazine is to follows fast on the appearance of the Harmsworth, and in the same field. A million copies of the Royal Magazine, as it is to be called, will be printed and out by Oct. 14. Messrs. Pearson are the firm to publish it. It is eloquent of the scale upon which such things are done, that Messrs. Pearson pro- pose to spend .£20,000 in advertising the maga- zine, and to put aside £50,000 which they are pre- pared to exhaust to run it. The Harmsworth last month, by the way, raises its price to $\d. in order to give the booksellers a working profit. A sixpenny magazine for girls is also being started this month. It will be called the GrirVs Realm, and the publishers are Messrs. Hutchin- son. "Paterson's Parish, a Lifetime Amongst the Dissenters," by the Rev. Dr. Joseph Parker, of the City Temple, will be published in October by Mr. Thomas Burleigh. A story of peasant life in the Ardennes entitled "God is Love," by Mr. T. Mullett Ellis, author of " Tales of the Klondyke," will be published very shortly by Mr. Thomas Burleigh. An unconventional novel, entitled "A Social Upheaval," by Isidore G. Ascher, will be pub- lished in the early autumn by Messrs. Lawrence Greening and Co. The book will present certain aspects of socialism in a novel and humorous manner, with a background of strong sensational incidents. "The Main Chance," by Miss Christabel Cole- ridge, which has been running through the Monthly Packet for 1898, will be brought out in one volume form by Messrs. Hurst and Blackett. during the autumn. Messrs. Chapman and Hall have in the press a work by Mr. A. Eedcote Dewar on "From Matter to Man : a New Theory of the Universe." The work demonstrates in detail the natural evolution of man, life and mind; the arguments, being backed by a wealth of illustration from every department of science. Mr. Herbert Morrah, author of " The Faithful City," published last year by Messrs. Methuen„ has a new novel ready. The book is entitled "The Optimist," and will appear during the present month. Messrs. Pearson are the pub- lishers. Professor Skeat has nearly completed his edition of "jElfric's Saints' Lives," printed for the Early English Text Society. This edition,, begun nearly seventeen years ago, is founded on MS. Julius E. 7, in the British Museum, and con- tains about thirty-seven Homilies, most of which  ## p. 121 (#133) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 121 are here printed for the first time. -SUlfric's Homilies, originally written at the close of the tenth century, were re-transcribed and imitate 1 during nearly two centuries, and he is therefore justly regarded as the father of early English prose, for which reason his name is worthy of being held in honour by students of pure English. A new book by the Poet Laureate will appear shortly. The title is " Lamia's Winter Quarters." Mr. Wasey Sterry leads off, with a volume on Eton, a series of histories of our great public schools by various writers, which Messrs. Methuen have projected. We summarise as follows a number of works of fiction which are announced: "Windy Haugh," by Graham Travers (Blackwood); "The Phan- tom Army," by Mr. Max Pemberton; and "Despair's Last Journey," by Mr. David Christie Murray (Pearson); "Rodman, the Boat-Steerer," by Mr. Louis Becke, and "The Romance of a Midshipman," by Mr. Clark Russell (Unwin); "The Battle of the Strong," a romance of 1798, by Mr. Gilbert Parker. Mrs. Gertrude Atherton is just publishing, through Mr. Lane, a story entitled "The Cali- fornians," and in the spring a short novel called "A Daughter of the Vine" will be published from her pen. Mr. George Laurence Gomme is extending his studies in the way of illustrating periods of history by the means of romantic literature. A year ago he edited some specimens of this kind in English history, calling the volume " The King's Story Book." He is editing Constable's Library of Historical Novels and Romances (which has been coming out at somewhat long intervals) in which are Lord Lytton's "Harold, the Last of the Saxon Bangs," Charles Macfarlane's "The Camp of Refuge," and Kingsley's "Westward Ho! Mr. Gomme is now editing a Tolume to be called "The Queen's Story Book," which will begin with the Battle of Hastings, and end with the Chartist riots, and contain examples selected from Scott, Thackeray, Lytton, Galt, Ainsworth, Defoe, Peacock, Beaeonsfield, and other writers. The International Press Congress at Lisbon has just finished its work, and we hope to give some account of its sittings in our November issue from the pen of Mr. James Baker. This writer, who was in September acting as special corre- spondent in Holland at Queen Wilhelmina's installation, his articles appearing in the Pall Mall Gazette and the Queen, is now in Lisbon. He has just seen the last sheets of his new novel through the press. This is of the same period as his last work, " The Gleaming Dawn," but does not deal with the religious struggles of the 15th century; it is a story of adventure. Mr. Michael MacDonagh proposes t:i do for Irish wit and humour in his book, " Irish Life and Character," which Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton will shortly publish, what Dean Ramsay in his popular work "Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character" has done for Scotland. It will be the first attempt which has been made to give a complete picture of the manners, customs, and ways of thought of the Irish people, illustrated by copious anecdote and the personal experiences of the author. Among forthcoming novels is one by Mr. James M. Graham, whose historical romance, "The Son of the Czar," took a conspicuous place among the successful books of last year. Mr. Graham's new story is called "A World Bewitched." As the title indicates, the subject dealt with is that most painful of superstitions which was almost universal among Christians a few centuries ago. There were men of commanding genius, men. like Rabelais, Montaigne, Shakespeare, who heartily despised the prevailing belief in witchcraft. There were sceptics of a more sinister kiud, who, from motives of gain, vengeance, or delight in human wretchedness, took advantage of the general credulity to keep the fires of the stake in constant activity; and the sceptics last referred to figure prominently in Mr. Graham's tale. The period chosen is the early part of the 17th century. The scene is laid in the neighbourhood of the Pyrenees. The publishers will be Messrs. Harper and Brothers. PUBLICATIONS OF THE YEAR 1397. LE DROIT D'AUTEUR " gives the follow- ing statistics for the year 1897 in an extremely interesting article containing a mass of information, for which we must refer our readers to the pages of our valuable con- temporary: Great Britain— New books New edition,.. Total United Sea tea France Germany Italy Holland Denmark Norway Sweden . 1896. 1897. 1 5234 6244 1339 1682 6573 7926 5703 4928 12,738 13.799 23,861 23.339 9778 9732 2880 1128 1167 S77 529 1506 1642.  ## p. 122 (#134) ############################################ I 22 THE AUTHOR. It will be remarked that the United States «hows a diminution. Austria and Russia have made no returns. Those for Hungary have not advanced beyond 1895 (1407). The analyst of the publications of the United States presents several interesting features:— Works by authors of other nationalities printed iu the United S a'es. New Publications. Works by American authors. s ■ n 11 0 3d O 0 m ■ k 0 K >5 713 156 358 352 «59 474 35 491 — 18 447 45 376 23 93 Educational 395 36 385 4 42 Literary history and 261 '54 313 ■5 87 3'9 50 299 9 61 175 21 155 2 39 180 67 ■34 29 84 166 22 116 7 65 History 189 49 180 11 47 Biography 193 12 71 22 112 129 24 132 3 18 Travels 149 20 99 9 61 Fine arts and illus- trated works 108 3« 11 4 124 Mechanical arts ... 96 H 82 28 Philosophy 70 6 47 4 25 Domestic and rural economy 52 5 35 — 22 Comic and satirical 33 5 19 — 24 17 5 15 1 6 Total 4171 757 3?i8 495 i"5 OBITUARY. WE regret to announce the death of the Earl of Desart. His lordship caught a cold while on board his yacht at Wendur, and died a few days later—on September 15— from internal inflammation. He had been an invalid for many years, and was fifty-three years of age. William Ulick O'Connor Cuffe, the late Earl of Desart, was the fourth Earl, and was a son of the third Earl and of a daughter of the first Earl Cawdor. He succeeded his father in 1865, and married Ellen, daughter of H. L. Bischoffsheim, of Bute House, South Audley- street, London. He was the author of numerous novels, including "Children of Nature," "Kelver- .dale," "Helen's View," "Lord and Lady Piccadilly," "Love and Pride on an Iceberg," and others, his last work being "The Raid of the Detrimental," which was published by Messrs. Pearson last year. He also did a little in journalism. His death makes the second loss within a few months to the Council of the Society of Authors, of which the late Earl was a member for ten years. The remains were interred on Monday, the 19th ult., at Lord Falmouth's picturesquely situated little cemetery. The coffin was borne to the graveside by eight y a chtsmen. The chief mourners were the Countess of Desart, the Hon. Sir J. Hamilton, and Lady Margaret Cuffe, Major and Lady Kathleen Pilkington, Captain the Hon. Otway Cuffe, the Hon. A. E. Henniker, and Mrs. Wemyss. THE BOOKS OF THE MONTH. [August 24 to Sept. 23.—304 Books.] Adcock, A. St. J. In the Image of God 3/6. Skefflngton. Alexander, A. Physical Training at Home. 2/- net. Cox. Anderson. R. J. Hereiity. 1/2. Galway: M. Claytosu Andom, R. Martha and I. 3/6. Jarrold. Andrews, S. J. Christianity and anil-Christianity in their Final Con- Iliet. 0- Putnam. Andrews, William. Bygone Punishments. 7/6. Andrews. Anonymous. A Bitter Penitence. 1/6. Stevens. Anonymous. Booke of Sundry Draughtes, principalv serving for Glasiers, and not impertinent for Plasterers and Gardiners, Ac. 10,6. Reprint of original 1615 edition. Leadenhall Press. Anonymous (Author of "Bertha's Fate"). Knight or Knave? 1/6. Stevens. Anonymous (E. A. D.). Gift of Best. 1/- Frowde. Anonymous (An Expert Oil Refiner). Oils, Tallow, and Grease, for Lubricatira, Ac. 7/6 net. Scott and Greenwood. Anonymous (E. E H.). Allie. or The Little Irish Girl. 1/6. Gall. Anonymous (A German Staff Officer). Greco-Turkish War of 1897. Tr. by Frederica Bolton. 5/- Sonnenschein. Anonymous (Auth ir of " Laddie "). Belle. 3/6. Chambers. Anonymous. Elizabeth and her German Garden. 6/- Macmillan. Arnold, D Tales and Rhymes for Happy Times. 2/6. Bel. Tract Soc. Arnold, T. Notes on Beowulf. 3/6. Longmans. Asplen, L O. A Thousand Years of English Church History. *7- net. Bell. Avery, H. The Triple Alliance. A Tale 3/6. Nelson. Bslfour, Andrew. To Arms! 6/- Methuen. Ballard, S (tr.) Fairy Tales from Far Japan. 2/6. Bel. Tract Soc. 1'ankea, A. Essays and Enigmas. 2/6. Partridge. Barlow, Jane. From the East unto the West. A Novel. 6/- Methuen. Barnby, L. H. Some Elementary Remarks on Musical Theory. 1/- Weekes. Barrett, G. S. Musings for Quiet Hours. 1/6. Rel. Tract Soc ^arrows, S. J. The Isles and Shrines of Greece. 8/6. Low. Bedford, H. L. The Twins that did not Pair. 2/- Bel. Tract 8oc. Bell, Mackenzie. Pictures of Travel, and other Pi 7/6. 3/6. Hurst. Cath. Truth Soc White. Banks. 7/6. Cox. Ward and L. Oliphant. Low. Bellord. Meditations on Christian Dogma. Bentley, H. C. A Near Thing, Ac. 1/- Berry, G. J. Iscah: A Tale for the Times. 3/6. Bickerdyke, John. Practical Letters to Young Se Bird. M. The Seeker. 1/- Black, M. M. Robert Louis Stevenson. 1/6. Black, William. Wild Eelin. 6/- Blake, E. On the Study of the Hand for Indications of General Disease 2/6 net. H. J. Glaisher. Block, Louis J. Oapriccios. 5/- Putnam. Blunt, Wilfrid. The Poetry of. Selected and arranged by W. E. Henley and George Wyndham. 6/- Heinemann. Bosanquet, Mrs. B. The Standard of Life, and Other Studies. 3/6 net Macmillan. Brassey. T. A. The Royal Naval Reserve, the Mercantile Marine, and the Colonies. 1/- Stanford. Rrocklehurst, F. I was in Prison. 2/6 net. Cnwin. Brodrick, Hon. Mrs. A. Ananias: A Novel. 6/- Methuen. Brooke, Emma. Factory Laws of European Countries in so far as they relate to Women and Children. 2/6 net Richards. Biuce, C. Birthday Book of Proverbs. 1/- W. P. Nimmo. Bryant, Sophie. The Teaching of Christ. 2/6. Sonnenschein. Burchard, H. H. A Text.Book of Dental Pathology and Therapeutics. 22/- net. H. Kimpton. Burns, D. Temperance in the Victorian Age. 1/- Ideal Publishing Union.  ## p. 123 (#135) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 123- Barrel 1, A. He*r Speaking and Good Beading. 2/6. Longmans. Batch, Dr. M. Bismarck: Some Secret Pages of his Hhvory. 30/- net. Macmillan Butler, W, C. Modern Practical Confectioner. 1/- net. Caine, O. V. Face to Face with Napoleon. 5/- Caird. Mona. The Pathway of the Hods. 6/- Campion. H. The Secret of the Poles. 1/- net Simpkin. Niabet. Skjfflngton. Birmingham: tVhite and Price. Constable. Arrowsmitb. Hutchfnson. Hodges. Rivington. Putnam. Cassell. Tract Soc. Wesley. Unwin. The Rights Longmans. From the Quaritch. Wesley. Campbell, W. D Beyond the Border. 6/- Capes, Bernard. The Mysterious Singer. I/- Carey. RosaN MolhVs Prince. 6/- Carv. U. H. Key to Elementary Book-keeping by Double Entry. 3/6. S mpkln. 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Digby. Nisbet. Nelson Jarrold. Clivc. Chambers. Cur wen. Greening. 5/- 24, - net. Dunbar, P. L. Folks from Dixie 3/ Duncan, J. G. Trumps and Troubadours. Everard. G. Merry and Wise. 1 - Everett-Green, E. Tom Tufton's Toll. 3/6. Evershed. H Practical Sheep Farming. 1/- Feaienside. C. S. The Reign of Elizabeth, 1558-1603. 1/- Fenn. G. M. Nic Revel. 3/6. Fisher. Henry. The Pianist's Mentor. 2, 6. Fitz 4orald, S. J. A That Fascinating Widow, Ac. 1/ Fitzm*urice-KHliy, J. A History of Spanish Literature. 6/- Heinemann. Foster. B. S. A Guide to the Law of Licensing. 10/- net. Waterlow. Fowler, T. History of Corpus Christi College, Oxford 5/- net. Robinson. Francis, M. E. The Duenna of a Genius. 6/- Harper. Froane, A. The Guitar. 1/- Bournemouth; Barnes and Mullina. 6 - Gale, J. S. Korean Sketche Gauht, Mary. Dead man's. An Australian Story. Gissing, George. The Town Traveller. A Novel. < Glasgow. Ellen. Phases nf an Inferior Planet. 6/- Gordon. W. J. Midland Sketches. 1/6. Gould. Nat. 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Jack Ahoy! or, Talks with Sailors. 1- Ragstcr. Mayo, Isabella Fyvie. Other People's Stairs. 2/6 Rel. Tract Soc.  ## p. 124 (#136) ############################################ 124 THE AUTHOR. McOinnia, P. A Bohemian Girl. 2 ,J. Scott, MeaoV L. T. Care Perilous h 6. Bel. Tract Soc. Meade, L. T. and Euatur*, Robert. A Mauler of Mysteries. -V- Ward and L. Merriman, H. Setou. Pod*'n*a Corr er. A novel. <'< - Smith nnd E. Meyer. F. B. Blessed a,e Ye. 2/- S. S. Union. Mockler-Fcrryman, A. F. Imierial Africa. Vol. 1 : Bri Ish West Africa lf/6 lmpeiial Pms. Moles wo rth, Mrb. Benny. 3, '6. Clumbers. Moleawor.h, Mrs. Grey Una Towers. 2 ii. Chambers. Monroe, J. Writings. Ed. by S. M. Hamilton Vol. 1.: 1778-1794. 21/- net. Putnam. •Morice, R. J. German Prose Composition for Middle and Upper Foims. 4/6. Bivington. Morris, C. Tue American Navy, T.6. Huteh.nson. Mobc*. B. Democracy and Social Orow:h in America. 4 - Putnam. Mnndy, M The Vagarl. b of To-day. a ii. I eiil.'nhali Press. Munrn. Neil. 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JC4 0 0 3 0 0 I 10 0 0 15 0 o 7 e per Inch 0 6 0 per 2000 3 0 0 Reductions made for a Saria of Six or Twelve Insertions. All letters respecting Advertisements should be addressed to the Advkbhbcuknt Manaqkb, The Author Office, 4, Portugal-street, W.C. Front Page Other Pages Half of a Page Quarter of a Page Kishih of a Page Single Column Advertisements Bills for Insertion Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Author, Vol. 09 Issue 05 (October 1898) Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em>, Vol. 09 Issue 05 (October 1898) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101063829988" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101063829988</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1898-10-01-The-Author-9-5 publications The Author https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/322/1898-11-01-The-Author-9-6.pdf e115074037d8e44adf4891f27f98e811 PDF Text Text ������������������������ Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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) 1898-11-01 Volume 9 Issue 6 Pages Page range in volume 125–148 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 18981101 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin XL he H u t b o r, (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vol. IX.—No. 6.] NOVEMBER 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 retnrn 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 should be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent by registered letter only. Communications and letters are invited by the Editor on all subjects connected with literature, but on no other sub- joots whatever. Articles which cannot be accepted are returned if stamps for the purpose accompany the MSS. GENERAL MEMORANDA. FOB some years it has been the praotioe to insert, in every number of The Author, certain " General Con- siderations," Warnings, Notices, &o., 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 his true character, and should be left to oarry 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 cost 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 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 I (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 rides. 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 the chance of a success which will not, probably, come at all; but which may come. 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 oommon 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 for 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 seoretary before he signs it.  ## p. 126 (#138) ############################################ i26 THE AUTHOR. HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. i. LI VERY member has a right to ask for and to receive ITi advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his business or the administration of his property. If the advioe 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 connected 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 oase of fraudnlent houses—the tricks of every publish- ing firm in the oountry. 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 every- thing 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 coarse, be regarded as con- fidential documents to be read only by the Secretary, who will keep the key of the safe. The Sooiety now offers:—(1) To read and advise npon 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. Communications for The Author should reach the Editor not later than the 21st of each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to communicate to the Editor any points oonnected with their work which 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 Offioe without previously communicating with the Secretary. The utmost practicable despatch is 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 present location of the Authors' Club is at 3, White- hall-court, Charing Cross. Address the Seoretary 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 this, 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 ho was honest or dishonest? Of course they would not. Why then hesitate for a moment when they are asked to- sign themselves into literary bondage for three or five years? "Those who possess the 'Cost 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, reoently been obtained which show that the figures in the book may be relied on as nearly oorrect: as near as is possible. Some remarks have been made npon the amount charged in the " Cost of Production" for advertising. Of course, we have not included any sums 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 hia 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 a welling their own profits call it NOTICES. THE 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 Seoretary the modest 08. 6d. subscription for the year. The Editor is always glad to receive short 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 their names and the special subjects on which they are willing to write? THE AUTHORS' CLUB. ri^HE Directors have the pleasure to inform I the members of the Authors' Society that the new lease of the club premises has now been settled, and that the additional rooms will shortly be opened. One obstacle to the prosperous development of the club has been the comparatively limited accommodation offered to members, and com- plaints have been put forward from time to time that it was impossible, for that reason, for  ## p. 127 (#139) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 127 members to ask their friends to join. The new large coffee room will give increased facilities for dining, and the directors expect to see an accession of new members to the club. They feel assured, after the very cordial expression of goodwill at the last general meeting, that in taking over the new rooms they have adopted a course which will receive the hearty support of all the members, and which will be to the advan- tage of the club. G. Herbert Theing, Secretary. LITERARY PROPERTY. I. —A County Couet Decision.—Spicer v. Nutt. ON the 17th Oct., in the Westminster County Court, Judge Lumley Smith, Q.C., and a jury heard the case of Spicer v. Nutt, an action brought by an Oxford clergyman against a Strand publisher and bookseller, to recover .£41 is. Sd., profits on the sale of a book called "The Baba Log." The defendant claimed £21 is. Sd. as a set-off, and paid £20 into court. The Rev. J. M. Macdonald, a missionary in India, wrote the book, a work for children in British India, and got the Rev. Mr. Spicer to have it published. The plaintiff agreed to pay Mr. Nutt. He did so for some editions, and guaranteed to pay for any further editions Mr. Macdonald ordered. Mr. Macdonald had a cor- respondence with Mr. Nutt as to publishing a cheaper edition for use in schools in India as a text-book, and ordered eventually 500 copies as a school edition. The plaintiff refused to pay the loss on that edition, £21 is. Sd., as he only, he said, guaranteed to pay for further editions of the book as he saw it—the higher priced edition. The defendant contended that the school edition was precisely the same except the binding, and was practically the same book. The jury found for the plaintiff for the amount claimed, and judgment was given accordingly with costs.—Daily Graphic. II. —Copyright in Holland and Germany. The following, which we quote from our con- temporary Das Jiecht der Feder, a German organ for the protection of copyright, is probably of greater interest to English authors than the majority of them suspect. Not everyone has noticed in how many Dutch newspapers the feuilleton is a translation of an English novel. The Netherlands Union for the Advancement of the Bookselling Trade has, at its general meeting, decided, by a majority of eighty-one to forty, to take no steps in favour of the adhesion of Holland to the Berne Union. Herr A. J. Robbeen, a partisan of adhesion to the Union, divides the opponents of that step into three classes: 1. A few small printer-publishers who procure translations of foreign novels, and print them to keep their presses going. The cost of production being inconsiderable, the smallest sales produce some profit. 2. Editors of newspapers who wish to procure feuilletons at starvation prices. 3. Theatrical speculators. On the contrary—so Herr Robbeen asserts— all Dutch authors, all the great publishers, and all the educated public are in favour of adhesion. This opinion of his is hardly supported by the fact that a number of Dutch statesmen and jurists have always declared themselves to be opponents of international copyright. Amongst these Dr. J. D. Veergens has, in his writings, expressed the following opinions: "I consider the exploded doctrine of so-called intellectual property to be absolutely untenable. "Translation is not piracy, but original work. "An idea as soon as it is expressed is public property. "Holland has not joined the Berne Union, first of all, because, in the interests of the community, the Government was indisposed to sacrifice the fundamental liberty of transla- tion. "To this liberty Holland must hold fast." From these and some other principles of equity adduced by Dr. Veergens, Dr. Robbeen deduces the conclusion that, "according to Veergens, copyright exists only in consequence of legal enactment. Were there no legislation on the subject there would be no right." Dr. J. A. Levy, a former deputy, seconds Dr. Veergens by saying: "Thought is the highest expression of the intellectual faculty of man. Thought exists in order to be disseminated. Only dissemination can make it fruitful. In conse- quence, any hindrance of its dissemination is an unpardonable crime against the evolution of humanity. For this reason no one any longer speaks of literary property as a legal right. . . One respects the rights of authors. But transla- tion forms no part of an author's rights. . . . The translator works in his own sphere of thought, in his own world of imagination. Into that sphere the original author does not enter: the translator is absolute master. By what pretence, by what shadow of right, can the translator's  ## p. 128 (#140) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. intellectual labour be denied the quality of origi- nality? No two translations are alike." Das Recht der Feder remarks on these charm- ing statements: "That the liberty defended by these gentlemen is that of the highwayman has entirely escaped their observation. And are the highest nights of imagination those which they have been so desirous to reproduce? Certainly not. Only his own interests make the translator a thief. The foulest pamphlet that delights the herd is by far more precious to him than the most important intellectual work, which pleases only a few cultivated people. The former brings in, the latter costs, money. Culture that takes money out of his pocket? Not if he knows it! Multa- tuli was right. There is a robber State between East Friesland and the Scheldt. When will the Dutch open their eyes to the fact that the protec- tion of the rights of foreign authors is the best protection of national production?" The German Union of Authors ("Schrifts- teller Verband") on the occasion of the annual general meeting at Wiesbaden, in September, turned its attention to the proposed revision of the copyright law of the German Empire, and passed several important resolutions :— 1. That this meeting expresses its satisfaction at the prospect of a revision of the law. 2. That the meeting trusts that before the projected law is placed in the statute-book it may be submitted for public criticism. 3. That the union shall appoint a commission to determine (after making general inquiries ainongst authors) what are the particular points which should be taken into consideration by the new legislation, and to lay the results of its in- quiries before the Legislature. On the motion of Herr M. Hilde brand four general propositions respecting the lines which the new Legislature should take were also passed, the second and fourth not without opposition :— 1. The passing of a single enactment, replacing the imperial laws of June 11, 1870, and Jan. 9, 1876. 2. Protection of copyright irrespective of the nationality of the author or original locality of publication. 3. Reproduction of newspaper articles to be piracy—if for pecuniary advantage, or in order to avoid the expense of procuring independent 'information. 4. A tax—to be applied to benevolent insti- tutions for authors — to be imposed upon all works of which the copyright has lapsed. In defence of his second proposition, Herr Hildebrand pleaded that making a distinction between authors of different nationalities pro- duces in the mind of the public a confusion of ideas respecting the nature of literary property. In a civilised State, such as the German Empire, a man ought not to be robbed because he happens to be a Roumanian or a Greek. Translation of an Article Reprinted from "Hannover schen Courier" in "Das Recht der Feder" No. 143, October 2, 1898, p. 156. We may express the hope that it [the revision of the German Copyright Law] will not result in a mere recension intended to amend certain par- ticulars in which the law of 1870 has been left behind by subsequent international conventions, but that the Government may show itself disposed to favour more advanced wishes. For some time past a tendency that certainly deserves respect, has existed in the German literary world, or at least in that section of it which concerns itself about these copyright questions that so closely affect literary men—it is much to be regretted that more great names do not belong to that section of the literary world. On this subject a correspondent writes to us: "Discerning authors have already availed them- selves of the opportunity of discussing the revision of the law at congresses. Our present copyright law protects only the German author from un- authorised reproduction. Foreign authors are protected only in so far as conventions exist with their respective States. Literary works produced in States with which we have no such conventions (for example Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Greece, Turkey, and many others) can be translated or reproduced amongst us without restrictions, and vice versd. The wishes of literary circles, so far as these have been expressed, now go so far as to desire that the new law should protect all intel- lectual productions from translation, reproduction, dramatisation, performance, &c., irrespective of the country in which the author lives. This pro- posal at first sight appears to result from taking a purely idealistic point of view. The Russian author will be protected in Germany, and the German author will be absolutely unprotected in Russia. Nevertheless, solid realities lie at the base of the proposal. When we protect the foreign author from being taken advantage of, we compel the German publisher who desires to bring out a foreign work to come to terms with the author. The publisher will have to pay the author and the translator, and, in consequence, the foreign work will be made more expensive; for example, the foreign novel, which at present plays so im- portant a rile in our newspapers and elsewhere. Under these circumstances only those foreign  ## p. 129 (#141) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. works will be translated upon which it is worth while to spend some money. The German author will be liberated from the base competition of bad translations of foreign mediocre works which are practically mere poor imitations either of our own or of French literature; and German intellectual labour will consequently increase in both material and ideal value, seeing that the German author, liberated from the meanest competition, will be able to emancipate himself from anenervating over- production. The proof of the correctness of this view is at hand. France has had a law of this sort—ein solches Gesetz, but this statement seems to require qualification—since 1852, and French literature and French authors stand in the highest estimation. Supposing that a few journalistic pirates, in Russia or Holland or elsewhere, wrest foreign literary productions to their own advan- tage, they do so at the cost of the development of their own literature, which cannot but be a gain to us. It is to be anticipated also that this view may be taken by the representatives of our Government; for example. Privy Councillor Reichard, of the Foreign Office—I am unable to find the name of Reichard in the books of reference at my disposal—on one occasion re- marked at a conference on international negotia- tions, 'Only the nation which has a strong copy- right law can possess a literature.'" The opinions here expressed certainly contain much that is to the point. On the other hand, it is not possible at once to set aside the considera- tion that by this one-sided protection of literary work we may be surrendering a weapon that might compel foreign States to abstain from pirating German literature. Revision of the German Copyright Law. Herr Hildebrand, president of the Deutscher Schriftsteller Genossenschaft, in his excellent journal, Das Recht der Feder, is making strong protests against the constitution of the commis- sion of experts entrusted with the preliminary consultations respecting the very important pro- ject of the revision of the German imperial copyright law. "Nine publishers, but not a single literary celebrity!" he exclaims, and not without reason. Associated with the names of imperial officials and legal authorities we find those of Brockhaus, Mulbrecht, and Voigtlander, of the musical booksellers Birkmeyer, Bock, Strecher, also of Engelhorn (President of the German booksellers' Borsenverein) and of Von Hase (President of the Musical Booksellers' Society). But literature is represented by Herr Hildebrand himself alone, whilst, to quote his own words, " the name of no single author of celebrity vol.. rx. appears on the list." He adds modestly: "That the honourable enterprise of defending the rights of authors against the interests of publishers should have been left to me alone, appears to me by n'o means a satisfactory arrangement." Mean- while the protests of some of the trade journals against his large-minded views of copyright draw from him the strong remark " that certain pub- lishers should be alarmed at the prospect of being compelled to earn their bread honestly, and of being prevented from stealing, is quite compre- hensible." And in conclusion he adds: "What the interests of authors are must be learned from authors, not from their publishers," in which we entirely agree with him III.—The Pall Mall on Mr. Victor Spiees. "There is a long letter in The Author this month from Mr. Victor Spiers which raises an interesting point in the relation between the publisher and the writer of books. . . . Mr. Spiers has taken to issuing his books through a distributing agent, as, it appears, Miss Braddon does also, and his reason for recommending that method is practi- cally this: that you should not trust any man in the dark. Suppose one publishes a book on the royalty system; the publisher after a due period says that so many copies have been sold and pays accordingly. But, says Mr. Spiers, how do you know how many copies have been sold? You rely on the publisher's bare word, and that is not businesslike. Mr. Spiers proposes as an amendment to this practice that the printer should take his orders from the publisher and the author jointly, and should render his account to both. But every publishing house would refuse to accept such a clause in an agreement, and would regard the proposal as a slur upon its integrity. That is, of course, the case; and I think that there is a good deal to be said against the attitude adopted by publishers in this matter. For, even if it be granted that nine publishers out of ten are to be trusted implicitly, there is always the tenth man to consider. If A., B., C, and D., whom I can trust blindfolded, do not want to publish my book, how can I go to E. and say: 'The arrangement which I should be willing to accept with A., B., C, or D., implies more confi- dence in the publisher than I should be willing to extend to you'? Thus the action of the trustworthy houses throws temptation in the way of those who are less honest. And it must be remembered that publishers have no control over members of their trade. A solicitor who has defrauded his client may be struck off the rolls, but a publisher cannot be. What Mr. Sp calls ' the large, old and respected houses' would P  ## p. 130 (#142) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. have probably everything to gain by accepting 'a legal examination of accounts.' Once the point was conceded in theory not one author in twenty would care to pay the expenses of such an inquiry."—Pall Mall Gazette, Oct. 8. Mr. Victor Spiers has sent a second letter to the Pall Mall Gazette. It contains a statement of the greatest interest: In my first letter I suggested a simpler alternative than a legal audit of accounts : it was merely that into the agree- ment should be inserted a clause to the effect that the printer should print only upon receipt of an order bearing the joint signature of author and publisher. Some of your many readers may be interested to hear that a large Paris house actually gives these very terms in its contracts; at any rate, I have just heard that they have been given to one author, who moreover has the stereos under his oontrol, and actually has in his possession a few plates of one of bis books. Nor is it likely that he is the only one thus privileged. The general adoption of this clause would do away with the unpleasant feeling that undoubtedly exists in the minds of most authors, and that, undoubtedly again, should not be permitted to exist in the relations between honourable men. Suspicion ought not to exist in the relations between honourable men. That is true. It is impossible to exist between honourable men. But when we have two sides, one of whom, like Mr. Spiers, demands nothing but honesty and the ordinary proofs of honesty, and the other side absolutely refuses these proofs, on which side does honour lie? Let us remember that in the famous " draft agreements'' there is not one word of concession. Why, even the charge for advertise- ments not paid for is left without a word of remonstrance! . IV.—A Question of Eight. In the number of the Publishers' Circular dated Oct. 8 a letter appeared, signed "A Publisher." The writer begins with the usual petty spitefulness about this Society. It appears that we are not "representative." He then pro- ceeds to state certain considerations, especially that when cases are submitted to the Publishers' Association or the Authors' Society, neither of these bodies is pledged to secrecy. "Has either publisher or author the right of referring a dis- pute, including communication of all documents bearing upon it, to the Publishers' Association or to the Society of Authors without first obtaining the consent of the other party; and, if he does so, will an action for damages lie?" His question in effect is: "Has an author or a publisher the legal right of making public to his association the terms of any dispute and the com- munication of all documents bearing upon it?" I write from the author's point of view. An author has a certain property. He employs an agent to administer that property on certain terms. He subsequently has a dispute with that agent. J£ he thinks it desirable he can refer the dispute, with all papers concerning it, to any person. In the case of referring it to the Authors' Society he refers it to them as an Asso- ciation which can be of valuable assistance in defending him and his property. The same remark would apply where the author sells the copyright or his property outright to the pub- lisher. Apart from this broad principle, how- ever, an author refers to the Secretary of the Society in the first instance as to a solicitor, and receives advice from the Secretary as from a solicitor, the Secretary holding all such communi- cations in confidence. If, subsequently, owing to the dispute not being satisfactorily settled, the author desires the matter referred to the Com- mittee, it is still treated in confidence as far as the Committee are concerned. The author, how- ever, has the right of putting his statement of facts before anyone he may choose, whether the Secretary of the Society, the Committee, or the public. The writer states as follows: "It is obvious that neither body can be regarded naturally as an arbitration tribunal." Such a remark is wholly unnecessary, though in some cases, with the con- sent of both parties, it might be advantageous to accept the Authors' Society or their authorised representative as an arbitrator. In three cases that came before the Secretary last year when matters were in dispute between author and pub- lisher, and the issue was one that could be best settled by arbitration, the publisher accepted the settlement of the case on the basis proposed by the Secretary and the Society's solicitors. That such should be the case speaks very favourably for the Society's fairness in cases of dispute and to a recognition of the fact that while the Society exists for its members it does not entertain any desire to injure other people. The main gist of the question, however, appears to be that the "Publisher," whoever he may be, strongly objects to have his own practices or those of his brothers in trade made public. Q-. H. T. V.—CONTKIBUTIONS TO MAGAZINES. (From the Law Journal, by permission.) Section 18 of the Copyright Act of 1842 (5 & 6 Vict. c. 45) provides that, when the proprietor or conductor of an encyclopaedia, magazine, review, or periodical or serial work, employs persons to compose articles, essays, poems, or any portion of such works, the copy- right of the articles, essays, &c., shall vest in such proprietor or conductor, provided that the articles  ## p. 131 (#143) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. »3i were composed " on the terms that the copyright shall belong to such proprietor," &c., and have actually been paid for, and subject to a right on the part of the composer to publish his composi- tions in a separate form at the expiration of twenty-eight years from the date of their first appearance in the encyclopaedia, magazine, or other work. Tor some years after the passing of the Act it was a disputed question what was the precise meaning of the words "on the terms that the copyright shall belong to such proprietor," <fec. Was it sufficient to show that there had actually been payment for an article in order to vest the copyright in it in the proprietor of the magazine in which it appeared? Must there have been an express agreement that the copy- right should pass from the author to the pro- prietor, or could a transfer be implied from circumstances? In Sweet v. Benning (24 Law J. Eep. C. P. 175; 16 C. B. 459) the Court of Common Pleas held that the transfer of copyright to the magazine proprietor might take place by implication, as well as by express agreement. "Where," said Chief Justice Jervis (24 Law J. Eep. C. P. 179; 16 C. B. 480), "the proprietor of a periodical employs a gentleman to write a given article or a series of articles or reports, expressly for the purpose of publication therein, of necessity it is implied that the copyright of the articles so expressly written for such periodical and paid for by the proprietors and publishers thereof, shall be the property of such proprietors and publishers; otherwise, it might be that the author might, the day after his article has been published by the persons for whom he contracted to write it, republish it in a separate form, or in another serial, and there would be no corres- pondent benefit to the original publishers for the payment they had made." But the impli- cation does not arise from the mere fact that payment has been made for the article ( Walter v. Howe, 50 Law J. Rep. Chanc. 621; L. R. 17 Chanc. Div.). The copyright was in the first instance in the author, and it remains in him except in so far as he can be shown to have parted with it {Hereford v. Griffin, 17 Law J. Rep. Chanc. 210; 16 Sim. 190; Smith v. John- son, 33 Law J. Rep. Chanc. 137; 4 Giff. 632). Under the existing law, therefore, the offer of an article to the proprietors of a periodical will not carry copyright even upon payment, if the article has not actually been written in pursu- ance of a previous arrangement, express or implied. The section, in fact, is only applicable when the author, before commencing to write, has entered into an agreement with the maga- zine proprietor in express terms, or in terms which may be implied to have existed through VOL. IX. the subsequent action, relations, or behaviour of the parties. The two bills recently before Parliament, intro- duced by Lords Herschell and Monkswell, made the following proposals as to this class of litera- ture. Unlike the Act of 1842, which treated encyclopaedias and magazines in precisely the same way, the present bills divide them into two classes consisting of (1) encyclopaedias, dictionaries, and similar collective works; (2) magazines, reviews, and other periodicals. In the first class the copyright in contributions will belong to the owner of the compilation dur- ing the entire period for which copyright will exist, and he or his assigns will be the only persons entitled to take action in case of an infringement. If the author wishes to reserve copyright to himself, he must enter into a special written agreement to that effect. It is obvious that this is a more favourable arrangement for proprietors of collective works than exists in the present state of the law, when at the latest, con- tributors to such works are entitled to republish their contributions in separate form at the end of twenty years. In the second class the copyright in contribu- tions will remain in the authors; but, provided that payment has been made by the owner of the magazine, &c., to which they are contributed, the authors will not be at liberty to republish their contributions in a separate form until the expira- tion of three years from the date when they first appeared (or three years from the end of the year in which they first appeared, as Lord Herschell's Bill proposes). Authors are, how- ever, at liberty to register their contributions at Stationers' Hall as separate publications imme- diately on their appearance, and can then claim damages for infringement of copyright although the three years have not elapsed. As under the existing law, the magazine proprieters will have the sole right of publication in their magazines (but not otherwise) during the entire subsistence of the copyright. Here, again, the proprietors will be somewhat more favourably placed than at present, because they will be legally entitled to prevent separate publication on the author's part for the specified period of three years, whereas the only check that at present exists upon separate publication by an author on the day after his article has appeared in a magazine is, in the absence of a special stipulation, the im- probability that he would see his signature at the foot of any further contributions in the same magazine. With most contributors this would, no doubt, be a sufficiently powerful incentive to refrain from any unfair dealing, but the new proposal places the rights of the various parties  ## p. 132 (#144) ############################################ 132 THE AUTHOR. on a clearer and more settled basis than at present, and is therefore desirable from every point of view. Under existing conditions it is not an unusual course among authors, when submitting their contributions for an editor's approval, to notify their desire to reserve the copyright. As the law stands, this would appear to be a work of supere- rogation, but what will be necessary when the provisions of these bills become law will be a notification that the contributor desires to reserve the right of republication before the statutory three years, if such is the case. Probably, how- ever, the majority of contributors will not object to the practical relinquishment of their copyright for a period which does not seem to be unreason- ably long to duly safeguard the interests of the owners of periodicals. VI.—The Question of Overs. This point has been raised before. It was brought before the notice of the Secretary for the first time by receiving a publisher's account, in which the author was credited with the " overs." In three editions of a thousand each they made a considerable difference in the sum due to him. Now it must be remarked that this is the only account ever received at the office in which the "overs " were so much as mentioned. If a pub- lisher is asked about them, he says that they are not worth mentioning, or that there are no "overs," or that the "overs" were used up to complete imperfect copies. He might, however, just as well say that two or three copies, or two or three dozen copies, are not worth mentioning. Now, a certain authority states that publishers expect from 5 to 10 per cent. of " overs." This seems to mean that, on an edition of 1000, there are fifty to 100 "overs," which seems too many. On this subject some exact information is greatly to be desired. If "overs" mean anything like fifty in a thousand, then a monstrous system of fraud has been practised, so far with absolute impunity. THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS CONGRESS AT LISBON. THREE years have elapsed since I had the pleasure of writing upon the International Press Congress in The Author. In Nov., 1895,1 described the work done at Bordeaux, where a goodly gathering of English were present; but since then, owing to the action of the Institute of Journalists, the English have taken no part in this international work for the better- ing of journalists. But this year, thanks to the establishment of the "British International Association of Journalists," with Miss G. B. Stuart as the energetic secretary, and Mr. P. W. Clayden as president, again English journalists have had a voice at this important congress. The meeting at Lisbon promised to be an important and interesting one, and those of us who were in Holland for the Queen's enthrone- ment felt, perhaps, more than others the care of the combined Dutch and Congress committees, for we were pleasantly sent direct, on a well-found Dutch East Indiaman, to Lisbon, where we were received in state by the ex-Minister of Marine of Portugal. In this fascinating capital we met 396 journalists of eighteen nationalities, the French predominating in numbers, and we soon found the local committee had indeed done everything for the "congressites." The blue "Carnet" with the "Ordre du Jour," "Emploi du Temps " we quickly found was a passe-partout in Lisbon. The solemn inauguration on Monday, the 26th Sept., was a short but important ceremony, H.M. the King of Portugal presiding, with the Queen and Dom Alphonso Infanta on either hand, the members of the Corps Diplomatique and the Municipality of Lisbon ranging round their Majesties. The Great Hall of the Geographical Society (the whole building being given over as a club to the congressites) was filled with a brilliant gathering of Portuguese, and when M. Singer, the president of the Congress, rose to give his opening address, the scene was im- pressive. The King replied in a happy impromtu, referring to the fact that he had just presided at a medical congress,a gathering of those who cared for the body, whilst before him were those who cared for and healed the mind. The cheers at the end of the King's speech in every European tongue were very cordial. The English secured seats in the front at the gangway, and near them were the Dutch, Scandi- navian, and Polish contingents; the Germans this year numbered thirty, Professor Koch, of Heidelberg, presiding on the third day. International Telegraphic Tariffs. On Tuesday, at the first session, Mr. P. W. Clayden was elected to the Central Bureau as the English representative, and took his seat on the platform after the reading of the secre- tary's and treasurer's reports. The very im- portant matter of international telegraphic tariffs was brought forward by M. de Beraza, of Spain.  ## p. 133 (#145) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. i33 For four years the Central Bureau, with M. Beraza, has been working for a reduction iu the tariff for international Press telegrams, and have succeeded so far, that a convention has been signed between France and Spain, and an arrange- ment has been entered into between France and Luxembourg. Other countries have been loth to take the matter up. England was disposed to accept an arrangement, and asked for further information, and later on was inclined to agree to a reduced tax during the night. A brisk discussion arose on this report, the speakers being Dr. Israel and M. Elont, of Holland; M. Constant, of France; and S. Beraza, of Spain; the writer hereof causing some amuse- ment by pointing out that the telegraphic Press rate to England was only 400 reis for 100 words, at the same time urging that the English suggestion of a reduction during the night be accepted as a step in advance. Finally it was agreed that the committee of direction should carry on their negotiations with the various countries. A little diversion was caused during this debate by an English member demanding that, as in all international congresses, the question to be voted upon, and any amendments, or rdsumd of any important speech, should be given in English and German, if spoken in French. The President (M. Singer) added his weight to this suggestion, and it was agreed to, but only in one or two cases acted upon. The subject of an International Bureau for Journalists was then brought forward by M. Torelli-Viollier and M. Janzon. This bureau is already at work, 431 journalists being inscribed upon its roll; so that any editor can know at once whom to apply to all over Europe for news, upon any important event happening where he has no correspondent. . This ended the work of the first session, and in the afternoon the "congressites" betook them- selves by special train to that paradise Southey has rapturously described—Cintra. The Moorish palace of the King on its rocky height, with the vast, glorious views of piled volcanic crag, vintaged plain, and olive and palmed-clothed vales, were long lingered over; but an al fresco lunch in the grounds below, and some of the vintage of the district, transformed sedate profes- sors and aged journalists into jovial schoolboys decorated with palms, and feathers, and flowers, trophies of the feast. In the cool of the evening the wondrously beautiful tropical gardens and park of Monserrat were visited; and the drive back beneath the soft light of the full moon, beneath the arching trees, was a most delightful experience. The Reproduction op Articles. At 9.30 on the next morning, with a full house, the stormy question of the "Right of Reproduc- tion of Political Articles " was introduced by M. Albert Bataille. At Stockholm, in 1897, the copyright of telegrams had been sustained, but, in the interest of a free propaganda of ideas, this question had been reserved for the Lisbon Congress. M. Bataille's report was well worked out, and gave rise to a most animated discussion. Personally, I was much interested in this debate, for on Jan. 15, 1891, at a meeting of the Society of Authors, Sir F. Pollock in the chair, I brought up the question of " Copyright in Lite- rary Style in News Notes "; and in the Law Journal of Jan. 24 Mr. J. M. Lely wrote a leader- ette upon the subject. Here, from the report, the thing I had spoken for seven years ago was within measurable distance of becoming inter- national law. M. Bataille urged that no article should be printed without the consent of the author or the journal, but this was combated strongly by MM. Waalwijk and Elont, of Holland; and a brilliant passage of arms occurred between M. Constant and M. Bataille. I ventured to claim copyright, not only for political and other articles, but also for " notes," as so much journalism now consists of "notes." Finally, after a warm dis- cussion that never descended into chaos, as did the discussion on this knotty question in Bor- deaux, it was unanimously voted: "That, as far as concerns the reproduction of articles, treating of political, religious, economical, and social sub- jects, the right of citation is recognised in the superior interest of free discussion; but, in all cases, the journal reproducing must quote the name of the author and the journal from which the article is taken." Mr. Warden, the secretary to the English section, pointed out that few English articles were signed, but the word "author" was introduced into the motion, as, of course, foreign articles are so usually signed. The whole matter will now be prepared for the Diplomatic Conference at Berlin, in 1901—that is, preparatory to the completion of the Berne Con- vention; and it is hoped that all literary news- paper work, including "notes"—that I was assured by the "rapporteurs" upon this matter should not be overlooked—will become inter- nationally copyright. There is already a clause in Lord Monkswell's Bill partially to effect this in England. This was the most exciting debate of the Congress, and it showed how the members had advanced in self-control since the Bordeaux meeting. Yet, as M. Bataille remarked to me at the banquet in the Opera House, "we must go on improving." A sense of satisfaction was  ## p. 134 (#146) ############################################ 134 THE AUTHOR. very widely expressed that an English contin- gent was again present, and hopes uttered that next year our numbers would be greater. At the third session, the subject of profes- sional education for journalists was brought up by M. Bataille. Dr. Koch, of Heidelberg, explained his course of lectures on journalism; and a report was received that a school for journalists was to be opened in the Figaro office. On the question of an international tribunal of arbitration, it was decided the Central Bureau should be this tribunal; and it was also left to the Bureau to take up the matter of cards of identity to act as passports for journalists. Altogether, in spite of a somewhat weak agenda, good work was done, and many an international friendship made that ought to work for good, individually and collectively. A Social Success. Socially the Congress was an immense suc- cess. The King and Queen held a special reception at the Ajuda Palace on their joint birthdays, that fell on Sept. 28, a brilliant function that was succeeded by the birthday levie in the Throne-room, at which I also had the pleasure of being present. The gracious affa- bility of the Queen and her majestic beauty completely won the hearts of all the "con- gressites"; and the Lisbon committee sought every possible means to give pleasure to the journalists. An excursion to the historic Thomar and to Cascaes, with banquets and luncheons and illuminations, and an exceptionally brilliant bull- fight of the Portuguese type, that has none of the brutal cruelty to the horses, gave the members a good insight into Portuguese life. The send- off to Oporto with luncheon en route at Pampil- hosa, was a most hearty and enjoyable ending to the Lisbon festivities, Oporto taking up the warm hospitality in a most cordial and even bewilder- ing fashion. Few who were there will forget the rare charm and beauty of Lisbon, and the rich nature and wild scenery of Portugal. After the President, Councillor A. Ennes, the English were especially indebted to Dr. M. Lima and Sefiors Mendonca de Costa and Tavares, and, as usual, the whole of the " congressites " owe much to the indefatigable and courteous secretary, M. Victor Taunays. The next Congress will be held at Borne in 1899, Paris asserting its claim for 1900. James Baker. NOTES AND NEWS. THE Secretary has been instructed to ask the Committee of the Publishers' Association if they desire to reply to the strictures on their Draft Agreements contained in the July number of The Author. In reply they have- expressed a desire to confer on the Draft Agree- ments. The Committee of the Authors' Society have refused to hold any conference on these documents. The Daily Chronicle (Oct. 18), in an article naturally called for by the De Rougemont expo- sure, spoke strongly of the gradual degenera- tion of periodical literature. "The spread," it said, "of a certain education, the constant cheapening of production, and the rapid expan- sion of the means of distribution to all the world, have substituted for a small and cultured public an immense audience whom no man can number, but who ask only to be amused. . . . With this movement there is combined another to the full as parlous, unless some better influences can overrule it. That is the astounding expansion of advertisements. The moment a cheap sheet of any sort can achieve a circulation counted in five or six figures, advertisers compete for the spare pages and its covers. For the word " sub- stituted " in the above, I would read "added."' The second part of this complaint seems inevit- able. As soon as a sheet arrives at an immense circulation, it naturally attracts advertisers, who- will pay largely for the use of the spare pages. This is an inconvenience that we shall nave to put up with. As regards the first part it is most true and most lamentable that there are millions of people who only read for sensation—to laugh, or to- shudder, or to while away the time. But, again, what does this mean? It means, I believe, a certain stage of intellectual development: all these multi- tudes have arrived at those lower levels of mental activity when the brain likes to be occupied but has not yet arrived at the power of continuous attention. It must be fed with comic scraps, with little bits of useless information, with short stories. It is a stage through which the better sort quickly pass, but it is always receiving new comers. We ought not to deride this condition, of mind any more than we deride children who run about shouting. i3-r, There is, however, one person who is respon- sible for the growing degradation. It is the editor of those sheets which appeal to the popular taste and make no attempt at leading or improv- ing it. The ideal editor is the man who under- stands how to guide and lead while lie. seems to.  ## p. 135 (#147) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. i35 follow. The mischievous editor is the man who picks out what is worst and lowest in his readers and panders to that taste. There are at this moment half a dozen journals which between them have a circulation of millions. What will the editors do with these papers? Will they endeavour to impart to their readers, little by little, literary taste and literary culture? They can do it: the thing is possible: but the public will not by itself " create," as the Daily Chronicle asks, "an opinion in favour of work that will keep sweet the wells of their delight in the great Art of Letters." , , One more point from this article—it is not often that one finds so much to say on a leader. The writer says," Time was when the magazine was an instalment of current literary work, addressed by writers who were able and entitled to write to a public which was able to criticise." Yes, but that public has not disappeared: it remains as strong and as large as ever. Its old magazines are not swamped by those which circulate by the million: they still flourish and lead and teach. The Nineteenth Century: the Contempo- rary: the Fortnightly: the National: the Quarterly: the Edinburgh: the Athenseum: the Academy: Literature; none of these organs address the uncultivated class: none of these are bought to while away an hour: and they have not, I believe, gone down in circulation while they have kept their old character. The surging millions around us cannot influence these papers nor can they influence their readers. What they have always done, they still continue to do. There is no hope that they will circulate among this multitude of imperfect mental development. In a word, the higher magazine is not sinking down: there is no sign of decay or deterioration in its tone or in its style. It remains to be seen whether the lower kind of magazine is capable of rising. LITEBARY PUPIL required by Editor of well-known London Magazine, resident in fashionable seaside town; young Lady or Gentleman with literary tastes preferred; a year's apprenticeship ; premium 100 guineas; salary jgi a week; good referenoes essential.—Address, in first instance, It is not surprising that one who undertakes to teach the art of writing, which is useful for the production of literature, should express a prefer- ence for a pupil with literary tastes. Is it possible, however, to open the door of the literary life by any teaching? Here, as in other questions of the kind that come before us, we must distin- guish. It is no more possible to turn any casual person into a man or woman of letters than it is to make him understand, against his powers of mind, the Integral Calculus. Given, however, the natural aptitude, then a certain amount of judi- cious instruction might possibly save many disap- pointments, and put a young man in the right way. What is offered in this advertisement is too vague for any practical purpose. The advertiser has certainly not taken lessons in the art of writing advertisements, which is a distinct branch of the literary profession. First, the young person is to pay ,£105 down. That is a serious haul. Next, he is to receive a pound a week. To begin with? To last how long? In return for what duties? Is he to board with the advertiser? If not, is he to reside in the same fashionable sea- side town? What is to be the curriculum of study? What are the advertiser's qualifica- tions for the task? What is his literary baggage? Has he ever had a literary pupil before? If so, does that literary pupil now touch the stars? And, above all, we repeat—what about that pound a week? When does it begin? When will it end? And, lastly, what is it for? In another column is noticed, by Mr. Thring, a letter from the Publisliers' Circular. I have only one thing to add—viz., the animus discovered towards the Authors' Society. It is a body, says the writer, which "lacks any representative character." One would like to know what this ingenuous sniffer means by a "representative " character '( What is it? What constitutes " representative charac- ter "? The Society has between 1400 and 1500 members. Has this publisher seen their names? He certainly has not. How does he know them? But there are the names on the Council: are not these names sufficiently repre- sentative? There are among them leading names of statesmen, historians, poets, artists, lawyers, scientific men, musicians, educational men, novelists, dramatists, journalists, antiquaries, essayists, and travellers. What more is wanted to make it a representative body? As for the ques- tion asked, Mr. Thring has sufficiently answered it in his paper. The publisher quoted actually disputes the right of any person, in any quarrel, to refer the subject to any other person he chooses, with all the documents connected with it: and especially the right of referring a question, with all the documents connected with it, to a solicitor —to any solicitor he chooses, whether to Mr. Thring, or to the other solicitors to the Society, Messrs. Field, Roscoe, and Emery. Certainly we should be quite prepared to defend any action brought by any publisher, or company of pub- lishers, against ourselves for receiving and ad- vising upon any documents whatever connected with literary property. But the letter-looks as if the publisher had just seen an unfortunate author, and heard from him (or her) that he (or  ## p. 136 (#148) ############################################ i.36 THE AUTHOR. she) was going to take all the documents to the Society. And although, which is quite true, the Seen tary points out that both the Committee and himself are bound to secresy, the Committee may, if they please, and if the author allows, publish the whole case. It would then be open to the poor ill-used publisher to take any action he chose. . In another column will be found an extract from the Library World, the organ of libraries. The writer complains of the cramped condition of English free libraries owing to the limitation clause as to the rate. I confess that I have small sympathy with the complaint, for these reasons. First, I do not think that a free library ought to be expected to furnish all the new books, or even all the best new books to its readers. Even at the London Library, for which the members pay three pounds a year subscription, we frequently wait some months for certain new books greatly in demand. But if the library goes on adding every year only a hundred pounds' worth of books, many of them cheap and second hand, it will before long have alibrary equal to any demands likely to be made upon it. As regards the limitation clause, one or two London districts have endeavoured to get it raised. The action terrifies the ratepayer, to whom an extra penny in the pound means an additional burden. People in easy circumstances do not understand what the extra penny may mean to a struggling shop- keeper who must consider every sixpence. I am persuaded that it is the fear of this increase which has hitherto defeated all attempts made to get a free library in Islington and Marylebone. Let us do all we can with the penny rate and get as many libraries as we can. Could not the librarians, where the library is cramped, make a list of books wanted and send it round among the more wealthy classes? Mr. Andrew Lang has been complaining that "the world is fundamentally hostile to litera- ture ": that it hates to spend money on books. And then he has a gibe at The Author as follows:— The spirit of these remarks I find rebuked whenever I torn from literature to authorship and study The Author. In that great commercial organ, among the most eloquent remarks on discount, I seem to find traces of optimism, traces of belief in a great literary public. I do not believe in any such thing, even if some novels, at 6s., find a market for 100,000 copies. Even that (considering how bad most of these books are, how ignorant, coarse, emphatic, and illiterate) is relatively a very small demand. Think of the millions of England, and think of how many of them buy a book, say, of an author who is a man of genius, and "popular," Mr. Kipling or Mr. Stevenson. What a beggarly account! As for those who read Marlowe, or Montaigne, they are the tiniest of remnants. It is pleasing to find that he does read The Author. It is the business of the paper to dis- course upon discounts and everything else which may concern the management of Literary Pro- perty. Those who are not interested in the sub- ject are not expected to read the paper at all. Ab regards the " optimism," my own opinion of the subject is utterly different from that of Mr. Lang. It is based upon a study of the actual facts, which are, briefly, these :— (1) The question of money: The vast mass of the people simply have no money to buy books at the price at which they are issued, say from 2*. 6d. upwards. How can a working man on 30*. a week spend 10s. in buying a book? How many books of 4*. 6d. can he buy in a year? In fact, he never buys a book at all. To get at the class of book-buyers eliminate a vast majority of the people. What about the remainder, which means about two and a half millions, or 400,000 families? It is for these 400,000 that all our books are published. And I do think that if a book is bought by a quarter of these families, and borrowed by the other three-quarters, it is as much as any one can expect. 2. The use of the free libraries: The working man reads books, though he does not buy them. He goes in multitudes to the free libraries, where the librarians' lists show that he makes a very good choice of books. 3. The wide purchase of cheap books: Whenever a good popular book —" Lorna Doone," for instance—is issued at sixpence it is bought by the hundred thousand. There is a so-called "library," containing many excellent books, which is printed on vile paper and sold at less than sixpence. This "library " has sold by millions. For these reasons I say that the people do read books: that they do buy them when they can afford it: and that their choice in the free libraries is on the whole sound. Of course it would be easy to pick out certain books and hold them up to derision as popular favourites. They may be favourites for a season: but they quickly die and are forgotten. Walter Besant. THE LIBRAEY AND THE LIMITATION CLAUSE. IT is perfectly certain that the cramped and poverty-stricken condition of English libraries, brought about by a grudging Parliamentary limitation, has prevented, or at  ## p. 137 (#149) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. i37 least postponed, the progress and development of these institutions to a great extent. When we contemplate what has been accomplished on the meagre income doled out to libraries, we marvel at the high measure of efficiency and degree of success attained. But when we look a little closer and consider what could be done with sufficient means, and what ought to be done to give public libraries their maximum value, it is soon borne in upon us that the most popular library in the country does little more than just touch the fringe of its area of work and useful- ness. According to the statistics carefully col- lected by the Government of the country, about 60 per cent. of the inhabitants of any town are possible users of public libraries. That is to say, 60 in every 100 of population are between the ages of ten and sixty, with a fair allowance for illiterates. But suppose we knock off other 10 per cent. as a further allowance on account of children under twelve and illiterates or weaklings of all ages, we still get 50 per cent. of readers who are capable of using a library. How, then, does it happen that not a single town in the country has even 25 per cent. of its population enrolled as borrowers, while a majority of places can only boast of from 5 to 10 per cent.? The reason is not far to seek. Owing to the starvling income aforesaid, few libraries can afford to buy more than one copy of a popular newspaper or maga- zine, or one or two copies of a popular book at a time. And what is the use of a single copy of a popular book among 10,000 possible borrowers, or of one solitary copy of a very popular illus- trated journal among 50,000 possible readers? Has anyone ever imagined what would take place in a town of 100,000 inhabitants supposing every possible reader availed himself of his right to use the library? According to our computation there would be 50,000 persons anxious to be served with the latest books and journals on topics of the day, and to do this effectually would Tequire not one, but five large libraries with huge news rooms attached and stocks of not less than 20,000 volumes each. Instead of this, all that a town of this size can generally do for itself is to provide 20,000 or 30,000 volumes, 300 journals and magazines, and seats for 200 or 250 readers! For every reader or borrower who uses a public library, at least two others decline to come because they cannot obtain what they want and will not trouble to wait. Again, no public library can reach the poorer classes because it will not, and cannot afford to, seek them out and bring literature to their very doors. We have thrown out these thoughts in the hope that they may suggest to librariaus the connection between extension of work and increase of income, and the necessity which exists for agitation, in order to receive such a recognition as will make it possible for libraries to double, if not quadruple, their present volume of work and usefulness.—From the Library World. REEVE, OF THE "EDINBURGH." * TO have edited the Edinburgh Review for forty years is an experience which could not fail to be guarantee of an interesting history, and the Memoirs of Henry Reeve, which have just been published by Professor Laughton, possess, doubtless, considerable value for the literary aud the political observers of the period. Political, for Henry Reeve at the age of twenty- five was introduced to official life by being appointed, through the influence of Lord Lans- downe, to the Clerkship of Appeals; he became a great political journalist, on terms of inti- macy with Cabinet Ministers and Princes, abroad as well as at home, and receiving those confidences which exalted personages impart only to such as do not fail to command an excellent discretion. After a long connection with the Times, Eeeve in 1855 succeeded Sir George Cornewall Lewis in the editorship of the Edinburgh Review, and served it, as we have said, for forty years. The Author is not a review; and we do not attempt to review these volumes, but merely to record, as far as our space will afford, a few of the literary incidents contained in them. Born at Norwich in 1813, Reeve as a mere lad enjoyed the society of great men. "It often occurred even to himself," we are told, " that there was something unusual and extraordinary in a lad of eighteen or twenty, or even of twenty- four, with no particular advantage of birth, associating familiarly with men of European reputation, Ambassadors, Ministers of State, poets, painters, or musicians." In his twenty- second year he was in Paris, and frequently met Thackeray there. Writing from Paris in January, 1835, Reeve says:—"Thackeray is flourishing, and after the opera we took tea, and had a long talk of the doings of French artists. He com- plains of the impurity of their ideas, and of the jargon of a corrupt life, which they so unwisely admit into their painting rooms." Again in 1836 Reeve writes from Paris to his mother:— I continue to see the Macaulays a good deal. The girls are dreadfully like Tom Babington, and very amusing from * " Memoirs of the Life and Correspondence of Henry Eeeve, C.B., D.C.L." By John Knox Laughton, ALA Two voIb. Longmans, Green, and Co. 28*.  ## p. 138 (#150) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. a mixture of saintship and politios, ignorance of the world, and knowledge of Parliament. ... I have seen a good deal of Thaokeray this last week. That excellent and faoetious being is at the present moment editing an English paper here, in opposition to Galignani's. Bat, what is more ominous, he has fallen in love, and talks of being married in less than twenty years. What is there so affecting as matrimony? I dined yesterday with his objeot, who is a nice, simple, girlish girl—a niece of that old Colonel Shawe whom one always meets at the Sterlings'. Professor Laughton says that the statement about Thackeray editing an English paper" seems to be a mistake." Reeve visited Balzac, too, in those days—January, 1835—and was extraordi- narily impressed:— Such a singular contrast of profound philosophy—more of intuition than of analysis—combined with the variety and prodigality of an Eastern story-teller, expressed in a oopious and brilliant language, frequently degenerating into the violence or rising into the ostentation of positive insanity, I have never met with. Balzac was seated in an elegant apartment, situated at the very extremity of this side of Paris, which he took because from some whim or strange reason the house is called " La Fabrique de l'Absolu." To this Fabrique we found our way, and, at the end of a long, low room, as it were, between a study and a boudoir, we found the Magician himself, ■urrounded by proofs and manuscripts, which he was correcting and composing with a rapidity that sets all the printers of Paris at naught. He talked chiefly of himself, with the most boisterous and fantastical self-acclamation, for it was more than approba- tion. . . . There are many glimpses of famous people up and down these volumes. Of Sydney Smith, for instance, we have the following anecdote:— We got Sydney on the overpowering topio of Macaulay. Macaulay is laying waste society with his waterspout of talk; people in his company burst for want of an oppor- tunity of dropping in a word; he confounds soliloquy and colloquy. Nothing oould equal my diversion at seeing T. B. M. go to the Counoil tie other day in a fine laced coat, neat green bodied glass chariot, and a feather in his hat. Sydney S. had said to Lord Melbourne that Macaulay was a book in breeches. Lord M. told the Queen; bo when- ever she sees her new Secretary of Wax, she goes into fits of laughter. I said that the worst feature in Maoaulay's character was his appalling memory; he haa a weapon more than anyone else in the world's tournament. "Aye, indeed," s&id S. S.," why, he could repeat the whole History of the Virtuous Blue Coat Boy, in three vols., post 8vo, without a slip. He should take two tablespoonfuls of the waters of Lethe every morning to oorreot his retentive powers." Bulwer Lytton, Landor, Macaulay, and Sheridan Knowles are names that occur fre- quently in the memoirs. "Dinner at Proctor's with Harriet Martineau, Carlyle and his wife, Thackeray, and Kinglake "—is one of the entries in Reeve's diary. "Carlyle was so offensive I never made it up with him." The circumstances of the breach with Carlyle are not related, but it is known to have occurred through Carlyle remark- ing softly, when Reeve had the temerity to differ with him in discussion, "You're a puir creature, you're a puir creature." Of Landor this 1 related:— Landor, you know, is quite as vain of not being read as Bulwer is of being the most popular writer of the day. Nothing can equal the contempt with which he treats any- body who has more than six readers and three admirers, unless it be that saying of Hegel's, when he declared that nobody understood his writings but himself, and that not always. Reeve was perfectly sensible of his own value. In his fifteen years' connection with the Timet (1840-1855), he tells us, he wrote about 2482 full-paid articles, and received upwards of £13,000 for them. "Its circulation rose in fifteen years, from about 13,000 when I joined it to 62,000 when I left it, and although I do not take to myself any peculiar share in this result, for many other contributors wrote as well as I did, and the editor was usually judicious and always active, yet I doubt whether any other writer had occasion to do as much." And on a subsequent occasion he wrote: "The Review suffers when I am too busy to write in it." There is much of interest in these volumes regarding the publication of the memoirs of Greville, for whom Reeve was, of course, literary trustee. Journal- ist of the old school, and holding in high regard the moral responsibility of the journalist, Reeve was opposed to anything in the nature of "log- rolling," and on that ground was a firm believer in anonymity. Writing to Mr. T. N. Longman on Dec. 26, 1891, he says:— I thought it best to tell Froude frankly that the review of his book (" The Divorce of Catharine of Aragon ") in the Edinburgh would be an unfavourable one. At the same time I disclaimed in the strongest language any disposition to make a personal attack on himself. Unfortunately he seems to ascribe adverse criticism of his works to personal animosity, which, in his case, is entirely wanting. It is a painful necessity. Froude and his book are too important to be passed over in silence. But the judicial character and consistency, and I may say honour, of the Review absolutely require that the truth should be told about the book. I should consider it a derogation to my duty to the Review if, from personal motives or affection, I suppressed an adverse criticism of a work which impera- tively demands an answer. ... I have modified as far as possible any expressions which appeared to be of too censorious a character; but it is impossible to avoid condemning a mistaken book because the author is a per- sonal friend. Judex damnatur si nocens absolvitur is our motto. Finally, there is the following interesting reference to Reeve's literary advice to the Messrs. Longman, whose "reader" he was for many years:— Books in French, German, or Italian, offered for trans- lation, MSS. in English offered for publication—whatever there was of grave, serious, or important, as well as a good deal that was not, was sent to him for a first or a revised opinion. And this opinion was given very frankly, and most oommonly in the fewest possible words:—" My advioe  ## p. 139 (#151) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. is that you have nothing to do with it " was a not nnfrequent formula. Another, less freqnent, was:—" He—the aspirant to literary fame and emolument—can neither write nor spell English"; "I wish they wouldn't send their trash to me" was an occasional prayer. "Seems to me sheer non- sense"; "What a waste of time and labour!" "It's very provoking that people should attempt to write books who cannot write English," were oooasional reports. Of course many of his judgments were very different: "A work of great interest, which must have a large sale "; "Secure this if you possibly can"; "A most able work, but will scarcely command a remunerative sale." . . . As it was with printed books and larger MSS., eo it was with articles submitted for the Review; but he did not encourage casual contributions, and seldom—perhaps never—accepted any without some previous understanding. The political articles and the reviews of important books were almost invariably written in response to a direct invitation; but whether the articles sent in were invited or offered, he equally reserved the right to express his approval or dis- approval or disagreement, and to insist, if necessary, on the article being remodelled or withdrawn. SOME SOUTHEY LETTERS. AN interesting series of Southey's private letters appeared for the first time in the August number of Blackwood's. They are written to his friend John May, with whom he became acquainted in 1795 at Lisbon, and to whom he dedicated his short and incom- plete autobiography. They are very personal, and give many valuable glimpses of the poet's state of mind. When his little daughter is dying in the autumn of 1803, he writes that "never man enjoyed purer happiness than I for the last twelve months," and "my plans are now all wrecked." After having been at a bull fight, he wrote that "the pain inflicted by the sight was expiation enough for his folly in going at all; and he added, "I cannot under- stand the pleasure excited by a bull fight, and it is honourable to the English character that none of our nation frequent these spectacles." In a letter dated Oct. 29, 1800, he discusses the pro- posal to put his brother Henry in a profession, and remarks that for the first time in his life he has the power, "or at least it seems so," of raising 100 guineas to place him under a provin- cial surgeon for four or five years till he is old enough to practice for himself. He explains the expectation of this money, and indicates the self- sacrifice in his disposal of it, as follows: My metrical romance goes by the King George to market, and I ask this sum as the price of a first edition. I have little doubt of obtaining it. I had designed to furnish a house with this money, and anchor myself, but this is a a more important oall. Southey had been advised at this time to try his fate at the East Indian Bar. He doubted whether the fortune to be gained could pay for the loss of the friends in whose society "so much of my happiness consists. The fate of Camoens stares me in the face, and if I did go, prudence would be the ostensible motive, but the real one would be curiosity. I do long to become acquainted with old Brama, and see the great Indian fig tree; so at the end of twenty years time I should come home with a copper-coloured face, an empty purse, and a portfolio full." He expresses the following amusing philo- sophy also in 1800 :— Yon remember the doggerel that " learning is better than house or land." 'Tis a lying proverb! A good lifehold estate is worth all the fame of the world in perpetuity, and a comfortable honee rather more desirable than a monument in Westminster Abbey. And on his financial position we have the following very interesting light in the autumn of 1816: Herewith I send you a draft upon Longman for .£100, at three dajs' sight. The last twelve months have proved highly advantageous to my monied ooncerns, and for the first time have made the balanoe of his account in my favour. There is good reason for hoping that it will oon- tinne so, and that it will not be long before I shall be able to dear off my debt with you. "Koderick " has produced for me above .£500, by three editions, and the fourth will by this time have paid its expenses. Of the " Pilgrimage" 2000 were printed; they were all sold in the course of two- months, leaving me a profit of £2X5. My account only oomes up to midsummer, and therefore does not inolude the '. Carmen Nuptiale," but of the fate of which I know nothing, nor indeed what number was printed. The prospect before me is very good. The produce of my current publications may be reckoned at .£200 a year certainly, not improbably at twice the sum; and Murray pays me so well for the Quarterly that I hope there will be no occasion to draw much upon the other fund for my household expenses. For some artioles he offers me .£100 per article—such was that upon the Poor in the last number, and one upon Foreign Travellers in England which is designed for this, and which I am busy in completing. The preface to "Mort Arthur," for which I am reading much black letter, at some oost of eyesight and no little expense of time, will give me .£200, and the second volume of " Brazil " about half as much—a preposterous instanoe of the caprice upon which a man of letters depends for his remuneration! Perhaps the average may be fair at last, but it is injurious as well as ridiculous, and I shall derive my main support from what other persons might do as well, and what might never be done at all; while for works of permanent value and great labour, for which peculiar know- ledge, peculiar talents, and peculiar industry are required, the profit I obtain would scarcely exceed, and perhaps not amount to, the expenses of the documents. The letter from which the following is extracted was written by Robert Southey, on April 22, 1834, to the late John A. Heraud, in whose "Memoirs," by his daughter, just published by Mr. George Redway, it appears for the first time, with many other letters from the same poet:— Yon oould not apply to a worse person than myself for counsel as to any dealings with publishers. My general  ## p. 140 (#152) ############################################ 140 THE AUTHOR. practice is to let them take the whole risk of the work, and give me half the eventual profits. Tha&is, after the costs -of publication are defrayed, a third of the surplus goes as the allowance of the trade (this need to be Longmans' allow- ance—Murray allowed somewhat more than a third), half of the remainder then oomes to me. The publishers have then the lion's share—but they have the lion's power, and can always help themselves, which an author cannot. CORRESPONDENCE. I.—The Pecuniary Position op Writers. IT is impossible to feel anything but the highest admiration and respect for the altruistic movement to better writers' pecuniary position. But are there not insuper- able difficulties in his way? The point seems to be this: Taking a full average of books published, there is a certain profit. These books are created by writers; they are printed, bound, and put before the public by publishers. It is objected that (on the average) the profits are unfairly divided—the authors get too little, the publishers too much. The question of binders' and printers' profits does not, I think, •come in? The supply of books comes from writers, the .demand for books is from publishers. Surely the relative profits made are subject to the ordinary laws affecting supply and demand? And what have we? A fairly constant periodic demand, and at all times a supply enormously greater than the demand! Necessarily, I submit, publishers can make their own terms. But the matter does not end here. The supply is almost infinitely variable in quality, variable both in artistic merit and—a very different thing—in selling value. Now, the few writers who can supply things of known, acknowledged value can, I believe, always make their own terms with publishers? But the others? No man can assess either the artistic or pecuniary value of his own work. And the publisher? Aided by his reader, he guesses at the value, and on his guess pays. Surely in all these cases the author cannot complain if, with no personal pecuniary risk, he gets the chance he wants of catching the ear of the public. Let the author .once catch that rough, thick-skinned ear and he may hold it for even a lifetime and make his own terms with the publisher for the dullest repeated vibrations he may choose to supply. Again, can you lay down hard-and-fast rules fixing relative profit? The goods suppplied vary from garbage to pearls; the public demand is bizarre. My friend Jones's little romance " Totsey, a Stray," is in its tenth thousand, while my work of genius, "An Investigation into the Psycho- logical Aspects of the Loves of Amelia Chol- mondeley, with Notes on the Connection between the Darwinian Theory and the Evolution of Affection," cannot find a publisher I I have written above from a purely pecuniary point of view. But there is a moral, an artistic view. Dealing with romance, of the many books weekly published it were better for the world if most had never been. There has never, I believe, been a time when England has shown greater general power, even genius, in romance. But achievement? How many men, possibly of genius, have we who have startled us by a first great work of originality and who now repeat themselves with careless, pale imitation? Has art gained from the modern pecuniary success of great writers? Has not the absorption of known men into the inhumanity, the cross-gartered art of London society led to the concealment of the wood of humanity by the veneer of elaborately polished language? Let no man, no woman, take up romance writing as a profession; let only those write who cannot help writing. And then, though many of us must still continue to give the world bad work, the literary man will take that position which is rightly his, and the supply will be reasonably decreased. X. [The answer to the above letter seems to be as follows: (1) The writer's position has been so much improved by the action of the Society, that the difficulties are proved not to be insuperable. (2) The demand for books does not come from pub- lishers, but from the public. The supply of what is wanted is below rather than above the demand. The supply of what is not wanted by the public, but is furnished by the publisher, is certainly in excess. (3) The demand for certain writers is always below the supply. In many branches of science and in general literature the writers whose works are in request by the public ought to be able to make their own terms for the administration of their property. There are certain writers who "X." seems to think are supplying the demand, but if the public does not care for and does not want their work, how can they supply a demand? The artistic side must not be mixed up with the commercial side. We have again and again repeated that the business of the Society is simply the maintenance and defence of literary property. This, we are ready to admit, and have always admitted, may be totally different from literary art. As regards the danger of writing feebly after the production of strong  ## p. 141 (#153) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 141 work, there is no doubt that this danger does exist. It would be, however, more to the point if our correspondent would suggest how a novelist or an artist who has once devoted his whole time to the production of the best work possible to him, is to continue to live when he becomes conscious that his work is no longer on the same high level.—W. B.] II.—A Plea, for Cut Edges. Once or twice, recently, protests have appeared against the custom many publishers have of issuing books with uncut edges. Nothing, I venture to say, is more annoying than to purchase a book, to settle oneself for an hour's enjoyment, and then to have the unnecessary and uncom- fortable labour of cutting its edges. If, as is sometimes the case, this occurs in a railway carriage when one is minus a paper knife, the enjoyment of the book is considerably jeopardised. This can be easily obviated by three or four strokes of the printer's guillotine. Moreover, edges so cut are infinitely preferable to the rough state they assume when cut with even the sharpest paper-cutter. Lately several publishers have adopted the method of sending out their books with cut edges. This arrangement is a distinct boon to the reader, and if the practice were made a hard-and-fast rule the innovation would, 1 feel sure, be hailed with unfeigned delight by every book-lover. John C. Shannon. III.—"Exchanges." A few evenings ago, my own favourite journal being sold our, I purchased for id. eleven square feet of paper bearing printing both back and front. Placed one on top of another, the columns of printed matter might rival in height a three-storied dwelling-house, whilst the total length of the lines would extend over a quarter of a mile. You will probably wonder that I should write to complain of so generous a pennyworth, but, after perusing it, I felt that I should not be doing my duty to that large body of your members who can be classified under the heading of "Occasional Contributors," if I failed to draw attention to the growing tendency to fill the pages of a paper with "Exchanges "—though what the proprietors of the journals who kindly lent their contents to fill up this paper got in exchange I am unable to say. In the most prominent part of the paper I found that the New York Herald, per Reuter, contributed the news from Jamaica; the Daily Telegraph (two separate paragraphs), the Egyptian news; the Morning Post, matter apper-1 taimng to Canada. The Dreyfus case was dealt with in a satisfactory manner through the kind- ness of the Figaro, the Journal, the Gaulois, and the Matin, per Reuter, who also supplied the tidings from Denmark. A column and a quarter of CasselPs Magazine must have saved 30s. at least to the proprietor of the paper; whilst the Local Government Board's Report must have been worth 10s. to the same individual who had to thank the special correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, the Figaro, the Daily Chronicle, and, of course, Reuter, for "The Fashoda Question." Some iuteresting personal pars were culled from Vanity Fair, the Daily Telegraph—our editor's favourite journal—the Daily Mail, and the Times. A special article on the late Queen of Denmark (cheerfully contri- buted by the English Illustrated Magazine) ran to three-quarters of a column, and the Daily News "exchanged" half a column of "Mount Vesuvius." The City Press lent a small paragraph about a house in six parishes; Reuter and the Daily Telegraph tackled the question of Crete's future, and other interesting paragraphs came from the "Central News" and the "London News Agency. The Chinese crisis was considered so important that only telegrams from the Times and Dalziel could do satisfac- tory justice to the subject, but they did not occupy so much space as the two-thirds of a column from the Daily News on Mr. Watt's latest scheme, even when a par. re " Samory * contributed by the Eclair was thrown in. Two paragraphs based on Daily Telegraph and Times reports completed the editor's " exchanges," and we can imagine that gentleman laying down his weary scissors with a sigh, and saying : " Thank you, my friends, for your kindly hospitality, in exchange for which I offer several pages of adver- tisements, my leading article, a few columns of book reviews, our Money Market columns, and the signed articles that begin with 'Sir,' and are contributed by my 'obedient servants.'" If the example of this particular editor is followed by his brethren, the "Occasional Con- tributor" is doomed; let him take warning, therefore, and ere it be too late invest his savings (if he has any) in a stock of well-tem- pered scissors, for a time will assuredly come when there will be nothing for him to do but start an evening paper on modern lines, unless something can be done in the way of limiting the proportion of an article, paragraph, or tele- gram that can be printed with or without acknowledgment of its original source without payment to the person who wrote it or the firm who paid for it in the first place. An Occasional Victim to Steel and Steal.  ## p. 142 (#154) ############################################ 142 THE AUTHOR. IV.—"The Author" and the Publishers. After studying for many months your exposures ,of publishing methods, one conclusion is forced upon me, namely, that if a publisher wishes to swindle, no amount of dexterity on the part of the author can prevent him from doing so. With all the machinery of secret profits at his disposal, with little or no probability of checking the number of copies he professes to have sold, with the advertisement swindle which you have so often explained to us, and all the other dodges, the author is practically at the publisher's mercy. On the other hand, if the publisher is an honest •man, precautions will be unnecessary. An author is too poor and too busy to investigate the rami- fications of a dishonest publisher's business methods. Give him an honest publisher and let him do his work in peace. My suggestion is that the Society should publish for him. By "publish" I do not mean buy his book out- right or "speculate" in any sense of the word, but merely print his book for him, and put it- upon the market at the best market terms, with all the advantages of "wholesale" prices for paper, &c., which the publisher now puts in his pocket. Let the whole business be absolutely "straight" and above board. The author pays for the publication of the book on the advice of the Society that it has a fair chance of success (or against the advice of the Society if he chooses). The Society charges him the actual cost of paper, eomposing, correcting, binding, advertisement, and distribution, such a fixed percentage on the .outlay as experience may show to be necessary to prevent the Society from losing. All profits would then go to the author. It is true the author would have to pay for publication, but in the <ase of the writer of established repute the risk would be non-existent; in the case of the unknown man it would be smaller than it is at present when his book is published on com- mission. The So.ciety could then offer the book- sellers those improved terms which it believes to be their due, thus stimulating the sale of its books. All that is wanted for this scheme is a sound business man, with experience of printing and publishing, at its head. There must be scores of members of the Society whom it would pay better to publish in this way than to take ostensibly a 15 per cent. royalty while paying the publisher unacknowledged profits in the form of discounts and percentages on every item in ms A Member of the Society. [I quite agree with the "Member" as to the only method left possible. The publishers have deliberately announced their intention of laying hands on everything except perhaps a miserable residuum. The only reply is to change the method. I doubt whether the Society would act as the " Member" suggests. It would be, how- ever, quite possible to create a commission pub- Usher—one who would do no other kind of busi- ness. For the moment any other business is taken in hand, the commission work begins to be neglected. This is natural, for if a publisher can make 10 per cent. by commission and anything he pleases by any other way he will prefer that other way.—W. B.] BOOS TALK BY general consent Mr. John Morley had been selected as the probable writer of the accredited Life of Mr. Gladstone, and now the announcement of the fact is formally made. The task is likely to occupy about three years, and already Mr. Morley has dealt with a large part of the correspondence, and has made considerable progress with the chapters relating the history of the Home Rule movement of Mr. Gladstone. During his twenty years' intimate acquaintance with Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Morley received long letters from him on practically every public topic that was engaging his atten- tion. The biography will be published by Messrs. Macmillan. Sir Edward Hamilton, one of Mr. Gladstone's private secretaries, has written a monograph on the late statesman, which will be published by Mr. Murray. Another political biography, which has just been completed, is that of Sir Robert Peel, by Mr. C. S. Parker. This work has been an exceedingly laborious one, from the amount of correspondence that had to be gone through and sifted. Letters to and from the Queen, the Duke of Wellington, Disraeli, and other impor- tant contemporaries will be contained in the work, which Mr. Murray will publish shortly. Mr. Kinloch Cooke's biography of the late Duchess of Teck, from her journals and diaries, will be published probably in the early days of next year. Sir Mountstuart Grant Duff, who published two interesting and entertaining volumes of his diary recently, is now adding two others, containing his diary during the period when he was Governor of Madras, and also containing his views on home affairs. Mrs. Alec Tweedie has in the press a life of her father, Dr. Harley, of Harley-street. It will be published by the Scientific Press.  ## p. 143 (#155) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 143 Mr. Frederic G. Kitton is preparing a centenary memoir of the late Dr. Zechariah Buck, the organist and choirmaster of Norwich Cathedral. Many of Dr. Buck's pupils, now in distinguished positions in the musical world, contribute remini- scences of him, and the family give their assist- -ance. The work will be issued in a limited edition shortly. A biography of the late Professor Calderwood, who occupied the chair of Moral Philosophy in Edinburgh University for twenty years, is being written by his son and the Rev. D. Woodside of Glasgow. Principal Fairbairn has written a book entitled "" Catholicism—Roman and Anglican," which will be brought out immediately. The Rev. Leighton Pullan is general editor of a new series of Church Text Books which has been projected by Messrs. Rivington. The volumes will be written by Oxford scholars, and are not intended only for scholars, but also for the general readers who are desirous of informa- tion on church history, forms of worship, criti- cism, &c. Robert Browning destroyed all his letters and papers with-the exception of the letters that had passed between Mrs. Browning and himself before their marriage. These letters were care- fully preserved, and while still in vigorous health Mr. Browning said concerning them: "There they are—do with them as you please when I am dead and gone." The Athenaeum makes the interesting announcement that the letters will shortly be published. The Rev. H. C. Beeching is reprinting his "Pages from a Private Diary," papers which for a time were a conspicuous and entertaining feature of Comhill Magazine. The volume will be published soon by Messrs. Smith, Elder, and Co. Mr. John Halsham is the author of "Idle- hurst: A Journal Kept in the Country," which Messrs. Smith, Elder, and Co. will publish this autumn. The identity of the Mr. W. H. of Shakespeare's Sonnets having given rise again to some discus- sion, h propos of the article by Mr. Sidney Lee on Thomas Thorpe in the " Dictionary of National Biography," Mr. Lee has now asked the critics of his theory to await, before passing further censure, the appearance of his forthcoming biography of Shakespeare. Mr. Alfred Whitman, of the British Museum, has written a work on "The Masters of Mezzo- tint," which Messrs. Bell will publish, with sixty illustrations. A new novel by Mr. W. C. Scully, author of "Between Sun and Sand," and other tales of the South African desert, is being published by Messrs. Methuen, under the title " A Vendetta of the Desert." Mr. William Westall's new novel, "A Red Bridal," is to be published by Messrs. Chatto and Windus, who will also issue soon a volume entitled " Slum Silhouettes," by Mr. J. D. Bray- shaw. Mr. F. G. Aflalo is editing a book on the cost of sport, with practical information contributed by a number of the specialists who wrote for the "Encyclopaedia of Sport," of which splendid work Mr. Aflalo was one of the editors. The actual expenditure involved in angling, shooting, hunting, and other sports will be estimated for various incomes, and the scope of the work will be comprehensive. Those rights in Mr. William Watson's works hitherto held by Messrs. Macmillan have been purohased by Mr. John Lane, who is preparing a collected edition of Mr. Watson's poems in a single volume, which will appear this season. Mrs. Pender, an Irish lady, some time ago wrote an Ulster story of the '98 period entitled "The Green Cockade." The book was printed in Ireland, and the other day the London firm, Messrs. Downey, received a consign- ment of 100 copies. Since then, however, a fire at the printers has destroyed not only the other sheets of the book that had been printed, but the type as well. "The Gospel Writ in Steel" is the title of Mr. Arthur Paterson's new novel. It is about the American Civil War, but the interest is romantic rather than historical. Messrs. Innes are the publishers. One of the chapters of Mr. Justin McCarthy's reminiscences, to be published shortly by Messrs. Chatto and Windus, is entitled " The Princes of Literature," and contains Mr. McCarthy's recol- lections of Dickens and Thackeray, Carlyle, Tennyson, Browning. Another chapter deals with his acquaintanceship with John Stuart Mill. This week the third volume of the Blackwood Annals will appear. Mrs. Oliphant, of course, edited the two already published, and this one, which brings the story of the publishing house down to John Blackwood's death in 1879, has been compiled by Mrs. Gerald Porter. Mr. Bennet Burleigh, the war correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, who has distinguished himself so greatly in the Soudan, is writing an account of the campaign down to its close at Omdurman.  ## p. 144 (#156) ############################################ i44 THE AUTHOR. "Book Auctions of the Seventeenth Century" is the next volume in the Book-Lovers' Library, published by Mr. Stock. The author is Mr. John Lawler. The Christmas issue of the Portfolio will be a monograph on " George Morland and the Evolu- tion from him of some later Painters," by Mr. J. T. Nettleship. The latest of new magazines is a penny one, that aims at being fully equal to the sixpenny monthlies. It is published by Messrs. Cassell, and its title, the New Penny Magazine is after the periodical "originated by Charles Knight, and dear to the reading public in the days of our fathers." There are sixty pages, with numerous illustrations, and the character of the contents is the same as that of the popular magazines of to-day. "The Lays of the Knights," a book of poems by the Rev. C. W. Barraud, will be published by Messrs. Longman. Mr. J. H. Adeane has edited a work entitled "The Early Married Life of Maria Josepha, Lady Stanley, from 1796," which Messrs. Long- man will publish shortly. The letters given in Mrs. Richmond Ritchie's introduction to the seventh volume in the valu- able Biographical Edition of Thackeray's Works which she is editing, deal chiefly with the novelist's experiences as a lecturer. At a time when all the relations of the home country with America are so much discussed, an extract from one of the letters from Thackeray during a tour in the States may be found interesting. He is writing from Boston on Dec. 22, 1852, to Mrs. Proctor:— Ab for writing abont this country—about Goshen, about Canada, flowing with milk and honey, about the friends I have found here, and who are helping me to procure inde- pendence for my children, if I cut jokes against them may I choke on the instant. If I can say anything to show that my name is really Makepeace, and to increase the source of love between the two countries, then, please God, I will. The laugh dies out as we get old, you see, but the love and the truth don't, praised be God! And I begin to think of the responsibilities of this here pen now writing to yon with a feeling of no small awe. Mr. Wheatley's edition of Pepys will be com- pleted by the issue of the ninth and tenth volumes in January. The former will contain an exhaustive index; the latter, a supplementary volume, will contain appendices and Pepysian miscellanea. Bismarck's memoirs will be published in English this month by Messrs. Smith, Elder, and Co. in this country and Messrs. Harper and Brothers in the United States. A small album presented by Tennyson to a fellow-undergraduate when at Cambridge has just been sold at Messrs. Hodgson and Co.'s sale-room in Chancery-lane. It contained the original MS. of St. Agnes' Eve and two other poems, in the poet's own handwriting. The little volume realised the high price of .£32. "The History of a Man," by the Man, will be published shortly by Mr. Burleigh. It deals with that aspect of human nature which Mr. Balfour declared the most interesting — the development of character. A hitherto unpublished series of historical studies of the Stuart period by Thomas Carlyle is being brought out by Messrs. Chapman and Hall. These were for a projected history of the first two Stuart Kings of England, and they are printed from a MS. left under the author's will to his niece, and edited by her husband, Mr. Alexander Carlyle. The volume will be pub- lished under the title "Historical Sketches of Noted Persons and Events in the Reigns of James I. and Charles I." The portion devoted to James I. contains chapters on Elizabeth's Funeral, Shakespeare, the Gunpowder Plot, the Hampton Court Conference, &c. A new Irish story by "Rita" will be published shortly by Messrs. Hutchinson. Miss L. S. Tiddeman has just brought out two- new stories. The first, called " Reine's Kingdom," is published at the National Society's Depository. The second, "Rosa's Repentance," by Messrs. Blackie. A new work by Mr. Fred Reynolds, author of "A Tangled Garden," will be published at once by James Bowden, under the title of "An Idyll of the Dawn." Mrs. Aylmer Gowing's new book, entitled " A Touch of the Sun," will be published early in this month by Mr. Burleigh. "The Genius" (6d.), by Lessey Beard, will be published on the 5th Nov. Another book by the same author, comprising a collection of short stories, sketches, &c., will also be ready in November. Mrs. Edith E. Cuthell's new children's book is just published by the S.P.C.K., under the title of "A Bad Little Girl and her Good Little Brother," illustrated by Mrs. Farmiloe. A new novel, entitled "Uncle Jack from America," by Edith C. Kenyon and R. G. Soans, is being published by Simpkin, Marshall, and Co. The story has been very successful as a serial in England and America.  ## p. 145 (#157) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. »45 OBITUARY. THE BOOZS OF THE MONTH. MR. HA.ROLD FREDERIC died at his residence at Kenley, Surrey, from syncope, on Oct. 19. He was in his forty-third year, and had been prostrated since Aug. 12, on which day he had a stroke of paralysis. Journalist and author, he was a native of Utica, and, before becoming a member of the staff of the New York Times, he edited for brief periods—first, the Utica Observer, and afterwards the Albany Evening Journal. In 1884 he came to England as the special corre- spondent of the New York Times, for which he did much brilliant work, and travelled over Europe. His first novel to appear was " Seth's Brother's Wife" (1887), a study of American rural life. "In the Valley" and several others followed, but Mr. Frederic's most striking success was achieved with " Illumination," published in the spring of 1896—a novel which, by the way, had the somewhat exceptional distinction of being published under another title in America, namely, "The Damnation of Theron Ware." "March Hares," which followed, appeared under a nom, de guerre, and was a slighter work on London life; and the one which will be compared with "Illumination" is his "Gloria Mundi," a romance of English social life, which will be pub- lished to-day. Just before his death he had revised his last work of fiction, which is called "The Market Place." The late Mr. Gleeson White, the editor of the Studio, was one of the best-known writers on art subjects in the metropolis, and connoisseur of woodcuts and rare prints. His works include "English Illustration in the Sixties," " Practical Designing," "Salisbury Cathedral," "Master Painters of Great Britain." He published anony- mously a series of rather notable prose parodies of well-known authors, under the title " Letters to Eminent Hands," and another series, " Letters to Living Artists." The ex-Libris series of books was edited by Mr. Gleeson White, who also compiled a charming collection of " Ballads and Rondeaux" for the Canterbury Poets series. He died suddenly on Oct. 19, at the age of forty- seven, from typhoid fever contracted during a recent visit to Italy. From Ottawa the death is announced of Mr. William Kingsford, the distinguished Canadian historian. Mr. Kingsford was born in London in 1819. [Sept. 24 to Oct. 22—502 Books.] Abbott, E. A. St Thomas of Canterbury. 24/- Black. Adams, E. D. A Girl of To-Day. 3/6. Blackie. Addison, Kate. Economical Cookery. 1/6. Hodder. Alexander, W. Primary Convictions. 3/6. Harper. Alexander, Mrs. The Cost of Her Pride. 6/- White. Allen, Grant. Venice. Historical Guide. 3/6 net. Richards. Allen, Phcebe. May-Duke Blossoms. -i,- S.P.O.K. Ambrose, W., and Ferguson, W. B. band Transfer Acts 1875 and 1897, and mnd Transfer Rules and Forms 1898, with Notes. 10/- Butterworth. Andrews, 0. M. Historical Development of Modern Europe. Vol. 2. 1850-97. 12/6. Putnam. Andrews, M. The Child of the Lighthouse. 1/6. W.Gardner. Anonymous (A Literary Club). Various Quills. 5/- Arnold. Anonymous (J. A.). The Coming of Spring. 1/- net. Blackwell. Anonymous (iff. A. B.). Man-Stories of a Black Snake 6/- Whlttaker. Anonymous (A. M. F.). Foreign Courts and Foreign Homes. 6/- Longman. Anonymous. 11 Alfred the Great," <fcc., on the Egyptian Campaign. 6d. Arrowsmitn. Anonymous (author of " Not a Saint";. Bitter Penitence. 1/6. Stevens. Anonymous (A. E. D.). Helen's Probation. 1/6. S P.O.K. Anonymous (S. L. H. G.). In His Service. Story. 2/- S P.C.K. Anonymous (Three Old Boys). KiDgswood School: Its History. 8/- net. Kelly. Anson, Sir W. (ed.). Autoblography, Ac., of the Third Duke of Grafion. 18/- Murray. Anstey, F. Paleface and Bedskln. 6/- Richards. Armstrong, Annie. My Ladies Three. 3/6. Warne. Ashby, H. Health in the Nursery. 3/6. Longman. Atchison, O. C. Sprightly Fancies, Ac. 1/- Simpkin. Atberton, Gertrude. The Californians. 6/- Lane. Atkinson, 0. C. Evolution of Revelation of God. 1/- net. Manchester: Sherratt and Hughes. Austin, Alfred. Lamia's Winter Quarters. 9/- Macmillan. Austin, Stella. Our Next-Door Neighbour. 2/6. W.Gardner. Badrick, F. G. The Stone Door. 2/6. National Soc. Balfour, G. Educational Systems ol Great Britain and Ireland. 7/6. Frowde. Ballingall, J. A Prince of Edom. 2/6. A. Gardner. Balmforth, R. The Evolution of Christianity. 2/6. Sonnenschein. Bamford, A. J. Things that are Made. 2/6. Alexander. Bankes, R. A Story Book for Lesson Time. 1/- Constable. Barber, W. T. A. David Hill, Missionary and Saint. 3/6. Kelly. Baring-Gould, S. An Old English Home and its Dependencies. 6/- Methuen. Baring-Gould, S. Domitla. A Story of Ancient Rome. 6/- Methuen. Barron, Elwyn. Menders. 6/- Macqueen. Barry, J. A. The Luck of the Native Born. Macqueen. Baratow, 0. H. Through Deep Waters. 1/6. Warne. Beamea, Mrs. F. A Forgotten Christmas, Ac. 1/- Blackie. Becke, L. Rodman the Boatateerer, Ac. 6/- Unwin. Beddard, F. E. Structure and Classincation of Birds. 21/- net. Beddow, F. First Stage Inorganic Chemistry (Practical). II- Cllve. Besant, Walter. The Changeling. 6/- Chapman. Birch, G. A. (ed ). King Rene's Honeymoon Cablnet. 5/- net. Batsford. Birchenough, Mabel 0. Potsherds. 6/- Cassell. Birrell, Augustine. Sir Frank Lockwood. 10/6. Smith and E. Blabs, F. (tr. by H. St. J. Thackeray). Grammar of New Testament Greek. 14/- net. Macmillan. Bliss, F. J. Excavations at Jerusalem, 1894-97. 12/6 net. Palestine Expl. Fund. Bloundelle-Burton, J. The Scourge of God. A Romance. 6/- Clarke. Blount, C. Some Bimilies from the " Paradiso" of Dante Alighieii. 3/6. Chapman. Boldrewood, R. A Romance of Canvas Town. 6/- Macmillan. Boothby, Guy. Across the World for a Wife. 5/- Ward and L. Bosworth, G. F. Essex, Past and Present. 2/- Philip. Boulger, D. 0. The Congo State 16/- Thacker. Bowles, G. S. A Gun-room Ditty Box. 2/- Cat Brabrook, E. W. Provident Societies and Industrial Welfare. -'6. Braine, S. E. The Turkish Automaton. 3/6. Bretherton, R. H. Nothing Personal. 1/- net. Briggs. Alice J. Bessie's Ministry. 1/6. Brooke, Stopford. The Gospel of Joy. 6/- Brooks, Noah (ed.). The Story of Marco Polo. 6/- Brown, W. L. Inebriety Among the Ancients. 1/- net. Blackie. J. Baker. Culley. Ishister. Murray. Co. Brunetiere, F. (tr. by R. Derechef). Manual of the History of French Literature. 12/- Unwin Brunker, H. M. E. Questions on Organisation and Equipment Subject G. 2/6. Cloves  ## p. 146 (#158) ############################################ 146 THE AUTHOR. Brunn, D. (tr. by L. A. E. B.). The Care-dwellers of Southern Tunisia. 13/- Thicker. Buchanan, Robert. Father Anthony. 6/- Long. Buck, R. 0. A Manual of Algebra (for Sailors, Ac.). 3/6. Qrlffln. Budge, E. A. Wallis (ed.). Coptic Psalter: The Earliest Known. 15/- net. Paul. Burke, Mrs. W. A. The Structure of Life. 2/- net. Art Book Co. Burneside, Margaret The Delusion of Diana. 6/- Arnold. Burnett, J. C. The Change of Life in Women. 3/6. Homoep. Pub. Co. Burnside, H. M.; and Monnsey, R. E. Stories of Land and Sea. 2/6. Tuck. Burnside, H. M.; Quest, A., 4c. Little Bright Eyes. 2/6. Tuck. Burrage. E. H. Out of the Deep. 2/- Partridge. Burton, Beginald G. Tropica end Snows. 16/- Arnold. Butler, S. The Iliad, rendered into English Prose. 7/6. Longman. Butterworth, A. R. Criminal Evidence Act, 1898. 5/- Sweet and M. Caird, John. University Addresses. 6/-net. Glasgow: Maclehoee. Caltlicott, Frances A. Hollinburst 6/- Chapman. Campbell, Ellen. Twin Pickles. 1/- Blackie. Campbell, R. J. The Bestored Innocence. 1/6. Hodder. Canon, A. Herbert Clutterbuck. 2/- S.P.C.K, Carrington, Edith. The Farmer and the Birds. 1/- Bell. Carry), Q. W. Fables for the Frivolous. 6/- Harper. Carvalho, C. N. Otterburn Chase. 2/6. S.P.C.K. Chaplin, Mrs. M. A. Sunlit Spray from Billows of Life. 2/- net. Stoneman. Chappell, Jennie. Four Noble Women and their Work. 1/6. Partridge. Chesney, W. The Adventures of a Solicitor. 2/6. Bowden Chetwode. R. D. The Knight of the Golden Chain. 6/- Pearson. Clarke, Mrs. C. M. Strong as Death. 6/- Mitre Press. Clarke,Mrs. H. Reuben Thorne's Temptation. 2/- S.P.C.K. Clarke, J. W. Pumps : their Principles. 2/6. Batrford. Clarke, W. N. An Outline of Christian Theology. 7/6. CUrk. Clodd, Edward. Tom Tit Tot. 5/- net. Duckworth. Clow, W. M. In the Day of the Cross. 3/6. 8ands. Cobban, J. Maclaren. The Angel of the Covenant. 6/- Metbuen Coleridge, Christabel R. Bough Cast. 1/6. S.P.C.K. Coleridge, Christabel R. Number One. 1/- S.P.C.K. Colllngwood, H. A Pirate of the Caribbees. »/- Griffith. Colllngwood. H. An Ocean Chase. 5/- Griffith. Oolomb, P. H. Memoirs of Sir Astley Cooper Key. 16/- Methuen. Conybeare, F. C. (ed.) Anecdota Oxoniensia. Part 8. 7/6. Frowde. Coote, Rev. Sir A. Twelve Sermons. 2,6. Nisbet Corbet, S. and K. Syhil's Garden of Pleasant Beasts. 57- Duckworth. 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Title A name given to the resource The Author, Vol. 09 Issue 06 (November 1898) Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em>, Vol. 09 Issue 06 (November 1898) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101063829988" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101063829988</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1898-11-01-The-Author-9-6 publications The Author https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/323/1898-12-01-The-Author-9-7.pdf 3e72d061c25f0ea9db352ce3b5717b1a PDF Text Text ������������������������ Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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) 1898-12-01 Volume 9 Issue 7 Pages Page range in volume 149–172 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 18981201 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin tTbe H u t b o r, (Tlie Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vol. IX.—No. 7.] DECEMBER 1, 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 notioe 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 should be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent by registered letter only. Communications and letters are invited by the Editor on all subjects connected with literature, but on no other sub- joets whatever. Articles which cannot be accepted are returned if stamps for the purpose accompany the MSS. GENERAL MEMORANDA. EOB some years it has been the praotioe to insert, in every number of The Author, certain " General Con- siderations," Warnings, Notices, &o., 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 his true character, and should be left to oarry 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 cost 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. IX. in his own organs: or by charging exchange advertise- ments. (3.) Not to allow a special charge for " offioe expenses," unless the same allowance is made to the author. (4.) Not to give np 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 aides. 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 oiroulation, it is not known what will be their maximum. Therefore every author, for every book, should arrange on the chance of a success which will not, probably, come at all; but which may come. 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 for 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 tl e secretary before he signs it. Q 2  ## p. 150 (#162) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. I. INVERY member has a right to ask for and to receive lu advice npon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispnte arising in the conduct of his 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 snch 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 connected with oopyright 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 snch 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 dooument to the Society for examination. 6. The Society is acquainted with the methods, and—in the case of fraudnlent 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 every- thing important to literature that you may hear or meet with. 9. The Committee have now arranged for the reoeption 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. Communications for The Author should reach the Editor not later than the 2let of each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to communicate to the Editor any points connected with their work which 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 Offioe without previously communicating with the Secretary. The utmost practicable despatch is 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 present location of the Authors' Club is at 3, White- hall-court, Charing Cross. Address the Secretary for information, rules of admission, &c. Will members take the trouble to ascertain whether they have paid their subscriptions for the year? If they will do this, 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 or dishonest? Of course they would not. Why then hesitate for a moment when they are asked to sign themselves into literary bondage for three or five years? "Those who possess the 'Cost of Production' are requested to note that the cost of binding has advanoed 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 0barged in the " Cost of Production " for advertising. Of course, we have not included any sums 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. NOTICES. THE 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 short 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 their names and the special subjects on which they are willing to write? FROM THE COMMITTEE. THE following resolution was passed by the Committee of Management at their meeting held at the offices of the Society on Tuesday, June 14, 1898: "It was resolved that if it was thought advis- able the Committee would elect the chairman or other officers of any corporate association as a member of the Authors' Society, to represent such association, on payment of 2 guineas per annum on behalf of such association. The chairman or  ## p. 151 (#163) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. other officers thus elected would be entitled to all the benefits of the Society for the publications of the association and for advice with regard to the details of the body corporate, but not to advice on behalf of himself or any individual member of such association." LITERARY PROPERTY. I.—A Curious Question. APUBLISHER sells a large amount of books to a distributor or to a bookseller, and in the return of accounts to the author pays the author royalties on such books. At a later date, for some reason or other, the sale of the book ceases, and the wholesale distributor or bookseller asks the publisher whether he won't take the copies of the book back. It is some- times politic of the publisher to do so in the case of a large wholesale distributor who is very active in the sale of books, and he accordingly takes, say, 100 copies of the book back, although he is not legally bound to do so. The author has already been paid royalty on these copies, so he has no further claim. Ought the publisher, in the continued sales of the book, to sell the author's copies in priority to those that he has received back from the distributor? Opinions are invited on this point. 1. I do not think there is any legal point to be raised here. It is rather one of moral obligation. —O. H. Thring. 2. The books have been sold. The author is entitled to his royalty. They are taken back. Why? In the interests of the publisher, not of the author. My opinion is that the books returned cannot be sold again until all the others in the edition have been disposed of. When this has been done, the publisher can begin to sell again for his own advantage the books which have been returned.—W. B. II.—." The Battle of Dorking." "Tbe year 1871 is known in the annals of the House of Blackwood as 'tbe "Battle of Dorking" jear.' Colonel Chesney's brilliant jtu d'esprit (as he himself called it) was probably the most successful magazine article ever written. It was reprinted in the form of a sixpenny pamphlet, of which over 80,000 copies were sold in a month, and more than 110,000 in all. Itappears from what Mrs. Porter says (though this is not absolutely clear) that the author's share of the profits when the sale had reached 80.000 was £250. If so, the Society of Authors ought to take no'e of the fact, for supposing that the royalty on the issue was only 25 per cent.—an extremely moderate one, in view of such an enormous sale—the author's profits would be .£500, exactly twice what he appears to have received. If the £250 was a mere payment on account, this ought to be made clear; otherwise Messrs. Blackwood have published a serious reproach upon their own firm." The above is a note from the Daily Chronicle. If 80,000 copies of this little pamphlet, which cost perhaps i^d. a copy, or .£500, were sold, the proceeds were about .£1200, so that the profits were £700, of which perhaps .£50 went in adver- tising. These figures would show that the House of Blackwood pocketed eight thirteenths of the whole, giving the author five thirteenths. This would be quite in accordance with the common practice of that period and with the practice advocated by the present publishers in their draft agreements. I do not think that Blackwood was any worse than his neighbours. It must be remembered that the royalty methods had hardly yet been commenced: those writers, if any, who understood what was meant by "trade price " and "cost of production," kept their know- ledge for their own benefit, and had no idea of helping other writers. I remember, some fifteen years ago, being assured by a publisher that a 10 per cent. royalty was a most fair arrangement, equitable for both parties. At that time I had some glimmerings of the truth, and I replied that it might be so for a small first edition, but it could not be so for larger and succeeding editions. Upon which his face assumed a pained look, with a touch of disappointment in it, such as is natural when one meets with want of confidence. I think, therefore, that it is very unlikely that any royalty was given in this case. If it was a royalty, it means 12\ per cent., which is con- temptible. It could not have been a half-profit arrangement, as it would seem to have been based upon imperfect accounts. I believe it was just a cheque tossed to the author without any account whatever. . III.—A Personal Experience. The Author has been very interesting of late on this subject. Perhaps my experience may be useful. I was anxious to publish, and to secure the profit while willing to take the risk. After four years' reading of this valuable paper I had become educated. Mr. Thring gave me the names of five printing firms and a distributor (he has done nothing to deserve to be called a publisher), who read my MS. and expressed his willingness to publish for me. With his valu- able hints I obtained estimates for printing, interviewed papermakers, and gave my own orders. The same for binding. (I am not an idle man.) I paid cash and got discounts. Result, 120,000 words, 3000 copies—say all bound—£118, advertising extra, and typewriting. The book is well groomed, and the publisher  ## p. 152 (#164) ############################################ >52 THE AUTHOR. nowhere—not wanted. The woful condition of the bookseller is improved, as he gets much larger profits, and when more books are thus published he will be able to resume his former status and prosperity. He, too, was fearfully sweated by the publisher. He has my book on sale or return, and I have secured what seems a right—the right to place my book upon the market, that it may live or die according to the strength that is in it. For this I am indebted to the Society of Authors. I shall become a life member of the Society. It can do no more for me—it cannot command success. In the summer a literary friend wrote me that he had been over a castle now in the hands of a wealthy publisher, and said he thought he pre- ferred the robber baron. How long will the great ones of literature continue to lay this pub- lisher's golden eggs? My egg may be addled— they know theirs will not be. Yet I am no plutocrat, and the penniless may like to know that I have been penniless enough to satisfy the most exacting. Zeitgeist. IV.— Missing Music Hall Sketches. Judge Emden was engaged for several hours at the Lambeth County Court on Nov. 22 in hearing an action brought by Harry Williamson, play- wright, of Portland-place, Clapham-road, to recover from G. H. Macdermott, music hall artist and theatrical agent, carrying on business at Denison-street, York-road, .£50 damages for the loss of four music hall sketches entrusted to the defendant. The plaintiff deposed that he had been writing plays for the past eighteen or twenty years, and works of his had been produced at a number of West-end theatres. In February, 1897, he met the defendant at the Tivoli, and at his request subsequently left at his office the MSS. of four music hall sketches, entitled "Killarnev," "Mixed," "Wanted," and " Not Guilty," and "he had not copies of any of these—only rough pencil notes. He warned the clerk of their value. When he subsequently applied for the return of the sketches, they could not be found. He had valued them at a low figure, so as to come within the jurisdiction of the County Court. He did not for a moment allege that Mr. Macdermott had the sketches. What he believed was that they had been stolen, and would be put on the market in another name. That was frequently done. For instance, he lost on board ship the original manu- script of "Retiring," produced at the Folly Theatre, and when he sought to secure the Ameri- can rights he found that it had been brought out in the States as " Out of Harness." Mr. Lionel Brough, asked by Mr. Lincoln Reid if he was an actor, replied, "They say so." (Laughter.) He said he knew the plaintiff to hold a good position as a dramatic author and to have a considerable reputation in the theatrical world. The price he put upon the sketches was very moderate indeed. The defendant, Mr. Macdermott, said he had known the plaintiff for twenty-five years. He remembered that Williamson approached him on several occasions with regard to the sketches, and the witness told him to send them to his office, but he had never the smallest intention of charging any commission or fee of any kind if by a good word he could induce a manager or artist to accept them. The evidence of the defendant's manager and his clerk having been heard, Judge Emden, without calling upon the defen- dant's counsel, said there was no doubt in his mind that this was a case of gratuitous bailment —that is to say, that the defendant, in offering to read the manuscripts was not doing it for financial advantage, but as an act of friendship. That being so, and the plaintiff having failed to prove affirmatively that the documents were lost through negligence, there must be judgment for the defendant with costs. He could not help stating that Mr. Macdermott had given his evidence in a frank and candid manner, which was positively refreshing after the usual experi- ence of cases in that court. [This case, quoted in extetuo from the Daily Graphic of Nov. 23, is interesting to authors, as it bears to some extent on the position of an editor to whom MSS. are sent.] V.—Receipts. An article appeared in The Author some time ago with regard to a given form of receipt for the use of serial work which was issued by the Religious Tract Society, and which ran as follows: Copyright. This reoeipt conveys the copyright to the trustees of the Religions Traot Society, with liberty for them, at their dis- cretion, to republish in any form. Republication by authors on their own account must be the subject of special arrange- ment. There is no doubt that from time to time great difficulties arise owing to the form in which receipts are sent to authors. If the Religious Tract Society before publishing work in serial form made a special agreement with the author, con- veying the rights mentioned in the receipt, then there would be no objection to signing it when payment was made, but if no such agreement was made the contributor should refuse his signature,  ## p. 153 (#165) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. *53 or he should strike his pen through the objec- tionable words of conveyance. If the Religious Tract Society refused to pay without these words, he should then, unless his necessities compelled him to endure anything, place the business in the hands of the Secretary of the Authors' Society. If no contract had been made before the publi- cation in serial form, taking the worst view of the case, it would have fallen under the 18th section of the Act, which is the section which deals with copyright in magazines. Under this section the right of republication in separate form would not lie with the Religious Tract Society, but would be a matter of separate agreement between the author and the proprietor of the magazine during the period prescribed by law of twenty-eight years, when the right to publish separately would revert to the author. This would be the position of the author, taking the most disadvantageous view of the difficulty, for the 18th section runs as follows in brief: "That when any publisher of a magazine shall have employed or shall employ any persons to compose any parts, essays, articles, or portions thereof for publication in or as part of the same, and such parts, essays, articles, or portions thereof shall have been or shall hereafter be com- posed under such employment on the terms that the copyright therein shall belong to such pro- prietor, and be paid for by such proprietor, then the copyright shall belong to the proprietor," with the proviso stated above, that he cannot re- publish the same separately without the sanction of the author for twenty-eight years. It is very probable, however, that the article may be sent up to the magazine, and there may be no evidence whatever of employment by the proprietor of the magazine on the terms above stated. In that case the copy- right would belong to the author, and the right that he has sold to the magazine would be serial publication in that magazine only. It would therefore be absolutely unfair to ask the author after the publication of his article to assign the copyright and the right to republish in any form when nothing had been stated with regard to these rights previously to the publica- tion. It should be pointed out that, in the absence of special agreement, the contract is com- pleted with the publication, and that the signing of a receipt in the form set forth above would not necessarily convey the copyright, as there would be no fresh consideration for such conveyance, but it might be such very strong evidence of the intention of the author that it would be impos- sible to dispute his position subsequently. This article was commenced not with the idea of bringing forward the old form of receipt of the R. T. S., but with the intention of putting authors very strongly on their guard against endorsing cheques which have got a form of receipt on somewhat of the same lines, as the one above quoted, printed on their backs. It is easy to strike out the words of the receipt quoted above, and to return it to the office, taking the cheque in payment of fair serial use of an author's work. The author thus obtains his fair remuneration, and if the proprietor likes to dispute the price the action must lie with him. Here, again, the Society might be of use. But the proprietors of several magazines have devised the method of printing the receipt on the back of the cheque, and giving orders to their bank not to cash the cheque under any circumstances unless it is endorsed with the name of the author at the bottom of the receipt—conveying all these extra rights—and the receipt has no deletions upon it. Here the author is met with a considerable diffi- culty, as he cannot get his money until he has endorsed the cheque, and he cannot endorse the cheque without practically handing over to the proprietor the copyright and other rights that were never bargained for, In this case the author must return the cheque, and the cause of action lies with the author. Is it possible that the pro- prietor relies on the reluctance of the author to go to law? It is necessary again to repeat that the difficulty only arises when no agreement whatever has been made before the publication of the work. How then should an author avoid this difficulty? As a matter of fact, an editor, if he desires to accept an article, should write to the author and state so, mentioning at the same time what rights he desires to purchase and the price he is willing to give; but editors are not perfect, and under certain circumstances such a course might be impossible. In practice there are a great many things published without any formal acceptance from the editor, and an awkward position is the result. It is possible, however, for the author, from his point of view, to prevent himself from falling into the trap by forwarding his work with a letter stating exactly the rights he desires to convey if the work is published in the magazine, and the price he asks for such rights. He might have a stereotyped letter in this form, and he should keep a copy of the same. If, then, his work is subsequently published, and he receives no notice until after the publication, then it would be published, failing any evidence to the contrary, on the terms of the author's letter. These points have been put forward many times in The Author, and have been embodied in the "Addenda to the Methods of Publishing," but it is thought worth while to repeat the warnings, as  ## p. 154 (#166) ############################################ i54 THE AUTHOR. the process of issuing cheques with the receipts indorsed purporting to convey the copyright, when no previous agreement has been made, is as unfair to the author as it is unjust on the part of the proprietor. . G-. H. Thring. VI.—A Point or International Law. The following was the first resolution passed at the International Literary and Artistic Confer- ence, which was held at Turin this year. It refers to the retrospective action of the Berne Convention, and to modifications which the con- ference desired to see made in the English law. The CoDgross considering that the English law respecting International Copyright is not completely in accord with the text of the Berne Convention (and more especially that the Article 6 of the English Law of the 25 th June, 1886, as it is legally interpreted, contradicts the principle laid down in Artiole 14 of the Convention of Berne, and leads to violent and numerous violations of the rights of authors and artists), expresses the hope that diplomatic steps may be taken with the Government of Great Britain so that a new text of the law in question may be placed in complete acoord with the text of the Convention of Berne, and may especially assure the application of the principle of Article 14 of that Convention; that is to say, the effective protection of a work which has not fallen into the public domain in the country of its origin, and this even against the publisher who may, before that date, have published in England without the consent of the author. The question here put forward seems on the whole to be unnecessary, The section of the International and Colonial Copyright Act of 1886 referred to, runs as follows:— Where an Order in Council is made under the interna- tional Copyright Acts with respect to any foreign country, the author and publisher of any literary or artistic work first produced before the date at which such order comes into operation shall be entitled to the same rights and remedies as if the said Aots and this Act and the said order had applied to the said foreign country at the date of the said production. Provided that where any person has before the date of the publication of an Order in Council law- fully produced any work in the United Kingdom, nothing in this section shall diminish or prejudice any rights or interests arising from or in connection with such productions which are subsisting and valuable at the said date. The section of the Berne Convention referred to runs:— Under the reserves and conditions to be determined by common agreement, the present Convention applies to all works which at the moment of its coming into force have not yet fallen into the public domain in the country of origin. It is difficult to see what the Congress can possibly have meant by passing this resolution, and stating that the opposition in principle leads to violent and numerous violations of rights of authors and artists. Firstly, it is exceedingly doubtful if there is any opposition in principle, as the Congress would have discovered if it had thought fit to consider paragraph 4 of the final protocol to the Convention ;* and, secondly, the only rights that can possibly come into question would be the rights that publishers had acquired before the passing of the International and Colonial Att of 1886. At the most there have been two or three cases in the English courts referring to the rights of publishers in England acquired before the passing of the Act, touching works that come within the region of the retrospective working of the 14th section of the Berne Convention. How far the 14th section of the Berne Convention is retro- spective, and what are the limits of that retro- spection, have never been really decided, but there is no doubt that any rights obtained before the passing of the International Copyright Act, which confirmed the Berne Convention, must have been ot* so small a character as hardly in any way to affect authors and artists; otherwise action* would have been more frequent and the matter would have been discussed and settled long ago. Further, as regards authors, the rights that are of most value—translation rights—even if ob- tained under the Convention, lasted only ten years, and have now fallen into the public domain. In addition to this, every year makes it more im- possible for other rights to be of any value owing to the period of protection given expiring by lapse of time. The resolution which has been passed appears, to anyone who has really studied the two articles side by side, and the reading of the International Law, to be entirely futile and unnecessary. The Congress might, however, with much more advan- tage have turned its attention to the fact that the acquiring of copyright in a dramatic piece by performance in England prevents the English law from being in accord with the laws of most of the other countries that are signatories to the Berne Convention. This is a grave point, as it is a continuing cause of disintegration. The other point was never of much import, and grows less and less important every day. Q Herbert Thring. VII.—Author and Publisher. Most of your readers will endorse the opinions expressed by " A Member " in your last issue, as well as your own comments on the same. You seem, however, to think that the Society as yet might not wish to undertake the publication of books on the lines laid down by your corre- spondent. * This opinion is supported by a legal expert on Inter, national Copyright Law.  ## p. 155 (#167) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. '55 But if a powerful concern were established, publishing on commission only, as you suggest, a great step would be gained. In order to secure the success of such an undertaking it would require the steadfast patronage of the more influential members of the Society. Some of your readers may remember that a small company, called The Authors' Co-operative Publishing Company, was started some eight or ten years ago on these lines; but, as it possessed the patronage of neither the Authors' Society nor of its principal members, the company almost died before it was born. There is no doubt that a certain proportion of the more mercenary critics are considerably under the influence of pub- lishers, and that unknown writers are more or less at the mercy of these mercenary critics. As, at first, books published by such a firm would probably have to stand the attacks of these light- fingered gentry, the concern would require the continued support of writers of established repu- tation, who could afford to sneer at unfair reviews. A surreptitious attempt would certainly be made by publishers and their creatures to boycott their rivals; but perseverance would prevail, and the public would gradually come to learn that the great difference of such a firm from the ordinary publisher would be that the works would be pro- duced cheaper, and that the profits would go more into the pockets of the poor author and bookseller than into the coffers of dishonest pub- lishers. The present relations between author and publisher are so entirely one-sided as to be truly ridiculous to contemplate. "You give me your book," says the publisher to the author, "and you see nothin', and you ask nothin', except what I may be jolly well pleased to give you, for I am the immaculate Llama of Literature." Till such links of bondage are broken the author remains a slave. There would be something more to say on the subject, and distribution of per- centages, in promoting such a concern. Glenfktjin. FEOM THE SUNNY SOUTH. PERHAPS a few lines—not entirely about books—from Australia may be of some interest to readers of The Author. A literary man in Sydney is not quite in the back blocks, indeed, less so than if he were in (say) Manchester, for the place is cosmopolitan in character: the terminal port for three or four English bines, one German, one French, one American, and one Canadian line of mail steamers; is the centre of government for a VOL. IX. million and a quarter of people, the headquarters of the British fleet in Australian waters, and a few other things besides. The city is fairly large, contaiuing as it does a population of 410,000 souls, is well-built, furnished with railways, electric trams, telephones, and all the other aids to the business of the nerve specialist, possesses many theatres, good libraries, and an art gallery which competent critics declare to be very credit- able for so young a city. The natural advantages of the place constitute its chief charm however, for in the whole world there is not so splendid a site for a city. Sydney harbour, with its 200 odd miles of coast line, its numerous arms, bays, and inlets, its surroundings of bush-clad slopes and craggy gullies, is indeed a vision of beauty, but a very real "vision," which can be engaged any day for a few pence. Then the harbour is not the only attraction, for there are miles of open coast close by the city, and countless pretty drives. Intellectually it is, perhaps, as yet a trifle pro- vincial, and frozen meat and gold mines bulk rather too largely, but there is an improvement in this respect. One or two of the dailies pose as being quite abreast of modern thought (which they are not), and all kinds of ideas are discussed freely and without much prejudice. People here have passed out of the materialistic stage in con- nection with the religious question, and have either swung right back to some form of Chris- tianity or adopted some form of Deism. One or two leading ministers of various denominations have no hesitation in announcing themselves evolutionists, and yet adherents of revealed religion. It is a tolerant place, people are not very preju- diced, and divorce is made more easy than in any portion of the British empire, without the remotest sign of the degradation prophesied at every stage of advance in this direction. Literature can hardly be said to have had a beginning in Australia as yet—at all events a purely literary career is not yet possible here unless the worker takes his wares to the London market. Only one firm as yet publishes locally, and there is no literary magazine. An attempt to form an association of Australian authors and produce a paper in which Australian work could appear was not successful. The firm which publishes (and prints) in Sydney has had several successes, principally with poems and ballads, but the market for local work— especially fiction—cannot be said to be strong. English works have a ready sale, but it is notice- able that many of the works which have achieved success in London do not catch on here. That fact was very noticeable last year, when some of  ## p. 156 (#168) ############################################ >5<5 THE AUTHOR. the " spooky" books which sold freely in London were scarcely asked for here. Justin C. MacCartie. Bridge-street, Sydney, Aug. 20. NOTES AND NEWS. CONFIRMATION has reached me of my estimate as to the number of families in this country who can be considered as possible buyers of books. I put the number at 400,000, and the lowest income at .£250. People with less than that income may buy a cheap book, one at 4f</. in a draper's shop, or a second-hand book, out of the twopenny box, but they certainly cannot afford to buy new and expensive books. Indeed, book-buying only begins when the standard of comfort is reached. I do not myself believe that many families with incomes under .£750 a year spend much upon books, especially when the children are receiving their education. When there are no children: when a man is unmarried, he can buy a good many books with an income of .£250. However, my confirmation is based upon Mr. Charles Booth's Analysis of the 1891 Census. From that analysis it is made out that the number of families in London with such an income is 65,000, and that for the whole country in the same proportion it would be 480,000. But as the proportion of rich to poor is much less in the country than in London, it is safer to take 400,000. So far, this is satisfactory. But, in addition, I should like to know how many families have an income of .£750 and over, because I should be inclined to limit book-buying to any considerable extent to those families. "What has your Society done? Not a single publisher driven to smash yet!" This objection was seriously advanced the other day to the Secre- tary. One hardly knows how to reply. The Society has never tried to "smash" publishers. It is not one of the objects of the Society to "smash" publishers any more than printers, paper-makers, or bookbinders. The object of the Society is solely to defend literary property in the interests of the author, to whom it belongs. How has the Society sought to effect this object? Partly by jireparing an amended Copyright Bill: partly by putting the law at the service of authors: mainly by ascertaining and publishing the facts and statistics concerning literary property. For instance, the cost of printing, paper, and bind- ing: the meaning of advertisements: the trade price of various books—so that the creator of literary property may understand exactly what, under given conditions, ought to come to him as the owner, and what, under the same conditions, is demanded by the middleman. This seems a tolerably useful thing to do. It may even be called a humble piece of work. But it had never been done before; and the want of this knowledge kept the writer in a condition of helpless and galliug dependence. He could not object, what- ever was offered, because he did not know. Now he does know. What is the result? It is, beyond all doubt, an advance all along the line. The old royalties are no longer offered: the old prices are no longer proposed. It is certain that for popular work of all kinds the position of the author is increased enormously in consequence of the Society's action. There are persons who to-day enjoy the fruits of the Society's labours, and neither join it nor acknowledge their obligation—and even attempt to abuse and misrepresent the Society. "You have not yet, after all your work, driven a single pub- lisher to smash!" We might sit down, then, these results dis- covered and published. Not so: they must be republished again and again. We must keep before the eyes of writers the facts and the figures. We must show them again and again the cost of production: the meaning of advertisements: the meaning of risk, the meaning of royalties, and the tricks, dodges, and devices by which the author is met at every turn by the greater number of publishers. And there is another side. It is that the Society acts as a police, always on the lookout: preventing iniquities and detecting iniquities. Every week brings in "cases" for investigation. The work is necessarily confidential. Only the Chairman and the Secretary know the full work that is done by the Society in this way. The cases are not, as a rule, brought before the Com- mittee. I do not say that the complainant is always right. Perhaps he may be wrong: in this case it is well that he should learn the law and the equity of his own case, and should cease to accuse. _ A point about the "Draft Agreements" of the Publishers' Association has not, I think, been noted. It is this. Up to the present it has been the custom with a great many to overstate every item. They could do this with impunity because there was no audit. But no provision has been made in the "Draft Agreements" for any audit.  ## p. 157 (#169) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. •57 Therefore the same impunity remains. But they do propose to put a percentage on everything—a percentage of what they please. Therefore, if these agreements are carried out, we shall soon have (i) the items all overstated as before, and (2) a percentage charged on the fraudulent return. This, it appears, is not only possible, but certain to be done. For those who have always practised the old knavish custom of overstating the cost, will continue to do so with impunity, and will then cheerfully make use of the liberty claimed by the Association of adding on what they please as a percentage. Let us apply these considerations to a half- profit system. We take a book which costs .£150 for an edition of 3000 copies. We suppose all to be sold, less Press copies, i.e., 2950 copies at 3.?. 6d. each. Here is the honest return:— Cost of production .£150 0 0 Author's share 183 2 6 Publisher's share... 183 2 6 — - .£516 5 0 Sales—2950 at 3s. 6d .£516 5 0 Next, the return partly based on the old iniquity and partly as maintained by the Pub- lishers' Association. Cost of production fraudulently set down as .£200. Eeturns "at customary trade price," i.e., at anything the publisher chooses to say. Perhaps he will own to 3*. a copy, or .£442 i0.«. Also, though the returns are for actual money received, he deducts a percentage for bad debts. He adds, besides his percentages (which are allowed here by the agreement), a charge for advertisements not paid for. This he can also do with impunity. We now have the account as rendered :— Cost of production .£200 0 0 Percentage: 15 per cent 30 0 0 Advertisements not paid for 30 0 0 260 0 0 Author's share 47 0 0 Publisher's share... 47 0 0 .£354 0 0 Returns £442 10 0 Less 10 per cent. bad debts ... .£44 5 0 Less 10 per cent. office expenses.. .£44 50 88100 .£354 0 0 But observe that the publisher has got— I. .£50 0 0 2. Percentage on alleged cost ... 30 0 0 3- Advertisements not paid for .. 30 0 0 4- Bad debts 44 10 0 5- Office expenses ... 44 10 0 6. Alleged share of profits 47 □ 0 .£246 0 0 To the author's .£47. And this is an alleged half-profit system! I desire readers to mark very earnestly and seriously the dangers which these draft agree- ments threaten. If they are successful, then there will be an end of literature. It cannot be too often repeated that literature, like any other art, must be free: must be respected: must be indepen- dent. No profession can continue in respect which is daily wilfully robbed, and without any power of redress. It may be argued that the very publishers who advance these pretensions would not dare to offer such an agreement to a writer of repute. This shows the inherent dishonesty of the proposals. They know that such an agree- ment would be flung in their faces. Why, then, are these drafts put forward? In the hope that they may be little by little put forward and adopted with the writers who are helpless, or with those who desire above all things to get their books published, and that so, in the imme- diate future, they may be recognised by writers of standing. The scheme is crafty. It is based on the ignorance and artlessness of writers, which have been abundantly proved in the past. We shall see what writers will do. A writer in a daily paper informs the world about Mr. Rudyard Kipling's private affairs. I shall not follow his example, because I have not received information from the only person who knows these things—the author himself: nor have I received his permission to publish the facts. But the paragraph concludes with these words: "This pecuniary return seems adequate." What is the meaning of " adequate "? It is the old, old story of confusing literary and com- mercial value. Nothing is "adequate" for a writer, and nothing is "inadequate," because there is no connection possible between the two values. But put it in another way. This writer has created a literary property. It is his, as much as a house, or a terrace, or a farm, or a hundred farms. The returns from that pro-  ## p. 158 (#170) ############################################ ■58 THE AUTHOR. perty are his own: if he did not get them, some person who had no right or claim whatever to them would lay hands upon them. I have never heard of anyone in the paper calling out upon the amount realised by that person, but I con- stantly see little touches like this use of the word "adequate," which show the confusion I have often indicated, together with a kind of feeling that an author ought not to be allowed the use and the returns of his own property. Every other kind of property the owner may be allowed to enjoy to the full, but not literary property— no—not literary property. Tbat, it appears, does not belong to the creator and the owner. This confusion cannot be too often pointed out and insisted upon. There is no connection what- ever between literary and commercial value. They are incommensurable as much as the circle and the radius. It is impossible to say that this poem is worth a million or that essay a shilling. "When a worthless book is for a time successful, people should cry out—not at the money which it brings in, but at the bad taste of those who buy it. In the same way a good book may have a very limited circulation—witness, for a long time, Browning's poems, and, now as always, Walter Pater's works. Circulation, that is, money, does not make a book good or bad. On the other hand, there are, happily, many cases every year in which good work is largely recognised. Even if all good books were recognised, that would bring us no nearer to the establishment of an equation between the two separate factors of poetry and trade. Nothing, however, was more common a few years ago than to find the reviewers talking about certain sums of money being "more " or "less" than a book was "worth." The expres- sion, which they did not understand, stamped them with the mark of ignorance as to the entirely separate character of literary worth. Of late one has heard less of the expression Yet the above example shows that it still lingers. (From the Book News and Trade Gazette, Oct. 2 2, 1898.) "Unfortunately for the bookseller, tbe same manner of carrying on business prevails to-day in tbe publishing trade as it did in the early days of the century, when fewer books were issued and a greater discrimination was shown in selection of MSS. for publication. In those days publishing and bookselling were a profession where the publisher and bookseller pursued their work more from a genuine love for it than in a commercial spirit. To-day that is all changed; the publisher in the majority of oases never reads a MS. before it is published, relying entirely on his expert readers. The bookseller, harassed by the competition of the libraries, has no time to grasp the inside of the books and thereby in- telligently sell his wares to the public. He has to buy his ■took chiefly on the representation or misrepresentation of the publisher-traveller, a creature whose conscience has deteriorated, or in some cases disappeared, through stress of ciroumstances and struggle for existence. Through him the publisher vicariously leads the bookseller astray. This un- businesslike system, based on a rotten foundation, is gradu- ally ruining the bookselling trade. Even the trade have awakened to that fact, but unfortunately they have not been able to accurately diagnose the malady which is killing them. Instead of coming to some simple basis of agreement, and presenting a firm front to the enemy, they actually invite those who are trying to ruin them to devise some means whereby the end may be quickened, and the result of their concentrated wisdom was to try and institute a system which would still further alienate the publio from buying books. This fell through, and though some more futile propositions were put forward, nothing apparently has come of them, and the survival of the fittest will probably be the only solution to tbe question. "We set forth again the only remedy that, in our opinion, will at least save the trade, and especially the country book- seller, from accumulating bad stock, the great cause of ruin to many. The Booksellers' Association should approach the publishers and get them to send a copy of every book to them a fortnight before publication. They should then appoint an expert who would read every book and write a short resume, if suitable, which would be issued to the trade. The bookseller would then, when the book was pre- sented to him for subscription, be able to know whether it would suit his particular trade, and buy in such a way as to reduce the item of bad stock to a minimum. This seems to us the only intelligent way of doing business. Other trades guard themselves in the same way, and the book- sellers would only be doing a wise thing if they followed their example. The retrograde step proposed last year— namely, to raise tbe price of a commodity which is essential for the welfare of tbe country, was perhaps the silliest pro- position ever put forward by business men. We maintain that everyone would be benefited by our proposal—the pub- lisher, the bookseller, and the public. Though at first sales might not increase, losses would be diminished, and in the end renewed confidence in the superior quality of the wares would encourage the publio to buy." The above proposal is at once practical and sensible, and certain to produce the best results. I had myself, before this article appeared, advo- cated exactly the same method: but with certain modifications. Thus it would not be possible for an expert to read and report on every book. But he might do this: There are many books which a bookseller would desire to offer his people on the recommendation of the name only. There are many books which can be condemned almost at a glance. There remain the books on the border line which require to be considered before they are recommended or condemned. This expert with the weekly sheet of recommendations or descriptions — a brief description should accompany every recommendation—would cost ab,/ut .£400 a year, or a yearly subscription of, say, 15*. Surely this is not too much, considering the advantages to be gained by this method. But I am always of opinion that the sale-or-return method is the only way of getting books really published, i.e., produced and offered for sale.  ## p. 159 (#171) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. '59 And as no bookseller's shop can hold all the books that are produced, this reader would guide him as to the books he would accept on sale-or-return. Walter Besant. "A SPRAY OF LILAC." (From an unpublished book of words for music.) "No tender stalk of juicy green Is mine," it murmured low; "No feathered leaf, nor drooping branch It is, that lilacs know." "But lovely shades of violet, And snowy white are mine, In dusters fair, and greeny leaves A-near each branch entwine." "There is no flow'r more sweet to see, No flow'r so scents the gale, No bridal wreath it does not deck, In semblance, 'neath the veil." "And one sweet spray I place on this, Thy last lone resting place; And as I gaze, and tears arise, I see thy sad pale face." Thus spoke he, as he paused to view Her grave where she had lain Full twenty years, while lilacs bloom'd, And went and came again. M. A. C. C. [Copyright.] CHALONER'S MASTERPIECE. WHEN he was eight years old John Fyvie Chaloner ran away to sea. At least, he partly ran and partly walked to the side of the canal-dock which lay three-quarters of a mile distant from his home. Here he saw a burly man lounging on a barge, and after a little hesitation offered 6d. as the price of a passage to "the big London docks." The man asked ques- tions in a good-humoured way, and little John revealed his purpose. He feared it was unwise to do so, but what was he to say? Among other matters he told the bargee where Mr. Chaloner senior lived. "Here, you come along with me," said the bargee when John had made an end of his tale. "1 know of a tremendous fine sea-going steamer, I *lo, and I know the captain of her, and you'll see if it isn't just what you're a-looking after." John consented, round-eyed, and the bargee jumped ashore. Then he grasped John by the hand and led him by a circuitous route to the house of Mr. Chnloner senior. John was told to VOL. IX. go upstairs and wait till his father came to him, and the bargee was handsomely rewarded. When John was fourteen his father died, and a year later his mother married again. Then John ran away to sea once more. He was a strong, smart lad now with a pleasant address, and he got his way this time. The life fascinated him even after he had learned to hate it, and he remained at sea six years. Then he suddenly grew tired of the water, and began to think of falling seriously in love and renting a cottage. He came ashore, and tried to earn his living in London. He did manage to escape starvation. He was alternately a dock labourer, check-taker at the pit-door of a theatre, sandwich-man, stage carpenter's hand, walking gentleman, and attendant to a lunatic. It was during the leisure which he sometimes enjoyed in this latter service that he found time to write a book. It was a novel, of course, and it was a curious one. Round a plot of which he had thought during his very first voyage he spread a jumble of his experiences, and the book was very sensational in some places and very funny in other places, and it was long and somewhat formless; but it was alive. Twelve publishing firms rejected it within six months, and then John Chaloner begau to think that he was not cut out for a novelist. "The jury's dead against me," he said. "Well, what will be will be. Let's try the thirteenth man, and see if he's as bad as his number." After two months John received a brief letter from Messrs. Beaner and Baske—the thirteenth firm. They were prepared to offer him £20 for the copyright of his novel, provided they had the option of publishing his next long work, " such work not to take the form of a collection of short stories." John sat for some time dangling the letter between his fingers. He knew nothing of pub- lishers and nothing of the prices paid for books. True, it was a long while since he had handled £20 in a single sum, but the terms offered to him appeared small for so much work. He wrote to Messrs. Beaner and Baske and asked if they could not be a little more generous. They replied that they could not—in this instance. They enclosed a form of transfer of copyright, which John signed, and by return of post he received a cheque for £20. The book attracted a great deal of attention; it was not only sensational and funny, it was true. The sales were brisk; twelve thousand copies went off in two months, and the publishers made a very neat thing of selling sheets to an American firm; besides, they sold a big colonial edition, and they sold the continental rights to Tauchnitz, and they sold the story as a serial to B  ## p. 160 (#172) ############################################ i6o THE AUTHOR. a number of more or leas obscure newspapers, which all paid something. So both Beaner and Baske rubbed their hands over that book. But John Chaloner knew exactly how far .£20 would go, and he continued to attend upon the lunatic. There was a reason why the book was true, and the reason was that John Chaloner respected himself when he sat down to write. He had strong views about the dignity of authorship. So when he found that his first venture was successful he set himself to write the very best book he could think of. It was a long book, rather gloomy and very powerful. John knew all the people who were to live in it before he began to write it, and the people actually lived in it when he had done. Beaner and Baske told him that they did not like the book, but John assured them it was better than his last. Mr. Baske shook his head. "We will hope it may prove so," said Mr. Beaner, with a sour smile. John was I o receive a royalty upon every copy of this book which was sold in England—nothing was said about America; and Mr. Beaner and Mr. Baske both assured the author that the royalty was a very handsome one, and that the treatment which he was receiving was very handsome altogether. The book was published, and the Press notices of it turned John Chaloner's head slightly; at least, they made him think that he had carved out a road to com- petence and freedom, and he gave up attending on his lunatic. That was three weeks after the book was published. Then came the eternal bread-and-butter question, and John called on his publishers. Mr. Beaner advanced him .£20 with a pleasant smile, and said it would be "all right." John began to take his pleasure a little, and within three weeks the twenty pounds had been spent. Then John Chaloner called upon his pub- lishers again. Mr. Beaner was not so agreeable, talked vaguely of the book not quite answering expectations, and, when he advanced John the fifty pounds for which he had asked, requested him not only to sign a receipt, but a formal promise that the firm should have "the first refusal" of the next book. John hesitated; but rent and dinner had to be considered, so he signed. And it is easy to picture his astonish- ment when, six weeks later, he received a statement of account from Messrs. Beaner and Baske, which set forth that only 850 copies ot the book had been sold, and lhat Mr. John Fyvie Chaloner was rather heavily in debt to the firm of Beaner and Baske. John was frightened. He had begun another sombre novel, but he set it aside to follow a counsel which he had from Mr. Beaner at their last meeting—and write adventures. Perhaps the following conversation which had taken place between Mr. Beaner and his partner before Chaloner's second book was published will explain why so few copies of it were sold. "I don't much like the report on Chaloner's new book," said Mr. Baske. "It's high art, and all that sort of rot, and I don't believe it will sell." "I don't believe it will," replied Mr. Beaner, and he swore at high art. "I've read the begin- ning and the end of the stuff myself and a good bit of the middle, and the man's left out the blood. If the public learns to expect blood from a man they will take nothing else." "Quite right." said Mr. Baske. "All the same, though I don't believe in this book, I believe in the chap." "When he writes adventures," observed Mr. Beaner, "so do I." "Well, let's make him write blood," said Mr. Baske. "We can just let this book drop quietly and lend the man a little money. His boots and his hat and tie show that he wants money. Then we can make him do what we like." "Not a bad idea," remarked Mr. Beaner. "And we can make him give us the option of his next, besides telling him what it's to be like. I don't think we can lose much, and his last was meaty. Anyhow, we needn't lend him much. We'll just print a thousand and distribute the type: there'll be over sixty review copies—I mean to prepare the ground for his next blood handsomely, and we can keep a few copies unbound and tell him the total sales are eight hundred and fifty. After all, one must teach these authors their business; they've no sense to find it out for themselves." At first John Chaloner was disgusted at the idea of another adventure story. But the more he thought about it the more he warmed to his work. He began to see that much of the material he had rejected in writing his first book was better than the material he had retained. His repugnance for the work gradually turned to love of it, and thus his masterpiece was fashioned; for it was a masterpiece. He took it to Beaner and Baske; he had no alternative as to that. Mr. Beaner read it, and Mr. Baske read it. "My word, it's a plum," said the senior partner. "It's a real live plum." said the junior, "and now let's t-ee if we can't get it cheap." Chaloner called at Beaner and Baske's place of business again and again. He heard a great many excuses, but he could not get a decided answer about the book until two months and a half had passed. Then his total indebtedness to the firm was one hundred and fifty pounds.  ## p. 161 (#173) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 161 "We can give you one hundred and fifty pounds advance," said Mr. Beauer, at last, " and mind it's a thumping advance, on account of a 15 per cent. royalty running all through; and that's very high, very high. But we have hopes that this book will redeem our losses on the last, you know." "But I owe you one hundred and fifty already," said Chaloner, frowning, "Well, you'll clear yourself," observed Mr. Beaner, " and then there's the rovalty." John sighed, and accepted the bargain. He was very anxious to "clear himself." But there seemed no end to the delays in publication. The autumn and the winter slipped by, the spring season was over, the summer books were being issued, but still Chaloner received no proofs. "My dear sir," said Mr. Beaner, haughtilv, in reply to remostrances, "we know when to publish. That's part of our business. No date is fixed in your agreement. Very well then. It's in your interests as well as ours that the book should wait for the propitious moment. You really must not try to dictate to us, sir. We shouldn't dream of dicating to you about your part of the business of production." John had got deeper into debt. Mr. Beaner was more petulant every time he was asked for money—and the sums which were asked were small now. John lest heart. He began two new novels, but abandoned both before he had written a dozen chapters. He was not only dispirited but unoccupied, and he drank rather freely in con- sequence. Mr. Beaner's manner had grown so repellent that John Chaloner had recourse on one occasion to a moneylender. He knew it was foolish, but he did it. And soon he was involved to such an extent that he dared not think of his finances, and he grew desperate. One afternoon late in the summer he penetrated into the offices of Messrs. Beaner and Baske. He was kept waiting a long while, but he saw Mr. Baske at last. "I tell you frankly what it is," said Chaloner, "I'm fearfully hard up, and I want you to pub- lish the book as soon as possible." "Oh, but we couldn't possibly before the autumn," replied Mr. Baske. "What do you mean by the autumn ?" asked John with a sigh. "We can't say exactly," answered Mr. Baske. "Most likely November." "1 can't wait till then," remarked Chaloner. Mr. Baske shrugged his shoulders. "Well," he said at length, "we're not inclined to go to much more expense about your book, Mr. Chaloner, as to which, frankly, we're doubtful. But if it will suit you best, we'll cry quits over the money advanced, hand you a cheque for twenty pounds, and take over the copyright, lock, stock, and barrel. But only to oblige you." "Let me go home and think of it," said Chaloner. "You can always write another one," said Mr. Baske as he bowed the author out with an agree- able smile. John went home and thought over it bitterly enough; but then—he could always write another one. He believed that himself. So he accepted Mr. Baske's offer and sold the copyright. The book was published within six weeks after that, and 50,000 copies of it were sold in three months in England alone. Then Chaloner tried "to write another one." He drank still more freely to drown his anger and disgust, and he could not make his next book live. There was not a spark of inspiration in it. Beaner and Baske rejected it after ten other houses had seen it and con- demned it, and by this time Chaloner was once more attendant to a lunatic. He tried two more novels. One was published by a new firm and was a dead failure. The other was rejected by a score of publishers. Then John Fyvie Chaloner ran away to sea for the third time, and gave up literature and the idea of falling in love and renting a cottage. But those copyrights are still real "properties" to the firm of Beaner and Baske. Molecule. ECCLEFECHAN. THE traveller to the south will remember the details of the scenery, where the Cale- donian express combines the contingent of people from Glasgow and Edinburgh. The panorama viewed on the carriage windows (those Euston carriages whose green-and-white so aptly relieves the hills beneath and clouds above) is characteristic of the lowlands of Scotland. Likely he will recall the halt—and if he does so, also he may have seen that nice bevy of damsels—at Lockerbie Junction. Then the train, with a good speed and a zigzag motion, cleaves its way through the rugged hills and moors of Annandale. With- out delay it drives by the historic hamlet of Eccle- fechan. Ecclefechan has only one absorbing interest in its association with the name of Tom Carlyle. Here the Sage of our Era began the anxious toil of life, and here his mortal part has found its resting-place. Mr. Sam. Donald and his wife made a pilgrim- age to Ecclefechan. Donald, who was a journalist  ## p. 162 (#174) ############################################ 162 THE AUTHOR. and follower of the prophet, wanted intensely to see this spot of earth. What manner of place might it be which gave birth to such amazing genius? It happened that Dumfries was the scene of the honeymoon, and so one day the couple paid a visit to the prophet's native place. They wondered if the hills and dales were more didactic tban usual here, if the ozone was any thicker than it is elsewhere. But the case is not so. Ecclefechan is such a village, lying in such environs, as we have seen the like of many a time in Scotland. In the valley, traversed by the railroad, crossed by a modest stream, surrounded by wooded hills, lies the quiet village. Several rows of haphazard houses, gathered at the meeting of the roads, range into some half-a-dozen streets. There are at least two churches in the place, not to speak of the countryside. The population is less than a thousand people. There is a street that goes by the name of Carlyle Place. Here in a dull-white house—behind a burn and a hedge—and then in a low-ceiled and dark room, they told them the prophet was born, and showed them his things. The natives talk familiarly of him as "Tom." The village has the choice of some nice walks (that specially to the west a favourite) in the neighbourhood. Donald commented on the usual plethora of churches in so small a village. "I happen to know," he said, "that one of the preachers was prize-poet of his year in College, and I credit him with brain enough to supply the needs of the whole village." And his wife gave the right answer. "Why on earth do they not unite?" Quite near the little town, they found the old churchyard. The patch of ground is homely and overgrown with grass. Over from the gate there is a white pile, more conspicuous than the others. It belongs to the family of a relative of our hero. Beside oue wall of the yard were stones bearing the names of Aitken and Carlyle. Here repose the mother and brother of our hero. Amid these, beside the grave of a literary name, the red stone of simple design is the tomb of the immoTtal Carlyle His grave was plain then in the extreme. Amid simple and ordinary things, the extraordinary man lies in the dust of earth. Surrounded by a cluster of his kindred, like priests that guard the inner secret of his temple! The sandstone is slightly ornamented and bears this inscription: "Here rests Thomas Carlyle, who was born at Ecclefechan, 4th Dec. 1795, and died at 24, Cheyne Row, Chelsea, London, on Saturday, 5th Feb. 1881." There is over the words—the family crest—a dragon-device, and beneath it the single word, so suitable, " Humili- tate." There in that corner, yes, they left the yard in vain effort to speak the meaning con- tained in that one word, "Humilitate !" Carlyle lies in ashes there. As they wander out the road, that skirts the wooded hill, sad and thoughtful, with the verdant soil under-foot and the blue-and-white sky above, they wonder, as he used to do, what it is that life means: and the mystery of it cannot better be resigned than by taking the hint of that word on his tomb, and learning the lesson of humility, that the great soul is ever born out of lowliness. "I would have expected somehow," said Donald, "that this patriotic land might have raised some kind of monument in the streets of its capital, or else in Ecclefechan." "It would be natural enough," the lady said with a comic laugh, "but do you know what you recall to me V When Schumann heard of the movement to raise a monument to the glory of Beethoven, he said they might as well raise one to the Lord Almighty." When they returned to the village, somebody in the shop (where they made a purchase) told them of a Roman camp to the east, within easy walking distance. But that idea had to be aban- doned on the score of time. "I remember once before," said he in his naive way, "I visited a tiny village. And there was a Roman camp there—" "I daresay," she said, interrupting him, "and it was inevitable." Although they found no marvel there, Donald and his spouse declare that the day spent in Carlyle's village was one of the best, if also the most sad, of the wt dding-tour. While in the falling shade they waited the train at the station, they watched the faultless lines of rail cutting with a cold gleam away into the distance—the lines that vanish and ever remind us, how little the finite can know of the infinite. And the same sad mood covered the landscape. "Do you know I have been thinking, ever since we left the grave," said the lady, "but perhaps 1 ought not to indulge fancies." "And why not, my dear?" "I have been thinking," she said, "of another tomb, and what the angel said of its tenant, 'He is not here, he is risen.'" "It would be no harm," said Donald, "but the reverse, to think so." # # # # • "Therefore we learn the lesson," wrote Donald in giving some account of this visit to readers of his own paper, "which all his work was calcu- lated to teach, that not the chance of life's setting  ## p. 163 (#175) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. is of any value, but the mystery of endeavour. Carlyle would not have forbidden us to pay his memory the tribute of a sentimental visit to his grave. But in doing that we realise that it is in vain. How little, after all, can we find of him there! The life-work we all know to admire has passed into many a life, the teaching has fused itself into many a form and fashion. The majesty of great genius, showing the kinship of our little life to the star-life in nature, strictly speaking, belongs not to this time-tied life of ours. Each noble worker, as he 'grapples with his evil star,' inherits the timeless and tideless life. And in that sense Carlyle's identity is else- where. The gospel of sincerity and love, which he spread abroad, is the shrine of his worship, the tomb of his repose—the element that we must reach to find him in life and not in death, in power and not in frailty, in hope, in joy, in satisfaction. And of him also, as of the Scion of the Highest, may it be said,' He is not here, he is risen!' Now he inhabits an eternal life, which we best feel in the fond hearts of his fellowmen." 1892. R. Welsh. MEMORIALS. Miss Christina Rossetti. ALARGE congregation assembled on Nov. 1, in Christ Church, Woburn-square, London, to witness the Bishop of Durham dedicat- ing a beautiful memorial to the late Miss Christina Georgina Rossetti, which has been erected there. The memorial consists of five paintings, designed by the late Sir Edward Burne-Jones, partly executed by the artist and partly by his chief assistant, Mr. F.W. Rooke, set in a reredos designed by the Rev. J. Glendinning Nash, incumbent of the church. The reredos is divided into five com- partments. In the central one is a figure of the Saviour, standing with bowed head, and hands folded across His breast; and on the table beside Him is a chalice. In the other compartments are figures of the four Evangelists, each with a pen and a book, in which they are inscribing the words of the Lord. The musical part of the dedi- cation service consisted of hymns written by Miss Rossetti. The Bishop of Durham, in his address from the pulpit, said there was a saying attributed to our Lord at a very early date which appeared to him to express a divine truth—" He that wonders shall reign." Wonder, the direct consciousness of the immeasurable depths of nature and of life, with the power of disclosing them to others, was the characteristic endowment of the true poet. It must appear strange that in clas- sical times few women were known as poets, and it was still more surprising that in the crea- tive period of English poetry no woman took her place beside the great masters. At last in our own century not a few women had delivered their message as poets, and had found a wide welcome. The explanation of the fact was probably to be found partly in social changes, and still more in the larger conception of the Christian faith which had at length enabled us to see tha.t every variety of gift was required for the interpretation of human experience and hope, so that if women were silent the absence of their voice made itself felt as never before, and, therefore, they had answered at last to the claim which had been made upon them. In Miss Rossetti we recognised the com- plete!^ consecration of woman's gift of poetry to the highest uses. The poet, the pure in heart, beheld the truth, and sang, not with elaborate music, but, to use Goethe's image, "As the bird sings." This was perhaps the first characteristic which struck them in Miss Rossetti's work. It was like Wordsworth's early poems, absolutely simple and spontaneous. There was no straining after effect. The melody was the natural expres- sion of the thought. The contrast between "Amor Mundi" and "Uphill" in rhythm and language and form was as complete as in subject; but the contrast was the result of feeling and not of art. At the same time, Miss Rossetti saw all, saw the whole, " the world as God made it," in spite of the ravages wrought by man's self-will. Miss Rossetti was essentially the spiritual poet of our age. On her spiritual teaching she con- centrated her powers more and more as time went forward. He did not underrate the cost of the choice. We had lost, no doubt, some studies of deep passion like the " Convent Threshold," not a few delightful parables of life, like the "Prince's Progress," countless delicate fancies, and passages of weird music, but the message which we had received outweighed them all. The message was specially one for our own time. The physical aspects of nature, the visible sequences of life, became ever more and more engrossing, and we were tempted to forget that they were but signs of the eternal. The poet disclosed their true significance, and invested common things with an atmosphere of marvel and reve- rence. So they were brought back to the splendid promise from which they started, and, under a great teacher's guidance, confessed, with deeper intelligence than before, that "he that wonders shall reign." Nay, they went further and completed the saying, "He that wonders shall reign, and he that reigns shall rest."  ## p. 164 (#176) ############################################ 164 THE AUTHOR. "Lewis Carroll." In the "Alice" Ward of the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond-street, Bloomsbury, London, there is now placed a cot which bears the name of the late "Lewis Carroll." On Friday, Oct. 28, Mr. James Tait Black, on behalf of the subscribers to the memorial fund, pre- sented to Mr. John Murray, vice-chairman of the committee of management of the hospital, a cheque for £ 1000 to endow the cot for ever. The proceedings took place in presence of a company which included Miss E. L. Dodgson, Mr. Wilfrid Dodgson, Mr. Hugh Chisholm, General Sir Andrew and Miss Clarke, Lady Wharton, Canon Jelf, Canon and Mrs. Girdlestone, and many others. Mr. Murray, in returning thanks, ex- pressed the opinion that no more appropriate memorial could have been erected to "Lewis Carroll" than a bed in a hospital which was devoted to the lives of children. Alfred the Great. A meeting of the general committee appointed for the commemoration of Alfred the Great, at the public meeting in March last, was held at the Mansion House on Nov. 3, Lord Welby in the chair. It was unanimously resolved: "That the national memorial decided on at the Mansion House meeting of March 18 shall be at Win- chester and consist of a statue of King Alfred, together with a hall to be used as a museum of early English history." It was estimated that .£30,000 would be re- quired in order to provide a memorial worthy of the nation, and it is contemplated to open a sub- scription list in the spring of next year, as it is hoped that the memorial will be completed in the 1000th anniversary year of his death. Amongst other suggestions advanced was that the executive committee should consider whether some popular publication might be issued with a view to diffus- ing public knowledge of Alfred's life and works. Also that a loan exhibition of objects pertaining to the Alfred period should be held in London during the anniversary year. The general com- mittee expressed a wish that the executive committee should take into consideration the desirability of approaching the Government with a view to obtaining their support to the com- memoration, and that communications be opened with the Universities and the historical and learned societies of the United States and the colonies in order to obtain the formation of committees to co-operate with the general com- mittee. Andrew Marvell. London County Council have decided to mark the site of Andrew Marvell's cottage at Hamp- stead with a brass plate bearing the following inscription :— Four feet below this spot is the stone step, formerly the entrance to the cottage in which lived ANDREW MARVELL, Sometime M.P. for Hull, and Latin Under Secretary to Oliver Cromwell, Patriot, Poet, Wit, and Satirist. Born 31st March, 1621. Died 18th August, 1673. He was buried in St. Giles-in-the-Fields. This memorial brass was placed here by the London County Council, November, 1898. The County Council have also before them a proposal to erect statues to Chaucer and Milton in London. BOOK TALK. R. HARDY'S volume of poems will be out in a few days. The title is "Wessex Poems." Mr. Laurence Binvon's "Second Book of London Visions" is nearly ready in Elkin Mathews's Shilling Garland Series. Mr. Mat- hews is projecting a volume which will contain verse by several writers—Mr. Selwyn Image, Mr. Victor Parr, Mr. Binvon, and "Anodos." The title of this will be "The Garland of New Poetry." Professor Geikie is the author of "Earth Sculpture," which will appear immediately as a volume in Murray's Progressive Science Series. Mr. R. E. Prothero has resigned the editor- ship of the Quarter/;/ Jteriew in order to become agent to the Duke of Bedford. He is succeeded by his brother, Mr. George Walter Prothero, Professor of Modern History in the University of Edinburgh. An enlarged edition of Messrs. Darlington's handbook "London and its Environs," by E. C. Cook and E. T. Cook, has lately been issued from Llangollen. The Londou agents are Messrs. Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent, and Co., Limited. "A Forgotten Past," and other stories, by Fred. J. May, has lately been published by the Friars Printing Association, Limited. The Life Story of the late Sir Charles Bright will be out in December. With it is incorporated the story of the early hand telegraphs, the Atlantic cable, and the first telegraphs to India  ## p. 165 (#177) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. and the Colonies. The work will be published by Messrs. Archibald Constable and Co. in two large octavo volumes. The authors are Mr. E. B. Bright and Mr. Charles Bright, F.R.S.E. The Queen has been pleased to accept a copy of "The Theft of the Princes," by F. Bayford Harrison. It is a small volume con- taining an account of a curious incident in the lives of two young princes, one of whom became the common ancestor of both Her Majesty and the late Prince Consort. "Studies in Scottish Ecclesiastical History in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries," by M. G. J. Kinloch, has just been published by Messrs. E Grant and Son, of Edinburgh. Price 6*. net. "Dona Rufina" (the romance of a cycle tour), by Heber Daniels, author of "Our Tenants," has just been published by Messrs. Greening and Co, Price 2s. 6d. Messrs. A. and H. B. Bonner have recently published, in cheap form, a revised edition of the Life of James Thompson ("B. V."), by Mr. H. S. Salt. The book contains a new portrait of the pessimist poet, and some additional matter that will be of interest to readers of "B. V.," including a full account of the closing scene, from the pen of Mr. H. E. Clarke, and a hitherto un- printed letter from Mr. George Meredith, who speaks of Thomson's life as "the most tragic in our literature." Mrs. Alec Tweedie's last book of travel, "Through Finland in Carts," has run through two large editions, and Messrs. A. and C. Black have just issued it in a new and cheaper form. Mrs. Tweedie has now in the press a memoir of her father, entitled "George Harley; or, the Life of a London Physician," which deals with the popular side of the life of a very able scientist and physician, whose death a couple of years ago was a great loss to medical science. George Harley's early life was not devoid of adventure; he was taken up as a spy when his youthful enthusiasm as a medical student prompted him to join Omar Pasha's army, and was condemned to be shot. He was in Paris shortly after the coup <Titat, and saw the marriage of Napoleon III. But his later life is of particular interest. Ill-health dogged his footsteps for twenty years, twice necessitating his retirement from his profession, bat mental strength baffled physical weakness, and he became one of the best-known physicians in London. The volume will be published by the' Scientific Press. Mr. Andrew Tuer's newly published "Pages and Pictures from Forgotten Children's Books" contains numerous excerpts and about 400 fac- simile illustrations selected from a large and exceedingly scarce collection of books which appeared for the amusement of children early in this century or the later years of last. The modern child will probably find much of the text and many of the cuts startlingly ludicrous. Forty plates, reproduced from watercolour drawings by Mr. William Gibbs, of the most remarkable among the art treasures at Windsor Castle, are to be issued in parts to subscribers by Messrs. Eyre and Spottiswoode, the Queen's printers. These chromo-lithographs are all done on English-made paper of the large size known as imperial folio, and each of the four parts will contain letterpress descriptions of the pictures written by the Marquis of Lorne. The sword of Napoleon when First Consul, the Royal baptismal font, the Queen's chair in the corridor, and Anne Boleyu's clock, are some of the subjects of the first section, and the whole issue of the work, which is called "Queen Victoria's Treasures at Windsor Castle," will not be more than 1130 copies. Mr. Kipling has been writing in the Morning Post a series of naval articles, entitled "A Fleet in Being." These will be published shortly in a volume by Messrs. Macmillan. An important medical encyclopaedia is being projected by Messrs. William Green and Sons, Edinburgh. It will attempt to do such a service to medical science as the " Encyclopedia Britan- nica " does for general literature, and the most distinguished specialists will write for it. The "Encyclopaedia Medica," which is the title of the work, will consist of twelve volumes, to appear at the rate of one every quarter, beginning early in 1899. A volume of Dr. Pusey's letters, which will be of the nature of a supplement to the Life by the late Canon Liddon, will be published shortly by Messrs. Longmans. The work consists of "Spiritual Letters," which is its title, and it has been prepared by the Rev. J. 0. Johnston and Canon Newbolt. Major Sharp Hume is writing for the Cam- bridge Historical Series a volume on " Spain: its Greatness and Decay, 1479-1788." Major Sharp Hume is, of course, the author of Lives of Sir Walter Raleigh and Philip II. of Spain, and other works of the period. An article on the Book Catalogue of the British Museum appears in the current number of the Quarterly Review, from which we learn that the work, which began in January, 1881, will be finished about the end of the year 1900, and will  ## p. 166 (#178) ############################################ THE A UTHOR. then consist of about 600 quarto volumes. "If an ideal standard of perfection in details had been set up, the work would have been indefinitely protracted, and must have sunk under the accu- mulated mass of arrears," therefore speed and regularity have been the essential points kept in view during the progress of the work. When the printing began in 1881, there were 3.000,000 titles in the manuscript Catalogue, but since that time the accessions exceed half a million. What an amount of cross-references has to be made, however, is evident from the fact that the number of printed volumes in the Museum is about 2,000,000. Although arrangements were made for issuing the Catalogue to subscribers, the revenue from this source is extremely meagre. The Treasury defrays the cost of the Catalogue by an annual grant, which has gradually risen to the sum of .£3000 a year. Mr. Stopford Brooke issued during the past month the first volume of "The History of English Literature," in the series published by Messrs. Macmillan, to which volumes have already been contributed by Professor Saintsbury and Mr. Gosse. Another volume to come from Mr; Stopford Brooke will complete the series, and it will deal with the period between the Norman Conquest and Elizabeth. Thackeray's opinion of Tennyson in 1841 is contained in a letter quoted in a preface to "Sketch Books," in the new biographical edition of Thackeray's works:— Alfred Tennyson, if he can't make yon like him, will make yon admire him—he seems to me to have the cachet of a great man; his conversation is often delightful, I think; fnll of breadth, manliness, and humour. He reads all sorts of things, swallows them, and digests them like a great poetical boa oonstriotor, as he is. Now I hope, Mrs. Proctor, you will recollect that if your humble servant sneers at small geniuses he has, on the contrary, a hnge respect for big ones. Perhaps it is Alfred Tennyson's great big yellow face and growling voice that have made an impres- sion on me; manliness and simplicity of manner go a great way with me, I fanoy. Mrs. Gertrude Atherton is venturing into the field of boys' stories. Her book of adventure, entitled "The Valiant Runaways," will be brought out by Messrs. Service and Paton immediately. A new monthly magazine for secondary schools, to be called the School World, will be launched next month by Messrs. Macmillan and Co. It will include articles upon methods of teaching at home and abroad, detailed syllabuses of instruc- tion, and lesson notes by specialists in the chief subjects taught at secondary schools; test-papers to enable teachers to mark the progress of their forms month by month, and various other features. Mr. Gladstone's trustees will be greatly obliged if anyone possessing letters or papers likely to be useful for the purposes of Mr. Gladstone's bio- graphy will send them either to the trustees, at Hawarden Castle, Chester, or to Mr. Morley, care of Messrs. Macmillan and Co., St. Martin's-street London, W.C. All such letters or papers will be carefully and promptly returned. Chapman's Magazine of Fiction, hitherto owned by a private syndicate, has been bought by the General Magazine and Review Company, and will continue on the same lines and under the editorship of Mr. Oswald Crawfurd, with a new title, namely, Crampton's Magazine. Mr. Clement Shorter retires from the editor- ship of the English Illustrated Magazine after the Christmas number. Volumes of verse to appear shortly include "Love Triumphant," by William Bedford; and "Edmund: a Ballad," by Albert Carpenter, both of which Mr. Elliot Stock will publish. The number of libraries in London has recently been increased by two—one situated at the corner of Melody-road and Allfarthing-lane, Wands- worth, and the other in Cable-street, St. George's- in-the-East. In declaring the former of these to be duly opened, Sir John Lubbock delivered an interesting address, remarking that no doubt we had in London access to grand art galleries and the richest museums in the world, but this only made libraries all the more inestimable. From 1850 to 1866 only two districts of London, namely, Wandsworth and Westminster, availed themselves of the Public Libraries Act; from 1876 to 1866 only two more; but from 1886 to 1896 no fewer than thirty-two. Lord Russell of Killowen opened the new library of St. George's-in-the-East, to the cost of which Mr. Passmore Edwards has given .£5000 and 1000 books. Lord Russell said it was a most gratifying thing that a locality in which the great bulk of the population consisted of daily wage-earners had been ready to submit to be taxed for this great and worthy object, and it presented a favourable contrast to other divisions of the metropolis which could probably claim to be better educated and which were certainly much more wealthy. Mr. Grant Allen has written a book on the habits, ways, and doings of insect and plant life, which Messrs. Newnes will publish, entitled "Flashlights on Nature." Mr. Swinburne has written an enthusiastic prefatory note to a new edition of Mrs. Brown- ing's "Aurora Leigh," which Messrs. Smith,  ## p. 167 (#179) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. Elder, and Co. have published. He remarks that " no English contemporary poet by profes- sion has left us work so full of living fire," and that while Mrs. Browning's genius "has less hold on earth than Tennyson's or Browning's or Miss Ingelow's, and less aerial impulse, less fantastic or spiritual aspiration, than Miss Rossetti's," yet "all these noble poets seem to play with life and passion like actors or like students if compared with her." Mr. Swinburne concludes his examination of " Aurora Leigh " as follows: The piercing and terrible pathos of the story is as incom- parable and as irresistible as the divine expression of womanly and motherly rapture which seems to suffuse and imbue the very page, the very print, with the radiance and the fragrance of babyhood. There never was, and there never will be, such another baby in type as that. Other poets, even of the inferior sex, have paid immortal tribute to the immortal godhead incarnate in the mortal and transitory preaenoe of infancy; the homage of one or two among them, a Homer or a Hugo, may have been worthy to be mistaken for a mother's; but here is a mother's indeed; and "the yearlong creature" so divinely desaribed must live in sight of all her readers as long as ha man nature or as English poetry survives. "Lithography and Lithographers," in which the history of the art is told by Mr. and Mrs. Pennell, will be published shortly by Mr, Fisher Unwin. This year, of course, is the centenary of the discovery of lithography by Alois Senefelder. Mr. G. A. Storey, A.R.A., is calling his book of reminiscences "Sketches from Memory." It is chiefly, but not solely, a record of studio experiences, and of the celebrities he has met. As a lad Mr. Storey wknes-ed the sacking of the Tuileries in 1848, and this is described in his volume. There will be about a hundred repro- ductions of sketches of figures, interiors, and other subjects. Messrs. Chatto and Windus will pub- lish the book. "A History of the Quorn Hunt and its Masters," by Mr. William C. A. Blew, is to be published by Mr. Nimmo in a few days. Death came to Mrs. Oliphant before she had completed the task of writing the Annals of the Blackwood Publishing House, and so the third volume of the work is from the hand of Mrs. Gerald Porter. This lady is the daughter of John Blackwood, with whose reign as the head of the house the present volume deals. There are many glimpses of George Eliot, Anthony Trollope, Lever, and other writers. For example, here is a letter from Dickens, whom John Black- wood had evidently been innocently trying to convince that the "great unknown" author of "Scenes from a Clerical Life " must be a man:— The portions of the narrative to which you refer had not escaped my notioe. But their weight is very light in my scale, against all the references to children, and against such marvels of description as Mrs. Barton sitting up in bed to mend the children's olothes. The selfish young fellow with the heart disease in " Mr. Gilfil's Love Story" is plainly taken from a woman's point of view. Indeed, I observe all the women in the book are more alive than the men, and more informed from within. As to Janet, in the last tale, I know nothing in literature done by a man like the frequent references to her grand form and her eyes anil her height and so forth: whereas I do know innumerable things of that kind in books of imagination done by women. And I have not the faintest doubt that a woman described her being shut out into the street by her husband, and conceived and executed the whole idea, of her following of that clergyman. If I be wrong in this, then I protest that a woman's mind has got into some man's body by a mistake that onght immediately to be oorrected. There is also a rather quaint example of an author's letter. It is written by Kinglake in reply to suggestions that John Blackwood had been making with regard to Kinglake's History:— I am almost alarmed, as it were, at the notion of receiving suggestions. I feel that hints from you might be so valuable and so important it might be madness to ask you beforehand to abstain from giving me any; but I am anxious for you to know what the dangers in the way of long delay might be, the result of even a few slight and- possibly most useful suggestions. . . . You will perhaps (after what I have said) think it best not to set my mind running in a new path lest I shonld take to re- writing. The Countess of Warwick has written an account of her garden at Easton, Essex, under the title "An Old English Garden," which Messrs. Hatchard will issue in a handsome volume. Mr. Powis Bale will shortly publish, through Messrs. Wm. Rider and Son, Limited, a handbook of "Sawmill and Woodworking Machinery "; and Messrs. Longmans and Co. are printing a sixth edition of " A Handbook for Steam Users," by the same author. Mr. Bernard Hamilton's re-incarnation romance,. "The Light?" is now in a second edition. A fourth and cheap edition of Mr. Mackenzie Bell's "Life of Christina Rossetti," completing 2500 copies in this country and in the United States, will be published immediately, with the original illustrations, by Mr. Thomas Burleigh. CORRESPONDENCE. I.—Translation and Copyright. IN your notice on copyright in Holland and Germany in this month's Author, you quote remarks contained in Das Recht der Feder on "dicta" found in the writings of Dr. J. D. Veergens, where he asserts as his opinion that  ## p. 168 (#180) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. "translation is not piracy, but original work," and that "an idea as soon as it is expressed is public property." As the German paper correctly asserts, there may be cases in which such liberty may be looked upon as the rights which "high- waymen " take on themselves, and it is quite com- prehensible that any author should require the work of his brain to be protected and respected by demanding good work in his translator. If, however, the translator tloei furnish original work (by using his own mind and completely merging himself in the author he endeavours to reproduce), and if the author also guards his own expression by only making public what he has no reason to be ashamed of, and himself regards in the light of public property, is any further pro- tection of the author's rights needed after he has given well-considered assent to its reproduction by means of translation, and would not transla- tion rank higher if it were treated as original work? Could a more scathing criticism of ordi- nary translation be found than in the words of Das Jtecht der Feder, when that journal remarks, speaking of the translator: "Only his own interests make the translator a thief. The foulest pamphlet that delights the herd is by far more precious to him than the most important intellectual work, which pleases only a few cultivated people." Can "piracy" of the sort described in Das Jtecht der Feder claim for itself the honourable name of translation? And is not the real thief in translation work he who does not rob enough from the original author, interpolating his own ideas instead, as also he who chooses to remain anonymous? We can put up with no piece-work in translation, but it must so resemble the original as to seem what "forgery " would be to original handwriting. Again, the author ashamed of his expression should never dare to make it public unless prepared to take the consequences. Ida L. Benecke. II.—Cut Edges. As having successively in The Author, in the Fall Mall Gazette, and in Literature protested against the issuing of books with uncut edges, I was delighted to read the " plea for cut edges" of Mr. John C. Shannon in The Author for November, and delighted also to see that Mr. Marston has been taking up the subject in the Fublishers' Circular and in Literature. Both as authors and as readers all authors are deeply interested in cut edges. As authors they would gain better reviews and increased chances of sale; as readers they would save much lost time and temper. I would venture to suggest that authors should have a clause inserted in their agreement pro- viding for publication with cut edges; also that the proprietors of all magazines and newspapers should follow the example of The Author and of Literature, and issue their publications with cut edges. .i.i J. M. Lely. III.—The Pessimism of Young Writers. The name subscribed to a short Indian story (" Thirty Years After ") in a late issue of the Temple Bar Magazine is one of hereditary prestige. Miss Zoe Procter is the granddaughter of " Barry Cornwall," the friend of Lamb and Shelley, a poet himself, and father of Adelaide Procter, whose name is still familiar. One of her uncles is Professor Forrest, of Bombay, who has been a skilful contributor to the history of Warren Hastings's administration, another being a successful novelist, whose " Eight Days " made many friends in the Comhill, under the editor- ship of the late Mr. Payn. Miss Procter pro- mises to chasser de race; she can write with taste and eloquence; her subject, too, is viewed squarely, and in high relief. It is, however, right that she should be warned against the tempta- tion so apt to beset young artists—that of at- tempting to make our flesh creep, like the Fat Boy in "Pickwick." A little experience is sure to show her that real life is sorrowful enough; and that Bacon never said a wiser thing than he did when he laid down the canon that it was the mission of art to "conform the shows of things to the desires of the mind." Buckleigh, Westward Ho. H. G. Keene. IV.—Christmas Literatube. Christmas is drawing near apace, and the bookstalls are already flooded by Christmas numbers, but unless these are very different in character to what they have been of late years, they can hardly be included in Christmas cheer. Although most current literature is of the sensational pessimistic kind, it seems there must be a special collection of horrors and tragedies for the so-called festive season. Formerly Christinas stories were uniformly bright, everything came right in the end, even at the risk of probability. But now we have changed all that, and the pro- bability is strained in the opposite direction. Even the old-fashioned ghost story has degenerated, and in the effort to produce some- thing abnormally blood-curdling and thrilling, has missed its effect. Is it because, like the Germans, when we feel merry we must sing sad songs, or is it that the up-to-date imagination craves excitement and  ## p. 169 (#181) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 169 sensation of a morbid nature, and cannot be con- tent without them? However, every one is not youns and modern Surely some people would still prefer a reminder of the good old stories. Some who possess a calm and healthy mind, which, like a healthy appetite, requires no unwholesome condiments. But probably, as the masterpieces of the great writers of the Renaissance were the offspring of sound minds and stalwart bodies, the present style of writing is the product of overwrought neurotic beings, who, in their turn, are the result of the rush and hurry—the feverish unrest of the age. Anyhow, the demand at present appears to be for a copious amount of the horrible in Christmas literature, and as there is neither art nor genius required to supply it, no doubt the quality will be kept up, and the Christmas number will have numerous tales of misery and crime and illustra- tions in keeping. _ I. S. V.—Editorial Autocracy. Would it not be well for authors to combine and form themselves into an Authors' Protection Society. At present editors have us all on the hip, except, of course, front-rank writers. I do not mean to say there are not courteous editors, but they are certainly in the minority. It should be made an impossibility for editors to keep MSS. at their own pleasure, and to pay for same just when they fancy. I think it is high time that authors should in every particular put their affairs on a business footing. There is entirely too much servility amongst us. Let us be honest and admit it. Let us also recognise that any reform must come from within, and that tee must help ourselves. No assistance can possibly come from outside. It is quite plain that we must steadfastly and strenuously resist the publishers' agreements just promulgated, and I would earnestly suggest that a firm stand be also made against editorial autocracy. My proposition is that authors, instead of send- ing contributions direct to a magazine or paper, should forward them to a society, to be called the Distribution Society (or other suitable name), each MS. to be stamped with the name of the Society. A fee of Is. to be inclosed for each firm the MS. is submitted to. All editors called upon by the agents of the society to be made clearly aware that MS. left with them must, if rejected, be returned within a fortnight to the society. Payment to be made within a month. No less rate than one guinea per thousand words to be offered. Editors refusing these terms to be severely let alone. Acceptance of MSS. from the society to be deemed as compliance with said terms. The Authors' Syndicate might be asked to undertake the reception and distribution of the MSS. of the proposed society. Perhaps the editor will kindly give his opinion on these suggestions. Spero Meliora. VI.—A Disagreeable Experience. Perhaps, as a warning to other writers, you will kindly give publicity to the methods adopted in my case by the Strand Magazine. I sent in two type-written stories for the editor's consideration—one on May 21, the other on June 9. Both were returned on Oct. 27. The length of time for which the MSS. were detained is in itself a sufficient grievance; but that is not the worst feature of the case. The MSS. were utterly disfigured by scribbled com- ments and suggestions, which would have been ludicrous had it not been for their unwarrantable impertinence. On my writing a letter of complaint to the editor, asking him to refund me for having the MSS. re-typed, he replied, without the least attempt at apology, that if I sent him my manu- script, he would have it cleaned! There is no need for concealment in the matter. I therefore give the title of the magaziue, and append my own name. W. B. Wallace, B.A. (Member of the Society of Authors.) THE BOOKS OF THE MONTH. [Oct. 24 to Nov. 22—457 Books.] Aekworth, John. The Scowcroft Critics. 3/6. Clarke. .VI mis. W. M, The Book of the Master. '6/- Murray. Adeney, W. F. Women of the New Testament. 3/6. Service. Aitken, E. H. The Five Windows of the Soul. 6/- Murray. Alexander, Mrs. The Coat of Her Pride. 6/- White. Alford, H. S. L., and Sword, W. D. Egyptian Soudan. 10 - net. Macmillan. Allen, A M. Gladys in Grammar Land. 2/6. Slmpkin. Ambrose, W., and Ferguson, W. R Land Transfer Acts (75 <fc '97). 10/- Butterworth. Ames, Mrs. E. An A B C for Baby Patriots. 3/6. Dean. Anderson, T. McC. 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Title A name given to the resource The Author, Vol. 09 Issue 07 (December 1898) Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em>, Vol. 09 Issue 07 (December 1898) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101063829988" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101063829988</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1898-12-01-The-Author-9-7 publications The Author https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/324/1899-01-02-The-Author-9-8.pdf 0d274a5f263d37a187f5b23470af4a58 PDF Text Text ������������������������ Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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) 1899-01-02 Volume 9 Issue 8 Pages Page range in volume 173–196 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 18990102 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin XT b e Hutbor, (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vol. IX.—No. 8.] JANUARY 2, 1899. [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 should be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent 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. FOE some years it has been the practice to insert, in every number of The Author, certain " General Con- siderations," Warnings, Notices, &c, 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 his true character, and should 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 cost 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. IX. 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 sides. 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 ont 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 the chance of a success which will not, probably, come at all; but which may come. 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 for exchanged advertisements, and that all disoounts 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. T 2  ## p. 174 (#186) ############################################ i74 THE AUTHOR. HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. I. in VERY member has a right to ask for and to receive ITi advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his business or the administration of his property. If the advioe 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 connected 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 advioe 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 every- thing 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. Communications for The Author should reach the Editor not later than the 21st of each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to- communicate to the Editor any points connected with their work which 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 is 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 present location of the Authors' Club is at 3, White- hall-court, 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 this, 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 oome, whatever his conduct, whether he was honest or dishonest? Of course they would not. Why then hesitate for a moment when they are asked to sign themselves into literary bondage for three or five years? "Those who possess the 'Cost of Production' are requested to note that the cost of binding has advanoed 15 per cent." This clause was inserted three or four years ago. Estimates have, however, reoently been obtained which show that the figures in the book may be relied on as nearly oorreot: 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 sums 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 oall this a form of fraud; it is not known what those who practise this method of swelling their own profits call it. NOTICES. THE 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 6s. 6d. subscription for the year. The Editor is always glad to receive short 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 their names and the special subjects on which thoy are willing to write? LITERARY PROPERTY. 1.—Canadian Copyright. ALONG article appears in the Pall Mall Gazette of Dec. 26 on Canadian Copy- right. It is therein stated that Mr. FitzPatrick, the Solicitor General, will bring in a Bill during the next Session. We have good reason to believe that this will not be the case. Canadian Copyright has been in the air for some time, and no doubt the Canadians will, sooner or later, make a fresh endeavour to obtain Copy-  ## p. 175 (#187) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. i75 right legislation. We have good reason to think that this endeavour will not be made next Session. II.—The Literary Agent and the Society. An old member of the Society writes to the Secretary to the effect that her business is now .conducted for her by a literary agent, and that she resigns membership. She supposes, in a word, that the literary agent can do for her what the Society undertakes to do: and she supposes that the Society exists for each member individu- ally. These two suppositions are both wrong and mischievous. (1.) The literary agent can place her books and get an agreement more or less satisfactory. His powers may be measured by the popularity of the author, which is as it should be. But in the case of a dispute with publisher or editor, where is the literary agent? He can only advise going to a solicitor. The Society supplies a solicitor. The literary agent, again, can only lay the agree- ment before an author: it is the Society who teaches him what the agreement means for both sides—an inestimable service to literary property. (2.) But the Society, though it is ready to work for each member individually, works for the whole profession of literature. The subscriptions of the more powerful members pay for the law expenses incurred in the defence of the weaker. In this way a feeling of brotherhood, the sense of a common profession with common aims, is for the first time growing up among those who create literary property. This most invaluable result of common action demands absolutely the adhesion of every man and every woman of letters to the Society. It may be that all the members do not agree with every act of the Committee. But they must agree in the main object—the maintenance and defence of literary property, not only for the individual but for the whole profession. There have been cases in which members have resigned simply because they did not approve of some small vote or resolution. They were unable to under- stand that behind that insignificant vote lay the grand object of the Society, namely, to repeat, "the maintenance and defence of literary property, not only for the individual but for the whole pro- fession." Again, suppose a case of disagreement between author and literary agent—I think nothing more likely when I look round and see the many new agents and the many duties which are laid upon them. In such a case the author is only protected by going to law at his own expense. If he were a member of the Society, the case would be con- ducted for him. I say nothing of the danger which is rapid ly rising before us, of committing to the agent the whole of the literary business unchecked. It is the old confidence game once played between author and publisher. We must never forget the lessons of the past. It is as dangerous to intrust blind confidence to an agent as to a publisher. W. B. III.—Translation and Reteanslation. Messrs. George Bell and Sons have raised a curious, and, as far as we know, a quite novel question of copyright in the Times. They pub- lish, it appears, four copyright works in English in England on the British Navy. A Captain Von Stenzel, who has been bringing: out in German and in Germany a treatise in many volumes dealing with the armies and navies of the European powers generally, has, in a volume dealing with the British navy, translated amongst other things portions of Messrs. Bell's copyright works. So far as this officer is concerned, Messrs. Bell have no complaint to make, having, we presume, sold or in some other legal manner parted with their translation rights. What they complain of is that an English translation, called the "British Navy," of the volume of Captain Von Stenzel's work which deals with the British navy has been recently made by Mr. A. Son- nenschein and published in London. The result- ing competition with Messrs. Bell's original works (it is not stated by what authors) is obvious. "The origin of the work is not revealed in the English edition, but, on the contrary, the translator in his preface seems rather to imply that the book was designed to supply a want existing in this country," but there is an acknowledgment of the use which has been made of the English books in a list given after the preface, where they are stated to have been con- sulted by author and translator. Two questions arise upon this statement: (1) Is what has been done in accordance with usual literary practice and ordinary literary courtesy; and (2) has there been an infringement of copy- right in the legal sense't To the first question we must answer, yes. Acknowledgment, of course, is no excuse for infringement of copy- right, as it is by far too often thought to be, but acknowledgment should clearly be made in a case like this. The answer to the second question is a little more difficult. The fact of the alleged infringement being the result of a retrans- lation, however, cannot affect it. The only question is whether the matter published by Mr. Sonnen. schein is materially and substantially the same as that published by Messrs. Bell. Absolutely the same the two productions cannot be. The mere rolling of many books into one would prevent that  ## p. 176 (#188) ############################################ 176 THE AUTHOR. IV.—A Copyright Case in India. An interesting case coming under the 18th section of the Copyright Act has just been tried in the High Courts in India, but unfortunately the main difficulty of that section was not in dispute, as it was acknowledged between the defendant and the plaintiff that the plaintiff had been employed under that section. The case was shortly as follows: The editor of the Madras Standard (the defendant) employed the plaintiff to write certain articles on the lives of representative men of Southern India for his paper. Such lives were written and produced in the paper, subject to certain editorial alterations, and it was acknow- ledged by both the plaintiff and defendant that this employment came under the 18th section of the Act, and that the copyright lay with the defendant, subject to the terms of that section. The matter thus used in the paper was then reproduced in book form, together with other lives written by the defendant in a book called "The Representative Men of Southern India," and subsequently in another book of Representative Indians ' published in England. The plaintiff's action was brought because the defendant had infringed the plaintiff's rights under the proviso in the section referred to, which runs as follows: Provided always that during the term of twenty-eight years the said proprietor, projector, publisher, or condaotor shall not publish any such essay, article, or portion separately or singly without the consent previously obtained of the author thereof or his assigns. The point the judge had to decide was whether such consent had been given directly or impliedly. There was scanty evidence on this point, and it appeared a difficult question for decision. Finally, however, the judge, after a very careful summing- up of the whole facts of the case, gave a verdict for the plaintiff. The final words of his summing- up were as follows: No doubt his (the plaintiff's) feelings may have been hurt, particularly by the announcement that the defendant is the author of all the lives therein published, but in pocket it cannot be said that he suffered substantially by the publica- tion of that book. The plaintiff was awarded 200 rupees. The judge's decision seems to be a thoroughly fair one, as the plaintiff was unable in any case to utilise his own work for twenty-eight years, and thus could not have been damaged pecuniarily to any extent. This is a short epitome of the case. It is an interesting case, but iinfortunately does not bear directly on the great difficulty of the section under which the judgment is given. V.—"A Curious Question." I think Sir Walter Besant's solution is nearer the point than that of Mr. Thring, but neither is to my mind correct. In such contracts as I have signed I have granted a licence "to print, bind, advertise, and sell." This is what most contracts mean but very few specify. No contract is in- tended to mean that a publisher has a right to traffic in an author's works. The publisher has no right to buy or re-acquire or re-sell an author's works, and I contend that licence to sell means to sell once and once only and to only one. If this were not so, there would be nothing to prevent a publisher re-acquiring copies of a book which he had "remaindered" at a few pence, a fraction only of which he paid to the author, and then re-selling it for several shillings and paying the author no royalty. If my view is held to be correct, "A Curious Question" is as badly put as the answers. A publisher agrees to pay an author 10, 15, 20, or 25 per cent. on the nominal selling price of every copy, and it matters not a jot whether the copies sold come direct to him from the printers and binders or have passed back into his hands through a bookseller. The author is entitled to receive his full royalty, less the amount paid on the copies when treated as remainder—assum- ing, of course, that the author has not given the publisher power to re-acquire. Martin J. Pritchard. VI.—The Charge for Corrections. The question of corrections has been from time to time referred to in The Author, but it seems necessary to refer to it again, as the matter is one of great importance to all authors, and is one of those items which are exceedingly difficult to check in a publisher's accounts. The author should be careful in correcting his proofs to note what are printers' errors and what are his own corrections, and he should, when possible, keep duplicate proofs with all his corrections, so as to be able at a subsequent date to refute any charge which might appear extortionate. In making his own corrections the author should be careful where he deletes one word or phrase to put in a word or phrase corresponding in length, as to run over from page to page is often a very heavy and expensive matter. The reason for these hints is the fact that in agreements a clause somewhat on the following lines is generally inserted: The cost of correction of other than the printers' errors in the proofs of the said work exceeding shillings per sheet of sixteen pages is to be borne by the said author.  ## p. 177 (#189) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. '77 It is quite fair that the publishers should be protected from expensive and troublesome authors' corrections, as cases have been known in which authors have altered proofs and made corrections to such an extent as absolutely to prevent any profit accruing from the sale of the work, but this is an exception. The practical working-out of this clause is difficult. The amount generally allowed to the author per sheet of sixteen pages is ten shillings. Under no circumstances should an author allow .the amount to be reduced as low as five shillings, unless he feels quite certain that his MS. needs no correction and is typewritten. After the book is produced an account is some- times forwarded to the author charging, say, .£10 for corrections. If the book is twenty sheets, that would mean that the whole cost of cor- rections, supposing the author was allowed ten shillings, would be £20. Corrections are generally reckoned by the time of the man employed, at the rate of one shilling per hour. As a matter of fact the printers do not pay is. per hour to their employes, so that there is always a margin of profit; but, supposing is. per hour is the actual payment, then it would mean that the corrections in the book amounted to the work of one man for 400 hours, or the work of one man for forty days at the rate of ten hours per day. That would be merely reckoning authors' corrections, as you will see the clause (which is the usual one) does not charge for printers' errors. If the authors' corrections amount to this heavy item, it is possible that the printers' errors also amount to a fair sum, in which case you would have to add so many more days' work on to your compositors' labour. It is very important to keep in mind that daily papers have to be corrected with great rapidity, in order to get them before the public in time. Compare, then, the time expended in the corrections of a book, as shown above, with the time which must be necessarily expended in the correction of a daily paper. It is almost impossible to place any con- nection between the size of an alteration and the time it takes, as sometimes the insertion of a word will throw out the type for some pages. To be able to put a firm check on the corrections the author should certainly note the difference between printers' errors and his own corrections, and ought to try to make his full corrections when the type is what is technically called in "slip form," before it is made up into pages. G. H. T. VII.—An American Literary Agency. The agency undertakes (1) to read MSS. and to advise on their defects, (2) to give them "grammatical and rhetorical" revision, (3) to advise as to their disposal, and (4) to make type- written copies. The charge for these services are:—(1) For read- ing MSS., 50 cents for the first 2000 words and 25 cents for every additional thousand words. (2) For a letter of general advice, 50 cents, or 2.1., in addition to the fee for reading. (3) For cor- rection and revision, a dollar an hour, in addition to the reading fee. (4) For typewriting, 60 cents a thousand words; if two copies are taken 80 cents a thousand words, i.e., 3*. 3rf. a thousand words, which is more than double the usual type- writing charge with us. (5) For reading a MS. of more than 40,000 words, and less than 100,000, and for giving a list of publishers and a general letter of advice, the fee is 10 dollars, or £2. If the Bureau sells a MS. for an author it takes a commission of 25 per cent. instead of the 10 per cent. which contents our agents. On the whole, it seems as if the Bureau expected to deal with short papers, and with candidates whose work was hopeless. There is an enormous number of such unfortunates in America as well as here. VIII.—By the Agreement. Especial attention is desired to the following case. The author does not wish her name to be mentioned, so that one must also suppress the name of the worthy publisher. A lady was anxious to produce a book—the one book she would ever write. She took her MS. to A. B., who, without giving her a formal agree- ment, offered by letter to publish the book for her on commission. The following are alleged to have been the terms: (1) The author was not to pay more than .£30. (2) The publisher was to print and bind an edition of 500 copies. (3) He was to advertise to the extent of .£15, but no more. (4) The book was to be sold at 6s. (5) He was to account to the author for sales at 3*. each. (6) He was next to take 10 per cent. on the sales. [Observe that a small edition of 500 only, even if all the available copies, 450, are sold at an average of 3*. 6d. each, only produces the sum of .£78 15s., out of which would come the publisher's commission, so that a large sum for advertising is out of the question. That of .£15 represents over jd. a copy.] The lady was perfectly ignorant about publish- ing. Nor did she seek advice. What the man proposed to do was to sell the book at 3*. 6d. or 3s. jd. and call it 3*. That gave him 14 ?- per cent.  ## p. 178 (#190) ############################################ 178 THE AUTHOR. on the sales to begin with. He was then to take 10 per cent. on the sum thus curtailed. This meant 8-*- per cent. on the actual sales, in all, 22f per cent. And this he called a commission busi- ness at 10 per cent.! This, however, was not all. When the account came in it was found that he had printed 750 copies instead of 500, and that he had spent, according to his own showing, £45 in advertising. Now this was against the agreement in the first place, and for a publisher 10 expend so large a sum on so small a book argued cither ignorance of his trade, or else—whatever you please. For .£45 on the book meant actually is. ggd. on every single copy, landing the book in certain loss. His bill ran as follows: 500 copies: Cost of composition, printing, ^640 7 O 5 3 0 «5 0 0 To tbis he added 10 per cent., 60 10 O I know not by what right .. 6 1 8 To 250 copies: 66 11 8 4 13 4 Sales, 376 30 9 8 Free, 77 453 56 8 0 5 2 y £101 14 8 Having, therefore, added 10 per cent. to the cost of production, and taken the same from the sales, and having broken the agreement by printing other 250 copies and charging £45 for advertising, he thus brought in a lots of .£50 odd. At this juncture the lady took advice, and there was a correspondence in which it became manifest- that the advertising had been in great part the filling up of columns secured in advance. But of course he had no right to charge a farthing more than the £'15 agreed upon. However, he sent in a second account. The item of advertising now appears as .£42 144-. 3^/., instead of .£15, and the cost of machining and paper for the extra 250 copies is still entered. But on the other side he cancels ..£23 S.1. gd., which still leaves .£4 odd more than he is entitled to. And instead of 10 per cent, added to the cost of production he puts in £8 16*. 5<7. for " indirect expenses," which mean, I suppose, taking a 'bus home in the evening. A man may argue that he must make money out of a book in order to live. The answer to that is, to make it above board: not by persuad- ing an ignorant woman that the trade price of a 6*. book is 3*. : nor by adding "indirect expenses." Let him say flatly "I must have so much out of the book or I cannot undeilake it. If I am to sell it on commission, guarantee so much." Of cour.-e if the man says this candidly and openly, but then proceeds in the way indicated above, then we are no farther forward. My correspondent in sending me these accounts calls attention to them as coming from "a pub- lisher who is a gentleman." Yes, the wordnow- a-days may cover a very large proportion of male humanity. Indeed, there are indications that it covers the whole. Quite a " gentleman." IX.—A Pending Copyright Action. In the Chancer; Division yesterday Mr. Justice Stirling had before him the case of Boosey v. White, brought before the judge by Mr. Butcher, Q C. Mr. Butcher said that the point raised in the case was a novel and interesting one. The plaintiff had certain songs, the copyright of which was vested in bim. The defendant, it was alleged, had been using and copying the songs by means of perforated sheets of cardboard, which correctly reprodnoed the music, and all people had to do «as to turn the handle of the organ in which the sheets were placed. That process, he suggested, amounted to an infringement of the Copyright Laws. There was a good deal of evidence to prepare, and as Mr. Monlton, Q.C., who represented the defendant, was willing to treat the motion as the trial of the action he would consent to the motion standing over for the present. The motion accord- ingly stood over until a future day. The above cutting has been taken from the Daily Graphic of Dec. 17, 1898. Those who are interested in copyright will look forward to the settlement of the action when it comes before the courts. PARIS NOTES. HENCEFORWAED Normandy can boast a national litterateur! M. Jean Revel, whose name is well known in the Parisian world of letters, has just produced an exquisite little volume of Norman tales, entitled "Rustres," several of which are entirely written in the Bas-Normaiid patois. On perusing this work (published by Fasquelle, ed. Bibliotheque- Charpentier) one feels that the author himself is truly a son of the people he describes so faith- fully and tenderly, and the most trivial details of local traditions and characteristics it affords arc rendered interesting by the artistic talent of the writer.  ## p. 179 (#191) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. '79 M. Gustave Revel's proposal to establish a Chair of Dramatic Literature at the Sorbonne is by no means relished by the majority of his countrymen, who—while strenuously objecting to the 10,000 francs thus added to their annual taxes—maintain, with reason, that this depart- ment is already well represented in the literary curriculum of their great national institution. We subjoin the names of the professors especially qualified to lecture on dramatic literature and the subjects they will this year undertake, in order that our readers may judge for themselves. They are as follows:— M. Emile Deschanel, who will instruct his hearers on French dramatic literature, as illus- trated by Corneille, Racine, and Victor Hugo; M. Gaston Bossier, who undertakes the Latin dramatic literature, as exemplified by Plautus and Terence; M. Maurice Croiset, who will lecture weekly on "L'Histoire de la Tragedie Grecque"; M. Louis Leger, who is responsible for the Slavic tongues and literature; M. Barbier de Meynard, who is a proficient savant in all matters pertaining to the Arabic theatre; MM. Edouard Chavannes and Maurice Courant, than whom no better authorities on the Chinese theatre exist; M. Morel Fatio, who initiates his audience weekly into the mysteries of the "Theatre de Tirso de Molina "; M. Gazier, who analyses "Moliere" each Wednesday, while M. Beljaine pefonns the same friendly office for "Shakespeare" on the Thursday; M. Larroumet, who conscientiously expounds on Fridays " L'His- toire de la Tragedie Fran9aise dans le Theatre de Racine," and M. Gebhart, who undertakes the "Theatre Espagnol " every Monday. Apart from this, there are the lectures given at the Odeon, Bodiniere, and the Mathurius—where the play, or representation, follows the dissertation, like the jam after the pill. A Chair of Dramatic Litera- ture likewise exists at the Conservatoire; but yet —oh Heavens! M. Revel considers the rising French generation requires further dramatic instruction. The name of M. Alexandre Hepp heads the army of illustrious contributors to the newly- founded Revue des Rhumatisants. Among the list we remark the names of Francois Coppee, Jules Claretie, Marcel Prevot, Armand Silvestre, Aurclieu Scholl, Emile Bergerat, Leon Daudet, Le General du Barail, and a host of other witty, scientific, and political confreres, who all alike suffer from the same insidious complaint, and desire to ease their woes by confiding their suffer- ings and their pet remedies to a mirth-loving public. Another literary association—La Societe Pierre Dupout—has just been founded at Lyons, to pre- VOL. IX. serve and bring once more into vogue the works of the dead poet, Pierre Dupont. Despite his undoubted genius and popularity, this gifted singer of the people, this true child of Nature, lived and died a poor man. The pretty tale of his introduction to Victor Hugo is too well known to need repetition here; and the effort to replace the banal and often obscene ditties of the Parisian concert hall by the introduction of the melodious verse of Pierre Dupont is a step in the right direction. That indefatigable writer, M. Jules Verne, has now published his eightieth volume for the amuse- ment and instruction of youth. Some critics affirm that the " Superbe Orcnoque" is inferior to many of his preceding works; but, when an author has the linn intention to produce no fewer than a hundred volumes—when, above all, he has provided his generation for almost half a century with a healthy and pure literature in a country whore a healthy and pure literature is, unhappily, the exception rather than the rule—he can afford to snap his fingers at the critics, secure of the gratitude and support of a wide circle of readers. The popularity of M. Andre Laurie, who belongs to the same school in a modified degree, is also steadily increasing; and this is the more remark- able, since his tales d*-al chiefly with seminary life in foreign countries—a fact which should win him the good graces of the French Colonisation Society. M. Paul Bourget has quitted Paris to establish himself for the winter at Costebella, near Hyeres, the place where he last year wrote "La Duchesse Bleue," the great literary success of the season. His departure was delayed in order to enable him to take part in the recent Academic election, which bestowed on the spirituel Henri Lavedan the fauteuil vacated by the death of poor Henri Meilhac. M. Emile Zola figured, as usual, among the unsuccessful candidates. There is something impressive and heroic in his obstinate determina- tion to accept no defeat as final. He is the modern Prometheus eternally debarred from entering the erudite Olympus of his desires, which at the present moment boasts five novelists, five dramatic authors, seven historians, two critics, three poets, and two journalists among its list of illustrious members. The identity of one of the above-mentioned five novelists has become so completely merged in the personality of the hero of his popular romance, that his real name is absolutely forgotten by the general public. Thus, when M. Pierre Loti was this month elected to deliver the annual oration on the occasion of the presentation of the prix de vertu, his brother Academicians were rather at a loss how to announce the fact to the outside v  ## p. 180 (#192) ############################################ i8o THE AUTHOR. world. Should the real name of the orator be printed (according to time-honoured custom) they foresaw the invidious storm of criticism which would greet the supposed innovation before the matter could be satisfactorily explained; yet to deviate a hair's breadth from the ordinary- routine was beneath both the dignity and the altitude of the Immortals! The difficulty was finally solved by ingeniously addiug the latter half of the pseudonym to the original patronymic. Thus many of M. Pierre Loti's friends and admirers were greatly surprised to see him figure under the name of M. Loti-Viaud on the Academy bills; and still more so to find that the brilliant author's real name was Julien Viaud. Apropos of this subject, we may mention that M. Pierre Loti's latest work, "Judith Renaudin," which is now being performed at the Theatre Antoine, has not attained the high level of popular success that was anticipated. The dainty, idyllic muse of Pierre Loti is, perhaps, too ethereal for the glare of the footlights; the successful fin-de-sihcle dramatist must either possess transcendent dramatic verve and inspiration, or, at least, an inexhaustible fund of a certain genre of super- ficial wit, a ready repartee, and a dashing, devil- may-care style which carries away and electrifies an audience, which invariably prefers the thrill of a new sensation to the discovery of a new truth. M. Saint Marceaux has just finished his plaster cast of the monument to bc erected to Alphonse Daudet. It represents the great writer as sitting beneath an olive tree with clasped hands, in a reflective attitude. The site the sculptor desires for his work is the Garden of the Luxembourg, near the monuments of Sainte Bouve and de Watteau, within easy walking distance of the great national rest ing place raised uii.t grands hommes par Jti pat He reconnaissance 1 Daruacotte Dene. FROM THE AMERICAN PAPERS. AN interesting observation on what he calls "the new English attitude towards us" is made by Dr. Talcott Williams it propos a book on America entitled "Land of Contrasts," written by Mr. James Fullarton Muirhead, which has just been brought out. Books on America by the travelling Englishman, says Dr. Williams (writing in Book News), " were once all unfavour- able, now they are all the other way, and English newspaper criticism is moving in the same direc- tion." (It might, by the way, be pointed out to Dr. Williams that American newspaper criticism is meeting this spirit half-way with correspond- ingly favourable consideration of England.) Mr. Muirhead has studied American life for twenty years, and his book is described as a close, keen, penetrating analysis of the current play of American forces. "It is hopeful. All the books by people who really understand this country are hopeful." "The truth is," says Dr. Talcott Williams, " we have pimples for the same reason as a growing boy or girl—because we have not digested our hasty meals of new population." The Boston Public Library (says the New York Critic) has accepted from Miss Lilian Whiting the gift of a large collection of the autograph letters written to the late Kate Field by the Brownings, Walter Savage Landor, George Eliot, Dickens, Thomas Adolphus and Anthony Trollope, E. C. Stedman, Helen Hunt, Mme. Ristori, Adelaide Phillips, Dr. Schliemann, and a great number of other notable people. These are called "The Kate Field Memorial Collection." Before Miss Whiting sailed for Europe last spring she had typewritten copies made of all these for reference in preparing the biography of Miss Field, giving the originals to the Public Library. With the collection there is to be placed a reproduction of the portrait of Kate Field by Vedder, signed by him, the original of which is in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. The Critic is associating itself with Messrs. G. P. Putnam's Sons, the well-known publishers, beginning with the January number. Mr. and Miss Gilder of course retain the editorship, and they are to signalise the change by giving their influential journal a new dress and new tvpe. Mr. Charles Belmont Davis, lately the U.S. Consul at Florence, has allied himself with Mr. R. H. Russell, the publisher—the latter taking charge of the art and other books,and Mr.Davis, in another street, taking the plays. Mr. Davis is a brother of Mr. Richard Harding Davis, and published his first volume of short stories only the other day through Messrs. Stone. Mr. Cable has been engaged, since his return from England, on a story of the Civil War, in which we may expect to have some of his own experiences on the Southern side. Most of the scenes will be laid in New Orleans, and the title will probably be "The Cavalier." James Lane Allen also has another novel in hand, which will be longer than his very successful "The Choir Invisible." It may be looked for in the spring. Mr. Stanley Waterloo's reason for writing his latest book, "Armageddon," is interesting to know. "I believe," he says in Book News, " there will be some sort of union of the Teuton stock, including the English shaking, the German and the Norse, and I want it. I believe there will yet  ## p. 181 (#193) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 181 be devised some more or less practicable way of mounting above the earth and directing move- ments there. It occurred to me that the two ideas might be made to assist each other in a story. Of course the tale as told is not such an expression as I would make were I a statesman. It implies antagonisms which are exaggerated for the purpose of the novelist." Messrs. Appleton have published a " limited" edition (i 00,000 copies) of Mr. Hall Caine's " The Christian" at fifty cents. This cheap edition was resolved upon to meet a special demand. It was all taken up before it left the press. The Dial has been discussing the swing of the pendulum towards romanticism, and sums up by saying that" the romantic revival is at full tide, and contemporary literature bids fair to offer us once more the solace that it brought us of old. We have learned that it is extremely foolish to insist of a writer that he give us all the facts con- nected with his theme. We have learned the limitations of literary photography, we have learned that it is unwise to approach literature burdened with a sense of responsibility for the preservation of the literal truth and the obtrusion of the ethical meaning." The ^Vew York Tunes in a recent issue prints this touching little incident of American author- ship :— It is related of Mr. F. Marion Crawford, the novelist, that when he was making a tour of America, and was travelling through a rich agricultural region to fill an appointment at a large town, a brisk-looking young man, with his hat on the back of his head, came into a car in which the novelist was sitting, held ont his hand, and said, in a most affable and companionable way: "I presume this is the celebrated Mr. Crawford?" "My name is Crawford," replied the novelist. "The conductor told me you were aboard," rejoined the other. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Higgs. I am somewhat in the book-line myself, and I know how it goes." "Yon are an author?" said Mr. Crawford. "I am glad to meet yon." "Yes, I have published a book regularly every year since 1890." "May I ask the name of yonr latest book," asked Mr. Crawford. "It's the Premium List of the Jones County Agricul- tural Fair," cordially responded Mr. Higgs, taking a small pamphlet from his pocket and handing it to him. "Allow me to present you a copy of it. I am the Secretary of the Jones County Agricultural Board. We are going to have the best fair this year we ever had. Balloon ascensions, Koman chariot races, baseball games, and trials of speed on track till you can't rest. Come and spend a day with us and it shan't cost you a cent. Well, this is where I get off. Good-bye, Mr. Crawford. Glad to have met you." NOTES AND NEWS. ACOR1IESPONPENT sends a letter on tln. conduct of a prize competition by a popu- lar magazine. Such a competition does not fall within the range of the Society's work and aims. It does not, that is to say, represent literary property in any sense. There is no doubt that these competitions interest vast multitudes of people, and that they should be conducted with the most jealous regard to openness and fairness. But complaints concerning the conduct of these things cannot be admitted in these columns. The editors of the New York Outlook invited their subscribers and readers on Oct. 1 to draw up lists of the ten best books published in the year ending Sept. 30, 1898. The following is the list now published in the December number. "Life of Tennyson." "Helbeck of Bannisdale.'' By Mrs. Humphry Ward. "Story of Gladstone's Life." By Justin McCarthy. "Caleb West." By F. Hopkinson Smith. "The Workers." By Walter A. Wyckoff. "Bismarck." By Dr. Moritz Busch. "Penelope's Progress." By Kate Douglas Wiggin. "Letters of Elizabeth Barrett Browning." "Rupert of Hontzau." By Anthony Hope. "Old Virginia and Her Neighbours." By Jchn Fiske. Here we find five English books, four American, and one German. Four of the books are of exceptional interest. It is not often that bio- graphies of such importance as those of Tennyson, Gladstone, Bismarck, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning appear in one year. Had it not been for these we should not, probably, have seen a preponderance of our own books. One would like to know something of the books to which must be accorded a " proxime accessit." The death of Mr. William Black removes a figure of importance in the world of letters. He had of late somewhat fallen behind his former popularity: but there was always a wide circle of readers for everything he produced. He began life by studying art: he then entered journalism, and was for a time a war correspondent: he began writing novels in 1869, since which time he has published the respectable number of thirty- three. His fir.-t success was in 1871 with " A Daughter of Heth." A story has been going round the papers to the effect that the novel was brought out anonymously in order to avoid the malignity of the Saturday Review, which " always " slated him. There had been no more than two novels to slate, not enough to justify this sweeping asser- tion. Everybody knows the leading character- istic of Black's style : he had very considerable  ## p. 182 (#194) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. descriptive powers: he took his readers into the Highlands and the Hebrides. He brought his heroines into situations of strong contrasts: he was always gentle and well-bred. It would be interesting to know which of Black's novels the public will select for the limited immortality which awaits even the most popular novelist. He was a retiring man for the most part, who was yet fond of society of his own choosing and of his own friends. The cause of his death seems to have been some affection of the brain. The Pall Mall Gazette quotes the suggestion that booksellers should appoint their own reader. "It is obvious," the writer says, " the gentleman with the very moderate salary " — .£400 a year was named —" would, if his report was taken seriously, make or unmake almost any book. If the booksellers do not order a book what chance has it of winning recognition? Surely every publishers' reader makes it his business to con- sider whether a book is likely to sell, and I do not see why the booksellers' man should be any better judge." It also says that the appoint- ment of such a reader "would reduce the in- flueuceof newspaper critics to an amazing degree." Several points occur in this criticism. (1) Do newspaper critics write for the booksellers or for the public? I have always given them credit for writing for the public, in other words, for con- sidering the literary and not the commercial side of literature. As I have pointed out over and over again, there is no necessary connection between the two. (2) The chief function of the reader would be to pick out and recommend from the books whose subjects or whose authors do not carry certain popularity with them. (3) He might undoubtedly make a book; book- sellers would be greatly helped by his reports; and authors as well. Observe, however, that if his recommendations fell into disrepute or into suspicion he would be most certainly sacked. (4) About the publishers' reader. Booksellers do not trust the publishers' reader. They point to their shelves full of failures, and they refuse to trust the publishers' reader. Why, everyone knows dozens of stories of publishers' readers and their mistakes. The best publishers' reader is, in many cases, the publisher himself. Now, in reading a MS., the best reader in the world is liable to make mistakes. But the book- sellers' reader may also make mistakes? He may: but he comes after the other reader, and he reads a printed page, which is better than writing or typewriting. Further, there are multitudes of books which the publishers' reader never sees, notably the books published by the author at his own expense. The writer of the paragraph in the Pall Mall Gazette does not consider, I am afraid, the very serious position of the bookselling trade at this moment: the precarious standing of book- sellers, and the absolute necessity for doing some- thing for them. In The Author for October we set forth a scale showing the respective shares in the profits of a book taken by author, publisher, and bookseller. On an average six-shilling book, if the author had fifteen per cent., the shares would be: author, i0±d.; publisher, is. 7\d.; bookseller, 8§rf. This hardly means a division according to the strictest principles of equity or the nicest sense of honour. At a meeting of a publishing company the other day, one of the shareholders said that the management had no right to gamble with the shareholders' money by publishing any book that was not absolutely certain to sell. He did not go on to inform the meeting how the management were to get enough books of that kind. There are, for instance, hundreds of writers whose books carry no risk of loss, though some of them bring very little profit. I suppose that it is impossible for a publisher to carry on his business without risk of some kind; under that head it has been often defined in these columns. It is the diffe- rence between the cost of production and the first subscription. The difference is not generally great: frequently it is nominal. Two publishing companies have recently held their annual meeting. One of them is about a quarter of a century old, the other is four or five years of age. The former declares no dividend: the latter pays a dividend of 22\ per cent. The chairman of the former laments that "the difficulties of the publishing trade are many and serious." The report of the other says nothing about difficulties, but speaks of success upon success. Now, in the case of the first there are special reasons which have for some years operated against the success of the com- pany, but still it is time that these difficulties should have been got over. In the case of the second company, it is directed by a man who possesses a remarkable power of understanding what people want. This is, in fact, the most important qualification in a managing director— to know what people want. One sees in every list of new books a certain number which people do not want. An intelligent publisher may be "spotted" by the absence of such books in his list; and a small dividend may assuredly be the direct result of publishing what the world does not want.  ## p. 183 (#195) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. '83 Mr. Daldy has been making another wail about American copyright. He wrote to the Times and suggested that this was a favourable moment to make another appeal to the Americans. Well, with a Copyright Commission still sitting, with a Copyright Bill still on the stocks, with no certainty whether the Lords mean to proceed with the Bill, >t seems as if a more inopportune moment could hardly be chosen. But it advertises Mr. Daldy, which is, of course, the main point. Mr. Daldy goes on .to state that the manufacturing clause debars four-fifths of the books published in this country. It is to be hoped that no American will read this statement, for if anything in the world could reconcile him to the present arrangement it is the reflection that if it were abolished the whole of the books published in this country— think of it—the whole !—would be poured into the States! As it is, it is not possible to agree with Mr. Daldy that one-fifth of all our books secure American copyright: more likely—one- tenth. Does Mr. Daldy imagine that there is no literature in America? Does he believe that the Americans crave for everything that we publish? If so, he must have arrived at a very remarkable depth of ignorance. Moreover, the present clause does not debar any book that the American wants. It is a simple condition that the book should be printed in America. The only hardship is the additional cost of setting up, which in a book on demand is not of much importance. But suppose the clause abolished, and in its place the same clause that we have here, of simultaneous publica- tion—what would happen? Books that the Americans want—and none other—would be sent over either in stereo plates or in sheets. Just as at present, it would be necessary to find a pub- lisher and to submit the work in advance. In fact, nothing would be saved except the cost of setting-up, and against that would be placed the stereo plates. And Mr. Daldy's "four- fifths" would remain, as at present, deprived of their valuable copyright by an unappreciative public. It is a pity that we have not reciprocity; but the clause, after all, is a very small thing, and only troublesome in the case of books about which there is doubt whether they shall be taken or not. Have my readers forgotten the proposed memorial to Felicia Hemans? It is only a small amount that is wanted: about .£135 is already promised, and I learn that the committee are anxious to close the fund. Those, therefore, who have promised but not yet paid are invited to do so without delay; and those who have not sent anything should do so at once to Mr. A. Theodore Brown, treasurer of the fund, Exehange- VOL. IX. court, Liverpool. It is suggested that the memo- rial shall take the form of au annual prize for a lyrical poem, the prize-winner to be a student in Liverpool College. For my own part I like not prize poems: no really fine poem was ever obtained in this way. I should have preferred an annual examination in English literature open to all comers under a certain age. Should librarians buy review books? The question was raised recently at a meeting of the Library Assistants' Association. The discussion was begun by Mr. Dyer, who attacked the practice of librarians in purchasing review copies of books, defaced with various stamps embossed or im- pressed, and also with pencil marks, &c., consider- ing that ratepayers might well ask him how money came to be expended on books marked " with the Publisher's compliments."' He considered it an injustice to the author that public money should be spent on books thit are given away, not sold, and that booksellers should not be allowed to sell these books any more than Baron Tauchnitz's publications. Mr. Wood strongly supported the purchase of review copies, as the stamps did not matter. Did not libraries themselves deface books? and did an extra defacement matter't What a librarian wanted was cheap books, and review copies were cheap, and new, and good; therefore these should be bought. Mr. Thome and Mr. Vellenoweth defended the exclusion of these cheap but defaced books, the latter asking how readers could be forbidden to make pencil marks, &c., in books already so marked, as review copies often were. The opinion of the meeting seemed to be in favour of buying review books because they are cheap, while the members present refused to listen to the principle involved. Now, there are 700 free libraries in this country, and the number of copies sent out for review is not more than fifty as a rule. If, out of the fifty, thirty are offered for sale, that leaves 670 libraries which must buy direct. It is not therefore a burning question or an intolerable burden. Yet one would like the matter settled. Ought libraries, as a matter of principle, to buy those review copies? Thev get them very cheap; they may be sometimes marked a little, and it cannot be said that the sale is underhand. Many reviewers have the book in addition to the cheque. When the latter is small the book is thrown in as some compensation, and it is understood that it will be sold. Walter Bbsant. x  ## p. 184 (#196) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. THE PUBLISHER, THE BOOKSELLER, AND THE LIBRARIAN. THIS is the title of an unconventional article in the " Christmas Catalogue," published from the office of the Newsagent and Book- seller's Review. The writer in the first place discusses the cheapening of literature, and prophe- sies that "the 6*. novel will soon have to give place to 2*., and the author, who is now paid huge and disproportionate sums of money for his MS., will have to be content with a more modest- sum and a smaller royalty. The publisher, then, who can look ahead, and who is bold enough to enter the arena, will have no cause to regret it, for although the task may be heavy, he will most assuredly win fame and fortune." Then follows a lament that the libraries have not of late years teen helping the publisher to the extent that is naturally expected, for if the author's name happens to be a new one, he is passed by. The section of the article devoted to publishers con- cludes as follows: The publishing world should be considered more in the light of a charitable combination, for if the publisher did not risk his money to introduce new authors, a very pre- cious few would ever see themselves clothed in fresh ink, newspaper, and gorgeous binding. The article then passes to the bookseller, the writer admitting that the publisher cannot exist without him; remarking his ignorance as to the books he sells, compared with the bookseller of the "old times," and deploring the small pay of the bookseller's assistant. A "new departure" at the biggest circulating library in London is noted, and this, says the writer, is a matter in which the publisher should step in and put his foot down. This is it:— As soon as books can be withdrawn from circulation (and they are often withdrawn much too soon) they are re-bound, cleaned, and sold for half the published price! This, then, clearly is not helping the poor bookseller. There will be lots of people who will wait for these oopies, and thereby save a matter of is. 6d. on a book, to the loss of the bookseller. Again, as to the position of the new author, and giving him a better chance, it is suggested "that the two large Metropolitan libraries relegate a couple or more of competent literary critics to a room set apart for the examination of new books—advance copies being sent them by the publishers for that purpose—and upon the report of these critics, the new writer would be judged according to his merits." As for the librarian, to him is imputed want of enteqmse. "The London librarian is one of the most important men in English literary circles, but it is extremely doubtful if he has ever risen to, or taken advantage of, his opportunities. The libraries of London are dead," &c. "MERLIN AND THE GLEAM." IHAVE waited for the Life of Tennyson to throw some light on a small Tennyson puzzle—why the poet chose to represent Merlin, the bard and wizard of the Arthur legends, as following "The Gleam." Now the book has come, and upon this point I am as unsatisfied as ever. The preface gives a delightfully interesting study of the poem, and some explanation of Tenny- son's feeling for the wizard. "From his boy- hood he had felt the magic of Merlin—that spirit of poetry—which bade him know his power and follow throughout his work a pure and high ideal . . . which helped him through doubt and difficulties to 'endure as seeing Him who is invisible.'" Then the connection with "The Gleam" appears to be traced in Vol. II., p. 366, where we find the note :— "Of Merlin and the Gleam, written in August, 1889, he [Tennyson] says, ' In the story of Merlin and Nimue I have read that Nimue means the Gleam—which in my poem typifies the higher poetic imagination." But Nimue had already been treated by Tenny- son in "Merlin and Vivien," and with no more respect than was shown in Malory's chapter upon "How Merlin was assorted, and doted on one of the ladies of the lake, and how he was shut in a rock under a stone, and there died." Take the ending of this poem :— For Merlin, overtalk'd and overworn, Had yielded, told her all the charm, and slept. Then, in one moment, she put forth the charm Of woven paces and of waving hands, And in the hollow oak he lay as dead, And lost to life and use and name and fame. Then crying, " I have made his glory mine," And shrieking out " O fool!" the harlot leapt Adown the forest, and the thicket closed Behind her, and the forest echo'd "fool." Can this wicked little will-of-the-wisp represent the spirit of poetry? The close of " Merlin and the Gleam" quite forbids one to believe it. I can no longer, But die rejoicing, For through the magic Of Him the Mighty, Who taught me in childhood, There on the border Of boundless ocean, And all but in Heaven Hovers the Gleam. It is hard to think this lovely moral has grown from the Nimue of Malory's tale! I shall be bold enough, at any rate, to make another suggestion. Newman, when asked about the angel faces in " Lead kindly Light." frankly  ## p. 185 (#197) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. confessed that he had forgotten what he meant by them. Tennyson himself for the moment may have mistaken the origin of his Gleam. We know he was a student of Dante. The "sorrow's crown of sorrows" passage is only one of many delicate enrichments from that source; and, in Canto XIII. of the "Purgatorio," we find this allusion: Sapia describes how, "waxing out of bounds " in gladness after a victory, she lifted up her brow, And, like the merlin cheated by a gleam, Cried, "It is over. Heav'n! I fear thee not." Cary's Translation. A note explains the reference: "Canto XIII., v. 114.—The story of the Merlin is that, having been induced by a gleam of fine weather to escape from his master, he was soon oppressed by the rigour of the season." My theory involves a little confusion between Merlin the bird and Merlin the man. A bird following light, a singer reaching after the highest poetic inspiration—the two ideas would be easily merged in one another. Bird or poet might fail of full achievement—strike out too soon for light and freedom, and find death instead of summer. But I shall contend, at least, that it was some transmutation of this bird story in Tennyson's mind which suggested the 1889 poem, and that the wicked little amateur sorceress, whatever her coincidence of name, had really nothing to do with it. Mary Colborne-Veel. New Zealand, 1898. NAXOS. When lonely on the once-delightful shore Stood Ariadne, and the stern wind blew Steadily seaward, till at last she knew Theseus could come no more: Behold! A God, a God rush'd to her side! —Think yon she cared? I know which way she tnrn'd Fair eyes, and longing heart, and lips that burn'd; I know which name she cried! For now the god-like lot draws near to me; Yea, Love-of-one denied, oomes Love-for-all. —But, where art thou? Canst thon not hear me call, O lost, lost Love! to thee? B. E. B. LONDON LIBRARY. THIS important institution opened on Dec. 5 its new buildings which have been erected on the old site, St. James's-square. A distinguished company came to hear Mr. Leslie Stephen, the president, declare the new buildings open. Mr. Stephen in his address explained the history of the movement—the entire breakdown of the old buildings, the want of space, the diffi- culty in finding books, and the lack of a proper reading room. These difficulties have now been removed and these wants supplied in a simple well-lighted airy building. The expense has been met by .£2000 subscribed among the 2472 members, and a loan of .£5000. Mr. Stephen described the increase of the library since 1841, saying that at last there was no way out of the difficulty but to build or to burst, and, of course, they had to set about building. The result was that they had a very great increase of accommo- dation, and their librarian in future would be in the position of a general presiding over an encampment where every regiment had its proper place, and where he knew where to call on every- one of his troops. Mr. Stephen said that when he looked at the great clubs which surrounded them, and in which he was afraid the kitchen was a much more important part of the apparatus than the library, some of his complacency in the new building departed, and remembering that it was the only institution of the kind in London which undertook to give an essential means for the enjoy- ment of good literature in their own houses, he thought after all that it was a mere cottage com- pared with what it ought to be. CORRESPONDENCE. I —Book-Buyers and Booksellers. THE note in the December Author referring to the possible buyers of books is interesting. I have often wondered who are the book- buyers, besides the managers of circulating libraries and literary men. People with incomes of .£500 a year, and more than that, tell me that they cannot afford to buy books. In thousands of big, well-furnished houses one little case, holding fifty or sixty books, at the outside estimate, is considered a fair library. Books are the last things that many wealthy persous dream of buying. Sometimes they have a two-guinea library ticket. Very often they beg or borrow books from impe- cunious friends. It is necessary for a man with .£1000 a year to economise. These people will even ask a half-starved author to lend theiu a copy of his last book, published at 3*. 6d., and to be bought at 3*?. in the 1 i. discount. An enormous number of those who neither toil nor spin can "never find time to read," and another multitude "hate reading," and despise the writers of books as useless, idle fellows, who ought to be trying to make money on the Stock Exchange instead of amusing themselves with  ## p. 186 (#198) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. pen and paper. I have been asked sometimes by pursy people to recommend a book. They inquire if I know anyone who will lend it to them. So far as my experience goes, I am convinced that the keenest readers and the most liberal book-buyers are authors. A philosophical writer known to me, whose income is less than M200 a year, has thousands of books, many of them costly. Another scholarly author, who never earned more than £2 per week, has contrived to fill a study with volumes. Half of his earnings are spent upon books. The other day a well-to-do lady promised to buy a book in which I was interested. It was in the press, and the publishers had proposed to issue it at i*. Subsequently, they changed their minds, and priced the book at 2*. 6d. The well-to-do lady also changed her mind about buying the book. She could not afford more than is. I believe it would pay publishers to print cheap books. Lately, one of the new publishers refused the manuscript of a novel because it was too short for the ordinary Volume form of fiction. If the book would not sell at 2*. 6rf., might it not sell at is. 6d., and perhaps sell much better at the lower price? A word upon booksellers. "The trade" is in a bad way, and this is partly due to the fact that so many persons are niggardly in their expendi- ture upon books. But some booksellers aie not " pushing"; they cannot expert to succeed. When the reprint of "The Dolly Dialogues " was selling in thousands, and lying upon every railway bookstall, I went into a big book shop at Ply- mouth and asked for the book. The shopkeeper said, "I don't keep dialogues." I explained that it was not a theatrical book. "Well, I haven't got it, and I've never heard of it," returned the bookseller, without offering to order it. On another occasion I tried to buy J. A. Symonds' "Study of Walt Whitman," at four large central shops in London. "No, we haven't it," said the assistants. There was no suggestion of obtaining a copy. I should have imagined that a js. 6d. book was worth selling. I sympathise with booksellers in their struggle to pay rents and make a living. Many of them can scarcely live, in spite of energy and enter- prise; but others come to grief through listless- ness and neglecting to display and recommend new books. I was much gratified some time ago by the kindness of two leading members of the trade, who both offered to stock my books when I, as a complete stranger, asked them if they would do so. I think that booksellers would welcome cheaper books, especially works of fiction. Constantly people tell me that they would buy a new novel if it only cost 2*. 6d. They refrain from buying a novel at 4*. 6d., and wait until they can find someone to lend it to them or until the book is in the local free library. I believe that authors, publishers, and booksellers lose in the long run through fixing the price of a novel too high. The book is bought by the few, and it may be read by many; but the majority of readers will be borrowers, and some of them unabashed and unblushing wealthy borrowers. Bryn Aber, Geoffrey Mortimer Llangollen, North Wales. II.—Editor and Contributor. 1. When an editor keeps a MS. months and months, wearing out the writer's patience, and causing him, in many instances, real distress of mind, does it not point to a defective sense of honour in that editor? The author is in his power, has no redress if his copy becomes lost or dog-eared, is obliged to bear meekly neglect or insult, so that, it seems to me, the abuse of his confidence is very like the non-payment of a debt of honour. There is obviously no action we who write can take, but simply sit still and wait for a reformation of charactor in such doers unto others as they would not others should do unto them! Not long ago I wrote to an editor asking when my story, accepted last May, would be likely to appear. He did not reply to a letter and two post-cards, so I wrote for the fourth time with some irritation. This was the imperti- nent answer: "I think it a kindness to tell you that peremptory letters to editors can have but one result." Another story accepted last May was returned in August, and it was only through the services of Mr. Thring that it is accepted again now. When it will appear, Heaven knows! If one dares to beard editorial majesty there can be but one of two results—malicious delay or return of the MS. Truly we may pray for reform of manners. With regard to the ill-bred person who scribbles his presumptuous and often illiterate "corrections" all over another man's literary pro- perty (I have experienced this, and shar* Mr. Wallace's disgust—see last month's Author), he is, of course, so hopelessly void of inborn courtesy or good taste that nothing could touch him but being obliged to pay for re-typing. Surely we can legally claim this if we take the the trouble; or am I mistaken? M. L. P. 11. Most authors, whether of prose or verse, have, I presume, their little " differences " with editors.  ## p. 187 (#199) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 187 1 have, moreover, occasionally to put up with no little injustice. My own experiences in this line have been so numerous that I am tempted to give a few of them in The Author. I must premise by saying that I am one of the most courteous of men myself, and never willingly give offence to any one. More than that, I am ever ready to forgive an affront when sorrow is expressed by the giver of it, and not seldom making the first overtures even here; and yet in spite of all this I have at the present moment the following—what shall we call them ?—say "misunderstandings," to put it mildly. Imprimis.— One of our best known critics and authors once wrote me in reply to a present of a volume of my verse a most kind and appre- ciative letter and highly praised my poetry, rank- ing me among the sweetest of Devon singers now alive. Since then, though I wrote him a most warm and grateful note in reply, I have never had a line from him, and moreover he has just curtly declined for his magazine one of the best poems (in my opinion) I ever wrote! I have written him more than once without any response. Why? Another well-known literary man and poet in the north, who also highly admired, so he said, my poetry, suddenly ceased to write to me or to answer my letters, without any conceivable reason. Nothing could have been more courteous than my letter to him. Why? No. 3 is a west country editor with whom I had a difference, and though I amply apologised to him for a hasty letter, up to this day he has never accepted my apology! No. 4 is a literary friend now living in London, who introduced himself to me years ago, has stayed with me, and now never answers my letters, without any reason. If they are busy, so am I, only I am old-fashioned and foolish enough to forget and forgive and to reply to letters. Dec. 13. F. B. D. nr. Tn your last issue you devote some paragraphs to the recent decision of Judge Emden at the Lambeth County Court, and you say that this case "bears to some extent on the position of an editor to whom MSS. are sent." I should like to point out that this decision is favourable to authors, and ought to be supported in every way. Judge Emden laid down that here the " bailment " was gratuitous; that is, the "bailee," or pers m to whom the MS. was entrusted, had no interest in the matter, and therefore could not be made responsible unless shown to have been guilty of gross negligence. From this argument it logically follows that, had the "bailee" had an interest in the " bail- ment" of the MS., he would have been liable, and the onus would have been shifted on to him to prove that he had exercised reasonable care in preserving it. It appears to me that, in most cases where MSS. are sent to an editor or a publisher, the "bailment" is not gratuitous, for the latter has an interest in the "bailment," as it is thereby he is enabled to make selections on which his business largely dermls. If I am a manu- facturer, and send goods to a dealer on approval, he cannot lose them and say he is only a "gratuitous bailee," and that you must prove he has been grossly negligent before you can claim recompense for the loss of your property. Why, then, should an editor or publisher claim this position? It is true editors sometimes in their advertise- ments repudiate liability for lost MSS., but it is by no means certain they can thus evade a "common law" liability. Howard v. Harris is somewhat against (his con- tention. That was a case similar to the one decided by Judge Emden, but there the play- wright had sent the MS. straight tu the manager of the theatre. The decision of the County Court judge, however, seems to me to have been given on more intelligible grounds than that of the higher court. As the matter is of great importance to authors where a wanton loss of MSS. has occurred, I think it might be advisable to test the matter further. Major Greenwood, LL.B., Barrister-at-Law. III.—The Society as Publishers. I notice in the November number that a writer signing himself "A Member of the Society" raises a question or suggestion upon the impor- tant matter of publishing; and there is also a note on the same by our esteemed " W. B." The first-named wishes the Society to undertake the very much talked-of publishing of books, which the latter thinks would not be done, suggesting, as a medium course, that we might, so to speak, grow a publisher of our own for the purpose. So far as I can say—and I know a good deal about authorship, printing, publishing, &c.—I would think that sin. e both writers (not to speak of thousands of others) are agreed upon the desirability of the project, "W. B." himself might venture to place the matter before the Society at an early meeting; and since he is of opinion that the man procured to publish for authors at 10 per cent. profit should not be allowed to undertake other business, what better way is there than for the Society to procure such a  ## p. 188 (#200) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. man and publish themselves, getting another manager when death or the 101 things would cause a single individual to throw up the sponge? Thus the good work, like the river, even though men men might come and go, would go on for ever. W. B. Lappin. IV.—Fourteen Months' Delay. May I be allowed to corroborate Mr. Wallace's evidence concerning the methods adopted by the Strand Magazine? I submitted a short story for the editor's con- sideration, and after twelve months had rolled by I wrote asking for information concerning it. My letter, however, was ignored, as was a second (although I enclosed stamped addressed envelope for reply). In a third letter I informed him that I should be compelled to make the matter public. This produced an apology from the sub-editor, and a statement that he was "holding the story over in order to bring it to the editor's notice at a favourable moment." Another month passed, and then the MS. was returned as unsuitable, having been detained fourteen months. One of the Rank and File. [One would like to know how many MSS. were waiting their turn to be read: and how many officials were reading them. Without judging any case, it must always be remembered that with every popular magazine the pressure of MSS. is very great—enormous. I should imagine that the explanation of this case is probably that the MS. was slipped among others and so was mis- laid. The writer is naturally—most naturally— angry, but I would suggest some such explana- tion.—Ed.]. BOOK TALK. ME. RIDER HAGGARD has written a new story of South Africa, entitled, " Swal- low: A Tale of the ' Great Trek.'" It will be illustrated by Mr. Maurice Greiffenhagen, and will be published in the spring by Messrs. Longman. Mr. David Christie Murray's new novel, to be published in the spring by Messrs. Pearson, is called "Despair's Last Journey." Mr. William Archer has written an introduc- tion to the English translation of Dr. George Brandes's monograph on Ibsen, which Mr. Heine- mann will publish very soon. A selection of Robert Louis Stevenson's letters to various people will be given by Mr. Sidney Colvin in Scribner's Magazine, the first instal- ment to appear in this month's number. Mr. Henry Murray Lane, Chester Herald, is engaged upon a large genealogical work which Messrs. A. D. Junes and Co. will publish, entitled "The Royal Daughters of England." It will be a compendium of most of the royal and illus- trious families of Europe for over 800 years, and the object with which it is undertaken is to show who are the actual living representatives of the sixty princesses, beginning with the daughters of William the Conqueror, who have issue surviving to the present day. The work will run into four volumes. Mr. F. J. Jackson's book on the Jaekson- Harmsworth expedition to the North Pole will be published by Messrs. Harper in a week or two. It is the record of three years' adventure and scientific research, and includes, of course, an account of the leader's meeting with Dr. Nansen. The title of the book is " A Thousand Days in the Arctic." Mr. J. Grego is editing, with notes, a book on Charles Dickens and his illustrators, which will be published in two volumes by Messrs. Chapman and Hall under the title " Pictorial Pickwickiana." It will be illustrated with drawings and engrav- ings by Seymour Leech, " Phiz," Sir John Gilbert, R.A., C. R. Leslie, R.A., and others. Mr. J. W. Headlam, Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, is writing for the Cambridge His- torical Series a volume on the modern German Empire, 1815-1871. Mrs. H. J. Tennant and Miss Mona Wilson have written a handbook entitled "Working Women in Factories, Workshops, and Laundries, and How to Help Them." It will be published shortly by Messrs. Duckworth and Co. Herr Charles Neufeld, who was released from his long imprisonment in Khartoum when the victorious British troops entered the city, is writing an account of his experiences during his long captivity in the stronghold of Mahdism. Miss Mary Bateson is editing for the Royal Historical Society "A Narrative of Political Events, 1765-1767, by the Duke of Newcastle." Mr. F. G. Kitten's forthcoming memoir of Dr. Buck, formerly organist and master of the choristers at Norwich Cathedral, will contain new letters of Jenny Lind, Professor John Hullah, Professor Sedgwick, Sir Sterndale Bennett, Dean Stanley, and others. Messrs. Jarrold and Sons will publish the work. In the Atlantic Monthly for December Mr. Pierre la Rose gives a hitherto unpublished poem by Byron — namely, a version of Ossian's "Address to the Sun." This is accompanied by many notes on Ossian written by Byron when he  ## p. 189 (#201) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. was about eighteen years of age. The whole of these—poem and notes—are written in Byron's own hand in a copy of the 1806 edition of "The Poems of Ossian" which is now one of the treasures of the library of Harvard University. It came into the possession of the college in 1874, as part of the bequest of Charles Sumner, who had acquired it for twenty guineas. Byron at this time swallowed Macpherson, of whom his notes show him to be an enthusiastic admirer. The following are the opening lines of the poem :— 0 thou! who rollest in yon azure field, Bound as the orb of my forefather's shield, Whence are thy beams? From what eternal store Dost thou, O Sun! thy vast effulgence pour? In awful grandeur, when thou movest on high, The stars start back and hide them in the sky; The pale moon sickens in thy brightening blaze, And in the western wave avoids thy gaze- Alone thou shinest forth—for who can riso Companion of thy splendour in tho skies! Some good literary plums will be ripe next season (says the Westminster Gazette) to fall into the hands of those who reprint notable books as soon as the copyright expires. This season an example of this sort has been "John Halifax, Gentleman," by Mrs. Craik, a charming edition of which Messrs. Dent have just issued. That very popular novel has been reprinted by six publishers at least, besides the six different editions from the authorised publishers on sale before. In 1899 another portion of Tennyson's poetry will be out of copyright; Dr. Livingstone's first African travels, issued in 1857; "Tom Brown's School- days," and Borrow's " Lavengro." Sir William Wilson Hunter, K.C.S.I., is writing a history of British India, which will occupy five volumes. The first of these, which will carry the narrative through our struggle for the spice trade of the Eastern Archipelago and our expulsion by the Dutch from the Spice Islands, will be published by Messrs. Longman next month. The attention of Messrs. A. D. Innes and Co. has been called to a curious error on the title page of Mr. Arthur Paterson's last novel, "The Gospel Writ in Steel." He is there credited with the authorship not only of "A Son of the Plains," which he did write, but also of "The Man from Snowy River," which is the work of Mr. A. B. Paterson, an entirely different person. "It does not appear," Messrs. Innes say, "that Mr. Pater- son passed this title-page for press himself." The Saturday Review has again changed hands, the Earl of Hardwicke having acquired the controlling interest of Mr. Frank Harris. The new editor will bo Mr. Harold Hodge, barrister, who is connected with the firm of Sothcby, Wilkinson, and Hodge, the well-known book dealers. Mr. David Williamson is to edit the Puritan, a new magazine for Free Churchmen, which will be started shortly, with Mr. Bowden as pub- lisher. Mrs. Adeane, author of "The Girlhood of Maria Holroyd," is continuing the record of this lady as Lady Stanley of Alderley in a book to be published by Messrs. Longman. Mr. W. M. Rossetti contributes to the December number of the Pall Mall Magazine some unpublished fragments by his brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Mr. Bernard Wentworth, author of "The Master of Hullingham Manor," "Anti-Agnosti- cism," &c., has been commissioned by Mr. Garnet Wolseley Cox to write the libretto, in blank verse, of a new grand opera by Mr. G. W. Cox. Mr. Wentworth has lately been appointed to the staff of one of the leading Warwickshire papers, the Leamington Advertiser. A new short story by Mr. Wentworth appears in the Christmas number of that journal, entitled "Estebau Cortes," a tale of Spain and the late Spanish-American war. "Excursions in Comedy," a small volume of dramatic sketches by Mr. William Toyubee, has just been published by Mr. H. J. Glaisher, of 57, Wigmore-street, who also announces a volume of verse by the same author, entitled "On Oaten Flute," of which a limited number was privately printed in 1897. Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of York and the Duchess of Fife have both graciously accepted copies of a new book for children entitled "A Story Book for Lesson Time," or a child's first English grammar. The volume has recently been published by Messrs. Constable and Co. On the 11th of the current month CasseWs Saturday Journal will commence the serial pub- lication of a modern novel of adventure by Mr. John Bloundelle-Burton, this being the first present day romance which the author has pro- duced for ten years. In it Mr. Bloundelle-Burton returns to the locality of some of his earlier stories, viz., the region of the West Indies, he having chosen British Honduras for his scene. It will be entitled "A Bitter Birthright," and will also be produced serially in the United States at the same time. "The Cardinal's Page," James Baker's new novel, was only issued on the 12th November, but the first edition is gone and a second is now being sent out.  ## p. 190 (#202) ############################################ 190 THE AUTHOR. "Divil-May-Care," a new novel by Miss May Crommelin, has just been published by Messrs. F. V. White and Co. This novel deals with adventures in Ulster, and some of the magic and folklore of the peasantry, interspersed with rather sensational, but, as we are assured, true stories. "The New Far East," by Arthur Diosy (Vice- Chairman of the Council of the Japan Society), with a map and illustrations from special designs by Kuboto Beisen, of Tokio, has just been pub- lished by Messrs. Cassell and Co. Mr. E. M. Garnier, author of "The History of the Landed Interest,'' "Annals of the British Peasantry," &c., has token to historical fiction, and Messrs. Harper and Brothers have just pub- lished for him "His Counterpart," a romance dealing with the early life of John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough. A novel, by Mrs. Neville Walford, called " Until the Dawn," is now ready for publication, and will shortlv be issued by Messrs. Chapman and Hall. Within three weeks of its publication by Messrs. Chapman and Hall, a German edition of Mr. A. Eedcote Dewar's book, " From Matter to Man," was called for. The eminent German scientist Professor Ludwig Biicherer, of Darm- stadt, has undertaken to be editor. Mr. W. B. Lappin, the Irish author, well known in the Emerald Isle for his descriptive scene paint- ing and "special" article work, is just now engaged on a new novel entitled "Mad Mag," the scenes of which are laid in the author's native province of "the black north," added to a mythical continental creation. The Christmas number of Household Words contains a story entitled "The Warning Bell," by Mrs. do Courcy Laffan (Mrs. Leith Adams). About the last week in January a volume of collected stories, by the same writer, will be published in six-shilling volume form by Messrs. Digby, Long, and Co., of 18, Bouverie-street. The initial story gives the title to the book, "Accessory Before the Fact," and will be illustrated by Mr. Trevor Haddon, R.B.A. Early in the spring a serial by Mrs. Laffan, entitled "The Vicar of Dale End," will commence to run in Household Words; and a series of papers, run- ning in the Oakleaf— the magazine of the ist Battalion "Cheshire" Regiment, now quartered in the Deccan—will assume volume form, under the title of "Regimentol Memories." "Georgie's Wooer "—a story by Mrs. Laffan that has had a great vogue in America—where the publishers are Messrs. Harper and Co., of New York—. appears this week in the popular cheap series entitled "The Welcome Librarv," published by Mr. F. White, of Bedford-street. Strand. Mr. Stephen Wheeler has been authorised by Lady Graves Sawle to publish a final selection from Walter Savage Landor's correspondence with the sister and niece of Rose Aylmer. Messrs. Duckworth will publish the volume. A movement is being made to secure a Civil List pension or a grant for the family of the late Mr. Gleeson White. The friends of Mr. White are in the meantime raising a subscription, sub- scribers to which are asked to communicate with Mr. H. R. Hope-Pinker, 22, Avonmore-road, West Kensington. An appeal is also made to friends and the public on behalf of the widow and four children of the late Mr. Harold Frederic . The hon. secretory and treasurer of this fund is Mr. W. J. Fisher, 88, St. George's-square, S.W. A meeting of subscribers for the Liverpool memorial to Mrs. Hemans will be held at the Common Hall, Hackins Hey, Liverpool, on the 6th inst. It is expected that a sum of ^6135 will be available, and the meeting will decide what form the memorial shall take. A movement is on foot to erect a statue of Byron in Aberdeen city, which is, of course, inti- mately associated with the poet's early days. Subscriptions to the fund are being received by the City Chamberlain, Town House, Aberdeen. A Lever Society is being formed in London for the purpose of interchanging views and opinions concerning his novels, and also with the intention of getting together material for a new Life of Lever. Anyone who has any documents or letters, or who can supply any reminiscences of Lever, or who is interested in the man and his works, is invited to communicate with the hon. secretary of the Lever Society, Mr. Arthur Dana, 67, Guilford-street, Russell-square, W.C. The 150th anniversary of Goethe's birthday occurs this year, and it is proposed to erect a statue of the poet in Strasburg, at whose college he studied. A monument to the memory of Mathilde Blind was unveiled at Finchley Cemetery a few weeks ago, in the presence of a large gathering of friends of the late poet. The second number of the Windmill, an illustrated quarterly of literature and art, contains a short paper by Vernon Gibberd, on " Periodical Literature. "The advertising agent," says the writer, " is fast beeouiing a more important per- sonage than the literary contributor, for upon  ## p. 191 (#203) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. him more than upon the buyers must the pro- prietors rely, not only for the sources of the cost .of production, but also for the means of profit." "But there are higher things in art than novelty," "and it is to vindicate the dignity of literature and the honour of art that certain literary and artistic quarterlies have at different times made their appeal, not so much to the reading public as to the lovers of literature and the appre- ciators of art." The writer continues :—. In some degree they may be said to represent a revolt, and it is perhaps their misfortune that so many of the B. P. regard all rebellion as immoral. Their voice has been lifted no against convention and conservatism, in art and litera- ture, against arbitrary standards and dogmatic conventions. If they have attempted the impossible it is that they might attain a high point in the possible. They at least formed a medium for the newer spirit to make itself articulate, and the cynicism of the Philistine that "in these days men mount to fame on a Fallout Book article " covers the truth that writers before denied a hearing have by subsequent appreciation justified their literary existence. We understand that Mr. Stanley Lane Poole, author of the volume recently published in the "Heroes of the Nations " series by G. P. Putnam and Sons, entitled " Saladin: and the Fall of the Kingdom of Jerusalem," has just been appointed Professor of Arabic in the University of Dublin. Mrs. Molesworth has been writing in Chambers's Journal (December) on story-writing for the young, which, she says, " is yet a different thing, almost a different art, from that of writing for adults." It is necessary to become in some sense a chilil again, yet one must retain one's older experience and greater wisdom, for there is so much to be avoided:— All suggestion of many of the sadder facts of our com- plex human nature, which, though learnt they must be when the boy and girl become man and woman, it would be cruel as «ell as sinful to teach prematurely; all elements of suspiciousness, of distrnstfulness of others—above all, of those whom onr darlings naturally look up to and revere; all painting in too gloomy colours of this life, sorrow- burdened, even almost hopelessly tragic as it often seems to us—till, as the " eventide" approaches, with a wonderful return to the faithful child nature, we come to believe again in the " light " as the reality—all these rocks and shoals of danger and injury must be steered clear of with perfect skill. For " humbug" in any form is quickly detected by children; many points a child's story-teller must be content to evade, simply to leave untouched upon, never to tell untruths about. Those who have studied the subject will feel especially the force of what Mrs. Molesworth calls "the important distinction which should be drawn between writing about and writing for children." Miss Ehoda Broughton's new story, "The Game and the Candle," begins in the January number of Temple Bar. The identity of C. E. Raimond, the author of 'The Open Question" (and other earlier novels), has been disclosed as Miss Elizabeth Robins, a lady well known in various Ibsen role*. Mrs. John Richard Green is writing a history of England, designed principally for use in schools. Mr. Neil Munro's new Higland story, "The Paymaster's Boy: His Fancy, His Love, and Adventures," begins its course as a serial in the January number of Good Words. Sir Willi *m Harcourt (according to the Man- chester Guardian) is likely to employ his increased leisure in a work which he has long had in his mind, and for which he has been collecting materials for some years. This is a study of the life and political career of Henry St. John, Viscount Bolingbroke, the great Tory statesman of Queen Anne's reign. Sir George Trevelyan is publishing through Messrs. Longman in a few days the first part of his new work " The American Revolution (1766- 1776)." In his preface, the author says he is aware that an expectation exists among those who have read "The Early History of Charles James Fox" that he would carry on the account of that statesman's life from the point at which he dropped it eighteen years ago. When the con- sideration of the project was seriously approached, it became evident that the difficulties of writing a political biography, as distinguished from a political history, were in this case insuperable. The story of Fox between 1774 and 1782 is in- extricably interwoven with the story of the American Revolution. What was done and spoken at Westminster cannot be rightly ex- plained, nor the conduct of British public men fairly judged, without a clear and reasonably detailed account of that which occurred contem- poraneously beyond the Atlantic. The story of the times in which Fox lived and wrought has hitherto been told as it presented itself to the author; and he trusts that his telling of it may interest others sufficiently to encourage him in continuing it. A writer in the Medical Press and Circular has been remonstrating with novelists ou the absence of births from the incidents of their books. The proportion of births to deaths in fiction is placed at one to ninety-six; and the writer has therefore no difficulty in predicting that the world of fiction will at this rate be de- populated in eleven years or so. Particular reference is made to Mr. Marion Crawford's works, in which there are nin-ty-oue deaths and seven marriages, but only two obstetrical inci- dents; whde Mr. Anthony Hope's "Prisoner of Zenda" has on an average five deaths to a chapter, but not a birth in the whole book.  ## p. 192 (#204) ############################################ 192 THE AUTHOR. "Is the Modern Novel Helpful or Harmful to Morality ?" is the subject of a paper by Dr. Johu Clifford, M.A., in Great Thoughts for Dee. 31. His discussion of the question may be reduced to a simple statement that there are novels which do and novels which do not help in making the best men and women. In classifying faulty types from the point of view of moral progress, the writer places those novels wherein it is insinuated that wealth is the fount of virtue—" I thiuk I would be a good woman if I had .£5000 a year," said Becky Sharp; an observation which Dr. Clif- ford describes as the hackneyed text for "book after book." The second objection is to the treat- ment of tragedies of love, as to which the writer says:— To paint a man puling- and whining because be has fallen in love with another man's wife and cannot marry her, is bad Art and bad Ethics combined. Why not sketch a man pnling and whining because he cannot steal £ 10,000 with- out risking the prison, or because he cannot appropriate a few aores of land he would like to have? Such a novel menaces the strength of the will. It takes the iron out of the blood. It gives the rein to passion, and imperils the man, the home, and the State. Even in these respects, however, Dr. Clifford thinks the Modern Novel advancing; and, apart from his objections, "we gladly recognise," he says, "but we can never repay, our debt to the Modern Novel." The dinner of the Anglo-African Writers' Club took place on Dec, 21, in the Grand Hotel, London, Mr. H. Rider Haggard presiding. Mr. Bryce, the honorary president, delivered a speech on colonial possibilities in literature. If, he said, we had understood our colonies of North America in 1776 they would have been our colonies still, and if better results had come in la'e years it was largely because by literature and personal communications the two nations knew each other better. He did not think it idle to suppose that the time would come when the literary activity of our colonies themselves might be far more abundant and powerful than now. At present they were in the state of bringing things into order and developing the agencies of commerce, and the time for literature had perhaps hardly yet come. The time, however, might come when the literary activity of the English race would be largely replenished by the assistance of our fellow countrymen beyond the seas, aud he pointed out that this had been in some measure anticipated in the International and Colonial Copyright Act of 1886. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. Smollett and the Preface. CAN any reader of The Author inform the undersigned in what book occurs a passage to the effect that " A preface, according to Tobias Smollett (?), is something which, though usually put at the beginning of a book, ought really to come at its end?" A somewhat similar passage occurs in the preface to " Waverley," but that is not the one to which I refer. H. Ha.es. A Question of Form. "The world-customer — with the polyglot German at one elbow with his cheapness, and the American at the other elbow with his smartness —is now beginning to leave the Englishman, to his but 110 one's else astonishment." This is a sentence from a recent article in the Saturday Jtecieir. May I inquire which is the correct form-—no one's else or no one else's? T. OBITUARY. MR. WILLIAM BLACK died on the even- ing of Saturday, Dec. 10, at his resi- dence, Paston House, Brighton. Over- work had affected Mr. Black's health during three or four years; about September the illness took a terious form, and for the last few weeks of his life he suffered from brain fever. Born in Glasgow in 1841, Mr. Black studied art at the Government Art School there for two years, and then turned into journalism. He left the staff of the Glasgow Weekly Citizen in 1864 to come to London, where he joined the late Morning Star, and had for colleagues Mr. Morley, Mr. McCarthy, Sir Edward Russell, and Mr. Charles Cooper. In the same year he published "James Merle: an Autobiography," and after serving his paper in the capacity of war correspondent in the Prusso-Russian War of 1866, Mr. Black wrote for the Echo and afterwards for the Daily Neves, occupying for four years the post of assistant- editor of the latter journal. He also edited the Examiner for a short time. "Love or Marriage," which he came to dislike, was published in 1867, "In Silk Attire," two years later, but attracted very little attention: Mr. Black's first great success was achieved in 1871 with "A Daughter of Heth." "A Princess of Thule," issued in 1873, found Mr. Black's reputation established, and since then stories came from his pen at the rate of about one each year, and everything he wrote  ## p. 193 (#205) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. i93 found a ready public. His books were so often laid in tbe Scottish Highlands that this part of the world was recognised as his particular field, whose atmosphere and scenery he loved so well and presented so vividly to his readers. It is only necessary to name "Macleod of Dare," "The Strange Adventures of a Phaeton," " White Heather," "Far Lochaber," "Briseis," and his last novel, published last year, " Wild Eelin," to 1 all up in one's mind the wholesome characteris- tics of Mr. Black's work and the deep feeling for Nature which it exhibits. Mr. Black did not occupy the public eye much except through his novels. He was accustomed to seek recreation in his favourite sport of salmon-fishing on Highland lochs, and to think out his plots during solitary perambulation on the sea front at Brighton. The late Mrs. Haweis was the author of "The Art of Beauty," "The Art of Decoration," "Chaucer for Children," and other books, includ- ing a novel dealing with the problem of divorce, entitled "A Flame of Fire." Mrs. Haweis, who was the wife of the Rev. H. R. Haweis, did much journalistic work, including London correspon- dence for the Sydney Herald, and was deeply devoted to the causes of higher education for women and female enfranchisement. She had been in failing health for some time, and died at Bath five weeks ago. The late Mr. John L. Owen was well known and popular in journalistic circles in London. His books include "The Great Jekyll Diamond," "Piccadilly Poems," and "Seven Nights with Satan," the last being published only a few weeks since. Mr. Owen died after an illness lasting several months. SOME SAYINQS IN 1898. BUT with regard to the general public, the reader of a review article finds it impos- sible to escape from the authority of the editorial " we," and the power of a single writer to benefit or to injure an author is so great that none but the most deeply conscientious men ought to enter the ranks of the anonymous reviewers.— Alhenseum. If you would succeed as an author, be one and nothing else. If you can beg, borrow, or steal as much as .£50 a year, cut yourself off from every- thing and write.—Julian Croskey on the results of his experience (in the New Century Review). I think our friends the publishers should try publishing books somewhat cheaper.—Mr. Bryce. The novel at a guinea-and-a-half died hard in this country ; the novel at 5*. or 6*. still cumbers the earth.—Daily News. Our bookstalls are flooded with works of fiction mostly written by women—often ungrammatical,. largely worthless in character, and wholly devoid of any reasonable interest.—Daily Telegraph. The spread of a certain education, the constant cheapening of production, and the rapid expan- sion of the means of distribution to all the world,, have substituted for a small and cultured public an immense audience whom no man can number but who ask only to be amused.—Daily Chronicle. THE BOOKS OF THE MONTH. [Nov. 23 to Dec. 22—445 Books.] Abell, H. F. History of Kent. 6/- Ashford: Kentisli Ej-preu. Abercromby, Hon. John. The Pre- and Proto-Historic Finns. 21/- not. Nutt. Addy, S. O. Erolution of the English House. 4/6. Sonnenschein. Alexander, Mrs. The Cost of Her Pride. 6/- White. Allen, Grant. Flashlights on Nature. 6/- Newnes. Allen, Grant. Linnet. A Bomance. 6 - Bichards. Andrews, O. W. Hand-book of Public Health, Laboratory Work, <fcc. Part I. 2/6 net. Portsmouth: Charpentler. Anonymous (*' A. H. S."). Lessons in Line for Little Learners. 5/- Stock. Anonymous I" A. V."). Olivette, snd other Poems. 1/- neu Burleigh. Anonymous (" B. V."). Ten Days at Monte Carlo. 2/- Heinemann. Anonymous. Early Recollections of a Journalist, 1832-1859. Edinburgh: A. Elliot. AnonymousO'G. M. S."). Glory. 1/- Nelson. Anonymous (••G. W."). The Life of Charles Alan Smythies. 4,- Universltles Mission Office. Anonymous. Sursum Corda: A Defence of Idealism. 3/6. Macmillan. Anonymous (•' T "). World Politics. 5/- Low. Anonymous. The Book of the Cambridge Beview, 1879-1897. 5/- net. 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SCALE FOR A])VERTISEMENTS. Front Page Other Pagos Half of a Page Quarter of a Page Eighth of a Page Single Column Advertisements Bills for Insertion Reductions niatlt\for a .S , of Six or Ticelr per inch per 2000 : Insertion £i 0 3 0 1 in 0 IS u 7 ,. :i .. All lettors respecting Advertisements should bo addressed to the Advkrtisement Hanagkk. The Author Office, 4, Portugal-street. London, W.O. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Author, Vol. 09 Issue 08 (January 1899) Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em>, Vol. 09 Issue 08 (January 1899) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101063829988" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101063829988</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1899-01-02-The-Author-9-8 publications The Author https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/325/1899-02-01-The-Author-9-9.pdf 77a7118c5ef4fa3a7bd01711a9f4ef86 PDF Text Text �������������������� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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) 1899-02-01 Volume 9 Issue 9 Pages Page range in volume 197–216 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 18990201 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin TLhc Hutbot\ (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vol. IX.—No. 9.] FEBRUART 1, 1899. [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 Sooiety 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 should be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent 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. FOB some years it has been the practice to insert, in every number of The Author, certain " General Con- siderations," Warnings, Notices,&c., for the guidance of the reader. It has been objeoted 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 his true character, and should be left to oarry 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 cost 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. IX. 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 aides. 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 oarry 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 the chance of a success which will not, probably, come at all; but which may come. 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 for exchanged advertisements, and that all discounts shall be duly entered. If these points are oarefully 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. Y 2  ## p. 198 (#210) ############################################ 198 THE AUTHOR. HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. I. IiTVEBY member has a right to ask for and to receive Pj advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the oonduct of his business or the administration of his property. If the advioe 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 oost to the member. 2. Remember that questions connected with oopyright 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 advanoing the best interests of literature in promoting the indepen- dence of the writer. 8. Send to the Editor of The Author notes of every- thing 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 Sooiety 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. NOTICES. ri 1HE Editor of The Author begs to remind members of the I 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>. 6i2. subscription for the year. Communications for The Author should reach the Editor not later than the 21 st of each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to communioate to the Editor any points connected with their work which 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 oommunioating with the Secretary. The utmost practicable despatch is 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 present location of the Authors' Club is at 3, White - hall-court. Charing Cross. Address the Secretary for information, rules of admission, &c. Will members take the trouble to ascertain whether they have paid their subscriptions for the year? If they will do this, 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 or dishonest? Of course they would not. Why then hesitate for a moment when they are asked to sign themselves into literary bondage for three or five years? "Those who possess the 'Cost 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 correot: as near as is possible. Some remarks have been made upon the amount charged in the " Cost of Production " for advertising. Of oourse, we have not included any sums 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. LITERARY PROPERTY. I.—The History of Copyright. IT is not often that we can depart from the principle generally observed in these pages —not to review or to pass under criticism any new books. It is obvious that hostile criti- cism of books by our own members would be inju- dicious, to say the least. Aud it is obvious that laudatory notices might possibly be expected by all the members as a right. It is also necessary to remember that the Society has nothing to do with the literary value of books, but solely and entirely with literary property. There has, how- ever, recently appeared a work on literary pro- perty which must be noticed in these columns, partly on account of the subject, which concerns, every reader of The Author, and partly because, for the first time, that subject has been treated in  ## p. 199 (#211) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 199 such a manner as to make the dry bones of law and Acts of Parliament full of life. The Origin of Copyright: the Stationers' Company and the First Copyright Statute: the Battle of the Booksellers for Perpetual Copyright: Legis- lative Enactments: Literary Larceny: and the Present Situation, are the subjects of as many chapters in this volume by Mr. Augustine Birrell (Cassell, 3*. 6rf. netl. Now, as the Law of Copyright is every day becoming of greater importance to authors, because they are every day learning more about the value and import- ance of their own property, and are becoming more jealous about its administration, this book, the only one on the subject which does not bristle with impediments and impossibilities in the way of the non-legal reader, should be in the hands of every member of the literary profession, in which is included every person who writes a book. There has grown up in the minds of many writers a singular apathy as regards their own property. This feeling has sprung from the apparent hopelessness of the situation. One publisher after another springs up, with the same old tale of secret profits and overcharges. There is the same attempt at concealment of real profits: the same outcry when the true figures are produced. The work of the Society ought to have done much in dispelling this apathy: the advance of the author towards independence has been of late years marked and rapid, in spite of the most strenuous hostility and the most violent opposi- tion. The situation, in fact, is no longer impos- sible. And the brief survey of the history of publishing which may be read, some times between the lines, in the pages of Mr. Augustine Birrell, will be found most helpful to every one who wishes to understand the subject. Among other excellent things the learned author presents us with the case of George Wither in the year 1603, and quotes that poet's description of the "Honest" and the "Mere" Stationer and Pub- lisher. The description of the Honest publisher could hardly be put better even in this day; as, for instance, when he says that the Honest Stationer "loves a good Author as his Brother, and would be ready to yield him the due portion of his Labours without wrangling." As for the " Mere" stationer, he says: If an Author oat of meere necessity do but procure meanes to make sale of (i.e., to publish) his owne booke or to preuent the combinations of such as he by some Royall or laufull priveledge, he presently cryes it downe for a Monopoly: affyrming that men of his profession may go [and] hang themselves if that be suffred. Marry ; Authors haue a long time presented a very thankfull generation of them from hanging if they cannot afford them one booke of ten Millions to releeue them withall in a case of need—and when that booke was the Authors owne alsoe and no parte of the Stationers former liuelihood. This is just as reason- able a complaint as if a Company of Hagglers should prefer a bill against the Cnntry Farmers, for bringing their own Corne and other prouisions to the next markett. The book contributes a passage which should effectually clear the air of the confusion which prevails between the literary and the commercial value of a book. In these pages it has been con- tended over and over again that the two things are not commensurable. They have nothing to do with each other. If a bad book gets a great circulation, it means that it is a great property. Whether it deserves its popularity is a question for critics, not for the Society. So, if a good book fails, the Society has nothing to say to its failure: that is for the critics. Mr. Birrell puts the case strongly and unmistakeably. The com- mercial value of a book is represented by its sale, and nothing else. Literary property may be created by very bad literature, but property must be defended, whether it belongs to good or bad literature. If it is objected to the Sooiety that it too much empha- sises the commercial side of literature, the answer must be, it is with the commercial side of literature the Society is concerned. After all, why should not a really bad author like Mr. Thomas Hot or Miss Blatheria Gabblegoose make £ 100,000 out of their trashy books, if as a matter of fair commerce* that sum represents their true share of the profits? Why should Rot's children and Gabblegoose's nephews and nieces be deprived of the cash value of their relatives' ridiculous popularity? Educate the masses if you can, so as to make that popularity impossible, but so long as it exists it is as much (within the limits of the period as signed by the law which, indeed, it will never exceed) the property of its creator as if it were somebody's soap or so-and-so's pill8- __=»c__ II.—Copyright in Press Telegrams. In the Ceylon Legislative Council, on Dec. 2, Mr. Layard moved the first reading of "An Ordinance to secure in certain cases the right of property in telegraphic press messages." Sir E. Noel Walker seconded, and the Bill was read a first time, and set down for second reading at the next meeting of the Council. The text of the Bill is as follows. "Whereas it is expedient to secure, in certain cases, the right of property in telegraphic press messages: Be it therefore enacted by the Governor of Ceylon, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:— "1. When any person, in the manner hereinafter mentioned, publishes in any newspaper or other printed paper, published and circulated in Ceylon, any message by electric telegraph from any place outside the said island, lawfully received by such  ## p. 200 (#212) ############################################ 200 THE AUTHOR. person, no other person shall, without the consent in writing of such first-mentioned person, or his agent thereto, lawfully authorise, print or publish, or cause to be printed or published, such telegram, or the substance thereof or any extract therefrom, until after a period of forty-eight hours from time of first publication; provided that such period shall not extend beyond sixty hours from the time of the receipt of such message (Sundays and public and Bank Holidays excepted), and the publica- tion of the whole or any part of such telegram, or of the substance thereof, or (excepting the publi- cation of any similar message in like manner sent) of the intelligence therein contained or any comment upon, or any reference to such intelli- gence, shall be deemed to be a publication of the same. "2. If any person wilfully print and publish, or cause to be printed and published, any matter contrary to the provision of this Ordinance, he shall be liable to a fine not exceeding one hundred rupees; and every person who is con- victed a second time of any offence against this Ordinance, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding two hundred rupees. "3. Telegraphic messages published under the protection of this Ordinance shall be printed under the heading 'By Submarine Telegraph,' and shall state the day and hour of their receipt, and such statement shall be prima facie evidence of the time of the receipt of such messages. "4. (1) During the period of forty-eight hours hereinbefore mentioned, no intelligence protected by this Ordinance shall be transmitted by electric telegraph to any person outside Ceylon by or on behalf of any person other than the person who, nnder the provisions of this Ordi- nance, is entitled to the exclusive use of such intelligence. (2) Any person acting in contra- vention of this section shall be guilty of an offence, and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding two hundred rupees for any subsequent offence. '5. In any prosecution under this Ordinance, the production of any document which purports to be a telegraphic message from some place out- side Ceylon, and which contains the intelligence published in the newspapers as aforesaid, and which has been delivered to some person entitled to receive the same by the proper officer of the Telegraph Department, shall be prima facie evidence that the message published as herein- before described in such newspaper is a message within the meaning of this Ordinance; and proof that any person is owner, or is, or is acting, or appears to be acting as editor or manager of any newspaper in which there has been any publica- tion contrary to the provisions of this Ordinance, shall be prima facie evidence that such person has wilfully caused such unlawful publication. "6. Nothing in this Ordinance shall extend to any document published by the Government Printer, or to the report of any proceedings in the Legislative Council. "7. This Ordinance shall be cited as 'The Telegram Copyright Ordinance, 189—.'" The above extract has been printed from the Indian Daily News. _____ It appears that the Ceylon Legislative Council is going boldly to deal with a question which has been agitating the Press and all those interested in copyright in England for many years, and which has not been satisfactorily dealt with in this country owing to the many difficulties that surround the question. According to the Ceylon Bill, clause 1, copyright is given for forty-eight hours, and is on the whole very comprehensive. The Bill that was before the House of Lords last session by clause 11 asks, as regards newspapers, for "Copyright in such news and information as have been specially and in- dependently obtained." Mr. Moberly Bell, the manager of the Times, was called and examined at great length on this clause. The questions put to him and the answers he gave are exceedingly interesting and instructive to those who desire a full knowledge of the subject. It seems altogether unfair that where a paper like the Times has obtained a telegram at enormous expense it should have the benefit that may be likely to accrue to it destroyed by publication of a copy of the telegram in other papers the same day. Mr. Bell was in favour of a twenty-four hours copyright. Of course if the telegram had been also in- dependently obtained by another newspaper there would be copyright in that telegram also. The Bill was drawn to prevent papers taking the news from one another without a fair payment, and if some such copyright law were passed it is quite probable that the Times or any other paper that obtained independent news would sell the right of reproduction, and thus obtain an adequate remuneration for the trouble and expense in- curred. No doubt the point will be satisfactorily dealt with when the Government have thought fit to take up the long deferred question of copyright. ai[ III.—The Same Old Agreement. Memorandum of Agreement made this day of , 189 between of , hereafter called the publisher of the one part, and of hereafter called the anthor, of the other part. The said publisher agrees to produce in tasteful form, and publish in the usual manner at his own expense, an edition of a volume written by the said author and entitled  ## p. 201 (#213) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 20I "," the said volume to consist of one hundred and ninety-two pages orown octavo size, and to be published at five shillings per copy. The said author hereby agrees to be responsible for the sale of three hundred and fifty copies of the said volume, and undertakes at the expiration of six months from the daet of issue to purchase at the rate of three shillings per copy whatever number of oopies, if any, may be necessary to make the sales up to the said number of three hundred and fifty copies. This edition to be the property of the said publisher, bnt it is understood that the copyright is and remains the pro- perty of the said author. All proofs of the said work to be oorrected and returned promptly to the printer by the said author. The agreement printed above has again been handed by a member of the Authors' Society to the Secretary. Three or four times already the agreement has been printed in The Author and the other productions of the Society, and the dangers arising from such agreement explained. That in one certain case the agreement may have worked out fairly is not an argument that the agreement i3 a good one, but this argument has been urged by the publisher, for an agreement should be so drawn that in any case and whatever the sale of the book, it should be an equitable agreement between the parties concerned. The dangers of this agreement have so often been set forward that it was hoped, as indeed has been the case for some time, that no such agreements had been recently circulated. Perhaps it will be necessary to explain once more in general terms the unreasonableness of the agreement as it stands. To begin with, the book is a small one, 192 pp. cr. 8vo., and it is published at a large price for such a small book, viz., 5*. The author guarantees to purchase 350 copies by the end of six months at the price of 3$., making in all a sum of .£52 i0s., a sum which must go a long way towards paying the cost of production if not covering it alto- gether, especially as no mention is made of the size of the edition. If 750 copies only were printed, it may be understood that the publisher would virtually have no risk. This is not all however. It does not pay the publisher to push the book in the least degree for the first six months, for if he should do so he will not obtain the author's money. He therefore has nothing to do but let the book lie on his shelves and at the end of the six months send in his account for the number of copies unsold. No agreement should be drawn on such lines that it is not for the benefit of the author and publisher to be working in unison. Looking into the agreement further, it is obvious that no mention is made whatever of the profits to accrue after the sale of 350 copies, except in the last clause, in which it says: "This edition is to be the property of the pub- lisher." As has been pointed out no hmit is mentioned to the edition. If, therefore, the book chances to be a success the publisher could go on printing and selling the book, putting all the profits into his own pocket and stating that the first edition was, say, 10,000 copies. The Pub- lishers' Association have not as yet settled that great point, what should be the number of an edition. Summing up the whole results, therefore, of the agreement, it does not pay the publisher to work in unison with the author. Their benefit is not mutual. The publisher runs no risk and may possibly make a large profit. From the author s point of view the author stands to lose .£52 i0*., and cannot possibly make anything, however suc- cessful the book is. This agreement, therefore, cannot possibly be called equitable as between the parties. G- H- T- IV.—A Friendly Critic. I have been an associate of the Authors' Society now for six years, and have during that time tried to keep in touch with it by occasionally making some irresponsible comments on the contents of its journal. Having just polished off my year's work, and received a copy of the December Author, I take the liberty of criticising that number—for publication or not, as you like, of course. The motive, as I say, is merely that of keeping in touch—marking my gratitude, perhaps, for the education I receive through the journal, which I might, if I did not acknowledge it some- how, be thought not to appreciate. Page 151: "A Curious Question." Sales reported to date, say, 500; account delivered and royalty paid thereon. The week after, a certain bookseller tells the publisher he has 100 copies of that publisher's dead books on hand (which include, say, twenty copies of the book in ques. tion), and will he " exchange" them? (the same thing as buying them back). Publisher does so; he has therefore paid author royalty on twenty more copies than he has sold. The "curious question " (and it is aptly called) amounts, then, divested of "fatal generalisation," to this: If the book manages to sell again (or not, for that matter), shall the author refund the royalty on those twenty copies? Sir W. B. says No. The publisher took them back for his own purposes, and the author has nothing to do with that. Mr. Thring replies with admirable equivocation (which may be non- committal, but does not assist the author), " It is a point of moral obligation."  ## p. 202 (#214) ############################################ 202 THE AUTHOR. Since you expressly invite opinions, this is mine: The books were not sold, and, although no publisher would think of asking for a cash return, he would be justified in reselling those twenty copies before any other, and the author if asked would assuredly reply that it was his moral obli- gation to be glad that the publisher had an oppor- tunity of recovering his over-payment. And this is why I have the temerity to gainsay Sir Walter. If you put your invention in the hands of a dealer to sell for you, it would be fool-pidgin (in the language of the East) to restrict him in the management of the sales. The Authors' Syndicate itself stipulates, I believe, that, once put in charge of an invention, the inventor shall not meddle with their management of it. Now, one of the most difficult matters for the publisher (and the difficulty arises chiefly on account of the author's suspiciousness) is that everlasting ques- tion of " Sale or Return." You may notice that Mr. Zeitgeist (Literary Property, III.), who apparently proceeded by the advice of the Society, put all his books "on sale." Very often you simply can't deal with " Smith's" except on that arrangement. When the time for rendering accounts comes, the publisher finds that Smith has taken 500 copies " on sale." What is he to do with the author? He can't leave the whole parcel out of his account; it probably represents the major part of the edition. If he gives him the royalty on the 500, what is he to do when next week 100 soiled copies come back on his ,hands, with the curt remark, "Book dead"? This is a question in itself worth your treat- ment if you have not already treated it; but there can be no doubt that in such a case the books have not been sold, and that, if the author has received royalty on them, he ought to refund it. I know that you will immediately reply, " This is beside the question; we were not talking of books on sale." With your leave I shall say that you were. In reality, a number of books sold to a bookseller are not really sold; they are placed on the counter for sale. I could mention to you at least three London booksellers, and two provin- cial ones, who make a constant practice, and a very annoying one, of arranging with the "traveller" to make certain exchanges of dead books for live ones; their invariable argument is, "Well, if we weren't sure that you would see we were not'left' with dead paper, we should not order so many." Now the traveller has a new book in his bag which he is anxious to place by the dozen (his own commission is in question, too) and he exercises his proper discretion (if you wish a traveller to push, you must give him discretion) by arranging for the return of the old books, or at least by promising that in the case of this particular new book he will see, if the bookseller will take a dozen, that he is not "left." In short, there is always a certain amount of " on sale or return " business going on; the publisher himself kicks at it, but his traveller (the most important part of the firm) insists on discre- tionary powers, and the author should be ready to grant similar discretion to bis publisher. As another instance, I will take the liberty of men- tioning Messrs. Denny Brothers, not only a very large and important firm of booksellers, but very prompt, honest, and practical business men. I believe they can only take stock once a year. Suppose they find to their surprise that they have £100 worth of dead stuff from a single publisher (not, of course, bought in one year, but consisting of special books which are carried forward for a long time before their demand is certainly dead), what are they to do in this case? They put it to the traveller; the traveller puts it to the firm; the publisher kicks, and says it is their own look-out if they overstock, and, if they like to be fools, he is not going to pay for their folly. Now, what is Mr. Denny going to reply to this? If he does not ominously say nothing, and quietly return the traveller his samples with a conclusive " Two each," he may very justly reply: "I buy your books by the dozen and give them a good show. I get no better terms than anyone else, but I do more for your authors than many smaller dealers. I cannot keep an eye on every book I buy, and they go into the shelves and are lost sight of. I own that I have bought and paid for these books, and that I have no right to ask you to buy them back. None the less, I find that I have lost over them, chiefly through taking your word that they were better than they are. I must sell them for waste paper and lose .£90. Do you care to bear part of that loss with me? If I had not stocked them, you would have lost that <£i00 yourself. If you cannot meet me, I must give over pushing your books and buy them only to order, devoting my show space to more lucrative stuff." Now, what is the publisher to do? He knows, more than your authors appear to do, how much a book depends on the bookseller. He knows that if Denny takes a dozen, he will sell nine; but if he only takes two, he will only sell that two. Is it not better to virtually put that dozen "on sale," even if, a year after, he has to buy back three? I will own that as a rule the publisher does not see it in this light, chiefly because it muddles up the accounts, and because the author will not treat him with the same give-and-take. But it illus- trates my theoretical contention that no book is sold until the bookseller has sold it, and that the author has no right to royalty on books which the publisher buys back. I reply to the "Curious  ## p. 203 (#215) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 203 Question," then, that the publisher has not only the right to resell those books which come back, first, but that, if they ave dead, he has even a right to ask the author to refund the royalty on them. [Very well. But why does the publisher return as "sold " books which are not paid for? He can surely wait till he gets the money or till the books are returned.—Ed.] "Literary Property—III." merely calls for a repetition of my remarks above concerning the "traveller." "Zeitgeist" tells us that he has printed 3000 copies for <£118, "advertising extra." But what on earth is printing and advertising? That is not publishing a book. He says triumphantly, "The book is well groomed, and the publisher nowhere — not wanted." I venture to " beg his pardon." He says, "My egg may be addled." "With every regret I am bound to say there is every likelihood of that catastrophe, because he has- overlooked the true raison d'itre of the publisher's existence. Publishing consists not in printing and adver- tising, but in putting the book on the market. How is this done? By travellers. The author may, if he likes, " travel " London himself at a cost not exceeding 6d. a day and his time. Unless he has the good fortune to have been a trave ler by profession, he will find that it will take him a good fortnight to do London alone, and then he will probably miss the most important exporters. There is no way of finding out the full list of buyers in London except by tedious experience or the advice of a professional, and, after all, it would be peine perdue, for he would find that three-fourths of them would not "open an account" with a private person. Then he has to collect his accounts, deliver his small parcels—oh Lord! he little knows who would be his pub- lisher himself. To travel " the country" would take about three months, at a minimum expense of 15*. a day. And, in short, no author is fit to "travel" at all, and he would only make a fool of himself. I presume that "Zeitgeist" sold through Simpkins; it' he didn't, he can't have "published " himself at all. It is too long to go into, but I believe I could jirove conclusively that an unknown author has a far better chance of a sale and of profit on a 15, or even a 10, per cent. royalty from a good firm, than by playing amateur publisher himself. That is one mischief you do, Mr. Author. You uncon- sciously persuade young aspirants to undertake something quite out of their line, and which they are entirely unfit for. Your only off-set to this misdirection of zeal is your old advice that a book which a publisher will not accept is a book that is not worth publishing. You ought VOL. IX. certainly to add this to your permanent front page. And I wish next time anyone tells you how they had gone behind the publisher you would exact a full account of the methods employed vis-a-vis the booksellers, and the result. That would be useful; we should learn by other authors' mistakes. [Very well, again. But my correspondent is mistaken. No one wants a young author to "travel" for himself, or to become an " amateur publisher." Nor is Simpkin the only distributing publisher. Nor has every firm its own travellers. The '• Method of the Future " has nothing to do with amateur publishing, and nothing to do with private attempts to sell a book.—Ed.] I pass on to "VII. Author and Publisher" —" Glenfruin." To begin with, I have a fault to find with the tone of this letter, a tone con- stantly recurring in The Author; it is one which is not "business," and does great harm to the business character of the journal. "Glenfruin" says: "The present relations between A. and P. are truly ridiculous to contemplate. 'You give me your book,' says P. to A., 'and you see nothin', and you ask nothin', except what I may be jolly well pleased to give you, for I am the Immaculate Llama of Literature.'" Mr. Author—that "nothin'," that "jolly well"! It is all very jolly, but it is not la guerre. With all respect to Mr. Glenfruin, I think the older or sager members of the Society might ask you to use the blue pencil occasionally so that we may not seem children. And now for " Grlenfruin's" contentions. How comes it that you insert this letter without a note re-stating your own frequent refutation of it? "Glenfruin " thinks that a book depends on the critics, and that the critics are in the pay of the publisher. Both these are exploded fallacies. A book is subscribed before it is published, and no bookseller reads reviews. Bad reviews cannot alter the "subscription," which is the only sale the new author gets unless his book is good. If it is good, sufficient reviews will find it out to persuade a certain number of readers to take it from the library, and these readers do the rest. If Jones tells you the book is " jolly good," are you influenced because Literature tells you it is tiresome? No. The vivil voce recommenda- tion is the one that tells. You know Jones; you don't know the critic. Secondly, I repeat, if the book is good, you may be sure the majority of the critics will say so. Every unknown book gets from thirty to fifty notices in the English Press; every book by a kiiown author from fifty to 100. Out of a score of critics, how many will be influenced by a publisher, by "private enmity," z  ## p. 204 (#216) ############################################ 204 THE AUTHOR. or by inherent malice? At the outside, five. The rest may not know a good book from a bad one, or share your own notions of what is good, but you may be pretty sure that ten of them, taken together, have a better "general idea" of what the public likes than you have. But apart from this, and "thirdly," out of that score of critics not more than five are so much as read by book buyers ; people who can afford to buy books, if they want criticisms at all to go by, look to a dozen papers at the outside, and not many of that dozen will notice you at all, unless you are "good." The idea of a critic of any importance sedulously hobnobbing with a dozen publishers daily, and going over with them the pile of books on his table, is pretty, but "it won't wash clothes." Here and there an important critic has a friendship, or an interest, with one or two publishers, and may receive a hint that a good review of one of the firm's books would be grate- fully received, but it doe< not occur "every time "; and such influence could only be secured to praise a book, and a book that would bear praising without loss to the critic's prestige. With unabated admiration for the work of the Society. M. Ottawa, Dec. 1898. [The practice in these columns has been to let members of the Society have their say, within reasonable limits. What "M." says has been said already, over and over again, as to the value of reviews. As to the connection between critics and publishers, that is not a point to be settled out of hand. One hears so many stories, and makes so many observations, that such a connection some- times exists, to the destruction of fair reviewing. That it is a common practice one would be very unwilling to believe.—Ed.] >«^——. THE AMERICAN BOOK TRADE. THE book trade of America is in an exceed- ingly prosperous state so far as the sale of books goes, but there, as in this country, the position of the bookseller is becoming a matter of anxiety. An extremely optimistic article on book-buying appeared lately in the New York Times, wherein it is stated that the most remarkable evidence of increased demand is the very conspicuous place which books now have in the shops and in the advertisements of the department stores and other mercantile esta- blishments that have lately entered that branch of trade. What a few years ago was at most a book counter has in many of these establishments become an immense book store, furnished forth with a great stock of books, and prepared to take and fill orders to supply any book published any- where. Old houses seem to be doing a larger business than ever, and the new ones that are established from time to time seem to find room for themselves. The conclusion is inevitable, therefore, that the people are buying more books, and the Areic York Times finds the reason for this to lie in the fact that books are cheap to- day: "The old, well-known books, the classics of literature which it is commonly assumed that everybody has read, and which comparatively few have really ever had in their hands, are so very cheap that persons who ever talk about books are ashamed not to own some of them, and have them in the house. Cooper, Thackeray, Dickens, not to mention Macaulay and Gibbon, are at anybody's command for a surprisingly small sum: not in sumptuous editions, not in library bindings, but still in readable form." Yet in the midst of all this activity the dis- tributor of books is in difficulties. In the words of the Dial, "his occupation is slipping from him, through the action of irresistible economic laws, and the thoughtless public pays little heed to his plight." The great dealers in miscellaneous merchandise are absorbing the retail trade in books, and are even getting possession of the customers who have hitherto supported the book- sellers of the smaller towns. "The bookseller who used to think 50 per cent. not too large a profit upon his wares, considering that he offered as a bonus his good advice and genial friendship, has given place to the merchant who can wax fat upon 10 per cent., or less, of profit, but is too busy to have either advice or friendship to spare for you." It appears that a striking experiment has recently been made by a publishing house, which advertises broadcast its willingness to send any of its publications to any address upon the receipt of a post-card request, trusting to the honesty of the prospective purchaser either to return the book or to pay for it. The general adoption of this plan, remarks the Dial, would tend to eliminate retail bookselling from the list of business occupations. Still, another experi- ment of which the bookseller makes complaint is that of selling books of the more expensive sort upon the instalment plan, the entire work being delivered upon receipt of the order and the first payment. These and other "insidious devices for sup- planting the bookseller must lie met, if they are to be met at all, by the more effective organisation of his trade." Follow the example of Germany—says the Dial. If the American bookseller, by co-operating with the publishers, could arrange that his customers should have  ## p. 205 (#217) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. copies of books on approbation—or, in the phrase so common in England, "on sale or return "—there would no longer be any real com- petition between the two classes, but a relation of mutual helpfulness that would impel each of them to cherish the interests of the other. But, beyond all suggestions of this kind, the future of bookselling does not seem to the Dial to be unpromising. There is the broad general fact that the appetite for books is constantly growing among the population, and it is folly to assume that book stores will be lacking to satisfy this appetite, " since the book-buyer, as a rule, wants to inspect his books before buying, and the retail trade in books is as sure of customers as the retail trade in eggs and poultry. That trade, we have not the least doubt, will emerge triumphant from its seeming temporary eclipse, but it will be adapted to the new conditions, it will be reorganised to meet the new demands, and it will be willing to find in its larger sales a com- pensation for its lessened percentage of profit." PAEIS NOTES. THE sudden death of Georges Rodenbach on Christmas night, at the comparatively early age of forty-three years, made a vast impression here on the literary world. The papers had not yet notified his illness when the tidings reached us that the well-known poet and novelist, the friend of Alphonse Daudet and Edmond de Goncourt, had already rejoined his illustrious comrades in that shadowy land from whence no traveller returneth. Born at Tournai and brought up at Brussels, he depicted the subtle poesy enveloping the "dead city which mirrors its ancient towers in its motionless canals" with wonderful graphic force, joined to a languorous, lotus-like charm, the outcome of an intensely analytic and reflective mind which possessed in no ordinary degree the power of placing picturesquely before the reader the smallest detail, the most hazy outline of the various canvasses on which he worked so untir- ingly. He especially delighted in the sonorous melody of church bells; and as Victor Hugo bequeathed to the bells of Notre Dame the immortal spirit of Quasimodo, so the Belgian endowed the cathedral bells of his native land with a living soul. Among his most celebrated works on this subject may be mentioned "Le Carillonneur," "Bruges la Morte," and "Le Voile," which last was performed with great success at the Com^die Francaise. A cortege of devoted friends and fellow-workers—MM. Sully Prudhomme, Anatole France, de Heredia, Leon Dierx, Rodin, and Emile Verhaeren (the latter having come from Brussels expressly to assist at the interment)—bore the body of Georges Roden- bach to its last resting-place, and M. Catulle Mendes, in the funeral oration delivered at Pere- Lachaise, rendered a graceful and touching tribute to the memory of his brother poet: "dont personne ne saurait dire qu'il est mort tout entier." A complete novel, entitled " Made- moiselle Noémi, and a large collection of verses were found among Georges Rodenbach's unpub- lished works. The Academy has again a vacant fauteuil owing to the death of M. Edouard Herve, one of the two journalists cited in our last issue as completing the tale of literati belonging to that illustrious body. M. Herve was the founder of the first large daily newspaper issued at a halfpenny, and it is not as the refined and cultured lettre but as the editor and originator of Le Soleil that his name will be remembered by the public at large. He belonged to the punctilious, old-fashioned Prevost- Paradol school of journalists, and the only rash act recorded of him during his long public career is the challenge sent to Edmond About on the appearance of a certain article, containing more gall than honey, in the Dix-Neuvieme Siecle, which the latter was then editing. M. Herve leaves two works almost completed, of which one is reported to deal largely with Richelieu. The 2 5 9th anniversary of the birth of Racine was fitly commemorated at the two great national theatres (the Odeon and Comedie Francaise) by various excerpts from the most celebrated works of the famous dramatists, while various journals devoted a column more or less to enumerating his titles to the gratitude of posterity. The previous revival of "Britannicus" (Theatre Antoine) evoked, however, as little enthusiasm among the nineteenth century spectators as in the far-off days when Boileau was forced to undertake the defence of this powerful but tedious masterpiece. It is easier to revive the costumes of the past than to put the public in sympathy with the exaggerated hyperbole of our forefathers. A neat adaptation of modern sentiment in ancient garb is both picturesque and lucrative, whereof the success of "Cyrano de Bergerac" witnesseth; and in framing their playbills, theatrical managers would do well to bear in mind the present predilection for modern tableaux in antiquated settings. In the early dawn of the bicycle furore a sapient professor of the Sorbonne opined that its universal adoption would prove a harmless safety-valve for the superfluous feminine energy otherwise likely to be devoted to fomenting an  ## p. 206 (#218) ############################################ 206 THE AUTHOR. interior domestic revolution in France. But he was mistaken. The bicycle furore and the Feminist agitation have developed amicably side by side, and the fact that only last month the Fourth Chamber of the Seine Tribunal pro- nounced no less than 284 divorces in the short space of four hours makes us understand why the divorce question is so hotly discussed and so variously represented by the rising generation of French writers. Among the host of new play8 which have recently appeared on this subject, two have especially attracted attention and comparison—not only from their striking similarity in plot, but also from the totally different reception they have received from the hands of the public. I allude to "Le Berceau" by M. Brieux, and "Le Voyage autour du Code" by MM. Duval and Hennequin; the former, despite the powerful support of M. Francisque Sarcey, having been assailed by a storm of invidious criticism, while the latter has been applauded and acclaimed to the skies. Unfortu- nately, each successive work of M. Brieux has fallen short of (he high expectations originally formed of his talent; his style is too speculative, his characters are too negative and abstract to awaken the genuine enthusiasm of the gallery gods on whose support he relies, and the bids he makes for popular favour in the shape of hackneyed situations materially decrease the value of his later work. Apropos of Francisque Sarcey, the doyen of the critics, "notre bon Oncle Francisque," as the Parisians love to call him, a good story is in circulation relating to the volume of poems which Mlle. Yvette Guilbert is about to publish. The petite histoire, which has vastly amused the Parisians, is as follows. M. Sarcey, having one night mislaid his ordinary rose-coloured spec- tacles, found Mlle. Guilbert's voice no longer to his taste. He forthwith expressed his opinion in print, and was unwary enough to visit the Scala the following night. Immediately the sprightly divette came on the scene she turned towards the critic's box and began to sing the well-known refrain: Chamean! 0, le chamean, saluting M. Sarcey at each recurrence of the word "chameau," while, to the accompaniment of the orchestra, the public yelled: M on oncle! O, mon oncle! until the unlucky critic was forced to beat a retreat. The controversy still continues, and it is to avenge herself for the biting critiques on her performance which followed this; scene that Mlle. Yvette Guilbert is reported to have entered the literary lists as a versificator. The "Leonard de Vinci " of M. Eugene Muntz (librairie Hachette) is the most complete and copious biography of the great painter, sculptor, man of letters, mathematician, and architect, that has yet been produced. But in this depart- ment M. Muntz has few equals, and the popula- rity attained by his " Raphael, sa vie, son ceuvres et son temps," "Precurseurs de la Renaissance," "Donatello," "La Renaissance en Italie," &c., ensure the success of his present venture. His latest volume contains reproductions of all the works either attributed or authentically proven to owe their existence to the brush or chisel of the great Italian master. The collectors of historical souvenirs and heir- looms recently experienced a shock on learning, through the agency of the Figaro, that, at the late sale of the Charles Yriarte collection, a choice relic—the only authentic photograph of Daguerre's portrait of Balzac, which the famous novelist had himself presented to Gavarni—had been sold for thirty francs! The original plaque was preserved in a villa at St. Cloud until Jan. 26, 1871, when it was destroyed by a Bavarian soldier, and the supposed only authentic photo- graphic copy thus cheaply disposed of bore an inscription in Charles Yriarte's handwriting which concluded thus: "The historian of Balzac, Viscount Spoelberg de Lovenjoul, presented me with this token as a souvenir of the original portrait now destroyed." The lamentations of the perturbed corps of literary collectors and connoisseurs were, however, soon cut short by the arrival of a letter from the Viscount Spoelberg de Lovenjoul himself, stating that the portrait sold was merely a copy of the original photo- graph, which last formed one of the most precious jewels of his own Balzacien collection. Whereat the respective sentiments of the collectors and actual purchaser underwent a speedy transforma- tion. The lovers of Pierre Loti's dainty verses will be glad to hear that Conquet has just issued an "exquise nouvelle japonaise," entitled "La Chanson des Vieux lipoux," by this charming author. The booklet is enriched with water- coloured sketches by Henry Somno. This is probably the last work we shall have for some time from the e?er-juvenile Immortal, who is now at Hendaye busily engaged in preparing his trunks for a Persian trip. M. Paul Bourget is still enjoying the tranquility of his charming villa near Hylres, as is his usual custom during this inclement season. He usually devotes himself entirely to literary work during the first two or three months of the year. At the  ## p. 207 (#219) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 207 present moment the Revue Hebdomadaire is publishing the second series of his famous "Voyageuses," in which we find again the "Gladys" of "Claude Larcher." We regret that space will not permit ns to quote a few extracts from the wonderfully graphic word-paintings of surrounding scenery with which this work abounds. M. Bourget is also engaged on a psychological novel, entitled "Reine Verdit-r," which will shortly appear in Les Annale*. The "Femmes Nouvelles" of the brothers Margueritte is extremely ri propos at this moment, when the Feminist question forms one of the topics of the day in all fin de siecle salons. MM. Margueritte are now hard at work in preparing "Les Troncons du Glaive," a novel dealing with national defence, which will form a continuation to the "Desastre." Immediately the former is in the press, they will commence a third volume on the same lines, entitled "La Commune." The popularity of the "Desastre" certainly justifies a sequel, and, if the two later works equal their predecessor in interest, the trilogy cannot fail to attain a great literary and pecuniary success. Mme. Jean Bertheroy does not occupy herself with any of the vexed questions relating to her sex. She lives a life apart in her quiet hermitage at Montmorency, too enveloped in the glamour of the past to desire to take part in the burning topics of the present moment. She has now three works on hand: the first, entitled "La Dame de Pompeii," which deals entirely with that far-off period when Pompeii figured on the maps of the ancient world; the second, entitled " Le Journal de Marguerite Plantin," dealing with the old Musee Plantin at Anvers, which two hundred years ago figured as a printing establishment; and the third, " Le Jardin des Tolosatti," which presents us to no less a personage than the cele- brated Clemence Isaure, who instituted the floral sports in 1490. Perhaps, after all, Mme. Ber- theroy is more permeated by the spirit of the present age than she would care to acknow- ledge; else, wherefore her choice of the latter subject? M. Victorien Sardou has no love for reporters, and delights in putting them off his trail if possible. Despite his precautions, however, sundry details of the work on which he is now engaged have leaked out, and the fact that his apartment is encumbered with a prodigious pile of documentary lore relating to the period of the Revolution, gives colour to the assertion that we shall shortly have either a drama or prose study of "Robespierre" from the pen of the famous dramatist. [This is confirmed by the announce- ment that M. Sardou has written a play on Robespierre for Sir Henry Irving, who will signalise his return to the Lyceum by producing it.—Ed., A.] M. Marcel Prcvost has just returned from a lecturing tour in Holland, which he undertook at the invitation of the Alliance for the propagation of French literature abroad. In addition to holding the pen of a ready writer, M. Prevost possesses in perfection the art of a ready and interesting speaker. Needless to add that he received a warm reception in the Netherlands, and that the tour was a great success. "George Sand, sa vie et son ceuvre," formed the subject of his lecture. Bon chien chasse de race, as a visit to M. Leon Daudet's study amply testifies. "Sebastien Gouves," a thick volume recording the miseries meted out to a man of genius by unworthy charlatans, from whom he is finally rescued by filial devotion, stands completed; "La Con- seillere," a domestic drama long promised the Odeon, is receiving its finishing touches; and (most interesting of all!) a species of pamphlet- causerie " La Dignite de la litterature," is also under way. Of the latter he says: "The matter is vast, and I treat it without reticence." He is likewise contemplating the filling-in of a numerous list of sketches of future dramas, comedies, novels, pamphlets, &c.—a work sufficient in itself to fill the lifetime of several ordinary writers. But Leon Daudet cannot be considered as an ordinary writer; he is the exceptionally clever inheritor of a famous patronymic, and this fact has un- doubtedly influenced both his character and choice of a caieer. M. Eugene Rostand, poet, orator, journalist, historian, founder of numerous patriotic and useful institutions for the benefit of the poorer classes, and last—but by no means least—father of the celebrated author of " Cyrano de Bergerac," has recently been elected a member of the Academic des Sciences, Morales, et Politiques. The dramatic genius of M. Edmond Rostand may thus be considered as the direct perpetuation of a hereditary talent. Recent inquiries have also unearthed the interesting fact that, in addition to having broken the existing record in the theatrical world, "Cyrano de Bergerac " (in book form) has numerically scored one of the greatest literary successes hitherto known in France. Darracotte Dene.  ## p. 208 (#220) ############################################ 2o8 THE AUTHOR. NOTES AND NEWS. IN "The Pen and the Book," which was advertised in last month's Author, nothing is advanced which has not been put forward again and again, not only in this paper, but in the reports and circulars of the Society. Nothing can be argued against these points which has not been argued again and again in a hundred letters written to protest against the wicked authors who desire to know what the management of their own property actually means. But our friends are never tired of protesting. They are always ready to mis- represent and to distort and to conceal, over and over again, even in the teeth of notorious facts and the steady extension of the light. Therefore I was not surprised to find in Literature a letter based on a long series of the most daring state- ments ever put forward. Think, for instance, of a publisher, after all these years of the Society's action, imagining that such statements as the following can be believed: (i.) "In profit-sharing agreements the author has a voice in the choice of printer and binder, and often knows beforehand what the estimate is." I have seen hundreds of agreements of the kind but never one with such a clause. (2.) "Wilful overcharging can only be tested by giving definite accounts from definite indi- viduals. As these are not furnished the general charge may be dismissed as unworthy of con- sideration." In another paper of the same date, another publisher is actually confessing to the practice and defending it! (3.) He says that in publishers' commission— a. Fees are never charged. On the contrary fees are constantly charged. /3. That "percentages are the creation of prejudiced counsel." Really! Tet the Publishers' Association in their draft agreements claim the right—actually the right—of adding percentages in commission publishing, on every item, and what they please! y. That authors are asked to suggest the medium of advertising. I never heard of any such invitation. I have, however, heard of a certain sum named for adver- tisements and of its expenditure in the publisher's own organs. He says also that publishers do not "care a rap " for commission business. Why, the number of such publications is simply enormous and is increasing every year. There are also many passages " quoted," i.e., in inverted commas or without, which I have been unable to find in the book. He further attacks certain printers' estimates given by me. He may attack the printers as much as he likes. It is their business, not mine. If he means that I have invented the estimates, that is another point altogether. The rest of his letter is answered by me in Literature. . The reason why I mention the matter here is that one or two points are raised about which we cannot be too clear in all dealings with publishers. These are:— 1. Overcharges. Remember that in every partnership or joint enterprise, if one partner spends .£i00 and says he has spent .£120, secretly pocketing the odd sum, he is regarded as a Thief. Apply the principle to publishing. A man may make any excuses he pleases about secretly taking discounts, but the fact—the broad, disagreeable fact—remains that he who deceives his partner, and makes secret profits by his misrepresentations, is a Thief. And this fact is the real cause of nearly the whole hostility that has been displayed towards the Society from the outset. 2. Advertisements. The power of charging for advertisements in a publisher's own organ, is simply the power of taking to himself, if he pleases, the whole pro- ceeds of the book. I have had several letters on the subject—some of them important: some trivial. It is important to be told by one that a certain publisher of standing confessed to him that a large part of his profits consisted of secret discounts. Another, also important, from a former employe" in a pub- lisher's house—" one of the new firms "—reveals, if it is true, a system of systematic robbery. I wish the firm in question could read what is written about them by an ^.-employ i. It may be said, of course, that the old servant was spitefully bringing false charges. Perhaps ; therefore I do not quote his words: but it is not a false charge to offer a word of practical advice. "Now is the time for some of the authors to have their accounts examined thoroughly — not for the past half year only, but where they have been running some time, especially for any books that have had a great sale: every voucher " and every record of sales as the books have been sold to be seen." Perhaps something practical may be the out- come of this correspondence. The case is, as I  ## p. 209 (#221) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 209 have always pointed out, entirely in our own hands. It depends simply on authors being able to overcome their old prejudices and jealousies and to act together. If they show any power of common action, the battle is won at a single coup. For four reasons I did not send out " The Pen and the Book" for review. First, because the book was not written for the general public at all, but for the literary aspirant. Secondly, because a part of the book—that containing the facts and figures concerning the commercial side of publishing, are Greek and Hebrew to the reviewer, who will be quite prepared to believe the first publisher who tells him that they are invented—some of them are already beginning this little perjury; thirdly, because I think that it is time for authors to have a voice in the papers in which they invite a review; and, lastly, because I think it would be well in the case of a book which is certain to awaken all the old hostility to the work of the Society, to let the animus be shown in uninvited comments from those who love the secret profits, and the fine old vague talk about risk, and expense, and loss, to which we have been accustomed for the last six years. The hostility is silent for a while, then it breaks out again with the stale old allegations and distortions. For these reasons also I have not yet adver- tised the book. I shall do so after, not before, the first free flow of invective. Meantime, I may be believed by our members, I hope, when I state that I have not published this book with the desire of making money by it: that I am, above all things, desirous of seeing it read and studied by the class for whom it is intended: and that I can think of no better way than to get it into the free libraries. Therefore, since a very large number of these libraries have great difficulty in buying all the books they would like to have, I shall be very much obliged to the readers of these columns if they will send me the names and addresses of the free libraries in their neighbour- hood. I do not mean village libraries, but those of cities and town*. I propose, therefore, to set apart 300 copies, and will have them forwarded as presentation copies to the address given. If the member would like to give a copy himself, I can have it sent to him direct, and will leave it to him to give the library. I should like letters on this subject addressed to me at Hampstead, and in case of any considerable response I will undertake to have the books sent in order of application. As an illustration of the decay of the book trade, a circular has been sent to me by a correspondent in Bradford, Yorkshire. It announces the melancholy fact that one of the leading booksellers in the town is giving up the sale of books altogether. The firm says, in this circular: "Bookselling has been very unremu- nerative for many years past, and as we require the room for our quickly increasing stationery trade, we have decided to give up bookselling altogether." My correspondent adds: "There are 300,000 inhabitants in this city. There is not one shop now selling new books, and nothing else. And there is only one second-hand bookseller." Meantime it is nearly a year since the Pub- lishers' Association sent out its proposals and since the Society of Authors considered those proposals. Are they going to propose any new method? It must be remembered that the prin- cipal features of the former scheme were—(1) to tax the public by adding something like 11 per cent. to the price of a book; (2) to take an addi- tional twopence or so on a six shilling volume for themselves; (3) to give the bookseller an additional fourpence or so; and (4) to give the author nothing more at all. They also propose to strike at the root of freedom and independence by refusing to allow the bookseller to treat his own property as he pleases. These proposals, therefore, were rejected. In any new ones it is certain that the public must not be taxed ; that the booksellers' position must be improved; and that the publishers must suffer some loss. The authors will find out what that is, and take steps accordingly. It is, of course, too much to hope that the publishers will openly place the real figures before the authors and the booksellers. We must do that for them. The proposal that the author shall pay a certain sum of money towards the publication of his book is now, I am assured by the Secretary, becoming much more common with publishers than was formerly the case when reputable persons would not produce a book, or offer to produce a book, with such help from the author. To propose it would have seemed to show either a disbelief in the book or the poverty of the house. When the amount asked for is equivalent to the whole cost of production, or more, it means that the publisher may gain a great deal and cannot lose. A variant has lately appeared. 1 saw recently an offer which at first sight seemed quite " sport- ing." The publisher offered a royalty of 40 per cent. on the first 500 copies, and then 15 per cent.  ## p. 210 (#222) ############################################ 2IO THE AUTHOR. for all copies to follow. This seemed really noble! The royalty, if the book was a 6*. one, meant over 2s. 4d. a copy for 500 copies and iOjrf. for all following copies. Very pretty, indeed. What does a grumbling, greedy, grasp- ing Society think of that? Well, it meant a firm belief in the future success of the book, because the first royalty must mean a dead loss on 500 copies. Thus, for a tolerably large edition, costing with advertising is. a copy, or, say, .£150, after the first 500 copies, the publisher would lose .£130 approximately. After the first 1000, he would be a loser of .£65. After the next 1000 he would be a gainer of .£65. After the third 1000 he would be a gainer of £ 195. In every follow- ing 1000 the difference between the author and himself would be enlarged. You now see the true generosity of this offer. But, somehow, he distrusted his own proposal after all, for he supplemented it by a suggestion that if the author would kindly advance a certain sum on the cost of the book he should have such a number of the books sent to him as he could retail among his friends for the double. A hundred per cent. profit! Who could resist such a temptation Y And what a beautiful prospect of publishing in the near future opens out before us! We are to pay a publisher for producing the book (which is done by the printer), and we are then to sell the book ourselves. We shall have to hawk it about at dinner parties: in clubs: on the golf links: wo shall stand at church doors with the books in a basket: between the acts we shall offer it to the stalls: we shall insert an advertisement of the book in every private letter: we shall send slips describing the book to all our friends: we shall engage those who are near to us to join in this charming excursion into retail lines. There is no end to the dignity, the honour, the glory that awaits Literature when this nobleman—I must anticipate tlie distinction that awaits him—has succeeded in persuading authors to accept his proposals. Walter Besant. MILTON'S HOETON. BY common consent Milton is considered our second greatest poet, and therefore Milton's shrine (or shrines) should rank only second in interest to that of Shakespeare. Yet for a hundred pilgrims who visit Stratford- on-Avon there is not probably more than one who betakes him to Horton, or Chalfont, or even to Cripplegate. This is partly accounted for by the fact that all Shakespeare's life was connected more or less with Stratford; but Milton wandered much. Part of his youth was spent at Horton, in Buckinghamshire, and his latter days in London. He wrote" Comus," " L'Allegro," "II Penseroso," and, perhaps, "Lycidas" at Horton; and therefore it seems fitting that the literary pilgrim should think about Milton in the fields and woods of Buckinghamshire before seeking his more frequented shrine in the City of London. John Milton, the poet's father, was a scrivener in Bread-street, London, where his son was born; he retired from business, and went to live at Horton. Thither the son also retired at the age of twenty-four, and his pastoral poems appear to have been the expression of his peace and contentment in that rural home. This was after his scholastic life at Cambridge, and before his foreign travel and all the storm and stress which tossed him about in his maturer years. We could ill afford to lose the product of the five years passed so tranquilly at Horton. It may be true, as the late Mark Pattison remarks in his volume on Milton in the English Men of Letters Series, that this poet's love of Nature was chiefly academical; that he regarded Nature as he thought she ought to be regarded, and as the Latin poets had regarded her; that he did not look at her with the close and original observation of a naturalist or a painter; that he wrote of her from a subjective point of view, describing not so much Nature herself as the feelings which she awakens in one whose outer eyes are half-closed, and whose spirit takes in but vague suggestions. Yet, oven so, why not r< Nature's visible moods have been chronicled by many poets, of whom the foremost is Wordsworth; the influence of Nature reflected on the mind of a student and scholar has been exquisitely indicated by Milton. And what did he see at Horton which could suggest the lovely lines of his pastorals, and infuse into them a grace which makes them, even now, household words'? And what do we see when we visit the Buckinghamshire village, so near to the metropolis, yet so apart from the rush of life? It is practically the very Horton of the seventeenth century; a church, two or three gentlemen's houses, and a score of scattered cottages; its tale of deaths is about eight a year, and of weddings it sees about one in three years. We behold the very scene which Milton saw. Wraysbury Station is situated on the sluggish Colne, which is here utilised for a mill; there is a sound of water falling gently over a small weir, and a few feet lower all is placid again. From  ## p. 211 (#223) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 21 I the station we walk on a dusty unshaded road for the distance of a mile; on either side are ditches, banks, and hedges, revelling in all the riot of June; roses star the hedges, and privet thrusts forward its thick white fingers; forget-me-not and meadow-sweet nod above the still water in the broad ditch. Overhead in the fathomless blue the lark is shaking down his "delirious music "; the swallow skims over the field where men are lazily turning the thin crop of hay. We pass a weed-grown marsh, and, turning to the left, soon come upon the Colne again; here it moves another mill, of which the irregular out- buildings are reflected in the unrippled pool, making a pretty picture. A little further on and we are in the village, where even now the children drop curtseys to the stranger pilgrim. On the right is the red-brick lodge to the grounds of a modern private house which stands on the site of that occupied by John Milton, senior. Before building the present structure it was ascertained by the owner of the land that no vestige what- ever remained of the house wherein the great poet spent his only long spell of country life. On the left we come to the Five Bells Inn, so called, it is believed, because the inn is parish property and there are five bells in the church tower. At the time of the Queen's first jubilee there was some talk of adding another bell to the peal, but public opinion would not permit an act which would have rendered unintelligible the name of the old inn! A few steps further on is the church, the shrine to which we are travelling; that church in which Milton must have constantly worshipped. It is restored, and yet it is the ancient one; we enter, and the spirit of prayer is upon us. They should count themselves blest who can here worship with every surrounding of reverence and every privilege of devotion. Looking to the modern chancel, which speaks of frequent services, we see that the east window, newly placed there, is in memory of Milton. As to the fabric, it retains some most valuable features; the north porch is in the main a very ancient one, singularly wide; the door is set within an arch finely carved in rows of elaborate moulding. The interior, airy and spacious, shows us short, thick, Norman pillars; a massive stone font is also Norman, and has a cable mould- ing round the rim. As we walk about the church we see many stones beneath our feet commemo- rating the forefathers of the hamlet, and bearing dates of the 17th century. Just within the chancel is a dark grey slab of marble with this inscription: "Heare lyeth the body of Sarah Milton, the widow of John Milton, who died the 3 of April, 1637." In the lives of famous men we usually find that the mother's influence played a great part; but in Milton's autobiographical writings little is said of his mother. Yet, by comparing dates, we discover that immediately after Sarah Milton's death her husband and his family left Horton, and never again lived in the country except during the short and unimportant stay at Chalfont St. Giles, also in Bucks; it would seem that the charm of rural quietude was broken by the death of the wife and mother. The widower returned to the busy bustle of London; the poet son set off on his continental travels. Here, at our feet, where "the kneeling hamlet drains the chalice of the grapes of God," lie the remains of the mother of one of England's greatest poets; it is a spot which is, for every reason, very sacred to us. We leave the neatly-kept churchyard, littered only by rose leaves, and, passing through the lych-gate, proceed a little further into the village, noting the unfrequented roads and lanes sentinelled by elms, just as they were two hundred years ago. At one point a sudden opening reveals the grey outline of Windsor Castle, with its sturdy Bound Tower "bosomed high in tufted trees." To Milton's eyes that tower appeared precisely as it does to ours this day—the crown of the royallest of all royal residences in Europe. This gap which arrests us for a long gaze is exactly facing the front door of Horton Rectory, which we now enter. Here we find the typical English parish priest —the man of culture and courtesy, with the sur- roundings of a good citizen. The house is partly old and partly new—the old probably of anterior date to Milton's days. He may have sat dreamily in this quaint and beautiful garden hall, seeing the bright flowers in the garden, hearing the twitter of birds and the humming of bees. Oak beams support the ceilings, and oak panels face the walls. Over everything is the hush of midday and midsummer, and quiet talk about the past and about the poet seems wholly in keeping with the same. And we feel ourselves presently in actual manual touch with Milton's days, for the rector brings forth a thin volume which contains the register of the burial of Sarah Milton, three days after her death. True, it is but copied from an older register, but this book is dated only a little later than the poet's death. After seeing all that is to be seen, and, indeed, little remains in any way connected with Milton, we take leave of the hospitable rectory, and go out again among the pasture fields and waving trees, and stretches of marshy ground, and glimpses of distant blue hills, and all those un- altered features of Nature, who retains her youth and freshness as long as man leaves her to her-  ## p. 212 (#224) ############################################ 2 I 2 THE AUTHOR. self. The pilgrim returns to the city which was, after all, Milton's chosen home; and in his memory will long dwell the picture of the little tranquil village and the cool, silent church. Often in his later years of blindness and trouble the poet must have re-imaged to himself those same scenes—his father's house, his mother's grave. F. Bayford Harrison. Ventnor Villa, Weybridge. CORRESPONDENCE. L—William Black and the Saturday Review. TI THE story which you treat with some | scepticism in your "Notes and News" was one that our friend Black was fond of telling. Sir Wemyss Reid has stated that Black told him he brought out "A Daughter of Heth" anonymously because the Saturday had "slated" his previous novels. This was not a joke of Black's, but the literal fact. When the novel first came out Black and I were acting as assistant editors to Mr. Frank Hill at the Daily News. This work threw us, necessarily, much together, and I do not think anyone now living was more intimate with Black than I was in those happy days. He kept the secret of his book from all his friends, and I first knew that " A Daughter of Heth" was his when one night at the office he produced the paper with the favourable review, and showed it with a boyish glee at the "rise" he had taken out of his enemy. Of all our friend's literary triumphs, and they followed rapidly on the success of "A Daughter of Heth," not one gave him such un- bounded satisfaction as this. The three years or so that he remained with us at the Daily News after this recognition of his genius, were the golden days of his early and rising fame, and he never forgot the friends nor the events of that exciting time. May I also suggest that the statement "there were only two novels to 'slate '" in 1871 is not accurate. "James Merle" I never saw, but "Love or Marriage" and "In Silk Attire" were followed by "Kilmeny," and that by "The Monarch of Mincing Lane." I am not quite sure as to the order in which the last two appeared, but I think that if Black had put an author's name on the title-page of "A Daughter of Heth," he would have described himself as the author of "Kilmeny," which is the best of the novels of his earlier and unappreciated days. 1, Upper Woburn-place, P. W. Clayden. Jan. 5, 1899. II.—Type-writing as a Profession. Some members of the Society of Authors, who make it a matter of conscience, wherever possible, to help struggling people with work, may be interested in learning the system on which their typewriting will perhaps be done for them at certain offices. The manager of the office undertakes to type your work at, say, l0d. per thousand words. She also takes pupils in typewriting for three or six months, who pay her so many guineas as a premium. The manager takes your money and their pre- miums, and they do your work! It may be urged that there is nothing actually dishonest in this. The work is done at the price agreed, and the pupils learn to use, and have practice in using, a type-writer in return for the premium. But the net result is that your money goes into the hands not of the young women who type but of the astute manager (or more often manageress) who exploits them. Meantime, of course, offices managed on this system compete with the struggling individual typist, and as they not only pay nothing for their labour, but even are paid by their pupils for the privilege of doing the work, it is easy to see that the competition is severe. In order to combat this system I would suggest to members of the Society that they should, as far as possible, employ only typists who actually do their work themselves, and do not either farm it out (on the sweating system) to others, or, worse, use it as a means of getting premiums. In these hard times there are so many young women who type-write for a living, and find a diffioulty in earning a bare subsistence, that no one would willingly take the bread out of their mouths in order to enrich clever exploiters of other people's labour. T r r St. John E. C. Hankin. III. — Payment on Acceptance of Articles. I see one of your contributors brings a com- plaint against the Strand Magazine. I am un- connected with this periodical, and therefore know nothing of its justness; but there is one merit that the Strand Magazine possesses—in common, so far as my own wide experience goes, with but one other magazine, viz., the Woman at Home—for which it ought to receive the fullest praise. It pays on acceptance. Only the hardworking, modest contributor knows how much hardship and even suffering are inflicted by the unfair and unbusinesslike proceeding of the majority of magazines in paying on publication.  ## p. 213 (#225) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 213 Can any of your readers suggest any legal means by which pressure could be put on such periodi- cals P Penman. IV.—Forms Wanted. Considering the constant difficulties that occur between editor and contributor respecting pay- ment, may I suggest that the Society provide printed forms for sale to its members which shall express in polite and businesslike terms all that is necessary for an unknown author to say when offering his work for publication. Another suggestion I venture to make, i.e., that the Society grant to those of its members and associates who care to make use of it, the right to put some distinguishing initials after their names. I have found by experience that careless and unprincipled persons frequently respect the Society, and do not lightly trifle with its members when they know them to be such. If isolated authors were to address editors in a businesslike tone, or should they make their membership of the Society too evident, it might offend. A Well-Wisher. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. L 'Tis true that 'twas right to dissemble your love, But why did yon kick me down stairs? COULD any of your readers tell me where the above lines come from, and in connec- tion with what, if any, historical event or personage they were written? J. M. Lely. H. Will one of your readers kindly inform me which is the correct way to write this question: "Who am I like ?" or " Whom am I like ?" also which is the best way of expressing the following sentence: "She wanders onward by the hedge oblivious of his presence, whomsoever he may be," or " whoever he may be." Ignoramus. BOOK TALE. fl^HE most remarkable item of news this I month is the fact that Messrs. Methuen contemplate an interesting experiment in publishing. They are about to issue at six- pence, under the general title of "Methuen's Library of Fiction," stories by well-known authors of the day. A few books will be reprints, but most will be new works hitherto un- published in book form. The first book thus published will be a new novel by Mr. E. W. Hornung. Mr. Robert Barr and Mr. Cutclitfe Hyne will follow, and later will be published books by Mr. Baring Gould aud others. In some cases the book will lie published simul- taneously at sixpence and at a higher price. Messrs. Methuen say that they "recognise the inevitable tendencies of an age of cheap litera- ture. The theatre has its stalls and its pit, the railway its first and its third classes: so the novelist may well have a double audience, and, while the wealthy will still pay 6*. for their novels, those of limited means may purchase the same book in a decent but less luxurious form." Other examples of sixpenny books are two volumes of Lord Tennyson's Poems, which Messrs. Macmillan are issuing. The first will contain all the earlier poems and " In Memoriam," and the second will contain "Maud." Benjamin Swift's next book, entitled "Siren City," is virtually a study of Puritanism versus Paganism. The title refers to Naples, the scene being laid in the old Maddaloni Palace there. The first chapter, however, begins, and the last closes, in London. The work will appear during the spring. '. Accessory Before the Fact " is the title of a new book by Mrs. Leith Adams (Mrs. R. S. de Courcy Lafl'an), which Mebsrs. Digby, Long, and Co. are publishing. Dr. A. Conan Doyle is naming his new novel "A Duet with an Occasional Chorus." It is the story of the happy married life of a young couple of the middle class. It has not appeared serially, and it will be published next month. Mr. S. R. Crockett's story, "A Woman of Fortune," will be published by Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton. It has been appearing in monthly instalments in the Woman at Home. Miss Ethel Hynam is editing, for publication by Mr. Elliot Stock, a new series of folk tales entitled " The European Folk Tale Series." The collection will represent Russian, Mongolian, Slavonic, Polish, Bohemian, and Servian tales, each volume containing the tales of one country. The first, entitled "The Secrets of the Night/' contains examples of Esthonian folk stories, and will be illustrated by Mr. H. Oakes-Jones. Mr. Stanley's " Through the Dark Continent," is being published in eighteen sixpenny parts by Messrs. Newnes, by arrangement with Messrs. Sampson Low.  ## p. 214 (#226) ############################################ 214 THE AUTHOR. Miss Mary Deane has written "The History of the Family of Dean, Deane, and Adeane," which Mr. Elliot Stock will bring out shortly. An article on the poetesses of the day appears in the current number of the Quarterly Review. Mr. John Lane is about to publish in monthly parts an edition of White's " Selborne," contain- ing notes by Mr. Grant Allen and pictures by Mr. E. H. New. Mr. Edward H. Cooper has passed for press a volume of short stories entitled "Children, Race- horses, and Ghosts," which Messrs. Duckworth will publish this month. Mr. Cooper has also nearly completed a new racing novel called " The Monk Wins." He has in view a series of fairy stories for publication in November. The awards of the Academy for the best books of the past year are as follows: 50 guineas to Mr. Sidney Lee for his " Life of Shakespeare "; 50 guineas to Mr. Maurice Hewlett for "The Forest Lovers"; 50 guineas to Mr. Joseph Conrad for his " Tales of Unrest." It should be explained that the Academy's object in this enterprise is " to seek for promise, sincerity, and thoroughness in literary art rather than to acknowledge fulfilment." Only two books were "crowned " in the previous year, but the selec- tion this year proved such a difficult matter that three prizes were awarded. Mr. Wirt Gerrare, author of " The Warstock," is writing a historical tale treating of firearms on their introduction into Europe. The story is laid in France in the period of Jeanne d'Arc. Mr. A. H. Evans, of Clare College, is the author of the ninth volume of the Cambridge Natural History, in which he treats of birds, essaying "the difficult and apparently un- attempted task of including in some 600 pages a short description of nearly every form in very many of the families, and of the most typical or important of the innumerable species included in the large Passerine Order. Prefixed to each group is a. brief summary of the structure and habits." A volume of stories by Mr. Bernard Capes, entitled "At a Winter's Fire," will be published shortly by Messrs. Pearson. Mr. F. Carruthers Gould has collected for publi- cation in volume form his political and other cartoons that have appeared in the Westminster Gazette during the last two years. They number rorty in all, and the volume will be published from the Westminster Gazette office in two editions shortly before the opening of Parlia- ment. Mr. Castell Coates has sent copies of his "Fairy Book" to H.M. the Queen and to Princess Henry of Battenberg, which have been graciously accepted by them. Colonel H. B. Hanna will produce early this month the first volume of the "Second Afghan War; its Causes, its Conduct, and its Conse- quences," published by Messrs. A. Constable and Co. Mr. George Moore has re-written a large part of his latest novel, " Evelyn Innes," which was published in June last, in view of a new edition. The alterations concern the middle chapters of the story, and principally affect the character Sir Owen Asher. Mr. William Sharp has written a tragic romance, entitled " Silence Farm," and a volume of short stories, which will appear under the title "Sister Eunice." He has also nearly ready for publication two volumes of literary criticism, namely, " Studies in Contemporary Literature" and " From Delacroix to Whistler." A writer in the Daily Chronicle, by the way, suggests that Mr. Sharp and the author known as "Fiona Macleod " are identical. A mining story, by "Victoria Cross," will be published by Messrs. Walter Scott. It is called "A Girl of Klondike." Miss Florence Warden lays the scenes of her next novel in Scotland. The work has just been completed, and will appear under the title "The Love that Lasts." "The Letters of Robert Browning and Eliza- beth Barrett" will appear on the 7th inst., from Messrs. Smith, Elder, and Co. These two volumes contain the love letters of the famous couple. A library of copyright works of fiction is being issued for the colonies and India by Messrs Chatto and Windus. The first of the series will be " Infatuation," by Mrs. B. M. Croker, which was published a few weeks ago. This will be followed by Sir Walter Besant's " St. Katherine's by the Tower," and works by other authors. The volumes in this new series are to sell at half- a-crown. Miss Beatrice Harraden is calling her new story, which is to be ready in April, "The Fowler." The reference is to the passage in the Ptalms "Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler." The Rev. Dr. John Watson (Ian Maclaren) has finished his " Life of Christ." The Queen has been graciously pleased to accept a copy of Mr. William Toynbee's book of  ## p. 215 (#227) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 2'5 verse, "On Oaten Flute," which was published last month by Mr. H. J. Glaisher of Wigmore- street. The initial chapters of Mr. G. S. Layard's work on " Suppressed Plates" (of the legitimate sort) are now appearing in the Pall Mall Magazine. A curious experiment in translation by the same author will be found in the Cortihill. Mr. Max Pemberton has dramatised his "Kronstadt." THE BOOKS OF THE MONTH. [Dec. 23 to Jan. 23—208 Books.] Aitken, W. H. M. H. The Romance of Christian Work and Achieve- ment. Shaw. Anderson, J. W. The Power of Nature in Disease. 1/6 net. Simpkin. Andrews, W. (ed.). Bygone Church Life in Scotland. 7/6. Andrews. Andrews, W. (ed.). Ecclesiastical Curiosities. 7/6. Andrews. Annand, E. F. With the Tirah Field Force. 1/- Terry. Anonymous (*). Alone. An Introspective Work. 6/- net. Smithers. Anonymous (" A Gentleman of the University of Cambridge.") The Tale of Archais. A Romance in Verse. 2/6. Paul. Anonymous (Author of "A Desperate Remedy "). In Sackcloth and Ashes. 16. Stevens. Anonymous (0. T. M.). Sonnets. 2/6. Edinburgh: R. W. Hunter. Archibald, D. Weather Types in Relation to Long-Period For coasting. Eyre and Spottiswoode. Arkwright, J. P. Cablnet-Making for Amateurs. 2/6. L. U. Gill. Arnold, A. W. The Attack on the Farm, and Other Stories 6/- Wnlte. Arumugam, S. From Siva to Christ. 1/- Marshall Bros. Bagsbawe, J. B. Rosary Meditations. 1/- Oath. Truth Soc, Bailey, G. H. Advanced Inorganic Chemistry. 3/6. Clive. Bailey, L. H. 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Le Voleur. In the Tsar's Dominions. 6/- Hutchinson. Lichfield, Dean of. The Ritual Crisis. 1/- Longman. Lodge, H. Cabot. Story of the Revolution. 32/- Constable. London, Bishop of. The Position of the Church of England. 6d net. Longman Loney, S. L. Examples in Arithmetic for Schools. 3/6. Macmillan Lowry, S. C. Lessons from the Passion of Our Lord for Modern Life 2/6. Skefflngton  ## p. 216 (#228) ############################################ 2 l6 THE AUTHOR. Lowsoi), J. M Text-book of Botany. 6/6. Clive. Lydekker, R. Wild Oxen, Sh^ep, and Goats of all Lands. 10.V-net. R. Ward. McOabe, J., and Darien, ii Can Wo Disarm? 2/6. Heinemann. Mackenzie, M. M., and others, (eds.) The Yearly Supreme Court Practice 1S99. 20/- net. Buttcrworth. Mactaggart, J. Mackinnon and the Bards. Oliphant. Mantle, J. Q. According to the Pattprn. 2/6. Mirshall Bros. Martyn, Edward. The Heather Field and Macve. 5/- Duckworth. Masbt1, H. J. L. J. Gloucester Cathedral. 1/6. Bell. Mews, J. (ed.) 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Mathematical and Physical Tables. 7 6. Macmillan. Wyckoff, W. A. The Workers. The West. %j- Heinemann. Young, F. K, Grand Tactics of Chess. 15/- net. Low. Young, F. K. Major Tactics of Chess. 12,6net. Low. Zahn, T. (tr. by C. S. Burn and A. E. Burn.) The Apostles' Creed. 5/- Hodder. THE AUTHOE." SCALE FOR ADVERTISEMENTS. Front Page Other Pages Half of a Page Quarter of a Page Eighth of a Page Single Column Advertisements BilIb for Insertion £4 0 0 3 0 0 1 10 0 0 I5 0 0 7 6 per inch 0 6 0 per 2000 10 0 Reductions made for a Series of Six or Twelve Insertions. All letters respecting Advertisements should be addressed to the Advertisement Makaqeb, The Author Office, 4. Portugal-street, London. W.C. JVCr. J. Eveleigh JVfask. IrlTEl^ArpT AGBDT, AMBERLEY HOUSE, NORFOLK STREET, STRANO, W.C Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Author, Vol. 09 Issue 09 (February 1899) Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em>, Vol. 09 Issue 09 (February 1899) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101063829988" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101063829988</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1899-02-01-The-Author-9-9 publications The Author https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/326/1899-03-01-The-Author-9-10.pdf ae8a135cab6778f4a9fe659271e6827b PDF Text Text ���������������������������� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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) 1899-03-01 Volume 9 Issue 10 Pages Page range in volume 217–244 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 18990301 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin ^Tbe Hutbor. (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vol. IX.—No. i o.] MARCH i, 1899. [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 Seoretary 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 should be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent 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. FOB some years it has been the practice to insert, in 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 his true character, and should 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: (I.) Not to sign any agreement in which the cost of pro- motion forms a part. (2.) Not to give the publisher the power of putting the profits into his own pocket by charging for advertisements VOL. IX. 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 sides. 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 the chance of a success which will not, probably, come at all; but which may come. 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 for 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. A A 2  ## p. 218 (#230) ############################################ 2i8 THE AUTHOR, HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. i. INVERT member has a right to ask for and to receive t,J advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his business or the administration of his property. If, in the opinion of the Committee and the Solicitors of the Society, 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 Committee will obtain for him Counsel's opinion. All this without any cost to the member. 2. Remember that questions connected 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 bo 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 oountry. 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 Sooiety 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. NOTICES. THE 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 6s. 6d. subscription for the year. Communications for The Author should reach the Editor not later than the 21st of each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to communicate to the Editor any points connected with their work which 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 is 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 present location of the Authors' Club is at 3, White- hall-court, 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 this, 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 or dishonest? Of course they would not. Why then hesitate for a moment when they are asked to sign themselves into literary bondage for three or five years? "Those who possess the 'Cost 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 sums 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- LITERARY PROPERTY. I.—Canadian Society of Authors. ASOCIE l'Y of Authors has been founded in Canada. The chairman is the Hon. George William Ross, who has held office as Minister of Education, is a distinguished orator, an LL.D. of St. Andrews, and the author of "The History of the School System of Ontario," and other educational works. II.—Copyright in Holland. As many authors know to their sorrow, Holland declined to accept the provisions of the Berni- Copyright Convention, as a result of which there is a chronic war between that country and Germany. A Dutch publisher, however, has just been neatly scored off by Adolf Streckfuss, the  ## p. 219 (#231) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 2ig Oerman historian, in connection with his latest book, the "History of the World." No sooner had the first few parts appeared than he became aware that a piratical translation was being sold in Amsterdam. He applied to the publisher for some sort of honorarium, and received in reply a Dutch cheese, with a statement that the sender recognised no moral obligation in the matter. Next week the following advertise- ment appeared in the leading newspapers of Amsterdam: "For sale, the manuscript of the * History of the World' by Streckfuss, a fort- night before the publication of each part in Berlin." Scores of eligible offers came in, and the freebooter had to choose between losing his stock of the first numbers or outbidding his trade rivals. He chose the latter alternative, and the author got a handsome price for his book.—Daily Chronicle, Feb. 2. . III. —Copyright in Russia. The commission which has been engaged for some time past in revising the Russian Civil Code will, it is stated, lay very shortly before the Council of State a scheme for the protection of literary property, which has hitherto received but scant attention from the Legislature. The copy- right in any work will be vested in the author or his heirs and assigns for a period of fifty years. No limitation to the right of translating works published abroad by Russian or foreign writers is recommended, but native writers are secured the exclusive right to translate their own works for ten years from the date of publication, provided that they bring out a translation within the first three years. Very strong provisions are urged against the piracy either of Russian or foreign books, and it is recommended that the courts of justice should be empowered in assess- ing damage to reckon the extreme loss occasioned by such acts of spoliation.—Daily Chronicle, Jan. 19. -a r IV. —"A Curious Question." 1. In last month's Author "A Friendly Critic" discussed " a curious question" on the right of a publisher to claim the repayment of royalty he had paid to an author " on books sold," many of which books, possibly 100, having subsequently been taken back by him from a bookseller on the plea that the sale of the said book had ceased, and it had become dead stock—upon these books so returned the publisher claimed the repayment of the royalty on the ground that the books had not been sold. Let me reverse this order by sketching a picture of an equally lurid tint. I have recently acted on behalf of an author whose book in the market is of high repute and is published for him by an old London firm. Recently a cheap edition was issued, and, " for the convenience of the trade," the said firm took back certain copies of the higher-priced edition, but it gave no indication in the half-yearly statement of desire to be just by returning the amount of the royalty charged and paid on these returned books as "books sold." I therefore claimed the return of the said royalty, but the payment was refused on the plea that "the books had been sold, and had been so accounted for at the time." Upon this reply I at once gave instructions to the publishers that I would not allow another copy to be returned on account of the author; if so taken back it would be at their risk and cost. If authors would thus instruct their publishers, the publishers would be compelled very speedily to change their tacties on questions of royalty. An Author. 11. 8th Feb. 1899. On page 201 of last month's Author I see the following statement commenting on a case I put forward in The Author (page 151) :— "The curious question (and it is aptly called) amounts, then, divested of fatal generalisation, to this: If the book manages to sell again (or not, for that matter), shall the author refund the royalty on those twenty copies?" Those members who care to refer to page 151 will see that this is not at all the question, and never was the question, and that the com- mentator seems entirely to have misunder- stood the facts of the case. The point was not one of refunding the royalties. The author had been paid on copies sold, and as such was entitled to keep the royalties. The point of moral obligation referred to was whether the publisher had a right to sell the books which he himself had purchased back in priority to the books still remaining on which the author was entitled to a royalty. On further consideration of the matter, I am inclined to think that the publisher would have had no right to spoil the author's market for the benefit of his own pocket. Yours truly, G. Herbert Thring. V.—Cataloguing. During a series of years I have published a number of scientific—more or less—books. Possibly because I have striven to make them not "too clever" they have had a very fair measure of success, and I have received a modent  ## p. 220 (#232) ############################################ 220 THE AUTHOR. return for my labours. In my early and ignorant days, before the Society of Authors came to the rescue, I was fool enough to believe nearly all that publishers told me, and arranged for several of my books on half-share terms, without any stipulations as to "cost of production/' " adver- tising," "inspection of accounts," &c. The natural result was that these books were con- siderably overweighted, and, in addition to charg- ing an extra 15 per cent. for publishing, my kind friends added two guineas a year on each book for cataloguing. To use a country term, this "stuck in my crop " worse than the other over- charges, and recently, after many expostulations, this charge has been reduced one-half. My object in writing to The Author is to ask if a publisher can legally make a charge for cataloguing r' lie undertakes to sell your books, and he cannot do this without he issues a list of his wares, which is really part of his stock-in-trade. No other tradesman makes a charge for cataloguing what he sells; why, therefore, should "literary wares" be taxed more than any other';' Again, why do some firms charge 15 per cent. commission for publishing, whilst others of superior rank are content with 10 per cent.? Either one must be too little or the other too much. Another question I should like to ask is, Can publishers delay the issuing of a book for their own gain? I arranged with a firm to publish a book for me at a fair royalty, and they kept it on hand some months longer than they should do. On writing to them thereon, their reply was they were canvassing for special advertisements to issue with it. Perhaps they intend sending me part of the proceeds, but perhaps not. Although I am not entirely dependent 011 my pen—a good job, too, my best friends would probably say—I cannot refrain from thanking the Society of Authors for the light they have already let into " Darkest (Literary) Africa " ; and notwithstanding the assaults of the enemy from without, and I am afraid sometimes from within, they will take heart of grace from the good they have done, and keep pegging away till "those poor devils of authors " have succeeded in obtain- ing all they require, and what they intend to have, viz., justice. A Scientist—More or Less. VI.—Autobiography—Sir Arthur Sullivan. "But all this time my mind was set on compo- sition. I was ready to undertake anything that came in my way. Symphonies, overtures, ballets, iinthems, hymn-tunes, songs, part songs, a con- certo for the violoncello, and eventually comic and light operas — nothing came amiss to me; and I gladly accepted what publishers offered me, so long as I could get the things published. I composed six Shakespearean songs for Messrs. Metzler and Co., and got five guineas apiece for them. 'Orpheus with his Lute,' 'The Willow Song,' '0 Mistress Mine,' were amongst them. Then I did 'If Doughty Deeds' and ' A Weary Lot is Thine, Fair Maid,' for Messrs. Chappell. I raised my price for these songs, and sold them outright for ten guineas each. "I was getting on, but by this time I had come to the conclusion that it was a pity for the publishers to have all the profit. My next song, 'Will He Come?' went to Messrs. Boosey, on the understanding that I was to have a royalty on every copy sold. And, oh, the difference to me! I did very well with 'Will He come?' and never sold a song outright afterwards. After that I published 'Sweethearts,' 'Once Again,' 'Looking Back,' 'Let Me Dream Again," and many other songs, and these all brought grist to the mill."—M.A.P., Feb. 4, 1899. VII.—A Commission Book. There was a very simple agreement made by letter only. The author was to be liable for not more than .£30; the book was to be jiublished at 6*. There was to be an edition of no more than 500 copies. The publisher was to give the author 3*. for every copy sold; he was to take 10 per cent. on this sum, and was to pocket the difference between the trade price and the 3*. In other words, then, the average trade price being 3*. 6J., he was to take 6</. on every copy first, and 10 per cent. on 34-. afterwards—in a\\i)id. He was not to spend more than .£15 in advertising. Nothing could be simpler than this agreement. The following, however, was the account rendered: He charged for 750 copies instead of 500; he charged for binding 500 at 5rf., less a small fraction; he charged .£45 for advertising instead of .£15, as agreed upon. The sales were 379. He took his 10 per cent. on this item; he also charged, without agreement, 10 per cent. on the cost of production — the amount set down for which not being audited. On remonstrance he knocked off .£23 from the advertisement bill. What the amount ought to have been, if the bill was honest, was a cost of .£60 and sales of .£53, leaving the author with a loss of .£7. What the account was as stated was a cost of ,£78, against sales of .£53, leaving a loss to author of ,£25.  ## p. 221 (#233) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. TEE PEN AND THE BOOK. I.—The "Athen^um." THE following is from the Athenaeum, of Jan. 21: In his new volume, " The Pen and the Book," Sir Walter Besant renews, with more violence than ever, the attack on the publishers to which he seems to devote much of his time. Formerly he used to say there were exceptions, but now he inculcates upon the literary beginner that publishers are thieves. "Thievery," in fact, he prints in capital letters. No doubt the publishers, as we remarked at the time, gave Sir Walter a great advantage when they allowed the committee of their association to issue last summer a series of draft agreements that no sensible author would dream of aooepting; but the abase heaped upon them in the fifth chapter of Sir Walter's book is quite undeserved, and will create in young authors an absurd prejudice against the honourable men of the trade (and they are the vast majority), and it will be bitterly and justly resented by them. It is impossible to argue the general question with Sir Walter, for his notion of reply is to repeat in stronger language what he has already said; but it is really neces- sary to point out, now that he has denounced as thieves most, if not all, publishers, great as well as small, that he ought to give exact details of their thefts, accompanied by the names of the thieves. It is not fair to keep on openly bringing charges without making an effort openly to sub- stantiate them; and much as we believe in Sir Walter's honesty of purpose, we think that unless he will do so, open- minded people who are willing to hear both sides will cease to pay attention to his polemics. The writer says that I "call publishers thieves." He qualifies this statement later on, by saying that I denounce "as thieves, most, if not all, publishers." I have looked into the book for any words that might justify this charge. I can find none. So far as I can discover it is a sheer invention. I say (p. 201) that "many publishers, including someof thegreat houses,have madeit their common practice to take secret percentages." "Many publishers." This is literally and exactly true. The proofs are simple. They are (1) the exami- nation of accounts. (2) The extreme wrath of these gentry at the disclosure of real estimates. (3) The impudent denials of the accuracy of these real estimates. (4) The repeated charge that the estimates have been invented. (5) The fact that the Publishers' Committee in their new draft agreement claim the actual right to charge what has not been spent (!) Now,I have repeatedly laid it down as an axiom, as plain as any in Euclid, that he who tells his partner that he has spent £120 when he has not spent £100, putting the overcharge secretly in his pocket, is a Thief. And everybody agrees with me. 2. The " undeserved abuse'' spoken of in the fifth chapter of this book is the renewed exposure of the claims and pretensions of these "draft agreements," together with certain warnings to the inexperienced. I have looked through the chapter carefully, and find nothing to alter. 3. The threatened "resentment" (of the persons concerned in defrauding their partners) may be "bitter." It cannot be more bitter in the future than it has been in the past. Yet we survive. 4. When a society, daily occupied with the administration of literary property, finds it neces- sary to publish such books as " The Methods of Publishing" and the "Cost of Production ": and to expose, month by month, trick after trick, it requires some courage to state, even anony- mously, that the "vast majority " of publishers are "honourable " men. One would like to know on what experience, and on what data, this state- ment is made. It may be that the writer's expe- rience extends over a longer time and a wider area than my own. If this is not the case I prefer my own opinion, which is not that ad- vanced above. 5. He calls for "details of the thefts." What details can be given except those advanced in the publications of the Society? 6. He calls for names. Just so. Does he know what the Law of Libel means? Is he aware that it is not enough to justify a statement. and that damages may be awarded, even when the libel is proved to be perfectly true? If one were a millionaire the luxury of giving names might be afforded occasionally. After all, the Society's method of publishing the exact details answers quite as well, because it instructs the persons concerned, and probably prevents a repetition. The claim for the production of names is, of course, a stale old trick, because the write r must know perfectly well the impossibility of it. II.—" Literature." Thu treatment of the book by Literature is as fair and honourable as that by the Athenxum is one-sided. A long correspondence has been carried on from week to week. Writers on both sides are allowed a fair say and fair space to say it in. It is to be observed that no publisher in the correspondence has hitherto signed his name: that no serious statement has been seriously met: that, especially, the charges of secret profits are either evaded or ridiculed: that the " method of the future " has been shown by perfectly indepen- dent witnesses, two of whom sign their names, to be practicable, and proved to be practicable: and that the first and most violent attack was met with unqualified denials not only by myself, but by Mr. Thring. When I have on my side the great name of Herbert Spencer: when I have the experience of Professor Spiers: when I! find  ## p. 222 (#234) ############################################ 222 THE AUTHOR. tribute after tribute to one part or auother of the book: when I cannot find one publisher who is willing to traverse any statements seriously, and with the responsibility of his name and without misrepresentation, I ought to be satisfied with the general opinion. In all these controversies there is always to be found the author who knows nothing of the questions at issue, or who cannot understand them. In this case Mr. Edward Cooper plays this distinguished part. He actually believes that to proclaim his own satisfaction with his treatment by publishers is to settle the question. He has received so much for his last novel: he therefore concludes that he has been fairly treated. I am not for one moment pretending that he has not been fairly treated, but a man who calls his publisher an upright and honour- able man without the least knowledge of what the publisher makes for himself by the transaction, has no right to speak on the question at all Let him content himself with his own satisfaction and his own confidence. They will make him happy, even if his publisher is a Barabbas. III. There was a second part of my letter to Literature which, I submit, should be submitted to all our readers, because it contains a most important corroboration of my statements: "I have consulted Mr. Or. Herbert Thring, secretary and solicitor to the Society, on the above points. He appears to be in accord with me on every one. I subjoin my questions and his answers. I do this because it is a common trick to represent these facts and statements as mine only. They have been, on the contrary, pub- lished in the Society's paper by a responsible committee, by a responsible secretary, and by myself—the Editor of that paper. Also the secretary and the chairman of this committee do obtain a knowledge of the whole field, which no single publisher can arrive at. "These are my questions and Mr. Thring's reply: "I. 'Have you ever seen a profit-sharing agree- ment which contained a clause giving the author the choice of printer and binder, and the printer's estimate?' "Answer: I have never seen such an agreement. "II. 'Is overcharging a notorious practice?' "Answer: I have seen many accounts of the cost of production, in which the amount charged was considerably higher than other estimates from well-known printers. "HI. 'Are charges for advertising in a pub- lisher's own organs common, and could they be defended?' "Answer: In the past I have known them fre- quently made. I am glad to say they are not so common now. Legally, of course, a publisher can only charge the cost of type-setting and paper for advertising in his own organs. "IV. 'Do deferred royalties generally mean greater profits to the publisher than to the author?' "Answer: This is certainly the case. As a general rule, the royalties are deferred until the sale has covered the cost of production, and then a royalty is offered at an exceedingly low rate. "V. 'Are publishers' fees charged on commis- sion agreements?' "Answer: This is a very common practice. "VI. 'Are percentages charged on the items of account?' "Answer: This is also a common practice. "VII. 'Is it the custom for the author to be consulted as to the medium for advertising ? * "Answer: No; in rare exceptions the author is consulted, but I have never seen any clause in the agreement which bound the publisher to consult the author. "VIII. 'Do publishers "care not a rap" for commission business?' "Answer: I know a great many publishers who take up work of this kind. "IX. 'Is a charge for bad debts not un- common?' "Answer: It is not uncommon. I know pub- lishers who do make this charge in their accounts. "(Signed) G. Herbert Thring. "Jan. 16, 1899. "The reader may not understand the objection to 'bad debts.' It is this: The accounts are made up at long intervals, annually or twice a year, long after the books have been paid for. The amount actually realised is set down. The 'bad debts' therefore, if charged separately, may be charged twice over. "The ' Publisher' speaks about possible losses. This is a red herring drawn across the scent. For the author has nothing to do with a pub- lisher's loss. The latter takes up a book at bis own risk—if there is any risk. He need not do it. The best publishers are also the most careful about admitting doubtful books. The author contributes his time: his work: his skill, art, or genius. That is his share. The possible loss is the publisher's. As a fact, there are hundreds of writers scattered over the whole field of literature whose works do not carry any risk at all. "The author has to consider as the chief point in the agreement what will happen to him in case of successs, not of loss. This is a very important point, constantly confused by talk of risk, loss, one book paying for another, and similar stuff.  ## p. 223 (#235) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 223 Questions about the figures and the printing, happily, can be dismissed with a very few words: "The ' Publisher' states: "(1) That the size of the book is not given. "Everybody must understand by the number of words to a page, by the type, and by the number of sheets, what size is spoken of. "(2) That printers' and binders' charges vary. "Quite true. I have given a great many estimates for this very reason. "(3) That there is no allowance for correc- tions. "On the contrary. There is a distinct and care- ful explanation of what corrections mean. This passage was submitted to a printer in order to get it stated accurately. "(4) That advertising is not included. "More than two pages (pp. 151 —153) are devoted to an explanation of what advertising meant, an addition to the cost. "(5) He objects to the statement that 'cloth for binding is bought in large quantities' because, he says, publishers do not buy cloth. He says that binders do. Exactly: and if a large order is given a reduction is made. What does it matter whether publishers or binders lay in large quantities so that the reduction is effected? I am sorry to take up the space by answering objections so futile. "(6) The main portion of the letter is an attack upon the figures I have given. "These figures, I have stated plainly and unmis- takably, are not my figures. I do not invent printers' bills: they are more difficult to invent than plots for novels. The figures are estimates —actual estimates—which have been given to me. If they are wrong, it is the printer's business, not mine. But as books are every day printed on these estimates, I am justified in setting them down as working estimates. Let your readers understand clearly that the inability of this writer, or anybody else, to procure estimates so low has nothing whatever to do with my book or the actual estimates given therein. "(7.) He attacks the ' Method of the Future.' "I do not think this excursus into the future —his brief vision of the future—needs much in reply. The 'method' has been followed by some writers for a good long time, quite to their own satisfaction. "I shall have great pleasure in giving you two or three of the better known, but I am not at liberty to publish them. I would remind or inform your readers that the draft agreements of the Publishers' Association last July considered this form of publishing on commission, namely receiving the book bound and ready for distribu- VOL. IX. tion, as one of the methods to be provided for. It is, therefore, not the new thing which your writer would make out." W. B. PARIS NOTES. THE death of Adolphe d'Ennery, at the ripe age of eighty-eight years, has robbed the French melodrama of one of its most popular and prolific dramatists. For six months previous to his death, M. d'Ennery had lived in complete seclusion; but, although he belonged both in style and spirit to an earlier generation, his popularity with the masses remained intact. His more refined and aesthetic confreres of the present day were not always so indulgent; highly-cultured critics of the Theophile Gautier type severely criticised the productions of the favourite dramaturgist of the illiterate public; hriXimxxt fin-du-sibcle reviewers uselessly expended whole bushel loads of sarcasm and counsel on him. D'Ennery invariably turned a deaf ear to their remonstrances, contenting himself with rapidly producing play after play, and reaping a golden harvest thereby. His talent was decidedly not of the highest order, but it was essentially marketable — the Hebrew strain in his blood showing itself forcibly in the " cool-headedness" of all his pecuniary transactions. He wrote for the multitude, not for the cultivated few, his aim being to acquire wealth and fame by pleasing the majority; and the measure of his success may be estimated by the fact that he has given the Parisian theatre upwards of 280 plays, and that he died possessed of a fortune estimated at from 8,000,000 to 10,000,000 francs (^320,000 to ^400,000), in addition to an important pottery collection bequeathed to the State. So numerous were his successes, that to mention even the names of the most prominent would mean the citation of over a hundred titles. And this success—to his honour be it said—was legiti- mately obtained; for, during the seventy years in which he untiringly devoted himself to providing a theatrical literature suited to the appreciation of the bulk of his audience, d'Ennery resolutely refrained from pandering to the lower tastes of the multitude. Among the sixty collaborators who aided him at various periods of his career in his Herculean labours may be mentioned Balzac, Emile de Girardin, Alexandre Dumas, Anicet Bourgeois, Plou-ier, Eugene Sue, Frederic Thomas, Bourget, Clairville, Crcmieux, Cadol, Jules Verne, Henri Chabrillat, La Eounat, and Felix Duquesnel. That M. Victorien Sardou's dislike to notoriety does not prevent him from actively protecting his B B  ## p. 224 (#236) ############################################ 224 THE AUTHOR. own interests when necessary is shown by the following incident, narrated by the Figaro, h propos of the recent revival of his "La Tosca" (Theatre Sarah Bernhardt). When this famous drama was first performed in 1887 its success was seriously compromised by a morning paper, the Gil Bias, having previously given a full analysis of the piece, thereby materially lessening the eff- ct of certain scenes on which its author had especially counted. M. Sardou immediately sued the paper, and gained his cause a year later, when he had almost forgotten the whole affair. In summing up its decision, the Premiere Chambre du Tribunal (presidedover by President Aubespin), affirmed that no paper had the right to divulge the narrative of a play previous to its first per- formance, since such a proceeding constituted a real damage to the author, in that it might seriously interfere with the success of his work. It is thus to M. Victorien Sardou's prompt action in 1887 that French dramatists are indebted for the legal recognition and protection of the rights they enjoy to-day. M. Jules de Marthold has dramatised M. Coppee's well-known novel "Le Coupable," and its first representation is expected shortly. We are glad to be able to state that M. Coppee's health is now completely re-established, and that his long-promised " Souvenirs de Jeunesse" are really under way and proceeding apace, which fact undoubtedly rejoices the heart of M. Plon. For the latter gentleman, having scrupulously regulated the usual contract of brains versus cash between author and publisher, was naturally anxious to receive his wares as speedily as pos- sible. But the Fates and Muses were both against him. Last July, M. Francois Coppee went to Laugzune, a solitary village on the Breton coast, with the full intention of recording there the greater part, at least, of his youthful memories. But the combined attractions of the bright sun, warm air, and myriad voices of nature, proved too much for the poet; he could not work, and, after a brief interval devoted to dolce far niente and out-door existence, M. Plon was politely informed that the expected volume would not be ready before December. This month found the poet prostrate at Paris, suffering from a relapse of his former malady ; among minor griefs, his favourite cat had died during his absence—and again the "Souvenirs " were delayed. It is to be hoped no further illness, or unforeseen occurrence, will intervene a third time between their final conclu- sion and publishing. The invidious attitude—half nonchalant, half disdainful—of the French public and critics towards female talent is especially noticeable in the various reviews and critiques which followed the appearance of Mme. Jean Bertheroy's new book, "La Danseuse de Pompeii."* Though a well-known critic affirms that the former refusal to take anything a woman did au serieu-x may now be ranked among the prejudices of the past, his own article bears evidence of a secret reluc- tance to praise unstintedly a woman's work underlying his conscious recognition and admira- tion of an undoubtedly good production. But, in the end, his sense of justice triumphs over his reluctance; and in summing up the " Danseuse de Pompei" as "a feminine work written in a masterly style," he hits the right nail on the head, for what is this dual alliance save one of the recognised attributes of genius? Delicately feminine in its fine observation, poetical render- ing of minor details, and close knowledge of the subtleties of a woman's heart, it is essentially masculine in its concise, nervous style and breadth of imagination, allied with marvellous historical accuracy. In depicting the young dancer Nonia vowed from her earliest years to vice, and awakened by the passion for Hyacinthe, the young neophyte vowed to Apollo, to a con- sciousness of the sacrednes and purity of true love, Mme. Bertheroy has chostn no new theme; but her treatment of the subject is so masterly, her style so pure and classic, that, despite our- selves, our imagination and heart are captivated by the pathetic and simple romance of the little Pompeian dancer. That the times are troublous, that party polemics are increasing in virulence, and that cir- cumstances largely influence men, is probably the threefold reason of M. Alcanter de Brahm's resolution to publish shortly a book entitled "L'Ostensoir des Ironies." The announcement of his intention, however, would have received scant attention but for an ingenious advertisement. He has discovered (stand abashed, oh! ye shades of great grammarians) that our modern punctuation is lacking in a. most necessary adjunct, viz., the "point d'ironie." His book is to be adorned with this newly-invented period, which is reported to bear a vague resemblance to a tiny whip—the whip of satire, one journal terms it. Its origi- nator affirms that this period is as necessary as the interrogation mark, since many a barbed arrow misses its goal through inattention on the part of the reader. Personally, we have not found the Parisians lacking in a vivid appreciation of the mildest form of sarcasm, especially the sarcasms printed in their neighbours' news- papers, and the result has not always been par- ticularly agreeable to the English residents in * Erroneously given in onr last article as " La Dame ce Pompeii."  ## p. 225 (#237) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 225 Paris. We have not yet been informed whether, in the event of a duel arising from a sarcasm which might have passed unnoticed if unmarked by the "point d'ironie," M. de Brahm considers the combatants should be armed with whips in lieu of pistols. Among the publications of the month, two books stand apart — the one by virtue of its quaintness, the other by its pithy, senten- tious wisdom. The first, "La Chanson des Choses," by M. Jerome Doucet (ed. Henri May) is a volume of poems; but what poems! Surely never before has poet inclined his ear to listen so closely and appreciatively to the voices of such a vast assemblage of inanimate lifeless objects. He endows each article with a clearly defined existence and personality; the absinth which takes a malicious joy in recounting the ills it occasions; the subtly-distilled perfume which daintily vaunts its own ethereal, impalpable essence; the mandoline whose cords vibrate with anger at seeing the singer receive the homage it deems its due; the jovial pot-au-feu agreeably conscious of its own importance at social functions, the plaintive weathercock, " sad perch' for the black raven," lamenting its own wearing away; the ponderous pendulum moving to and fro in regular order like two brave soldiers of the line; the caustic mirror, the humble pavement, and a numerous array of similar articles, each in turn are presented to the reader, and acquaint him with their rhythmic joys and griefs. In addition to its intrinsic merits, the various artists whose society M. Doucet affects have rendered the work a true Edition de luxe in illustrating and illuminating it with original drawings, etchings, and water-colour sketches, reproduced in every imaginable fashion. Among the artistic corps therein represented, we find the names of MM. Maurice Leloir, Edouard Detaille, Puvis de Chavannes, Mme. Madeleine Lemaire, Jules Lefebre, Jean-Paul Laurens, and a host of other fin-du-siecle celebrities. The second book, above alluded to, is " Nuances morales" (ed. Lemerre) by M. Valyere. A delicate fineness of observation and terse originality of thought make themselves felt in the apt concise phrases in which the author has chosen to garb his ideas. We open the book at random and straightway fall on such pithy reflections as the following: "Aimer, c'est montrer a la douleur ou elle peut f rapper.—L'homme coupe et dechire. La femme decoud, en enlevant jusqu'a la trace des points.—Arriver a propos, c'est une chance; s'en aller a propos, c'est un art.—Les gens froids ont l'avantage de ne pas varier comme les autres: au moral, comme au physique, la glace conserve.—II faut etre Ires jeune pour prctendre dire des choses VOL. IX. definitives.—On n'aime vraiment bien que les amis dont on est fier." We make no attempt to translate these and similar phrases well worthy of notice, having no desire to incur the censure of the irascible critic who likened the generality of translators to clumsy bunglers who drew the stopper from the wine-bin, thereby permitting the finer aroma and flavour of its contents to evapo- rate in the vain attempt to appreciate the liquor. M. Paul Meurice is now busily engaged in correcting his new volume, " Choses vues," which is expected to appear in March. Among other interesting matter, it contains the staple of Victor Hugo's daily conversations with Louis-Philippe in the "forties," at the epoch when the great French writer, then "pair de France," assidu- ously frequented the Tuileries. It is from the ample notes left by the latter that these dialogues are compiled. By a curious anomaly, all memoirs, biographies, and autobiographies con- nected with the Royalties of the nineteenth century have a ready sale in Republican France, as—to cite two instances among many—the popu- larity of M. Maurice Leudet's "GuiJlaume II. intime " and (more recently) " Nicolas II. intime" testifies. The literature relating to the Napoleonic era is, likewise, largely patronised. The national adoration of the great French conqueror is now an established cult; and amongst the most talented of the writers who celebrate the glories of that heroic age may be mentioned M. Georges d'Espartes, recently nominated chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur—of whom a compatriot re- marked, "Ce n'est pas un homme, c'est une epopee." M. d'Espartes boasts, in addition, the unenviable distinction of being the smallest man in his native province of Gascony. The committee of the cite Rougemont (Doubs), presided over by the well-known Academician M. Henri Houssaye, has decided to found a new lite- rary society, entitled " l'Encyclopedie de la Societe des gens de lettres." All knotty questions, proble- matic phrases, words or terms requiring explana- tion, &c., will be brought before the society, whose members will then mark the subjects they desire to undertake. Should more than one member elect to elucidate a given subject, the committee will decide on whom the duty shall devolve. The "Encyclopedic de la Societe des gens de lettres" already numbers eight hundred prospective members, each of whom has a speci- ality, being either poet, novelist, philologist, teacher, philosopher, military writer, historian, or savant; and every article written for the society will be printed under the signature of its author, who alone will be held responsible for its contents. The benefits of such an association are self-evident; it will probably be eminentlv suc- B B 2  ## p. 226 (#238) ############################################ 2 26 THE AUTHOR. cessful, since it recognises and provides for a long-felt want. M. Pierre Loti's eastern trip his not vet come off. The latest news received of him is that he has returned to Rochefort, rue Saint-Pierre, where his family have dwelt for generations. He intends to embark shortly on one of the mail steamers of the Extreme-Orient line, but declares himself unable to decide his ultimate destination. He will go whither the fates and the caprice of the moment lead him—" to Persia, perhaps; if not, elsewhere." At one time it was reported on good authority that M. Loti intended to land on the shores of the Indus, remain several weeks at Cabul, and from thence proceed to Teheran; and this is probably still his intention, if no adverse current or fair face intervene to lure him from his destined route. At any rate, the ques- tion will be satisfactorily solved when he gives us his promised volume of Eastern impressions. The " Femmes Nouvelles " and " Les Troncons du Glaive" of the brothers Margueritte have not yet been given to the public. Domestic cares, in- cluding the refusal of the Seine tribunal to grant the divorce demanded by M. Paul Margueritte, are accountable for this delay. The two brothers are now travelling in Italy with the children of the elder, and are reported to be busily engaged in pushing forward the works above cited. Differing entirely in outward appearance and character, the affection existing between the two Marguerittes is most touching, and truly " passeth the love of women." If the quality of the Dreyfus literature were on a par with its multiplicity, it would merit more than a passing notice; but, unfortunately, such is not the case. And now party polemics and journalism are likely to be more virulent than ever, owing to the changes brought about by the new election to the Presidency of the French Republic. Dakracotte Dene. FROM THE AMERICAN PAPERS. THE proposal to issue sixpenny novels in England has evoked an interesting com- mentary from a Boston correspondent of the New York Times. Contrary to the view entertained by the firm of publishers who are about to introduce the system, this writer states that any bookseller of even moderate experience knows that the sale of the more costly edition of a book will be diminished by the appearance of a cheap edition of the same book. An excellent American house publishes cloth and paper editions almost simultaneously, charging 4*. for one and 2s. for the other. There are a few persons who dislike paper covers, but their number diminishes yearly, most buyers preferring the economical course which allows them to buy two books in paper covers for the price of one in cloth. Moreover, they want paper-covered editions of everything, from the classics down to the newest copyrighted novel. Concerning this, however, it will be obsei ved that while the American writer speaks of books published at 4s. and 2s., the proposal of Messrs. Methuen is to issue novels simultaneously in 6s. and 6d. editions; and it is obvious that so far as quality of paper, binding, and appearance go, there must be a greater difference between the two latter than between the two former. He proceeds to state that, although the number of books sold has increased immensely both in the United States and in Great Britain, the average price and the average profit were never so small as now, and both grow smaller. "There are still readers who value books more than money, and pay for them wi lingly; there are still superbly honest, honour- able publishers who resist all temptations to descend to the newest devices for obtaining the thirty pieces of silver without seeming to betray and abandon all Christian teaching, but nobody encourages either the honest reader or the honest publisher. The dishonest reader calls the first a fool and the second a miser. The dishonest publisher hates the first, and does his best to ruin the second. The evil of which both are victims has its sources beyond and below litera- ture and the trade in literary products. Its name is avarice." The writer publishes the following conversations—which are not manu- factured, but "are transcribed from notes made in an excellent shop "—to illustrate the demand for the " paper-cover" in America: 1. Customer.—Have you " Isabel Carnaby "f Salesman. — "Concerning Isabel Carnaby "? Yes, Madam. Seventy-five cents. C.—Oh! I don't—want—that! Doesn't it come in paper? S.—Yes, Madam; there it is. C.—I suppose it's jnat the same as the other? (Suspi- ciously.) Is it just the same? Do you know that it is just the same? S.—Yes, Madam. C.—Then why is it cheaper? But I'll take it. I'm not going to pay seventy-five cents for a book! (Exit with the air of one who teaches valuable lessons to young men.) 11. (Time, early in 1897.) Customer.—Have you " Quo Vadis" in paper covers? Salesman.—No, Sir. C.—Great mistake! Book ought to be within reach of everybody. What is the price of the cheap edition? S—There is no cheap edition. C.—No cheap edition? (Exit, speechless.)  ## p. 227 (#239) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 227 in. Customer (wearing the best of English clothes and worth, watch and jewellery included, at least 800 dollars as he stands. He addresses the salesman confidentially)—Er— when is Lord Roberts's book going to appear in paper? Ten dollars is too much for one book! Salesman (not confidentially, but cheerfully, being young and fancying that he is doing a favour).—There is a cheap edition now, T50 dollars; cost you 1 '88 dollars. Customer.- -Can't waste money, yon know! I'll wait for the paper! (Departs to join the band waiting for paper " Bismarcks," "Forbidden Lands," and" Ave Romas.") IV. Charitable Dame.—Is this the Prayer Book and Hymnal counter? Salesman.—Yes, Madam. (He surveys an array of about two hundred styles, and wonders what counter she thought it was.) C.—Well, you see, I have a olass of po-oo-or boys in Sunday school. (Pauses.) S.—Yes, Madam. "C.—It's a ve-ry poor class! S.—Yes, Madam. Er-very-er-kind of you! C. (rapidly).—And I thought as I shall want a large quantity—there are five of the boys—you may give me a special discount on tbe paper-covered editions. It's for charity you know and Christmas and at this blessed season we all want to do something. S.—Yes, Madam. Delighted, if we could, Madam, but we don't carry paper-covered Prayer Books and Hymnals, Madam. Might try and 's. They have 'em —if any one does! (Customer goes.) Charity! The American newspaper publishers have pre- sented to the American members of the Joint High Commission and to Congress a statement asking that a policy be adopted which shall protect American forests by securing a revocation .of the present duty on print paper and pulp from Canada. This memorial, which is presented officially through the American Newspaper Pub- lishers' Association, discloses a somewhat striking condition of the paper trade which will be inte- resting to England, as the paper-makers of England have lately passed through a period of critical competition against cheap paper from America. The memorialists state that the honest intentions which originally induced the estab- lishment of the tariff duty on paper and pulp have been perverted to further the purposes of a recently formed corporation, the International Paper Company, and that every newspaper publication in the country east of the Rocky Mountains has been placed at the mercy of that corporation. The statement, which was pre- sented on Jan. 30, continues :— Within the last week we are advised that the Inter- national Paper Company has acquired fourteen additional mills, representing the plants of three large concerns, and that it is negotiating for three other properties, which represent all the output from the independent mills in the territory east of Michigan. In view of the fact that the International Paper Company is. selling its surplus paper in England, Australia, and Japan, in successful competition with Canadian, German, and Swedish manufacturers, and in view of the important point that the International Paper Company is protected by reason of its proximity to its customers to the extent of an average of 1 °6o dollars per ton, and by reason of its ability to obtain cheaper and better supplies of coal and chemicals, we fail to see the occasion for giving sanction to its abuse of governmental protection. The International Paper Company is a combination of twenty-four mills (sinoe expanded to thirty) which has been capitalised at 55,ooo,ooo dollars. The entire product of this large combination could be duplicated with modern and better machinery at less cost per pound upon a capi- talisation of 15,ooo,ooo dollars. In gathering together its assortment of mills the paper company acquired every available spruce tract where cheap timber could be had and every large water power, with one exoeption, where substantial competition might otherwise be established. This object was easily attained, because our spruce supply is being exhausted at the rate of 17,000 square miles per annum. The memorial then points out that no suc- cessful competition with the International Paper Company is possible in the United States under existing circumstances, the trust having acquired all the possible facilities of paper production. "A tax on newspapers," they remark in con- clusion, " operates indirectly, as did the stamp tax of Europe, to suppress newspapers. It is a tax of 2,000,000 dollars per annum on in- telligence, a tax on popular education and on political knowledge." The whole episode is another illustration of the power and extent of the trust system in the United States. A good deal of attention has lately been given to the work of a new American humourist, entitled "Mr. Dooley in Peace and War." In this book Martin Dooley, saloon-keeper, Chicago, talks in a quaint dialect and most amusing fashion of such subjects as the recent war, the police, labouring men, and ward polities. The author of the work is Mr. F. P. Dunne, a Chicago journalist. NOTES AND NEWS. THE Joke Market in America appears to be in a condition of great prosperity. According to the Writer of Boston, jokes are in large demand. Those who supply jokes profes- sionally are increasing in numbers and in wealth. There are between 150 and 200 writers of good jokes in the States. As regards the character of the demand, it is interesting to read that " two- line jokes sell best: the short, crisp dialogue is in fashion: 'printed' paragraphs can always command a price: puns are not wanted." A regular method is pursued by the Worshipful  ## p. 228 (#240) ############################################ 228 THE AUTHOR. Company of Joke-makers. It is described as follows: Professional joke-writers bave a regular system for offer- ing their jokes to editors. A good way is to send out the jokes in packets of ten or a dozen at a time, typewritten on slips—perhaps three inches wide and eight inches long— which are bound together by brass paper fasteners at the left-hand side, and perforated about an inch from the left- hand margin, so that any joke may be easily torn out. Sheets of ordinary typewriter paper should be kept on hand, perforated, ready for use. The jokes should be type- written on these sheets, which should afterwards be cut into slips and made into a little coupon book by using brass fasteners. Only one joke should be written on any slip, and the writer should put his name and address on each slip, preferably with a small rubber stamp. Two brass binders should be used, one at the top and one at the bottom. When jokes are offered in this way, the editor can easily tear out what he wants and send back the rest. The jokes returned may be made up into a new book and sent to another editor, and so on, until all are sold or proved un- saleable. Care must be taken not to offer the same joke twioe to any editor. A great many letters have been received charging editors in general terms with neglecting to return MSS. or to answer letters. I have already more than once stated the case briefly for editors. I do not believe that this special charge can be fairly made against the general body. I should like to impress upon those who complain, that editors, particularly of the more popular magazines, are literally overwhelmed with MSS.: that it is difficult to cope with the great mass of MSS. that are sent in; that delays, therefore, must be expected. It seems to me that general experience points to the fact that most editors, especially of respectable magazines, are courteous in their replies and as prompt as can be expected in their judgments. I would call attention to the tribute of recognition paid in these columns to certain papers who pay on acceptance. 1 think that if proprietors or editors of magazines understood the enormous boon they would confer on accepted contributors by forwarding a cheque at once, the practice would become widely extended. As it is, when payment is only made on publication the editor is tempted unconsciously to accept more than he is able to use, while the contributor waits, hoping against hope, till he is heartsick at the delay. It is announced in another column that a Canadian Society of Authors has been founded. This should be good news if the Society take, as may be expected of them, a right view of the situation and its requirements. By far the most important point to keep before our eyes is the maintenance of an International Copyright, especially, and above all, between the nations of the Anglo-Saxon race. There are now six nations of the race. It is imperative in the interests, pre- sent and future, of these nations that they should have their current literature, as they have their past literature, in common. A return to the villainous old system of protection and piracy is certain to work infinite mischief to all these nations. We want a free and open publication of books and papers written by natives of all these countries: we want freedom of production everywhere: it is in the highest interests of literature that this freedom should exist: it is also in their commercial interests. If, for instance, Canada were to repudiate her share in Inter- national Copyright, it would undoubtedly lead to the ruin of her own authors, who are small in numbers, however good in quality. Piracy, when it was legally possible, ruined American authors. Piracy would ruin Canadians. We trust that this new Society will be a great and active influence in the maintenance of the true interests of literature. "We are informed that the Publishers' Association invited the Society of Authors to confer with it on the draft agreements it drew up last summer; but the Society declined the invitation. We do not at all like the agree- ments, but the Society should not have declined to discuss them in a friendly spirit. Perhaps it would have converted the Association to our view." This paragraph appeared in the Athenseum of Jan. 28, and the statement was repeated in the number for Feb. 18. I referred the matter to Mr. Or. H. Thring, and have received the follow- ing reply: "It has been stated in the Athenseiim on two occasions—on the latter in its issue of Feb. 18—• that the Society of Authors refused to confer with the Publishers' Association regarding the agree- ments published by that body. It is impossible to let such a statement go before the public with- out a direct denial. When the Society heard that the publishers were about to advance these agree- ments, the secretary wrote asking if they would kindly forward them to the Society's offices for criticism in The Author. The agreements were forwarded in due course, as no doubt the Associa- tion knew that they must come to the office in a very short time. No overture was made by the publishers either before or during the settlement of the agreements or afterwards, when they were sent to the Authors' Society, asking the Society to confer with the Publishers' Association on the subject. It wasonly after my criticisms and your own had appeared that one of the members of the Association in an unofficial manner regretted that such overtures had not been taken, but stated that " he though it was now too late." Whether or not the Society would have accepted such overtures is an entirely different matter, the settle-  ## p. 229 (#241) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 229 meat of which must have rested with the com- mittee; but one point is quite clear, namely, that the statement made in the Athenaeum, from whatever source obtained, is without foundation." Observe, that this attack upon the Society follows close upon the attack on my book, in which there is nothing that has not been already advanced or sanctioned by the Society. One naturally asks whether a paper, called by some the "leading" literary journal, should, in common decency, take a side against those who work in the interests of literature. One asks whether literature really means advertisements. And one asks, besides, whether it is the author or the pub- lisher who creates the literature which is adver- tised. I have long been of opinion, and am now much more decidedly of opinion, that authors must claim and demand a voice as to advertisements. In a profit-sharing agreement they should have a voice both as to the amount to be spent and the organs in which the advertisements should appear. In a royalty agreement or in a sale outright they should have a veto only. In the same way they should have a veto in the sending out of press copies. The veto and the voice could be rele- gated to the Society, where a list of papers could be kept in which a book should be advertised, and of papers to which it should be sent for review. It is needless to point out that this simple assumption of power would at one step enormously raise and strengthen the position of the author. They would choose between literary papers for advertisement and for review. And that step would certainly make literary journals more careful about attacking the interests of literature and more guarded in depreciating and misrepresenting societies or writers who maintain and defend their interests. I shall begin at once to ventilate this question, and I invite members of the Society, and authors generally, to consider this question and to favour us with their views. "The Pen and the Rook" was not sent out for review. My intention was that members of the Society should have the first opportunity of reading it, and that, before sending it to the press, I should have the benefit of their private opinions and criticisms. Now, as the Athenaeum has noticed it without having a copy sent, the question arises whether it is necessary to send review copies of any book to a paper which evidently does not want them. Other papers make a condition of having a book sent to them. There- fore if we want tht-ir reviews we must send copies of the book. But the Athenaeum kindly notices the book without having a copy at all. Therefore —I call attention especially to this point—it seems mere waste to present a copy of any book to this paper. If 6000 books are published every year at an average trade price of 4*. each, that means ;£i200 a year thrown away and wasted. This is a large sum of money, which might j ust as well have been saved and the books themselves sold to the public. Walter Besant. FEUILLETON. A SECOND-CLASS NOVEL. ENERAL GRAYLE was a hard, resolute, I nr sensible man, and he was a disciplinarian by inclination and training. He had a family of four sons and three daughters; and William Grayle, who was the youngest son, and the cleverest lad, was articled to a solicitor when he was seventeen. William detested the solicitor and the office and the Law, but none of the young Grayles thought seriously of gainsaying the General, so William cast about in his mind for a means of proving to his father that he could make money without the law's aid, and to this end" Dennis O'Hara "—who was William Grayle now out of his teens and commencing his twenties—wrote a novel. He bestowed a great deal of pains upon it, but when it had been rejected by four leading firms of publishers he was very much discouraged, and put the manu- script aside. By this time he was out of his articles. Then General Grayle caught a heavy cold, which developed into bronchitis, and, as he angrily refused to "coddle," he died after a week's illness, and four months later his sons received .£6000 each from the executors appointed by his will. William asked himself anxiously what he was to do with the money. It was his ambition to live in the country and hunt; but there was no possibility of doing so on the interest which .£6000 would safely bring in, and to spend the capital would be madness. He could not con- quer his aversion to the Law as a profession, so there was nothing for it but to put his capital and his energies into some business which might bring in big profits rapidly. And then an idea occurred to William Grayle. Why should he not enter a publishing firm, and learn what sort of books really do sell, and why a mysterious, insuperable obstacle seemed to stand between hard-working Dennis O'Hara and publication, which was Dennis's only means of advancement? So Mr. William Grayle attended smoking con- certs assiduously and was introduced in due course to half-a-dozen journalists and a couple  ## p. 230 (#242) ############################################ 230 THE AUTHOR. of novelists, and he asked questions in a quiet way when he saw his opportunity. As the result he confided his purpose to a literary agent, but requested him not to reveal the identity of Dennis O'Hara and William Grayle. Four months later William became the junior partner of Mr. Albert Guddle, who had recently severed his connection with the well-known firm of Gunning, Guddle, and Hooker, and had estab- lished an independent publishing business. Grayle learned a great deal—a very great deal —in the course of the next three months, and then Dennis O'Hara sat down in his club one night and wrote a short letter to Messrs. Guddle and Grayle, to whom he despatched his manu- script novel by parcel post the same evening. On the following morning when Mr. William Grayle entered the senior partner's room to talk over various matters of business he found Mr. Guddle listlessly turning over the pages of O'Hara's manuscript. "I say, Grayle," Mr. Guddle began in a dis- contented voice, " Belfer's ill, or says he is" (Mr. Belfer " read" for the firm of Guddle and Grayle) "and here are half-a-score of manuscripts. It's a waste of time to keep them hanging about. Seven or eight of 'em have been all round the trade already, as I can see by the edges. You might just glance at the first few pages and the last chapter, Grayle, if you can find time, and then keep 'em a week or ten days and send 'em back with a form unless you see something that strikes you as very extraordinary. But here are a couple that may be worth something. Here's a Christmassy kind of yarn by Miss Bookham. Rather short and trucky, and it's been serialised, and no doubt it was built for a girls' serial, but it might do for one of our Christmas books. Good aunts, you know, give her stories to their nieces. And she's not an agency woman, so I daresay we can get her cheap. And then there's this thing by a man called O'Hara—never heard of him. He writes a fist rather like your own," Mr. Guddle continued, pointing to the manuscript, "so perhaps you can read it; for I can't get on very well with it. I wish these unknown authors would get their stuff typewritten. Anyhow, the manuscript is clean and looks pretty new, and it would be a pity to let a good thing slip." "I'll read it with pleasure," said William Grayle. Ten days later he presented to Mr. Guddle a report on O'Hara's novel. It was a favourable report on the whole, but Grayle believed that it was just; for he was a proud young man and •onscientious in his way, and he would have pre- ferred to remain unheard all his life rather than obtain a hearing by unduly vaunting his work. With the report he handed the manuscript to Mr. Guddle. The senior partner read the report attentively. "H'm, not bad," he remarked, and then he raised the manuscript in one hand and judged its weight. "It's rather a slab," he said. And then he began to speak of other matters, and did not revert to the subject of O'Hara's novel at that season. But a month later, when Mr. Belfer had been at work again for some little time, Mr. Guddle mentioned the matter once more. "Belfer's had a look at O'Hara's novel," said the senior partner to Mr. Grayle, " and his report is more favourable than yours. He likes the stuff. You mustn't think, you know, Grayle, that I don't rely on your judgment, but you aren't in the writing line yourself, and you haven't had anything like Belfer's experience. I've read a good deal of the yarn myself. It's g- .! solid work, though I'm not inclined to think it will set the Thames on fire. However, it's safe, and I'm disposed to take it as a second-class novel." "What's that?" asked Mr. William Grayle, with genuine interest. "Well, you see," replied Mr. Guddle, "I do about twenty of 'em in the year, and they go to pay salaries, and postage, and so on. There are the books you push and boom if you can. Those are the first-class novels. There's and there's ; as you know, we publish for both. Some- times there's a lot of money in it, as you've seen; but they're both big pots and both agency men, and of course the agents know pretty well what's in a book to a fraction, and they see that the author gets a jolly big suck at the orange. That's their interest. I don't blame the agents, as men of business; naturally they want a big turn- over to take their commission on and a paying clientele, and they're quite right to get both if they can. But agency is death on the grand old profits that there used to be for us, Grayle, and it's a fact that out of three books I published for , I lost over one. A thumping advance, you know, on account of a 25 per cent. royalty rising to 275 per cent., and only the English volume rights. Well, the second of tbe books was overweighted, and I lost—not much, but still I lost. So it's a speculation, and publishing for the big men means hard work and anxious work sometimes; and you've got to make the small fry help to pay staff expenses and bring in sums that are more or less trifling but certain— no risk, no worry, and no hard work. Now, O'Hara is just that man. And he's not an agency man, so if we offer him a deferred royalty after, say, 500 copies, the chances are he'll take it.  ## p. 231 (#243) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 231 "I don't quite understand," said Grayle. "Surely if a book's go,,d enough to publish it's worth pushing." "Oh, certainly, to the extent of 75001' 1000 copies," replied Mr. Guddle, "but not beyond, unless it's a safe sale from the very first. And, taking them in the lump, it would mean a loss to push these minor works beyond that. Every now and then, in the lump, you get a book that has a much bigger sale in it, if it were pushed; but ordinarily, if you were ti put .£20 or .£30 extra into advertising a minor work and a lot of time and energy into shoving it along—well, you wouldn't do what I call really satisfactory busi- with two out of three. So the best thing is to clump 'em in altogether, regard 'em as safeties, and deal with 'em all in the same way. The quality of this yarn of O'Hara's will get it an easy sale of 750 copies in England. I never stint my second-class books unduly, and I'll spend .£10 in advertising—I'll spend that in cash. I'll have 1000 copies printed, and I'll bind 250 at once and the rest as needed. I may sell a few to the colonies and a small edition to America. But no expense, mind me, after the first 1000; no taking moulds—it's wise but strict economy that does it with second-class novels, Grayle. Liberate the type and go on to the next. The book will cost me from .£80 to .£85 all told, and it will bring in .£120 or £125; I can make sure of that, Now, if I had to pay the author a royalty of a shilling a copy on the published price of the six shilling edition, and to account to him for 750 copies, it would cost me £37 10s. to settle up with the author, and where should I be unless I pushed the book? And then it wouldn't be a safe second-class novel. But if I pay him 10 per cent. on the published price—and mind you, Grayle, that's generous; it's the published price, not the price to the trade; and he must be told it's generous, for we might like to see his next—well, if I pay him 10 per cent. after 500 copies, and pay him on 250 or thereabouts, he'll get about .£7 j0s., and I shall do very well indeed. And it'll be better for him," added Mr. Guddle with a .chuckle and a wink; "won't lead him into extra- vagance, or make him think he can live by author- ship, and if he comes here with another book, he'll come in a proper frame of mind. Why, some smallish firms live entirely by publishing second-class books in this way." "But isn't it just a tiny bit hard on the author?" asked William Grayle dryly, "to be oondemned to a kind olfiasco beforehand?" "My dear Grayle," said Mr. Guddle, " I set up in business as a commercial man, not as a philan- thropist or art-patron. I carry on my trade on the usual business principles; I make as much money as I can, where I can, and how I can. I give an author as little for a book as he'll take. Hang it all, if a man wanted to sell you houses or horses or dogs, you'd get 'em as cheap as you could, wouldn't you Y It's the vendor's look-out; if he's got any sense he knows how business men deal. And it's a competitive world, Grayle, and either you can make a fortune in this business as a commercial man, or leave it alone and drop out and see others do it. Well, we're giving a lot of time to a second-class novel. Will you write to this man O'Hara and offer him 10 per cent. on the published price after 500 copies have been sold?" "Oh yes, of course I'll make the offer," answered William Grayle. "Oh—and look here, Grayle," Mr. Guddle resumed, "Belfer thinks there may really be something big in the novel, so we'll just snap up the copyright under a clause of the agree- ment. Every now and then you get hold of a book that booms itself. So instead of making it a licence to us to publish and reserving the copyright to the author, we'll make the cession of the copyright to us the consideration for which we pay the 10 percent. Twig? O'Hara won't understand the wording. Perhaps it's a woman; let's hope so. And if he or she con- sents to that I'll change my mind and we'll speculate to the extent of having moulds taken. The book may prove a property, and it's as well to look all round the deal. But I'll dictate the form of agreement. And now let's go on to something bigger." When Mr. William Grayle had left the senior partner's room and closed the door behind him, . he stood still for a moment, then he shook his head and sighed sadly. Two days later Mr. Dennis O'Hara declined with thanks the offer of Messrs. Guddle and Grayle, and the manuscript was returned to the author. "There are always plenty of second-class novels about,"' said Mr. Guddle. "We'll wait for the next. I expect O'Hara has been talking to some agent." "Perhaps he has," said William Grayle. Molecule. THE LITERARY AGENT. OWING to the increase in the value of literary property, and the universal dis- trust of publishers as a class, a second middleman, in addition to the publisher, has sprung up of late years, namely, the literary agent. And as the literary agent is supposed to  ## p. 232 (#244) ############################################ 232 THE AUTHOR. be doing well, there threatens to be a run upon the profession. With the influx of new men will follow certain dangers against which it is well to warn our readers. That the literary agent fills a useful place, and in many cases is absolutely essential, cannot be denied by anybody who has property to be administered. In the same way as people who have large estates are forced to employ agents to manage them properly, agents who understand all the business connected with such property, so the author with a property, large or small, has also the need of his agent. Many and necessary are the warnings which have been given in The Author as to the dealings of authors with publishers. It is necessary, now that the authors' agent is rapidly multiplying, that some precautions should be observed with regard to the dealings of authors with the managers of their property. No author, to begin with, should employ an agent without having thoroughly reliable informa- tion as to his honesty and as to his capacity in placing authors' MSS. before editors and publishers. Such information can only be obtained either from a friend who has had jiersonal experience, or from the Society of Authors. If an author then decides to employ an agent, he should be as careful in entering into an agreement with him as he would be in entering into an agreement with a publisher. In fact, as the relation between an author and his agent is exceedingly confidential, an author should be even more careful as to his agreement. It should be further pointed out that, although an agent may have had considerable legal experience in the matter of drafting publishers' contracts, yet an agent is not, as a rule, a lawyer, and that, there- fore, it is not advisable for an author to accept an arrangement put before him by an agent without some further advice as to the desirability of the terms contained in the contract. It has been stated that certain agents take money from publishers in return for placing books with them. No proof of this allegation has yet been discovered, and one hopes that the thing is the invention of an enemy. It is needless to say that such a practice would be the most flagrant breach of trust. It would be exactly as if a solicitor was to take money from his client's adversary as well as his client. It is possible, again, that a case such as the fol- lowing might occur: An agent is exceedingly busy with the works of many authors. It is important that he should get some of them settled and off his hands at the earliest possible opportunity. He therefore in a moment of carelessness advises an author to accept such terms as would not be on the whole satisfactory in their result to the author. This is an exceptional case, and is one which is not likely to occur frequently; but the point still remains that the author cannot be too careful about what agreement he enters into, whether such agreement is put before him by the publisher, or by the publisher through his own agent. The mere question of the financial terms of an agreement is by no means the only one which should be looked into. In some cases the control of the property is even of more importance to the author than the financial question. The warning must therefore be repeated that an author cannot be too circumspect as to the agent he deals with, and as to the contract he has with that agent. The following letter is published because it illus- trates the necessity of an agreement, if only to escape misunderstandings: "Your remarks concerning the possibility of disagreement between author and agent suggest to me the propriety of offering myself to your ridicule or your sympathy by a brief relation of my own conduct. "An agent is no more to be trusted than a publisher, and to suppose that any agency — necessarily having its own axe to grind—can take the place of the Authors' Society is manifestly absurd. "My own case, briefly stated, is as follows: I had an agent, and I trusted him implicitly. I say 'he' as a matter of convenience, but there were several of him, and some of him were clever and kind, but one of him was something unbusi- nesslike. In my first interview I asked what were my agent's terms. The answer was ' 10 per cent. on all sales effected by us.' This seemed all right, and I thought an angel and an agent were the same, so I did not consult the Authors' Society, as I should have done, and consequently no written agreement was signed by my agent and me. "My agent sold a few things advantageously, but he muddled my affairs in one or two ways. Thus, a religious story was ordered of me by an American journal for young people, and at the same time I was asked to write a story for a lively London journal. My agent sent my pious tale to the lively journal and my society story to the Young People's Magazine. Both stories were of course rejected, and by the time the mistake was rectified it was too late. Since then I have had no orders from either paper. "At the end of the year I found that I had lost considerably by the agency, so I decided to sever the connection. My agent agreed to this. Then he sent in his account. I found to my dismay that he had not only charged the i 0 per cent. as well as out-of-pocket expenses, but had made a charge — and a rather high one — for  ## p. 233 (#245) ############################################ THE AUTHOli. 233 unsuccessful efforts to place other stories, a thing never mentioned between us, and in itself a con- tradiction of our agreement as to payment by results. I protested; but he was able to enforce his charges because he had in hand certain moneys of mine. "Also I found that I had pledged myself to pay a percentage, not on a year's profits, such as is charged by house agents and the like, nor on the profits of any number of years, but on all receipts accruing through time and eternity from MSS. placed by my agent. So that, however good or however bad may be the sale of those books, my agents have for ever a charge on my profits of 10 per cent. "I hope all this is clear. It will be seen from my weak trust in a verbal agreement that I am no business man. But there must be other authors not more discerning, more crafty, than I. To t,uch I would say: (1) Engage no agent without the Society's advice; (2) engage no agent without a written agreement; (3) sign no agreement without consulting the Society; (4) remember that a literary agent is just like a publisher in that he makes his living out of authors; therefore be sure that you know exactly what he means to take, and whether it is also what vou mean him to have." Z. This letter reads like a comment on the pre- ceding remarks. All the difficulties, in fact, arose from the absence of a written agreement. Had there been a written agreement the author would have understood that, in taking over the management of the book the agent undertook to make the best of it, taking the commission as the money came in, as long as there was anything to be made out of it. Also he would have understood that the agent did not profess—it is not usual for an agent to profess — to hawk about literary wares from house to house unsuccessfully for nothing. It is quite common for an agent to charge at the outset a certain fee, which is returned in the case of success. As for the mistake between the lively and the religious papers it was tragic, but one would like to hear the other side before accepting it as a proof of muddling. Did the author make it quite clear, on the outside, because agents do not read MSS., which was intended for the lively, and which for the serious, paper? The moral of the letter is that without a written agreement these misunderstandings are inevitable. With an agreement they should be difficult, if not impossible. BE ONE AND NOTHING ELSE. IWAS immensely astonished, on reading the January Author through from end to end— a thing I invariably do when it manages to reach me—to see, just on the last page, myself quoted as an instructor of literary youth. I never imagined that anyone would come across my obscure "confession." The advice, "If you can beg, borrow, or steal as much as .£50 a year, cut yourself off from everything and write," has rather a reckless and immoral ring about it, and I should like to correct or justify it a little. For it is an advice to parents and guardians as much as to debutants and debutantes. The desire to be an author is as palpable an itch as the desire to run away to sea. It can be nipped in the bud sometimes, but the advisa- bility of doing so is always a moot question. Vagabonds and authors are born and not made, "and like the merlin cheated by a gleam," as your New Zealand correspondent beautifully and appositely puts it, they will soar into the fierce light sooner or later. Their wings may be of wax, in which case they will have a heavy fall; but the fall itself will be the best blight to a wrong ambition. My opinion is, give them their head—both of them. My own original impulse as a boy was to go to sea; I was actually appren- ticed, when my parents opposed, and I went into the Civil Service instead. But what is the result? I have become both a vagabond and an author after all. There is a story in the Christmas number of the Sketch, by Dr. Macdonald, which also illustrates the matter; the young man had a hard time, but Dr. Macdonald became an author. In trying to be an author a young man or woman will find their level, and even if they fail, their efforts will probably have been as good as any other beginning in showing them the way, and giving the opportunities, to adapt themselves to a more suitable profession. On the other hand, as you point out in your preface of „ The Pen and the Book," authorship is now just as good and respectable a profession as the Church or Medicine, and worth having a try at. In the first place, then, to parents, I give this advice. If your son or daughter wants to write, allow them JE50 a year and three years to try in. You cannot apprentice them to any other profession for less, and they will learn a lot about the world which will serve them in good stead if they fail in literature. They may become editors or pub- lishers, for instance, a business as good as shop- keeping; or literary journalists, which you may be sure they will not do if they are fitted for more active pursuits.  ## p. 234 (#246) ############################################ 234 THE AUTHOR. Secondly, to young men between twenty and thirty, who, after being put in the wrong grooves at the start, think they can be authors. If you have got no money or rich relatives, you have no choice; but if you have got either, I repeat, chuck up everything and write. .£100 can be made to last you two years, and that will be long enough if you are already a man. Mr. Le Gallienne once talked about "the paltry .£250 a year" which a millionaire could so easily spare to patronise a poet. If a man feels he needs this income for writing he probably has mistaken the profession of literature for the profession of society. .£50 a year is enough; £100 a year is comfort. You only want a little attic at .£ 12 a year, and tea and bread and bacon at is. a day, or say £20 a year, and one old suit of clothes and an overcoat. This still leaves you £10 for tobacco and the gallery of a theatre and a penny paper. When I said "cut yourself off from everything " I was thinking particularly of society. The society which requires a clean shirt and a tall hat will not benefit your work. I presume, of course, that you have had enough "experiences," have seen enough "colour," to provide you with copy for your trial. If not, you must earn your living in some more usual way until you /tare " copy." Believing that you can write implies that you have something to write about; that you have been in love or seen the world. This is your wealth; the rent and food money is merely the broker's commission on your investment. You mean to speculate on your brain-wealth; then do it thoroughly. Precept without example is nothing; the only example a man knows is himself, and since I have already, when I thought I had done with literature, made a humiliating exhibition of my- self, I shall do so again. Hereby I convey my first maxim: never go back on yourself. If you commit a folly, bluff it out; it is your follies which mark your character, and by your cha- racter you must stand or fall. Never act; never try to be other than you are. Practise self- control, especially in writing to publishers and papers; but when you have made a mistake do not repine, do not think that you have irretriev- ably belittled yourself, but let your dead blunders be incentives, be stepping stones to things of better fame. In the same way with your work; teach yourself by failure. Keep before you unceasingly the ambition of success, and never allow the disgrace of an idiotic or con- temptible book to deter you from wiping out its shame by a better. There is room in the world, and time in life, for many blunders, and in litera- ture, as in business and in war, one victory con- dones a thousand defeats. Here I am using myself as example—I hope an encouraging example. I have made a notorious exhibition of myself both in politics, in literature, and in society; but I cast these follies behind me and present myself again, determined to retrieve them. Besides the blunders of conceit there stands before most of us the damnable crevice of poverty. I again offer myself as an example of persistence. I will no longer go back on myself and ape, as I have long done, the secure suffi- ciency of a man of means. My sufficiency is myself now, and it is better than money. Six years ago I embarked on literature with a capital of .£15, and managed to place four books. Twice I was driven into slavery by need, and I have calculated that exactly three years out of five were taken up with the sordid troubles of mere living. A year ago I could stand it no longer, and left England, believing myself finally defeated. After six months of vagabondage, with a capital of £5, I came back as near to the market as I could beat, and wrote another book. I did not seek work; I practised my gospel of living on my capital and writing. The capital being small the living had to be exiguous and the writing hard. I spread the 25 dollars over two months, and wrote my book in that time, fiuishing almost to the miuute on Christmas day. You see, then, that if you have fifty pounds and "copy " you are a millionaire; lucky, indeed, if you have an allowance of .£50 a year for three years. And yet it means at a maximum but a capital of .£200 to save a man from three years of absolutely barren and heart-breaking waste and experiences which render his work morbid, pessimistic, detrimental! Here am I, at the age of thirty, after publishing several books and stories, stranded high and dry in ruined health, trying to hold together till the tide turns and floats me again, through no vice, inaptitude, or lack of diligence I swear, but simply because I have never been able to get two consecutive years of assured living. I repudiate any suspicion that I am asking for help; 1 have stood by myself long enough to stand by myself to the end. But I know the reason of my poverty has from the beginning been the contempt of my relatives for the profession I have adopted, and I give myself as a warning to other parents who obstinately condemn their sons and daughters to go through a similar experience. Although I am averse to logrolling, and have never had a " paragraph " in The Author during a membership of some years, I shall take the liberty of referring you to a second instalment of my "confessions" in the January number of the New Century Review.  ## p. 235 (#247) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 235 It shows how the writing itch prevails over all resolutions of abandonment, and gives also, I think, a good hint how to isolate yourself and seek health and copy at the same time. In conclusion, I will say this. Whether I shall turn the corner this time remains to be seen; but for the encouragement of the faltering I declare that, although my noviciate of hardship has been prolonged beyond the two and beyond the live years, I am still perfectly happy, and confident, if my precarious health lasts out, of ultimate success, and more assured to-day than ever that if I had been able to " stick to writing and nothing else " from the beginning I should by this time have been earning a "respectable living." On the other hand, always supposing I live long enough, I shall probably rejoice in my disap- pointments later on; for I have this to add—and it is a sort of warning also—that whereas six years ago I thought I knew everything, was a full-grown man, I only now begin to see how little of life I know. But if any of you should happen to have read my book " Max," which I wrote just four years ago, you will see a marked difference between my despair then and my con- fidence now. You will discover that your own literary ambition is far more tough and tenacious than you think. If you have got it in you, you will get there—never fear. At the same time, it is foolish to waste your youth in bitterness if you can go straight forward from the start, and cruel of parents to force j on to. Julian Croskey. P.O. Ottawa, Canada, Jan. 30, 1899. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. (See The Author Feb. 1899). I. IBEG leave to recommend the " Cyclopaedia of Practical Quotations," by Hoyt and Ward. According to that work, p. 87, the lines alluded to run thus: Perhaps it was right to dissemble your love, Bat why did yon kick me down stairs '< The reference is given to J. P. Kemble," The Panel," act i., sc. 1. Walter W. Skeat. The lines quoted by Mr. J. M. Lely may be found in at least three places, and, apparently, without any interchange of acknowledgment. They appear in Debrett's "Asylum for Fugitive Pieces," Vol. I., p. 15; and in John Philip Kemble's play " The Panel," act i., sc. i., Kemble has clearly borrowed and altered the lines from what may be claimed as the original source, Isaac Bickerstaff's comedy, "'Tis Well it's no Worse." They form part of a song, and the full quatrain, as usually given, runs: "When late I attempted your pity to move Why seemed yon so deaf to my prayers? Perhaps it was right to dissemble yonr love, Bnt why did you kiok me down stairs?" James M. Graham. [Edith Charlton Anne and E. C. Ricketts also- send replies, which are in similar terms to the above.—Ed,] I am strongly reminded of some lines of Heinrich Heine: Das Schworen in der Ordnung war, Das Beissen war iiberfliissig. This passage is quoted by George Meredith in chap. iv. of "The Tragic Comedians," where we find a most eloquent dialogue between hero and heroine—Alvan and Clotilde. The chapter bristles with fine thought, and of these special lines repeated by Alvan to the lady Mr. M- calls them " a verse that speaks of the superfluous- ness of a faithless lady's vowing bite," translating them thus: The kisses were in the course of things, The " bite" was a needless addition. JX—"Who Am I Like?" . The verb " to be " governs the nominative case; thus, "who am I like ?" is correct, the "am I" being present tense of the verb "to be." Most verbs govern the accusative, thus, anolher rendering of the question could be "whom do I resemble?" Next question—" Whomsoever he may be " is wrong ; it should be " whosoever," the " may bo" being the subjunctive mood of the verb "to be." _ Grammar. III.—Wanted, Instructions. 1. "Forbears" is frequently used when "forebears "—i.e., forebe-ers—is evidently meant, and that even in literary journals. No doubt the printer is in fault. 2. Some educated people are in the habit of using the verb "infer" in the place of "imply." Surely, to "infer" means to draw an inference. You infer from what I said something which I did not mean to imply. 3. Will someone of authority lay down the law on the subject of the "false genitive," abhorred of Mr. Gladstone? Tastes no doubt differ, but to some ears such a locution as "I object to him coming to me " is simply hideous, though intelligible. But when one reads, "I  ## p. 236 (#248) ############################################ 236 THE AUTHOR. remember the Prince coming to our town to lay the first stone," one is in doubt. It is one thing to remember the fact of the Prince's coming, quite another to remember the Prince himself. "There is, I think, no fear of you making such an exhibition of yourself." Gram- matically, this surely means, "There is no fear of you who are, or when you are, making such an exhibition of yourself." For, if " making " is not a present participle, agreeing with "you," it must be a substantive, in which case, how is the sentence to be analysed ?" He relied on this man leaving the country before the disclosure was made." Now this does not mean that he relied on the man, who was leaving the country; far from it; he trusted him so little that he wanted him out af the way. In other words, he relied on the man's withdrawal. If " leaving "is a verbal substantive, why should man receive different treatment when conjoined with "leav- ing" than that accorded to it when conjoined with withdrawal? The old rule, that when two substantives come together one must be in the genitive, would seem to be enough, but the increasing frequency of the false genitive, and that in the writings of literary persons, indicates the need for some authoritative pronouncement on the subject. "I defy any one to read a page of the poem without it getting hopelessly on his nerves," is a sentence which it would be interesting to see analysed. 4. '.'Umbrellas repaired while waiting" is an announcement at which one smiles. Similar, and even worse sentences are continually meeting one in the daily Press; e.g., "While stationed at X an incident occurred." One would like to be made acquainted with that stationary incident. S. G. CORRESPONDENCE. I.—Books for Review. IN Tlie Author, Feb. 1,1899, p. 203,1 find the follewing assertion: "Every unknown book gets from thirty to fifty notices in the English Press; every book by a known author, from fifty to one hundred." I beg leave to say that such is not my experi- ence. I have frequently been surprised at the utter silence of many of the critics with regard to some of my books which have nevertheless done well. Out of so many copies sent for review about one-half are quietly appropriated, and no sign is given that they have ever been received. Other critics merely acknowledge the receipt of the volume, and there leave it. It is one of the author's grievances that the sending of a copy to, let us say, The Omniscient Review by no means secures the insertion of a notice of it, however well known the author may be. I also venture to say that the unknown author is more injured by this practice of silence than the known one, and it is to him at least a cruel hardship. The next time I publish a book I propose to collect and publish in The Author (if my pub- lishers approve of it) a list of the reviews that receive copies, with a note as to whether a notice was inserted or not, allowing six months for the notice to appear. If some others would do the like we should learn much that concerns us all. Walter W. Skeat. II.—Ladies in Journalism. Your letter on the invasion of journalism by ladies of rank is particularly interesting to me, in that I am one of the sufferers by it. One has only to take up a fashionable paper to see that the greater part of the articles in it are by Lady This or the Countess of T'other. They may be paid or they may not, but the fact remains that their articles crowd out those journalists who would probably otherwise be employed. For years a fashionable lady's newspaper has had articles of mine accepted, but not published for want of room, and, of course, until published they are nothing but waste paper. A few years ago, it was easy to get 3 guineas for a short story, but lately, send- ing one to a well-known magazine, it was accepted, and I received i0*. for it. A Press agent, to whom I offered one, said, "The fact is, Miss A., your story is too good for us. We order them by the dozen, and pay 7*. a piece for them." Now, this state of things could never have come to pass but for the supply being much beyond the demand. Unless for a hewer of wood or drawer of water, living is very difficult, but so long as women can "see themselves in print" and editors can get their articles for nothing, it is useless to hope for better times. _ A Journalist. III. DELAT8. I have read with interest the experiences of some of your correspondents regarding the delay on the part of editors in returning MSS., and also the editorial note on page 188 of The Author. Whether the explanation there suggested is the correct one or not I am unable to say, but my experience with two MSS. submitted to the Strand is that one did not return to me for eight and a half months, and the other not until three months had rolled by. Both the manuscripts were returned in good condition, and I attributed the delay to the enormous number of MSS. submitted to the editor.  ## p. 237 (#249) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 237 One of the most cruel cuts I ever received was at the hands of an editor of a magazine that has lately sprung into being. On May 2 last year I submitted an article dealing with one phase of cricket. On Nov. 23 I received it back, with the intimation that it was not seasonable! One more experience. Last October I sub- mitted a MS. to the editor of a reputable sixpenny magazine. A few days ago I received an offer of one guinea for the same, an offer which I enjoyed the luxury of declining. To-day I have received the manuscript back, and it bears the truthful statement, presumably in the editorial handwriting, "4400 w, 5! pp." Surely a MS. considered worth printing in a sixpenny magazine should be worth more than 4*. gd. per 1000 words (or, deducting the cost of typewriting, 3*. 1 id. per 1000) to the author? Perhaps I ought to be thankful that I was not asked to pay the guinea myself for the honour of publication. Associate. IV.—The Vagaries of Criticism. I am puzzled; I am perplexed; I am mystified. Will you, Mr. Editor, kindly clear my thoughts from their burden of doubts? Permit me to explain, and state my case. A novel of mine, called " A Social Upheaval," has been published lately, and up to the present it has evoked thirty-five criticisms. Unfortunately, however, they are in every respect so contradic- tory that I actually cannot form a clear opinion of the merits or demerits of my own book. It has be mercilessly condemned; it has been splendidly eulogised; it has been pronounced interesting and dull, witty and silly; whilst its flaws and defects pointed out by one critic have been con- strued into virtues and beauties by another! Of course, I may be advised to believe the praise and reject the blame; to enjoy the sweets and cast away the bitters. But I value honest criticism too highly to be so puerile as to do this, On the other hand, whom and what am I to believe when I am told " that I write with skill and with a keen appreciation of comic situations"; "that I tire the reader before the end is reached "; that " my book is worth reading on account of its agreeable whimsicality "; that "my satire to be effective must bear some resemblance to the real thing"; that my female characters "are dis- tinct types of womankind "; that my characters lack reality"; that "the language has a terseness and briskness that gives a character of vivacity to the story"; that my novel is "utterly worthless"; that "it is a story in which there is not a dull page, not even a dull line "; that " the writing is more than a trifle crude "; that *' the purpose and method of the work are alike admirable " ; that " the workmanship is in- different," and so on, and so on? What can I make of these amazing contra- dictions? How can I reconcile these extremely opposite opinions? How am I to arrive at the truth? Will you kindly guide me in the matter? Isidore G. Ascher. V.—Illustrations. May I ask you to notice in your paper a form of annoyance authors have sometimes to put up with. A short story of mine was bought from my agents, some months ago, by the editor of a certain paper. This month it appears; but, living far in the country, I knew nothing of the fact till a few days ago, and then had some difficulty in getting a copy. It was bad enough to receive no proofs, and so come in for a few press blunders; but what is most annoying is to find that it has been "illustrated" (save the mark !) in a way that is most offensive. The illustrator has absolutely ignored each incident of the story he pretends to represent, as you may see by the copy inclosed, and the result is that my work is made ridiculous. There ought to be (perhaps there is) some remedy for such an outrage as this, since it mav have a very damaging effect on a beginner in literature such as your correspondent, B. VI.—Payment on Acceptance. 1. The practice is all too rare certainly, but not so restricted as "Penman" seems to suggest. Mr. F. A. Atkins of the Young Man and other journals, for instance, most promptly and con- sistently adopts this course. R. Andom. 11. In answer to " Penman's " letter regarding the Strand, may I remark that he (or she) has not a very wide knowledge of magazine editors. I can name at least four which virtually pay on accep- tance, that is to say, as soon as the hard-driven editor has decided to use any article or story it is paid for. Of course, this may not happen till a considerable time after it is sent. Messrs. Harmsworth, for example, I have found most con- siderate in this way. I cannot say that my own experience of the Strand bears out "Penman's" statements; the only article it ever printed of mine was not paid for till after it had appeared, and they now hold two stories of mine which were submitted twelve months ago at their request, and I cannot get them returned or used. Alan Oscar, hi. If your correspondent had written for the Wide World Magazine he would have discovered  ## p. 238 (#250) ############################################ 238 THE AUTHOR. that the Strand is not the only one which pays for articles on acceptance. I am pleased to offer my humble testimony to the extreme courtesy which I have received at the hands of the editor of the Wide World, who invariably—I believe I may say—sends a cheque directly he decides to accept a MS. Edith Charlton Anne. VII.—Typewriting as a Profession. I rejoice to see that The Author is taking up the rights of the private typist versus the type- writing office, an institution which I find it difficult to respect. A friend of mine, "a lady by birth, and want of education," found herself last year under the necessity of earning a living. A relative (who herself had to undertake clerk's work in order to afford it) paid some .£30 to an office for the training of secretaries that her niece might be taught shorthand and typewriting. After work- ing for the benefit of the office for some months she was pronounced proficient, and with much pleasure I hastened to secure for her her first work, the typing of two forthcoming books, good MSS., not technical, at the rate of gd. a thousand. She must first, however, consult the lady who trained her, and returned primed with scorn for such an offer, instructed in various "notions," and told that to undertake the work at anything less than from I*, to is. $d. per thousand was an injustice to herself and other women. After remaining without employment for some time, she finally undertook the task "to oblige." The fact that another woman, brought up in greater luxury, older, and therefore less prepared for change of circumstances than herself, had turned-to and gone to work to pay for her train- ing, did not count for much in the problem. Now and then, the office has sent her stray bits of ill- paid miscellaneous work, such as doing charity accounts, or sending out invitations. Any typing which comes to the office is apparently reserved for students to practise upon, and shorthand does not seem to be in demand. After a year of this sort of work—which was of a kind which led to expenditure of money in smarter clothes than she would have needed at home, and in omnibus fares—she at length obtained a position which, under other circum- stances, we should have described as that of a "companion," but which—in allusion, I suppose, to the training—is called a " secretaryship." The salary is .£40 a year; £50 when non-resident. I represented the facts to the Society for the Employment of Women, but was severely rebuked for offering starvation wages. Next, I took at random from the cover of The Author the address of a typist, who has done my work admirably at orf. a 1000 ever since. She has said nothing about starvation, perhaps because she does not pay rent in Victoria or Berners-street. A. Goodrich Freer. VIII.—On Selling Review Copies. I have read with much interest Sir Walter Besant's paragraph in The Author of Jan. 2 concerning review copies. Would it not be possible to render review books unsaleable by some such process as unused stamps undergo when they are sold to dealers? They are punched. Review copies might have their pages severed horizontally midway by a cut penetrating a third of the page. It would be equivalent to a slight tear of a couple of inches on each page. The reviewer would have no difficulty, but the volume would not stand any wear after such treatment. Fanny Emily Penny. The Garrison Chaplain's Quarters, Fort Saint George, S. India, Jan. 26. IX.—Wanted—A Black List. Seeing that many editors not only refuse to return unsuitable MSS., to answer inquiries respecting them, but even appear to delight in treating uninvited contributors with contemp- tuous and—in my opinion—scandalous indiffer- ence, and this in spite of the letters and com- plaints the Society of Authors and The Author are continually receiving and publishing—I would suggest that the methods of the Society are stiffened. It seems to me that hints, innuendoes, anony- mous indications, and covert references are too mild to touch the case-hardened hides of the fraternity in question. I would, therefore, advocate a black list, to be openly, nay, ostentatiously displayed iu the Society's offices, and kept standing in the columns of The Author. Upon this list let the names of dishonest pub- lishers, unscrupulous editors, literary vultures of every kind, and such sharks as the inexperienced writer needs to shun, figure prominently and persistently. Before placing a name on the list, let the offence committed be stated succinctly. The law of libel is a serious fence to leap, I admit; but surely the Society would have less cause to dread an appearance in court than the mean rascals whose practices would, at worst, be exposed. I believe Truth has on several occasions pilloried a certain publishing firm—unfortunately  ## p. 239 (#251) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 239 still existing—without incurring pains or penalties for its service to common honesty. Of one thing I am convinced, however. To treat with consideration the feelings of persons devoid even of business principle, to say nothing of gentlemanly instinct, is futile. A black list would at least warn members of the Society whom to avoid, even though it failed to reach outside stragglers in the literary quagmire. Herbert W. Smith. BOOK TALE. MR. ARTHUR H. BEAVAN has written a memoir of James and Horace Smith, the authors of "The Rejected Addresses." No complete life of the brothers has hitherto appeared, owing to family objections. "The Rejected Addresses" was published in 1812. Murray could have bought the copyright for £20, but refused the offer. Seven years later, after the book had run through sixteen editions and brought its authors jEi000, Murray pur- chased the copyright for .£131. Mr. Beavan's life will contain five portraits, and will be pub- lished by Messrs. Hurst and Blackett. Mr. Richard Whitling, author of .' The Island," has written a new work of humorous social satire entitled "No. 5, John-street," which Mr. Grant Richards will publi&h. Mrs. Alfred Sedgwick's (Mrs. Andrew Dean) new novel "Cousin Ivo" will be published this month by Messrs. A. and G. Black. It has been appearing in the weekly edition of the Times. In "The Hooligan Nights" Mr. Clarence Rook gives some studies from personal observation of the notorious class of criminals known of late in London by the generic name " Hooligan." The volume will be published by Mr. Grant Richards. Mr. Morley Roberts calls his new novel "A Son of Empire." The two chief characters in the book are said to be portraits of Sir Richard and Lady Burton, and another a portrait of Mr. Rhodes. The story deals with military life. Carlyle's letters to his sister, Janet Hanning, which appeared in several recent numbers of the Atlantic Monthly, will be published shortly in a volume by Messrs. Chapman and Hall. Mrs. Fuller-Maitland and Sir Frederick Pollock are joint authors of the "Etchingham Letters," which have been appearing in the Cornhill Magazine for the last few months. The letters will be published in a volume on an early date by Messrs. Smith, Elder, and Co. A new series of monographs on great painters has been projected by Messrs. Bell. The first volume to appear will be "Raphael," by Mr. H. Strachey," and the others include "Velasquez," by Mr. R. A. M. Stevenson; *' Andrea del Sarto," by Miss H. Guinness; " Michael A ngelo," by Mr. C. Holroyd; "Rembrandt," by Mr. Malcolm Bell; and " Turner," by Mr. C. F. Bell. Sir Edward Grey has written a book of personal experiences as an angler which will form the first volume of the Haddon Library, edited by the Marquis of Granby and Mr. George A. B. Dewar. It will be published by Messrs. Dent this month. Mr. Grant Allen's new story, "Miss Cayley's Adventures," which has been running in the Strand Magazine, will be published in the spring by Mr. Grant Richards. Mr. Hilaire Belloc is the author of a forth- coming " Life of Danton," which is based largely on documents hitherto unknown. The author has been assisted by Danton's family, and also by Dr. Robinet, himself the author of a well-known biography of the great French revolutionary. Mr. Belloc's work will be published immediately by Messrs. Nisbet. Mr. William Archer has been commissioned by the Pall Mall Magazine to proceed to America for the purpose of writing a series of articles on the American stage. He sailed a few days ago. A set of the Kelmscott Press publications, numbering fifty-three, and of an original value of about .£150, was sold at Sotheby's rooms the other day for .£442 15s. 6d. The same firm were to disperse by auction the valuable collection of historical papers and manuscripts belonging to the Earl of Hardwicke. Shortly before the day fixed for the sale, however, the collection was purchased by the British Museum, much to the satisfaction of students of history. "Contraband of War" is the title of a new work by Mr. M. P. Shiel (author of " The Yellow Danger"), which will be issued by Mr. Grant Richards in the spring. Another novel dealing with theatrical life. This will bo "On the Edge of a Precipice," by Miss Maiy Angela Dickens, which Messrs. Hutchinson will publish shortly. Mr. F. C. Constable has written a humorous story, entitled "Morgan Hailsham," which Mr. Grant Richards will bring out in the spring. A novel of adventure, by Mr. Tom Gallon, author of " Tatterley," will be published shortly by Messrs. Hutchinson, entitled "The Kingdom of Hate."  ## p. 240 (#252) ############################################ 240 THE A UTHOR. Two new books by Mr. Le Gallienne will appear shortly. ''Young Lives" is a novel, dealing with a group of young people who have ideals in life. It will be published by Arrowsmith. The second book is a fairy tale embodying a study of the artistic temperament. Mr. Lane will publish it under the title "The Worshipper of the Image." Professor Hereford is translating Ibsen's "Love's Comedy," for publication as a volume in the series of " Modern Plays," edited by Mr. E. Brimley Johnson and Mr. Erichsen, and pub- lished by Messrs. Duckworth. Mr. Erichsen is also translating Strindberg's "Fadren" (" The Father "). In an interview in the New York Outlook, Mr. R. W. Gilder, editor of the Century Magazine, expresses his conviction that people are beginning ta tire of photographic reproductions in maga- zines and periodicals, and that in the future the tendency will be in favour of original artistic work. While the photograph has had a corrective effect, and make illustrators truer to fact, it has on the other hand made them more prosaic; and Mr. Gilder thinks we shall soon witness a new generation of real illustrators. It has been evident for some time to all serious lovers of English poetry, says Mr. Stephen Phillips in an article which appears in the February number of the Dome, that modern verse is suffering from inanition. Perhaps the only wave of emotion lately has been roused by the splendour and the fact of empire; but this song can never be a permanent possession of mankind ; it is the pecan of materialism, restricted, anti-poetic, and is already beginning to pall upon us. Mr. Phillips' article is called "A Field for Modern Verse," and this is the suggestion he makes:— I would venture to suggest, in all humility, a subject for verse which is co-extensive, not merely with a single empire, but with the fate and destiny of all mankind. The revela- tion, then, of the life after death, which is slowly filtering into the intellect and imagination of the modern world is, as it seems to me, filled with tremendous possibilities of vision and melody. . . . The general picture of a world beyond the grave, which is gradually usurping the modern imagination, would seem at first sight to be not far removed from the scheme of Dante. In communications made through trance, or by the governed hand, we are again permitted to view realms of darkness, of ice, of twilight, of glory. But there is this essential and transcen- dent difference between the medieval and the modern con- ception—that whereas Dante imagined a definite place of darkness, or fire, or beauty, to which the soul repaired, we are now shown that the soul creates its own atmosphere, environment, and scenery. Miss Ellen Thorneycroft Fowler has completed a new novel. Joseph Hatton's new story in the bauds of the Tillotson syndicate will appear serially in a select number of weekly journals in England, the Colonies, and America, beginning next month. It is said to be a careful and elaborate study of Old London in the days of Jonathan Wild, whose portraiture is a leading feature of the story. The romance moves on different lines from those adopted by Mr. Hattou in his drama of "Jack Sheppard," opening romantically on " the King's Highway" in the North, Jonathan face to face with two of his own "knights of the road "—for Jonathan was not only the thief-taker, but the thief-employer, the chief of such an organisation of knavery as the world has rarely paralleled, even in the "palmy days of the bandit and the buccaneer." Mr. Hattou has relieved the sordid adventures of Jonathan and his army of adven- turers with a love story that links town and country and the Thames and the sea with inci- dents of a semi-historical character; and the novel is entitled " When Rogues Fall Out." "Loup-Garou!" is the title given by Mr. Eden Philpotts to a new volume of stories deal- ing with West Indian Life, which he is issuing through Messrs. Sands. The Daily Mail is issuing " The Best Hundred Books," and the Daily Telegraph is about to issue "The Best Hundred Novels." The latter selection will include many modern novels. Dean Stubbs is publishing through Unwiu a volume of verse entitled Brihtnoth's Prayer and Other Poems." Brihtnoth was an ealdorman of East Auglia, aud one of the founders of Ely. The poem, says the Dean of Ely, is a rescript and expansion of "that "almost Homeric " ballad, the "Battle of Maldon," and a re-setting of the hero's death cry, " God, I thank Thee for all the joy I have had in life." Mr. T. Sturge Moore is a new poet, whose first book, "The Vinedresser," will be published in a few days by the Unicorn Press. Le Droit cTAuteitr publishes tables showing the production of books in Russia (exclusive of Finland) in the years 1890 to 1895. The total publications in Russian for these years was 42,146, and in foreign languages 12,086. Books on theology outnumbered those of any other class. Dr. Richard Garnett is about to retire from the post of Keeper of Printed Books at the British Museum. He has been connected with the Museum for forty-seven years, and, in addition to the large number of lxioks he has written, he edited the British Museum Catalogue from 1881 to 1890. .. • , '.: ,!..,,•'-;  ## p. 241 (#253) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 241 During the past month Mr. Ruskin celebrated his eightieth birthday (Feb. 8) and Mr. Meredith his seventy-first (Feb. 12). Mr. Ruskin was made the recipient of an address from a number of distinguished admirers, but a proposal that he should sit to Mr. Holman Hunt for his portrait has been abandoned, as Mr. Ruskin could not endure the fatigue which this would entail. As a bitter evidence of the deterioration of the bookselling business, the writer of "Literary Gossip " in the Globe relates an incident which occurred a few days ago in one of the best known of London book shops. With eveiy circumstance of dignity an old lady was helped from her carriage. The footman hastened to the door of the shop, and she passed majestically in, and was shown into a chair by the principal assistant, a man steeped in the lore of books, prepared at a moment's notice to advise a course of reading in any line whatsoever. The old lady settled her- self in comfort, arranged her flounces, glanced round the teeming shelves, and asked sweetly, "Do you keep pink ham frills?" The sixth International Press Congress will be held at Rome, opening on April 6. "The Cardinal's Page," Mr. James Baker's new historical romance, has quickly gone into a third edition—a fact which speaks for itself. The author was lately elected a member of the Council of the National Home Reading Union. "A Semi-Detached Marriage" is the title of Miss Arabella Kenealy's forthcoming novel—to be issued next month by Messrs. Hutchinson. "Forbidden Banns" is the title of Annabel Gray's new novel, which will be published by Messrs. F. V. White and Co., and appears this month. The story has had a very successful run as a serial in the Daily Mail. It may inte- rest those who are studying the present ritual question. The Religious Tract Society issued on Feb. 24, in the form of the March supplement to the Girl's Own Paper, a story by Miss H. M. Burn- side, entitled "The Deaf Girl Next Door: or, Marjory's Life Work." This story deals with the special difficulties of the deaf and deaf mutes, and i-,f those with whom they associate; and it is hoped, by rousing public interest in this afflicted class, it will aid their cause. The writer is herself deaf. E. Livingston Prescott's new novel, "Helot and Hero," is announced for March 14. It is semi- military, and will form—-though of a more cheer- ful character—a companion volume to "Scarlet and Steel," now in its fourth edition. The scene of the closing chapters is the N.W. frontier of India. Simpkin, Marshall, and Co. are the pub- lishers. The marriage chest of the " Father of Angling" has been found in a lumber-room at Warwick- Castle. The information it supplies refers to his first wife (a great-grandniece of Cranmer), and is as follows :— Izaak Walton—Rachael Ploud. Joyned Together in ye Holie Bonde of Wedlocke On ye 27th Daie of Deoembre A 1626 D. We once were two, we two made one; We no more two, through life bee one. A new volume of the late Mr. R. H. Hutton'a "Essays in the Spectator" is about to be published in Messrs. Macmillan's Eversley Series. The essays deal mair ly with ecclesiastical and theo- logical questions, in which the late editor of the Spectator took so keen an interest. Some time ago the Sir Walter Scott West- minster Memorial Committee presented a replica of the bust of Sir Walter Scott to the public library of Boston, U.S.A. In connection therewith Mr. Riclrard Lees, town clerk of the burgh of Galashiels, who is honorary secretary of the memorial committee, was recently waited upon by Mr. Fiske Warren, of Boston, at the request of the library trustees, and presented with an acknowledgment of the bust. In the address to the memorial committee the trustees express their gratefulness to the subscribers for their generosity, and still more for the spirit which prompted the gift. They recognise in this act of international courtesy a mark of the grow- ing harmony of interests between the two leading Powers in the civilisation of the world. The bust will shortly be formally unveiled at the opening of a new lecture hall in the library buildings. In the new edition of his "Democracy and Liberty," published recently by Messrs. Long- mans, Green, and Co., Mr. Lecky deals in detail with the work and character of Mr. Gladstone. Of Gladstone the writer, Mr. Lecky says: Few professed authors have written more or more vari- ously. Pamphlets on Ritualism, on Vaticanism, on Bulgarian Atrocities—elaborate books in defenoe of the Christian religion, a metrical translation of Horace, countless artioles of the most miscellaneous character followed each other in swift succession. Mere expression, whether in writing or speaking, seems to have cob! him nothing, and it was characteristic of him that the book which he called his "Gleanings" extended to some seven or eight volumes. Considering the life he led the literary production of his last years is truly wonderful, thongh it shows a kind of intellect that was much more wonderful in quantity than in quality. Perhaps the nearest modern parallel to his many- sided activity and to his astonishing copiousness of expres- sion is to be found in Henry Brougham, who was once deemed the most extraordinary of Englishmen, though he is now little more than a name.  ## p. 242 (#254) ############################################ 242 THE AUTHOR. Mr. Thomas Burleigh is about to publish for Mr. J. C. Bailey a volume of essays dealing with eight of the great English letter writers. Some of them have already appeared in the Quarterly, the Fortnightly, and elsewhere, while others now appear for the first time. The title of the book is "Studies in Some Famous Letters." "Maureen Moore" is the title of an Irish story by Rupert Alexander, the author of " Bally - ronan," &c. It is a romance of "yS, but not altogether fiction. The publisher will be Mr. Thomas Burleigh. Professor Dowden is editing the Arden Shake- speare, and Mr. George Gissing is editing the Rochester Dickens—two new series which Messrs. Methuen are issuing. Mr. John Bickerdyke has just completed a romance entitled " The Passing of Prince Rogan." It is to a certain extent a story of the sea, and will have some interest for yachtsmen, but the author has utilised some of the reve- lations in recent bankruptcy proceedings. It will be published in New York by Messrs. Putnam's Sons, and in London by Mr. Thomas Burleigh. A new higluclass literary and religious weekly, called Saint Andrew — in sympathy with the Church of Scotland—has been started in Glasgow. Emily J. Jenkinson, joint author of "Fiona Mclver: a Romance of the Western Isles," is contributing a serial story entitled "The Twi- light of the Gods: a tale of Ancient Strathclyde." Miss Jenkinson is the daughter of the parish minister of Innellan, Argyllshire, and is a young lady still in her teens. A new edition, in great part re-written, and considerably enlarged (540 pages of text) of Mr. Reynolds-Ball's "Mediterranean Winter Resorts" (Kegan Paul and Co.) price .6*., was published last month. Owing to the great bulk of the book it has also been issued in two volumes, one volume dealing with the resorts of the South of Europe, and the others with those of North Africa and the Mediterranean Islands. Each volume is sold separately at 3*. 6d. Messrs. A. and C. Black have just published a revised .edition of the same author's " Cares of To-Day." THE BOOKS OF THE MONTH. [Jan. 24 to Feb. 22—287 Books.] Aarons, S. J. Golden Rules of Gynecology. 1/- Simpkin. Abbott. L. Life and Letters of Paul the Apostle. 6/- Clarke. About, Edmond (tr. by Lord Newton). Trentc et Quarante. :i/6. Arnold. Alexander, Mrs. Brown, V.C. 6/- Vnwin. Alford, M. Baptism. 2/- Alexander and S. Aide, Hamilton Jane Treachel. 6/- Hurst. All, Ameer Syed. Short History of the Saracens. 7 6 net. Macmillan. Allen, E. H. Edward FitzGerald's Rubai'yat of Omar Khayyam, with original Persian sources, ifce. 7/6. Quaritch. Annand, James. Forgotten Liberalism. 1 - Ma, Fleet-street, E.C. Anonymous. Her Soldier Lover. (Family Story-Teller.) 1'- W. Stevens. Anonymous (author of "The Banks and the Public"). Banks and their Oustomers. 1/- E. Wilson. Anonymous (author of " Lady Windermere's Fan "). The Importance of Being Earnest Smithers. Ansorge, W. J. Under the African Sun. 21/- net. Heinemann. Appleton, G. W. Francois the Valet 6 - Pearson. Arbuthnot, Sir A. J. Lord Clive: The Foundation of British Rule in India. 5/- Unwin. Aston, W. G. History of Japanese Literature. 6/- Heinemann. Atkins, J. B. The War in Cuba. 6 - Smith and E. Atkinson, C. M. The Magistrates' Annual Practice, 1899. Stevens. . Bacon, L. W. History of American Christianity. 10 6. Clarke. Baldwin, J. M. The Story of the Mind. 1- Newnes. Ballinger, J. The Public Libraries and the Schools. School Children in the Public Libraries. 1/6 net. Sotheran. Bannatyne, G. A. Thermal Waters of Bath. 2/- Simpkin. Bannerman, Frances. Milestones. Verses. 3 ti net. Richards. Bardoux, Jacques (tr. by W. R. Barker). Memories of Oxford. 2/6 net. Roblnson. Barr, Robert. The Countess Tekla. ft/- Methuen. Barrett, W., and Hichens, R. The Daughters of Babylon. 6,- Macqaeen. Barry, Sir J. W Streets and Traffic of London. W. Trounce. Barton, F. T. The Ailments of Horses. 1/- Dean. Bates, F. G. Rhode Island and the Formation of the Union. 4/- King. Bateson, Mary (ed. for Royal Hist. Soc.). Duke of Newcastle's Nar- rative of the Changes in the Ministry 1765-67. 10/- Longmans. Beardsley, Aubrey. Second Book of Drawings. 10/6 net. Smithers. Behnke. Mrs. E. The Speaking Voice. Part II 2/6. Curwen. Bennett, R , and Elton, J. History of Cor n Mining. Vol. II. Simpkin. Bierce, A. Fantastic Fables. 3/6. Putnam. Bindloss, Harold. In the Niger Country. 12/6. Blackwood. BjOrnson, B. (tr. by H. L. Brtekstad). Paul Lunge and Tora Parsberg. 5/- Harper. Blount, Godfrey. Arbor Vitae. 12/6 net. Dent. Body, Canon. The Guided Life. 1/- Skefflngton. Bond, Francis. English Cathedrals. Illustrated, i; - Newnes. Bond, R. W. Zenobla. A Drama. 3/6. Mathews. Bonney, T. G. Volcanoes. 6/- Murray. Bowles, F. G. In the Wake of the Sun. Verse. 2,6 net. Unicorn Press. Bowles, M. The Amazing Lady. 6/- Heinemann. Boyd. A. J. (ed. by A. Campbell). The Shellback. 6 - Cassell . Bretschneider. E. History of European Botanical Discoveries in China. 30 '- net. Low. Brock, A. C. The Cathedral Church of York. 1/6. Bell. Browning, The Letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Barrett, 1845-46. 21/- Smith and E. Bryant, T. H. Norfolk Churches. Vol 3. 3/6. Norwich Mtixurt Office. Button, John. Gwen Penri, a Welsh Idyll. 5/- Stock. Burdett, Sir F. (ed ). The Nursing Profession. 2,6 net. Scientific Press. Burn, A. E. Introduction to the Creeds and to the Te Deum 10/6. Methuen. Burton, F. C. The Commercial Management of Engineering Works. 12/6 net. Manchester: Scientific Publishing Co. Butler, Sir W, F. Life of Sir George Pomeroy-Colley, 1835-1881. 21/- Murray. Campbell, A. (edA The Sound of a Voice that is Still. lied way. Campbell, R. (ed.). Ruling Cases. Vol. 17. 25/- net Stevens. C.'arroder, C. H. Bride of God. 6;- White. Carter, «. History of England. Part 3 (1689-1897) 2 - Relfe. Cartwright, F. L. The Mystic Rose from the Garden of the King. 21/- Nichols. Chapman. E. J. Drama of Two Lives, and other Poems. 2,6. Paul . C'havaase, F. J. Plain Words on some Present Day Questions. 1 - Fro woe. Churchward, A. Origin and Antiquity of Freemasonry. Causton. Clark, W. J. Commercial Cuba. 14/- Chapman. Clarke, A. M. Life of the Hon. Mrs. Edward Petre. 5/6 net Art and Book Co.  ## p. 243 (#255) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 243 Clutlon-Brock, A. York Cathedral. 1/6. Bell. Coates, Colonel. China and the Open Door. 4 - ftristol Times ami Mercury. Cobbett, M. Bottled Holidays for Hume Consumption. 6/- Sands. 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Title A name given to the resource The Author, Vol. 09 Issue 10 (March 1899) Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em>, Vol. 09 Issue 10 (March 1899) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101063829988" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101063829988</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1899-03-01-The-Author-9-10 publications The Author https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/327/1899-04-01-The-Author-9-11.pdf 11eae033740e921643d4c37a4125e0e9 PDF Text Text ������������������������ Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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) 1899-04-01 Volume 9 Issue 11 Pages Page range in volume 245–268 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 18990401 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin ^Ibe Hutbor, {The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vol.IX.—No.ii.] APRIL i, 1899. [Price Sixpence. For the Opinions expressed in papers that are signed or initialled the Aut/wrs 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 notioe 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 should be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent by registered letter only. % w Communications and letters are invited by the Editor on all subjects connected with literature, but on no other sub- jects whatever. Articles which cannot bo accepted are returned if stamps for the purpose accompany the MSS. GENERAL MEMORANDA. J7\OB, some years it has been the praotice to insert, in J every number of The Author, certain "General Con- siderations," Warnings, Notices, &c, for the guidanoe of the reader. It has been objected as regards these warnings that the tricks or frauds against which they ore direoted 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 his true character, and should be left to oarry 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 fries can be obtained. But the transaction should be managed by a competent agent. II. A profit-sharing agreement. In this case the following rulp * should be attended to: (1.) Not to'sign any agreement in which the cost 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. IX. in his own organs: or by charging exchange advertise- ments. (3.) Not to allow a speoial charge for " offloe expenses," unless the same allowance is made to the author. (4.) 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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 oarry 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 bo their maximum. Therefore every author, for every book, should arrange on the chance of a success which will not, probably, come at all; but which may come. 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 aooount 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 for 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. c c 2  ## p. 246 (#258) ############################################ 246 THE AUTHOR. HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. t. IiTVEKY member has a right to ask for and to receive advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his business or the administration of his property. If, in the opinion of the Committee and the Solicitors of the Society, 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 Committee will obtain for him Counsel's opinion. All this without any cost to the member. 2. Eemember that questions connected 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 oase of fraudulent nouses—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 ■tamp agreements in readiness for a possible action upon them. (3) To keep agreements. (4) To enforce payments due according to agreements. NOTICES. THE Editor of The Author begs to remind members of the Society that, although the paper is sent to them free of charge, the oost 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 6s. 6d. subscription for the year. Communications for The Author should reach the Editor not later than the 21st of each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to oommnnicate to the Editor any points connected with their work which it would bo advisable in the general interest to publish. Members and others who wish their MSS. read are requested not to send them to the Offioe without previously communicating with the Secretary. The utmost practicable despatch is 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 oircamstances, undertake the publication of MSS. The present location of the Authors' Club is at 3, White- hall-court, 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 this, and remit the amount, if still unpaid, or a banker's order, it will greatly assist the Sucretary, and save him the trouble of sending ont 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 or dishonest? Of course they would not. Why then hesitate for a moment when they are asked to sign themselves into literary bondage for three or five years? "Those who possess the 'Cost 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 sums 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. LITERARY PROPERTY. I.—The Dramatic Sub-Committee. THE Dramatic Sub-corn m ittee have decided to call a meeting of all dramatic authors with a view to their joining the Society in order to obtain such information as might lead to the maintenance, definition, and defence of dramatic property. The meeting will be called for some date towards the end of April. It is trusted that the efforts of the Society on behalf of dramatic authorship and dramatic property will be sub- stantial and successful. II.—The Italian Protest. r. Attention might be drawn to the following points with regard to the Italian protest against the  ## p. 247 (#259) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 247 American Act (see p. 2 5 7):—That the Italian cause of complaint is very real, as publication in America secures copyright in Italy without even simul- taneous publication, but publication of Italian books in Italy does not secure copyright in America unless the book is first translated, then the translation forwarded to American publishers for their acceptance, the terms of the agreement settled, the type set up in America, and simul- taneous publication resulting. The question of the American treaty with regard to the publication of English books is not on such a bad basis as that of the Italian treaty, but still English publication is by no means reciprocal. We do stipulate for simultaneous publication, which is not necessary for an American to secure copyright in Italy, so that the Americans are put to some slight inconvenience ; but we do not stipulate for the printing of the book in England and the other trade difficulties. It is a question, however, whether the Italians are well advised in turning the wheel back in the evolu- tion of copyright property, and whether England would be well advised in turning the wheel back by enforcing printing, &c., in England. Ought it not to be the doctrine of both nations (England and Italy) to draw America from this backward position rather than that England and Italy should sink back into their literary barbarism? That, however, the lack of reciprocity is a matter of considerable regret there is no doubt, both in England and Italy. G. H. T. 11. "Our international copyright law, as it applies to Italy, is declared by L'Assoeiazione Tipigrafico- Libraria Italiana in a memorial to the Italian Government to be an extremely one-sided affair. It puts American authors who simply copyright their works here on a footing as to protection with Italian authors in Italy, no further action being required to secure all the rights the Italian enjoys. On the other hand, an Italian author who desires American protection for his work must print the work here, from American type, and publish it simultaneously with publication in Italy. He is thus at great expense. But to get advantage of the American market he must first have his book translated, another addition to his outlay. Few Italian authors can afford the time, trouble, and money, and hence the market is practically abandoned by them. Since the writ- ings of D'Annunzio, De Amicis and others have begun to sell here, this amounts to a real griev- ance. Italian music is taken bodily. The peti- tioners beg for some effort to be made on their behalf, or some retaliatory measure to be taken. Better, they think, to abandon the copyright field altogether than submit to this one-sided law. A common-sense view would be to urge an amend- ment whereby copyright might be secured by registration, even though subsequent publication here was arranged for as the law at present stands. This copyright by registration and the depositing of two copies of the original foreign edition with the Librarian of Congress might be limited as to time. It should hold good for a year at least to give the foreign author a chance to get out his American edition."—New York Criterion. _ in.—A Curious Point. A certain author published a book in America, and the American publisher, desirous of securing the English market, offered to an English pub- lisher to sell him 350 copies in sheets. The English publisher purchased these, and in two or three months sold the whole edition. After this edition was sold, whenever further orders came in he applied to the American publisher for further copies of the work. When the work had been on the market for a little over a year, the American publisher made arrangements for a second edition, and desiring again to place this new edition on the English market, he asked the author to arrange for the sale of 350 copies to an English publisher on the same terms as before. The author thereupon went to the pub- lisher who had sold the former instalment of books, and offered him 350 copies. Thereupon, the publisher replied that he was entitled to the second edition in England; that, in short, " he considered the market in England was still his" and that he could not purchase as many as 350 copies. The author pointed out that there was no contract existing—that he was merely selling the books, and that if he did not care to take the 350 copies he was going to take the offer else- where. It should be pointed out that the publisher had none of the old edition in stock, so that it was straining the interpretation unduly to maintain that the "English market was his still." He acknowledged that he had done well out of the former sales, but he stated that he considered the publishers were not entitled by the "custom of the trade" to take the book elsewhere if he refused to buy the copies tendered himself. He further maintained that it was too soon to bring out another edition. Upon the author pressing the point the publisher refused definitely to pur- chase, and said that if the offer was rnade. to any other publisher, he would write to the American house and also to the English publisher, and do his best to interfere with the sales. Under these circumstances the only thing for the author to do appears to be to take a bold  ## p. 248 (#260) ############################################ 248 THE AUTHOR. front, offer his book to another house, an 1 inform the publisher that if he attempts to inter- fere he will hold him responsible. It seems impossible that any publisher who carries on his business on these lines should succeed in the long run. Assuming all the facts are as stated, the attitude taken up by the publisher seems quite unjustifiable. He declines to take the books himself, and declares his intention of doing his best to prevent another publisher taking it—in short, he virtually attempts to boycott the book. IV.—Risk. On the question of risk, a writer of many years' experience sends the following :— "In the old three-volume days I asked a ] ublisher once how many copies of a novel his firm could dispose of by their name alone, without regard to the literary value of a book. He told me 250 copies. Now, as the libraries gave about 13s. 6d. a copy, this means £ib$. An edition of 500 copies of a three-volume novel of average length would not cost more than .£134 ('Cost of Production,' p. 15), allowing ,£20 for advertising. This amount was seldom expended for advertising a book whose run was over in a season and which was only bought by the libraries. £0 that the firm, on their own showing, never incurred any risk at all in the production of a three-volume novel. "I extended my research into the question of risk. I asked a publisher who had a series of 2s. novels the same question—how many the firm could dispose of by their name alone? He replied: 2000. The cost of producing such a book, for an edition of 2000—as given in the 'Cost of Production,' p. 37—would be, for a book of about 70,000 words, and allowii g for paper covers instead of cloth, no more than My$. Now, the sale of 2000 copies would produce about ,£115. Where is the risk? "We must remember that there are some books which, even when produced by firms of a fair selling power, cannot be said to bear 110 risk. But this is in general very small, and covered by a very few pounds in ordinary oases." V.—Literary Journals and Advertisements. Our editor, in the March number of The Author, dealing with the attitude of one or two newspapers which are admitted (by themselves) to be "leading literary journals," is curious to know whether literature really means advertise- ments. I present him with an anecdote which may, I trust, lighten in a measure his perplexity. Some years ago a publisher, after due search in the coluinus of newspapers for what was likely to interest himself, took upon him to write a letter to a eeitain literary journal. He declared that he had repeatedly sent books to the journal in ques- tion, but he "noticed" that not one of the volumes 1 bus forwarded had been reviewed. The retort to this complaint was a neat one. It was admitted that the volumes for review had been received, but the literary journal "noticed" in its turn that the publisher did not advertise in its pages. If the publisher had had a proper regard for the dignity (and emoluments) of "leading literary journals," he would have been put to confusion, and have complied in silence with the demand for bakhshish thus delicately hinted at. But he was a hardened man. He sent the corre- spondence to the Pall Mall Gazette, and it aiforded much entertainment to the readers of that newspaper. It cannot be too strenuously maintained that there are certain literary journals which are practi- cally in the pay and at the mercy of publishers who advertise in them. Their interviews and scraps of gossip are again and again coloured with malignant allusions to the dreaded and hated Authors' Society; their most elaborate and flatter- ing reviews are devoted to the productions of those publishing firms which advertise indefatig- ably in their columns, which clamorously shut the door against that unspeakable intruder the lite- rary agent, and which prefer to deal with the author " as between man and man." The one remedy for this condition of things has In en suggested by our editor himself. The author should claim by agreement a voice in the distribution of advertisements and in the placing of copies for review. The great and independent daily and weekly journals, which study many' interests apart from literature, ought to have far and away the first consideration. Those journals provide reviews written with all the ability, and with none of the airs of authority, of the " leading literary" organs. Publishers'announcements are no despicable item in the accounts of these widely- circulated papers; but they are not absolutely in- dispensable. While these journals might live in spite of publishers, there can be no question of the fact that publishers could not live without such extensively read newspapers. The author's independence would be increased, and the only sufferers would be those literary journals which have become degraded to the level of sordid dependants on the publishing trade. Scribbler.  ## p. 249 (#261) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 249 VI.—Authors' Corrections. With regard to the Editor's note on page 223 of The Author of March 1, could yon publish in your paper for the benefit of members the views of the Committee on this subject. especially: 1. What should be included by publishers in their charges against a book as author's corrections? 2. At what rate should these be charged? 3. How is an author to check this? A New Member. [The best answer I can give on the subject is to quote the passage on " Corrections," given to me by a printer whom I consulted in order to get trustworthy information and advice for " The Pen and the Book " (see p. 150). The meaning of Corrections is this: They arc charged at the rate of a shilling an hour, or, in some cases, fifteenpence, for the work of each printer employed. Now, it is extremely difficult to say how many words a compositor can alter in a given time. If the author corrects so as to "overrun," i.e., to alter the line and carry a part of it into the next and following lines, he may cause an alteration of the whole page, line by line, down to the end of the paragraph, and even beyond it. If he does this, he very materially alters the cost of Correc- tion. It is thus most difficult to check the charge for Correction. The only method which will enable the author to check approximately this item, is for hira to preserve carefully the first proofs, with his Corrections upon them, and to insist upon receiving them back with his revise. In other words, correct as little as you can: do not "overrun" if you can possibly help it: get your revise back again: and remember that only q, few words, three or four—opinions vary con- „U -rably as to the number—may be changed in a .A flute: you can then, if there is no over-running, .^'.,-ke a tolerable guess at the correctness of the charge. In mosk. publishers' agreements authors are allowed so much a sheet for Corrections: but as they are not told the connection between shillings and words, they are not much wiser,and the door is open for overcharging.—W. B.] VII. Authors, Publishers, and Booksellers. The Publishers' Association has passed certain resolutions dealing with the trade prices of books. The resolutions which, of course, closely affect the property of our members, have been drawn up and submitted to the booksellers without the least reference to the creators and owners of that property. The question will be considered by the sub-committee appointed for the purpose. Their action will be reported in the next number of The Author. VIII.—Much Needed. The following letter has been published in the chief literary papers in London, owing to the action of the Society of Authors, on behalf of Mr. A. E. T. Watson. The letter practically explains the position. A series of short stories, by many authors, was published by Mr. George Redway, and the book was lettered outside, as stated in the communication—" Huntingcrop Hall, A. E. T. Watson," thus conveying the impression that the work was a single story by a popular author. Mr. Watson naturally objected to this, and put the matter in the hands of the Society. After considerable negotiation, and wh?n the matter had been placed in the hands of the Society's solicitors, Mr. Redway consented to make the explanation contained in the letter. An Explanation.—To the Editor.—Sir,—I have been asked by Mr. Alfred E. T. Watson to explain that a volume of collected pieces published by me last autumn nnder the title of "Huntingcrop Hall" and other stories, by Alfred E. T. Watson and other sporting writers, and lettered outside "Hnntingcrop Hall, A. E. T. Watson," was not pre- pared nor edited by that gentleman, and that he had nothing to do with the publication. The two stories by Mr. Watson included in the volume were republished from 'London Society," of 1S72, by arrangement made by me with Mr. James Hogg, the proprietor of the copyrights, and not by permission of Mr. Watson, the writer of the stories. George Redway. PARIS NOTES. THE spirit of discord appears to have invaded French literary circles during the past month. Indeed, at one moment affairs assumed such serious proportions that the recognised agitators themselves stood aghast at the prospect of fresh trouble breaking out in such an unexpected quarter as the patriotic and pacific Ligue de la Patrie Francaise. Happily, MM. Jules Leraaitre and Francois Coppee (president and honorary president of the league) retrieved their first imprudent manifestation of personal feeling so promptly that all danger of new internal com- plications was averted; though numerous mem- bers—and among them the well-known literati MM. de Heredia, Andre Theuriet, and Maurice Souriau—expressed their disapproval by with- drawing their adhesion to the league. The erudite M. Houssaye refused to follow their example. We may mention in passing that this conscientious historian is now receiving the con- gratulations of the French Press on the success of his new work, entitled "Waterloo, 2e partie de 1815," ed. Perrin. In impartiality of judgment and laboriously correct phraseology, M. Hous-  ## p. 250 (#262) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. saye's work somewhat resembles that of our own Sir James Macintosh. Secondly, there is an open schism among the members of the French Academy for the first time in its history. That this august body should ever stoop to party politics or personal differences seemed as improbable as that Birnam wood should ever invade the towers of Macbeth; but the vacant seats of MM. Jules Lemaitre, Francois Coppee, Anatole France, and Jules Claretie on M. Guillaume's investiture to the vacant fauteuil of the feu Due d'Aumale made all Paris aware of the "rift within the lute" existing in the heart of this venerable assembly. Under these circumstances M. Guillaume's oration (extremely well read by M. Brunetiere, owing to the newly- elected member being temporarily voiceless) and M. Meziere's response to the same, were matters of secondary importance, though the latter's assurance that M. Guillaume did not express him- self "comme un guide Baedeker" brought a quiet smile to the lips of several persons present. Apropos of the flattering allusion made to M. Guillaume's literary services, we may state that the eminent sculptor has produced a study on Michel Angelo, and several minor works, written in a sufficiently clear, straightforward manner; but, had the "affaire" not smoothed his elevation to his present dignity, we doubt if French litera- ture would ever have been aware of his efforts ou her behalf. Thirdly, M. Annan de Caillavet, having taken umbrage at some chance phrase in an article entitled " Salons parisiens " (Vieparisienne), sent two friends to the editor demanding the name of the writer of the article in question. M. Pierre Veber at once acknowledged his own responsi- bility. A meeting accordingly took place, in which the unlucky writer was disabled in the fourth round by a nasty sword-cut in the fore- arm. A few days later, the well-known dramatic author, M. Paul Gavault, had a meeting with M. Henri Marx. The cause of the quarrel has not yet transpired, but literature was again at a dis- advantage, M. Gavault receiving a deep wound in the lower jaw, which caused the surgeons in attendance to stop the combat. If these encoun- ters continue, a large number of the Parisian literati appear likely soon to figure on the disabled list. The names of no less than three Academicians adorn the theatrical posters at the present moment, namely, MM. Anatole France, Francois Coppee, and Henri Lavedan. The dramatic adaptation at the Vaudeville of M. Anatole France's well-known novel "Le Lys Rouge" made quite a stir in theatrical and literary circles. It is useless, however, to deny that the play does not realise the high expectations formed of its merits, and that not even its clever interpretation can prevent the dialogue from occasionally appearing too long-winded and monotonous. The same criticism is applicable to the adaptati6n of " Le Coupable " of M. Francois Coppee (Theatre Ambigu). Psychological and social problems are unwelcome to the majority of theatre-goers, for the gods of the higher literary cult are not the gods of the gallery. M. Henri Lavedan in his adaptation of "Le Vieux Marcheur" (as elsewhere) gives evidence of abundantly recognising this fact. He possesses the genuine dramatic verve, being especially good in sparkling, " slangy," up-to-date dialogue; but it is a pity that the distinguished Academician should have enveloped his latest production in a frame better suited to the profligate period of the Regency than our own more enlightened agp. The Parisians cannot be accused of niggardli- ness towards their illustrious deceased ecclesiastics. The committee recently formed at Paris by Cardinal Perraud for the purpose of raising funds to erect a funeral monument to Boesuet, " L'Aigle de Meaux," iu the cathedral of that town, has just published its first list of donations received. The sum total already amounts to 17,000 francs; and, meanwhile, the fragrant plot of ground and ancient mill consecrated to all lovers of literature by the " Lettres de Mou Moulin" and other works of Alphonse Daudet, are being ignomiuiously put up for sale to be knocked down as an indifferent "lot" to the highest bidder. This appears at first sight to be slightly inconsistent; but a moment's reflection reminds us that such conduct is not unparalleled in the history of other nations. The representation of foreign dramas—and, more especially, the performance of M. Jean Aicard's translation of the Shakesperian " Otello" at the Comcdie Fran9aise—has recently given rise to a lively discussion on this subject iu the Beaux Arts section of the Chamber of Deputies. The nationalists found foreign authors out of place in the national theatres subsidised by the State, and demanded that henceforth only French operas and plays should be represented therein. To these objections M. Leygues roundly re- sponded that, if such were the case, only works of the French school ought to be admitted to the Louvre, since subsidised theatres were nothing less than national museums, and that Shakespeare was assuredly in his right place at the Comcdie Fran^aise or Odcon, since in raising a statue in his honour the Town of Paris ha 1 herself rendered homage to his genius. He added that subsidised theatres were especially- consecrated to "la pensee humaine," which was  ## p. 251 (#263) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. cosmopolite; and spiritedly demanded if the nationalists desired to exclude Correggio, Raphael, and Titian from the Louvre? He likewise pointed out that more dramatic French authors were represented in foreign countries than foreign dramatic authors were represented in France, and further continued — "Let us admire the beautiful wherever it may be found; do not let us proscribe genius under the pretext that it is not French. N'etablissons pas de barriere-douaniere contre la pensee!" This liberal and sensible speech was deservedly applauded, and thus our great poet has received his letters of naturalisation from the countrymen of Moliere, Racine, and Corneille. The Daudet family are skilled and untiring writers. "Sebastian Gouves" (ed. Fasquelle) is the title of M. Leon Daudet's new novel, but not having been favoured with a copy, we are unable to vouch for its merits. It is reported to repre- sent the strife perpetually waging between passion and interest, the social factors and the individual. At the present moment this hard-working author is busily engaged in supervising the editing of "Notes sur la Vie" {Revue de Paris), a series of casual notes in diary form found among the papers of the late Alphonse Daudet; also "Le Valet de ferme" (e"d. Dentu), a collection of short tales by the same illustrious author, to which M. Leon Daudet is adding a preface; while M. Ernest Daudet is occupied in finishing a stirring historical romance of the fifteenth century, entitled " Deux Coeques," which will shortly be given to the public. Our obituary list for the past month embraces the names of three men whose fame was essentially Parisian: (i) Charles-Louis-Etienne Truinet, better known as Charles Nuitter, archivist of the Opéra, was the author of numerous vaude- villes, and among them, the famous "Tasse de the"; but he is chiefly known as a librettist and the translator of "Tannhauser," "Rienzi," and " Lohengrin." He collaborated with Offen- bach in "Les Bavards," '* Vert-Vert," and "La Princesse de Tre"bizonde "; with Sardou in Guiraud's "Piccolino"; with Locle in Verdi's "Aida"; and with Beaumont, Delibes, and Lalo on other occasions. He was seventy-one years of age, and carried out so faithfully his chosen motto of '* Cache ta vie," that, at his death, not even his intimate asso- ciates knew if any of his family were still in existence. (2) Fernand Xau, founder and editor of Le Journal, died prematurely at Cannes, after a long and painful illness, a victim to overwork. Once, on being reproached for not taking the repose he needed, "I belong," he answered gaily, "to the race of horses who die when they stop vol. IX. short." He possessed all the qualities requisite to a successfulfin-de-siicle editor; and his smart repartees, shrewd judgment, and brilliant con- versational powers, united with great kindness of heart and journalistic talent of no mean order, make his loss sincerely regretted by a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. (3) The sudden death of Albert Bataille, one of the ablest journalists on the Figaro staff, has been still more widely deplored. The numerous foreign and native journalistic and literary associations of which he was an active member were unanimous in their expressions of esteem and regret. Speaking in the name of the foreign journalists at Paris, M. Janzon, editor of the Stockholms Dagblad, and member of the Central committee of the Press Association, emphatically declared: "H n'y a pas un journalist* étranger qui ait connu Bataille sans le respecter et l'aimer." But perhaps the highest tribute paid to the dead man's sterling worth was that conveyed in the closing phrases of the funeral oration pronounced by M. de Rodays: "Mais il faut surtout le louer, e"tant une force, d'avoir e"te une conscience. Bataille n'a jamais ecrit un mot qui'l ne pensat pas. ... II a touche- a tout . . . et il n'a jamais 6ti injuste pour personne. C'est l'honneur de sa vie de n'avoir jamais cede* a une pression ou subi l'influence d'un mauvais courant d'opinion." M. Pierre Loti's Eastern trip is indefinitely postponed, owing to his re-instatement on the active service list of the French Navy. He is now engaged on a work whose plot is laid in the He de Paques. This tiny Oceanic island was dis- covered by Davis in 1686, and explored by Rogge- ween on "Le jour de Paques, 1722." M. Loti visited this isle as a midshipman twenty-four years ago, and was much surprised to find it peopled by a handsome and intelligent white race. He is assisted in his present work by the notes taken on that occasion. M. Edouard Rod, whose name is well known in French literary circles, has just embarked for New York. He is expected to be absent for three months, his intention being to give a series of lectures in the American universities on French dramatic poetry, including the works of Jean Jacques, Rousseau, &c. On his return he will probably give the public the reflections induced by his American tour. The era of cheap modern literature in superior type and binding is being inaugurated here by MM. Jules Rouff and Co., who, relying on the popularity of Victor Hugo's works, have pur- chased from his heirs the right of publishing a complete collection of their famous relative's writings at the low rate of twenty-five centimes  ## p. 252 (#264) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. per volume. The statue of the great French master, intrusted to the sculptor Barrias, will be finished in July. The project of temporarily placing the plaster cast on the " rond point" of the Avenue Victor Hugo has been abandoned, and it is now definitely decided that the Hugo monument is to be placed when finished in a central position in the Champs Elysces palace ready for the great Exhibition of 1900. Amongthe publications of the month may be men- tioned " La Force," by M. Paul Adam, one of the most graphic and interestingmartialworkswe have had the pleasure of reading for a long time; " Le Massacre des Amazones," by M. Han Ryner (chez Chaumel), a critical study of 200 contemporary "bas bleus," among whom are included Mmes. Adam, Sarah Bernhardt, Alphonse Daudet, Tola Dorian, Judith Gautier, " Gyp," Jean Bertheroy, the Duchess d'Uzes, &c.; "Le Quartier Latin," by MM. Georges Renault and Gustave Le Rouge (chez Flammarion), a clever and instructive history of the old and new Latin quarter; "Le Rachat de la Femme," by Pierre Sales (chez Flammarion), forming a conclusion to his sensa- tional " Honneur du Mari," of which 10,000 copies were sold at its first publication; "L'Anneau d'Amethyste," by Anatole France, a novel which maintains the high literary level of its prede- cessors; "Josephine, Imperatrice et Reine," by the Bonapartist biographer, M. Frédcric Masson (chez Ollendorf), being a sequel to his interesting "Josephine Beauharnais"; "Un Amateur d'umes" (chez Fasquell), a charming Spanish study by M. Barres; and the second volume of the famous Gourgaud Memoirs, which contains much new and interesting matter relative to the great Napoleon, especially in regard to his private sentiments and shrewd appreciation of his two consorts. Darracotte Dene. FROM THE AMERICAN PAPERS. AMERICAN newspaper methods are, or have been, so much a byword in this country that it is of peculiar interest to hear the views of themselves entertained by American newspaper men. An address delivered the other day by Mr. St. Clair McKelway, editor of the Broohlyn Eagle, affords this opportunity. The occasion was the annual banquet of the American Newspaper Publishers' Association at the Waldorf-Astoria, when Mr. Stephen O'Meara, editor of the Boston Journal, presided over a com- pany of 200. The first speaker of the evening was Congressman B. Mahany, of Buffalo, who declared that there were more and better news- papers in New York State to-day than existed in the whole world half a century ago. Lieutenant- Governor Timothy L. Woodruff, who was the next speaker, addressed himself to the subject of "Public Men and their Relations to the Press." An honest public servant, he said, need fear neither jails nor newspapers; a dishonest public servant had just cause to fear both. Newspaper men constituted an impregnable phalanx of advancement and civilisation. Mr. St. Clair McKelway followed with a sj)eech on "The Press in its Relations to Public Men." The "relations," he said, were improving. Public men were finding that the rowdy Press could do them no harm, and the decent Press was finding that rowdy public men could do them neither harm nor good. "There are rowdy public men and there are rowdy news- papers," said the speaker. "They have a natural affinity for one another. The other kind of public men and the other kind of newspapers are letting that first sort alone. A line of cleavage in every community is being drawn between decent pubbc men and rowdy public men, and between decent newspapers and rowdy newspapers. Public men worthy of the name wish to benefit the city, State, or nation, and believe that the ideas of their party are likely to do it. Public journals have the same wish and the same belief." Mr. McKelway's denunciation of the unworthy section of the American Press was delivered in unstinted terms, and, as coming from one of the leading editors in the United States, deserves to be noted. Witness the following extract from his speech: "The public journal," he declared, "that subsists or exists for public plunder is a mendicant, a sycophant, and a compulsory coward. Only those who compel Press considera- tion by deserving it, either by character or ability, or both, are worthy of consideration as public men. Only those newspapers that make and keep a solvency in themselves and by themselves are worthy of consideration as public journals. The Government may be an advertiser in them like any other customer that has matters to make known, but the renting of business space should carry with it no mortgage on con- science or on brain. There may be a dispute over the permanence or power of the indepen- dent newspaper. I am too committed to the principle to indulge the reflected egotism of advocating it here. But there can hardly be a doubt about the lamentable and even pitiable plight of the dependent newspaper. It must mask the fact of slavery behind the pretence of authority. It must conceal the condition of beggarhood behind the front of oraclehood. It is of all things the most unfortunate. A man  ## p. 253 (#265) ############################################ THE AUTHOR: might conceivably sell his manual labour even for life to a heartless creditor, or deliver his heir- looms to an inforcing robber, or buy his peace from a soulless blackmailer, but that he should contract out his conscience and his brain under circumstances which make him infidel to honour, vacant of real influence, and barren of moral self- respect, should be unthinkable. For those whose personal or domestic necessities lead them to think that they must do that charity is taxed to the extreme. Towards those who do it for love of the fact of pelf or of the fiction of power, credulity is paralysed and indignation fatigued." M. Edouard Rod is now making his first visit to the United States, in order to deliver a series of lectures in French at the principal universities and colleges. These yearly lectures by distin- guished French literary men were started under the auspices of the Cercle Francais of Harvard two years ago, when M. Ferdinand Brunetiere dealt with the French novel. Last year M. Rene Doumic took up the History of French roman- ticism. M. Paul Bourget will probably be heard next year. M. Rod is treating of the History of French Dramatic Poetry. Questioned by the New York Times concerning his lectures, he made some interesting remarks on French litera- ture. "Among the dramatic poets of the past," said M. Rod, "my preference is for Racine. Racinean tragedy, with the drama of Shakes- peare, appears to me to be the most elevated form of art that dramatic poetry has produced. Racine's plays differ greatly from those of Shakespeare. I do not consider them inferior, but they represent a form of art that is essen- tially French. Foreigners often accuse us of not understanding them. Yet I think that at the present time Shakespearean drama is better understood in France than Racinean tragedy is outside of France. There is one thing about Shakespeare that has impressed me forcibly. A few months ago I was in London, and went to see 'Julius Caesar' — at Her Majesty's Theatre, I think. I could not but marvel at the prodigious knowledge of the democracy shown by Shake- speare, who nevertheless did not live in a democratic epoch. To come to modern times, within the past decade the foreign authors who have exercised the most influence upon French literature are, of course, Ibsen and Tolstoi, but what the ultimate effect of this influence will be it is impossible to conjecture. The most striking characteristic of our literature of the present time is its heterogeneity, if I may be pardoned for using such a barbarous word. There have been epochs when there was a certain unity in literary production and thought—at least, that is the impression we receive at a distance—but to-day we see around us the most diverse elements. It has been complained that Rostand's 'Cyrano de Bergerac' has shown unmistakably, by the universal admiration it has evoked and the unprecedented enthusiasm with which it has been received, that the tendencies of the times are towards a return to the romantic school. Evidently there is a current of romanticism; yet the current of realism is still strong, and there is another very pronounced current which seems to me to be a very powerful one but which it is difficult to define by a more precise word than that of idealism, which does not express much. JNb, I cannot venture to say whether or not any modern French writer exercises a decisive influ- ence upon our literature. That is not for me, but for posterity to judge." M. Rod does not speak English, though he can read it. The following editorial comment recently appeared in the New York World: There would seem to be something wrong abont the traditional belief that authors are poor and improvident people, if the history and experience of the Authors' Club in this city is of any significance. The club was organised in 1882, and it has always consisted of less than 150 members, all authors. At first it had no home and no means with which to rent one. Now it has a luxurious abiding-place, a fine library and all the adjuncts of comfort. And while most of the clubs composed of prosperous business men are sorely harassed by debt, the Authors' Club owes nobody a oent. and has a comfortable and yearly increasing bank account. While it was still poor it undertook to make and sell a costly book of unique character. There were to be 250 copies, each to be sold at 100 dollars. The publishers all ridiculed the idea, and with solioitous sympathy predicted disastrous failure, not as probable but as certain. But the authors made the book and marketed it so well that only a few oopies remain for belated buyers. Either the tradition is at fault or the authors have been learning thrift and shrewdness by their dealings with publishers. A FEW NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA. PROSPERITY is slowly but surely returning to Australia, and the direful crisis of 1893 is fading to some extent from the minds of men. Its lesson has not been forgotten, how- ever, and speculation and mild credits are not nearly so much in evidence as was the case in the ante-boom days. One result of the improvement is that Australia is again becoming a good market for English books and periodicals, which pour into the country in an enormous stream. Last year (1898) the single colony of New South Wales imported books and stationery to the value of .£581,974, and though no doubt stationery was the larger item,  ## p. 254 (#266) ############################################ 254 THE AUTHOR. yet the importation of books and periodicals must have been very large. The cheap English magazine rages with con- siderable virulence here, and local publications feel the competition somewhat, but have to suffer without much prospect of alleviation, as '* pro- tection" against the British author and publisher would not be entertained, in New South Wales at all events, which, under the cegis of Mr. Reid, has become very pronouncedly free - trade in policy. The absence of purely literary periodicals has no doubt seriously checked the development of Australian literary effort, but of late years a con- • siderable number of young writers have come into notice, chiefly through the Bulletin, a paper which, whatever its faults, and they are numerous enough, has done more to encourage Australian literary talent than any other local publication. Of these younger writers the best known are Mr. A. B. Paterson, Mr. Henry Lawson, Mr. Ogilvie, and Mr. Victor Daly. Almost all are verse writers, and have published numerous ballads, but they also write prose.and Mr. Paterson has recently published a novel. As a rule, the Australian writer betakes him to England, and as examples might be quoted Mr. B. J. Farjeon, Mr. Fergus Hume, Mr. H. B. Marriott Watson, Mr. Louis Becke, and other writers; but there are some who remain with us, such as Mr. Browne (Kolf Boldrewood), Mrs. Cross (Ada Cambridge), and Mrs. H. R. Curlewis (Ethel Turner). There are worse countries to live in than Australia, with its genial climate, its free life, and its endless possibilities in the way of riding, driving, bicycling, boating, <fec. Of course, I refer to the older colonies, not to newly-discovered goldfields or pastoral sections. Some readers of The Author may be interested in "spooks," and such will be glad to hear that a road near the present writer's place of residence is haunted by a remarkable "spook," which takes the form of a dog. At about 1 1 o'clock p.m. on Aug. 12, the dog appears near a little bridge or culvert on what is known as the Willoughby road, and runs in front of or round anyone who happens to be passing that way. Hundreds of people are said to have seen the dog, and many have thrown stones at it, but the missiles have passed completely through the figure without affecting it in the least. When matches are lit it disappears, but reappears the moment the light goes out. I cross-questioned a girl who had seen the dog, and she scouted the idea that it was imaginary, and stated that hundreds of people had seen it and that she herself had been accompanied by several persons, to all of whom it was visible. I have not seen the dog myself, and have an open mind on the subject, and give the tale as I heard it. For a new country, New South Wales rejoices in good many " spook " stories, haunted houses, and so on. Almost everyone here and many people in England know the story of "Fisher's Ghost," which is supposed to be a fairly well-authenticated story. Fisher was a small farmer who was treacher- ously murdered by a man with whom he had lived as a friend. This man gave out that Fisher had gone to England, but people passing a certain fence near a creek at night began to see Fisher sitting on a rail. When approached, the figure glided off in the direction of the creek. Investi- gations were made; blood was found on the fence, and Fisher's body in a hole on the bank of the creek. The suspected man was arrested and hanged. There is no doubt whatever of the murder, trial, and execution, and the supernatural part is believed by many. Justin C. MacCartie. Bridge-street, Sydney, Jan. 17. NOTES AND NEWS. THE following resolution has been forwarded to me from the secretary of the Authors' Club. It was passed unanimously at the last meeting of the Committee of the Club with a view of assisting those members of the Society who happen to be up in town for the dinner of the Society, and to making their stay in town as pleasant as possible: "That gentlemen living in the country who are members of the Authors' Society may be elected honorary members of the Authors' Club for the week May 1st to 6th upon the personal introduc- tion of a member of the Club." The annual report of the Boyal Literary Fund for the year 1898 will be found in another column. Two or three points are suggested by the report. The first is that the invested funds of the asso- ciation now amount to nearly .£60,000: that the income is about .£4000: that the amount given in relief of authors in distress was .£1900: and that the total number of recipients was no more than twenty-seven. Of these, fourteen were men, who received an average grant of .£61 each, and thir- teen were women, of whom eight were authors, with an average grant of .£51: four were widows, with an average grant of .£150: and one, an orphan, who received .£40.  ## p. 255 (#267) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 255 This represents the year's work of a most useful and beneficent charity. One gentleman at the meeting objected to the investment of more money, on the ground that there must surely be more than twenty-seven persons a year for whom the fund was intended. The speaker represented the average and common view of literature as a profession. That is to say, he regards it as a beggarly and most precarious profession. Now, I have been on the council of the Royal Literary Fund. Their meetings are most sacred and private and confidential. But I do not think that I am revealing secrets when I say that I never remember a single deserving case which was turned away for want of funds. On the contrary, the council always took a lenient view of the case, and a generous view of the literary position of the applicant. And I do not believe that, outside the twenty-seven recipients in last year's lists, there was a single case of distress which presented itself, or which might have presented itself. In other words, there are now thousands who live by the pen: the position of this multitude is as assured as that of any other profession. A man may break down in health, but if he does not, and is a good man and worthy of a place in the profession of letters, he may reckon upon success with much greater certainty than if he was a solicitor or a medical practitioner. I am, therefore, of opinion that it is quite time to abandon the annual appeal to the public for assistance for the starving litterateur. There will always be cases of distress and hardship, but there is no longer any necessity for the yearly dinner and the yearly speech of the chairman in aid of a charity which is represented as requiring more funds, and still more funds, as if the appli- cants were increasing in number instead of being a mere remnant, and as if the profession was still what it was sixty and a hundred years ago, starveling and dependent. In other words, the Fund has as much money as it wants: it need not make any more appeals or ask for any more invested funds; while to appeal to the public every year on behalf of the literary profession has not only ceased to be necessary but has actually become degrading. With this view of the case, I shall not feel myself in future called to give anything more to an institution which is sufficiently equipped for its excellent work, and I shall never again sit at a dinner which represents a condition of things no longer existing. The various experiments in the prices which publishers are now trying, are watched with interest by Americans. The following paragraph, VOL. IX. cut out of the New York Criterion, shows what some of them think. It is not quite the case that the six-shilling novel is ousted from the railway stall by its sixpenny rival: it is, however, quite true that the six-shilling volume is greatly damaged by the sixpenny. I believe that one publisher is going to try the experiment of pro- ducing books at two prices—a low and a high price. I can assure him that no one, not even a millionaire, will pay more than he is obliged to pay for anything, especially for "something to read," which is what most people want on a journey. I watched a stall the other day. There were offered stories at sixpence—or was it a shilling?—and the same stories at a penny. People bought them. Everyone laid down his penny and took the cheaper book: "The ephemeral character of the great bulk of current notion is strikingly illustrated by the snocess obtained in London by the sixpenny reprints of recent novels and the melancholy effect which their publication is having on the sale of the six-shilling novels. On the railway bookstalls the sixpenny paper-cover has practioally ousted the more pretentious volume, and when the promised new novels in sixpenny and shilling volumes come the chances sf the high- priced, well-bound novels are not of the brightest. The publio is realising that six shillings is a high price to pay for merely reading a book; for certainly most books of recent notion are of little value after being read once; they are not worth preserving on library shelves. Just as its pre- decessor, the three-decker, went, unwept and unsung, so will go the six-shilling book, and cheap editions, with a limited number bound for library purposes, will prevail. Neither author nor publisher has nrach to fear by this prospect, as there is no reason why good, or even indifferent, novels should not supplant the 'snipped' and 'rag-bag' papers that now flood the market." In the same paper I find a note on the Society and my book. It was not, of course, an "onslaught on the publishers." It simply stated what has been already stated over and over again, that " many publishers" are dishonest in certain ways that are expressly mentioned and, according to my view, are ways of dishonesty. These views, however, seem to be shared by everybody who takes the trouble to read them. Sir Walter Besant's "Pen and the Book " onslaught on the publishers has received opportune support from the annual report of the Authors' Society just published. In their efforts for the protection of literary property the Authors' solicitors dealt with 11o oases during 1898. Of these, twenty-eight referred to manuscripts which editors or publishers had not returned; in fifty oases money was claimed by authors from publishers; and there were twenty- three cases of dealings between writer and publisher in which the latter did not produce proper accounts of the transactions. The Society succeeded in recovering for their owners more than half of the detained manusoripts, over four-fifths of the money claimed, and in two oases out of three compelled the publishers to render satisfactory acoonnts. Ab practically every well-known English writer is now a member of the Sooiety of Authors, it has made Jt E  ## p. 256 (#268) ############################################ 256 THE AUTHOR. itaelf a decided factor in the perpetual strife between the wolf and the lamb—as Sir Walter would put it. The lamb, however, some publishers think, is growing up into a very sturdy ram, capable of taking good care of itself. I have been taken to task for calling the practice of charging what has not been paid "thieving." Well: two men embark on an enterprise the proceeds of which they have agreed to share in certain proportions: one of them manages the commercial side, the other trusts his word implicitly. The managing partner—one is told not to use the word "partner "—call him then fellow adrenturer—sends in accounts show- ing that he has spent £120, when he has only spent £100, putting the £20 secretly in his own pocket. What shall we call that act? A lawyer tells me it is not "theft," but "breach of trust," and that I must not call any action "theft" which the law only calls "breach of trust." I have put the case to a good many persons. They all agree that there is no difference in guilt between the man who thus sends in falsified accounts and the man who picks a pocket. No difference at all. If we are agreed that the man is a Thief, why not say so? I suppose the offended parties will be angry, but does that matter? As for the fact, we cannot too often repeat that in their proposed draft agreements the publishers claim the right to overcharge: and as they leave the percentage blank, they claim the right of taking whatever they please ; and as they maintain silence on the question of charging for advertise- ments which cost them nothing, in spite of the continued protests of the Society, it is surely not ill-natured to conclude that they approve of the practice. And, again, if there is any lingering doubt as to the truth of the charge, one publisher was so good as to dispel that doubt by proclaim- ing and acknowledging that it was his custom to charge what he had not paid. This was in the Outlook. The following paragraph has been sent to me. It is a cutting from the Independent: I am sorry to learn that Miss E. Livingston Prescott has been so much impressed by Sir Walter Besant's denuncia- tion of publishers that she is keeping her new novel, "Helot and Hero," in her own hands. It has been pro- duced, I hear, at her own expense, and is being distributed by Messrs. Simpkin, Marshall, and Co." 1 wonder what the writer means by the "denunciation of publishers." He repeats, you see, the last invention. I say, repeating a charge advanced over and over again by the Committee of the Society of Authors in their reports, books, and papers, that "many publishers "—not all— have been guilty of charging what has not been paid. Is this "denunciation of publishers " r And why is the writer of the paragraph sorry 'i Is he sorry that an author has learned to manage his own affairs for himself? Or is he sorry that a publisher is denied the rights which, according to the proposed agreements, he claims, of taking from the proceeds anything he pleases? In Literature of March the 18th there was presented a bibliographical survey of the House of Commons. The literary strength of the House is surprising. The list does not pretend to be exhaustive, but it may be taken as fairly so. It contains 134 names of Members who have written books or pamphlets. Surely there has never before been so large a literary element in any House of Commons. Among the names are some which belong to the very front rank of contempo- rary literature, such as, for instance, A. J. Balfour, Birrell, Bryce, Dilke, Jebb, Lecky, McCarthy, and John Morley, not to mention lawyers, journalists, specialists, essayists, and scientific writers, among them being John Burns, Sir Edward Clarke, Sir J. C. Colomb, Radcliffe Cooke, Leonard Courtney, Lord E. Fitzmaurice, Arnold Forster, Goschen, Haldane, Vernon Harcourt, Henniker Heaton, Howorth, Labouchere, Lubbock, Marquis of Lorne, Sir H. E. Maxwell, T. P. O'Connor, T. W. Russell, H. M. Stanley, Sir Howard Vincent, Carvell Williams, and many others. There are, in fact, at least thirty considerable authors in the House of Commons ; and of writers of books, journalists, and writers of pamphlets there are at least 134, say, one in four. It would be curious to compare this list with the corresponding list in the American House of Representatives. A little analysis of the list shows that many have written on several subjects. The following numbers, therefore, sometimes include the same name more than once. In poetry there are four; in philo- sophy three; in biography and history there are thirty; on military and naval matters there are three; on education two; on essays four; on law thirteen; on fiction nine; on religion three; on travel fourteen; on science sixteen; on political economy thirteen; on politics five; on Colonial topics one; and under the head of miscellaneous, including writers of occasional pamphlets, there are thirty-two. ijio Since we have so large a literary company in the House of Commons, would it not be possible to use this interesting fact for some practical purpose? There is, for instance, one little reform that is badly wanted. It is a slight change in the wording of the Resolution of 1837 by which the Civil Pension List was created. That resolu-  ## p. 257 (#269) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 257 tion granted a sum of .£1200 every year—not £1200 a year in all—to be devoted to pensions for persons distinguished in Literature, Science, or Art, or for those whom the Sovereign may think fit to honour. We want the last words left out, so that no one unconnected with Literature, Science, or Art shall receive a pension from this fund. On the other hand, the tendency for some years has been to use the fund for widows and daughters rather than for actual workers. After the words "persons distinguished in Litera- ture, Science, or Art" should come the words "or their widows or children if these are in straitened means," or words to that effect. Walter Besant. ITALY AND THE UNITED STATES. Translation from " I Diritti d'Autore, Bolletino degli atti e hotizie della Societa Italiana degli Autori." Anno XVIII., Num. 1-2. Gennaio- Febbraio, 1889. Page 1. THE Italian Association of Typographical Publishers has presented to the Minister of Agriculture, Industry, and Commerce, the following memorial, drawn up by the advo- cate, Ferrucio Foil, in which it begs for a revision of the Convention for the reciprocal protection of intellectual works between Italy and the United States: To His Excellency the Minister of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce. Rome. May it please Your Excellency: The Italian Association of Typographical Publishers previously had occasion, in 1891, to present to the Italian Government a memorial respecting the steps which were then being taken towards a Convention with the United States regarding artistic and literary property. At present this Convention has been agreed upon, and has been in force for some years, so that it is possible to study its results, and to form a mature judgment of its effects: and the same Association takes the liberty of placing before your Excellency some observations on this subject. The Association is convinced that this Con- vention is injurious to the interests of the Italian book-trade, and therefore suggests that your Excellency—in accordance with the clause which gives both of the contracting parties power to denounce the Convention at any time—might treat with the Government of the United States, with a view to the regulation of the reciprocal terms of the Convention in some manner more consonant with the interest of Italian citizeus. Undoubtedly the law of March 3, 1891 (Copy- right Act) marked an epoch in copyright legisla- tion, inasmuch as the United States of America had, until that time, refused to accord any pro- tection to the rights of foreigners. It was, perhaps, in consequence of this that many European States hastened to conclude treaties which might enable them to avail them- selves of the concessions which had been made. This was done by England (which had the strongest reasons for taking this step, on account of the identity of the language, which made com- pliance with the requirements of the Copyright Act very easy), by France, by Belgium, by Switzerland, and finally by Germany. Italy followed the example of the sister nations, and joined the Convention, by a royal decree of Jan. 18, 1893, No. 17. The terms which the Copyright Act impose upon foreigners as conditions of obtaining pro- tection are such that they render illusory the protection accorded books, lithographs, and photographs. This can be stated without hesi- tation, seeing that both the tenor of the terms of the Act, and experience, prove the fact. At the present time the works of Italian authors begin to be known and sought after in foreign countries; and yet Italian authors and editors would rather leave the American pub- lishers at liberty to translate and reprint their works than avail themselves of the provisions of the Copyright Act. This is an incontrovertible proof of the useless- ness of the protection afforded. And hence it arises that the publishers find themselves com- pelled to appeal to your Excellency's perspicacity. So long as the Italian exportation was very small, and the property to be protected consequently insignificant, the Italian book trade had no actual reason to protest against the Convention. Now, however, when happily the exportation is increasing rapidly, it is necessary that a pro- vision should be made for the protection of Italian interests. The twelfth Article of the Copyright Act enacts as follows: "This Act shall not apply to the citizens of a foreign State, unless that State accords the citizens of the United States the benefit of a protection of copyright on a basis substantially the same as that on which pro- tection is accorded to its own citizens. . . . The existence of these conditions shall be deter- mined by a proclamation of the President." Therefore, in accordance with this Article, foreigners who desire to avail themselves of the Copyright Act, after their Government has ob-  ## p. 258 (#270) ############################################ 258 THE AUTHOR. tained the prescribed proclamation, have to comply with certain prescriptions which the law has enacted for American citizens. So, in ac- cordance with paragraph 4956, protection cannot be claimed unless two copies of the book which is to be protected have been, at the latest on the day of publication, sent to the Librarian of Congress in the United States, or, in the case of a foreign country, have been deposited with the post in the territory of the "United States addressed to the Librarian. But this is not enough. These two copies must have been printed from type composed in the territory of the United States, or from stereo- typed plates made from type so composed. If, then, the European author of a work does not wish to lose the benefits of the American pro- tection, he must, before offering his work to the public in his own country, find a publisher in the United States, he must send him a copy of his manuscript, wait until a translation of it has been made, until the American typographical composition has been completed, and until two copies of the translation thus printed have been consigned to the Librarian of Congress at Washington, or lodged with the post, addressed to him. Then alone can he proceed to issue the original edition of his book. The slightest mistake, the smallest delay which may occur in the composition in the United States, causing the author, in his ignorance of it, to produce the original publication but one day before the trans- lation, and the protection becomes null, all the steps taken are void, and pirate publishers can produce the work with impunity, without either author or publisher possessing any rights. The explanation of the system suffices to prove that it is absolutely impossible for our authors to get protection of their rights. It will be under- stood that the English are able to comply with the terms imposed. The identity of language renders translation unnecessary, and the trans- mission of their works easy and profitable. But where there is a question of translation, the home market must be thought of before the inter- national market. How shall it be foreseen that the book will have but a small success, or that it shall have such a success that it will cross the Atlantic, and make profitable and possible an American translation before the book has been published in Italy? We have pointed out to your Excellency how the English find themselves in a privileged posi- tion when compared with the European States. Nevertheless, even amongst them the special con- ditions of simultaneous printing which the Ameri- can law imposes have created grave inconveniences, and sometimes have rendered protection impos- sible. Some of these cases were mentioned in the bulletin of the Berne Bureau, which quoted the words of an American publicist, who made in the Nation the following important declaration: "Professor Mover is the victim of our stupid con- dition of American fabrication, upon which the protection of the Copyright Act depends." In Germany, the agitation against the treaty is also active. In the words of the deputy Dietz, "Germany gives freely, to receive but a meagre return." If these words are true of Germany and of the European States, they are much more true of Italy, which gives much more than all the other European States. In fact, the other States impose upon the Americans who wish to obtain literary protection more or less extended formali- ties. In England, the publication must be simul- taneous in both countries—here there is an exact reciprocity—the title must be registered at Stationers' Hall, and a fee of 5s. paid. In France two copies of the publication must be deposited with the Minister of the Interior, &c. In Italy, on the contrary, no formality is pre- scribed, and the American citizen finds himself in a better position than the Italian himself. To obtain the protection] of the law the Italian must comply with the formalities prescribed by the law of 1882. The American citizen is not obliged to do this. If he has, at the time of the publication of the original edition, complied with the formalities prescribed by his own legislation, this suffices to secure him the protection of the law in Italy. In fact, Article 40 of the Act con- templates the case of a State which promises protection to other States on the condition that the latter shall guarantee the authors of works published in its territories all the rights and pro- tections sanctioned by their legislation; and in this case authorises the Government to accord reciprocity by a Royal decree. This is precisely the case of the United States. For such States Article 40 enacts: "If in a foreign State deposit of copies is prescribed, or a declaration at the time of publication of a work, proof that one or the other has been executed in conformity with the law of the country suffices to secure for the work published here the author's copyright in this Kingdom. Under the opposite hypothesis the deposit and the declaration prescribed in the present law can be effected either in Italy or abroad at an Italian Consulate." Seeing, then, that the Royal decree exists between Italy and the United States, and that in the United States deposit in the Library of Congress is prescribed, it follows that the deposit effected at Washington gives, without any further formality, a right to protection in Italy. Your Excellency will perceive how different is  ## p. 259 (#271) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 259 the position of the citizens of the two States between which a reciprocity was to be established —one that exists in the letter of the treaty only, and certainly not in its essential working. It is impossible for a moment to entertain any doubt of the immediate necessity of obtaining a real protection for Italian intellectual works, which are beginning to have a sale on the American Continent. If there be any difficulty which can oppose the equitable wishes of the Italian authors and pub- lishers, it is that which may arise from the con- flicting interests of the former and those of musical authors and publishers. ^Respecting these works, it is for the future agreed, in conse- quence of a number of legal decisions, that they ueed not be manufactured in the United States. But your Excellency's high intelligence and right judgment will doubtlessly discover some manner of combining the interests of both parties, seeing that it is not just that one section of producers of intellectual works should be sacrificed to the other. The Italian Association of Typographical Pub- lishers therefore trusts that your Excellency will be so good as, without ipso facto denouncing the treaty, to open communications with the Govern- ment of Washington with a view to some just modification that may safeguard the interests of all Italian citizens. It is certain that the Washington Government ought not to wish the treaty denounced, seeing that it gives, as we have shown, a large pro- tection to American writers, who are beginning to find a sale in our Peninsula. As England has succeeded in stipulating for a treaty which protects the authors of both States in a perfectly equal manner, so we trust your Excellency may be able to induce the Government of the United States to agree to a treaty more in accord with the interests of Italians than that which at present exists. And consider- ing that the Copyright Act does take account of the principle of reciprocity, if it be pointed out that, with the present treaty, that reciprocity does not really exist, the Washington Government cannot refuse to discuss the subject; and this the more as the obligations imposed by the Copy- right Act were suggested only by a desire of protection from English competition, certainly without reference to other States. We shall certainly not here presume to suggest to your Excellency the means to be adopted to carry out the end desired. For the Italian Association of Typographical Publishers it is enough to have pointed out this important subject to the attention of your Excellency. For musical works the treaty may certainly remain such as it is at present. It sufficiently protects such artistic property. For books, lithographs, and photographs it may, on the other hand, be possible to procure the abrogation of the principle which imposes simultaneous publication in both countries and the printing from American type or composition. This is the greatest desideratum. To obtain it it will suffice that the United States should apply the principle of a real reciprocity in the manner in which it is understood and applied by our Legislation. That is to say, to secure pro- tection in a foreign State it is not necessary to conform with the laws of that State, but it suffices to have complied with the requirements of the State of origin. So, as at present, as the American citizen who has made the prescribed deposit in the Library of Congress is thereby at once, without any further formality, protected in Italy, so it ought to be established that the Italian citizen who has done what the Italian law requires should, without further formalities, be entitled to the protection of the American tribunals. If it is not possible to secure this result, it should at least be possible to obtain this, that the citizen of those States cannot have protection in Italy for his literary labours unless the work is printed simultaneously in the country of origin and in Italy. These and other modifications may be weighed and brought into effect by your Excellency. And if nothing can be obtained, it will be at least opportune to agree that, whilst the treaty shall continue in force for musical works, it shall be abrogated for books. In this way the Italian author will lose nothing, since, as we see, the present protection is illusory. But, at least, the American also will not be protected by us, and the works of the United States will become public property. Complete liberty in both coun- tries will be better, as the present state of the case is this, that we give the American more protection than the Italian citizen, whilst in the United States the Italian intellectual works are exploited by everyone without their authors or their publishers, who have been at the expense and trouble of producing them, receiving any tangible advantage from their labours. In effect, as has been said in a notable article published in the Bulletin of Berne, since that after Zola no one on the Continent has found it convenient to make an American edition, the pirates have been able to declare that foreigners do not wish to avail themselves of the benefits of the American law, and so have robbed them with the greatest coolness. Your Excellency: The Italian Association of Typographical Pub-  ## p. 260 (#272) ############################################ 260 THE AUTHOR. lishers trusts that your Excellency will make a serious examination of the question which it has had' the honour of laying before you. Italian works, as has been already said, are beginning to be disseminated in the United States, and this dissemination will in the future become greater. It is necessary to take precautions for the future that the frait of so much labour and of so many expenses may not be lost in that country which pays the highest price for the things which it consumes, of whatsoever kind they may be. In the United States, too, the principles of a true and real protection of intellectual works are con- stantly making advance. It undoubtedly follows that the Government of Washington will not altogether easily suffer the Italian treaty to be denounced, particularly as this might be the prelude of a similar reaction in other States. It should, therefore, be possible to obtain a revision of the treaty in a sense in conformity with Italian interests. The Italian Association of Typographical Publishers has great confidence in the high sense of your Excellency, and awaits with tran- quility to see your efforts crowned with that success which neither can nor ought to be un- attainable in so patriotic an enterprise. THE ANNUAL DINNER. THE Annual Dinner of the Society of Authors will be held at the Trocadero Restaurant, Piccadilly, W., on Thursday, May 4, at 7.30 p.m. The chair will be taken by Mr. Augus- tine Birrell, Q.C., M.P. Tickets for the dinner will be 1 guinea, inclusive of everything. The formal notice of the dinner will be sent out to each member in the course of a day or so. The following ladies and gentlemen have kindly con- sented to act as stewards of the dinner: The Eev. E. A. Abbott, D.D. William Allingham, F.E.C.S. Sir Edwin Arnold, K.C.I.E., C.S.I. Sir Robert S. Ball, LL.D., P.E.S. Bobert Bateman. Miss A. E. Bayly ("Edna Lyall.") Arthur W. a-Beckett. P. B. Beddard, F.E.S. E. F. Benson. Sir Henry G. Bergne, K.C.M.G. Mrs. Osear Beringer. Sir Walter Besant. W. H. Besant, F.B.S., D.Sc. ponlteney Bigelow. Mrs. Craigie (" Jchn Oliver Hobbes.") Oswald Crawford, C.M.G. Mrs. B. M. Croker. Lady Florence Dixie. Austin Dobson. Sir George Douglas, Bart. Prof. E. Dowden, LL.D., &c. A. Conan Doyle, M.D. A. W. Dnbourg. TheVen. Archdeacon Farrar, D.D., F.E.S. Basil Field. Prof. Michael Foster, F.E.S., D.Sc, &c. Douglas W. Freshfield. Signor Manuel Garcia. Eichard Garnett, C.B., LL.D. Kenneth Grahame. Francis Gribble. H. Eider Haggard. Prof. J. W. Hales. Thomas Hardy. Anthony Hope Hawkins. Silas K. Hocking. E. W. Hornnng. Mrs. Humphreys (" Eita"). Sir Henry Irving. Dr. Sophia Jex-Blake. The Eev. Prebendary Harry Jones. Henry Arthur Jones. H. G. Keene, CLE. J. Scott Keltie, LL D. Mrs. Edward Kennard. The Very Eev. Dean Kit- chin, D.D., F.S.A. W. E. H. Leoky, P.C. Lady William Lennox. J. Stanley Little. Sir Norman Lookyer,K.C.B., P.E S. Sir John Lubbock, Bart., P.O., &o. Eichard Marsh. The Eev. Prof. T. G.Bonney, F.E.S. Oscar Browning. Prof. C. A. Buchheim. Mrs. Hodgson Harnett. Mrs. Mona Caird. Lady Colin Campbell. Prof. Lewis Campbell. Eosa Nouchette Carey. Egerton Castle, F.S.A. Sir WiUiam Charley, Q.C., D.C.L. Prof. A. H. Church, F.E.S. Mrs. W. K. Clifford. Edward Clodd. W. Morris Colles. The Hon. Jchn Collier. Sir Martin Conway. the Lord , F.E.S. Florence Marryat. Sir Herbert Maxwell, Bart., P.C. Justin McCarthy. George Meredith. Jean Middlemass. The Eev. A. W. Momerie. F. Frankfort Moore. Arthur Morrison. Henry Norman. W. E. Norris. Gilbert Parker. Max Pemberton. The Eight Hon. Pirbright, P.C, Sir. Frederick Pollock, Bart., LL.D. Morley Eoberts. W. M. Eossetti. Owen Seaman. Prof. Adam Sedgwick. G. Bernard Shaw. The Eev. Prof. Skeat, LL.D. Herbert Spencer. M. H. Spielmann. Victor Spiers. Sir John Stainer, Mub. Doc. Prof. Villiers Stanford, Mus. Doc. Henry M. Stanley. J. Ashby Sterry. Bram Stoker. Francis Storr. The Duohess of Sutherland. Sir Eichard Temple, Bart, G.C.S.I., &o. Sir Henry Thompson, Bart., F.E.C.S., &o. The Eev. Prebendary God- frey Thring. J. Todhunter, M.D. "Mark Twain." Mrs. Humphry Ward. Alfred E. T. Watson. J. McNeill Whistler. Miss Charlotte M. Yonge. KING ALFRED MEMORIAL. AMEETING in connection with the proposed national commemoration in 1901 of the thousandth anniversary of the death of King Alfred was held at the Mansion House, on March 6, the Lord Mayor of London pre- siding. Mr. Hamo Thornycroft has been asked if he will undertake the colossal statue, for which a site has been given by the Mayor of Winchester. For the memorial hall, or museum, it has been decided to select the historic grounds of Wolvesey Castle (close to the statue) which, till about a century ago, was the residence of Kings, or the home of the Bishops of Winchester, traditionally from the time of  ## p. 261 (#273) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. Bishop Agilbert, in the seventh century. It has been decided also to issue a popular record of King Alfred's life, containing contributions on Saxon Laws, by Sir Frederick Pollock; on Saxon Arts, by the Rev. W. J. Loftie; on Alfred as a religious man and educationist, by the Bishop of Bristol; Alfred as a geographer, by Sir Clements Mark- ham; as a warrior, by Professor Oman; and as a writer, by Professor Earle. Sir Walter Besant will write an introduction, and the Poet Laureate hopes to contribute verses. — WILLIAM BLACK MEMORIAL- LORD ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL issued, on Feb. 27, the following circular:—A committee has been formed for the purpose of establishing a memorial to the late William Black. It is proposed that friends and admirers of the late novelist throughout the world be invited to contribute to this purpose. This memorial may take the form of a lifeboat for the West Coast of Scotland if a useful position be found for it there. If not, the committee will consider the form the memorial should take. Two officials of the Northern Lights Commissioners are now investigating the matter. A list of the committee will be advertised in the leading journals. In the meantime subscriptions will be received by Messrs. Coutts, 59, Strand, London, and by the editor of the Oban Times, Oban, KB. INTERNATIONAL PRESS CONGRESS. MR. JAMES BAKER, author of "The Cardinal's Page," has just left for Rome, as English delegate to the International Press Congress; he will act as German inter- preter to the English section. The principal subjects for discussion at the congress are an international "carte d'identite" for Press-men travelling abroad; the establishment of a central official periodical for Press matters, although "La Presse Internationale" will serve that purpose at present; Press legislation in various countries; artistic property; reduction of postal tariffs for papers; adoption of an abbreviated international code for Press telegrams; and the legal position of journalists in various countries, &c. We hope to receive a full account of the proceedings from Mr. James Baker for our next issue. THE ROYAL LITERARY FUND. riHHE annual general meeting in connection I with the Royal Literary Fund was held at the offices in Adelphi-terrace, on March 8, Sir M. E. Grant Luff presiding. The report pre- sented by Sir Theodore Martin showed that grants to the amount of .£1905 had been made during the year to twenty-seven different cases. The par- ticulars of these were as follows : Class T. (history and biography, &c.), four grants, .£450 ; Class II. (science and art), four grants, .£230; Class III. (classical literature and education), four grants, £420; Class IV. (novels and tales), four grants, . £ 12 5; Class V. (poetry and the drama), three grants, .£340; Class VI. (miscellaneous), eight grants, .£340; total, twenty-seven grants, .£1905. There were relieved: fourteen males, .£855; thirteen females (viz., eight authors, .£410; four widows, .£600; one orphan, .£40), .£1050; total, .£1905. The total receipts amounted to over .£4000, and of this about .£1800 has been invested. A total sum of .£56,269 is now invested, producing an income of .£1700. Sir T. Martin pointed out that in this way the fund was being rendered less dependent on fluctuating subscriptions. Mr. Brabrook objected that there was no necessity for accumulating investments. They were not a commercial body, but were intended to assist authors and others connected with the pro- fession of literature who had fallen into distress. He knew that the Fund was very well adminis- tered, but he could scarcely think that twenty- seven constituted the whole number of persons it was meant to relieve. He would rather see the number doubled and the amount of relief also doubled than add to the .£60,000 invested capital of this admirably managed institution. He thought the Fund had enough invested to insure stability. Sir T. Martin explained that he had not meant by his remark that they ought in any way to con- tract their grants, but only to invest certain special gifts. The report was adopted unanimously. The Duke of Devonshire and Mr. Edward Dicey were chosen to fill the vacancies among the vice-presi- dents caused by the deaths of Mr. Gladstone and Lord Herschell. CORRESPONDENCE. I.—The Use of Extracts. ISHOULD be much interested to know what is the generally accepted rule for the use of extracts from standard authors, and whether my experience in this respect be an unusual one. A  ## p. 262 (#274) ############################################ 262 THE AUTHOR. short time since the editor of a well-known and long-established magazine accepted from me an article on a literary subject, which contained trans- lations of a few sonnets and extracts from one or two longer poems, made by a distinguished writer who has been dead a few years. I wrote under advice to this gentleman's brother and literary representative to ask his permission to use them. He gave me a cordial consent, but added, "The copyright is in a general sense mine, but the pub- lishers (name and address) have also an interest in it, and it would be better if you consulted them as well. They would, I apprehend, make no difficulty." I was, therefore, considerably sur- prised when the publishers did make a difficulty to the extent of asking two guineas for the use of the extracts. As I did not feel disposed to pay this, I inquired what charge (if any) they would make for the use of part of one extract and three lines from a sonnet. For this they replied they would make a " nominal charge" of i0s. 6d. I declined their kind offer, and either deleted the translations or substituted versions of my own. It was fortunate that I was able to do so without material damage to the article, but there might be circumstances under which it would not be possible. For the use of quotations as chapter headings, or in volumes of extracts, it surely cannot be customary to charge to this extent? If so, I fear literature would suffer, as few authors can afford to pay at this rate, and consequently quotations would be to a great measure barred. I should add that I was, of course, prepared, and told the publishers so, to make full acknowledgment if they had given their consent. f_ N. C. II.—Payment on Acceptance. May I add another to your list of magazines as paying for articles on acceptance? This is the invariable rule of Great Thoughts. Herbert D. Williams. III.—Writing for Low Pay. 1. In reference to certain remarks in the Queen (see enclosed cutting*) may I mention the follow- ing facts? * "A oorreepondent sends a letter concerning the women who write for nothing, or for low pay, because they are placed beyond the need of working for their livelihood. She says that she has sent many papers —stories and other things— to the editors of papers; that they have been accepted; that generally payment is either refused, or that application for payment is not answered. She says, quite rightly, that when an editor receives a MS. he must know that it is not sent as a gift, and that it is his duty either to return the MS. or to warn the author that if it appears it will not be paid for," Women are by no means the worst offenders in this matter. I was for over six years editress of a popular London novelette, which paid one all round price for its stories (.£6) ; but I have had letters over and over again from writers (of both sexes) saying that if only their MSS. could be taken, they would gladly accept £2, and pur- chase 100 copies. I need hardly say the offer was invariably refused. There are—judging from twenty years' experi- ence in what are called penny papers—two classes of people willing to write below market value: 1. The amateur who has a comfortable home, and only wants the pleasure of appearing in print. 2. The very poor and unsophisticated writer, who, knowing nothing of the prices that rule in literary work, honestly thinks £2 or .£3 fair remuneration for a story that took perhaps a week to write. I do not think this class should be harshly judged; they could not earn .£3—or even £2— by teaching, by fancy work, or by any of the many vaunted "Home" employments, their expenditure has been perhaps 6d. of paper, and so the £2 or .£3 when it comes seems handsome. If the correspondent referred to is writing of the better class magazines, notably those pub- lished by religious societies, it is a well-known fact that many clergymen and ladies of rank do write gratuitously for these, thinking it a sort of charity or a work for religion. I have been writing (in penny papers only) for over twenty-five years, but / never once had pay- ment for an article refused. I think perhaps a very simple plan has safe- guarded me from the difficulties mentioned by your correspondent. In writing to strangers (i.e. unknown editors) I always indorse my MSS. on title page: "Payment expected," and in an accom- panying letter I " hope they may be inclined to purchase MSS." (I fancy the general wording is "accept"). I have never known this plan to fail, and now for many years past I have been earn- ing a very comfortable income from penny papers. A Story Writer. 11. The conviction is growing amongst observers of the difficulties, trials, and unnecessary anxieties inflicted upon writers for magazines, reviews, and journals that, until a number of such writers unite upon certain points and, as a body, make a stand for fairness, the present unbusinesslike habits of editors in dealing with MSS. and the unjust rates of payment will continue. Would it be possible for, say, fifty or sixty respected and self-respecting people to adopt some such plan as that followed by typewriters and fix a minimum sum below which they would not sell their articles?  ## p. 263 (#275) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 263 In England the smallest amount per page offered writers of established reputation is one guinea; in the United States about seven dollars. They usually, of course, receive more but never (so far as I am able to ascertain) less. On the other hand, the largest sum offered writers not so well known is, in England, a guinea, in America, seven dollars a page; the smallest is any pittance that an editor chooses to assign; their maximum pay is therefore never greater than the minimum amount received by the well-known. So far the proportion is, perhaps, save in special cases, just. But should their minimum price be permitted to descend below 10s. per page of 500 words, or one guinea for 1000 words for magazines and reviews f Or 15*. per page of 500 words and 30*. for 1000 words for journals, newspapers, and all other publications? No doubt it would seem to editors a joke if they were to receive a printed card setting forth such terms. But why should one set of literary workers continue to press so heavily upon another set? A. M. B. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. T.—Who am I Like? Please allow me a corner in which to traverse the extraordinary statement of a correspondent signing himself "Grammar," that "Who am I like?" is right, and "Whom am I like':'" is wrong. I contend that the latter is correct, the accusa- tive case being governed by the preposition " to" understood. The sentence is really elliptical for "To whom am I like '<" If this does not carry conviction, let us put it to the test by answering the question. "Who am I like?" asks "Grammar." "You are like he," is the grammatically consistent reply. The verb " to be" governs the nominative case! Yes; but the preposition "to" (understood) requires the accusative. In an old novel by Mr. Sala—" The Seven Sons of Mammon "—there are two instances in which that practised writer says "whom I believe was" so-and-so. It is astounding. Cacophony is sometimes inseparable from strict accuracy. This shows that the ear has become degenerate, from being accustomed to incorrect expressions. "He left before I " is quite accurate, if "before" is an adverb of time; it means "before I did." "He left before me" really means that he walked in front of me. Once more. "Those sort of things" and "that sort of things " are both as vile as they can be; ugly and ungrammatical into the bargain. But happily there is a tertium quid. I submit that the true form is " things of that sort." Frederic H. Balfour. II.—The Queen's English. In a morning paper: "There is no shame in a man changing [i.e., who changes] his mind." Then a man who changes his mind is to be supposed devoid of shame, which is hard. The " no shame " is surely not in the man, but in his change of opinion. "There is no harm in a man's expressing his opinion in certain circum- stances "; but to say that a man who expresses his opinions is therefore harmless, would be rash. Yet that is the strict meaning of" There is no harm in a man expressing," &c. False Genitive. BOOK TALE. MR. W. S. LILLY has in the press a new work dealing with the philosophy of government, and entitled "First Prin- ciples in Politics." It will be published imme- diately by Mr. Murray. Mr. J. W. Headlam, of Cambridge, has written a volume entitled " Bismarck and the New German Empire" for Messrs. Putnam's "Heioesof the Nation" Series. One of the most important biographies of the Spring season will naturally be that of William Morris, which Mr. J. W. Mackail has written. Some of the chapters of the book are based prin- cipally on information given to the author by Sir Edwird Burne-Jones, and others who knew Morris intimately have rendered Mr. Mackail similar service. He has also had complete access to Morris's papers, and deals fully with the Socialist part of the career. A new story by B. L. Farjeon, called " Samuel Boyd, of Catchpole Square," is being published by Messrs. Hutchinson. Mr. Max Pemberton's new story "The Garden of Swords" deals with the great siege of Stras- burg in the Franco-German VVar, and in the love- interest the heroine is an English girl who was married to a French officer on the eve of the campaign. The book will be published at once by Messrs. Cassell. Professor Davidson, of Aberdeen University, has written a book on "Christian Ethics" for  ## p. 264 (#276) ############################################ 264 THE AUTHOR. Messrs. A. and C. Black's "Guild Library" Series. In view of the Cromwell Tercentenary on April 25, a book on "Oliver Cromwell and His Times " has been written by Mr. G. Holden Pike, and will be published by Mr. Fisher Unwin. Professor Arber is editing a series of British authologies of English verse, representing 300 authors, and containing about 2500 entire poems and songs, besides a limited number of extracts. The first anthology will deal with the poet Dunbar. Each volume will have an index and a glossary. The Oxford University Press is the publisher. Formal application has been made to the Treasury for a Civil List pension for the widow of the late Mr. Gleeson White. Mr. Wheatley's edition of Pepys's Diary will be complete in two more volumes, one of which con- sists of the index, while the other is devoted to Pepysiana, including a chapter on the relatives of Pepys, and personal notes on his school, college, and business life, and the London of his time. Mr. Henry James (says the Athemeuvi) has written a new novel, called " The Awkward Age," which will appear shortly. Forthcoming art publications by Messrs. George Bell and Sons include " Line and Form," by Mr. Walter Crane; a record and review of the life and work of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, by Mr. H. C. Marillier; a volume on Botticelli, by Mr. Herbert P. Thorne; and one on the Pre-Raphaelite School, by Mr. Percy H. Bate, curator of the Holburne Museum, Bath. An important literary project is a series called, with the approval of the Queen, " The Victoria History of the Counties of England," which will show the condition of the country at the opening of the twentieth centurv. The general editors are Mr. H. Arthur Do'ubleday, F.R.G.S., and Mr. Lawrence Gomme, F.S.A., and the advisory committee includes Lord Salisbury, Lord Roseberv, the Duke of Devonshire, Chancellor of the Uni- versity of Cambridge, the Duke of Portland, the Marquis of Lome, the Earl of Coventry, Ihe Bishop of London, the Bishop of Oxford, Lord Acton, Sir Frederick Pollock, Bart., Sir Edward Maunde Thompson, Sir Henry Maxwell-Lyte, Sir Joseph Hooker, Sir Archibald Geikie, and others. The history of each county will be complete in itself. "Hampshire" is nearly ready, and is in four volumes. The publishers are Messrs. Constable. Mrs. W. M. Ramsay, author of "Everyday Life in Turkey," which was published over a year ago, has now written a novel entitled "The Romance of Elisavet," to be published by Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton. Tennyson's complete poetical works, exclusive of the dramas, will be published in a few days by Messrs. Macmillan in their Globe Library at 3*. 6d. Mr. Tighe Hopkins's novel, " Nell Haffenden," which was published in two volumes some years ago, is now to be issued by Messrs. Chatto and Windus in one volume, with illustrations. "Well, after All," is the title of Mr. Frankfort Moore's new novel, which Messrs. Hutchinson will publish shortly. Robert Louis Stevenson was visiting the Riviera in 1873, and in poor health. How poor was his health may be judged from his own account, which occurs in one of his letters which are at present appearing monthly in Scribner's Magazine. He is writing from Mentoue: I don't see mach beiuty. I have lost ihe key ; I can only be placid and inert, and see the bright daj s go past naelea-ly one after another; therefore, don't talk foolishly with 3 oor month any more abont getting liberty by being ill and going south rid' the sick-bed. It is not the old free-born b'rd that gets thus to freedom; but I know not what manacled and hide-bound spirit, incapable of pleasure, the clay of a man. Go south! Why, I saw more beauty with my eyes health- fully alert to see in two wet windy February afternoons in Scotland than I oan see in my beautiful olive gardens and grey hills in a whole week in my low and lost estate, as the Shorter Catechism puts it somewheie. It is a pitiable blindness, this blindness of the soul; I hope it may not be long with me. So remember to keep well; and remember rather anything than not to keep well; and again I say, anything rather than not to keep well. George Henry Lewes's "Life of Robespierre" is being republished by Messrs. Chapman and Hall, in view of tne forthcoming production of the play written by M. Sardou for Sir Henry Irving. This play is being translated by Mr. Laurence Irving, and will be staged at the Lyceum on April 15. Sixpenny editions of modern works increase almost daily. Two of the latest to be announced in this form are Mr. Ban ie's "A Window in Thrums" and Ian Maclareu's " Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush." They will be illustrated from draw- ings by Mr. William Hole. Sir Edward Russell is writing his memoirs, under the title " That Reminds Me." Mrs. Tyndallis preparing a new and up-to-date edition of Professor Tyndall's work " Hours of Exercise in the Alps," which was published in 1873- Mr. Richard Le Gallienne has been com- missioned by Mr. Lane to write a critical volume upon the works of Mr. Rudyard Kipling.  ## p. 265 (#277) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 265 A story of provincial life, entitled " The Green Field: a novel of the Midlands," by Mr. Neil Wynn- Williams, • will be published by Messrs. Chapman and Hall. Mr. Fred. J. Proctor, whose romance "The Secret of Mark Pepys" was issued by the National Press Agency, London, has agreed to supply a story for the same fiction bureau. The new plot is laid in England, and will run as a serial in thirteen instalments. The " New English Dictionary" is expected to be completed in 1910. An interesting article on this great enterprise appears in the March number of Good Words from the pen of Mr. L. W. Lillingston. Dr. Murray and his assis- tants have read more than 100,000 books expressly for compiling the Dictionary. Mr. George Allen will publish during this month a book of humour, written by Mr. H. A. Spurr, called "A Cockney in Arcadia." The volume will be fully illustrated by Messrs. Hassall and Aldin. Ihe "Cockney" deals with life and character in Holderness, East Yorkshire .— an unexplored field for the writer and humourist. Messrs. W. Meals and Co., of Carlisle, are publishing a "Flora of Cumberland," by Mr. William Hodgson, A.L.S. It contains a full list of the flowering plants and ferns to be found in the county, according to the latest and most reliable authorities. Mr. J. S. Goodchild, of H.M. Geological Survey, has contributed a chapter on the soils of Cumberland. Mr. Bloundelle-Burton's new novel, " Fortune's my Foe," will be published by Pearson and Co. in London, and Appleton and Co. in New York, early in April. The story, although laid in England principally, contains an account of the Siege of Cartagena, in 1741, as well as a descrip- tion of the Battle of Quiberon, in 1759. Mr. James Milne has written a biography of Sir George Grey, which Mes.-rs. Chatto and Windus will have ready in May. The writer injoyed the friendship of Sir George Grey during the last four years of his life, and was made the repository of many reminiscerices. The book will be called "The Romance of a Pro-Consul." Mr. H. G. Wells has written a story called "Love and Mr. Lewisham," which is a study of an assistant schoolmaster who aspires to set the world straight and finds himself hampered by an early marriage. The Duchess of Sutherland has completed a socialistic novel. Mr. Ridrr Haggard's story " The Wizard " has been translated into Swahili for circulation among the natives of the East Coast of Africa, and his "King Solomon's Mines" has been embossed in Braille type by the permission of the author and the publishers, and is being published in Hora Jucunda, the magazine for the blind. '* The Stranding of the White Rose," the Rev. C. Dudley Lampen's new story of adventure, will be published by the S.P.C.K. The book deals with the great lone north-west coast of Australia, the stranding of a tramp steamer thereon, and the extraordinary experiences of a salvage party sent in search of the vessel. Mr. George Somes Layard is writing the life of Mrs. Lynn Linton. Mr. John Davidson is engaged on a poetical play laid in the seventh century. Mr. H. C. Macphersou, editor of the Edin- burgh Evening News ai.d author of "Adam Smith " in the Famous Scots series, is writing a biography of Mr. Herbert Spencer. The collection of eighty-three letters of Sir Walter Scott were purchased at Sotheby's sale- rooms by Mr. William Brown, bookseller, Edin- burgh. At a recent sale of first editions a set of Scott fetched .£226; a set of Mr. Swinburne's works, .£64; and a set of Charles Reade, .£40. "More Methodist Idylls" is the title of Mr. Harry Lindsay's new volume which Mr. James Bowden is to publish immediately. "Methodist Idylls " has enjoyed a large sale, and is now in its third edition. At present Mr. Lindsay is at work on a new historical romance somewhat on the lines of his "The Jacobite," which Messrs. Chatto and Windus published last year. The new romance is provisionally entitled "The Puritan." In view of the fact that a novel called "The Puritans" was published only the other day, the above title, if selected, might cause confusion. A new volume entitled " The Solitary Summer," by the author of "Elizabeth and Her German Garden," will be published shortly by Messrs. Macmillan. "Famous Ladies of the English Court" is a work in which Mrs. Aubrey Richardson makes "an honest endeavour to discern the truth" about great Court ladies of history, alike in respect to their attainments and their shortcomings. X202 was paid by Mr. Quaritch at Sotheby's auction rooms, on March 1, for a first edition of John Forster's " Life of Charles Dickens," extra illustrated with portraits, views, and autographs, printed 1872-4.  ## p. 266 (#278) ############################################ 266 THE AUTHOR. Dr. T. Wemy&s Fulton is the author of a work entitled "The Sovereignty of the Sea," which Messrs. Blackwood will publish shortly. OBITUARY. THE Very Rev. Dr. Andrew K. H. Bovd, Minister of St. Andrews ("A. K. H. B.'"), died at Bournemouth on March I. As an author he was best known for, among his thirty- two volumes, "The Recreations of a Country Parson," "The Graver Thoughts of a Country Parson," "Twenty-five Years of St. Andrews," "St. Andrews and Elsewhere," and "The Last Years of St. Andrews." In the year 1890 Dr. Boyd was Moderator of the Church of Scotland. The circumstances of his death, it appears, were peculiarly sad. Dr. Boyd had been in failing health for some years; he was in the habit of taking sleeping draughts, and also used carbolic acid lotion for external application. On the night of his death he entered Mrs. Boyd's room, and, holding up the carbolic acid bottle, he said, "Isn't this an awful thing? I have taken this in mistake." Dr. Boyd's genial qualities, added to his scholarly distinction, gained for him a wide popularity. He was in his seventy-fourth year, having been born at Auchinleck, Avrshire, in 1825. The late Miss Sara Sophia Hennell was a writer on Bishop Butler and other theological and metaphysical subjects, and an intimate friend of George Eliot. She died at Coventry in her eighty-sixth year. Mr. Andrew Macdonald, formerly editor, and latterly London representative, of the Calcutta Englishman, died after a few days' illness. Mr. Macdonald had a large share, under Dr. Ross, in producing " The Globe Encyclopaedia." He was in the prime of life, having been born in Edin- burgh in 1852. The Rev. A. B. Grosart, D.D., LL.D., who died in Dublin in his sixty-fourth year, was the author of several religious works, but is chiefly known as the industrious editor of reprints of English writers of the sixteenth and seven- teenth centuries. He was an authority on Robert Feiyusson, the Scottish poet, and also edited the Towneley Hall MSS., a famous collection of Jacobite ballads aud satires which appeared in 1877. 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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) 1899-05-01 Volume 9 Issue 12 Pages Page range in volume 269–288 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 18990501 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin XT be Hutbot\ (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vol. IX.—No. 12.] MAT 1, 1899. [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. AU remittances should be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent by registered letter only. il 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. FOB some years it has been the practice to insert, in every number of The Author, certain " General Con- siderations," Warnings, Notices, &c, for the guidance of HtB 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 his true character, and should 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 rule ■ should be attended to: (1.) Not to sign any agreement in which the cost 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 ▼OL. IX. 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 sides. 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 the chance of a success which will not, probably, come at all; bnt which may come. 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 seoret 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 for 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. F F 2  ## p. 270 (#282) ############################################ 270 THE AUTHOR. HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. I. Ii^ 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 his business or the administration of his property. If, in the opinion of the Committee and the Solicitors of the Society, 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 oase is such that Counsel's opinion is desirable, the Committee will obtain for him Counsel's opinion. All this without any cost to the member. 2. Remember that questions connected 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 Sooiety for examination. 6. The Society is acquainted with the methods, and—in the oase 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 Sooiety 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. NOTICES. THE Editor of The Author begs to remind members of the Society that, although the paper is sent to them free of charge, the oost 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 6s. 6d. subscription for the year. Communications for The Author should reach the Editor not later than the 21st of each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to communicate to the Editor any points connected with then- work which 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 is 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 oircumstanoea, undertake the publication of MSS. The present location of the Authors' Club is at 3, White- hall-court, Charing Cross. Address the Secretary for information, rules of admission, &c. Will members take the trouble to ascertain whether they have paid their subscriptions for the year? If they will do this, 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 or dishonest? Of course they would not. Why then hesitate for a moment when they are asked to sign themselves into literary bondage for three or five years? "Those who possess the 'Cost 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 oourse, we have not included any sums 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. LITERARY PROPERTY. I. The Copyright Bill. ON Monday, April 24, Lord Monkswell moved the second reading of the Bill in the House of Lords. He related the action of the Society of Authors in preparing the Bill which he had himself introduced into the House of Lords. The death of Lord Herschell was a great loss to copyright reform, because he had brought in a large consolidating measure of literary and. artistic copyright. The Bill was referred, together with his own, to a Select Committee of Lords. The Committee held a great many meetings, but had not completed the evidence. Meanwhile, another Bill had been prepared by Lord Thring dealing with literary copyright. This Bill which he now proposed to read a second time fixed this term of copyright to the life of the author and  ## p. 271 (#283) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 271 thirty years after death: the present law being a term of the author's life and seven years after, or forty-two years, whichever should be longer. The new Bill provided for the dramatisation, translation, or abridgment of novels: it gave authors of magazine articles copyright after two years from the publication of the articles. It gave copyright in lectures; it gave newspapers copyright in news for twelve hours after publica- tion. There were other points which would be considered in the discussion of the Bill. It was read a second time and referred to a Select Committee. iir II. Walter Savage Landor on Copyright. A correspondent of the Standard has unearthed a petition presented to Parliament by Walter Savage Landor, and published in the Examiner of April 7, 1839. It is as follows:— That your petitioner would represent to your Honourable House his strong persuasion that no property is bo entirely, and purely, and religiously a man's own as what comes to him immediately from God, without intervention or partici- pation. It is the eternal gift of an Eternal Being; and to interfere in any way with its benefits and blessings appears to your petitioner unbecoming and unjust. Your petitioner therefore humbly submits to your Honourable House that no Legislature has a right to confine its advantages to a thousand or ten thousand years, or to give them away to any person or pereons whatsoever, to the detriment of an author's heirs, after any number of ages. And your petitioner offers the less reluctantly these observations to your Honourable House, since he himself proposes no advantages to his descendants from any of his literary works, all of whioh he has consigned and left in perpetuity to the discretion of a learned friend. III.—Author's Corrections. As, after many wrestles, T have successfully bound the "correction" fiend, perhaps the method evolved may be useful to your readers. 1. Alter the agreement, liefore signing, to "author's alterations "; corrections may include printers' errors. 2. Require a free allowance of alterations per sheet, not an allowance of shillings but of so many words. I generally ask for about one in 300. Be reasonable, and guarantee that you will never overrun a page, and promise to break lines as bttle as possible. You can always save a page whole, and seldom break more than two lines, if careful in arranging. I am referring to detailed scientific works in saying this; imaginative writers may find more difficulty. 3. Correct and alter in pencil freely on one copy of proof. Then count words and prune if needful when inking in on the other copy for the printer. If you expect trouble use red ink for all your own alterations, and indorse each sheet with number of your alterations on it. 4. And now, perhaps, you have exceeded your allowance at the end of the work. And if you have but a few words more against you than agreed on, you will find probably .£5 for correc- tions put down. Look out the worst page of all; and see if deducting your alterations there will bring you within the agreed limit; if not, take the next worst for alterations also, and so on, until deducting certain pages squares the agreed allowance. Then offer to pay for the entire re-setting of those pages. It is a magnificent offer; you pay for fifty times the work involved, and yet it binds the fiend so that he cannot do entirely as he chooses. If in course of correcting you want much alteration in a page—more than a line or two— dash out the whole page and mark it " Re-set this page and charge to author." Then it is impossible to charge you for more than a few shillings for setting up one page. This method answers both with publishers and in direct contracts with printers. There is another thing to be said. Accustom yourself to write clean, without needing to alter MS., and then you are less liable to need altera- tions in proof. I seldom alter more than one word in 200 in MS. To do this, begin by a rule of never trying to write in bad con- ditions of temperament or surrounding. If distracted, cold, weary, or dull, you will never write a clean page, and the correction fiend will triumph. Often Bitten. I am much obliged by the Editor's note to my query on author's corrections. I have kept the first proofs, as advised by him. My difficulty is this: Printers often put small letters where capitals are distinctly indicated in the MS. They run on where a fresh paragraph is obvious. Per contra, they leave spaces sometimes when the directions are to save room. Sometimes the proof alters the meaning and effect of a para- graph. This may necessitate an interlineation, and dislocate a whole page, which, as the Editor says, takes time, and causes much additional expense. But must an author be charged with all this, for at the rates given it mounts up enor- mously? If an author interlineates owing to omissions, or erases an unsatisfactory line (as it seems to him) on appearing in print, I under- stand he must pay for the luxury, but should he pay for misplaced or misdivided words, &c.? A New Member. IV.—No Author's Corrections. You have often pointed out how the charge made for author's corrections can be kept down  ## p. 272 (#284) ############################################ 272 THE AUTHOR. by having the MS. type-written. A novel of mine, "The Passing of Prince Rozan," had to be "set" and printed in America. To get proofs over here, revise and return them, would have caused such a serious delay that I decided to do without proofs. My MS. was type-written. I revised it with the greatest care. I further in- serted a clause in my agreement that the author would not require proofs, and that the publishers (Messrs. Putnam's Sons) would use their best endeavours to see that all printer's errors were corrected. I am quite satisfied with the result, and have been saved much trouble and expense. It is significant that the publishers made objec- tion to the clause in the agreement, suggesting that they might have to charge for corrections made by their reader; but the claim was inserted and agreed to. John Bickerdyke. V.—Infringement of Copyright. On March 29 last, before Mr. Justice Wills and a common jury, in the Queen's Bench Division, was heard the case of Miln v. Ballin. Mrs. Miln is an American author and journalist who has travelled a great deal, and has written books of travel and papers and essays on various subjects in magazines and papers. Among other contributions was a series of papers on children of various countries which she contributed to a journal called Madame, reserving the copyright. The defendant owned a paper called Baby, and had reproduced in its columns paragraphs—some thirty in all—verbatim from the plaintiffs essays in Madame. The witnesses for the plaintiff besides herself were Mr. T. P. O'Connor, Mr. John Murray, and Mr. F. W. Slater of Harper and Brothers. The case was practically without defence, except the plea that very little harm was done, if any, to the prospects of the plaintiff's book. Mr. Justice Wills, however, thought that a very considerable wrong had been done to the plaiutiff. The jury assessed the damages at .£250. As to the case itself, their could be no doubt of the result. The amount of damages granted to the plaintiff must be taken to represent more a penalty for wrong-doing than an attempt to estimate the damage done to the forthcoming book. People who reproduce literary property without the author's permission must learn that they cannot be allowed to help themselves. No one will ever be able to learn how far the property has been injured, but property must be respected. Therefore the result of the action is quite satisfactory. VI.—Harrison v. Bloxam. (In the Westminster County Court of Middlesex, March 1, 1899.) Messrs. Haynes and Claremont of 4, Blooms- bury-square, appeared for the plaintiffs. Defen- dant was represented by counsel, Mr. C. B. Marriott (instructed by Messrs. Field, Roscoe, and Co., 36, Lincoln's-inn Fields), acting on behalf of the Society of Authors. Mr. Marriott stated that his client wasagraduate of London University and a Research Chemist carrying out experiments at the Davy-Faraday Laboratory of the Royal Institution. Mr. Bloxam was a candidate for the D.Sc. degree of the University of London, and was required to present a printed thesis showing the results of his experimental work. Mr. Bloxam obtained from Messrs. Harrison an estimate for printing 100 copies demy 8vo. 32 pp. in paper wrapper, amounting to £j 2s. Mr. Bloxam's manu- script printed out to forty-eight pages, and for this work an account was sent in by Messrs. Harrison amounting to .£15 4*. 6d. Mr. Bloxam considered the charge made to be excessive in view of the original estimate, and entered into correspondence with Messrs. Harrison. Mr. Bloxam was perfectly willing to pay a reasonable sum, and by letter suggested a meeting for settle- ment of the amount due. Messrs. Harrison replied by issuing a County Court summons. Mr. Bloxam then paid into court £10 10s. and share of costs as being sufficient to discharge the debt. The plaintiff (Mr. Harrison) was called, and denied that the sum charged was excessive. The charge was madf? for a pamphlet of 56 pp., although defendant recognised only 48 pp. of printed matter. Plaintiff stated that blank pages and titles were charged as printed matter, but he had not warned defendant of this practice. Plaintiff also admitted that extra cost was entailed by sending out proofs in slip form, and that defendant was not consulted on this ques- tion, and was left in ignorance of any extra cost thus involved. Counsel objected on behalf of defendant that no details of extra charges had been submitted by the plaintiff, and that defendant had been allowed to incur extra charges without being warned. Counsel quoted an estimate by Messrs. Richard Clay and Sons to print for ii0 14*. 100 copies of the pamphlet, for which plaintiff claimed .£15 4*. 6d. Defendant produced manuscript and proofs, and, on examination by plaintiff and the judge, the MSS. and proofs were admitted to be legible and reasonably free from erasure or altera- tion.  ## p. 273 (#285) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 273 The judge was of opinion that the charge made by the plaintiff was too great in proportion to the estimate given, and, in addition, that if extra costs were involved in printing and revision, the defendant should have been warned of such extra costs. Judgment was given for the plaintiff for .£13. VII.—Yeatman v. The Saturday Review. The case of Yeatman v. Harris and Others came before the Court of Appeal on April 12 and 13, on the application of the plaintiff for judg- ment or new trial on appeal from the verdict and judgment of Feb. 15 last, at a trial before the Lord Chief Justice and a special jury in the Queen's Bench Division. In this case the plaintiff, Mr. John Pym Yeatman, barrister and author, claimed to recover from Mr. Harris, as the former editor of the Saturday Review, and from Mr. F. W. Sabin, as the publisher, and from Messrs. Spottiswoode, as the printers of the journal, damages for alleged libels published in 1874, 1896, 1897, and 1898. The first alleged libel was in the criticism of a book written by the plaintiff, called " A History of the Common Law of Great Britain and Gaul," one of the statements being: "Mr. Yeatman would most likely, under any cir- cumstances, have written nonsense, if he wrote anything at all. His book is wild and worthless." The next libel arose on the publication of a book in 1896—"The Gentle Shakespeare: a Vindica- tion "—which the Saturday Review described as "a rival in absurdity to the cryptogram of Mr. Ignatius Donelly," as "miserable twaddle," and "an insult to literature." The third libel (which Mr. Yeatman said was the most serious, and injured him in his profession of a barrister) appeared on May 8, 1897, stating: "The Bar had its annual general meeting on Tuesday, and we notice without much surprise that those gather- ings at Lincoln's-inn are becoming more and more a kind of debating society for the cranks of the profession." The jury found that none of the articles were libellous or exceeded the limit of fair criticism, and judgment was entered accordingly; hence the present appeal. In giving judgment, Lord Justice Smith (Lords Justices Collins and Romer concurring) said there was no ground for granting the application, and the appeal would be dismissed with costs. VIII.—Musical Copyright. (Chancery Division—Before Mr. Justice Stirling.) BOOSEY V. WHIGHT. This case raised a novel and interesting point under the Musical Copyright Act. Mr. Butcher, Q.C., and Mr. Scrutton apppeared for the plain- tiffs, and Mr. Cutler, Q.C., Mr. Moulton, Q.C., Mr. Terrell, Q.C., and Mr. Eustace Smith repre- sented the defendants. The plaintiffs are well-known music publishers, and they ask for an injunction to restrain the defendants from infringing their copyright in three songs, "My Lady's Bower," "The Better Land," and " The Holy City." The defendants are the sellers of a musical instrument called the "jEolian," which is played by means of wind admitted to pipes or reeds through perforations in sheets of paper. The plaintiffs' case was that these perforated sheets were, in fact, records of the musical compositions in question, by means of which the music could be reproduced with a certain amount of human intelligence, and that they constituted an infringement of their copy- right in such compositions. The case turned to a considerable extent upon the construction of the Copyright Act, 1842. That Act gives pro- tection to copyright in books, and by its interpre- tation clause defines a book as meaning and including {inter alia) "a sheet of music"; and the question was whether the perforated rolls of paper used by the defendants in their instruments were "sheets of music" within the Act. The defendants had obtained the evidence of various musicians and others to prove that the perforated rolls could not be read as music, and conveyed to the minds of the witnesses no impression of music. The judge, having heard the arguments at length some weeks ago, reserved his judgment, which he now delivered. Having dealt with the facts of the case, and the evidence adduced at the trial, he said the question turned upon the con- struction to be put upon the Copyright Act, 1842, and the point was whether these perforated sheets of paper were "sheets of music" within the meaning of that Act. Although he was not prepared to say that the perforation alone amounted to an infringement, he came to the conclusion that inasmuch as the words intimat- ing the time, and the sign denoting the key, appeared on the paper as on plaintiffs' music, the sheets, taken as a whole, amounted to an infringe- ment. He would, therefore, grant an injunction restraining the defendants from continuing to publish these sheets in their present form, viz., with any words or signs which appeared on the plaintiffs' music. With regard to the perfora-  ## p. 274 (#286) ############################################ 274 THE AUTHOR. tion alone he did not say whether that was an infringement. Judgment accordingly. IX.—Agreements, with Comments. In all cases in which publishers' agreements are printed and commented on in The Author a copy of the paper will henceforth be sent to the firm concerned, accompanied by a letter drawing their attention to the comments and offering them the opportunity of making any reply in The Author in case they should desire to do so. Agreement. Agreement made this day of between of (hereinafter called the "Author ") of the one part, and Messrs. of (hereinafter called the " Publishers ") of the other part, as follows: 1. The author agrees to transfer to the publishers all his copyrights and his other rights in a novel written by him and at present entitled , and the publishers agree to pub- lish the said novel in one volume form, and to use their best endeavours to make the same successful. 2. All expenses of production, advertising, and setting the ■aid novel shall be undertaken by the publishers, who shall be entitled to sell 500 copies of the said novel for their own benefit and without accounting therefor. Subject thereto the publishers agree to pay to the author one-half of all profits which they may derive from the publication and sale of the said book after deducting all expenses incurred in producing, publishing, selling, and advertising the same. It is agreed that as part of the expenses as aforesaid the pub- lishers shall be at liberty to include 5 per cent on the income from sales in lieu of specific charges for carriages, bookings, insurance, postages, travelling expenses, and establishment expenses for which no other charge is to be made. 3. The publishers shall have discretion as to the number and destination of presentation copies for the Press or other- wise, with a view of helping sales, but they shall on publi- cation of the book deliver to the author six presentation copies. 4. The publishers shall make up accounts to Dec. 31 and June 30 in each year, and settle the same with the author within three months after tboee dates. 5. The author undertakes to keep the publishers indem- nified against all actions or claims which may be brought or made against or upon them by reason of the said novel con- taining any libellous or slanderous matter. 6. The author agrees to give the publishers the first offer of the next long novel to be written by him, and which shall exceed 60,000 words in length, on the same terms as are contained in this agreement, with the exception that the publishers shall not in the case of such new book be entitled to 500 or any free copies (except presentation copies for the author and review and for influencing sales). The said offer shall be made by the author submitting the MS. of the said novel to the publishers, and allowing them one month after such submission within which to accept or decline the same. The first clause in this agreement is entirely to the disadvantage of the author. No author should under any circumstances transfer the copyright in a book to a publisher. In the case of technical books, scientific books, scholastic books, such transfer is quite disastrous. The agreement above quoted, however, is for the pub- lication of a work of fiction. If the author is ill-advised enough to transfer the copyright he should protect himself against the publication of the book in an altered form, against the sup- pression of his book, and against the suppression of his name. These are all-important points. In the first clause the publishers agree to publish the said novel, but do not undertake to do so by any specified time, and as they hold the copyright they are practically masters of the situation. It may be argued that if a publisher holds the copy- right of a book he would be a fool if he did not publish it, but cases have occurred where a pub- lisher holding the copyright has delayed publi- cation for various reasons for a couple of years. During this time the author naturally is unwilling to bring out another book to interfere with the copyright that the publisher holds. Clause 1, therefore, is an exceedingly bad clause from the author's point of view. (1.) As he transfers his copyright. (2.) As the publisher is not bound to produce the book by a certain date; and (3.) he is not bound to produce more than 500 copies, and therefore it is possible that the author might obtain no profit at all (see next clause). Clause 2 is an exceedingly bad clause from an author's point of view, whether the book is a first book or otherwise. It is sometimes the case that in a royalty agreement the publisher with- holds the payment of royalty till after the sale of 500 copies and then gives a proportionately high royalty to the author. It is sometimes worth the author's while to accept an agreement of this kind rather than not have his book published at all. The publisher, however, in the present agreement has a profit-sharing arrange- ment with the result that not only does he get 500 copies free to himself, but he gets half the cost of production of this 500 copies also paid for by the author. So much for the 500 to the publisher. It is only necessary to repeat what has so often and so urgently been put forward in The Author: that a half-profit arrangement under any circumstances is a bad one for the author, as inclined to lead to disputes and dissatisfaction from the complicated statements of accounts and from the small division of profits (if any) that generally accrues. The latter part of the same clause is against the author, as if the publisher is entitled to charge a percentage to cover his expenses the author ought to be entitled to make the same charge. Finally, with regard to clause 2, the author has no chance of checking beforehand the probable cost of production and no control whatever over the amount to be spent on adver-  ## p. 275 (#287) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 275 tising or where these advertisements are to appear. This simple reliance of the author on the arrangement has been mentioned over and over again and must still be insisted upon. Clause 3 is also bad as far as the permission given to the publisher is concerned. The number of free copies should be limited. The account clause is a reasonable one, and so is clause 5, but the 6th clause is again a disas- trous clause for the author. To bind oneself to a publisher for another book is at all times a very dangerous matter. If the publisher treats an author fairly in the first instance he -would know that the author would return to him with his second book, but when a publisher obtains the signature of an author to an agreement, such as the one printed above, he may be sure that if in the meantime the author seeks advice he will not return to him with a second book unless he binds the author in the manner shown in clause 6. That the author should be bound on the same terms as for the first book with the exception of the 500 copies makes the matter worse. It may be pointed out generally that there is nothing said about American rights, Colonial rights, translation rights, serial rights, and all other rights, with the exception that the publisher holds these. If, therefore, he sells these rights he will share the profits with the author. A great many of these rights are sold merely by writing a letter. In other words, they are rights outside the publi- cation of the book in England, and as such are generally treated by agents, who charge 10 per cent. on the amounts received. Here, however, the publisher obtains 50 per cent.; a very unwise arrangement from the author's point of view. This is an additional argument against selling the copyright. It is no wonder that publishers cry out against agents who desire to take 10 per cent., when the publisher for doing the same work secures 50 per cent. The financial result of this agreement was as follows: The cost of production on the debit side was £120 2s. gd. for an edition of 1500 copies. In this is included the ordinary items of com- posing, machining, printing, corrections, and binding. In addition we find the following in- cluded: £ s. d. Brass binding blocks 2 12 6 Printing 500 show cards 1 7 6 Printing 5000 leaflets 0 9 4 Mounting and composing 8 stereos ... 0 8 0 Making up and printing from red forme 012 6 Design for cover 2 2 0 The sales of the book on the credit side as follows: £ < 1 at 3*. icxf o 9 at 6s. net 2 1 65/60 at 4*. f less 12$ per cent. 182/168 at 4s. 2d. I discount 52/48 at 4*. fleas 10 per cent 93/86 at. 4*. 2d. I trade discount 44/41 at 4*. fless 5 per cent. 52/48 at 4* 2d. \ trade discount d. 10 o 41 24 15 4 17 5 10 86 1 6 And the second account was as follows: JE s. d. 4 at 6s 1 4 0 104 at 48. 2d. Hess 10 per cent.) 20 5 2 13/12 at 4*. ( discount ) * 52/48 at 4*. 2d. less 12% per cent. disct. 815 0 78/72 at 4*. 2d. (less 5 per cent.) l 1Q 39/36 at 4*. ( discount ) 0 6 137 5 .6 The total represents a sale of 788 copies realis- ing the above figures—the sum of .£137 5*. 6d. The average price, therefore, is, as nearly as possible, 3*. 6d., so that the estimate given in these columns of 3*. 6d. as an average price is proved to be correct as regards this book. The 500 copies taken by the publisher must also be added. In the end, the publisher takes nearly £100, and the author ,£5 2s. gd. The result of this arrangement is, therefore, a most unsatisfactory one for the author, and in addition the author has bound himself for the next book to the same publisher. THE SIXPENNY BOOK. 7 11 10 VOL. IX. "T KNOW a man in my business," a book- I seller wrote the other day," who gets through 1000 copies of sixpenny novels every week. Nobody buys any other book. It seems as if the rest of the books are useless. He makes id. on each, or £4 3*. 46?. a week out of these novels. And his rent is .£i0 a week. How long will he last?" If we look at the bookstall of the nearest railway station we shall find it covered and loaded with the sixpenny novel. There is an increasing disposition, to limit the purchase of a book to the single 6d. The greater number of these books are either non-copyright books or books belonging to the o g  ## p. 276 (#288) ############################################ 276 THE AUTHOR. publisher; those, namely, on which he has no royalty to pay. If there is any royalty it is generally about Id. on each copy, or £2 10s. for every 1000 copies. The book costs, say, about 2\d. to produce. Therefore on a sale of 30,000 copies we have approximately:— (1.) The author receives .£75. . (2.) The bookseller receives .£125. (3.) The publisher receives .£112. But a sale of 30,000 copies is high. As far as the author is concerned, if his new book was brought out at 6*., on even a 15 per cent. royalty, he would make more by a sale of 1700 copies. The questions which arise on this subject are many:— (1.) Would a successful writer do better or worse by coming out at 6d.? The class of persons who can read with pleasure the work of an educated writer is comparatively small, though it is growing and increasing rapidly. Outside this number no one buys a book of this kind, however cheap. Now, this class manages to read, either by borrowing, or lending, or buying, most of the popular works of the day in every branch. If this class can read a book by borrowing, it will do so rather than buy it. And this whether it is priced at 6d. or 6*. It is undoubted that many popular books sell in great quantities at 6d. But it is very doubtful whether this advantage is not a real loss compared with a book published at a higher price. If, for instance, Mr. Hall Caine's "Christian," which reached 180,000 copies, had been sold at sixpence, it may be calculated approximately that the author would have been a loser supposing his royalty on the sixpenny book to have been one penny, unless four million copies at least had been sold. Or, if we take a calculation of 10,000 sold, and a royalty of only 20 per cent., or on the six- penny book, the author would be a loser unless 240,000 copies were sold. (2.) What effect will this cheapening of fictioD produce in other ways? It will make people unwilling to pay for a novel more than 6d. It will lead them to believe that the normal price for all books must be 6d. It will necessitate the production of high-priced books for the libraries, and for the limited class who will continue to give a high price. It will make the present stock of six-shilling books practically unsaleable. It will probably complete the ruin of the country bookseller. It will with equal probability injure the whole trade of publishing very severely. It will lower the character and dignity of litera- ture, because what can be obtained for a few pence—badly printed; on cheap paper; read and then thrown away—will be valued at the mental equivalent for a few pence. This is proved by the history of the pirated book in America. An opportune article in Literature, for April 15, called'attention to the serious danger which is threatening everybody concerned with the produc- tion and the circulation of literature. The figures given by the writer do not altogether agree with those given here, but they serve to show the magnitude of the danger. Can anything be done? The public will buy for 6d. rather than 6s.—that is certain. It is also certain that the present price of 6*. or 4*. 6d. is too high. Publishers can do what they please with their own property—though they will not allow the same privilege to booksellers; and if they go on producing sixpenny books—their own property— all that authors can do is to protest, and to hope that the dangers which now seem so threatening; will either prove illusory, or may end in disaster quickly, so that we may learn whether the new method is wisdom or madness. A writer in the Daily News of April 8 gives, on the other hand, a different estimate of the sixpenny book. Literature at this price, he says, opens up an entirely new field of readers; people who would never think of buying a six-shilling book. At the same time, the circulation of the sixpenny edition is calculated, he thinks, to stimulate the demand for the more expensive one; and as sixpenny editions are, at least in some cases, not reprinted, people who have heard the book talked of and seen it read by the sixpenny public, are obliged then to buy the six-shilling edition if they only apply after the sixpenny one is for ever exhausted. But while on the whole the sixpenny novel pays, there is one deserving individual who is hit very hard by it— the small bookseller. "The town bookseller is quite content." Is he? But see above. "He can order his thousands and make them pay. But there are hundreds of suburban booksellers in London whose struggle for existence grows keener every day." One of these spoke of a book for which, at its first appearance at 6s., there was "a wonderful demand :— We sold at least one copy every day—one day we sold seven. Then, about Christmas, the publishers announced a sixpenny edition. The sixpenny edition is only just out, but during the last ten weeks we have only sold two copies of the book. That is how the sixpenny copyright novel affects us. It is no use our trying to sell them. What with disoount, the drapers, and the sixpenny novels, the small booksellers are on the road to ruin.  ## p. 277 (#289) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 277 In reply to the opinion of the Daily News one asks if cheap books do open up new fields of readers, or if they only offer the chance of buying cheaply what would otherwise have been borrowed of a library? One may also entertain the gravest doubts as to the stimulating effect of the sixpenny book. The general experience is that if anything is offered at sixpence people will never afterwards give six shillings for it. And the preceding remarks answer the opinion as to the contented town bookseller. SECRET COMMISSIONS AND SECRET PROFITS. AT the monthly dinner of the London Chamber of Commerce Lord Russell of Killowen spoke on secret commissions and his promised Bill. He said:—" There was no reason in the world why men should not stipulate for any manner of compensation or commission they might choose, provided always that it was open and above board. Therefore let no one for a moment think that the provisions of his Bill were of so drastic a kind that they could possibly act with undue severity or harsh- ness upon any outspoken honest man. . . . His own interest in this question dated far back in his professional years, and he had known many sad instances of the evils resulting from the prevailing system—evils not stopping short at the receipt of commissions, but branching out into an actual course of crime. . . . But the thing that was so disgusting in this country was to find men belonging to the learned professions taking these secret commissions. Was it not intolerable to be told that medical practitioners—he was not attacking these profes- sional men as a whole, for these cases were the exceptions—would write a prescription and had a secret arrangement that the druggist should give him 25 per cent. on the amount of the drugs? Was it not disgusting to be teld, as a fact, that if a doctor recommended a particular undertaker he got a slice of the undertaker's business? Anyone who had taken the trouble to look into the matter would know that these were facts. They were exceptions—he hoped rare exceptions; but where this moral corruption existed it blunted the sense of honour and of honesty. Not only w.as it morally detrimental to those who took part in it, demoralising to individuals and, in part, to the community, but unjust and unfair to men who maintained a high standard of probity and of honour." How would these remarks applr to secret profits made by one party to an agreenrofit or the other? Let us imagine that Lord Russell was speaking of secret profits. "There was no reason in the world why men should not stipulate for any manner of discount or commission they might choose, provided always that it was open and above board. It would be for the other side to accept or to refuse. . . . His own interest in this question dated far back in his professional years, and he had known many sad instances of the evils resulting from the prevailing system—evils not stopping short at the secret receipt of discount, but branching out into charging for advertisements which cost nothing, and alleged expenses not incurred. . . . The thing that was so disgusting was to find men received into clubs as honourable gentlemen taking these secret profits and making their charges. . . . When this moral corruption existed it blunted the sense of honour and of honesty. Not only was it morally detrimental to those who took part in it, demoralising to the individuals concerned, and demoralising to the cause of literature, but it was unjust and unfair to those who maintained a high standard of probity and of honour." The question has been already asked whether Lord Russell's Bill will include all kinds of secret profits, and, therefore, the practice now openly advocated by the committee of the Pub- lishers' Association. If, as it is hoped, it proves to include this practice, it will stamp the prac- tice with legal penalties and greatly discourage the persons who practise, or continue to advocate, the taking of secret profits, or the charge of moneys not spent. For this reason the Society should regard Lord Russell's Bill with consider- able interest. THE STORY-TELLING REVIEWER. AT the annual meeting of our Society I called attention to the somewhat common practice of giving in a review an outline of the plot, or, in the slang of the day, of "giving away" the story. That this was done without the least desire to injure the author's or publisher's inte- rests in the book I had no doubt whatever; and I also had no doubt that the practice did in many instances materially injure the sales of a book. I pointed out that editors were literary men themselves, that they had a fellow feeling for authors generally, and that some at least of them, if a representation on the subject were made by the Committee, would be certain to meet the wishes of authors. I also pointed out that, if we offered a book for review, we could not com- plain" if it was condemned and severely handled;  ## p. 278 (#290) ############################################ 278 THE AUTHOR. but we might, I thought, justly complain if the leading features of the plot, and particularly its termination, were described, and the interest of possible readers materially lessened. It was quite evident that these few remarks met with general approval among the fifty or sixty authors present, and the matter ended by an understanding that the question would be dis- cussed by our Committee, which would very possibly communicate with the principal editors on the subject. I am not aware that this has been done, and I have been asked by the Com- mittee to deal with the subject in The Author This I gladly do; at the same time, wishing that the matter had been placed in the hands of a novelist of greater standing than myself, and preferably one who had more reason to complain of reviewers than I who have been almost invari- ably treated with the greatest kindness and consideration. Now and again one gets a spite- ful review, for there are among reviewers and critics men lacking the high principles so requi- site in their branch of literary work, just as there are, I regret to admit, authors and publishers who lack those high principles which are so eminently desirable in all that pertains to our craft. I have sometimes thought that reviews of the kind I am more particula rly referring to—perhaps they should more properly be termed "notices" —are often written by men in all kindness to the author. "Here is a book," I can imagine the critic saying, "which is neither very good nor very bad. It is evidently the work of an inex- perienced hand. I will not help to ruin a young author's prospects by too severely condemning him. I will simply give the readers of the paper in which my review appears a good idea of the contents of the book, and they can read it or leave it unread, as they think proper." Then he writes something in this fashion: "From Messrs. Short and Rigby we have received Mr. John Jones's new novel of Welsh life. Many persons will doubtless read it with interest. The first chapter opens with. . . ." Then he mentions all the characters, describes as briefly as he can what part they take in the story, and very likely ends by saying " Vice is defeated, Virtue is triumphant, the hero and heroine are united, and everyone is as happy as marriage bells." For books which depend upon plot and inci- dent for their interest, such a " review" is almost fatal. In the case of those novels, the literary merit of which lies in wit, epigram, and analysis of character, many novel readers would be deterred from ordering the book if, from some notice they have read in the paper, it seemed to lack plot. Some modern works of considerable merit contain hardly any plot at all, and m«rely to give a brief outline of their contents creates a very false impression concerning them. To take the opposite case of books of consider- able length, crammed full of incident, and written round a most elaborate plot: here the reviewer who tries to tell the story in brief, necessarily fails, owing to limitations of space, and does the author an injustice. So much for one side of the picture. On the other hand, there are numbers of reviewers who, very likely from being authors themselves, are as fully alive to the effect of telling the whole story as is any novelist. It is quite a common thing to find a review terminating with some such words as these: "To tell more of the story would be unfair to the author." There are some novelists, it is said, who like to have their story told in the revi ,w. I have a difliculty in believing that they really approve of the entire plot being disclosed, from page 1 to the end. Possibly they mean a description of the story just a little short of this. However, we have in The Author a means of communication which will enable such points to be cleared up. In conclusion, may I express a hope that the few lines I have written on the subject may not be misunderstood? I am quite prepared to have it stated that I have made an attempt to teach reviewers their business. Though it has fallen to my lot to write many reviews, I should be extremely sorry to have this said. I have no complaint to make of reviews, but of the notice which consists of a description of the plot, and is, in very truth, not a review at all. I believe newspaper readers, as well as authors, object to have books noticed in this manner. I once heard a lady say: "I was going to get Mr. 's book from the library, but I read the whole of the story in the Daily Post, and after that I didn't care to read the book." This may be the case with many novel readers. When asking people how they like a book, I often get the reply, "Oh! I really haven't read it, but I get a very good idea of it from the review in the Morning Blazer." John Bickerdyke. PARIS NOTES. THE acquittal of Mme. Chabrie-, whose private information had been utilised without her sanction in a series of Press articles by M. Gaston Mery {Libre Parole), and of M. Urbain Gohier, whose recent publication, "L'Armee contre la Nation," had awakened the censorship of the authorities, shows that the French nation at large is awar* «f the primary importance of a  ## p. 279 (#291) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. free Press. The trial of M. G-ohier aroused great interest, since its issue embraced the solution of an important point closely affecting the prosperity of the country—viz., the liberty of the individual French writer to criticise the tactics of his military chiefs. After numerous quotations from the approved works of writers as diverse as MM. de Cassagnac, Drumont, Rochefort, Jules Lemaitre, Francois Coppee, and Georges Courte- line, who were each in turn proved to have pro- pagated seditious doctrine on this head, Me. Clemenceau, counsel for the accused, boldly declared M. Gohier's criticisms to be salutary to the true interests of the French Army. He maintained that his client attacked no one without furnishing proof of their malversation; if his tone in so doing appeared occasionally violent, it must be attributed to the fact that the work in question was compiled from journalistic articles—for the journalist resembled the pilot, in order to be heard he was forced to have recourse to a speaking trumpet. Me. Clemenceau con- cluded his defence by expressing a fervent hope that other writers would follow the example of his client, this "troubler of apothesises "—since France would thus be preserved from inscribing a second time in her annals dates as shameful as those of Sedan, Metz, Paris. The burst of enthu- siastic bravos and loud outcries of 'Vive Gohier '." which greeted the verdict of acquittal preceded by this eloquent peroration gave palpable proof that jury and populace were in accord in resenting this side attack on the liberty of the individual thinker. The election of M. Marcel Prevost to the pre- sidency of the Socie'te' des Gens de Lettres was flatteringly unanimous, comprising a majority of twenty votes against three, of which latter two were blanks. At the previous meeting, in which M. Henry Houssaye had resigned the same dignity owing to his term of office having expired, a rather stormy scene took place. After having announced that the meeting was convoked to replace the eight members whose term of office had expired and also to fill the place left vacant by the death of the late regretted Albert Bataille —in all, nine members—M. Brau de Saint-Pol- Lias continued, " Or rather ten members, since our rules permit us to erase the name of any person who has failed to attend six consecutive meetings. Now, there is a member who has failed in attending more than six meetings. . . ." Although no name was mentioned, everyone was aware at whom these remarks were aimed. M. Armand Charpentier cried loudly " Vive Zola!" while the majority of members present pro- tested against any question of party politics being introduced. On taking possession of the fauteuil vacated by M. Houssaye, M. Provost adroitly stated his opinion on the subject in sketching out the attitude he desired the Society to adopt. "Even before being a kind of literary club," said he, "we are a commercial society, a mutual-aid society. Our political opinions should be mute here, though free. If liberty of thought were ever proscribed it would belong to us, men of letters, to offer it an asylum in our midst. This tolerance is our honour. When one of our comrades has worked, has written books by which our Society has profited, no matter in what measure, in providing pensions for its superannuated and assistance for its indigent members; when this comrade has taken his seat at our table, has aided us with his energy and effort; if the day comes when he finds himself exposed to the vicissitudes of public opinion—we owe it to him, we owe it to ourselves, we owe it to true literature and French tradition, not to excite the crowd against him, not to throw stones against him with the hands he has clasped." This generous speech excited warm applause. The nomination of office-bearers for the present year then took place, M. Henry Houssaye being elected honorary president and MM. Lafargue and de Larmandie vice-presidents. Three new members were likewise admitted to the Society, of whom two were women; and it is more than rumoured that a project was on foot to demand the admis- sion of feminine members to the committee of the Society. The ladies, however, not wishing that two irritating topics should be broached on the same day, magnanimously agreed to defer all allusion to the subject until the following meeting. Its first introduction will, doubt- less, be hotly combated and criticised, but the eventual triumph of the fair sex is a foregone conclusion. The death of Mme. Clesinger, daughter of George Sand, has again brought the latter's name prominently before the public in the daily papers. Later evidence has satisfactorily vindicated the grave charge brought against Mme. Sand by her contemporaries of having forced her daughter to accept her own discarded lover, Clesinger, as a husband. Mme. Clesinger was the author of one or two novels of inferior merit, and in no wise inherited her mother's literary talent. Their appearance was as dissimilar as their characters were antagonistic. Solange Cle'singer-Sand had a masculine type of countenance, an arched nose, and a frank, almost audacious expression; her figure was admirably proportioned, and she was not lacking in wit. Several years after her sepa- ration from her husband she inhabited a small suite of rooms in the Rue Taitbout, and among the intimate friends who frequented her society  ## p. 280 (#292) ############################################ 280 THE AUTHOR. may be mentioned Gambetta, Ferry, Laferriere, Edouard Herve, Weiss, Taine, Henry Fouquier, Floquet, and Bethmont. She died at her castle of Montgivray, and was buried beside her mother. M. Maurice Eollinat is now engaged in revising the proofs of the new volume of poems he intends publishing shortly. M. Rollinat is a fervent student and admirer of the works of George Sand and Edgar Poe. He is, likewise, a most infatuated angler, and not even the red ribbon which the Government bestowed on him in 1895 has sufficed to wean him from pursuing his favourite pastime. To Mme. Sarah Bernhardt belongs the honour of having discovered this ichthyophagistic rhymester. The Soci^te des Gens de Lettres has confided to M. Falguiere the execution of the statue of Balzac, to be exhibited at the next Salon. The bust of M. Henri Houssaye, the work of Mlle. Aim-lie Colombie, will be exhibited on the same occasion; the latter is reported to be an excellent reproduction of the features of the great his- torian. It is further proposed to celebrate the two hundredth anniversary of Racine by the inauguration of two busts, viz:, that of Pascal at St. Etienne du Mont and that of Racine on the ruins of Port Royal. The project of erecting a reduced replica of Guy de Maupassant's monu- ment at Paris (pare Monceau) in the square of his native town of Rouen has met with universal sympathy, the artists engaged on the work re- fusing all remuneration beyond the actual cost of labour and material employed. The unveiling of the new monument will take place next month; it will stand in the middle of a small green sward, opposite Chapu's medallion of Flaubert, the friend and master of Guy de Maupassant. At the recent International Press Congress at Rome Italy was, of course, so far first in the field as regards the number of her representatives as to be quite out of the running. Among foreign countries France carried off the palm numerically, being represented by no less than eighty-seven delegates, in addition to twenty-five wives and daughters of delegates. Germany stood second on the list, having sent forty-six representatives, Austria third, Hungary fourth, Belgium fifth, and England sixth, while the United States shared the seventh place with Sweden and Portugal, each of the three last-named countries being represented by ten delegates. The "English mania" that is so frequently deplored by the French writers of the present day is steadily invading the Parisian stage. Shakespeare has evidently come to btay, despite M. Fouquier's assertions to the contrary, and his "Beaucoup de bruit pour rien " now adorns the programme of the Opera Comique; the Ambigu- Comique gives us " Les Chevaliers du Brouillard," a play adapted from one of Ainsworth's novels and in the salle of the Societes savantes we find "Betsey," an English play in three acts by Mr. Burnand. Apropos of theatrical literature, M. Bergerat's new play, "Plus que Reine," is sharing the fate of its literary predecessors, "Le Lys Rouge," " Le Coupable," &c, viz., it bores the public. After having heralded its advent with a fanfaronade of extravagant panegyric, the critics are now harking back on their first judgment, and discovering that the play lacks cohesion, historical accuracy, and dramatic verve. They are likewise shocked at seeing Mme. Jane Hading represent the Creole Josephine in a blonde wig, and scandalised at finding Napoleon's costume inoorrect in sundry details. This failure only bears out our previous assertion regarding the fallacy of believing that a dramatic and a literary talent were concomitant attributes. Translations of modern English literature are largely patronised here. In addition to devoting several columns to appreciating the works and style of Rudyard Kipling—" prince de la ballade et roi du conte "—the Annales lately endeavoured to give a specimen of the latter by publishing a translation of his " White Seal." Although more justly rendered than we had imagined possible, it was nevertheless a very flat narrative in compari- son with the brilliant originality of the English version; yet, even under these favourable circum- stances, we were unable to detect the analogy the French critics have discovered to exist between the style of Pierre Loti and that of Rudyard Kipling. The death of Mme. Michelet, nie Athemas Mialaret, widow of the great historian, has occasioned the publication of some of the letters which passed between them before the idea of matrimony was entertained by either. The whole story reads like a romance. Early left an orphan and forced by the improvidence of her parents to earn her livelihood, Mlle. Mialaret accepted the post of governess in a private family at Vienna. The indifferent kindness meted out to her by her employers failed to satisfy her moral and intellectual requirements. She fell into a state of profound melancholy. At this juncture in her career she chanced to read one of Michelet's works entitled "Le Pretre." It touched her so profoundly that she wrote to the author, confiding to him her mental and moral distress. He replied by an admirable letter to which she gratefully responded; and when a few months later her failing health forced her to return to the milder climate of Paris, the acquaintance commenced on paper speedily ripened into a warmer sentiment than-  ## p. 281 (#293) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 281 platonic friendship and esteem. The affection was mutual, though the great historian was in his fifty-second and theyoung governess in her twenty- third year at the date of their union. Neverthe- less the marriage proved an extremely happy one; and during the twenty-five years that elapsed between her husband's and her own death Mme. Michelet lived devoted to his memory. For years she refused to have any renovations made in the suite of rooms they had occupied together; finally, she consented to permit certain necessary repairs, though still refusing to quit the premises. She caught cold through sleeping in the midst of the damp plaster, and died eight days later from a violent attack of pleurisy. She had reached the ripe age of seventy-two years, and was a graceful and sympathetic writer. The recently published memoirs of Alfred de Musset by his old housekeeper, Mme. Adele Colin- Martellet, contain much interesting matter. Among other anecdotes she narrates that the poet had a little dog, named Marzo, to whom he was greatly attached. When his master died Marzo believed him only absent, and every evening patiently awaited him at the accustomed hour. For seven years Marzo nightly waited thus, at the end of which time the poor little fellow died with his eyes fixed on the door by which he still fondly hoped to see his master enter. Mme. Martellet's husband carried off the small corpse intending to inter it in one of the adjacent plots of waste land. At the corner of the rue Boileau he came across a companv of workmen engaged in making a new road and there deposited Marzo's remains, covering them with several shovelfuls of earth. By curious coincidence this new street is to-day known as the rue de Musset. During the past month French literature has registered the following deaths in addition to those above cited, viz., that of M. Erckmann, who, in collaboration with M. Chatrian, wrote the famous series of tales, respectively entitled "Waterloo," "1'Ami Fritz," "l'lllustre Docteur Mathews," "Madame Therese," "Blocus," "Souvenirs d'un homme du peuple." &c., and whose character sketches were so just and fine that the phrase—" C'est un personnage d'Erck- mann-Chatrian "—has passed into current usage; of M. Paul Bonnetain, Government commissioner, author of several original and interesting novels, respectively entitled "Passagere," "le Tour du monde d'un troupier," "Au Tonkin," "le Journal d'un marsouin," &c.; of M. Paul Mahalin, who gained notoriety as a master of the "roman- feuilleton " genre; of M. Vaucheret, who, under the pseudonym of Jean Bruno, has for almost fifty years been a prolific contributor to the fiction column of numerous periodicals; and of M. Berthold Zeller, Professor of History at the Sor- bonne, and author of numerous important his- torical works which have each successively had the honour of being "couronne par l'Academie fran9aise." Darracotte Dene. NOTES AND NEWS. THE annual dinner of the Royal Literary Fund was duly held, and the usual hat went round in the familiar manner. The chairman, according to the only report that I have read, seems to have refrained very wisely from advocating the necessity of increasing the income of the society on account of increasing demands. On the other hand, he did not represent—the statement would certainly have chilled the gene- rosity of the charitable—the fact that the Council cannot spend on deserving cases one half of their present income. Nor can I believe that all the donations which were announced—to the amount of .£ii50—would have been contributed had the donors realised or understood this broad fact, which is, that the Royal Literary Fund has at last got quite enough money for its present wants. If its resources should prove insufficient, there is no doubt that more money would be forthcoming. As is pointed out in another column, there is reason to fear that there may be an increase in the demands should the sixpenny book kill the profession of literature; but there is still time to provide against that catastrophe. Meantime, the subject may rest until next February, when I hope that the point may be seriously and officially advanced. This year it was asked too late. It will take the form of a plain question: Why does the Council ask for more money when the present income is more than double the amount of the calls made upon it? nic> A writer in Literature says that although I maintain that the capital sum invested by the Royal Literary Fund is sufficient to meet all demands likely to be made upon it—a contention which is proved by the report—I also ask that the Civil Pension Grant shall be confined to persons distinguished in literature, science, and art, " which seems to indicate," I read," that he is not always, equally sure of the prosperity of men of letters." I fail to perceive this indica- tion. Besides, if my critic would only read further he would, I think, discover that I ask for a substitution in place of the words "or other persons worthy of Her Majesty's bounty," the words "or widows or daughters of persons so  ## p. 282 (#294) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. distinguished." This I propose in order that the practice now common in the administration of this grant should be recognised by a resolution of Parliament, and that the widows of persons dis- tinguished in literature, science, or art, should be legally entitled to receive these pensions, but not the widows of Colonial Governors or other deserving and distinguished persons. But the Grant and the Fund have nothing to do with each other. The former gives pensions: the latter gives temporary relief. Without any reference to the former, it is proved that the latter could only find last year twenty-two distressed men or women of letters. Only twenty-two out of the thousands who live by the pen! This fact is to my mind a very signal proof— one not to be disputed—of the general welfare of the Folk of Letters. It is now a numerous Folk: they are legion: and out of so many there are only twenty-two deserving cases: not one turned away from want of funds; and .£2000 invested out of income. In face of all the facts I can no longer admit that the profession is precarious, any more than any other profession. Of course, there is risk of ill-success in every profession, but less risk, given the natural aptitude, which is of course necessary, than in any other. Why is this contention, which has been advanced on several occasions, called " optimist"? Why is it always received with a strange unwillingness and a still stranger dislike? The only reason that I can discover is that it upsets a rooted tradition, and to tear up old traditions makes people uncomfor- table. Authors, we have always been taught, are a beggarly company. Grub Street even parades its rags. Well: but where is Grub Street r Show those rags. Produce those beggars. Are they in the clubs? There are literary men by the hundred in the Athenaeum, the Savile, the Authors', the Savage, the Garrick, and other clubs. They sit down with the other men, and, appar- ently, they can pay for their dinners: they present an outward show of broadcloth: they even wear gloves: they preserve an appearance of solvency: one might take them for City men. They seldom become bankrupt; I remember only one or two cases of the bankruptcy of a literary man. At this moment, while I know writers who would like to make more by their pen, I doubt if I know one who has had occasion to go to the Royal Literary Fund. There may be, and very likely are, people who would like above all things to be men or women of letters. One can hardly call persons followers of literature who have attempted and proved incompetent. A man is not a poet who has produced a volume of feeble rhyme. Again, there is an excellent reason why Literature is a much less precarious profession than Medicine or either branch of the Law; namely, that it has so many branches. And, as I said before, they overlap each other. If one may, without offence, produce examples, I need go no farther than the accomplished editor of Literature himself, who is historian, poet, essayist, critic, and editor: I might point out Mr. W. E. Henley, poet, biographer, editor, and dramatist: Mr. J. M. Barrie, essayist, novelist, and dramatist: Dr. Conan Doyle, novelist, poet, and dramatist: the late William Biack, jour- nalist and novelist: Mr. Andrew Lang, scholar, poet, novelist, historian, journalist, and critic: Mr. Justin McCarthy, novelist and historian. It may be objected that I am taking extreme cases. They are certainly cases of successful writers. But these cases illustrate my position, viz., that if a man proves himself able to write (if he is an attractive writer) a scholar and an authority, there is certainly no other profession in which he would be so safe. The chief danger is that common to every profession, that a man's health may break down; there is also the danger that, for some reason or other, he may lose his charm. Anthony Trollope lost his charm at the end, or seemed to do so; but he kept it till much past sixty. This also is a danger in every other profession. Literature, I repeat, is no longer a precarious profession—if the candidate possesses the natural aptitude. Cannot the same thing be said of every other profession? Does a lawyer succeed who is no lawyer? Let me turn over two or three leaves, at random, of that useful annual with the wonderful name of "Who's Who." Here are a few examples: (1) Novelist, humourist, journalist: (2) story-teller, journalist, caricaturist: (3) preacher, theologian, scholar: (4) novelist, historian, poet: (5) pro- fessor, editor, critic: (6) preacher and poet: (7) journalist, editor, critic, dramatist: (8) journalist, biographer, historian: (9) novelist only: (10) archaeologist and historian: (11) bio- grapher, historian, traveller: (12) artist, author, and journalist. These names have been found in half a dozen consecutive pages of the book. I think they prove my point, that the many-sided character of the literary profession goes far to remove its former reputation for uncertainty. Of great prizes I do not speak. Nor do I speak of the incompetent and their sufferings. A far greater number of incompetent persons attempt literature than any other pro- fession because it seems to want no apprenticeship  ## p. 283 (#295) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 283 and it appears to be so easy. We cannot allow that those persons belong to the literary life any more than we call those students who cannot pass their examinations lawyers or physicians. Now, the examination which every literary man must pass, and every successful literary man must pass in honours, is twofold: he must be examined by the critic, and he must be examined by the public. _ A contributor to the New York Writer (Ruth Hall), endeavouring to show that new writers find it very difficult to get into American maga- zines, gives a few statistics :— 1. Harper's Magazine for February contains twenty-three articles. Of these, one short story, one essay, and three poems are by unknown writers. 2. The Century for February contains twenty- seven contributions, of which seven are by unknown writers. These figures, however, seem to prove exactly the reverse of her proposition. When we consider that a magazine is not run with the object of advancing writers but of advancing the pro- prietor: that the editor's first duty is to find out what will instruct and attract: tbat popular authors are certain to attract: and that untried and unkno wn authors can only attract by reason of the very rare condition of having something to tell which is new and curious: and that popular authors can almost always be had if the editor will pay them—we can understand how difficult it must be for a new writer to get a hearing. We can also understand how the English maga- zine of the older kind seems sinking into a kind of atrophy because the editor and proprietor will not understand the simple rule of supply and demand. To sit down in a chair and wait for things is the editing of the past. To arrange beforehand with an eye to what will please and attract readers, yet with a door open to the new comer, is the editing of the present and the future. The new comer, when he finds that in Harper's Magazine there are five out of twenty-three papers, and in the Century seven out of twenty- seven, contributed by unknown writers, may take courage. There is still the open door. Walter Besant. CORRESPONDENCE. I.—Against Difficulties. THE March number of your paper has just come into my hands, and I am greatly interested in the letter of Mr. Julian Croskey, a gentleman whose career I have followed carefully during the last two years. The advice he gives to the parents of young men who are determined to devote their lives to literature is, I think, excellent; but how many parents will listen to his counsel? Very few, if any. I myself am determined to adopt the literary profession, but I have not the neces- sary means; rich relatives are scarce, and parents unwilling. Meanwhile, I am miserable. But what can I do? Nothing! I have had sufficient success to warrant me believing that in two years from now I could, by constant work and hard writing, earn a "comfortable income." But I am chained to office work, and my evenings are as miserable as my mornings and afternoons, for what literary work can a man do who comes home tired-out, despondent, and swearing softly to himself? o-o Waiting. II. Charity for Brain-Workers. I thought the days when people of title honoured themselves by taking authors and artists under their patronage had passed, but I seem to be mistaken. In a recent number of the Academy particulars were given of a home of rest in the Riviera for tired brain-workers. A lady of title is apparently the originator of the scheme. Men are to pay their own expenses to and from the place, they are to pay a minimum of a pound a week for board and lodging, and in return they are evidently to get what any person with a pound a week to spare can command in decent habitations in the South of France, while they are to be governed by a set of rules which ought never to be tolerated on the free side of a gaol or a workhouse. A man who can afford to pay a sovereign a week can afford to keep clear of a retreat of this description. A Member. III.—The Extravagant Dinner. Dissatisfaction among the members of the Authors' Society, tnough perhaps occasionally inevitable, is surely a thing to be avoided so far as possible. I believe considerable dissatisfaction does exist among many members at the high price charged for the annual dinner ticket. If we were a society of Stock Exchange men, or pub- lishers, or racehorse owners, or company pro- moters, a guinea would perhaps be fitting and proper; but we are poor authors, few of us with  ## p. 284 (#296) ############################################ 284 THE AUTHOR. even the incomes of a bishop, many of us women and stragglers for life. Our Committee, I take it, are among the successful. Cannot they show their sympathy for the poorer members of the Society by following the example of almost every other club and society in England, and fixing the dinner ticket at a more moderate sum? The guinea, I know, includes wine, but this is most unfair to those, particularly women, who drink little or none. In ninety-nine public dinners out of a hundred the guests pay for the wine they consume. Why should not we do likewise? If two-thirds of the price of the ticket were paid to the funds of The Author, or some other such admirable object, our grievance would be lessened; but I believe most members of the Society will agree with me that to force those who wish to meet their fellow members at the annual dinner into an act of wasteful extravagance, is bad policy on the part of our executive. When a dinner was given in honour of yourself, at the Holborn Restaurant, the price of the ticket was only 5$., and the arrangement worked well enough. The attendance was enormous, and there was really nothing to complain of. Annual dinners have a remarkable effect in keeping clubs and societies of all kinds together, but ours loses much of this effect owing to the price of the ticket, which actually equals a year's subscription to the Society. I hope other members will express their opinions on this subject in the pages of The Author. Diane. IV.—Typewriting Offices. May I ask for the insertion of these few words in answer to two letters which appeared in your issues of February and March, condemning in a wholesale fashion the typewriting offices? It appears to me both your correspondents are not fully acquainted with the real facts connected with the typing industry, or the former would not suggest that the payment of gd. a thousand was an adequate sum to offer a woman, even a home worker. The typist who does Mr. Goodrich Freer's work at gd. a 1000 makes, if she is a fairly quick worker, and works, say, eight hours a day, 26s. a week. That is to say, she can copy 6000 words in a day, taking at the lowest computation two hours a day for the examining of the copy with the MSS. Now, take the case of the girl who has been trained in shorthand and typing in a first-class office; she is then able to take a situation, either in a typewriting office or in a mercantile office, where she can secure regular work, and scores over the home worker in the following way: First, as to hours, she works nine hours a week less, bemuse office hours in the typewriting offices are 10 to 6, and she has Saturday afternoon off; secondly, she has no worry in securing work, as she is paid whether it is slack or not; thirdly, she can make in a good office, without languages, 30s. to 35*. a week; fourth, she has not to find machine, ink, or stationery. In a mercantile office she can make up to £2, but their hours, as a rule, are rather longer—9.30 to 6. In the typewriting office she certainly does some of the work when she is suffi- 2iently proficient to be trusted with it, but how else will she learn her business? I cannot see any justice in calling the typewriting office people " clever exploiters of other people's labour," as it must be remembered that the pupils are given an opportunity which can be given in no other way to learn their profession properly, and so become capable of earning a fair wage, which I do not consider Mr. Goodrich Freer's 265. a week to be. Madeleine Greenwood. V.—Payment on Acceptance. I notice in The Author for April a letter from Mr. Herbert D. Williams saying that Great Thoughts invariably pays for articles on acceptance. I regret to say that this is not my experience. An article of mine was accepted at the end of 1893, and appeared in February, 1894. I accordingly asked for payment, which was refused, because I had not stipulated for it when I sent the article. I was offered instead a bound volume of Great Thoughts.' This was a " hair of the dog" with a vengeance. I refused even this. It was only the second article of mine that had been accepted, and I felt the injustice most keenly. H. Stanley Tayler. OBITUARY. SIR MONIER MONIER - WILLIAMS, K.C.I.E., Boden Professor of Sanscrit in the University of Oxford since i860, whose Sanscrit-English dictionary (which occupied him for twenty years) and other works are well known to every Sanscrit student, died at Cannes on April 10, in his eightieth year. Mr. Edmund Sheridan Purcell, the biographer of Cardinal Manning, died on April 12, aged 76. He has left in manuscript, almost completed (says the Academy), a biography of Ambrose de Lisle, the prototype of Eustace de Lyle in "Coningsby."  ## p. 285 (#297) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 285 BOOK TALE. EROM copyright novels at 6d., the step has soon been taken to copyright novels at id. Messrs. Pearson are about to issue a series at this price, consisting of works by Ouida, John Oliver Hobbes, Mr. Robert Buchanan, Mr. Grant Allen, Rita, Mrs. Hungerford, Mr. Louis Becke, Mr. Fergus Hume, Mr. Clark Russell, Mrs. Hodgson Burnett, and other writers. The same firm have projected also another series of penny books, such as "How to be Happy though Married," "Helen's Babies," "Trooper Peter Halket," &c. With regard to the forthcoming biography of Mrs. Lynn Linton, Mr. G. S. Layard asks owners of letters, portraits, or other material connected with the subject. to be kind enough to forward them to him at Lorraine Cottage, Malvern, promising that these will be taken care of and returned as soon as he has done with them. Mr. Rudyard Kipling, having sufficiently recovered from his illness to be able to work, is revising a privately-printed volume of letters, and making sundry additions to them in view of their publication. This work will be called "From Sea to Sea," and among its contents will be found Mr. Kipling's "Letters of Marque" and "City of Dreadful Night," both of which were published here some years ago and imme- diately withdrawn on account of difficulties con- cerning the copyright. Mr. Stephen Crane is at work on a new novel. Before this appears, however, the public will get a new volume of verse from Mr. Crane, entitled "War is Kind." The late Sir Benjamin Ward Richardson left virtually completed a series of biographies of leaders of medicine, and these are now about to be published by Messrs. Hutchinson in two volumes, called " Disciples of .^sculapius." Mr. Lewis Melville has completed his "Life of Thackeray," and the work, which has occupied him ten years, will be ready in a few days. It consists of two volumes, and will be the first complete biography of Thackeray. Meanwhile, the splendid Biographical edition of Thackeray has just been completed by the publication of the thirteenth volume. This edition, of course, is unique by reason of the biographical introduc- tions contributed by the novelist's daughter, Mrs. Ritchie. "Curiosities of Light and Sight," by Mr. Shelford Bidwell, F.R.S., will be published in a few days by Messrs. Swan Sonnenschein and Co. It is illustrated with diagrams, and treats of structural defects of the eye, optical illusions, and various recently-observed phenomena of vision. Mrs. Gertrude Atherton is engaged on a new novel. Earlier forthcoming novels include- "England's Peril," by Mr. William Le Queux; "The Stepmother," by Mrs. Alexander; "Twice Dead," by Miss Adeline Sergeant; "A Name to Conjure With," by John Strange Winter. One of the most important publications during April was Dr. Douglas Hyde's " Literary History of Ireland." The present literary movement in that country has also given birth to a small volume of articles, by Mr. W. B. Yeats, Mr. John Eglinton, " A. E.," and Mr. William Larminie, entitled " The Literary Ideal in Ireland," which the same publisher will shortly have ready. These articles appeared originally in a Dublin paper. In his new story, "The Violet Flame," Mr. Fred. T. Jane is combining "with a thrilling love story the development of some uncanny scientific discoveries, the result of which is the destruction of the world by a catastrophe of un- paralleled horror." The story is to appear in the English Mechanic. The American Authors' Guild has changed its name to the Society of American Authors. The following are the recently elected officers and managers of the society :—President, Rastus S. Ransom; vice-presidents, Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, General Lew Wallace, Dr. Thomas Dunn English, Hubert Howe Bancroft, Mrs. Ellen Hardin Wal- worth, and Miss Grace Denio Litchfield; treasurer and counsel, Morris Patterson Ferris; secretary, John Beverly Robinson. "Rita's" new novel will be produced early this month. It is entitled "An Old Rogue's Tragedy." "Pictures of Travel," Mr. Mackenzie Bell's recent volume of poems, has been favourably received by the critics. It has also been well received by the public. Including the copyright edition in" the United States, 2000 copies have been printed. "Calumnies" is the title of the new novel by Mrs. E. M. Davy (author of " A Prince of Como," "A Daughter of Earth," &c.), which Messrs. Arthur Pearson will publish the first week in May. A series of China stories by the author of "The Shen's Pigtail " will appear in the English Illustrated Magazine under the title of "Chips of China." "English Roses " is the title of the latest book of poems from F. Harald Williams, B.A. It is  ## p. 286 (#298) ############################################ 286 THE AUTHOR. published at 6*. by Messrs. Simpkiu, Marshall, and Co. It is a volume containing some 600 pages. The book is divided into six sections, as follows: 1, English Roses; 2, Blood and Iron; 3, Laughing Philosophy; 4, Euphrasy and Rue; 5, Brake and Brier; and 6, Palms and Passion Flowers. "Songs of Hope and Love," by F. \V. Pitt, has just been published by Messrs. S. W. Part- ridge and Co. (price 2s. 6rf.). These poems have been well reviewed by various papers, and should have a ready sale. The title of Mrs. Richmond's new book pub- lished by Messrs. Longmans should have been described in last month's "Book Talk," as "Through Boyhood to Manhood; a Plea for Ideals." Price 2s. 6d. "The Story of "William Penn," by Frances E. Cooke, has just been published by Messrs. Headley Bros. Price is. 6d. Messrs. W. Clowes and Sons have now ready "The Officer's Field Note and Sketch Book and Reconnaissance Aide-Memoire," by Lieut.-Col. E. Gunter. 6*. 6d. net. "Marianna and other Stories," the title of a new book which Mr. Burleigh will immediately publish for " Georgette Agnew." An original poem in the style of the "Lady of the Lake," by the author of the "Rani of Jhansi" and other Eastern works, will shortly be published by Mr. Burleigh. The tale is a thrilling one, illustrating the state of unrest in Western India during the downfall of the rule of the Moguls at Delhi, and giving graphic descrip- tions of female infanticide, sati (widow-burning), and other native manners and customs. In his " Fragments of an Autobiography," Mr. Felix Moscheles records his early impressions, and introduces episodes of the artist's life in Paris. He sketches many celebrities in the musical, artistic, and political world he has frequented, and devotes special chapters to his trips to America, the Paris Commune, his godfather Felix Mendelssohn, and to Mazzini, Rossini, and Browning. Messrs. George Newnes (Limited) have nearly ready for publication a new standard work entitled "The International Geography." Seventy authors have collaborated in its production, including the leading geographers and travellers of Europe and America; the work has been planned and edited by Dr. H. R. Mill, who also wrote the chapter on the United Kingdom. Among the authors are Dr. Fridtjof Nansen (Arctic Regions), Mr. F. C. Selous (Rhodesia), Sir Clements Markham, F.R.S. (Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru), Professor A. Kirchoff (German Empire), Professor W. M. Davis (United States), Professors de Lapparent and Ravenau (France), Sir John Murray. F.R.S. (Antarctic Regions), Count Pfeil (German Colonies), Mr. James Bryce, M.P. (the Boer Republics), Sir H. H. Johnston, the late Sir Lambert Playfair, Sir F. J. Goldsmid, Sir Martin Conway, Sir George S. Robertson, Sir William MacGregor, Sir Charles Wilson, F.R.S., the Hon. D. W. Carnegie, Mrs. Bishop. Dr. A. M. W. Downing, F.R.S., Dr. J. Scott Keltie, and Mr. G. G. Chisholm, the editor of the "Times Gazetteer." The book is illustrated by nearly 500 maps and diagrams, which have been specially prepared. It is designed to present in the compact limits of a single volume an authori- tative conspectus of the science of geography and the conditions of the countries of the world at the close of the nineteenth century. The Ameri- can publishers are Messrs. D. Appleton and Co., New York. THE BOOKS OF THE MONTH. [March 23 to April 22—263 Books.] Adams, Francis. Essayb in Modernity. 5/- net. AHalo, F. G. (ed.). The Cost of Sport. 6/- Aitken, J. The Ahiding Law. 2/6. Alaine, B. A Subtle Enchantress. 2/- Alexander, Rupert Maureen Moore. 67- Lanc. Murray. Oliphant. Stockwell. Burleigh. Allbutt, T. C. (ed.). A System of Medicine. Vol . 6. 25/- net. Macmillan. Anonymous. Robespierre. 1,-net. Effingham Pub. Co. Anonymous. Well beloved of the Father. 3/6. Scott. Anonymous (J. B.). Borne from the Inside. 1 - Clarke. Anonymous, The Story of London. 1/6. K Arnold- Anonymous Autoblography of a Child. 6/- Blackwood. Anonymous iauthor of "Owen Dale's Ordeal "). The Sport of Fate. 1/6. Stevens. B. (H. T.). Some Leading Scriptural Truths. 1/6. Skeffington. Bailey, J. C. Studies in some Famous Letters. 6/- Burleigh. Balck, Captain (tr. by L. R. M. Maxwell). Modern European Tactics. Vol. 1. 7/6 net. Sands. Barnett, Edith A. Snnningham and the Curate. 6/- Chapman. Barr, W. M. Boilers and Furnaces considered in their relations to Steam Boilers. 18/- Lippincott Bearne, C. Lives and Times of Early Valois Queens. 10/6. ITnwin. Beaven, E. W. Tales of the Divining Bod. 5/- Stockwell . Beeby, C. E. Defence of " Creed and Life." 1/- net. Simpkin. Beerbohm, Max, More. 4/6 net. Lane. Bell, John. In the Shadow of the Bush. 3/6. Berry. T. W. Model Answers in School Management. 2/- Simpkin. Bickerdyke, John. The Passing of Prince Bozan. 6/- Burleigh- Binyon, L. (illus. by W. Strang). Western Flanders. 42/- net. Unicorn Press. Black, W. G. Ocean Rainfall: General and Special Oceans, lt1'64-T.*'- 81. 2/6 net. Livingstone. Bloundelle-Burton. J. Fortune's My Foe. 6/- Pearson. Boevey, S. M. C. Dene Forest Sketches. Second Series. 6/- Burloigh. Bodkin, M. McD. The Rebels. 6/- Ward and L Bot6ford, G. W. HUtory of Greece for High Schools and Colleges. 6/6 net. Macmillan Bottomley, G. Poems at White-Nights. 2/6 net. Unicorn Pres.<*. Bourgogne, Sergeant, Memoirs of. (1812-13) 6/- Heinemann. Bowles F. G. In the Wake of the Sun. 2/6 net. Unicorn Prees. Brought on. Rhoda. The Game and the Candle. 6/- Macmillan. Brown, Campbell-Rae. Resurrection of His Grace. 2/6. Greening. Brown, Mary W. The Development of Thrift. 3/6 net. Macmillan. Bucban, John. Grey Weather. 6/- Lane. Burnle, R. W. The Catholic Brief against Sir William Harcourt and others. 2/6. Gay and B. Oaffyn, Mrs. M. (" Iota"). Anne Mauleverer. 6/- M<'thuen.  ## p. 287 (#299) ############################################ THE AUTHOIt. 287 Carter, T. T. Spirit of Watchfulness, &o. 5/- Longman. Catas, E. M. H. On Christmas Day. 3/6. Putnam. Chandler, P. W. The Land Tax. 3/6 net. Beeves and Tamer. Chapman, E. J. The Snake Witch, and other Poems. Paul. Charleton, R. H. Useful Information for Gold Mining Investor l/- E. Wilson. Clifton, W. Notes on Colour. »/- Bichards. Colby, C. W. Selections from the Sources of English History. 6/- Longman. Cole, W. H. Light Railways at Home and Abroad. 16/- Griffin. Coll, B. A Strange Executor. 6/- Pearson. Crockett, S. R. The Black Douglas. 6/- Smith and E. Cust, Lady E. Records of the Oust Family of Pinchbeck, Stamford, and Belton in Lincolnshire, from 1479 to 1700. 30/- Mitchell .fc H. Danbeny, G. A. Strength and Decay of Nations. 1/- Simpkiu. Daudet, L. (tr. by C. DeKay). Alphonse Daudet. 5/- Low. Davidson, J. M. Annals of Toil. 6/- Reeves. Davy, E M. Calumnies. 6/- Pearson. Day, Lewis F. William Morris and his Art. 2/6 Vl-tue. Denison, T. S. My Invisible Partner. 6/- Gay. D'Espe'rance, E. Northern Lights and other Psychic Stories. 36 net. Bedway. Deverell, F. H. My Tour in Palestine and Syria. 5/- Eyre and S. Deville, E. Photographic Surveying. 10/6. Low. Devine, Arthur. The Sacraments explained according to the Teaching and Doctrine of the Catholic Church. 6/- net. Wash bourne. Dewar, G. A. B. South Country Trout Streams. 5/- Lawrence and B. Dickens, Mary A. On the Edge of the Precipice. 6/- Hutchinson. Dickson, J. Emeralds chased in Gold. 6/- Oliphant. Dobson, Austin. A Paladin of Philanthropy, and other Papers. 6/- Chatto. Doyle, A. Conan. A Duet, with an Occasional Chorus. 6/- Blchards. Drummond, W. H. Phil-o-Bum's Canoe and Madeleine Vercheres. Putnam. "Dryasdust.'* Tales of the Wonder Club. 3/6. Harrison. Dublin Express. Wireless Telegraphy and Journalism. Dublin Express. Dndeney, Mrs. H. E. The Maternity of Harriet Wicken. 6/- Heinemann. Duff, C. M. Chronology of India from Earliest Times to Beginning of 16th Century. 15/- net. Constable. Dunbar, P. L. The Uncalled. A Novel. 5/- Service. Eldridgc, It. F. The Scheming of Agatha Kenwick. 6'- Sonnenschein. Ehnslie, W A. Among the Wild Ngonl. 3/6. Oliphant Emery, G. F. Executors and Administrators. 2/- net. E. Wilson. Englishman, An. Shueypingsin. A story made from the Chinese romance u Haoukewchen," 3/6. Paul. Eacott, T. H. S. A Trip to Paradoxia. 5/- net. Greening. Evans, A J., and Fearenside, C. S. The Certificate History of England, 1700-1789. 3/6. Clive. Fanshawe, R. Two Lives. Poems. 4/6. Bell. Farjeon, B. L. Samuel Boyd of Catchpole Square. 6/- Hutchinson. Fisher, S. G. The True Benjamin Franklin. 10/6. Lippincott. Fiske, A. K. The West Indies. 6/- Putnam. Fletcher, J. S. The Death that Lurks Unseen. 3/6. Ward and L. Fowler, E len T. 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Title A name given to the resource The Author, Vol. 09 Issue 12 (May 1899) Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em>, Vol. 09 Issue 12 (May 1899) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101063829988" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101063829988</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1899-05-01-The-Author-9-12 publications The Author https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/463/1899-06-01-The-Author-10-1.pdf fee9d8638dac99c1d6fe01966cd17245 PDF Text Text �������������������������� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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) 1899-06-01 Volume 10 Issue 1 Pages Page range in volume 3–28 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 18990601 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin The Huthor. (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) PamauUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vou. X.—No. 1.] JUNE 1, 1899. [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. es HE 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 showld be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent 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. Oe GENERAL MEMORANDA. y ERE are a few standing 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 cost 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 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. VOL. X. As well bind yourself for the future to any one solicitor or doctor ! (7.) To stamp the agreement. Ill. The royalty system. It is above all things necessary to know what the proposed royalty means to both sides. 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.” The four main 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 there shall be no charge for advertisements in the publisher’s own organs and none for exchanged advertisements. Pee HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. le VERY member has a right to ask for and to receive advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his 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 Committee will obtain for him Counsel’s opinion. All this without any cost to the member. 2. Remember that questions connected with copyright and publisher’s agreements do not generally fall within the experience of ordinary solicitors. Therefore, do not scruple to use the Society. 3. Send to the office copies of past agreements and past accounts with the loan of the books represented. The Secretary will always be glad to have any agreements, new or old, for inspection and note. The information thus obtained may prove invaluable. 4. Before signing any agreement whatever, send the pro- posed document to the Society for examination. 5. Remember always that in belonging to the Society you are fighting the battles of other writers, even if you are BQ 4 THE AUTHOR. VI. Your committee would also repeat the recommendations made in their former report. These recommendations were adopted by the Committee of Management. They were also adopted by the Booksellers’ Association of Scot- land (see The Author, Aug. 1898, pp. 61 and 63). They were designed in order to give the net system a fair trial without coercion. It was there proposed. :— (1.) That books at 6s. and under shall remain as before. (2.) That, as at present, every net book shall be made the subject of a special contract, and that a bookseller shall be at liberty to take it on net terms or not, without interference with his liberty to do what he pleases with other books, his own property. (3.) That the system of sale or return shall be more extensively adopted. This method, indeed, is absolutely necessary if books are to be really published for the world and not, as now happens with a great many, which are not taken by the booksellers, only printed. Your committee desire to see in every book- seller’s shop in the country a collection of all the new books worth buying offered for sale. (4.) That the “odd” copy shall be abolished as practically useless and even mischievous. (Date) April . . . 1899. EO II.—Lorp Rvusseiy’s Bint anp Mr. Joun Murray’s Lerrer. The purport of Lord Russell’s Bill in the memorandum attached to the same is stated to be as follows :— “ An effort to check, by making them criminal, a large number of inequitable and illegal secret payments, all of which are dishonest and tend to shake confidence between man and man and to discourage honest trade and enterprise.” That such a Bill is very necessary in the present state of commercial morality there can be no doubt, and the object of the Bill is stated in very strong and clear language; but unfortunately a great many of the practices put forward in the Bill have come to be so common and a matter of such every-day occurrence that they are no longer looked upon as either dishonest or as likely to discourage honest trade and enterprise. To those gentlemen who, while dealing in com- merce, have still got shreds of a conscience left, it will be a satisfactory matter to have the methods put forward in this Bill clearly de- scribed as coming within the criminal law. Clause 9g is, perhaps, the most important clause as far as authors are concerned, as it distinctly prevents publishers who are acting as agents for authors, or literary agents who are acting as agents, from receiving—the former secret discounts from printers, bookbinders, &c., and from charging for advertisements which are not paid for, or from receiving secret discounts on large advertising accounts that are paid for ; the latter from receiving secret commissions from publishers, editors, and others for giving them the option of purchase of the works of those well-known and popular authors for whom they may happen to be acting. The very strong sus- picion of the Society has been aroused to the fact that both these faults do exist, in spite of the letter from Mr. John Murray in the Times of May 8, which we have taken the lhberty of quoting in full :—- Sir,—The Lord Chief Justice, in introducing the Illicit Commissions Bill in the House of Lords, on April 20, is reported to have said: ‘“ Again, in the publishing trade and also the printing trade I am sorry to say the evil is growing worst of all.” As this charge came upon my colleagues and myself as a complete surprise, and caused some consternation among us, I ventured to write to the Lord Chief Justice and ask for such further particulars as would enable the council of our association to investigate the case. In reply I have just received a very courteous intimation from his Lordship that his ‘‘ remarks were about the printing, not the publishing trade,” accompanied by the permission to make that intimation public. I shall esteem it a favour if you will allow me to do so by means of your columns.—I am, Sir, your obedient servant, JoHN MuRRAY. Mr. Murray’s disclaimer is very pleasing, but it is rather perplexing to find that Lord Russell’s words came upon him and his colleagues as a matter of “ complete surprise, and caused some consternation.’”’ It is, of course, possible that he and his colleagues never read the weekly review which is published from the same office as the paper in whose columns the letter appears, but if he would refer to the issue of Jvterature of Jan. 21, he will find a letter from a publisher who, in criticising Sir Walter Besant’s “ Pen and the Book,” openly stated that these discounts are made, and that ‘whatever extra terms I obtain are legally and morally mine.’ Again I have taken the liberty of quoting part of that letter :— The only implication that can be intended by furnishing such statements as the above is that the author should, on these accounts, receive the full benefits of all the advantages thus obtained. Now, because I, as a publisher of good standing and capital, can obtain certain allowances on the material I buy or on the labour I employ, should it follow that I should make the author a present of them? By no means. The author is not my partmer. I buy his literature as I buy the paper, and printing, and binding. If he desires that I should publish his book on commission, I furnish him with an estimate, which he can accept or refuse as he pleases, and the details of this estimate are made up irre- spective of what I may make in commission on the sales of the book. In ninety-nine cases out of every hundred I do not believe that I shall make a crown piece in commission on sales. I tell the author that, and try to dissuade him  THE AUTHOR. 5 from throwing his money away. If he will have it this way, why, then, my charges are such as make it worth my while undertaking the business, and giving him the benefit of my advice, experience, and staff. Whatever “extra” terms I obtain are legally and morally mine, since these constitute the only profit [ can hope to make by doing for the author what he cannot do for himself. If I make any commission on the sales I have earned them by selling the book. The publisher in this tries to vindicate his position by stating “ the author is not my partner.” Certainly not. When the publisher is publish- ing a book on commission—that is, when the author is paying entirely for the cost of produc- {ion and the publisher is getting a commission on the sales—the publisher is not the author's partner. He is more than this: he is the author's agent, and as his agent will come under clause 9 of Lord Russell’s Bill, and is not only morally, as he always was, but now legally, bound to give the author any benefit of discounts that he may obtain on the cost of production. If Lord Russell’s Bill becomes law he will be criminally responsible for not doing so. Is it possible that Mr. Murray has never heard of this practice—a practice which the writer of the quoted letter looks upon as not only legal but moral—or that he has never heard of a publisher obtaining dis- counts on other accounts ? Again, it is possible that Mr. Murray and his colleagues have not read the publisher’s letter in the Outlvok of Jan. 14 of this year. (It should be mentioned en passant that both the letter in Literature and the letter in the Outlook are written anonymously. Are the publishers who write them ashamed of the declarations they are making?) If Mr. Murray has not read this letter I beg to refer him to it, as it is of such con- siderable length that it is impossible to quote more than one or two sentences. Here, again, the publisher is talking about a commission book, a book in which he is absolutely acting as agent of the author, in which capacity he will, of course, come under Lord Russell’s Bill. It is impossible for publishers to get out of this position. In publishing commission work, or except where the publisher has purchased for a lump sum the copyright outright, the publisher is acting as the author's agent, and as such will be criminally responsible for secret discounts accepted or given in the first case from the tradesmen he employs, advertising agents, and others ; and in the second case, given to the author's agents, who are also acting in the position of agents. THe states in this letter : “My commission will barely recompense me, but I shall realise on the cost of production.” Further— Why should I give the author, an amateur, a gentleman, the advantage of the rebatement which, in my capacity as an ungenteel professed tradesman and whotesale buyer, I receive on my purchases ? The-e is no objection to him taking discounts or rebatements, or whatever he chooses to call the same; Lut he must, as agent of the author, candidly state that as he does not get sufficient on his commission he looks to be recouped from the discounts obtained on the cost of production, and he must state the amount of discounts he receives. Again— The whole alleged scandal of the cost of production of commission books lies in this: in fallaciously regarding a publisher’s “ estimate’ as a statement of the cost to him of making a certain book. It is, and pretends to be, nothing of the kind. It is an itemised statement of what it will cost the author to engage the publisher’s services. In this sentence he wantonly misstates the case. Never has an author been told, when a publisher’s estimate is forwarded to him, that this is the cost to the author for engaging the publisher’s services. The cost to the author for engaging the publisher’s services is, and always has been, embodied in the commission. The com- plaint made by the Society, and justified by these letters from publishers themselves, is not that the publisher receives discounts, a fact of which Mr. Murray and his colleagues seem to be unaware, but that when acting as an agent for an author they do not declare openly, like honourable men, the discounts that they are going to receive, but keep them secret and put them in their own pockets. In future the secret discount trans- action will be brought under Lord Russell’s Bill, and commission and profit-sharing publishing will not be such a remunerative arrangement to publishers as it has been previously. Mr. Murray, as he is so desirous of bringing the matter before the council of his association, had better ask the editor for the names of their correspondents ; or, better still, at a general meeting of the association, call upon the pub- lishers to declare themselves. These publishers can then be censured before the meeting—a most salutary course. G. H. 7. [Since this paper was written another letter has appeared in Literature, which tries to defend the secret profit system. His defence is to com- pare a publisher with some other kind of trades- man selling a patent article for the owner of the patent, and charging for the cost of production more than he paid. And he seems unable to perceive that the agent, if he tells the owner that the cost of production was so much, while it was less, is simply a liar, and, according to Lord Russell’s Bill, he is now liable to a criminal prosecution. The secrecy constitutes the fraud. Tf discounts and commission are to be allowed they must be entered in the agreement! What- 6 THT: ever sophistries may be invented to defend the practice, the defendant will find them swept away bodily and contemptuously by the Court. It is greatly to be hoped that an example will shortly be made.—Eb. | III.—A Bint anp an Estimare. The book was a crown 8vo., 289 pp. What was charged for the 1000 copies was £100 for pro- duction, £30 for advertisements, and £5 for corrections. The Secretary’s estimate was as follows: I consider that 1000 copies of the book of which you sent me a specimen could have been produced, all bound, and advertised to some £15, for the sum of £65 to £70. Certaiuly, if only 250 copies were bound at a time, you should not have paid more than £65. If anything, printing is cheaper now than ten years ago, and composition dearer. Here are my rough figures: Composition... occ ik £20 to £22 RUN ee csc eens ee toe 740 6 PRPOE oi eee ee ee 14 to 16 PAVETUIBWIE. a ee eas 15and 15 Binding (250). 2... 22.6 a 4h 3to 4 £59 £66 Sa IV.—An Acreement: wirH Nores. |Nortce.—In all cases in which publishers’ agreements are printed and commented on in The Author a copy of the paper will henceforth be sent to the firm concerned, accompanied by a letter drawing their attention to the comments and offer- mg them the opportunity of making any reply in The Author in case they should desire to do so. | (copy.) Memorandum of agreement made this day of ,18 , between (hereinafter called the publishers), on behalf of themselves and their successors of the one part, and (hereinafter called the author), of the other part, whereby it is agreed by and between the parties hereto and as follows : 1. The author shall write and prepare for publication a work to be entitled which, if printed similarly to , would occupy not less than nor more than pages. 2. The author shall deliver to the publishers the whole matter forming the printers’ copy of the work not later than , and shall duly and punctually correct all the proof-sheets thereof as supplied to him by the printers: and, in case of the author’s failure in the above respects, the publishers may annul this agree- ment by giving notice in writing to the author at any time, and thereupon the same shall cease to be binding on the publishers, but any portion of the copy delivered, whether in MS. or in print, . and the copyright therein, shall be the property of AUTTIOR. the publishers, who may arrange as they think fit for the completion and publication of the work. 3. The publishers, at any time before the publication of the work, may submit the same to . the supervision of or any other person hereafter appointed by them in his place, and, if he shall so advise, may decline to publish the same or otherwise to perform this agreement, and thereupon the copy of the work shall be returned to the author. : 4. Subject to the provisions herein contained, the publishers shall, at their own expense, print and publish the work as soon as reasonably may be after the entire copy shall have been delivered, all details whatsoever respecting the printing, embellishing, binding, publication, and sale of the same being at their discretion, and the publishers may from time to time reduce the price of the copies remaining in hand of any edition, or waste the remaining copies without being liable to account to the author for the copies so wasted. 5. If the expense caused by the author’s correc- tions of the press alterations or addition made on the proof-sheets (other than such as may be made at the request of the publishers), shall exceed on an average 10s. per sheet of sixteen pages, such excess shall be born by the author, and may be deducted by the publishers from any. moneys which may become payable to him under this agreement. 6. The author shall not prepare or edit for any publishers other than the publishers any other work which shall be an expansion or abridgment of the work or part of it, unless he shall first have offered to the publishers in writing the option of publishing such other work upon such terms aa shall, mutatis mutandis, correspond with the terms herein contained, and the publishers shall not have accepted such offer within four weeks. 7. Upon the expiration of four calendar months from each thirtieth day of June after the publica- tion of the work, so long as may be necessary, an account shall be taken of the number of copies of the work sold during the year ending with that thirtieth day of June. And so soon as the account shows a net profit on the edition, 60 per cent, of that profit shall on or before the first day of January following be paid by the publishers to the author. 8. For the purpose of ascertaining the actual net profits of an edition, the proceeds of such number of copies as shall have been sold shall be credited to such edition at the price actually obtained therefor, with any moneys received for the benefit of the work for foreign rights of translation or otherwise, less all trade allowances and the publishers’ commission; and against such editions the following items shall be debited,  THE AUTHOR. viz., all expenses of every description incurred in the printing, embellishing, binding, publica- tion, advertising, warehousing, and insurance of such edition, or incurred otherwise in con- nection therewith, and also interest at the rate of 4 per cent. per annum upon any balance of such expenditure not yet recouped by the sales. g. The publishers shall be entitled at their discretion to present copies of every edition of the work to editors of periodicals, teachers, and other persons through whom in their judgment publicity will be gained, and to reserve nineteen copies for themselves, and copies so presented and reserved shall not be taken into account as copies sold. 10. At any time after the delivery of the copy of the work, or of any part thereof, the author will, at the request and cost of the publishers, assign the entire copyright of the work, and all benefits and advantages thereof, to the publishers, or toa trustee for them, or to their successors and assigns, or otherwise, and in such form as the publishers may reasonably require, but such assignment shall not prejudice the rights of the author to share in the profits of the work as herein provided. 11. The author shall indemnify the publishers from and against all proceedings and expenses whatsoever, in consequence of the publication in the work of any pirated, libellous, seditious, or other unlawful matter furnished by himself. 12. If the publishers shall think fit to publish a new edition either in full or by way of enlarge- ment, abridgment, or otherwise, the author, if living and not disqualified by mental or bodily infirmity, shall, whilst entitled to the benefit of this agreement, have the option of preparing such new edition. But if he shall be then dead or disqualified as aforesaid, or shall not in writing undertake to prepare such edition within four weeks after being requested so to do by the pub- lishers or their agent; or if having undertaken it he shall not carefully and completely revise, correct, and prepare such new edition as far as in him lies within six months from the same date (or within some other time as may be agreed upon between himself and the publishers), the publishers shall thenceforth be at full liberty either themselves to buy up the interest of the author therein (the value of such interest in case of difference to be ascertained by arbitration as hereinafter provided) or to dispose of the copy- right for the joint benefit of themselves and the author, or to publish new editions, either abridged or otherwise, from time to time, and for that purpose to employ such editors or editor, and at such remunerations as they may think proper, VOL. X. 7 which shall be charged to the work as part of the expenses of its publication. 13. Upon any edition being out of print, the author, whilst he continues entitled to the benefit of this agreement, may call upon the publishers to prepare a new edition ; and if the publishers shall not, within four weeks after they shall have re- ceived a written request to that effect, agree thereto, the author may require the publishers to assign to him the whole remainder of the copyright in the work, and they shall thereupon, at his reqv est and expense, assign the same to him absolutely. 14. Any notice or request under this agreement shall be sufficiently given or made by posting the same in a registered letter addressed in one case to the publishers, or in the other to the author, at the above-named, or at such other, address within the United Kingdom as may from time to time be notified by the author to and received by the publishers. Every such notice or request shall be deemed to have been given or made on the day on which the same would in the ordinary course of post be received by the person to whom it shall be addressed. 15. In the construction of this agreement, and so far as may be consistent with the context, the term “the publishers ’’ shall be held to mean the publishers or their assigns; “the author” shall (save as regards literary or editorial work) be held to include his executors, administrators, and assigns ; “the work” shall be held to mean the book with regard to which this or present agree- ment is entered into, and any future edition thereof ; “copyright” shall be held to include all rights in regard to the printing or sale of the work, or of any translation or abridgment thereof in the United Kingdom, or in any British colony or dependency, or in any foreign country. 16. The present publishers and their suc- cessors for the time being shall be bound by and entitled to claim the benefit of this agreement as if they had signed the same. 17. None of the provisions herein contained shall be in any wise affected by the circumstance of the publishers, or any of them, whether in their official or private capacities, being inte- rested in the profits of the printing, binding, or publishing firm by whom any edition or editions of the work may be printed and bound or pub- lished, or of the papermakers by whom the paper for the work may be supplied, or of any other business or employment, the products or results of which may be used for the work or any purpose connected therewith. 18. If any dispute, question, or difference shall arise between the publishers and the author. touching these presents or any clause or thing herein contained, or the construction hereof or c 8 THE AUTHOR. any matter in any way connected with these presents or the operations hereof, or the rights, duties, or liabilities of either party in connection with the premises, then and in every or any such case the matter in difference shall be referred to two arbitrators or their umpire, pursuant to and in all respects conformably to the provisions in that behalf contained in the Common Law Procedure Act, 1854, or any then subsisting statutory modification or re-enactment thereof. And the cost of the reference and award shall be in the discretion of the arbitrators or umpire, who may direct to and by whom and in what manner the same or any part thereof shall be paid, and with power to tax or settle the amount of costs to be so paid or any part thereof, and to award costs to be paid as between soli- citor and client; and that submission to refer- ence, and any award made in pursuance thereof, may, at the instance of either of the parties to the reference and without any notice to the other of them, be made a rule of order of any division of the High Court of Justice. The agreement printed above refers to the publication of an educational book. It is im- possible to repeat in detail the general warnings which apply to the publication of educational works, which have been already printed in The Author at different times, but im the comments on the agreement the point of view of the educa- tional writer will be borne in mind. With regard to the parties to the agreement the old remark must be again repeated, that it is a mistake in an agreement for an author to bind himself to the successors of a publisher, as the contract for publication should always be a personal contract, and the author, therefore, should not be bound for an indefinite period to his agent. As this contract purports to convey the copyright to the publishers, it was no doubt on this account the words were inserted, but the author should never assign his copyright. With regard to clause 1 little need be said, except, perhaps, that it is a little dictatorial, and leads one to draw the conclusion that the pub- lishers intend to be master of the situation. Clause 2 is an exceedingly bad clause from the author’s point of view. It is fair that the author should bind himself to correct the proof sheets punctually as supplied by the printers, but it is not fair to the author that the publishers should be able to annul the agreement arbitrarily by a mere notice in writing, and it is worse still from the author’s point of view that the publishers should have the right to make any arrangement for the completion of the book, holding the copy- right of whatever portion of the book in MS. or in print the author happens to have delivered. Such a clause should not stand in any agreement that has any right to be called equitable between the parties. For the publishers to have the right to obtain arbitrarily other hands to finish the book is indeed putting the author in a serious bondage. Clause 3 is again a very serious one for the author. Having gone to the great labour of writing an important educational work he may have it submitted to anyone the publishers may think fit to appoint. In dishonest hands it would give the publishers very great power of deter- mining the agreement if, after they had entered into it, for some reason or other they did not care to carry it out. This clause should, therefore, not stand. It would be so easy to make an arrangement for the MS. to be reviewed, if, indeed, such arrangement were necessary, by some person whose nomination would be agreeable to both parties. The beginning of clause 4 is reasonable, but the remainder of the clause is again entirely opposed to the author’s interest. Ina case of division of profits it is very important that the author should know beforehand how the book is going to be brought out, in what shape and form, and at what price. To allow the publishers arbitrarily to reduce that price in the imdefinite words of this clause, or to waste the remainder copies, may not only be detrimenta! to the author’s reputation, but to his pocket. Does this valuation of price mean reduction of the published price or the wholesale price? In a profit-sharing agreement the author ought to contract that the book is not sold wholesale below a certain price and not remaindered within at least two years from publication, and then the option of purchase should be given to him. That the publishers should be protected from the excessive corrections of an author is quite fair, but that clause 5 should take its present form is not at all satisfactory. Certainly the words “other than printers’ errors” should be inserted. In clause 6 if the author is forbidden “ from expanding or abridging the work,” and thereby to some extent from damaging the sale of the book, it is only fair that the publishers should under- take not to publish a book of a’similar character. For full details of the explanation of this clause the reader must be referred to the former articles in The Author on the publication of educational works, and the control of the educational market. Clause 7, the account clause, isa bad one. If. the book was published in the autumn the pub- lishers would retain the profits of the book for a year and three months at least. It has often  THE AUTHOR. 9 been pointed out before in these columns, and must again be repeated, that this retention of the author’s money for so long a period is very useful in covering the expenses of the publishers’ office. Clause 8 is again an extraordinary clause. It is impossible to know what the words, “ pub- lishers’ commission,” refers to in a half-profit agree- ment. The author has no control whatever over the advertising of the book, and no control what- ever over the binding, printing, embellishing, &c. As is often the case where a publisher is his own printer, the author cannot, on investigation of the accounts, even have the satisfaction of seeing the printers’ vouchers, and thus have some check that the items charged are correct. It is therefore of the more importance that an author should know what is going to be charged for the cost of pro- duction before he enters into an agreement of this kind, so as to be able to calculate whether there may be some prospect of a financial success. Why should the publisher net 4 per cent. on the expenditure? Under this arrangement if the publisher were his own printer the higher he could raise the cost of production the more satis- factory it would be for himself. In clause g, again, the publishers have an abso- lutely free hand as to whom they shall circularise with copies of the book. It is not a good thing for an author to hamper a publisher’s action, but, on the other hand, he should be able to check wasteful circularisation. It is hardly necessary to discuss clause 10 from an author’s point of view, except to repeat that an author should never assign the copyright, and that in an educational or technical work this point is of the greatest importance, much more so than in the publication of a work of fiction. Again the reader must refer to the articles on the publica- tion of educational books. For an educational and technical work, a contract giving the pub- lishers a licence to publish a limited edition with the option of renewal, is the only satisfactory form of contract. It should be pointed out also that if the author does transfer the copyright, he ought to bind the publisher to keep the book on the market, to have his name attached, and not to publish in any altered form without his consent. In clause 12 it will be seen that the publishers practically are taking the whole control of the author’s work, and that he is allowed practically no voice in the matter. The publishers, of course, should not have the right to publish the book in an abridged or enlarged form under any circum- stances without the sanction of the author. It is the author of a technical work of this kind who should decide, after periodical editions, if it is necessary to enlarge, or abridge, or alter, to VOL. X. bring the book up to date. On no account should the author allow a publisher to have the power of making alterations in his book by other hands. Clause 13 may stand. To clause 14 there seems to be no particulary objection. Clause 15 has the same objection to it that applies to the parties to the agreement, and the same excuse for its being inserted is also valid. Clause 17 is a difficult clause from the author’s point of view, and reminds one of Lord Russell’s Bill which is just now before Parliament. Is the clause inserted to cover the members of the firm, in case of being interested in the printers’ or binders’ business, &c., they should take profits to the detriment of the author which are not included in the account ? Anauthor should look very carefully into a case of this kind before signing the agreement which contains it. With regard to clause 18 it is only necessary to state that arbitration is a3 a rule a very expen- sive method of settling disputes. That from the publishers’ point it is satisfactory as this legal method very seldom comes into the papers. From an author’s point of view it is unsatisfactory, as the publisher thereby shirks publicity. With all the drawbacks of legal action, it is on the whole perhaps the best way of settling disputes, and is generally considerably the cheapest. An author of a learned technical or scientific work should seriously consider before signing this form of agreement, as it is possible that the work of his brain may be tampered with by other hands, and the right of being an arbiter of his own property pass from his control. V.—tTue Sixpenny Book. Let us return to the sixpenny book. It seems to be assumed that a new and a very advantageous departure has been discovered. That is to say, it is assumed that where one person would give 4s. 6d. for a book, a number sufficient to make as good a return, or even a better return, to author, publisher, and bookseller, would be found to buy the same book at sixpence. What should be that number? With a book pretending any popularity, the cost of production and advertising would not be more, in general, thana shilling : in large editions after the first, much less than a shilling. The author has, say, a 20 per cent. royalty, or 14s. per volume. On the sixpenny book the general royalty appears to be 2d., or 3d., or #d., in most cases the first. How many copies at sixpence will make up the royalty paid on 6s.? The answer to this difficult sum is twenty-four. In other words, if 5000 copies would he circulated at6s., it would ce 2 10 THE, AUTHOR. require 120,000 copies to put the author in as good a position as he was before. It remains to be seen whether the new move will multiply buyers by twenty-four. Another point. The buyers are the booksellers. It remains to be seen whether they will be able to get through the piles which now. cumber their counters. Another point still. It remains to be seen whether they will be able to get rid of any higher priced books at all when people have once begun to think that sixpence is the proper price. Now, the bookseller pays for his sixpenny book very nearly 33d. a copy. How many copies must he get rid of before he can get £100 for himself ¥ Putting his expenses at only £100 a year, how long before he can lay aside £200 for himself and his expenses? In many places he has to sell his sixpenny book at 43d. Now, if he sells it at 43d., he must get rid of 64,000 copies a year, or 213 copies a day! Is this sale likely to be realised by a country book- seller ? If, then, the system succeeds to a certain extent for the publisher and the author, should it end in landing the bookseller either with a mass of unsaleable ‘books or in depriving him of the people who were accustomed to pay a higher -price, the result will be disastrous to literature. It is an axiom that must never be forgotten, especially by ourselves, that what affects the bookseller injuriously affects literature inju- riously. It is to the best interests of author and bookseller that books should have every chance of being offered to the public: a selfish policy, in the supposed interests of the middleman, of squeezing the lean author with one hand aud the leaner bookseller with the other must be combated. Authors are only beginning to look into the man- -agement of their own affairs for themselves. It is high time that booksellers, who have nothing -whatever to fear and everything to gain by so doing, should also unite, sink their differences, and declare for a voice in the administration of the literary property of which they are the sole buyers and exhibitors. Let us therefore agree in regarding this move- ment as an experiment only. Itis one made on a large scale: there are 120 sixpenny books in Simpkin and Marshall’s list, viz., seventy copy- right and the remainder non-copyright. The result of the experiment will in a few weeks answer the question: of the prudence or the mistake of the experiment. One can only hope ‘that, if it should prove to be the latter, it will not ‘be another nail in the coffin of the long-suffering bookseller. —oOoOToOS- VI.—TELLING THE SToRY. The following letter explains itself. It was addressed to the Glasgow Herald, where it appeared on May 20 :— Elmlea, South Stoke, Reading, May 18, 1899. Sir,—I greatly regretted to gather from your “ Literary Notes and Gossip” of a recent issue that the writer apparently took umbrage at some remarks of mine in The Author relative to those reviews or notices of novels in which the whole of the plot is disclosed. The writer com- menced with a paragraph which appeared to be a thinly- veiled attack on the Society of Authors. It has been more than once observed that attacks of this kind are very com- mon among the contributors of literary notes to provincial papers. Why any journalist should attack the Society of Authors is beyond my poor comprehension, for the dividing line between writers of books and writers in newspapers is so fine as to be imperceptible. Authors never attack the Institute of Journalists. Indeed, it has been more than once suggested that the two societies should join forces. Journalists write books; authors write for newspapers. The interests of authors and journalists are almost identical. I have been a member of the Society of Authors almost since its foundation, and can assure you and your readers that it has done excellent work for those who gain their living by writing. The Society deserves the most loyal support of all literary men. To come now to the story-telling reviewer. Tho writer of your literary notes described me as not being a “ power- ful advocate,” and even ‘‘ weak” enough to believe that the kind of review of which complaint was made was often written in kindness to the author. My reply to this is that I had no reason nor wish to make a slashing attack on anybody, and that in my opinion a temperately worded statement of facts is as a rule far more powerful and effective than a vigorous onslaught. I tried to state fairly both sides of the question, and to avoid so far as possible saying anything which would be in the slightest degree offensive to editors, reviewers, or others interested. I entirely agree with the writer of “ Literary Notes” that it is “no part of a reviewer’s business to assist, either overtly or tacitly, in the circulation of a work which, in his trained judgment, is not meritorious.” I also agree with him that a reviewer who offers an estimate of a work should also indicate some of the reasons upon which his opinion is founded. But these opinions do not touch the chief point in my article, which was, and still is, that in a number of reviews practically the whole of the story con- tained in the book is told, often without any attempt at criticism. Having no reason to suppose that any critic would knowingly injure the sale of a book (unless it was a bad one), I wrote the article in question at the request of the Committee of the Society of Authors. I hoped that the matter would have been considered and discussed in academic fashion, and without acrimony. The writer of “Literary Notes” appears to think that the matter is not worth talking about; that the “cause of complaint is reduced to practical insignificance.” His remark has led me to examine my review book. Out of the fourteen reviews of my last novel, which have appeared up to the time of writing, seven tell practically the entire story. It is, of course, impossible for me to say to what extent novel readers would be prevented from reading a book by knowing in advance how it ends. “But I have questioned many novel readers on the subject, and they one and all say that they do not like to know how.a book-is going to end, and rarely read a novel if they have previously read the whole of the plot in a review.—I am, &c., Joux Bicerptes  THE AUTHOR. PARIS NOTES. Ae event of the moment is the opening of the new Salon. M. Falguitre’s much talked of statue of Balzac, which promised beforehand to prove one of the central attractions of this genuinely jin-de-siécle exhibition, has fallen short of popular expectation. The refusal of the Société des Gens de Lettres to accept M. Rodin’s design for the aforesaid statue had greatly whetted public curiosity ; if the clever sculptor of the characteristic busts of Mirabeau, -Puvis de Chavannes, Castagnary, César Franck, Rochefort, and many other well-merited successes failed to satisfy the critical admirers of Balzac, surely something reaching an extraordinarily high artistic level was required. Such, at least, was the general conviction; and when M. Falguiére accepted the honour denied his friend, public interest was stimulated to its highest pitch. Under these circumstances, the only alternative was a brilliant success or a signal failure. M. Fal- guiére bravely undertook the ordeal, and failed —since he did not produce a masterpiece. M. Rodin’s idea of a typical Balzac was an exaggerated and intensified representation of the prominent characteristics of the outer man; and his work was refused. M. Falguiére, therefore, conscientiously set to work with the idea of avoiding all exaggeration, and fell into the opposite extreme ; the Balzac who sits with crossed legs, the lines of his Herculean frame dissimulated beneath the famous robe de bure it pleased him to assume, the effect of whose deep- set eyes, leonine scalp, and characteristic pro- truding under-lip, have also been deftly lessened and rendered null by being smoothed down to the trite inanition of the ordinary human coun- tenance, is no worthy monument of the great author of the “ Comédie Humaine,” whose fiery, passionate individuality Paul Bourget has etched with such delicate psychological tact. ‘“ C’est un Balzac, mais ce n’est pas Balzac,’ wrote Léon -Plée, on the morrow of the opening of the Salon; and public opinion has indorsed and verified his ‘judgment. The petition, recently filed, demand- ig the intervention of the nation “to open the gates of the Panthéon to the ashes of Honoré de Balzac” on the occasion of the celebration of his hundredth anniversary, sufficiently proves the strong posthumous influ- -ence that the great French writer still exercises over the minds of the present generation. Toe recent death of the dramatic author ‘Edouard Pailleron, member of the French Academy, occasioned a profound sensation here. For upwards of thirty years his house has formed one of the fashionable rendezrous of the Tl literary celebrities of Paris, and an invitation: to his famous Monday receptions formed quite an event in the career of many a rising author. In 1863. Pailleron married the daughter of the cele- brated Charles Buloz (founder and director of the Revue des Deux Mondes, one of the leading French periodicals of the present day) ; and the various dwelling-places inhabited by the pair were rendered famous by the multitude of artistic and literary treasures with which they were surrounded. Yet, despite his brilliant literary and social renown, Edouard Pailleron’s career was nota happy one. He suffered acutely from a too susceptible amour propre. The sparkling success of ‘‘ Le Monde ott on s’ennuie,” which marked the apogee of his literary career, could not blind him to the fact that his methode and fame were essentially ephemeral and contemporary. The fear of falling short of the public expectation his masterpiece had aroused rendered him sterile; and for ten years he remained idle, enviously watching the triumphs achieved by the rising generation of dramatic authors. When he finally decided to produce the “ Cabotins,’ the younger /iterati unfortunately remembered too vividly the biting satires with which Pailleron had frequently annihilated their pretensions to be over-merciful. They fell upon the “ Cabotins”’ tooth and nail; and, though the public applauded and the play occupied the play- bills for five hundred nights, the hostility of the- Press increased fourfold the misanthropical bitterness of the unfortunate author. His later efforts were still less successful, and augmentedi his natural melancholy. ‘I await death with- out fear, but without impatience,” he once re- marked to a friend. A presentiment of his approaching end haunted him. On visiting the spacious vestibule of the magnificent hotel in which he died eighteen months later, he said, with a sad smile: “Quelle belle chapelle- ardente on ferait ici, pour un auteur drama- tique!” His funeral was quite a fashionable- function. Apropos of politics, the following criticism one Zola’s works is reported to have been found among the two hundred and forty pages of mis- cellaneous jottings written by Captain Dreyfus during his detention. It shows us the hero and victim of the affaire in a new light, viz., that of a thoughtful literary critic. We append a trans- lation of the paragraph, as we believe it will yrove interesting to the majorit of our } 8 J readers :— “The ecole naturaliste was founded under the influence of the literary doctrines of Taine. Zola is its most brilliant representative, and he asserts having been inspired not only by Taine 12 LAE but.also by the works of the physiologists of the Claude Bernard school! _ The theory of the experimental novel is the most colossal error possible to be conceived. M. Zola has never perceived the difference existing between experiments actually conducted in a laboratory and the pretended experiments of a novel, where everything passes in the author’s brain. On this ground we are forced to condemn the scientific pretensions of M. Zola. “The psychology of his novels is very limited. In his desire to furnish scientific data, Zola has completely overlooked the influence of the soul— the psychological side of the question. All that can in general be said of his bonshommes is that they are either brutes or fools. But one thing that no one can deny to Zola is imagination. His movels are sometimes heavy and coarse poems, ‘but they are, nevertheless, poems; his descrip- tions are graphic, living. In short, Zola is incap- able of making his creations live, since he is totally lacking in a sense of the psychological ; but he has imagination, the gift of stirring the masses, of giving visions sometimes dispropor- tionate to the nature of the thing seen, and of representing grand ideas.” The publication of M. Zola’s new work, entitled ‘ Mécondit¢, in the Awrore, lends an additional interest to the above criticism. And still further apropos of literature and polities may be mentioned the legal disbanding of the celebrated Ligue de la Patrie Francaise, that patriotic nursling of the literati of France, on the ground of its being an association unautho- rised by law. The members went merrily to their doom—a fine of sixteen francs apiece, with the application of the law Berenger; and one of the dailies termed the hearing of the case an “‘agreeable”’ séance, an adjective well applied as regarded M. Jules Lemaitre’s elegant and witty speech in defence of the League, which was re- ceived with the applause it merited. M. Francois Coppée, honorary president of the condemned association, was likewise in evidence, gaily occu- pying the seat of the clerk of the court; though wu relapse of his chronic malady prevented his presiding a little later at the annual banquet of the Révue idéaliste. This contretemps inspired his representative, M. Stéphen Li¢geard, author of the “Grands Ceeurs,” with a happy improvisa- tion in honour of the absentee which was warmly applauded. The preface of M. Maurice Loir’s late publi- cation, entitled “Au Drapeau,” is written by M. George Duruy, whose course of lectures on History and Literature at the Ecole Polytechnic has been abruptly suspended on the plea of his having irritated his pupils’ susceptibilities by AUTHOR. his anti-patriotie tendencies. In speaking of the French flag in the preface above mentioned, M. Duruy declares it to a bright symbol of the noblest pages in the history of France, recalling the grandeur of the réle she has played in the world, her triumphs and reverses, her glories and disasters—alike impossible to be forgotten—and the services she has generously rendered in the cause of the emancipation of nations. Still speaking of the French flag, he continues: “ It speaks to us of honour, courage, abnegation, and disdain of death—in short, of all the masculine virtues which have imbued the souls of the in- numerable Frenchmen fallen in its defence. And this is why, when the regiment passes, we should piously uncover our heads before the flag, ‘comme devant le Saint Sacrement de la Patrie!’” All we have ourselves seen and heard of M. Duruy is in keeping with the elevated tone of patriotism here displayed; yet this eminent Frenchman is now debarred from exercising his usual functions because he is not sufficiently patriotic —or rather, sufficiently prejudiced—to suit the exigencies of party politics. During the past month the chroniclers of the Société des Gens de Lettres at the various literary functions, have had no reason to complain of lack of copy. The occasion of the two-hundredth anniversary of Racine was brilliantly commemo- rated at his birthplace, La Ferté Milon, where a pious pilgrimage was made to Port Royal by the Raciniens, while the Parisian dramatic, literary, and ecclesiastical world each celebrated the anni- versary of the great tragic poet after its own fashion. The celebration of the forty-ninth anniversary of Balzac at Tours was a much quieter and le:s fashionable function; the weather was still more unpropitious than it had been on the occasion of the Racine celebration, and the “‘Couronnement de Balzac” (by M. Henri Chollet) was read in the rain to a dripping audience by M. Desmonts. The inauguration féte of the Pierre Dupont monument at Lyons was more favoured, botb as regards weather and audience, and M. Roujon’s comparison of the work of the Lyonnais poet to “an early dewdrop sparkling among the foliage of an ancient Druidical oak in the sun of France,” was much applauded. The unveiling of the Louis Veuillot monument in the basilica of the Sacré Cceur has also taken place during the past month. The celebrated polemist had composed his own epitaph in verse some time before his death, which occurred in 1883; and it is in accordance with the desire therein expressed that the motto—‘* J’ai cru, je vois ’’—is engraven on the marble haut-relief now raised to his memory. DarracorTe DENE.  THE AUTHOR. 13 NOTES AND NEWS. " ET me very seriously invite all members of L the Society to the paper (see p. 4) entitled “Tord Russell and Mr. John Murray.” It is there shown that after the passing of Lord Russell’s Bill every publisher who furnishes a false account; who takes secret commissions or discounts: will be liable to a criminal prose- ~ cution. In other words, we shall then be legally entitled not only to put him in a crimimal court if he is detected, but to call him what some of us have been rebuked for calling him, a thief. He will be at last a thief in the eyes of the law, all sophistries swept out of the way. Mr. Thring speaks of “ very strong suspicion.” Teall it “certainty” for the following reasons :— (1) We have publishers’ accounts showing prices of printing, paper, &c., far higher than any estimates in the Society’s hands. (2) It is certain that publishers do not pay more than they are obliged to pay to printers, paper makers, binders, &e. (3) We have the avowals made by publishers themselves as quoted by Mr. Thring. (4) We have the draft agreements put forward by the Publishers’ Association in which they claim as aright to put in their own pockets whatever they please or may like for discount. The amount of the percentage is purposely left open. (5) We observe the careful omission in these agreements of any protest against secrecy. Con- sidering the protests of the Society against secret profits, what can be inferred from this omission except the determination to continue a secret practice actually carried on ? Are we to believe that these claims are suddenly put forward as a new thing ? (6) We also observe the omission of any protest against charging for advertisements in their own organs or by exchange, a practice which enables the publisher to put into his own pocket what- ever he pleases. One would only add to these considerations the fact that though the charge of making secret profits has been brought forward over and over again, the committee of the Publishers’ Associa- tion have never by a single word shown their disapproval of the practice. That they received Lord Russell’s words with “ consternation,’ one can understand ; that painful “ surprise” was also an emotion called up by these words one can understand as well. I have been asked about the “Method of the Future.’ I am happy to say that, so far, it promises well. I have only heard of one exception to the complete satisfaction of those who are trying it. It will take time for writers to realise how small, if any, is the risk run by anyone who has acquired any kind of a name; and for those who can achieve a popular success, the immense difference which this method makes to the author. But there can be no doubt that a commission publisher, who is nothing else, and has no books of his own to run in opposition to the author's own book, offers the only way out of the many difficulties which afflict the “author, publisher, and bookseller ’’ question—a question in which the publisher’s object is apparently, so far as we can judge by his proposals to the bookseller, and his “equitable agreement ” with the author, resolved, if he can, to keep the bookseller in the gutter, and to push the author in with him. —— I think that the present situation, which means the practical cessation of any demand for other than six-shilling books, ought to be seriously taken into consideration by those who are bringing out books for the autumn season. It should lead them, at least, not to be too sanguine. There will certainly be some measure of decline in the demand—even for popular writers : how great the malign influence of the sixpenny book will prove, it is impossible to say : booksellers themselves are unable to make any forecast except as regards their own subscription. This there is every reason to expect will be small. The circulating libraries will continue, one supposes, and will take their usual number: but if 6d. a week will pur- chase fifty-two of the best books every year, who will go on paying two or three guineas for a sub- scription? Let us, therefore, be prepared for the worst. Perhaps the general forebodings will prove to be of exaggerated gloom. —— It has been often observed that a dropping fire of abuse directed against the Society of Authors is kept up in the columns of certain country papers by the contributors of “ Literary Gossip.” Cuttings are sent to the office of the Society con- taining these misrepresentations. Is it not almost time that the Committee should take up the matter, and take action of some kind? When an editor allows the appearance of libellous expressions deny- ing the truth of statements made by the Committee in their reports and papers, it really becomes necessary to consider what action should be taken. Meanwhile a little examination may be profitably conducted into the source and origin of these mis- “John Bickerdyke” in representations, As iy THE AUTHOR. another column points out, the Society of Authors does not attack the Institute of Journalists; “indeed, many are members of both. Nor does the Institute in its organ attack this Society. Who are, then, the journalists who go out of their way, week by week, to calumniate the work of this Society, or to misrepresent its methods and to deny its importance? And why do editors admit these attacks ? Surely they might first ask themselves what is the reason why the Society is continually attracting writers more and more, enlisting new members, and keeping its old members. It is not for nothing that fifteen ‘ hundred men and women first combine, and then maintain a combination. There must be some reason. It is not honour and glory, for it is not a distinction to belong to a society whose numbers are unlimited, and whose qualification is simply the authorship of one book at least, gcod or bad. Any man of the world must understand that such a combination means the attempted advance of material interests, and that the maintained com- bination means a successful attempt. Perhaps a simple remonstrance addressed to the editors of the papers concerned would open their eyes to the unworthy use that is made of their columns. So ‘Lhe Professor or Instructor in the Art of making Literature turns up from time in unexpected places. He is now heard of as practising ina certain industrial centre. I do not name him nor do I give his address; in confidence that his ways . and works will before long be proclaimed aloud by the trumpet of Fame. Meantime it is, of course, disgraceful ignorance not to know any- ' thing about the immortal works by which he has - achieved the right of instructing aspirants. He reads and reviews short stories and “ novelettes :” he advises alterations and amendments for 2s. a thousand words. He gives lessons by corres- pondence in “ belles lettres, poetry, essay writing and general literature ”—this accomplished man ! —the “entire course” of the weekly lessons for one guinea. These lessons “‘ comprise a thorough grounding in the rudiments of authorship ; such as style, plot, description, characters, incidents, &c., with revision of exercises and general advice.” He also offers single lessons on special points, e.g., “How to write a Short Story: a Novelette: a Romance: an Essay: a Play: “ Humorous Writing and how to go about it,” and other important branches. The learned professor modestly withholds information as to his own qualifications and previous history. Now, opinions are divided as to the possible advantages of instruction and assistance in writing, but one thing is quite certain—-that he who would teach Verse ;”- must first show that he is himself a competent: master, It is now some years since attention was called to a magazine conducted entirely in the interests of aspirants to literary fame, called in the pro- spectus authors. The magazine is called Lloyd’s Magazine. It appears quarterly: its price is ninepence: and it may be obtained—one knows not where. But it does exist, because the pro- spectus quotes opinions from more than thirty papers, all of which speak in laudatory terms of the magazine. However, the point with which we are concerned is that of the relations between the editor and the author. ‘The editor, then, is also an adviser; he offers a ‘professional opinion” for nothing. A _ “ professional ” opinion is that of a professional man. He is therefore either an author — in which: case it would be well to know what books he has written, and on what subjects: or he is a critic—in which case one would like to be referred to his critical works, and to know semething of his literary record. He is also ready to read and give practical advice in the placing of MSS. for a sniall fee—z.e., he is-an agent. He undertakes the printing and is also a publisher. As such he should tell us what-works he has published. As adviser, as agent, publisher, critic, friend, this incomparable person should be invited to reveal himself. His name is Mr. Leonard Lloyd. He has an office at 60, Queen Victoria-street: and he modestly declines interviews, “except by special arrangement.” If, however, an aspirant sends a MS. which arrives at the honour of being accepted, he must not expect the customary honorarium which other editors offer with lavish hand, or the con- trary. Not at all: he must sign an agreement by which he promises to buy so many “dozen copies of the magazine.” The number of copies is not named. As the price of the magazine is gd., a dozen copies will cost 9s., and twenty dozen copies will cost £9. How much is the aspirant prepared to pay for the honour and glory of appearing in Lloyd’s Magazine? It is a perfectly simple transaction. The gratification of vanity by this appearance—this spectral and illusory semblance—of literary success: the skeleton in the closet in the shape of so many dozen copies of the magazine hidden away: the dread that this short cut to glory, this easy climb of the rocky Parnassus, may be discovered by envious friends—what are these considerations worth ? Let the aspirant work out this sum carefully before he sends his MS. and signs this agreement. Meantime, let him send his work  THE round to those editors who -reverse the traus- ‘action and actually pay for an accepted MS. It must be added that Mr. Leonard Lloyd offers a choice. The aspirant may, if he prefers, contribute to the London and New York Swumer Annual on the same terms, viz., of buying dozen copies of this production. WaLterR BESAN?. ees LITERATURE AS A PROFESSION. N another column will be found a somewhat | bitter attack upon myself as a person guilty of persuading people that literature isa profession which anyone may undertake with the hope, or reasonable expectation, of gaininz by its means a large and substantial income. I cannot find that I have in any place written or said anything that can justify this charge. Yet it seems to be extensively believed. I was told the other day by a publisher who had not seen the letter of “ X.,” that by my optimistic words about the literary profession I was drawing hundreds who had no natural aptitude into dis- appointment and failure. There are also, we may remark, many hundreds who attempt other professions with a similar result. Let me, there- fore, restate my case. (1) It was until recently believed by most that Literature is a starving and a beggarly profession. (2) This belief was fostered carefully by persons interested in concealing the facts con- nected with the commercial side of Literature. (3) It isencouraged by the yearly presentation of Literature as the one profession which has humbly to beg for alms. (4) When, some years ago, I said in public that there were then fifty persons at least engaged in literary work whose income went into the four figures, there was hardly a paper in the country that did not question the statement with contempt. Yet it was true. These things represent, and explain, the common belief. What are the facts? (1) There are now many hundreds of suc- cessful writers in all branches. Thes2 are dramatists, novelists, writers on art and music, essayists and leader writers, scientific writers, specialists, religious writers, writers of educi- tional books, writers of children’s books, and others. Out of these I could name at this moment many more than fifty whose works bring incomes which run into four figures. (2) Besides these there is a whole army of AUTHOR, = VS men and women who live by the pen, including those engaged upon the better kinds of journal- ism. (3) Out of this army the Royal Literary Fund -only relieved and assisted twenty-two persons last year in want of temporary assistance ! Only twenty-two! The Fund cannot now spend half its income. It will therefore, we hope, discontinue the yearly dinner and the yearly appeal. (4) Every year sees the appearance of one or more new. successes in the drama or in fiction. Every year one witnesses the continued success of old favourites. (5) Every year two or three new publishers enter the trade. And, what is more to the point, they all seem to get on. The bankruptcy of a publisher isa rare thing. It has happened, so tar as I can remember, only four or five times m the last twenty years. (6) In every club where men of letters are found at all there appear every year more who attempt the profession. And with one exception here and there they all seem to get on. Not to make fortunes, but to get on, as in other walks in life. (7) The great prizes of the profession—fame, honour, and income —are becoming every day greater and more numerous. (8) From these and other considerations, I maintain that literature, as a profession, is no more precarious than any other. I do not say that large incomes are within the reach of all, but that they are there for those who can arrive at them. If we state the success of cer- tain lawyers, do we therefore “encourage”? too many? The fact, no doubt, does encourage too many in every profession ; yet the facts must be stated. Now, there is this great difference between a profession and a trade—that the latter need not cease with the death of the practitioner. The pro- fessional man stands alone. His success does not depend upon goodwill, connection, old-standing, or family reputation: it is his own. Therefore, in order to succeed in a profession, a man must possess, first, the natural aptitude or genius for bis work: and, next, such qualities as are required to win popularity. A man, in order to become a successful lawyer, must have the kind of intellect that is above all things essential for success in the law. Thus, if he desires to become a successful pleader, he must not be a shy or nervous man: he must be of ready wit, of good manner, an able speaker, a lucid expounder. Apply the same conditions to literature. The aspirant must have the first essential qualification, what is called the eift of the pen. Next, if he is to become popular, he 16 THE AUTHOR. must possess in addition certain other gifts which “{ need not specify. Now, as it is quite possible to be a good lawyer yet to have no clients, or a good physician yet to ‘have no patients: so it is quite possible to pro- duce fine literary work which will appeal to few readers. The early history of Browning furnishes an illustration if any were wanted. A man may not command, even by very good writing, a wide “audience: by good writing, however, he will ‘certainly acquire a limited audience: the writer who fails to get a hearing at all must be a bad writer. It is a'so true that there are writers who ‘ command a wide audience, yet fail in many of the “most important points which go to make fine ‘ literature. To say all this, which I have been saying over and over again for years, is to state, and to restate, the simplest axioms, to my mind. Yet I ‘am constantly told that I encourage people in the belief that large incomes can be readily made by writing. Nothing has ever been said in The. Author about anybody’s income: we do not here touch on personal matters, otherwise the proof or illustration of my position would be easy. Moreover, what is advanced con- cerns, not novels only, but literature of all kinds. I have been accused of thinking and speaking of novels only: that is not so. I include all branches of literature: novels are not the most lucrative branch: they fall, for instance, very far short of educational books, and still farther short of plays. The compila- tion of a popular hymn-book is reported to be worthy the attention even of a company pro- moter. Thirty or forty years ago a popular book of Family Prayers was a gold mine. That mine is now said to be worked out. And at this day a book adopted by the Board schools for the earlier standards would be an endowment for the daughter of a millionaire. “X.” thinks that it is a bad thing for litera- ture to be many sided. I cannot agree with him. I think it is a very good thing that a novelist, a poet, a dramatist, should also write essays, articles, reviews, biographies —- everything. There are instances, living and dead, of the best literary men and women doing this without injury to their special work. To sum up. My critic must not contend, because he himself has been so far unsuc- cessful with the general public, that litera- ture is worse than any other profession: nor that it is worse paid. On the other hand, he need not feel humiliated by want of success. His work may be very good—the work of this writer, if I may so far betray confidence, 7s very good— so good that his disclosures astonish me. But in every profession it is more than natural aptitude —or genius—that is wanted to gain the popular ear, and to, take the place of a popular favourite. ee ANNUAL DINNER. . was held at the Trocadero Restaurant on fe Annual Dinner of the Society of Authors _ Thursday the 4th May. members and guests were present :— i Beckett, A. W.,and Guest. Aberdeen, The Right Hon. the Earl of, P.C., G.C.M.G. Adamson, J. R. Ameer Ali, The Hon. Mr. Justice. Appleton, W. W. Armstrong, E. A. Ball, Sir Robert, F.R.S. Beddard, F. E., F B.S. Bell, Mackenzie. Benson, E. F. Besant, W. H., D.Se., F.R.S. Besant, Sir Walter Besant, Lady. Beville, Mrs. Charles. Birrell, Augustine, Q.C., M P. (Chairman). Bonney, The Rev. T. G, E.B.S. Bourchier, J. D. Bourdillon, F. W. Brown, Hadyn. ‘Bryden, H. A. Bury, Prof. J. B., Litt. Doc. Campbell, Lady Colin. Campbell, Miss Montgomery. Carr, Mrs. Carlisle. Carter, Mrs. Castle, Egerton. Caulfield, Miss. Charley, Sir William, Q C., D.C.L. Clodd, E. Colles, W. M. Colles, Mrs. Conway, Sir Martin. Cordeux, Miss. Curtis, Miss Ella. Daily Chronicle. Daily Graphic. Daily Mail. Daily News. Daily Telegraph. De Soissons, S. C Dobson, Austin. Dodd, Frank H. Dowsett, C. F. Dubonurg, A. W. Danlop, Mrs. Durand, Colonel, C-B., C.I.E. Dyer, Sir W. Thiselton. Earl, A. Earl, Mrs. Edmonds, A. R. The following Edmonds, Mrs. A. R. Ellis, Mullett. Free, Rev. R. Garland, Hamlin. Garrison, Mrs. Gill, Upcott. Gowing, Mrs. Aylmer. Grohman, W. A. Baillie. Guimarzens, M. L. Gunter, Lieut.-Col. Haggard, Captain E. A. Hawkin, R. C. Hawkins, A. Hope. Henslowe, Miss. Herman, G. E. Holman, H. Martin. Hornung, E. W. Hornung, Mrs. Humphrey- Desmond, Mrs.8. Jacobs, W. W. James, Miss W. M. Johnson, Henry. Jones, The Rev. Prebendary Harry. Kelly, C. A. Keltie, J. Scott, LL.D. Kenealy, Miss A. Kenealy, Edward. Kinns, Rev. Dr. 8., D.D. Larner, Miss A. Lefroy, Mrs., and Guest. Legge, Francis. Little, J. Stanley. Little, Mrs. Archibald. London, The Archdeacon of. Lowndes, Mrs. Belloc, and Guest. Louis, J. Marsh, Richard. Marsh, Mrs. R. Massingham, H. W. Mathews, C. E. Maxwell, The Right Hon. Sir Herbert, Bart. McKinney, B. G. Metcalfe, H. C. Moberly, Miss, and Guest. Morning Post. Moscheles, Felix. Murray, Oscar. Newbolt, Henry. Norman, H. Oppenheim, E. P. Pall Mall Gazette. Parker, Gilbert.  eat? “President of Parker, Mrs. Gilbert. Parker, Mrs. Paterson, Arthur Pemberton, Max. Pengelley, Miss Hester. Phipson, Miss Emma. Pollock, Sir Frederick, Bart., LL.D. -Pollock, Lady. Pollock, Miss Edith. Prelooker, Jaakoff. “President of the Royal Col- lege of Physicians. Institute of Painters in Water Colours. Reeves, The Hon. W. P. ‘Rhodes, H. D. ‘Rhodes, Miss. Rogers, A. “Russell, Rollo. St. James’s Gazette. Sargant, Miss A.. Seaman, Owen. Shepard, H. Shorter, Clement. Skeat, The Rev. W. W. Smith, Dr. Barnett. Smith, Mrs. Burnett. Spanton, John. Spender, Harold. Spielmann, M. H. THE AUTHOR. 17 The Standard. Stanley, H. M. Sterry, Ashby. Stillman, W. J. Swan, Miss Myra. Tayler, H. Stanley. Temple, Lieut.-Col. R. C., C.LE. Temple, Sir Richard,K.C.S.I. The Editor The Daily Tele- graph. The Times. Thorpe, W. G. Thring, G. H. Thring, Mrs. Townend, T. 8. Tuer, Andrew. Tuer, Mrs. Tweedie, Guest. Warner, F. Waterfield, M. Watt, A. S. Watt, Mrs. A. S. Westminster Gazette. White, Arnold. White, A. Silva. Wilkins, W. H., and Guest. Wright, C. T. Hagberg. Young, Gerald. Zangwill, I. Mrs. Alec., and Sprigge, S. 8. Dear Srr,—Reports of functions, of whatsoever kind, are generally written by experts, presumably for the instruction, elevation, or amusement of the ‘man in the street; but there is something to be said in favour of a reversal of the usual process. _Why should not the man in the street sometimes express his opinion of a function which he may have attended as a guest, not as a professional member of the celebrating caste? As I am alone at the moment, and there is no one to allege any just cause or impediment why I should not express any opinion I please, I propose to write you this short note and tender it in lieu of the prosaic conventional report of the annual dinner of the Society of Authors. First of all, let me say a few words about myself. Iam not an author, though I occasion- ally write cheques. I attended the banquct with pleasure, for I like meeting people whose names are well known, and having the opportunity of picking the brains of those who are intellectually my superiors. I was not selected to respond to the toast of “The Guests,’ although being, figuratively speaking, a babe and suckling, I might doubtless have uttered many words of wisdom. I was probably the only unknown man in the room, but I have one great claim upon your kind consideration. I buy books. Were it not for me, and men like me, there could ke no Society of Authors to dine, or, rather, there could be no dinner for the Society of Authors. The dinner was good; the soup in particular was excellent, as I am-sure le Nain de Sang would have said had he been present—I refer to the contributor to Lord Rosebery’s ideal paper. Sorbet before beef I regard as a weak concession to a foolish fashion ; but we will let that pass, as, indeed, I did at the dinner itself. I do not know who was deputed to arrange the menu, but I hereby take off my hat to him; and [ agree with him, too, in his selection of champagne. Mrs. Alec Tweedie has lately recorded her father’s decided opinion that sweet champagne is better than dry. Iam on the side of Dr. George Harley, and am glad to hail as a sympathiser the man who ordered your dinner. With regard to the speeches—well, I confess that when I entered the Oak Room of the Trocadero and surveyed the assembled celebrities, my first wish was that it might be possible to compute the total amount of grey matter there gathered together; it must have. represented many pounds avoirdupois, and I looked forward with some apprehension to the after-dinner I had never dined with the Authors before, and I know that although a man may have the pen of a ready writer, it by no means follows that he has the gift of tongues. I went to see the lions feed, as the Archdeacon of London subsequently said for me, but I was rather nervous as to what might happen when they began to roar. I give you my word, Sir, I was very agreeably surprised. There was not one speech which did not contain at least one happy thought happily touched off. Augustine Birrell struck the keynote when proposing the health of the Queen, advancing Her Majesty as a conclu- sive argument in favour of the royalty system. In proposing the toast of the evening, too, his remarks were made to a rippling accompani- ment of laughter in which it was infinitely pleasant to participate. I liked the quotation trom Lord Halifax with which he began, that “it must be more than an ordinary provocation that can tempt a man to write in an age overrun with scribblers as Egypt was overrun with flies and locusts. That worst vermin of small authors has given the world such a surfeit that instead of desir- . ing to write a man would be more inclined to wish for his own ease that.he could not read.” It was an admirable peg on which to hang an admirable speech. Happily phrased, too, were many of his points: that incorporation by law is no detriment to a useful and honourable society ; that your general meetings are analogous to the Council of Nicea; that you exist, not to earn dividends for yourselves, but to look after the speaking. 18 THE. AUTHOR. interests of your brothers; that you are nota mutual admiration society, but an educational one, wisely confining your attentions to your own fraternity ; and that you stand boldly upon your right to instruct your members in the conduct of their own affairs. There was delicate relief in his reference to Tennyson who could not read Browning, to Browning who did not read Tenny- son—mark the difference—and to Matthew Arnold, who thought very little of either. Is this last a fact? And in the best possible taste was his elegiac tribute to Lord Herschell, a member of your old Copyright Committee, and one of the few who really understood the question of copyright. Gilbert Parker’s reply was dignified and apt. I have a weakness for crystallisations, and the great novelist gave me one which I carry in my memory. It is his summary of the reasons which compel people to write. These are: (1) to satisfy their own instincts; (2) to earn their daily bread; and (3) to serve the general intelligence. Three very good reasons too, say I. Sir Frederick Pollock kindly proposed the health of myself and some others. Inadvertently he did me an injustice. He said that it was difficult in that assembly to find any guest to respond who was not an author, and he did not callon me. I notice, by the way, that the editor of the Daily Chronicle has not yet used the story given him by Sir Frederick Pollock as a test of humour, and as it isa good story I commend it to Mr. Massingham’s recollection, and leave it there for the present. Sir William Thiselton Dyer spoke in excellent taste, and the Archdeacon of London also replied with a courtly courtesy that made me reflect that in spite of its crises and dissensions our Church still possesses most princely gentlemen. The Hon. W. P. Reeves declared himself to be on the horns of a dilemma. An after-dinner -speech he asserted should not occupy more than from five to ten minutes. 4itro’ If he adhered to the rule, his toast — Imperial interests—must suffer. If he broke the rule his audience must suffer. He broke the rule, but nobody repined, and so we reached the -oration of the evening, Lord Aberdeen’s reply. He spoke with dignity, and to the point. Upon his speech Ido not even propose to comment, ‘seeing that it was reported at length in every daily paper. His comments on the Pacific Cable scheme, and on the action of your Society with regard to Canadian Copyright were exactly such as he might have been relied upon to make. -Here I will only quote his tribute to your Society as “the unquestioned repository of the theughts and feelings of the leading’ authors of the day.” I tender my thanks, not only to my host, but to all the members of your Society, for an intelli- gently pleasant evening, and I should like to say that one erroneous impression, shared by others besides myself, has been removed from my mind. Thad an idea that the Society of Authors was composed of novelists who assumed that in fiction was comprised the whole of literature. That idea IT have now abandoned, and I am genuinely glad that I can do so. Anthony Hope, E. F. Benson, Gilbert Parker, and Hamlin Garland sat at the high table; but so, too, did Austin Dobson, Sir W. Thiselton Dyer, Sir Herbert Maxwell, Sir Richard Temple, Sir Frederick Pollock, Sir Robert Ball, Sir Martin Conway, and Mr. H. M. Stanley.. And that is fairly representative of the authors whom I am glad to have met. A list of the distinguished people present should form very interesting reading, and I shall always like to remember that among them was—Yours faithfully, V. E. M. ec THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS CON- GRESS AT ROME. ‘T AST year this interesting annual congress I jj Was held at Lisbon, and climatic reasons and the Queen of Holland’s coronation delayed the gathering until late autumn. This year being at Rome, climatic reasons pressed the meeting time into early spring, and so it came about that the Rome congress so swiftly followed that of Lisbon ; but, if the congress met in April, the journeyings of the congressists, after their “works ”’ were completed, ran on well into May, and so this account appears apparently a month overdue. The number of delegates amounted to 398, representing eighteen nationalities, the English delegation consisting of seventeen members. The French as usual outnumbered even the Italian delegation. The list of “works and festivities,” to quote the English translation of the official programme, was interesting. Let the “works” come first. The English delegation held a_ preliminary meeting under the presidency of Mr. P. W. Clayden, and it was arranged that Mr. Atkinson, of the Manchester Guardian, should speak on the Relations of Journalist and Proprietor; Sir Hugh Gilzean-Reid on Legislation, and the writer on Artistic Copyright; and, owing to the much- regretted absence of Miss G. B. Stuart through illness, I was elected as hon. secretary to the  THE delegation for the Congress. Sir Hugh Gilzean- Reid was elected hon. president for the Congress, thus presiding over its first session. The recep- tion of the polyglottic delegates by Signor Bon- fadini and his Italian confreres in what he called their modeste demeure (really a most palatial Press club) was intensely cordial, he referring the English to the fact that here (in Rome) was the house where Sir Walter Scott had lived, and here Shelley had written some of his most glorious work. On the following morning their Majesties the King and Queen of Italy opened the Congress in the Historic Halls in the ancient Capitol. A little doubt was filling the minds of all, as to how this royal opening would pass off. There was the awkward fact that four of the delegates for Lombardy were still in prison, and fears of a demonstration against the King were prevalent, but, thanks to the assuaging diplomacy of the president, Herr Singer, of Vienna, the opening ceremony passed off quietly, and Herr Simger’s address was warmly applauded, especially when he said the International journalists had taken the world for their empire. The King and Queen gave no formal reply, but descended from the dais and chatted freely with the chief delegates, thanking Herr Singer for his address, and conversing for some time—the King in French, the Queen in English—with the English president and secretary, Her Majesty especially dwelling upon the ubiquity of our correspondents. The real work of the Congress began at the next meeting, but this was arrested for a moment by the president referring in sympathetic words to the death of M. Albert Bataille of the Figaro, who hid done so much for international journa- lism; and yet again by M. Monetar calling attention to the fact that four delegates were absent through force, an incident that aroused warm applause. Herr Singer, with ready tact, stated the statutes of the association forbade their discussing such a circumstance. But he hoped, with all respect to the laws of the country of which they were the guests, by the grace of the Royal prerogative these members would now be at liberty—a tactful statement that evoked much enthusiasm. M. Victor Taunay then read his report on the adoption of a card of identity for journalists travelling abroad, and with careful restrictions it was agreed t» prepare such a card. Owing to the sudden death of M. Albert Bataille his joint rapporteur, M. Beraza, asked leave to postpone his report on Legislation for the Press in various countries, and after some discussion this was agreed to, thus ¢utting out one of the most important subjects for debate of the Congress. AUTHOR. 19 Artistic CopyRicHt. M. Morel Retz, better known as ‘‘Stop,” the caricaturist, brought on the question of Artistic Copyright, quoting instances of work being altered, of being used for other subjects than that intended by the artist, of being used again and again, clichés being sold and resold, discrediting the artist by the uses to which his work was put. M. Morel Retz proposed that the artist, even when he had sold his work, still retained the right that it should not be altered or modified ; that such an article should be inserted in the next revision of the Berne Convention, and, finally, that those interested should form professional syndicates to safeguard this moral right, and to defend it before the tribunals. Often in this International Congress English justice and legislation is proved to be in advance of the continental laws, and I had the pleasure of pointing out that the English artists and photo- graphers had already societies that ably defended them from such infringements as M. “Stop” so bitterly bewailed; but the English section was entirely in accord with him, although it could scircely be possible for any paper in England to print an illustration of the battle of Trafalgar and call it ‘“‘ An Engagement before Cuba,” an instance suggested by “Stop,” whose proposals were accepted by the Congress. Postat TARIFF FOR JOURNALS. M. Torelli Violier then read his report on the Postal Union tariff for journals, which, he said, seemed framed to prevent papers going out of their country of origin, in spite of the fact that journals were the best means of advertising a country and the products of that country. He pointed out that in France a paper circulated for two centimes, but it cost five to send it out of the country ; the same thing obtains in England, and, after an able speech, he proposed that it was to the advantage of all countries to increase the circulation of their journals abroad, and the present postal rates paralysing that circulation, the Committee of the Central Bureau should take up pourparlers with the different Governments with the aim of reducing this foreign postal rate for journals, to which the Congress heartily agreed. At the next sitting it was agreed to place a plaque on M. Bataille’s tomb as “the friend of journalists of all countries,” and the secretary, M. Taunay, read the report on Telegraphic Abbre- viations, and the suggestion that a General Code should be established. Mr. Clayden pointed out that the English papers would hardly be likely to adopt a code that all would know, as many journals had a code of their own, and a general code would probably be “milked.” After some a THE AUTHOR. discussion it was agreed to offer a reward of 1000 francs for the best code, the number of 4000 to 5000 words being suggested. A subject which caused the hottest discussion—the excited all- shouting-at-once incidents of Bordeaux seemed about to be reproduced—was that of the issuing of the Official Bulletin. The division was upon whether this should be issucd direct from the Bureau or by the medium of La Presse Internationale, a journal which has so well served the Inter- national journalists. The French section were very excited upon this; and all nations agreed M. Max Serpeille, the editor of La Presse Inter- nationale, had done good service. At last it was agreed to issue a bulletin for a year under the control of the Bureau, but by the medium of La Presse Internationale. Leeat Posrrion or JourNALISTS. The final subject debated was the Legal Posi- tion of Journalists. One French member insisted journalists were partners, not employées. Mr. Atkinson gave instances of recent legal decisions in England, and stated that written contracts were increasing. M. Maillard suggested that artists should be included in any proposed legis- lation, and it was decided the Bureau should elaborate a rule from the present general usages, especially with regard to the indemnities due to journalists dismissed summarily. This ending the business of the Congress, it was decided to hold the next Congress in Paris in 1900. The sittings had been full of interest, but there is still that lack of order of debate that so deteriorates the effect of both speeches and subjects. Two rules should, at least, be adopted : (1) No speaker, save proposer, to speak more than once on one subject ; (2) No conversation or promenading be allowed in the congress hall. These two rules would immensely raise the tone of the debates; and the rule of translating a résumé of all important matter should be adhered to. Tue Socran Events. But if the debates were interesting, what can I say of the social events, the journeyings through Italy and seductive Sicily? The Rome Press Association had a herculean task to arrange for their 400 guests; and the entertainments offered in Rome were thoroughly artistic, as the concert in the delightful salons of the Arts Club, and the gala performance of “ Puccini’s Boheme” at the Costanzi Theatre. But what more deeply interested their guests were the excellent opportunities to visit the late excavations in the Forum and on the Palatine hill. The English section had as guide to the Forum the director of the excavations, Signor Bomi, R.I.B.A., whose warm and deeply learned enthusiasm made a tour of the Forum with him a memorable pleasure. Excursions to Tivoli, Terni, &c., were arranged ; but the weather, that had been excessively cold and wet, and even foggy, marred these journeys, and this weather followed the congressists even to Naples, where the Press Association had arranged a warm- hearted reception, banquets and theatres, a special excavation at Pompei, and an interesting run to Baie. The same weather conditions attended those journalists who were fortunate and bold enough to venture on joining the Sicilian expedition. Tickets for this had been allotted by nation and ballot. Three fell to England, but I started as the only English journalist, on board the Gallileo Gallilei, with Jules Claretie and his son as cabin chums. Torrents of rain greeted us on entering Palermo, and marred a right royal reception, and at the banquet in the evening I, the sole Englishman, had to disown bringing Thames weather to Sicily; but the next day the weather was brilliant, and for a fortnight Sicily and her people gave of their best with fervid hospitality to the foreign journalists. Prince Scalea with his son Prince Pietro Lanza at the head of the journalists, professors, and notables of the island, and the whole population outdid even Sicilian hospitality, and everything was arranged with really marvellous exactitude. Signor Mauceri had arranged a saloon train that took us to all points of interest, and the enthu- siasm was so great this had to creep through the packed masses of peasants and people bring- ing presents of fruitand flowers to the “strangers.” All the mighty ruins of Greek, Roman, Norman, and Saracen, were visited, under learned and most hospitable guidance. In the Greek theatre of Syracuse 12,000 awaited our arrival, and some of the choruses of Aischylos were sung by maidens on the old Greek stage. The learned Professor Salinas of the Palmero Museum gave himself up to us, and I had much talk with him about Professor Freeman, and with him visited Segesta and Selinunte and Solunto, whose ruins outdo Athens herself for greatness and beauty. I was pleased to find on speaking of Mr. Free- man’s work at one of the dinners, that he is well remembered. The journey up Etna’s slopes, amidst the warm-hearted villagers, will never be forgotten, nor our reception at Messina and Catania. With M. Taunay, the indefatigable general secretary, and one or two others, I was the guest of the Prince and Princess Scalea (the princess is one of the characters in Mrs, Lynn Linton’s novel, “Tone”), and with their son we made excursions; wild rides over a very stiff “Lorna Doone” country, down sulphur mines, and to the Villa Eleanora, — THE AUTHOL. 21 that is packed with art treasures collected in the island; and I also went on—the sole congressist —to Tunis, striving to land on Pentelleria (Shakespeare’s “‘ Tempest ” island). The tempest was too great for even the mails to go ashore, but we reached Tunis safely, and I had the pleasure of a most interesting chat with Sir Harry Johnston, of African fame ; and that night sat alone on the topmost ruins of Carthage, and watched the sun set in the Western mountains—so vividly described in Flaubert’s “Salambo.” Surely a fitting ending to a Jiterary expedition, in which, on the Palatine hill, we had been told that Julius Czesar was the first journalist. Perhaps the readers of The Author will forgive this space given to Sicily. If it induces any to visit that intensely lovely and marvellous island, they will, I know, thank me when amidst its wondrous beauties. James Baker. ect CORRESPONDENCE. T.—Is LireRATURE A PrEcARIOUS PROFESSION? T cannot be helped, I imagine, but it is rather | a pity that the successful author should end in believing that success, especially from a financial point of view, is easy, provided only that the writer has the desirable qualities of knowing his business and working hard. Sir Walter Besant is always saying that the man of letters can do as well as the doctor or barrister, and seems to think this means something. Sooth to say, it means nothing, for the poor barrister and poor doctor are miserably poor indeed. There is too much of this encouragement to enter the profession— far too much; and I maintain it is not good for those in it or those still out of it that this suc- cessful optimism should be preached in a trade journal. But I would prefer to put down some facts rather than theories, and I will take the facts from my personal experience. I have written twenty-six books, and, while none have been literary failures, only one can be called a financial success. My best year in fourteen years of literary life gave me £380, and a good lump of that was for revision work. My last two years gave me £180 and £151. Yet most men imagine I make £600 or £700 year, and I think the Editor of this paper (who will know my name) must acknowledge that I stand among the first fifty of fiction writers, if not higher than that. £711 pounds for three years’ work is not good pay, and none of the trade will call it good. I object very strongly to The Author being made a journal for the undue encouragement of the lite- rary aspirant. We have: still our Grub-street, even if it is less tinged with the old Bohemianism, and the conductors of. The Author might take a tip from the trades unions, and refuse to enlist more apprentices than the business will carry. The normal increase of writers is more than enough without this encouragement, and, as the standard of average writing tends to rise, those who are in the second-class of fairly good men are ousted by many who can do a little work that is just passable, and can be bought at the lowest price. This is where competition touches us. Our. prices may still tend to increase, but we sell less. Sir Walter Besant is encouraging the already over- large class of those who can write marketable stuff. It is this which forces novelists into journalism, and makes them general hacks. The many-sidedness of the literary life is not a normal development, but the result of pressure which daily grows more tremendous. c — Tl.—Tue Srxpenny Boox. I have read with interest your remarks on the use—i.e., profit—of the sixpenny edition to pub- lisher, author, and reader. To the publisher the sixpenny edition must be “a thorn in the flesh,” as the profit accruing from it will not amount to much in any case, and if the author has a royalty on it, the publisher’s profit will be so much smaller. In comparison with the large profit made by the publisher on the three- and-sixpenny and six shilling editions, the six- penny popular—even if it zs popular—cannot count for much. Of course more copies of the cheaper edition are sold, but not in the propor- tion of seven and nine to one, which would be necessary to make an equal profit. At the same time, the people who can afford to pay 3s. 6d. or 6s. for their books do not often buy. They subscribe to libraries instead, and skim through the latest “strong”? novel, and perhaps also some of the magazines. Most of the people who can afford to buy books very seldom care either to buy or read them. It is true of books as of everything— “For easie things, that may be got at will, Most sorts of men doe set but little store.” Most of the lower middle-class read. They are workers, and reading is well-nigh their sole re- creation. They can keep up their intellectual vigour by thoughtful reading. In country places, more particularly in purely rural and agricul- tural districts, ideas do not run riot, to say the least of it. They cannot afford to pay 3s. 6d., much less 6s., for books more than twice or three times during a year. The sixpenny book they might indulge in oncea month. Think! Once 22 THE AUTHOR. a month for a new set of thoughts and a new topic of conversation. You speak of libraries. In the country there are few libraries, except, perhaps, in connection with the Sunday-school of the place. In the provincial towns, of course, there are free libraries; but, as a rule, the book you want is “not known,” or is “ out,” or “ has been mislaid.” The 6d. edition is the greatest boon to country people. My own stock of books contains quite 30 per cent. of sixpenny books—Lubbock’s “ Pleasures of Life,” ‘“‘ Extracts from Tennyson,” “Lorna Doone,” “Robert Elsmere.” These, I, for one, could not have afforded in a more elabo- rate edition. Very few workers or country people could. Do many people, except those with reputed literary tendencies, buy the more expensive editions? Ido not see many beoks in the houses round, except those which have descended from father to son. As a worker, with not too much surplus cash for luxury, it seems to me that even if the 6d. edition does not increase the number of readers, it enables those who care for reading to buy books oftener than they would otherwise be able to do. Sidney Smith gives voice to the sentiment of many when he says, “ We wish the Row would put books more within the power of those who want them most and use them best” ; and I think the 6d. edition is a step in the right direction. M. C. A. U1.—‘ Tue Exrravacant Dinner.” I. I have been asked by my friend, Mr. John Bickerdyke, to support “ Diane’s”’ contention, and I do so with pleasure, as it seems to me particularly desirable that a body such as our- selves should set.an example in this respect. In future let the price of the dinner be 33. 6d. or 5s., and let all those who wish wine pay for it as an extra. On grounds of policy our annual trades- union dinner ought not to have the appearance of a gorgeous “ society ” function in which none but the wealthy can participate. Mackenzir BELt. II. May I be allowed to indorse the opinions of “ Diane” ? Would not two dinners annually at 5s. each be more conducive to the enjoyment and general good fellowship of a greater number of authors? Or, if some of the members prefer the guinea dinner, could not others be arranged at a ‘lower price ? ANNABEL GRAY. ‘ III. . I am quite on all fours with “Diane ” as to the desirability of reducing the charge for tickets at the annual dinner of our Society. To the big stars of the literary firmament no doub: the present price is immaterial. But how about the _ minor constcllations to whom guineas are elusive and precious? Iam bold enough to suggest an innovation. Why not try a picnic next time—for choice a water one? (I write as an abstainer.) It should promote an all-round harmony and freedom from conventionality delightful to con-. template. Speeches delivered from the stern of the chairman’s boat would possess elements of novelty not to be despised. I venture to com- mend this idea to the earnest consideration of the Committee. Oxp Birp. Authors’ Club. “GOD IS LOVE’—A NOVEL.” T the request of Mr. Mullett Ellis, and by A permission of Messrs. W. H. Smith and Son, the following correspondence in a case much commented upon is published here. In Oct. 1898, Mr. Burleigh published “ ‘God is Love’—a Novel,’ by Mr. T. Mullett Ellis. Messrs. W. H. Smith and Son refused to sub- scribe for any copies of this book. Mr. Ellis then had an interview with Mr. Kingdon, the Departmental Manager of Messrs. Smith and Son, and was informed by that gentleman that he objected to the title of the book, and that he would not allow it to be exposed upon the railway bookstalls for that reason. Whereupon Mr. Ellis addressed the following letter to Messrs. W. H. Smith and Son :— To Messrs. W. H. Smith and Son. Dear Sirs,—Referring to the conversation I had with your Departmental Manager, Mr. Kingdon, on Saturday, the 15th inst., I am constrained to write you a letter of remon- strance against your intention of putting my book, ‘“‘ God is Love’—a Novel,” under the ban of your firm. The great house of W. H. Smith and Son occupies an unique position in relation to English literature. Not in the metropolis only, but throughout the country, your, firm enjoys a monopoly in the supply of books and newspapers through its contracts with the railway companies. You have hundreds of bookstalls, occupying more favoured positions than the shops which other booksellers can obtain, con- venient to millions of railway travellers, who form, in fact, the bulk of the reading public, and the advantages which your enterprise and energy have conferred upon the people we are all prepared to fully recognise. If you were an ordinary firm of booksellers you would have the right to deal in those books only which you choose, or even to devote yourselves to the special encouragement or disconragement of books of some particular creed or opinion, but holding-your anomalous position (thongh you shave undoubtedly a strictly-legal right to buy and sell as you deem proper, and, therefore, to exclude any book you like), I submit that thers are circumstances which render it incumbent upon you not to so exercise your right as to act,  THE AUTHOR. 23 virtua ly, as the Censors of English Literature. You have done this before, eg., in the case of ‘‘ Esther Waters,” and you have provoked in consequence the indignation and the protest of a great number of “men of light and learn- ing,” including such authors as A. Conan Doyle, Sarah Grand, Hugh Chisholm, William Archer, W. J. Daw- son, Mary Jeune, and many others, whose letters, pub- lished in the Daily Chronicle, were echoed by the entire Press. Mr. Kingdon was kind enough to sta‘e his objection to stock my book. His objection is to the title: to the use of the words, “‘ God is Love’—a Novel,” upon the cover of my book. Yet a considerable number of booksellers have taken it into stock without deeming the title an objection. I can realise Mr. Kingdon’s individual feeling, and can even honour him for his stern views; but I refer you to the general argument of this letter as a reason why you: firm should not exercise such an extreme of private judgment, either in my own or any other case. The position which your monopoly has conferred upon you has largely contributed to the general gradual exter- mination of the small bookseller. He cannot compete with the superior positions you occupy on the platforms of rail- ways, at the very doors of the modern reading room—i.e., the railway carriage. Your bookstalls are upon lands peculiarly held and obtained. It was never intended that lands acquired by force by railway companies under special Acts of Parliament should be in part let to private firms for the purposes of trade, and your tenancy is another reason why your business should be conducted with a large and open mind, and why, if you abuse your extra- ordinary privileges, Parliament must ke called upon to interfere. It has not b2en suggested that your firm, bearing, as it does, the name of one of the most distinguished politicians of recent years, a strong party man, universally respected, has ever endeavoured to utilise its power to discourage the sale of journals of political opponents; but, obviously, if you boycott books, you have an equal right to boycott newspapers, and your right of veto may be exercised not in literature only, but in politics—monstrous cor- sequence ! If the intellectual life of England as presented in our Literature is to have a Censor at all, I submit with defe- rence that he should not be one of the business staff of a trading firm, however high its standing. Even amongst scholars opinion as to the merits of various works of fiction singularly differs. Instance occurs in the last and the current issue of The Nineteenth Century magazine, where “Helbeck of Bannisdale” is under review by two learned gentlemen, both Roman Catholics. Father Clarke, S8.J.. characterises this novel as ‘‘a libel,” ‘‘ a gross burlesque,” *acalamny.” Father Bernard Vaughan “has risen from its perusal with a feeling of deep gratitude to Mrs Humphry Ward”; and St. George Mivart concludes his eulogistic review of the same book with “thanks for the great treat she has afforded mein her profoundly inte- resting and fascinating work.” If such men holding the same religious faith differ thus, how difficult must your position be when you act as judge for the whole world of English readers ! I am not anxious at the present moment to defend the moral or religious tone of my own book, although, should necessity arise, I am prepared to do so. A matter of much greater consequence devolves upon me, viz., to protest, as a humble member of the great body of British authors, against your exercise of the power of boycott atall. It is intolerable. It was hoped that the “‘ Esther Waters’’ con- troversy had settled this question four years ago, and the literary world generally believed that you would not again put yourselves in opposition t> the idea of Free Trade in Literature or attempt to dictate to the public what they should or should not be allowed to read. But we counted too early upon having won this right of the Liberty of the Pen—a freedom we dreamt we had attained centuries ago. Let me quote the words of Mr. Conan Doyle upon the subject : « Through the huge monopoly which they (Messrs W. H. Smith and Son) hold, the firm is practically a public institu- tion, and is far too great a thing to be managed on tie lines of individual caprice or intolerance.” And again in a sub sequent letter he writes: “The question is not one o this novel or that. Itis whether our literature is to conform to the standard of the Glasgow Baillie or whether it is to claim the same privileges as every great literature of which we have any record. Ifa book err in morality let the law of England be called in. But we object to an unauthorised judge who condemns without trial and punishes the author more heavily than any court could do.” (Conan Doyle, May 3rd, 1894.) Let me remind you, too, of a memorial of ‘“ indignant protest’ sent you by a number of your own subscribers, which concluded thus : “ By taking the action you have we are of opinion that you have added to your work as distributors of books the office of Censor of morals, and have in part frustrated the objects for which we joined your circulating library—the largest in the country.” When I remember that besides putting the novels of George Moore under your ban, you once boycotted also the work of Rudyard Kipling, I have demonstrated my point. I accordingly appeal to you, with every expression of consideration and courtesy, notwithstanding these plain words of protest, to reverse your decision and to remove my book from your ban. Reserving the right of publication of this letter,—I remain, dear sirs, yours faithfally, T. MutuetT Ev.is. Hogarth Club, Oct. 17th, 1898. : To this letter Messrs W. H. Smith and Son forwarded the following reply, here published by their permission. [Should have been dated Oct. 21, 1898.) Please address all communications to the Firm. 186, Strand, London, W.C. 189 Private. Dear Sir, We beg to acknowledge your letter of Oct.17. You are mistaken in thinking that Mr. Kingdon refused your work “God is Love” because of the title. He did, it is true, express personal objection to the title; but he declined to take the book into stock purely as a matter of business. It is quite impossible for us to take on sale at the bookstalls all the novels that are published, and we are compelled to select those which we think most likely to have a ready sale. We can hardly think that you would suggest that we are bound to place on the bookstalls everything that is tendered to us. This is no case of censorship, and no disrespect was intended towards your book. Mr. Kingdon, we believe, informed you that we should supply to purchasers who might order it, and such of our library subscribers as wish for it can have it in due course. Yours truly, W. H. Surry anv Son. T. Mullett Ellis, Kaq., Hogarth Club, 175, Bond-street, W. a4 THE AUTUOR. Messrs. Smith’s letter was directly challenged by Mr. Ellis as follows : To Messrs. W. H. Smith and Son. Dear Sirs, I thank you for your kind reply to my letter. Mr. Kingdon not only expressed personal objection to the title, but he gave that as his reason for not taking the book into stock. If you make inquiry, I think Mr. Kingdon will not fail to confirm this, and that he said, “he could not permit a novel with such a title to appear amongst other books on your stalls.” Tn response to your other remark which calls for reply, I would not presume to say that you should place on the bookstalls everything that is tendered you. That opens too great a question to be dealt with briefly, but having regard to the unique and dominant position your firm occupies, the exclusion of books on the ground of the personal objection of one of your departmental managers is unfair generally to authors, and it is for this reason I addressed myself upon the subject to the Society of Authors. Thanking you for the expressions with which you con- elude—I am, gentlemen, yours truly, T. MuuuettT ELtis. Messrs. Smith did not continue the correspon- dence, but Mr. Kingdon does not deny the accu- racy of Mr. Ellis’s statement, and the book was not exposed for sale. This exclusion from the stalls was regarded by the Press generally as in effect a boycott of the book. Oct. 24, 1898. speck BOOK TALK. “VW Nthe Dawn of Empire” is the title of Mr. Joseph WHatton’s new historical novel, which is to be published by Hutchinsons early this month. It is a work upon which the author is said to have been engaged for some years, and deals with one of the most romantic periods of English life and enterprise, when Sir Walter Raleigh was the most interesting figure at the Court of Elizabeth. Sir Walter’s chief ambition was the conquest of Guiana and the discovery of its supposed capital, ‘“‘ the golden city of Manoa.” Mr. Hatton finds much of the romance of his story in the history of Sir Walter’s two disastrous expeditions to Guiana; but to the ordinary novel reader the secret courtship and marriage of Sir Walter, and the love story of his protégé, David Yarcombe, will, no doubt, be the most attractive. The love story of Sir Walter Raleigh, with anything like “ chapter and verse,’ will be new as well in fiction as in historic records. It is over two years since Joseph Hatton pub- lished his last novel; so he makes up for this by producing two in 1899. ‘When Rogues Fall Out” is running in the syndicate of Tillotson’s newspapers, and will be published in volume form during the first or second week of September, from the press of Messrs. Pearson in London, and Lippincotts in America. Meanwhile “ By Order of the Czar,” at 6d., is repeating its original success in volume form. The forthcoming issue of Mr. Ruskin’s “ Pree- terita,’ will contain a new fragment, namely, another part of “ Dilecta.” This was set up in type long ago, but fur some reason Mr. Ruskin kept it from the press. Mr. George Allen, who will publish it, will also publish in the autumn an illustrated work on Turner, including many of Mr. Ruskin’s criticisms hitherto printed for private circulation only. The delegates of the Oxford University Press, following a popular fashion, are about to publish a new issue of the “ Oxford English Dictionary” in monthly parts of eighty-eight pages each, the first to appear on July 1. About half of the dictionary has now been finished, and the work will be completed probably by 1909. The pro- prietors of the Times, also, are issuing the “ Century Dictionary ” on special terms. For the forthcoming “ Irish Anthology,” edited by Mr. T. W. Rolleston, Dr. Stopford Brooke has written an introduction, and also a notice of Thomas Moore; Mr. Lionel Johnson deals with Mangan, and Mr. A. P. Graves with Sir Samuel Ferguson, while other contributors are Professor W. McNeile Dixon, Dr. George Sigerson, Dr. Douglas Hyde, D. J. O'Donoghue, W. B. Yeats, and George Russell (A. E.”). The anthology is on the plan of Mr. Humphry Ward’s “Selec- tions from the English Poets,” and will be pub- lished in the autumn by Messrs. Smith, Hider and Co. The toast of “ Literature” was omitted at the Royal Academy Banquet this year. Sir William Crookes’s reply to the criticisms evoked by his address to the British Association last year, predicting a scarcity in the world’s supply of wheat, will be published shortly by Mr. John Murray. “ Fiona Macleod” has declared, through Messrs. Constable, apropos of statements regard- ing her identity, that she is not any of those with whom she has been “ identified”’; that she wishes to preserve absolutely her privacy, upon which her very writing depends, that she writes only under the name of “Fiona Macleod,” and that her name is her own. A practical book on embroidery by Mr. Lewis F, Day and Miss Mary Buckle, who is accom- plished in the art, will be published shortly by Mr. B. T. Batsford, illustrated by reproductions of needlework.  THE AUTHOR. 25 May 20 was the centenary of the birth of Balzac ; May 23 that of the birth of Thomas Hood. Upwards of £300 has already been contributed to the William Black Memorial Fund, in sums ranging from 1s. to £25. Generous offers of help have been received from America, where an influential committee has been formed. Dona- tions should be sent to the honorary treasurer of the fund (Lord Archibald Campbell), care of Messrs. Coutts, 59, Strand, London. As we have previously announced, a proposal that the memo- rial should take the form of a lifeboat for the West Coast of Scotland has been received with much favour. Oban, however, is desirous that it should take the form of a recreation hall for that town. Mr. Sutherland Edwards is writing the life of Sir William White, and wiil be glad if those who possess letters will forward them to him, care of Messrs. Cassell and Co. -A life of Dante, by the Rev. J. F. Hogan, of St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth, will be pub- lished by Messrs. Methuen. From the Oxford University Press will shortly come the second series of Dr. Edward Moore’s “‘ Studies in Dante,” dealing, among other subjects, with Dante asa religious teacher, Beatrice, and the genuineness of the “Questio de Aqua et Terra.” Mr. John Burnet, Professor of Greek in the University of St. Andrews, has edited <Aristotle’s ‘ Ethics,” a feature of the edition being that parallel passages from the Eudemian Ethics are printed under the text to which they refer. This will be published by Messrs. Methuen, who also announce an elaborate edition of the “ Captivi” of Plautus, by Mr. W. M. Lindsay, Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford. Memorial tablets to Keats and Charles Lamb were unveiled in the new public library at Edmonton (where they both resided), on April 29, by Mr. Frederic Harrison. Forthcoming novels include “ Ione March,” by Mr. Crockett, which has run serially as “A Woman of Fortune” (Hodder and Stoughton) ; “The White Woman,” by Mr. Edwards Tirebuck, a story of the adventures of a popular contralto (Harper); “Rupert, by the Grace of God,” a historical novel, by Miss Dora McChesney (Mac- millan) ; “The House by the Lock,” a Thames- side story, by Mrs. C. N. Williamson (Bowden) ; “Peter Binney, Undergraduate,” a humorous story of Cambridge University life, by Mr. Archibald Marshall (Bowden). Canon Knox Little has written a volume of « Sketches and Studies in South Africa,” a country which he visited recently. Messrs. Isbister will publish the book, which discusses federation and other political topics, and is dedicated to Mr. Rhodes, of whose work the author is an ardent admirer. “The Tendency of Religion,” by Colonel R. Elias has lately been published by Messrs. Chap- man and Hall Limited. Mr. Edward Jenks, Reader in English Law at the University of Oxford, has written a work on Modern Land Law, which the Clarendon Press will issue shortly. Professor Saintsbury’s volume on Matthew Arnold, for Messrs. Blackwood’s new series on English Men of Letters, will shortly be published. es BOOKS AND REVIEWS. NDER this heading it is proposed to make a little experiment, viz., to select every month those books which seem to have attracted the greatest notice, and to extract in brief the most distinctive points of the reviewer. It is intended to offer a guide, to a certain extent, for the reader and the buyer—perhaps, also, for the bookseller. It will at once be conceded that the experiment is one liable to many dangers and to some suspicion. The work is, therefore, confided to a journalist who has no log to roll, no school to defend, and no fads and hobbies of his own. His instructions are to take his extracts only from papers which are known to influence readers: to avoid any review which his knowledge of the Press leads him to believe written by a personal friend or a personal enemy. It is hoped that a strict impartiality will become the characteristic of these columns. Those who are behind the scenes generally know who are the authors of important notices. One must not be too severe with a reviewer who praises a friend ; but care will be taken not to quote him. Lord Charles Beresford’s Tue BrHAK UP OF CHINA (Harper’s, 12s.) is on all hands regarded as of great value and importance, not so much because of the policy he recommends, as, in the words of the Times, for the information he has so diligently collected, and the vivid picture its mere representation affords of the existing situation in China. Tur Lire or Winitam Morris, by J. W. Mackail (Longmans, 32s.), although much dissected by critics, has been welcomed as, on the whole, to quote the Times again, “a, good biography, which may take a permanent place among the books that posterity will select out of the enormous literary production of our time.” Tun AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND LeTTERS oF Mrs. M. oO. Ww. OLIPHANT, edited by Mrs. Coghill (Blackwood, 21s.), 18 26 THE described by the Chronicle as “one of the most pathetic u of all biographies, as “a history of sacrifice,” by the Spectator. Mr. Justin McCarthy’s Remrniscances (Chatto and Windus, 24s.), a work which brings before us, says the Daily Telegraph, ‘most of the leading men in politics and lite- rature who have occupied commanding positions in this country duriog the last forty years,” is in every quarter described as delightful and spirited. With many of Mr. Percy Dearmer’s regulations in THE Parson’s Hanpspooxk (Richards, 3s. 6d.), the Times “should expect most clergy to differ, of course with all due respect, but quite as many of them show a common- sense which is agreeably surprising.” Tur REFORMATION SETTLEMENT, EXAMINED IN THE Licur or History Aanp Law, by the Rev. Malcolm MacColl (Longmans, 7s. 6d.), is described by the Guardian as “a subs‘antial volame of between six and seven hundred pages, full of egent reasons and telling fast, spiced (it need not be said) with excellent anecdote.” Canon MacColl’s point of view on the Church crisis will be indicated when we say that in the “introductory letter” to Sir William Harcourt, with which this volume opens, he urges that great possibilities of statesmanship are thrown away for the sake of what is, after all, a very small matter, ‘the alarm caused by the doings and sayings of a com- paratively small number of clergy,” being ‘‘ out of all pro- portion to the bare facta.” Literature says itis ‘‘a clever and penetrating criticism of many modern fallacies, political, historical, religious,’ but ‘rot by any means a final pro- nouncement on difficult points of historical controversy ”; and the Spectator, after pointing out defects, and remarking that he proves the accuracy of Bishop Thirlwall’s statement as to the liberty of belief and of teaching on the question of the Presence of Christin the Eucharist, congratulates Canon MacColl on having produced a book which is calculated to promote sound thinking on the relations between Church and State, and to dissuade the candid reader from partici- pation in efforts towards the reduction of the ancient and clearly established liberties of the Anglican clergy.” Essays In PsycurcAL ResEarcu, by A. Goodrich Freer (Redway, 7s. 6d), is recommended by Literature as baing worth reading by all who interest themselves in “ occult ” phenomena. Hector C. Maspherson’s ADAM SmitTH (Oliphant, 1s. 6d.), according to Literature, is ‘the best volume in the Famous Scots series that we have seen.” Letters oF THoMAS CARLYLE TO HIS YOUNGEST Sister (Chapman, 6s.) the Telegraph calls “ exceedingly pleasant reading,” while the Daily News says they show us the philosopher of Chelsea by his best side. Henry Georce Lippery, D.D., by the Rev. H. L. Thompson (Murray, 16s.) is described by the Daily News as a “‘very readable and interesting memoir” of the Dean, containing recollections of Thackeray, Earl Granville, Gladstone, and others, and the Telegraph casts a reflection upon the length of other biographies by saying of this one that “for once in a way the reader turns the last page wishing for more.” Mr. Ashton Rollins Willard’s History or MopEry IraLuiAN Art (Longmans, 18s. net), “if it contains here and there a hasty judgment,” strikes Literature “ as on the whole spirited, accurate, and just.” Arpor V1T&, by Godfrey Blount (Dent, 12s, 6d. net.), is important, says Literature, “not only for the craftsman, who will find in its pages an intelligible basis of con- ventionalised art, but also for all who realise the direct connection between art and life.” AUTHOR. AN INTRODUCTION TO THESTUDY OF 1HE RENAISSANCE, by Mra. Field (Smith, Elder, and Co., 6s ), ‘‘ although,” says Literature, essentially elementary, on the whole Mrs. Field is a ‘‘safe guide, and any disagreement with her cpinion regarding a detail here and there ia soon forgotten in contemplation of the extent of her labours.” VANDYCK'’s PicTurRES AT WINDSOR CASTLE (Bell, £6 6s.) is a work in which Mr. Ernest Law writes “ with vivid appreciation throughout,” says Literature, “ of the originals of the thirty admirable reproductions which have been pre- pared in photogravure by Mr. Franz Hanfstaengl.” ‘As many of the pictures have seldom been reproduced before,’ remarks the Daily News, ‘‘the volume should be an indis- pensable addendum to every private or public art library,’ an opinion which is also expressed by the Times. A PALADIN OF PHJLANTHROPY, AND OTHER PAPERS, by Austin Dobson (Chatto, 6s.), range over a variety of subjects, says Literature—from Goldsmith, and Gay, and Luttrell, to memories of Old Whitehall and changes in the neighbourhood of Charing Cross—‘and they make as interesting reading as can be desired for anyone blessed with a touch of the antiquarian spirit and with a love of eighteenth century books.’ Mr. Dobson, says the Times, has treated these old heroes and their London haunts “in a manner which will maintain his reputation, and enhance theirs.” Tue ErcuinGHam Letrmrs (Smith, Elder and Co., 6s.), by Mrs Faller Maitland and Sir Frederick Pollock, is “ an entirely original and new kind of book,” says the Guardian, “itis more than a novel, inasmuch as it gives us, by the way, all sorts of charming little scraps of poetry and fancy, subtle criticiam of books, and flying commentary upon men and manners.” ‘‘ Read in the right fashion,” says the Times, ‘it will serve to amuse for many a day,” and the “yight fashion,” appears to be as “studious recreation ” (Daily Chronicle). The Spectator notes that “ epistolary formula in fiction had already been worn pretty thread- bare when Wilkie Collins apparently gave it its coup de grace,” buat “it has been reserved for Mrs. Faller Maitland and Sir Frederick Pollock to lend the convention fresh life and charm by a division of labour which imparts to this volume a great deal of the character of a bond fide corre- spondence.” Of Max Beerbohm’s More (Lane, 4s. 6d.) the Telegraph says “it would be well if every ‘earnest worker’ would read one of these essays before getting up in the morning ; thera would perhaps be less philanthropy, but it would be far sounder”; while Literature observes that in Mr. Beer- bohm’s hands “the knack of graceful impertinence is ra‘sed by dint of sheer mastery to the dignity of a serious art.” THE GREEN Winpow, by Vincent O'Sullivan (Smithers, 3s. 6d. net), provides, says Literature, “the exhilarating spectacle of a decadent essayist dashing his angry heart against the desolations of the world,” but the essays are “ sufficiently well written to entertain those whose mental balatce they do not disturb.” Mr. W. B. Yeats always seems to the Guardian “to have more of the gifts which make a poet than any of his fellows,” and his collected Pomms (Unwin, 7s. 6d.) are also welcomed by the Chronicle, which says that while Mr. Yeats is Irish of the Irish, ‘he uses our language as the great English poets use it,’ so that “apart altogether from the thought and temperament, anyone might think that the language was the work of one of our own great poets.” The Chronicle even goes so far as to say that “up to now Ireland has produced hardly a single post who could use English with poetic power.’ Mr. Yeats’s  t & iz a Coe Bae > Bo PI tea ee fe THE THE Winp AmonG THE Rexps (Mathews, 3s. 6d.), says Literature, ‘“‘has the remoteness, the melancholy of all postry, inspired by spiritual passion.” Maxwell Gray’s poems, THE Forest CHare. (Heine- mann, 5s.), are described by Literature as “ healthy, cheerful, and sometimes old-fashioned in their subjects,” and ‘“‘ well worth perusal by all who are seeking among our modern bards a singer who has a true ear for melody and is wholly free from affectations.” Tus PuHinirprines AND Rotunp Asout, by Major G. J. Younghusband, who visited the islands during the war (Macmillan, 8s. 6d. net), contains ‘‘a deal of valuable facts and sound reflections,’ says the Spectator; “ a very amusing book,” says the Times; presenting, according to the Datly Chronicle, the chain of events in the Philippine drama “ skilfully, interestingly, and usefully.” HoLLAND AND THE HOLLANDERS, by D. S. Meldrum, (Blackwood, 6s.), “is just the kind of book that every visitor should read before he goes,” says the Daily New: ; will prove to the intelligent tourist, according to Literature, an invaluable supplement to Motley and Baedeker, * giving a clear and vivid picture of the Holland of to-day, a detailed account of the fight against the invading waters, and of the life of the people in every class of society.” Mrs. Archibald Little’s IntTImMAtTz CuinaA (Hutchinson, 21s.) is described by the Chronicle as ‘‘a graphic word- picture of the doomed race.” “The very perfection of a guide book” is how the Daily Telegraph describes Highways AND Byways IN DONEGAL AND ANTRIM, by Stephen Gwynn (Macmillan, 6s.), which Literature cannot recommend as a guide book per se. “ But we do recommend the tourist to read it before he starts; it will provide him with plenty of information and enjoyment, especially if he reads it at a table.” Tue Baru Roap, by Charles G. Harper (Chapman, 12s.), “is full of interesting material, and bubbles over with good spirits,” says the Telegraph; “an eminently readable book and handsomely illustrated,’ says the Spectator. Tue TEMPERANCE PROBLEM AND SociaL REFORM, by Joseph Rowntree and Arthur Sherwell (Hodder and Stough- ton, 6s.). Literature does not remember seeing any state- ment so intelligently put of the bearing of the drink question on general social conditions asin this book. “ The elimination of private profit is, broadly speaking, the object which the authors have in view, and their facts and sugges- tions should certainly be in the hands not only of social reformers but of all electors who wish to form a judgment on the subject.” Fiy Fisuina, by Sir Edward Grey (Dent, 7s. 6d. net), is a modern book on trout fishing which gives the Daily Chronicle “ unqualified delight.” It is described by Litera- ture as “a collection of notes, disciplined under various headings, and of autobiographical reminiscences, told with unaffected and wholly inoffensive egoism by one whose eyes and ears are quick to observe rural sights and sounds.” The Spectator finds the charm of the book “ in the skill the author shows in recalling the detail of pleasent sensations.” In Mr. G. A. B. Dewar’s SourH Country Trour Srreams (Lawrence and Bullen, 5s.) Literature says that the information about expenses may be found a little meagre,-but otherwise the author provides the angler with ‘all he needs to know as to the rivers of the southern counties.” : GoLF AND GOLFERS; by Horace Hutchinson (Longmans, 18s. net.), is “ a very fine book,” says the Chronicle, and the AUTHOR. 24 Times says itis of the kind of book about golf that is ‘‘ made to be read with pleasure and studied with profit.” Our GARDENS, by Dean Hole (Dent, 7s. 6d. net.).—‘‘When Dean Hole speaks of gardens, all who love them pause to hear,” observes the Daily Chronicle, while the Duily Telegraph calls it a “ most pleasant” book of essays. Sir John Lubbock’s book “ On Bups AND STIPULES” (Kegan Paul, 5s.) discusses the question: Why have some of the Rock Roses (Helianthemum) stipules while others have not? This leads him on, says Literature, “to interesting matter about the construction of buds and the other functions of stipules.” Mr. Grant Allen’s novel Miss CAyugeYy’s ADVENTURES (Richards, 6s.) is praised by the Spectator, which wonders ‘“‘ what terrible literary penance Mr. Grant Allen will enjoin on himself for this uncompromising concession to conven- tional sentiment and orthodox morality.” The Telegraph thinks that ‘“‘in the charming, clever and original’ Miss Lois Cayley, Mr. Grant Allen has done much to reconcile us to the New Woman, and adds that through all the adven- tures runs “ a very pretty love story of devotion, endurance and trast which is good in a prosaic and sceptical age”’; while the Daily Chronicle describes this story of a Girton girl as “‘a very amusing book, written with much bright- ness.” Mr. Crockett’s novel, THz Buack Douauas (Smith, Elder, and Co., 63.), is said by Literature to be picturesque, and there is “‘no reason why it should not be as popular at the libraries as any of its predecessors” from the same hand. Criticisinz ON THE EpGEr oF THE Empire, by Edgar Jepson and Captain D. Beames (Heinemann, 6s.), the Telegraph says that to the average Englishman the Pathan and the Sikh are still unknown quantities, peculiar baings surrounded with mystery and misconception, and that this fact will lead many people to real these tales, which are “of extreme interest, vivid, descriptive, and unique in originality and attractiveness.”’ A Mopgern Mercenary, by K. and Hesketh Prichard (Smith, Elder, and Co., 6s.), contains, says the Chronicle, some excellent character drawing, and is on the whole “a bright and credible story.” Raaeep Lapy, by W. D. Howells (Harper, 6s.), is “ the portrayal of a group of normal, or at any rate ordinary New Englanders, mostly middle class in station, simple in their pleasures, and ingenuous in their speech’’; it has in full measure, says the Spectator, ‘‘ the sovereign qualities of fascination and distinction,” and is a delightfully wholesome and engaging romance. The Chronicle notes that “the habit of elaborately analysing the trivial is growing upon Mr. Howells,” but he is a master of the trick, and the work of a man who isa master of anything must always be worth reading.” THe Awkwarp AGE, by Henry James (Heinemann, 6:.). The Spectator regrets to see Mr. James “ carrying into practice that misguided opinion, by which somany modern writers of fiction are obviously actuated, that normal and wholesome themes being exhausted, a novelist can only disp'ay originality or achieve artistic results inthe delinea- tio. ui the detestable.” The Telegraph describes it as a story of the modern life of modern people who seem to have no gooi instincts at all. They are smart and selfish and scheming. “Bat it has a great charm” ; “ the people are real and have personalities, though they are so unpleasant.” The Daily News says “it requires a@ severe mental wrestle to follow the story”; the Chronicle says that Mr, Henry James “gets cleverer and still more him “at his most subtly clever”; while Literature sees 28 psychological, at his most overwhelmingly copious, at his most exasperatingly deliberate.” Tur Passtnc oF Prince Rozan, by John Bickerdyke (Burleigh, 6s.), the romance of a swindler on the Stock Exchange, the Spectator says, has “at least the qualities of animation and excitement.”’ In Anne MAULEVERER (Methuen, 6s.) “ Iota” (Mrs. Mannington Caffyn), has contrived, says the Chronicle, “to leave with us a most delectable addition to the heroines in modern fiction—no one will want to miss a word of the book—and she has established herself, in our view, as one of the leading women novelists of the day,” while the Spec- tator says that if it is impossible to commend the novel “ag an elevating or entertaining study of humanity, as a storehouse of eccentric, affected, spasmodic and extra- yvagant modes of expression it should prove invaluable to the student of literary degeneracy.” On THE EncE oF A Precrpicn, by Mary Angela Dickens (Hutchinson, 6s.), is a story of suspended memory ina beautiful girl, who while in this state exactly reproduces the fine tragic acting taught her by an evil and ugly friend. The hero, having been in love with the former all through, on her recovering her memory and identity marries the female villain. ‘‘ Miss Dickens writes with ease and fluency,” says the Spectator, “ but the novel will not add to her reputation.” The Telegraph considers ita ‘clever romance,” and the Chronicle says there is in it “a sound exciting bit of drama for those who like a book ‘with a spine to it.’ ” Racueu, by Jane H. Findlater (Methuen, 6s.), a story “ full of pathos and real human feeling” (Telegraph) is “a clever and interesting piece of work,” says Literature, by one possessing “a faculty of creating out of simple materials a powerful and abiding impression.” pect OBITUARY. R. JOSEPH ARTHUR GIBBS, author of “A Cotswold Village,” died suddenly on May 13 from failure of the heart after an operation. Mr. Gibbs was only thirty-one. He was educated at Eton and Christchurch, Oxford, and began in literature with some notable articles on the laying down of cricket grounds, which appeared in the Field and afterwards in book form. “A Cotswold Village,” which will be remembered as one of last season’s successful books, is a delightful picture of English country life. Mrs. Emma Marshall, the well-known writer of historical novels for girls, died at her residence at Clifton, aged seventy. Mrs. Marshall used to say, “At least I have never written a line that could do anyone any harm.” Her novels were usually written around the character of a historical personage, “ Penshurst Castle,’ for instance, being associated with Sir Philip Sidney, and “Under the Dome of St. Paul’s” with Sir Christopher Wren. Among others of her many works may be mentioned ‘ Winchester Meads,’ THE AUTHOR. “In Edward Colston’s Days,’ “ Bristol Dia- monds,” and “Under Salisbury Spire.” Mrs. Marshall had been ill for seven weeks; an attack of influenza developed, as so often happens, into pneumonia, which proved fatal on May 4. Mr. Benjamin Vincent, who died at the age of eighty-seven, was for forty years librarian of the Royal Institution, and for many years edited Haydn’s Dictionaries of Dates and Biographies. He was a friend and a relative of Faraday. Mr. Charles Henry Coote, of the British Museum, who died on April 30, was a first autho- rity on old maps, and among other literary work, in 1886, with Mr. E. Delinar Morgan, he prepared for the Hakluyt Society “Harly Voyages and Travels to Russia and Persia.” He contributed many articles to the ninth edition of the “ Encyclopedia Britannica,’ and to the “ Dic- tionary of National Biography.” “THE AUTHOR.” SCALE FOR ADVERTISEMENTS. Front Page Other Pages Half of a Page ... Quarter of a Page Eighth of a Page Ray Single Column Advertisements Bills for Insertion se £& 0 we 8 0 we 110 see we 0 15 “ Dig perinch 0 6 wae ene eS per 2000 3 0 Reductions made for a Series of Six or Twelve Insertions. All letters respecting Advertisements should be addressed to the ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER, The Author Office, 4, Portugal-street, London, W.C. Mr. Jj. Eveleigh Nash, LITERARY AGENT, AMBERLEY HOUSE, NORFOLK STREET, STRAND, W.C. TlYPEHwRITING. (NEW MACHINE.) AUTHORS’ MSS., &., TYPED WITH PROMPTNESS AND CARE. From is. per 1000 words inclusive, Circulars, Commercial, Medical, or Clerical, duplicated. References, Strictest secrecy. MSS. kept in Fire-proof Safe. Address C. HENRY, care of A. MOORE & CO.,, 34, CHARLES STREET, LEICESTER. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Author, Vol. 10 Issue 01 (June 1899) Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em>, Vol. 10 Issue 01 (June 1899) Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1899-06-01-The-Author-10-1 publications The Author https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/464/1899-07-01-The-Author-10-2.pdf 79d0a292ada0d9a03647969b36b8bccb PDF Text Text ���������������������������� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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) 1899-07-01 Volume 10 Issue 2 Pages Page range in volume 29–56 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 18990701 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin The Author. (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vou. X.—No. 2.] JULY 1, 1899. [Prick 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. =o a 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 should be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent 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. Dos GENERAL MEMORANDA. ERE are a few standing rules to be observed in an agreement. There are three methods of dealing with literary property :— J. 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. Il. A PROFIT-SHARING AGREEMENT. In this case the following rules should be attended to : (1.) Not to sign any agreement in which the cost 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 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. (§.) Not to give up serial or translation rights. (6.) Not to bind yourself for future work to any publisher. VOL. X. As well bind yourself for the future to any one solicitor or doctor ! (7.) To stamp the agreement. Ill. THE ROYALTY SYSTEM. It is above all things necessary to know what the proposed royalty means to both sides. 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.” The four main 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 there shall be no charge for advertisements in the publisher's own organs and none for exchanged advertisements. pecs HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. Le VERY member has a right to ask for and to receive advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his 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 Committee will obtain for him Counsel’s opinion. All this without any cost to the member. 2. Remember that questions connected with copyright and publisher’s agreements do not generally fall within the experience of ordinary solicitors. Therefore, do not scruple to use the Society. 3. Send to the Office copies of past agreements and past accounts with the loan of the books represented. The Secretary will always be glad to have any agreements, new or old, for inspection and note. The information thus obtained may prove invaluable. 4. Before signing any agreement whatever, send the pro- posed document to the Society for examination. 5. Remember always that in belonging to the Society you are fighting the battles of other writers, even if you are p 2 30 reaping no benefit to yourself, and that you are advancing the best interests of literature in promoting the indepen- dence of the writer. 6. 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. ES THE READING BRANCH. EMBERS will greatly assist the Society in this f branch of their work by informing young writers of its existence. Their MSS. can be read and treated as a composition is treated by a coach. The Readers are writers of competence and experience. The fee is one guinea. OO iio NOTICES. 1; 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 6s. 6d. subscription for the year. Communications for The Author should be addressed to the Offices of the Society, 4, Portugal-street, Lincoln’s-inn Fields, W.C., and should reach the Editor not later than the 2ist of each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to communicate to the Editor any points connected with their work which it would be advisable in the general interest to publish. The present location of the Authors’ Club is at 3, White- hall-court, Charing Cross. Address the Secretary for information, rules of admission, &c. FROM THE COMMITTEE. NE hundred and eight new members have been elected to the Society during the current year, thirty-one being elected at the meeting of the Committee held in June. This number is very satisfactory, showing no decrease on the amount of the elections at this time last year. Some notice has been given in the papers that an arrangement has been attempted by the Pub- lishers’ Association, and adopted by some book- sellers, for the placing of high-priced books on the market at net prices. Authors signing agree- THE AUTHOR. ments in the future should therefore carefully look to this point, and should have it clearly stated in their arrangements as to whether the book is to be published net or with the usual discounts, for if the book is published net the publisher receives a larger price from the book- sellers, and the author must therefore receive a proportionately larger royalty. G. H. T. a ee LITERARY PROPERTY. T.—Kiperuine v. Putnam. M RUDYARD KIPLING has raised an action in the United States Circuit Court which involves a question of deep interest to authors. He suesG. P. Putnam’s Sons, D. Appleton and Co., Doubleday and McClure Co., Charles Scribner’s Sons, and the Century Com- pany, to recover damages sustained by alleged infringements of copyrights. All but GP. Putnam’s Sons have been notified that they are only technical defendants. I, MR. RUDYARD KIPLING’S STATEMENT. Srr,—Would you spare me a little space to set out the details of a difference which has arisen between myself and Messrs. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, of New York? My excuse for troubling you is that the case may be of interest alike to English and American authors as directly affecting their control of their own works. By arrangement with Messrs. D. Appleton and Co., The Century Company, The Doubleday and McClure Company, and until lately also with The Macmillan Company (all of New York), each of these houses has published certain of my books. In 1896 Messrs. Charles Scribner’s Sons under- took the publication of an edition of my works, which was necessarily carried out with the con- currence of the other authorised publishers. It is known as the “ Outward Bound Edition,” and by agreement with my other publishers may be sold only by subscription. I have written a special introduction for it and re-arranged the stories; Mr. John Lockwood Kipling designed for it a number of illustrations; and he also ~ designed for the cover, as a sign of my personal authentication or trade mark, the representation of an elephant’s head. a The “Outward Bound” Edition had this spring progressed to twelve volumes, and part of my work in America was to carry it-forward. On Saturday, March 11, there ‘appeared in an evening paper in New York City a conspicuous advertisement as follows :—  THE AUTHOR. 31 ! Rudyard Kipling’s Works. BRUSHWOOD EDITION. 15 Volumes Including General Index. {The Brushwood Edition is by far the most Complete Collected Edition of Kipling’s Works, and contains 17 Notable Stories and 51 Poems not in any other collected edition. It also includes A KEN OF KIPLING By Will M. Clemens. Containing an account of Kipling’s career, an appreciation of his work, some good anecdotes, a new portrait in photogravure, and two other illustrations. 15 vols., large 12°, Cloth xtra ..........csssscsesereeseeceeeneosenees Full buckram, leather labels, bevelled boari . Walt Galt extra, RilCtOps <i... ..sccssscccousorsveress Three-quarters calf extra........... ue Three-quarters crushed levant .........:cscccscssercensessenseeess nett $60.00 For sale only in the Retail Departments of G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 27 West 23d Street, N.Y., and E. P. Dutton & Co., 31, West 23d St., N.Y. On Monday morning, March 13, this advertise- ment came to the attention of Mr. Charles Scribner, who at once called upon Mr. George Haven Putnam, and protested against the enter- prise. On March 13 and 14, Mr. George H. Putnam wrote two long letters to Mr. Scribner in defence of the so-called Brushwood Edition. In the course of these letters Mr. George Haven Putnam wrote: “The question that has arisen between your house and the management of our retail department, for the action of which, of course, our firm assumes the full measure of responsibility, impresses me as by no means as simple as it seems to you. There are various complexities in it which it may be easier to see through clearly when there are more precedents. After receiving your note this afternoon I put the question before Mr. who took precisely that ground. It seemed to him that there were a good many matters to be considered in the question, and it was one of business ethics for which a simple and final answer was by no means easy.” In reply to this letter Mr. Charles Scribner wrote on March 15: “Dear Putnam,—l note your statement that you have placed the Kipling question before Mr. — , and that you report ‘he took precisely the same ground that you did.’ I have never claimed the question was free from complexities, most questions have them. Nor do I object to your securing sheets from the various . authorised publishers of Mr. Kipling’s books and binding them up for sale in your retail department, but I think you should confer with the author before you announce an edition of his works under a new title with a new index speci- ally prepared, and witha biographical or critical addition. And Lthink, too, that the manner of announcing your edition was particularly objec- tionable.” On investigating the “edition,” which was named from a story of mine—The Brushwood Boy—we found that it was made up in part of sheets obtained from some of my authorised publishers; that it included also some verses which I had not authorised to be published in any of my books; it included also sheets of a volume entitled “ Departmental Ditties, Barrack Room Ballads, and other Verses,” with the im- print of a firm which I had not authorised to publish this or any other book of mine ; also sheets of a book which I had not written or even seen. To these had been added some forty pages of titles and lines copied out of my books and arranged under the designation “Index to the Works of Rudyard Kipling: Brushwood Edition.” These sheets had been bound up into volumes. On the back of each volume was the name “Rudyard Kipling”; an elephant’s head in a circular design of the exact size of the elephant’s head on the cover of the “ Outward Bound” Edition, and a volume number. Upon the front of the covers there was again the elephant’s head, and a facsimile of my autograph. They were put up in a box labelled “Rudyard Kipling—Brushwood Edition.” In this connection it is interesting to remember that Mr. George Haven Putnam, in an interview with the Daily Chronicle, stated explicitly that it was not an edition, but “merely you had an harmonious binding.” I could see nothing about the books, or the box, or the advertisement to suggest that this enterprise was without my consent, or was not fully authorised by me. It seemed to me that this “edition” directly traversed my right to select my own publisher ; and that by placing a facsimile of my autograph 32 THE and an imitation of my elephant’s head on books not authorised or even seen by me, Messrs. G. P. Putnam’s Sons had given a false air of authen- ticity to their enterprise. ‘Also, there were the questions relating to the many purchasers of the “ Outward Bound” Edition and of the other authorised books. It would appear, on the one hand, that my “ Outward Bound ” Edition had been superseded, and on the other, that I was party to a scheme for issuing my well-known trade books with other matter which had never been authorised, under different covers as a new edition, and a more complete edition than that of Messrs. Scribners’. To give a few illustrations in this regard. Thirteen of the ‘ seventeen notable stories not in any other collected edition,” as the advertisement is so careful to point out, are secured by the inclusion of a book called “The Day’s Work,” published last autumn by Messrs. Doubleday and McClure, which in the ordinary course of events could not appear in my “ Outward Bound ” edition till June. Indeed, Mr. G. H. Putnam, in a letter of March 13 to Mr. Charles Scribner, admits that hisset “has the temporary advantage over your own handsome edition of containing the stories com- prised in the new Doubleday volume which are later, we understand, to be included in your own set.” The advantage is somewhat pronounced, when you consider that, under the terms of agree- ment with my various publishers, I could not pass a book into my “Outward Bound” edition until after the lapse of a year or thereabouts. Messrs. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, however, purchase unbound sheets of the ordinary edition of “ The Day’s Work” and make them a special feature of their Brushwood “edition.” As that volume appears with my autograph in facsimile outside, and with the elephant’s head, subscribers to the “ Outward Bound” edition, who would have to wait till June or later for their “Day’s Work,” might justly think that I was not dealing fairly with them. It seems to me that this matter touches publishers as well as authors. So far as I can make out from the “ Index to the Works of Rudyard Kipling, Brushwood Edition,” compiled and prepared by Messrs. G. P. Putnam’s Sons on their own responsibility, forty-nine of the fifty-one poems “not in any other collected edition,” are secured by the inclusion of a volume of verse called ‘“‘ Depart- mental Ditties, Barrack Room Ballads, and Other Verses,” purchased by Messrs. Putnam from a firm which is not authorised to publish any of my books. This volume includes about a dozen “ Barrack Room Ballads,” all of which are duly bound up under my facsimile autograph and elephant’s head asa volume of the Brushwood AUTHOR. “edition.” But Messrs. Macmillan’s authorised edition of my ballads and “Barrack Room Ballads” (another of Messrs. Putnam’s pur- chases and another volume of their “ edition”) naturally includes the same “Barrack Room Ballads.’ In the “Index to the Works of Rudyard Kipling, Brushwood Edition ” they are duly indexed twice over, with the explanatory note, “A few of the poems appear in two different volumes.” We come now to the two poems that make up the tale of fifty-one ; and here we are rewarded by one little touch of humour. In 1896 I published with Messrs. Appleton in New York a volume of verse called “The Seven Seas.” It was there- fore something of a surprise to me to dis- cover in 1899, at the end of “The Seven Seas,” two poems called “The Vampire” and “ Reces- sional.” “The Vampire” was adorned with a sort of blood-red title-page, and the reproduction of a picture, together with an equally blood-red autograph in facsimile. ‘“ Recessional” was not illustrated. Now, the one poem was written in 1898 and the other in 1897. They were both uncopyrighted; and there was nothing in the world to prevent Messrs. G. P. Putnam’s Sons from publishing and selling them, with or with- out illustrations, as many American publishers have done. But this firm preferred to smuggle them between the pages of a brother-publisher’s copyrighted book ! This would seem to establish the precedent that any retail bookseller may add to any volume of any author, after any lapse of time, such stray matter as in that bookseller’s opimion may temporarily increase the interest of the book to the vendor’s immediate pecuniary advantage and to the discredit of the author and his legitimate publisher. This, again, seems a point of interest both to authors and publishers. To continue the story. A few days after we had seen the “edition,” Mr. W. W. Appleton called, and it was intimated to him that we wished to stop the publication. He asked as a personal favour to be permitted to write to Mr. G. H. Putnam, which was agreed to. Mr. Appleton wrote on March 23, calling his attention to my special objections. On March 25 Mr. G. H. Putnam wrote a long letter of argument to Mr. Appleton, discussing the questions in detail. On March 25 Mr. G. H. Putnam wrote a long letter of argument defending the “ Brushwood Edition ” item by item to Mrs. Kipling. These letters to Mr. Scribner, Mr. Appleton, and Mrs. Kipling would fill about two columns of an ordinary newspaper. It appeared from them that the so-called “ Brushwood Edition” was not completed on Monday, March 13, when Mr.  THE AUTHOR. 33 Scribner protested against the enterprise, and also that Mr. Putnam knew that we were carry- ing forward the “ Outward Bound ” Edition. The objections that had been made to Mr. Putnam were that without the consent of the author he had practically published a new edition of his works under a new title, with a new index specially prepared and with additions; and specifi- cally we objected to the method of advertising, to the inclusion in an’ edition of my works of the volume of ‘Departmental Ditties, Barrack Room Ballads, and Other Verses,’ and of the matter which I had not written, and to the use of the elephant’s head and the facsimile of my autograph. Seeing that I could make no progress, I instructed my counsel, Mr. Gurlitz, who had been looking into the matter, to request that the “edition” be withdrawn. This was demanded by him substantially upon the ground of Mr. Scribner’s protest, and he referred Messrs. G. P. Putnam’s Sons to the letters written by Mr. G. H. Putnam to Mr. Appleton and Mrs. Kipling. In response to this letter Messrs. Putnam’s counsel called upon Mr. Gurlitz and the whole matter was discussed from its legal side, the books were produced, and each volume was examined, each item of objection discussed. We had learned of the unauthorised inclusion of two of my poems in “The Seven Seas” and in the index of that book which G. P. Putnam’s Sons admit having prepared. After some discussion Messrs. G. P. Putnam’s Sons insisted in sub- stance that they were acting within their rights, and on April 4 suggested a reference with an implication that was unsatisfactory. However, if the suggestion had been made on March 13, when Mr. Scribner first protested, and if the publication had been suspended until a decision had been come to, it might have been considered. But instead of heeding Mr. Scribner’s protest, which, it will be remembered, included a direct objection to the manner in which the “ edition x was advertised, the Brushwood “edition” was advertised again and again in the papers, and also in the Putnam show-window, where a large sign was displayed with the words: RUDYARD KIPLING’S COMPLETE WORKS. BRUSHWOOD EDITION. It was not in any sense “complete.” It did not contain “‘ Pharoah and the Sergeant,” ‘‘ The Truce of the Bear,” “The White Man’s Burden,” and a number of other writings which had then been published. We had nearly concluded to bring action when an intimation was received through Mr. Appleton that Messrs. G. P. Putnam desired to see Mr. Watt, my business agent, who had come over to New York specially to aid me in suppress- ing unauthorised publications. Heping there had been a change of purpose, proceedings were suspended, and Mr. Watt called and saw Mr. Irving Putnam. Mr. Watt was familiar with the questions involved, and after his interview reported that he had listened to substantially the same matter which had already been discussed in the Putnam letters. Under date of April 21 he received a letter from Mr. Irving Putnam to the effect that Mr. Putnam had noted briefly the various points which he had gone over at the interview. This was accompanied by a long memorandum of twelve numbered paragraphs. It added nothing new to the situation except the facts that the index had been prepared by Messrs. Putnams, and that the matter in Volume XV.—a collection of newspaper para- graphs about myself—had been “ added in order to make, with the Index, bulk enough for a volume.” I understand that Messrs. Putnam’s object was to get bulk enough for a fifteen-volume edition. Our efforts, extending over some six weeks, to get the “ Brushwood Edition” withdrawn with- out legal proceedings having failed, action was commenced on April 22. On April 23, statements purporting to come from the Messrs. Putnam were published broad- cast in the New York Press. These were to the effect that they were in the dark as to the suit ; that Mr. Kipling’s attorney would make no explanation. ‘We tried for three weeks to get specifications from Mr. Kipling, but they were refused,” &¢. Since then other statements of a similar character have appeared. It has also been said that I demanded the payment of heavy damages. Nothing of the kind occurred. No one ever applied to me for any specifications whatever, but on the contrary, commencing with the morning of March 13, which was the first business day after the announcement of the ‘ Brushwood Edition,” Mr. Scribner stated our objections to Mr. G. H. Putnam. On March 23, Mr. Appleton went into the details of our objections; on March 25 Mr. G. H. Putnam defended the “Brushwood Edition” to Mrs. Kipling item by item; on March 30, the counsel of the respective parties went over the matter again, item by item, from the legal aspect; the whole subject was fully dis- cussed for six weeks in voluminous writings and by word of mouth. At any time between March 13 and April 22 a settlement could have been made if a settlement had been desired by Messrs. Putnam. The ques- tion of damages did not become a practical one,  34 because Messrs. Putnam refused to withdraw the so-called “Brushwood Edition,’ and refused to inform us of the number which they had pub- lished and sold. Here, then, my case against Messrs. Putnam rests : They have, under cover of following the routine of their trade, produced an incomplete set of books, which they wish the public to accept as a complete edition of my books. They have attempted—both by the title that they selected for their “edition,” and by placing on every volume my autograph in facsimile, and an imitation of the elephant’s head which is the distinguishing mark of my “ Outward Bound ” edition—to make the public believe that their venture had my sanction. They have used in part matter written and authorised by me; in part matter written but not authorised ; in part matter neither written nor authorised nor ever seen by me. They have appropriated copyright material for their own uses in their specially prepared index. They have tampered with a copyrighted book three years after publication. They have made me responsible before a public, to whom I do peculiarly owe my best and most honest work, for an egregious, padded fake. And all these things they did—taking advantage of that public’s interest in my illness—when I lay at the point of death. I do not see how I can permit their action to pass without challenge. It establishes too many precedents which will do evil to the honour and integrity of the profession that, so far, has given me countenance and profit. Rupyarp Kipxine. II. MR. IRVING PUTNAM’S STATEMENT. The Putnams say they are not conscious that they have infringed in any manner Mr. Kipling’s rights; their retail department simply purchased sheets of his copyright books published by all the defendants named, except Messrs. Scribner, and bound them in various styles of leather binding. These works, while uniform in exterior, preserved inside the material just as issued by Mr. Kipling’s authorised publishers, with the original title-pages and imprints. To make a set of a certain number of volumes Will M. Clemens’s “ Ken of Kipling,” and other Kiplingiana, and an index were added. The whole was advertised as the ‘“ Brushwood Edition,” and was marketed jointly by the retail departments of G. P. Putnam’s Sons and E. P. Dutton and Co. Mr. Irving Putnam, the head of the retail department of G. P. Putnam’s Sons, has given an account of the matter to a repre- THE AUTHOR. sentative of the New York Tribune. some of his statements :— The trouble probably lies—although I do not see that we have done any wrong there—in our custom of buying unbound from Mr. Kipling’s publishers the printed sheets of his works and then binding them ourselves and selling them. Our retail shop, in conjunction with our neighbour E. P. Dutton and Co., bought from the several publishers of his works a number of copies of each of his different books as follows: Copies of seven different works from the Macmillan Company, three from the Century Company, two from D. Appleton and Co., and one from the Doubleday and McClure Company. We bought these printed sheets in unbound form and put our own covers on them—an ordi- nary custom in the book business from time immemorial. These books are in each case the authorised copyright edition, and Mr. Kipling presumably gets royalty on each copy sold. There is one book of his called ‘‘ Departmental Ditties,” consisting of his earlier Indian poems, which for some reason he does not seem to wish to perpetuate. We knew nothing of this feeling when we bought the books. Of this work there is no authorised copyright edition, but it happens to be material that the public thinks most highly of. This is not included in the Outward Bound edition published by Charles Scribner’s Sons, and especially selected and compiled by himself, and we thought it a good stroke of business to include in our complete collected edition. If we had known of the author’s reluctance to have these’ poems perpetuated we would perhaps not have included them, out of principles of comity and courtesy, but we have never received such an intimation from the author. These poems happen to constitute one of the most popular of his books, and in form of various editions have been im the market for eight years. As there is no author’s copy- righted edition we bought the best available edition possible—that published by Henry T. Coates and Co., Philadelphia. These several sheets we bound up in various styles of cloth and leather binding, making a collection that was uniform in exterior, but preserving the material just as published, together with the title-pages and imprints of the several publishers. We learned only incidentally that Mr. Kipling objected to this collection, and we have been vainly trying ever since to find out in what particular he con- sidered himself wronged. . . . Our lawyer wrote to Mr. Kipling’s counsel, and received a letter from Mr. Gurlitz stating that his client was “righteously indignant” over our ‘appropriation of his property,” and that the only possible settlement was on the basis of a withdrawal of the books for sale, an accounting to Mr. Kipling, and substantial damages week e ‘‘We have published nothing,” Mr. Irving Putnam repeats, “but have simply, as retail booksellers, bound editions published by other houses. Mr. Kipling is therefore, through his agents, the Macmillan Company and others, selling us material and taking our money on the one hand, while at the same time saying, on the other hand, ‘Don’t you sell it.’ In our binding, printing, and insignia and titles of different sorts we have infringed no rights of trade marks or copyright, so that I don’t yet see where the action lies either legally or reasonably.” We quote  THE AUTHOR. 3 Il.—Tue PusLisHER AND THE AGENT. Owing to the constantly renewed endeavour of publishers to obtain control of outside markets on a profit-sharing arrangement it is necessary once more to call the attention of authors to the dangers of the position. In the first place pub- lishers are not literary agents. This work is not primarily their business. They are the authors’ agents for the publication of their books only. Two points follow from this, one that a great majority of publishers have not the same facili- ties either as authors themselves or authors’ agents; and two, those publishers that have these facilities use them for the purpose of their own pecuniary advantage to the detriment of the authors. The words “ outside rights” have been used in the sentence above. It is necessary to explain them as this article deals practically with “outside rights ” only. The author can divide his property up into many rights. The chief of these are as follows: Serial rights in England. Serial rights in America. Serial rights in the Colonies. Book production in England. Book production in America. Book production in the Colonies. Continental rights in English. Translation rights in the different countries under the Berne Convention, and in some cases Dramatic rights. Now, the English publisher ought to deal only with the publication of the book in England, and perhaps its colonies and dependencies. Under many forms of agreement put forward by the best houses in London the publisher asks for all the other rights enumerated beyond the publication of the book as above referred to. These other rights are termed here, for the sake of convenience, ‘ outside rights.” It has been stated that the majority of pub- lishers have not the same facilities for placing these outside rights. It isa fact that they are not in touch with the editors of magazines like an author’s agent. ‘They cannot diagnose what stories certain magazines may desire at certain times like authors’ agents, or even like the authors themselves. They have not the possibilities of placing these rights that frequently come to an agent of recognised position. _ But it should be pointed out in the second place, that in many cases the publisher’s interest is antagonistic to the author’s interest in securing a financial return for these rights, and this is especially the case with regard to the American market. It very frequently does not pay the publisher to go to the trouble of securing American copyright for an author when he has VOL. &. car control of the American market, but pays him much better to sell sheets that have been printed in England, or stereos that have been manufactured here, on terms which are not invariably fully disclosed. In consequence he will rather take this latter step and obtain 50 per cent. of the net profits from the author than move on the author’s behalf to obtain the American copyright. In the third place, this great difficulty should be pointed out, that when an author is receiving a royalty on the publication in England, it is a mistake to mix up with such royalty agreement a share profit arrangement for the sale of rights to either the Colonies or America, for it has not in- frequently happened that the publishers holding an agreement on this basis have failed to obtain the American copyright, and have then sold a large set of sheets to America, charging against such sheets (if the number happened to be half the amount printed) a half also of the cost of composition. As the author’s royalty is being paid on the understanding that the cost of composition is charged against the English edition, it is not fair that half the cost of compo- sition should then be charged against the American or Colonial edition. The cost of machining and paper alone should be charged against these editions. Not long ago a case came before the Society worked out on the basis pointed out above, in which the sale showed no profits whatever—that is, of course, as far as the author was concerned. The fourth point, and by far the most impor- tant point, is the following: that the publisher generally asks for half profits on American rights, that is, 50 per cent. of the profits, whereas an author’s agent for doing the same work asks 10, and, at the outside, 20 per cent. This point has been put forward in The Author already on two or three different occasions, and it was shown that over a large series of agree- ments the lowest a publisher asked was 25 per cent.; so that it cannot possibly be to the advan- tage of an author to place these rights in the hands of a publisher on the terms they generally quote. It may be the case, however, that American publishers refuse to take matter from an author direct or through an author’s agent, when they will accept an offer from a publisher in England which may be arranged to the mutual benefit of the American and English publisher. Tf this is the case, and if it should happen that the publishers are endeavouring to make a close ring, the point for the Authors’ Society to aim at is to erect publishers in America who will stand outside such a ring. This will not be a difficult thing to manage, as the control of the market E 56 THE o can never lie with the publisher, but must finally lie in the author’s own hands. t+. H TI] —A New Yorx AcEncy. A prospectus has come to the offices of the Society from the International Press Association Literary Syndicate and Agency of New York and London, 114, Fifth-avenue, New York. The name of one of the directors is Mr. Charles F, Rideal, Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature of Great Britain, author of “ Wellerisms,” “People we Meet,” “Charles Dickens’ Heroines and Women Folk,” editor of “ American Men of the. Time,” “American Women of the Time,” formerly editor of Life, The Magazine and Book Review (England), &c., and he is assisted by an < experienced staff.” This Mr. Charles F. Rideal is apparently the gentleman who was for some years manager of the Roxburghe Press, that held its offices at 15, Victoria-street, S.W. To members of the Society and other persons interested, therefore, this notification will be amply sufficient. IV.—A Sone AGREEMENT: witH NoTEs. [Norrce.—In all cases in which publishers’ agreements are printed and commented on in The Author a copy of the paper will henceforth be sent to the firm concerned, accompanied by a letter drawing their attention to the comments and offer- ing them the opportunity of making any reply in The Author in case they should desire to do so.] (coPY.) This indenture made the day of one thousand eight hundred and between of (hereinafter called the vendor), of the one part, and in the county of music publishers for themselves, and ¢o-partners in the firm of (hereinafter called the purchasers) of the other part. Witnesseth that, in consideration of the sum of pence for every copy to be published and sold by the purchasers (except one copy im seven, according to the usual trade custom, and except to copies sent to the United States of America and Canada, for which only half the above sum is to be paid per copy), to be paid by the purchasers to the vendor so long as the copyright shall last for the absolute purchase of the copyright and rights of publication, representation and perform- ance, and all other the rights, property, and interests intended to be hereby assigned, he, the vendor, as beneficial owner, doth hereby assign unto the purchasers all the copyright and right of publication, representation, performance of him, the vendor, of and in the musical com- AUTHOR. positions or works specified in the schedule here- under written, including the title and words thereof for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, including the Channel Islands and its colonies and dependencies, and for all foreign countries. And all other property, rights, and interests, whether at law or in equity of him the yendor, therein or thereto, to hold the same unto the purchasers for their absolute property. And the purchasers hereby covenant with the vendor that the purchasers will cause to be entered into proper books to be kept by them a true account of all copies of the said compositions sold by them, and allow such account to be inspected at all reasonable times by the vendor, and will pay, or cause to be paid, to the vendor the aforesaid sum of pence for each copy (except as and subject to reduction above men- tioned) on or about the first day of January in each year so long as the copyright shall last. In witness whereof the said parties to these presents have hereunto set their hands and seals the day and year first above written. The schedule above referred to. The agreement printed above is an agreement for the publication of a song. Music, like the Drama, has two distinct rights,—the right. of production in printed form and the performing right. Tn the drama the performing right as a rule is the most remunerative. With regard to music certain songs, like music hall songs, theatre songs, &c., are more remunerative on account of their performing right, though sometimes both rights bring in considérable sums, and other songs (ballads, and other pieces of “this kind) are more remunerative on account of the reproduc- tion in printed form. In any case and in any agreement that deals with property that has these two rights, the composer should consider carefully how he deals with these rights, and under no consideration should he assign his pro- perty absolutely to the publisher unless he binds the publisher by some stringent clauses to protect himself as composer. The agreement put forward above refers to a song in which the copyright (meaning the right of reproduction in printed form) was of more value than the performing right, and will be considered from this point of view. It is hardly necessary to state that the form of agreement from the author's point of view is almost as bad as it can possibly be in a case where he still retains a future benefit from the sale of his work on the royalty system, but unfortunately it not infrequently occurs that the agreements put  THE AUTHOR. 37 before composers by musical publishers are the worst possible for the composer and the best possible for the publisher. The time is come when the musical author should stand up against signing an agreement such as the one quoted. Leaving out the parties to the agreement, we see the words “every copy to be published.” There is no undertaking by the publisher that the work shall be produced, and there is no state- ment with regard to the form of its production or the price at which it is to be sold. The composer is to be paid pence on every copy sold. This might be a fair royalty if the song was produced at one price and an absolutely unfair royalty if the song was produced at another price. No doubt the publisher’s} response to a statement of this kind would be ‘“ Everyone knows the form in which a song is produced.” If this were the case there would be no harm what- ever in inserting it in the agreement. With regard to the question of royalties—it may be remembered that the cost of production of a song, in proportion to its sale price, is exceedingly small in comparison with the cost of production of a book with regard to its sale price ; in fact, the ratio is almost one to two; therefore, if an author received a royalty of 10 per cent. on a book he ought to receive a royalty of 20 per cent. on a song taking the author’s capacity as an equal factor in both cases. This point is of the greatest importance to musical authors, and cannot be too often stated. There is a further point to be considered. The royalty is not paid on every copy sold, but seven copies are reckoned as six, “ according to the usual trade custom.” This may be the usual trade custom, when seven copies are sold at a time, but the distributing agencies in the music tradeare not like the distribu- ting agencies in the book trade, and many more copies are sold at full price from the publisher’s office than there are ever sold of a book at full price from the same source. Another point: In book publication where this so-called trade custom comes in, thirteen copies are sold as twelve. Here we see a trade custom claimed of seven as six. This is a large gain to the publisher. Another point: the royalties paid in most agreements rise in proportion to the sales for the good reason that the cost of production of a second thousand is not as expensive as that of the first thousand, and if the work is produced in thousands at a time it becomes cheaper still. Here, however, there is no mention of a rising royalty. This is another substantial gain to the publisher. With regard to royalties on copies sold in the United States and Canada the amount is reduced to half, but the method of obtaining protection von. x. for musical pieces across the Atlantic is simple, as music has not by the American law to be manu- factured in America, and whereas on account of the double cost of production of books and other particulars with regard to the circulation of American literature the royalty in America varies three to five pomts per cent. below the royalties in England, on musical publication under this agreement it is to be 50 per cent. Thisfrom the composer's point of view, again, is a very bad feature. Then follows, perhaps, the most serious blot in the whole agreement from the composer’s point of view. The composer sells and transfers the copyright and performing right and all other rights in all the other countries that the pub- lisher can possibly ask for. This transfer is very dangerous, for there is nothing to prevent the publisher producing the song in other forms with alterations and adaptations as dancing music or as popular pianoforte music with variations. If he did so, and obtained a large sale for such variations or adaptations, the author might very strongly object, but would have very great difti- culty in proving a case against the publisher, his only remedy being one for damage to his reputation, about which there might be a strong diversity of opinion, the publisher holding that the increased advertisement is beneficial, the author objecting from personal grounds. It is most important, therefore, that the composer should not transfer the copyright, but should transfer only the right to publish in a specified form—that is, song form—under specified condi- tions. It is possible, for some reason or other, that the publisher might withdraw the song from the market. There is nothing to prevent him doing so, and the composer might thereby lose a certain source of income, and be unable to take any steps to compel the publisher. If the publisher holds the copyright and performing right, in case of bankruptcy those rights would be liable to go as assets of the estate, and in alien hands might be used in many ways to the disadvantage of the composer. Again, there is nothing to compel the publisher to affix the composer’s name to the pro- duction. It is improbable that the publisher would produce it without the composer’s name attached, but, when the question of copyright comes in, it is important that the composer should be guarded on all these points. Next as to the performing right. It was stated at the beginning of this article that this agreement referred to a song the chief value in which to the composer lay in the right of repro- duction. Under these circumstances, it might be argued that the performing right was of not E 2  38 much value; but in answer to this it should be stated that it is most important for the composer to retain control of this right, for if he sells the copyright, as pointed out, the publisher might produce the air in the form of dance music. Consequent on that, there might be the value of the thing as a performing right. Again, if the song became popular, the performing right (to take the ludicrous side of the question) might be of value to the organ-grinder, and the publisher might sell the right or deal with it contrary to the desire of the composer. The composer, there- fore, should certainly have control of this side of his property. There is nothing specified in the agreement by which the composer should obtain any return in case the performing right should at any time and under any circumstance become valuable. If the composer gives away a control of this right he should certainly do so for a substantial considera- tion. The annual account clause is bad. This point has repeatedly been pointed out in The A uthor. To sum up from the musical author's point of view, it is unfortunately the case that nearly all the agreements for the sale of musical compasi- tions transfer to the publisher copyright and performing right unless such compositions are specially written for the stage. “It is time that musical authors made a firm stand against selling their property in this haphazard way to publishers. If some of the better known musical authors began in the first instance to take this step they would gradually build up for them- ‘selves and their fellow composers a tower. of strength which would enable them successfully to resist these encroachments, and it is with this object in view that some of the difficulties of the agreement set forth above have been explained in detail. G. H. T. V.— INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT. The Universities of Oxford and Cambridge secured on June 13 an injunction against Messrs. Gill and Sons, publishers of educational manuals, who exhibited the results of the Revised Version of the Bible as compared with the earlier version, without any licence to-do so. It was alleged that such publication was an infringement of a copy- right for which they had paid the Revisers not less than £20,000. After hearing Mr. Birrell, Q.C., M.P.,.for the Universities’ Press, and Mr. Etve for the defence, and two witnesses, ; The judge (Mr. Cozens-Hardy) said the title of the plaintiffs to the copyright had been formally proved, and had not been challenged. The only question he had to ecnsider was whether or not there had keen an infringement of the copyright THE AUTHOL. in the sense that the court required an infringe- ment to be proved. He held that this was not a mere matter of quantity, but rather of quality— the editor of the manuals haying taken all that was most peculiar, most material, and most important in the Revised Version. It seemed to him impossible to doubt that the defendants had deliberately and of set purpose—without, he was willing to assume, any consciousness that they were doing wrong—extracted from the Revised Version and put in their own books every single passage in the Revised Version which they thought and conceived could be of any import- ance for the comparative study of the old and new versions. If that was not an infringement of copyright, he did not know what was. There was a plain infringement of the copyright, and he must grant the injunction claimed with costs against the defendants. VI.—A Case To BE Reap. An author wrote a book which he laid before a publisher with a view of getting published. The publisher after full consideration of the matter undertook to publish the book on the usual half profit basis, by which the publisher was to take all the risk and expense of the cost of production and the author was to share with him, in equal portions, the net profits of the sale. It is need- less to repeat that from the author's point of view a half-profit agreement is a thoroughly undesirable arrangement, but the author foolishly considered, under the special circumstances of the case, it was worth his while to close with the bar- gain. The publisher, however, said that he could not do the book justice by way of advertising (in other words he could not do his duty by the book) unless the author bound himself to him for the production of his next two books on the same terms. This, of course, was a worse arrangement still for the author, who did not consider with proper care the difficulties of his position before entering into the contract. He signed the con- tract without proper advice. Tt seems a curious fact that a publisher cannot deal fairly with the author in the matter of one book unless the author binds himself for the production of two others, but this was suggested by the publisher as a reason in this particular instance. It is much more likely that an author would stick to a publisher for good and all if he received fair treatment and fair considera- tion in the first instance, instead of an agreement which in any event could be nothing but dis- astrous. In this case, as in many others of a similar: nature, the author, finding he has teen treated badly, acts up to the letter of the agree-  THE AUTHOR. a ment, and then leaves the publisher for good and all with a bad word to every other author who thinks of going to that house. But itis not with this point of view that the case is put forward. What happened was as follows: The first book was produced, and in the course of the year did exceedingly well for a first book, the sale running to some 4000 copies. Before the accounts were rendered to the author, and the money which should have been due to him on the first book was paid, the publisher produced the second book, and when the author in due course asked for a cheque from the sale of the first book, he was met with the reply that the returns had been swallowed up in the cost of production of book number two. This was distinctly contrary to the agreement, as the author was not sharing in the risk of cost of production, but was sharing in the net profits. Again, however, the author took no advice, believing that the position was as stated. The second book went on the market and did well; not quite so well as the first book, but sold sufficient to pay expenses and show a reasonable profit. The third book was produced, and again the author was met with the same answer, namely, that the expense of the cost of production of the third book had swamped the profits of the other two, and again the author accepted the position. Finally when the third book had been produced, and had circulated in the usual way and the author was free, he received a small amount from the returns of the three books jointly, and not from the profits of the three books singly. This delay to the author was serious. It is needless to say that the author had no voice in the cost of production, in the amount to be spent on advertising, and other little details which would readily swamp the profits for the author, though not necessarily for the publisher. Tf the result was unsatisfactory for the author, it will in the end be also unsatisfactory for the pub- lisher, because the tale of the author’s treatment will not only prevent the author from going there again, but will keep all his friends from the same house. Why are publishers so short-sighted ? GH. OU. Vil.—ImprriaL Press, Limirep, v. JOHNSON. This case was heard in the Queen’s Bench on May 4. The plaintiffs were a publishing com- pany carrying on business in London, and the defendant the Rev. Theodore Johnson, of Bodiam Rectory, Hawkhurst, Sussex. ‘the claim was for £400 damages for alleged breach of contract and warranty on the part of the defendant relating to his work, “Imperial Britain,” published by the plaintiffs. The defendant denied that he had made any special contract with the plaintiffs, and said that the manuscript of the book was sub- mitted to the plaintiffs in the usual way, they having full opportunity of judging of the character of the book, and they accepted the same with full approval in the usual manner of publishers. The defendant counter-claimed that the plaintiffs undertook to pay £25 on the publication of the first book, which they refused to do. The Rev. Mr. Johnson, the defendant, in exami- nation, said he was the rector of Bodiam, being appointed in 1895. Prior to that he had for fourteen years been a chief inspector of schools in the Diocese of Rochester. Before he wrote this work he had written some ten or twelve other books for various publishers.- One of them was written in conjunction with Sir Henry Bem- rose, and was published with the permission of the Universities. Another of his works was on history, another on geography, and others were religious. In September, 1896, the witness arranged with the plaintiff company to write the book in question, and before that he had partly pre- pared the matter. For the purpose of the work he had purchased a largenumber of works of reference. He did his best to write a reliable and useful work. The book dealt with a large number of matters, and it would have been little short of a miracle if it did not contain some mistakes. A first edition of such a work could not be entirely without inaccuracies, and the author could not avoid proof errors. A large portion of the work had not been challenged, and he had received many letters of approval from high and distin- euished authorities. Questioned by counsel as to the various state- ments, the witness quoted authorities for them. He did not defend the statement that Pretoria was the capital of British Zambesia. He did not mean to say that arsenic and’ Epsom salts were building stones. They came under a wrong heading through a mistake in the numbering. They should have come under the heading of “Mineral Products,’ and the matter in regard to them had got out of place. As to the statement that London has seven Parliamentary boroughs, he supposed that he had taken the old Parliamentary boroughs. “Earth worms” under reptiles, was a slip. The witness in cross-examination denied he had had the assistance of half a dozen persons in com- pleting this work. A number of other witnesses were examined in support of the defendant's case. The Lord Chief Justice, in addressing the jury, commented in severe terms upon defendant’s work, and then went on to speak of the pre- tensions of Mr. Heath, the plaintiff, and the Imperial Press. So far as he had been able to ascertain, said his Lordship, ‘Imperial Press, 40 Limited,” was Mr. Heath, and Mr. Heath only. A more audacious document than that put forward by him under this high-sounding and pretentious title, to the effect that fifty or sixty honourable names were behind him in an effort to extend and strengthen the British Empire, his Lordship had never seen. He hoped that if Mr. Heath again found it necessary to supple- ment his duties as a public servant by the publi- cation of books, he would not issue a second edition of such a document as that. His Lord- ship added that he did not want to exaggerate this matter, but when persons and companies asked the Court for damages it was necessary to bear facts of this kind in mind. The jury found that the contract of July 21, 1898 did not contain the whole of the agree- ment; that there was an implied cbligation on behalf of the defendant to use reasonable care; that the defendant did not use reasonable care; that the want of such care did not contribute to the plaintiff's loss, and that the plaintiffs were not entitled to any sum in damages. His Lord- ship at first said that was a verdict for the defen- dant, but that as the action was on a contract, the plaintiffs were entitled to nominal damages, which he fixedat 1s. The defendant was entitled on the counter-claim for £25, and he would con- sider whether he should not deprive him of costs. Dec NOTES ON THE PUBLISHERS’ CONGRESS. HE International Meeting of Publishers is over. The report of the proceedings has been given to the world. There was an opening meeting : there was a dinner: there were papers read on National Bibliographies: on the ‘‘ Protection of new Ideas in Form and Get up”’ —a very remarkable and mysterious title; on Right in Titles: on the Reproduction of Works of Art: on Overs in Printing; on Cheap Books: on International Protection of Publishing Rights : on Agreements between Authors and Publishers: on Canadian Copyright: on Copyright in Educa- tional works: on Quotations in Reviews: on the Convention of Berne: on Booksellers: on the right of National Libraries: on the coercion of Booksellers: and one or two other subjects. Very much of what was discussed might have been considered by a congress of authors. Throughout the meeting, however, it was calmly assumed that literary property belongs wholly to the publisher: there was not one word which would imply to the outside world the recogni- tion of the fact that literary property belongs THE AUTHOR. to the author, and is administered by the pub- lisher as a man or a company may administer a mine. The Society of Authors was alluded to by the President, Mr. John Murray, in his opening speech. He said that one of the reasons of their meeting was “that we may assert to the world at large the true position which we hold in the world of letters. This position is recognised by all the best and most distinguished writers. We are proud of it, and we claim that our traditions are as precious to us and that our sense of honour- able dealing is as keen and as true as that of any other class. We here undergo periodical attacks, which certainly display no inconsiderable vigour from a certain small class of guasi-authors, but they have done but little harm. They suffer from three radical defects. In the first place, they are too sweeping. They condemn a whole class, and rarely, if ever, bring to light a definite misdemeanour. Secondly, they are, intentionally or unintentionally, based on the assumption that the whole race of publishers are dishonest men. And lastly, they display a curious ignorance of what the work of a publisher really is.” We can have no possible objection to Mr. Murray being proud of the view with which the world regards his trade. He is probably thinking of the recognition bestowed by Thackeray on Bacon and Bungay, those virtuous philanthropists; or he is thinking of the present position, which is such that few authors will have anything to do with publishers except through an agent—the honour- able houses being mixed up with the others. A noble position, indeed! The position which he claims was not explained unless by talk about the debt of gratitude to publishers—for what? For the binding and the gilt? Notatall. Forthe “intrinsic worth” of books, mark you, owing “ to the advice and the experience of men of our craft”! This is indeed wonderful. It is the first time in the history of literature that publishers have set up a claim to be the advisers in the creation of literature. I dare say it will not be the last. Who wrote Tennyson’s Poems? Did you not know? Messrs. Macmillan, of course. And Swinburne’s? His publishers. The allusion to this Society as a “small class of quasi-authors” is also a new departure—for Albemarle-street. One did not expect it from that quarter. The list of our Council which adorns the frontispiece of The Author gives a longish list of the “ guast-authors.” As for the “sweeping charges” and the assumption that all publishers are dishonest— where are they ? What does the following passage mean? It is taken out of certain notes published every month for some years—in fact, until May,  THE AUTHOR. 4) inclusive, of the present year, when it was taken out, having done its work : “The Society is acquainted with the methods and—in the case of fraudulent houses—the tricks of every publishing firm in the country.” Will Mr. Murray be good enough to say how the Committee could more clearly and distinctly distinguish between the sheep and the goats? Or is he prepared to maintain that there is no such thing as a dishonest publisher? And is he prepared to assert that all the cases adduced in the Society’s publication, cases furnished by the Secretary, cases which have gone before the Committee, are inventions? If so, he will take even a bolder line, if not one so original, as the proposition that literature owes its “ intrinsic worth to the advice and the experience’”’ of the publisher. Tn turning over the pages of The Author, I have come across passages by the dogen in which the distinction is expressly drawn between honourable houses and the reverse. But the “reverse’’ are not always the smaller houses. As for the display of a “ curious ignorance ” of a publisher’s work, since the Society has ascer- tained and published for the information of those concerned all the details of the publisher’s trade, including most of the tricks of those who play tricks, the only ignorance left is that curious ignorance about the origin of the “ intrinsic worth” of literature. On that point the Society is still most curiously ignorant. After the dinner, when tongues may be allowed a little more licence, Mr. Murray became waggish. “He knew that there was a small society which vowed vengeance against all publishers.’ And he humorously suggested the danger of their being blown up by a new Gunpowder Plot hatched by the small society. Now, let us ask seriously why does Mr. Murray object to the protection of literary property in the interests of those who create it and to whom it belongs until they part with it? Why does he object to the exposure of tricks when tricks are discovered Why does he allege ‘“ sweeping charges” ? What, in a word, is the secret of his hostility ? Is it not, one may a!so ask, a very remarkable thing, and a thing not known in any other pro- fession or in any other trade, that an association for the protection of one of two parties to a busi- ness transaction should be continually attacked by the other party concerned ? _As regards the papers read, Mr. Bell’s paper on Titles was practical. He proposed the creation of copyright in titles by a system of registration. The subject of “ overs” was interesting in one way. Two years ago I stated that the “overs” probably provided a good many of the books wanted for review: this was flatly and vehe- mently denied. Only ignorance, it was said, cou'd have prompted such a suggestion. Well, but I knew what I was saying. And it is now admitted that in every 500 sheets there are sixteen “ overs,” but that, by imperfections in the other copies, these may dwindle down to what makes just 2 per cent. It follows, therefore, that with an edition of 3000 copies there would be sixty “overs.” This provides amply for review copies. I was therefore right, after all. It was also asserted that the ‘overs’ are regarded by the author as a margin for soiled books: also asa margin for bad debts. I beg to state that not one author in a thousand knows that there are such things as “overs,” and that this story about the margin is rubbish. Now consider the case of a book which has a great run, say, of 10,000 copies. There are 200 “overs.” If it is a six-shilling book at a royalty of 20 per cent., this represents a trifle of £12. I would advise authors to look after their “ overs.” On cheap literature the Congress declined to commit themselves to any resolution whatever. On the agreements between author and pub- lisher a list of clauses was submitted. On this list one need only add that the Secretary of our Society would have a great deal to say. Mr. Murray, however, added a few remarks of his own: “They started to work more than two years ago to draw up a form of agreement between authors and publishers which should cover the difficulties. They drew up drafts to cover every case, and they took the opinion of a very eminent lawyer, who said it was a perfectly fair and just form of agreement. It was their desire that the Authors’ Society—not a society representing all the authors in England by any means, but a society which occupied itself in the author's interest—should have the draft submitted to them and that there should be a conference to talk it over so that they could come to some common agreement, but the Authors’ Society took a different view of the matter. They had, he believed, attacked these forms of agreement in very severe language, and there lay a difficulty. If they were to be faced with that sort of treat- ment it would be very difficult for lawyers alone to draw up anything very satisfactory. There must be a bargain before the agreement, for the agreement was not the bargain. They had toa certain extent come to a deadlock there because they treated the agreement as a bargain made in favour of the publisher. The whole thing was a complete misunderstanding, and they all regretted. that, because their great desire was to come to favourable terms with the authors.” 42 THE AUTHOR. He did not explain that nothing was said about previous “bargains”; that the draft agreements claimed for the publisher the right—the absolute right—to charge blank percentages on gross receipts. for his own office expenses, allowing no office expenses at all for author or bookseller ; that no kind of safeguard was proposed against over- charging: that on commission books the agree- ments demanded a blank percentage on every single item, in addition to a commission on sales and discounts: that not a word was said against charging for advertisements which have cost nothing : not a word on the right of audit: nota word on the possibility of dishonesty—the pub- lisher alone among mankind being assumed incap- able of dishonesty : and that they actually claimed rights dramatic, American, colonial, and those of translation. It was a great pity that he did not explain these little facts, because, had he done so, his audience would have understood the action of the Society—this small Society of guasi-authors —which will never allow those draft agreements to become the rule, and which has so far effectively prevented their adoption even by the committee which proposed them. He did not explain, either, why if these draft agreements referred to previous “ bargains” he had not withdrawn his name from them and disavowed them. There was a long discussion about Canadian copyright, in which Mr. Daldy appears to have ignored absolutely the action of the Society of Authors, both in Canada and in Lord Monks- well's Bill, and with the Government at home. Mr. Edward Marston deplored the grievance of giving five copies to the National Libraries: he found this mare’s nest some time ago, and wrote a letter to one of the papers in which he estimated the loss by this tax to amount from the year 1837 to the present day to £375,000. This seems terrible indeed. Divided by sixty it, means £6250 a year. There are about 400 publishers in the Directory: or about 100 who may be seriously considered. It means, therefore, £62 10s. a year for every one. This must be acknowledged to be a very heavy tax. But let us look into the conditions. The theory supposes that these books would all have been sold. Would they ? Very few books sell out the whole edition and are then finished: the demand ceases before, or continues after, the first edition: it ceases before the exhaustion of the second or other future edition and after the appearance of the first edition. There is therefore no loss at all, with the exception of those very, very few books where the demand proves exactly equal to the first edition, or is so small when that is done that itis not worth while to bring out a new edition. We may also except a very few limited editions of illustrated books. On the whole, therefore, the tax is no tax at all. In every case where there are remainders after the demand ceases, whether in the first or the fiftieth edition, there is no loss except of the few pence which the five copies would fetch as remainders. There is one great lesson which the congress of publishers ought to teach us, namely :— It is useless to expect that any heed will be paid to the true evils of the publishing trade. These are (1) the absence of any safeguard against dishonesty: (2) the determination to regard literary property as their own to administer as they please: (3) their resentment of any action on the part of the creators of literary property to defend their own interests: (4) their manifest intention not to take one single step towards the abolition of secret profits. This lesson was proclaimed aloud in every speech and in every paper: not one publisher rose to demand safeguards against dishonesty : not one spoke against secret profits. The lesson should be answered by those authors who are independent, by taking more and more the management of their affairs into their own hands, especially in the matter of advertising: and, if they are wise, by changing a partner or a fellow venturer who wants to be considered both an agent and a partner into a commission agent (see p. 49). > — THE SIXPENNY BOOK. Er N | R. HALL CAINE, in an address delivered before the Newsagents’ and Booksellers’ Union, spoke at length on the sixpenny book and in favour of it. I should be sorry to misrepresent any of Mr. Caine’s arguments, Lut the address was too long for reproduction. The line he seems to take is this: (1) There has been a radical change in the methods of distribution. For the cheaper books are sold chiefly by the newsvendors. If this is the case it is a change of the greatest importance. (2) The sixpenny book need not displace the dearer book any more than a cheap restaurant ruins the dearer restaurant. No— but—but— reading is not dining. However he offered as a proof the fact that with a cheap edition of his last novel his American publisher sold another at a dollar and a half: of the former 100,000 copies: of the latter, 14,000. (3) He does not believe that the cheap book will ruin the country bookseller, but if it does there is the newsvendor to fall back upon. Alas!  Giie. AUTHOR. The newsvendor will not replace the bookseller. Under any changes of condition, we must still have the bookseller if our books are to be exhibited for sale. (4) He says that figures have been put forth which show that the author, with the sixpenny book, will see very little. He puts forward figures of his own. I hear that there has been sneering about these figures. Yet upon them depends the whole future of Literary Property. Thus :— Cost of production in quantities, twopence: price paid by bookseller he calls “nearly four- pence.” My own information sets it at 3{d.: book sold by bookseller at 43d. or at 6d.: at the lower price by the London booksellers. He goes on to say that there is twopence to divide between author and bookseller. I make it 1jd. Now, I am informed on the best authority that the royalty offered to the author is either 3d. or {d. That is, Tam told, the general rule. Mr. Caine, when he is offered 14d., is an exception. Now, ona royalty of 2d., the sale of 100,000 copies will bring: the author the sum of £250: of $d., £312 10s.: on a royalty of 14d., the sum of £625. Will a first- rate novelist think it worth his while to write a long novel for £250, or even for £625? Perhaps, however, Mr. Caine would bring it out in two forms simultaneously. It would be an interesting experiment. : (5) Mr. Hall Caine’s remarks on the fact that the best books, not the most trumpery books, are eagerly bought at 6d. are convincing. I have myself always maintained that the taste of the public is on the whole good and true: they may run after an unworthy book for a time, but they go back to their favourite authors. I have tried to present in brief the considera- tions which Mr. Hall Caine urged in favour of the sixpenny book. I am not prepared to dispute that if the news- vendors are to become vendors of the sixpenny book, the case is materially altered. I will endeavour to get information on this point. Meantime, I would ask, if the bookseller is to disappear, what will take his place? That his existence is threatened is quite clear, An attempt has been made to deprive him of the Englishman’s right of selling his own property as he pleases. The publishers offer him no advan- tages except a little larger margin in very high- priced books. He himself complains that every- ‘body wants to get books at 6d. Let us return to what was said last month. It is an experiment. How will it succeed? We shall learn before the end of the year. W. B. 43 TI.—Nores on THE ABOVE. 1. On my way home from the meeting a news- vendor told me he had sold 600 copies of one of the sixpenny novels, and anotner newsvendor said he had sold 6000 sixpenny volumes during the autumn of last year. 2. My statement that the cheap book does not injure the dear one will be supported by Chatto and Windus in England, and by Appleton and Son and Dodd, Mead, and Co. in America. I am told by Mr. Heinemann that Macmillan and Co. take the same view. 3. If the sixpenny novel is sold chiefly by the newsagents, the bookseller, so far as the cheap book goes, is already replaced. 4. I say that the sixpenny book in- editions of 100 does not cost so much as 2d., and that in larger editions it could be produced at tid. Also that 13d. is a practical author's royalty, and calculations should therefore be based on that figure. Further, that the most popular sixpenny novel has sold 250,000, and the next most popular nearly 2 . Finally, that these were sales of books from fifteen to thirty years old, and that a popular novelist publishing at 6d. from the outset might achieve a sale of half-a-million, and still leave 10,00¢ readers who would rather buy his book at 6s. But I uphold the cheap book, not necessarily the sivpenny book. That price is, as you say, an experiment, and the practical price for a new novel will reveal itself by-and-bye. Meantime, for reasons you do not quote, I claim for the sixpenny book, first, that it is enlarging the number of readers; second, that it is elevating the taste in fiction; third, that it is purifying the morality of literature ; fourth, that it is making for the peace and general good ot the world. Therefore, if the sixpenny book should die the shilling, two-shilling, or half-crown book which may follow will have a better chance to live. H.-C. es PARIS NOTES. 5, Rue Chomel, Paris. ge N grand homme vient de nous quitter.” Thus wrote one of his contemporaries in announcing the death of M. Fran- cisque Sarcey. The news created a profound sensation, for though Sarcey aimed at nothing higher than honestly meriting the titles of “critique national” and “ prince du bons sens”’ that the Parisians had long since bestowed on him—in the paternal attitude he adopted towards the public; in his shrewd appreciation of the varying minds of men; in his sturdy champion- 44 ship of the oppressed ; in his unwearied effort and immense success in making the loyalty and purity of his endeavour manifest to the world at large ; in his generous outstretching of the right hand of fellowship to his less gifted or less fortu- nate comrades; in his magnanimous acceptance of the burden imposed on him by the recognition of the universal brotherhood of humanity—he offered an example to all literary leaders. His sterling qualities were fully appreciated by his most eminent contemporaries. ‘The day was long; the task was hard; the work is good,” was M. le Senne’s emphatic verdict. ‘He had only one anibition, and it was satisfied—to bear high aloft, so that it might burn the more brightly, the lamp spoken of by Lucretius which the runners in life’s race pass from hand to hand in order that, regardless of time and space, it may guide mankind towards humanity and towards the beautiful,” said M. de Leygues, in concluding his funeral oration. “If you wish to judge a man justly in these days of implacable party polemics, pay no attention to newspapers, but walk behind his coffin and listen to what the crowd, the immense crowd, says of him,” said M. Jules Claretie, representative of the Republican journa- lists at Sarcey’s funeral. “To-day it says, ‘This was a good man, a man of talent, an honest man, a man with no false pride or rancour, a charitable man, a helpful comrade, a popular writer, a master, a glory, a great figure which has disappeared !’” Francisque Sarcey was born at Dourdan on Oct. 8, 1828. He early showed an immense aptitude for study, obtaining several of the “Concours général” prizes at the lycée Charle- magne, and being received with Taine and About in 1848 at the Ecole normale. From 1851 to 1858 he was successively master of the fourth and third classes of rhetoric and philosophy in the colleges of Chaumont, Rodez, Lesneven, and Grenoble. Several anonymous articles censured by the authorities were traced to his pen, and he was forced to throw up his post; whereupon he came to Paris and published a series of critical contemporary studies in the /garo under the pseudonym of Satané Binet. In 1859 he under- took the theatrical column in the Opinion Nationale, and in 1867 began his well- known connection with the Temps, which only ended with his death. In 1871 he became a contributor to the X/Xe. Siécle—edited by his friend Edmond About—where he made himself notorious by the ardour of his convictions and soundness of his views. His fame as a lecturer is too well known to require comment. M. Lintilliac, in his recently published “ Conférences dramatiques,” has drawn a graphic portrait of THE AUTHOR. “Le bon Oncle,’ with his Socratic face and satyr-like form on the lecturer’s platform —a rude, awkward figure, forsooth, but one eagerly awaited and welcomed by the most fastidious audience in the world. His industry was pro- digious, and itis calculated that, in addition to his famous dramatic criticisms and productions in book form, he has written enough matter on heterogeneous subjects to fill two or three hundred volumes. Of his imperturbable good nature the following anecdote may, perhaps, convey some slight idea :— The “bon Oncle” having temporarily incurred the displeasure of the students of the Latin Quarter, it was decided in conclave to caricature him at the coming Carnival. In order to make the likeness more apparent, an emissary was employed to steal surreptitiously an old coat which, having been long worn by the critic, would naturally fall into the inimitably awkward folds characteristic of Sarcey’s most favoured garments. Despairing of otherwise accomplish- ing her mission, the emissary forthwith took Sarcey into her confidence, avowing that —know- ing his character—she considered this the best and surest way of succeeding in her mission. “You are quite right,” responded Sarcey, “ Here is the wardrobe where all my coats are kept; choose. Will you have a hat into the bargain ?” “T do not think a hat is required,” was the reply, “for they intend to represent you with an enormous head ; but I will take one on chance.” It is the critic himself who tells the story, relating with infinite humour how wne forte grippe had prevented him from personally judging of the success of the caricature. Space will not permit us to give a detailed appreciation of Sarcey’s work. He was, un- doubtedly, one of the representative men of the realistic epoch, and he has left a name which will never be forgotten in the annals of dramatic criticisms. He died a comparatively poor man in his small hotel, 59, rue Douai, surrounded by his family. _ His coffin was provisionally deposited at Montmartre, his body being shortly afterwards disinterred and cremated at the Ptre-la-Chaise crematory, in accordance with a wish he had formerly expressed. Only the family were pre- sent at the latter ceremony ; but an immense crowd followed the funeral procession to Mont- martre, the cordons of the funeral canopy being respectively held by MM. Georges Leygues, Gréard, Jules Claretie, Roujon, Camille Le Senne, Jules Lemaitre, Larroumet, and Adrien Hébrard. The death of the famous Henry Becque made but a passing impression in literary and dramatic circles. In the course of his long life, the unfor- tunate dramatist had produced but a single  THE AUTHOR. masterpiece, viz.,a play entitled “La Parisienne,” whose extraordinarily brilliant and well-merited success placed his name in the front rank of dramatic authors. ‘Les Corbeaux” (acted at the Comédie Francaise in 1882) is the only other work bearing his signature which merits notice. Becque died in extreme poverty, leaving still unfinished a play entitled ‘‘ Les Polichinelles,”’ on which he had been occupied for the last ten years. Impecuniosity was his chronic malady, dating from the student days in which he fought his famous duel with Poupart Davyl, where — owing to the poverty of the combatants—only one pistol could be hired, of which each duellist made use in turn, the order being decided by lot! How a man who had acquired such brilliant notoriety, and who at every “ first night” expended enough anecdotal wit in theatrical corridors and green-rooms to have filled several columns, could have remained so long in such a destitute con- dition was an enigma to his friends, among whom may be mentioned MM. Octave Mirabeau, Edmond Rostand, and Lucien Muhlfeld. The two latter carefully gathered together the unfinished manu- script of “Les Polichinelles,’ and deposited it with the Society of Authors, who, likewise, under- took the charge of all arrangements connected with poor Becque’s funeral, He was interred at Pére-la-Chaise. M. Quentin Bauchart, municipal councillor of the Champs-Elysées, better known under his literary pseudonym of Jean Berleux, is at present reported to be engaged in writing a historical novel in dialogue, entitled “ Fils d’Empereur,” in which the ill-fated Prince Imperial plays the hero’s réle. He has also begun a history of the Champs-Elysées. M. Berleux is a member of the Société des Gens de Lettres and also of the Cercle de la Critique, in addition to having con- tributed the “ Vie Théatrale”’ to the Revue de la France Moderne for upwards of ten years. To M. Jules Huret belongs the honour of having written the first complete biography ever given the public of the illustrious queen of trage- diennes, Mme. Sarah Bernhardt (chez Juven). It opens with a preface in letter form by M. Edmond Rostand, in which the celebrated author of “Cyrano de Bergerac” thus concludes a graphic sketch of his own acquaintance with the divine reine de Vattitude: ‘‘And this, my friend, is what appears to me more extraordinary than all—this is the Sarah that I have known! Ihave not known the other, the lady with the coffins and alligators. I have known no other Sarah than this one—the Sarah who works; and she is the greatest.” [An English translation of this book has just been published by Messrs. Chapman and Hall—LBp. | 45 The two young Russian writers, MM. Alfons. Dyktor and Jack Iskowich, can certainly boast energy and perseverance if they can boast nothing else. They have just arrived at Paris, after having made the tour of the world, sans un sou pendant trois ans, in order to study for them- selves the miseries of life, and thus render more inte- resting the new work on which they are engaged. It will be published here next September under the appropriate title of “Les Deux Vagabonds.” If all young men bitten by the literary tarantula were submitted to the same test, we wonder how many per cent. would voluntarily undergo such an ordeal ? “ Hildesheim” (chez Lesnerre), four little pastiches written in French by the Honourable Maurice Baring, secretary to the English Embassy at Paris, has received the approval of the French critics, who predict a brilliant literary career to its author. We regret not to have yet seen a copy of this little volume, which is reported to be sparkling with wit and finesse. M. Georges Ohnet is now occupied in writing a play which will shortly be staged. His new novel “ Au fond du gouffre”’ (chez Ollendorf) is already on the highway to score the same remark- able numerical success enjoyed by most of its. predecessors. The epithet ‘“‘litérature de con- cierge,” so perseveringly applied to all this writer's productions by the disciples of the “école psychologique,” does not in the least affect his popularity with the crowd, for he knows how to interest the multitude. Although he spends so much of his time shut up in his study at Abymes, all Paris knows the active, energetic little man with the keen, bright eyes, and inex- haustible fund of humour and repartee. M. Emile Zola is a member of the committee of the Société des Gens de Lettres. This society possesses a capital of three millions, and intrusts. to its committee the disposal of an income of 300,000 francs. The first Monday after his return from bis eleven months’ exile in England, M. Emile Zola took his seat, as usual, in the delegates’ bureau, and —among other trans- actions—voted that the aid requested by M. Edouard Drumont (the celebrated anti-semite) in a literary law suit should be granted. A salutary example of tolerance, and ove that M. Drumont would do well to imitate. M. Emile Pouvillon is now installed at Mont- auban, busily engaged on a new novel which is expected to occasion some stir in ecclesiastical circles. His idea is to give a faithful portrait of the contemporary French clergy, not of the naif old country priest of byegone days, but of the complex, modern ecclesiastic, whose mind is perhaps deformed—but, in any case, transformed. 40 —by the influence of modern fiction and the social milieu in which he lives. M. Pouvillon’s prose style is elegant, impressive, and convincing ; two of his novels, ‘‘ Les Antibel” and the “ Roi de Rome,”. have recently been successfully drama- tised, and the discussions of the critics on that ‘occasion brought his name prominently before the lettered Parisian public, who are eagerly awaiting his next publication. M. Paul Burani is a writer of quite a different genre, and his circle of readers is as diverse as his talent—yesterday the popular songster and vaudevillist of the boulevards, he is to-day known as the author of a sensational novel entitled “Mon Oncle la Vertu,” whizh is vastly popular among a certain class of readers. As regards appearance, this prolific producer of illiterate literature has the air of a bon garcon gras et rond, with frank countenance and placid aspect; indeed, few of those who to-day curiously regard the popular rhymester would ceive him credit for the immense application and capacity for hard work which are among his most prominent characteristics. “Versailles et les deux Trianons” is the title of M. Philippe Gille’s new work which the Maison Marne is publishing in numbers, and it forms a worthy monument of the historical science, research, and erudition of its author. The latter is well known in the Parisian world of letters, and enjoys the reputation of being one of the most conscientious and impartial critics of the day, in addition to being the author of a discreet volume of poems, and of having signed “Les Trente Millions de Gladiator ” with Labiche, “Manon” with Meilhac, and ‘“ Lakmé ” with Gondinet. He likewise boasts the honour of being the intimate friend of M. Victorien Sardou, with whom he collaborated in “Les Prés-Saint-Gervais.” The two friends are equally consummate authorities on French art under Louis XIV., XV., and XVI., and they may frequently be seen pacing together the stately avenues and grounds of the park of Versailles, engaged in discussing their favourite topic. M. Philippé Gille’s present publication forms a pendant to the two works on the palace and park of Versailles which he has already given the public. Among notable publications of the month, to which space will not permit us to give a detailed notice, may be mentioned: “ Louis XVIII. et le Duc Decazes,’”’ a most interesting work by M. Ernest Daudet, largely drawn from the private documents existing in the archives of the Chiteau de la Grave ; “ Diderot et Catherine II.” (chez Calmann Levy), by M. Maurice Tourneux, a work containing the precious manuscript notes THE AUTHOR. left in the Russian Empress’s keeping by the great French philosopher previous to his quitting that country; ‘“ La Vie 4 Paris,” by M. Jules Claretie (chez Charpentier), a spirited account of the principal events and personages of the year 1898; “La Campagne de Minorque,” by M. Raoul de Cisternes (chez Calmann Levy), m which, among numerous other letters, may be found one containing a graphic narrative of the death of the unfortunate Admiral Byng; “ Nouvelles études d’Histoire et de Critiques dramatiques,” by M. Gustave Larroumet (chez Hachette) ; ‘Lettres 4 ’Etrangére,” containing the correspondence of Balzac and Madame Hanska from 1833 to 1842; ‘‘ Lettres inédites de Michelet 4 Mlle. Mialaret,’”’ containing the letters written by the great historian to the young gul whom he afterwards married; and “ Abrégé de Chiromancie et de Chirognomonie appliqu¢e,” by Marthe Desbarolles, pupil and adopted daughter of the Cagliostro of the present century. The activity in the fiction department obliges us merely to cite the titles of the recent novels produced by well-known authors: “Les Demi- Solde,” by Georges d’Esparbes (chez E. Flam- marion); “Reflets sur la sombre route” (chez Calmann Levy), by Pierre Loti; “Jardin des Supplices,” by Octave Mirbeau; “Villa Tran- quille,” by André Theurick ; “ Leur égale,” by M. Camille Pert (chez Simonis Empis) ; ‘La Mon- tagne @’or,” by Jean Rameau (chez Ollendorf) ; “T/Aiguille dor,’ by J. H. Rosny (chez A. Colin); “L’Otage,” by Charles Foley; ‘‘ Mar- cheurs et Marcheuses,” by Richard O’ Monroy ; and last—but by no means least—the long- expected “Femmes Nouvelles” of Paul and Victor Margueritte. Darracorre Scort. ec NOTES AND NEWS. HE following illustration of the way in 7 which secret profits are provided for may be useful. A. B., for the author, applied to C. D., the publisher, for an estimate concern- ing the publication of a book on commission. The terms were these : 1. The author to bear the charges for the pro- duction of the book and the incidental expenses. 2. The publisher to take 15 per cent., appa- rently, of all moneys received. The words “ bear the charges ’’ would be under- stood by anyone not versed in the httle ways and manners of some publishers to mean the actual cost incurred. They might be defended, whatever charges were made, as covering, and intended to cover, any  THE charge the publishers might choose to inake, They would thus cover any secret profits that they chose to make. This point will probably be raised before long in acriminal court. They then sent in an estimate. Observe, however, the wording of the letter. It was to the effect that there was delay in getting “an” estimate from the printer, which caused delay in getting ready “our” (the publisher’s estimate). The use of the pronoun and the article is significant. It seems to point to secret profits. The estimate forwarded, when compared with those in the hands of the Society, showed as follows : The Publisher : the Society :: or The Society : the Publisher :: 100 : 155. This, then, is the true meaning of the profits and percentages which, according to the pub- lishers’ draft agreements, they have the “ equit- able” right to claim, the amount left blank to suit the taste and fancy of each individual. What, then, would be the meaning of a 15 per cent. royalty with this book? Without giving all the figures, it means that on a sale of 1000 copies the author would lose about £25 and the publisher would gain about eo5. the author had simply paid the true cost of pro- duction, the author by the same figures would have cleared about £40. TOO ; 03. At the conference of publishers the chairman, on whose utterances we have spoken in another column, complained of “ over production.” He spoke of it as if it were an outside thing, an act of hostility to the trade committed by persons who have nothing to do with it. I am only sur- prised that he did not charge the writers them- selves with this wickedness. Now if there is any- thing in the world more certain than another it is the fact that the over-producers are publishers themselves. The next certain thing is, that so long as there are great prizes to he obtained by bringing out books: so long as the public taste is an uncertain quality which may “ boom” this or that book: so long as there are large literary properties to be created by those who success- fully appeal to the public, so long will the over production of books continue. In fact, the whole trade of publishing is under- going revolution, and this Mr. Murray and his friends do not understand. It is no longer a little hole-and-corner business, in which the pub- lisher treats the author as a patron treats his client: gives him what he pleases and keeps the AUTHOR. 47 profits dark ; it is a trade which is rapidly becoming, like everything else, open to competi- tion, in which the creator of a property puts him- self into the hands of business men who deal with publishers in the way of business men: in which the methods have been exposed and are now well known. It is forthe old-fashioned pub- lisher to recognise these facts or not, as he pleases: if he refuses to do so he will get ‘left.’ He may have, if he likes, the support of all the writers whose name spells loss: he will not, unless he recognises existing facts, have the sup- port of those whose name means money. In the Anglo Savon of June 16, I find an accusation against the literary profession of a kind which is to me at least perfectly new, to the effect that there are certain persons of standing in journalism and literature who do not scruple to maintain hacks to do their own work. Do they really exist—these persons of eminence? Ave there really men of letters who have to find an ignoble livelihood by writing articles which they know will be signed by other men? Tonce introduced into a novel a man who exhibited pictures as his own which were done for him; but I thought that I had invented and imagined the case—made it up out of my own head. I have never come across a journalist, or even heard. of one, who sent in articles as his own which were written for him. As for books, I have certainly known cases in which a name appeared on the title page of a work written by another hand. One such case was brought before me the other day. Perhaps I may get permission to publish the names. The real author of the book—which was successful—was a lady: the supposed author was—a man: the publisher was the creator and deviser of the—call it what you please: he paid the author, whose necessities obliged her to accept whatever was offered. It is a curious story, and one which is perhaps not uncommon. But that a well-known writer of articles, essays, and reviews, a man with a reputation to defend, should keep in his employment other men who do the work for which he is paid is to me a new thing in litera- ture, and one that ought to be exposed, First however, we have to be convinced that the charge is based on trustworthy evidence. ‘Till that is done, let us regard it as a mere rumour. And let us remember that the perils of the situatzon— for a hack may turn aswell as a worm—are many and obvious. There are men living and working at this moment on the Press who undertake the execution of quantities of worle not ona half of which they could accomplish in the allotted time. How, then, is it managed? In the simplest way possible. The master minds employ “understudies,”’ who 48 have acquired their style and method—not generally a very superhuman task. There are lots of young men who make a decent living by writing articles which owners and editors believe to be the essays of the eminent persons whom they engage and pay. As a matter of fact, these lucnbrations are very often the work of underpaid hacks. Regarded calmly, the system must be described as fraudulent. You are an editor. You are anxious to engage the services of the celebrated Mr. Smith. You pay him five guineas for an article. It is a gross swindle, I insist, if he supplies you, instead of his own work, with an article for which he pays twenty shillings to young Mr. Jones. The injustice affects three persons. It affects the owner of the paper, who pays for an article which he does not obtain. It affects the reader, who is not obtaining the matter which has been intended for him. And it affects the hack, who receives an utterly inadequate honorarium for his services. Shall Iadd that it affects a fourth person, and that it must lower, even in his own esteem, the eminent person whose sorry traffic <annot be otherwise described than as that of obtaining money under false pretences. The handwriting test does not avail the editor in the detection of this fraud, for the eminent person and his subordinates are expert in the use of the typewriter. There has been a continuation in the pages of the Glasgow Herald to the calumnies of the provider of literary gossip. This person has replied that he did not intend to charge the Society, or myself personally, with a deliberate falsehood. What did he do it for, then? He now says that “authors have paraded their troubles with the publishers in such a way as to produce the impression that all publishers devote themselves to over-reaching authors.” ~« Produce the impression’’? I do not believe it. Moreover, I should like to know in what papers or magazines any member of this Society has “paraded his troubles,” except in self-defence. I can honestly say that I have myself answered hundreds of attacks: that I have never ‘“‘ paraded ” anything or appealed to the public except in answer to charges deliberately advanced and deliberately false. I would say more. I am quite sure that there has never been any association of men and women for any purpose which has been so frequently and so violently abused and mis- represented: and certainly none which has so flourished and advanced in the face of this oppo- sition. Once more I welcome our old friend, Mr. Alfred Nutt, again. It will be remembered how Mr. Nutt was asked last year a very simple question, merely for the reference to a passage which he “quoted” from The Author, and for further reference to the repetition of that passage, which, he stated, had been made without alteration in The Author. It will be remembered also how he tried to evade the plain question: how he wrote rigmarole: how he put off answering: how the Committee called upon him to produce that simple reference: and THE AUTHOR. how he finally refused to answer. Nobody has ever been able to find that passage. This is ancient history: it was exposed in these columns last year, It 1s, however, well to remind ourselves of this story, especially when he begins again—now in the Chicago Dial. Again he speaks of “ vague and reckless’ statements. This time, however, he takes very good care not to quote one of them. Instead of this, he takes a passage from an article in the Dial, which says, guardedly, that “if” a sale of a thousand copies of a book is certain there will be no risk—a statement perfectly simple and true. He actually pretends to assume this to mean that such a sale is certain for every book. He then proceeds, with tears in his typewriter, to point out the injustice of this statement. Such and such books, he says, “ have been published solely at my risk, without any help or subsidy whatever.’ Poor man! He should, however, remember that he is not obliged to do so. We can hardly sympathise with anyone who deliberately incurs certain loss: or ask, on the other hand, why he does it and what he expects to get by it. Perhaps it was done out of sheer love for literature. Perhaps from other motives. He is good enough to refer to me often, and with the appearance of temper. He complains that I consider only one kind of book—which is not true. The six-shilling book is a convenient unit, and it includes many kinds of book. Moreover, I would submit for Mr. Nutt’s consideration the plain fact that printers do not really charge more for printing scholarly books than for printing novels. They really do not. If Mr. Nutt’s printers have tried to do so, let me recommend him to find some other firm which does not. — He seems also horribly afraid that the ‘ Method of the Future” should be generally adopted: he is apparently ignorant that it has already been taken up : he says that it is impossible for ency- clopedias, which nobody denies. Yet the argu- ment that because it is impossible, at present, for collective books, it is also impossible for indi- vidual books, is hardly logical. He says that publishing requires “‘ more capital than any other business.” Really? Is that so? More capital than any other business? How much capital did A. have, that eminent practitioner, when he set up in business? How much has that young gentleman whose name we saw for the first’ time six months ago, and now see with a list a column inlength? To put it mildly, I find Mr. Nutt’s views on necessary capital hardly credible when I consider some other kinds of business. I know of a printer, for instance, who pays £2000 a week in wages. How much capital would his machinery  THE alone require ? However, I should like to meet Mr. Nutt half-way. I can assure him that, s> far, he has not done the Society the least harm, even with the kindest intentions of doing it as much harm as he can. I will willingly make a com- promise with him. When he has given me the reference to those “ quotations” which he made a year and a half ago, I will propose that he shall go on publishing, for the admiration of the whole world, all the books which are certain to lose, while the authors whose productions do not mean loss, the creators of literary property, shall publish for themselves and take care of their own pro- perty, without troubling Mr. Nutt at all. In this way he will go on losing as much as he pleases. This will make him completely happy. And the author will have his property to himself. So everybody will be happy. One more word with Mr. Nutt. He talks about “the glib statement that there is no risk in publishing.” Where is that statement made ? Who made it? Is it in The Author? I quote below the passage on “ Risk” from “The Pen and The Book.” Water BESANT. Does THE MEANING OF RISK. (From ‘“ The Pen and the Book.’’) . HE question of ‘risk’ is one which requires careful consideration, because so much ignorant nonsense is talked about it, and so many misleading statements are constantly advanced on the subject. What, therefore, does risk mean practically ? “(.) The production of great works, such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, maps. illustrated art books, may undoubtedly entail the investment of large sums; waiting for the repayment perhaps for many years; and perhaps losing in the long run. Let us, however, separate these works, which are only undertaken by two or three pub- lishers: and let us confine our inquiry to general literature. Gi.) The production of general literature stands on quite a different footing, as the follow- ing considerations will show— ““(a) There are many hundreds of writers, engaged upon every branch of intellectual work, whose works entail no risk whatever. In other words, the experienced publisher knows with these writers how large an edition he can safely order without any loss to himself. This kind of experi- ence was happily illustrated by an account shown to me recently. The author was a well-known writer. The publisher knew beforehand so well AUTHOR. 49 what he would sell that he printed one edition which sold out all but twenty copies or so. Once more, remember that there are hundreds of writers of whom this may be said, and that they are all known by publishers in their respective branches. ‘““(b) There is another large class of writers of whom it is safe to conclude that their books will at least pay expenses with some margin. ““(c) There is a practice of ‘subscribing’ a book; that is, offering it to the booksellers of London before it is even printed. The publisher thus gains some idea of the number on which he may venture. Thus, if he arrives at a subscrip- tion of 200 copies of such a book among the London booksellers, he may expect as many from the country trade, and so he goes to press with a risk either greatly diminished or wiped out. “(d) But publishers reduce the risk a great deal more in various ways. “They bind no more than are wanted. ‘They do not advertise more than is absolutely necessary; they feel their way. Thus, with a great many books, whose sale is certain to be small, £5 or so covers the advertising bill. They do not mould a book which is not likely to want a second edition. Thus they save £10 or so. ““(e) But the real way of regarding the actual risk incurred is this. Publishers do not pay the printer and others for a certain time, three to six months. Before that time they have received their returns of the first subscription of the book. The risk therefore is not, as is generally believed, the cost of production ; it is the difference, if any, between the first subscription and the cost of pro- duction. “For instance, the cost of production being £100, and the returns of the first subscription £95, the risk isjust £5. Andas I have said, pub- lishers know pretty well at the outset what the first subscription will be. These considerations are sufficient to show what risk really means in the production of current general literature, not in great undertakings: it is the difference between the cost of production and the first returns.” ae THE METHOD OF THE FUTURE. HIS method is explained in ‘“‘ The Pen and Ty the Book.” I always advocate as the best method of those in practice, the sale of a book outright—provided the proper value can be arrived at and obtained. A still better method is the following: “The author will dissever himself altogether from the publisher, and will connect himself directly with the bookse'ler and the libraries. 50 He will appoint an agent or distributor, to whom he will pay a commission. He will take upon himself the printing and production and adver- tising. He will himself incur the risk, if any, of a loss on the first run of the book.” : “One thing only is necessary, an agent who will work the books honestly and with zeal, and will not publish in any other manner than for the author.” I will illustrate the method by giving results. The figures are quite simple. I assume a six- shilling book, type small pica, 320pp., quite plainly bound, paper good but not, of course, expensive. I assume a fairly good sale of an edition of 3000 copies, the “overs” giving the review copies. (See p. 41.) The cost of production may be set down at £150. The sales, less an allowance for bad debts, soiled copies, and other causes, amount to £500. By this method the author pays £150 for the production, £50 to his agent, and realises £300 for himself. Now, how would he fare by other methods ? (1) Haur Prorirs. : Bos do & Ss. a. Cost of production £150, : swollen by advertise- ments not paid for, and by secret percentages ... 200 0 0O Author’s share of profits .. 112 10 0 Publisher’s ditto, nominal 112 10 oO 425. 0 36 By sales £500, less 10 per cent. for office expenses and 5 per cent. for bad debts... ea ees: £425 0 O (2) Royalty OF 10, 15, 20, 25 PER CENT. | By this 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | Method. _——— | $$ | ———} —___ | —___ —___ Author’s share...... | 90 | 135 | 180 | B25 300 Publisher's share ...| 260) 215|170|}125| 50 These figures speak for themselves. Now, it must not be supposed that this method will give the unsuccessful writer a better chance than he has already. The public is the final judge from whom there is no appeal. It is, however, submitted that the whole problem is solved by this simple method: that a writer of reputation incurs norisk: that he will approach the public quite as well in this way as in any other: and that he will thus have the pleasure of administering his own affairs in his own interest. Dee THE AUTHOR. THE CASUAL CONTRIBUTOR. e ROM time to time a number of letters have K appeared in the correspondence columns of The Author, the writers of which complain bitterly of their treatment at editorial hands, and suggest some ingenious, if not very practicable, schemes by which the editors are to be coerced into amending their ways. Individual cases of hard- ship and of discourteous treatment doubtless there are, but, generally speaking, one’s sympathy with the writers of these letters would be greater did they not betray a most deplorable want of common-sense in their literary affairs and a quite pathetic ignorance of the rules by which, whether he likes them or not, the ordinary editor is bound.» When we find a contributor so incapable bf writing a business letter as gravely: to suggest, ina recent number of this journal, that the Society should provide “ printed forms for sale to its members which shall express in polite and businesslike terms all that is necessary for an unknown writer to say when offering his work”?; when we find another explaining at length that he himself is “one of the most courteous of men,” but, none the less, has had misunderstandings with ‘one of our best-known critics,” ‘another well-known literary man,” “a west-country editor,” and “a literary friend,’’— while yet another makes the brilliant suggestion that all contributors are to combine in a boycott of those editors who prefer to manage their business in their own way—then one does feel that it is just this kind of thing that brings the Society into contempt, and that“possibly a few elementary rules for the guidance of the casual contributor, obvious as they must be to many, to some, at least, may prove of practical assistance. And I who write am myself a casual con- tributor, so that at least I shall speak of the things that Iknow. Although literature is not the main business of my life, I have worked fairly hard at it during the past eight or nine years. During all that time I have lived in the country; personally, I know one only of the many editors for whom I have worked, and his acquaintance I made when I had been a con- tributor to his paper for a year. As I do not propose to sign this article, I shall not be accused of a desire to advertise myself if I state that within the last eight years work of mine— articles, stories, or verses—have appeared in the Nineteenth Century, the National Review, Longman’s, Temple Bar, the Badminton, Punch, the World, the St. James’s Gazette, the Academy, and a number of other periodicals. My only reason for giving this list is to show my readers, so to speak, my credentials for dealing  THE AUTHOR. with this subject. And, lest the fact that I have often succeeded be thought to have deadened my sympathies for the beginner, I may add that I have also seen scores of my MSS. return to me in dishonour, and that at the present time I cannot count with certainty upon any work of mine finding acceptance—except in the case of two journals, as regards which [ am more or less upon the regular “outside” staff. But at least my experience has taught me something, the lessons, namely, which I propose to summarise here, because I believe it to be the simple duty of any writer to do all that he can to assist his literary brethren. So, to put the matter as plainly as possible, F would say— #7 Rule 1. Offer your work to first-class maga- zines and papers only y—The neophyte frequently remarks: ‘ Oh, it would be absurd of me to send my first productions to” —let us say “the Highflier Review. 1 can only hope to work my way up to first-class periodicals by degrees. So for the present I’ll try the Rushlight”—a new, obscure, and impecunious magazine. Now this, my friend, is, from every point of view, a mistake. Supposing the Rushlight accepts your contribu- tion, at best you will be ill-paid, at worst you will not be paid at all. It is quite likely that the Rushlight may finally flicker out of existence between the time when your paper was accepted and the date when youexpected it to appear. In any case there probably will be some difficulty in obtaining your honorarium, so that you will feel compelled to send off another of those letters to The Author, abusing editors wholesale. You will not be an inch further along the road to success, for no one reads the Rushlight, whereas the first thing you must aim at is to make your name familiar to the reading public. And, asa matter of fact, it is quite a fallacy to suppose that your contribution will not stand every bit as good a chance of acceptance with the Highflier. If ‘that periodical won’t have it, offer it to another of the same standing.“ If no first-class magazine will give your MS. a home, burn it or put it aside. But remember, once for all, that if no first-class periodical will print your contribution, it is better—far better—that it should not be printed at all. To traffic with struggling, inferior journals is to sow for yourself a certain crop of disputes, delays, and disappointments. 7 Rule 2. Wher offering your MS., study the rules of the game, as set forth in the editorial notices. Send the stamps, or stamped envelope as you are requested. Have your MS. typed, and send it flat, not rolled into a tight cylinder, which will exhaust the editorial patience in the shortest possible ey Then, as to the accompanying 51 letter, which, as I have mentioned, so perplexes. one member of the Society that he wishes to replace it by a printed form, simply say that you enclose an MS., mention its nature (humorous story, dialogue, or whatever it is) and length (so many words). If you have appeared in the magazine before, remind the editor of the fact. Add that you enclose stamps for the return of the MS., if unsuitable, but that, should it be accepted, you would be glad to have a line to say so. And that is all. In fact, the shorter your note the better will it please the editor. Never seek to explain the merits of your work, still less use the argument ad misericordiam. / Rule 3. Then wait patiently, even if you hear eo nething of your MS. for some time. Note the date upon which it was despatched, but do not follow it up with numerous letters./If you have heard nothing of it by the end, let us say, of two months, it may be well to inquire about it, but again let your note be brief and courteous. “Even if you think your editor has treated you badly, it is the worst possible policy to tell him so. _ The same rule, mutatis mutandis, holds good for the interval between acceptance and publication. Certainly it is most annoying to look for your article in vain, month after month, and some of the leading magazines, especially those of the old-fashioned type, are notorious offenders in this respect, while the fact that they do not pay until the contribution is published aggravates the evil, from the author's standpoint. But to write ferocious letters to the editor is worse than useless ; possibly you may goad him into returning your work, even when it is in type; probably you will effectually deter him from accepting the next contribution you send. As regards payment, I need say nothing. By observing the first rule here suggested, that of sending your work to first-class periodicals only, you will be free from any difficulty about getting your money, while the amounts of your cheques will be at least adequate to the time and trouble: devoted to earning them. There are some further rules and suggestions which I should like to add; perhaps, with the editor’s permission, I may resume the subject in a future number. peace The correspondence of the month must be held over until August.—Eb. 52 THE AUTHOR. BOOK TALK. HE Belfast News Letter says that the Newry a Telegraph, one of the oldest papers im Ulster, has purchased the exclusive serial rights for Ireland of Mr. W. B. Lappin’s novel “Mad Mag.” Later on the novel will be brought out in book form, when something reliably Irish may be looked for. “The Tendency of Religion,” by Colonel R. Elias, late 59th Regiment, is a collection of facts, reflections, and forecasts based upon the great and increasing mixing of the nations, and conse- quent gradual development of mutual under- standing and impartiality among men all the world over, bringing with it the mevitable recog- nition that all the great religious systems are essentially alike, differing only in details. The book has been very widely reviewed and favour- ably received. Miss Ellen T. Masters, the authoress of several practical hand-books on embroidery, and of ‘The Gentlewoman’s Book of Art Needlework” in the Victoria Library, is putting the finishing touches to another small volume on the same subject. This is “The Book of Stitches,’ which is to be uniform with Mrs. Humphry’s well-known ‘“Mamnners” series, and is to be illustrated with between sixty and seventy diagrams prepared by the authoress, showing clearly how some of the fancy stitches that she describes are executed. The publisher is Mr. James Bowden. H.R.H. the Princess of Wales has graciously accepted and acknowledged a copy of “ Rita’s”’ last novel, “ An Old Rogue’s Tragedy.” “Peace, the Angel’s Song,” from the poem of “The Light of the World,” by Sir Edwin Arnold, has been set to music by Blanche Eryl, the nom de plume adopted by Mrs. Alfred Phillips, whose songs have been sung by Mr. Santley and other singers of note, and whose books are before the public. Mrs. Phillips also wrote the first African National Anthem, for the Sultan Seyyid Burgarsh, of Zanzibar. She has taken a nom de plume to avoid confusion with others of her name who are writing since she first published. Messrs. Novello and Co. are bringing out her new song. At the annual conference of the Retail News- agents’ and Booksellers’ Union, held in Liver- pool, Mr. Charles Olley, of Belfast, president, referred to the sixpenny copyright novels, with which, he said, a host of publishers had over- flooded the market. Already, however, he observed in the fickle public taste a turn in * favour of larger print and better paper; and he expressed his belief that shilling editions would be a greater success and much more remunerative. The committee of the William Black Memorial Fund have decided that the memorial shall take the form of a beacon light to be erected, at a cost of about £800, at Duart Point, near the Lady Rock, on the coast of Mull. The Commissioners of Northern Lights have agreed to maintain the light after the beacon is erected. Lady Dilke has written a book entitled “ French Painters in the Highteenth Century,’ which will be published in the autumn by Messrs. Bell. It will be illustrated with upwards of seventy repro- ductions of selected pictures, many of which from private collections have never been reproduced or exhibited in public. Dean Farrar has completed a work called “True Religion,” which will be published shortly by Mr. 8. T. Freemantle. A new edition of the prose writings of Mr. Kipling has been projected by Messrs. Macmillan, to consist of ten volumes at the uniform price of 6s., which will appear one at a time at short intervals, beginning at once with ‘“ Plain Tales from the Hills.” Mr. Kipling has purchased from Messrs. Newnes the copyright of ‘“ Depart- mental Ditties,’ which was originally published in 1885 by Messrs. Thacker. Lord Edmond Fitzmaurice has undertaken to write the authoritative biography of the late Earl Granville. Mr. Andrew Lang is translating “The Homeric Hymns,” for publication by Mr. George Allen. The book will contain plates, which have been taken chiefly from Greek sculptures. The humorous “Interviews with Mr. Miggs,” which have appeared in the Pall Mall Gazette, will be published in book form by Messrs. Samp- son Low. ‘The author of the papers is Mr. Alex- ander Stuart. Mr. F. P. Dunne, the creator of ‘‘ Mr. Dooley,” is to writea series of articles on English life for publication both here and in America. Mark Twain and the Hon. Sir Spencer Walpole were together the guests of the Authors’ Club at dinner on June 12. The famous humourist pro- poses to bequeath to posterity a book containing absolutely frank and truthful portraits of “persons of importance” of his day, which shall be published a hundred years after his death. Mr. R. Andom has written a sequel to his story “We Three and Troddles,” which will be pub- lished in the autumn under the title of “ Troddles and Us—and Others.” a a NE I  THE AUTHOR. 33 Miss Frances Gerard has a book on Ludwig II. of Bavaria almost ready for publication by Messrs. Hutchinson. Mrs. Hodgson Burnett is at work on a new novel for publication in the autumn. Mr. Guy Boothby’s new story, “The Woman of Death,” will be published by Messrs. Pearson in the summer. Other works of fiction which are announced include “In Full Cry,” by Mr. Richard Marsh (White); “Bonnie Maggie Lauder,” by Alan St. Aubyn (White) ; “A Woman’s Witchery,” by Mr. H. E. Curran (Lawrence and Bullen); ‘The Magic of the Desert,’ by Mr. W. Smith-Williams, a new writer (Blackwood). Two months hence the biography of Sir John Millais will be ready. Among the correspond- ence in the work are letters from the Queen. New details about the Pre-Raphaelite Brother- hood will be given. Reminiscences will be con- tributed by Sir George Reid, Sir William Rich- mond, Sir Noel Paton, and Mr. Val Prinsep ; and a feature will be made of the illustrations to the book. A life of the Emperor Nero, which will be fully illustrated from authentic sources, is being written for Messrs. Methuen by Mr. B. W. Henderson, Fellow of Merton College, Oxford. Mr. W. R. Sorley, Professor of Moral Philo- sophy at the University of Aberdeen, is writing for publication by the same firm an “ Introduc- tion to Political Philosophy,” which will treat of leading principles and their connection with par- ticular questions. A Stevenson manuscript, believed to be the original shape which “ Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” assumed in the novelist’s mind, will be sold on July 5 at Sotheby’s auction rooms. It is entitled “ Markheim,” and consists of thirty small quarto pages, all in the novelist’s handwriting. The “ Perverse Widow,” by A. W. Crawley- Boevey, is a book which may appear intended only for those who are interested in the Boevey and allied families of Flaxley Abbey, Gloucestershire. The lady, however, who plays the principal part in the work has a wider claim to interest, imasmuch as she is the reputed widow who was courted by Sir Roger de Coverley: the reasons for believing that she was the lady in Addison’s mind are pointed out by the author. The book is published by Longmans at the price of 42s. net. ‘telling effect. FROM THE AMERICAN PAPERS. OND-STREET, the Paternoster-row of New B York, is gradually being forsaken by pub- ? lishers, who are moving “up town” to the Fifth Avenue district. Dodd, Mead, and Co., who are one of the latest to move, give as their reason the fact that their speciality is fine and rare editions, and the new location is near the centre of wealth and culture, amid the abodes of those who appreciate the luxe in literature and are able to pay for it. M. F. Mansfield and A. Wessels are also taking their businesses into this region, where in a few years the public lbrary will be erected; and the fact that the Grand Central Station is near at hand makes the site a valuable and appropriate centre for booksellers and publishers, but particularly to those who have a retail department. Mr. Henry Baldwin, of New Haven, Conn., has for the past seven years been engaged on a stupendous undertaking—the “Library Ameri- cana.” Some account of this project was pub- lished lately in the New York Tumes. It is the outcome of a convention of the patriotic societies of America, held in Chicago in 1891, which appointed Mr. Baldwin Custodian of American History, with his duty to collect all additional facts and verify, so far as possible, all present facts which in any way affect the history of America. While the “ Library Americana ” will remain the property of the patriotic organisations of America, it may become the nucleus of the much agitated University of the United States in its department of American history. It begins with events in prehistoric America, going back to the supposed Chinese landing. Every tact from that time to the present day will be verified if possible. Every sort of question is treated—law, genealogy, biography, wars, calamities, celebra- tions, everything which has a bearing, direct or indirect, upon America, as well as topics wherein America is found to have a bearing upon the history of other countries. Not only accounts of events, but illustrations, cartoons, editorial comments from many pens have been preserved and placed in logical order. The Spanish-American War is dealt with in every detail. Letters from famous men to famous men, of noted personages to the beloved members of their family, love letters of long ago, form other volumes, and it is through this corres- pondence that much information is gained, and new sidelights are thrown upon the characters of some of the greatest men and women in history. That all possible additions may be made to the library and information unearthed, the chain- letter system has recently been made use of with The letters are usually sent to  54 members of patriotic societies or people specially interested in historical and literary matters, with the request that they in turn write another to friends. The letters ask for old newspapers, books, autograph letters, manuscripts, or any like contribution, Another interesting detail is that the great “Library Americana” is to be cata- logued in different colours, each colour to desig- nate some special topic. OBITUARY. HE Rev. Dr. W. Garden Blaikie, Pro- fessor of Theology in the Free Church of Scotland from 1868 to 1897, who died in Edinburgh on June 10, in his eightieth year, was editor for successive periods of the Mree Church Magazine, the North British Review, the Sunday Magazine, and the Catholic Presbyterian. The book by which he will be remembered.is probably his biography of David Livingstone, but his optimistic “ Better Days for Working People” was exceedingly popular, and he wrote also a biography of the Free Church founder, Chalmers, and many expository volumes, and contributed many notices to the “Dictionary of National Biography.” Dr. Norman Kerr, the great authority on inebriety, and the author of over a score of books on the subject of alcoholism, died at Hastings on May 30. Pe BOOKS AND REVIEWS. (In these columns notes on books are given from reviews which carry weight, and are not, so far as can be learned, logrollers.) PPRECIATIONS anp ApprxEssrs DELIVERED BY Lorp Rosepery, edited by Charles Geake (Lane, 5s. net), “a valuableand permanent addition to the library of British oratory” (Daily Chronicle), will be welcomed, says the Daily News, ‘‘by all who care for the study of calture and politics.’”’ There is in the volume “ statesman- ship, lofty, nobly patriotic, unselfish, and inspiring states- manship of a kind more imperatively needful to-day than in any period of the century.” MatTtTHEwW ARNOLD, by George Saintsbury (Blackwood, 23. 6d.), the first volume in a new series designed to supplement the well-known ‘‘ English Men of Letters,” is not for the general reader, says the Daily News, being “ not sufficiently expository,” and ‘' sometimes too recondite. It is rather written by a critic for critics,” and “ on the ira Professor Saintsbury’s judgments seem to us to be sound.” Letters or Bensgamin Jowsrt, M.A., Master of Balliol College, Oxford, arranged and edited by Evelyn Abbott, M.A., LL.D., and, Lewis Campbell, M.A., LL.D. (Murray, 16s.) will delight readers of Jowett’s ‘' Life,” says the Daily News, the letters, which range over a great THE AUTHOR. variety of topics, being as “‘ characteristic of Mr. Jowett, as instinct with his shrewd, kindly wisdom,” as any similar compositions of his. One of the valuable elements in this collection, observes the Daily Telegrarh, is ‘the record of Jowett’s friendships, so keenly felt, so resolutely main- tained throughout all his life.’ ‘‘ We are grateful to the editors of these interesting letters,’ remarks the Spectator, “though we feel that they would scarcely reveal much of Jowett’s personality to those who did not already know him,” “The collection is rather for those who wish to ascertain owatt’s viavs on ec:rtvin large public ques- tions,” says the Daily Chronicle. Literature says the letters on European politics ‘disclose a side of Jowett’s character and a range of his intellectual interests which will for most readers possess the charm of complete novelty.” Francesco Crispi, by W. J. Stillman (Richards, 7s. 6d.), is described by the Daily Telegraph as “‘a most important contribution towards the proper understanding of the present state of Italy.” “It is true,” says the Daily Chronicle, ‘‘that Mr. Stillman frankly criticises Crispi’s methods and temper, but, in so far as his policy is con- cerned, Crispi stands forth in this volume as perhaps the wisest and most upright statesman of the century.” Litera- ture describes it as ‘‘ devoid of those personal touches which make biographies live,” but as being “ impartial, judicious,” and containing valuable information as to Italian politics. James RusseLL Loweut AnD His Frienps, by Edward Everett Hale (Constable, 16s.), ‘“‘ forms a welcome postscript to Mr. Lawrence Lovell’s biography,” says the Daily News, the aim of the book being to furnish a review of the last sixty years among literary and scientific people in Boston and its neighbourhood, though among these Mr. Lowell of course takes a prominent place. ‘‘ Those who knew Lowell best and admired him most will have good reason to be satisfied with the sympathetic, but not indiscriminating portrait which is presented of him in these pages.” While it will hardly supply the place of the biography of Mr. Lowell, says Literature, we can from this work “ construct a fairly complete picture of the author of ‘A Fable for Critics’ at the beginning of his career, and of the singer of the great Commemoration Ode in middle life.” It is beauti- fully illustrated, and a good index, says the Daily Telegraph, “adds to its value as a picture of an important period in New England history and of the famous men who made it.” Tur Human Macuine, by J. F. Nisbet (Richards, 6s.), is permeated by a philosophy very much the same as that of Lamettrie, says Literature, and while the author ‘‘ does not advert to arguments which have convinced some of the scientific authorities whom he reverently cites that the materialistic theory is a faulty explanation of the world,” the essays are bracing reading, and ‘‘an excellent antidote to much unpleasant twaddle.” Henrik Issen; BJORNSTJERNDE BJORNSON (Heinemann, 10s. net) critical studies, by George Brandes, whom Litera- ture calls “the most authoritative critic of North-Hastern Europe,’ contains a study of Ibsen which that journal recommends “to all those who have preserved an open mind in presence of the great Norwegian dramatist,” and an essay on Bjérnson published by Dr. Brandes in 1882. Dr. Brandes, says the Daily News, “ devotes a great deal of space to the attempt to make clear the social theories of Ibsen, though we fear that his efforts will not always be attended with complete success,” but “no appreciation of Tbsen’s genius that has yet made its appearance in the English language can-compare for fulness and insight with this volume,” the translation of which by Jessie Muir has been revised by Mr. William Archer, who contributes a preface. Lovers of literature, says the Daily Telegraph,  CELE ook Te Ee fy THE AUTHOR. and of tbe modern dramatic movement in particular, will be amply repaid by a perusal of this book. Huneer, by Knut Hamsun, the Norwegian writer (Smithers, 4s. net.), “ simply as a study of hunger will not be surpassed,” and the spirit and individuality of the writer could not have been more “completely preserved than in George Egerton’s admirable translation,” says the Daily Telegraph. Tus RoMANCE or A Pro-ConsuL, by James Milne (Chatto, 6s.), consists of a “ personal life and memoirs of Sir George Grey.” Literature says Mr. Milne gives his readers “‘a very fair idea of Sir George Grey himself, though a very inadequate idea of the events in which he played his part,” and the Daily News says the charm of the book ‘‘is to be found in the graphic glimpses of his own life, given in Sir George Grey’s own striking phrases.” From Comte to Kipp, by Robert Mackintosh (Mac- millan, 8s. 6d. net.), a critical study of the various thinkers who have tried to build a sociology on a biological basis, is yaluable, says Literature, in “ that it contains a good many clever reflections on the details of the method of evolution, and on the nature and limitations of it when applied to human society.” Tur SoLrTary SUMMER (Macmillan, 6s.), by the author of “Elizabeth and Her German Garden,” “readable and delicately humourous ” as the first (Daily Chronicle) is even more charming than that book, says the Spectator. “ After reading it we are as ignorant of the nature and growth of plants as, we suspect, she is,’ but “she teaches us the positive value of intercourse with Nature, and the untold mischief of coming to love the fuss and turmoil of which our lives are perhaps inevitably full.” The “ autobiography of a cultured and cbservant woman” (Literature), “‘it is, says the Guardian, “ an admirable example of the desultory yet literary style of which some Jadies seem to possess the secret.” Lire AND NATURE IN THE ENGuLIsH Laxgs, by the Rev. H. D. Rawnsley (Maclehose, 5s.) is described by the Spectator as ‘“‘a very pleasant volume by one who knows and loves what he is writing about.” ‘ We could imagine no more charming companion to any meditative Lake visitor,” says the Daily Chronicle, than this collection of sketches by a true and close observer of thecountry. ‘‘ His descriptions of the shepherds’ meetings are full of humour and skilful description.” Avuraority anp ARcHmOoLOGY, Sacred and Profane, edited by David G. Hogarth (Murray, 16s.) is a volume of more or less popular essays by writers of obvious com- petence, containing the results of recent archeological research in relation to biblical and classical literature. The Daily News describes it as “an excellent wor Pe Tue POLITICAL STRUWWELPETER, by Harold Begbie, illustrated by F. Carruthers Gould (Richards, 3s. 6d.) is good-tempered satire and harmless mirth, says the Daily News; ita personages “belong to the world of English politics, and both Mr. Gould’s drawings and Mr. Begbie’s bright and facile rhymes are devoted to fables in which these celebrities play conspicuous parts.’ The Chronicle speaks of the ‘‘extraordinary cleverness of Mr. Gould’s disciplinary pencil.” ‘The most serious politician,” says Literature, “ will hardly maintain his gravity wherever he may open the book.” Aurrep THE GREAT, edited by Alfred Bowker (Black, 58s. net) gives a noble “idea of this emancipator of his country and true founder of the English nation,” says the Daily News. In this “series of contributions by the nine 55 distinguished writers whose names are set forth on the title page,” there is, says the Daily Chronicle, something to suit every taste, “for though not all its readers will be able to appreciate the occasional bits of Anglo-Saxon and Latin, the greater portion is written in a thoroughly lucid and attractive form.” Lapy Lovisa Stuart (Douglas, 7s. 6d.) is a volume of selections from the manuscripts of this friend of Sir Walter Scott’s, which has been edited by the Hon. James A. Home. A memoir of John, Duke of Argyll and his family occupies about half the book; there are four letters of Scott’s and eight or ten of Lady Louisa’s, the former being described by Literature as delightful, with ‘‘ here and there a touchingly beautiful allusion to the sorrows of his old age.” Tye Ciry oF THE Sout (Richards, 5s. net), poems, is not, says the Daily Telegraph, ‘“‘ an essay in the art of writing verse; it is work of a remarkably high order, and reveals the temperament of a poet who writes because it is in him to do so.” ‘All through the book one comes upon lines which are astonishing in their beauty and their distinction.” Tur Open Roan, by E. V. Lucas (Richards, 5s.) a little book of selections to provide ‘‘ companionship on the road for city dwellers to make holiday,” is above the average of its kind, says the Guardian; and “ strikes a note of modernity,” says Literature “ which will not fail to please readers who complain that the compilers of anthologies are too fond of following a beaten track.” A Hisrory oF AMERICAN CHRISTIANITY, by Leonard Woolsey Bacon (Clarke, 10s. 6d.), is welcomed by the Spectator as a work “aiming at, and for the most part attaining, an appreciation of the best in diverse schools of religious thought, in their growth and their present con- dition, and as thus calculated to aid the better under- standing of America by the English people.” Literature says itis “excellently arranged and written.” Rorert Rarkes: THe MAn anp His Worx,’ edited by J. Henry Harris (Arrowsmith, 7s. 6d.), has auch biographical value, says Literature, including much evidence drawn from the recollections of Gloucester residents who knew Raikes. A Srupy or WAGNER, by Ernest Newman (B. Dobell, 12s.) is criticised by Literature, which says that the Wagnerian theory of the complete domination of the poet (in the relation between music and poetry), ‘‘ has had such an influence upon his successors and upon the musical thoughi of our day that we are glad to welcome a fearless exponent of the opposite theory.” Tur CoLuMN AND THE ARCH: Essays on Architectural History, by William P. P. Longfellow (Sampson Low, 108. 6d.), cannot fail to be extremely interesting to any reader cf artistic taste, says the Daily Chronicle. “ The subject is treated in a suggestive and unhackneyed manner.” Literatwre describes it as ‘“‘a work of real technical value.” Tus GAME AND THE CANDLE, by Rhoda Broughton (Macmillan, 6s.), is described by the Guardian as “ mainly a study in her usual style of human passion; in this case one in which the salient points are intense egotism and folly’; and ‘‘there is scarcely a character who does not seem to have been put as it were ina pillory for the reader’s edification and amusement.” I, THov, AnD THE OTHER Onn, by Mrs. Amelia E. Barr (Unwin, 6s.), is ‘a sweet and tender love story,” says the Daily Telegraph; ‘‘no more charming romance of the kind has been told in recent years,” the book carrying with it “ something of the fragrance cf an old-world garden.” The  56 THE excitement of the days of the Reform Act of 1832 is effectively used, remarks the Daily Chronicle, “and the book as a whole is pleasant and refreshing.” Tp DOMINION OF DREAMS, by Fiona Macleod (Constable, 6s.), consists of tales whose essential quality, says the Spectator, which “gratefully welcomes” them, is “ that they are of no time, neither conscientiously up to date nor elaborately out of date. The scene is laid for the most part in the Western Highlands, but, beyond a stray minister, the characters are all of the humblest class.” Literature speaks of “the extreme beauty and subtlety of Fiona Macleod’s writing,’ and says she sees the Gael through a mist of old tradition, and the volume ‘deals exclusively with the folk who hover on the indeterminate strip of space that separates sanity from madness.” ‘‘ There is poetry in all descriptions of scenes and periods, however strange and fantastic,’’ says the Daily Telegraph. GERALD FrtzGBRALD, by Charles Lever (Downey, 6s.), which appeared originally as a serial in the Dublin Univer- sity Magazine, but never saw the light in book form in Lever’s lifetime, is a plausible, romantic superstructure reared on a basis of fact, says the Spectator. The picture which he gives us of the sottish Pretender (Charles Edward) ‘redeemed from insignificance by his romantic past, and of his train of needy hangers-on, is true enough in spirit, while Lever’s familiarity with Italian society of all grades lends verisimilitude to the setting of thestory. The canvas is crowded with historic personages, including Alfieri, Madame Roland, and Mirabeau, and even where the portraits deviate most widely from authentic records, they are invari- ably endowed with energy and vivacity of expression.” As a story it will “add little to Lever’s fame,” says Literature, “but there are in it some excellent pieces of writing.” THE SATELLITE’s Stowaway, by Harry Lander (Chap- man, 3s. 6d.), is a “high-spirited and readable book.” (Spectator) which will captivate ‘all novel readers who love the sea, and do not object to a certain amount of coarse- ness in language and brutality in treatment—a coarseness, be it understood, which is never really base or of evil repute.” WHEN THE SLEEPER Wakgs, by H. G. Wells (Harpers, 6s.), is the story “of a man who falls into a cataleptic trance of over 200 years’ duration, and awakes to find himeelf, not only a kind of museum curiosity, guarded like a treasure, but also the heir to untold wealth, in a new and strange world.” The Daily News says that ‘‘Mr. Wells beats Jules Verne on his own ground,” while the Guardian describes it as “‘an enthralling effort of imagination,” “vivid and bizarre as a powerful nightmare.” Aw IpugR IN OLD FRANCE, by Tighe Hopkins (Hurst, 6s.), is a series of essays, “graphic pictures of old French life, which will be equally interesting to the ignorant and the well-informed,” says Literature. ‘‘We have seldom read a more charming book of its kind.” SILENCE Farm, by William Sharp (Richards, 6s.) paints for us “ with no little success,” says the Daily Telegraph, country scenes in the Lowlands with strong, characteristic figures of farmers and farm labourers amid changing aspects of sky and lands.” ‘The story, painful as it is, is exceedingly well told,” and “leaves a clear and artistic impression on the mind.” The chief character is a rank egoist and sensualist. “The story is powerful and tragic,’ says the Daily News. Tue Arm oF THE Lorp, by Mrs. Comyns Carr (Duck- worth), is a “‘ powerful and lurid story,” says the Daily News, and, apart from its tragic intercst, ‘“‘ a careful study of certain phases of religious belief.” AUTHOR. Lesser Destinizs, by Samuel Gordon (Murray, 6s8.), is described by the Daily Chronicle as “ a most careful study of the language, tone, and manners of the lower strata of London’s working folk.” The book is “reasonably read- able,” says Literature, “and might even be popular if the atmosphere were somewhat lees sordid.” No recent author that the Spectator has come across ‘has reproduced with greater skill and spirit the rough chaff and badinage in which the London street-arab notoriously excels.” ‘“ There is far more knowledge of human nature in Mr. Gordon’s book than in the works of those who excel him in the vigour of their realism.” Tue Inpivipua.ist, by W. H. Mallock (Chapman, 6s.), as a work of art, says Literature, suffers by the preposses- sions of a writer with a social purpose.’ The Daily News describes the novel as “of course a very clever book”— an acidulated, but not on that account less amusing, satire,” in which the author “is very sarcastic about ‘ settlements’ in general, and he is specially unkind to poor Bloomsbury.” The Daily Chronicle says that the book smacks of the eighties, but that “here and there are some: clever touches and some acute observations,” while the Daily Telegraph finds it ‘a merely brilliant social satire.’”” The Spectator says the book exhibits a polished style, an eres observation, a sense of beauty, and a vein of genuine satire.” Onz Poor Scrupuez, by Mrs. Wilfred Ward (Longmans, 6s.), is a “thoroughly interesting, well-written novel” (Daily Chronicle), the characters of which are a house-party of a cousin or two, a man and a girl, and a literary man. ‘* The picture she draws of an old Catholic home and family is excellent,” says the Daily Telegraph, the Spectator finds it “singularly interesting and stimulating,” while the Guardian, besides praising the work as wholesome, and “ far above the average in cleverness and interest,” remarks that ‘‘in a day when all the serious novels are of agnostic tendency, it is delightful to have to speak of one in which religious faith and principle are made to triumph over the snares of the world and the flesh.” “THE AUTHOR SCALE FOR ADVERTISEMENTS. Front Page aes £4 0 0 Other Pages - 8 0 Half of a Page ... +. 110 0 Quarter of a Page ee x » OL oO Eighth of a Page oe nee wae eee ee Single Column Advertisements perioch 0 6 0 Bills for Insertion per 2000 3 0 0 Reductions made for a Series of Six or Twelve Insertions. All letters respecting Advertisements should be addressed to the ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER, The Author Office, 4, Portugal-street, London, W.C. 3 Mr. j. Eveleigh Nask, LITERARY AGENT, AMBERLEY HOUSE, NORFOLK STREET, — STRAND, W.C. SS Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Author, Vol. 10 Issue 02 (July 1899) Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em>, Vol. 10 Issue 02 (July 1899) Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1899-07-01-The-Author-10-2 publications The Author https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/465/1899-08-01-The-Author-10-3.pdf 910013635f047d47645347ef25bd4868 PDF Text Text �������������������� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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) 1899-08-01 Volume 10 Issue 3 Pages Page range in volume 57–76 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 18990801 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin The Hutbor. (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) COMOCUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vou. X.—No. 3.] AUGUST 1, 1899. [Prick 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. Sos hee 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 should be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent 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. Po GENERAL MEMORANDA. ERE are a few standing 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. Il. A PROFIT-SHARING AGREEMENT. In this case the following rules should be attended to : (1.) Not to sign any agreement in which the cost 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 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. VOL. X. As well bind yourself for the future to any one solicitor or doctor ! (7.) To stamp the agreement. Ill. THE ROYALTY SYSTEM. It is above all things necessary to know what the proposed royalty means to both sides. 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.” The four main 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 there shall be no charge for advertisements in the publisher’s own organs and none for exchanged advertisements. eK HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. ie By wa member has a right to ask for and to receive advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his 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 Committee will obtain for him Counsel’s opinion. All this without any cost to the member. 2. Remember that questions connected with copyright and publisher’s agreements do not generally fall within the experience of ordinary solicitors. Therefore, do not scruple to use the Society. 3. Send to the Office copies of past agreements and past accounts with the loan of the books represented. The Secretary will always be glad to have any agreements, new or old, for inspection and note. The information thus obtained may prove invaluable. 4. Before signing any agreement whatever, send the pro- posed document to the Society for examination. 5. Remember always that in belonging to the Society you are fighting the battles of other writers, even if you are F 2 58 THE AUTHOR. reaping no benefit to yourself, and that you are advancing the best interests of literature in promoting the indepen- dence of the writer. 2 6. 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 READING BRANCH. A EMBERS will greatly assist the Society in this branch of their work by informing young writers of Their MSS. can be read and treated The Readers are The fee is one its existence. as a composition is treated by a coach. writers of competence and experience. guinea. NOTICES. HE 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 6s. 6d. subscription for the year. Communications for The Author should be addressed to the Offices of the Society, 4, Portugal-street, Lincoln’s-inn Fields, W.C., and should reach the Editor not later than the 21st of each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to communicate to the Editor any points connected with their work which it would be advisable in the general interest to publish. The present location of the Authors’ Club is at 3, White- hall-court, Charing Cross. Address the Secretary for information, rules of admission, &c. LITERARY PROPERTY. I.—In TERNATIONAL LITERARY AND ARTISTIC ConGREss. “ E DROIT D’AUTEUR” publishes the folowing programme for the twenty- first congress of the “ Association Litté- raire et Artistique,’ which is to take place at Heidelburg in September next, commencing on the 23rd, and concluding on the 30th. 1. The author’s moral right in his production : MM. Lermina, Mack, Maillard, Vaunois. (a) The right of any author of an intellectual work to establish his prerogative of author, and to take legal proceedings against any persons appropriating the credit of the work. (6) His right to interdict reproduction of his work in any form except by his consent. Can an author’s creditors offer the right of reproduction for sale P (c) Right of the author who has assigned his work to compel regard for his right as author to oppose the assignee’s reproducing or exhibiting the work in any modified or altered form, or his making any use of the work not stipulated in the contract. (d) Right of the executors or heirs of the author to compel regard for the author’s moral rights. Power of the tribunal to compel respect for the work, even against the heirs, and after the work has become public property. 2. Protection of inlaid work: M. Soleau. 3. Reports on jurisprudence, state of public opinion, and legislative proceedings in different countries. (a) Report on the new German law. Examina- tion of the principal reforms to be desired: M- Osterrieth. (6) Condition of the preparatory labours of the English law: M. Iselin. (c) Proposed reform of Italian law: M. Armar. (d) Projected Russian law: M. Halpérine- Karminsky. (e) Literary property in Roumania: M. Djuvara. (f) Literary property in the United States: M. Paul Ocker. Persons desiring to join in the conference should forward their names to M. Jules Lermina, perpetual secretary of the Association, Hétel des Sociétés Savantes, 28, Rue Serpents, a Paris. Il.—TxHE Burne ConveENTION. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Princi- pality of Montenegro has, by a memorandum of April 1, 1899, informed the Swiss Federal Council, in the name of his Government, that the Principality, for reasons of economy, withdraws from the International Union for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works created by the Convention of Sept. 9, 1886. According to the terms of the 2oth article of the Convention, the Convention will remain in force in the Principality of Montenegro until the expiration of one year from the date of the denunciation, that is to say, until April 1, 1900. The Swiss Federal Council has communicated this denunciation to the contracting countries by a circular dated May 15, 1899.—From Le Droit. d@ Auteur.  THE TII.—Copyrieut 1n Russta. Our Italian contemporary in J Diritti D’ Autore mentions that the Russian Imperial Commission for the revision of the copyright law is thinking of giving foreign authors a ten years’ copyright in translations of their works on condition that the translation into Russian is made within three years of the publication of the original work. TV.—Tue Srxpenny Nove. With reference to the able note on the six- penny novel in the May number of The Author, will you allow me, as cne who has seen something of the matter from the trade side, to suggest that the price at which new novels shall be issued could be promptly settled by united action on the part of the heads of the literary profes- sion? A publisher who makes fiction a feature of his lists cannot make o/d standard works his staple. By old standard works, I mean novels which still have life in them, as non-copyright works, after an existence of forty years or more as copyright works. If he wants to issue new copyright novels at sixpence, he can only do so (1) by purchasing the copyright outright, or (2) by getting the author to accept a royalty on the sixpenny form. As to purchasing the copy- right outright, it is notorious that, except in very rare instances, a novel, the copyright of which can be purchased for £20 or so, has not a poten- tial sale behind it of sufficient copies to make a sixpenny edition pay; and if a publisher pur- chases outright the copyright of new novels by prominent writers for payments of £750 to £2000, say, he will have made the sixpenny edition so expensive to himself that only fabulous sales will secure him a profit. No advertisement revenue that is likely to accrue on the large majority of new novels would set the balance right. But a publisher who makes fiction a staple must come to the prominent writers, the writers whose books he can sell for certain, whose novels the public wants to read, As he cannot afford to purchase the copyright, he must try to get the author to take a royalty, if the sixpenny form is to be floated. This must mean a heavy loss to the author, as compared with the six-shilling system. To take a rough diagram of the situa- tion—Suppose that an author can sell 50,000 copies of a novel in six-shilling form, and that he gets only a shilling a copy on the published price (practically, of course, he gets much more) ; he will receive on sales £2500. If the novel were issued at sixpence, and the author got a penny a copy royalty, then—supposing that the cheaper price doubled his sales—he would on the sale of 100,000 copies receive £416 odd, and be a AUTHOR. 59 loser of over £2000 as compared with the six- shilling edition. Even if the lowered price trebled his sales—a big supposition—he would be a loser of well over £1500. Let us suppose an author commands a sale of 10,000 copies ; under the six-shilling arrangement (same figures as above) he gets £500—on a corresponding sixpenny arrangement (as above) he would only get £410dd. As for the author who sells 10,000 copies, not being so widely known or so widely popular as the author who sells 50,000 copies, the lowered price would not quicken or increase his sales so much. ‘Then there is a considerable number of writers, holding an excellent place in literature, whose novels sell 5000 to 6000. They would probably find their incomes gone and their MSS. unsaleable under the sixpenny régime. This will mean a real and severe loss to English art and letters if it is allowed to take place. If prominent authors, after carefully consider- ing their interests, determine that they do not intend to have their novels issued at 6d. (first edition), and so instruct their agents, the matter will soon settle itself. But one may safely take it for granted that the heads of the literary profession would not only consider their own financial interests in such a case but the interests of literature. Who is to publish the Walter Paters and Emily Brontés of the future? Unless such writers are able and willing to publish at their own expense, and go without remuneration, they will have silence enforced on them under the sixpenny régime. Their MSS. will be met with the fatal objec- tion that there is not probable sale enough in them to make a sixpenny edition profitable to any publisher, and thus a chain of writers of whom English people are justly proud will be broken, and one may reasonably fear that the man of the sixpenny shocker will arise in their stead. Of course, there are many educated men and. women who would like to buy new novels but cannot afford the six-shilling form. But these readers would buy the book because of its intrinsic worth, not because it was the newest thing published. Would not publication in sixpenny form two years after first publication meet their requirements in a satisfactory way ? Only a few novels continue to bear fruit in the shape of royalty on the six-shilling edition twenty-four months after first publication. If the cost of composition, &c., had. been met by a more expensive edition at first, perhaps a sixpenny edition might be issued after that lapse of time with satisfaction to everybody. Those who can and do afford to keep up a library subscription or to buy books in six-shilling form 60 would not wait two years in order to get them in sixpenny form; so the first and more expensive edition would not be interfered with by the later and cheaper edition. The book would get a revival, the intelligent reader with a small purse would have a chance of acquiring it, and the publisher would be able to work the potential profit of the book out in each form. Mo.LeEcvtLe. 2 ee PUBLISHERS’ DRAFT AGREEMENT. HE following draft form of royalty agree- ment is one of the forms issued by the Council of the Publishers’ Association, and submitted to and approved by Mr. Joseph Walton, Q.C., and Mr. Arthur Ingpen. It was published in The Author of July, 1898, but it has been thought necessary to re-issue it, together with the comments of the Secretary of the Society of Authors, as agreements con- taining some of the clauses have been placed on one or two occasions recently before the Secretary. There is Very little to add to the comments which then accompanied the agreement except to state that where the blanks have been left im the dratt form they have been generally filled up to the advantage of the publisher and to the disadvantage of the author. It is needless to state the amount of royalty inserted in sections a, b, c, of clause 4. Tn one case, however, where the royalty was only to be paid after a certain number of copies were sold, 10 per cent. was offered on all copies after the sale of 1500 copies. The sales never reached 1500. The author never received a royalty. If they reached 1400 the publisher made £100 to £120. If they went over 1500 he made only about £60. An agreement should always be drawn so that both parties should be equally interested in promotion of the sales. In section d the blank has been filled up by the word “ fifty per cent.,” thus showing, as often repeated, that for ordinary agency transactions the publisher takes 50 per cent. where the agent would take ten or fifteen! In clause 8 the copyright has generally been vested in the name of the publisher. A warning against this is given in the comments. In clause g the blanks have been filled up to the great dis- advantage of the author, giving the publisher, as put forward in the comments, a chance of retaining the author’s money for nearly eighteen months. There is no need to make other new comment onthe agreement. It is put forward again for the sake of a warning to authors. THE AUTHOR. Drarr Form or suacEsteD Royatty AGREE- MENT BETWEEN AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER, DRAWN UP BY THE COUNCIL oF THE PuB- LISHERS’ ASSOCIATION AND SUBMITTED TO AND APPROVED BY Mr. JosepH Watton, Q.C., anp Mr. Artuur R. Ineren. Royalty Agreement. Memoranpum or AGREEMENT made this day of between (hereinafter termed the Author) of the one part, and (hereinafter termed the Publisher) of the other part, whereby it is mutually agreed between the parties hereto for themselves and their respective executors, administrators, and assigns (or succes- sors, as the case may be), as follows :— 1. The Publisher shall at his own risk and expense, and with due diligence, produce and publish the work at present intituled b and use his best endeavours to sell the same. 2. The Author guarantees to the Publisher that the said work is in no way whatever a violation of any existing copyright, and that it contains nothing of a libellous or scandalous character, and that he will indemnify the Publisher from all suits, claims and proceedings, damages, and costs which may be made, taken, or incurred by or against him on the ground that the work is an infringement of copyright, or contains anything libellous or scandalous. 3. The Publisher shall during the legal term of copyright have the exclusive right of producing and publishing the work in the English language throughout the world. The Publisher shall have the entire control of the publication and sale and terms of sale of the book, and the Author shall not during the continuance of this agree- ment (without the consent of the Publisher) publish any abridgment, translation, or dramatised version of the work. 4. The Publisher agrees to pay the Author the following royalties, that is to say :— (a) A royalty of on the published price of all copies (13 being reckoned as 12 or 25 as 24, as the case may be) of the British edition sold beyond copies. (6) In the event of a cheaper edition bemg issued, a royalty of per cent. on the published price. (c) In the event of the Publisher disposing of copies or editions at a reduced rate for sale in the United States, or elsewhere, (d) In the event of the Publisher realising profits from the sale, with consent of the Author, of early sheets, serial or other  THE AUTHOR. 61 rights, or plates for production of the work in the United States, or elsewhere, or as remainders, a royalty of per cent. of the amount realised by such sale. or from claims for infringement of copy- right, a royalty of per cent. of the net amount of such protits remaining after deducting all expenses relating thereto. No royalties shall be paid on any copies given away for review or other purposes. 5. The Author agrees to revise the first, and. if necessary, to edit and revise every subsequent edition of the work, and from time to time to supply any new matter that may be needful to keep the work up to date. 6. The Author agrees that all costs of correc- tions and alterations in the proof sheets exceeding 25 per cent. of the cost of composition shall be deducted from the royalties payable to him. 7, In the event of the Author neglecting to revise an edition after due notice shall have been given to him, or in the event of the Author being unable to do so by reason of death or otherwise, the expense of revising and preparing each such future edition for press shall be borne by the Author, and shall be deducted from the royalties payable to him. 8. During the continuance of this agreement, the copyright of the work shall be vested in the who may be registered as the proprietor thereof accordingly. 9. The publisher shall make up the account annually to and deliver the same to the Author within months thereafter, and pay the balance due to the author on 10. If the publisher shall at the end of three years from the date of publication, or at any time thereafter, give notice to the author taat in his opinion the demand for the work has eased, or if the Publisher shall for six months after the work is out of print decline, or, after due notice, neglect to publish a new edition, then and in either of such cases, this agreement shall termi- nate, and, on the determination of this agreement in the above or any other manner, the right to print and publish the work shall revert to the Author, and the Author, if not then registered, shall be entitled to be registered as the proprietor thereof, and to purchase from the Publisher forth- with the plates or moulds and engravings (if any) produced specially for the work, at half-cost of production, and whatever copies the Publisher may have on hand at cost of production, and if the Author does not within three months pur- chase and pay for the said plates or moulds, engravings, and copies, the Publisher may at any time thereafter dispose of such plates or moulds, engravings, and copies, or melt the plates, paying to the author in lieu of royalties per cent. of the net proceeds of such sale. 11. If any difference shall arise between the Author and the Publisher touching the meaning of this agreement, or the rights or liabilities of the parties thereunder, the same shall be referred to the arbitration of two persons (one to be named by each party) or their umpire, in accordance with the provisions of the Arbitration Act, 1889. 12. The term “Publisher” throughout this agreement shall be deemed to include the person or persons or company for the time being carrying on the business of the said under as well its present as any future style, and the benefit of this agreement shall be transmissible accordingly. As witness the hands of the parties. CoMMENTS BY THE SECRETARY OF THE SOCIETY. Firstly, then, the parties to the agreement. “It is agreed for themselves, their respective administrators, executors, and assigns, or suc- cessors, as the case may be.” It is the greatest mistake for an author to contract with the executors, administrators, and assigns, or successors of a publisher. The con- tract is between principal and agent, and is a personal contract, and should be maintained as a personal contract. Supposing an author were dealing with one of the best publishing houses in England, and the partners of that publishing house, for some reason or other, desired to retire from the business; to clear up matters they might put up the contracts for sale by auction or otherwise. Under these circumstances an author might find the right to publish his work pur- chased by some enterprising tradesman, who would bring it out in a manner and form which would be utterly repulsive to the author, and he would have no means of stopping him; and the same thing might occur should a firm go bank- rupt. It is, therefore, a most dangerous thing to allow the agent who is dealing with the property to have a right to assign his agency. In Clause 1 the publisher undertakes to pro- duce the work with due diligence. These words, as far as they go, are satisfactory, but the clause is not nearly comprehensive enough. The follow- ing points are suggested for consideration: that a date ought to be fixed on or before which the book should be produced ; that the form in which the edition is to appear should also be stated, and the price at which it is to be sold to the public. 62 THE AUTHOR. Clause 2 may, on the whole, be passed, with the single exception of the words “incurred by.” Itis fair as between the parties that the publisher should be protected from all suits against him, but there is no reason why the author should indemnify him from all expenses incurred by him, as he might incur unnecessary expenses without the sanction of the author. There ought, therefore, to be some words of limitation by which the author has a voice in any action taken by the publisher. Clause 3.—It is difficult to deal with Clause 3 without, in fact, re-drafting the whole of the agreement, but it should be pointed out that the rights which the author is expected to transfer by this agreement include the rights of production in Tauchnitz formand in America. Such rights are generally left in the hands of an agent, and much better so than in the hands of publishers, for this reason—that a publisher does not,as a general rule, undertake the work of the literary agent; that his office is not to place literary work in other hands, but to produce literary work for the author; that work of this kind left in the hands of publishers is not likely to receive anything like the same atten- tion as it is if left in the hands of a literary agent ; that the publisher is the only person who gains by having control of this work, and that the author loses by leaving it in his hands. It should be further pointed out that the publisher does not anywhere in the agreement undertake to secure the American copyright for the author, nor even to do his best to obtain it. It may pay an English publisher better to sell sheets or stereos to America, and pay the author a royalty, as per Clause 4 (d), ‘of per cent. of the net amount of the profits remaining after deducting all ex- penses relating thereto.” It should be added, although no prices are stated in this agreement, that for this agency work, while the literary agent charges 10 per cent., the publisher actually asks from 30 to 50 per cent. ; out of a large series of agreements in my hands from all sorts and conditions of publishers the lowest charge for this literary agency business has been 25 per cent., and this only in one case. The last part of the clause is extraordinary. It seems astounding that the author should not be allowed to deal with the translation and dramati- sation of his own work without the consent of the publisher. An author must be mad to part with his dramatic rights, perhaps more important than all the rest put together. With regard to the question of abridgment even, it is not fair that the author should be bound not to abridge the work unless the publisher is reciprocally bound not to obtain an abridgment or to run any other technical work which is likely to conflict with the author’s. So far, this clause has been considered from the general point of view, but from the point of view of the writer of technical works, educational, medical, theological, &¢., &c., the clause is still more disastrous. Under no circumstances should a writer of technical books hand over to his publisher so large a right of publication. It should be limited, especially as to the number of the edition, giving, if the author thinks fit, an equitable right to produce further editions. A technical writer must keep the command of his work, must be able, if necessary, to alter, amend, amplify. He cannot do this with a free hand if he does not keep undivided control. The publishers’ answer will be: “ But this is provided for by Clauses 5 and 7.” But it is submitted that it is one thing for the author to have unfettered judgment, and another thing to be forced to revise at request of his publisher or see his work arbitrarily revised by another. Whilst considering this question, it should be mentioned that one of the peculiarities of publishers’ contracts is that in the case of technical works a clause is nearly always intro- duced conveying the copyright to the publisher. An agreement containing such a clause should never be signed by an author. Clause 4.—In Section (a) the royalty is to be paid thirteen copies as twelve or twenty-five as twenty-four. The alternative appears to be left wholly to the discretion of the publisher, who naturally will prefer to pay on thirteen as twelve. Royalties should never be calculated on this basis. All the royalty accounts put forward by the Authors’ Society have been (wrongly) reckoned on the basis that the royalty is paid on every copy sold, it having been previously taken into account in the Cost of Production that the publisher had to sell thirteen for twelve to the booksellers. This they do not really do, except they sell in quantities and a great many booksellers are unable to afford to buy in quantities; therefore, in taking the royalty to be paid as in Section (a), the publisher is not only profiting by the liberal estimates of the Society with regard to royalties, but is also endeavouring to take in an extra 8 per cent., and the extra amount on those copies, of which there are many, sold in less numbers than twelve. This fact should also be made clear, that some of the older and more reliable firms have never put forward in their agreement a clause on this basis, but have always paid on every copy. The clause is also drafted that the royalty should be paid on all copies sold beyond a certain number. This seems to imply that no book can afford to have a royalty paid on it from the beginning. Of course, this is not the case, but  THE when such an agreement is placed before an author as an equitable agreement, these points of equity should be clearly explained. If the royalty is to be paid after the sale of a certain number (generally such a number whose sale will cover the cost of production), then the author must take care (1) that a number beyond the number specified is printed ; (2) that he gets a proportionately higher royalty for foregoing it so long—e.g., he must then get 50 per cent. of the trade price. All royalty agreements should further have the royalty increasing with the sale if they cannot bear a high royalty from the beginning. A royalty increasing with the sale is certainly a fair arrangement as between author and publisher. Section (6.)—The issue of a cheap edition appears under this section, as, indeed, under the drafting of the whole agreement, to lie entirely with the publisher. This is by no means a satisfactory arrangement. Here, again, there is no proposed increasing royalty according to the number of the cheap edition sold. Section (c).—It is a common thing for the author to receive a share of the nett amount realised by the sale of remainders, but royalties as a general rule are paid on the published price of the sale of the book in the United States. An author should not allow such a loose clause to be in any agreement with the words “ copies or editions sold at a reduced rate should be subject to — per cent. of the amount realised on such sale.” Who is to decide what is a reduced rate? There are many different methods of selling books to the trade; many of these might be called books sold at a reduced rate. Under these cir- cumstances it is unfair to the author to obtain a share merely of the amount realised. Royalties must be paid always on the published price, except in the case of a remainder. Section (c) therefore should allow a share of the amount realised on bond fide remainder sales. The rest should be altered. The case of re- mainder sales should be distinguished with great care from the sale of books at reduced prices ; this clause cannot but tend to confuse the two issues. Section (d).—If the publisher is successful in doing the agency work stated in that section, it is fair that he should have 10 per cent. commis- sion on the returns, in accordance with the charges of all ordinary agents. He might also perhaps be fairly entitled to a 10 per cent. commission if he was mainly instrumental in recovering money for infringement of copyright. The balance would be paid to the author. The final section of clause 4 is a little vague. Of course, no royalty ought to be paid to the VOL. x, AUTHOR. 63 author on copies given away by him or sent for review, but the words “other purposes” might cover a good deal more than this, and are insuffi- ciently precise. Clause 5.—The wording of the fifth clause is not very satisfactory. In the case of technical works, to which a clause like this specially refers, the publishers should in the first instance be only given a right to publish a limited number of copies, and the author might in equity give him the option of producing further editions, subject to certain limitations. Under those circumstances the right to revise would lie within the author’s hands, as it should do with the creator of any work, who ought alone to have power to add or subtract from what he has already put before the world. This has all been explained when com- menting on Clause 3, but the principle is of such importance that it is worth while to repeat it. Clause 6.—The author is not safeguarded here. Could it not be provided that periodically (say weekly) during the printing the author be informed of the cost of corrections. He must in any case be informed what is the cost of com- position, and what is the connection between corrections and shillings. Clause 7 might, under certain circumstances— that is if the publisher has purchased the copy- right—be inserted in an agreement, but in the present form of royalty agreement it should be struck out. There is no need for it. Its imprac- ticability with regard to technical writers during their lifetime has been explained. Clause 8.—There is no need either for the insertion of clause 8. The copyright is the author’s, and must remain so. The clause is inserted evidently with the idea of the copyright being vested in the name of the publisher. This would be a mistake. : Clause 9, the account clause, is so beautifnlly vague that it is hardly worth while to comment upon it, except to point out that it is a mistake to have accounts made up annually delivered three months after they are made up, with the amounts due payable three months after this, making it possible for the publisher to retain the author’s money for nearly eighteen months. That is a common account clause amongst publishers, and no doubt they find it exceedingly useful to have the control of the author’s money for so long a period. The mere interest on such money would go a long way to pay the office expenses in a big office. But the inconvenience to the author, not to mention the danger of bankruptcy or similar contingencies to the firm, is very considerable. Clause 10. — The first part of clause 10 is certainly necessary for the protection of the author, as it would be very awkward supposing @  64 the publisher refused to produce the book when the author had a certain market for it. If, how- ever, as in the case of some educational works, the publisher desired still to maintain the control of the market, so as not to allow the author to republish a book in competition with one which the publisher had already before the public, it would be easy to evade the clause by having a few copies ready on hand. The latter part of the clause, however, could not possibly be equitable as between author and publisher. It is quite possible that the moulds and engravings might be so worn that they would not be worth half the cost of production, and the copies of the book that the publisher had on hand might not be worth the whole cost of production, as itis quite possible that they might have been damaged or otherwise defaced. If, therefore, the author refused to pur- chase the books at the cost of production on account of some damage that they had received, it would be possible for the author in reproducing the work with some other publisher to be under- sold. The author saould have the o.tion of taking over the stock and plates at a valuation. The danger, however, is not a very large one, as if the book was in such a condition that the author desired to bring out a new edition and the publisher did not, it would most probably argue that the book had very nearly reached the end of its sale, in which case there would most probably be only a few copies on hand. The danger, however, is one that should be guarded against. Clause 11 ought to be struck out, as, until a dispute arises, it is impossible to say whether it is a fit subject for arbitration ; besides, arbitration is more expensive than an action at law. Clause 12 should on no account stand. It is most important, as explained when discussing the parties to this agreement, that the contract should be a personal contract, and this point should always be before authors when signing agree- ments. They should under no circumstances allow such a clause to pass. This is a fair comment on the royalty agree- ment as it stands. Many suggestions might be made as to the insertion of various clauses, and the protection of the author on other points. But these are faults of omission, and the agree- ment has only been dealt with as regards the drafted clauses. It might be well to mention that some definite time should be fixed on, before which a publisher should not be allowed to make remainder sales. i i THE AUTHOR. PARIS NOTES. 5, Rue Chomel, Paris. NHE matinée Alfred de Musset, recently given 7 by the Bodiniére, was a great success. The poet par excellence of “l’amour, les femmes, et les fleurs” is still a living voice to the present generation. For over forty years the annual pilgrimage of his disciples to his tomb at Pére-Lachaise in the beginning of “le joli mois de mai” has been piously continued, and this year the tomb of the great Hugo is reported to have been honoured with less than half the number of the floral tributes deposited on that of Alfred de Musset. But Hugo died more than a quarter of a century later, so his admirers are content to read his works and temporarily forget his anniversary until Time’s mellow aureole has gilded his fame. Though Alfred de Musset’s last days were troubled by pecuniary cares (including the expenses of his own interment), the only thing he asked of his friends was “ a light shade” over his grave; and the willow which now casts over his last resting-place the “light shade” so pathetically requested was brought from Parana by a South American poet—Hilarip Escasubi by name—who cheerfully undertook the long voyage in order personally to fulfil the desire of the poet whose works he revered. Apropos of this fact may be mentioned the assertion that the poems of de Musset and the memoirs recently published by his old housekeeper, Adéle Colin, are reported to have had almost as wide a circulation among foreigners as among the poet’s own compatriots. M. Paul Deschanel, President of the Chamber of Deputies, has been elected to fill the vacant fautewl of M. Edouard Hervé. This is not the first time that the newly fledged Academi- cian has obtained the suffrages of the august body of which he is now a member. Eleven years ago a clever volume from his pen, entitled “Orateurs et Hommes d’Etat” (containing a series of studies on Frédéric II. and Bismarck, Fox and Pitt, Lord Grey, Talleyrand, Berryer and Glad- stone), was recompensed by the French Academy ; and the following year his interesting ‘“‘ Figures de Femmes,” containing appreciations of Mmes. d’Epinay, Necker, Récamier, &c., obtained the same honour. Despite the exigencies of his political career, M. Deschanel has found time since then to sign other valuable social and political works, including numerous _ historical, literary, and political articles which have prin- cipally appeared in the Journal des Deébats andthe Temps. Only two literary members of the Academy were absent on the occasion of his election, viz—M. Anatole France, who sent his  g . i f ae Sa 1f r re ti? 1 THE AUTHOR. excuses, and M. Henri Lavedan, who was elected a short time ago, but has not yet been officially received. The latter is reported to be writing a new play on irreproachably moral lines, as a sort of amende honorable for that exceedingly un- academical and successful comedy ‘Le Vieux Marcheur,” which was M. Lavedan’s first produc- tion after his accession to the dignity of an Immortal. Worst of all, the offending play was advertised on the theatrical posters with his new title of Academician appended to the author’s name. Whereupon it was decided in conclave that though any Immortal who desired was free to produce plays ad libitum, he was strictly for- bidden to parade his Olympian connection on the public hoardings. The death of M. Victor Cherbuliez places another fauteuil at the disposal of the Academy. The deceased writer was of the same creed as M. Pierre Loti, being one of the few Protestants who are members of the above assembly. The titles of his works are too numerous and well-known to require recapitulation here; and the numerous tributes paid to his memory by his most eminent contemporaries bear evidence of the high esteem in which he was held and which he so worthily merited. ‘‘ He was the originator of what is called the cosmopolitan novel,’ wrote de Meur- ville on the morrow of his death. ‘He was also an art critic in his esthetical studies, which revealed something more than a _ philosophy —a religion of the Beautiful after Ruskin’s pattern.” At the funeral ceremony M. Brunetieére declared that the name of Victor Cherbuliez would undoubtedly survive, since his place was already marked in the history of French litera- ture; while M. Marcel Prévost depicted Cher- buliez as the representative of the imaginative novel, and M. Emile Ollivier rendered eloquent testimony to the merits of the dead man, both in his private and public capacity. But though Cherbuliez was a writer of the first water, he was entirely lacking in the art of producing scenic effects. His theatrical début was most unfortunate, though his collaborator was no less a personage than the celebrated Henri Meilhac. His first play—‘ Samuel Brohl” by name—dramatised from one of his most successful novels, was unlucky from commencement to finish. Accepted by the manager of the Odéon towards the close of the year 1877, it was twice delayed on account of unpropitious outside events, only to be produced finally on the historical thirtieth of January which witnessed the election of M. Jules Grévy to the Presidency. A worse moment could scarcely have been chosen. The public, more interested in actual than fictitious events, passed the latest evening papers from 65 hand to hand, jeering at the tragic and remaining obstinately mute during the ludicrous incidents in the performance. Meanwhile the attitude of the two unhappy collaborators was characteristic. Henri Meilhac sat in a corner of the managerial sanctum, fixedly regarding an evening paper which he held upside down. At the conclusion of the first act he uttered a hollow moan; at the conclusion of the second he gave vent to despair- ing groans and extended himself full length on the ground, like a patient in an ambulance waggon; at the conclusion of the third—which was greeted by the public with the cries of a menagerie of wild animals—Meilhac was com- pletely overwhelmed, closed his eyes, clenched his hands, while drops of agonised perspiration beaded his brow; and at the conclusion of the fifth and last act he was picked up—inert, motion- less—and despatched home in a cab. Cherbuliez, on the contrary, supported the disaster with equanimity. Ensconced in a corner box, he had followed every movement of the recalcitrant public with a curious, almost an indifferent, eye. He bravely waited until the stormy finale, utter- ing no complaint, giving vent to no bitter word ; only, when the moment of withdrawal arrived, he politely accosted the disconsolate manager, requesting a renseignement. ‘“ Faites,” said Duquesnel, briefly. “ Dites-moi,” responded Cher- buliez, with imperturbable naiveté ; “est bien cela qu’on appelle une chute, n’est-ce pas ?” The editors of the Revue Blanche have under- taken a herculean task, being no less a work than the re-edition—as far as possible literally— of the world famous ‘“ Arabian Nights’ Tales,” the French “ Mille et une Nuits.” This publica- tion will extend over a period of five years, three volumes per year being given the public. Seven editions exist at the present time in the Arabic, of which the best and most correct is reported to be the Egyptian version of Boulak, which is the one adopted by Dr. Mardrus, the translator chosen by the Revue Blanche. The latter is an intelligent and highly educated young man, who is now following the profession of a doctor at Marseilles. His training for the task he has voluntarily undertaken commenced with his earliest years. “Iam no Syrian,” he recently wrote, in rectification of a journalistic error, “I am a true son of the city of Cairo, where my father and grandfather were born. And even for nourrice (beginning of the ‘Arabian Nights’ Tales’ in my childish eye!) I had a pure-blooded amber-hued Egyptian, whose finger tips were darkened with henna, and who wore a collar of turquoises round her neck to avert the evil eye, and silver bracelets on her ankles to conjure the witcherafts of the terrible Zar.” This auspicious 66 commencement of the future translator’s vocation was augmented by a liberal French education intermingled with prolonged sojournings in Arabia, and these two influences combined have rendered Dr. Mardrus the fittest man in Europe for satisfactorily concluding the arduous task he has already commenced. The first volume of the “ Mille et Une Nuits” has just been issued, and is (as all the succeeding volumes are intended to be) complete in itself, containing the narrative of the first twenty-four nights. “ Paris Intime ” (chez Flammarion) is the title of M. Adolphe Brisson’s new book. It deals with the ‘“dessous”’ of the political, dramatic, artistic, and literary life of Paris, and is written in the easy “causerie” style with which all who know M. Brisson’s works are familiar. The headings of the seven parts into which the book in question is divided give a fair idea of its contents; they are as follows, viz.: (1) Vieux Murs, Vielles Maisons; (2) Plein Air (Le Bois 4 cing heures du matin, Une Journée aux Courses) ; (3) Quelques Originaux ; (4) L’Académie et l’Ecole (Les Habits Verts, Bacheliers d’hier et d’aujourd’ hui, Souvenirs de Polytechnique) ; (5) Les Bienfaiteurs (Charité mondaine, Pour les inondés) ; (6) Paris en joie (Une nuit 4]Opéra, Soupeurs et soupeuses, Les Confetti) ; (7) L’Art et le Bibelot (Les Mystéres du Louvre, Les Petits Secrets du Salon, Les Coulisses de l’Hétel des Ventes). Each of the seven divisions are subdivided into chapters, several of whose titles are given in the above parenthesis. In short, this is a clever, entertain- ing book, well worthy the perusal of all interested in the varied phases of Parisian life. The Trades and the Muses have evidently renewed their medieval pact. The legend of Hans Sachs, the cobbler-bard of Nuremberg, has found its counterpart in our own days in the person of Jacques Lorrain, the cobbler-poet of Paris, who recently bade adieu to his humble booth in the Rue Du Sommerard to enter the College of Sainte Barbe as a substitute, in order to continue his literary studies unimpeded. Nor is this a solitary instance. Only a week or two ago the editorial sanctum of M. Brisson was invaded by a young man of resolute mien who brusquely announced himself as “ Hugéne Granger, déménageur.” The editor of the Annales was about to disavow any intention of changing his residence, when the young man promptly interposed : “I am not only a déménageur,” said. he; “I am also a poet,” and drawing a small, yellow volume from his pocket, he placed it in the editor’s hands and fled precipitately. The little volume was entitled “ Les Mis¢éreux,’” and several of the verses it contained were so rhythmically and THE AUTHOR. magisterially ¢roussés that M. Brisson gave it the foremost place in his weekly review, even while expressing his misgivings lest M. Hugene Granger had deceived him respecting his habitual occupa- tion. Meanwhile the publication of the “ Jeu de Massacre ” of M. André Barde, the talented young poet of the Tréteau de Tabarin, is attracting a good deal of attention. The critics emphatically declare him to be a poet with a future. For the benefit of the uninitiated we may mention that the Tréteau de Tabarin is scarcely a suitable place of recreation for a newly-married couple or the ubiquitous young person; and for the benefit of the curious we would further state that the young poet is a tall youth with a finely-cut mouth, pene- trating eyes, moustache “en pétarade,” beard “ en broussaille,” and hair in revolt. Serenely con- scious of his brilliant endowments, M. Barde disdains the idea of pleasing his readers; on the contrary, he flatly assures them that his is no book to flatter the fossil, or “le bourgeois solennel, le mufle, ou Jlimbécile,’’—which is certainly rather hard on the majority. In addition to the above noteworthy publica- tions of the month, we have a translation of the new novel of Mathilde Serao, the George Sand of Italy, entitled “ Sentinels, prenez garde a vous!”’ (chez Calmann Levy) ; ‘‘ Passage de Bédouins,”’ a stirring romance by Myriam Harry; “ Le Journal de Marguerite Plantin,”’ by Jean Berthe- roy (chez Armand Colin et Cie., Bibliothéque des romans pour les jeunes filles), of which we hope to say more anon; “La Bombarde,’ by Jean Richepin (chez Fasquelle, Bibliotheque Charpen- tier), containing over sixty exquisite tales in apparently impromptu verse; “Les Fleurs Amoureuses,” by Armand Silvestre (chez Ollen- dorf); ‘Notre Masque,’ by Michel Corday, which novel recently appeared as a serial in the columns of the Figaro; the seventh volume of the “Contemporains” series by Jules Lemaitre (chez Lecéne et Oudin) ‘“ L’Affaire Blaireau,” by Alphonse Allais; ‘Mensonges,” by Paul Bourget; ‘Les Sans-Galette,’” by Henry de- Fleurigny; “George Sand,’ by W. Karénine ; “ Bétes roses,” by Catulle Mendés; ‘“ La Renais- sance Catholique en Angleterre,’ by Thureau- Dangin ; “ Thomas Carlyle,” by E. Barthélemy; “Paysages et Paysans,” by M. Charlot; and a score of fictional efforts by minor authors. Darracorre Scorv.  me Re ae. sy ft & THE MR. MURRAY AND THE SOCIETY OF AUTHORS. CALLED attention in the last number of The Author to certain remarks and state- ments made by Mr. John Murray, Presi- dent of the Congress of Publishers. It will be remembered that he alleged that the Society had treated publishers as if they were one and all dishonest. I referred last month to a very simple refuta- tion of that assertion, viz., that contaimed in one of the warnings issued month by month for a long time in this paper. It seems, however, necessary to return to this unpleasant subject, in order to show more clearly what has been the position of the Society from the beginning in this respect. There are, in fact, a great many express and open denials of this charge to be found in all the publications of the Society. I would refer, first, to my own History of the Society from 1888-1892. I there say (p. 20) : “This being so, we were not at all surprised to find that frauds were being carried on very extensively. Not universally. We have always most carefully made that necessary reservation. We have been constantly accused—I shall be accused to-morrow most probably—of charging all publishers as a body with dishonesty. I say again, that five or six years ago, when we had acquired some knowledge of what was going on, we found—with this reservation carefully insisted upon —a wide-spread practice of fraudulent accounts.” This is surely clear enough. Can anyone want amore explicit statement that the Society does not lump all publishers up together in one charge of dishonesty ? T find, also, on looking back into the pages of The Author, that over and over again, aad year after year, either a protest has been recorded against the charge, or that a simple assertion of reservation or a separation of the dishonest pub- lisher from others has been openly and plainly stated. Most of these protests or disclaimers were made in reply to such allegations as that of Mr. Murray — allegations repeated again and again in the face of these protests. Thus in vol. I. I find no fewer than twelve such passages. In vol. II. thereare seven; in vol. III., eight; in yol. IV., two; in vol. V., four; in vol. VL, three; in vol. VIL, two; and in vol. VIII, two. Of all these reservations or disclaimers, I have in my hands a list which can be quoted in case of necessity, i.e., in case of having to take action in a court of law. There has not been AUTHOR. 6 a single year, therefore, since 1891 inclusive, when we have not been called upon to protest, over and over again, against this sweeping charge. What does it mean? so persistently repeated ? It may mean several thinzs: the reckless repe- tition of a mere rumour: the snatching up of the first stone to throw at a Society which exposes the facts of the case: the excuse to cover the fact that the speaker or writer has not offered the slightest assistance to the Society in bringing the truth to light. There may be other reasons. I do not ask for Mr. Murray’s motives. I merely state that he repeats a charge which has been over and over again met and denied in the publications of the Society. Now, the three main charges that we have mad against certain publishers are briefly these :— 1. The practice of taking secret profits. 2. The practice of charging advertisements not paid for. 3. The absence of any guarantee against dis- honesty, such as the right of audit. These charges are not made against the whole body of publishers, but always, as stated over and over again, with reservations of what we called “ honourable” houses. The Publishers’ Association have produced “model”? agreements, and they have held a congress with discussions on many points. We find in those “ models,’ which have been dissected by our Secretary, and in the discussions at their Congress, silence absolute upon these three points : (1) There is no word against secret profits On the other hand, the publishers claim the right in their agreements to make profit, in certain forms of agreement, on every single item. The per- centage is actually left blank, and not one word is said against secrecy or to denounce secret profits. (2) Not one word has been said against the charging of advertisements not paidfor. Yet the right of doing so simply confers upon the pub- lishers the power of putting everything in their own pockets! This cannot be denied. Yet, not one word ! (3) Not one word has been said about any guarantee against dishonesty: such as the right of audit. All these things, therefore, are passed over in silence by the committee of the Association, whose President is Mr. John Murray. Why is this statement reas 68 NOTES AND NEWS. Y correspondent ‘“X.,’’ whose letter may M be read on p. 70, speaks of one thing while I speak of another. By “ litera- ture” he means good work, work of literary worth. Now, in these columns we are not critics : we take the low line—it may be very low, but it is useful—of considering literary property alone, apart from literary worth. Now, literary pro- perty may exist quite independently of literary worth. The two things, as I have insisted upon over and over again, are not commensurable. You cannot estimate a poem by money: nor can you estimate the literary worth of a work by its commercial value. What I say is, that so many people—so many thousands, if you please—live by the Pen: and for the most part manage to live in comfort. My correspondent “ X.” speaks of “journalistic hack-work’’ with contempt. I do not despise journalism: no one despises journalism: I see nothing degrading in a man writing in newspapers. It is, on the other hand, a pride and a privilege to instruct the world on any subject on which one is qualified to speak by means of the daily, or weekly, or monthly Press. This is by no means always “the multiplying of flimsies ” ; or this and that in a “rag-bag”’ journal. I do not thik that any good is gained by con- cealing facts: Let the truth be known—al) the truth—about the Profession of the Pen. Part of the truth, at least, is the fact that a great many people do actually live by it. “X.” says that a great many do not. Well, that is another fact which must be taken into account. But in every profession there are a great many who fail. Great prizes will always attract competi- tion, and will always make success more difficult. But there are great prizes in the Profession of the Pen. Those who would live by the Pen must adapt themselves to circumstances, and take such work as offers. If they do this, as others do, they will probably find time enough to bring out the best that isin them. It may not prove to be popular work, yet it may be very good indeed. To be very good and yet not to be popular seems a hard fate. Perhaps, however, it may be but a passing phase. How long did George Meredith have to wait before he was fully recognised? Nay, we may well ask—how wide—how deep—is the recognition of this great writer to-day? Again, Walter Pater produced very fine work indeed, but he could not live by it. On the other hand there is the case of Louis Stevenson. It will not be denied that his work is good—very good. Yet he did succeed in gaining popularity: he did live THE AUTHOR. by his work: he did achieve the proof of popu- larity in a large and substantial income. <= The concluding remarks of “X.” about the failures of certain publishers do not concern the question, because if all publishers failed the great commerce of Literature would go on in other hands. But is Literature a profession? It is always said that anyone may come in without previous training or apprenticeship. Every year a new novelist arises: sometimes he stays: sometimes he goes up like a rocket, and so down again in obscurity. But who knows by what preliminary studies, reading, practice, he has qualified for the work? Poetry requires an enormous amount of practice and of study. No man suddenly becomes a poet, or a dramatist, or an essayist, or anything that is good. Literature, proper, is the work of industry and patience working with natural aptitude. It is true that a new writer does sometimes appear unexpectedly in special branches of experience and study. A man who has travelled widely and observed much: a man who knows Courts: a man who is a scholar in out-of-the-way subjects: a man who explains science in a popular manner, may come in at any time, and become at one step a literary man of good standing. But, you see, there has been preparation with experience. The average man of the street, with his average knowledge and his views of the world taken from the morning leaders, has no more chance of being received into the ranks of Literature than of being received into an orchestra at the opera. For which reasons, and others, [I call Literature a Pro- fession: I say that the Profession of the Pen maintains many thousands: that it may be pre- carious, but is no more precarious than other pro- fessions, that a young man would be wise not to try living by his Pen while he is feeling his way to such perfection as he is capable of attaining: and that with these broad facts before one it is no answer to say, “ Literature is precarious, because —look at mz!” I have had two or three other letters on the same subject, but none so impor- tant or so strong as that of “ X.,’”’ with whom I am most sorry not to be able to agree. I should like to call attention to a common practice, becoming daily more common, of inviting a company of literary men and women to give their opinion on certain subjects. These opinions, published all together, are supposed to carry weight. But they have to be put very briefly: the reasons and arguments cannot be  f THE AUTHOR. 69 marshalled: the opinion of an expert may be placed between those of two persons who know nothing about the subject: their opinions follow each other, sandwich fashion—Aye—no—Aye— no—the Ayes have it. Last week I received two such invitations. One was a request that ina brief paragraph I would give my opinion on the Christian religion. The second, that I would give my opinion on the Transvaal question. These invitations, of course, reduce the method to an absurdity. Should not men and women of letters hesitate before they plunge needlessly into any such controversy ? There are many things that even a poet may be supposed incapable of con- sidering—e.g., the Boer Question, on which we hear so many contradictory statements. Then, even if he does seem entitled to an opinion, what is it worth among a dozen others ? About once a quarter or so a suggestion is made by a correspondent that the Society might help contributors to magazines by publishing a table of the tariff or prices current paid for articles by the various magazines. The sugges- tion is based on the assumption that there is such a tariff for every magazine. If so, it is never allowed to appear. And there are the widest differences in payment for articles. Some time ago the contributor of a most important paper to what is supposed to be a leading monthly received for his paper, which was fifteen very full pages in length, the magnificent sum of £7 10s. He asked the Secretary’s advice. ‘“ You have no contract,” he said. “You might sue them for such a sum as you consider adequate. You would at least expose their meanness. But it would give you a great deal of trouble. Why not send back the cheque with the intimation that a mistake has been made?” He did so. By return of post there arrived a cheque for double the amount and an apology. I have known an article in a monthly rewarded with a single guinea. I have heard of articles in weekly penny papers paid for by shillings. But I have never known of any fixed tariff, or rate, or custom, or practice of a magazine or weekly. The best way—the only safe way—would be to state plainly that the MS. is offered for so much and can be left with the editor so long only, with stamps for return. Of course, if the editor does not like this method of transacting business, he will return the MS. I think that most editors would prefer conducting business in a practical and straightforward manner. He can make a proposal: if that is accepted the author cannot grumble: he can send back the MS.: the author cannot complain. Water Besant. A FABLE FOR AUTHORS. GOOSE owed money to the Fox, and at his solicitation insured her life in his favour with the Secretary Bird. Now, it chanced that besides doing her duty in the ordinary way, about once a year the Goose laid a golden egg. The Fox knew this, and so agreed that if she would give him the golden eggs one after another until his debt was satisfied he would not annoy her in any manner. All the other eggs the goose laid she ate, for only by so doing could she lay the precious golden eges once a year. But no sooner was the Fox secure in his assign- ment of the golden eggs than he laid claim to all the Goose’s other eggs, and threatened her direly with ferrets and weasels and vermin if she did not release them to him. For the Fox said to himself: ‘It will be a long time before the golden eggs amount to the sum of my claim, but whenever the silly goose dies—by starvation or otherwise—the Secretary Bird must discharge it in full.” Now, when the Goose saw the design of the Fox to do her to death, notwithstanding she was weak and exhausted through trying to lay for him golden eggs as large and as often as possible, she said to herself: “Bird, you deserve your name. Do you not see that you have insured your creditor so well that your death is more profitable to him than your life?” And taking advice of her misfortune, she flew up into the air and sailed away across the Tropic of Capri- corn. The Secretary Bird watched her flight, and, when she had disappeared, informed the Fox, saying, “My agreement with you is void, for behold your Goose has gone to parts unknown beyond the equator. I can take no more risks on her life.” “Oh, well,” said the Fox with a wry face, “if you won’t, you won’t. But no doubt I shall come out about even, after all, for the Goose comes of a long-lived breed, and is just such a poor, simple, honest creature that she will continue to lay me golden eggs, even in the sweet Hesperides.” But time passed, and one day the Fox confessed in vexation to the Secretary Bird: “I am indeed a victim of my own folly. Had I not been so pressing, the silly Goose would have striven to pay me, and, likely, died of the effort. Then you would have discharged my debt in full. But now, I have nothing, and cannot even sue my Goose.” And the Secretary Bird nodded. ALBION WineGAR TOURGEE. THE MR. BRYCE ON AUTHORSHIP. N | R. BRYCE, M.P., was the principal guest at a dinner given on July ro at the Authors’ Club. Lord Monkswell presided, and in proposing his health, said that of all men Mr. Bryce would be one of the best to send to South Africa at the present moment, on account of his well-known calmness. As an historian, Mr. Bryce’s peculiar excellence lay in his thoroughness and impar- tiality. Mr. Bryce, in reply, said he considered that literature was divided into three branches— journalism, poetry, and fiction. He could not claim to be a journalist, although he was once offered the editorship of a morning paper, and in the same way he could not pose as a poet, though he had a connection with it. No doubt the best thing was to write really good poetry, but the next best thing was not to publish it— (laughter)—and that distinction he was able to claim. As regarded fiction, he would own to having begun to write a novel, but he was waiting until the particular phase of public taste suited his particular novel, and then he would publish it —anonymously. No doubt he was expected to say something on the preseut state of English literature, but he thought that question was not worth discussing, because if people considered their own literature was in a bad way they certainly ought not to say so. At the present moment there was an immense demand for good and brilliant literature, but this did not have the slightest effect on the supply. He considered that it would be far better for publishers to issue cheaper books. Critics had completely changed. They were all authors themselves, and nearly all authors were critics, and their morality had risen considerably, for there was probably nut one who did not cut the leaves of a book before reviewing it. If there was a real danger in the future it was from the publishers and the public, and that was owing to the enormous public to be addressed. It was quite conceivable that the time would come when the public would be so impatient to have new works from an author who was appre- ciated that it would encourage him to produce hasty work and so lose his reputation. It would be a great pity if the blandishments of publishers should draw authors to come down from the high standard they had set themselves. Those who used the English tongue addressed a public twice or three times as large as those who wrote in any other language, and that public was always grow- ing.— Daily Chronicle. 7O pecs AUTHOR. LITERATURE AS A PROFESSION. YIR WALTER BESANT may be certain that no man of letters will ever attack him, least of all myself, and what I said about his optimism leading amateur authors astray as to the golden sands of the literary Pactolus had no tinge of bitterness in it. But I cannot help thinking he is wrong-in many points. And, first of all, Litera- ture (with a big L) ¢s a beggarly profession. Who with any tinge of the real stuff in him can make a living out of writing which is literature? It is idle to give as examples such an one as Tennyson, the bourgeois Chrysostom, who succeeded in touching the public by spoiling Sir Thomas Malory and not by his best work. What of our greatest, indeed our only real literary, novelist F Did he not have to eke out a living by reading for a publisher? No, very few can make a living out of good work. Even according to Sir Walter Besant, the best must scrape odd guineas by journalistic hack-work. The few who make four figures (mostly out of inferior novels) only accent the poverty of the rest. There is no pro- fession of literature. It is an abuse of the term to call it a profession. Hvery waiting barrister, every idle doctor, every half-pay captain, can come in and make a little out of writing. It would be rather rough on the barrister if every outsider with a tongue could cut into his work. Even if fifty writers make over a thousand a year, how mapy are writing for a living? I should like an estimate. The Royal Literary Fund may not have assisted many this year or last, but that is no gauge of the number who needed help. I remember a man whose name is known very well indeed having a column to himself in the Times the very morning he bought a red herring and cooked it over a scanty fire in his bedroom. One of our best writers half- starved himself for twelve years. I know this, as I was a great friend of his. Even now his income is a very precarious four hundred a year. All that Sir Walter Besant says about the number who live by the pen is beside the point. No one denies that many live by it. So do many live by the pick and shovel, and by the jemmy, for that matter. But is the writing of para- graphs, the multiplying of flimsies, the odd job in reviewing, the turnover in a weekly, the loathly interview in a rag-bag journal, Literature ? Why, then, Mr. Harmsworth is a Jupiter of Literature, and round the Sunday Sun are many awful planets. Publishers enter the trade, even more of them! That is not a proof that litera- ture is a paying profession surely. It proves nothing more than that out of the struggles of innumerable writers a living can be obtained by —  fag esl y q | Ot rit aw a8 OF 3 ‘ihe CHE ie ag 1 ot oh 9a rise | OE i: 48 i Ga Soe a Of age = good writer can make a fairly good income. THE AUTHOR. yet another publisher. It suggests that other publishers once did very well. But we know that the new publishers have cut terribly into the profits of the older firms. And if few go bank- rupt many get absorbed. How many publishing firms have disappeared lately? How many are known to be making nothing ? But all this is beside the point. In every club, says Sir Walter Besant, there are more yearly who attempt the-profession. Exactly so, and they attempt it mostly on the basis of an income of their own. Again, the gentleman with a little money, the captain on half pay, the out-o’-work barrister cut in to make their tailor’s bill. They do it, perhaps, but the professional writer suffers. In saying all this I do not mean to infer that these men should not write. But their doing so does not make writing a better business, but a worse one, for those who rely on it; and any- thing that encourages men and women to go into the literary ‘‘ scrimmage ” (for it is nothing but a fight) is harmful to them and us. It is idle for Sir Walter Besant to say he does not encourage the outsider. This paper of his in the June number of The Author is nothing but an encouragement through and through to any poor fool who fancies he has the gift of the pen. Certainly, as Sir Walter says, nothing has been said in The Author about any one person’s income, but that is nothing when the whole argu- ment has been again and again that any fairly For that is not true, and never has been true, and it looks as if it never would be true. In saying this I by no means rely only on my own experience. We all probably think we are better writers than we are, but even if I were the feeblest failure in English letters, I know where to put my hand on men of real literary eminence, some of whom do very little better and some very much worse. I did not say, nor did I mean, that Sir Walter Besant helped to draw those who had no literary aptitude into the “ Profession.” What I ventured to criticise him for was his encouragement to that really large body of clever people who can learn to write well, and after learning must only sap dis- appointment in a literary workhouse. ec AGE-END IDEAS. N misfortune Man is his own providence. Misfortune is the unlovely daughter of mis- understanding. : The highest fortune is founded on the deepest and widest understanding. ) One great enemy of understanding lies in vanity. 72 Vanity dies in shame of its own self-under standing. The very vainest fancy they have no vanity. Genius, love, or religion never made men mad ; but shams sometimes will. Genius is the saner element in any mind: love, the sanest essence of every soul. Religion and science may be reconciled by poetry. Sentiment without science has no body. Science without sentiment lias no soul. To satisfy most people is less a personal duty than a social expediency. The ideal sect consists of only one member— oneself. None ever reached the haven of Truth by making a head-pilot of Wish. Divine justice can have no victims, but human law must have many. Some Untruth may be of temporary use to dilute the oxygen of Truth. To The Perfect Being, Untruth and Wrong do not exist. Inner Nature may echo God: outer Nature must mirror Man. Man may favour uniformity: Nature must foster variety. Without variety, no vitality: without vitality, no Universe. There need be no more mystery in sex than in variety. The full interests of both sexes are indissolvably wedded. All human interests question. Lawyers cannot justify, nor priests sanctify, what Love has not made divine. here is no sex in slavery or in tyranny. The slave is the passive tyrant: the tyrant, the active slave. Whoso loves best ministers most. There is no inferior sex, and there are no equal souls. Marriage is the focus of all social reform—for good or for ill. Anarchism generally wants too Socialism usually wishes too much. Art helps mankind to feel, Science to think, Religion to will—wisely. The coming science is the Science of the Soul. Blessed are the practical, for they may regenerate the Earth. Thrice blessed are the poetical, for they must recreate the Universe. centre in the marriage little law: Finuay GLENELG.  72 THE AUTHOR. CORRESPONDENCE. I.—A Recanrarion. N “Be One and Nothing Else” I advised a I young author to stick to literature in spite of failure if he felt inspired thereto, and I added, of course in a vein of boastful anticipation, “it remains to be seen whether I shall turn the corner this time myself.” Well, see how the circumstance alters the case! I have very decidedly not turned the corner ; in fact, I have received stronger evidence than ever before that I am no author in the publisher’s estimation ; and now the whole duty of the man who failed appears in my disillusioned eyes to be, earnestly to warn young authors not to stick to literature, but, after a few failures, to jump out of its decep- tive quagmire as quickly as possible and turn their hand to something more lucrative, such as bricklaying. I, for instance, have hugged myself in my blind hopes once more up to the brink of ruin, and am now working eleven hours a day carrying planks in a sawmill for £3 10s. a month and feeling myself, with my hands cut to pieces and my limbs as stiff as wood, to be for the first time in many years almost a man. It appears to me that a highly educated man who has spent his youth in vain dreams of literary fame is men- tally competent for nothing but the lowest form of manual labour, for which also he is manually least competent. It is therefore a dangerous flame to play with, this authorship ; nevertheless, by all means give it three years during the twenties, if unmarried. JULIAN CROSKEY. Ii.—Tue PusiisHers’ CONFERENCE. [ The third International Congress of Publishers was held at Stationers’ Hall on June 7, 8, and 9.| It has been amusing to hear these gentlemen talk! How one would delight to hear what they think. And if one could get the corporate con- science of some old firm to speak out, what rules of conduct should we hear! Iam reminded (by the fine upstanding virtue and nobility of some of these*publishers) that I had dealings with one of the best of them years ago, and I have some bitterness in me yet at the firm’s methods. Was it his method, or his firm’s corporate conscience- less method? You shall judge, you who sit in the judgment seat! But first, who that knows business does not know how the man and his body of servants may differ? Tradition rules the office; the careful manager and the cashier combine ; they are faith- ful to the name outside, and to the little god above, or in the big room at the back. They know (as many suspect) that most businesses — succeed in paying by the little bit they cheat or .. This means money in the aggregate; it means a fine success. _ overreach in every little transaction. ful business, and perhaps a yearly increment in salaries, a better holiday, an easier master. And — so to an example. the way the financial trading corporate conscience blows. , belonging to this firm, for so much copy at so mucha page. The copy was satisfactory, and was printed, and each month I got a cheque less by a guinea, or half a guinea, or ten shillings, — than my agreement called for. Had this happened once or twice only I might have thought it an error. But it happened over a series of eight articles, and I perceived a method init. “ Give him just a little less than his due and the poor devil won’t dare grumble, and on eight transactions we (our firm with its noble traditions) shall make about five pounds. And just imagine, brother, that we have five hundred other lots of cheques to draw out and pass and get signed! We (our noble firm of impeccable, unimpeachable honesty) shall net about £2500in the year. We have, indeed, done well, and are faithful servants.” Noble Publisher de te Fabula! But this is no mere fable.% x TII.—Contremporary HstTIMarEs. The last edition of “ Who’s Who” contains an enormous mass of information in a handy form, and at a most moderate price; but it may be questioned whether the selection of subjects has been altogether well inspired. The inclusion of the most obscure peers and baronets occupies valuable space and to no useful purpose. Some of these gentlemen are, of course, distinguished on other grounds than those of inherited title; but the great majority have no special claim to mention, and all that needs to be known of them can be found in easily accessible books of refer- ence—Whitaker’s “ Titled Persons” or Walford’s “Shilling Peerage.” But not only is this the case; the remaining space is most capriciously filled, writers of real importance and distinction being omitted, while Grub-street swarms as in & modern “ Dunciad.’”’ Some, at least, of our modern Concanens and Oldmixons have contributed their own records. K. H. IV.—“ Tue Exrravacant Dinner.” I quite agree with your other correspondents that the charge for a ticket at the Society’s dinner is far too high; at least, it effectually keeps away young writers who, like myself, are anxious to see It is nothing, only it shows a ie I made an agreement with the editor of  THE AUTHOR. 73 . «heir fellow members in the flesh, and to feel _»s:aemselves distantly akin to them in craft. Why «i a guinea charged? Is it that the Society ~sjaakes a profit on the dinner? Or is it to suit _ ol ae lordly tastes of the few “big men” who can f= fford the sum? The cost per head could not | vlourely be more than 3s. 6d. or 5s., if the dinner vere given at cost price. H. A. S. V.—Tue CasuaL ConrRIBUTOR. -. | I am glad that my letter has been noticed, as + he matter may, after all, be taken up seriously. -..9 For the information of those readers who do “= jot remember my words, I will explain that the » »art of my letter not quoted contained the gist of “. iy suggestion, ¢e., that an isolated unknown 4-,ontributor using business-like terms when ad- “ecressing an editor might give offence. By “seusiness-like terms I, of course, meant plain 1s peaking concerning pounds, shillings, and pence. »bul Judging from the courteous letters I receive 6 sorom editors, they possess a good deal of deli- ~/s'atesse, and I repeat that printed forms would Jnake things more satisfactory all round. Editors fould not object to anything so general, and ‘a¢ontributors would avoid the risk of future +“ mpleasantness. Jack IN-THE-Box. po BOOK TALK. Ly R. J. M. BARRIE has finished his new ( story, which is a sequel to “Sentimental x Tommy.” It will be called “ Tommy ) Ond Grizel.” if Mr. George Macaulay Trevelyan and Mr. . "glidgar Powell have almost completed a history ourolume, which will form an appendix to the _emryormer’s recent work entitled ‘England in the to Sige of Wycliffe.” This will consist of a collec- ‘© sion of unpublished documents, and will be called “1 The Peasants’ Rising and the Lollards.” te lessrs. Longmans, who will publish the work in elo} detober, have also in preparation “The History ‘J £ Lord Lytton’s Indian Administration, 1876- "28 880,” compiled by Lady Betty Balfour from ' @@yetters and official papers. » A development in providing cheap novels is | beaade by Mr. Grant Richards. This publisher is e-issuing at reduced prices a number of the 0oks published by him during the last two ears. Among these are “True Heart.” by Mr. ‘rederic Breton; “ The Cattleman,” by Mr. G. B. Surgin ; “The Actor-Manager,” by Mr. Leonard lerrick; “Wives in Exile,’ by Mr. William Sharp; and “An African Millionaire,” by Mr. Grant Allen. Mr. H. Rider Haggard’s commonplace book for 1898, entitled “The Farmer's Year,” will be pub- lished in October by Messrs. Longmans. Mr. Egerton Castle’s Temple Bar serial, “Young April,” will be published in October by Messrs. Macmillan. Mr. Guy Boothby’s new novel, “ Love Made Manifest,” will be published immediately by Messrs. Ward, Lock and Co. This firm also will publish in the autumn a volume of short stories by Mrs. Clement Shorter. Mr. Edward A. FitzGerald has finished the record of his climbing and exploring expedition to South America, and the book will be published next month by Messrs. Methuen under the title “The Highest Andes.” Sir Edward Russell’s volume of Reminiscences will be published in the autumn by Mr. T. Fisher Unwin entitled “That Reminds Me.” Sir Edward Russell’s literary career began about 1860, and he has been the editor of the Liverpool Daily Post since 1869. Mr. Bolton King has completed the political history of Modern Italy which has been his principal occupation for ten years. In his pre- face he remarks that the eagerness of the Italians to publish everything, however trivial, that bears on the Revolution, reaches almost to a literary mania, but that Italian historians have not been successful in weaving the material into any very well-proportioned or readable whole. One of Mr. King’s aims is to make the re-birth of a noble and friendly nation better understood to English- men. His work, in two volumes, called “ A History of Italian Unity, 1814-1871,” will be published in September by Messrs. James Nisbet and Co. “The Tragedy of Parnell” is the title of Mr. T. P. O’Gonnor’s forthcoming volume which Messrs. Pearson will publish. It will be remem- bered that Mr. O’Connor strongly dissented from certain statements about himself which appeared in Mr. Barry O’Brien’s biography of the late Trish leader. A series of letters written from Spain by Lowell, while he was Minister there, to friends in America, has been edited by Mr. Joseph B. Gilder for publication shortly by Messrs. Putnam in a volume called “ Impressions of Spain.” A volume of letters to the Right Hon. John Hookham Frere, translator of Aristophanes, and one of the best known society men in London in the early years of the century, will be published  "4 THE AUTHOR. by Messrs. Nisbet. Canning, Pitt, Nelson, Cole- ridge, Southey, and Rossetti are some of the writers or subjects. Most of the letters were found in an old chest in a library. They are now edited by G. Festing. Mr. Henry James has been making a long stay in Italy this spring, but he will, according to present arrangements, leave Rome early this month for his house at Rye, from which the traces of the fire are being obliterated in his absence. Mr. Stephen Crane has just finished the novel on which he has been engaged since his return from Cuba. The book will probably not appear until next year, as the novel isto be published serially in the first instance. Messrs. George Bell and Sons are offering a set of fifty or of 100 volumes from Bohn’s Library at a reduced price, with a copy of ““Webster’s Dictionary ” to the bargain. Pur- chasers are allowed to make their own selection from among 800 volumes, and the books are delivered as soon as the first instalment of the price is paid. Mr. James Bowden is about to dispose of his publishing business, having aecepted the post of general manager of the Religious Tract Society. Mrs. Gertrude Atherton’s book of adventure for boys entitled ‘‘ The Valiant Runaways,” will be published in the autumn by Messrs. James Nisbet and Co., who also will publish Mrs. Meade’s new novel, ‘‘ All Sorts.” Mr. A. L. Baldry has written a book called “Sir John Everett Millais: His Art and Influ- ence,” in which he aims at supplying an account of the artist’s varied life as it may be read from his pictures. Some of these will be reproduced for the first time in the volume, which is to be in a style uniform with Mr. Malcolm Bell’s “ Sir HE. Burne-Jones.” Messrs. Greening and Co. will shortly publish a volume of humorous verse called ‘“ Bachelor Ballads,” by Harry A. Spurr, the author of “A Cockney in Arcadia.” Mr. Hassall, whose draw- ings were such a feature of the latter book, will supply fifty illustrations to the new one. Mr. H. G. Wells’s new book ‘ When the Sleeper Wakes,’ has three of the remarkable illustrations which accompanied its production in the Graphic. These are by M. Lanos, for whose benefit the work was translated into French. We are glad to hear that the first edition of Mr. W. B. Yeats’ new book, “The Wind in the Reeds,” is nearly exhausted, and a second edition is in active preparation. . only a few months ago retired from the positio OBITUARY. IR WILLIAM HENRY FLOWER, K.C. the Director of the Natural History Depart. ment of the British Museum, died London on July 1, aged sixty-seven years. Aft serving as assistant-surgeon to the 63rd ment in the Crimean War, he was appoin’ Demonstrator of Anatomy to Middlesex Hospit and in 1861 accepted the post of Curator of # Hunterian Museum of the Royal College Surgeons. In 1869 he became Hunterian Pi fessor of Comparative Anatomy, and in 1884 was appointed to the position he held at dea An authority on the horse, upon which wrote a book, he wrote several articles for ¢ “Encyclopedia Britannica,’ and among oth literary labours were his notable introductions “The Osteology of Mammalia” and ‘“ The St of Mammals, Living and Extinct.’ For twen years he was president of the Zoological Sociei and he presided at the 1889 meeting of the Briti Association. Dr. Richard Congreve, the well-known Pos vist, died at Hampstead, on July 5, at the age 80. Educated at Rugby under Dr. Arnold, a at Wadham College, Oxford, he afterwa embraced the tenets of Comte, and founded t first “Church of Humanity” in England. edited, in 1866, the work called ‘“ Internatio: Policy: Essays on the Foreign Relations England,” by himself, Messrs. Beesly, Bridg Harrison, and others; and in 1874 published volume of ‘Essays: Political, Social, and gious.” His literary works also included edition of “ Aristotle’s Politics,” ‘“‘ Human Ca’ licism,” and “The Worship of Humanity.” The deaths have also to be recorded of I Arthur Tennyson (born in 1814), a youn brother of the late Poet Laureate; Mr. Thackray Bunce, who edited the Birmingh Daily Post for over thirty-five years, and h the Bishop of Limerick (Dr. Charles Graves) well-known writer on antiquarian subjects; La Shelley ; Sir Alexander Armstrong, the explo Director-General of the Medical Department the Navy from 1869 to 1880, author of ° Personal Narrative of the Discovery of the Nor West Passage” and “ Observations on Na Hygiene”; and Professor Banister Fletch author of several works on architecture, ¢ struction, and sanitation.  THE BOOKS AND REVIEWS. .\: In these columns notes on books are given from reviews sich carry weight, and are not, so far as can be learned, s\irollers.) « 4) «He History or YippIsH LITERATURE IN THE NINE- - santo CunturRY, by Leo Wiener (Nimmo, gs. net), is ‘a sfs/aplete account of the whole curious literary movement “) cong the Russian Jews during the present century” fm teterature), with “a sufficient number of examples to sy ac? = ble the reader to judge the character and merits of this = [esnarkable phenomenon.” “Probably a majority of Mr. _ »seener’s readers,” says the Daily Chronicle, “ will find in » loo book an unexpected gratification, such as in these days te-seslose-gleaning literary industry one has little reason to Jeqiicipate from any author —nothing less than a new litera- ) ‘s) 9, full of life and beauty, and glowing with the fire of ‘latenistakable genius.” @.1FE AND LETTERS OF SIR JosEPH PRESTWICH, written | Gatibl edited by his wife (Blackwood, 21s.), is a work that will, Lod} s the Literary World, “at once command and long ‘a(sq@ Sain public attention and interest.” The chapters deal- o> dif with the antiquity of man, especially the visits to lie beville, and the famous ‘human jaw’ of the p'ace, the ‘ley .0t value of which as evidence has never been deter- usr Saed, will be read with keen interest by all who are efe-dents of science.” “This volume,’ says Literature, ‘efjontains an immense amount of matter interesting to sreologists, and is amiong the best biographies of a scientific ® 9yn we have seen for some time.” 191, JLIVER CROMWELL, by Samuel Rawson Gardiner (Goupil, > ot :.), from an artistic point of view “leaves nothing to ' soils desired,” says Literature. It makes accessible to the 4 lic a number of most interesting portraits, the majority ®* deinwhich are rarely seen. ‘“ From a literary point of view, “ibvet). Gardiner has never done anything so good,’ and “it id sthe highest merit of his enthusiastic eulogy that it has ‘2 Belvbled us to realise more clearly than ever” that Cromwell ov) 8 great in spite of his inconsistency. ‘‘ Except that it ¥6)"7 ora no index and no analysis of the ckapters, this book,” i (l sdi+a the Daily Chronicle, “is a model of what sucha man’s . ({deography ought to be.” \J074 SKETCHES AND Srupius in SourH Arrica, by W. J. = 111 sox Little (Isbister, 10s. 6d.) is “a bright and picturesque “i qiseription of a brief tour,” says the Guardian, adding ai os” vt “so far as Canon Knox Little describes his own experi- + 948 se and impressions he is pleasant, useful, and readable.” «#9 Times describes the author’s view as being “ that all si od in South Africa flows from Mr. Rhodes and all evil “| em President Kruger.” 00% eas Encuish Soutn Arrican’s Vinw oF THE SITUA- " . won, by Olive Schreiner (Hodder, 1s.), is described by the -2 mes as containing the view “that Kruger and all things Seeanating from Kruger are good, and that Rhodes and all ‘") Sengs emanating from Rhodes are bad.’ Considering the ook as an appeal for peace between Great Britain and the f8veansvaal, the Daily Chronicle says: “never has a writer euime genius spoken a more timely word, or with a better ©? @ase to serve.” “MGREMINISCENCES OF THE Kina or Rovmanta, edited _ 288 Sidney Whitman (Harpers, tos. 6d.), “apart from the a & that it puts before us an authentic account of a e rae, furesque and noble personality, with which we, in Eng- t +d at any rate, are all too unfamiliar,” forms, says the i itly Telegraph, ‘“‘ a most instructive record of the fortunes 96 the Balkan States in general, and of Roumania in parti- ‘iar, during a very critical period of their history.” ‘esterature describes the work as “excellently rendered 1) om the original German,” and adds that it ‘will prove a is is AUTHOR. 13 valuable contribution to the literature of European politics during the past generation.” Tur Heart or Astra, by F. H. Skrine and E. D. Ross, (Methuen, ros. 6d.) “ may be strongly recommended,” says the Daily News, “ to every student of Central Asian history and politics.” Beginning with a rapid sketch of the Greek period, it carries the reader through the successive eras of Abbasides, Samanides, Ghaznavides, Seljuks, Mongols, and the rest, to Russia’s first invasion, and her steady expansion to the year 1895. INDUSTRIAL CUBA, by Robert P. Porter (Putnam, 15s.), Mr. Porter was sent as Special Commissioner of the United States to report upon the commercial and indus- trial conditions of Cuba, and his book, says the Daily News, ‘“‘ will be a most valuable book of reference to all who study the Cuban question.” ‘‘ Mr. Porter takes a hopeful view of the prospects of the island,’ says the Spectator, and the volume is “ full of interesting descriptions and narratives.” JAPAN IN TRANSITION, by J. Stafford Ransome (Harpers, 16s.) summarises the impressions received by the author during his residence in Japan, and is, says the Daily News, “a readable, instructive, and thoroughly impartial study of the policy and progress of the Japanese since the war.” The Spectator commends the book for the many useful hints it gives to the traveller in Japan. THE Quest oF FaitH, by Thomas Bailey Saunders (Black, 7s. 6d.) consists of essays dealing in the main with the question of religious belief—with such aspects of it as have lately attracted notice. While they bring us to no positive result, says the Guardian, all the essays are vigorous and lucid, and “ they clear the ground and leave us in a better position for a healthy, unprejudiced study of the Christian religion.” ‘It is full of thought on every page,” says the Daily Telegraph, ‘and ought to be of the greatest service to those who wish to make a fresh start for themselves from the points of view reached by some of the latest workers in the fields of speculative thought.” Tae MeEssaAGE AND PosITION OF THE CHURCH OF ENG- LAND, by Arthur Galton (Paul, 3s. 6d.) “argues the case of the Anglican Church against Rome and Puritanism with considerable force,’ says the Spectator, and the author’s “ indictment of Roman practice is formidably vigorous.” WoRDSWORTH AND THE COLERIDGES, by Ellis Yarnall (Macmillan, 10s.) consists of the author’s reminiscences— covering seventy years—of Wordsworth, Macaulay, Charles Kingsley, Matthew Arnold, John Stuart Mill, and others, and is cordially recommended by Literature “to every reader who is interested in what alone is worthy to interest him in famous men of the past.” Napo.ron’s INVASION oF Russta, by Hereford B. George (Unwin, 12s. 6d.), is ‘a very clear and interesting narrative of the great campaign of 1812,” which, says Literature, “should be useful to all students of history, and not merely to the military specialist.’ ‘‘ With the minutest possible detail gathered laboriously from all possible sources at home, in France, in Russia, and in Germany,” says the Daily Telegraph, Mr. George “follows every movement of the army to Moscow.” The Daily Chronicle describes Mr. George as a writer “with a true historical method and a sense of proportion, as well as a knack of interesting the reader, and a style sufficiently picturesque.” ‘ He blows to atoms the last shred of the absurdity Napoleon so assiduously propagated, that the failure of the Russian campaign was due to the cold.” Tus Earty Mountvarnesrs, by Francis Gribble (Unwin, 21s.), is “ executed in a scholarly fashion,” says Literature, the survey beginning, in effect, with the date of the Deluge, and ending about 1834. ‘The book is, from its nature, to some extent addressed mainly to specialists, but Mr. Gribble has managed to flavour his mediwval stories with a  a6 sufficient spice of modern epigram to make it palatable to a wider public.” The Daily Telegraph says Mr. Gribble “ has limited himself in this excellent volume to recording explorations of the Alps, Pyrenees, and Apennines,” “ and the result is a volume which every one can read with pleasure and profit.” Wiup Lirr 1n THE HAmpsHIRE HiaHLANDs, by George B. Dewar (Dent, 7s. 6d. net). ‘Although the author,” says the Daily News, “not seldom calls upon us to admire with him some far-reaching view, he has less to say of broad effects than of the too often unconsidered details—the birds, the flowers, the insects—that, to every follower of old Gilbert White, add so very much to the pleasure of a country walk.” ‘The book is a very good specimen of its class,” says Literature, “as Mr. Dewar is not only a sportsman but loves Nature for its own sake, and is a scholar to boot.” HigHLAND Dress, ARMS, AND ORNAMENT, by Lord Archibald Campbell (Constable, 21s.), ‘contains much useful information for amateurs of Highland antiquities,” says the Times. “The author is thoroughly versed in his subjects, and notably he is a connoisseur in sword blades.”’ TwrELVvE Montus 1n KionprKe, by Robert C. Kirk (Heinemann, 6s.) is described by the Daily Chronicle as a plain matter-of-fact narrative by a most careful observer, whose “residence in the Yukon during the most eventful year of its history has supplied him with excellent material for a really useful and interesting volume.” Literature says it is “ written in an entertaining style, and interspersed with lively anecdotes concerning the vicissitudes of the miners’ fortunes.” Wits Zoua In ENGLAND, by Ernest Alfred Vizetelly (Chatto, 3s. 6d) isan “ amusing book” (Daily Chronicle) giving a rapid sketch of M. Zola’s adventures in England, and some hints of his observations on our manners and customs. It reads “like a very much up-to-date detective story,” says the Daily Telegraph. ’PosTLE Farm, by George Ford (Blackwood, 6s.) is “a clever, entertaining, and in some ways a beautiful story,” says the Daily Chronicle. ‘The characters, for the most part humble Devonshire peasants, are all individualised and all interesting.” Tan Hoonigan Nieuts, by Clarence Rook (Richards, 6s.) is the life and opinions of an impenitent London boy- criminal, whose character, says the Daily News, ‘as shown by his biographer, has, with all its drawbacks, a certain brutal frankness that is almost engaging. Mr. Rook has done his task skilfully and sympathetically —and his cockneyisms have a charming air of truth.” ‘“ The accounts of Young Alf’s crimes and exploits must, of course,’’ says the Daily Telegraph, “ bear a certain resemblance to each other, but the uniqueness of the point of view and the position of the raconteur render them unfailingly entertaining.” Tue ARCADIANS, by H. C. Minchin (Oxford: Blackwell, 3s. 6d.), “is not a novel,” says the Guardian, ‘nor an essay, nor is it a biography; yet it is something of all three, and leaves a peculiar and pleasant flavour on the mind.” Humour is kept in the same low key as the melancholy, and ‘there is in the book a suggestion of deeper thought than appears on the surface.” “The book is extremely slight,” observes the Daily Chronicle; “it is even ‘ frothy,’ if you will—but it is amusing.” Gintzs IncruBy, by W.E. Norris (Methuen, 6s.), says the Spectator, introduces readers to the usual polished circle in which Mr. Norris’s characters live and move. His hero is for a short time a City clerk. who in a few chapters is turned “into a poet and man of letters, whose future income is prophesied by a competent editor to be about to exceed £6000 a year.” “It is a pleasant, wholesome tale,” says the Daily Telegraph, with much sound sense, THE AUTHOR. -and in the same volume is a story which also gives “ and there is ‘a complete absence of those impossible people and incidents which some authors delight in creating.” : Tue Magic or THE Dxsert, by W. Smith-Williams (Blackwood, 6s.) has “charm and readability,” says the Spectator. The first half isa society novel of England, and afterwards of South-West Australia. This is “very well done,” but the second half, which is purely a novel of - adventure, is perhaps the more amusing; the fights, escapes and the adventures of every sort during the revola. tion in a little republic are what a schoolboy would “ripping.”’ At A WINTER’s FrRE, by Bernard Capes (Pearson, 6s,), is a volume of stories by “a conscious craftsman” (D. Chronicle), nearly every one of which “deals with portentous side of nature, with strange sights and so and physical cataclysms, and the culmination of many ig ghastly spectacle.” ‘To those who like ‘a grue’ in theip fiction, and who can appreciate felicity of phrase and disti tion of style,” the Daily News can recommend Mr. Capes’s new volame. i AN OBsTINATE ParisH, by M. L. Lord (Sidney Christian) (Unwin, 6s.), as a timely “novel with a purpose” will 4 thoroughly enjoyed, says the Spectator, by readers who — happen to be of Mr. Kensit’s way of thinking. “The book gives an account of the devastation created in a q country parish by a handsome young High Church vicar.’ Tur GREATER INCLINATION, by Edith Wharton (Lane, 6s.) is “a collection of stories,’ says Interature. “each one of which has to do with a crisis, a turning point, the entering of a door or the turning away from it.” “The book abounds in meditation upon the problems of life; : humour ; in dialogue which has the effect of spoken words; in knowledge both of the world and of books; in a knows ledge of women which, from a woman, might be expected and a knowledge of men to which a woman does not always attain.” RosaLBa, THE Story oF Hur DEVELOPMENT, by Oliv Pratt Rayner (Pearson, 6s.), “is a really clever and spirite bit of pseudo-autobiography, and one as daring and original as it is clever,” says the Literary World. “Certainly — Rosalba is the most genuine flesh and blood heroine we ha: encountered for a long while.” RicHaRD CaRvEL, by Winston Churchill (Macmillan, 68.), — a romance of the War of Independence, set partly in the © province of Maryland, partly in the London of the latter half of the eighteenth century, “is to be recommended,’ says the Daily News, “as an animated if not exciting record of a time pregnant with momentous issues. It is savoured with quiet humour, and it has the interest o character.” ‘ Worthiness and solidity,” says the Spectator, are the epithets by which it would be best described. : Mrs. Jim Barxer, by V. Fetherstonhaugh (Chap 6s.), is ‘ a pleasant little story of Canadian life ” (Spectator, amusing and vivid account of ranch life in Canada.” 1 author is congratulated on possessing “a decided gift interesting and lifelike character-drawing.” The Dai News says that the author’s knowledge of his subject, al his freshness and vigour of narrative, render the eminently readable. Mr. J. Eveleigh Nash, LITERARY AGENT, AMBERLEY HOUSE, NORFOLK STREET, STRAND, W.C. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Author, Vol. 10 Issue 03 (August 1899) Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em>, Vol. 10 Issue 03 (August 1899) Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1899-08-01-The-Author-10-3 publications The Author https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/466/1899-09-01-The-Author-10-4.pdf 916a3813c5e11898a6f083ec47c4c56b PDF Text Text �������������������� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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) 1899-09-01 Volume 10 Issue 4 Pages Page range in volume 77–96 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 18990901 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin Che &#utbor. (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. CONDUCTED Monthly.) BY WALTER BESANT. 2% ~=36-: Voz. X.— No. 4.] SEPTEMBER 1, 18g9. [PRICE SIXPENCE. For the Opinions expressed in papers that are stgned 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 iS they are officially signed by G. Herbert . Thring, Sec. HE 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 ~ geri important communications within two days will write to him ~ Jie without delay. All remittances should be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent by registered tis’ 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. a GENERAL MEMORANDA. ERE are a few standing rules to be observed in an agreement. There are four methods of dealing with literary property :— : I. THAT OF SELLING IT OUTRIGHT. #2 This is in some respects the most satisfactory, if a proper 2° price can be obtained. But the transaction should be ‘wee, managed by a competent agent, or with the advice of the 81508 Secretary of the Society. 1. A PROFIT-SHARING AGREEMENT (a bad form of u°otes agreement). tol ‘Tn this case the following rules should be attended to : . (1.) Not to sign any agreement in which the cost of pro- » duction forms a part without the strictest investigation. : (2.) Not to give the publisher the power of putting the ' profits into his own pocket by charging for advertisements © in his own organs: or by charging exchange advertise- / ments. Therefore keep control of the advertisements. (3.) Not to allow a special charge for “ office expenses,” unless the same allowance is made to the author. VOL. X. (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 ! II. THE ROYALTY SYSTEM. It is above all things necessary to know what the proposed royalty means to both sides. 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.” IV. A COMMISSION AGREEMENT. The main points are :— (1.) Be careful to obtain a fair cost of production. (2) Keep control of the advertisements. (3) Keep control of the sale price of the book. GENERAL. All other forms of agreement are combinations of the four above mentioned. Such combinations are generally disastrous to the author. Never sign any agreement without competent advice from the Secretary of the Society. Stamp all agreements with the Inland Revenue stamp. Avoid agreements by letter if possible. The main 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. > exe WARNINGS TO DRAMATIC AUTHORS. 70 2. Never negotiate for the production of a play with anyone except an established manager. H 2 EVER sign an agreement without submitting it to the Secretary of the Society of Authors or some competent legal authority. 78 3. There are three forms of dramatic contract :— (1) SALE OUTRIGHT OF THE PERFORMING RIGHT. This is unsatisfactory. An author who enters into such a contract should stipulate in the con- tract for production of the piece by a certain date and for proper publication of his name on the play-bills. (2) SALE OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE TO PERFORM ON THE HALF-PROFIT SYSTEM. This method can only be entered into when a fixed sum is agreed per week for cost of produc- tion. It is not a common method. (3) SALE OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE TO PERFORM ON THE BASIS OF PERCENTAGES (4.e., royalties) on gross receipts. Royalties vary between 5 and 15 per cent. An author should obtain a percentage on the sliding scale of gross receipts. Should obtain a sum in advance of royalties. A fixed date on or before which the play should be performed. 4. Authors should remember that performing rights can be limited, and are usually limited by town, country, and time. This is most important. 5. Authors should not assign performing rights, but should grant a licence to perform. The legal distinction is of great importance. 6. Authors should remember that performing rights in a play are distinct from literary copyright. A manager holding the performing right or licence to perform cannot print the book of the words. 7. Never send a copy of the play to America unless it is protected by a preliminary performance in the United Kingdom. 8. A satisfactory agreement for collaboration is difficult. Such agreements should be avoided. 9. An author should remember that production of a play is highly speculative: that he runs a very great risk of delay and a breakdown in the fulfilment of his contract. He should therefore guard himself all the more carefully in the beginning. to. An author must remember that the dramatic market is exceedingly limited. As these warnings must necessarily be incomplete on account of the wide range of the subject of dramatic con- tracts, those authors desirous of further information are referred to the Secretary of the Society. Ss * HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. I. is member has a right to ask for and to receive advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his business or the administration of his property. If the advice sought is such as can be given best by a solici- tor, 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 Committee will obtain for him Counsel’s opinion. All this without any cost to the member. 2. Remember that questions connected with copyright and publisher’s agreements do not generally fall within the THE AUTHOR. experience of ordinary solicitors. Therefore, do not scruple to use the Society. 3. Send to the Office copies of past agreements and past accounts with the loan of the books represented. The Seoretary will always be glad to have any agreements, new or old, for inspection and note. The information thus obtained may prove invaluable. 4. Before signing any agreement whatever, send the pro- posed document to the Society for examination. 5. 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. 6. 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 READING BRANCH. EMBERS will greatly assist the Society in this branch of their work by informing young writers of its existence. Their MSS. can be read and treated asa composition is treated by a coach. The Readers are writers of competence and experience. |The fee is one guinea. NOTICES. rs 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 6s. 6d. subscription for the year. Communications for The Author should be addressed to the Offices of the Society, 4, Portugal-street, Lincoln’s-inn Fields, W.C., and should reach the Editor not later than the 21st of each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to communicate to the Hditor any points connected with their work which it would be advisable in the general interest to publish. The present location of the Authors’ Club is at 3, White- hall-court, Charing Cross. Address the Secretary for information, rules of admission, &c.  THE AUTHOR. 79 LITERARY PROPERTY. I.—On Commissron—A WARNING. Pr tinite on commission might be—may be, with proper care—the best method of publica- tion—the Method of the Future. As it is at present practised, and as it is proposed to practise it by the Draft Agreements of the Publishers’ Association, it is the very worst. At the present moment many publishers are making every effort to produ:e books on commission. The following extracts from the “ Draft Agreements,” showing what it means according to their avowed claims, should prove useful as a warning : 1. A fee of shall be paid to the pub- lisher previous to opening an account for its production and publication. 2. The Publisher will supply the author with estimates for the printing, and will charge a com- mission of per cent. on the trade prices for printing, paper, binding, advertising, and other disbursements, and reserve to himself the right to take the usual credit or the equivalent cash discount for cash payments, but no such discount shall exceed 7} per cent. 3. The Author or Proprietor shall, before the work is sent to press, pay the publisher a suffi- cient sum to meet the estimated charges for production and publication, including such a sum for advertising as the Author or Proprietor may deem desirable. 4. The Publisher will charge a commission of per cent. on the sales. 5. The Publisher shall account at the customary trade terms for all copies sold, but in cases where copies have been sold for export or at rates below the customary trade terms, as remainders or otherwise, such copies shall be accounted for at such lower prices. 6. The entire management of the production, publication and sale of the work shall be in the hands of the Publisher. 7. Accounts will be made up annually to and rendered within months after the date of making up, and the balance due paid on : This means that the publisher must get some- thing, even if the book does not sell. It will be seen immediately that he means to get a great deal, whether the book sells or not. Observe the wording, the “Publisher will supply, &c.” Now the “ Printer will supply.” Therefore, the Publisher may send in his own estimate, charging what he pleases. On this he takes a percentage of what he pleases. It is his interest that everything should be charged as highly as possible. For instance, it does not matter to him whether the author loses or how much he loses. It is his interest that the book should be advertised as largely as possible, but under clause 3 the author can control the advertising. As to binding, it is not usual to bind more than is wanted. His estimate will include binding for the whole. There is nothing to prevent this. In addition he is to take 7} per cent. discount. Why in advance? Printers, &c., are not paid in advance. This gives the publisher the use of the money for six months or so. How much should his commission be ? What are “customary trade terms ae The “entire management”? But by clause 3 the author is to decide what sum should be spent on advertisements. In. other words, in every case except the one in which skilled advice is wanted, the Publisher is to have the manage- ment. In that case, in which the Author is pre- sumably quite ignorant, and the Publisher has some skill, the Author must decide. Accounts are to be made up “ annually.” Why not semi-annually ? Payments to be made so many months afterwards. Why not immediately? Because 80 THE AUTHOR. 8. The Publisher does not undertake to send the publisher wants to have the use of the out copies of the work on sale or return. _ money. g. The Publisher will not be responsible for Why should not books be sent out on sale or loss or damage by fire or in transit. return? It is the only way of offering certain 10. The Publisher will deliver the five copies books to the public. required by Act of Parliament for the British Museum and Public Libraries. 11. The Author shall guarantee to the Pub- lisher that the said work is in no way whatever a violation of any existing copyright, and that it contains nothing of a libellous or scandalous character, and that he will indemnify the Publisher from all suits, claims, proceedings, damages, and costs which may be made, taken, or incurred by or against him on the ground that the work is an infringement of copyright, or contains anything libellous or scandalous. 12. When the Publisher considers that the Why should the Publisher have the right of demand for the work has ceased, the unsold stock disposal of remainder copies? They belong to may be returned to the Author or Proprietor, or the Author. G.HT disposed of at the Publisher’s discretion, after due notice of such intention has been given to the Author or his representatives. A simple example will show the nature of a commission agreement, such as that proposed by the above “ draft.” : : We will take our favourite unit, the six-shillmg book, and an edition of 3000 copies, costing £150. Any other kind of book will do, but we may assume for our purpose any book we please. That most familiar is adopted. : ‘The author agrees to pay a commission of 10 per cent. with a fee of £5 in advance. He there- fore naturally supposes that he is to get the trade price less 10 per cent.—or as 3s. 6d. is the average trade price, that-he will get, for each copy, the sum of 3s. 1¢¢. He makes calculations. He reads in the “ Cost of Production” that his book can be produced for about £150, so that the sale of 1000 copies will clear him. By the sale of 2000 copies he will realise £160. By that of 3000 he will realise £300—everybody knows the dreams of the penniless. When the accounts come in, he learns the true meaning of publishing on commission according to the “equitable” arrangements—pronounced “equitable”’ by a learned Q.C. : In the figures published in The Author of last July, it was assumed that the publisher would make fuller use of the licence granted him. The percentage on the sales was taken to be 15 per cent. The fee was taken as £10. It is suggested that if the full amount charged for binding was not spent, the publisher would have to return it when the stock came in. But the stock does not “come in,” as a rule: it is sold as remainder copies in sheets for a very small sum. The case is now, however, presented with more moderate, if not more probable, figures. The publisher sends, not the printer’s, but Ais own estimate, called in the draft agreement the “trade prices.” He sends an estimate charging 10 per cent. additional, on which, again, he is to charge a commission. He charges 10 per cent. On the discount he is to take 74 per cent. He sets down sales, not at the actual price, but at the “customary” trade price. This enables him to take off another percentage on the plea of bad debts or anything else. : The author pays in advance, and is repaid in a year or a year and a half. Now, then, for the account: Cost of production : £ i s. Printer’s estate 2.00.60 ka 80 0 oO ia, Publishers estimate 0... ce mes 88 0 Oo With the addition of 10 per cent. on these trade prices ......... 96 16 0 ' 6  THE AUTHOR. 81 Binding : Binder’s estimate (say 33d.) Publisher’s estimate .............6.-.605. Oe Ditto with ro per cent. on trade price, say, at 43d. .........-0+ Advertising : Money paid, say........ceeesseeeeseecee ens Money charged with percentage .............1..:.---seeereer tte tree In publisher’s own organs The sale of 2000 copies at “ customary trade prices” what he pleases. Perhaps he will be content with 73 per cent. under this heading. 10 per cent. for commission. The account now stands thus: 2 og Cost of printing and paper ...... G0 16 © Pett 56 2G CO Adverse cc AG TO OO @orrections (Gay) ........s......-- 2.0 0 Rublishers tee. >. 4. 5 OO Extra expenses ......... 7 5 oO 8 gs 292 10 O o 0 33 OO 4 50° 5 9 Os 25 OO 27 10 0 20 0 C€ 47 10 0 gives the publishers the right of setting down He then deducts ss. 8, a. Sale of 2000 copies at ‘ custo- mary trade price,” say 3s. 3d... 325 9 O Tness ro percent, .................. 32 10 0 Z92 10 oO 202 10 © _ The author, therefore, who has had to pay £209 118. in advance, loses on the sale of 2000 copies £130 12s. But the publisher must return the sum not spent in binding. He must, legally. Let the author, therefore, recover the sum of £18 15s. in a court of law. What has the publisher made ? On the cost of printing On the cost of binding ...... 2 On the cost of advertising py Ghetee .. ss... - st By the “ customary trade price’ By the commission on the sales ......... > By the use of £200 for six months at 5 per cent. FL By the use of £78 for a year and a half at 5 per cent. Beye ea ENON Cece Cetra sere rs SEO ses £2 10. Clase a ee oS: 16 16 22 10 Oo Oo IO oO 17 000000008 Ww bv uu nuit 125. 3 0 This is a very profitable little piece of business, all to be got out of a 10 per cent. commission. Now, had the author received a royalty of 15 per cent. only he would have made £90 instead of losing £130. commission. I].—Tue Manacement or MSS. The question of the retention of MSS. by editors has been agitating the minds of a great number of members of our Society. It might be as well, therefore, to say a few words about the position of editors, legally and otherwise, with regard to MSS., and about the action of authors generally in the matter. In “The Pen and the Book,’ by Sir Walter Besant, a good deal has been written on this subject. Some of the main points, however, might be repeated in The Author. It is therefore intelligible why so many publishers are now trying to get books on like to hear the arguments by which this agreement and these results are called equitable. WB: Manuscripts should, when sent to magazines, be typewritten, and the author should invariably keep a copy. These two principles are funda- mental, and if authors adhered to them the complaint of the retention of MSS. would not be so frequently heard. Next, authors should be careful about the magazines they send their MSS. to—in the first instance, that the magazines are periodicals of substance and reputation ; secondly, that the MSS. are suitable to the particular magazines to which they are sent. In forwarding MSS. stamps and a directed envelope should be 82 THE AUTHOR. enclosed, and the author’s name and address should be written on the MSS. In some maga- zines editors invite MSS. to be sent to them, but the author must remember that when demanding the return of a MS. he must be able to show that it has reached the office, and not only has reached the office, but has come to the hands of a responsible party. In other magazines the editor makes no request for MSS., and, therefore, his position with regard to the possession of MSS. is slightly different from that of the editor men- tioned above.. In the first place, if the MS. has reached his hands, he will be bound to take rather more care of it than in the latter case, but in neither case may the editor be wilfully neglectful of the property in his charge. If, however, the MS. has not been acknowledged, and letters have been left unanswered, it is exceedingly difficult for the author to show that the MS. has reached the office, that it has come to the hands of a respon- sible party, and that it has been lost through the wilful neglect of theeditor. It isa simple matter, if the author has a copy of his MS., to write to the editor and state that he withdraws the offer of his MS. unless he hears definitely before a certain date, and that he will try and place it elsewhere. It is almost a universal rule that editors are courteous, obliging, and business-like, and will do their best to assist authors in the recovery of their MSS., but authors at the same time must remember that editors are overwhelmed with MSS. of all sorts and kinds, and that after all they are but human. It is very seldom that such a case occurs as once occurred at the office of the Society, when an editor stated that he would burn the MS. if the Society wrote again to him on the matter. This was in the early days of the Society. After a little mature consideration, the editor thought it advisable to adopt a different plan, and the MS. was returned in due course. It is quite certain that some of the so-called rudeness and unbusinesslike conduct of editors is due to corresponding characteristics in the authors who forward their MSS. It is exceed- ingly difficult for the Society to act in ca-es of this kind where the editor has been roundly abused by an author without any apparent cause or reason. Amongst the pile of MSS. and correspondence the editor cannot by any means reply by return of post, and it is often the case that through press of business he may not be able to answer for three or four weeks. In that case if the author is in a hurry to place his work he could withdraw the offer from the editor and ask for the return of his MS., but he must not grumble if the editor should finally repudiate his work and be unable to accept it for the magazine. It has, however, frequently occurred that the Society has been able to obtain a satisfactory answer from an editor and a satis- factory explanation when the author has been — unable to do so. In many cases this is due to the position which the Society now holds, and in other cases it is due to the fact of the author's unbusinesslike correspondence. Finally, it should be made clear to all authors that it is very doubtful, now that it is so easy to obtain typewritten copies of MSS., whether it might not be considered in an action brought against an editor a case of contributory negli- gence where the author failed to keep a copy of his own composition, and that though the © Society would be very willing to assist those who are unable to recover their MSS. when the case is — clear and the editor has been guilty of wilful neglect, yet in the ordinary course of business touching the circulation of MSS. it should be remembered that a great deal depends upon the machinery being carefully oiled, in other words, upon the courtesy and tact of the authors them- selves in the matter. G. FT. III.—Tuer BooxsELLERS AND THE PUBLISHERS, The following letter has been recently sent to the committee of the Publishers’ Association by a bookseller of high standing. He gives permis- sion for its publication. The name of the writer — is suppressed :— June 27, 1899. The Secretary of the Publishers’ Association. Dear Sir, I have pleasure in signing agreement re sale of net books, and return herewith. I cannot but observe, however, that it is a very one-sided affair, as it is in no way binding on the publishers themselves, who, so far as the agree- ment is concerned, are at liberty to supply “schools, libraries, and institutions,” below the net prices enforced on the retail trade. It is well known that these sources of business (though wrongfully ) are toa great extent supplied direct by the publishers themselves. I do not suppose that the publishers who sign — the ‘agreement ”’ claim a higher morality in trade matters than that which they assume governs the ~ retail members of the trade ; consequently there is the same danger of net prices being depreciated by the publishers themselves, as is apprehended by — them from retail booksellers. It is only fair, therefore, that a joint agreement — expressing equal obligations against under- — selling should be signed by both publishers and — retailers. I shall be glad to hear your views, as the  {ot iad THE AUTHOR. representative of the Publishers’ Association, on this subject. Tam, dear Sir, faithfully yours, A. B. To this letter, which is quite clear and straight- forward, a reply has been sent. The secretary of the Publishers’ Association informs the writer that his letter has been laid before his committee: and that he is directed to to state that “a clause embodying your sugges- tion was drafted by the publishers when the Form of Agreement was under consideration.” This is so far satisfactory. There was, therefore, some discussion as to the rights of the bookseller—the other party to the agreement. Why, then, has the “drafted” clause dis- appeared For the most amazing reason: the most unex- pected : the most inexplicable. Because they were advised that “it would have been illegal, and would invalidate the agreement.” Read the explanation carefully: read it again. Does it raean that it is beyond the power of the Law to bind both parties to certain terms and conditions ? What else can it mean? Let us learn what it means. It is not for us to suggest an explanation: there is a simple statement: the clause by which it was proposed that publishers should not undersell booksellers, and should not furnish libraries, schools, and institutions was actually framed and proved to be “illegal.” This is the only possible deduction. Booksellers are earnestly invited to consider this statement. It was pointed out in the June Author that the agreement bound the publishers to nothing and the booksellers to everything. They were called upon to promise to sell all books, if neces- sary, nothing being said to the contrary in the agreement, at a price fixed by the publishers. They were made to surrender the liberty of the subject, the personal right of dealing as they pleased with their own property. In return for this enormous concession they get—what? The advantage of a shilling or two on a high-priced book of which they might sell twenty, thirty, or fifty in the year. Is this good enough ? Is it not worth con- sidering whether the agreement should not be torn up until real and new concessions are made ? Meantime the Society of Authors, which was not consulted in this second agreement, has yet to be considered. 1V.—Copyrieut 1n RePpoRTED SPEECHES. An injunction was granted by Mr. Justice North in the Court of Chancery on Aug. 10 on behalf of Messrs. Walter, the proprietors of the VOU. X 83 Times, who sought to restrain Mr. John Lane from publishing, under the title of “ Apprecia- tions and Addresses delivered by Lord Rosebery,” reports of Lord Rosebery’s speeches copied from the Times. Mr. H. Terrell, Q.C. and Mr. McSwinney argued the case for the plaintitts, and Mr. Serutton for the defendant. In giving judgment, Mr. Justice North said (Daily Chronicle, Aug. 11): The question was not as between the author of the speech and the defendant, but as between the defendant and the person who reported the speech. If the person who made the report had any copyright in his report it was admitted that that copyright was now vested in the Times. The only question, therefore, was whether the reporter had copyright in the reports he had made. The reporter was not the author of the speeches, but he was the author of his report of the speech, and there was no doubt that it required a certain amount of experience to make these reports. He did not see why such a person should not have copyright, not in the speech itself, but in his version of the speech which he had made. Several reporters might make reports of a speech made in public, and each might have the copyright in his own publication if he had got the materials for himself. If Lord Rosebery wanted himself to publish these speeches, and could not write them from memory, he did not see the hardship of his being deprived of the right to publish speeches thrown to the winds without being regarded as of sufficient importance for copies to be kept of them. No doubt, if Lord Rosebery could remember these speeches, or had kept a record of them, or he might even refresh his memory from reports of them, he might be entitled to publish them, but he (the learned judge) did not think Lord Rose- bery would be entitled to publish the Tvmes reports of his speeches. The plaintiffs had satisfied all legal requirements for protecting the copyright that Mr. Brain (the reporter) might have in these reports, and that copyright was now vested in them. That being so, the plaintiffs were entitled to the injunction they asked for, and the defendant must be restrained until the trial of the action from copying the reports of _ these speeches or material parts thereof. It was intimated that the defendant would appeal. oo V.—Copyricut In JAPAN AND MONTENEGRO. A recent number of the London Gazette announced that by Order in Council the provisions of the International Copyright Convention will extend to Japan from July 15 last, and to Monte- negro from April 1 next. I 84 THE PARIS NOTES. , Rue Chomel, Paris. NHE majority of the lettered Parisian public is now en villégiature, and the capital is invaded by the usual summer swarm of “personally conducted parties,” private tourists, and globe-trotters. The heat is overpowering, making one’s thoughts turn yearningly in the direction of the cool moors and fresh sea breezes of the North, while the diurnal rise in the ther- mometer registers a corresponding depression in intellectual activity. The pulse beats langour- ously in this tropical atmosphere ; the fibres of the brain are submerged by a species of mental inertia which is oppressive as a living nightmare ; but enough! revenons a nos moutons. The election of M. Philippe Gille to the Académie des Beaux Arts has met with universal approval. It fitly coincided with the appearance of his monumental work on Versailles, in which he devotes several particularly fine chapters to discussing French art in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. M. Gille is competent to speak with authority on this matter, since he is himself a sculptor of no mean talent. Indeed, he appears to possess the happy faculty of assimilat- ing and making himself master of whatever subject he chances to undertake. In this respect he resembles our own Bulwer Lytton, though his work is, perhaps, more conscientious and less brilliant than that of the versatile Englishman. He is no believer in the old axiom respecting the fallacy of having too many irons in the fire at once, as his varied literary, dramatic, historical, critical, and journalistic achievements amply testify. By his election the Académie des Beaux Arts numbers four journalists among its forty members. According to the /égaro, the French Academy possesses six journalists in the same number of members, viz., MM. Legouvd, Mézitres, Claretie, Sorel, Lemaitre, and Paul Deschanel—though we should hardly consider four out of the six gentlemen above cited as journalists proper. Whether their number will be increased remains to be seen, since there are at present two empty fau- teutls vacated by the recent deaths of MM. Pail- leron and Cherbuliez. The latter was one of the famous Commission du Dictionnaire de la Langue Frangaise which, according to regulations, must always embrace six members. His death has reduced the number to five; hence the necessity of electing his successor as speedily as possible. As the Academy desires its tale of members to be complete at the opening of the year 1900, the election of the two new members and M. Lave- dan’s official reception will take place at the end AUTHOR. of the present year; while the following year’s proceedings will be opened with the official recep- tion of M. Paul Deschanel. A recent decree has authorised the Académie des Sciences to extend the number of its national and foreign correspon- dents to 116 contributors in lieu of 100. Among the foreign correspondents the Académie des Sciences already numbers, we find, no less than eighteen Englishmen and five Americans (United States) as opposed to eleven Germans, four Russians, and four Italians, the remaining nation- alities boasting no more than one—or, at most, two representatives. England likewise claims the pre-eminence on the list of foreigners admitted to the Institut de France as members and enjoying the same privileges as their French confreéres, seven Englishmen having been received against five Germans, five Italians, three Belgians, and one American, Austrian, Swede, Russian, Spaniard, Swiss, Dutchman, Hungarian, &c., comprising altogether thirty-two foreign members. And still further apropos of French academies may be mentioned the legacy of 420,000 francs lately bequeathed by M. Nobel to the Institut de France (which institute comprises the Académie Francaise, Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques, Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, Académie des Beaux Arts, and Académie des Sciences), for the foundation of five annual international prizes, the said prizes being intended to recompense the following achievements: The three first, a discovery in physics, in chemistry, and in physiology; the fourth, a literary work of ideal tendency; while the fifth is to be bestowed on the person who shall have done the most. to establish the fraternity of nations in regard to the suppression or reduc- tion of standing armies and extension of peace congresses. The fourth prize is not likely to lack entries, since it offers a European reputation, in addition to the neat little sum of 300,000 franes. “La Faute des Roses” is the title of M. Felicien Champsaur’s new novel. This author is a well known literary celebrity, having contributed for upwards of twenty years to all the leading literary periodicals. The Italians call him the French D’Annunzio. “ Grand, brun, l’allure d’un mousquetaire—n’a pas encore quarante ans,” 1s the pithy description of his personality given by one of his acquaintances. But though M. Champ- saur's latest work is undoubtedly well written, and contains some interesting pages on Italy, Florence, and Venice,. the charm of the book is marred hy the licentious scenes therein portrayed. The Vicomte Brenier de Montmorand has been awarded a thousand francs by the French Aca- demy for a work entitled “ La Société Francaise Contemporaine”; and now M. Victor du Bled ?  THE AUTHOR. 85 proposes to give the public a “ Histoire de la Société Francaise,” beimg the publication of a series of lectures delivered by the author in the aristocratic salons of Mmes. la Comtesse d’Eu, la Duchesse de Vendéme, les Princesses de Mon- tholon-Sémonville and d’Arenberg, &c. The volume in question will deal with the society and women of the sixteenth century; the Court of Henry IV. and Marguerite of Navarre; the society surrounding Cardinal Richelieu ; Mazarin’s Nieces; Port Royal Society ; Alfred de Musset ; the ancient Diplomatists; Wits and Women of the eighteenth century, and French Society during the emigration period. M. du Bled is extremely popular in the circles he frequents, and it is not probable that his present literary venture will diminish the social prestige he now enjoys. The Correctional Chamber has deferred the hearing of M. Emile Zola’s suit against MM. Judet, Lasseur, and Marinoni of the Petit Journal until Oct. 8 next. In the meantime Mile. Adrienne Neyrat, editress of [Ami des bétes, has published an interesting letter from M. Zola, in which the eminent novelist assures her of his entire sympathy with her in the good work she has undertaken on behalf of “ our little brethren, the animals.” He further affirms that one of the cruellest out of the many bitter hours he has passed was that in which he abruptly learned in exile the death, ‘loin de moi,” of the little four-footed friend who had been his faithful companion during nine years. He con- tinues: “My wife wrote that he sought me everywhere, that he had lost his gaiety; that he followed her step by step with an air of infinite distress. I wept for him like a child, . . and even now it is impossible for me to think of him without being moved to tears, Of all my sacrifices the death of my dog in my absence has been one of the hardest.” Only those who have known by experience the unswerving fidelity, attachment, and abnegation of which a dog is capable, can fully appreciate or comprehend M. Zola’s grief on learning the death of his small canine comrade. Theatrical managers must undoubtedly con- sider “Cyrano de Bergerac” as the modern synonym of the bird that lays golden eggs for their benefit. MM. Moncharmont and Luguet’s travelling company which left Paris with this play on April 1, 1898, has returned, after touring for fifteen months in the principal towns of France, Belgium, Holland, Alsace - Lorraine, Switzerland, Algeria, Tunis, and Italy. This is the largest enterprise of the kind which has ever been undertaken, and it has been eminently successful. The outlay has not been small, including 225,000 francs paid to fifteen com- panies and states for conveyance of personnel and baggage by land only ; 270,000 franes disbursed to the artistes of the troupe; upwards of 30,000 francs paid to various gas and electric light com- panies; upwards of 75,000 francs given to the Public Assistance Caisse; 250,000 francs ex- pended in hiring theatres; and 60,000 francs in accessories, scenic decorations, arms, costumes, &e. Nevertheless, the receipts from “Cyrano” have been so satisfactory that MM. Moncharmont and Luguet have obtained a new licence from the author for a second tour which will commence with a series of representations at Brussels. The dissensions aroused by the will of Adolphe d’Ennery are now happily ended, the First Chamber having recognised the legality of the testament made by the wealthy dramaturgist in favour of his natural daughter, Mme. Leroux. The coquettish demurs of the State as to the advisability of accepting M. and Mme. d’Ennery’s donation of their private hotel and Oriental collec- tion (supplemented by an annual bequest of 16,000 francs for its conservation) have termi- nated in an affirmative ; and it is formally settled that, in accordance with the testator’s desire, the hotel in the Avenue du Bois de Boulogne shall be forthwith transformed into a Musée d’Ennery for the benefit of the public. The legal complications hampering the endowment of the long-expected Académie des Goncourt show small chance of being as speedily regulated. Kdmond de Goncourt founded a literary academy of ten members, of whom he only named eight, leaving the other two to be elected by the eight members already chosen immediately his new institution commenced to exercise its functions. In the interim the founder and his friend, Alphonse Daudet—one of the prin- cipal members—died ; and it is not altogether im- probable that the remaining members will follow their example before the affair is finally settled. Possibly they do not regard this contingency with a very lively regret, since at the recent anniversary of Edmond de Goncourt’s death the only flowers deposited on the brothers’ tomb were those plucked in the Grenier d’Auteuil by their faithful servant, Pélagie. Tt has been announced that the monument of Victor Hugo, by Barrias, destined to adorn the square which bears the great poet’s name, will not be erected for three years. No reason is given for this prolonged delay. The sub- scriptions, amounting to upwards of 64,000 franes, received by the Comité du monument d’Alexandre Dumas ji/s have enabled the com- mittee to request the State to nominate the sculptor it considered most competent to execute this commission satisfactorily. In accordance with the wishes of the Alexandre Dumas family, 86 THE and the preference expressed by the committee, M. de Saint-Marceaux, the clever artist of the Daudet monument, was the sculptor chosen. The rough cast of the proposed Dumas //s monument is already finished, and is composed of a group of three persons, viz., of Alexandre Dumas /ils and two symbolical figures representing the Theatre and Feminism, of which latter the great writer was one of the most eloquent apostles. This design is to be carried out in stone, and when finished it will be erected on the Place des Trois-Dumas. Armand Colin has recently published a rather notable book by M. Gaston Deschamps, entitled ‘La Malaise de la Démocratie.” The volume is dedicated : ‘‘T’o the good citizens who are afflicted by the Present and disquieted for the Future ; to the great Minister whom we lack, and the States- man whom we await.’ It is reported to be written in an agreeable style, and contains much solid information, including the author’s views on “ Les Débuts du régime démocratique, les Politiciens, le Césarisme et la Médiocratie, Pornographie et Scandales, les Aumoniers de la démocratie, la Pédagogie allemande, la Manie Anglo-Saxonne, la Malaise de l'Université, la Malaise de la jeunesse, Armée et la démocratie,’ and the im- perative need of reform. From the above category we should esteem M. Deschamps’ work an interesting and valuable publication ; yet it is scarcely sufficiently frivole to be recommended for holiday reading during the dog-days of August. M. Camille Flammarion, the renowned astro- nomer whose falsely reputed defection from the ranks of spiritualism lately caused such a com- motion among his numerous disciples of all nationalities, is at present engaged on a new volume entitled “L’Inconnu et les problémes psychiques,” which specially treats of the appari- tions and manifestations seen by the dying. His investigations on this subject are aided by the revelations of the famous medium Eusapia Paladino. M. Flammarion is an extraordinary man. He began life as an infant prodigy, and at the age of thirteen he quitted his family to establish himself in the Quartier Latin of Paris. At sixteen he was twice bachelor of arts ; at sixteen and a half he was admitted as a pupil to the Observatory; and at nineteen years he published “La Pluralité des mondes habités,” which work obtained the approval of Henri Martin and Sainte Beuve. Twelve years ago he founded the Astronomical Society of France; and in claiming for him a rosette from the Government M. Faye, doyen of the Académie des Sciences, wrote: “The study of astronomy re- sponds to a need of the human mind, This need AUTHOR. may be said to have been created and sustained in France solely by M. Flammarion.” His admirers are legion; in North America he is revered as a supernatural genius, while South America has founded a Société Flammarion at Bogota (Colombia). Under these circumstances a new work from his pen is quite a literary event. Darracotre Scort. Secs IS LITERATURE A PRECARIOUS PROFESSION ? N the question whether Literature is a precarious profession, I have received several letters from writers who have failed, to all of which the same answer may be given, viz., the answer that was given in the last number of The Author. Here, however, are one or two further considerations. Litera- ture, considered as a profession, offers many and great prizes. The pecuniary prizes of popular success, if not so great asthe Bar and Medicine, are yet very substantial, and are increasing by leaps and bounds. The other and the greater prizes of respect and fame are also increasing as the taste for good literature increases. As in every other profession there are many failures for one success. How many barristers, solicitors, physicians, surgeons, architects, and men of all other professions are there who find their calling precarious? But Literature has one great advantage over all other professions. It is impossible that fine work, great work, should be passed over with neglect. -It may be that the circle of recognition is at first small: it may be that a large commercial success-is not obtained: but there is always some audience ready to recognise and to applaud the writer who has a thing to say, a story to tell, a song to sing, and can do these things with credit. And this cannot be said of any other profes- sion. Critics, editors, scholars, are always look- ing for good work and for good writers. There may be log-rolling of private friends, but there is never, so far as my experience goes, a hostile reception offered by critics or readers to the new comer who offers a fine or great work. The case of Walter Pater is one in point. His readers are comparatively small in number: but they are of the best kind, the most scholarly, the best cultured. He himself would not have desired a better audience. He occupies a place which will rise continually higher year by year: his name will grow more and more: his works are, to English prose, something akin to those of Matthew Arnold in verse. Who can deny that the  THE prize which Literature has bestowed upon Walter Pater is as great and as desirable as any that the Law or Medicine has to offer ? On the commercial side, however, the place of this fine writer was probably very low down. Literature, again, has many branches: 1t can be, and often is, carried on with other professions. Every science which has its professor has also its literature. A scientific man becomes known, not only by his researches, but by his writings. A schoolmaster magnifies his influence and his name, and sometimes his income, by his educa- tional works. Specialists find the columns of reviews, magazines, and daily papers, open to them. A lawyer’s reputation may be made by his works on law. For every study, every pursuit, as well as every science, there is its own literature —and for those who contribute to that literature there is the possible prize of literary reputation or popular success. Among the letters received upon this subject there are four to which I would especially refer, though I have not published them, The first is from a man who has been writing for fourteen years. He has written novels, short stories, children’s stories, and papers on many subjects. He can quote favourable reviews. He has worked hard and honestly. Yet he cannot command even a bare living. He asks, “Would a doctor or a solicitor of equal ability in their own respective professions find themselves in my position at the end of fourteen years’ practice?” I should say that, even taking for granted the ability, there are hundreds of solicitors and doctors no better off. Another writer is a novelist, and only a novelist. His first novel proved a loss—‘ owing to the author’s ignorance of publishing.” His second proved a success. He cannot get his following works published at all.“ Mere literary ability,” he says, “‘ being largely dependent upon the happy combination of circumstances for success, often fails. Would it not be kinder to warn the literary aspirant of this?” The third writer argues that it is impossible for editors to read all the MSS. offered to them. He advises, as the result of his own experience, never to try living by the pen. This is excellent advice—I have always advised young writers not at first to try living by the pen. In the case of success there may come a time when a writer of fiction, verse, belles lettres, will find himself justified in living by his pen. My correspondent also advises writers not to send MSS. to e Litors on the chance of being accepted. It will be observed that the failure of each of these writers is alleged as an example and proof that Literature is precarious, without the least reference to the AUTHOR. 87 facts that it has given to others great prizes and very numerous prizes. The proper treatment of a single case is to examine (1) why success has not been achieved —and (2) if the case is one in which the literary worth cannot, for reasons to be ascertained, be accompanied by commercial success. One cannot repeat too often that the two kinds of success are absolutely incommensurable and have not of necessity any connection with each other. Again, one refers to the case of Pater. It is not true that the failures of a thousand aspirants every year —at least that number do fail every year—make Literature a precarious profession. If persons without the natural apti- tude—one is not allowed to use the word genius, which I should prefer—without serious prepara- tion: without knowledge of life or views of life: without dramatic powers: without imagination: without strength of conception: without practice in literary expression—try every year by the thousand to write novels, poetry, plays, essays— and fail, this fact does not touch the question at all. It shows only that itis not given to everyone to enter upon the profession of Literature: and that these incompetent persons are only making feeble attempts to enter upon it. It is well that they should understand beforehand that Literature must not be taken up in this random fashion. Fifty years ago, when a man had no other opening, or when he had broken down in any other line, he started a private school. When a woman had to earn her livelihood, there was the same attempt, generally a feeble and helpless attempt, to start a school. Sometimes, by way of a variant, a “ Berlin and Fancy” shop was opened. In these days Literature is the line first attempted by the impecunious: and with similar results. But these people must not be con- sidered as belonging to the profession of Litera- ture. In the fourth letter mentioned above the writer also complains that Literature is precarious. Why? His history is this: He wrote for twenty years with a fair means of success. He then went abroad and wrote nothing for seven years. When he returned he found himself forgotten, and has not yet been able to recover his old position. Now let us consider this case. What would happen if a solicitor or a doctor, after getting a successful practice, were to retire for seven years and go out of the country? When he returned could he expect to recover his past clients and patients? Would he therefore blame the profes- sion or would he blame himself ? It is always better to have things said than whispered. For this reason the three communica- 88 THE tions on pp. 93, 94 are published in the present number. In one, the successful author, meaning novelist, is accused of paying for paragraphs, that is, puffs : or for illustrated interviews. “ Press booms and advertising are indispensable to success.” Or the novelist, to be successful, must be the friend of some proprietor of a journal. And all reviews, it seems, are written by rival novelists. The second writer attacks editors generally for what they accept and for what they reject. He also accuses successful literary men of that kind of petty jealousy which prevents them from giving useful advice to beginners. The third letter supposes that because a man spends months on a piece of work, and cannot sell it, that the craft of producing this kind of work is not one to be followed. The three papers contain what, I fear, are wide-spread illusions. Now the proprietor or editor who would sacrifice ‘the interests of his paper to oblige an incompetent writer because he was a friend either does not exist or is on the high road to bank- ruptcy. The thing is absurd. Yet it is widely believed. Every literary man is constantly entreated to “use his influence’ for the accept- ance of articles. The belief that literary men pay for paragraphs in papers is absolutely unfounded. Ido not know any paper which could be even suspected of such dealings. Nor have I ever heard of a writer paying for an interview. On the other hand, private friends of an author or of his publisher do certainly sometimes succeed in getting the puff indirect into a paper. But to accuse all successful writers of countenancing such methods is monstrous. As for “petty jealousy,” I am quite certain that leading men of letters are always willing to give such advice as is asked for. They are not, however, willing to give such assistance as they are too often asked for, viz., ‘“ their great influence ’’ with editors; because the “ great influence ”’ does not exist, and because the recom- mendation of bad work would be a betrayal of friendship. When one reads such statements as these, one asks what becomes eventually of the great rejected. Do they ever reach acceptance and recognition ? One reads of books refused by readers which have turned out great successes: there may also be MSS. refused by editors. I should like to know, among the more noteworthy of the articles in the magazines, how many have been previously refused. It seems a hard thing to say to writers suffering from disappointment and rejection that editors are paid for sifting good work from bad: that if AUTHOR. they accept bad work on account of private friend- ships, they not only betray their trust, but they ruin their paper. Is not this simple fact a reply to these three correspondents ? W. B. De THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. ROFESSOR CRAYE was standing near the window of his sitting room. It was on the second floor of a house in Canonbury; for the professor was not rich. But the view from the window was pleasant; the house overlooked a square which was bright with well-filled par- terres and old smooth turf; children were running and shouting merrily under the tall limes and sycamores, and the summer sunshine glorified the scene. Charles Craye held a pro- fessor’s chair in a big London college, where much learning was expected and a small stipend was paid. He lectured to women as well as to men, and the former fact was the origin of the reverie in which he indulged as he gazed into the sunny square. He wished to marry one of his pupils, and he felt sure that she would accept him, though he was a man of forty and she was eighteen years younger. But he had been waiting because he was poor, and he believed that fame and a moderate fortune in consequence of it were not far off. Charles Craye had been for twenty years pre paring a treatise on the philosophy and life of an eminent German. He meant that his treatise should be a standard work, and he had spared neither his time nor his means in collecting and reviewing material at first hand. The German was so eminent that a treatise—a full and scholarly treatise, containing striking conclusions which were soundly supported—could not be ignored; and Professor Craye had just finished the treatise. The bulky manuscript lay on the table behind him. When he left the window he turned to the table and fingered one or two of the sheets of the manuscript with an air of abstraction. “JT wonder who would be the best publishers for it?” he mused. ‘Singleton is a good man, and Stubbin and Howe are suitable people. But then Guddle and Simm are more likely to be interested in the subject than anybody else. They published all Trasker’s books on the theme—the whole six of them—and Trasker is considered to be the first authority in England on the subject. However,” the professor thought, smiling to him- self, “I don’t fancy Trasker will be an authority much longer; for if I have demonstrated one thing more clearly than another, it is that Trasker  THE AUTHOR. 89 was a charlatan, and incredibly careless in com- piling his books.” So the professor packed up his manuscript and dispatched it to Guddle and Simm, together with a letter in which he modestly set forth his qualifications for the work which he had under- taken. A month later Mr. Guddle walked into Mr. Simm’s private room at No. 115, Benedicite- avenue, where the firm had offices. “T say, Simm,’ he remarked, thoughtfully, “T’ve been reading the report on Craye’s book. It seems to bea first-class bit of work. But it’s right up against Trasker.” Mr. Simm had been writing a letter. He looked up with a preoccupied air and answered “ Well, that can’t be helped. 'Trasker was a bit ofa humbug. We only put him on to do the stuff because he could write it up in a popular kind of way. There’s room for a real standard © work.” “Yes, my boy,” resumed Mr. Guddle, “ but we've got six of Trasker’s books, and we bought the copyright of all of them at a fairly stiff figure: for old Trasker knew his way about. Well, they’re properties, those books are, and they’ll go on being properties so long as Trasker is considered to be the standard authority on the subject. But if Trasker is shown up, we shall stand to lose. And, damn it, philosophy’s all very well; but that isn’t business.” Mr. Simm began to manifest more interest in the conversation. “ How much money should you think there is in this man Craye’s book?” he asked. “Oh,” said Mr. Guddle, “it’s a big volume; it would be expensive to produce. The sale wouldn’t be big, and it would be slow though it would be certain. The stuff is right above the head of the average reader, and it’s too abstruse to be made popular even with alterations. I should think there’s a safe hundred and fifty or perhaps two hundred in the book for the first six months, and driblets afterwards.” “ Well, it isn’t worth while to knock the bottom out of Trasker’s copyrights for that,” observed Mr. Simm, and he resumed writing his letter. “Shall I fire the man’s manuscript back to him?” Mr. Guddle asked, after a pause. “Tf you like,” said Mr. Simm, “I shouldn't, though.” “Publish it ? ” inquired Mr. Guddle. Mr. Simm turned round and faced his partner. “Yes, publish it,” said Mr. Simm, and a queer smile played round his mouth after he had uttered the words. “T think so too,’ Mr. Guddle remarked stolidly. é “Let’s have him up here, and see what he’s like, and how much he knows,” said Mr. Simm after another pause. “ Will you write to him, Guddle ? ”’ “Yes, Dll write to him,” said the senior partner. And then he lighted a cigar, and strolled from the room. On the following day Professor Craye received a kind and flattering letter from Messrs. Guddle and Simm. He learned from this communi- cation that the firm was extremely interested in his work, and that they hoped to publish it. At the same time, Mr. Guddle felt that it was right to express the view that the book could not command anything in the nature of a popular sale. He hoped that he might have the pleasure of an interviev with Professor Craye. Perhaps the Professor would be able to lunch with him at half-past one on the following Thursday at the Locrian Club? Charles Craye lunched with Mr. Guddle, and found him a very agreeable and well-informed man, who took an enlightened interest in litera- ture quite apart from his commercial under- takings. After lunch they drove to Mr. Guddle’s office, and the Professor smoked one of Mr. Guddle’s cigars in Mr. Guddle’s private room. « And now let’s come to business, Mr. Craye,” said Mr. Guddle, when the cigars were lighted. “We publishers are always having to come to business, you know. What would you expect by way of terms for your book ? ” “T really know so very little about the terms which are usual for such books,’ said the Professor, after a moment’s hesitation. ‘I have not any clear idea on the subject.” “Well, Mr. Craye,” resumed the publisher, “there are a great many forms which the transac- tion between author and publisher may take. There is the royalty agreement, and there are agreements providing for a deferred royalty, and there is purchase outright. But I think this is eminently a case for a half-profits agreement. If the book does well, so much the better for us all; if not, we bear the burden between us. How do you think that would suit you? ” * What sort of arrangement was made with Mr. Trasker ’” asked Professor Craye. “Oh, that was a case of purchase,” replied Mr. Guddle, airily. ‘ But, then, we ourselves indi- cated the work to Mr. Trasker, and supplied him with material, and defrayed his expenses while he wasabroad engaged upon the necessary researches. And he was—habitually, we may say—in our employment to a certain extent. And, of course, it was only fair that all that should be taken into consideration in determining the scale of remuneration. No, I don’t think you would like go to sell the rights in the book on similar terms. Your work will probably become a classic, Mr. Craye, and I take it that you would wish to have a permanent hold upon its earnings.” “Why, yes. I should much prefer to have an abiding interest in the sales of the work,”’ said the professor. “J thought so,” remarked Mr. Guddle, and he nodded cordially. ‘“ Well, then, it’s just a case for balf-profits. All that we shall ask from you is the exclusive license to publish throughout the term of copyright. We shall spare no expense in the get-up of the book. We shall be proud of it, and shall issue it in first-class style. As I say, it is an expensive book to handle, and it will only appeal to a limited class. That,” continued Mr. Guddle, with a sad but pleasant smile, “is a drawback which in the nature of things attaches to much of the very best work. But merit does sometimes make its mark in this country of England.” Mr. Guddle, feeling that his last sentence seemed a mere platitude, took his cigar from his lips and blew his nose to cover the weak ending of his remarks. Professor Craye had received so many com- pliments from Mr. Guddle that he desired to make a suitable response. ‘I leave myself in your hands,” he said to Mr. Guddle. ‘The reputation of your firm is an ample guarantee forme. And now I am afraid I am occupying a great deal of your valuable time, Mr. Guddle. I know you business men have very little leisure.” The professor rose to take his leave, and Mr. Guddle bade him farewell in the most cordial manner and expressed the hope that he might before long be able to renew the pleasure of conversing with the professor. Two days later a long form of agreement reached Charles Craye by post, and he signed it without understanding what the clauses of it really meant. There was a great deal of delay before the book was printed, and when it appeared the publica- tion took place at a time when a war scare was occupying all minds, and literary topics were neglected. Craye’s work was very favourably received in a few quarters; but most of the great daily papers and many of the weekly reviews passed it over in silence, which was, perhaps, not astounding, inasmuch as these periodicals did not receive review copies from Messrs. Guddle and Simm. The explanation offered by Mr. Guddle to Charles Craye was different—the abstruseness of the subject, the popular pre-occupation about foreign politics, &c. ‘The daily papers, and many of the weekly papers too,” Mr. Guddle wrote, “are no doubt only anxious to print. THE AUTHOR. matter which will catch the eye of the average reader, and at such a time as the present they are exceptionally prone to neglect work of per- manent rather than immediate interest.” Mr. Guddle’s tone about the prospects of the book was pessimistic in the extreme. “It is not a work,” he said in conclusion, “ which would be helped by catchpenny advertisements. It will advertise itself among those who are able to understand it.” This, of course, fully explained why Professor Craye’s book was not advertised with the other publications in Messrs. Guddle and Simm’s list. Charles Craye was bitterly disappointed ; Mr. Guddle was not. People who were interested in the subject tried to get the book at the libraries, but there was always a difficulty about it, and delay as well, and before long inquirers were told that the volume was out of print; another edition would probably appear—but the other edition never saw the light. So Charles Craye’s magnum opus, of which only _ three hundred and fifty copies had been printed, and which had been issued at a prohibitive price, soon passed into oblivion. And Trasker’s books held the field and continued to bring handsome profits to the firm of Guddle and Simm. “Tt’s the continued vogue of Trasker’s works that annoys me most,” the professor said at a later date, ‘and it annoys Guddle too, for the matter of that. He’s a very well informed man, you know. His firm is a first-class firm, and I put myself in their hands, and they did every- thing they possibly could for me ; 80, it’s not their fault. In fact, they’re grievously disap- pointed, and heavily out of pocket, I’m sorry to say. Well, it all comes of writing above the heads of the people. One gets so absorbed in a subject that becomes one’s hobby, and then the theme could not be properly treated in a popular vein. It was very good of Guddle and Simm to publish itat all, And as for me,” he added with a sad smile, “I wasn’t meant to be anything but an old bachelor professor, who just gives lectures to young people—and, after all, that’s . work which ought to be its own reward.” MOoLEcuLe. OO OS MORE FRIENDLY CRITICISMS, ET me hark back to the March Author ; I have never seen the columns so vigorous, our Secretary so decisive, or the general matter and correspondence so full of interest, suggestiveness, and optimism. Its resentment of the Atheneum’s comments does the heart good to read. It is just possible that candid friends may  THE be terrified at the suggestion that the Society should boycott the advertising columns of a paper which does not stand up for authors, but the touch of nature, in its allusion to the brute force of our trade union, does more to make us kin than years of cautious jargon. Posterity, but no remote one, will do full justice to the work of the Society ; but we will not wait for posterity; we will not gape and smile, and stand by while the forwards do the rushing; I, an insignificant voice in the crowd, call on all members to lock arms, lower butts, and follow up the ball and its carrier until it is touched-down by sheer force behind the gouls of free trade between author and public, let the scrummages be as brutal as they may. Our opponents are too practised in the game for deft dodging to defeat them. What we have got to do, is to keep on rushing until the secret profits and unaudited accounts are driven by sheer weariness to succumb. As I remarked in these columns some years ago, when I first presump- tuously questioned the prudence of the club I had joined, this is not rashness, this is not the uproar of personal resentment; it is the one and only policy suited to the case, and if the exponents of it are occasionally stung into strong language, so much the better for the policy. Saute or Seconp-Ciass NoveEL.s. The feuilleton, “‘ A Second-Class Novel,’ besides being a really excellent plot fora story, is I think, more suggestive and enlightening than anything I have read in The Author for a longtime. I hope that it is actual experience, for it is impor- tant enough to be made the docus classicus of the young author’s difficulties. The only point about it that makes me doubtful is the 1000 copies. Mr. Guddle, the publisher, says, “A yarn of this quality will get an easy sale of 750 copies in England ”—without pushing, with only £10 spent on advertisement, with only 250 copies first bound, and therefore presumably subscribed. The book was a novel, written by a young man of twenty, “rather a slab,” that is to say, a long one, refused by four good firms, and published at 6s. for a total cost of £85. ‘‘ Molecule” would do aservice to young authors, and no harm to his credibility, by stating if a publisher has actually told him that he can count on a sale of 750, even of a good book, by a young writer. My own experience has been that you may indeed just manage to subscribe 250 copies of a 6s. novel by a well-known author, but that you cannot count on a sale of more than 400, which means a loss or £10 or £20 to the publisher ; and that, instead of looking on “ second-class novels” as a “safety” which will go towards office expenses, they regard it as a necessary AUTHOR. gl outlay for the maintenance of their “ list,” and for the capture of an occasional success. On the whole, I like Mr. Guddle. I consider him an excellent business man, who understands his trade very well. From his point of view, which is precisely the same as that of “ A Publisher ”’ in Literature of Jan. 21, he has got to make his charges, or base his offer of deferred royalty, so that “it shall make it worth his while to under- take the business.” Mr. Guddle’s offer is a 10 per cent. royalty after 500 copies, by which he expects to pay the author £7 Ios., and pocket about £32 himself. He makes the offer without pressing it unduly, and “ Molecule”? makes the author refuse it as a matter of course. The question which arises in my mind is, was the author wise to refuse? Would it be wise to refuse, even if the probable sale were only 500, by which he would get nothing at all? For my part, if I had had the book refused by, say, half a dozen houses, and still believed it would be a creditable advertise- ment to my name, I think I should have been glad to get a capitalist to invest £80 in me for that purpose. I shall always believe, even when the Method of the Future is in full swing, that litera- ture, like other businesses, requires an initial outlay in advertisement ; and if { can make that outlay by giving away a work which has been a pleasure to write, I should be content to expect my remuneration in the future. I think there is a possible error in a root idea current in The Author—the idea that it is the single book which alone is in question. RoyvaLty Paip In ADVANCE. For my part, I look on the single books as mere items of a whole; and that whole, a life’s work, which shall show a profit on the net result. What is a lasting source of sur- prise with me is that out of five publishers I have dealt with, four have acceded to my request for a royalty on the first 500 in advance. In the case of my first book, in the ‘‘ Pseudonym library,” a certain sale was safe, because the “ library” had a fixed minimum circulation, like a magazine ; but in the case of a later one, which was published by Mr. John Lane, and my last, which is in the hands of another firm, there was really no guaran- tee that the books would cover the cost of pub- lication. The reason that I have obtained advance payments is that I have made a rule for myself to exact this condition as long as I have cash enough in my pocket to feed me for a month ; this is because (1) I esteem apublisher’s calcu- lations as a good working criterion of mert, and I do not believe a book would do me any good in which a publisher had not sufficient 92 THE AUTHOR. confidence to risk at least. £15 over and above the cost of production ; and (2) because I have suffi- cient confidence in my ultimate success, that is to say, in my capability for improvement, to be able to withdraw and lay by a manuscript which has not been accepted on these terms. I will own it is an expensive extravagance; I have with- drawn, and therefore to a certain extent wasted, four such books for which my best offer has been “ commission.” An OPINION FOR BEGINNERS. This brings me to a very interesting suggestion raised by “ Molecule’s” feuilleton, that of an author finding himself the publisher of his own first book. The time is coming, I understand, when the French system is to prevail of an author having to pay costs of production himself instead of finding a capitalist to start him. Now (I address beginners only), have you ever seriously considered your MS. from the business point of view of profit and loss? Have you, after failing to find a publisher, brought yourself face to face with the alternative, so sarcastically put by “A Publisher” in Literature, of risking your last £100 on your maiden effort? 1 have: only recently, and for the first time. I assure you it put quite another aspect on affairs. In the first place, I have found it simply impossible to eliminate the creator’s vanity and insubordinate sanguineness from my judgment; I have had to snatch at my unprejudiced “ reader’s opinion” betwixt sleep and waking, leaving off the moment I begin to picture the printed page in rosiness. I came to the conclusion that I should not be wise in risking that £1oo unless I had a capital of £1000 to draw it from; and I believe that no young author would be justified in spending more than one-tenth of his available funds on such an enterprise. If he is prepared to push the buok personally, he might do very well to spend from £30 to £50 on a paper-covered edition of a story of from 30,000 to 50,000 words, if such a length happened to be “in the market ”’ ; but he would be running a great risk in spending £100 on a book of 80,000 to 100,000 words, unless he were rich. I should gather from the pages of The Author and the multiplicity of commission books that there are many authors now who possess an income, or vice versd; but it is my prejudice not to take such aristocrats into account. Of course, it is quite a different thing when an author has made his name. He is then one of the “no-risks,” to adopt an Americanism ; on the other hand, as clearly shown in the feuilleton discussed, he can generally get as much profit as the. book will bear out of the ordinary publisher. Messrs. AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER. Now, over and over again an author, suc- cessful or not, does not get even the fair value of his book; and, even if he is willing to give away his first work for advertisement, that is no reason why he should not hold the patent and receive the royalties, if any, thereof. In saying that he might be wise to accept a deferred royalty in a doubtful case, I by no means suggest that he should let Mr. Guddle swindle him out of his copyright ; and we see by the feuilleton that this was just Mr. Guddle’s intention, and that, if the Society of Authors did not exist, the novice would be in a fair way of being “ guddled.” In the case of a deferred royalty, the author has got to exact a full royalty, or at least 25 per cent., on all copies after 500; and he has got to word his agreement so that lie shall be sure of knowing just how many copies are being sold, and just how much is due to him. And after the first edition of 1000, which has paid expenses and given the publisher a sop, he ought to have greatly improved terms. Only the Society of Authors can enable him to do this, because we know that the publisher will never of his own accord consider the author his partner. “Shall the author receive the full benefits of all the advantages I obtain?” says “A Publisher” in Literature. “Should it follow that, because I can obtain certain allowances on the material I buy, I should make the author a present of them ? By no means. The author is not my partner.” That is clear enough, I think, is it not? Well, we want a publisher who says that the author ts at least a fellow venturer. That is what the Society is aiming at. But if our fellow venturer is prepared to lend us our half of the capital, we must be prepared to pay interest on it over and . above the half shares. PoputaR AMERICAN MaAGazINEs. Speaking of American magazines, I inclose the printed refusal forms employed by the leading monthlies here, as you have made a point of pub- lishing such particulars. As you will see, they are excellent models, and I may add that MSS. are read and returned generally within a fort- night. It is no news to mention the enormous circula- tions enjoyed by the American ten-centers ; Munsey’s, for instance, is aiming at the half- million. Their excellence and enterprise is in- credible. You would be astonished to see the display even in a little town of 50,000 inhabi- tants like Canada’s capital. There are five or six book shops here, but, horrendum dictu, no public library. The 6d. American paper-covers have a. great sale. But perhaps the most popular literature  THE AUTHOR. 58 are the New York, Chicago, and Buffalo Sunday editions of the dailies, which cost in Canada 33d. While speaking of Canada, I cannot refrain from mentioning an instance of the precariousness of fame. I had an introduction to Archibald Lamp- man, whose recent death here is a serious loss to Canada; and knowing that he was in the Postal Service, I inquired for him at the General Delivery wicket. Will you believe it that the gentleman on duty there, one of the oldest clerks of the department, did not know his name? Why? Red-tape. After much brain-cudgelling my amiable informant believed, now he came to think of it, that there was a man of that name in another department in the Parliamentary block. Your correspondent’s suggestion to mutilate review copies, coupled with your own remarks about the Athenzeum, will have caused a flutter in the dovecotes. Review copies are an important asset to the reviewer. If the £5 or £10 (cost price of 100 copies of a new novel) were spent in advertisement, it would probably be just as effective. The Reviews would have to buy copies or cease to exist. And there would be less useless and pernicious log-rolling. Your long Paris letter is interesting to the few, but do you observe that in your foreign letters you are virtually playing the Review If so, why not a London letter? Until you go in for the responsibilities of criticism one only expects business notes from Paris and New York. Your American correspondent animadverts on the Paper Trust. He might have added the Type Foundry Trust, which controls the other indis- pensable of printing. Type is some (?) 20 per cent. dearer in the States than in Canada. Printing presses, on the other hand, are of course far cheaper there, there being a heavy duty on machinery imported into the Dominion. If Canada could import machinery free it might well become a great printing country, for it has unlimited supplies of pulp spruce and water power, and Canadians are greedy of books. One other point. Your correspondents speak as if the Wide World and the Strand were under different editorship. It is a pity Messrs. Newnes, Pearson, &c., cannot haveacentral editorial depart- ment, like Harpers. I have had tales refused by Wide World which, I understand, would have been accepted say by Zvt-Bits, under the same roof. Ottawa, Canada. M——. Sp 0 «: CORRESPONDENCE. On THE Srpe oF FAILURE. 1 LL authors must have read Mr. Julian Croskey’s “A Recantation” with keen interest. Is he aware that it is necessary to create a literary sensation in order to succeed ? Are there not appalling difficulties in the path of others? The secret of a successful author, taking, of course, his talents or the reverse into account, is his power of forcing his personality on his public in either paid paragraphs or illustrated interviews. In other words, he must beat the drum. Press booms and advertising are indis- pensable in winning recognition. The next best thing in gaining a living by the pen is to be well in favour with or else the friend of proprietors running some strictly com- mercial “ ring” of rag-bag and domestic journals, where anything approaching literature is severely boycotted in the interests of religion and morality. Woe betide the author who here soars above commonplace. A fairly clever and amusing novel will sell, if treated with the generous aiiver- tising of a Mother Siegel’s Syrup, or a well- pushed soap or cocoa, far better than a much finer one that takes its chance amid a batch of others less prominently brought forward. The public care nothing about art or style in a book, but must be amused, interested and startled. They will buy what pleases them if their notice is constantly drawn to it. Huge picture posters with ghastly incidents from a novel, sketched in lurid colours and greeting one at every turn, are expensive, perhaps, but fine media for effecting sales and hence winning fame. : Then, again, the merest trifles, the veriest non- sense properly utilised will often make a book go. Society holds the key to the success of a certain class of fiction. For an author to “ paragraph” in newspapers and journals a sentence, or even a whisper, favourable to his novel that has been breathed in his ear by the Prince of Wales, for instance, is to secure a safe income for life. As for reviews, they are nearly all written by authors and, hence, rivals. Can a rival ever be quite unbiassed or dispassionate? Friends here may fare better than strangers. It is the same thing in submitting novels to publishers’ readers. Yet the glut of fiction and the deadly battle still con- tinue. ANNABEL GRAY. Il. In last month’s Author “ X.”’ treats the subject of Literature with a firm hand and atrue. What 94 THE he states appeals to one’s reason. No doubt the -greater part of writers struggling for standing room are weak on some point most essential for their success, but the odds on the chance of any success for an unknown beginner are fearful. It does not hurt one to see better work than one’s own published, but to discover that one’s self gets a slap in the face while another is respectfully received because a high-sounding title is Zacked on to a contributor’s name, or a writer is accepted because his or her nonsense is highly spiced with objectionably-flavoured suggestions distasteful to God and man, that is galling. It you are poor, to commence with, you are likely to be poorer still before the door at which you knock shall be opened the slightest bit. It is a costly business, the constant carriage to and fro of MSS. A literary lady gave me the advice on one occasion—Keep on sending. All very well if one has ample means. Unfortunately, some of us have not the strength to carry planks in a saw mill or even sweep a crossing when we have spent all. Spero meliora we whisper to ourselves morning after morning, but no omnipotent editor speaks comfortably to us, and hope to which we cling becomes so frail a thread we tremble lest it give way altogether. Another question. Are successful writers capable of petty jealousy? I know one, whose name is not altogether strange to this Society, but not upon the council, I may say, who will answer questions in a beautifully frank and Christian tone upon various personal and social topics, but approach that one upon literary ground and beg for lines how to proceed, or refer to one’s self as daring to aspire to literary heights, the audacious questioner is snubbed immediately, and told to “ quench such ambition,” and in some cases no reply to such is vouch- safed! And for years that author has made large sums of money out of the public, and still speculates on drawing more, although not forced by the compelling necessity of poverty or narrow means. “Self! self! all for self!” seems the axiom im- printed upon the grasping natures of the children of this generation, “and let estimable virtue go hang.” L. 8. III. I must confess that Mr. Croskey’s experiences are very interesting. My own literary experience is so whimsical that I cannot think it is without interest entirely. The only species of literary employment which I have found productive at all AUTHOR. is that of contributing to a professional journal, for which, at all events after an interval, I can always acquire a certain honorarium. Like many other of your contributors, in oblivion of the lexicographer’s maxim that “no man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money,” I have written in non-paying magazines. There are many arguments against such a proceeding, and babbling Bozzy’s officious and gratuitous com- ment on Johnson’s observation is an example of his worst glossing powers, on a footing with his idiomatic solecisms, as when he writes esprit du corps. Junius never required any fee, and if he was not a blockhead, he was a rascal. There lies an uneasy feeling in the region of my sub- consciousness that in writing for non-paying magazines I may have implicitly written myself down as an ass, like Dogberry, and should have cheated the editor if I had received a fee. Not only do I not get paid, but I remark that the briefest and most cursory notices are generally given to the longest articles and those which require the most research. A London editor of eminence has delivered the somewhat contradictory judgment that, though some of my work may be scholarly, I am unfitted for journalism. I also find that when I have specialised on a literary question, my articles are “ only not accepted,” as was said of a bribe offered to an_ historical character. But much more superficial views on the same subject written by myself previously were not only accepted, but actually gamed me a few guineas. My friends need not blush for me; Tam a hack wriler who has never received black- mail, as Lord Campbell said Francis did. All that I have ever gained from literature does not total to a hundred pounds, though I have written thousands of pages. Like Mr. Croskey, I have fallen among the thorns in attempting the rdle of novelist. When I receive carefully typed notes from publishers on unexceptionable paper, quite wafer-like enough to have another Dreyfus bordereau written on them, with a few words of perfunctory and unchallenged criticism, I begin to think that there is something more unpleasant than Canning’s candid friend, and that is a publisher who, though a total stranger to you personally, familiarly informs you that you are ~ “ didactic and uninteresting,’ or that, even if you were to pay the cost of publication, he would not bring out your book. I feel inclined, under such circumstances, to quote from Junius : “ This may be a very good answer for aught I know at cross-purposes, but it is a very whimsical one to a man in my circumstances.” I cannot, in short, echo the pronouncement of authority that litera- ture offers a serious calling in view of my own experience that a novel by an unknown hand, and  THE AUTHOR. e apparently any number of them, cannot secure any price, even a nominal one, though it may represent several months’ work. N. W.S. BOOK TALK. American critic, author of ‘“ Southern Statesmen of the Old Regime,” is writing the volume on American Literature for the series of Literature Histories, edited by Mr. Gosse. Mr. W. Clark Russell, whose new book ‘‘ The Ship: Her Story,” will be published by Messrs. Chatto and Windus on the 14th inst., is writing another sea story to be called ‘‘ he Ship’s Adven- ture,’ which will describe the salving of ship and cargo in the North Atlantic by a man, a girl, and a dog. This will be published in the spring by Mr. James Bowden. Se acs W. P. TRENT, the well-known The Rev. Frederick Langbridge’s new volume of poems, “Little Tapers,” will be published immediately by the R.T.S. Its predecessor, “ A Cluster of Quiet Thoughts,” has reached a third edition. Mr. Langbridge has also completed a short novel, “ Love has no Pity,” which will begin its serial course in January, 1900. An illustrated memorial of the art and life of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, on an elaborate scale, 1s being prepared by Mr. H. C. Marillier for publi- cation by Messrs. Bell. Among the contents will be reproductions from the valuable collection of Rossetti’s works owned by Mr. Rae, of Birken- head. Mr. Rider Haggard has written a new romance which will be called “The Secret of Sword Silence ; a Tale of the Old Dutch.” It is laid in the time of William the Silent. The story will appear serially in the Graphic next year. Mr. H. W. Auden, assistant master at Fettes College, Edinburgh, is to edit for Messrs. Black- wood a new series of classical texts. The volumes are to be cheap, attractive, and practical, and they will contain maps and other illustrations from the best German and other sources. Another series of illustrated classics is being edited by Mr. EB. GC. Marchant, classical master at St. Paul’s School, for Messrs. Bell. These will be issued with or without vocabularies, to suit the require- ments of the different schools. Mr. Hew Morrison, librarian of Edinburgh Public Library, is writing a biography of Mr. Andrew Carnegie which Messrs. Nelson will publish. Mr. Stanley Weyman, whose new eighteenth: century romance, ‘ Sophia,” now appearing in the Queen, will be published by Messrs. Long- mans about the end of the year, will contribute a serial story to Cornhill. in 1900, as will Mr. isk Seton Merriman. Mr. Robert Barr’s volume on his travels in the near East some time ago will be published shortly by Messrs. Chatto and Windus. One incident of the journey was his arrest by the Turkish authorities. The book is called “The East While you Wait.” Mr. H. G. Wells’s new book consists of five stories grouped under the title of “ Tales of Space and Time.” The two longest are laid in London and the valley of the Wye, and in all the author blends imagination with scientific theories. Mrs. Marcus Clarke has arrived in London from Australia, and is arranging for the publica- tion of her late husband’s unfinished novel, «Felix and Felicitas.” Mr. Swinburne’s new drama, ‘‘ Rosamund,” will be published this month by Messrs. Chatto and Windus. A new volume of poems by the same author will appear later in the autumn. Mr. W. L. Courtney is writing a monograph on Mr. Hardy for the “English Writers of To-day” series, published by Messrs. Greening and Co. Self-revealing as all Stevenson’s letters are, the reader does not find many passages more striking than the following, which appears in the August instalment in Scribner’s. It occurs in a letter written by the novelist to Mr. William Archer in 1885: Not only dol believe that literature should give joy, but I see a universe I suppose eternally different from yours; a solemn, aterrible, but a very joyous and noble universe, where suffering is not at least wantonly inflicted, though it falls with dispassionate partiality, but where it may be, and generally is, nobly borne ; where, above all ‘ any brave man may make out a life which shall be happy for himself, and, by so being, beneficent to those about him. And if it fails, why should I hear him weeping? I mean, if T fail, why should weep? why should you hear me ? Then to me morals, the conscience, the affections are, I will own frankly and sweepingly, so infinitely more important than the other parts of life, that I conceive men rather triflers who become immersed in the latter ; and I will always think the man who keeps his lip stiff, and makes “a happy fireside clime,” and carries a pleasant face about to friends and neighbours, infinitely greater in the abstract than an atrabilious Shakespeare or a backbiting Kant or Darwin. No offence to any of these gentlemen, two of whom probably (one for certain) came up to my standard. Among forthcoming works of fiction are the following : “ Kit Kennedy,” by 8. R. Crockett (James Clarke and Co.) ; «Terence, an Irish story, by Mrs. Croker; “A Crimson Crime,” by’ 96 G. Manville Fenn (Chatto); “A Gentleman Player,” by R. N. Stephens, whose hero is a young actor of Shakespeare’s time (Methuen) ; “ Jocelyn Errol,” by Curtis Yorke (Jarrold). Mr. Horace Round is bringing out, through Messrs. Constable, a volume treating of the early history of the City of London, and entitled “ The Commune of London.” Sir Walter Besant has written a prefatory letter for the book. The full title of Sir Herbert Maxwell’s forth- coming work (Sampson Low) is “The Life of Field-Marshal the Duke of Wellington, and the Restoration of the Land Forces of Great Britain.” “The white man, yes, and the white woman, will save both the soul and the soil of Africa for the good of the world. The white man will purify the black, the black will fortify the white. The white will give brain and the black will give physique, each working together in one more phase of human development for good.” The above passage is taken from W. Edwards Tirebuck’s new romance, “ The White Woman.” Commenting upon this a reviewer remarks: “If Mr. Tirebuck had written that after, instead of before, Sir G. Taubman-Goldie (at the Colonial Nurses’ Association) had said that ‘the civilisa- tion of tropical Africa was part of the white woman’s burden,’ he would have been charged with plagiarism.” Mr. Joseph Hatton’s new novel ‘The White King of Manoa” went into a second edition within about two weeks, showing that “the off season” may not be so detrimental to publishing as is generally thought. The author had been engaged on the book for some years. A labour of love, he relinquished the profit of serial rights that he might write it in comparative leisure and publish it immediately on completion. In this way it seems to clash somewhat with the date of publication of “When Rogues Fall Out,” which was really written before the completion of “The White King of Manoa,” and has been appearing serially under the syndicate arrangements of Messrs. Tillotson. The original chapters, how- ever, for book publication, have been revised and extended It is to be published shortly by Messrs. Pearson. Having sold an edition of fifty thousand of the 6d. edition of Mr. Hatton’s “ By Order of the Czar,” Messrs. Hutchinson have withdrawn it in favour of the 2s. issue of which, with the more expensive editions, over 100,000 have been sold in England; while the sales in the United States have outnumbered the English issue very considerably. A volume on prehistoric Scotland, by Dr. Robert Munro, will be published shortly by Messrs. Blackwood. In this firm’s series of THE AUTHOR. “Periods of European Literature,” the next volume will be by Mr. Oliver Elton, who deals with “ The Augustan Ages.” Messrs. Hurst and Blackett are about to bring out a one volume novel by Miss Christabel Cole- ridge, author of “The Main Chance,” “An English Squire,” &c. Derek Vane, author of “The Three Daughters of Night,” a novel published by Messrs. Hutchin- son, which excited considerable interest, is now writing a series of short stories for the Weekly Telegraph. Messrs. Pearson will also shortly ublish a series by the same author, entitled “The Adventures of a Spy.” Messrs. Cassell and Co. will publish on the 13th a new novel, by Mr. John Bloundelle-Burton, which, in so far that it deals with modern days, is a departure from his more recent stories. It is, however, a book of adventure, the scene being laid in British Honduras, and the hero a naval officer. This novel ran as a serial in Cassell’s Saturday Journal, and under the auspices of the McClure Syndicate in the U.S. (where Messrs. Appleton will also publish it in volume form on the 13th), and will be the first romance dealing with the present day which the author has pro- duced for ten years. It will be entitled “ A Bitter Heritage.” => oe. OBITUARY. HE death-roll of the month contains the names of Mr. William Simpson, R.L., the veteran artist and war correspondent (76), a devoted student of shrines and outward signs of belief, and author of “The Buddhist Praying Wheel”; the Rev. William Wright, D.D. (62), editorial superintendent of the British and Foreign Bible Society since 1876, author of “Palmyra and Zenobia,’ “The Brontés in Treland,” and other works; Rev. Alexander Balmain Bruce (68), Professor of Theology in the Free Church College, Glasgow; and Sir Edward Frankland, K.C.B., &c. (74), for long the Government analyst of the Metropolitan water supply, and author of books bearing on that subject. Mr. J. Eveleigh Nash, LITERARY AGENT, AMBERLEY HOUSE, NORFOLK STREET STRAND, W.C. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Author, Vol. 10 Issue 04 (September 1899) Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em>, Vol. 10 Issue 04 (September 1899) Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1899-09-01-The-Author-10-4 publications The Author https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/467/1899-11-01-The-Author-10-6.pdf bac36f1e1ae037196f4ac395eae5d346 PDF Text Text �������������������� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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) 1899-10-02 Volume 10 Issue 5 Pages Page range in volume 97–116 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 18991002 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin Che #utbor. (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) EONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vou. X.—No. 5.] OCTOBER 2, 1899. [Prick 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. Pons HE 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 should be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent 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. os GENERAL MEMORANDA. ERE are a few standing rules to be observed in an agreement. ‘There are four methods of dealing with literary property :— J. 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, or with the advice of the Secretary of the Society. TI. A PROFIT-SHARING AGREEMENT (a bad form of agreement). In this case the following rules should be attended to : (1.) Not to sign any agreemeat in which the cost of pro- duction forms a part without the strictest investigation. (2.) Not to give the publisher the power of putting the profits into his own pocket by charging for advertisements in his own organs: or by charging exchange advertise- ments. Therefore keep control of the advertisements. (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 ! VOL. X. Ill. THE ROYALTY SYSTEM. It is above all things necessary to know what the proposed royalty means to both sides. 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.” IV. A COMMISSION AGREEMENT. The main points are :— (1.) Be careful to obtain a fair cost of production. (2) Keep control of the advertisements. (3.) Keep control of the sale price of the book. GENERAL. All other forms of agreement are combinations of the four above mentioned. Such combinations are generally disastrous to the author. Never sign any agreement without competent advice from the Secretary of the Society. Stamp all agreements with the Inland Revenue stamp. Avoid agreements by letter if possible. The main 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. ec EVER sign an agreement without submitting it to WARNINGS TO DRAMATIC AUTHORS. : 2c the Secretary of the Society of Authors or some competent legal authority. 2. Never negotiate for the production of a play with anyone except an established manager. 3. There are three forms of dramatic contract :— (1) SALE OUTRIGHT OF THE PERFORMING RIGHT. This is unsatisfactory. An author who enters into such a contract should stipulate in the con- tract for production of the piece by a certain date and for proper publication of his name on the play-bills. (2) SAL OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE TO PERFORM ON THE PROFIT-SHARING SYSTEM. This method can only be entered into when a fixed sum is agreed per week for cost of produc- tion. It is not a common method. K 2 98 THE AUTHOR. (3) SALE OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE TO PERFORM ON THE BASIS OF PERCENTAGES (i.e., royalties) on gross receipts. Royalties vary between 5 and 15 per cent. An author should obtain a percentage on the sliding scale of gross receipts. Should obtain a sum in advance of royalties. A fixed date on or before which the play should be performed. 4. Authors should remember that performing rights can be limited, and are usually limited by town, country, and time. This is most important. 5. Authors should not assign performing rights, but should grant a licence to perform. The legal distinction is of great importance. 6. Authors should remember that performing rights ina play are distinct from literary copyright. A manager holding the performing right or licence to perform cannot print the book of the words. 7. Never send a copy of the play to America unless it is protected by a preliminary performance in the United Kingdom. 8. Never forget that American rights may be exceedingly valuable. They should never be included in English agreements without the author obtaining a substantial consideration. g. Agreements for collaboration should be carefully drawn and executed before collaboration is commenced. Never admit a collaborator when once the actual work of writing the play has begun or after it is finished. 10. An author should remember that production of a play is highly speculative: that he runs a very great risk of delay and a breakdown in the fulfilment of his contract. He should therefore guard himself all the more carefully in the beginning. 11. An author must remember that the dramatic market is exceedingly limited. As these warnings must necessarily be incomplete on account of the wide range of the subject of dramatic con- tracts, those authors desirous of further information are referred to the Secretary of the Society. HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. L VERY member has a right to ask for and to receive advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his business or the administration of his property. If the advice sought is such as can be given best by a solici- tor, 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 Committee will obtain for him Counsel’s opinion. All this without any cost to the member. 2. Remember that questions connected with copyright and publisher’s agreements do not generally fall within the experience of ordinary solicitors. Therefore, do not scruple to use the Society. 3. Send to the Office copies of past agreements and past accounts with the loan of the books represented. The Secretary will always be glad to have any agreements, new or old, for inspection and note. The information thus obtained may prove invaluable. 4. Before signing any agreement whatever, send the pro- posed document to the Society for examination. 5. 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. 6. 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. pos THE READING BRANCH. %MBERS will greatly assist the Society in this branch of their work by informing young writers of its existence. Their MSS. can be read and treated as a composition is treated by a coach. The Readers are writers of competence and experience. The fee is one guinea. NOTICES. HE 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 6s. 6d. subscription for the year. Communications for The Author should be addressed to the Offices of the Society, 4, Portugal-street, Lincoln’s-inn Fields, W.C., and should reach the Editor not later than the 21st of each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to communicate to the Editor any points connected with their work which it would be advisable in the general interest to publish. The present location of the Authors’ Club is at 3, White- hall-court, Charing Cross. Address the Secretary for information, rules of admission, &c. LITERARY PROPERTY. T.—Is Lirerature Precarious? HE correspondence still continues as to the precarious nature of the profession of Litera- ture. It will be observed, however, that all those who argue that it is precarious do so from their own experience alone and without the least reference to the well-known and notorious examples of success. One writer says that if he had taken to the Law the same ability which he brought to Literature he would have succeeded. Perhaps: but this assumes, first, that his belief in his own ability is well founded : next, that the same kind of ability is wanted for Literature and for Law :  EY mene THE AUTHOR. thirdly, that his abilities are such as command success in the Law; and, lastly, that ability always does command success in the Law. And so with other professions. Now those who can- not command a tolerable income by the pen may be divided into several classes. There are those who fail at the outset, because they have not even the elementary qualifications necessary for the literary life. They have no right to call Litera- ture precarious because they have never belonged to it. As well might a man call the Bar pre- carious who could not pass the preliminary examinations. There are some, however, who hang on to the fringe, so to speak, getting a paper accepted now and then, while a dozen are rejected. These may be thought entitled to speak of Litera- ture as precarious. There are many, a great many, in this position. Unfortunately, they are unable to understand that a single piece of good work would lift them out of that position, and they cannot understand that their own work is not as good as that of the more popular writers. Indeed, it is this class which is the most severe on the “cheap success”: on the tenth-rate poet : on the taste of the people. If a writer has nothing to say : if he has no song to sing: no story to tell: no doctrine to teach; or if he cannot deliver his message pleasantly and attractively, the fault of failure is with him, not with the profession. There is a third class of writers to whom Literature offers but small rewards of the pecu- niary kind: it is the class which provides books and papers for a very small audience. Those who write on the higher mathematics; or in certain branches of science and philosophy; cannot expect to address a large audience. A fine writer such as Walter Pater commands admiration and respect from the readers whom he addresses: but it is a small class. For him Literature would hardly offer a bare livelihood. Yet he would not be right in complaining that it is pre- carious, and he would certainly not be embittered by comparing his own modest returns with those of the successful dramatist. Nothing is gained by keeping. up the old sham about the precarious nature of Literature as a profession. It is no more precarious than art of any kind: or than the Bar; or than Medicine or anything which depends solely on a personal and individual ability. Now,as I have said over and over again, a thousand failures do not make it precarious, for the simple reason that they take place for the most part at the outset, and mean nothing more than incompetence and unfitness for any branch of literary work. For those who possess the natural aptitude, with other requisites, such as power of work, the profession is on a level with other professions as regards the average run of 99 successes, and possesses very large prizes for those who succeed greatly. J refer to my corre- spondent “ Yachtsman” (see p. 110) as an_illus- tration and confirmation of this point. W. B. Il.—PuBLisHING ON COMMISSION. In the September number of The Author, p. 81, it is stated that on the figures given the author would lose £130. This is incorrect. He would gain £78. If, however, he had taken a royalty of 15 per cent., he would have received £90. What, in that case, would have been the pub- lisher’s profit ? On the commission book it has been shown that he might make about £125. There would have been no percentages on the cost of production. He would have paid the exact cost, say, £150. He would have received £350. The account therefore, would stand : Cost of production £150 Sale of 2,000 £350 Author = ...62.2.5:. go Publishers .2...-c 110 £350 £350 It is therefore clear that the publisher would do better with a commission book than with one on this royalty. Suppose, however, that the sales, which is much more likely, do not rise beyond 400. The accounts might now stand: & s. d. Ss. a Sale of 400 copies at Cost of print- ingandpaper 96 16 o Binding ...... 56 50 °& ‘customary Advertising... 47 100 __ trade price” Corrections... 3 OO Say 35. 3d. 65 0.0 Publisher’sfee 5 00 Less 10 per Extraexpenses 5 OO cent....... 6 10 © 58 10 O Loss to author... 15S: 1 0 213 II O zis it Oo The publisher, ‘on the other hand, would make as before, mutatis mutandis : 0S, a. On printne ........, oe 16 16 6 On binding |. es 12102 0 On advertising...,....5... 025.5. 22 10. © On fs 555.60... 5.9 © By “customary trade clause” 5 © O On commission .........+606... G16 6 By use of £200forsixmonths 5 9 O 73.6 © Which seems a handsome profit. 100 TIl.—Reapers’ REMARKS. A correspondent makes the following complaint: —A short time ago he placed a MS. in the hands of a literary agent, who offered it to various publishers, and finally returned it as refused by these firms. He then resolved’ upon revising the MS. with the view of finding, if possible, the weak points in the work. “ On doing so I found, to my astonishment and annoyance, that some pub- lisher’s reader—possibly the first who read the MS.—had scribbled freely on its margin his own comments, freely using such words as ‘ rubbish,’ ‘nonsense,’ &c. Not content with this, he had in many places interpolated sentences into the body of the text, which transformed clearly written paragraphs into arrant silliness, which must have caused subsequent readers—who, no doubt, took these pencillings for my work—to think the writer an ignorant fool.” This is a very serious thing. Are readers to be allowed to annotate MSS. to the prejudice of the author with other readers ? Surely the remedy, if our correspondent can learn the firm by whose reader it was done, is to have the MS. newly typewritten, and to send in the bill to the firm in question. One does not suppose that any publishers would countenance such treatment if their attention was drawn to the fact; nor, on the other hand, can one suppose that the reader would wilfully dis- figure a MS. if he understood the injury and annoyance he was causing the author. The pre- sentation of the bill for typewriting, however, with publicity, seems the only practical remedy. ITV.—Dr. BRANDES AND A GERMAN PUBLISHER. We quote from Literature of Sept. 2 the following account by Dr. Georg Brandes, the distinguished Norwegian critic, of how for half a generation a certain Herr Barsdorff, of Leipzig, “has persecuted me with his editions, not- withstanding my many continually reiterated protests” :— He has printed my books in mutilated editions for years ; he has added to them, he has cut them into separate pieces, which he has provided with sensational titles and has sold as complete books and separate editions. He has, in general, not respected the contents of the book, but has arbitrarily undertaken to supply his own self-excogitated alterations. The gentlemen who allow themselves to be commissioned by Herr Barsdorff, contrary to the express wish of the author to prepare his own works in German, take every liberty that pleases them. My protests have hitherto remained without effect. When I protest, Herr Barsdorff usually answers that I have to thank him for being known in Germany. In reply to this assertion, I wrote in the Allgemeine Zeitung, some months ago, as follows: “May 14, 1899. I do not consider any answer necessary, but I cannot withhold the remark that nothing is more nauseous to me than to read the eulogies which are trumpeted forth everywhere from the mouth of this man, THE AUTHOR. while his life passes in doing me material and mental injury.” Attention is seriously called to the above extract. There can be no greater crime against an author than that of mangling or altering his words and works. Some years ago an action was commenced in the High Court of Justice on this very point, but was not carried through. It is very much to be desired that such a case should be tried, and, if necessary, carried up to the Lords, in order to make it clear that in any kind of agreement the publisher either buys or is intrusted with the administration of a property which depends on the preservation of the actual words of the author. Can we imagine a publisher, under any circumstances, daring to change the words of Swinburne? It is said that some editors claim the right of changing an author’s words, even when his paper is signed. This right ought to be resisted with the greatest vigour. It means that an editor may, if he pleases, make a writer say exactly the opposite of what he intended. With an unsigned article, of course, an editor has the: right to deal as he pleases. It is his own: it represents his policy, the policy of his paper. PARIS NOTES. 5, Rue Chomel. . N | ADAME AUBERNON DE NERVILLE is dead,” a chance acquaintance re-’ marked in my hearing last week. “And who was Madame Aubernon de Ner- ville?” I immediately inquired. “Why, don’t you know?” was the reply. “She was the only woman in Paris who under- stood the art of presiding over a literary salon in the style of the old régime; made it the busi- ness of her life to cultivate literary celebrities, and was quite an autocrat among them; encouraged general conversation, and used to ring a bell, like the Speaker, whenever her lions mounted their hobby-horses or roared -too loudly ; extraordinary temperament, but highly apprecia- tive ; patronised Ibsen, and his subsequent vogue among the Parisians was largely owing to her good. offices in the beginning; sat down to dinner every day for the last twenty-five years with twelve guests —mostly well-known writers—and kept them all in order. No small undertaking for a woman.” So much I learned on the spot. Later I gleaned the following particulars. Mme. Aubernon de Nerville was a celebrity among celebrities. Rich and well-born, she enjoyed the prestige of presiding over “le dernier salon ot l’on cause,” and greeted all comers with the penetrative  THE AUTHOK. bonhomie of a specialist receiving his patients. Ernest Renan, Taine, Eugene Labiche, Dumas fils, Agénor Bardoux, Henry Becque, and a score of other celebrities were among her intimate associates. But though she delighted in the society of great men, she permitted no infringement of what she considered the neces- sary courtesies of society. Once when Edouard Pailleron, the brilliant author of “Le Monde ou Yon s’ennuie,” ventured to interrupt by a subdued murmur one of Caro’s lengthy perorations at the dinner-table he was promptly quenched by their hostess. «By and by, Pailleron; you shall speak in your turn.” Caro’s discourse only finished when the dessert was on the table. At its conclusion, Mme. Aubernon turned encouragingly towards the interrupter. ‘Now it’s your turn, Pailleron. you wished to say ?”’ « T merely wished to ask for a second helping of peas,” was the unexpected rejoinder. Alexandre Dumas fils long held the envied position of first lion in the Aubernon salon. One day, however, being unjustly incensed against one of his confréres, he brutally assumed on bis privi- leges to pre-adopt the attitude recently assumed by General Mercier in addressing the Conseil de Guerre at Rennes. “Lui ou moi?” he said magisterially. Mme. Aubernon, to her honour be it said, stood firm; she refused to sacrifice the injured to the injurer, and Dumas accordingly quitted her house for ever. Ona similar occa- sion Agénor Bardoux, the historian, showed him- self more generous than the great novelist. When Henry Becque wrested from him the sceptre of priority in the Aubernon salon, he quietly withdrew; and later on, when Mme. Aubernon acknowledged her fault in tacitly per- mitting the aggression, the gallant historian accepted the apology and resumed the fauteuil he had vacated. But then Bardoux was in the right, and could afford to be generous. M. Guillaumet is heading the new movement in favour of a general co-operation of dramatic and lyric artistes in protection of their joint interests, which co-operation will be definitely consolidated. into an “ Association générale des artistes drama- tiques et lyriques” on the occasion of the great dramatic and lyrical union to take place at the Cirque Fernando on Sept. 20. The project has been warmly applauded and seconded, Govern- ment having promised an annual subsidy of 10,000 francs in its support. No less than two hundred artistes of both sexes were present at the second preparatory meeting, at which a pro- visory committee was elected and entrusted What was it 101 with the task of drawing up the statutes of the proposed association and submitting them to the approval of the general assemblage. The exorbi- tant charges of the existing theatrical bureaux de placement have induced M. Guillaumet to take active steps to circumvent this legalised form of blackmailing the artist, proverbially imprudent. One of the first reforms anticipated by the pro- posed association is the opening of a registry bureau on behalf of unemployed artistes, who will be put in communication with managers on pay- ment of a minimum fee. Nothing further, how- ever, can be definitely stated respecting the pro- posed association’s programme until after the decisive meeting on Sept. 20 has taken place. Literary celebrities seem at present to be enjoying the fickle favour of Parisian managers. The dramatised novel is extremely popular. Thus M. William Busnach is engaged in drama- tising for the Ambigu stage the graphic ‘ Béte humaine,” of M. Emile Zola ; while a play taken from M. Georges Ohnet’s latest novel, ‘ Au fond du Gouffre” will shortly be given at the Porte St. Martin theatre. A recaste of the “ Frou-frou S of MM. Meilhac and Halévy is about to be rehearsed at the Coméddie Francaise, whose august comité de lecture lately declined MM. Armand Silvestre and G. Bois’ translation of Shakespeare’s “Richard IIL.” The naughty “ Vieux Marcheur” of M. Henri Lavedan bids fair to compete in popu- larity with the far-famed “ Cyrano de Bergerac” of Edmond Rostand; while the “Plus que Reine” of M. Emile Bergerat has likewise scored a brilliant success both at home and abroad. But in the latter case (though the work of a literary man) the play has, I believe, preceded the novel. M. Paul Bourget is now travelling with his wife in the vorth of Italy, in order personally to gather material to enrich the pages of his new work on “ Italie Septentrionale.” This volume is intended to form a continuation to his “Sensa- tions d’Italie.” Its delicately psychological author belongs to the beau monde of social butterflies, whom no stern necessity compels either to toil or spin yarns in exchange for filthy lucre. Hence his whereabouts when travelling may usually be ascertainei! by referring to the social chronicle of any of the leading papers. The latest news of him obtained through this channel announces the arrival of M. and Mme. Paul Bourget at the Hotel d’Italie at Bergamo. We are further informed that M. Bourget professes himself astonished by the private collections of rare works of art he has been privileged to examine at Bergamo in company with M. Geanforte Sicardi. It is not improbable that his readers may find the souvenir of these hoarded treasures and heirlooms 102 embalmed in one of those subtle chapters which M. Bourget limns with such inimitable finesse and skill. The premature death of Christian Garnier, son of the celebrated architect of the Opéra, has been widely deplored. The unfortunate youth was extremely gifted, and would undoubtedly have reached, if not surpassed, his father’s high level, had not death arrested his career on the threshold of manhood. On learning that his disease was mortal, the youth summoned up all his energies to complete the work he had in hand. The title of this work, which has just been published by Ernest Leroux, fully reveals its purport, viz.: “Méthode de transcription rationnelle des noms géographiques s’appliquant a toutes les écritures usitées dans le monde.” Competent authorities have declared M. Garnier’s new method of tran- scription to be an exceedingly valuable one, well worthy consideration. This voluminous work is written throughout in a clear, masterly style, and abounds in evidence of profound scientific research on the part of its author. It has been honoured with the Volney prize, in addition to being crowned by the Institute of France; and the pathetic circumstances under which it was con- cluded have not lessened the interest its appear- ance has excited. The fashionable poet of the moment is no less a personage than Paul Musurus-Bey, member of the Sultan’s State Council, brother of the Princesse Bassaraba de Brancovan, son of Musurus-Bey, ex-Turkish ambassador in France, and grandson of Stephanaki-Bey, prince of Samas. The representative of all these dignities is a highly accomplished gentleman, thoroughly acquainted not only with the ancient and modern Greek, but also with the English and French literature. His personality is well-known in the best Parisian literary society, which he greatly affects, being the intimate friend of MM. Sully Prudhomme and José-Maria de Heredia. Several of his poems have recently appeared in the Revue des deux Mondes, and have created quite a fanfaronade of enthusiasm in the highest circles. He possesses the ready ear of the Oriental, and his versification is perfect. M. Ernest Daudet is publishing an interesting serial, entitled “La Princesse de Lerne,” in the Monde Mondain ; while the Mois Litteraire gives us a graphic account of the murder of the Russian Emperor, Paul I., from the pen of the same author. M. Jules Verne, who shows no sign of deterioration in his green old age, has added a new volume, entitled “Le Testament @un Excentrique” to his ‘“ Voyages Extraordi- naires” series, which latter was formerly crowned by the French Academy. It was on this occasion THE AUTHOR. that Dumas /i/s opined that the august Immortals would have done better to have admitted Verne into their body in lieu of crowning his works, M. Robert Flers—who at twenty-six years of age boasted the honour of a work crowned by the Academy —has just issued his third volume “ Entre Coeur et Chair”’ (a series of short tales) chez Flammarion, who is also the publisher of the continuation of the sensational reminiscences of M. Goron, ancien chef de Sireté. Referring to the last-named work, a well-known critic writes: ‘In it will be found more terrible things than our most fertile novelists in atrocity could invent.” After the “Jardin des Supplices” of M. Octave Mirbeau, this is rather a strong state- ment. In mentioning the prospective programme of the twenty-first congress of the International Literary and Artistic Association, to be held at Heidelberg, the /vgaro alludes to the indifference hitherto manifested by France on the subject of protecting her authors’ rights. After calling attention to the fact that, while almost all the other European States had registered a special law in their code to guarantee their authors’ rights against the possible frauds of publishers, France had remained stationary at the incidental law of 1865, it concludes: “Il faut espérer que la question sera de nouveau soulevée, et que la France comprendra enfin qu'il est de l’intérét de sa production littéraire, qui tient encore le premier rang, de se mettre au niveau des autres nations.” So much for the force of good example. The death of M. Gaston Tissandier, founder and editor of that popular little scientific periodical entitled Nature, robs science of one of its most devoted adherents. M. Tissandier was especially interested in solving the problem of aerial navigation; and though he did not succeed in attaining his end, he pushed his investigations farther than any of his predecessors had dared to do. He made over forty ascensions into space, and on April 15, 1875, he attained an altitude of 28,215 feet. His two companions were asphyxi- ated by the rarefaction of the air, but Gaston Tissandier returned—with his ear-drums broken and a sort of physical oppression from which he never completely recovered. He finally succumbed —almost a quarter of a century later —to the effects of a painful malady from which he had long suffered. It is well known that M. Jean Dupuy, Minister of Agriculture, has chosen the poet M. Henri Barbusse as his chef de cabinet; and, since the latter’s induction into office, the Minister of Agri- culture is credited with receiving all official | reports relating to his department served up in ingenious verse. Poetry in such a quarter  THE AUTHOR. appears, at first sight, as if the days of bucolic peace were returning; but a glance at current events speedily destroys such a supposition. Half-a-dozen papers are already officially notified as pursued for incendiary articles, while duels between polemists and members of the Press are of too frequent occurrence to be worthy detailed notice. Their opponents justly reproach the literati of France with having brought about the Revision—a noble work of which its authors may well be proud, for it will probably rank among their highest titles to the gratitude of posterity. A propos of interesting publications of the month may be mentioned “Les Morts qui Parlent,” by M. E. M. de Vogue; “ L’Enfer,” by M. Edouard Conte (Société Libre d’ Edition des gens de lettres); “Le Petit fils de dAr- tagnan”’ and “Le Drame du Palois Bouge,” by MM. A. Sirven and A. Siegel (chez Calmann Lévy); and “Le Corps et ’Ame de Enfant,” by M. Maurice de Fleury. Darracotre Scort. eas NOTES AND NEWS. TYNHE Atheneum has begun its Publishers’ Announcements. In the numbers for Sept. 9, 16, and 23 there are the lists of fourteen publishers. Taking out of consideration books of scholarship, philosophy, science and education, and taking only those which fall under the head of General Literature, the fourteen between them promise to produce as follows : EOC = 43 works. History and Biography 24 _,, Wravel 66 TAG Belles Lettres ............ 200. Fiction ......... 105. AQ 20 7 We shall be able to complete this rough analysis next month. Meantime, the first heading includes volumes by Owen Seaman and Stephen Phillips, with reprints from Tennyson and Matthew Arnold. Mr. Theodore Watts Dunton makes the welcome announcement of a new work, ‘‘ The Old Familiar Faces,” which is presumably a novel. Among other novels we meet with many old friends and many new names. The various “Series” are well to the front—the “ Cathedral Series”: the “Public School Series”: the ‘Social England Series”: the “Geographical Series”: the “Literatures of the World Series” among others. The large number of books on Art—some of them most important—is a remarkable feature in the year’s announcements. Memoirs, Letters, and Reminiscences include books on Coventry VOL. x. 103 Patmore: the third Farl of Shaftesbury: Mrs. Lynn Linton: Thackeray: Dickens: Sir Philip Francis: J. H. Frere: and others. So far there seems to be no announcement of more sixpenny books, but it will take time to repair the mischief of this experiment disastrous to booksellers. The completion of the list will show whether the experience of the last season will lessen the number of six-shilling novels. One hundred and five novels among fourteen publishers, of whom three at least are producing none this year! If this average is maintained, it will termfy book- sellers and circulating libraries, and will drive to despair the furnishers of railway bookstalls. Professor Brander Matthews considers the novelist as a great living force. He is not the greatest living force, because the actual facts of current events are the true leaders of men, and we must look for the facts to the Press. For instance, the ‘“ Affaire,’ as presented day by day in all its horror, has been the greatest possible force in influencing men’s minds as regards the country where it happened—perhaps the only country where it could have happened. The social force of the novelist is exercised by the expression which he gives to the current ideas of his time. A thousand little facts accumulate and are registered by the Press: they produce the effect upon the mind of the continual dropping of water. Then the novelist appears to give expression to the thought, and to present it in action with a group of living characters. If the novelist advocates reforms or ideas for which the popular mind is not ready, or to which it is opposed, he fails. The “ novel with a purpose” always fails when that purpose is a new pro- position or a view contrary to the general way of looking at the world. That novelist moves the world who is first moved by the world, and can tell them what they think. Is it necessary to remind readers that the famous “Draft Agreements” of the Publishers’ Associa- tion are neither disavowed nor withdrawn It is necessary to look at agreements with greater care than ever. Above all things let everyone be careful not to allow his publisher to become his agent at 50 per cent., while his own agent is con- tented with 10 or 15 percent. And next, let the author most carefully retain in his own hands the dramatic rights. Let him remember as well that where a valuable MS. is concerned the publisher, whatever be his imaginary station in the world of publishers, will give way on these points because he must. If he refuses others will consent. At present the committee of the Publishers’ Associa- i 104 tion are in the enviable and dignified position of having put forth agreements as equitable which they dare not even propose to authors of repute. So perverse is the authors’ sense of equity that they will not even consider those agreements. Is it not time to speak about the “ Private Prospectus” nuisance? A new “ Private Pros- pectus” is sent out once a month. I suppose it is sent out broadcast. It is the prospectus of a publication for “students only ” or for “‘ collectors and students.” It is “privately printed.” It is for subscribers only: there is a limited edition: and the work is costly. The address at which it is to be procured is in a respectable street. Of the work itself thus offered one can only say generally that it is of a kind which cannot be exposed for sale so long as Lord Campbell’s Act is in force. One would like to know how far a publisher is protected by calling his book “ priv- ately printed, for subscribers only, in a private press.” What does a “ private press”? mean ? I have read in several papers—indeed, it seems one of the many accepted truisms which are not truths—that I have encouraged, and do continu- ally encourage, young people to crowd into the ranks of those who would succeed by writing. In the same way the Society has been, and is still, continually misrepresented by two assertions —that it treats all publishers as dishonest (this stale old charge was last advanced publicly by Mr. John Murray), and that it says that pub- lishers incur no risk. As for the personal charge of encouraging the incompetent, the only founda- tion for the charge is the broad fact that I have done my best to set forth the exact truth con- nected with the commercial side of literature. If these facts do attract a large number of young persons who have none of the gifts necessary for success, it is because they present this side of the literary profession as it is, and as it may be, in a light never before attempted, namely, in the true light. Hitherto, persons interested in con- cealment have done their best to keep the truth as much hidden as possible. Let me also quote my own words, which, I think, are not unduly optimistic or encouraging : “To those few, however, who think they possess the necessary qualifications; to those who feel really impelled to join the ranks of literature, I would say, ‘Come. Venture if you will where so many have failed. There is always room for good work—come. I have shown how the followers of literature fare: some fare better and some fare worse than I have described. THE AUTHOR. ‘Come if you can; come if you dare. Don’t think of making money; there are a thousand chances to one against it. But if you gain that reasonable measure of success of which I have spoken you may confidently look forward to leading a happy and well-filled life; you may influence your generation for good: your mind will always be pleasantly occupied: you will find the company good: the talk extremely cheerful : and the work always iuteresting.’ ” Here is a short and easy road to notoriety which in journalistic enterprise often means success. It is not a new method, but it has been greatly developed of late years, and it. is high time that it was understood. A literary man whose name is known receives a type-written letter from a person of whom he knows nothing, with a heading to the letter of some organ or some bureau of which he knows nothing, asking him for his opinion on this or that subject —any subject will do—for publication. Sometimes he is informed that a “symposium”’ is organised for the purpose of obtaining opinions on this or that subject. Now, when a well-known paper of position asks for the opinions of various persons qualified to have an opinion on the subject, the collection of opinions and reasons may be useful and helpful to the public: in such a case the person invited should perhaps accede. But it is far different when the invitation comes from some wretched struggling journal or some obscure person who hopes by means of a dozen or twenty good names to pass off as a ; erson of importance. It would be well, at least, to wait before answering the invitation until something can be learned of the person who sent it. Water Besant. Specs ON CRITICISM. HE following observations, quotations, and 7 rules are taken from an excellent little book of essays called ‘‘ Americanisms and Briticisms,”’ by Professor Brander Matthews: ““¢ Doubtless criticism was originally benig- nant, pointing out the beauties of a work rather than its defects. The passions of man have made it malignant, as the bad heart of Procrustes turned the bed, the symbol of repose, into au instrument of torture.’—(Longfellow).” “ La critique sans bonté trouble le gout et empoisonne les saveurs, said Joubert ; unkindly criticism disturbs the taste and poisons the savour. No one of the great critics was un- kindly.”  THE AUTHOR. “They chose their subjects, for the most part, because they loved these, and were eager to praise them and to make plain to the world the reasons for their ardent affection. Whenever they might chance to see incompetence and pretension push- ing to the front, they shrugged their shoulders more often than not, and passed by on the other side silently :—and so best. Very rarely did they cross over to expose an impostor.” “Tn nine cases out of ten, or rather in ninety-nine out of a hundred, the attitude of the critic towards contemporary trash had best be one of absolute indifference, sure that Time will sift out what is good, and that Time winnows with unerring taste. «The first duty of the critic, therefore, is to help the reader to ‘ get the best ’—in the old phrase of the dictionary vendors—to choose it, to under- stand it, to enjoy it. Neglect is the proper portion of the worthless books of the hour, whatever may be their vogue for the week or the month.” “The second duty of the critic is like unto the first. It is to help the reader to understand the best. There is many a book which needs to be made plain to him who runs as he reads, and it is the running r. ader of these hurried years that the critic must needs address.” “The third duty of the critic, after aiding the reader to choose the best and to understand it, is to help him to enjoy it. This is possible only when the critic’s own enjoyment is acute enough to be contagious. However well informed a critic may be, and however keen he may be, if he be not capable of the cordial admiration which warms the heart, his criticism is wanting. “ Having done his duty to the reader, the critic has done his full duty to the author also. It is to the people at large that the critic is under obligations, not to any individual. As he cannot take cognisance of a work of art, literary or dramatic, plastic or pictorial, until after it is wholly complete, his opinion can be of little benefit to the author.” “Tf I were to attempt to draw up Twelve Good Rules for Reviewer-, I should begin with: “T. Form an honest opinion. “TI. Express it honestly. “TIT. Don’t review a book which you cannot take seriously. “TV. Don’t review a book with which you are out of sympathy, that is to say, put yourself in the author’s place, and try to see his work from his point of view, which is sure to be a coign of vantage. “V, Stick to the text. Review the book before you, and not the book some other author might have written ; obiter dicta me as valueless from 105 the critic as from the judge. Don’t go off ona tangent. And also don’t go round in a circle. Say what you have to say, and stop. Don’t go on writing about and about the subject, and merely weaving garlands of flowers of rhetoric. “VI. Beware of the Sham Sample, as Charles Reade called it. Make sure that the specimen bricks you select for quotation do not give a false impression of the farade, and not only of the elevation merely, but of the perspective also, and of the ground-plan. “VII. In reviewing a biography or a history, criticise the book before you, and don't write a parallel essay, for which the volume you have in hand serves only as a peg. “VIII. In reviewing a work of fiction, don’t give away the plot. In the eyes of the novelist this is the unpardonable sin. And, as it discounts the pleasure of the reader also, it is almost equally unkind to hin. “TX. Don’t try to prove every successful author a plagiarist. It may be that many a successful author has been a plagiarist, but no author ever succeeded because of his plagiary. “X, Don’t break a butterfly on a wheel. Ifa book is not worth much, it is not worth reviewing. “XT. Don’t review a book as an east wind would review an apple-tree—so it was once said Douglas Jerrold was wont to do, Of what profit to anyone is mere bitterness and vexation of spirit ? “XTI. Remember that the critic’s duty is to the reader mainly, and that it is to guide him not only to whatis good, but to what is best. Three- parts of what is contemporary must be temporary only.” Peas COUNTERFEIT ENGLISH. N the regrettable absence of an English Académie, we look to the Author as a guardian of our long-suffering language. So many neologisms are now creeping in that unless you can do something for us the good old tongue of Shakespeare and Macaulay will soon be no more. Some changes there must necessarily be. Apart from the demands of new arts and crafts, ideas and habits must alter, so as to demand new combina- tions and an enlarged vocabulary. We may never hope to cure our young people of saying “I biked over,” and the apotheosis of the piston-rod has reached its climax in certain of our most popular writings. But the changes here contemplated are of another sort, being capable of division into two 106 classes: (a) phrases that slip into use from mere indolence and want of knowledge; and (6) words misused out of affectation; both classes having this common evil, that they are quite unnecessary. In the (a) class must be placed prominently cases in which a noun substantive is gratuitously used as a verb. The labour-saving ingenuity of our transatlantic kinsfolk is primarily responsible for this; but we have often been ready to follow their quicker-witted lead. Such a verb as ‘to advocate,” if you think of it, can only be defended on the score of success. It has been generally adopted, but none the less is it a glaring instance of the barbarism under notice; in fact, it is worse, for it sweeps into one locution such varying shades of meaning as would otherwise be conveyed by “recommend ”’ or “ defend,” as the case might be. A word less misleading, but quite as uncalled for, is “to loan” in place of “to lend”; and many others will be readily called to mind. Then there are such solecisms as “to trouble” as a neuter verb: in good English always a transitive. I may trouble you, or myself; but to use the word absolutely is far more absurd than it would be to say, “ do not exert” or “behave.” By the (0) class are intended outrages on the good old vocabulary, such as inventing new words when all possible purpose can be served by those which exist already, but which are not considered elegant or sonorous. One of the worst of these is the bastard adjective of time, “erstwhile,” used where all that is intended could be clearly expressed by such a simple word as former. Erst, by itself, is doubtless an English word, though not often met with in the work of good authors, being a superlative arising out of the old Saxon word observable in the first syllable of early ; but for “erstwhile” there is no conceivable ety- mology or excuse that is not as foolish as the word itself. Another instance is the substitution of “monetary” for pecuniary. Here the word has undoubtedly both a pedigree and an office (from Moneta) meaning that which regards the Mint or coinage; but someone seems to have been caught by the similitude to money and to have thought its employment was a step towards the exclusion of Latin; whereas it is, of course, just_as much derived from tha’ tongue as the word pecuniary, which is otherwise correct. The use of “whom” where the sense requires the nominative is so bad that one would hardly care to mention it were it not becoming too common to be ignored, You shall hardly open a novel or a newspaper without meeting some such sentence as ‘‘ A man whom I knew wanted to see me,” the relative being really the subject of the verb see not the object of the verb knevw. THE AUTHOR. We have all experience and authority for the doctrine that use governs these things : Quem penes arbitrium est et jus et norma loquendi. ‘When once a usage has been thoroughly fixed and established, reason argues in vain. As we may see, indeed, from so familiar a case as that of the verb ‘“ to advocate,’ noticed above. An advocate is advocatus, one called to the Bar; to turn him into a verb and use him not for himself but for the sort of work that he might do, is about as intelligent as if we talked of “ soldier- ing” a man when we only meant killing him. To be sure, we say to “ doctor,” but only when we are feeling very sarcastic. An advocate may plead a cause, as a soldier may take life; but the proportion of bloodless warriors is probably no greater than that of briefless counsel. CLAMANS. Pec AMERICAN RULES FOR WRITERS. HE New York Press has recently offered a few rules and warnings for American writers. Some of these may be recom- mended for consideration by our own countrymen. The following are taken from the longer list there published :-— Don’t. Dou’t begin a story with “‘ Yesterday,” ‘‘ Last night,” and the like. Don’t begin a story with ‘‘ The,” “An,” or “A” oftener than once a week. Don’t “ put in an appearance ” or “ make an appearance ” ; just appear. Don’t say ‘a dinner occurred,” and “an explosion took place.” Things occur by chance or accident; they take place by arrangement. Don’t MisusE “ Ability” for “ capacity.” ‘“ Allude ” for “ refer.” “ Amateur ” for “ novice.” “ Anticipate” for “ expect.” “ Apt” for “ likely.” “ Andience ” for ‘‘ spectators.” ‘“‘ Balance ” for ‘‘ remainder ”’ or “ rest.” “ Bountiful ” for “ plentiful.” “Bat” for “only.” When in doubt, use “only” for but.” “ Caption ” for “ heading.” “ Captivate ” for ‘ charm.” “ Conclude” for ‘ close.” process. “ Convened.”’ vened. “Crime,” a statutory wrong; “sin,” a violation of creed; ‘‘ vice,’ a moral wrong. (One may murder one’s father and not be vicious; also, one may cast one’s wife away and take two wives and not be sinful, according to some creeds.) “Depot” for “prssenger station,” or “station” for “freight depot.” “ Dock ” for “ pier” or “ wharf.” To conclude is a mental The delegates, not the convention, con-  THE “ During the night’ means “ During” for “ in.” thronghout the night. “ very” for ‘‘ all.” Don’t separate the parts of infinitives, or needlessly separate the parts of verbs; say “to begin again,” not “to again begin”; say “ probably will be,” not ‘ will probably be.” Don’t say “he was given a dinner ” when the dinner was given for him or in his honour. Don’t make titles; use “Smith, a car conductor ” ; not “Car Conductor Smith.” Don’t give ‘“ ovations ” to anybody. Don’t stab anyone “ in the fracas.” Don’t “ administer” blows or punishment. Don’t use “ he graduated”; say “he was graduated.” ‘ Eyent” for “incident,” “affair,” “ occurrence,” or “ happening.” “ Exemplary ” for “ excellent.” “* Exposition ” for “ exhibit.” “Tnangurate ” for “ begin.” “ Tpitial ” for “ first.” “ Jewellery ” for ‘‘ jewels.” “ Learn ” for “ teach.” “ Lurid” for “ brilliant.” or ghastly. “ Marry.” married to the man, and the clergyman or marries both. ‘* Murderous” for “ deadly ” or “ dangerous.” “ Notable ” for “ noteworthy,” “Observe ” (to heed) for “ say.” -—‘ People ” for ‘‘ persons.” “Posted ” for “ well informed.’ * Retire” for “ go to bed.” “ Remains ” for “ corpse” or “ body.” “ Reliable ” for “ trustworthy.” “ Spell” for “ period.” “Tender ” for “ give.” reception. “ Transpire” for “ occur.” “ Unwell’? for “‘ill.” “ Ventilate” for “ expose” or “ explain.” Don’t UsE “ Approve of” for “ approve.” “ Cablegram ” for “‘ cable message ” or *« dispatch.” “Claim” as an intransitive verb. You can claim your hat, but you cannot “claim” that your hat was stolen. “ Commence ” for “‘ begin.” “ Considerable.” “ Locate,” unless you locate a railroad, a canal, a claim, and the like. “ Matter ” oftener than once a week. “ Mrs. General” or “Mrs. Doctor,” unless the woman is a general or a doctor. “Notified.” Use “informed,” “ sent word,” or “ told.” Slang, stock expressions, or cheap phrases. This covers a multitude of sins. “The deceased,” “the unfortunate,” the “ accused,” and the like. “ Very” oftener than once a week. “Via,” “per diem,” and the like; say “By way of,” “a day,” and “a week.” “ Vicinity ” without “its” : HELP THE COMPOSITORS. Always leave a margin of at least an inch on the top of each sheet of copy. If youhave a particularly illegible piece of copy, don’t pass it over and send it downstairs in the hope that perhaps the “ intelligent compositor’ may be able to read it. “ Lurid ” means pale, gloomy, Don’t “ marr 7 @ wen 5 the woman is y. > zs magistrate “Tender” apayment; “give” a “Tts vicinity.” AUTHOR. 107 BOOK AND PLAY TALK. YHE Editor of the Literary Vear-Book will be glad to receive communications from authors for the next issue of that annual, which will be published by Mr. George Allen late in January next. All letters should be addressed to the Editor of the Literary Vear-Book, Ruskin House, 156, Charing Cross-road, W..C. The first welcome accorded to Dr. Gardiner’s life of Cromwell has hardly passed when the announcement comes of the same subject being treated by Mr. John Morley. The new work will appear in the pages of the Century Magazine, a fact that affords another example of the fondness of American readers for biography in monthly instalments. The literature of natural history is about to receive an addition from Mr. Richard Kearton, on the subject of “Our Rarer British Breeding Birds: Their Nests, Eggs, and Breeding Haunts.” The book, profusely illustrated by photographs taken direct from nature by Mr. Cherry Kearton, will be published by Messrs. Cassell, who state that in preparing it the brothers Kearton have travelled over ten thousand miles. Mr. Kipling’s new story, “ Stalky and Co.,” will be published by Messrs. Macmillan in a few days. Mr. Walter Pollock has written a volume on “Jane Austen: her Contemporaries and Herself,” which Messrs. Longman will publish shortly. A volume by Mr. Thomas Hardy, of short stories, which have appeared serially at various times, is to be published soon. Yorkshire and Normandy are the subjects of two new volumes about to appear in the “ High- ways and Byways” series published by Messrs. Macmillan. ©The former will be written by Mr. Arthur Norway, and illustrated by Mr. Joseph Pennell and Mr. Hugh Thomson. The author of the Normandy is the Rev. Perey Dearmer, and the illustrator Mr. Pennell. “The Daughter of Peter the Great,” Mr. R. Nisbet Bain’s new book which Messrs. Constable are to publish shortly, deals with the period 1741-1762, and treats the Seven Years’ War from the Russian standpoint. One of the features of the book will be the description of the splendid court of the Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. Mr. Stanley Lane Poole has written a mono- graph on Babar. the first Moghul Emperor of Hindustan, for the Indian series published by Oxford University Press. This house will alse 108 publish shortly the final volume of Dr. Thomas Hodgkin’s “ Italy and Her Invaders.” Mr. Frederick Wedmore will be represented this autumn by a volume entitled “On Books and Art,” which Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton will publish. Mr. Clement Shorter has written a book on his own library, called “An Editor’s Bookshelves,” which Messrs. Ward, Lock, and Co. will publish shortly. Mr. Grant Allen is adding to his series of guide books a volume describing “The European Tour ” for the benefit of American and Colonial visitors. The William Black Memorial Fund now exceeds £500. Mr. Colin Hunter, A.R.A., an old friend of the novelist, has undertaken to design the memorial beacon light to be erected at Duart Point, Isle of Mull. Miss C. A. Hutton is the author of a mono- graph on Greek terra-cottas, which will be pub- lished this month by Messrs. Seeley and Co., with a preface by Dr. A. 8. Murray. Dr. Conan Doyle has written a new novel which is just beginning to appear in the Strand Magazine. A new edition of Mr. James Milne’s work on the late Sir George Grey, “The Romance of a Pro-Consul,” will be published shortly by Messrs. Chatto and Windus. Forthcoming works of fiction include a volume of short stories by Mr. Zanegwill, entitled « They that Walk in Darkness” | (Heinemann); Mr. Robert Hichens’s new novel, “The Slave” (Heinemann) ; “ The Bread of Tears,” by Mr. G. B. Burgin (Long); “An African Treasure,” by Mr. Maclaren Cobban (Long) ; “Twice Derelict, and Other Stories,” by Maxwell Gray (Heinemann). “Coventry Patmore: His Family and Corre- spondence,” by Mr. Basil Champneys, a friend of the family, will be published shortly by Messrs. George Bell and Sons. The principal book of scientific interest announced for this season is Mr. Leonard Huxley’s biography of his father, entitled “Life and Letters of Thomas Henry Huxley,” which will be published by Messrs. Macmillan, In France, too, it seems, bookselling is in a bad way. ‘The Booksellers’ Union of France have discovered,” says the Westminster Gazette, “that their net profits are absurdly small—about one halfpenny in the shilling, and from a penny to fourpence on a three-shilling hook (3fr. 50c.) THE AUTHOR. —and, failing to get better terms from the pub- lishers, have arranged, with the consent of the latter, to raise prices to the buyer. Sales should therefcre be brisk for the remainder of the month. On the whole, the ; ublisher seems most likely to benefit by the change. Buyers will certainly not care about paying 3fr. instead of 2fr. 75¢. for a 3fr. 50c. book, and booksellers will probably have to content themselves—for a time, at least— with a smaller turnover,” ./ An illustrated shilling series of “ Forgotten Children’s Books” is to be issued at once by the Leadenhall Press. The old type and quaint woodcuts, the grayish paper with its innumerable specks of embedded dirt, and the gaudily coloured Dutch papers used in the binding, are to follow faithfully the originals of a century ago. The publishers’ own title page and remarks are to be relegated to the end of the volumes. The three promised are Mrs. Turner's amusing cautionary stories entitled “The Daisy ” (1807) ; the second series of cautionary stories entitled “The Cowslip” (1811) and “A New Riddle Book by John the Giant Killer, Esquire ” (1778). Others are to follow. The Leadenhall Press will almost immediately issue Mr. Andrew Tuer’s new volume of “ Stories from Old-fashioned Children’s Books.” The woodcuts in the originals, of which there are several hundred, are closely followed, and no photographic half-tone blocks are used. Instead of being in the fragmentary manner of Mr. Tuer’s preceding volume “Forgotten Children’s Books,” whivh had a large sale, the stories will be complete in themselves. The two volumes are quite independent of each other. Mr. W. Edwards Tirebuck’s “ Miss Grace of All Souls” has been added to Mr. W. Heine- mann’s Eighteenpenny Red Series of Popular Novels. The author of the well-known Bohemian novels ‘The Gleaming Dawn,” “The Cardinal’s Page,” and the “ Pictures of Bohemia” that was illustrated by Mr. Walter Crane, has just received from the Countess of Wallenstein a most charm- ing and artistic recognition of his work on Bohemia in the shape of a water-colour sketch of the old Castle of Bosig, mounted as a note-book block and set round with Bohemian garnets that are famous for their rich ruby tint. In addition to these books, Mr. James Baker has written upon Bohemia in almost all the principal journals and magazines. Messrs. Kegan Paul, and Co. have in the press a volume of poems by Mrs. Aylmer Gowing, including a play on the subject of Boadicea  THE AUTHOR. treated under a new aspect in connection with early Christianity in Britain. Sir Richard Temple has placed with Mr. John Long for publication a new book entitled “ The House of Commons,” in which he describes life in Parliament, the House of Commons as a club, manners and customs of the House, and other features. With the announcement that the Royal Maga- zine is to be raised in price to 4d., the threepenny popular magazine disappears in this country, for the Harmsworth Magazine, it will be remem- bered, although originally 3d., was made 33d. _ before it had been long in the market. . Mr. Cosmo Hamilton, who, with Mr. Robert Barr, has just finished the dramatization of the latter gentleman’s successful romance, “The Countess Tekla,”’ has sold the acting rights of his play “Jerry and a Sunbeam,” produced at the Strand Theatre, to Mr. H. HE. Pizey. The management of the Court Theatre have secured the refusal of Mr. Hamilton’s new three-act comedy, “The Wisdom of Folly,” which, in book form, will be published in the autumn. Mr. Hamilton is now completing two new books, ** Love, amongst other Things,” and ‘‘ The Danger of Curiosity,” and is also engaged upon a three- act play for Mr. Herbert Sleath, entitled * Kiddie,” which is founded on his one-act play of the same name, in which Mr. Sleath appeared. On the goth Sept. a performance for copyright purposes was given at the Victoria Theatre, Walthamstow, of a new play entitled “The Greatest Puritan, or Cromwell’s Own,” a drama founded upon Mr. Arthur Paterson’s novel ““Cromwell’s Own.” Mr. Charles Cartwright’s company performed the piece, and it is said “that Mr. Cartwright contemplates producing it at an early date. The drama follows the story pretty closely, and three incidents—the taking of the Royal Standard at Edgehill, the collision between a troop of Ironsides and of Presbyterians, when the former save unarmed Royalists from massacre ; and lastly, the court-martial scene, when Crom- well reverses in characteristic manner the sentence of the court—will probably be reproduced as they stand. It will be the first time that Cromwell has ever been the chief personage in a drama. Heretofore he has appeared as a “villain,” more or less comic. “The Christian,” founded, of course, on Mr. Hall Caine’s novel of that name, will be produced under Mr. Charles Frohman’s management at the Duke of York’s on the 17th inst., but will previously be seen at the Shakespeare Theatre, Liverpool, on the gth. 109 In laying the commemoration stone to mark | the completion of the Royal Duchess Theatre, Balham, Mr. Charles Wyndham referred to the growth of the number of theatres as a significant sign of the times—the modern spirit of decentrali- sation. “ Hach new theatre in a new district,” he said, “ brings a new body of men under the imperial sway of Art, enrols one more regiment of volunteers under the banner of the Humanities, constructs one more entrenched camp against prejudice and bigotry, builds one more road for invigorating thought to travel on.” The managers of central theatres in London were by this decen- tralisation losing the exclusive right to purvey dramatic nourishment which they had enjoyed from the days of Elizabeth to those of Queen Victoria, and it was difficult to believe they would ultimately gain far more than they could ever lose by the competition. The denizens of Greater London had achieved this result without appeal- ing to “that craze of the idealist—Government support.” Richmond also has added a theatre to its many other attractions during the past month. This is the Theatre Royal and Opera House, which has been constructed to hold over 1200 persons. Meanwhile, in the West-end there is some talk of a new theatre being erected near Oxford-circus, a site which will be more accessible when the Central Railway is finished. The new play by Mr. Wilson Barrett and Mr. Louis N. Parker, which is to succeed the present popular revival of ‘The Silver King” at the Lyceum, is called “ Man and His Makers.” Sir Henry Irving and Miss Ellen Terry are fulfillimg a provincial tour before leaving for their visit to America. Mr. and Mrs. Kendal have just arrive 1 in New York. At the Court Theatre, rehearsals are in progress of “A Royal Family,” a comedy by Captain Robert Marshall. The part of the heroine in the new piece will be taken by Miss Gertrude Elliott. A dramatic version of ‘Lorna Doone” has been secured by Mr. Frank Curzon, lessee of the Avenue Theatre. The hand to adapt Mr. Black- more’s famous story is that of an American, Mr. Algernon Tassin. Mr. Horace Newte, however, has secured all rights for his version of the story, with Mr. Blackmore’s consent. “Vanity Fair’? has been dramatised by Mr. Langdon Mitchell for New York, which received it with marks of favour. The title given to the play is “The Adventures of Becky Sharp,” and the leading part is in the hands of Mrs. Maddern Fiske. Bec ‘ky, however, marries Jos. Sedley. 110 THE Another recent successful reception in America was that accorded to Mr. Jerome K. Jerome’s new comedy “ Miss Hobbs,” which was pro- duced at the Lyceum, New York, by Mr. Charles Frohman, with Miss Annie Russell in the title part. Mr. Frohman has secured for America the latest Drury-lane success, “ Hearts are Trumps.” A new opera is being prepared for the Savoy by Sir Arthur Sullivan and Captain Basil Hood. At the Lyric a musical comedy entitled “ Flora- dora,” by Mr. James Davis and Mr. Stuart Leslie, will be presented on Nov. 8. “The Drama of Yesterday and T'o-Day”’ is the title of Mr. Clement Scott’s book of reminis- cences, which will be published shortly by Messrs. Macmillan. These memories go back to the “forties,” when the old Haymarket was still lighted by oil and candles, and when Mathews, Vestris, Mrs. Glover, the Keeleys, Buckstone, Macready, and Phelps were flourishing. Mr. Stephen Phillips’s “ Paolo and Francesca” will be published in book form by Mr. Lane before Mr. George Alexander presents it on the stage of the St. James’s Theatre. Mr. Harry Lindsay’s new volume, “ An Up-to- Date Parson,” is to be published immediately by Mr. James Bowden. Mr. Lindsay is at present engaged upon a long novel of Methodist life for Messrs. Horace Marshall and Son. It is expected that this latter work will be published in the spring of next year. Mr. Neil Wynn Williams, author of ‘The Bayonet that Came Home,” “ The Green Field,” &c., will publish shortly a 6s. volume of original “Greek Peasant Stories” (Digby and Long). Miss Francis Harriet Wood will produce early this month two new stories called respectively, * Tabitha’s Ward Vision” and “ Swallow Castle.” Her publishers are the S.P.C.K. Lieut.-Colonel E. Gunter will publish (W. Clowes and Sons) in October the new edition of his “ Outlines of Modern Tactics,”’ which has been brought up to date; he has added Hints on Hill Fighting and Savage Warfare from recent expe- rience, Outline Orders, &c. “A Bitter Heritage,’ Mr. John Bloundelle- Burton’s new novel, is the first modern story he has written for ten years, his last of this nature having been “ His Own Enemy ” ; but, with other romances, it is his twelfth story up to now. This novel, which is one containing a strong plot diffi- cult of unravelment until the end, is laid in British Honduras, the hero being a young naval officer who proceeds to that colony with a view to discovering what is the true secret. of his birth. AUTHOR. The following is the list of Prof. Victor Spiers’ works now in the hands of Messrs. Simpkin and Marshall: “Short French Historical Grammar and Etymological Lexicon,” pp. 250, crown 8vo., half bound, price 5s.; “ Practical French Primer for Schools and Colleges,” pp. 194, crown 8vo., half bound, price 2s.; “French Vocabularies for Repetition,” pp. 180, crown 8vo., half bound, price Is. 6d. The “Orange Girl,” by Walter Besant, went through the first large edition in less than a fortnight. The second edition is now ready. A sketch of life in a settlement, by the same author, will appear in the Leiswre Hour. Under the general title of “The New Century Library,” Messrs. Thomas Nelson and Sons are about to issue pocket editions of standard novels, printed on their “ Royal” India paper. The issue will begin with monthly volumes of Charles Dickens’ novels, and the works of Thackeray, Scott, &c., will foHow in due course. The books will be printed in long primer type, but will measure only 4} inches by 63 inches and will be only half an inch thick. A new story by Raymond Jacberus, author of “Common Chords,” “The Wrong Man,” &c., entitled “The Hobbledehoys” will be published shortly by Messrs Jarrold and Son. Raymond Jacberus will also contribute the serial story to Sunshine magazine in 1900. Mme. Elodie L. Mijatovich, wife of the Servian Minister, is the author of a series of Servian Folk- lore stories, which will be published in one volume this month by the Columbus Company. E. Livingston Prescott’s new military novel is to be produced on Oct. 3 by Simpkin, Marshall, and Co. Its title is ‘Illusion: A Romance of Modern Egypt.” — ec CORRESPONDENCE. I.—FictTion-wRITINnG As A BUSINEsS. OES it occur to some of the failures who write to you that some men make a tolerable income out of fiction alone? Personally, I started as a journalist and proved myself eminently incompetent. At the present moment if I do write an article, I do it badly, and at the cost of prodigious labour. But fiction comes more easily to me, and in financial return has already brought me £4000 during this current year. I do not live in London, neither do I log-roll. I am not conscious of knowing a single human being who writes reviews. But I take note of what the  THE AUTHOR. public wants, and I supply it to the best of my ability. In one point I quite agree with your former correspondents. I never consider that I am adequately remunerated. I should much prefer £8000 or £16,000. In fact, I could enjoy £32,000. But in the meanwhile £4000 does not seem bad earning (for three-quarters of a year) for a man who much prefers (and employs) enjoyment to labour. YACHTSMAN. IL—EncouraGEMENT FoR Youne AUTHORS. One who has suffered many things in the up-hill struggle to earn bread by her pen must feel deep sympathy with Mr. Julian Croskey in his “blind hopes” of succeeding as an author. But is he not rather forgetting that blind hopes and vain dreams belong to all struggles of the sort, and that there is no open door or easy road into any remunerative labour field unless influence or the Lucky Spoon belongs to the aspirant F I venture to give a little of my own experience as encouragement for young authors. I began literary work without experience and vyithout influence. I had MS. rejected again and again; and but for “ bairns’ bread ” depending on my efforts I must have given up the unequal fight. My work I know was crude, and I am not blaming the editors for rejecting it—though I often proved they had not turned a leaf of the MS. submitted ! A secret conviction that I could originate “copy” equal to the usual magazine material kept my courage going, and eventually I have disposed of work at a very good rate. Had my health and other duties allowed continuous work I could have realised from £400 to £500 a year by what I call “ hack-work.” I have seldom been able to revise my work as I could wish, or give the best that was “in me,” for the simple reason that my stories had to be potboilers, written and sent off in dire haste. Yet T have not found it difficult to earn money by journalistic writing. Where I have met difficulty has been with publishers of books, not editors of magazines and newspapers, who, as a rule, [ find most courteous and obliging. I have never published a volume at my own risk. I hold that an author is not wise to “ risk” when a publisher refuses tv do so. I have had some thirty volumes issued by various publishers. The contents of these books were almost altogether reprints, and for copy- right of these I have never received over £40; m most cases about £20; in some cases £0! Some of these books are in the third edition, which II! perhaps proves that I would not have erred if I had “ risked” oa my own account. For serial tales I have received as much as £150 for first issue (copyright mine). I advise young authors without means to content themselves with hack-work till their genius disovers itself m some magnum opus which will bring the publishers to the author’s feet. I believe there is always a modest income in journalistic work for an intelligent and cultured person to whom the “ gift of the pen,” if not the ‘‘ divine afflatus,” belongs. What I say does not of course apply anyhow to the host of persons afilicted with a common disease known as “see-myself-in-print.” To those individuals must come at last the know- ledge that they are (as Mr. Julian Croskey puts it) “mentally competent for nothing but the lowest form of manual labour.” The despairing wails of such must not be mistaken for the “ agonising” of struggling genius. Is not three years a very short period to allow for experimenting in the trade of an author ? All skilled workmen have to pass through a long apprenticeship and do not always find employment at their command before they become adepts at their trade, secure of a good income. Please, Mr. Julian Croskey, like “ Oliver,” I “ ask for more’ time before giving up authorship in despair. JMS Ill.—* On Tue Srpe or Farivre.” “Self! Self! All for self, and let estimable virtue go hang,” says “ L. 8.” in the September number of The Author. Surely the pen that wrote those words must have been dipped in the gall of an unhappy personal experience. The present writer’s goosequill could tell a different story. Three, at least, of those whose names have become household words among chil- dren of the pen have bestowed upon it helpful advice, besides kindly encouraging words. For the scribblers in earnest the only road to success lies through drudgery and pertinacity, hardening the heart meanwhile against dis- appointment. For the mere dabblers who are spurred to write from vanity or desire for filthy lucre, advice is and must be useless. One thing is certain, namely, that estimable virtue need never go hang if it makes up its mind to live. SM. C.B. —o TV.—Tue Proression oF LETTERS. When a successful novelist—and we presume that Annabel Gray, the author of “Forbidden Banns,” &c., does not wish to be classed as a failure—asserts as a fact that the only way to I12 succeed is to pay for paragraphs, 7.e., puffs in papers, the inference seems obvious, but good feeling and fellowship prevent us from comment- ing too much on it, as she no doubt meant well, and wrote in the interests of those who are failures that they might not be too much out of conceit of themselves. For the encouragement of those who have not even perhaps obtained a footing on the first rung of the ladder, I will say that all the MSS. of mine that have been accepted have been so with- out either influence or interest by editors who are unknown to me. I do not say it to boast, for alas! the rejected outnumber the accepted to an appalling extent. Ihave heard many an un- welcome and disheartening thud in the letter-box, and expect to hear many more, but I do not let that discourage me, for I mean to keep on till I do succeed, and if life and health are granted me I know I shall in the end. I will say this, that all the work of mine that has been published has been paid for, for I have never allowed any of my MSS. to appear on other terms. Those who think to make headway by permitting their early writings to appear without remuneration, are, I consider, taking an unfair advantage of the ones who are dependent on their literary earnings, and I ques- tion whether they themselves benefit much by it. Marearita. V.—Is LireratuRE A PRecARIoUS PROFESSION ? In the majority of cases I should certainly reply, Yes—and I give my own experience as an example. Forty-one years ago I sold my first book, obtainmg £150 for it. The book was a success, and went through three editions. I was then written to by the editors of two magazines, asking me to write articles for them, and during several years I was a frequent contributor to such periodicals as Chambers’s Journal, the St. James’s Magazine, the Cornhill Magazine, Temple Bar, Beeton’s Boy’s Own Magazine, Routledge’s Every Boy’s Magazine, and others. During twenty years upwards of 250 of my articles were pub- lished and paid for. During the same period I wrote ten books, all of which I sold. My best year realised £250 and my worst £80. Then I was compelled to go to India, where writing was impossible, and was absent seven years. On my return to England, I found that some magazines to which I used to contribute had new editors, others had ceased to exist. I sent articles to various magazines, the editors of which had formerly asked me to contribute. After six or eight months these articles (on my inquiry) were returned, “with thanks”; when another article was sent the same results followed. THE AUTHOR. Two MS. books were sent to various publishers, but were returned with the remark that they had so many MS. on hand that they could not pay for mine. The climax was reached, however, when a literary agent informed me by a circular that he had exceptional means of disposing of authors’ MS.; his charge was one guinea, to accompany the MS., and a percentage on the sale price. I forwarded to him my MS. and one guinea. On the title page I gave the titles of four of my published works. After three months the agent returned my MS. with the remark that he regretted he could not get publishers to look at the first work of an author. It may be argued that my seven years’ absence from England had lost me my literary connection, but illness, and consequently inability to write, during even one-third of the time, might produce the same results, and we have here a lesson for would-be authors, who should not remain too long hidden from the public, and should keep in touch with editors and publishers. Had I been dependent on my pen, I should now be in the workhouse. The great drawback at present is over-produc- tion. There are hundreds of amateurs who, desirous of calling themselves authors, will pay publishers for publishing their books, hence a mass of rubbish floods the circulating libraries. The monthly magazine, too, is a formidable rival to the book, and few writers can command such high prices for magazine articles as to make literature a paying profession. To make money by one’s pen is certainly fasci- nating, but, except in a few successful cases, the disappointments are great: hence it is, in my opinion, that the life of the average author is not a happy one. C. [Illness or seven years’ absence would effectually destroy a clrentile in any other profession. The writer does not recognise the two main facts ; (1) that there are great prizes in literature; (2) that many hundreds or thousands live and thrive by the pen.—Ep. | VI.— Sate or Seconp-ciass Novets. In reply to M ’s criticism in the September number of The Author I would point out that obviously publishers do not take up work on which they anticipate a loss; it would not be necessary to pay a literary adviser to help them to do that. If ‘well-known authors” only com- manded a sale of 400 copies, their agents would never get them a substantial advance on account of royalties. But their agents do. There is no dead level of sales of “first books.” It is incon- venient to mention works in this connection, but:  THE AUTHOR. anyone who calls to mind a list of such books will see how the movement of them varies from sales that are practically null to brilliant success. Expenditure on advertisements will not make a public for a book; the question is, to what class or classes of readers will the work thoroughly appeal. This is a matter for a publisher’s judg- ment, and his reader’s report ought to help him. “Mr. Guddle” would trust to his judgment in cal- culating sales. I repeat that if he had anticipated a loss he would have declined the book for that reason. It is a matter of common experience that the rejection of a manuscript by four firms has nothing to do with the opinion which the fifth may form of it, or with the success of the book when published. Your correspondent wishes to know in effect how I came by the materials of the story. I can assure him that it is entirely founded on hard facts, but I think he will appreciate the reasons why I refrain from communicating details. I did not read the letter of “A Publisher” in Literature of Jan. 21, to which your correspon- dent refers. Mo.Lecvte. VIL.—LitERATURE AS A PROFESSION. The contribution under this heading signed “X.” in the last number of The Author, strongly supported as it was by Mr. Julian Croskey’s gloomy personal experience of Literature as a trade or profession, is certainly calculated to make young literary aspirants pause before embarking on this perilous sea. None but the few popular novelists, able always to secure “ serial rights,” will deny that Literature at the best is still, as in the days of Sir Walter Scott, a crutch rather than a support, and there are a vast horde of trained and educated men and women able and willing to write on any and every subject if only publishers will publish and the public will buy. And the tendency of things— mainly caused by free and compulsory education —is to increase what is undoubtedly a crying evil from the standpomt of the professional author. At the same time I cannot but think that “ X.” weakens his case by over-stating it. There is little sense in abusing Tennyson because he happens to be the one poet of our time who was fortunate enough to turn his rhymes into golden guineas. It does not detract from the genius of Dickens or Thackeray that they are popular and successful. It seems to me that the case of authorship as a profession may be stated thus: The vast majority of literary men and women barely make an existence by the pen, and certainly not by writing books ; a large and perhaps, as Sir 143 Walter Besant maintains, steadily increasing class of writers can earn fairly good wages; while now and again (outside of serial fictionists) a singu- larly fortunate man or woman, either with dis- tinct originality and literary genius, or with that peculiar and felicitous commonplaceness which exactly answers to the needs of vast half-educated crowds, may achieve both fame (or notoriety) and fortune. What I think “X” quite overlooks is the increasing evanescence of all literary works, so that a modern writer, like an actor, must in future make a “ hit”’ on his appearance, or stand a good chance of being utterly ignored. A book is now, as a rule, merely a bound uewspaper which is thrown aside and forgotten when it has been hastily read. A. Parcuerr Marru. VIII.—Usetess Reviews. I am anew writer, and have just published my second book, and I have read with great interest what the Society of Authors has published regarding the methods of publishing. There is, however, one point that seems to me obscure. With my first book, an expensive one, there was a debit of over fifty copies sent for review. With my later book, a six-shilling one, there will pro- bably be far more. What I do not understand is why so many copies are wasted. There are a certain number of weeklies whose reviews are carefully written, and whose notice, whether praise or blame, is worth noting. There are a smaller number of dailies, of which the same may be said, some in London,and some in the provinces. But with a great number of papers, especially country papers, it is clearly the fact that the reviews are written either by the daughter of the editor as a holiday task or by the office boy in intervals of boot blacking. It is quite impossible to believe that any readers of books can be influenced by notices in these papers, whether favourable or the reverse. It is indeed even less. flattering to be praised by them than to be blamed. Then why are the review copies sent ? A soap or a bicycle if good gets a sale without touting for gratuitous advertisements of such a nature. Why should authors or publishers so degrade themselves by touting, i.e., by sending free copies, when the gratuitous “ad.” is worth- less? To those papers which deal in literature, and whose word is worth having, it may be useful to send a copy, useful both for the writer and the paper. But the others? No one cares for what they say, then why send review copies? I suppose the publishers have some sort of an idea that it helps the sale of the book to get the suffrage of the Slocum Gazette. But does it? 1I4 It used to be said that an appreciative review in the Times would sell an edition; how many copies will the North Thule Advertiser sell, even if it declares the book “a superb revelation of innate soulfulness ” ? W. IX.—A Correction. As the writer of the second letter in last month’s correspondence, I must amiably protest against one’s experiences being dubbed “ illu- sions.” (By-the-bye, on p. 94, for lines read hints.) The writer is proud to be referred to as he, but that is an illusion, if you please, as also the supposition that the unresponsive popular author spoken of is a leading man of letters. No, no! Men and editors are the queerest things out, but I dare not lay to their charge the accusation of “petty jealousy.” Neither can I gracefully and humbly retire to a back seat fully convinced that my work must perforce be bad, because — well, because it occasionally gets returned by mistake ! L. 8. X.—An Experience or Epirors. Some years ago I published a number of short poems, under a nom de plume, in a high-class continental monthly magazine, now, owing to the death of the lady who owned and edited it, unfor- tunately defunct. A selection of these I sub- mitted to the editor of Hearth and Home, hoping he would present them to English readers. In due course I received from him three memo- randa of acceptation. Time, however, passed without bringing about the publication of the matter in question; so that, eventually, I decided to wait no longer, but to recover the verses with a view to their appear- ance under an editor less procrastinating. I despatched my reclaimed “copy” to the editor of the Young Man, Young Woman, &c., together with, as evidence of bona fides, the memoranda of acceptance from the editor of Hearth and Home. These I naturally asked him to return. Verses and memoranda were sent to the editor mentioned on Oct. 19, 1898. On Nov. 29, 1898, on Jan. 5 and 24, on Feb. 6 and 20, 1899, and lastly, early in July this year, I have requested to learn the fate of the verses, their return if unsuitable, and, in particular, the return of the memoranda from the editor of Hearth and Home. Each and all of my com- munications have been completely ignored. Herezert W. Smite. Derbyshire-road, Sale. [This letter has been submitted to the Secre- THE AUTHOR. tary. He points out that the writer has no proof that his MSS. ever reached the editor’s hand. It is not likely that he would remember receiving one out of many hundreds of MSS. coming daily to his office. A reply, however, would be courteous. Meanwhile, writers in general should understand that rejected verses are commonly consigned to the basket.—Eb.] XI.—Dopers 1n JoURNALISM. I addressed a letter to a well-known organ of the halfpenny Press upon what I considered an interesting topic. A day or so after, the identical words employed were served up as news. I con- tend that this is not fair treatment or a practice to be commended if the journalistic nest is to be kept clean, as all would desire. Such methods tend to disgust and alienate the friendly corre- spondent who is, after all, no mean factor when a newspaper’s circulation is considered. Oup Birp. XII.—Simvxttaneous PUBLICATION. Jf you think that the information I am about to ask of you with reference to U.S. copyright will be useful to many of your readers—as I fancy it will be—will you kindly answer this letter in the columns of The Author. I have published a few novels and short stories in London, and have, with mixed feelings, received the congratulations of friends upon the other side of the Atlantic, who have seen some of the short stories reproduced, without any profit to me, in American papers. Finding this compliment unsatisfactory, I have lately sent typed copies simultaneously to the U.S. (for a painstaking and enthusiastic relative to offer) and to Lon«ton editors. Result.—Two stories accepted in the U.S., one of which is already published in a London evening paper, the other (longer) not yet accepted by the London magazine to which I sent it, but, so far as I can judge by previous experiences, likely to be acceptable there or elsewhere. Also.—T wo other short stories accepted on this side, which have scarcely yet reached the other. It seems reasonable to suppose that one of these four stories may be accepted on both sides. Indeed (you see how confused I am getting), as I have already stated, one very short sketch is accepted in the United States and already pub- lished here. But in that case the United States people were told of the circumstance. One or all of the other three stories accepted by one side may be taken also on the other. If, on one side, story A. is taken by a monthly magazine, and on the other by a weekly paper, is  THE it necessary that both issue the story on the same date, week or month, to secure copyright ? If a weekly paper issue story A. in October, while an English magazine expresses an intention to use it in the Christmas number coming out about the end of November, what should I do? Would the rights of the English magazine be in any way infringed, practically if not legally ? Would its editor be morally or legally justified in considering his offer nullified ? In fact, in the case of any average or below-the- average author, will an interval of a few weeks between the two publications interest or hurt any- one ? Tf these questions prove of such general interest as to be worth publication and reply, perhaps you can add, in the most general terms, some sugges- tion as to the relative rates of payment on both sides. For example, rights of a short story here. on the other side ? I get fifteen guineas for serial What should I ask IGNORAMUS. BOOKS AND REVIEWS. (In these columns notes on books are given from reviews which carry weight, and are not, so far as can be learned, logrollers.) Letters of RicHARD WAGNER TO EMIL HECKEL and Letters oF RicHARD WAGNER TO WESENDOCK et. al., translated by William A. Ellis (5s. net each), ‘present to us,” says Literature, “little more than an external view of the great musician, of the man harassed by pecuniary troubles, by rehearsals and productions, by singers and by constant disappointments” ; yet the details enhance one’s admiration of Wagner. The letters range from 1852 to 1883, and “ deserve to be read,” says the Times, “by every lover of Wagner’s music.” “To English readers the most interesting part of the book will be the long letters dated from London in 1855, when Wagner was engaged as conductor of the Philharmonic concerts.” ‘ No one desirous of having a sympathetic understanding of Wagner as a man can afford to pass by these two small volumes,” says the Daily Chronicle. Tue Lire AND CAMPAIGNS OF ALEXANDER LESLIE, first Earl of Leven, by Charles Sanford Terry (Longmans, 16s.), is his story of a scion of an Aberdeenshire family who when scarcely out of his teens went to the Continent to make his fortune by the sword. Leaving Scotland in 1582, he came back in 1638 a rich man. “Mr. Terry’s careful and accurate narrative,” says the Daily News, “ will do much to rescue Leslie from the charges of greed, and even of cowardice which have been brought against him.” Tue ORANGE Gir, by Walter Besant (Chatto, 63.), is described by the Spectator as “an interesting romance of the King’s Bench Prison in the middle of the eighteenth century. The hero and narrator is the son of a wealthy merchant, Alderman, and ex-Lord Mayor, turned out of his father’s house for preferring music to commerce.” “ The story from first to last does not flag in picturesque spirit AUTHOR. 115 and interest,” says the Daily Chronicle. “ Since ‘ Dorothy Forster’ Sir Walter Besant has not written any novel surpassing this in the restoration of place, manners, and tone, nor has he drawn character more convincingly. The story is very clever and quite uncommon. In all the author’s writings there is no scene more powerful than the terrible one of the pillory; or picture more beautiful than Jenny Wilmot’s dealing with her fellow- prisoner, the woman who swore away her life.”— World. “Tike all Sir Walter’s books, this is delightful read- ing. . We are carried away by admiration for the vivid insight into this corner of English history here afforded us, and must congratulate the author on adding to our library one more success in a field peculiarly his own.” St. James’s Gazette. Tue Actor AND His ART, by Stanley Jones (Downey, gs. 6d.), is a book of essays which ‘are not likely to prove pleasant reading to actor-managers, or indeed to actors generally.” The author prophesies the downfall of the actor-manager, and believes that the drama will not advance until the actor again becomes the servant instead of the master. It is the opinion of the Daily Chronicle that the book “‘is worthy the attention of professional performers.” Tos Lire oF WintraAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY, by Lewis Melville (Hutchinson, 32s.), isan “ extremely valuable work” (Daily Telegraph) which, says the Daily Chronicle, “ taken in conjunction with Mrs. Ritchie’s reminiscences of her father, may be said to exhaust the biographical matter about Thackeray.” The Daily News remarks that of course Mr. Melville has not had any assistance from Thackeray’s family, but itis, nevertheless, “ the fullest and most interest- ing account of Tr ackeray’s career, both public and private, that has yet been given to the world.” TRoopR 3809; A Private Soldier of the Third Republic, by Lionel Decle (Heinemann, 6s.), deals with the military system of France, as administered by its officers. ‘‘ Taken as a whole,” writes Mr. Horace Wyndham in Literature, “these pages form a grim and terrible picture, and present a record of things seen and suffered that, to one who is able to contrast these experiences with those that could possibly accrue to a private soldier of the English army during the same period, seems almost impossible to realise.” “Tt is a clear and careful work, moderate in tone,” says the Spectator. Tue RoMANCE or Lupwic Il. or Bavaria, by Frances Gerard (Hutchinson, 16s.), is pronounced by the Spectator to be “readable from end to end,” and by the Daily Tele- graph to be “ sympathetic, and for that reason interesting.’ “ This most interesting volume,” says the Daily Chronicle, “may be regarded as a sort of complement to the tragic life story of the late Empress of Austria,” published a month or two ago. Tue GOVERNMENT oF Municrpauities, by Dorman B, Baton (Macmillan, 17s. net) has for its object, says Litera- ture, “to stimulate and guide public opinion throughout the country in its growing demand for sound, stable, and reasonably uniform municipal institutions.” It is well- reasoned and temperate; and “it vividly describes the chaotic condition of American municipal life, and of American ideas on municipal matters, which has every where thrown the gates of the city wide open to the party spoils- man, and exposes the methods and policy by which he has hitherto maintained his post of advantage.” Wuern Roaurs Faun Ovr, by Joseph Hatton (Pearson, 6s.), has for hero the notorious Jack Sheppard. ‘The romance is spirited and dramatic,” says the Daily News, « with occasional incursions into a Victor Hugo-ish vein of 116 philosophy. It is a painstaking and picturesque present- ment of a most picturesque and lawless age—the early part of the 18th century.” Mammon AnD Co., by E. F. Benson (Heinemann, 6s.), is .on the whole, says Literature, a novel of mark. In it the author of “Dodo” “invites us to follow the fortunes of a little coterie of ‘smart’ people whose time is divided between intrigue and Stock Exchange speculation.” The Spectator calls the book “ clever and interesting,’ and says that Mr. Benson here “ranges himself unmistakably on the side of the angels.” ‘It is cleverish, it is smart, it has a background of morality,” says the Daily Chronicle, which predicts for it popularity. Tux Kine’s Mrrror, by Anthony Hope (Methuen, 6s.), says the Spectator, “in elegance, delicacy, and tact ranks with the best of the author’s previous novels, while there in the wide range of its portraiture and the subtlety of its analysis it surpasses all his earlier ventures.” ‘‘ One is compelled to admire the manner in which Mr. Hope has handled his subject,” says the Times. “ The autobiography is in its way a convincing tour de force, especially in the earlier chapters.” ‘‘A strong book, charged with close analysis and exquisite irony,’ is the Daily Chronicle verdict, while Literature, describing the work as “ a quiet and careful study of the private life of a king,” adds that Mr. Hope “has never spoken to us so directly from the point of view of the cynic and the philosopher” as in this book. “It is subtly done,” says the Daily News, “with a delicate inciseness of touch, felicity of dialogue, and distinction of treatment.” To Lonpon Town, by Arthur Morrison (Methuen, 6s.), the story of a widow and her two children who come to East London that the boy may learn a trade, is reviewed by Mr. W. L. Courtney in the Daily Telegraph under the heading ‘‘ Mr Morrison—the Idealist.” The writer says the book shows that the author has “the eye to observe how nature is justified of her children, and provides the com- pensating joys to all their heartrending hardships.” The Daily News also notes “a charm, a sunny optimism” in the book, and has “nothing but praise to give to Mr. Morrison for the literary excellence of his workmanship and his clearness of presentation.” The Daily Chronicle describes it as a work of interest, while the Spectator says “ itis not only a work of great intrinsic merit, but it effectually relieves the author from the imputation ” “ of conscious and incorrigible pessimism.” SrrEN City, by Benjamin Swift (Methuen, 6s.), is the story of the infatuation of the romantic daughter of a rich Puritanical English banker for a shady, impoverished scion of Neapolitan nobility, fast bound in the hands of usurers and Camarristas. Literature says that “not only in purity and simplicity of style, but in verisimilitude of plot and soundness of psychology” this book shows a remarkable advance on the author’s ‘‘Tormentor.” ‘On the whole,” says the Daily Telegraph, “the dénowement of this briliantly-written story is satisfactory, for it rewards virtue and punishes vice in the good old fictional fashion.” “There is in it so much beauty of description, chapters of so much tragic pathos,” says the Daily News, “that it stands out high above the run of ordinary novels.” Tur PATH or A Star, by Mrs. Everard Cotes (Sarah Jeannette Duncan) (Methuen, 6s.) is cheerful reading, says the Times. ‘“ The characters all talk brightly, and the pictures of ordinary Indian society are good.” The Chronicle welcomes a novel by this author as “a real joy and refreshment to the spirit,’ and very cordially recom- mends it. The scene is laid in Calcutta; the heroines are a Salvation Army lass and an actress, and the heroes a THE AUTHOR. rich business man and an austere clergyman. Mrs. Coteg has availed herself to the full of the picturesque oppor- tunities thus provided, says Literature. ‘“ Her sketches of Indian life are admirable, and in her description of a touring company in Calcutta and the Salvation Army and its methods there is no little humour.” CHRONICLES OF TEDDY’s VILLAGE, by Mrs. Murray Hickson (Ward and Lock, 3s. 6d.), provides the many sympathetic readers of “ Concerning Teddy” with a com- panion or complementary volume. ‘‘ We are glad to meet Teddy again,’ adds the Spectator. ‘“ Teddy and his brothers are always good companions,” says the Times. Tue Human Boy, by Eden Phillpotts (Methuen, 6s.), ‘is a wonderfully good collection of schoolboys’ stories (Guardian) told by themselves ; as full of humour as it can hold.” It is difficult to realise that the book was not really written by boys, says the Spectator, “so completely has the author entered into their spirit.” ‘‘ His boys are individuals as well as types,’ says the Daily Chronicle ; “there is no sloppy sentimentality about them, and they never appear to be straining desperately to say anything funny or pathetic.” THE VINE-DRESSER, and other Poems, by J. Sturge Moore (Unicorn Press, 6d.), ‘“‘ is something more than minor poetry,” in the opinion of Literature. ‘The verse has power and distinction, and the poet has something to say.” The reviewer quotes “ Judith,” and “ The Panther” as pieces which compel attention by their imaginative force. The Times says that ‘‘ Mr. Moore’s is an austere and rather a stiff-jointed muse, but she is of the true lineage.’ The Daily Chronicle says ‘‘ Mr. Moore has a small stiff gift, but it will support exaggerated praise.” PUNCHINELLO (Bowden, 6s.) ‘is a well-written romance of a tragical complexion,” says the Spectator. The narrator is a musical genius and a hunchback; the period, the eighteenth century. It is an interesting and clever study of a morbidly sensitive temperament, in presenting which the anonymous writer displays a gift of genuine eloquence, and at times real subtlety of imagination.” The Guardian remarks that “ the tragedy of the inner consciousness of the hunchback is dramatised with remarkable force, sincerity, and subtlety.” Tue Moprern Jew, by Arnold White (Heinemann, 7s. Od.), “goes over most of the perils raised by that enigmatic figure, the modern Jew, and gives many facts and suggestions” says Literature, “of some value in enabling the reader to come to a judgment.” The Daily Chronicle describes it as “a most interesting and sugges- tive book,” which is neither pleasant reading all through to Jew nor anti-Semite. CroquEtT, by Leonard B. Williams (Innes, §s.), is “valuable, very clear, and moderately—often uncon- sciously—humorous,” says the Guardian. “ It is agreeably written,” says the Spectator, “ and furnished with diagrams both of ground and tactics, and of the mechanical laws involved in the different strokes.” Mr. J. Eveleigh Nash, LITERARY AGENT, AMBERLEY HOUSE, NORFOLK STREET STRAND, W.C. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Author, Vol. 10 Issue 05 (October 1899) Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em>, Vol. 10 Issue 05 (October 1899) Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1899-10-02-The-Author-10-5 publications The Author https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/468/1899-11-01-The-Author-10-6.pdf bac36f1e1ae037196f4ac395eae5d346 PDF Text Text �������������������� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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) 1899-11-01 Volume 10 Issue 6 Pages Page range in volume 117–136 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 18991101 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin Che Hutbor, (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vou. X.—No. 6.] NOVEMBER 1, 189. [PRIcE SIXPENCE. For the Opinions expressed in papers that are signed or tnitialled 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. Pes HE 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 should be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent 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. eo GENERAL MEMORANDA. ERE are a few standing rules to be observed in an agreement. There are four 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, or with the advice of the Secretary of the Society. Il. A PROFIT-SHARING AGREEMENT (a bad form of agreement). In this case the following rules should be attended to: _ (1.) Not to sign any agreement in which the cost of pro- duction forms a part without the strictest investigation. (2.) Not to give the publisher the power of putting the profits into his own pocket by charging for advertisements in his own organs: or by charging exchange advertise- ments. Therefore keep control of the advertisements. (3.) Not to allow a special charge for “ office expenses,” unless the same allowance is made to the author. : G) 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 — bind yourself for the future to any one solicitor or VOL, X. Ill, THE ROYALTY SYSTEM. It is above all things necessary to know what the proposed royalty means to both sides. 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.” IV. A COMMISSION AGREEMENT. The main points are :— (1.) Be careful to obtain a fair cost of production. (2) Keep control of the advertisements. (3-) Keep control of the sale price of the book. GENERAL. All other forms of agreement are combinations of the four above mentioned. Such combinations are generally disastrous to the author. Never sign any agreement without competent advice from the Secretary of the Society. Stamp all agreements with the Inland Revenue stamp. Avoid agreements by letter if possible. The main 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. ees WARNINGS TO DRAMATIC AUTHORS, I. EVER sign an agreement without submitting it to the Secretary of the Society of Authors or some competent legal authority. 2. Never negotiate for the production of a play with anyone except an established manager. 3. There are three forms of dramatic contract :— (1) SALE OUTRIGHT OF THE PERFORMING RIGHT. This is unsatisfactory. An author who enters into such a contract should stipulate in the con- tract for production of the piece by a certain date and for proper publication of his name on the play-bills. (2) SALE OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE TO PERFORM ON THE PROFIT-SHARING SYSTEM. This method can only be entered into when a fixed sum is agreed per week for cost of produc- tion. It is not a common method. mM 2 118 (3) SALE OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE TO PERFORM ON THE BASIS OF PERCENTAGES (4.e., royalties) on gross receipts. Royalties vary between 5 and 15 per cent. An author should obtain a percentage on the sliding scale of gross receipts. Should obtain a sum in advance of royalties. A fixed date on or before which the play should be performed. 4. Authors should remember that performing rights can be limited, and are usually limited by town, country, and time. This is most important. 5. Authors should not assign performing rights, but should grant a licence to perform. The legal distinction is of great importance. 6. Authors should remember that performing rights in a play are distinct from literary copyright. A manager holding the performing right or licence to perform cannot print the book of the words. 7. Never send a copy of the play to America unless it is protected by a preliminary performance in the United Kingdom. 8. Never forget that American rights may be exceedingly valuable. They should never be included in English agreements without the author obtaining a substantial consideration. g. Agreements for collaboration should be carefully drawn and executed before collaboration is commenced. Never admit a collaborator when once the actual work of writing the play has begun or after it is finished. 10. An author should remember that production of a play is highly speculative: that he runs a very great risk of delay and a breakdown in the fulfilment of his contract. He should therefore guard himself all the more carefully in the beginning. 11. An author must remember that the dramatic market is exceedingly limited. As these warnings must necessarily be incomplete on account of the wide range of the subject of dramatic con- tracts, those authors desirous of further information are referred to the Secretary of the Society. ———— HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. 1. VERY member has a right to ask for and to receive advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his business or the administration of his property. If the advice sought is such as can be given best by a solici- tor, 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 Committee will obtain for him Counsel’s opinion. All this without any cost to the member. 2. Remember that questions connected with copyright and publisher’s agreements do not generally fall within the experience of ordinary solicitors. Therefore, do not scruple to use the Society. 3. Send to the Office copies of past agreements and past accounts with the loan of the books represented. The Secretary will always be glad to have any agreements, new or old, for inspection and note. The information thus obtained may prove invaluable. 4. Before signing any agreement whatever, send the pro- posed document to the Society for examination. 5. Remember always that in belonging to the Society you are fighting the battles cf other writers, even if you are THE AUTHOR. reaping no benefit to yourself, and that you are advancing the best interests of literature in promoting the indepen. dence of the writer. 6. 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. _—_— or THE READING BRANCH. %%MBERS will greatly assist the Society in this branch of their work by informing young writers of its existence. Their MSS. can be read and treated as a composition is treated by a coach. The Readers are writers of competence and experience. The fee is one guinea, ee NOTICES. HE 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 6s. 6d. subscription for the year. Communications for The Author should be addressed to the Offices of the Society, 4, Portugal-street, Lincoln’s-inn Fields, W.C., and should reach the Editor not later than the 21st of each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to communicate to the Editor any points connected with their work which it would be advisable in the gen interest to publish. The present soon Authors’ Club is at 3, White- hall-court, Chari ossay Ad, he Secretary for information, rules of admission ERARY PROPERTY. I.—Tur Present Siruation. HE present situation is full of promise—for those who desire the emancipation of the author. It was necessary that he should be able to meet the publisher, in business matters, on equal terms. Since he cannot do so, as a rule, we have encouraged him to use the literary agent. For the first time in literary history literary property of all kinds has begun to be negotiated on the same footing, subject to the same compe- tition, as every other kind of property. The exposure by the Society of the true meaning of Cost of Production, of Risk, of Trade Prices, —  THE AUTHOR. of Royalties; the exposure of the many tricks by which authors have been ensnared to their undoing ; the union of so many men and women of letters for the defence of their own interests ; the newborn recognition of the fact that it is the absolute duty of every writer to join an associa- tion which has no other object than the defence of the common interests; the slow—very slow— recognition of the truth that commercial value is a thing quite apart from literary value, so that a man may be a very fine writer yet may never achieve popularity, and the converse; the corollary that there is nothing sordid or mean in looking after property of one kind more than any other kind ; that what is done blamelessly and laudably by artists, lawyers, physicians, architects, engineers, and every branch of intellectual endeavour, may be done as blamelessly and as laudably by writers —all these things working together have effected —say, perhaps, have commenced —a complete revolution in the prospects and position of litera- ture. It is not yet acknowledged. Some of the old forms are still kept up. But the revolution is upon us, and the question now before us is what we should do for the consolidation and the security of what has been already gained. Among many causes which have assisted in advancing this Revolution, I do not think that any one has been more potent than the production of the “equitable” Draft Agreements by the Publishers’ Association. It is very much to be desired that every literary man or woman should possess, and should study, this most important document, with its exposure by Mr. Thring. In its columns the Publishers stand self-confessed and self-condemned. They have never been accused by their enemies of anything quite so amazing as they here claim as their nght. For they simply claim the power of taking everything. They want to be publishers, and to be paid as such: to be also agents, and to be paid as such: to act on commission, and to be paid as printers: to agree for half profits, and to charge blank percentages on the printing, paper, and everything. In one word, no one is entitled to speak at all upon the relation of Publisher and Author unless he has first read this document, with the com- ments issued by our Committee. But their silence is even more damaging than their utterances. Thus :— 1. Their committee have steadily ignored every grievance, every claim, and every protest of the Society of Authors. 2. They have taken no steps to prevent the con- tinuation of secret profits. 3. They have not denounced the system of secret profits, even at a time when Lord Russell’s Bill 11g promises to make the practice as criminal in the eyes of the law as it has always been in the eyes of honest men. 4. They have not denounced the practice of charging advertisements that have not been paid for. This practice, which actually gives the publisher the power of sweeping into his own pocket the whole proceeds of a book, has not even been mentioned by the Association, so that they tacitly reserve this power. 5. They have observed a significant silence on the right of audit. 6. Although the most shameless attacks have been made on the Society’s figures concerning its published “cost of production ”’—which are real figures taken from estimates and printers’ accounts —and the meaning of royalties, the Publishers’ Association has preserved absolute silence on the subject. 7. Although similar shameless statements have been made on the meaning of “risk” as exposed in the Society’s papers, the Publishers’ Associa- tion has maintained absolute silence on the subject. These silences are studied and deliberate. The only conclusion that can be drawn is obvious. It is like a conclusion in Euclid. Against these silences place their claims— 1. Thus, they claim the exclusive right of publishing a work all over the world, with the rights of abridgement, translation, and dramatic version of the work. What they get at present from any important author is the English volume right alone; an agent manages the rest for a percentage. 2. They make no proviso whatever against dishonesty. 3. They demand a blank percentage on office expenses, allowing no office expenses for book- seller, and none for author. 4. In the case of commission books, a blank fee is to be paid in advance; they are to send in their own estimate of cost—not the printer’s estimate—their own ; a blank percentage is to be charged on every item, besides a blank commis- sion; they are also to take a discount on every item; the books are to be accounted for, not at the price they actually realised, but at ‘“ customary trade prices ”—7.e., at any price that the publisher chooses to call “customary.” For other claims see the “ Forms of Agreement” published by the Society. 5. At the Publishers’ Congress recently held, there was an opportunity for protesting against inflated estimates and secret profits; there was also an opportunity for acknowledging that if the claims of our Society were not recognised in other 120 forms of business, the whole of the commercial structure would fall to the ground. That opportunity was not taken. 6. The publisher, therefore, stands before the world, and says: ‘I, the middleman, mean to take all that I choose. That is equitable. So that there may be no mistake, read this paper. Here ure my intentions revealed in agreements which eminent counsel have approved. You see, I claim blank percentages. I offer no guarantee against dishonesty. I claim to charge just whatever I like. Iclaim that according to equity ; it is my right to take whatever I choose.”’ 7. A circular was last year sent round among | publishers calling attention to the admirable | system which prevails in Germany, where the | bookseller is the mere slave of the publisher, and | the author is not allowed to be concerned with the | matter of property at all. 8. At the Congress every speaker was allowed the tacit assumption that literary property belongs as of right to the publisher. If the author was spoken of, it was as to the ‘‘ remunera- tion”? offered to him; he was thus openly con- sidered and spoken of as the clerk or employé of the publisher. These were brave words. Could they be followed by action there would be swift and sudden ruin to the literary profession. The old dependence was mitigated by competition of the trade. Without competition there would be mere slavery. But they have not been followed by action. It is really a most remarkable situation. The committee which issues these forms contains repre- sentatives of the three largest publishing houses in the country. At least one would expect them to set an example to the rest of the fraternity and to stand by their guns. Not a single publisher, great or small, ventures to submit these terms to an author of the least zmportance. Here is a proof, which cannot be denied, that the whole situation lies in the hands of the authors themselves. Ihave seen agreements embodying these claims ; but they were tried on the less important writers. There is not a single writer, I repeat, of any importance, unless he is in the employment and pay of a publisher, who does not retain, when he enters upon a profit-sharing or a royalty agree- ment, his American rights, his continental rights, his dramatic rights, and his translation rights. What, then, becomes of the “equitable” forms of agreement ? They stand simply to show what our friends will do if we allow them. If we do not allow them they can do nothing. THE AUTHOR. Another point. We all remember when the publisher was not going to deal with the literary agent: the literary agent was called by one indignant innocent a “canker”: all sorts of things were threatened. The literary agent is now eagerly run after by publishers and entreated to give them something good. In other words, free competition has set in: the value of Literary Property is understood on both sides. Nothing could be better for our side. Meantime, the Society acts as a watch-dog and as a policeman. It constantly examines and revises agreements: it advises authors on all points: it makes the low-class editors—the word “low-class” is used advisedly, because the com- plaints are very few indeed concerning reputable journals and magazines—pay for the work they have taken: and it finds out traps, and dangers, and tricks, and exposes them continually and repeatedly. Another most useful service is rendered by the Society. The Secretary is asked by hundreds of members every year concerning publishers. There are certain houses to which he never directs an inquirer, for excellent reasons, which have unfor- tunately to remain secret because the other side does not wish publicity. Let the reader ask himself what the effect of this steady omission, year after year, of any given house is likely to be. In the Society we know what it is, and we know, besides, that every year brings us wider power and greater knowledge. It is said that we are now threatened with a Ring. We need not be greatly afraid that a Ring would succeed, but it might, and it must be guarded against. It could only succeed (1) by a combina- tion of all publishers—this has been attempted ; (2) by the complete reduction of booksellers to slavery—this also has been attempted; (3) by the acquisition of complete control of literary pro- perty—we have seen that this also has been attempted ; (4) by the continued ignoring of authors’ protests—which is maintained by the Association and by their congress; (5) by the abolition of the literary agent—this is ardently desired. ~ All the conditions necessary for the formation of a Ring have therefore been attempted and are still being attempted. Against these attempts we have the Society of Authors — that and nothing else—to protect us. W. B. II.— Pus isHine oN COMMISSION, AND THE Commission PUBLISHER. We have repeated over and over again the © advice never under any circumstances to pay for — the production of what the ordinary publisher  a THE AUTHOR. 121 refuses to take. It is a most sound rule. It is one which needs to be enforced in the strongest terms, at the present moment, when many pub- lishers are tempting authors to bear the whole or a part share in the cost of production. They are general publishers, and the reasons why this method is to be shunned are as follows: 1. If the book had in it the promise of com- mercial success the publisher would jump at it, and the only question would be as to his proposed terms. 2. Although he proposes to take a commission on the sales he means secretly to make a profit on every item connected with the book. (See the Publishers’ Draft Agreements in which this is claimed asa right.) Now consider the position of the commission publisher. He neither claims nor exercises any right to make any secret profit at all or any profit on the production. He says plainly, “T will sell your book for you if I can: and I will take 10 per cent. on the sales, and you shall have all the rest.” This, you observe, is a very great difference. In the first case the author pays the publisher not only the cost of production, but anything else he may choose to set down. He also pays what he is charge’l for advertisements costing nothing. He also has to pay percentages for office expenses before he gets the commission itself. Thus, if the true cost of production is £150, and the sales amount, say, to £350—by the first method the author’s returns would probably appear as about £70. By the second method they would appear as £165. The worthy geitlemen who make the liberal offers exposed below are those who desire to publish on commission. They are not commission publishers. The commission publisher is, as will be seen in a few years, the publisher of the future for those writers whose works command success. The com- mission publisher produces no books as his own yenture, but only on commission. TII.—Tuer Orp Trick. Once more there has been brought to the Society the old, old agreement by which the unfortunate author is first made to pay the whole cost of production “to cover his whole liability,” and is then dunned for more money, and finally finds that there has been no sales. In this case the agreement was briefly as follows : 1, Author to pay £69—viz., £39 in signing the agreement, and £30 on delivery of the final proofs. The edition to be 750 copies. 2. The author to be charged for corrections “in excess of the usual correction of printers’ errors.” The “usual correction” means nothing. 3. Half-yearly accounts. Two-thirds of the money received by the publisher to be paid to the author. The book to be issued at 6s. 4. If new editions should be called for the publisher would produce them at his own ex- pense, and give the author a royalty of 2s. a copy, or 332 per cent. Think of that!! 5. The publisher was to advertise the work to the amount of £15, but should the expenses of advertising exceed that sum, such additional advertising were to be a first charge on the sales. Now let us consider what the unfortunate author could make by the transaction, in the extreme case of the whole edition being sold, allowing eighty copies for Press and presentation. But there are the corrections. In this case a little bill for £6 or so was sent in. Also the publishers demanded £7 for “additional adver- tising.” By the agreement they can take that off the sales. So that we now stand thus: £ & 4d, Author pays ......ee 69 Sales .........05 117 45.0 Corrections ......-..+++++ 6 <Author’s share 78 3 4 Additional advertising 7 Author’s loss... 3°10 5 £82 How does the publisher stand by the trans- action ? Tf we take certain figures given in “ The Pen and the Book,” it will be easy to prove that, even without the sale of a single copy, the publisher is certain to make a fair profit. How is it that silly people can be caught by such simple and transparent dodges ? 1. To begin with, they are wholly ignorant of the meaning of publishing. 2. If you place in their hands the figures they are too stupid to understand them. 3. They are caught by two phrases contained in all their agreements. ‘The amount paid to constitute the whole of their liability.” And “Future editions to be brought out at the expense of the publisher giving the author a royalty of 2s. a copy.” 4. They do not understand that under the heading of corrections the publisher can send ina bill for anything that he pleases. 5. They do not see through the transparent trick which in the same clause limits the adver- tising to £15, yet gives the publisher the night of further charges to any extent he pleases “‘ out of sales.” 6. Lastly, there comes in the vanity of the author, which seems to vary in the inverse pro- portion to his own ability, so that the more feeble 122 is his performance the more swollen are his expectations. : And so they are caught. The Society publishes these exposures time after time, over and over again. Yet the angler baits his hook—* reader’s opinion most favourable”: “offer most excep- tional’’: ‘no further liability’: “ two-thirds of the sales returned”: for new editions, as if the “new editions with following editions” was certain, a royalty far above that offered by other houses. The fish bites: is played with: and is landed. When it is too late comes the appeal to the Society, neglected when it would have been useful, for help when no help is possible. So these fishers of men get on: they even issue alist. Itis another kind of bait: the list con- tains hundreds of names. Is there one—a single name — of an author distinguished or even known ? Can anything be done? Can we ever protect ignorance and vanity ? Will the readers of these columns do their best to make known the folly of producing books which responsible publishers refuse, with the certainty of a large initial invest- ment and the equal certainty that under the most favourable circumstances it is bound to result in a loss ? rec PARIS NOTES. 5, rue Chomel, Paris. HE wisdom of the twopence-halfpenny augmentation on the price of the 3fr. 50¢. volume has been widely discussed, both in book-buying and _ bookselling circles. The aforesaid work, invariably marked 3fr. 5oc., and as invariably sold for 2fr. 75c., is henceforward only obtainable at 3 francs net. The cause of this augmentation is the falling-off of book-buyers and the consequent loss to the bookseller, who is no longer content to accept from the publisher a new work which will only yield him a profit of two sous per volume. The French publishers, as a body, have held aloof from the movement, declaring it to be a matter out of their province, and one which must necessarily be settled by the parties principally concerned, viz., the booksellers and the public. The Maison Flammarion, one of the largest publishing and bookselling establish- ments here (and formerly one of the warmest advocates of a reduction in the existing prices) at first opposed the additional twopence half- penny per copy; but, after due reflection, with- drew its opposition, and registered its vote in support of the augmentation proposed by the Booksellers’ Syndicate. THE AUTHOR. Frencu BooxsELLeRS 'N DIFFICULTIES. M. Fasquelle, head of the well-known publish- ing firm of Charpentier, likewise avers that he regrets the increase on the price of the so-called 3fr. 50c. volume—though he has not been person- ally consulted on the matter, having only been informed of the booksellers’ decision through the agency of the newspapers. This is the more surprising since the Maison Charpentier heads, by a long way, the annual list of sales of the 3fr. 500. volume, having produced three of the great pecuniary successes of the year, viz., the “ Paris” of Zola, the “Cyrano de Bergerac” of Edmond Rostand, and the ‘Soutien de Famille” of Alphonse Daudet. Personally M. Fasquelle would have preferred another method of meeting the deficit in the bookseller’s account than that resorted to by the syndicate. Having recently become concessionnaire of the railway libraries of the stations “du réseau de l’Ouest,” where the 3fr. 50c. volume has always previously been sold at published price, he has announced his intention of adopting the new price fixed by the Book- sellers’ Syndicate all along the line, and of hence- forth selling the volume in question in the Seine and Seine-et-Oise departments at the reduced rate of 3 francs per copy. He humorously adds that this time the public is not likely to complain of the difference. BuaMine THE Bicycle. The remainder of the publishers have accepted the booksellers’ innovation with an tnsoucrance the publie is far from copying. The reason of the apathy displayed in publishing circles is obvious. The outlook in the bookselling trade, especially in the provinces, is undoubtedly gloomy. Publishers and booksellers are agreed that the bicycle is at the bottom of the mischief, since the development of a taste for outdoor physical exercise is not conducive to the development of the nervous, imaginative faculties fostered by fiction. But to discover the root of the evil is not to remedy it; and the fact that the booksellers could not continue to sell at the existing prices unless the publishers allowed them a larger commission was evident even to outsiders. The publishers themselves were ready to adopt any expedient which would preserve them from further outlay at the present moment. Nor can they be blamed on this account zf the figures furnished by them, and currently accepted by the public, are correct. The French literary market is absolutely glutted. The principal firms are reported to publish, on an average, fifteen volumes per day, of which a goodly pro- portion are destined to find a permanent resting- place in one of the huge warehouses in which the  THE AUTHOR. hag various publishing firms store up the unsold editions of the majority of their clients, in the rarely-realised hope that a future success by the same author will obtain a tardy market for his earlier productions. The Maison Flammarion alone has at present more than a million such yolumes stored up in its enormous warehouse at Montrouge. In the seventh century B.c., Omar, destroyer of the Alexandrine library, was held in execration by all civilised nations ; but we doubt if the publishers of the nineteenth century would regard him in the same light. THe Acrors’ ASSOCIATION. The committee of the Association générale des Artistes Dramatiques et Lyriques de Frauce has now definitely established its bureau at 17, rue de la Grange-Batelitre (Faubourg Mont- martre), under the presidency of M. Silvain, of the Comédie-Francaise, aided by two vice-presi- dents, viz., M. Armand Silvestre (inspecteur des beaux-arts) and M. Adolphe Milliaud (directeur de la Renaissance). M. Edouard Guillaumet, founder of the Association, has undertaken the office of General Administrator. The bureau of the Association is daily open from 9 a.m. to 5 p-m., and its official organ is the Bulletin des Artistes, which appears every Sunday morning, and keeps all members informed of the proceed- ings of the Association, in addition to supplying them with much interesting and valuable matter relative to their profession. The utility of this institution may be recognised from the fact that its list of members is daily increasing, and that a large number of engagements have already been ratified through its agency. In short, the thanks and congratulations of the whole artistic fraternity are due to M. Guillaumet for his praiseworthy and disinterested initiative on behalf of the French artiste. A Story or DuMaAs PERE. Speaking of theatrical matters reminds me of a charming anecdot2 recently narrated by M. Jules Claretie anent the revival of the superb “Dame de Montsoreau”’ of Alexandre Dumas pere and Auguste Maquet at the Porte-Saint- Martin Theatre. This “bon Dumas,” this intel- lectual giant who is credited with having taught French history to three-quarters of the French nation, and who boasted of having ‘toute Pantiquité & faire—ou plutot a refaire, car, jusqu’ 4 présent, on ne l’a guére que défaite ”— was, nevertheless, extremely tenacious of his. glory, and insisted on having a contract drawn up in which it was expressly stipulated that in all the mutual productions of Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet, the illustrious name of VOL. x. Alexandre Dumas should alone be given the public. On the evening of the first representa- tion of “ Les Trois Mousquetaires ’ Dumas pére proudly walked the planks of the Ambigu Theatre in high glee at the tremendous success his work was achieving, while Auguste’ Maquet stood aloof in one of the side scenes, pensively enawing the ends of his moustache. Presently Dumas approached his anonymous collaborator and inquired if the latter’s mother chanced to be present that night. Maquet sadly replied that she was in one of the second row of boxes. “Eh bien!” responded Dumas, “ tout 4 Pheure, ne perdez pas de vue cette seconde loge. Regardez- la, je vous prie!” On the conclusion of the play the spectators tumultuously demanded the name of the author. Mélingue, previously instructed by Dumas in a rapid aside, forthwith announced that the drama just represented was the work of M. Alexandre Dumas and—(a prolonged pause)—M. Auguste Maquet ! A double cry grested the latter name, out- stripping the rapturous applause of the crowd— the joyous cry of Mme. Maquet and the grateful ery of her son Auguste The latter threw him- self into the arms of his generous colleague, who, clapping him fraternally on the back, gaily responded :— “Eh bien! Etes-vous content? Ce sera comme ca pour les autres pi¢ces! Allons travailler!” The great man probably remembered the far- off days when he himself worked so assiduously and untiringly as a poor copying clerk in order to send a portion of his meagre pittance to his widowed mother. Tur New ACADEMICIANS. Passing rapidly along the Grands Boulevards yesterday, I encountered the keen cursory glance of “les beaux yeux bridés qui pétillent de malice et desprit” of M. Henri Lavedan, who recently quitted his charming retreat at Veules-les-Roses to assist at the hundred and tenth representation of “Le Vieux Marcheur” at Paris. According to the Figaro, this play has been given no less than 225 times in the brief space of six months. Of course, this estimate includes the representa- tions given by the touring company beyond the French frontier. M. Lavedan has employed his summer holiday in writing the necessary oration to celebrate his official reception to the French Academy. The manuscript is now in the hands of the Seerétaire Perpctuel of the Immortals, and is reported to contain a graphic sketch of French society under the Second Empire. M. Paul Deschanel has followed the example of his illustrious comrade. Headroitly contrived N 124 to throw the reporters off his track, and then slipped quietly away to a secluded retreat on the borders of a Swiss lake in order to compose his Academical oration undisturbed. Although his official reception does not take place until February, 1900, his arducus political duties leave him small leisure for literary undertakings. Hence the necessity of composing his Academical speech so long beforehand. A Untversat LANGUAGE. M. Léon Bollack is a remarkable man. He has endeavoured to re-establish the unanimity of language which prevailed on the earth previous to the erection of the Tower of Babel in 2233 B.c. by inventing a “Langue bleue,” which professes to teach all languages in one—and that one, needless to add, is the “ Langue bleue” invented by M. Léon Bollack. Yet, even though the new grammar and language composed by M. Bollack never become as universally adopted as their author confidently predicts, his method is sufficiently plausible and ingenious to awaken some interest in the quarter most nearly affected, viz., in the vast army of teachers and professors whom the success of his theory would inevitably deprive of the posts they at present occupy. A New Bioeraruy or GrorGEe SAND. But to my mind, the most vividly interesting publication of the month that has come under my notice is the two-volume Liography of “George Sand, sa vie et ses ceuvres,” (1804- 1876), by Madame Vladimir Karénine, a Russian lady. In no country, not even in her native land, have the works of the gifted French authoress been more highly appreciated than in Russian literary circles. “ Belicve me,” wrote Tourgueneff to Souvorine, ‘George Sand is one of your saints!” Fedor Dostoiewski speaks of her still more enthusiastically. “She was,’ he says, “one of the most sublime an‘ beautiful representatives of womanhood, a woman almost unique by the vigour of her mind and talent—a name henceforward become historical, destined never to fall into oblivion or disappear from the history of European humanity.” A little later he adds: ‘Sans s’en douter elle- méme, elle fut un des adeptes les plus complets du Christ” ; which judgment is difficult to recon- cile with the verdict of Henri Heine, who, in speaking of George Sand’s literary productions, opined that, even though they illuminated many dungeons where no other consolation could pene- trate, their pernicious flames would, at the same time, destroy the peaceful shrines of innocence.” Madame Karénine has compiled the most com- plete biography of this extraordinary and gifted THE AUTHOR. woman that has yet been produced. It is the outcome of ten years’ patient study and diligent research. We would also mention: “ L’Histoire de la Langue ct de la littérature frangajses” (1830- 1900), by M. Henri Chantavoine (chez Armand Colin) ; “Lettres Répondues,”’ by M. Ludaux (chez Lemerre); “Le Petre Milon,’ by Guy de Maupassant (uvres inédites series, chez Ollen- dorf) ; “ Prométhée, by M. Iwan Gilkin (Poétes francaise de I’étranger, chez Fischbacher) ; *“Drames baroques et mélancoliques,” by M. Frédéric Boutet (chez Chamuel) ; “ Les Soirdées de la Duchesse,” by Comte Camille de Renesse ; “Tes Mémoires de Mme. de la Ferronnays”; and “Le peintre Gabriel,” by M. de Poiseux. oa NOTES AND NEWS. HE following extract from the Canadian Bookseller, I have cut out of a New York paper : Does the recent combination of the Harper and Double- day-McClure houses foreshadow a new trust—a vast and universal consolidation of all the publishing interests of the country in one great publishing trust? The idea is cer- tainly a fascinating one, and it is so heartily in accord with the spirit of the age that any objection to it must be branded at once as old-fogeyism, as a mere repetition of arguments already answered a bundred times. If the pub- lishers should feebly pleai their right to live, the flat answer is that they have no more right to live than oil men, or sugar refiners, or steel makers, or other conductors of obsolete industries. If their employes protest against starvation, they may be reminded that they are a painful but necessary sacrifice to the march of improvement. As for the poor author, why should he object to taking his place with the other producers, and allowing his compensa- tion to be adjusted by the exigencies of the dividends ‘on the common and preferred stock of the combination? Why should the rights of the literary producer be any more sacred than those of any other industry * What reason hag the author for oxistance except to produce his literary wares ? ee In another column the Present Situation is dis- cussed. There seems to be little fear of a single Publishing Trust. Thereis, however, no doubt that the American publishers will come over here —some of them are over here alreagly—and that they will introduce new methods which will finish off the old-fashioned publisher. At first, the serious competition of the Americans will be beneficial to the literary profession, becausenothing is of more importance to the maker or creator of things which have a commercial value than the open competition of the market. It is difficult, moreover, to understand how open competition, which will certainly place the best work in the  THE AUTHOR. hands of the richest houses, can become a single {rust, But the reader is referred to the note on the Present Situation. ——<— + Is a writer justified in sending copies of his MSS. to more than one editor at the same time? The question is raised by a correspondent (see p- 133). The answer is surely quitesimple. The editor runs his paper on business lines : he endeavours to make his journal financially successful: the contributors have only to follow his example, and, on their side, conduct the com- mercial side of their work also on business principles. There can, therefore, be no reason why the contributor should not offer his work to two or more editors at the same time. It may be objected that. editors would refuse to consider work so offered. They might: they would be, of course, within their right if they did. As, how- ever, a good magazine must have good work, they would certainly have to give in when good and desirable work was offered. Those writers only would be injured whose work was doubtful. As to the other question, whether articles for monthlies are accepted by sending proofs without other notice, it needs no answer, because, if there were any doubt in the editor’s mind, he would not send the paper to the press without a note beforehand to the author. ——$> > Mr. Andrew Lang, in Longman’s, speaks about the hardship and injustice caused to authors by the running out of copyright. Itis a great hard- ship and a great injusuce. But it will prove most difficult to persuade people cf its injustice. I believe that in the new Copyright Bill some extension of the term is all that can be asked for. People have got firmly fixed in their heads the notion that if the term copyright is indefi- nitely extended certain books, now, as they are pleased to call it, the property of the nation— really the property of competing publishers—will be suppressed. “Suppose,” they say, «<The Pilgrim’s Progress’ were to fall into the hands of a Catholic 2”? The true answer would be, that the fact of this work being always in demand and that it was a property like a coal mine, would effec- tually prevent that property being ruined or destroyed. Another objection to the extension of copyright is the fact that publishers are always trying to get copyright in their own hands. The agreements submitted to authors always demand copyright or the exclusive right of publi- cation during the time of copyright; or if they buy a book outright of course copyright goes with it. Therefore an extension of copyright _ would only mean the continuance during such 125 extension of the agreement made with the author. And this, as the “ Draft Agreemen's ” (Equitable) show, would leave the author, as a rule, very little cause for congratulation as to the benefits of the extension. Now, people very rightly think that they would rather have the competing publisher than the publisher who is sole owner. It is not only property that has to be pro- tected, it is the author. Until recently literary property was wholly misunderstood. ‘The execu- tors of this kind of property throw it away. “The present law does not injuremany novelists,” Mr. Lang says. It injured Scott, Dickens, and Thackeray: it is about to injure the heirs of Charles Reade and George Eliot and Charles |Kingsley. It will certainly injure the heirs of Louis Stevenson. But there are writers like Keats and Coleridge who, Mr. Lang thinks, would have left their successors a competence. Perhaps; but how many editions of Keats and Coleridge have there been during the last forty or fifty years? How many thousand copies of either have been taken by the public? Ten thousand? There is not much of a competence to be got out of the author's share in 10,000 copies of a little volume of verse. I think that Literary Property being what it is —viz., uncertain as regards the future, though it is absurd to use the word “risk,” except for dishonest purposes, about the works of many hundreds of living writers—it is quite impossible to predict of any book by a living writer that it will be a living force in twenty years’ time. This uncertainty is the real “risk” as applied to writers of name. Such an uncertainty attaches to no other kind of property. The future possi- bilities of books are, in fact, so very uncertain that they are practically neglected. In dealings between author and publisher the future, after the first year or two, is not considered at all. Most writers would get as good terms for a five years’ agreement as for the whole of copyright. 1 think, therefore, that this kind of property should be treated as requiring special legislation. The term of copyright should be certainly extended— perhaps there should be no term at all —the State does not take away a man’s coal mine after forty years. And purchase of copyright should be limited to periods of five or six years. Most books suffer painless extinction after the first year ; a few last for three or four years ; very few, indeed, are in demand more than five years. For those books which have the good fortune of extended life, it is surely fair to the creator of the property that there should be a fresh deal. 126 THE AUTHOR. The death of Grant Allen removes a familiar figure from our midst. For twenty-five years this writer has been following the profession of literature, with what success we all know. As a popular exponent of science he wrote many books which gave him a name if not a fortune. And when he turned to fiction grudg- ingly and with some professed contempt for the work, he succeeded more rapidly and more surely than as a writer on science. I think that the world likes to have its science presented by the discoverers and the workers in the laboratory. Tt must be owned that Grant Allen was outside the laboratory: he loved science, and he followed the results of research, but I think that he pursued no research of his own. At the same time, his knowledge was considerable, and his love for Nature in every branch of observation was true and deep His early struggles, which were severe, embittered him against the profession of letters. He advised a young man rather to sweep a cross- ing than to live by literature. He resented the small returns of his scientific books. In fact, he made the common mistake of confusing com- mercial with literary worth, and, because he knew that he had written well, he was angry because people did not buy his books. Yet these early books made the calling of letters possible for him and introduced him to the men whom, above all, he most desired to know. His history, in consequence of this advice of his, has been often instance to show the pre- carious nature of the literary profession. On the contrary, it shows most clearly that he who can write what people want to read will get on in the sense of getting an income; while he who writes what the people do not want to buy will also, if his work is good, get on in reputation and distinction. Grant Allen’s later years were spent in such comfort as his commercial success bestowed upon him, and in such consideration as his learning and his reputation bestowed upon him. How many lawyers, medical men, clergymen, schoolmasters, architects, pass through years of ill-paid drudgery ? How many never win recogni- tion at all? How many at the age of fifty-three can look back, as Grant Allen could, to fifteen years at least of success and substantial comfort ? As a man of letters among others, he was large minded : he was entirely free from envy or jealousy: he was always ready to acknowledge good work in others: he neither gibed nor scoffed at other writers. So far he was what the Ameri- cans call whole-souled. There was, however, a strange tendency in him to take “the other side” in everything. It was not a kicking against convention: it was an inborn spirit of revolt against everything estab- lished. In religion, in politics, in social matter :, he was a kind of rebel. But a rebel with whom it was pleasing at all times to talk: a man swift to understand, to receive, to return with interest; a man full of ideas and brimming over with cleverness ; a man, in some points, as simple as a child. Water Besant, Saeas SLEIGHT OF HAND. M* SENNETT, the agent, looked up sharply from the letter which he had been reading, gazed towards the door of his private office, and said “Come in.” Mr. Palinode, his right-hand man, entered, carrying a manuscript. “ Wasn’t sure whether anybody knocked or not,” said Mr. Sennett. “You have the suaviter in modo in perfection, Palinode, even in the matter of tapping on a door. Well, what have you come up about ?” “This,” replied Mr. Palinode, as he seated himself opposite his principal. He put the manu- script on the writing-table, and pointed to it with his forefinger. “Well, you’ve had a look at it?” Mr. Sennett inquired. “Yes,” said Mr. Palinode, ‘and though I’ve got a sort of nausea of manuscript from con- stantly seeing it and handling it, and can’t usually relish any sort of fiction, I must say this strikes me as being positively great. It’s more than talent, you know-— there’s a touch of genius in it.” “So I thought,” said Mr. Sennett, meditatively, “though I only read scraps of it; and that was why I asked you to run through it. It ?s fine stuff. I should like to get it published.” Mr. Palinode shrugged his shoulders and leaned back in his chair. : “JT don’t know who would take it,” he observed. “Tt’s splendid stuff, but it’s too short and it’s gloomy. And, then, the author’s utterly unknown. They’d kick at it; it’s too much of a risk. I don’t believe you'd get anybody to take it.” “I must make somebody take it,” said Mr. Sennett. Mr. Palinode smiled. Half an hour later Mr. Guddle, the senior partner in the publishing firm of Guddle and Honey, was ushered into Mr. Sennett’s private room. He greeted the agent in a very friendly manner, and talked affably for some time about eS es  THE the weather and the news, and about minor matters of business which were pending between his firm and Mr. Sennett. Mr. Sennett waited patiently, and, when Mr. Guddle considered that he had successfully avoided any appearance of eagerness, he came to the reason of his visit. “Now, there’s Brumber’s book,” he began with a smile, “Yes,” Mr. Sennett replied, in a serious tone ‘what do you think of it ?” “We like it,” said Mr. Guddle. here to talk about it.” “T thought, perhaps, that was so,’ Mr. Sennett, and he smiled quietly. “Well, about terms, you know, Sennett,” resumed the publisher. Mr. Sennett frowned as if he were confronted with a puzzle. “It’s rather early to talk about terms,” he said, slowly. “I haven’t got a free hand. Brumber’s a queer chap. My instructions are to refer all offers. And there’s competition about this book; more than half-a-dozen firms have been putting pressure on me to let them see it.” Mr. Guddle’s face fell. “fs Brumber in England now ?” he asked. “No; he’s away yachting; coast of France somewhere. He'll be back in a fortnight.” “You know, he’s likely to follow your recom- mendation, Sennett,” said the publisher. He looked inquiringly at Mr. Sennett. “ Well,” said the agent, vaguely—‘ Oh, by the way, Guddle, I’ve something with a touch of most unusual talent in it. Palinode’s read it, and I’ve had a look at it, and we both enthuse.” “Fiction ? ” “T came up ’ remarked « Yos.”’ ““ Who’s the author ?”’ “Oh, a new writer. Calls herself Jacob Linden. There’s the copy.” He pointed to the manuscript, which Mr. Palinode had left upon the writing table. The publisher took up the manuscript and fingered it carelessly. “It’s very short,” he observed, in a tone of disapproval. Then he read the last three pages with an air of frowning abstraction. ‘The ending’s fearfully gloomy,” he said, when he had finished the perusal. “No, I don’t think we want it. When can you let us hear about Brumber’s book?” “Oh, I'll let you know as soon as T can,” Mr. Sennett replied coldly. The publisher looked uncomfortable. do the best you can for us, Sennett, won't your he asked. “ Weshouldn’t like Brumber to go to someone else.” “T haven’t a free hand,” Mr. Sennett repeated. “Tm sorry you don’t like that story you've just “ Youll ” AUTHOR. 127 looked at. I’m keen about getting it published; I think it’s well upto theright standard. But the difficulty there is about getting any of you men to oblige us! You want us to oblige you, you know.” : Mr, Guddle glanced up sharply at Mr. Sennett ; but the agent’s face was impassive. Mr. Guddle’s demeanour betrayed annoyance and hesitation. “Oh, the story’s very short,” he said after a pause, “and it seems dismal. Still it may be all right. Of course we'll have it read if you send it in to us.” “Thanks very much,” said Mr. Sennett, and he smiled amiably. ‘‘ Somehow one does like to be humoured.” Some more small matters of business were mentioned, and then Mr. Guddle took his leave. A fortnight later he called upon Mr. Sennett again. “Well; is Brumber back nowr ” he asked, as he seated himself in the chair which Mr. Sennett offered him. “Yes, he’s back,’ Mr. Sennett replied, indiffe- rently. ‘“ He’s comivg up to town to-night, and he’ll call here to-morrow.” “ Ah,” cried Mr. Guddle in gleeful expectation. “ There’s a lot of competition for that book,” said Mr. Sennett, severely. ‘“ Five more people have been up here about it.” Mr. Guddle looked serious. “ Ah, and about that yarn of J: acob Linden’s,”’ Mr. Sennett resumed, carelessly. ‘‘ Have you had a report about that yet? I hope you're going to fall in love with it.”’ Mr. Guddle fidgeted in his chair. “Oh, but we're not,” he observed. ‘ We've had a report. There’s some good stuff in it from the purely literary point of view, no doubt. But I don’t believe it would have a sale. It’s morbid; it’s horribly gloomy.” “ Gloomy as King Lear?” Mr. Sennett asked, siniling. “Oh, that’s different,’ Mr. Guddle answered. “You've got to consider the fiction public of the present day. It’s altogether different. I don’t say that a whole lot of gloomy novels haven’t done well; but still one has a feeling against them. And then there’s the length. Its too short. Readers want bulk for their money.” “You disappoint me,” said Mr. Sennett. “You really do. I thought you were going to oblige me about the book. However, I’ve no night to ask it. Yes, Brumber will be here to-morrow, and of course I shall report your offer with the others.” There was a pause in the conversation. “Oh, hang it all,” Mr. Guddle cried at length, “if your mind is really set on getting this woman 128 who writes as Jacob Linden a hearing, I suppose we may as well do it. It isn’t such bad stuff altogether. It may do—though it’s a risk. But we want to be obliging. I’1l write a letter to you and make an offer for the story. And now— you won't forget us, eh? What time will Brumber be here ?”’ “ Half-past eleven.” “Tl call round—oh, wait. Can you have lunch with me to-morrow? No? You're lunching Brumber? I see. Well, I'll call round at three. Ta-ta!”’ Mr. Sennett shook cordially. So Messrs. Guddle and Honey secured Mr. Brumber’s book on terms satisfactory to Mr. Brumber, and Jacob Linden secured the publi- cation of her novel on terms satisfactory to herself. The event falsified Mr. Guddle’s pre- diction ; for the story attracted much attention, and the sales were very encouraging. “Jacob Linden” thanked Mr. Sennett enthusiastically. Then she wrote another novel. And she thought that it would be an act of courtesy to call on Messrs. Guddle and Honey when she had com- pleted it. She was a nervous woman, whose health was delicate ; she knew nothing of commerce, and the the publisher’s hand prospect of a visit to a man of business frightened her. But she went. Mr. Guddle was affability incarnate. even solicitous. “Of course we shall be pleased to see your next book,” he said, with a beaming smile. “ We should be very disappointed if you took it to anybody else. We hope both to gain and keep your confidence, Mrs. Linden. There’s a great deal of talk about hostility between author and publisher, but we believe that the old pleasant relations are still possible, and I assure you we don’t always spare ourselves in the effort to maintain them.” “IT suppose I had better send the manuscript through Mr. Sennett?” the author inquired, confidingly. Mr. Guddle spread out his hands, and made as if he were about to whistle softly. “Oh! if you’re in any way tied to Mr. Sennett,”’ he began. “No, not at all,” said the author. “But I thought—I wouldn’t do anything at all which would appear like slighting Mr. Sennett. Of course, I am very grateful to him,” The publisher laughed as if in frank merri- ment, “ Sennett won’t mind,” he cried. “ He’s over- worked as it is. He’ll be only too glad to be saved the trouble,” He was THE AUTHOR. “Oh, I wouldn’t give him needless trouble for the world,” said the author, and her face flushed. “Well now, really, do you know,” Mr. Guddle resumed, ‘I think you had better deal with us direct. Mr. Sennett wouldn’t have sent your story to us if he thought that you couldn’t trust us.” “ OF course not.” “And the ro per cent. commission that he gets is nothing to him. Unless it’s a very big deal, he won’t thank anyone for troubling him. Well, of course it has to be deducted from your profits, if it’s to be paid at all.” The author nodded her head, but hastened to remark, “I shouldn’t mind that in the least.’ “T know, I know,” said Mr. Guddle. “But it’s merely a question of not bothering Sennett, and doing the business in a simpler and more direct way. I must say I think it’s pleasanter all round,” When Mr. Sennett and Mr. Palinode heard that “ Jacob Linden ” was dealing direct with Messrs. Guddle and Honey they sighed and shrugged their shoulders. “The way of the world,’ observed Mr. Pali- node. ‘She wants to save her 10 per cent. like everybody else.” Mr. Sennett said nothing. Jacob Linden’s second novel was very favour- ably reviewed. Some people told her that it was having a brisk sale. But it proved rather less lucrative than ber first book, when she received her accounts from Messrs. Guddle and Honey. Four years later a friend who was in Mr. Guddle’s confidence asked the publisher what he thought of Jacob Linden’s work. “My boy, she lays the most charming little golden eggs at regular intervals,” said Mr. Guddle. ‘“ We gei all her stuff, and we have all the American rights, and if we serialise one of the yarns we get all the money. She costs us about two hundred a year, and she’s quite happy. Doesn’t know the A B C of business. We explain it all to her at intervals.” Mr. Guddle winked. ‘ We tell her what terrible expenses we have about her stuff, and that she’s found ‘fit audience though few.’ We took her away from Sennett, you know. We had to. Just ask your- self, my boy, if she’d stayed with Sennett, what prices she’d be getting now? Why, she'd be taking three-quarters of the profits, if not more. That’s not publishing as I see it. I like the old pleasant, direct, personal relations between author and publisher.” Mr. Guddle winked again. MoLEcULE.  “LITERATURE” AND THE AUTUMN LIST. E are indebted to Literature for a complete list of the autumn books as furnished by the publishers. The paper, to which we refer the reader, has rendered signal service by the publication of this list, which ought to be in the hands of every literary man or woman. Tt is a document which enables the reader to ascertain by a little analysis and study the character of every publishing house of any standing: the kind of book which it publishes : the standing which it possesses: and the class of writers most attracted by each house. It does more. To one who understands anything about the present situation it indicates as clearly as if it were written down whether a publisher is going up or is coming down. It is not numbers alone which are useful in this respect: numbers go for something, but names go for more. If, for instance, we find that a publisher has ouly early works of well-known writers who with later works have gone elsewhere, the inference is obvious. There must be reasons for this desertion. If this oceurs with several names of mark, the inference to be drawn is like the conclusion of a proposition in Euclid—the man is to be avoided. Now, both in quantity and in quality some of ths older houses show this year, if not an actual then a relative falling off as compared with previous lists: on the other hand, certain of the younger houses which promised great things some years ago are evidently already in a state of decay, while others are flourishing mightily with lists both long and important and valuable. As regards these younger houses, there are two or three questions to be asked: (1.) Are they energetic and quick in seeing opportunities and in pushing books? (2.) If so, how do they stand as regards their agreements? (3.) Do they retain their good men ? There are seventy publishers on this list. The divisions adopted by Literature are as follows :— No. of Works. No. of Works, Archmology......... as Medical <........... 6 RE ce 34 Miscellaneous ......... 5! Biography .........-.: 103 Masia. 2.52 fcc: 4 Juvenile Books ...... 181 Natural History ...... 12 Claasical ............... 34 Naval and military... 24 Drama......... ocak 17 Oriental ..... 00.0666 12 Economics and Philosophy ............ 17 Soociology......... -- 20 Poetry 65.620 kas 35 Educational............ 49 Political ............... 15 Engineering ......... 11 Reprints ............++- 87 Figtion..........0.:6606 353 Science ......... ei 22 Folk-lore..............+ 12 Sport: oss eccc vie eteee 22 Geography ...........: q Theology ...........-++ 181 History ......ececceoes 78 Topography......... 1 20 BAM og ehcess 15 MraVel occ eiscc ee 42 Literary ...........5-+ qt — Mathematics ....... 2 Wotel nc. 1551 THE AUTHOR. 129 An analysis has also been made ot the number of books published by each house, but it would be misleading to quote this, because many of the lists are swollen by quite unimportant things, such as children’s books and the ventures of young poets. Other lists consist almost entirely of books which have been refused by responsible houses, and are published at the author's expense to gratify the author's vanity, and presently to change that vanity into disappointment. Setting aside these books, it is curious to observe how certain of the younger houses already spoken of surpass many of the older ones both in importance and in numbers: it is, indeed, astonishing to see the miserable promis? made by some of these older firms. One observes with great satisfaction that the Cambridge Univer- sity Press and the Clarendon are attracting scholars more and more. This is as it should be, These two houses ought to produce b.tween them all the best books in scholarship and learning. The departments of Education and Science seem imperfect, probably because they do not observe times and seasons. If we turn to Fiction we find 353 entries. From these may be deducted forty-eight as either translations or books known to be those spoken of above, the rejected by responsible publishers and printed—one cannot say published—on terms often exposed in these columns (see p. 121). There remain 305. Going carefully through the list and noting every name that is at all known, one finds a little over 100 novels which are safe to cover expenses—books, namely, which carry no risk, though in many cises there may be a very small profit. They may be looked upon as certain to reach 600 or 700 copies. As regards the remaining 200, a great many, but no one can tell how many, are paid for by the authors : the vast majority will not reach 500 copies : many of them will not sell 100: some of them are produced at the publisher’s risk on the recommendation of a reader and in the hope of a “ boom.” The amount risked is the difference between the first sul- scription and the actual cost of production. Asit is no use sending good money after bad, very little is wasted in advertising these productions : and as only those copies are bound which are taken by the libraries, the cost of production is really very small. There is another point suggested by this list. How are all these books to be presented to the public ¢ There are only three ways. (1) By the circulating libraries. (2) By the reviews. (3) By the booksellers. 130 There are over 1500 books on the list. The larger number do not belong to the circulating library at all. They will be all out before the end of November. How are the reviews to notice 1500 books by the end of the year, after which most of them will be dead and past recovery? Of course they cannot. They must make a selection—a double selection. First, selection of subjects. The general columns of review do not notice archeology, children’s books, classical, educatioval, scientific, geographical, topographical, legal, medical, or musical books: nor reprints nor theology nor philosophy nor Oriental subjects. That reduces the possible choice to about 850. The second choice has, therefore, to be made out of 850. There are two courses open to the reviewer. The one is to take the more important Looks, to recognise their importance, and to give them the space which they deserve. The other is to lump up all together, and to crama dozen “ reviews”’ (!) into one page. The former method, now out of fashion, preserves the dignity of literature and the reputation of the journal: the other destroys the dignity of literature, lowers standards, and deprives the journal of any weight. It further aceustoms readers to neglect altogether the review column and to be guided in the choice of books entirely by the opinion of their friends. There remain the booksellers. Of these it can only be said that not even the richest could afford to subscribe to a quarter of the books they may note as “possible,” while, as regards the “ doubtful” books, no one would be so foolish as to subscribe to any. Now, a book is not published unless it is offered to the reader. It is only printed. Therefore it is a melancholy conclusion that a very large number of the long autumn list will not be published at all. There is only one way out of it. The book- sellers must have the choice of books on sale or return. If it is alleged that those which are not sold come back soiled, the auswer is that at least they have had their chance of being sold. The public has been invited to look at them. These observations should be read in connec: tion with the paper (p. 118) on the Present Situation. Se ‘THE LITERARY YEAR-BOOK.” I. (comMUNICATED. ) HE “Literary Year-Book” for tgoo will be an entirely new compilation, appearing under the editorship of Mr. Herbert Morrah. The greater part of the book will be THE AUTHOR. devoted to facts, the only criticisms included being of a special character, and written by critics of eminence in their various departments. No “portraits and appreciations” of individual writers will appear in the new issue, which will contain a vast amount of information useful to all engaged in literature, and arranged in a most convenient form for purposes of reference. The editor desires to take this last opportunity of reminding authors who have not yet received a form for the direc‘ory that communications and suggestions will be welcomed by him. These should be addressed to the Editor of the “Literary Year-Book,” Ruskin House, Charing Cross-road, London, W.C., before the 1st of December next. IL. The prospectus of “ The Literary Year-Book ” has now been sent out. It will be, perhaps, remembered that the first issue of this annual was in some respects unfortunate, especially in its attempt to become an organ of criticism. Opinions may, of course, differ as to what a Literary Year-Book ought to be : perhaps criticism should be a part of it. For myself, I consider that what is wanted in such an annual is that it should be a handy book of reference to the numerous company of those who write and those who have to do with writers: that it should disregard altogether the outside public: and that it should include everything that a literary man now has to find out for himself. Now what the literary world does not want, what it will not go out of its way to read, is a collection of critical articles on its own works by those of the same craft. There are already plenty of critical organs —as many as there are daily or weekly papers: monthly magazines or quarterly reviews. When your literary man or woman has been “slated” by some and lauded by others: when the praise or blame at the year’s end can do neither his book nor his own reputation any good or harm, is it conceivable that he desires to read any more “reviews”? Other people may like to go on reading “critical reviews ”’ about books of the last year, for the most part dead and gone and forgotten already. But the literary man certainly does not. He neither desires to read criticisms of his own books nor of his friends’ books, nor even of his enemies’ books. Therefore, for my own part, I am sorry to observe that criticism of any kind is to take a part in the Year-Book, whose success I greatly desire, if that success makes it useful and neces- sary for the Literary Life. Otherwise, I do not see that we want it at all. If, however, it is thought that the prospects and present condition of Literature should be  THE AUTHOR. treated, at any time, with reference to the general character and average of the last few years, that is another question altogether. I am reminded of an excellent essay by Professor Saintsbury, in which, without naming a single author, he dis- cussed contemporary fiction dispassionately and judicially, so that everyone might, if he chose, take unto himself the critic’s lessons and warn- ings, and yet no one could be hurt or offended. Of course the same thing might be done with poetry, the drama, or any other branch. In fact, it should be done from time to time. But the pro- auctions of asingle year cannot allow of any such general treatment. I would, again, submit that the great and important branch of _ literary work which includes educational books should not be passed over. It is far too much the custom to assume that authorship means work of imagination only. A Year-Book which provides a dictionary of living writers in all branches: which abstains from individual criticism as outside its own pro- vince : which contains all such information as is likely to be useful to an aspirant or to an old hand, ought to command success. But criticism of last year’s books certainly is not wanted, and, in my opinion, if attempted can only be carried out very incompletely, and must interfere seriously with the usefulness and the circulation of the work. The following is the table of contents of Part II. Surely there is enough here to fill the 400 pp. promised ? Agents. Articles, i.e, a Literary Index for the Year 1899. Artists. With full particu- lars of Books Illustrated during the past year. Authors. A practically com- plete List of Writers of Books, with full Addresses, Names, Publishers, and prices, of Books published in 1899. Bookbinders. Book Printers. Booksellers. Clubs. Contributor’s Guide. Editors. Events of the Year 1899. Foreign Magazines, Reviews, Publishers, and Societies. Indexes. Lecturers Societies. Literary Searchers. Periodical Publications. Plays produced in 1899. Printers. Process-Block Makers. Pseudonyms. Poblishers : a new and much Extended Directory. Series. Societies: and their work in 1899. Typewriters. Trade and Technical Infor- mation. and Lecture For instance, under the head of “ Booksellers ” will there be any information as to the attempt made to bind this unfortunate class in chains and slavery? Will there be any reference to the reports of the Committee of the Society of Authors on this important subject? And will there be any advice offered as to improving the condition of the trade? Under the head of “Publishers,” will the famous “ Draft Agreements,” warranted “ equi- 131 table,” with the exposure of their meaning by the Society of Authors, receive any attention ? And under the head of “Trade and Technical” information, will the Year-Book keep its readers supplied with what they most desire—the average cost of production in all its branches, the trade price, &e.? In other words, the Literary Year-Book should be compiled for the furtherance of the interests of literary folk, and of none others. If informa- tion wanted by them is withheld because this class or that Class wishes to keep it secret and concealed, it cannot be accepted as a true and trustworthy guide. For my own part I can see no reason why the Society should not itself provide such a book, or at least furnish such information as is wanted for any publisher who would produce a book for literary workers only, without reference to any other interests what- ever. W. B. ——<res BOOK AND PLAY TALK. M~ GEORGE GISSING enters the field of romance with his forthcoming novel, “The Crown of Life.” It is a modern story, touching on many modern problems, and tells the love-story of a man who, battling with adverse circumstances, seeks and wins the love of his ideal woman. Mr. Churton Collins is engaged upon an edition of the works of Robert Greene, the sixteenth century poet and playwright. “ Passages in a Wandering Life” is the title under which Mr. Thomas Arnold, second son of Arnold of Rugby, is giving his reminiscences to the world. One of the books of this month will be Mr. Edward A. FitzGerald’s record of the moun- taineering expedition he conducted two years ago in the Andes of South America. The direct results of this expedition, which was one of the most completely equipped that ever left England, included the ascent for the first time of the very high peak of Aconcagua, 23,800ft. above the sea, and of its fellow Tupungato. Chief among Mr. FitzGerald’s companions in the hardships and achievements of the party was Mr. Stuart M. Vines, who contributes chapters to the book. Professor Bonney and other authorities determine the scientific results of the expedition, and the work contains many beautiful and interesting photographs of this unique performance in mountaineering, besides special maps. Messrs. 132 Methuen will publish the book in a week or two from now. The Standard newspaper is issuing a “ Library of Famous Literature,’ consisting of twenty volumes, and we quote from the extensive adver- tisements the following statistics of the new books produced yearly in this and other countries :— Germany...........6-.6-ee 24,000 France........ 13,000 Italy ........ 9500 Great Britain. 7300 United States .:......5..cc:0 cecepenecnereecs ees 5300 Netherlands <...0.6<c. . cegeser gs ers pent rere ec es 2500 In special departments of literature the coun- tries at the head in each case are as follows. In— Biotin oc eitesedtes oe Great Britain (2438) Education Germany (5442) Arts and Sciences ............ Germany (2938) Belles Lettres..........s00e0e0s Germany (2453) PE YOVOL cys ves ccepeswi sires se eces Germany (1139) Political Economy ............ Italy (2994) PEIBUORY ©.c2 3 sc0 ss cet pee sets France (1164). Atasale of Kelmscott Press books the other day, among others sold, the Chaucer realised as much as £58, “ The Story of Sigurd,” £20 1os.; Keats’s Poems, £23 10s.; “The Earthly Para- dise,” £21. The Dean of Winchester is editing and con- tributing to “A New History of the English Church,” which Messrs. Macmillan are to publish. Among other contributors to it will be Canon Capes, Canon Overton, and Mr. James Gairdner. Mr. Selwyn Brinton is preparing a volume on Correggio for Messrs. Bell’s series called ‘“ Great Masters in Painting and Sculpture.’ Earlier works in this series willbe by Mr. H. H. Strachey on Raphael and by Miss H. Guiness on Andrea del Sarto. Two new dailies are being prepared for produc- tion in London, one at $d. and the other a penny illustrated journal. Mr. Edgar Sanderson’s next essay in the realm of history consists of a book entitled “ Historic Parallels to Affaire Dreyfus.” Modern history supplies some trials in which, through the influence of religious bigotry or political hostility, or both, Mr. Sanderson seeks to show that gross injustice was done to innocent persons. The book will be published by Messrs. Hutchinson. A series of handbooks on Egypt and Chaldea are being edited by Dr. Wallis Budge and Mr. L. W. King. The volumes will be published by Messrs. Kegan Paul and Co. Miss May Crommelin has written a short story on Dutch country life for the Leisure Hour, and several short stories of hers. are now running in country papers. THE AUTHOR. Miss Jean Ingelow is about to publish a new novel, called “The Yellow Badge,” through Messrs. Digby and Long. Professor E. B. Tylor’s two series of Gifford Lectures on “ The Natural History of Religion,” have been revised for publication by Mr. Murray this autumn. Mr. M. H. Spielmann has compiled a book of and about the hitherto unidentified contributions of Thackeray to Punch. This will be published soon by Messrs. Harper. The Stage Society is a new combination whose managing committee consists of Mr. Charles Charrington, Mr. Laurence Irving, Mr. William Sharp, Mr. James Welch, and Mr. Frederick Wheeler. The membership is limited to 300, the subscription is two guineas, and the society is to meet on one Sunday in each month for nine monthsin the year. Most interesting of all, it is laid down in the rules of the society that at least six performances shall be given during the year. Three plays have already been selected, namely, “ You Never Can Tell,” by George Bernard Shaw, which will be presented on Sunday, the rgth inst. ; “The League of Youth,” by Henrik Ibsen, Sun- day, Dec. 17; and “ Mrs. Maxwell’s Marriage,” by Sydney Olivier, which will be given on Sunday Jan. 21. Plays by M. Maeterlinck, Herr Suder- mann, and M. Hauptmann will be produced later. The proceedings will only be open to members, and the Grosvenor Galleries is the probable place of meeting. : “San Toy,” the new Chinese musical comedy by Mr. Edward Morton, was successfully pro- duced at Daly’s with Miss Marie Tempest and Mr. Hayden Coffin in the principal parts. The lyrics are by Mr. Adrian Ross and the late Mr. Harry Greenbank. The Haymarket is well provided for the future, three plays being practically ready for presenta- tion at any time they may be wanted. These are by Mrs. Craigie, Mr. J. M. Barrie, and Miss C. W Graves. That by Miss Graves is a comedy in verse founded on “ The Rape of the Lock.” The next new piece at the Adelphi will pro- bably be Mr. Zangwill’s version of his novel, “The Children of the Ghetto.” Before these lines are read two new plays will be in course in centra] London—Mr. Grundy’s adaptation of “ La Tulipe Noire,” produced at the Haymarket (Oct. 28) by a company which includes Miss Winifred Emery as Rosa and Mr. Frederick Harrison as William of Orange; and Mr. L. N. Parker’s new modern play “ Captain Birchell’s Luck,” which Mr. Scott Buist is putting at at Terry’s Theatre (Oct. 30).  THE AUTHOR. Although Mr. Wyndham will soon open his new theatre with “ David Garrick,” and follow on with the “Tyranny of Tears,” “Dandy Dick,” and ‘Cyrano de Bergerac,” it is no secret that Mr. Henry Arthur Jones is already well advanced with a new play for him. This will be a four-act comedy of modern life. Mr. Kinsey Peile, author of “ An Interrupted Honeymoon,” is writing a four-act comedy for Mr. Arthur Bourchier and Miss Violet Vanbrugh. Mr. Herman Merivale has written a drama in three acts for Mr. Charles Cartwright. It is laid at Dartmoor, about the middle of the century. The farewell benefit in honour of Mrs. John Billington will take place at the Lyceum Theatre on Tuesday afternoon, the 21st inst., and the benefit performance for Mr. John Hollingshead at the Empire Theatre on the afternoon of Jan. 30. The new play by Miss Constance Fletcher (George Fleming), entitled “The Canary,” is being rehearsed at the Prince of Wales’s, and will be presented on Nov. 11 by Mr. Forbes Robertson and Mrs. Patrick Campbell. OBITUARY. Mi R. GRANT ALLEN died at his resi- dence at Hindhead, Surrey, on Oct. 25, illness that after an involved much suffering. As we go to press news comes of the death of Florence Marryat (Mrs. Francis Lean), the well- known novelist. She was the author of about seventy books, chiefly in fiction and travel, the first of which was “Love’s Conflict,” which appeared in 1865. Many of these were very popular alike in the home country, America, and the colonies: and many of them were translated. In 1872 she published “Life and Letters of Captain Marryat ”—the famous author of “ Mid- shipman Easy ’—whose sixth daughter she was, and about the same time she became editor of London Society. Florence Marryat was also dramatist, actress, lecturer, and operatic singer. She was twice married, and the fact will not escape the curious that so much literary work was done amidst the domestic duties involved in bringing up eight children. Some of the best known of her books are “Tom Tiddler’s Ground,” “The Crown of Shame,” “A Fatal Silence,” “The Nobler Sex,” and “ Parson Jones.” FRE 133 CORRESPONDENCE. << > T—Own Tryinc More roan One Epitor. AS one the right to send work to two H or more editors simultaneously? “An Editor,” in his little book “How to Write for the Press” (Horace Cox), main- tains that one has. He says “In the case of monthlies I have found ‘duplicating’ very successful, and there is little or no danger of clashing. Send out two copies of your article at the same time, and immediately one is accepted write to the editor holding the other and ask him to return it or destroy it, as another magazine has accepted it. This suggests to the editor a certain amount of independence on the part of the contributor, and if the more dilatory editor is sorry that a more alert brother has snapped up, before his very nose, as it were, an interesting article, he will be more ready to give early attention to the next MS. submitted by the same writer. “By thus duplicating MSS. it is possible to place a magazine article in much less time than by relying on or submitting a single copy to one editor; and I must say that, speaking both as an editor and a contributor, I fail to see wherein the practice is to be condemned, so far as monthly publications are concerned; or in the case of weeklies, when a contributor meets with an editor who isin no hurry either to use or return his MSS.” Now I myself have some things out which have been out from six weeks to three months—and no indication of acceptance or rejection. And this with very well-known monthly magazines..-WhatI want to know is: Do any monthlies publish without first submitting a proof or sending a notification of acceptance? For, if not, then I should be perfectly safe in sending out at once three or four copies of the same piece of work; seeing that, immediately a notice of acceptance by one editor reached me, I could write withdrawing all the others. It seems to me that the question is of much importance, for if contributors can safely do this, then the retention-of-manuscripts diffi- culty will be practically solved. All that we require to be sure about is that editors of monthlies never publish without a preliminary notice of some sort to the contributor. Is this the case? Perhaps an editor and some contri- putors of wide experience will shed some light on the point. Perry Barr. =— IL.—No ANSWER. Having been connected with Cornwall for many years, I sent to the Cornish Magazine in  134 November last a paper on a subject which I thought could not fail to interest Cornish readers. : I sent also a polite note to the editor, and inclosed a stamped directed envelope for the return of the article if he could not use it. I waited a month or two, and, hearing nothing, wrote again, saying I should be much obliged by the return of the article if not suitable. To neither of these communications did I receive any reply. I waited a month or two longer, and then wrote again, inclosing another stamped envelope, and requesting the return of the article. This letter has also failed to elicit any reply. The editor appropriates my stamps and retains my paper, which seems to me neither courteous nor business-like. Have I no remedy? I should mention that I am not a novice. I have published several books, and have had articles in many leading magazines, including the Nineteenth Century, Temple Bar, and Mac- millan’s, but this is the first time I have met with editorial discourtesy. A Memser or tux Society or AUTHORS. III.—Userress Reviews. Incidentally “ W.” raises two issues—Should review copies be sent? Are reviews useful as an aid to the sale of a book ? The first, question can only be answered by the Publishers’ Association or the Society of Authors. If either of these bodies decides that its members ought not to send books for review, then those daily, weekly, and monthly journals, dependent for a considerable fraction of their circulation on their literary columns, must needs buy copies. Such a resolution would be an advantage for the pub- lishers and authors of the comparatively few important works that must be noticed, and a dis- advantage for the producers of the vast majority of books that can safely be ignored. With regard to the second question, when all is said, a review is an advertisement, and as such, even if it be purchased at the net cost of a copy of the book, it surely is as useful as a bare announcement, at so-and-so much per inch, on the pages that are passed over by at least go per cent. of readers. “W.,” however, is chiefly interested in a third question—the distribution of copies for review. He has stated his case; his publisher sends copies to the Slocum Gazette, the North Thule Advertiser, and to similar papers of no import- ance, for the columns of which the reviews are written by utterly incompetent critics. He is avowedly a young (or perhaps I should say a new) writer. But he has published two THE AUTHOR. books, and can speak with more authority than I, who have only just published one, can aspire to. But let me tell him the result of my venture, My publisher distributed some forty-odd copies for review, and in the list they sent me I do not see the name of any unimportant paper. I observe that copies were sent to eight important London morning papers and to four (penny) evening papers, to twelve weeklies (those which devote their pages entirely or in part to litera. ture), to two monthly journals, and to fourteen country papers (ten English, three Scotch, and one Irish publication). I have read all the reviews, and I cannot say—though in some cases it would be a sop to my vanity if I could—I believe any of them to have been written by the office-boy in intervals of boot-blacking ; but some may have been written by the daughters of editors, yet certainly not as a holiday task. If “W.” has not overstated his case for the sake of effect, I should advise him to change his publisher, and then, before finally selecting any firm, he might inquire if they send copies for review to the Slocum Gazette, &c. L. M. De BOOKS AND REVIEWS. (In these columns notes on books are given from reviews which carry weight, and are not, so far as can be learned, logrollers.) THE Mar or Lirz, by W. E. H. Lecky (Longmans, 10s. 6d.) might perhaps be called, says the Times, “a sort of impersonal and objective autobiography, a record of experience, reflection, and opinion, tinged with the mitis sapientia of advancing years, and inspired by the harmless belief that the writer has something of importance to com- municate to his generation.” The Daily Chronicle remarks that ‘‘Mr. Lecky’s style is always admirable, and is so wedded to his thought as to make it a perfect vehicle for expression.” The volume has “ much social and political interest,” says the Daily News, while Mr. W. L. Courtney in the Daily Telegraph interprets its real objectas “ to show how far compromise in ethics, politics and religion is neces- sary and advisable at the present stage of human evolu- tion.” A History or Iranian Unity, by Bolton King (Nisbet, 24s. net) is ‘not only of great value for English people, who have hitherto had no complete and impartial history of modern Italy, but-it is interesting throughout,’ says the Daily Chronicle. ‘Mr. Bolton King has many of the qualities of a great historian,” and ‘we think that his judgments will on the whole stand.” He has given us, says the Spectator, “what was long needed—a comprehensive, impartial, and thoroughly readable history of the Italian movement for unity and independence.” ‘The entire work is founded on original documents.” A PRISONER OF THE KHALERFA: Twelve Years’ Cap- tivity at Omdurman, by Charles Neufeld (Chapman, 128.), is described by Literature as a straightforward story, which throws a vivid light upon the history of the Soudan before its latest chapter was closed by Atbara and Omdurman. It includes a narrative of Gordon’s end taken down from the  THE lips of Gordon’s own orderly. “ On the whole,” says the Spectator, “we may say that this volume is more prolific and picturesque than Slatin’s book; but we do not feel so confident as to its historic value.” The Times remarks that ‘If there are people who still honestly believe that the Khaleefa deserves any sympathy, such a book as this should effectively undeceive them.” Tye TRANSVAAL FROM WITHIN: a Private Record of Public Affairs, by J. P. Fitzpatrick (Heinemann, 10s. net) is, says the Times, simply and unpretentiously what it professes to be—a sketch of the Transvaal as seen from within, Mr. Fitzpatrick writing frankly as an Uitlander putting forward the case of the Uitlanders. “ Few readers will lay down the volume without feeling that they know more than they have ever known before of the real issues on trial in South Africa.” The Spectator remarks that the anthor “ does not merely censure the Boers, but shows how and why the Out- landers have found it impossible to live under their rule.” Literature says it will be generally admitted that Mr. Fitz- patrick “ has marshalled his arguments logically, powerfully and picturesquely.” The Daily Telegraph describes the book as “ lucid and dispassionate.” Tur CoMMUNE oF LONDON, and Other Studies (Constable, 12s. net), prompts Literature to say that so long as the author, Mr. J. H. Round, “ continues to write on historical subjects there is no danger of history becoming as dry as an old almanac. Whenever he has appeared he has accus- tomed us to expect ‘wigs on the green’; and his latest volume does not disappoint our expectations.” The Guardian says that ‘‘ the book certainly contains many valuable essays, and cannot be overlooked by students of English history.” Sr. PAut tHe Masrer-BurtpER, by Walter Lock (Methuen, 3. 6d.), is commended by the Times as a sugges- tive little book. It is the outcome of an experiment on the part of the Bishop of St. Asaph to provide for the clergy of his diocese a brief course of instruction year by year. The book contains four lectures by the Warden of Keble College. The Daily Chronicle defines Dr. Lock’s object as being practically to present “a kind of report upon the conclu- sions that have been arrived at and adopted with a fairly general consensus of opinion by modern scholars engaged upon the study of the Epistles of St. Paul.” Tur Story oF THE AUSTRALIAN BUSHRANGERS, by G. E. Boxall (Sonnenschein, 6s.) “‘ enables us to study one of the strangest episodes in the history of crime,” remarks the Spectator ; and the Daily Chronicle does not “ know of a more comprehensive record of bushranging and its chief personalities than this work.” A Farmer’s Yzar, by H. Rider Haggard (Longman’s, 7s. 6d. net) “is no technical discourse,” says Literature, “and no wearisome reiteration of trivialities about the weather and the crops, but agreeable small talk, not only about the price of wheat and the rate of wages, but also about the thousand and one other topics which invite the attention of the intelligent agriculturist.” The book is described by the Daily Telegraph as “an exceedingly practical and somewhat sombre-toned account of twelve months’ farming in an eastern county.” The author is “cheerful and discursive,” despite bad luck, but ‘“ he proves conclusively that the farmer’s balance sheet is apt to be melancholy reading, no matter how much care and forethought it represents. A Boox or THE WEST, being an Introduction to Devon and Cornwall, by S. Baring-Gould (Methuen, 12s), supplies, says the Daily Chronicle, “exactly the sort of information which Murray and Black and the rest of them can never be expected to afford.” ‘It makes no claim to be exhaus- tive,” says the Times, “but it does describe with good taste and ample knowledge the principal objects and sub- AUTHOR. 135 jects that are likely to interest an educated traveller.’’ “The tourist, as a rule,” says the Guardian, “ wants some- thing that is readable, and something that is definite in its teaching, and certainly he gets both in these two charming volumes.” : ALASKA AND THE KLoNDIKE, by Angelo Heilprin (Pearson, 7s. 6d.), is the best of the Klondike books that Literature has seen. ‘It is a narrative of a three months’ tour by a professor of geology, written in a pleasant, easy, cultivated style,” and is recommended “ both to those who want instruction and to those who only desire entertain- ment.” ‘ Here,” says the Daily Chronicle, ‘we have the testimony of a past president of the Geographical Society and Professor of Geology at the Academy of Natural Science in Philadelphia—of one who went to the Yukon with a full mental equipment and a complete absence of bias. Herein lies the special value of this volume, and happily Professor Heilprin is as entertaining as he ia reliable.” Tue Lire of FRANCIS WILLIAM CrossLEY, edited by J. Rendel Harris (Nisbet, 6s.), is described by the Spectator as a “concise but intensely interesting memoir of one of the noblest and most saintly men of the century.” The Daily Chronicle says it is a “ cheerful memoir,” and that it will be “helpful and attractive to those who wish to know what a good man can be among men.” SraLKy AND Co., by Rudyard Kipling (Macmillan, 6s.), is “wonderfully clever” (Daily News) and deemed by the Spectator to be “ entirely worthy of Mr. Kipling’s genius.” Though all boys will like it, it is by no means exclusively a boy’s book. ‘Not only the three boys,” says Interature, “but their schoolfellows, the masters, the Devonshire country people, and the different stray intruders are painted with the bold and vital touch which Mr. Kipling possesses.” The theme running through the book “ is the use and glory of the spirit of individual adventure.” “The most virile writer of his age, who has mastered the heart both of man and beast, has not failed to understand the heart of boy,” says the Daily Telegraph ; while the Daily Chronicle says that “none reading ‘Stalky and Co.’ may for a moment doubt that it is largely autobiographical.” MIRANDA OF THE Baxcony, by A. E. W. Mason (Macmillan, 6s.), is ‘a bright, engrossing book (Daily Telegraph), which derives its title from the scene in which hero and heroine first make acquaintance with each other.” Tt has, says the Spectator, “a complicated, ingenious, and highly original plot.” As a story of exciting incident it “ is excellent company, the effect being heightened by the author’s swift, straightforward, and nervous narrative style.” It is the “strongest” book Mr. Mason has given us, says Literature. “The plot is ingenious almost to excess, though its main outline is a simple one. Charnock, the hero, risks his life and his position on behalf of Miranda, the woman whom he loves, in discovering and rescuing her worthless husband. But the outline is elaborately filled in,” and the book “brings to extraordinary perfection the art of story-telling on its technical side.” “ From every point of view,” says the Daily Chronicle, “it is an excellent novel.” The verdict of the Daily News is that “the story holds the reader’s interest no less from the novelty of its plot than from the vividness and spirited manner of its telling.” Lirtie Novets or Irauy, by Maurice Hewlett (Chap- man, 6s.), “is a book to give warm thanks for,” says the Guardian, which adds that “short stories seem to suit Mr. Hewlett’s genius better than long ones.” He “ boldly takes his plots and situations from the rich but corrupt life of Renaissance Italy, without, however, allowing any strain after local and historic colour either to interfere with the 136 THE AUTHOR. spontaneity of his scenes and the universality of his charac- ters, or to obscure the honest English homeliness of his motives and ideals.” ‘The book strikes a new note and reveals a new world,” says Literature. “It pulls back the curtain of four long, sad, hundred years, and you step out into the gay, bright-coloured, noisy, turbulent, quite immoral, but very devout, life of the Lombard cities of the Quattuorcento.” “ These stories,” says the Daily Chronicle, “are all ablaze and a-glitter with the rich and varied hues of renascent Italy.” GiLIAN THE DREAMER, by Neil Munro (Isbister, 6s.), is “a Highland story set back into the early part of the century, when good wives are yet wearing their ‘ Waterloo blue silks’ and ‘ Waterloo tabinet gowns’ to remind them of the rejoicings for that great day of victory.” Itis the book of a mystic and a dreamer, continues the Daily News; “he who opens it will not readily put it down, and he will be right; for indeed it is one of the best books that have appeared this season.” ‘In point of style,’ the Spectator has-“‘ no hesitation in pronouncing Mr. Munro to have more individuality and distinction than any Scottish novelist now living, and to approach nearer than any of his compeers to the grace and audacity of Stevenson.” Literature says that “with the exception of the masterpieces (and the master- pieces only) of Mr. Stevenson and Mr. Barrie, it is the best Scottish novel that has been produced in the last quarter of a century.” On Triat, by Zack (Blackwood, 6s.), is a short novel, the scene of which is laid in Devonshire. The motive, says the Spectator, is unusual: Zack has chosen for her central figure a young soldier impelled at every crisis in his life by cowardice, physical as well as moral. ‘The quality of poignancy, which we noted in Zack’s earlier work, is present with redoubled force in this engrossing tragedy.” The Daily Telegraph compliments the author on falling into “that simple dignity of phrase which often characterises unlearned and ignorant folk under the stress of great emotion.” The Daily Chronicle says that ‘ On Trial” is the sort of book that many readers will call “ painful.” “The critic will not call it painful, because he knows that pain is not the right word for the emotion that such fine art as this evokes.” In the opinion of the Daily News the book shows that its author’s “sense of humour and power of character-study are no whit inferior to his—or her— dramatic ability.” Our Lapy or Darkness, by Bernard Capes (Black- wood, 6s.), is a “very clever novel,” says the Spectator. The Daily News states that the book opens on the eve of the French Revolution, and “ from the first we breathe the atmosphere of a time charged with volcanic forces.” The scene is largely set in rural France and in Paris. Itisa tragic tale, and “it holds us to the end by the sheer force of its presentation of a nation in the throes of hysteria or of evil possessions.” Tux Coxossus, by Morley Roberts (Arnold, 6s.), has the counterpart of Mr. Rhodes for hero, and the Spectator, after saying that the book “inaugurates a new school of portrait fiction,’ remarks that the author’s dexterous dove- tailing of fact and fiction, of photography and imagination, is undeniably clever.’ “ Mr. Roberts’s book,” says the Daily Telegraph, “is a piece of good careful work, and his delineation of his subject’s personality is masterly.” Mr. Rhodes is represented as Mr. Eustace Loder, * the biggest Real Estate Agent on Harth,” engaged in prosecuting a future railroad from Cairo to Capetown. The scene is laid at a Cairene hotel. The book is described by the Daily News as “a careful and transparent character study,” and by the Daily Chronicle as an “intensely interesting piece of portraiture.” Rep Porracs, by Mary Cholmondeley (Arnold, 6s.), is “full of dramatic incidents and picturesque situations,” says the Daily Telegraph, but “these are lost sight of in our contemplation of the characters which Miss Chol- mondeley puts before us, characters of real life, re-drawn for us with no slight knowledge and mastery. For com- pleteness and finish, for quiet excellence, her book must go right to the front of contemporary literature.” The Daily News says that “the book will doubtless make its mark, and interest the public in general.” ‘Though Miss Chol- mondeley’s dramatis persone are many, yet she entwines the threads of narrative so deftly that none appear superfiuous, and all blend naturally with the development of the plot.” A Name To ConsurE Witu, by John Strange Winter (White, 2s. 6d.), is described by Literature as “ a serious and even impressive study of the growth of the drink habit on a nature the reverse of weak or self-indulgent.” WINE ON THE Lexs, by J. A. Steuart (Hutchinson, 6s.), “might be described as dealing with the drink question,” says the Daily Telegraph, “ but Mr. Steuart preaches no sermon ; he does not even deduce a moral—he allows his characters to demonstrate their points of view, leaving something to the credit of both the reformer and the publican.” It is “a very good piece of work,” and “ con- tains much that can only be the result of serious thought on a question of vital import.” Itis ‘“ not a book to be neglected,” says the Daily Chronicle. ‘It has its own meaning and power, and on every open mind it will pro- duce its own effect.” Literature says Mr. Steuart “ pre- sents his realistic pictures of East-end life with truth and humour.” Tue Human InrErsEst, by Violet Hunt (Methuen, 6s.) is “a clever, capable sketch,” says the Daily Telegraph, “with a strong vein of cynicism and even a little bitterness brought to the making of it.’ ‘‘ Most people will read the book with zest.” The Spectator says that “Miss Hunt’s mordant humour enables her to carry off scenes and situa- tions which in other hands would be unpleasant or absurd.” po “THE AUTHOR.” SCALE FOR ADVERTISEMENTS. Front Page one ase eee eee ase . oss £4 0:0 Other Pages... aes se ace eae = ove w 3 00 Half of a Page ... pen tee sa ane see ose «w. 110 0 Quarter of a Page ae uae ee oes oon ave «w. 015 0 Eighth of a Page a wee ae aa UT 8 Single Column Advertisements ‘ perinch 0 6 0 Bills for Insertion ... ts sue per 2000 3 0 0 Reductions made for a Series of Six or Twelve Insertions. All letters respecting Advertisements should be addressed to the ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER, The Author Office, 4, Portugal-street, London, W.0, Mr. J. Eveleigh Nash, LITERARY AGENT, ~ AMBERLEY HOUSE, NORFOLK STREET STRAND, W.C. S Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Author, Vol. 10 Issue 06 (November 1899) Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em>, Vol. 10 Issue 06 (November 1899) Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1899-11-01-The-Author-10-6 publications The Author https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/469/1899-12-01-The-Author-10-7.pdf 7c708c4e733844fe1f50c860a5b5bd6b PDF Text Text ���������������������������� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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) 1899-12-01 Volume 10 Issue 7 Pages Page range in volume 137–164 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 18991201 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin Che Huthbor. (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vou. X.—No. 7.] [Prick 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. eo | ae 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 should be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent 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. Po GENERAL MEMORANDA. : ERE are a few standing rules to be observed in an agreement. There are four 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, or with the advice of the Secretary of the Society. Il. A PROFIT-SHARING AGREEMENT (a bad form of agreement). : In this case the following rules should be attended to: (1.) Not to sign any agreement in which the cost of pro- duction forms a part without the strictest investigation. (2.) Not to give the publisher the power of putting the profits into his own pocket by charging for advertisements in his own organs: or by charging exchange advertise- ments. Therefore keep control of the advertisements. (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 ! VOL. X. Ill. THE ROYALTY SYSTEM. It is above all things necessary to know what the proposed royalty means to both sides. 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.” IV. A COMMISSION AGREEMENT. The main points are :— (1.) Be careful to obtain a fair cost of production. (2) Keep control of the advertisements. (3.) Keep control of the sale price of the book. GENERAL. All other forms of agreement are combinations of the four above mentioned. Such combinations are generally disastrous to the author. Never sign any agreement without competent advice from the Secretary of the Society. Stamp all agreements with the Inland Revenue stamp. Avoid agreements by letter if possible. The main 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. WARNINGS TO DRAMATIC AUTHORS. 1. N sign an agreement without submitting it to . the Secretary of the Society of Authors or some competent legal authority. 2. Never negotiate for the production of a play with anyone except an established manager. 3. There are three forms of dramatic contract :— (1) SALE OUTRIGHT OF THE PERFORMING RIGHT, This is unsatisfactory. An author who enters into such a contract should stipulate in the con- tract for production of the piece by a certain date and for proper publication of his name on the play-bills. (2) SALE OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE TO PERFORM ON THE PROFIT-SHARING SYSTEM. This method can only be entered into when a fixed sum is agreed per week for cost of produc- tion, It is not a common method. o 2 138 (3) SALE OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE TO PERFORM ON THE BASIS OF PERCENTAGES (i.e., royalties) on gross receipts. Royalties vary between 5 and 15 per cent. An author should obtain a percentage on the sliding scale of gross receipts. Should obtain a sum in advance of royalties. A fixed date on or before which the play should be performed. 4. Authors should remember that performing rights can be limited, and are usually limited by town, country, and time. This is most important. 5. Authors should not assign performing rights, but should grant a licence to perform. The legal distinction is of great importance. 6. Authors should remember that performing rights in a play are distinct from literary copyright. A manager holding the performing right or licence to perform cannot print the book of the words. 7. Never send a copy of the play to America unless it is protected by a preliminary performance in the United Kingdom. 8. Never forget that American rights may be exceedingly valuable. They should never be included in English agreements without the author obtaining a substantial consideration. g. Agreements for collaboration should be carefully drawn and executed before collaboration is commenced. Never admit a collaborator when once the actual work of writing the play has begun or after it is finished. 10. An author should remember that production of a play is highly speculative: that he runs a very great risk of delay and a breakdown in the fulfilment of his contract. He should therefore guard himself all the more carefully in the beginning. 11. An author must remember that the dramatic market is exceedingly limited. As these warnings must necessarily be incomplete on account of the wide range of the subject of dramatic con- tracts, those authors desirous of further information are referred to the Secretary of the Society. i HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. I. VERY member has a right to ask for and to receive advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his business or the administration of his property. If the advice sought is such as can be given best by a solici- tor, 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 Committee will obtain for him Counsel’s opinion. All this without any cost to the member. 2. Remember that questions connected with copyright and publisher’s agreements do not generally fall within the experience of ordinary solicitors. Therefore, do not scruple to use the Society. 3. Send to the Office copies of [past agreements and past accounts with the loan of the books represented. The Secretary will always be glad to have any agreements, new or old, for inspection and note. The information thus obtained may prove invaluable. -4. Before signing any agreement whatever, send the pro- posed document to the Society for examination. THE AUTHOR. 5. Remember always that in belonging to the Society you are fighting the battles cf 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. 6. 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. eae THE READING BRANCH. Ve will greatly assist the Society in this i branch of their work by informing young writers of its existence. Their MSS. can be read and treated as a composition is treated by a coach. The Readers are writers of competence and experience. The fee is one guinea. NOTICES. HE 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 6s. 6d. subscription for the year. Communications for The Author should be addressed to the Offices of the Society, 4, Portugal-street, Lincoln’s-inn Fields, W.C., and should reach the Editor not later than the 21st of each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to communicate to the Editor any points connected with their work which it would be advisable in the general interest to publish. The present location of the Authors’ Club is at 3, White- hall-court, Charing Cross. Address the Secretary for information, rules of admission, £c. => FROM THE COMMITTEE. URING the year (Jan, 1—Nov. 20) 200 new D members have been elected to the Society. The number in 1897 was 180 for the whole year, and in 1898 was 175. Every year there are some members who resign chiefly because they do not se2 that the Society does much for them personally. Every year, however, the feel- ing seems to grow that a society which does so much for those who do want assistance, especially in the way of advice upon azre2ments and the collection of money due, deserves support from alk who follow the life of letters.  THE At the meeting of the Committee of Manage- ment on the 20th Nov. the following resolution, proposed by the Art Sub-Committee, was formaliy confirmed by the committee : Resolution : “That the Art Sub-Committee of the Socicty of Authors views with regret the action of the council of the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society in withdrawing the privilege of taking photo- graphs in their Exhibition Gallery as heretofore enjoyed by authorised persons to whom the artists concerned had duly accorded their consent—in consequence of which freshly imposed impediment authors and editors are hampered in their pro- fessional duties, and artists who are desirous of bringing their works before the public are denied the benefit of and the advantage accruing from such publicity. “ And in the interests of its members the Sub- Committee expresses the hope that the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society may see its way to reconsider the regulation in question.” G. HT. ect LITERARY PROPERTY. I—CopyricHt 1n Reports. YEVERAL letters have been addressed to The Author on the subject of the important case of Walter vy. Lane. The question is as yet undecided, therefore it is best to reserve comment until the judgment of the Lords has been pronounced. Meantime it would be only courteous, where the proprietors of a paper have clearly expressed their opinion as to the copyright of reports, to respect that opinion, and not to reproduce any report without first seeking the permission of the paper in question. We have hitherto reproduced law reports from the Times with acknowledgment, but, as has been the custom, without leave sought or obtained. In future, whatcver the decision may be, such reports will only appear in these columns, whether from the Times or any other paper, by permis- sion or arrangement with the editor or proprietor. We have, for instance, to thank the editor of the Daily Chronicle for permission to reproduce the report of the appeal in Walter v. Lane, aud the editor of the Scotsman for permission to reproduce his report of Mr. Augustine Birrell’s lecture. For the note on Mr. Ticebuck’s lecture on Art we have to thank the author himself. Il.—Watter v. LAne. (From the Daily Chronicle, Nov. 10, 1899, by permission.) The Court of Appeal yesterday, composed of the Master of the Rolls, the President of the AUTHOR. 139 Probate Division, and Lord Justice Romer, delivered judgment in the appeal by the Times newspaper against the decision of Mr. Justice North on Aug. 10, in the action of Walter v. Lane, granting an injunction against Mr. John Lane restraining him from publishing a book of speeches by the Earl of Rosebery, delivered by his Lordship on various subjects, and copied by the defendant from reports of those speeches appearing in the Times. A great deal of interest has been taken in the subject, more because the court had really to decide what was meant by the word “author” inthe Copyright Act of 1842. The effect of Mr. Justice North’s decision was that the reporter of a speech was the author if the person who Celivered the speech had not pre- viously to the delivery taken the steps necessary to copyright the speech. Considering the import- ance of the issue there was very little public interest shown in the court itself. The rows reserved “for counsel only ” merely contained the “juniors ” engaged in Valter v. Lane and those in the cases which followed, together with the barristers who are the official reporters of the autho- rised Law Reports. The Queen’s Counsel, of course, took their seats within the bar. They were Mr. H. Terrell, Q.C. and Mr. A. Birrell, Q.C., M.P. The juniors of these two gentlemen were Mr. McSwinney and Mr. Scrutton, Mr. H. Terrell and Mr. McSwinney representing the Times, and Mr. Birrell and Mr. Serutton the defendant, Mr. Lane. Mr. Lane, who appealed, had been restrained by Mr. Justice North from further publishing until the trial of the action a book which he entitled “ Appreciations and Addresses Delivered by Lord Rosebery,” the plaintiff in the action, Mr. Walter, alleging that tive of the addresses in the book were copies of the Times reports of those speeches. The plaintitts claimed copyright in the reports, which copyright was assigned to them by the reporter. The appeal was argued on Oct. 30 and 31, and on the latter day the Master of the Rolls said at the conclusion of the argu- ments that, having regard to the great import- ance of the case, their Lordships would take time to consider their judgment. THE POINTS OF THE CASE. The Master of the Rolls, who delivered the judgment of the court, pointed out that Mr. Justice North had granted an injunction to restrain the defendant from publishing certain adéresses bound up in a book, and which he copied from the Z'mes newspaper. The action was brought on behalf of the Zvmes, and the articles copied were reports of speeches made by Lord Rosebery on various occasions, the reporter 140 being Mr. Brain, who said that he had been employed to make reports of these speeches, and that in the course of their duties the reporters had to exercise their judgment and skill so as to represent in a form fit for publication the features of a meeting and the material parts and substance of the speeches, a work which involved skill and labour. The case, said his Lordship, turned on the true construction of the Copyright Act of 1842, 5 and 6 Vict. c. 45. That Act defined “copyright” and “book,” and conferred copyright on every author of a book and his assigns. The Act contained no definition of “author,” but it conferred copyright on the authors of books first published in this country. There could be no copyright in what was not published in a book; but it did not follow that the first person who published a book acquired a copyright init. The meaning of the word “author” as used in the Copyright Act must be gathered from its own language and the decisions upon it. The word occurs constantly throughout the Act. It was plain that a person who was not the author of a work might nevertheless be the proprietor of the copyright in it. The wording of the Act, said the Master of the Rolls, justified the view that the owner of an un- published manuscript, although not the author of it, acquired copyright in it by first publishing it. The author of an unpublished manuscript had no copyright in it, but he had the right to acquire copyright in it, and this right he might implicitly transfer to anyone to whom he sold or gave the manuscript. Further, an author who sold or gave away an unpublished manuscript composition of his own might be fairly inferred to transfer his own right to publish it unless he expressly or im- plicitly prohibited the publication of the manu- script which he sold or gave. But this would not carry the plaintiffs far enough. The plaintiffs did not derive their title to the publication from Lord Rosebery. The word “compose” obviously meant composition in the sense of being the author of the matter published. This was made perfectly clear by the language of the provisoes, which prevented the publisher or proprietor of the newspaper, &c., from publishing the article in a separate form without the consent of the author, and which entitled the author to publish it himself in a separate form. WHAT I§ AN AUTHOR? The “author” (continued his Lordship) here was the person employed to compose the article. It was contended, and Mr. Justice North took the view, that although the reporter had no copyright in the speech he was entitled to copyright in his report of it. But the Court of Appeal could not THE AUTHOR. follow this. The report and the speech reported were no doubt different things; but the printer or publisher of the report was not the author of the speech reported, which was the only thing which gave any value or interest to the report. The printer or reporter of a speech was not the author of the reported speech in any intelligible sense of the word “author.” To hold that every reporter of a speech has copyright in his own report would be to stretch the Copyright Act to an extent which its language would not bear, and which the Legislature obviously never contem- plated. The Act was passed to protect authors, not reporters. Moreover, although it might be that reporters and their employers ought to be protected from the unauthorised appropriation of their labours by others, it by no means followed that Parliament would place reporters and their employers on the same footing as authors. It was only by treating reporters as authors of what they reported—which they clearly were not—that they could be brought within the existing Copy- right Act. Although the court had no sympathy with the defendant, they were unable to decide in favour of the plaintiffs. The arguments addressed to the court on their behalf were based on the untenable doctrine that for purposes of copyright reporters ‘were authors. The analogy of direc- tories, road-books, naps, &c., was wholly mislead- ing. There each man who himself made a direc- tory, &c., and published it was the author of what he published. The reporter of a speech was not. The distinction was all-important, but it was only by wholly ignoring it that the decisions on direc- tories, &c., could be invoked by the plaintiffs. If the reporter of a speech gave the substance of it in his own language; if, although the ideas were not his, his expression of them was his own and not the speaker’s with immaterial differences, the reported speech would be an original composition of which the reporter would be the author, and he would be entitled to copyright in his own pro- duction. This was the ground on which copy- right in law reports was based. They are by no means mere transcripts of judgments delivered in court; but the reporter had reproduced to the best of his ability not only the ideas expressed by the speaker, but the language in which the speaker expressed those ideas. An accurate report was not an original composition, nor was the reporter of a speech the author of what he reported. The appeal must be allowed, with costs here and below. IIT.—A Royvatty AgREEMENT. Memorandum of agreement entered into the day of , 18 , between , as agent for and on behalf of - , of ,» pub-  THE AUTHOR. lishers, hereinafter called “ the publishers,” which term when requisite is to include their successors and assigns, of the one part, and , here- inafter called “the author,’ which term when requisite is to include his executors, adminis- trators, or assigns, of the other part. The publishers agree to manufacture and publish at their own risk and expense, and in such style as they deem best suited to its sale, the work entitled , of which the said is the author, on the following conditions :— 1. The author guarantees that the said work is original, and in no way whatever an infringement of any copyright belonging to any other person, and that it contains nothing of a libellous or scandalous character, and the author shall and will hold harmless the publishers from all manner of claims and proceedings which may be made and taken against them on the ground that the work is such an infringement or contains any- thing scandalous or libellous, and the publishers shall be entitled to retain and reimburse them- selves out of the author’s royalty all costs and expenses incurred by the publishers in con- sequence of such claims and proceedings, or in protecting the copyright of the work. 2. The author agrees that the publishers shall have the exclusive right during the legal term of copyright to publish the work in any part of the world, and will not during such term employ any other publisher or publishers for the purpose, and hereby empowers the publishers to arrange for any translation or reprint of it in such manner as and wheresoever they shall from time to time think fit. The publishers shall pay to the Author of net proceeds of their sale of the rights of such foreign reprints or trans- lations. 3. The publishers agree to pay the author or his legal representatives a royalty of per cent. on retail price for all copies of said work sold by them in the usual course of trade. Provided, nevertheless, that no royalty whatever shall be paid on any copies given away for review. and other purposes. Pro- vided also that such royalty shall not become payable unless and until copies of the said work shall have been sold. In the event of an edition being sold to America or to the colonies at a reduced price the author is to be paid ro per cent. of the net proceeds of such sale received by them in lieu of the aforesaid royalty. If an English edition is called for at half-a-crown or less, the royalty to be paid on the usual] trade sales thereof, will be 10 per cent. on the pub- lished price. 4. If at the end of years from the date of publication the publishers shall give notice in 141 writing to the author that in their opinion the demand for the said work has ceased, the author shall have the right (to be exercised within three months from the date of such notice) to buy from the publishers the stereotype plates and engrav- ings (if any) of the said work at half cost, and whatever copies they may have on hand at cost ; and if the author does not within three months of the date of such notice elect to buy the plates, engravings, and copies of the said work, the pub- lishers shall have the right to dispose of the said plates, engravings, and copies in any way that they may think fit, and to melt up the said plates, paying to the author in lieu of the said royalty 10 per cent. of the net proceeds of such sale ; provided also that the author shall not be entitled to receive any of the proceeds of such sale unless copies of the work shall have been sold at the ordinary trade price. In either of these events this agreement shall terminate. 5. Accounts shall be made up to the close of each half year, and rendered in August and February, and the proceeds to which the author is entitled shall be payable on application at the end of six months after such rendering of the account. 6. The author agrees to pay personally all cost of corrections and alterations in the proof sheets exceeding 20 per cent. of cost of composition. As witness the hands of the parties :— Witness The agreement printed above is an excellent example of the kind of agreement that an author should never sign. Referring to the parties to the agreement, it must again be pointed out, as often before, that an author should never bind himself by agreement to the successors and assigns of the publisher. The publishing con- tract is a personal contract, and should always be kept as such. It is most dangerous for an author to make a contract as drafted above owing to the fact that should anything happen to the firm, should the partners desire to give up business, the author might find his work being published by a firm and in a method wholly distasteful to him. In the preliminary statement before clause 1 the agreement of the publishers is much too wide in its terms, and these terms are not sufficiently curtailed in the clauses of the agreement that follow. With regard to clause 1, the clause is reason- able except as far as the closing lines are con- cerned. The publishers should not be allowed to 142 reimburse themselves all expenses there referred to unless such expenses can be shown to have been reasonably incurred. It is easy for the author to insert words in the clause which will be fair to both parties. Clause 2 has been frequently commented on in these pages, but, as a clause of this kind seems to be constantly recurring it is necessary to repeat the warnings: Firstly, the author should not give such wide powers to the publisher, as the book might be published in a form and at a price distasteful to him. It is quite sufficient if the author assigns the right to publish in a par- ticular form at a particular price, and limited to a particular country. If necessary, the last limita- tion could be for Great Britain, its colonies, and dependencies. The final part of clause 2 refers practically to rights, which are much _ better placed in the hands of an agent than in the hands of a publisher. The blank in this clause was filled up in this particular case by 50 per cent., thus showing that the work for which an agent would charge generally 10 per cent. is in the hands of a publisher charged at the rate of 50 per cent. There is this additional disadvan- tage in assigning these rights to the pub- lisher, that a publisher's duty is not to act as a literary agent, ard that, therefore, he has less facilities for assigning these rights than those who undertake this work and nothing else. Clause 3 is the most extraordinary clause in the agreement. The percentage to be paid to the author was 10 per cent. and the royalty was not to become payable until 1500 copies of the book had been sold. Even, there- fore, if the book had been exceedingly successful, the author could only reap a ridiculously small return compared with the amount received by the publisher. If the book had sold to the extent of 10,000 copies the publisher would have received quite three times as much as the author. This, however, is not the worst feature in the clause, as it is possible for a publisher to only print 1500 copies and then break up the type. On the sale of, say, 1450 copies the author would receive nothing and the publisher would net about £100. It would not pay a publisher to allow the sales of the book to reach 2000 copies, as under those circum- stances he would only make a small amount com- pared with what he would have made had he sold only 1450, as the author’s royalty of 10 per cent. is payable from the beginning if the sales go beyond the agreed number. It is absolutely essential in all agreements which are likely to work satisfactorily that the interests of both parties should run together. Here, however, under this clause the interest of the publisher is opposed to that of the author. There are one or THE AUTHOR. two minor points in this clause which should be avoided, but they are of such small importance compared with the main issue that comment will be omitted. In clause 4 the author should have a right to purchase at a valuation. It has been often pointed out that many of the copies may not be in a fit state and the stereo plates may be worn out. It is a fair thing to both the publisher and the author that a valuer should be appointed. In the latter part of the clause the author is practically not entitled to any moneys on the sale of the remainder, as, firstly, the blank is filled up with the number 1500, as in clause 3; and, secondly, the additional words have been added “at the ordinary trade sale price.” The words, “the ordinary trade sale price ” have been inserted as if the trade sale price was well known and easily ascertainable. Here again it has frequently been pointed out that trade price varies enormously, and there are as many as ten to fifteen different ways of selling to retailers. It would be very easy to show, therefore, that the number of copies required had not been sold at the ordinary trade price. The result of this clause, with the rest of the financial part of the agreement, is that the author will receive nothing and the publisher will have the power of making £120 or £130 over and above the cost of production and advertisement without having to account to the author for any of the amounts received. The account clause (clause 5) is also an extra- ordinary clause, as it enables the publisher to retain the author’s money, if the author is lucky enough to get any, for at least nine months. If the book was published in March accounts will be rendered in August, and the publisher will only be bound to pay on a personal application by the author in the February following. This form of account clause is another way by which the pub- lisher is able to obtain a further profit from the sales of the book. In clause 6 the author is responsible for all corrections. Of course, the words “other than printers’ errors” should be inserted. Otherwise there might be no end to the claim of the printer. It is needless to state, after the above com- ments, that both from the financial and other points of view this agreement affords a startling example of what is unfair as between author and publisher. It is also needless to add that the author entered into it without proper advice. IV.—Tue Resurrection Man. The following letter was sent to the Hditor of this paper. He communicated it to Sir Martin jg a ew OS  THE AUTHOL. Conway. It was by him sent to the Z'imes, where it was published with comments : Cable Address Correspondents will please Pablishers’ ‘“ Writewell”’ give their full Post Office Editors’ New York. Address in each letter and Correspondents Authors’ in The Agency Canada, Paris Associated International Press and Vienna, Cair > and Exchange Capetown Literary Syndicate Calcutta New York and London Melbourne 114, Pifth-avenue, New York, Sept. 15, 1899. The Editor, the ——, Nassau-street, New York City. Attractive Kipling Material. Dear Sir,—We offer for use in your paper 81 articles by Rudyard Kipling, as enclcsed list. If you ran one of the pieces each day you would possess @ feature which would prove enormously popular, and in addition have 81 days’ service, with their exclusive use in New York State. By doing this you would secure the privileges of what, for newspaper purposes, would be of equal benefit of copy- right to you, as no one else possesses a complete set, and, owing to the fact that Kipling has not reproduced the pieces, they are (having been written before he was known) practi- cally new to the public. We question very much whether it is possible for any person to procure a complete collection under 15,000 to 20,000 dollars. The 81 pieces cover a period of 14 years, 1881-94. A special interest is attached to many of the earlier poems and articles, on account of the publication this autumn of “Stalky and Co.’ A large number were written during Kipling’s attendance (1879-82) at the United Services College in Devonshire, the ecene of the “ Stalky ”’ stories. All of the pieces are in English, notwithstanding the occasional Latin titles in the list. The pieces are from several sources, all of which have been authenticated. We may mention that one privately printed pamphlet (Lyrics 1881), the whole contents of which are included here, recently sold at auction in London for $675.00. Another, a magazine (United Services College Journal) containing contributions by Kipling (all of which are here included), sold for $505.00 at auction. Some of the other poems represent Kipling’s share in another privately printed booklet, issued in 1884 (Echoes), a copy of which recently changed hands at $500.00. We have to ask your immediate decision. Yours very truly, THe DIRECTORS. pe TABLES OF ROYALTIES. ABLES showing the meaning of royalties have been presented from time to time in The Author. They must be repeated from time to time because they are easily mislaid and always forgotten. An average 6s. book is taken, the cost of which, including advertising, is about £150 for an edition of 3000 copies. It may be a little less or a little more, but the figures rey resent an average cost. Now the following tables give the amounts VOL. X. 143 per volume due to author and publisher respec- tively—not taking thirteen as twelve :— Per cent. ...... | | | 5 | te | 15 | 20 a5 | 90 | 35 . d.\s. d.|s. d.|s. d.|s. d. . a. oa Author........| 38] 74| rogir 281 6 h gz2 1f je ee Pablisher ...... 2 agi 103) 731 381 0 82 48 But should the book run through the second edition, the cost is reduced to about 8d. So far, the author has only begun to understand this difference, and the bookseller not at all. Now, we have the following table for the second edition : Per eee 1 to. | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 Author ...<:\.; 38| 7 103) 2%1 6 iI gfi2 1% Publisher ...... 2 682 Ae 4 |r og) 8% But some publishers try on the “ deferred. ” royalty, which is to begin a royalty after a certain number of copies have been sold. In this case the sale of 500 copies would about pay for the cost, supposing only so many were bound. Suppose, however, the whole were bound in the prospect of a large sale. And suppose the publisher asked for goo copies before beginning @ royalty. He begins, therefore, the royalty with 2100 copies which cost him nothing. He has, therefore, 3s. 6d. clear on every copy, out of which has to come the royalty. Per cent. ...... (= | to | 1S | 20.) 26 | 30 | 35 god: e d.|s. d.\s. d. is. d.|s. d. is. d. Author ......... | a 7s 103) 261 6 |r 82 1k oe —— =|— Publisher ...... |g 28/2 108/2 73\2 382 0 |r 8alr 48 So that if there is to be any equality, the royalty must begin with 30 per cent. on the pub- lished price of 6s. In such a deferred royalty the comparative shares of the author and the publisher are as follows, on a sale of 3000 copies:— The publisher takes— 1. The value of 900 copies, out of which he has to pay the cost of production. 2. The value of 2100 copies, less the royalty to the author, which is at 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 per cent. respectively, £63: £94 I0s.: £126: £157 ros.: and £189. And the publisher would receive on a royalty of 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 per cent. respectively, the sums of £304 10s.: £273: £241 148.: £214 108.: and £178 10s. P  144 These figures should be very carefully con- sidered. Of course, it may be said that the whole edition may not be sold. Thatis true. Take, for example, a case where only 600 copies were sold, with a royalty of 15 per cent. There would be no more copies bound than were wanted. The cost of an edition of 1000 copies, of which 600 only were bound, with a small sum of £10 spent on adver- tising, would be about £65. The author would receive £27: the publisher about £13. In these calculations the Press copies are not counted, because it was estimated at the Pub- lishers’ Congress, where a good many things “came out” that some would have wished con- cealed and that others had denied publicly, that the “ overs ” average 2 per cent., or on an edition of 3000, sixty—quite enough for Press and presenta- tion copies. In applying these figures authors must be careful to remember that the assumed edition is 3000: that the number of sheets is ten at thirty- two pages each, and that, roughly, each sheet, without counting, binding or advertising, costs about £7 10s. 6d.: that the binding may be done at 33d. a copy: and that advertising does not include advertising in the publisher’s own organs or “ exchanges,”’ which cost him nothing. Secs PARIS NOTES. 5, rue Chomel, Paris. READER of Zhe Author recently wrote me a propos of M. Adolphe Brisson and “Portraits Intimes.” Having unfortu- nately mislaid the letter containing my corre- spondent’s name and address, I take this oppor- tunity of supplying the information he desires, with apologies for the delay. M. Adolphe Brisson occupies a prominent posi- tion among the leading French critics and writers of the present day. He is the brother of M. Jules Brisson, editor of the Annales, and son-in-law of the late regretted Francisque Sarcey, at whose death it was truly said that “it was not merely a man but an epoch that had disappeared.” As a man, he can scarcely, perhaps, lay claim to the sterling moral worth which distinguished his father-in-law, but his writings are undoubtedly superior in elegance of finish and polish. Rapidly to seize and individualise detail is the pre- rogative of the French writer; and “ Portraits Intimes” appear to me to give the strongest evi- dence of M. Brisson’s superlative talent in this respect. In them he has elevated the profession of interviewing toa fineart, and the moral and physical THE AUTHOR. traits of the innumerable personages he interviews are conscientiously reproduced with masterly skill and inexorable fidelity to nature. This prince of literary “ kodaks” gives us no flat commonplaces, no meagre banalities; but a graphic delineation of the original. From which it will be seen that I have a genuine admiration for M. Adolphe Brisson—in print. The work in question was issued in a series of four separate volumes, of which the last appeared in the beginning of the present year. Its three predecessors are unfortunately out of print; but the fourth volume is still in circulation,and may be obtained from Messrs. Armand Colin et Cie, 5, rue de Méziéres. It deals with a score of contempo- rary celebrities, including MM. Henri Lavedan, Georges Courteline, Paul Deschanel, Ernest Legouvé, Yann Nibor, de Bargy, &e. My own impression is that a translation would prove interesting to the literary English public; but the Reading Branch of the Authors’ Society would be the best authorities on this subject. The fourth volume, which —like each of the series—is complete in itself, contains 372 pages, in eighteen jésus, and is divided into thirty-eight chapters. Its published price is 3 frs. 50. A Popuuar UNIVERSITY. It is always pleasant to record the successful inauguration of a good work, the realisation of the dream of a humble philanthropist. The “Université populaire,” newly established in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, owes its existence to a humble typographer, George Deherme by name —whose absorbing desire was to obtain for those of his own class the benefits of the higher educa- tion monopolised by the wealthy. Deherme possessed no means beyond his daily wage, no influence beyond that which a superior mind invariably exercises over its fellows. But, remembering, possibly, one of his own com- patriots’ adaptation of the famous phrase: “The written word is merely the breath of thought, yet, nevertheless, it is the thought made universal which stirs the universe,” he commenced opera- tions by founding a small monthly review (February, 1896) entitled La Coopération des Idées, which he composed, printed, and edited himself. His idea, thus made in some sort universal, was warmly supported by the poorer literary public and the people itself. In 1898 modest premises were hired in the rue Paul-Bert, and a series of evening lectures on literature, art, science, medicine, sociology, poetry, philosophy, &c., were inaugurated. Students, teachers, doctors, pastors and workmen flocked round the poor printer, and generously gave their services gratuitously whenever aid was required. Nor  THE AUTHOR. were these the only volunteers—for among the names of the first lecturers we find those of Jules Lernina, Max Nordau, and Paul Desjardins. The lack of space and suitable accommodation greatly impeded the progress of the new work, Finally, 12,000 francs were subscribed, by means of which the “ Société des Universités populaires ” founded its first university a few weeks ago in the back of an old house in the Faubourg Sainte- Antoine. Its premises consist of a small theatre adjoining a lecturing hall, a “ salle de jeux ” anda “musée du soir.”” Those who wish to participate in the benefits offered by the ‘‘ University popu- laire” must sign a “ bulletin d’adhésion ” and pay the small sum of fivepence monthly. This tiny fee, in addition to a free entrance to the nightly lectures, also entitles the member to admission to the “salle de jenx,’ and all dramatic entertain- ments. The programme of lecturers for the present month includes the names of several well- known literary men; and the “sujets de con- férence” are duly advertised in the morning papers. Dumas anp M. Bovurecer. The librairie Plon has just issued the first volume entitled “Essais de Psychologie Con- temporaine,” of its promised complete edition of the work of M. Paul Bourget. It comprises ten studies, respectively dealing with Baudelaire, Renan, Flaubert, Taine, Stendhal, Dumas Jils, Leconte de Lisle, les Goncourt, Tourgueneff, and Amiel. In the present edition the author has added an appendix to each essay. His “souvenirs personnels” of Alexandre Dumas /i/s are especially interesting. The latter steadily discouraged M. Bourget’s tendency to unduly develop his analytic talent—the “ manie d’analyse” as the offender himself phrases it. On one oceasion Dumas remarked: ‘“ You have the same effect upon me as a man of whom I ask the time, and who draws out his watch and breaks it before me in order to show me how the spring worked!” Plain speaking, assuredly, but a com- parison not lacking in salutary truth. On another occasion, alluding to the extraordi- narily conscientious and arduous method of com- position adopted by Flaubert, he observed: “Cdtait un géant. qui abattait une fortt pour fabriquer une boite” —then gravely added— “The box is perfect, but it has truly cost too dear.” The weary hopelessness which oppressed his later years is painfully evident in the following extract from a letter, written shortly before his death: “Je me suis remis a la ‘ Route de Thébes,’ mais je n’en vois pas la fin et je crains bien de ne li voir jamais. L/enthousiasme et l’emballement von. X. 145 n’y sont plus. Je sais bien ce que je veux dire, mais je me répete sans cesse: a quot bon dire quelque chose? La vérité est que j’en sais trop long sur la nature humaine !” “Tf,” says M. Paul Bourget, “ Dumas had been only an artiste, the definite triumph of his esthétique and works would have filled him with all the joys of a satisfied pride.” He was aware of the impression he had made on the literature of his native land; but unhappily ‘son ambition avait ¢t¢ plus haute.” Nature had framed him to be an actor “au premier plan” in the drama of life, but Fate intervened and made him merely a reporter in the side scenes. M. Zoua. The second volume of ‘‘Choses Vues,” by Victor Hugo, edited by M. Paul Meurice, and the “ Bécondité” of M. Emile Zola, rank high among the noteworthy publications of the month. The former was published simultaneously in Paris, London, and New York; and the latter has, I understand, been already fully noticed in the English papers. It is the first of a four-volume series entitled “Les Quatre Evangiles,” and is a kind of prose epithalamium in honour of the Divine command, “Be fruitful and multiply,” given to man at the creation of the world. Its raison détre is the steady depopulation of France, and the growing repugnance of the modern generation—the feminine portion, at least—to incur the cares and expense involved by the upbringing of a large family. Some of the scenes depicted are repulsive and harrowing : nevertheless, the book contains much fine writing. In short, it possesses the family traits, the chronic faults and virtues, which characterise almost all the works of that modern Quixote, Emile Zola— “ amant passioné et brutal de la vérité.” Current Frencn LITERATURE. M. Jules Soury has just published two enormous volumes, entitled “Le Systtme nerveux central.” According to the Figaro, this monumental achieve- is one of vast importance, since it is the most com- plete treatise on the functions of the human brain that has ever yet been produced. The twentieth volume of the Voyage en France series, by M. Ardouin Dumazet, has likewise appeared this month (chez Beger-Levrault), and has been warmly welcomed in geographical circles. It deals with the most curious and least known portion of ancient France—viz., the Noyonnais, Soisson- nais, Thi¢rachie, Porcien, Champagne de Reims et de Chalons, and Ardennes districts ; and is written throughout in an interesting and lucid style, being a successful attempt to popularise a knowledge of the topography and resources of their native 29 i" 146 THE country among the rising generation of French- men. Nor must we omit to mention the amusing “Humour et Humoristes,’ of M. Paul Acker (chez Simonis Empis), which deals with upwards of two dozen boulevard celebrities, to wit—MM. Georges Courteline, Jules Renard, Alphonse Allais, Alfred Capus, Georges Auriol, Pierre Veber, Tristan Bernard, &c.—the first-named of whom recently returned from Brussels to assist personally at the benefit given at the Odéon, in aid of the causes de secours of the Associations des journalistes républicains et des journalistes Parisiens—being an honoured member of both these societies. A BovnevarD CELEBRITY. Indeed, M. Courteline has no reason to complain of a lack of appreciation on the part of his con- temporaries. He is the enfant gdte of the Parisian Press, and the reports of his vagaries forin an inexhaustible theme of amusement to the general public. He has taken M. Brisson into his con- fidence respecting the difficulties he experienced in evading the “ palmes académiques ” that a too grateful director desired to impose on him. Not- withstanding this—and the remarkable adroitness with which he has succeeded during the last fifteen or twenty years in evading the official duties that interfered with his literary aspirations— a benevolent Ministry insisted on decorating this small, nineteenth-century Molicre, author of such inimitably comic masterpieces as “ Boubouroche,” “Ronds de Cuir,” “ Peur des Coups,” “ Gaietés de Vl’Escadron,”’ ‘“ Client Sérieux,’” ‘“ Théodore cherche des Allumettes,” &c. His physiognomy is droll; and, when mounted on the bicycle he adores, one of his colleagues has assured us that M. Georges Courteline presents ‘“ une silhouette qui vaut de lor!” Busy DRAMATISTS. The remainder of the fraternity of dramatic authors are all under arms. M. Bergerat is writing a new play entitled “Madame,” which will be placed, when finished, at Mme. Sarah Bernhardt’s disposal. M. de Porto-Riche is hard at work on a five-act play entitled ‘“ Manon’”’ ; MM. Feydeau and Bilhaud are putting the finish- ing touches to “ La Galerie,” written to inaugurate 1900 at the Vaudeville; M. Marcel Prévost gives us a four-act play entitled “ Unis”; M. Brieux, “Nos Juges”; M. Abel Hermant, “Le Fau- bourg’’: Mme. Berthe Menotes, ‘“‘ Les Rayons X”’ ; while MM. Donnay, de Curel, and Edmond “Rostand are each reported to have a new play on hand. M. Paul Meurice is busily engaged at the Porte-Sainte-Martin theatre in superintending the rehearsals of his adaptation of ‘‘ Les Misér- AUTHOR. ables” of Victor Hugo; while M. Porel, director of the Vaudeville, is about to perform a some- what similar office for the “Chandelier” of Musset. InterEstTine Hovsszs. Two dwellings, dear to all lovers of literature, are now advertised as awaiting tenants. The one is the small hotel in the rue de Douai, occupied by Francisque Sarcey for almost thirty years ; and the other is the suite of apartments, at 76 rue d’Assas, so long inhabited by the Michelets. The furniture left by the widow of the great historian will likewise shortly be sold, minus a few relics distributed by the family as souvenirs. The brother of Mme. Michelet has entrusted M. Gabriel Monod of the Institute with the task of arranging and classifying the Michelet papers ; hence the publication in the Grande Revue of the private journal of M. and Mme. Michelet. In accordance with the instructions of his deceased sister, M. Mialaret has presented the town of Montauban with about a hundred documents, pictures, objets dart, &c. The Musée Carnavalet has received the “ grand bureau de travail” of the historian in addition to two portraits—the one representing Michelet enfant, the other Mme. Michelet. “Figures Contemporaines,” is the title of M. Jules Delafosse’s latest work, a remarkably brilliant and able analysis of five modern historical personages, viz., Comte de Chambord, Napoleon IIL., Gambetta, Bismarck, and Léon XIII. Of the second he says: ‘“ Napoleon III. fut un idéaliste égaré sur le trone. so C’est du méme cceur qu'il s’intéressait a l’émanci- pation des peuples, futurs rivaux de la France, et i l’émancipation des travailleurs qui allaient bientOt renverser son tréne et bruler les Tuileries.’ This work has justly attracted attention. The much talked of Chanson de Jehanne Dare, of M. Clovis Hugues, has been received by the crities with a chorus of panegyric. Space will not allow us to give any quotations from this lengthy poem, or do more than cite the titles of the following works: ‘(La Dame du lac,” by M. Pierre Gauthiez (chez Ollendorf) ; “Les Roses de Kerné,” by M. A. Paban (librairie Maisonneuve) ; “Joachim Pecci,’ by Henry des Houx; “ La Graine Humaine,” by Emile Goudeau; “ Clio,” by Anatole France; and “Le Baiser,” by Nonce Casanova. Darracotte £corr. Oe  THE NOTES AND NEWS. BEG to call attention to the letter of Mr. Robert MacLehose in another part of this paper. The subject is of the greatest im- portance to everybody concerned. It is not to be supposed that in so vital a part of the administra- tion of their property authors are going to have no voice. But in the interests of the booksellers, most of whom do think that they see a way of salva- tion by coercion, the decision ot the Committee to let them make a fair trial of the plan seems the best thing to do. It also appears that some of the booksellers look forward to a considerable extension of the net system. To me it certainly seems as if certain things had better be left alone. To meddle with that extremely doubtful form of property, the 6s. book, now sold at 4s. 6d., would be a very unwise policy. It is the most profit- able book that publsihers have, whatever agree- ment is accepted by the author. For most of the books published at 6s. the price is too high. With a very little mismanagement and meddling the 6s. book will tumble headlong to the ground like its predecessor who went forth at a nominal 31s. 6d. The net system will have one result : the revision of all royalties. A table is given in this number showing the meaning of royalties. Another will be given in the next number showing how the net system affects the figures. LT wish that writers would study these figures and apply them more to their own case. One man cannot understand figures: another is in the hands of an agent: a third— this is very common—has “no fault to find with his publisher ”—and this without the least attempt to understand the nature of the agreement. I never hear these complaints about auy other kind of figures. No one acknowledges that he is too foolish to understand what rent he can afford to pay: what rent or dividend he receives from other property : what he can afford in this or that direction. Why, then, does he affect not to understand the very simple figures which apply to the management of his literary property ? Why do we not issue draft agreements— “Equitable,” of course —as a counterblast to those of our friends the publishers, to whom we are indebted for a new interpretation of the word “ Equitable,” an enrichment of the language? Henceforth let the word Equitable be illustrated in dictionaries by extracts from the “ Draft Agreements.” The chief reason for not being in any hurry about advancing our own draft agree- ments is the fact that there is always some new AUTHOR. 147 danger discovered: something previously unsus- pected to guard against. For instance, a corre- spondent (p. 157) calls attention to the fact that while an agreement generally assigns to a pub- lisher the right to publish during the legal term of copyright, it does not bind him to do what he ean to advance the book during that term, or any part of it, so that in most cases the publisher’s work for the book is over after a year or 80, and the book is taken off his list. Now, when this is done, it is certainly a confession that the pub- lisher does not consider that the book has any further chance. Therefore, the author ought to ‘nsert a clause allowing him to get back the plates at some part of their value whenever the annual sale of the book has fallen below a certain number. Another point is, that an agreement must be> considered a personal matter between author and’ publisher, in which the latter has no right of transfer. This should be made clear in the agreement. Some time ago I hoped to raise this question and to bring it before the courts. I learned that two books of my own were being transferred from one publisher to another with- out any permission asked or obtained from myself, I therefore wrote to the first publisher asking by: what right he proposed to execute this transfer : and I instructed my solicitors to write to the. second publisher stating that if they attempted. to sell my books an injunction would be asked for. There was no fight, however. The first publisher had no defence, and the second pub- lisher offered no resistance. I recovered my two books, one of which has now gone into another,. fourth, edition, while the other will be reprinted when I have time to revise it. I mention this. little episode because it shows the necessity of watchfulness, and affords a proof that an agree-~ ment that does not give the book to publishers assigns is a personal contract only. The lady who writes under the name of “ Ouida”’ is allowed, from time to time, to have a fling all round in things literary. In_ the November number of the Fortnightly she had such a fling. First she reviled the Society of Authors—“ an association for the multiplication and publication of inferior works” !! This poor Society—and it has never had anything whatever to do with pub- lication! Then she reviles the Literary Agent, to whom is “due, probably, in part the enormous increase in the issue of rubbish of all kinds.” Poor Literary Agent! Alas! He cannot get any rubbish published at all: his hands are tied: he can only succeed in placing MSS. by writers in demand. 148 Then “ Ouida” grows eloquent over the “ appal- ling” increase of the output. Of course she has no conception whatever—none of those who write so glibly of the enormous output have any con- ception—of the enormous literary market. They still think that the publishing of books means purveying to a little body of critical readers such as existed when the Edinburgh Review was first started. Now who is “appalled” by the thou- sands of volumes annually printed? Not the general reader, who is not in the least concerned, and goes on reading what he likes. Not the writer of reputation, who is not moved to change his style, nor does he lose his clientele, though the output is increased by thousands. Not the book- seller, who does not attempt to “stock” these thousands. Not the publisher, who, if the books did not pay, would not issue them. It seems to me that the only person who is likely to be appalled is the reviewer, and that only because by a bad tradition he tries to notice in half inches all the books that come out. The literary value of good books, the reputation of English litera- ture, is not in the slightest degree affected by the appearance of many thousands of books that are rubbish. The rubbish dies: the good books survive. “ Ouida” touches on many other subjects. One will suffice. She says that there is no protection against swindling in literature — she means plagiarising—or against libels. There are the courts of law. But, she says, there is the “odious publicity.” Precisely—justice must be public—it is essential that a court of justice must be public. If people are afraid to stand up in open ccurt and give evidence they must, of course, suffer from libels and all kinds of things. As regards an accusation of plagiarism which she brings against an unnamed writer there is this to be said. If “Ouida” had been a member of the Society of Authors she might have laid the case before the Committee: if the case was what she describes it, the committee would certainly have fought it as a test case at no expense or loss to her. But, unhappily, “Ouida” calls the Society “chiefly an association for the multiplica- tion and publication of inferior works.” WALTER Besant. ee THE AUTHOR. GOOD BOOK OR BAD? R. AUGUSTINE BIRRELL, Q.C., de- livered the inaugural lecture at the Edinburgh Philosophical Institution on Nov. 7, on the question “ Is it possible to tell a good book from a bad one?” The following report of the address is reproduced here by per- mission, first of the lecturer himself and next of the editor of the Scotsman : A good book, he said, could be known from a bad one by the exercise of a discriminating faculty called Taste. If they asked the man in the street what Taste was, the only answer they were likely to get was that “tastes differ,” or “what is one man’s meat is another man’s poison,” or “all is grist that comes to my mill”—all most discourag- ing replies. Nor would it be wise to minimise the differences of taste ; they were most real. The truth was obvious. They all hated fustian and affectation, but were he to have such bad taste as to inquire whether that popular novelist Mr. A. B. ever wrote anything but fustian, and whether the style of Mr. C. D. had any savour of affectation, he should excite angry passions. In the realm of morals they might believe with the great Bishop Butler that there was in every man a superior principle of reflection or conscience which passed judgment upon himself, which, without being consulted, without being advised with, magis- terially exerted itself and approved or condemned accordingly. In the region of the exact sciences among a thousand different opinions which diffe- rent men might entertain of the same subject there was one, and but one, that was just and true. But who would dare to lay down the law about the life of a book, and 3 et who could doubt that in the realm of beauty there was a reign of law, a superior principle of reflection, magisterially asserting itself on every fit occasion, Speaking for himself, he cculd wish for nothing better apart from moral worth than to be the owner of a taste which should enable him to appreciate real excellence in literature and art, and to depre- ciate bad intentions and feeble execution wherever he saw them. To be for ever alive to merit in poem or in picture, in statue or in bust; to be able to distinguish between the grand, the gran- diose, and the merely bumptious ; to perceive the boundary between the simplicity which was divine and that which was ridiculous, between gorgeous rhetoric and vulgar ornamentation, between pure and manly English, meant to be spoken or read, and sugared phrases which seemed intended like lollipops for suction; to feel himself going out in joyful admiration for what was noble and perma- nent, and freezing inwardly against whatever was 150 These figures, which may be taken as fairly correct, are very striking, both as to the place which the high-class magazine occupies as a source of income; next, as to the general manage- ment of the magazines; and thirdly, as_ to certain conditions in the literature of special subjects. It is evident that under the most favourable circumstances, that of having contributed five papers in one year, nothing approaching an income can be derived from these magazines. Five-sixths of the whole number of contributors sent in one article each. The magazines, there- fore, are not supported by their contributors with a view to their personal profit and gain. If we ask who the contributors are, one can only reply with an analysis very incomplete, because most of the writers are personally unknown to me. The incomplete classification, however, in which there is some overlapping, is as follows :— I. Well-known men and women of letters II. Medical men and lawyers (but there are many lawyers in other sections) 8 HE Protessors..7,.0.0000.. 12 Ly. Journalists 28 Vo Poliigans. on Wie Divinés) ee, 26 Wil Peers 10 VIII. Writers on matters of Social Economics, Hinance, &. 0 a soe. The Berrios, XM Whe Colonies... 7 XT. Art, Archeology, and History (but many included in the first section)... 6 This accounts for 219 out of the 648. Without consulting books and people I am not able to classify the remaining 429. Probably the proportions would be about the same when all were accounted for. We have, therefore, an army of between six and seven hundred writers contributing every year to these magazines. They are paid for their work: but if they are literary people by profes- sion, the amount thus made is extremely small. Their real source of income is another question. Enough in this place to show that it is not the magazine. The next point is the light which this list and its analysis throw upon the management of the magazine. It is evident that the conductors are determined that their pages shall not become the happy hunting grounds of any writers : they will have variety, not only of subject but of writers. There are, indeed, plenty of warnings in the past —even in the present—of the fatal effects of allowing any one writer, or set of writers, to 47 THE AUTHOR. appear over and over again. That magazine which falls into this error speedily shows signs of decay. There is never any lack of subjects in these days of invention, research, discovery, and theory. The object of the editor is to find for every subject the one man most capable of writing upon it: to give him a free hand: and to put his name to the paper. The editor born to the work gets, somehow, to know all the men who have authority to speak on any subject. You may recognise the true editor by the selection of his men as well as his subjects. You may also recognise the true editor by the practical nature of his subjects. It is the practical subject which attracts the reader. If you want to kill your maga- zine, fill it with literary papers—‘ apprecia- tions” of dead writers, critical papers on bygone work—there are hundreds of pens ready to write as many of these papers as they can get accepted. That way lies destruction. At the same time such an occasional paper, by one of the very few masters in criticism, is acceptable and useful. To sum up, the conduct of two or three, at least;” of these magazines is remarkable for the practical ability displayed and the success which has attended the editor’s policy. And there are two or three whose decay is due to the absence of any policy except that of picking the best out of a bagful of casual articles. : One more point comes out with great clearness. The useful “ general” hand, the man-of-all-work in literature, is disappearing. knowledge and research there are men who can write while they work. To these men the papers on their own special work are confided. the literary man turned his hand to anything, and wrote on all subjects. This change may not only be observed in the magazines: it is also remarkable in the nzwspapers. Every great newspaper, like every great magazine, has already its specialists, men or women, who do not belong to the daily staff, but write when they are invited to do so, when the occasion seems to require their services. In every way this is great gain: even the man of letters, though he loses all this work, gains in being forced to become himself a specialist; and as regards the magazines, he no longer lives as he lived in the last century, by writing for them on all subjects, but when a subject on which he is an authority comes to the front he can write upon it for one of these magazines, which give him a not unwelcome cheque, and what is worth many In every branch of . Formerly _ cheques—the reputation of being an authority on : the subject. Writing for the magazines, therefore, which has been discussed by some of our correspondents, cannot be considered as a source of income as  THE AUTHOR. pretentious, wiredrawn, and temporary — this indeed was to taste of the fruit of the tree, once forbidden, of the knowledge of good and evil. But this was simply to extol what had not yet been proved to be attainable. He thought the best definition of good taste was Burke’s, given by him in the treatise on the “ Sublime and Beautiful.” He wrote: “I mean by the word taste no more than that faculty or those faculties of the mind which are affected with, or form a judgment of, the works of imagi- nation and the elegant arts. The cause of a wrong taste is a defect of judgment, and this may arise from a natural weakness of the under- standing, or, which is much more commonly the case, it may arise from a want of proper and well- directed exercise, which alone can make it strong and ready. It is known that the taste is improved exactly as we improve our judgment, by extending our knowledge, by a steady attention to our object, and by frequent exercise; they who have not taken these methods, if their taste decides quickly, it is always uncertainly, and their quick- ness is owing to their presumption and rashness, and not to any hidden irradiation that in a moment dispels all darkness from their minds.” To Burke’s statement that the cause of a wrong taste was defect of judgment he must add that nobody came into this world with a ripe judg- ment. They were as likely to be born with silk hats on their heads as with good taste implanted in their breasts. To go wrong was natural; to go right was discipline. If they would possess good taste they must take pains about it. They must study models, they must follow examples, they must com- pare methods, they must crucify the natural man. The best way of telling a good book from a bad one was to make themselves as well acquainted as they could with some of the great literary models. They must be possessed, too, of a7sound understanding if they were even to know a good book from a bad one. Without under- standing, without the happy mixture of strong sense and delicacy of sentiment, they would fail to discover amid the crowd and crush of authors the difference between the good and the bad. They would belong to the class who preferred Cleveland to Milton, Montgomery to Keats, Moore to Wordsworth, and Tupper to Tennyson. Understanding might be got. By taking thought they could add to their intellectual stature. Delicacy might be acquired. Good taste was worth striving after. To tell a good book from a bad one, then, was a troublesome job, demanding first a strong understanding, second, some know- ledge, the result of study and comparison, and third, a delicate sentiment. If they had some 149 measure of these gifts, which, though in part the gift of the gods, might also be acquired and could always be improved, and could avoid prejudice —political prejudice, social prejudice, religious prejudice, irreligious prejudice, the prejudices of the place where they could not help being born, the prejudices of the university whither chance sent them, all the prejudices that came to them by way of inheritance, and all the prejudices picked up on their own account—if they could give all these the slip and manage to live just a little above the clouds and mists of their own generation, why then, with luck, they might be right nine times out of ten in their judgment of a dead author, and ought not to be wrong more frequently than perhaps three times out of seven in the case of a living author, for it was indeed a very difficult thing to tell a good book from a bad one. Dec ON WRITING FOR THE MAGAZINES. HERE has been some talk in these columns | on the subject of writing to the magazines, as a branch of the literary life and a source of income. Ihave felt some doubts as to how far the magazines of the better class offer any sub- stantial increase of income to their writers, and I have now caused an inquiry to be made into the __ subject.7 The result will be found, I think, interesting. I directed my inquiry to be made into the following magazines: the Contemporary, the Nineteenth Century, the Fortnightly, the National, the Westminster, the Cornhill, the Temple Bar, Longman’s, and Macmillan’s. By an oversight, which I regret, I did not include the Pall Mall Magazine. I deliberately excluded. the American magazines because most of their contributors are Americans. Nor did I include the lighter magazines, of which three in the list above may be taken as specimens. Blackwood 1 excluded because its articles are, I believe, mostly unsigned. Perhaps it would have been as well had I kept to the first five magazines only. However, I directed the preparation of a list giving the names of all the contributors to the above magazines for the twelve months—Dec. 1898 to Nov. 1899, both inclusive. Without counting the anonymous papers, there were 648 different contributors during that period. Out of this number, excluding the serials, four con- tributed five articles each to the various maga- zines; eight contributed four articles each ; twenty-four contributed three articles ;. ninety- eight contributed two articles—the rest, 514 im number, contributed one article each.  the vast unity of art. THE regards the high-class magazines. Those which appeal to a wider and a lower body of readers may be considered on another occasion. W. B. ec — MR. W. E. TIREBUCK ON BOOK CRITICISM. “ () the question of literary art serious need exists for caution, as the most conflicting confusion prevails amongst authors and critics,’ said Mr. W. E. Tirebuck, in a lecture before the Teachers’ Guild in Liverpool. In support of his contention Mr. Tirebuck quoted from a few of the classic writers, and also the views of many critics. Such consummate literary artists as Hazlitt, Russell Lowell, Fielding, Thackeray, George Sand, and Ruskin had _ ex- pressed conflicting opinions upon the two definite qualities in art—the subject and the treatment of that subject ; the thought, and the character of the expression that particular thought received. He was convinced that no single definition of any man, however great, could fully define art ; for all achievements iu art soared from the individual to the universal, from the finite to the infinite, from the material to the spiritual. All art seemed to have been viewed too much in segments instead of as a whole; as if one judged all forests by a single tree; all seas by one particular wave ; or the universe by their own planet, the earth. Viewed as a whole must art be, and as impartially as they would view a scientific fact of life. As it had its gradations as a whole, so each branch of art—poetry, music, painting—had also its grada- tions of growth; and every phase of art, however simple, had its own justification for existence in They had no more right to regard one particular phase of one particular section of art as the only legitimate expres- sion of the mind of man, than they had the right to regard one particular section of science as the only section of scientific truth ; or to regard one sectarian form of universal religion as the only legitimate expression of man’s belief in God. In regard to a book, he suggested that they should first judge themselves as to what particular grade of literature they had a right to speak of. Some had a preference for history, and therefore they could perhaps better judge that than the quality of some new phase of poetry or of fiction. Granting that they could judge a given book, how out of all the vagueness of impression could anything definite be derived ? Art anp LIFE. He would suggest keeping the judgment clear upon the simple line that art was nothing more AUTHOR. 131 than expression. But an expression of what? Was it an expression of itself or of something else? He thought that originally it was an expression of something within a man or of something outside of him, and that though art as art had since then been elaborated into special importance by the self-consciousness of the painter, the composer, and the writer, it had never really had an existence absolutely its own, wholly sepa- rated from the utility of life. One conclusion always seemed to him to be that art was an expres- sion—a language—of man. Another complicated question was the quality of the expression, One depended on dramatic situation, and another on the analysis of character and the psychology of life, and it could not be questioned which of the phases was more legitimate in art as a whole. An author’s conception of a given fact in life was one thing, a reader’s perception of the author's render- ing of that fact might be something different. Each organism saw phenomena through the modi- fying medium of its own conditions. ‘There were no two individual expressions precisely alike, although there was one broad basis of art. The same complexity occurred in other arts. There was no finality in art or in the expression of faith or belief, such being subject even to the momentary revelation of truth. Was there, then, no standard of excellence, no ideal of perfection F Shakespeare, for instance, was a standard of excellence, but not necessarily a final ideal of perfection. Nor were Wordsworth, Shelley, Keats, Dickens, Thackeray, George Eliot, Macau- lay, Emerson, and Ruskin. But he was of opinion that some broad basis could be estab- lished upon which even the liberty of opinion could work with a consciousness of logic, upon definite points well in view, rather than with that semi-conscious confusion which confounded itself the more it spoke. Tur Conrusion oF CRITICS. When one critic condemned a book because of its themes, apart from the treatment, another condemned the same book for its treatment apart from its themes, while a third condemned both themes and treatment, together with another who pronounced the book a masterpiece, he was certain that it was a time that some clear basis should be formed to work upon, even though the basis be a good old-fashioned one. Any mind incapable of making this simple sepa- ration of subject and treatment, in painting, music, and literature, should frankly own that it had no right to sit in glib judgment upon subjects which made even the wisest modest, and the pro- foundest to hesitate and think. Moral purpose justified a very strong degree of realism. ‘The 52 THE AUTHOR. opinion of some was that art must not deal with questions of morals. That upward aspiration in the soul of man which more than anything had evolved art must not, forsooth, be expressed by art! This surely was the narrowest of versions of both life and art. Rather let them work upon the historical fact that as all life had affected all art, so all phases of art must in turn affect all phases of life for the continuous development of mankind. < THE BOOKSELLERS’ QUESTION. I.—Tue Brcinnine oF CoERCION. At a special general meeting of the Publishers’ Associa- tion, held at Stationers’ Hall on Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 14, Mr. John Murray, the president, in the chair, it was decided that the new scheme for dealing with net books should come into force on Jan. 1, 1900. The president informed the meeting that out of 1270 booksellers in the United Kingdom who had been askei1 to tiga an undertaking not to sell net books to the public at a discount, no less than 1106 had signed, and that among those who for various reasons had not signed were many who have never undersold net books, and who have no intention of doing so. This paragraph is taken from the Publishers’ Circular of Nov. 18. In accordance with the veport of the sub-committee (see The Author, June 1899), the Committee of this Society will not in any way interfere with this arrangement so long as the booksellers think it will be for their advantage. But the Committee will watch it with interest. The working of the scheme seems to be as follows :— The 1106 booksellers pledge themselves to sell at net prices, without discount, whatever books they are ordered to do. If they do not agree, or if they break their agreement, the Publishers’ Association will one and all refuse to let them have any other net books. It will be observed (1) that all the publishers have not joined the association: nor all the book- sellers: (2) that to the booksellers is left the detective work: (3) books which are not pub- lished at net prices are still open to all book- sellers: (4) that net books are at present chiefly high priced books: (5) that evasion of the agree- ment has been proved by experience to be possible in twenty different ways: (6) that the public are used to discount, and will certainly do their best to get it, and will give their sympathies to the discount booksellers. “Let the plan, however, since so many book- sellers want it, have a trial. In six months or so let us ask the 1106 booksellers what they have gained by the arrangement, and those who have stood out what they have lost. It will then, perbaps, become possible for the authors and the booksellers to take counsel. II. [By Mr. Ropert MacLenosz. | I have read with much interest the letters and notes written by yourself in The Author and else- where in reference to the ‘“ Discount Question,” and I gather from them and from the report of the sub-committee of the Authors’ Society, printed in the June number of The Author, that you and your committee are anxious to support the book- sellers in their efforts to improve their position, Your repeated insistence that a book is not pro- perly published until it is shown on booksellers’ counters has, I know, had a great effect; and I should very much like to see the weight of your influence thrown on the side of the recent agree- ment arrived at between publishers and book- sellers. From certain statements made in the report above referred to, and from notes of yours in the September number of The Author and your letters to the Daily Chronicle, I can see that some points bearing on the present position of affairs have not been brought before your notice. I venture, therefore, to place before you the follow- ing facts which may, perhaps, throw a little additional light on the matter. About two years ago a proposal was made that all booksellers should be compelled to agree not to give any discount on net books and to limit the discount on non-net books to 2d. in the shilling. This proposal was approved of by many of the leading publishers and was warmly welcomed by the great mass of booksellers in the country. It was, however, objected to by the Committee of the Authors’ Society and was ultimately abandoned. One of the chief objections made to the scheme by your committee was that it was too hard and fast, and allowed no option to the author to have his book placed on the market without any conditions. The Publishers’ Association, when they in- timated to the Booksellers’ Association that the scheme was abandoned, stated at the same time that they were prepared to consider any alterna- tive scheme submitted to them. Thereupon a new scheme, which was a modification of the original proposal, was prepared and, before being sent to the Publishers’ Association, was submitted to the various branches of the Booksellers’ Asso- ciation and to the Authors’ Society. This was approved of by these branches and by your Society and was ultimately sent to the Publishers’ Association. After careful consideration of it, the Publishers’ Association reported that they found it too complicated, and submitted to the Book- sellers’ Association the present agreement as an alternative and simpler scheme. The agreement ee ee ee  THE AUTHOR. was then sent in draft to the various branches of the Booksellers’ Association to be brought before their members. In all cases it was heartily approved of by the branches asa step in the right direction, and in the case of the Scottish branch, which I know more intimately than the others, the meeting of booksellers convened to consider the matter was the largest ever held in Scotland and was most cordial and enthusiastic. The draft agreement, after having thus been accepted by the Booksellers’ Association, was returned to the Publishers’ Association. But before finally adjusting the agreement, delegates from all the branches of the Booksellers’ Association were invited to meet the publishers in conference in London. ‘That the representa- tives of the various branches were hearty in their support of the scheme is shown by the fact that every delegate invited was present, and that members came specially to London from all parts of England, and from Edinburgh and Glasgow. On the day of the conference there were three meetings of booksellers: (1) Of the delegates alone; (2) of the delegates with the publishers ; (3) of the members of the Booksellers’ Associa- tion, at which the delegates were present. At all these meetings the agreement was cordially approved of; and it was left to the Publishers’ Association to have it submitted to counsel. Before the end of June the agreement was printed and signed by most of the firms belong- ing to the Publishers’ Association, and was sent to the individual booksellers for their signatures by the local secretaries of the various branches, along with two printed letters: (1) that signed by the presidents of the Publishers’ and the Book- sellers’ Associations, and (2) that signed by the local secretary. I enclose you a copy of the first of these letters, and of the local letter issued to the Scottish branch, which may serve as a speci- men. The agreement has now been signed by over 1100 booksellers, and Mr. Murray and Mr. Keay, the presidents of the two associations, are trying by friendly representations to induce the very small number of booksellers who have not yet signed, to do so. My reason for going over this “history ” in such detail is to show you that the agreement, while nominally emanating from the publishers, is in reality a concession to the wishes of the booksellers by the publishers, who recognise that with the welfare of the booksellers the own welfare is bound up. - In no sense is it the case that it is an agreement forced by the publishers on an unwilling body of booksellers. It is most important that this should be recognised, as it would be a fatal objection to the agreement or, deed, to any arrangement if it could be shown ’ 153 that it was in the interest of any individual class. The interests of the three classes—authors, pub- lishers, and booksellers, are one, and if the Authors’ Society were to support the scheme which has been approved of by the Publishers’ and the Booksellers’ Associations, it would, I am convinced, have a great influence on the public. In paragraphs 4 and 5 of your sub-committee’s report, printed in the June number of The Author, it is said (paragraph 5) : «There ought to be preserved a margin of 25 per cent., that is to say, the profit to the book- sellers on the sale of a book should be at least 20 per cent. on the trade price of it.” With this the great majority of booksellers will, I have no doubt, heartily agree. But how is this to be reached? In paragraph 4 it is said: “They (the booksellers) can make terms for themselves, if they only agree among them- selves.” For years every effort has been made to bring about ‘such desirable mutual agreement. The Booksellers’ Association has established branches throughout the country, and by this means has aroused among the individual booksellers a fellow-feeling to an extent that never existed before. By the combined efforts of the Beok- sellers’ and the Publishers’ Associations the great majority of the booksellers of this country have signed the present agreement, and it is hoped that by friendly means the very small minority of objectors may be further reduced. But if these friendly means fail, there is no alternative left except some form of control. Strange as it may seem, it is a fact, that as things now stand, even if 99 per cent. of booksellers agree as to terms, such an agreement can be made of no avail jf one bookseller insists on under-selling his neighbours, and the question is, are we to allow the minority of one to control the majority of ninety-nine, or should the ninety-nine control the one? The Publishers’ and the Booksellers’ Associations believe in the latter alternative, and I hope you will agree that their decision is a wise one. By common consent it has been agreed that if the ‘principle of control be admitted, then the particular form of its application is a matter of minor concern. The present agreement, in which the principle of control is embodied, has been very carefully thought out, and the objections which have been suggested by different parties have been considered. The objection to the first scheme offered by the Authors’ Society, viz. that it gave to the author no option of having his book published without conditions, has been met. The present agreement only refers to net books, and if an author wished to have his book pub- 154 THE AUTHOR. lished without conditions, he can still have it so published as a non-net book. It will, thus, I think, be seen that the clause in the report of the Authors’ Society which says that “the committee of the Publishers’ Association have proclaimed that they will not allow, if they can prevent it, the creators and owners of literary property to have any voice in the administration of their affairs,” is scarcely accurate. Technically, it is true that the Authors’ Society have not been con- sulted about this agreement ; but practically they have been consulted in so far as their publicly expressed views have moulded the form of the agreement. Indeed, one of the recommendations made in the former report of your committee— viz., that a bookseller should be at liberty to take or not to take net books on net terms “ without interference with his liberty to do what he pleases with other books” (see report in June Author, par. 6) amounts to very much the same as the present agreement, which does not compel a book- seller to take net books at all, if he prefers to be without them, but only compels him, if he does take them, to sell them at net prices. The other chief objection to the present agree- ment is that it forbids the booksellers, but not the publishers, to sell net books at reduced rates to retail customers. This objection was considered by the delegates of the booksellers at their meeting in London prior to the conference with the publishers. It was then felt to be a delicate a question to bring up, as it seemed to imply a doubt of the honour of the members of the Publishers’ Association, which no one there present wished to impugn. It was, however, brought up at the conference, and it was left to the publishers to have the opinion of counsel taken on the matter. That opinion, as you know, was given in favour of leaving the agreement in its present form. Apart from any question as to the wisdom of this opinion, it is obvious that the signatures appended to the agreement bind those signing it to carry out the agreement, even though they might claim technical legal rights to break it in this respect; and at the conference the delegates were assured that the Publishers’ Asso- ciation would not tolerate that any of its members should underbid the bookseller in the sale of net books. There are other minor objections which have been brought against the scheme, with which I shall not take up your time. But if your Society can see its way to support the scheme in its main contentions, it will do much to remove any doubt as to the value of the agreement that may remain in the mind of the public. The scheme is only an experiment. If it proves a success, it will doubtless be carried further ; if it does not succeed, then at least we may feel that an earnest attempt has been made to arrest the decay of bookselling—a decay which you have often lamented as injurious to the spread of literature. Ihave thought it right to show this letter to Mr. Murray and Mr. Keay, the presidents of the Publishers’ and the Booksellers’ Associations. It has met with the approval of these gentlemen, and if you can see your way to insert it in The Author J shall feel greatly obliged. Glasgow, Oct., 1899. ——— II. It will be well to reprint the Report of the Sub-Committee on the Discount System adopted by the Committee of Management and published in the Author of June 1899 :— “ The circular dated March 1899, issued by the Publishers’ Association, contains a scheme for the “extension and the enforcement” of the net system. “The difference between the present scheme and that for 1897 is difficult to understand. By the former all books were to be sold at a net price; by the latter a more ‘general trial of the net system is advisable, especially in the case of books above 6s.’ It is not, however, stated that the trial is to be confined only to books above 6s. in price. Nothing is said in reply to the objec- tion to binding booksellers by restrictions un- recognised by law. The new scheme has been prepared by the com- mittee of the Publishers’ Association submitted to a general meeting of that body, adopted by that meeting, and referred to a meeting of pub- lishers and booksellers, without the least refer- ence to the creators and part owners of the property concerned. In other words, the committee of the Publishers’ Association have proclaimed that they will not allow, if they can prevent it, the creators and owners of literary property to have any voice in the administration of their own affairs. “TI. Your committee have been informed on good authority that the condition of many book- sellers at the present moment is so deplorable that they are ready to catch at any concession on any terms which may seem to offer relief. Under these circumstances your committee are not pre- pared to advise opposition to any scheme which the booksellers may think promising, even though the way proposed is beset with obvious objec- tions and dangers. “TIT. Your committee, therefore, while con- tinuing to protest against methods of coercion  Pele outa TILE which deprive a man of the right of doing what he pleases with his own, think it desirable to point out the true nature of the scheme and what its adoption will entail. “1. The booksellers will sign an obligation not to sell ‘books published by us ”’—certain pub- lishers—‘at net prices below the published price. Nothing is said here as to any limita- tion of net prices to high-priced books. The door is carefully left open for the inclusion of all books as net. Something was said in the publishers’ report, but this is not binding. Nothing binds except the exact words of the signed agreement. “ Nothing is said which forbids the publisher to sell at a reduced rate. He is thus free to under- bid the bookseller if he pleases, and to deprive him of the whole trade with local libraries, schools, and institutions. The bookseller, therefore, fetters himself while the publisher goes free. Is it to be believed that the publisher will not take alvan- tage of this liberty of action ? “ Nothing is said as to any time limitation. Does the bookseller bind himself for life ? “No improvement in the booksellers’ position is offered on books published at six shillings and under, i.e. on the bulk of his business ; that part on which he has to depend. “rt. If, however, high-priced books are only to be made net, what advantage will the bookseller gain in return for entering into this one-sided arrangement? Surely the advantages ought to be substantial. «Tet a book now published at 12s. be taken as an example : “By the present system the bookseller gets it at 8s. 1d. and sells it at 9s. “ By the new system he will get it at 7s. 11d. and sell it at 10s. «The advantage is therefore 1s. 2d.—a substan- tial gain on every copy. “On a 24s. book his advantage would be 2s. 4d. “Tf, therefore, a country bookseller should sell in the course of the year forty-eight copies of a 12s. book, he would gain £2 16s. ; twenty-four copies of a 248. book, he would gain £2 45.; twelve copies of a 36s. book, he would gain £2 2s. Yo that his increased profit on the year, after resigning the power of selling his own property in his own way, would only amount to £7 38. a year. Perhaps the demand for high-priced books ia the country is greater than these figures would show. They are submitted as tentative only. In any case it is certain that the sale of books at a high price is never very large, except in very excep- tional cases. It will be easy for any beokseller to go through his books and calculate for himself AUTHOR. 155 how much advantage he would gain in the year by this proposed change. “s11. The Publishers’ Association very wisely refuse to undertake the detective part of the scheme. That is left to brother booksellers. It will be an ungracious task. Let them ask themselves seriously how they will undertake it, and let them remember that without some method of supervision — same method which will create bitter animosities—the scheme cannot last. “yy, Evasion again is perfectly certain whenever the interests of the trade require it. Former experience shows that there area dozen ways of evasion, and that they will be practised. Restric- tions which ought not to be imposed, which are contrary to the liberty of the citizen, have always been evaded and always will—and that without reluctance so long as they are felt to be con- trary to the spirit of freedom. “«y, If, however, booksellers decide, in the face of these considerations, that the scheme can be worked, and that it will turn out to their advan- tage, your committee would not recommend that the Society should stand in their way. But they should agree to adopt the scheme fora limited period only ; they should boldly face the difficulty of providing the necessary supervision ; above all things they should insist on the publishers being bound not to undersell them; and they should make it clear that they sign only for books pub- lished at about 6s. “ At the end of the limited time the booksellers should be invited to confer with the authors as to the continuance, further development, or abolition of the scheme. “TV. Your committee would point out to the booksellers that, so far from being obliged to accept any terms that may be imposed upon them, they are in a perfectly independent position. They can make terms for themselves if they only agree among themselves. “VY. Your committee would point out, for the consideration of booksellers, that whatever arrangement be adopted, whether an extended net system for a term on the present arrange- ment, or any other, there ought to be preserved a margin of 25 per cent., that is to say, the profit to the booksellers on the sale of a book should be at least 20 per cent. on the trade price of it. “VI, Your committee would also repeat the recommendations made in their former report. These recommendations were adopted by the Committee of Management. They were also adopted by the Booksellers’ Association of Scot- land (see The Author, Aug. 1898, pp. 61 and 63). They were designed in order to give the net 156 system a fair trial without coercion. It was there proposed :— “(1.) That books at 6s. and under shall remain as before. “(2.) That, as at present, every net book shall be made the subject of a special contract, and that a bookseller shall be at liberty to take it on net terms or not, without interference with his liberty to do what he pleases with other books, his own property. “ (3.) That the system of. sale or return shalljbe more extensively adopted. This method, indeed, is absolutely necessary if books are to be really published for the world and not, as now happens with a great many, which are not taken by the booksellers, only printed. “ Your committee desire to see in every book- seller’s shop in the country a collection of all the new books worth buying offered for sale. ‘“©(4.) That the ‘odd’ copy shall be abolished as practically useless and even mischievous. 1V.—Wuat 1s WANTED. We are informed by the Publishers’ Circular that at length something is to be attempted towards the mending of the retail bookseller’s financial position. Whatever may be our opinion as to the adequacy of the proposed course, there can be no doubt that it is imperative there shall not be a moment’s delay in the alteration of trade terms in such a manner that men of intelligence shall be attracted to what should rank as a profession. What the public wishes is guidance and help from an educated, interested man. No guidance is found. There can be but one reason in these days of over-crowding and competition. There is no money in it. But why do I trouble you about this? Because it is clear that authors must suffer from the present defective method of reaching the public, as recently stated in your columns, by advertisements, by review, or by the bookseller. I venture to say that if you improve the quality, not the quantity, of the latter’s collection of books, the advertisements and review (aptly joined) may be done without. Ifthe author or the publisher pay him well, the bookseller, not the assistant bookseller, will be with his customer, and he will most effectively review and advertise not only the latest, but the best of the books upon his shelves. The little known writer may suffer most from the present system, but not he alone. All suffer, for surely the cost of advertisement comes from the popular author’s pocket in the form of a THE AUTHOR. lower rate of royalty than he would otherwise receive. The trader who supplies only the book he is asked for does light porter’s work and receives light wages. It would seem that the sale or return system advocated in your columns should bring into the trade some who dare not risk much capital in the purchase of books. But these, having selected their stock, must go one step further, they must be in a position to help book-buyers—who will be found much more ready to rely upon the judg- ment of the booksellers than to be guided by unsigned reviews. The author, too, will be liberated from his bogey. He will no longer fear that his book being ignored, or dismissed with a sneer by an anony- mous reviewer, has no other chance of a hearing. One INTERESTED. ec MR. ENDEAN AND MESSRS. SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, AND CO. LETTER appeared in the Times of Nov. 18 from Mr. J. Russell Endean telling an interesting story. It was to the effect that he arranged with a publisher for the expendi- ture of £15 im advertising a new edition of a certain work : that when the account was rendered, £15 was charged: that he asked for details and was informed that only £6 gs. 8d. had been spent —of this £1 6s. was disallowed as contrary to the agreement, so that only £5 3s. 8d. had been actually spent instead of £15; that the explanation offered by the publishers was that the charge was “ provisional”: that another account would have been rendered at the end of the next half-year when any part of the £15 not spent would be credited. A reply to this letter was sent to the Times two days afterwards in which Messrs. Sampson Low, Marston and Company admitted that they are the publishers referred to and offered the follow- ing explanation : Oor advertising clerk, when sending the account which Mr. Endean copied into your columns, admitted that by his oversight some advertisements which ought to have been inserted in certain papers had not been inserted. He admitted the error, said it should be put right, and it was put right as far as possible. The rectification, one supposes, was either the withdrawal of the first account and the substitu- tion of another: or else the immediate laying out ~ of the overcharged £9 16s. 4d. in advertising the book. It seems a pity that the firm did not think it necessary to state the nature of the rectification. The story is, in consequence, at  THE AUTHOR. 157 present only half complete. It seems also a pity that the letter was headed “ Authors and Pub- lishers,” because only one publisher was concerned and only one charge was brought. Meantime, with the view of making their staff more careful, and for the sake of the house, it would be well if every author receiving an account from Messrs. Sampson Low, Marston and Co. (Limited), would refer it back for details. The firm, one is quite sure, would gladly welcome this co-operation of the authors with themselves in ensuring the accuracy of their clerical staff. Do CORRESPONDENCE. {.—Orr THE List. HE more experience I have of publishing agreements the more difficult I find it to contrive one which shall entirely safeguard the interests of the author and properly protect his interests. So much so is the case that I would venture to suggest that the time has come when the Council of the Society should among them draft, not agreements, but special clauses which should be found in every agreement. Quite recently I heard of a somewhat difficult case in which the author suffered for want of a clause which, I believe, is never found in any agreement. The book was published on the half- profit system. The publishers bore the entire expense of publication, the author bore the entire expense of writing the book. The publisher undertook to publish the book, and the profits arising from the sales—or, I should say, what the publisher called profits—were to be equally divided between the parties “during the legal term of copyright.” The general management of the production, publication, and sale of the book was to be left to the “judgment and discretion Z of the publisher. The book had a sale of 700 or 800 copies, but there were, according to the accounts rendered, no profits to be divided. The author now ex- presses himself surprised to find the book omitted from the publisher’s catalogue. It is, in fact, not being offered to the public, though the “legal term of copyright” is far from having expired. Can the author do anything? It is a doubtful point. Clearly the publishers, as partners in the transaction, are bound to exercise that “ judg- ment and discretion” in a bond fide and proper manner. Are they doing so in cutting the book out of their lists. Their case, no doubt, would be that the book no longer sells, and that it is unwise to go to the expense of, say, 58., for printing the title of it in their catalogue. To make good this contention they would have to show that they omitted from their lists all other books which no longer sell, and this it is doubtful if they could do. Should not the Society take counsel’s opinion on the point, for the form of agreement is a very common one ? There is, however, a moral in all this, and it is, that in every publishing agreement the publisher shall be bound to keep the book in all his lists for a specified period, which in most cases should be the period of copyright. Another useful clause is that in any year in which less than a specified number of copies have been sold, the author shall have the right to rescind the agreement, taking over unsold stock, blocks, moulds, or plates at a valuation. Lastly, I would strongly support your frequent recommendation to authors never to sign an agreement by which the copyright of a book is passed to the publisher, except when the book is sold outright for a specified sum. There are, I may almost say, hundreds of reasons why authors should keep their copyright. If they do not, the publisher may cut out paris of their work, alter them, put objectionable inset advertisements in every other page, publish the book in some form which might discredit the author, even sell it to some soap firm for the purposes of adver- tisement. Where the copyright of the book is sold for a specified sum, there should be a clause in the agreement prohibiting abridgment or alteration of the text without the author’s consent. Nemo al. I. L. II.—RasuH CRriTIcIsM. In The Author of October last you have an article on Criticism in which (IX.) it is said: “Don’t try to prove every successful author a plagiarist.” As illustrating how easily a story may look like a plagiary, the following experience may interest. Some months ago I finished a story of the Pre-historie or Antediluvian age. While it was yet in the typing stage a similar story by a well- known novelist appeared in a popular magazine. T read the first five chapters and found it sub- stantially my own story, the difference beimg chiefly in localisation and style. I followed the events of my own story, and found even the details reproduced with slight variations, ey. : My antediluvians are ruled by a fiendish man, his by a fiendish woman; my king orders his guards to arrest a virtuous priest who interrupts a banquet, denouncing the wrath of Jehovah, and the guard who obeys is struck by lightning ; his queen does the same, but the priest denounces the wrath of the gods and the guard is struck  158 with leprosy! And so on, through five consecu- tive chapters—as far as I have read ! My MS. has never left me but once, and then it was in typists’ hands; moreover a well- known writer would certainly not plagiarise from one so unknown and inexperienced as myself. The events reproduced are fictiticus; hence one can only suppose that, by a pure coincidence, the same ideas occurred to us both. Had our posi- tions been reversed, I should certainly have considered the unknown writer a barefaced plagiarist. 1 think, therefore, your contributor does well to caution the critic. M. Sr. J. III.— Literary Yrar-Boox. The suggestion made in the last issue of 7’he Author that a Literary Year-book should be issued by the Society is, I think, well worth the consideration of the Society’s Committee. The book should be, above all else, for the information of writers. I have a copy before me of the last edition of “The Literary Ycar-Book,” which is by no means the useful guide one would expect. It is to be hoped, however, that the forthcoming edition will be more satisfactory ; otherwise the Committee should take the matter into considera- tion. GLENFRUIN. IV.—Tue Reaping Brancu. May I callattention to a very serious want in this connection? A young writer submits, we will say, ten short stories (about 50,000 words) to the Society’s reader, and pays the fee. In due course he gets the opinion and advice of the expert. Profiting thereby he writes another 5000 words story. Would it not now be a vast help to him if he could submit this one to be read for a small fee —say 2s. 6d.? Of course, he might wait until he had ten stories to submit; but if has not gone on the right tack after the first reading, look at the waste of labour and time! What he wants is to be able to submit each piece of work separately, as itis completed. Is it possible for the Society to arrange for this ? Half-a-crown is admittedly a very small fee. Yet when I was connected with a well-known daily, many a time have I reviewed in thirty or forty lines (at three halfpence per line) a 400-page Look dealing with some branch of economics with which I am tolerably familiar. Buppine Fictionist. V.—Tue Preriop oF Copyricut. Iam exceedingly glad to see that The Author is now on the track of “leases” by the author to’ the publisher. Allow me, after thirty years’ THE AUTHOK. dealings with musical composers, to say that merely to extend the period of co; yright would benefit not a small proportion, and would simply enrich the capitalist publisher. I have seen it stated that the United States plan of twenty- eight plus fourteen years was the old English plan, which has been retained from colonial days. If so, we have a precedent, and the period of lease could be extended. I have in several cases seen the beneficent effect of the United States law in bringing sums to widows and children after the composer’s death. The lawyers would, how- ever, have to make some provision to prevent the pawning of “ futures’’ by improvident authors. It is an unpleasant thing for a music publisher to have composers bring in really good stuff and offer it, even press it, for sale out and out ata price below its value in order that the composer may “meet a bill,” ‘save his furniture,” “pay his life insurance,’ &c. This kind of thing gives an opportunity to hard and grasping pub- lishers. It will, I suppose, always go on, but under the system of lease there would, if the work met with success, be a revaluation and re-sale after a certain number of years, which would do something to right matters. Let me say that out of all the thousands of things which I have recommended to my company not one is published on commission or on the half- profits system. The plans of lump payment or royalty are exclusively used, and the composer is always offered the option of a royalty as against alump sum. I mention these facts to show that I belong to the better class of publisher with which, as I know, the readers of The Aushor are in sympathy. A Music PusLisHER. = Vi.—LiveratvreE AS A PROFESSION. I will not, if you please, sign this letter, as I am sick of the sight of my own name; but I may say it has been mentioned once or twice by your correspondents, although I have not the honour to be acquainted with a single author in England. I should like to allude to some letters of your members who have made certain statements of mine pegs whereon to hang complaints against the literary profession, which, while I deeply sympa- thise with them, I do not entirely endorse. In your issue for September Annabel Gray very trenchantly declares that Press booms, advertising, beaiing the dium, favour with “rag- bag” proprietors, huge posters, or commendatory letters from high personages, are indispensable to “success.” “UL. 8.’ declaims against chance, poverty, and the “ jealousy ” of successful authors |  THE AUTHOL. who refuse to advise a struggler. “ NW. S complains that a novel by an unknown hand cannot secure even a nominal price. Now, I wish to say that I personally have never complained of any of the obstacles of Litera- ture, but simply of my failure to do good work ; it is true that I have attributed that in part to poverty ; but I do not blame Literature that I am poor. I am forced to agree that Annabel Gray has much reason. We must never complain of the successful ; if we emulate their particular form of success, we must imitate their methods, and if we despise their methods, we need not envy their success. The author with whom I am in sympathy is one who aspires to a solid reputation, with or without profit, rather than a noisy and short-lived notoriety, and the unseemly making of hay. His ambition must be such that he will not permit himself to hope for more than even post- humous fame or, at least, a quiet and retired reputation which earns a humble living but high honour from the highest men. If an author can do the work of George Eliot or Thackeray or Meredith it is probable that he will achieve suffi- cient for comfort for his latter years, and the chances are that he is bound to be “ discovered ”’ before his death. But he need not regret the lack of worldly push; real genius is almost invari- ably accompanied, by the most sensitive pride. The man who makes Literature a mere profession must undoubtedly obtain some of those aids recom- mended by Annabel Gray; but I regretfully confess that I have quite retired from that sort of competi- tion myself and therefore cannot advise. I depre- cate the abasement of touting for paragraphs and puffs; nor do I think it a sign of dignity to seek for commendatory letters from successful authors. Self-respect is really more valuable than a “boom.’? Do good work—do good work !—and then, if your own judgment is really satisfied and you cannot place it, get a few copies printed very cheaply to send to the Press, or set your teeth, lay it aside, and let your soul die and revive again. It is painful to reflect on failure and the vulgarity of life. ‘Personally, I support myself by this thought: Is there any known case of a poet or novelist of genius who has perished unheard ? And can you point to any high reputa- tion of ten years’ standing that is not amply justified by its work? Do not worry about those whose vein is different to yours: but in your own vein ? May I encroach a little further on your space ? In your issue for May 1899 appeared a letter from “ Waiting,” headed “ Against Difficulties.” It is rather unusual, but will you permit me to address “ Waiting” through you? I should 159 like to tell this gentleman that I wrote to him; responded to a sympathy which he appeared to extend to me, and which surprised and pleased me; but owing to an accident—I was far away from post offices at the time—the letter was lost I hope this will meet his eyes. « Waiting” said: “ Meanwhile Tam miserable. I have had sufficient success to warrant me in believing that in two years I could, by constant work and hard writing, earn a ‘ comfortable ‘neome. But I am chained to office work, and my evenings are as miserable as my mornings and afternoons, for what literary work can a man do who comes home tired out?” Tf I were a publisher or @ patron, I should take “ Waiting’s” brief statement to represent a character of grit. I can only say—work on Sundays and holidays. One of the most suc- cessful recent novels was written by a clerk who could only begin at 10 p.m. When I was a clerk, with the luxurious hours of 10 to 4, I thought it spoilt my writing, though I wrote from 6 to 7.30, and from g to 12. I threw up my job to get more time. I regret it now. I see that I did my best work then; the chafing of the day’s slavery stimulated concentration ; the annoyances of bondage made me determined to achieve my liberty. “ Waiting ” must not wait, but burn two ends of the candle. He is not compelled to fire off his work in haste to get a dinner, but he should be accumulating and polishing it. Give a year, instead of three months, to a novel or to half-a-dozen tales; then send out —they may bring you in £25, which is half way to liberty, or they may make your market. If you have had “sufficient success” to warrant anything, why not have more? You can do it, my dear fellow ; lock your door and say, I will! And, mem.—I£ you get home by six, take half- an-hour’s nap, then tea. Sleep is the most vital help to good work. Have you tried going to bed early, and putting in an hour in the morning ? Let no domestic annoyances disturb you; a man must sacrifice the lesser to the great, and be ruthless with the women-folk. Here is agood refutation to Annabel Gray’s remarks on log-rolling and influence, and a useful word of encouragement. During three years, virtually a stranger to London and without a single literary acquaintance, I placed work with four good publishers and three good magazines, although the work was exceptionally bad. Owing to the badness of the work, and nothing else, L failed; I achieved no sort of reputation. Since then, owing to some rather contemptible “ con- fessions”’ in a review, I have seen my name para- graphed, and to quite a flattering extent, in many of the best literary papers and dailies ; 160 almost sufficient to make Annabel’s “literary sensation,” if I wished, or knew how, to take advantage of puffs. And yet Lassure you I don’t know a single editor or critic, nor doany of them know me. What astonishes me, is the unwar- ranted luck authors have, to have so many generous journalists ready to advertise them for nothing. An inventor, a far more useful per- sonage, has no such luck, and he needs it. Ottawa, Oct. ’99. VIL—EnNcouRAGEMENT FOR Youna AvtrHors. “J. M. E.S.’s” letter in the October issue is undoubtedly very encouraging reading for strug- gling beginners. She says: “Had my health and other duties allowed continuous work, I could have realised from £400 to £500 a year by what I call ‘hack-work.’” Yet from others we have widely different testimony. In “The Pen and the Book” Sir Walter Besant seems to be almost feverishly anxious to dissuade any beginner from trying to make a living by writing for magazines and journals. ‘“ Above all things,” he says, “ do not at first try to live by writing for the magazines and journals if you value your reputa- tion, your independence, and your self-respect.” This is backed up by what an anonymous lady writer says in a National Review article on “The Sorrows of Scribblers” (March, 1898) :-— “There may be, perhaps, some twenty or thirty people in England who make £200 a year by magazine writing. Their names are well known to the public and area safe ‘draw’; while outside these is the large army of magazine contributors whose earnings average, say, from £20 to £50 a ear.” On the other hand, we have a widely-expe- rienced editor and contributor telling us in “ How to Write for the Press” (Horace Cox) that his experience by no means bears out what the National Review says. He declares that “ there must be some scores of men making much more than £200 a year by magazine writing.” What is a poor beginner to do amidst this bewildering disagreement of doctors? I think that a good deal of the disagreement arises from not properly distinguishing between earnings from daily papers, weekly papers, and monthly magazines. Will “J. M. E. 8.” be kind enough to say in what class of periodicals the £400 or £500 a year would have been earned—dailies, weeklies, monthlies, or all three combined, and would the work have been entirely fiction ? Tf “An Editor” (the author of “How “to Write for the Press”) should happen to see this, perhaps he may be good enough to tell us what a fairly suecessful writer who would have to THE AUTHOR. accept usual magazine pay (not a popular “star ”? like the late Mr. Grant Allen, Dr. Conan Doyle, Anthony Hope, or Mr. Rudyard Kipling) may hope to make from monthly magazines alone. I fancy “An Editor” has written very largely for the weekly popular Press; but, as he says, “ success therein brings you nothing but lucre, and. that, after all, is not everything.” Most beginners look to the monthly magazines which publish signatures, Macazine STRUGGLER. sect BOOK AND PLAY TALK. HE Editor of the “Literary Year Book” wishes it to be known that it is not the intention of the new Year Book to “slate” any writer in its critical articles, and that he hopes there will be found no suppressions of fact. We reserve, therefore, further observations until the appearance of the volume. In the November number the name of Jean Ingelow was printed instead of Jean Middlemass. An apology is due to the friends of the late Jean Ingelow, and to Miss Middlemass, and an expres- sion of regret that the very singular slip of the pen escaped the notice both of the contributor and the Editor. The Irish author, Mr. W. B. Lappin, whose novel “ Mad Mag” had recently such a successful serial run in an Ulster paper, is just now engaged on another one, the scenes of which are all princi- pally laid around a well-known castle amidst the hills of Iveagh. One of the characters is a fool named Nickey Saoi Glic or Nickey, the Cunning Sage, who gives a tone to the novel, both m humour and eccentricity. The dialect speech of the “ Black North,” too, may be looked for. “Forbidden Banns,’ by Annabel Gray, has been accepted by a well-known Italian editor. It will appear the end of this month as a feuilleton translated into Italian in a daily paper. All of Mr. Mackenzie Bell’s works that are now before the public will in future be published by Mr. Thomas Burleigh. The Shakespeare Press of New York city whose place of business is in Westfield, N.J., announce that they expect to publish during the coming winter a volume on the Shakespeare sonnets, being the first of two volumes of a work upon the “ Allusive Poesy of William Shake- speare,’ and which will take new ground as to Francis Bacon’s “authorship” therein. The text to be employed will be that of the original quarto:  THE The author of the work will be Mr. The of 1609. Frederick C. Hunt, of the Oklahoma Bar. volume will be about 500 pages uniform with the publications of the New York Society. Mr. Robert Freke Gould’s new book entitled “Military Lodges,” published by Gale and Polden, has just appeared. It contains an account of the Freemason lodges in regiments and ships of war, and also a statement of famous soldiers and sailors who have belonged to the body of Freemasons. The following books by Miss L. E. Tiddeman have just been published by Messrs. Blackie and Sons: “What Mother Said” (1s.), ‘“ Sahib’s Birthday” (6d.). Two juvenile books by the same author have been published by Messrs. Chambers entitled, “ Daddy’s Darling” and “ Molley’s Mother,” and another “ The Sea-Bird x by Messrs. Nister and Co. Lord Rosebery’s monograph on Chatham is in the hands of the printers. It will be a companion volume to his “ Life of Pitt.” Shakespeare During the past month Stevenson’s Letters to his family and friends have been published in two large volumes, which are edited by Mr. Sidney Colvin. Mr. Colvin, however, has resigned the task of writing the life of his friend in favour of Stevenson’s cousin, Mr. Graham Balfour. Mrs. Hodgson Burnett has completed the new novel which has engaged her for some time past, and it will be issued by Messrs. Warne under the title, “In Connection with the De Willoughby Claim.’ The “claim” referred to is for damages inflicted during the American Civil War, but that of itself is only a secondary matter in comparison with the love-interest of the story. Mr. Edward Carpenter has writtten a story of Indian life entitled “ Narayan,’ which is to appear first of all in the New Age. A volume for the tourist in Egypt, entitled “Pyramids and Progress,” has been prepared by Mr. John Ward, and will be published shortly by Messrs. Eyre and Spottiswoode. It will contain an introduction from the pen of Professor Sayce. The volume of Sir Arthur Sullivan’s remi- niscences, by Mr. Arthur Lawrence, will be published soon by Mr. Bowden. Mr. F. W. Findon writes an appreciation of Sir Arthur Sullivan as composer, and a complete biblio- graphy has been compiled by Mr. Wilfrid Bendall. Sir Arthur Sullivan, by the way, con- ducted at the Alhambra the other day, in the AUTHOR. 160i cause of the charity of the moment, the first performance of his setting of Mr. Kipling’s poem, “The Absent-minded Beggar,” a work which has in every conceivable way been turned to account —by the author, the proprietors of the Daily Mail, and others—on behalf of the soldiers’ families. Professor Bury has written a popular “ History of Greece from the Earliest Times to the Death of Alexander the Great,” which Messrs. Macmillan will publish. Mr. Frederic Harrison has collected a number of his essays for early publication by Messrs. Macmillan in a volume. The principal one, that on Tennyson, has not been published before. The volume will be called “ Tennyson, Ruskin, Mill; and other Literary Estimates.” Mrs. Roy Devereux has written “ Side-Lights on South Africa,” a book of travel, which Messrs. Sampson Low will publish immediately. The Duchess of Sutherland is engaged upon a new novel. John Oliver Hobbes’s new novel, “ Robert Orange,” is first to appear serially in the Ladies” Field. After several years spent in the Pacific, particu- larly in studying the Caroline Archipelago, Mr. F. W. Christian has written a book about the history, physical aspects, archeological remains, language, and religion of that part of the world. It will be published, entitled “The Caroline Islands,” by Messrs. Methuen. The second volume of Mr. Herbert Spencer’s revised and enlarged edition of ‘“ Principles of Biology ” has just been published by Messrs. Williams and Norgate. The December number of the Fortnightly Review contains an article by Mr. Spencer on Professor Ward’s “ Naturalism and Agnosticism.” Mr. Frank Mathew has written a historical romance, called “Our Queen Triumphant,” which Mr. Lane will publish. As a result of the territorial changes in Samoa, Stevenson’s grave is now on German soil. Some enthusiasts have already suggested that the coffin should be brought to Scotland and re-interred ; as to which the Globe remarks that ‘it will be time enough to move Stevenson’s dust when the Germans claim him for a German author.” As surely as Burns’s birthday anniversary comes round, some new point of discussion arises in connection with the rustic poet. Now it is the turn of a writer in the Library World, Mr. J. C. Ewing, who avers that among the 93° editions of 162 the poet which have been issued since 1786, not one is perfect. Besides protesting against edito- rial interference with Burns’s text, and the inclu- sion of pieces which Burns himself wished destroyed, Mr. Ewing states that many picc2s which Burns never wrote at all are printed in every edition of his works. Mr. Jerome’s comedy, ‘“ Miss Hobbs,” will be produced this month at the Duke of York’s by Mr. Charles Frohman, with Miss Evelyn Millard in the part which was filled in America by Miss Annie Russell. The opening performance at Mr. Wyndham’s rew theatre on Nov. 16 being for the benefit of the sufferers by the war, was the occasion of an extraordinary craze. Such was the eagerness manifested, and such the prices paid for seats (and standing room, too, for this alone in some parts easily fetched a guinea a time), that £4000 was realised in a house whose takings will range ordinarily from £260 to £300 when filled. The play was ‘“ David Garrick,” in which the audience had the gratification of witnessing once again both Mr. Wyndham and Miss Mary Moore. Altogether it was a brilliant scene. In the course of his speech at the close, Mr. Wyndham happily remarked that the play of “David Garrick” revolves round two ideas—duty and home. “The soldier nobly responds to the call of duty, and you, just as nobly, respond to the call of home— the homes of those gallant men who are fighting now for ours.’’ In many other ways and at many different places during the month the services of the theatrical, musical and literary professions have been exercised on behalf of the sufferers by the South African War. But the annual per- formance for the Royal General Theatrical Fund, which took place at Drury-lane, was rather poorly attended. Mr. Benson has arranged for a series of Shake- speare plays at the Lyceum, beginning on Feb. 15. “Hamlet” (March 1) will be produced for the second time in its entirety (the first occasion having been at Stratford-upon-Avon), the per- formance beginning at 3.30 and lasting till 10.45, except for an interval of an hour and a half for dinner. The other Shakespeare plays which Mr. Benson will produce are “ Henry the Fifth,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ “Richard the Second,’ “ Twelfth Night,” “ Antony and Cleopatra,” and “The Tempest.” During his eight weeks at the Lyceum he will elso revive Sheridan’s comedy, “The Rivals.” Nearly six hundred ladies and gentlemen lave formed themselves into a committce in order to pro- mote the success of Mr. Benson’s Shakespearian revivals. THE AUTHOR. Meanwhile, Mr. Tree has begun the rehearsals of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which is intended for production at Her Majesty’s early in January. Himself will play Bottom the Weaver; Mrs. Tree will play Titania; the part of Oberon will be taken by Miss Julia Neilson, and that of Hermia by Miss Sarah Brooke, who joins Mr. Tree’s company for the first time. “The Children of the Ghetto ” will be produzed at the Adelphi on Dec. 11, with Miss Rosabel Morrison in the part of Hannah Jacobs. Mr. George Alexander gave a copyright per- formance at Liverpool on Nov. 17 of Mr. Stephen Phillips’s poetic drama, ‘“‘ Paolo and Francesca.” A comedy of modern manners by Mr. Charles Brookfield, entitled “One Law for the Man,” founded on M. Paul Hervieu’s “Le Loi de ?Homme,” will be presented at the Criterion on the 7th inst. ty Mrs. Kettlewell (Miss Edith Woodworth), who takes the principal part. Among the company will be Miss Lottie Venne, Miss Keith Wakemann, Mr. Hermann Vezin, and Mr. Norman McKinnell. “The Little Library,” is the title of a new series promoted by Messrs. Methuen, which is to con- sist of many of the famous books in English and other literatures. Each volume is tu have a photogravure frontispiece, and will be supplied with critical introduction and notes, the first to appear being Lord Tennyson’s “ Princess,” edited by Miss Elizabeth Wordsworth. Her Majesty has graciously accepted from Blanche Eryl a copy of her song “ Peace,” the Angel’s Song, from the poem of “The Light of the World,” by Sir Edwin Arnold. The old Tottenham-street Theatre, which at one period of its existence was known as the Prince of Wales’s, is about to be re-opened. The third and concluding volume of the “Handbook to Christian and _ Keclesiastical Rome,” by M. A. R. Tuker and Hope Malleson, embracing part 3 (“ Monasticism in Rome”) and part 4 (‘ Ecclesiastical Rome’’) will be published shortly by Messrs. A. and C. Black, and by the Macmillan Company in New York. The book will be illustrated with coloured pictures. Lieutenant-Colonel E. Gunter’s “ Outlines of Modern Tactics,” has just gone into a thnd edition, which is published (7s. 6d.) by Messrs. William Clowes and Sons. The Literary Agency of London (manager, Mr. G. Radford) has removed from 2, Whitehall- gardens to 5, Henrietta-street, Covent-garden, W.C. ee  THE BOOKS AND REVIEWS. (In these columns notes on books are given from reviews which carry weight, and are not, so far as can be learned, logrollers.) —— REcoLLECTIONS, 1832 to 1886, by Sir Algernon West, K.C.B. (Smith, Elder, and Co., 21s.)—one whose career has been crowded with interesting associations and who was for many years Mr. Gladstone’s right-hand man—is © both entertaining and interesting,” says the Daily News, “but the public must not expect any ‘ revelations,” civil servants in general being nothing if not discreet. The Daily Chronicle says that though the many cupboards in Downing- street and Somerset House, full of fascinating skeletons are not laid bare, the volumes “are full of good things, well worth preserving and well worth reading”; while the Daily Telegraph predicts that these two volumes “ will be widely read and highly appreciated.” Lorp Lytrron’s Inp1an ADMINISTRATION, 1876-1880, compiled from lettars and official papers, by Lady Betty Balfour (Longmans, 18s.), is avolume wherein, says the Times, the author has done a noble service to her father’s memory; and “no honest judgment can hereafter be formed on our relations with Central Asia without a careful study of the facts and documents presented in this book.” ‘It will be exceedingly useful,” says the Daily News, “to all those who desire to possess in convenient form the complete record of an eventfal viceregal reign.” Memoirs of A REVOLUTIONIST, by Prince Kropotkin (Smith, Elder, and Co., 21s.), is an intensely dramatic narrative, says the Daily Chronicle, which reviews the work of the Russian exile under the title of ‘ Prince and Anarchist.” ‘‘A more sincere, we might almost say naive, self-revelation was never given to the world.” ‘‘ There is no lack of adventures in these memoirs,” says the Daily Telegraph. Tue Hiauest ANDES, by E. A. FitzGerald (Methuen, 30s. net.), is “a book which is not only popular in the best sense of the word,’ says the Times, “but is a permanent and solid contribution to the literature of mountaineering, and to our knowledge of one of the most marvellous regions on the surface of the earth.” It isa record of the first ascent of Aconcagua and Tupungato in Argentina, and the exploration of the surrounding valleys. The Daily Chronicle remarks that “the story is simply told, and there is no straining after effect’; “‘ the photographs are admirably reproduced, and the book is got up with a care and finish worthy of so great @ subject”; while with regard to the part taken in Mr. FitzGerald’s expedition by Mr. S‘uart Vines, “there are few finer records in the history of climb- ing.” Toe Hirnerto UNIDENTIFIED CONTRIBUTIONS OF THACKERAY TO Punch, by M. H. Spielmann (Harpers, 78. 6d.), is based upon authentic and exclusive information. The Daily News describes it as “a great literary fund,” and adds that the book must be taken for what it is, namely, rather a descriptive bibliography than a collection of Thackeray’s pieces. “ Thackeray’s contributions to Punch were in reality much more extensive than has been commonly supposed,” says the Daily Chronicle. ‘The new items, great and small, which this volame contains number about 150,” and they are “not unworthy of Thackeray’s reputation.” “Naturally they reflect in many ways the home and foreizn politics of the time.” Tor Letters or Rosert Lovis STEVENSON TO HIS Faminy AND FRIENDS, edited by Sidney Colvin (Methuen, 25s, net) is praised by all the critics for ita interest and fascination. The Daily Telegraph, for example, says itis “‘ one AUTHOR. 163 of the two living and memorable books o% the year ’—the other being the Browning Love-Letters. Tur Lire AND Lerrers oF Sir JoHN EvERETT Mruxats, by John Guille Millais (Methuen, 32s.), has like- wise been received with general approval. The Daily Chronicle says ‘it is of unusual interest and charm,” and the Daily News that “ it is a gold mine of good things.”’ Some SourH AFRICAN REcoLLECTIONS, by Mrs. Lionel Phillips (Longmans, 7s. 6d.) is a connected summary of the chapter of South African history in which the writer’s husband (one of the five principal reformers of Johannes- burg who were sentensed to death) took so prominent a part. Mrs. Phillips, adds the Times, “ shows how, far from stirring up the movement, the so-called ‘ capitalists’ were for a long time strongly averse to it.” “ Many of the book’s details,” says the Daily Chronicle, “are new, the frankness of the writer is distinctly charming, and, not least important, the pictures add considerably to our knowledge of the Transvaal.” Some Account oF THE MILITARY, POLITICAL, AND SoctaL Lire oF THE RiaHT Hon. JosEerH MANNERS, Marquis of Granby, by Walter Evelyn Manners (Macmillan, 18s.), would haye been more acceptable to the Spectator “had it been less controversial.” ‘‘ However, Mr. Manners has been indefatigable in the collection of material, and at any rate he has given us all the facts upon which to form a judgment.” The Daily Ch ronicle verdict is very similar: “The work enables us to realise what fine qualities must have been possessed by the nobleman who became a popular idol and was glorified on so many sign-posts.” Tue River War, by Winston Spencer Churchill (Long- mans, 36s.), is said by the Daily Chronicle to be “ likely to take its place, among many competitors, as the standard history of the successful advance from Wady Halfa to Khartoum.” Mr. Winston Churchill was present at the Battle of Omdurman. ‘He has compiled two admirable volumes,” says the Daily Telegraph; ‘‘he is the master of a most fascinating style.” Interature, coupling its review of this book and Supan Camparan, 1896-1899, by An Officer (Chapman, tos. 6d.), says that ‘these volumes. cannot be neglected in any statement of Egyptian events for the last thirty years of this century.” A Hisrory oF THE British Army, by the Hon. J. W- Fortescue (Macmillan, 36s. net), consists of two volames— the first part of the work—which come down to the close of the Seven Years’ War. “It is sound, admirable workman- ship,” says the Daily News, “a book for which every reade of the nation’s history will heartily thank its author.” The Daily Chronicle (which makes special mention of the maps) says that the work “ fills a gap in our historical literature,” and “ judging by this first instalment it promises to fill it in a very satisfactory way.” First PRINCIPLES IN Potrrics, by W. S. Lilly (Murray, 14s.), considers the twin questions—are there any basic principles in politics, and is democracy at present satisfac- tory to those who desire to see polities governed by morality. The Spectator says that, ‘ike not a few physicians, Mr. Lilly is better at diagnosis than at therapeutics.” It is, however, “a very able and interesting work, and “the suggestive and usefal chapter on crime and punish- ment seems to us altogether admirable, especially in its exposure of the gushing sentimentalism which some well-- meaning but foolish persons reserve for some of the worst criminals.” Tue LAND oF Contrasts, by James Fallarton Muirhead (Lane, 6s. net.), described in the sub-title as ‘‘ a Briton’s view of his American kin,’’ “is one of the best of the lighter books on the United States that we have had for a long time,”  164 THE says the Daily News. ‘‘ No shrewder, no more sympathetic wielder of the pen has come our way for a long time,” says the Daily Chronicle. “Every page is a page full of interesting observations or reflections interestingly put.” Bouemian Paris or To-Day, by W. C. Morrow, with 106 illustrations by Edouard Cucuel (Chatto, 6s ) is described by the Daily Telegraph as ‘‘a fascinating combination of brightly written letterpress and admirably executed drawings, avowedly intended to instruct as well as entertain.” “Mr. Morrow would have us think,’ says Mr. Tighe Hopkins in the Daily Chronicle, and we are in no way fain to believe him, that the very dissipations of these students are an essential part of the training.” Literature says “ it is mainly devoted to a description of the recreations of the great mass of dissolute Parisians,” and though on the whole “suffi- ciently amusing, it leaves us with a very unpleasant impres- sion of French student life.” Lyra Frivona, by A. D. Godley (Methuen, 2s. 6d.), is praised by the Spectator, which says that “Mr. Godley has earned the gratitude of all university men and all lovers of belles lettres by collecting in this slim volume some thirty of the entertaining pieces that he has con- tributed in the last ten years to the Oxford Magazine and other journals.” Tue Log or A Sea Warr, by Frank T. Bullen (Smith, Elder, and Co., 8s. 6d. net), “is full of thrilling adventure admirably told,” says the Times, “but it also tells many a sad and sickening tale of the hardships that British seamen are quite unnecessarily made to endure in many cases.” The author says he has written nothing but the truth— recollections of the first four years of his sea life—as to which the Times says that “no one who reads his volume will hesitate to acknowledge that truth is oftentimes stranger than fiction.” Mr. Bullen “is a highly eitertaining shipmate,” says the Daily Chronicle, “ who spins his yarns of vivid colours and of good honest English staff.” Tusy THat Wak IN Darkness, by I. Zangwill (Heinemann, 6s.), is a republication, in a greatly enlarged form, of Mr. Zangwill’s “‘ Ghetto Tragedies,” which origi- nally saw the light in 1893. The Spectator observes that “no reader, who is not blinded by prejudice, will rise from the perusal of this engrossing volume without an enhanced sense of compassion for and admiration of” the Jewish race. The Daily Telegraph says these stories “bave dramatic power, unsparing realism, exquisite pity.” The Daily Chronicle is struck by Mr. Zangwill’s sincerity and simplicity. An ENGLIsHMAN, by Mary L. Pendered (Methuen, 6s.), is ‘a story of how a girl of the upper classes of London society marries a grocer, and will be ‘ happy ever after.’” The Guardian says it is “ decidedly noticeable,’ and the Daily Telegraph describes it as “an excellent novel, by no means lacking in sensational incident, and closely in touch with the more salient political and social questions of the age we live in.” Miss Pendered writes of the lower middle- class existence with great intelligence and understanding,” says the Daily Chronicle; “the result of her observations constitutes almost a document.” — THE Crown or Lirn, by George Gissing (Methuen, 6s.), is quite optimistic, the Daily News says, and “is rich in the interest so conspicuous in Mr. Gissing’s work, which springs from the impression it gives us that we are looking upon life itself, and that the representa- tion of it is unheightened by adventitious touches.’’ “The ‘Crown of Life’ is love, and the book may be described as a study of the various sorts of love that make for marriage.” AUTHOR. No Soun Apovn Monny, by Walter Raymond (Long- man, 63.), is “powerful and poignant in its well-nigh unrelieved tragedy,” says the Daily News. The story ig set in Somersetshire, and “deals with simple villagers, with the primitive and inexorable forces of human life.” The Spectator says the author has not belied the confidence which was inspired by the high level of excellence he reached in his last novel. The Literary World admits that in its intensity the book “may shock the feelings of some, but there is no doubt that in its way the story is perfect, that is to say, once begun, the consequent events and the ending were inevitable.” THE Surp or Srars, by A. T. Quiller-Couch (Cassell, 6s.), is “an admirably written and interesting story,” says the Spectator. The tale is that of the growth from boy- hood to early manhood of the son of a poor and studious clergyman in the West Country. The Literary World finds it “both an exhilarating and a depressing book, its cha- racters are thoroughly studied and well-drawn, and its pictures of West Country life vivid.” TALES OF SpAcE AND TIME, by H. G. Wells (Harpers, 6s.), is described by the Spectator as an “ extremely interesting, suggestive, but occasionally disquieting volume,” partaking to a great extent of the nature of a supplement to his last two volumes, “The War of the Worlds” and “When the Sleeper Wakes.” The Daily Chronicle says the tales ‘‘ are worth reading.” TRicKs AND TRIALS, by Christabel R. Coleridge (Hurst and Blackett, 6s.), is “an original and decidedly clever novel,” saysthe Guardian. “ Miss Coleridge has got hold - a new situation, and treats it with spirit and distinc. ion.” THe Eve or THE Rerormation, by F. A. Gasquet, D.D. (Nimmo, 12s. 6d. net), does good service, says the Guardian, “to the cause of historical truth by insisting that the Church in England on the eve of the Reformation was not so hopelessly corrupt as the fancy of the popular Protestant has painted it.” “THE AUTHOR.” SCALE FOR ADVERTISEMENTS. Front Page we . w= £4 0 0 Other Pages om 8 0 8 Half of a Page ... : ow L100 Quarter of a Page «. 015 0 Eighth of a Page ake aS we Oe Single Column Advertisements ... perinch 0 6 0 Bills for Insertion per 2000 3 0 0 Reductions made for a Series of Siz or Twelve Insertions. All letters respecting Advertisements should be addressed to the ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER, The Author Office, 4, Portugal-street, London, W.C. Mr. J. Eveleigh Nash, LITERARY AGENT, AMBERLEY HOUSE, NORFOLK STREET, STRAND, W.C. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Author, Vol. 10 Issue 07 (December 1899) Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em>, Vol. 10 Issue 07 (December 1899) Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1899-12-01-The-Author-10-7 publications The Author https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/470/1900-01-01-The-Author-10-8.pdf 4799282bb50e2d4e59fd54f63371b24f PDF Text Text �������������������� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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) 1900-01-01 Volume 10 Issue 8 Pages Page range in volume 165–184 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 19000101 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin Che Fluthor. (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vou. X.—No. 8.] JANUARY 1, Tgoo. 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. Pees HE 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 should be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent 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. eae GENERAL MEMORANDA. ERE are a few standing rules to be observed in an agreement. There are four 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, or with the advice of the Secretary of the Society. Il. A PROFIT-SHARING AGREEMENT (a bad form of agreement). ; In this case the following rules should be attended to : (1.) Not to sign any agreemeat in which the cost of pro- duction forms a part without the strictest investigation. (2.) Not to give the publisher the power of putting the profits into his own pocket by charging for advertisements in his own organs: or by charging exchange advertise- ments. Therefore keep control of the advertisements. (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 ! VOL. X. * Til. THE ROYALTY SYSTEM. It is above all things necessary to know what the proposed royalty means to both sides. 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.” IV. A COMMISSION AGREEMENT. The main points are :— (1.) Be careful to obtain a fair cost of production. (2) Keep control of the advertisements. (3.) Keep control of the sale price of the book. GENERAL. All other forms of agreement are combinations of the four above mentioned. Such combinations are generally disastrous to the author. Never sign any agreement without competent advice from the Secretary of the Society. Stamp all agreements with the Inland Revenue stamp. Avoid agreements by letter if possible. The main 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. oc WARNINGS TO DRAMATIC AUTHORS. i. No sign an agreement without submitting it tc the Secretary of the Society of Authors or some competent legal authority. 2. Never negotiate for the production of a play with anyone except an established manager. 3. There are three forms of dramatic contract :— (1) SALE OUTRIGHT OF THE PERFORMING RIGHT. This is unsatisfactory. An author who enters into such a contract should stipulate in the con- tract for production of the piece by a certain date and for proper publication of bis name on the play-bills. (2) SALE OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE TO PERFORM ON THE PROFIT-SHARING SYSTEM. This method can only be entered into when a fixed sum is agreed per week for cost of produc- tion. It is not a common method. Q2 156 (3) SALE OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE TO PERFORM ON THE BASIS OF PERCENTAGES (i.e., royalties) on gross receipts. Royalties vary between 5 and 15 per cent. An author should obtain a percentage on the sliding scale of gross receipts. Sbonld obtain a sum in advance of royalties. A fixed date on or before which the play should be performed. 4. Authors should remember that performing rights can be limited, and are usually limited by town, country, and time. This is most important. 5. Authors should not assign performing rights, but should grant a licence to perform. The legal distinction is of great importance. 6. Authors should remember that performing rights in a play are distinct from literary copyright. A manager holding the performing right or licence to perform cannot print the book of the words. 7. Never send a copy of the play to America unless it is protected by a preliminary performance in the United Kingdom. 8. Never forget that American rights may be exceedingly valuable. They should never be included in English agreements without the author obtaining a substantial consideration. g. Agreements for collaboration should be carefully drawn and executed before collaboration is commenced. Never admit a collaborator when once the actual work of writing the play has begun or after it is finished. 10. An author should remember that production of a play is highly speculative: that he runs a very great risk of delay and a breakdown in the fulfilment of his contract. He should therefore guard himself all the more carefully in the beginning. 11. An author must remember that the dramatic market is exceedingly limited. As these warnings must necessarily be incomplete on account of the wide range of the subject of dramatic con- tracts, those authors desirous of further information are referred to the Secretary of the Society. HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. t. VERY member has a right to ask for and to receive advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his business or the administration of his property. If the advice sought is such as can be given best by a solici- tor, 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 Committee will obtain for him Counsel’s opinion. All this without any cost to the member. 2. Remember that questions connected with copyright and publisher’s agreements do not generally fall within the experience of ordinary solicitors. Therefore, do not scruple to use the Society. 3. Send to the Office copies of past agreements and past accounts with the loan of the books represented. The Secretary will always be glad to have any agreements, new or old, for inspection and note. The information thus obtained may prove invaluable. 4. Before signing any agreement whatever, send the pro- posed document to the Society for examination. THE AUTHOR. 5. Remember always that in belonging to the Society you are fighting the battles cf 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. 6. 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 READING BRANCH. N “EMBERS will greatly assist the Society in this 26, branch of their work by informing young writers of Their MSS. can be read and treated The Readers are The fee is one its existence. az a composition is treated by a coach. writers of competence and experience. guinea. NOTICES. HE 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 6s. 6d. subscription for the year. Communications for The Author should be addressed to the Offices of the Society, 4, Portugal-street, Lincoln’s-inn Fields, W.C., and should reach the Editor not later than the 21st of each month. : All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to communicate to the Editor any points connected with their work which it would be advisable in the general interest to publish. The present location of the Authors’ Club is at 3, White- hall-court, Charing Cross. Address the Secretary for information, rules of admission, &c. FROM THE COMMITTEE. Tue IncorporateD Socrery or AUTHORS.— Pension Funp ScHEME. N view of the fact that the Royal Literary Fund is not in the habit of granting pensions, and that its donations are of a purely eleemosynary description, and that the amount available from the Civil List for literary pensions does not as a rule exceed £400 a year, it appears to the Committee that it would be in the interest of literature and of this Society to establish a pension fund for authors to be sup- ported by authors themselves, and not by appeals  THE AUTHOR. 167 to the public at large, and to be administered by a Committee chosen from the Society of Authors as hereinafter appointed. The Committee, therefore, put forward the following points as the basis on which the fund should be worked, and consider that the minor details of its constitution should be settled by Counsel when a sufficient sum of money is placed in the bank to show that the scheme will be fairly supported : 1. That the fund collested shall be utilised for the payment of pensions only, and not of dona- tions. 2. That the fund shall be held in the names of three trustees, any two of whom shall sign cheques for the payment of the pensions and of incidental expenses, such cheques being countersigned by the Secretary, or, in his absence, by a member of the pension Committee. 3. That a Committee consisting of six members and the Chairman of the Managing Committee of the Society for the time being shall be the sole arbiters as to the recipients of the pensions, and the trustees shall sign cheques on the autho- rity of the Committee only. That the Secretary of the Incorporated Society of Authors do act as the secretary of the Committee. 4. That the Committee of six members shall consist of three members of the Society elected by the Committee of the Society, and three members of the Society elected at the general meeting of the Society by the members of the Society. That the candidates elected by the members of the Society shall be nominated in writing to the Secretary at least three weeks prior to the General Meeting, and each candidate shall be supported by the names of at least five members. A list of the names of the candidates so nominated shall be sent to each member of the Society with the report of the Society, and those candidates obtaining the most votes at the General Meeting shall he elected to serve on the Committee, which shall be called the “ Committee of the Pension Fund of the Incorporated Society of Authors.” 5. That one member of those elected by the Managing Committee of the Society of Authors, and one member of those elected by the members of the Society at the General Meeting shall retire annually, but may be re-elected. 6. In default of the election of sufficient candi- dates by the members of the Society the Manag- ing Committee of the Society shall fill the vacan- cies by the election of members of the Society not being members of the Committee. 7. That the pensions given shall not be less than £30 nor more than £100 per annum. 8. That pensions shall not be given to anyone who has not attained the age of sixty years, pro- vided that in the absence of satisfactory candi- dates over sixty years of age, or in the case of total inability to work and during the continuance of such inability, the Committee of the Pension Fund may assign pensions to members of the Society of a less age. g. That no pensions shall be given to anyone who has not been a member of the Society of Authors for ten years at least, or a life member, but that membership to the Society gives no right to a pension. 10. Save as excepted in clause 8, That such pensions shall be tenable for life, but that the Committee of the Pension Fund may in their absolute discretion discontinue any pension for any one or more of the following reasons :— i. In the case of bankruptcy. ii. In the case of a pensioner’s conduct being such as would disqualify him from membership of the Society of Authors. iii. In the case of a pensioner subsequently receiving an independent income sufficient to provide for his support. 11. That the Committee of the Pension Fund in giving pensions to applicants shall consider not only the necessity of each case but also the merits of the writings of the applicant. 12. That ail applications laid before the Com- mittee of the Pension Fund shall be confidential, but the names of the recipients of the pensions and the amount given shall be stated in The Author. 13. That contributions may be made either by a single donation or by a donation spread over three, four, or five years, or by annual subscrip- tions. 14. Subject to the paym-nt of working expenses, not less than two-thirds of all such annual subscriptions shall be added to the capital of the Pension Fund; the other third may, in the discretion of the Committee of the Pension Fund, be devoted to the payments of pensions or in the purchase of anuuities to satisfy pensions granted. 15. That all selections of securities in which the capital may from time to time be invested be subject to the unanimous decision of the trustees, and, after the establishment of the Fund, to the agreement therewith of a majority of at least two-thirds of the Committee of the Pension Fund. 16. That with the consent of two-thirds of the trustees and the Pension Committee sitting together, this scheme may be varied from time to time as need arises, provided always that the Fund shall be administered by a Committee con- sisting of members of the Society of Authors, and  168 for the benefit of the members of such Society for the time being. The Committee hope to start the scheme early in 1900, and now invite sub-criptions from the members of the Society. Immediate contributions are desired to form a nucleus for the fund and to enable the Committee to meet working expenses. A form for subscribers is appended. Opinions, suggestions, and criticism will be cordially welcomed by th+ Committee, and care- fully considered previously to the scheme being submitted to Counsel for final settlement. The following subscriptions have been already promised :— Mr. George Meredith (President of the Society)... £100 Mr. J. M. Barrie (if nine others subscribe the SAMO BMOUDG) coo... 2 eco enters et vere ayeesew anes taerses 100 Mr. A. W. a Beckett (per annum) ..................... 5 Sir Walter Besant ........0..0..0...cccc eee 100 The Rev. T. G. Bonney (for present year, and con- tinue same a3 long as existing circumstances also GONGINUG) sce, ieee eae ce wate gen as 5 Mr. Austin Dobson (as much as possible per BNNUNT) oc a es a nave eee tenes ye namen = Dr. Conan Doyle (per annum, when the scheme assumes a practicai basis)................06..) cesses 10 Mr. Douglas Freshfield (if nine others subscribe the Same AMOUUE) 665.0 ioes sche een sees Gi uesennenes 100 Mr. Anthony Hope Hawkins ........................ 200 Mr. Jerome K. Jerome (per annum, and perhaps MORO) 86 ie i ees 5 Mr. J. Scott Keltie (per an: um for five years)...... 5 Mr. Rudyard Kipling...................:::ceeeeeee tees 100 Mr: Gilbert Parker....... 2.6.0 100 Mrs. Humphry Ward (per annum) ................... 10 G. H. T ee LITERARY PROPERTY. J.—ExcHaNncEe AND THE Contra ACcouUNT. TTENTION has been frequently called in A these pages to the charging, in an account rendered to the author, of advertisements not paidfor. In our last number the case of Mr. Endean and Messrs. Sampson Low and Co. was reported. In this case the sum of £15 was charged, the greater part of which had not been spent. This case, however, was explained on the ground of an error on the part of a clerk. We have to do here with facts that are not errors. There are three ways of charging for advertise- ments which have cost nothing. (We need not consider a clerk’s error in setting down advertise- ments that have not even been inserted.) The first method is tu charge for advertisements which have appeared in the publisher's own organs. It is obvious that any publisher who claims this THE AUTHOR. right claims as well the right to take as much as he pleases of the proceeds, because he can adver- tise a book as often as he pleases, and in any way he pleases, and he can always pretend that the advertisement was for the good of the book. It is also obvious that in a profit-sharmg agreement he is legally bound to charge only money that is actually spent. Another way is to exchange advertisements with other publishers who have magazines, and to charge the author’s account with every such advertisement. A third way is to insert advertisements in other publishers’ magazines; to pay for them, perhaps getting discount; to receive other publishers’ advertisements, aud to send in a“ contra account,” having the receipt for the first payment to prove that payment has been actually made, if ques- tions are asked. In order to ascertain the extent to which publishers advertise in each other’s organs an examina'ion has been made of the principal magazines for the month of December. It will be remembered that in the “ Draft Agreements (Equitable) ” the publishers preserved a profound silence on this subject. Is it too much to infer that their silence, after all that has been urged and pointed out, and after the opinions of counsel had been taken twice, may be con- strued into a determination not to condemn the practice P The magazines have been divided into two groups. ‘The first consists of the older maga- zines and their publishers. Macmillan’s ) Temple Bar \- published by Macmillan and Co. The Century ¢ The Edinburgh Review Longman’s The Quarterly, published by Murrey. The Cornhill, published by Smith, Elder and Co. The Nineteenth Century, published by Samp- son Low and Co. The Contemporary, published by Isbister and Co. The Fortnightly, published by Chapman and Hall. Harper’s, published by Harper and Brothers. Blackwood’s, published by Blackwood. The Gentleman's, published by Chatto and Windus. The Pall Mall Magazine is omitted because it does not belong to a publisher. The table appended gives the names of the following firms and the magazines in which they advertised in the month of December :— ) published by Longman and Co.  AUTHOR. { | | | | | | | > | | | } > } | | } | e = | | | | (ei ais | >| 3 Sit S| | i ae > <= : y = eg tee | KS S Ae ‘ si eae QS a. & ee Se e . & eS ee ae: 4 Oo US | = | Ss 1s Ses | a! § s 3 Z, g Poo = 2 Ss SS) Ses | StS S| eS | Pos = 3 s Ss 3 : s S oS SN . Ree | ro 2 | 1 - | | ~ = | | | | is | ee i oo eee Poe a oe | | | r tela ee [es | is : (eee eo eal ae = Leo 10.1 E Spies as Ss S ) ee 3 = SISIElsisieielais 2|s eS toe S +~ | zg aS = ort os | oot bss Tw; Ss & 2 Pe sl oe ae eS Bel Se | Se | Ble a2 > |4 14 a See eS ls | Se ls Z, a [eia Simlieicibiciaelsi s 4 5 le lel e Si8i8isiSisisi#is2 | as Pet 5 e \ |e l8 Ce | 5 liso is n | | | | | | | Bice itis oe eee ae ee | | | Name oF ADVERTISER. | | | | | BeigckwOOd | 26.6 kiss eee . | a [S | . | | jee ees Chapman and Hall .................... | | & . » | | | eae | | | Chatto and Wimdus....................-| oe. | : | | | | | | | | | | | | | Harper he eee kasi ee ee 33] | x - o | | 95 | | a + | | | | | | peau | sone | - | | | | Sut aud Bier yr ed on 1 |» |» be a a ls Ls : | Posen: Rees fees eau A | | | | | | S Low and Co...........cennsese- 1+ o> ee ee | Pee ee | 8 | —_—— —— ——|—|—_ ||| | | | | VON GMAE 6 cers esc ; wes aa Pa le a a ee | | | | | Ke | Petar ea oe | Pa Ne ee | Da eee eee Ta cacoceceaaneeol Be eee ee ene 1 | ae M Pe | 8 MITA, ....-,-15- | ade | cae | os | a It will be observed by an examination of the table that there are thirteen magazines : advertise in five. , four. Murray Chapman and Hall 9 Macmillan and Co. advertise in twelve. Chatto and Windus > », three. Longmans. y ,, eleven. It will also be observed if we take one of Smith and Elder A ,, eleven. these publishers, the one which seems to adver- Sampson Low and Co. ,, » ten, tise the most in magazines — Macmillan and Harper Brothers n » seven. Co,—that Macmillan advertises in— Longman’s Edinburgh Review .... Harper’s Harper’s .......... Murray’s Quarterly ..... eas ; oe ee Chapman and Hall’s Mortnightly ............... ks And receives a page in an organ of his own from— Longman Murray Chapman and Hall Harper Sampson Low Sampson Low’s Nineteenth Century ieee Smith and Wlder's CormmAill, .. 0... .cce cesses civ cecsewsecues Chatto and Windus’s Gentleman’s ....cc ccc cesnen ccc cen erence ean eeeees Smith and Elder Chatto and Windus.  170 A second group of magazines was then taken. Jt included those published by Newnes, Pearson, Harmsworth, the Religious Tract Society, and many others. The circulation of these magazines ig enormous—ten and twenty times that of some of the older periodicals. Yet there are hardly any publishers’ advertisements in them. Why is this? Is it due to the absence of any arrange- ment about exchanges or “contra accounts ” ? Let us now see how a firm of publishers might work the “contra account” to the ruin of the author. A. B. sends a full-page advertisement of a certain book among others to a dozen maga- zines, paying for each and charging the author his share of the page according to the tariff. He may do this as often as he pleases and whenever he pleases. If the author’s share in each page is 10s., he has £6 charged against him for one month’s advertising in the magazines. If the publisher continues this mode of advertising for six months —all for the good of the book—the account of the book is loaded with £36 for advertising in the magazines. But the other twelve publishers send each a full page advertisement to A. B. and pay for every page. Therefore the “contra account” becomes the mere acknowledgment of an ex- change. The honest A. B. has spent not one farthing of the £36 charged, all of which goes into his own pocket. One would like to see any defence of this practice if it exists. Understand that it is not a question whether certain magazines offer a good medium for adver- tisers: perhaps they do. It is a question whether the author is to be charged where nothing has been paid. It is obviously necessary to guard against a practice in which the opinion of a judge and the verdict of a jury seem to be very much wanted. The methods of safeguarding are (1) to pro- hibit by the agreement any advertising in maga- zines except by the “ contra account” arrange- ment, which costs nothing; (2) to insist on all the details of the charge for advertise- ments; (3) to disallow all such charges, whether provided against by the agreement or not, and to bring the case before the Committee of the Society. These are plain facts: the publishers have a perfect right to make exchanges ; or, if they prefer, to pay for each advertisement, and to send in a “contra account.’ Nor is it suggested that any of these firms do charge their authors for such advertisements. We again refer to the recent case in which Messrs. Sampson Low and Co. explained that such a charge was the error of a clerk — an explanation which involves their THE AUTHOR. denial of the practice. These are facts which, if one month is taken as representing all, go far to prove the custom of exchanges between publishers who own magazines. To prove the custom beyond doubt would involve the analysis of the adver- tisements for a whole year. They do not prove, of course, that authors are charged for these exchanges, but a statement or expression of opinion on the subject from the Publishers’ Association would be welcome. IIl.—Somez Points FoR CONSIDERATION. IL—A PUBLISHING LICENCE. There are one or two points lately brought before the Secretary of the Society which have been commented on in previous numbers of The Author. As, however, the difficulties have arisen again and the dangers have not disappeared, itis worth while bringing them once more to the notice of the members of the Society. The case is as follows: An author goes to one of the most influential houses in England and, after the perusal of his manuscript, is told that the house will publish his book on a fixed royalty basis. The amount paid in royalties does not affect the matter. The publisher further states that he will forward to the author the agreement embodying these terms. In due course the author receives the printed form of agreement, in which the publisher under- takes to publish the work on the terms suggested and settled between them, but with this addition, that the copyright of the work, the translation rights, the dramatic rights, and all other rights that the author can at any future time possess shall be the publisher's. On one or two occasions the author, trusting to the assumed probity of the firm, has signed the agreement, thinking it in accordance with his previous verbal arrangement. On other occasions he has brought the agree- ment to the Society. If the publisher in the first instance had desired to purchase all the rights from the author, he should have then candidly stated to the author that he would produce the book on the royalty basis on the understanding that all these further rights were transferred to him. This he did not do. His arrangement with the author was practically as stated above, a pub- lishing licence subject to a payment of royalties to the author. On one occasion when it was pointed out that the printed agreement was not in accordance with the original arrangement made, the pub-  THE AUTHOR. lisher put forward the excuse that the agreement represented his usual printed form. The real difficulty of the case is apparent. The author, ignorant of his own rights, too often trusts to the publisher. The publisher, on the other hand, ought not to omit the most important items of the contract and afterwards to embody them without comment in his agreement. The agreement should differ from the verbal contract in its minor clauses only. The golden rule is never to part with the copy- right. II.—THE DEFERRED ROYALTY. Another point has come to the notice of the Secretary, to which it is necessary to draw the attention of authors. A large publishing firm whose half - profit agreements have become famous, has, it is believed, decided to issue agreements on the basis of the deferred royalty. The agreement on the basis of deferred royalty is only one point better than the half-profit agree- ment, but it is not even this point better when the royalty is deferred till the cost of production has been covered, as you not only get all the difficulties of accounts in which the cost of pro- duction, the advertising, and other items are included and tend to complicate matters, but the author gets a considerably less sum in payment of deferred royalty than he would have done by half profits. The deferred royalty agreement is one point better when the royalty is paid after a certain number of copies have been sold. It is better for this reason only, that the accounts are simpler and are more easily checked. The author will not, however, obtain a greater return from the royalty. In case any members of the Society receive offers of agreements on the deferred royalty basis it may be as well to point out the serious diffi- culties that have been known in the past to arise from this form of agreement. It is likely that an author will be offered the same amount of royalty after a certain number of copies are sold as he would have been offered if the royalty had been paid at the beginning. If the publisher has practically repaid the cost of the production owing to the deferred royalty (and this he generally takes care to do), then the author should receive at least 30 per cent. royalty on the published price. Another danger is that it is not to the interests of the publisher in many cases to push the sale of the book beyond the number on which no royalty is paid. VOL, x. 171 The publisher is not really looking to the benefit likely to accrue to the author, but only looking to obtaining a reasonable return on the money expended by himself. This difficulty should be guarded against by a clause inserted in the agreement, stating that the publisher undertakes, in the first instance, to print considerably more copies than the number on which he does not intend to pay royalty. There are other points in this form of agreement; for these the author is referred to the “Methods of Publishing,’ and “The Addenda.” Tt is an agreement full of pitfalls, and must not be entered into without careful advice. One of the worst points is the fact that the publisher’s and the author’s interests are opposed and not at one. G. Hy 7. TII.—Lirerary AGENTS. I have been hitherto under the impression that the literary agent made for the author all possible arrangements for publication, serial and im book form, in the British Empire and abroad, and secured the author better terms than he could get for himself. Last week, however, I was shown an agreement for a work which had been placed in an agent’s hands, containing the following clause: “The publishers shall arrange for the issue of an edition in America, and they shall pay the said [author's name| an amount that shall be equal to ro per cent. of the actual sum received by them for the said edition.” I wish to know—(1) Why, if the work is placed in an agent’s hands, the arrangements for the American edition are to be made by the pub- lisher? (2) Whether it is usual for agents to leave American editions to be arranged by the publisher? (3) Why the publisher is to take go per cent. and the author only to, seeing that an opposite arrangement would have been a fairer division, the publisher having done but very little? And finally (4) whether this is evidence that an author should be as careful in the choice of his agent as in the choice of his publisher ? Se mK IV.—Tur New German Copyrient Bri. The sketch of a new copyright law for the German Empire, officially published in the spring of 1899, continues to occupy much attention, and to evoke not a little criticism on the Continent in all circles devoted to the study of copyright. Our German contemporary, Das Recht der Feder, is by no means satisfied with many of the new provisions, and we may add that we entirely agree with the criticisms of the law which have appeared in its pages, and earnestly hope that R  172 THE AUTHOR. they may assist to bring about some important modifications of the suggested enactment. In its present shape the new law will be little better than a half-measure, by which all the interests of authors will be by no means properly safeguarded. V.—Mvsic ComposERS AND PUBLISHERS. The letter signed ‘“ Musical Publisher” in tha December issue of The Author surprises me and interests me as the Secretary of the Society of Authors. Ihave pointed out in The Author on several occasions that the position of musical composers when contracting with the largest and most responsible musical publishers in London is a very unfortunate one. The general form of contract issued by the big musical publishing houses takes, as a rule, every- thing, leaving the composers nothing, and the composers generally sign these contracts in igno- rance of the value and nature of the property they are handing over on the faith of the name of the house with which they are dealing. A typical contract was published in The Author for July, 1899, with explanations. I should like “‘ Musical Publisher” to refer to that number. If musical publishers, as a rule, accepted leases of the composer’s work for a limited time composers would have a_ better chance of reaping the rewards of their own work and labour. If “Musical Publisher” sees this letter I should be very glad if he would enter into com- munication with me. G. Herserr THrRina, Secretary of the Society. os THE METHOD OF THE FUTURE. NOTE will be found in the correspondence of the month on “The Method of the Future.” This method, which is simply the publishing on commission by means of a commission agent or commission publisher, who publishes in no other way and who takes his commission and nothing more, is a_ widely different thing from publishing by commission, as it is generally understood. A simple comparison between the two methods is shown by a reference to the publishers’ Draft Agreements (Kqutable). Thus the latter claim (1) a preliminary fee: (2) a blank commission on printing, paper, binding, advertising, and other disbursements, wiru the right to take dis- count on every item: (3) to be paid in advance, although the printer, &c., will not be paid for three months or more after publication : (4) to take a blank commission on sales: (5) to account | for the sales not at the actual price realised, but at “customary” trade prices, whatever he may choose to name: and (6) to render accounts annually, but not to pay for a period of blank months afterwards. The commission agent of the future charges a commission and nothing else—no discounts: no percentages : nothing For instance, a book may cost, say, £150 for production and may realise, say, £300. The commission agent will take 10 per cent.—say £30—and send the author, as the money comes in, the remainder, £270, out of which he pays £150 for production. ‘ Tf, on the other hand, the book is sent on commission to a general publisher, it will be obvious, by applying the claims set up as detailed above, that the Cost of Production may be very easily swollen to about £220, while the returns, by making a liberal use of the ‘‘ customary trade price ” clause and of the commission, may easily be reduced to about the same sum; so that the unhappy author would not only pay £70 more than the book cost, but would actually get nothing back of his outlay. This is no fanciful portion. It is actually made possible by the clauses in the Publishers’ Draft Agreements (Equitable). This method is strongly advocated (1)’in the case of successful authors of every kind. It may be that at the outset there might be a little friction with the machinery, but that would soon be eased because it would be entirely and com- pletely the interest of the commission publisher to act for the best advantage of the authors. Perhaps in a few cases, but very few, this general publisher would offer so large a royalty that it would seem to be the advantage of the author to remain with him. What assurance, however, would there be that a true return of the sales would be returned? A very high royalty might, in unscrupulous hands, be reduced by a reduction in the returns. In the second place, the method is strongly advocated in the case.of that large class of books —not novels—written by specialists and designed for a special purpose, addressed to a special audience, where publication would advance the author’s interests apart from any possibility of wide circulation. Surely in such cases this method offers the greatest possible advantages. It must never be forgotten that the committee of the Publishers’ Association have insisted on their right to every one of the additions to the cost and the deductions from the sales which are set forth iets  THE AUTHOR. above : every one, except that of charging adver- tisements not paid, and this is passed over with silence deliberate, which, after all that has been said and written on the subject, can only mean that they approve or allow of the practice. And it must be remembered that these monstrous claims have never been disavowed or withdrawn. The Method of the Future then is a Method of pure Self Defence. Nor must this method be confused with that of paying what is humorously called part of the Cost of Production. The old advice given by the Society over and over again still remains ‘Never pay for what publishers refuse to produce at their own expense.’ The reasons are illustrated by what precedes. The commission agent or publisher may also, on his side, refuse to produce, even upon commission, He simply says: “I publish on commission only, and in no other way. I do not want bad and unsaleable books. Good and saleable books I produce on terms which are better than any profit sharing agreement or royalty or ordinary commission by a general publisher can possibly offer. The business of distribution and collection is done by me, and for that I take a moderate commission and nothing else. All is above board—estimates—vouchers— discounts — everything.” exe PARIS NOTES. 5, rue Chomel, Paris. FYNHE scurrilous tone adopted by several low- class French publications in dealing with the Transvaal War has justly excited the indignation of the Anglo-American colony in Paris. But it is a mistake to imagine that the majority of the better - class French public approve the virulent, personal attacks directed against the noble Woman and aged Empress- Queen, who stands foremost—in virtue, as in age —among the contemporary European sovereigns of the twentieth century. As regards the pre- vailing sentiment respecting these attacks, I venture to quote the following phrases taken from a recent leading article in the Jvgaro, than which no French paper is conducted on higher lines, or offers a better mirror of the general feeling of the cultured upper classes: ‘ Nos facons de polémique,” writes Le Passant, ‘“ n’ont pas ¢té inventées 4 lusage des Anglais. Nous faisons pour eux comme pour nous, et ce ne sont méme que des obus perdus qui passent les frontiéres. Le gros de la canonnade est pour notre propre usage. Cela n’empéche pas que ces attaques inconsidérées ne soient tres regrettables. La reine d’Angleterre, 4 défaut de toute autre 173 considération, aurait du en étre préservée par son erand ige.” Nevertheless, a few lines later we are informed that, if Her Majesty reigned in France, ‘“‘ Les journaux -francais lui en diraient bien d’autres!” Under such circumstances, the lot of a French sovereign is scarcely more to be envied than that of its actual President. THe Osiris PRIZE. The commandant Marchand has received the “Prix Audiffred ” of 15,000 francs. This was a foreseen occurrence, and occasioned much satis- faction but little surprise, since the Audiffred Prize was expressly founded to recompense “ les plus beaux, les plus grands dévouements, de quelque genre quwils soient.” But the ‘“ Prix Audiffred”’ sinks into comparative insignificance beside the magnificent triennial prize of 100,000 francs, founded by M. Daniel Osiris to recom- pense the most remarkable discovery, or work, produced during a period of three years’ dura- tion, whether the said discovery, or work, come under the heading of science, art, letters, or the medical and industrial professions. In making the Institute of France the trustees of the Prix Osiris, the donor takes the opportunity to intimate his preference for surgical and patho- logical discoveries, on the ground that they are, generally speaking, the most efficacious in alleviating the suffering of humanity at large. On all ordinary occasions only Frenchmen will be allowed to compete for this prize; but when- ever an international exhibition coincides with the date of the adjudgment of the Prix Osiris, all nationalities are invited to enter the lists. Even if the exhibition takes place one or two years later, the awarding of the prize (which, in the latter instance, would amount to 166,000 francs) may be retarded during this period. Should the successful effort prove the combined outcome of several minds, the prize will be divided among the fortunate collaborators. If any would-be competitor desire further details on the subject, M. Georges Picot, Secrétaire Perpétuel de Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques, will undoubtedly be glad to furnish any infor- mation that may be required. A SeLect CoLuecs. In 1881, M. Jules Claretie called attention to the fact that the Paris “de la rive gauche” enjoyed a monopoly of intellectual instruction to the detriment of the wealthy aristocrats of the Faubourg St. Germain, whose means permitted them to dwell in the more luxurious Paris “ de la rive droite.” He suggested the establishment of a national College on the right bank, in order that the élite of society might be kept in touch 174 with the march of modern intellect, without being forced to cross the bridges which separated them from the poorer inhabitants of the Latin Quarter. In 1899 M. Claretie may rejoice in seeing his suggestion become a realised fact. A little Sorbonne was opened on Dee. 5 at the Bodinitre ; it is rendered select by the fact that only paying members are admitted. This small “ Université mondaine” proposes to deal with the masterpieces of the Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and French litera- ture; and among the names on its programme we find those of MM. Leo Claretie, Hugene Len- tilhac, Aug. Dorchain, René Doumic, Emile Faguet, and Mme. Jane Dieulafoy. Since the death of Mme. Rosa Bonheur, the latter is the only woman in France who is legally entitled to walk the streets of Paris in man’s attire—a per- mission of which she avails herself to the full, for she is never seen in feminine garb. As a lecturer she possesses a remarkable facility of language, devoid of the picturesque exaggeration so common to her sex. Mme. Dieulafoy is a great traveller. She and her husband have lived many years in Persia, enjoying the precarious favour of the tyrannical Nassr ed Din; and many of the wild scenes she has witnessed, and in which she has played a part, rival in interest the sensational “Mille et une Nuits” of Dr. C. Mardrus, of which the second volume has lately been given to the public. Arounp M. Bourcer. Despite his reputation for dandyism, M. Paul Bourget is one of the most fertile authors of his school. He has just returned to Paris, and is already publishing a new serial—an interesting study of a fin-de-siecle Parisian ménage—entitled “Te Luxe des Autres.’ He has recently averred that his mental attitude towards our race has undergone a complete transformation. The more he appreciates our good qualities, the more keenly is he aware of the invisible barrier, the “ divergences irréductibles” which alienate his sympathies from us. In brief, he no longer feels his former warm admiration for the English race. This change is not to be attributed to any petty “trimming” for popular favour. The ardent disciple of Hippolyte Taine; the enthusiastic hero-worshipper who revered Balzac before Balzac was a fashionable idol, and who carried his imitation of his hero to such an extreme that, for several years, he went to bed at eight o’clock every night and rose at three o'clock every morning, breakfasting on a bowl of black coffee prepared over-night—because, forsooth, Balzac had recorded that such was his own usual méthode; the successful writer and honoured member of the French Academy, who boldly defied current opinion by perseveringly register- THE AUTHOR. ing his vote (the solitary one) in favour of M. Emile Zola’s admission to the charmed circle— is not the man to be influenced by any baser considerations. Once, in speaking of the leader of the realistic school, M. Bourget remarked : “No one here suspects the reputation which Zola enjoys abroad. His books are read every- where—in the smallest American towns. He is considered the chief, the father, of the modern French novel. Nowhere has he met with such severe censors as those of his own country ; and,” added M. Bourget, emphatically, “Vraiment la jeune critique n’a pas assez de respect pour cette gloire!” Ture Brainnines or M. Mevrice. M. Paul Meurice is still busily engaged in superintending the rehearsals of his adaptation of “Les Miscrables” of Victor Hugo, at the Porte-Sainte-Martin Theatre. This play has been much talked of, and is expected to prove one of the greatest hits of the season. M. Meurice is no novice among dramatists, being the author of “ Struensée” and many other suc- cessful plays. He is almost an octogenarian, and to talk with him is to be transported into a bye- gone era. He made his dramatic début by the aid and with the collaboration of Dumas pére. It happened in this wise :— On one occasion the latter deigned to confide to the shy slender student his project of founding a theatre which should alternately mount his own works and those of foreign classics, Calderon, Lope de Vega, Shakespeare. . . . “ Ah!” sighed Dumas, reflectively, “if I had only the time to translate ‘Hamlet’! What a fine spectacle that would be for the opening night!” “T have a translation of ‘Hamlet’ all ready,” murmured the student, blushing at his own temerity. «A translation in verse ?”’ “ Certainly.” Meurice Was dispatched to fetch his work. Dumas read it and was satisfied. ‘Ma foi, mon enfant,” he said complacently, “je deviendrai ton collaborateur, si, du moins, cela te plait?” The offer was eagerly accepted; but Dumas was procrastinating, and a wearisome period inter- vened before “ Hamlet” was finally produced at the Saint-Germain-en-Laye Theatre. At this epoch the great man was living in princely state at Monte Cristo, submerged in debt, conde- scendingly offering champagne to the bailiffs who came to mouut guard over his furniture. All the critics were invited to be present at the first representation of ‘‘Hamlet.” Meurice shamefacedly hid himself in the side-scenes, while  THE Dumas sat enthroned in a “fauteuil de balcon,” his broad breast literally covered with glittering stars, decorations, and orders. He appeared totally to forget that the piece was his, or rather that he had read and signed it, since it was he who led the applause. But modesty was never the prominent characteristic of this great genius and wholesale plagiarist. ‘- Passions Silencieuses ” is the pathetic title of the novel which M. Henri Gaillard, editor of the Journal des Sourds Muets and secretary-general of the Fédération des Sociétés Frangaises de Sourds Muets, is about to publish. M. Gaillard is physically more highly gifted than the afflicted community over which he presides; for though he totally lost the sense of hearing at the early age of eight years, he has preserved almost intact the faculty of speech, and he will occupy a promi- nent position in the three-day international “Congres du Silence des Sourds Muets,” which will be held in Aug. 1900, in the stately white palace now being erected in the vicinity of the Pont de l Alma. And still further @ propos of the Great Exhibi- tion may be mentioned the exquisite bzbelot which M. Christian, director of the Imprimerie Nationale, is preparing to delight the virtuosos and lettrés of the year 1900. The volume in question bears the date MCM, and is a perfect “chef d’ceuvre’’ of the dual arts of engraving and typography, in addition to containing the history of printing in France during the 15th and 16th centuries. M. Christian has already been engaged two years in its compilation. In the preface he states that “en imprimant cet ouvrage notre ¢tablissement national a surtout pour but d’offrir aux bibliophiles les spécimens les plus curieux et les moins connus de Vart typographique essentiellement francais et @’établir la prééminence de nos artistes par influence qwils exerctrent sur les émules des nations vyoisines 4 |’époque de la Renaissance.” He has certainly succeeded admirably in his aim. Mapame Apam’s Successor. M. P. B. Gheusi, who claims kinship with Gambetta, in addition to being one of the most elegant writers of the present day, has succeeded Mme. Juliette Adam in the editorship of the Nouvelle Revue. Indeed, M. Gheusi is the modern French Crichton who has ‘“ touché a tout sans se spécialiser, méme a la diplomatie ’—since he has recently returned from a diplomatic mission in Asia Minor. Although only thirty years of age, he has already made his mark as an archeologist, poet, lecturer, administrator, novelist, and dramatic author. He isa Toulou- sian by birth, but offers the curious anomaly of AUTHOR. we an undemonstrative Toulousian who prefers reflec- tion to exuberance. He possesses a striking per- sonality, being tall, with intensely black hair, eyes, and beard, finely-cut features, and olive complexion. He has embraced the tenets of M. Constans, and it is reported that he intends to metamorphose the Nouvelle Revue. The latter magazine was founded by Mme. J uliette Adam, who is universally acknowledged to be one of the most brilliant and talented French authoresses of the nineteenth century. Tue Enp or PresipENT Favre. “Ta Fin d’une Présidence ” is the title of M. Witness’ new novel, a “roman a clef” reviving one of the popular legends current at the death of M. Felix Faure. The latter is easily recog- nisable under the pseudonym of “ Prosper Puis- sant,” as is also the case in regard to the fair actress denominated Mlle. Agnes, who was reported to be present at the President’s death, but who was, in reality, engaged elsewhere in the exercise of her profession at the moment when this sad event took place. Nevertheless, ‘ La Fin @’une Présidence” is being widely read, and many persons are firmly convinced of the truth of the fictitious narrative therein contained. In case any of our readers should desire to judge its contents for themselves, we would mention that it is published chez Chamuel. Among books of the month we find ‘le Rappel des Ombres,” by M. B. M. de Vogiié (chez Armand Colin et Cie.) ; ‘‘ L’Ennemie des Réves,” by M. Camille Mauclair (chez Ollen- dort); “4 lAube,” by M. Jean Reibrach ; “‘ Les Boers,” by M. Eugene Morel; “En Mémoire dun Enfant,’ by M. Emile Blémont; ‘ Shake- speare,’ by M. E. Legouis ; and “ Emancipées,” by M. Albert Cim. : DarRAcorre Scott. —___—_ecz NOTES AND NEWS. HAVE to invite very earnest attention to the I scheme for establishing a Pension Fund in connection with the Society. There is no pension for literary folk except their share cf the Civil List. This should give literature another £400 every year. Of late years the administra- tion of the fund has greatly improved, although it still leaves something to.be desired. Yet the grants of pensions are capricious and arbitrary : the pension offered is sometimes ridiculously small, at other times it is absurdly large, consider- ing the small sum at the donor’s disposal. Some- times a case, which would seem especially designed 176 when the annual grant was first proposed, is refused without rhyme or reason: sometimes a person receives a pension while in the full enjoy- ment of his working powers. The pension fund of the Society proposes to grant pensions 1o followers of literature being members of the Society when they grow old or are broken down. The method of raising the necessary income is explained in the paper furnished by the com- mittee. Certain members have led off with promises which, as will be seen,provide a nucleus : others offer a yearly subscription. In publishing the names of the donors it is believed that a great many of our members will follow their example. Besides the donations and the annual subscriptions given for this special purpose it will perhaps be possible, after the number of members has reached a certain figure, to devote a propor- tion of the annual subscriptions to the Pension Fund. Thus, if we begin with a capital sum of £1500 from donations and a promised annual subscrip- tion of £500 for this object: and if we are able to set aside every year, say, another £250 from the annual subscriptions, we should in five years, if we waited for that period before granting any pensions, have a sum of about £5600, producing an annual income of about £150 a year, increasing, if we add £750 a year to our principal, by £20 a year; so that in ten years there would be a sum of £250 a year available in pensions. If, on the other hand, we begin at once by using the interest of our capital for pension purposes, we ought to be able to give for the first year £40: for the second, £60: for the third, £80 a year: and so on. It is quite obvious that even a small pension of £30 a year would be in some cases regarded as avery great help. These figures, however, depend entirely upon the way in which the scheme is taken up. Members will observe that it is not intended to appeal for help—after the manner of the Royal Literary Fund—to the benevolent. The Literary Profession ought to be quite able—it is quite able, if its followers will only think so—to look after those who break down or can work no longer. At the same time I do not suppose that the Com- mittee would refuse to accept gifts from friends and well-wishers. There is another reason for creating a Pension Fund: that of adding stability to the Society. At present, if we admit 200 new members every year, there is sure to be a withdrawal of a certain number, perhaps a hundred or more. ‘These members withdraw because they think that the THE AUTHOR. Society is of no use to themselves personally, for- getting that if it is to be of use to any one there must be a great preponderance of guinea subserip- tions over the number of cases which are taken up, nearly all of which cost the Society a certain amount of law expenses. Now, with a Pension Fund growing every year, it is quite clear that a very strong inducement will be held out to members who might otherwise withdraw to continue. It is not a noble motive: one would far rather find them continuing in the hope of helping those who want help: but we must be thankful that we have our steady supporters— nearly 1500 strong—who do believe in standing by the weaker brethren. In the last number appeared a letter from Mr. Robert Maclehose,of Glasgow. It was prefaced by a few words on the general situation, and followed by a reprint of the report of our sub- committee on the subject. All three documents made quite clear the fact that the majority of booksellers are willing to try the experiment of coercion: we had already recognised that fact, and we proposed that booksellers should have their own way without opposition from our- selves for such a term as would make it possible to decide on the value of the scheme. At present it certainly looks as if the booksellers would get nothing out of it. But we shall see. Mr. Maclehose does not meet two very important points. (1) That the Authors’ Society was not con- sulted on the final adoption of the measure: and the Authors’ Society, representing the original creators and proprietors of the property, is not likely to allow their own interests to be used as a means of increasing the power and importance of the middle man. (2) It does not meet the awkward fact that the agreement binds the bookseller, but does not bind the publisher. Mr. Maclehose says that book- sellers were unwilling to “imply a doubt of the honour of the members of the Publishers’ Asso- ciation.” This is truly wonderful. Not to doubt the honour of the association? Has Mr. Macle- hose read a certain book called ‘“ Methods of Publishing” ? Or, to put it generally, are all men of business to be bound by contracts and conditions except publishers, who alone among mortals are to be held divine and above the reach of temptation? The simplicity of the statement is almost incredible were it not that it is obviously advanced in perfect good faith. We do not, as Mr. Murray was good enough to* say that we did, accuse all publishers of dis- honesty, but one thing may be stated as a law of humanity that, where any body of men have it in  THE AUTHOR. their power to rob, cheat, thieve, and le with ‘impunity, then there will be among them a certain proportion of those who will take advan- tage of this impunity. So that we end as we began: that the book- sellers will have no kind of interference from the Authors’ Society: after a certain time they will probably be asked what advantage they have gained. And meantime the depression of the book trade is growing steadily worse, and the impoverishment of the bookseller is increasing. The extension of the term of copyright con- tinues to be advocated. It is, of course, always advanced as a measure in the interests of the author and his heirs. Nothing could be more absurd. The extension of copyright, if the pre- sent methods are preserved, would be entirely in the interests of the publisher. Those who so confidently talk of the author’s interests are probably unaware that nearly every agreement between author and publisher assigns to the latter the exclusive right of publishing the book in this country, or the copyright, during the legal term. It is, of course, evident that any agreement which might be fair for a limited term might be very much the contrary in the case of a book so fortunate as to be still in demand for an extended term. The extension of the term of copyright would, in fact, affect very few books indeed ; but in the case of those which it did affect the ordinary royalty, or the price given for a sale outright, would be quite inadequate for a book so exceptional, The only way to meet the case is for the author to assign the right of publication, in this country at least, for a short term of years. Thus, if a five years’ term were adopted, the book at the end of that time would be dead and forgotten, or it would be still a property. In the former case, no publisher would want to produce it again ; in the latter case, the author would be able to make new terms for another short period. If sucha plan were adopted, the legal terms of copyright cannot be too much extended. Another advantage would be that it would keep the publisher in check. He would know very well in the case of a valuable book that if he failed in his duty towards the author he would lose that book at the end of the period agreed upon. Also it would make quite clear to his mind that the present view of some publishers, that literary property is theirs by right, to do what they like with, is based upon a strange confusion. ee The Manchester Guardian proposes that after an author’s death his books shall all be thrown 177 open to any publisher who pleases to produce them, subject to some royalty to the author’s heirs—it says the “same” royalty, meaning apparently the same which was paid in the author’s lifetime. But that might be a most unjust and unfair royalty. Moreover, in the case of very popular books, publishers would have the power of underselling each other—we have seen the cut-throat folly of the sixpenny edition—to the loss and detriment of the author's heirs. It is difficult to legislate for the protection of those wao own property or for those who ought to own it. I should rather suggest that the author’s heirs should have the power t) grant the right of publishing to any they please on any terms they please—but for a limited period only. In other words, they would not be allowed to part with the property out of the family. It would be like a landed estate which is not divided among all the heirs but goes as a solid possession to one. How many authors in one century would create a solid possession? In the nineteenth century Scott, Dickens, Marryatt, Thackeray, among novelists, and a few scattered novels besides ; among poets there would be a property large or small in the work of Wordsworth, Scott, Byron, Keats, Tennyson, Browning, Swinburne. Legisla- tion would not be for a class, but for one or two here and there. Will my correspondent who signed a letter in the last number of this paper “ M. St. J.” kindly send me his name and address? I have mislaid both. Water Besant. = THE AUTUMN OUTPUT. ~N the November number of The Author were offered certain comments on the list of publi- cations announced for the autumn and classified by Literature. One would like the phrase “ promised by ” the publisher to be dropped. A pound of tea is not “ promised” by the grocer : and the publisher conducts his business strictly on the same principles. He “offers” the public, through a bookseller, a book which he has reason to believe will be acceptable to a certain circle of readers who will buy it. A “high class jam” is offered in the same spirit. Always we must distinguish between the commercial and the literary side of literature. Among the books—1500 in number—classified and enumerated were 353 novels. Naturally the world regarded this threatened cataract of novels with terror. Some there were, however, who 178 were doubtful. A list has now been made of all the novels actually published between the rst Oct. and the 15th Dec. As was expected by the doubter, the announcements were in a great many cases merely made for the purpose of swelling a list. Out of the whole number of 353 in the first list only 242 have appeared. Perhaps the depressed condition of the book market has had something to do with the Slaughter of the Innocents. This depression was severely felt early in the year—it has become steadily worse. It is now by some attributed to the war, which stimulates rather than depresses the reading public, though at first chiefly in the direction of subjects con- nected with South Africa. Chiefly it 1s due to the same causes which have been pointed out by the sub-committee of this Society—causes which continually aggravate the impoverishment of booksellers. No bookseller, however, if he had the wealth of Lombard-street at his back, could afford to risk his money in subscribing to the great mass of books now produced and offered to him. The fact, however, remains that a third of the novels announced have not appeared. The prudence of this withdrawal is to be commended. Tt is next necessary to consider by whom the new novels are written, and what is their chance of success. A closer examination of the list shows about sixty names which may be presumed to carry weight. That is to say, there are sixty out of all these novels which are tolerably certain to enjoy a remunerative circulation. In many cases the remuneration may be very small. Still, prac- tically there is no risk in producing them. There remain 182. Does this large nuimber represent the speculative spirit of the publishers —the sporting or gambling side? Not quite. We may divide them into three classes : (1.) Books written by new writers which have been strongly recommended by the reader, and are taken on their merits on the strength of that opinion. This class is very small. (2.) Books in which the authors pay part of the cost of production. This is a very consider- able class. Judging from the number of offers to publish on these terms it is a much larger class than would be generally believed. (3.) Books which the better publishers have unanimously refused, and which are published by the miserable shops where the author is misled, by promises of large profits and no “further risk,” to undertake the whole cost himself. As regards the first: class, all that is to be said is that there is hope for them. The opinions of an experienced reader are generally cautious. He does not recommend a risk unless he clearly per- THE AUTHOR. ceives that the chances of success are greater than the chances of failure. We may confidently expect that out of the autumn list one or two new names will emerge, to be added to the list of those which command a certain clientéle. It is, of course, impossible to say how many of the 182 belong to this class. It is, however, quite possible to point to a good many books which have no chance at all of success. Among these are the books issued—one cannot say published—by the worthy gentlemen whose reader is always so favourably impressed,—and so quickly—that by return post after the MS. has been received, they offer the “ following most advantageous terms,” viz., three-fourths, or two- thirds, or nine-tenths of the profits: an edition of 750 copies: no risk to the author beyond a little preliminary cheque of £75—or anything else— all future editions to be the care of the firm, and cheques every half-year. It is amazing to note how this bait catches the unwary and the credu- lous. There are never any profits; no bookseller will subscribe a copy; the Stoke Pogis Gazette is the only paper which notices the production. Another class of unfortunates is that of those who agree to guarantee a certain number of copies and omit to notice that nothing is said about advertising, and nothing about any share of profits if the book succeeds. It never does succeed. The profits are less than those made by Bob Sawyer in his general practice at Bristol. There is the class, again, of those who pay part of the vost, and are humorously informed that they are to share the profits. A perusal of the publishers’ “Draft Agreements” (Equitable) should enlighten these unhappy ones as to the nature of the share. “Half the risk and half the profits.” Admirable! Equitable indeed! Lastly, there is a small class of those who boldly undertake the publishing of their books by means of a commission publisher who charges no unpaid advertisements, no “ office expenses,” and takes his commission only. Let us encourage this class by any means in our power. =P OKs CORRESPONDENCE. L—<Tur Mernop or THE FUTURE.” ° HE method of the future” is with us— |" has been for, at least, mouths. Time will soon arrive to inquire if it is to justify its description. To the editor of this paper literature is largely indebted for its genesis ; to him all those who write owe it to see that the description he has given it shall be justified. It is of tremendous importance to  THE letters that it should be adequately supported. Yet it would not appear that any work of first- rate importance, appealing to the general public, and commanding a large sale, has been thus pub- lished. Is it not permissible to call the attention of the lords of the literary world to the position, and to ask if even one is willing to demonstrate his confidence in the system, and give it the powerful impetus which a work of assured success would command for it? Will Mr. Hall Caine, Mr. Anthony Hope, Mr. Zangwill, Mr. Gilbert Parker, Mrs. Humphry Ward, or another of the Upper Ten bring up one of their 4.7in. guns? Now is the time to strike for freedom. OBSERVER. Il.—On Weritine ror THE MAGAZINES. Your note about magazine writing seems to me a little misleading. You say that only four writers contribute as many as five articles in the course of a year to any single magazine or review. That must surely be only true with a reservation. Besides Mr. Lang in Longman’s there is the “Tooker On” in Blackwood, and the writer of “ Conferences ” in the Cornhill. Also you do not allow for the fact that the regular magazine writer sometimes, for one reason or another, does not sign. I have myself published unsigned articles in magazines three or four times in the last two years. Also your purview omits the quarterlies. But the essential point is that a writer in any demand can easily dispose of a dozen articles in the year among the different periodicals, 1.€., can add from £150 to £200 or more to his income. That is sufficiently proved by the fact that I, with no particular reputation to assist me, have had well over a score of articles published in what I should call the best periodicals between the years 1898 and 1899. The Author, I think, might very properly recog- nise the service done to literature, or at least to the literary men and women who wish to write other things than fiction, by those publishers who issue quarterlies and monthlies which either make a loss at the year’s end or a very small profit, but pay handsomely a large number of people for writing about subjects on which they speak with special knowledge or special compe- tence. It is in fact the magazines which enable the critic to exist and to write without hurry and with a reasonable space at his command. Ss. (‘The “ serials,’’ which include running “ Confer- ences,” were expressly excluded. As regards the service done to literature by the existence of magazines, that is undoubted—but it is not the point. As for the “loss or the very small AUTHOR. 179 profit,” if the magazines did not pay they would be soon dropped. But they pay in many ways, even though they may show some loss at the year’s end: they pay m getting the publishers’ name known and advertised ; in attracting good writers to a firm; and (see p. 168) perhaps by exchange and the contra account.—ED. | I1].—Tue Same Otp Srory—Ever New. The story is the same, ’tis only the case that is new. The invalid daughter of a literary man tries to support herself by literature and fails. Not because she has not the essential qualifica- tions for success, but because the editors who accept her MSS. defer payment for two years. Kt she ventures to remind them of the guineas over- due, back comes the MS. We know that this is no new thing in literary life, but Zhe Author, by creating a reasonable public opinion on the subject, will make such unbusiness-like ways an old evil memory. E. L. WriLiraMs. TV.—TuHe UnproressionaL JOURNALIST. I wish to indorse what has been repeatedly stated in The Author, that journalism, magazine and review writing, does not as a rule provide an income. I am one of the writers qaoted in your November number, who had one article in a big review in the course of one year. In lesser magazines I had two or three within the same period, besides weekly articles in sixpenny papers. L otten receive as little as half-a-guinea for a short article, and sums of a guinea or less for paragraphs, notes, and short reviews of books. However, I get the books and keep them, and these are to me valuable assets. I can’t say that I am very disappointed if IL find at the end of the year that I have only earned £100. This year I fancy that I shall exceed that sum by a good margin. I have now launched a novel at no risk to myself, and I am to have a royalty when it passes out of serial into book form. You will, of course, be shocked to learn that I have condescended to aceept as little as one guinea for each of my short stories. But my idea is that if my stories over a pseudonym win a little favour from the public, i shall thus have advertised my wares and shall be able perhaps to ask higher terms. But I have wasted space in your columns if in the end Ido not disclose my object in writing. This is to ask your readers if introductions to other writers could not be effected by means of the Society. For instance, if only I knew who are the authors who live in my locality and are 180 members of the Society, I could in the usual manner procure personal introductions through neighbours, without breach of etiquette or of the «“ convenances” of society. This at least would assist the interchange of experience, and authors of my calibre not too overburdened with work would find a pleasant and perhaps profitable connection with others able to advise and assist in literary matters. Di ett V.—Epiror1AL PROMPTNESS. Would you allow me to call attention to a general grievance amongst “ scientific’? writers, and at the same time as an example to refer to an error that has probably disappointed some of the public, and which appeared in an article in a certain magazine for October, entitled “ The Great Meteor Shower of 1899.” In thisitis stated “ that the culmination of the shower is expected in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Nov. 14. 3 There will be a thin crescent moon.” This descrip- tion of the age of the moon, however, must have been written for last year, as it did not correspond to its condition on that date for 1899. More- over, the very date was wrong; for reliable calcu- lations for this year made it the 15th-16th. The error is interesting, particularly to specialist writers on any subject whatever, as exhibiting what is probably due to a magazine editor’s usual want of promptness and his frequent in- difference to appropriateness. The probability in this case was that the article was written in 1898 and held over till 1899. This fault is common to most European magazines, and is frequently occasioned by changes in the editorial staff. The fact, however, remains that the moon this year on Nov. 14 was three days from being full moon, and that the Leonid shower, or what remained of it, ought to have been at its grandest about 6 a.m. on the 16th, twenty-eight hours only before full moon. I recall several provoking yet amusing instances of editorial (magazine) indifference to fact. A few years ago an article of mine appeared with a plan of an ancient house that I had carefully drawn to a scale of 1-200th; the plan, however, without my being consulted, was reduced in size without any alteration of the scale index, which must have been between 1-400th and 1-52oth, thus implying that the original house was less than half the size I indicated. A German friend of mine, a Government architect, sent an important archeological paper to an editor in his own country, who held it over for a year before pub- lishing it, thus giving someone else the chance to pose as the first exponent of the subject. This indifference does not affect the daily Press to such THE AUTHOR. a degree, but in Italy an amusing case occurred which was told me, as far as I remember, by my friend Signor G. Grahlovitz, the learned director of the two seismic observatories in Ischia. It seems that Professor Palmieri of the Vesuvian Observatory had been misquoted in a Neapolitan daily paper about some seismic matter, and that he wrote to the editor to protest; the only consolation which he received was a com- munication from the editor to the effect that “We have made you say it, and you must now stick to it!” As for the advantages to be gained by publish. ing an article in time, I suppose that the average busy office-bound magazine editor, unless a man | of the world, cannot see across the Channel so easily as the more free public and also those specialists who watch their subjects from a wider, European, or even more extended, area of view. Dec., 1899. H. P. FitzGreratp Marriorr, ViI.—Tue Question oF REVIEWS. Undoubtedly reviews advertise a book, and it is equally without doubt that there is not sufficient space in our papers for the adequate reviewing of all the books that appear. But can anyone tell me why so much space is always devoted to those authors who, having “arrived,” need no adver- tising save the announcement that a new work of theirs has come out; while the new-comers, the “ unarrived,”’ are hastily dismissed with a few lines, half a column at the most, of careless, indiscriminate, useless praise or blame ? Now I submit that if a practically unknown writer produce a work of any merit at all, there is no reason why he should be docked of a fairly exhaustive review in order that the refined gold of the popular author may have an extra gilding. For to the beginner, advertisement, encourage- ment, and criticism are of the utmost value: he may be able by their aid to take his proper place in the field of literature, to learn his strength — and his weakness; while the celebrity, who has probably half-a-dozen more books sketched out, or perhaps appearing in magazines, requires no such assistance. Of course critics and editors are naturally more interested in their tried favourites than in new men, but the question is—have they any right to consult personal taste at all? Is criticism to be a mere matter of what I like or you like ? [ feel sure most persons will agree with me that the columns, and even pages, of flattery 80 lavishly bestowed upon the successful—together — with the lengthy abuse often directed against bad work—take up at least two-thirds of the space allotted to the reviewing of books in our papers,  THE AUTHOR. and that there might well be reform in this direc- tion. If an author be already famous, why “boom” him? If a book be undeniably feeble, why not let it die in peace’ QUERIST. VII.—On Tryinc More tHan One Epiror. i T’m rather afraid that I could not have made my meaning very clear, for the editor misunder- stands me. It is quite certain that weeklies sometimes publish without sending the author a proof or an acceptance notice. For the editor himself tells us, in “ My First Book,” that this occurred with an article which he sent to Once a Week. “ The first notice that I received,” he says, “ that the paper was accepted was when I saw it in the magazine, bristling with printer's errors.” And the same thing has occurred within my own experience. Manifestly, therefore, the sending of copies of the same article to more than one weekly is a somewhat dangerous device; and I, for one, should never employ it with weeklies. But with monthlies there ought, one would think, to be no danger at all. Has any contributor ever had an article published in a monthly magazine without first receiving either a proof or a simple notification that the “copy”? had been sent to press ? Perry Barr. [Note.—The incident is true, but the cause of it was an accident. The paper had just changed hands; the new editor found my article in proof, but could not find the name of the author. He published it, and on my calling to expostulate explained the matter with apologies. Such a thing has never again happened to me in more than thirty years of writing for magazines.— Eprror. | II. The question revived by Perry Barr as to the expediency (for it is only one of expediency) of sending the same work to several editors is one on which I should say that the wiser course was not to do it. If I were the editor, and a writer asked me to send back an article sub- mitted to me, as it had been already accepted by another editor, I should certainly send back every article sent me by that writer without examina- tion. Asa writer of magazine articles of many years’ experience (I have contributed to the Atlantic from the month in which it was founded by James Russell Lowell, and to most of the older magazines, English and American), I have made it my rule never to send an article without first asking the editor if he would read it, and if I broke the rule, it would be with the expectation of having it sent back to me. I have rarely had 181 an article rejected, and I think that of those which on second reading I thought it worth while to keep in MS. there are not in my drawer more than two or three serious essays and two stories. Tf Mr. Barr had had a little editorial experience of the enormous quantity of articles some editors have to look at, for of reading all of them there can be no question, he would hardly expect a prompt answer except in the case of the rejection of the article from sheer want of literary interest. In such cases as that of the magazine instanced in the communication of “A member of the Society of Authors,” I think the publication of the name of the magazine in the pages of The Author would be a proper service to be rendered the body of writers, of whom only the weak members would be likely to trouble that editor thereafter. Personally I have always found the editors of those magazines to which I have had the privilege of contributing of unexceptionable politeness, and have in only one case met with discourtesy, even in the form of the refusal, from the editor of a magazine to which I had never before contributed, and to which I never offered another article. But if I offered my articles to two or three editors simultaneously, I should expect after a short experience to be treated very curtly. My experience with both English and American magazines is that the articles which, after the preliminary demand as to the desire for an article on the subject proposed, are accepted, are sent to me in proof as the sole intimation of acceptance. A writer who sends an article to an editor, not knowing if the subject is one on which the maga- zine is not already loaded with one or more on the same theme, risks very uselessly a rejection with- out any reference to the quality of his article. If my memory serves me rightly the Century has had 3000 essays sent in in the course of a year. T have had articles accepted by it and not pub- lished for years, which is easily understood when we know that it has had on hand in the form of articles accepted (and generally paid for on acceptance), with illustrations appertaining, to the value of £200,000. Of these many, accepted and paid for, have to go overboard. Inexperienced magazine writers have no conception of the amount of matter the leading magazine editors have to do with, and the least they can do is to ascertain if there is a market for the article they have to dispose of. W. J. STILLMAN. Ill. Tf one has sent copies of the same article to more than one magazine, two editors might publish it simultaneously, neither of them having communicated with the author, who in that case  182 will probably never approach either of them with success again. I may say that I have had an article published in a monthly (a new and struggling one, without having received any proofs, though not without previous communica- tion from the editor. Another point has occurred to me. Suppose an author has sent duplicates of an article to two monthlies, one of which pays better than the other, and that the editor of the one which pays at the lower rate accepts his article before the other editor has read it. He will then have to write and withdraw his article from the better paying magazine, and that, pos- sibly, just as the editor was about to send him a proof. This would be disastrous ; though, on the other hand, in the case of an article dealing with some topic of the moment, which must be pub- lished at once or not at all, it might be a less risk than the likelihood that the contribution will be kept until valueless by the first magazine to which it is sent, and then rejected M. C. A. > 0<——_____—_ BOOK AND PLAY TALK. \ | R. EDWARD CLODD is writing a memoir of the late Mr. Grant Allen, but according to present intentions it will not be a book by itself. It will, that is to say, be incorporated with some one of Grant Allen’s volumes of scientific essays. This is following the precedent Mr. Clodd set im the case of another personal friend, Henry Walter Bates, to whose “ Naturalist on the Amazons” he pre- fixed a memoir in 1892. Mr. Leslie Stephen is busily occupied upon his new work, “The English Utilitarians,” and it will probably appear in the spring. It is in three volumes, and deals especially with Bentham, and James and John Stuart Mill. Mr. Barrie’s story, “Tommy and Grizel,” begins in Scribner’s Magazine this month. It is a sequel to “ Sentimental Tommy,” who, of course, is said to have been sketched from R. L. Stevenson. Among other notable contributions to Seribner’s during the year will be a series of articles on present-day Russia by Mr. Henry Norman, who has recently made an extensive journey through that country. A new racing story by Mr. Edward H. Cooper, entitled ‘The Monk Wins,” will be published this month by Messrs. Duckworth. Stories by Mr. G. R. Sims (“In London’s Heart ”) and Mr. Algernon Gissing (“A Secret THE AUTHOR. of the North Sea”) will be published shortly by Messrs. Chatto and Windus. “Folly Corner” is the title of a new story by Mrs. Henry Dudeney, which Mr. Hememann will publish in a week or two. Among the books of the spring season will be a volume of stories by Mr. Robert Barr, entitled «The Strong Arm,” and a volume of war stories by Mr. Stephen Crane. New volumes to appear in Messrs. Blackie’s “Victorian Era Series” include a monograph on Beaconsfield, by Mr. Harold Gorst ; an account of Ireland in the Queen’s reign, by Mr. J. A. BR. Marriott; and a volume on India since the Mutiny, by Mr. R. P. Karkaria. The Argosy will henceforth be published by Mr. George Allen instead of Messrs. Macmillan. Tts new editor is Mr. Herbert Morrah, who iutends to develop the magazine and mtroduce new features. Another change of the kind is that the Badminton Magazine, hitherto published by Messrs. Longmans, will now be published by Mr. Heinemann. Mr. Charles Lowe is the author of “ Our Greatest Living Soldiers,” which Messrs. Chatto and Windus are about tc publish. It consists of biographical sketches of Lord Wolseley, Lord Roberts, Sir Evelyn Wood, Lord Kitchener, Sir Donald Stewart, and other famous soldiers. Professor Skeat has just been made the re- cipient of his portrait, subscribed for by many friends and admirers. The presentation took place at the annual meeting of the Modern Lan- guages Association, of which the Professor was president this year. Another distinguished scholar who has been honoured is Professor Pasquale Villari. ‘To mark Professor Villari’s. completion of forty years as a teacher, his friends have established a ‘Fondazione Villari,’ for historical studies, in connection with the Instituto Superiore of Florence. “The Semitic Series ” is the latest collection of books to be announced. Its object is to present in popular scientific form an account of the Babylonians, Assyrians, and other ancient Semitic races. Professor Sayce is to edit the handbooks, each of which will be written by a specialist. The first is by himself — “ Baby- lonians and Assyrians.” Mr. John Nimmo is the publisher. Mr. T. F'. Dale is writing the life of the late Duke of Beaufort, which Messrs. Constable will publish. The recent vicissitudes in the affairs of Messrs. Harper and Brothers have culminated, says the Chicago Dial, in the formal transfer of the busi-  THE ness to a trustee, under the conditions of a mort- gage for a large sum held by Messrs. J. Pierpoint Morganand Co., bankers. The trustee has appointed as agent Mr. G. B. M. Harvey, proprietor of the North American Review, who has thus become the legal and actual manager of the Harper estab- lishment. It is stated that this step was taken by mutual agreement, and with the full approval of the Messrs. Harper, as being the best method of effecting a permauent readjustment of their affairs. Although the amount of their indebted- ness is given as over a million sterling, the assets are believed to exceed that sum considerably, and with the fresh assistance, financial and adminis- trative, which the house will receive, there will, adds the Dial, be no impairment of its credit or efficiency. The house of Harper and Brothers was founded nearly a century age. New stories by Mrs. Humphry Ward and Mr. Zangwill will appear in Harper's Magazine this year. “Managers are literally at their wits’ end to know where to get plays,” says a recent article in Literature. A performance of John Oliver Hobbes’s new play, ‘“‘Osbern and Ursyne,” has been given in New York by Mr. Charles Frohman. The author has two other plays in hand, one on behalf of Mr. George Alexander and the other with parts for Mr. and Mrs. Cyril Maude. Mr. Kinsey Peile is dramatising “ Red Pottage x in collaboration with the author of the novel, Miss Cholmondeley. Mr. Kyrle Bellew has secured a new play on the subject of modern life in London, by Mr. Louis Parker and Mr. Addison Bright, as well as the rights of Mr Henry Hamilton’s adaptation of Dumas’ “ Count of Monte Cristo.’’ The former will be produced first when Mr. Bellew fixes upon a theatre. Mr. Wyndham intends to revive “ Dandy Dick” about the end of January. After that, “ Cyrano.” Mr. Tree will produce “ A Midsummer Night's Dream” at Her Majesty’s on the roth inst. In the event of its not running until the end of the season, he will revive “ Rip Van Winkle,” but in a new version. A copyright performance of General Wallace’s “Ben Hur” has been given by Mr. Frohman’s company at the Duke of York’s. The play will shortly be produced in London. The Actors’ Association discussed on Dec. 15, under Mr. Tree’s presidency, and in his theatre, a scheme brought forward by the committee with a view to providing for the election, training, and AUTHOR. 183 registration of actors. The scheme proposed that teachers of acting and elocution with ten years’ experience of the stage should be entitled to apply for a diploma enabling them to select and train recruits for presentation to a Central Board for examination. Another clause provided that three years’ work and a diploma from the Central Board should entitle members to write F.A.A. (Fellow of the Actors’ Association) after their names. Mr. Tree said there was a widespread feeling that those who set out to be actors should be capable of acquiring a rudimentary knowledge of the practice of the art in its initial stages. Mr. Forbes Robertson and Mr. J. D. Beveridge moved, and Mr. Wilson Barrett and Mr. Acton Bond supported, the adoption of the scheme. Mr. Hare, Mr. Edward Terry, Mr. Henry Neville, and Mr. Cecil Raleigh were amongst the majority who opposed it, however, and on a show of hands being taken it was decided to refer the scheme back to the committee for further consideration. Mr. Hare spoke of the attempt of a few years ago to form an Academy of Acting, and said that he himself threw up the sponge in the face of evidence that the right men to do the teaching would not become teachers. Mr. John Hollingshead’s benefit performance will take place at the Empire on Tuesday after- noon, Jan. 30. Among those who will take part in the entertainment is Miss Nellie Farren, who will be seen with Kate Vaughan, Edward Royce, and Edward Terry in a “ Gaiety Quartette.” BOOKS AND REVIEWS. (In these colwmns notes on books are given from reviews which carry weight, and are not, so far as can be learned, logrollers.) PAoLo AND FRANCESCA, by Stephen Phillips (Lane, 4s. 6d. net), a poetic drama, presents ** the story of the tragedy of Malatesta in its simplest form, without the accessories which various commentators of the sixteenth century have added to the story as told by Dante.” The Times adds that it is “a very beautifnl and original rendering.” The Daily Telegraph says that no one who reads the book ‘“ can have any doubt that we possess in Mr. Stephen Phillips one who redeems our age from its comparative barrenness in the higher realms of poetry.” The Daily News says that Mr. Phillips “is indeed a capable and conscientious workman ” ; and the Spectator says that Mr. Phillips ‘‘ has touched the story with a master’s hand, and in the noblest spirit of tragedy.” TeNNYSON, RusKIN, MrILx, and Other Literary Estimates, by Frederic Harrison (Macmillan, 8s. 6d.), are studies, says the Daily Chronicle, “ for all to read who desire in historical literature some golden mean between partisan romance and minute erudition.” Besides the writers named above, the volume deals with Arnold, Symonds, Froude, Freeman, and also with Gibbon, Lamb, and Keats. In the opinion of the Chronicle, the most valuable portion of the book is that 184 devoted to Mr. Ruskin as “ Master of Prose” and as “ Prophet.” Srupy AND STaGcz, by William Archer (Richards, 5s.), and Framers oF Minp, by A. B. Walkley (Richards, 53.), are reviewed together in Literature and the Daily Chronicle. The books contain the views of the writers “on literature, the stage, and, implicitly, on life. Their methods entirely differ.’ Mr. Archer, says Literature, “ gives us the skirl of Highland music, the note of war. His criticism kills with cut and thrust,” and his book “‘is valuable both asa record and on account of its intrinsic interest.” Mr. Walkley’s taste is for the French manner of wounding; he does his business with equal effect to “the lascivious pleasing of a lute,” and his book is “ extremely welcome.” The Daily Chronicle also discusses the “two tempera- ments,” and describes both books as containing “ brilliant work.” On Books anv Arts, by Frederick Wedmore (Hodder and Stoughton, 6s.), “ is a little book of short and lively essays,” says Literature, ‘pleasant to look at and to look into.” The greater number deal with questions of art, “ but to see the writer at his best one should turn to his dramatic notes, such as that in which he compares Joe Jeffer- gon’s pathos with that of Elia, or to his discourse on the short story, or to where he runs on engagingly about his curios, deprecatingly labelled as ‘My Few Things.’ In all these we find examples of a well-cultivated taste in irony.” Tue Decay oF SENSIBILITY, by Stephen Gwynn (Lane, 6s.), consists of literary essays. The first, from which the book takes its name, “is a clever piece of criti- cism on Miss Austen,” and the Spectator adds of the book -as a whole that it ‘“ will be read with great pleasure, but the reader will lay it down with the slightly ruffled sense of having been a good deal contradicted.” Tur BACKWATER OF LiFE; or, Essays of a Literary Veteran, by James Payn (Smith, Elder and Co., 6s.), “is probably destined,” says the Daily News, “to close the long list of the productions of that prolific and delightful writer. ‘The twelve papers which are comprised within its covers are eminently characteristic of the author, above all in the subtle blend of humour and pathos—the vein of wise reflection, the cheerful views of life which have so often given pleasure to his readers.” Literature, in welcoming the volume, describes Mr. Leslie Stephen’s introduction to it as “warmly sympathetic, but, at the same time, finely critical.” The Daily Telegraph remarks that the book is “written with conspicuous charm and grace.” Pre-RAPHAELITE DraRizgs AND LuetTrTers, edited by William Michael Rossetti (Hurst and Blackett, 6s.) ‘‘is a book of odds and ends about Rossetti and his circle, very trivial and pointless sometimes, but containing many interesting things by the way; and full of humour.” That is the Daily News verdict. How Souprers Fiaut, by F. Norreys Connell (Bowden, 3s. 6d.), ‘‘ will do something,” says the Daily Chronicle, “to give the non-military reader an idea of what modern war is like.” The illustrations are ‘‘largely the work of well- known military artists, and they help the reader to realise what fighting looks like.” TEMPERATE CHILE; A PROGRESSIVE SPAIN, by W. Anderson Smith (Black, 10s. 6d.) is a book “‘ not only charm- ing and amusing to read,” says the Daily Chronicle, ‘* but of sterling value to the naturalist.” Mr. Smith is a member of the Scottish Fisheries Board, who was deputed by the Government to report upon the fish and sea-birds of “ this land of myriads of islands and creeks, with its marvellous vegetation, with its incredible wealth of fin and feather, and its rainfall of 160in. per annum.” THE AUTHOR. THe CHRISTOLOGY oF JESUS, by the Rev. James Stalker (Hodder and Stoughton, 6s.), consists of six lectures, treating of the various titles of our Lord. “ Dr. Stalker has handled the subject,” says the Spectator, “not only with learning, but (what is rarer) with judgment; steering his way with a fine critical and religious tact among the numberless ingenious theories that are so freely produced in Germany.” In CoNNECTION WITH THE Dr WILLOUGHBY CLAIM, by Frances Hodgson Burnett (Warne, 6s.), is a story of rural life in the Southern States, before and after the war, and, says the Spectator, “is excellent both in matter and manner. The plot may best be described as a variant on : the story of the Ugly Duckling.” Tom de Willoughby, — — although belonging to a “ first family,’ was a “ sport,” for : his figure was ungainly, his address awkward, and his intellectual outfit sadly to lack. It is with the expansion of his nature that the book deals. The Daily Chronicle says that the author’s pathos has never been truer, her humour : never more engaging, than in this new work. The Daily Teles ae graph calls it “one of the most moving novels of the : year.” Tus STtoRY OF THE TREASURE SEEKERS, by E. Nesbit (Unwin, 6s.), sets forth the adventures of a family of six motherless children living in a London suburb, and is “‘ one of those rare books,” says the Spectator, ‘‘ which enable a reviewer to earn the gratitude of the public by the simple f act of cordial recommendation.” “It will entertain and T touch any adult reader who is not destitute of natural affec- tions.” Some ExpERIENCES oF AN Ir1sH R.M., by E. Gi. Somer- ville and Martin Ross (Longmans, 6s.) leads the Spectator to remark that “if there were many women writers like iste Miss Martin and Miss Somerville, the discussion whether their sex is deficient in the sense of humour would be not merely otiose but impertinent.” “ But it must not be thought that these stories are mere pieces of caricature”: the various typical personages introduced are all drawn from the life of modern Galway and Cork. “THE AUTHOR.” SCALE FOR ADVERTISEMENTS. Front Page ave oe £4 0 0 Other Pages 8 ee Half of a Page ... - 110 0 Quarter of a Page . 015 0 Eighth of a Page eA oye aay wee OE Single Column Advertisements perinch 0 6 0 Bills for Insertion... aay per 2000 3 0 0 Reductions made for a Series of Six or Twelve Insertions. & All letters respecting Advertisements should be addressed to the fb ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER, The Author Office, 4, Portugal-street, : London, W.O, Mr. J Eveleigh Nash, LITERARY AGENT, AMBERLEY HOUSE, NORFOLK STREET, STRAND, W.C. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Author, Vol. 10 Issue 08 (January 1900) Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em>, Vol. 10 Issue 08 (January 1900) Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1900-01-01-The-Author-10-8 publications The Author https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/471/1900-02-01-The-Author-10-9.pdf 600300d21f9892f15fb7399e5f125deb PDF Text Text ������������������������ Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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) 1900-02-01 Volume 10 Issue 9 Pages Page range in volume 185–208 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 19000201 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin The Huthbor. (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vou. X.—No. 9.] For the Opinions expressed in papers that are signed or initialled the Authors alone are responsible. None of the papers or pard- graphs must be taken as expressing the collective opinions of the Committee unless they are officially signed by G. Herbert Thring, Sec. eS HE 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 should be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent 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. pe GENERAL MEMORANDA. ERE are a few standing rules to be observed in an agreement. There are four 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, or with the advice of the Secretary of the Society. Il. A PROFIT-SHARING AGREEMENT (a bad form of agreement). : In this case the following rules should be attended to : (1.) Not to sign any agreement in which the cost of pro- duction forms a part without the strictest investigation. .(2.) Not to give the publisher the power of putting the profits into his own pocket by charging for advertisements in his own organs: or by charging exchange advertise- ments. Therefore keep control of the advertisements. (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. a Seg bind yourself for the future to any one solicitor or octor ! ARY 1, 1900. [Prick SIXPENCE. Til. THE ROYALTY SYSTEM. It is above all things necessary to know what the proposed royalty means to both sides. 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.” IV. A COMMISSION AGREEMENT. The main points are :— (1.) Be careful to obtain a fair cost of production. (2) Keep control of the advertisements. (3.) Keep control of the sale price of the book. GENERAL. All other forms of agreement are combinations of the four above mentioned. Such combinations are generally disastrous to the author. Never sign any agreement without competent advice from the Secretary of the Society. Stamp all agreements with the Inland Revenue stamp. Avoid agreements by letter if possible. The main 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. ect WARNINGS TO DRAMATIC AUTHORS. Lt EVER sign an agreement without submitting it to the Secretary of the Society of Authors or some competent legal authority. 2. Never negotiate for the production of a play with anyone except an established manager. 3. There are three forms of dramatic contract :— (1) SALE OUTRIGHT OF THE PERFORMING RIGHT. This is unsatisfactory. An author who enters into such a contract should stipulate in the con- tract for production of the piece bya certain date and for proper publication of his name on the play-bills. (2) SALE OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE TO PERFORM ON THE PROFIT-SHARING SYSTEM. This method can only be entered into when a fixed sum is agreed per week for cost of produc- tion. It is not a common method. 186 (3) SALE OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE TO PERFORM ON THE BASIS OF PERCENTAGES (i.e., royalties) on gross receipts. Royalties vary between 5 and 15 per cent. An author should obtain a percentage on the sliding scale of gross receipts. Should obtain a sum in advance of royalties. A fixed date on or before which the play should be performed. 4. Authors should remember that performing rights can be limited, and are usually limited by town, country, and time. This is most important. 5. Authors should not assign performing rights, but should grant a licence to perform. The legal distinction is of great importance. 6. Authors should remember that performing rights in a play are distinct from literary copyright. A manager holding the performing right or licence to perform cannot print the book of the words. 7. Never send a copy of the play to America unless it is protected by a preliminary performance in the United Kingdom. 8. Never forget that American rights may be exceedingly valuable. They should never be included in English agreements without the author obtaining a substantial consideration. g. Agreements for collaboration should be carefully drawn and executed before collaboration is commenced. Never admit a collaborator when once the actual work of writing the play has begun or after it is finished. 10. An author should remember that production of a play is highly speculative: that he runs a very great risk of delay and a breakdown in the fulfilment of his contract. He should therefore guard himself all the more carefully in the beginning. 11. An author must remember that the dramatic market is exceedingly limited. As these warnings must necessarily be incomplete on account of the wide range of the subject of dramatic con- tracts, those authors desirous of further information are referred to the Secretary of the Society. HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. I. VERY member has a right to ask for and to receive advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his business or the administration of his property. If the advice sought is such as can be given best by a solici- tor, 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 Committee will obtain for him Counsel’s opinion. All this without any cost to the member. 2. Remember that questions connected with copyright and publisher’s agreements do not generally fall within the experience of ordinary solicitors. Therefore, do not scruple to use the Society. 3. Send to the Office copies of past agreements and past accounts with the loan of the books represented. The Secretary will always be glad to have any agreements, new or old, for inspection and note, The information thus obtained may prove invaluable. 4. Before signing any agreement whatever, send the pro- posed document to the Society for examination. THE AUTHOR. s. Remember always that in belonging to the Society you are fighting the battles cf 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. 6. 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. 2 et THE READING BRANCH. EMBERS will greatly assist the Society in this i branch of their work by informing young writers of its existence. Their MSS. can be read and treated as a composition is treated by a coach. The Readers are writers of competence and experience. The fee is one guinea, : NOTICES. HE 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 6s. 6d. subscription for the year. Communications for The Author should be addressed to the Offices of the Society, 4, Portugal-street, Lincoln’s-inn Fields, W.C., and should reach the Editor not later than the 2ist of each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to communicate to the Editor any points connected with their work which it would be advisable in the general interest to publish. The present location of the Authors’ Club is at 3, White- hall-court, Charing Cross. Address the Secretary for information, rules of admission, &c. FROM THE COMMITTEE. R. A. HOPE HAWKINS has been elected Chairman of the Society for the year 1900. Mr. Edward Rose has been elected on to the Committee, and it is hoped that Mr. Conan Doyle will join on his return from South Africa, — Mr. Mullett Ellis has informed the Secretary that the following resolutions will be proposed by him at the general meeting of the Society. Notice of such general meeting will be circulated  THE AUTHOR. in due course. The proposer requests that all members desirous of supporting the resolutions will communicate with him direct, at the follow- ing address: T. Munuerr Exuis, Esq., Creek House, Shepperton. (1.) That the exercise of a literary censorship of books by the large trading monopoly, whose main business is that of mere distributors and newsyendors, is not advantageous to letters. (2.) That the system of monopoly which dominates the railway bookstalls throughout the kingdom gives to one firm the power over the output and distribution of popular literature and of political journals, which is damaging to the interests of authors and of the public, (3-) That a copy of the foregoing resolution be sent to the chairman and directors of the various railway companies with a respectful request that on the next available occasion the licences of the railway bookstalls be granted to more than one firm of booksellers, and that the principle of competition in the supply of litera- ture be thus substituted for the existing mono- poly. (a) Because it would be of financial advantage o the shareholders of the railway companies. (6) Because the dominance of one firm over the sale of newspapers and popular literature is a political danger which may even threaten the national liberties, and is damaging to literature. (c) Because the existing system of the monopoly of one trading firm has during many years past been exercised in censorship of authors. (d) Because the sale of books at railway book- stalls has become so enormous that an alteration in the existing system has become a necessity, many valuable works not being now obtainable at the bookstalls, so that if the abuse be not dealt with by the railway companies it will be necessary to seek the intervention of Parliament. G, HT. LITERARY PROPERTY. I.—CounsEL’s OPINION. HE Managing Committee of the Society of Authors have experienced great difficulty in gaining a clear idea of the legal position of members whose books are involved in cases where a receiver for debenture-holders has entered into possession, where a company has gone into liquidation, and where private firms have gone into bankruptcy. As the trouble and annoyance to members is very great, the Society, through its Secretary, usually instructs its solicitor to take the matter up on behalf of its members. 187 In carrying through a matter of this kind the process of the courts necessarily takes many months, and to the authors involved the progress no doubt seems exceedingly slow, and the waiting exceedingly wearisome. To the ordinary creditor, who is not bound by contract, this is not of so much consequence, as he simply brings in his claim and awaits the result. The result is often disappointing—but beyond this he has no further bother. The case of the author, however, who is bound to a company or firm which has come to grief in any of the three ways described above, is totally ditferent. In one case his book may have been produced and royalties have become due to him under his agreement. In another case his book may be in the height of its sale, but owing to the failure of the pub- lishers may be suddenly withdrawn from the market. This, in a great many cases, means the absolute loss of property to the author. Many books are short-lived, and if in the early stages there is a check in the supply, the public will take some other book instead. Experience shows that under such circum- stances it is almost impossible to give renewed life to the work. It is a mistake to think that this applies only to works of fiction; it is equally true of other current literature, like works of travel, biographies, memoirs, &e. Even if the life of a book is not destroyed, as it has been shown may occur, the profits accruing to the author may be stopped for some time. Another case may arise of an author, who is under contract for publication of his book, and his book has not yet been put on the market. Again, there may be the case of an author who has contracted to write a book but has not yet completed the MS. These are some of the difficulties in which authors are placed which are beyond the difficulties of ordinary creditors. The cases of bankruptcy, liquidation, or the appointment of a. receiver for the debenture- ho'ders are, unfortunately for authors, of not infrequent occurrence. As, therefore, the same difficulties are likely to arise in the future, and as the expense of fighting each point in the courts would be more than the Society could afford with- out considerable assistance, the Committee decided to take the best opinion that could be obtained from Counsel on the various questions involved. In answer to two of the questions asked from Counsel, which were as follows :— 1. “ What are the rights of authors in respect of royalties (a4) due or (6) to become due as  188 THE AUTHOR. against (i.) a receiver for debenture-holders ; (ii.) a liquidator or trustee in bankruptcy ; and (iii.) an assign for value?” and 2. “ Whether authors under royalty agreements —who have not assigned their copyrights—can claim that the contracts are determined by a receivership or liquidation, or a cesser of the pub- lisher’s business, so that they can contract with a new publisher,” Counsel makes the following statement :— “The appointment of a receiver for the deben- ture-holders has not in my opinion affected the obligations in any way. The company or its assignees (whether the assignee by way of secu- rity has taken possession by way of receiver or not) stand in no different position as regards performance of the contract. “Tt remains to be considered what would be the result if the company went into liquidation. Tn that case the liquidator would be entitled to a contract of which, if he performs it, he can have the benefit, and which he may if he pleases assign with consent. To perform it means to pay the royalties, not to pay a dividend on the royalties. Tf the author is not minded to come in in the winding-up and prove for future royalties he is not bound to do so, and the liquidator can only have the benefit of the contract if he performs the obligations of the contract. If the liquidator does not pay the royalties at their due dates, the author is, I think, entitled to give him notice that unless he pays within a reasonable time he will treat that as a refusal to perform the contract, and, if the liquidator does not pay, the author may, I think, determine the contract and agree with another publisher. One may test this in this way : Suppose under such circumstances the liquidator brought an action for an injunction to restrain the author from publishing elsewhere, he could not have such an order except upon the terms of complying with the conditions of the contract, that is, paying the royalties in full. “Tf” the publishers mentioned in the case for Counsel’s opinion —“ were a firm and not a cor- poration, the position would be the same, except that in bankruptcy the trustee would have power to disclaim the contract—a power which a liqui- dator does not possess.” From this statement it would appear that Counsel considers that royalty agreements as above are not put an end to by a receivership or liquidation of the publishers, but that a receiver, liquidator, or trustee is bound to pay the royalties in full as well as those due at the date of the failure as any becoming due subsequently if he intends to have the benefit of the contract with the author. Members of the Society must, however, remember that these positions may be varied by express agreement, and they must not too readil deduce that their case comes in line with the opinion. The above remarks refer to those books which have been published, and on which royalties are due. With regard to the question of a contract existing for publication when the book has not yet been published, Counsel states that the fact that the receiver for the debenture-holders has been appointed does not affect the right of the publisher to publish in accordance with the terms of the agreement, and again, in the case where the author is under contract, but has not completed his manuscript, although the publisher cannot compel the author to complete, Counsel thinks that the author would be liable in damages if he refuses to complete. The above points are printed for the serious consideration of the members of the Society; they must, however, always keep in mind the advisability of consulting the Secretary on their agreements (especially with limited companies) before they sign them, and of laying before him a full statement of their cases before they take any action as regards insolvent publishers. G. H. T. II.—Tuer Riext to Correct. Here is a case in which the right to correct and alter a signed article has not only been claimed but exercised; not, it is true, by the editor of a magazine published in London. It is noticed in this place because the editor’s exercise of his so-called right was that test of a theory which in mathematics is called an extreme case. What he did was this :— The article was invited by the editor: it was written to order; it was also written to the length required ; it was signed ; it was accepted ; and it was paid for. editor found himself cramped for room. He therefore boldly cut off the first half of the article and began it in the middle, retaining the writer's — 4 name at the end, in this way making ridiculous nonsense of the whole paper; damaging his own — magazine by inserting nonsense; and inflicting the most cruel injury to the reputation of the — writer. On a mild expostulation, the editor replied that he held the right to make any correc- : tions he pleased and to give or withhold the name — of the contributor. In such a case there is only one thing to be done: viz., to bring an action and to procure an” injunction restraining the sale of the magazine — ‘with the mutilated article. When it was to be inserted the  THE AUTHOR. It cannot be too strongly maintained that when ‘papers are signed the editor has no power to alter a word. He may invite alterations: he may refuse insertion unless alterations are made: he ‘must not make the author say, over his own name, ‘one werd that he does not choose to say. As regards unsigned articles, of course the editor is himself responsible, and will alter and ut them up just as he pleases. The author cannot question that right or complain when it is exercised. There are editors, even in London, who claim the right of correcting and altering signed articles. It is greatly to be desired that a single case should be tried in court, when the alleged right to make an author say what he does not think, and, over his own name, utter opinions which he does not hold, would be finally disallowed, and its monstrous nature exposed. 4 & III—A New AreumMent ¥F Copyright Our valuable German conte vler Feder, in commentin Hungarian Pesti Hirlap, Gag Hungarian critic which put @He 4 national copyright in an entre@ new light. The modern national movement in Hungary has been from -its commencement closely connected with the resuscitation of Magyar asa literary lan- g guage, and one of the results of this cultivation tio of the language is that contemporary Hungarian INTERNATIONAL ‘ excellence. This literature has a distinctively _ Meanwhile, as Austria-Hungary lies outside the 198 Berne Union, the country is flooded with German God books, and pirated translations of German books ; —naturally exercising a definite Germanising ai influence, that fatal denationalising influence ¥ which evoked the revolution of 1848, and has een ever since combated with relentless deter- mination. ‘“ But we have,” says Mr. Téth Bela in the Pesti Hirlap, “this great evil, that German books are much sought after. I am called a ‘Germanophobe.’ I am so respecting certain authors. Not respecting Goethe, Kleist, and Heine. . But there are thousands of people of deplorable taste who admit miserably useless and inferior b-oks into their houses. Why? Because their brains are not Magyar enough to be critical and to say, If these books please the Germans, let them have them, so long as they are kept out of our way,’ and because there are in Germany numerous paper- mills and printing presses for which employment must be found. The juvenile literature VOL. x. ET Oat ASE - literature has rapidly risen to a high standard of . + Hungarian tone, and is splendidly patriotic. | 189 of Germany is weak. And even its best produc- tions are injurious tf they train our young people into foreign ways of feeling and thinking. In how many Hungarian houses have I seen German patriotic works!” To all this our contemporary, Das Recht der Feder, replies with excellent reason: “If Mr. Téth Bela desires to sce the national literature better supported, let him do what he can to per- suade Hungary to cease to be one of the pirate States and to come into the Berne Union.” But the point raised appears to us to be one of even wider and more profound significance. We have here a new argument for international pro- tection. The community which steals its litera- ture from abroad is surrendering its national character to foreign influences. H. C. IV.—Hoitianp anp THE BERNE CONVENTION. The Dutch “League in favour of the Berne Convention ” has presented a petition to the Queen of Holland, urging: “That for a long period the rights of foreigners have been, among all civilised nations, placed on an equality with those of citizens, whilst among ourselves the rights of foreigners can be violated with impunity—with the consequence that Dutch authors have no rights outside their own country ; 4 that the intellectual development of the inhabitants of the Netherlands is prejudiced by the quantity of foreign literature of inferior value with which the country is flooded; and that a legal sanction of International copyright would be advantageous to the national works of an artistic and scientific character, and assist the development of a higher national taste.” V.—PuorocrapH CopyrigHt IN AMERICA. A circuit court judge has decided that photo- graphs of actresses and actors, not being fine art, cannot be copyrighted. The decision, which establishes a precedent that pleases the news- papers and publishers, threatens to damage many flourishing photographic businesses. The Copy- right League bitterly fought the point. The actresses are now preparing a memorial to Wash- ington denouncing Judge Wallace’s assertion that their photographs are too inartistic to copyright, —New York telegram in the Morning Leader, Jan. 15, VI—AgeEnts. With reference to the letter signed “R. K.” which appeared in the January number of The Author, I think that it may be beneficial to the members of the Society to point out some of the T 190 difficulties that arise by employing an agent, and putting absolute and unquestioned trust in his settlement of literary matters, both on the legal and financial sides. In the March number of The Author, 1899, a long and somewhat exhaustive article appeared on this subject. Members of the Society are par- ticularly referred to this article as bearing on the question. It may be as well to point out further that an author’s interest and an agent’s are not, as they should be, always identical. An author will naturally say this cannot be the case, as the larger the price an agent gets for an author’s work, the larger amount will he be paid. Take, however, the following instance as a probable example : An agent has an overwhelming number of MSS. in his hands that he wants to place with certain publishers. This is not unfrequently the case, and from an agent’s business point of view five contracts of £20 each may be better and less difficult transactions than one of £100. Again, he knows that he can place one book in one week and one in the next week which will each bring, say £100 return to the authors— £200 in all; the other terms of the contract being decidedly disadvantageous to the authors concerned. Supposing he took the two weeks to obtain better terms for one author to the neglect of the other, he might only increase that author’s financial returns by £30 or £40. He would thus lose his agency charges on about £60 or £70, as he has spent two weeks in placing the book of one author in a thoroughly satis- factory manner for the author, whereas he might have placed two books in that time unsatis- factorily to the two authors, but satisfactorily as regards himself. This example is put forward, as certain agree- ments have been before the Society of Authors recently—agreements which have been recom- mended by the agent, who had only tried one publisher with the book—agreements which were wholly disadvantageous to the author in that they assigned to the publisher, as stated in the letter of the January issue referred to, a great many of those rights which it is the agent’s duty to place, ‘and in that they also offered to the author a wretched 10 per cent. after the sale of 500 copies, with no increase however large the sales prove to be. It is, further, an open question how far an ordinary agent is capable of drafting an agree- ment full of legal difficulties and technicalities. .[The writer of the above neglects a very im- portant factor in the conduct of an agent’s busi- THE AUTHOR. ness. Itis this. There are many writers whose works hang about on the border line. That is to say, their chance of success, even of so moderate a success as the repayment of the cost, is doubtful, Their chance of proving a decided commercial successis more than doubtful. Every publisher's _, reader knows of such cases: it is his constantly recurring difficulty to form an opinion as to the \ chances of a MS. on this border line. An agent offers such a MS. to several pub- j lishers in succession. It is refused. He then 4 finds a publisher who says: “I doubt whether this book will prove a paying venture. If I do take it, I must have it on my own conditions, not those which you can impose in the case of a popular author.” A case has been brought before me in which such a MS., offered to, and refused by, three or four publishers in succession, was accepted by a publisher exactly on these terms. The agent communicated the offer to the author. He said: “These are the only terms on which your book can be produced. It is for you to accept or to decline.” Observe that had the author refused j these terms his book would not have been pub- lished at all. Now, publication is almost always — the first thing desired. If on fair terms, so much ~ the better: if not, then on any terms. This author at once closed with the terms. The cases quoted above seem to me suspiciously like the one which I have described. Is the writer quite sure that in these cases only one publisher was offered the MS.? If not, then, his 3 argument breaks down. If he is right on this point, his argument depends upon the assumption that an agent’s time is so fully engaged that he cannot spare more than a certain amount foreach book. I do not think that any agent has to : divide his time and to calculate the amount he ~ can afford for each book. For the work of a successful author an agreement is generally arrived at very quickly: the discussions and the disputes rather belong to the work of the less popular writer. But two business men who under- — stand their business do not waste time in trying to “best”? each other. On the other hand, a great part of the agent’s time is required for the acquisition and the maintenance of the condi- tions, varying from day to day, of the publishing trade. He must know, as well as any publishers, the details, such as the cost of production, illus- trations, and the rest; he must know the finan- cial position of every house ; he must know what houses are full and what are open for the pro- duction of more books; in the case of magazines and weeklies he must know when serials are wanted, when the paper is engaged and for how long. The agent, in fact, must acquire and Mga ae  THE AUTHOR. 191 maintain a knowledge of the whole trade such as no single publisher and no single writer can acquire.— ED. | VIl—“Tse Mernop or tHe Future.” I cannot help thinking that, if only one thoroughly successful book was produced on this method, it would soon be very generally adopted. As it is, the writers whose works sell at sight, and whose pockets are always comfortably lined, are indisposed to disturb existing arrangements which they have tested in favour of another to them as yet untried; whilst those who have yet to make their name have often not the means, however mederate the cost, for printing the work themselves, and so will sell their productions for any trifle that may be offered, or accept almost any terms that may be proposed, which do not involve outlay, in preference. Authors, generally, have a wholly illusory idea as to the influence a publisher has on the sale of a’ book. As Sir Walter Besant says, a book would sell just as well published on this system as on any other; and if a few writers of estab- lished position were only to make one experiment, “they would be amazed at the result.” Some time ago, I and two or three friends formed a small limited company on this basis, to work more especially for composers. We after- wards offered the same benefit to a considerable number of authors; yet although we are all, I think, good men and true, without any personal axes to grind, we had no response. It seems cnrious that, though men will subscribe readily to all sorts of wild-cat schemes which promise the most absurd and improbable returns, they will calmly ignore an honest attempt to promote a scheme which may materially benefit them at practically no risk at all. A Memper oF THE SOCIETY. VIII.—Possisixirigs. Here is a book published on the _half-profit system. The accounts, when rendered, were found to agree with some of the figures given in The Author and in “The Pen and the Book.” That is to say, the charges for composition, printing, and paper were those which certain anonymous publishers have declared to be impossible. The returns of sales were given under four distinct prices, averaging exactly what has been ascer- tained to be the average and has been quoted as such in the Society’s papers. The charge for advertising seemed to show that a reasonable amount of discretion had been bestowed upon this branch of expenditure. vou. X. oe The question is, what opening for fraud does such an account leave? Observe that none of the rapacious “ grabs” advocated by the committee of the Publishers’ Association were found in this account. It was a simple statement—“ so much money spent: so much money received: here is your share.” The general principle, universally recognised in all affairs of business, is that, if a body of men are left free to cheat with impunity, they will cheat. How bas this man cheated ? Very possibly not at all. Yet he could cheat in several ways. He might have taken discounts— any discount he could get—and omitted to credit the account of the book with them. He might have advertised in his own organ, and charged against the book advertisements which cost him nothing. Or he might have charged exchange advertisements which cost him nothing. And he might have made a false return of the number sold and of the price obtained. Again, he might overstate the numbers sent to the colonies, and understate thosé sold to the English trade. Or he might have had the book printed in Holland at a reduction of some 20 per cent. in English prices, and then charged what looked like a fair English price. The real point is that he might have done any or all of these things with impunity, relying on the fact that so very, very few authors have the moral courage to treat this kind of property as they treat all other kinds, viz., to have the account audited. IX.—Tue Question oF REvIEwS. The question of reviews is one of the most important connected with the healthy condition of contemporary literature which the student of it has to deal with, but one with regard to which the reviewer (I use the word as a collective) has, I fear, little conscience. I am an old author and have published a little of everything, stories, studies, political essays, history, and technical books, their production running over a period of nearly thirty years, and my connection with journalism and reviewing more than forty, my first appearance in print having occurred fifty odd years ago. Needless to say, I have attained to little of that distinction which is the lot of the successful specialist, but I am content with my harvest, and am independent of the publisher and the public, having attained in a tranquil old age to a modest competence, a tolerable callousness to public opinion, and an absolute serenity before the critic. And yet he has always dealt with me kindly, so kindly, indeed, that itis ungrateful for me to carp at his doings. Some of my books rT 2  192 THE AUTHOR. have been very widely noticed, and rarely ill- naturedly, but of fifty notices one has called out, I am disposed to say that by far the largest number showed that the critic had only skimmed the book, or had not read it at all, but taken the notice of one of the leading journals for the basis of his own opinion, and very few indeed showed that the writers were read up in the subject of the book. I have also done a good deal of reviewing and in two or three subjects have qualified myself to criticise a book, so that I am able to judge . whether a given notice is competent or not. It has, therefore been within my experience to have read in leading literary organs criticisms which proved that the critic was absolutely disqualified to say whether the book was accurate in its state- ments or not. Imagine a critic reviewing a history of the reign of Queen Elizabeth of England, and not knowing whether certain battles in the Netherlands had been victories or defeats, or who commanded in them! Yet I have seen in an authoritative journal a review of a book the subject of which I was thoroughly versed in, which review passed unnoticed errors as important as would be the ascribing victory where the event in a certain conflict had been defeat. It was evident that the critic had never read a standard work on the subject treated in the book and had criticised it as he would have criticised a novel, as agreeable reading. French criticism rarely makes such a blunder, while it is very common in England. I know only two journals published in London which seem to me to make a regular practice of assigning their criticism to writers who are specialists in the subject treated by the book. And with a few brilliant exceptions, how superior to the body of English criticism is either the French or the German! Superior too in precisely this respect, that the critic is competent to detect the errors of statement which the book falls into. The subject that “Querist” raises in the January Author is another in which English criticism errs frankly, and it may be confidently anticipated what will be said by certain journals (and the majority of them) of books by certain authors, their “ tried favourites,” and often their personal friends. If our judges were to dismiss their cases as carelessly (to say the least) as our critics do, there would be a large disbenching in England. All this involves not merely the highest interests of our current literature but the exercise of common honesty. Retrrep. THE PENSION FUND. MONG other communications concerning the Pension Fund is one from an associate who seems in difficulties about his own position. It is very simple. Membership has but one condition, that of having written a book. The pensions will be granted to members only, and, I suppose, chiefly to members who have led the life of letters professionally. This correspondent asks whether a certain production of a volume containing stories written by himself, with the addition of a chapter or short story written by another hand, makes him eligible for membership. I should be of opinion that it does. His concluding words are eminently satisfactory. “T hope that the enclosed cheque for a guinea will be an annual donation to the fund, and whether I am right or wrong in my surmise that associates are not eligible, I cannot but sympathise with this splendid scheme.” W. B. A suggestion has been made by Mrs. Tweedie — in forwarding a donation to the Fund, that “ the offer of a pension to any author should be con- sidered an honour, a valued recognition from other writers, and in no wise a charity. The bread of charity is bitter, while that of success is ’ i sweet.” Iam very glad to see the Pension Scheme has — made a good start in securing the support ofa dozen prominent and representative names, for ‘the ‘most part drawn from those whom happy -fate has put beyond need of help. Judging from what one knows of big incomes enjoyed by other — prominent writers, there should, if these have — any feeling of esprit de corps, be substantial additions to the donations which are essential as solid bases of the fund. For the fundamental thing is to create a Capital Account (aided by such proportion of subserip- tions as can be spared from time to time) since subscribers are often fickle, and, in all cases, mortal. The scheme seems well drawn, but perhaps clauses 8 and 10 might be made more stringent in excluding cases where an author already has a Civil List pension, or has by reckless living made “ducks and drakes” of large earnings through many years. Savile Club, Jan. 19. Epwarp CLopD. We have to thank Literature for giving to the public a fair and a truthful presentation of the case for a Pension Fund as an auxiliary to this  THE AUTHOR. 193 Society. Other papers have mentioned the scheme, some in the careless and casual manner of the modern writer of paragraphs who has no time to read what he criticises, some with the downright and deliberate misrepresentation of facts which certain writers for the press always practice with regard to this Society. So long as they can be answered these misrepresentations have proved of the greatest advantage to the Society, which has never asked for more than a dispassionate statement of its aims and work. Sometimes, however, the papers in which these attacks appear escape notice. The Pension Scheme in one paper was represented as intended for the whole of the literary craft, of whom more than half certainly do not, as yet, belong to the Society. They stand apart while they reap the substantial benefits of its work. The Fund will be used for members only. This is an example of the journalist too hurried to read. In another paper the scheme is represented as the work of certain literary men whose whole desire is to advertise themselves! And yet we ask why the Profession of Letters is still, by many, held in contempt. To advertise themselves! It is a costly advertisement. But what a courteous and well-bred criticism! and how profoundly true! Literature calls attention to the “Guild of Literature and of Art,” started by Charles Dickens and Lord Lytton in 1851, and quotes from a letter written by the former to the latter :— I do devontly believe that this plan carried will entirely change the status of the literary man in England, and make a revolution in his position, which no Government, no power on earth but his own, could effect. I have implicit confidence in the scheme—so splendidly begun—if we carry it out with a steadfast energy. I have a strong conviction that we hold in our hands the peace and honour of men of letters for centuries to come, and that you are destined to be their best and most enduring benefactor. The Guild proved a complete failure. The sum of about £1500 was raised, in addition to a similar amount spent in building two or three houses at Stevenage. Now, nobody wanted to live at Stevenage. The new scheme differs entirely from the old. It does not include the whole of literature; it is simply a scheme for the benefit of our own members; it will not offer almshouses, or anything of the kind; it will be supported by members of the Society, all of whom are actual members of the literary craft; and it will not appeal to the public for assistance. ee PARIS NOTES. 5, rue Chomel. HE happy initiative given by the successful inauguration of the “Université popu- laire’”’ (mentioned in “ Paris Notes” for December) has already borne fruit. On the heights of the nineteenth arrondissement, a some- what similar institution termed ‘“ Fondation universitaire de Belleville” has recently been established. Its premises are a long, low bungalow situated at the end of a wide court-yard bordered with trees, and its aim is to educate and elevate the working man, and to organise a systematic contact and union between workman and student. At the present moment upwards of eighty-five workmen, 101 students, and sixty honorary members are inscribed on the “ Fonda- ’s” registers; but though the last-named tion’s adherents include several opulent and well-known Parisians, honorary members are rigorously excluded from the working committee, which is entirely composed of young men. Sub-com- mittees, in which the workmen are earnestly invited to participate, have also been formed. to aid the head administration in expending or economising the revenues of the new foundation —to wit, 3500 francs per year. The students who are members of the association voluntarily offer themselves in turn as residents on the foundation. This devotion to “le devoir social” is admirable, since it practically amounts to a gratuitous exile of one, two, or three months from all accustomed haunts and recreations. The appeal issued to the workmen of Belleville by these generally-reputed fiery young Hotspurs is worthy of being quoted. Roughly translated, it runs as follows :— «- ° | here are in our association neither masters, chiefs, nor patrons. We do not come to justify a hierarchy, inculcate ideas, impose dogmas. Our property is collective; we are voluntarily equals. “ We are not sectarians. We admit all sincere and thoughtful opinions. We only exclude those who pretend to have the monopoly of truth and admit no contradiction. “We come to propose to you to work recipro- cally at our common education At the same time that we mutually develop our intelli- gence we shall learn to know and love each other. « . , Let us establish a new and fertile alliance. In uniting our efforts thus, in working to develop our minds and enlarge our hearts, we shall efface little by little the artificial separation of classes; we shall diminish their passing hostility ; we shall prepare a more peaceful, a more fraternal, a better epoch--whose dawn we shall soon see illuminating the horizon!” 194 We regret that space will not permit the inser- tion of the entire article. Suffice it to state that this loyal appeal has been warmly responded to ; and that, not only at Belleville, but also in several other thickly-populated districts of Paris—notably at Grenelle, the Ternes, and in the Latin Quarter —similar institutions are now in process of forma- tion—a good omen for the commencement of the new century and the inauguration of the Great Exhibition ! Tur CHaucHarp Prize. M. Marcel Prévost, president of the Socicté des Gens de Lettres, has presented to M. Chauchard, on behalf of the committee of the society he represents, a golden ‘plaquette” exquisitely wrought by Daniel Dupuis, bearing the inscrip- tion: “A.M. Chauchard, du Comité de la Sucicté -des Gens de Lettres, 1900.’ By this gift the committee endeavoured to express their gratitude for the munificent literary prizes and donations placed at their disposal by the well-known philan- thropist. This year M. Paul Alexis has won the signal distinction of being unanimously elected by the judges as the recipient of the Grand Prix Chauchard of 3000 frances. M. Alexis has been described as an excellent type of ‘une bonne téte grisonnante de bicheur myope.” His name was first brought before the public in 1879 by a curious little one-act play, entitled “Celles qu’on n’épouse pas,” which was personally recommended by Dumas ji/s to the manager of the Gymnase Theatre. ‘La Fin de Lucie Pellegrin,” followed by “Le Besoin d’Aimer,” “ L’Education amour- euse,” ‘Ta Comtesse,” &c., established his talent as a novelist; while “Monsieur Betsy,” “‘La Provinciale,’ and two plays taken from the Goncourts’ works, respectively entitled ‘“ Les Fréres Zemganno” and “Charles Demailly,” consolidated his reputation as a dramatist. He will shortly read ‘“‘Chantenac””—a new play in four acts — to the committee of the Comédie Frangaise; while a five-act study of political ambition, entitled ‘‘ Vallobra,” has already been accepted and placed on the programme of the Antoine theatre. While awaiting its representa- tion, the author is engaged in writing a novel drawn from the last-named drama, thus reversing the usual precedent. That he entertains no mis- givings respecting the success of the proceeding may be seen by the fact that he has announced his intention of dedicating this novel to M. Victorien Sardou, master of the dramatic craft. Its title is not yet known. M. Lavepan’s Reception. The brilliant oration in memory-of-his prede- cessor pronounced by M. Henri Lavedan on the occasion of his public reception at the Académie THE AUTHOR. Francaise, was hardly appreciated by the old friends and comrades of Henri Meilhac. In par- ticular, the allusion to the talented author of “ Frou- frou”’ as a personage who would have been the “sous-Dumas des petites sous-baronnes d’ Ange” — contained that grain of truth which rendered such a parallel exceedingly wounding. ‘I wish that Lavedan may have (as late as possible) a suc- cessor as witty as himself, but more just towards the work of his life, and more respectful towards the dead,’ wrote M. Louis Ganderax, after hearing this so-called eulogy. The response of the Marquis Costa de Beauregard threw oil on the troubled waters; though it would be difficult to assert that its recipient was more content with the finely satirical appreciation given by the Marquis of his own work than had been the case with the friends of Henri Meilhac during the previous oration. ‘‘Give us a little human life, instead of manufacturing for us so much Parisian life,” said M. Costa de Beauregard, at one period of his discourse. “Since wit and intelligence have been given you without stint, you should have other things to recount of life than the amuse- ments of little, vicious creatures, or the rancid amours of dotards whose souls are rotten.” MM. Francois Coppée and Victorien Sardou were the official godfathers of M. Henri Lavedan, who has also been invested with the digrity of chan- cellor, owing to his having been the last Acade- mician received before the nomination of the new office-bearers for the first trimestre of the year 1900. The reception of M. Paul Deschanel by M. Sully Prudhomme, and the double election of the successors to the two vacant fauteuils (formerly occupied by Edouard Pailleron and Victor Cherbuliez) are expected to take place— the first, during the first week in February, and the second, towards the end of March. OFFICE-BEARERS FOR 1900. The five Academies which compose the Institut de France have appointed the following members as office-bearers during the year 1900: M. Alfred Normand, delegate of the Academy des beaux- arts, has been nominated President ; MM. Gaston Boissier, delegate of the Académie Frangaise ; de Barthélemy, delegate of the Académie des inscrip- tions et belles-lettres ; Maurice Lévy, delegate of the Académie des science; and Germain, delegate of the Académie des sciences morales et politiques, have accepted the office of vice-presidents. M. Gustave Larroumet, permanent secretary of the Académie des beaux-arts, has added to his numerous duties by undertaking the office of secretary-general to the Institut; while MM. Rousse, Halévy, Gaston Boissier, Ravaisson- Mollien, Delisle, Wallon, Darboux, Bornet,  THE Bertrand, Berthelot, Jules Thomas, Daumet, Tarroumet, Levasseur, Aucoc, and Georges Picot, form the Central Administrative Committee charged with the administration of the common funds and properties of the five Academies com- posing the above-mentioned institution. The duc de La Trémiille has recently been elected a free member of the Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres, which ranks second to the Académie francaise. This nobleman is not only the heir of one of the most ancient and famous names in France, but is also the author of a series of learned tomes on the La Trémiille during five centuries. He has likewise edited the interesting “ Souvenirs de la Princesse de Tarente,” which is, perhaps, his most popular work. THREE MonvUMENTS. MM. Barrias, Saint Marceaux, and Bartholomé are to be congratulated on the success of their latest efforts, and on the highly artistic and appre- ciative manner in which they have respectively acquitted themselves of the task confided them. M. Barrias’ magnificent monument of Victor Hugo has been placed in the Galérie des Machines, previous to occupying a central position in the Great Exhibition. It represents the famous writer pensively reflecting on a wave-beaten rock, surrounded by four emblematical figures repre- senting the Muses of Epic, Dramatic, Lyric, and Satirical poetry. The statue of the central figure is in “bronze mat,” the rock is in granite, and the four emblematical figures are in “ bronze doré.” It is completely finished, minus the in- laying process, which will commence next week. M. Saint Marceaux’s work is not so far advanced, though its final effect can be easily judged from the completed cast, wrought by the great sculptor with conscientious care. It portrays Dumas ils as the confidant of Woman, surrounded by a group of feminine admirers, to whom he is repre- sented as in the act of listening. A shower of camellia blossoms—in remembrance of his cele- brated work—surrounds the name of the writer, engraven on the marble plinth. This monument —whose height is three and a half metres, and whose cube is not less than twelve metres—is being cut from a single block of marble. M. Bartholomé’s smaller and more unpretentious funeral monument has already been placed on the tomb of Henri Meilhac. It depicts a partially- veiled feminine figure, whose hand half conceals her mournful features, in the act of laying a wreath on the dead man’s tomb. On this wreath is engraven a single word—Amitié : the offering of the loyal friends and comrades who had known and loved the gifted, melancholy, warm-hearted Henri Meilhac. AUTHOR. 195 Unconscious PLAGIARISM. Unconscious plagiarism, like influenza, seems in the air just now. Five well-known dramatic authors, namely, MM. René Maizeroy, Romain Rolland, Georges Feydeau, Pierre Decourcelle, and M. Bisson, have made public their grievances on this score during the last two months. In a most courteously-worded open letter, M. Maizeroy declares himself heartbroken at discovering that M. Francis de Croisset has superseded his design of drawing a three-act play from a novel written by himself; to which M. de Croisset politely responds that he shall have much pleasure in applauding the projected play, since only a Breton cousinship exists between his own play and the personages introduced in M. Maizeroy’s novel. M. Rolland contents himself with acquainting the public of the analogy existing between his latest play (accepted two months ago by the Gymnase Theatre) and_ the historical drama entitled “‘L’Affaire des Poisons,’ on which M. Victorien Sardou is now engaged. M. Feydeau announces the fact that MM. Cottens and Char- vay’s recently-performed operetta is an almost exact reproduction of the plot and several inci- dents in the play he has had on hand for several months, as may be seen by referring to the columns of a back number of the Figaro ; while M. Decourcelle has solved a somewhat similar problem on his own account in a highly satisfac- tory and private manner. M. Bisson, the witty author of “Le Contréleur des Wagons-Lits,” responded to the charge of plagiarism by suing his accuser; which proceeding furnished much amusing copy, but led to no appreciable results save the judicial rehabilitation of the plaintiff. An INTERESTING CASE. The action for 3000 francs damages brought by M. Brunetitre (Revue des deux Mondes) against M. Yves Guyot (Le Siécle) was extremely interesting. The point at issue was the right of M. Guyot to publish the private letters addressed him by M. Brunetiére without the writer’s permission. In its previous judgment on the publication of the correspondence of Georges Sand, the First Civil Chamber had declared “the right of publishing letters manifestly rests in the hands of the writer himself.’ According to M. Brunetiére, the true question that the present tribunal was called on to decide was this: “Author of prose or verse, have I over my property as writer the absolute and imprescriptible right that the peasant possesses over the fruit of his labour, or the workman over his salary?” We are glad to state that judgment was given in M. Brunetiére’s favour; or at least. the defendant was ordered. to pay 500 francs damages to the plaintiff, in 196 addition to inserting the judgment in five news- papers, the choice of which was left to the plaintiff. The judges, however, declared themselves incom- petent to decide regarding the destruction of the confiscated pamphlets demanded by M. Brune- tigre. Among interesting publications of the month will be found the following: “La Demeure enchantée,” by M. Eugene Vernon; “ Union d’imes,” by M. Jean d’Hstray; ‘‘Une Tache d’encre,” by M. René Bazin; “Nos Peintres du siécle,” by M. Jules Breton ; ‘‘ Basile et Sophia,”’ by M. Paul Adam; “De Lesseps intime,’ by M. Th. Batbedat ; “Trois ans 4 la Cour de Perse,” by docteur Feuvruer, ancient physician to the Shah of Persia; ‘‘ Les Eléments d’une Renais- sance Francaise,” by M. Saint Georges de Bouhe- lier; “L’Image de la Femme,” by M. Armand Dayot, inspecteur des beaux-arts ; and ‘‘ Versailles et les deux Trianons,” by M. Marcel Lambert. DarracorTe Scort. P.S.—M. Armand Colin has written to inform me that the complete series of ‘‘ Portraits intimes ” can now be obtained at his publishing house, 5, rue de Mezieres, Paris. —D. S. LT AUSTRALIAN LITERATURE. OSSIBLY it was not until picked troops were sent from each of the Austral pro- vinces to South Africa that the European mind thoroughly realised what a substantial body of troops—some 100,000 in number—can be raised locally for the defence of Australia; and it is certain that until Australian writers send the best of their work to London their brothers over the water will fail to realise the development which is taking place in Australian literature. That literature, I take it, does not comprise merely such books as are written by native-born writers, but may be defined as the entire litera- ture for which Australia is in some way or other responsible. And in Australia I include Maori- land, that wonderland of the southern hemi- sphere, which may or may not become subse- quently a part of federated Australia. Upon the foundation laid by Lindsay Gordon, Marcus Clarke, and Henry Kendall—are not their acts, and all that they did, written in every encyclopedia of names ?—upon a foundation laid in penury and suicide there is arising a striking edifice. : From the time of these great prodromt, whose crying in the wilderness brought them for reward but Dead Sea apples, Francis Adams, with his “Songs of the Army of the Night”; Judge THE AUTHOR. Maning, with his “Old New Zealand”; and Brunton Stephens, Parkes, and Grey, tide us over to the present decade. It is with the writers of the last ten years that I wish to deal. SuccressruLt Poets. The nineties have been rich in Austral poets. Victor Daley and Roderick Quinn—and the greater of these is Daley—may be taken to repre- sent the subjective school, which stretches out after the infinite, and deals with the joys and sorrows of the universe. Let those who doubt Daley’s right to universality read his book, “ At Dawn and Dusk” (Sydney: Angus and Robert- son). They will be charmed, if I mistake not, with the land he wafts them to—the land of lovely dreams. Will H. Ogilvie, in “Fair Girls and Grey Horses”; Henry Lawson, in “ When the World was Wide”; “Banjo” Paterson, m “The Man from Snowy River”; Barcroft Boake, in “ Where the Dead Men Lie”—that’s where he lies, poor fellow; and Arthur Adams, in a book of Maori- land verses just published, are all objective in their intention—“ bush-bards,” every one of them, who have sung of the back-blocks and the Never- never country, and have crystallised the poetic atmosphere of our life. There is still one notable name to mention—that of E. J. Brady, who, in “The Ways of Many Waters,” has sung of the lovable, if sacrilegious, sailor-man, and has struck a universal note. Perhaps the strangest thing about this Austra- lian poetry is that it sells phenomenally. ‘ The Man from Snowy River” went through four editions before it was published in London, and upwards of 15,000 copies of the book have been sold; ‘When the World was Wide” has gone through at least seven editions; and Ogilvie’s “Fair Girls and Grey Horses,” which was pub- lished a few months ago, immediately went into a second edition. Novetists—Known and UNKNOWN. We now come to the novelists, who are many; and we will present the ladies first. Mary Gaunt has written “ Dave’s Sweetheart,” and thereby established a reputation; Louise Mack has pub- lished “Teens,” a book which was popular from the start; Ethel Turner’s ‘“ Seven Little Austra- lians,” like the celebrated baking-powder, should find a place in every English home. These novels, and others by the same writers, have sold by thousands. But, apparently, we entirely lack women poets; there are no sweet Sapphos of the Austral shore. a : English people know Louis Becke and his delightful book, “By Reef and Palm.” He THE AUTHOL. writes of the Pacific, but it was in Sydney that his work first appeared, in the pages of the Bulletin. We claim him for our own. Guy Boothby and Fergus Hume are also well known in England, as, too, are Marriott Watson, Rolf Boldrewood, and Farjeon — Australians all, I do most solemnly asseverate. Hornung and Warung you likewise know, but which of you has heard of Albert Dorrington, Ernest Favenc, Alexander Montgomery, or A. H. Davis? And yet I am wrong in my “prospect,” if this last batch of writers do not ‘pan out”—to use Australian phraseology at the risk of shocking you—more literary gold than have any four of those who have “ gone to London.” The only way to test this assertion is by reading Dorrington’s “Bush Tanquery,” and “Castro’s Last Sacra- ment ” collections; Favene’s “ Last of Six, and Other Stories”; Montgomery’s “Five Skull Island,” and “Sword of Sin”; and Davis’s remarkable book, “ On our Selection,’—if they are to be had in London. In drama we have not been conspicuous, but the work of Haddon Chambers is admittedly of a high order, whilst Fergus Hume has been known to produce two plays in one year. Resident in Australia is Bernard Espinasse, who has recently dramatised “The Three Musketeers” for Mr. George Rignold. The great authority on the Queensland blacks is Walter Roth, whose work is of the highest value, and Spence and Gillen have fairly exhausted the subject of the natives of Central Australia. White’s magnum opus on the Maori race will remain the standard authority for all time, and it isto be regretted that a prudish Government suppressed some volumes of the work. Henry Lawson’s ADVICE TO WRITERS. If an Australian of average intelligence were asked to name his country’s greatest writer, the chances are a hundred to one that he would promptly answer “Henry Lawson.” And yet the work of this persona grata is not big or pre- tentious—a book of tales, ‘‘ When the Billy Boils,” and a book of poems, ‘When the World was Wide,” comprise his output. But he has drawn so faithfully and so sympathetically the main features of our life; he possesses such a whim- sical humour, as well as the rare gift of touching the heart; he has voiced so exactly the poetic feeling which the back-blocks have created in the national mind, that every Australian is ready to do him homage. And yet mark what he says in telling his experiences of the last ten years whilst “pursuing literature in Australia.” “ My advice to any young Australian writer whose talents - have been admitted would be to go steerage, stow 197 away, swim, and seek London, Yankeeland, or Timbuctoo, rather than stay in Australia till his genius has turned to gall, or beer. Or failing this—and still in the interests of human nature and literature—let him study elementary anatomy, especially such as applies to the cranium, and then shoot himself carefully with the aid of a looking- glass.” Lindsay Gordon shot himself and Barcroft Boake took his own life. Therefore there would indeed seem to be something disastrous in the pursuit of literature in Australia ; that words such as I have quoted should come from our most notable author is a fact which substantiates this fear. Two Great DIFFICULTIES. Our difficulties are two-fold. First, there is no prospect of the aspiring writer being able to tide over the first lean years of apprenticeship by con- tributing as a free-lance journalist to the vast, but apparently impecunious, Austral Press. Not more than six or eight of our journals pay for contributions, the Austral proprietor feeling that he has done his duty if he has paid the members of his permanent staff. The second difficulty is in finding good publishers. To publish locally means application to one of three or four firms, none of which can do the best that is possible for the book. Toapply to London publishers, unless the fame of the writer has gone before him, is like casting bread upon the waters—it is sure to return after many, very many, days. And even if a writer has been heard of in London, to find there the publisher who wants his particular kind of work is like looking for the proverbial needle in a hayrick. The Sydney Bulletin, that unique journal which draws its contributions from the writers of a continent and the isles beyond —and_ pays for every line it prints — has done much for Australian literature by introducing to the world such men as Becke, Boake, Dorrington, Daley, Dyson, Favenc, Lawson, Montgomery, Ogilvie, Paterson, Quinn, Arthur Adams, Davis, and other writers too many to mention, and now it has entered upon a publishing scheme, whereby writers who have made their mark in its pages may gain a permanent footing in the Austral book-world. But the Bulletin Publishing Com- pany, though the books it publishes meet with a warm welcome, moves of necessity too slowly to keep pace with the output, and whilst it is considering MSS., authors are in jeopardy of dying through starvation and despair, or else are tempted to study anatomy in the way which Lawson directs. But there should be help in the Authors’ Society, though, so far as I am aware, none 198 of the writers I have referred to as living in Australia belong to the Society. If after making their mark here they were to use the advice of the Society’s Secretary and Committee, and were to employ agents recommended by the Society, there should be no necessity for them to dream of a Timbuctoo, or to contemplate suicide by means of a cheap Belgian pistol. Nelson, Maoriland. ALFRED GRACE. Specs NOVELISTS AND THE WAR FUND. \ {| AY I suggest that fiction writers as a body might do something towards the War Fund, in having some of their wares collected into a book and offered to the public for sale? Itake it that short stories would be most available, and of course all writers, however willing they might be, could not be represented. The contents of such a book would have to be arranged by an editor. But certainly it would have a large sale; and I make no doubt that any one of the three best publishers would bring it out free of charge, and so a considerable sum would be raised for a very desirable object. C. J. Curciirre Hyne. NOTES AND NEWS. INVITE our members to consider Mr. Cutcliffe Hyne’s suggestion published above, If the suggestion is carried out it will be necessary to appoint an editor, to arrange the length of the volume, its illustrations if it is to be illustrated : its price, the time of publication, and the selection of the writers. There are many other points for consideration. If the book is to consist of short stories what length is to be adopted? ‘Perhaps not more than twelve pages, say, of the Cornhill Magazine type and size, v.e., about 5000 or 6000 words. TI agree with Mr. Cutcliffe Hyne that it might command a very large sale. If it is to appear in June, which would seem the most promising to me, it should be undertaken at once. Who are “the three best” publishers? The distinction is delicate. I should, myself, begin in making such a selection by taking out as a preliminary all those names which were appended to the “ Draft Agreements.” Some time ago I received a letter from one who stated that he had been in the employ of a certain publisher for four years. He gave me a few THE AUTHOR. details as to the management of that firm’s business. I did not publish the letter because I could not vouch for the truth of his statements. It is enough to say that they were well nigh incredible. I give an extract, together with the advice which he offers. The latter, at any rate, is sound. He says: “ Lhad to make out authors’ accounts. Say that 2000 were printed. I accounted to the author for them just as I liked, to make the numbers fit, without a single. voucher, and no record whatever kept of the sales. Certainly I had the subscription sheet, but even this is, and can be, cooked. My accounts deducted 10 per cent. for the retail bookseller. No one, except the shipping houses, got more than 5 per cent. As for discounts allowed by paper-makers, binders, block-makers, printers, they ranged from 5 per cent. to 15 per cent. The author was not told of these discounts at all. As for advertisements, the less said the better. What authors must do is to examine and audit all these accounts: not for the past half year only, but where they have been running some time, especially those of books which have had a good sale. I should like to assist in the examination, and it would be an eye- opener.” I repeat that I cannot vouch for the truth of the statements. The thing, however, is quite possible in the absence of anaudit. It may be thought that the writer is vindictive: but his advice remains. There should be an audit of every account. Ina royalty account how do we know that a true return has been made? What is to prevent the suppression of hundreds—in the case of a very large circulation, thousands? Now, it is invi- dious for any one writer to take the lead in a new departure that will be welcomed with the fiercest resentment. Also, it would be expensive to go to a firm of accountants for every special case. Combined action is necessary. The only way is for a certain number of the more important writers to agree that their accounts shall always be audited without consideration of any firm or any private friendships or any amount of confidence, and to retain for the purpose some young accountant whose fees will be much iower than those of the established firms. A method to be followed in every case must be decided. Here is one point which shows the necessity of an audit. I have once, and only once, seen an account which set forth the number of “ overs.” The matter has been more than once mentioned in these columns, and there have been indignant letters in other papers—anonymous, of course —from publishers declaring that there never were  THE AUTHOR. any “overs” to speak of: or, if there were, that they were wanted to make up deficiencies. Very well. At the Publishers’ Congress, where a good many interesting things came out, it was publicly stated and not denied that “overs” added 2 per cent. to the number. So that in an edition of 3000 there would be sixty “overs.” By what right —by what law of common honesty—does a pub- lisher take over to himself those sixty “ overs” ? The main points to be secured in framing such a league for the audit of accounts are these :— t. The audit must be managed without giving any trouble to the author. 2. If the publisher remonstrates with the author or threatens a withdrawal of his counten- ance, the author must send the letter to the Secretary and decline personal correspondence in the matter. 3. If the publisher refuses to show his accounts the Society must take the matter into court with- out expense totheauthor. One case will be quite enough. 4. The expense of audit must be moderate. [have always assumed as a thing absolutely necessary to the trade of publishing that pub- lishers were always ready to read MSS. If they refuse even toread MSS. how can they conduct their business? Therefore the experience of a corre- spondent is amazing. He says that he offered to submit the MS. of a work since published to many firms reputed to be of good standing. Some of them would not even allow him to send it. They were “full up”: they were “too full now”: they could not look at it “at present” : “No, thanks.” That the work had already appeared in a serial form was a bar: “no use after serial form.” (This is, of course, rubbish: most of the successful novels appear first in serial form, and it has long been demonstrated that the first appearance, which is read by scraps and generally only in part, stimulates the demand for volume form). They could “take up nothing new just yet”: they did not “see their way to avail themselves of the offer’: they were not “ san- guine of being able to undertake”: “the supply of fiction was in excess of the demand.” Others, again, accepted the offer of the MS. and sent back a typewritten form of regret that “after careful consideration they were compelled to decline the work.” In some cases there was proof that the parcel had never been opened! One firm, a big firm, crowned all by stating that their “‘yeader’s report was not encouraging enough for them to, &c.” And this, although the MS. 199 had never been sent to them at all, but was only offered if the firm would consent to read it! One can understand the rejection of a MS. on the ground that it might not prove a commercial success: but the refusal even to read MSS. where out of a hundred offered one may prove a gold mine is unintelligible except on the ground that recent losses or partial failures put a stop to further enterprise. This in fact has now happened. Writers will do well to consider the situation. It is not a time for the mediocre artist: he must for the moment sit quiet and wait for a more favourable opportunity. Nor is it a favourable moment for those who write “ appreciations” or “ studies”’ or literary essays. Above all it is not a time when anyone should give up work that affords him a livelihood in order to live by his pen. For the leaders in the literary craft there will be little, if any, loss. But the demand for inferior work of all kinds will be for a long time very far below the supply. The death of the Rev. Dr. James Martineau removes one of the oldest friends of the Society. He became a member very soon after the Society was formed, and remained a member until a few years ago when his literary work was done. It was the countenance and the support of a few such men as Martineau, to whom must be added certain names which the reader will find for himself on our Council, which strengthened and encouraged our Committee in the early days when derision and contempt were attempted as lethal weapons. It was because the Society began and has ever since carried on a struggle for the independence of the author, and has set up safe- guards, especially in the shape of exposure, against rapacity and secret profits, that such men were found to support us. The “ Draft Agreements” issued by the committee of the Publishers’ Association first revealed to an astonished world the need of such a Society as our own, and the solid reasons for the many warnings, which had previously been found so hard to believe, against claims and practices which we knew to be so common. Great should be the gratitude of all our members for the support of such men as James Martineau. Another late member, R. D. Blackmore, has been taken from us in this most gloomy month. He withdrew from membership when he ceased to write about three years ago. It is greatly to be hoped that, in the interests of the literary- calling, the history of his novels ; the extent of 200 their circulation; the management of his pro- perty, which partly belongs to the days before the work of the Society—may be revealed to the world. There have been few novels indeed during the latter half of this century which have had so wide a popularity as “Lorna Doone.” He wrote in all sixteen novels and two or three volumes of verse. Water Besant. ee THE MORAL RIGHTS OF AUTHORS.* IGNOR FOA, the editor of our Italian con- temporary, J Diritti d’Autore, has republished in a convenient form his contributions to that periodical on the new and interesting question of the author's “ Moral Rights.” Attention was first directed to these rights by Jules Lermina, whose name is so familiar to all students of copyright law, at the Berne Congress in 1896. The nature and extent of these rights have been subsequently discussed, more or less fully, at the con- gresses of the “ Association Litteraire et Artistique Internationale” at Monaco (1897), Turin (1898), and lastly, this autumn at Heidel- burg, where a special commission, appointed in 1898 to examine the subject, presented a report of their investigations. An exact and entirely satisfactory definition of these rights has hardly yet been propounded ; and in consequence of this it is at present impossible to formulate the conclusions that may be legitimately drawn from these rights. Signor Foa freely admits all this, and modestly offers his contribution to the discussion only as a step in the direction of a desideratum, with the just remark that, “if the path of knowledge is always a difficult one to pursue, it is at least an impor- tant point to have made a start in the right direction.” Unfortunately, it is impossible to agree with Signor Foa’s opinion that “in all civilised States the material-rights of an author are sufficienty protected.” These rights will not be sufficiently protected until they are protected universally and in perpetuity. At present by far the larger part— though not the more intellectual part—of Europe remains still outside the Berne Convention, whilst perpetual copyright seems to be regarded as a purely Utopian notion. Under these circum- stances the suggestion of legal recognition of the far less tangible moral rights (at which Signor Foa hints) is surely premature. * Ferruccio Foa. Il Diritto Morale dell’ Autore sulle Opere dell’ ingegno. Milano: Tipografia del Riformatorio Patronato. 1899. 4to. THE AUTHOR. On the other hand, striking evidence of the real existence of moral rights and of a general sense of their importance is produced. It is pointed out that they have been used, and are still used, as an argument for robbing authors of all other rights. The author is said (mostly by people who cannot sell their copy) to debase his literary productions by demanding a material price for them, because, forsooth, if they have any value at all, they have a value of a kind not to be expressed in pounds, shillings, and pence. This clearly implies that the author has a right to something beyond material advantages. His right to material advantages—to some material advan- tages—is now in many countries a legally estab- lished fact. And that is in accordance with natural right. “Literary and artistic work,” says Signor Foa, “is a manifestation of human industry, and as such merits the protection of the law.” ‘But the admission of this first right does not destroy the other right to something beyond material advantages. And this further right is, in effect, the moral right of the author which has been recently the subject of so much discus- sion. In what does this moral right consist? The author gives the public something that emanates “from his brain, from his own soul, from his own personality; and he, at the same time, assumes responsibility to the public for it.” The pubhe has a right to look critically upon what is offered, and to accept it or not, to accept it as a part of spiritual patrimony of the nation. But the author also has a right to demand that the work for which he makes himself responsible shall be examined by the public “as he produced it in its integrity.” Hence Signor Foa cdneludes that the founda- tion of the author's moral rights is the intangi- bility of intellectual productions. That is pretty generally admitted by all who have studied the question; though the logical consequences of the principle (a far-reaching one, it must be confessed) have proved a Itttle alarming to some of its supporters. Attempts to give the idea legal expression, or to penetrate much more deeply into the subject, have not hitherto led to much result. Two consequences may, however, be mentioned. The author is supreme judge of what works of his shall be published (here it is impossible to forget that Virgil desired that the Alneid should not be published) ; and the unpublished works of an author cannot be seized by his creditors: “Le droit morale doit rester dans la domaine morale, et n’étre point sujet aux spéculations financitres.” In reply to the question which has been asked whether the author’s moral right is @  THE AUTHOR. “personal right” in the legal sense, Signor Foa points out that “personal right” has in law really more than one meaning. He is disposed to think that it is not a personal right. Indeed, intangibility appears to be all that can be said to be at present completely agreed upon. Evidently this intangibility should be also per- petual. But here ideals and realities prove incompatible. The intangibility of a scientific work, which is to continue to be of value, is inconceivable. And in consequence of differ- ences of taste and manner, the same rule applies, in a different way, to drama. Here considera- tions of mala fides and of “alteration merely for the sake of gain” will demand scrutiny. ‘“ Who is to be the guardian of the rights,’ and “ Who is to be guarantee for permissible alterations,” are further inevitable questions, which do not exhaust all the problems presented by intangi- bility. But Signor Foa insists with reason upon the injury done to public taste, and the insult offered public intelligence, in addition to the wrong done the author by such hideous travesties of great works as are only too common. He quotes as an examplea horrible and ear-torturing performance of “ Don Giovanni” in a theatre of marionettes; but similar abuses of artistic pro- ductions of all kinds are, unhappily, familiar to everyone. They prove also that the author's moral rights represent something that is, at least intellectually, very real. Only a few of the bear- ings of those rights have been hitherto explored ; but as a lucid summary of all that has been hitherto done, and a just appreciation of the ‘results, Signor Foa’s work may be recommended to all interested in the question. ee CORRESPONDENCE. I.—A DuiseraceruL TRICK. SENT the opening chapters of a novel to a publishing house which acts as agents for simultaneous publication of tales. I received a polite note with the returned MS. saying the novel was too local for their require- ments, but they would be glad to see short stories from my pen. I sent two, which were accepted at once. Some time later I had a note from them requesting me to submit others. I sent three, and had two returned as “ unsuitable.” The following year I again got a note asking for MS. I sent one tale and had it returned as unsuitable very soon. Again I got a request for MS., but did not send any. Six months later came another note to 20! the same effect, and I sent off four short tales. In a fortnight the four were returned as unsuitable. I then wrote expressing surprise, as the rejected tales were quite ‘on the lines” of those which had been approved, &c. I received no answer. I chanced to show one of these rejected tales to a friend, and she said, before reading two pages: ‘ You have published this.” “No,” I answered. But she affirmed she had read it, and to my surprise told me all the story. It was evolved in a somewhat uncommon way, and founded upon a personal experience, and I felt sure there could be no accidental resemblance. I find that other writers have had a like experi- ence. They have seen their tales in print, slightly altered and with different titles, yet these tales had come back to them as unsuitable. The run of chances is against the author ever finding this out; but when he does, what help is there for him ? And how is it done? Does the agent keep a staff of nimble typewriters who cook and copy MS. before it is returned to the author as “ unsuit- able” ? ALGOUS. [It is quite obvious that an editor who would stoop to a trick of this kind should be exposed. The thing cannot be common, Can the charge be proved? If so, will our correspondent be so good as to furnish the Secretary with the name of the paper referred to, and will he further persuade those “other writers”? who have had a similar experience to forward their names and the history of their experiences ?—Ep,] TI—Tue Haur-Crown Critic. The suggestion of “Budding Fictionist” that the readers of the Society of Authors shall, in certain cases, supply criticisms of stories of 5000 words for 2s. 6d., seems hard upon the Society’s readers. Whatsoever the length of the story may be the reader has to form a definite opinion concerning it, and to embody his opinion in a report. If the report is to be of any use to the author the reader will certainly have to expend upon it an amount of time and labour worth considerably more than 2s. 6d. The report at ‘“ Budding Fictionist’s” own price of “three halfpence a line” would be limited to twenty lines. But is the reader, whilst the new story is being written, to remember all the essential facts regarding the ten others previously sent him? If he does not do this, he may find some difficulty in justly estimating the relative values of the earlier and later productions. And if he does, well, such an effort of memory would be cheap at 2s. 6d. An Otp Member. 202 TIL—On Tryina Moret THan ONE EpIror. A recent correspondent says that if I “ had had a little editorial experience of the enormous quantity of articles some editors have to look at . . .. [I] would hardly expect a prompt answer, except in the case of the rejection of the article from sheer want of literary interest.” But the prodigious number of MSS. submitted, though it precludes the possibility of prompt answers to contributors, does not justify editors in retaining MSS. for two, three, or six months. My work consists of short stories, and it has been quite a usual thing for editors to retain my MSS. for the periods I have named before rejecting them. At the present moment I have a story out which has been in the hands of a magazine editor since July last. No answer has been vouchsafed to a letter of mine asking whether the MS. had any chance of acceptance, and that letter was written about three months ago. That is the only letter I have written to this editor, for I make it a rule never to write a letter when sending a MS. No one could possibly accuse me of exasperating editors by giving them unnecessary trouble. As I have very little hope that this particular piece of work will meet with acceptance in that quarter, I have sent out copies elsewhere. Surely no one would say that I have acted discourteously ? That there is no necessity for keeping MSS. so long is proved by the usage of the best magazines and the most courteous editors. In my case the decision of the Cornhill has been generally given inside of a month, and only once has been delayed so long as a month and four days. With Chambers’s Journal the outside limit I have found to be twenty days; with Zongman’s, ten days ; Cassell’s, twenty days; the Royal usually inside a month, once (only) a month and five days. And, be it noted, I’ve reason to believe that every- thing I’ve sent to these journals has been not merely “looked at,” but really read. The fact seems to be that some editors keep the work of unknown authors beside them as a stop-gap in case of the failure of contributors they usually depend upon. This is proved by what “An Editor” says in the National Review for Aug. 1896. ‘There are, he says, three reasons for the retention of MSS., and “the third is that articles are sometimes retained because, in holiday time, when good write1s are lazy, it may be neces- sary to use matter of slightly inferior quality.” T’ve no especial objection to my work being held over for six months in this way, provided it is recognised that I am at liberty to try and find another market for it in the meantime. I have recognised the possibility indicated by “M,C. A.” that a story sent to two magazines THE AUTHOR. may be accepted by the one which pays least. But then, ‘a bird in the hand’s worth two in the bush.” Moreover, many of the _ best-paying magazines are among those which deal most promptly with contributions. Perry Barr. 3 IV.—No Proor Sent. In Feb., 1893, an article of mine appeared in a certain magazine, the MS. having been sent some months previously, but no notice was taken of two letters of inquiry sent, nor was any intima- tion given that the article would appear at all. My first knowledge of the publication was from the railway bookstall, and the article was un- signed, which was opposed to my wishes had I been consulted at all. In this case there was no notification of any kind whatever, and so far as T was concerned, the MS. might have been in the waste-paper basket, but I was paid five guineas later on, at the rate of about half-a-guinea a page. G. R. V. V.—WRITING FOR THE MaGaziInus. My attention has been called to the letter in your December issue signed “ Magazine Struggler.” The writer asks what I think a “ fairly successful ” contributor to magazines alone could make in the course of a year. Well, no definite, or even approximate, estimate can be given; but I do not hesitate to say that from magazines alone a “fairly successful” writer might hope to make, say, from £150 to £200 ina year. But when I talk of magazines, I never include such heavy things as the Contemporary, the Nineteenth Century, the Fortnightly, the National, or the Westminster. These are reviews, and between a review and a magazine there is a great gulf fixed. No sane man would hope to make an income, or any appreciable portion of an income out of work for these publications, so that I think the elabo- rate analysis of their contents which appeared in last month’s Author was wasted time. Nor do I advise anyone to hope for much from the popular magazines ; it would be folly for a beginner to rely on magazines alone as a field of action. My advice, based on personal experience, is: Write for the general and scrappy Press to keep the pot boiling, and peg away with signed magazine articles for your credit’s sake. Yet I do not advise anyone to attempt the task of making a reputation through the magazines ; the speediest means to that end is a good book. Make a supreme effort with a book, and, even if that is only moderately successful, you will find the doors of the magazines and popular weeklies swing open to your touch. After all is said that may be on this subject, it must be admitted that  THE no two men’s experiences coincide; each must begin at the beginning, though the knowledge of another struggler’s experience may serve one to avert pitfalls. An Eprror (Author of “ How to Write for the Press”’). VL.—A New Move or FLEEctrne. I write to inform you of an apparently new way of mulcting authors for advertisements. In my last account from an eminent publishing firm there was a charge of two guineas for advertise- ments. I wrote asking for particulars and the names of the papers advertised in. The answer was that the advertisements were not in news- papers, but in “ our Catalogues and Lists,” and two catalogues, for June and Sept. 1899, were sent me with my work mentioned. I then asked if their charge was an annual or quarterly one, and also if this charge was customary in the trade and if they charged all the authors in their list similarly. To this I got no reply. If they do make such a charge they make a handsome income out of their catalogues. If these are issued quarterly as appears, and if a guinea a notice is charged for each quarter’s insertion, this realises from the 178 names on the list a very large sum for producing the publisher's own catalogue. In other words, the authors are asked to pay for the firm’s own advertisements. Is this practice at all customary? For, if not, and they have singled me out as a solitary victim, thinking I would quietly acquiesce in it, it seems an excessively mean thing for such an eminent firm to do. T inclose the name of the firm, as I should like to know if other authors dealing with the firm have been fleeced in the same way. GoLpEN FLEECE. [If other readers have been served with similar accounts, will they kindly forward their cases, with copies of the accounts and the names of the publishers? It is evident (1) that the publisher has no right to charge for advertisements in hisown organ any more than he has a right to charge for the use of his bookshelves ; and (2) that, if such a right was to exist, it would include the right to charge what he pleased : to advertise a book as often as he pleased and in the most expensive manner possible, without the least regard to the interests of the book—in other words, to make of the practice a means of sweeping everything into his own pocket. Observe that the “ Draft Agree- ments ”—Equitable—preserve a suggestive silence on the subject.—Eb. | — AUTHOR. 203 VIL—A Memper’s Exprriences. An account of my experiences as a writer may be useful to other writers aud to the Society of Authors. I think that even the Society does not always see the difficulties of authors. The advice which the Society gives is exellent, as a general rule; but it cannot, of course, meet all cases. In my case, before I became a member, I signed a publisher’s agreement which I now find is con- demned by the Society. And yet it was the best thing I could do. When I was a boy, I had to get my living at a rather early age. I gave most of my spare time to study, and taught myself Latin and Greek enough for matriculation. I have striven all my life to get the best English books I could. Need forced me into journalism, and here I found no difficulty. I began at the top. I found at once that, without introduction, the best London newspapers would print and pay for descrip- tive articles if only they were supplied with what they wanted. But journalism is cramping and bad, because the journals have their various political and other biases, whilst reporterism is no better than book-keeping, for the most part. I entered upon literature, and here my enormous difficulties began. ‘The fact is, I tried in all my writing as well as 1 could to tell the truth. My first book may be described as an attempt in a story to tell the truth absolutely about a certain aspect of social and political affairs. Nobody would publish it at first, but I deter- mined to get it out somehow. I then knew nothing of the Society’s advice. I got the story printed by a friend, who undertook to share risks and profits and te publish. Small diffi- culties kept arising while the book was printing, and I had to overcome all these, and indeed throughout I was always urging matters forward, so that although the book was carefully written, the trouble of writing it was as nothing to my trouble in getting it out. Business changes pre- vented a proper publication and reviewing. Three reviews indeed appeared, all highly favourable. One was lengthy, and in a leading London news- ' paper. But there was no proper publication or advertisement. By my own exertions I at last placed the printed book with a commission pub- lisher of standing, but by this time it had ceased to be topical. It happened that I lost no money over it, but much time and labour. All that if gained was encouragement—if I wanted that— from the critics. My next manuscripts went the regular round. I corresponded with many publishers and inter- viewed some. Often my work was on the verge of publication. Sometimes two or even three 204 THE AUTHOR. readers were consulted by the publishers over a single book of mine. I found an unbusinesslike tone prevailing in the trade—or perhaps it was only too businesslike. I fear this tone is fostered by the manner of other authors. The publishers seemed to assume that they were conferring a favour on a new author by “giving him a chance” if they should publish his book. In some cases I told them to regard the matter purely as one of business, and in one instance I felt bound to resent the prevalent tone by con- descension of manner on my own part. If MSS. were delayed I wrote shortly for their return. (It is curious that in journalism there is never this tone. If an editor of a newspaper wants a con- tribution he will take it promptly enough, and if not he will send it back, usually with equal promptness.) After infinite trouble I got my second book published on a royalty agreement, with a clause by which I allowed the publisher the refusal of my next two books. This also was before I joined the Society. But I had my eyes open. I never expected really to get any royalty, and as for the clause, it could be satisfied with much less trouble than it takes to get a book published. My object was merely to storm the kopjes of Literature at all costs. There was no other way. If Ihad had money to buy types I would have printed the book myself, and placed it with a commission publisher. As it was, I lost no money over it, and gained some reviews in the best journals. Some of the notices are brief and - contemptuous. Most of. them are fairly long, - and more favourable than I expected. If the . majority of the critics are right, then I have produced a good book. But I have no money by it, nor am I disappointed at not getting what I did not expect under present conditions. Well, now that I am in the Society I feel bound to take their advice in future. The point is that I felt obliged to storm the kopjes in the way I have described rather than accomplish nothing. I have earned hundreds of pounds by journalism, but not a penny by literature; and one cause of this seems to be (if it is not immodest to say so) the false atmosphere of the whole publishing business. The critics, gene- rally, are all right; and there is always a public for a man who has anything to say. The com- mission system ought to be the system of the future. VIIIL.—A Cry From THE DEPTHS, In reply to Mr. Julian Croskey’s remarks in The Author of December, addressed from Ottawa, I think it will be admitted that in order to sell a book or anything else in this world you must first create a demand for it, and this demand, as faras novels are concerned, is only secured with money, social interest, and influential friends on the Press. How is a demand to be created without advertisement of some kind ? With regard to young and talented authors who are poor, and consequently without these social advantages, or who are not in touch with powerful monopolists running commercial fiction in endless journals, it is evident that the struggle for fame, the desire for recognition, will ever befool them, even as they will ever pursue it. Behind all their efforts will be heard the laugh of Mephistopheles. Who can dispute the brutal logic of facts and figures? The dark powers that thwart and destroy are always merciless to the poor and gifted, especially if they add honesty to their other misfortunes. Mr. Croskey’s own experiences and confession are a case in point. Whether a book is good or bad, it must be “worked up” in some way in order to succeed. Everything lies in management and—paragraphs. Wealthy plagiarists who employ “ghosts” and translate freely from foreign sources can always command a certain market. England is the paradise of the charlatan. Then, what are the efforts worth of the young and talented struggler for bread and fame, pitted against obstructive trickery of all kinds and a glut of fiction exceeding the demand? What are his chances with an amiable, if indifferent, public nourished on cleverly conducted magazines, . each with its own staffi—a public ready to enjoy . the crude and characterless fiction—the hackneyed, if illustrated, commonplace offered for their mental pabulum, provided its purveyors thrust it carefully before them and are esteemed persons of wealth and respectability, actuated by the saintliest motives, the purest Christian aims. Is it not kind to warn the literary aspirant, should he be needy, of the often useless and cruel conflicts—the pathetic disillusion attending a career so often ending in broken health and even suicide, For the more imagination and insight, the keener the suffering. To starve in a garret on £50 a year—to elevate the soul and destroy the body to produce a masterpiece which few may read and still fewer understand, may be heroic, but hardly wise, considering the shortness of life and that time is our worst enemy. Are there not nobler and healthier outlets for a man’s energy? Mr. Croskey has proved that there are. ANNABEL GRAY.  THE BOOK AND PLAY TALK. HE new book by Sir William Charley, J3 Q.C., D.C.L., on the House of Lords was published on Jan. 27. It is called “‘Mend- ing’ and ‘ Ending’” (Simpkin, Marshall and Co., price 2s. 6d.), and is a “Reply to Mr. Andrew Reid’s ‘House of Lords Question.’” It deals with every possible suggestion for “ ending” or “mending” the Upper House. It is now nearly five years since Sir William published his “ His- torical Vindication of the House of Lords,” a book which has been much studied. Among the books in preparation at the Claren- don Press may be mentioned the following :— “Celtic Folklore; Welsh and Manx,” by John Rhys, M.A.; “A Translation into Modern English of King Alfred’s O. E. Version of Boethius,” by W. J. Ledgefield, M.A. ; «The Complete Works of John Gower,” edited from the MSS., with introductions, notes, and glos- saries, by G. C. Macaulay, M.A., vols. 2 and 3 (English works) ; “‘ The Canon of Chaucer,” by W. W. Skeat, Litt. D.; ‘“Dryden’s Critical Essays,” edited by W. P. Ker, M.A.; “ Plays and Poems of Robert Greene,’ edited by J. Churton Collins, M.A.; “The Works of Thomas Kyd,” edited by F. S. Boas, M.A.; “‘Milton’s Poetical Works,” edited by H. C. Beeching, M.A. (demy 8vo., with facsimiles ; and in miniature) ; “ Asser’s Life of Alfred,” edited by W. H. Stevenson, M.A.; “Voyages of the Elizabethan Seamen,” edited by EH. J. Payne, M.A., series 2; “The Alfred Jewel,’ by John Earle, M.A. (small quarto, with illustrations). Messrs. Everitt and Co. have published a new book by Captain M. Horace Hayes, R.F.C.V.S., entitled “Among Horses in Russia,” price 10s. 6d. The book is beautifully illustrated with many striking photographs. A new novel, by “ Perrington Priman,”’ “The Girl at Riverfield Manor,” is being published this month by Messrs. F. V. White and Co. Messrs. Hutchinson and Co. have published a book entitled “She Stands Alone, the Story of Pilate’s Wife,” by Mark Ashton. The story is realistically written. Messrs. Mitchell and Hughes are about to issue, in demy quarto, “The Records of the Corrie Family,” in two parts, by Jessie E. Corrie, author of “ The Genealogical Table of the Houses of Gordon, Corrie, and Goldie” (published last year). Mr. M. H. Spielmann has prepared, from special knowledge and with the consent of Mr. Ruskin’s family, a work entitled “John Ruskin : a Sketch of his Life, his Work, and his Opinions, with Personal Reminiscences.” It will contain a AUTHOR. 205 paper by Mr. Ruskin called “The Black Arts,” which is not to be found in his collected works. The book will be published shortly by Messrs. Cassell. Mr. W. W. Skeat has written a minute study of the folk-lore, ceremonial observances, and magic of the Malay Peninsula, a country where Moham- medanism only superficially overlays a mass of aboriginal beliefs and customs. This will be published shortly by Messrs. Macmillan, under the title “Malay Religion.” A biography of Lord Monboddo, the famous Scotch judge, has been written by Professor Knight, of St. Andrews, in whose hands have been placed family manuscripts and letters which have never been published. The book will appear shortly from Mr. Murray. Mr. Archibald Colquhoun’s new volume of travel, “Overland to China,” will be published this month by Messrs. Harper. It describes Siberia, Mongolia, Manchuria, the Upper Yangtse, and southern and south-western China. Mr. Stanley Weyman’s novel, “ Sophia,” will be published shortly by Messrs. Longmans. A novel by Dr. St. George Mivart, F.R.S., entitled “Castle and Manor,” will be published shortly by Messrs. Sands and Co. Mrs. Meynell’s volume on Ruskin in the Modern English Writers series, published by Messrs. Blackwood, will be ready shortly. Mr. F. G. Kitton has written a book on “ The Minor Writings of Charles Dickens,” which will be published shortly by Mr. Elliot Stock as a volume in the Book Lover’s Library. “The Morals of Suicide,’’ is the title of a book by the Rev. J. Gurnhill, which Messrs. Long- mans will publish. The author writes from the point of view of a Christian Socialist. Tf the war has been bad for books, the season is evidently deemed sufficiently propitious for periodicals. The demand for the illustrated weeklies containing pictures of the war operations has been enormous. And now three new Ssix- penny weeklies have appeared—the King, the Sphere, and the Spear, Another new journal which may be expected soon is the TZribune, whose editor will be Mr. Lathbury, who resigned the editorship of the Guardian a short time ago. “The Story of the Life of Dr. Pusey,” which is to appear shortly from Messrs. Longmans, is an independent work, written by the author of “ Gharles Lowder” at the request of Dr. Pusey’s daughter, in order to provide for readers who cannot possess the four-volume life. - Dr. Birkbeck Hill is engaged upon an edition of Gibbon’s “ Autobiography.” The biography of the late Coventry Patmore will be published, it is hoped, next month. 206 “ Commerce and Christianity,” by Mr. G. F. Millin, is a book in which the author analyses methods and principles and draws lessons from the result. It will be published shortly by Messrs. Swan Sonnenschein and Co. Six books of last year have been “ crowned” by the Academy in recognition of their promise, sincerity, and thoroughness in literary art. Each author accordingly receives a present of twenty- five guineas. The following is the list :— Poetry: Mr. W. B. Years, for “The Wind Among the Reeds.” Fiction: “Zack” (Miss Gwendoline Keats), for “On Trial.” Biography: Mr. Hinarrz Bexxoc, for “Danton: a Study.” History: Mr. G. M. TREVELYAN, for “‘ England in the Age of Wycliffe.” Translation: Mrs. GARNETT for her translation of the novels of Turgenieff. Miscellaneous: Rev. H. G. Granam, for “The Social Life of Scotland in the Highteenth Century.” Mr. Bloundelle-Burton is bringing out through Messrs. Pearson a new novel called “The Sea- farers.” Dr. Nansen is issuing through Messrs. Long- mans, in five or six volumes, a full account of the scientific results of his Polar expedition of 1893- 1896. The work is to be published only in English, The first volume will appear shortly ; the second, which will contain the charts, soon afterwards ; and the whole work is expected to be complete in about two years. Admiral Sir Wilham Kennedy has written a new work entitled “A Life on the Ocean Wave,” which will be published shortly by Messrs. Blackwood. Mr. W. H.D. Rouse is issuing through Messrs. Dent a small volume of translations of Greek oems. The Irish Literary Society offers prizes of fifty and twenty guineas for essays on the Sieges of Derry and Limerick. A committee of the society will first select what they consider the best twenty essays sent in, and these will then be submitted to Mr. Lecky and Lord Russell of Killowen for final decision. Novels by Mr. Allen Upward (“The Accused Princess’’) and Mr. Clive Holland (‘ Marcelle of the Latin Quarter”) will be published by Messrs. Pearson. Miss Edna Lyall’s first play, ‘In Spite of All,” will be produced on Monday afternoon, Feb. 5, by Mr. Ben Greet, who has just begun a short season at the Comedy. It is a romantic piece, laid in the stirring times of the Royalists and Roundheads. The re-constructed St. James’s has been opened with Mr. Anthony Hope’s “ Rupert of Hentzau.” THE AUTHOR. _ Mr. Wyndham (who is to produce “ Cyrano de Bergerac” in a provincial theatre in a few days) will revive “ Dandy Dick” at the Criterion on the 8th inst. Mr. Martin Harvey has acquired the rights in the one-act play, “The White Lily,” by Alphonse Daudet, which, on its production in France, was called ‘“‘ The White Carnation.” Mr. Arthur Shirley and Mr. Sutton Vane have founded a play on the widely-circulated American book by Mr. Charles Sheldon, called “In His Steps; or, What Would Jesus Do?” The piece has been produced in the provinces, and it will be presented to a London audience at the Adelphi, on the 5th inst., under the title “ The Better Life.” The Adelphi will afterwards pass into the man- agement of Mr. Robert Taber, who will open it on March 10 with a new romantic play, entitled “Bonnie Dundee,” by Mr. Lawrence Irving and Mr. Tom Heslewood. Miss Lena Ashwell will be the leading lady. Mr. Barry Pain has finished a play. Sir Henry Irving is prolonging his tour in the United States by a few weeks, owing to the success he is meeting with. Mr. Hare leaves the Globe on Feb. 3 with “The Gay Lord Quex,” which he is taking to the provinces. He will then begin a tour in America with this play, and may not be in London again before June next year. Mr. Wilson Barrett will be seen in “ The Swashbuckler,” by Mr. Louis Parker, which is now being rehearsed for production. Miss Kate Rorke tak-s Mr. Pinero’s early play, “The Squire,” on tour, beginning at Kennington on the 26th inst. Mr. Ben Webster will play the character of the lover. “The Kendals,” an account of the career of the two well-known personalities, by Mr. Edgar Pemberton, is one of the forthcoming books on Messrs. Pearson’s list. OBITUARY. R. RUSKIN “faded away in a peaceful sleep” at Coniston on Jan. 20, and was buried there five days later. Dr. JAMES Marrrnzau died on Jan. 11 at the great age of ninety-five. Mr. R D. Buackmorg, the novelist, died on Jan. 20, aged 75. On Jan. 1 the death occurred of the Rev. WurrweLt Exwin (eighty- four), rector of Booton, Norfolk, who succeeded Lockhart as editor of the Quarterly Review, and held the post for sixteen years. We much regret also to have to record the death of Mz. WiL1aM  c Gq Ry See ety ce eee ee aa THE AUTHOR. Epwarps Trresuck, the well-known novelist, who died from pneumonia in his native city of Liverpool on the 22nd ult. In addition to this roll, the obituary of the past month includes Canon R. W. Drxon, who was a distinguished Oxford man, and wrote a history of the Church of England, which 1s a recognised authority ; the Rev. Henry Furneavx, sometime Fellow of Corpus Christi, Oxford, and editor of “ Tacitus ” and other classics; and Mr. G. W. SrEEVENS, the distinguished special correspondent of the Daily Mail, who died of enteric fever on the 15th ult. in Ladysmith, where he was represent- ing his journal with the beleaguered troops. BOOKS AND REVIEWS. (In these columns notes on books are given from reviews which carry weight, and are not, so far as can be learned, logrollers.) Tar Untrep Krnepom, by Goldwin Smith (Macmillan, 15s. net), is in two volumes, which, says Literature, with all their defects, “‘ are a trae history of England, no jumble of miscellaneous facts, but an edifice reared with skilful hand.” The Daily Chronicle says Mr. Goldwin Smith “ has not lost the pictureequeness of his style,” and that he is in these volumes historical and expository rather than contro- versial or speculative. The Daily News calls it “a work which Englishmen all the world over will read with enthu- siastic delight, with fresh admiration for the achievements of their ancestors, and with a confidence in the future never more essential than at this solemn time.” FINLAND AND THE Tsars, by Joseph R. Fisher (Arnold, 128. 6d.), is, says Literature, ‘ a clear and succinct historical sketch of the relations between Russia and her dependency during the last ninety years.” Mr. Fisher, says the Daily Chronicle, “has prepared what may be called the case of Finland with most scrupulous thoroughness; and whatever holes the Russian Pre:s may attempt to pick in his argu- ments, it is difficult for an Englishman to discover any flaw.” Henry Irvine, by Charles Hiatt (Bell, 5s. net), is a study of the famous actor, and contains between seventy and eighty illustrations. ‘‘ All who have been Sir Henry Irving’s admirers in the past,” says Literature, and “ all who look forward to his future successes, will wish to possess Mr. Hiatt?s excellent little work.” The book will be read, says the Daily Telegraph, “with universal interest.” : In Cap AnD Bexus, by Owen Seaman (Lane, 3s. 6d.) is “a sheaf of topical and satirical verse that can hardly fail to please,” says the Spectator. The verses were con- tributed particularly to Punch, to whose “table” Mr. Seaman “ has conferred fresh lustre and distinction.” The Daily News describes the book as “ uniformly entertaining,” the Daily Telegraph says it is as “ excellent and delight- ful in every respect as‘ The Battle of the Bays’”; and the Daily Chronicle calls Mr. Seaman “‘ more than a mere parodist or writer of comic jingles, however ingenious.” “He is what we may call a critic of mannerism, and a very keen critic to boot.” Sport anp Lire In WESTERN AMERICA AND BRITISH Conumsra, by W. A. Baillie-Grohman (Cox, 158.), contains, says the Daily Chronicle, “so complete a denunciation of 207 the reckless waste of big game, so scathing a criticism of the game laws of both the Union and Dominion,” “ that everyone interested and without bias must follow the author with sympathy, at any rate.” “Itis the work of a mau who knows what he is writing about,” says Literature. “Though the portion of the book which deals with the scientific aspect of sport is without doubt the most valuable, the general reader, who cares little about the measurement of antlers, will probably find the intimate and personal recollections of the writer more to his taste.” Mrs. Baillie- Grohman adds a chapter on the problems of Chinese and other domestic service in Western America. Nores oN Sport AND TRAVEL, by George Henry Kingsley, with a memoir by his daughter Mary H. Kingsley (Macmillan, Ss. 6d.), is described by the Daily Chronicle as containing “ genial papers of ‘The Doctor’s’” which it is “good to read,’ and which are “roaming in their subjects as the man himself”: sharks and chamois, gun- practice and flying-fish, Lisbon snipe and American oysters. &e. “In short, the book is delightful, sparkling with humour without a thought of malice.” “It can be said without flattery,” says the Daily News, “that a book of reminiscences by one of the Kingsley brothers, with a memoir of the author by his daughter of West African renown, cannot be otherwise than delightful.” From Kinc Orry To QueEN VicroriA, by Edward Callow (Elliot Stock), is a short history of the Isle of Man, the annals of which “are so full of battle, murder, and sudden death that,” says Literature, ‘it is marvellous they should have been used in fiction to so comparatively small an extent. It certainly is a highly exciting story which Mr. Callow has to tell,” and “the whole volume is so full of curiosities that it makes excellent reading, despite its defects of literary form.” How ENGLAND SAVED Evrop#, by W. H. Fitchett, is to be in six volumes, of which two have appeared (Smith, Elder, and Co., 6s. per volume), and is the story of the Great War (1793-1815.) The Daily Chronicle says, that while “Mr. Fitchett’s pages are not burdened with research and fresh results,” he “tells his stirring story in such a very picturesque manner as to impress his readers with a sense of the pleasure that is derived from absolute novelty.” “ Disearding absolutely the point of view of the analytical historian, Mr. Fitchett,” says the Daily Telegraph, “ pre- sents us witha series of vigorous and moving pictures of the Homeric conflicts which have made of those days, perhaps, the most exciting period in all history.” James Hacx Tuxs, by Sir Edward Fry (Macmillan, 7s. 6d.), is an “admirable biography” of one whose sole object in Ireland was toimprove the material and industrial condition of the country; and, “if the recent history of Ireland is of importance,” says Literature, “this is just one of the books that should be read in connection with it.” “We may say,’ says the Spectator, ‘ that the new social politics of Ireland, if it can be said to have had any distinct author, is due in a pre-eminent degree to the Quaker banker of Hitchin,” of whom this book, done “ with judgment and zkill,” gives a “very simple, quiet story.” Curonictes or Aunt Mrnervy ANN, by Joel Chandler Harris (Dent, 4s. 6d.), is laid in Georgia in the early days of emancipation jast after the war, and gives us, says Literature, ‘a gallery of character sketches, in black and white, that will bear comparison with the author’s best work.” Tue DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENGuIsH Novet, by Wilbur L. Cross (Macmillan, 6s), is both a history anda criticism of English fiction. The Guardian concludes its notice by saying :—‘‘ As the whole of this very useful little book shows, novelists great and small are always feeling their way, and he who finds it is the one who has some- THE thing so important to say that (in his hands) the way becomes insignificant, and, being no longer much attended to, falls into decay, while new forgers of imitative fiction occupy themselves in devising new forms to mask their defect either of substance or originality.” SUNNINGWELL, by F. Warre Cornish (Constable, 6s.), is “ gordially recommended,” by the Daily Telegraph as an “extremely clever book.” It ‘‘isby no means astory, being quite inorganic and totally devoid of plot.” The whole interest centres in the Rev. Philip More, Canon of Sunning- well, who “may be aptly defined as a benevolent oppor- tunist, intensely introspective, but thoroughly open-minded.” “‘Itis a book for the ‘ mugwump,’” says the Spectator, “ to ase the term in its best sense.” Among the characters isa pretty young woman who has one unprosperous and one prosperous love affair.” The Daily News refers to the “ charming Canon,” and says this “is the kind of volume that—almost unconsciously—impresses the reader with a comfortable and soothing sense of leisure.” EXxpPLoraTIo EvaNGELica, by Percy Gardner (Black, 158.), is a “powerful book,” says Literature, whose real importance is “that it raises for Christian theology the question, What is the ‘sufficient foundation’ of Christian faith?” In some respects it is “the most noteworthy theological work that has appeared since the publication of ‘Lux Mundi.’” Parson Kur, by A. E. W. Mason and Andrew Lang (Longmans, 6s.),'a novel about the Jacobites, is, says the Daily Telegraph, “ a perfectly homogeneous work, throughout which the literary touch of either writer is indistinguishable from that of the other.” The period is 1719 and onwards for a few years; the central figure and evil genius of the plot is the unhistorical Lady Oxford. ‘‘ Mr. Andrew Lang knows all that is to be known about the Jacobites,” says the Daily Chronicle. “Mr. Mason tells a story delight- fully.” ‘Distinctly the book is a success.” “The two joint heroes, both Jacobite Irish outlaws hailing from the County Kildare, are excellent company,” says the Spectator, which pronounces “ Parson Kelly” to be “a book of more than common merit.” OnE QuEEN TRIUMPHANT, by Frank Mathew (Lane, 6s.), is “‘a very spirited and ingenious novel,” says the Spectator. It is a historical romance of Queen Elizabeth’s time, and ‘whether Mr. Mathew’s estimate of his characters be historically sound or not, the great point is that they are real to him, and his enthusiasm and interest in them can hardly fail to infect his readers.” The Guardian says the book will add to Mr. Mathew’s reputation. ‘‘The merit of his work is that his imagination permits him to see, and his skill makes his readers see with him, the great Queen and those around her as if with the eyes of the flesh.” Siz Parrick tHe Puppock, by L. B. Walford (Pearson, 6s.), ‘is another of the long list of pleasant and wholesome stories,” says the Daily Telegraph, “that we owe to Mrs. Walford’s pen. The scene is laid in Scotland. Sir Patrick is a simple-souled, plain-featured, middle-aged man with a heart of gold.” ‘Everybody of whom Mrs. Walford tells one,” says the Daily Chronicle, “is racy, outspoken, fearless; not afraid of being thought a little too racy, too outspoken, or too fearless either.”’ Tue Wuite Dove, by William J. Locke (Lane, 6s.), is a “clever and interesting novel,” says the Spectator, in which the réle of hero is entrusted to a distinguished bacteriologist. The plot is “exceedingly painful”; the heroine is “admirably drawn” ; the blameless bacteriologist “is rather an aggravating person”; “ but the charlatan is drawn from the quick—a brilliant, exuberant, histrionic rascal, just lacking the resolution and ruthlessness to be a successful knave.” 208 AUTHOR. HeERonFORD, by S. R. Keightley (Pearson, 6s.), ie, in the words of the Daily Telegraph, “ a plain-sailing, old-fashioned story of the type that was so current in novel-reading circles from seventy to eighty years ago.” By his power of creating a romantic atmosphere,” saysthe Daily Chronicle, “Mr. Keightley compels our interest in his very first pater ; his other literary qualities enable him to hold it to the end.” OvursipE THE Rapius, by W. Pett Ridge (Hodder and Stoughton, 6s.), contains short stories of the metropolitan suburbs, and is “singularly entertaining,” says the Daily Telegraph; “from its first page to its last it is delightful reading.” My Lapy Frivot, by Rosa N. Carey (Hutchinson, 6s.) is described by Literature as “a simple romance told without affectation,” and belonging “ to the class of romance which will always find grateful readers.” Tu PROFESSIONAL AND OTHER Psycuic STORIES, edited by A. Goodrich Freer (Hurst and Blackett, 6s.) contains tales which, says Literature, “are strange rather than horrible. They deal with second sight, telepathy, crystal gazing, and the projection of thoughts into visible appearances.” ‘‘ No one interested in psychical research should overlook this book; and it has a distinct general interest as a foretaste of the ghost story of the future.” The Daily News says the seven stories possess both “point” and style, “and are decidedly to be recommended.” Sue WaLKs In Buauty, by Katherine Tynan (Smith, Elder, and Co., 6s.), will be hailed with enthusiasm by the sentimental reader, says the Spectator, as “an artistic revival of the formula” used by the late authoress of ‘Molly Bawn.” “The clever reader will say, ‘ What a silly book!’ but will not lay it down until it is finished.” The Daily News calls it “ very charming and very picturesque,” and ‘‘a pretty, wholesome, and genial study of the best kind of Irish country life.” A Kiss For A Kinapom, by Bernard Hamilton (Hurst and Blackett, 6s.), is “throughout readable and often exciting,” says the Spectator. The author “introduces an innovation into the fashionable realm of mock royalty. An American millionaire, by name Julius Ceesar Jones, has a fancy for presenting his ‘best girl’ with a real, genuine crown, and this is the story of how, with the aid of a British baronet, he sets about seizing the government of a small republic in Italy.” There is bloodshed and “plenty of ingenuity,” says the Guardian; “the situations are good and exciting, and the book thoroughly entertaining.” Bearrick v’Estx, by Julia Cartwright (Dent, 15s), ‘* might perhaps,” says the Daily Chronicle, “ be styled with more aptness, ‘The Story of the Rise and Fall of Lodovico Sforza’ ” Miss Cartwright deals adequately “ with the art of Milan, with its literature and learning, as well as with its politics and social life.” This story of the Life of Beatrice d’Este and of her husband Lodovico Sforza’s rule over Milan, says the Daily Telegraph, “is distinguished by its charm and the vividness of its presentment.” “THE AUTHOR.” SCALE FOR ADVERTISEMENTS. Front Page eon eee wee an cae nea ga <n oe Other Pages... see ove ee eae ane one ae 8 Half of a Page ... aes ive axe aie aun i ere Quarter ofa Page .. ae aes aes eee ane ww OL Eighth of a Page ae ON 0 Single Column Advertisements ... ago 0 Bills for Insertion ... as ats ae one ; _ Reductions made for a Series of Six or Twelve Insertions. All letters respecting Advertisements should be addressed to the ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER, The Author Office, 4, Portugal-street, London, W.0O, Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Author, Vol. 10 Issue 09 (February 1900) Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em>, Vol. 10 Issue 09 (February 1900) Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1900-02-01-The-Author-10-9 publications The Author https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/472/1900-03-01-The-Author-10-10.pdf 78076b37e9f54d94174c14922b0a89da PDF Text Text �������������������� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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) 1900-03-01 Volume 10 Issue 10 Pages Page range in volume 209–228 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 19000301 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin Che #uthor, (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vou. X.—No. ro.] MARCH 1, 1900. [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. eos HE 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 should be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent 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. eae GENERAL MEMORANDA. ERE are a few standing rules to be observed in an agreement. There are four 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, or with the advice of the Secretary of the Society. Il. A PROFIT-SHARING AGREEMENT (a bad form of agreement). : In this case the following rules should be attended to : (1.) Not to sign any agreement in which the cost of pro- duction forms a part without the strictest investigation. (2.) Not to give the publisher the power of putting the profits into his own pocket by charging for advertisements in his own organs: or by charging exchange advertise- ments. Therefore keep control of the advertisements. (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 ! Ill. THE ROYALTY SYSTEM. It is above all things necessary to know what the proposed royalty means to both sides. 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.” IV. A COMMISSION AGREEMENT. The main points are :— (1.) Be eareful to obtain a fair cost of production. (2.) Keep control of the advertisements. (3.) Keep control of the sale price of the book. GENERAL. All other forms of agreement are combinations of the four above mentioned. Such combinations are generally disastrous to the author. Never sign any agreement without competent advice from the Secretary of the Society. Stamp all agreements with the Inland Revenue stamp. Avoid agreements by letter if possible. The main 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. Sea WARNINGS TO DRAMATIC AUTHORS. 1: EVER sign an agreement without submitting it tc £ the Secretary of the Society of Authors or some competent legal authority. 2. Never negotiate for the production of a play with anyone except an established manager. 3. There are three forms of dramatic contract :— (1) SALE OUTRIGHT OF THE PERFORMING RIGHT. This is unsatisfactory. An author who enters into such a contract should stipulate in the con- tract for production of the piece by a certain date and for proper publication of his name on the play-bills. (2) SALE OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE TO PERFORM ON THE PROFIT-SHARING SYSTEM. This method can only be entered into when a fixed sum is agreed per week for cost of produc- tion. It is not a common method.  210 (3) SALE OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE TO PERFORM ON THE BASIS OF PERCENTAGES (i.e., royalties) on gross receipts. Royalties vary between 5 and rs per cent. An author should obtain a percentage on the sliding scale of gross receipts. Should obtain a sum in advance of rofalties. A fixed date on or before which the play should be performed. 4. Authors should remember that performing rights can be limited, and are usually limited by town, country, and time. This is most important. 5. Authors should not assign performing rights, but should grant a licence to perform. The legal distinction is of great importance. 6. Authors should remember that performing rights in a play are distinct from literary copyright. A manager holding the performing right or licence to perform cannot print the book of the words. 7. Never send a copy of the play to America unless it is protected by a preliminary performance in the United Kingdom. 8. Never forget that American rights may be exceedingly valuable. They should never be included in English agreements without the author obtaining a substantial consideration. g. Agreements for collaboration should be carefully drawn and executed before collaboration is commenced. Never admit a collaborator when once the actual work of writing the play has begun or after it is finished. ro. An author should remember that production of a play is highly speculative: that he runs a very great risk of delay and a breakdown in the fulfilment of his contract. He should therefore guard himself all the more carefully in the beginning. 11. An author must remember that the dramatic market is exceedingly limited. As these warnings must necessarily be incomplete on account of the wide range of the subject of dramatic con- tracts, those authors desirous of further information are referred to the Secretary of the Society. HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. 1. VERY member has a right to ask for and to receive advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his business or the administration of his property. If the advice sought is such as can be given best by a solici- tor, 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 Committee will obtain for him Counsel’s opinion. All this without any cost to the member. 2. Remember that questions connected with copyright and publisher’s agreements do not generally fall within the experience of ordinary solicitors. Therefore, do not scruple to use the Society. 3. Send to the Office copies of past agreements and past accounts with the loan of the books represented. The Secretary will always be glad to have any agreements, new or old, for inspection and note. obtained may prove invaluable. 4. Before signing any agreement whatever, send the pro- posed document to the Society for examination. The information thus THE AUTHOR. 5. 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. 6. 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 READING BRANCH. EMBERS will greatly assist the Society in this i branch of their work by informing young writers of its existence. Their MSS. can be read and treated as a composition is treated by a coach. The Readers are writers of competence and experience. The fee is one guinea. NOTICES. Ts 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 6s. 6d. subscription for the year. Communications for The Author should be addressed to the Offices of the Society, 4, Portugal-street, Lincoln’s-inn Fields, W.C., and should reach the Editor not later than the 2ist of each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to communicate to the Editor any points connected with their work which it would be advisable in the general interest to publish. The present location of the Authors’ Club is at 3, White- hall-court, Charing Cross. Address the Secretary for information, rules of admission, &c, FROM THE COMMITTEE. ~ I—*Tue AvuTHoR.” : T is desired to invite the attention of members | to the items in the revenue account pub- lished in the Annual Report on the expenses and proceeds of publications. These amount to a charge of £355. The largest part of this expense is, of course, due to The Author. It is not expected that this paper will pay expenses + the editing and the contributions are not paid for: there is a small charge for sub-editing: it is submitted that the paper is of the greatest use to our members. The Committee invite their  THE AUTHOR. assistance by suggestions, and by contributions bearing on the main raison d’étre of the paper. The Committee also wish to point out that, if all would bear in mind the annual subscription (which is left voluntary), the paper, with its small external circulation and its advertisements, would be a source of profit to the Society. And the Society wants money in order to be able to take up and to fight for the author, at no expense to himself, every case that should be taken up. Il.—* Tse Lirzrary Year Book” aNnD THE AutHors’ SYNDICATE. The following letter has been sent to the daily papers by the Secretary of the Society :— 23/2/1900. S1r,—In “The Literary Year Book,” which has just been published, I see the following statement is made :-— “ Authors’ Syndicate (Director, Mr. W. Morris Colles), 4, Portugal-street, Lincoln’s-inn Fields, W.C. This syndicate is managed by the Society of Authors, and full particulars of its operations may be gained by applying to the address given above.” As Secretary of the Society of Authors, I beg to inform the public through your columns that the Authors’ Syndicate is entirely apart from, and independent of, the Society, and that the Society, while ready to advise its members as to the standing of any agent, maintains a position of impartiality, and does not favour any one competent and trustworthy agent above another. I trust, as the matter is one of importance to the Society of Authors, that you will see your way to publish this letter in your columns. Yours truly, G. Herpert THRING. _ LITERARY PROPERTY. I.—Tue Avruor anp THE Epiror. EXT in importance to the relations between author and publisher stand those between author and editor, especially the editor of the magazine. It is from every point of view to be desired by the author that the magazine, especially that of the higher kind, should be supported: that it should continue to attract writers of the first rank in every subject: that it should offer an opening to those who have as yet their literary name to make: and that its columns should continue to be regarded as the best means of communication between the specialist and the 211 public. Above all things, it is essential that if any magazine is to be regarded with respect it must attract the best writers. These conditions, it is believed, do obtain in some of our better magazines, while in the more popular magazines, those which depend on fiction rather than more solid fare, the relations between the editor and his contributors appear all that can be desired. At the same time, the publication, month after month, of letters complaining of editorial dis- courtesy, delay, refusal to answer letters, refusal to forward cheques, sending mean and miserable cheques, losing MSS., defacing MSS., altering MSS., and other points, show that there are editors and magazines whose treatment of contri- butors deserves to be exposed. It is strongly felt that enough has been written and published, in the form of anonymous letters concerning anonymous editors, to show that a case can be made out to be drawn up by the Secretary and formally laid before the Committee with a view to their consideration. To go on, month after month, with no attempt made at action is simply beating the air. Mr. Thring, therefore, requests members who have already written to The Author on this subject, those who intend to do so, and those whose experience would be useful, to send him confidentially the full particulars of each case. These should include :-— 1. The name of the writer. 2. The name of the magazine, and, if it is known, that of the editor. 3. The date of the occurrence. 4. The history of the occurrence concisely. 5. Letters, agreements, &c., or copies, in proof of the case. 6. The exact nature of the complaint. He will then be in a position to draw up a memorandum on the whole subject, showing the reality of the grievances and the extent of the practices complained of. This memorandum will be laid before the Committee. It must be understood that the communica- tions will be of the most confidential kind, and that no names will be published without permis- sion of the writer. II.—Corrrieut rn Mvsic, A meeting of music publishers was held at Hanover-square on Jan. 16 “to confer with representative composers (who were specially invited to attend) as to the position of copyright owners in view of the decision of the Court of Appeal in the case of Boosey v. Whight, and as to what combined action should be taken thereon.” Communications regretting inability to attend were read from Sir Hubert Parry, Mr.  212 Stephen Adams, Sir A. C. Mackenzie, Professor C. V. Stanford, Mr. Edward German, and Mr. Edward Elgar. The writers were mostly in favour of combined action being taken by pub- lishers and composers in view of the decision, the effect of which it was pointed out was to allow the reproduction on the solian and other mechanical instruments of copyright musical works without the permission of or payment to the lawful owners of the same. After a discussion it was decided to address a letter to the House of Lords Committee on copy- right, with the object of giving effect to the views of copyright owners in respect of unautho- rised reproductions of their works on mechanical instruments. Further, it was decided that the composers and publishers generally should be invited to sign the letter in question. The meeting considered certain important points in Lord Monkswell’s Copyright Bill, as amended by the committee of the House of Lords in the session of 1899, affecting copyright in musical compositions, and appointed a sub- committee consisting of Mr. William Boosey, Mr. H. R. Clayton, Mr. A. Boosey, Mr. D. Day, and Mr. Ashdown, jun., who were to draw up a report to the section with a view to action in the next session of Parliament.— The Piano, Organ, and Music Trades Journal for February. IiIl.—Tur Report ror 1899. The Report of the Committee for the year ending on Dec. 31, 1899, is now in the hands of the members. It cannot but be regarded as satisfactory. We have lost 110 members by non- payment, death, or resignation, and we have elected 216; our income from subscriptions was £1290, which means 1230 paying members. To these must be added the life members, who run up the list to something over 1400. And of the 110 losses a good percentage will certainly come back. It is, however, one of the dangers of the position that there are some members who think that, after their cases have been settled for them, the Society has done or will do nothing more for them, and that they may as well go—forgetting that if they have in any way benefitted by the Society’s action it is their duty to continue, in order that others may also be helped in the same way. It seems also unreasonable that some of those very people who derive benefit with every trans- action from the Society’s action, keep aloof from it, and even misrepresent and abuse its work. Their improved royalties, their improved accounts, the hesitation with which the hitherto unscru- pulous publisher advances the old iniquities in his THE AUTHOR. agreements and his letters: these things are entirely due to the Society, and should be recog- nised by all authors of whatever standing. It need not be a question of personal profit—there are certain writers who need not consider that side of the question. It is one of right against wrong: of light against darkness: of independence against dependence: of relf respect against humiliation. The scheme of the Pension Fund is now well before the members. It is a most im- portant departure. The Press has generally mistaken its aims. It is not to give a pension to every member as a right: it is to secure the power of giving a pension to any case in which age or sickness falls upon cne who has given good work to the world and found himself unable to make provision for the future. The report calls attention to the fact — the very important fact—that the Publishers’ Asso- ciation has not thought proper to withdraw or to disavow the monstrous “Forms of Agree- ment.” More than this, some publishers have begun to introduce the worst clauses into their agreements. It is to be hoped that the Committee may see their way to meet this attempt by warnings in the public papers. The Copyright Bill has been the subject of much consideration by the sub-committee appointed for that purpose. Mr. Thring went to Canada in the autumn as delegate to repre- sent the views of the Society. It is hoped that his mission may prove useful. The cases taken up by the Society during the year were 110 in number. Over 800 members took counsel with the Secretary during the year. One case of great importance was fought in the courts, and carried up to the Court of Appeal with success. The case establishes a very valuable precedent. Out of the rro cases, sixty-three have been successful; twenty-eight are still incomplete; nineteen were unsuccessful, generally because the author would not consent to do his part in carrying through the case. A successful year. It is hoped that the report for 1900 will show a still larger accession of members and a more general recognition of the valuable work already done by the Society. IV.—Tue “Acapemy” ComPETITION. The Academy offers prizes, six in number, of five guineas each, for the following: 1. A poem not to exceed twenty-four lines. 2. A short story of 1500 to 2000 words. 3. An essay not to exceed 2000 words.  THE AUTHOR. 4. “ Things seen,” not to exceed 350 words. 5. A paper on some city, town, or village, not to exceed 2000 words. 6. An original set of epigrammatic criticisms. The conditions of the competition are set forth in the Academy of Feb. 17 last. The prize pro- ductions will be printed in the Academy. Such a competition is interesting and should be stimulating. There is, however, some anxiety felt about the wording of one clause: “ The editor reserves the right of printing any of the other MSS. sent in.” As it stands, which of course cannot be meant, this clause gives the editor all the MSS. sent in: he may do what he pleases with them: i.e., he may, if he pleases, sell them to other papers without giving the authors anything. Tn order to make the situation clearer, as the clause stands, the editor might find himself the possessor of a large number of valuable MSS., all of which, by this clause, are his own, to do with them what he pleases. Suppose among them were 100 short stories and as many e says, all worthy of production in other journals and magazines, and representing a considerable pro- perty. The right, it will be observed, might then become very seriously a wrong. The attention of the editor has been called to the subject by Mr. Thring, and it will, no doubt, be set right without delay by a simple clause to the effect that MSS. which do not gain a prize will be destroyed unless accompanied by an addressed and stamped envelope or cover, for their return. Deas THE PENSION FUND. I. : R. W. L. ALDEN, in his “ London Literary Letter’ for the New York Times Satur- day Review, mentions the Society’s pension fund without much belief in it. Perhaps this is because he has not quite grasped the posi- tion. Why, heasks, should a man receive a pension because he has written stories? The question why a pension should, or should not, be due to avy man is a very wide one. If we all had our deserts, perhaps we should all have pensions: or perhaps no one would. What is it, however, that the Society is undertaking? Not by any means the grant of a pension to every man and every woman who has followed the literary life, but— Mr. Alden will admit that this is a very important distinction—the grant of a pension in such cases where a laborious life of conscientious work in literature has left the worker stranded in old age. There is work of many kinds which is most useful VOL. x 213 and yet cannot be made profitable: there are authors on philosophy and on science who write for a very few who buy and can understand. The popular author, it is true, ought to be able to provide for old age: he is far better off than ever he was before ; the publisher has not yet succeeded in going back to the old conditions. But there are many cases in which it has been impossible to make provision. Out of gratitude for those who have worked for our de'ight—in respect for the literary craft—let us do our best to provide such cases with an alleviation of their poverty. Mr. Alden proposes that we should insure our members as the Foresters do. This would be perhaps possible, but it is not what we intended. Nor could we offer our members better conditions than they would get outside. Then he thinks that the sum to be provided will have to be a very large one, and asks where it is to come from. First, we do not ask assistance from the public, though if assistance were offered the com- mittee would probably take it. We begin with donations amounting to about £1200 and with annual subscriptions amounting to some £60 more. Itis proposed to transfer two-thirds of the annual subscriptions to the capital fund. For £60 a year we shall read before long, I hope, 300. it we transfer £200 to the capital sum we have £100 a year for pensions added to the interest of the capital. Now—how much will be wanted ? Last year out of the whole field of literature the Royal Literary Fund found only twenty-two cases worthy of relief: and its council is by no means a “ difficult’? body to satisfy. How many cases among our members will present themselves to our committee as worthy of a pension? I believe, very few. The fund will always be growing: every year will add to the capital. Under such circumstances, and with the addition of occasional donations and bequests, such a fund speedily assumes considerable proportions. A fund, say, of £10,000 ought to go far to satisfy every deserving case. What constitutes a deserving case? A recog- nised writer on subjects which are useful but not popular: a poet or imaginative writer of distinc- tion who has not found it possible to provide for old age: a laborious and useful writer who has done good but not great-work—these are some of the cases. For instance, there died, two years ago, at the age of eighty-two, one John Saunders. He worked at literature for fifty years: he wrote novels, one or two of which are still in publishers’ lists, and contributed to literature a great deal that was sound, good work and most useful. In 1843, for example, Charles Knight produced a work containing 150 papers on “ London.” Of these papers no fewer than seventy-five were x  214 written by John Saunders. It was nearly fifty years ago, yet it isnot too much to say that after so much has been transcribed from the City records, and so many discoveries have beep made in City history, no one who takes up the subject of London can afford to neglect the work of John Saunders. His case, to my mind, is pre-eminently one which illustrates the necessity for this action on the part of the pension fund of the Society of Authors. W. B. II. It may seem premature to indicate how the pepsions accruing from the Socicty’s fund shall be awarded, nevertheless it is advisable that the point which Mrs. Alec Tweedie indicated last month be recognised. Such grants or pensions as are now available involve an application some- what in formd pauperis, and the feeling against the inevitable publicity thus entailed is so strong that I have heard a distinguished writer who, unfortunately, is not in affluent circumstances, say she would much prefer to accept the bounty which the poor law accords to the destitute. If the new pension, when available, was bestowed unsolicited on writers over sixty years of age whose work evinces certain literary qualities that the Society could recognise as such, the grant could be made to assume the aspe t of honour to a veteran which would remain such even if the pecunia accompanying it were a matter of primary or of secondary importance. It is inevitable that artists are sensitive, probably the finer the art the keener the susceptibilities of its producer. Whoso gives acceptably gives tenfold. A Wiiiine ConTRIBUTOR, PARIS NOTES. 5, Rue Chomel, Paris. « C\ALAIRES et mistres de femmes” is the S title of the latest social study published by the Comte d’Haussonville (chez Calmann Levy). It contains much interesting and valuable information concerning the work- women of France; and its title conveys an adequate idea of the subjects treated in this woik. Other authors have written at length on the same topic, picturesquely detailing the terrible temptations and dangers which daily be-et the “ petite ouvritére””’ hastening to and fro from her comfortless attic to the dreary prison- house where her youth and beauty are pitilessly consumed in the fierce effort to gratify the fantastic caprices of her richer, idler sisters— ‘the mondaines of Paris; but M. d’Haussonville THE AUTHOR. appears the only writer of eminence who views the situation froin a practical point of view, and endeavours to ameliorate the existing evil by the introduction of several beneficial and necessary amendments in the present Civil Code. ‘“ There is, on one point,’ he writes, “a contradiction between the Civil and Penal Code. The Civil Code does not permit a young girl to marry before she is fifteen years of age; whereas the Penal Code permits her to prostitute herself on attaining her eleventh year”; and even while bearing high testimony to the merits of the Parisian work-girl as a class, he ably pleads her cause, and points out the necessity of aiding and protecting her by the powerful intervention of the law. Srx New Cuauses. To attain this end, M. d’Haussonville proposes the addition of six new clauses to the existing Code in order to ensure :—(1) The legal protec- tion of every work-girl until she reaches her fifteenth year; (2) The punishment of all those persons who illegally favour her prostitution ; (3) The seeking out (under sundry restrictions) the paternity of the infant, in order to render the father pecuniarily liable in a certain degree; (4) The facilitation of marriage by the suppression of sundry useless formalities, &c. The fifth and sixth amendments proposed by the eminent Academician are conceived in a still more sur- prisingly liberal spirit, and read as follows, viz. : (5) De modifier les articles 1399 4 1496 du Code civil en créant, comme droit commun de la France, un régime plus respectueux des droits et des intéréts de la femme que celui de la com- munauté pure et simple, tel que l’a constitué le Code. (6.) De constituer au profit de la femme un droit sérieux sur les produits de son travail, en obtenant du Sénat le vote de la loi du 18 février, 1897, modifi¢e par la suppression du paragraphe final de l’article premier.” In spite of his disinterested advocacy of the workwoman’s rights, M. d’Haussonville is no favourer of the fashionable Feminist movement, and the reasons he gives for his non-adhesion certainly appear to justify his attitude in the matter. It remains to be seen whether his latest work will have any greater effect on the rich, laughter-loving Parisians than had of yore the plaintive murmur of Lazarus at the gate of Dives. The fact that a large number of the “ petites ouvriéres,” deftly threading their way each successive night and morning through the luxurious boulevards of the most brilliant capital in the world, actually exist on a scanty pittance of 375 francs per annum (less than a shilling a day), barbs the pathetic revelation unconsciously  THE AUTHOR. given by a young work-girl of eighteen in response to a question addressed her on the subject :— “ Dame! monsieur, bien stir qwon ne mange pas & son apaisement.” Nos Prerinrres pu SIfcLe. Highly interesting also, though in a totally different fashion, is “ Nos Peintres du Sitcle,” by M. Jules Breton. In graphic portraiture—either with pen or brush—M. Breton has few equals: witness his vivid word-limning of Delacroix, Ingrés, Rousseau, Corot, and Francais. He is especially excellent in his appreciations of those landscape masters of whom he was, at once, the devoted friend and rival. Of Corot he speaks in the following terms: “He gives to every- thing its exact significance, he puts everything in its right place — aye, he is an Athenian, softened by a touch of modern nerrosité. He was a happy creator. He himself once said, when unrolling his sketches, on his return to his studio :— “Tn front of Nature, I am a little boy ; but here I am—le bon Dieu!” “He was infallible and happy,” adds M. Breton. After a minute description of Rousseau’s per- sonality, we find this characteristic anecdote :— Théodore Rousseau was, during one period of his career, in extremely straitened circumstances. It was probably at this epoch that he was surprised by Troyon, “that other great painter,” in putting the finishing touches to one of his most exquisite productions, Le Givre. “You have painted a marvel there, my little Théodore,” exclaimed the visitor. “ Ah, well!” returned the other, “if you know any amateur who will pay down eight hundred francs for it, I wi!l pass him off this canvas.” “ You are jesting!”’ “T require that sum, you see,” explained the painter, quietly. Troyon said nothing; but, on his return home, he took from a drawer eight hundred franc notes, put them in an envelope, and despatched a messenger with the packet to his comrade. Rousseau’s response was to place the famous Givre on the messenger’s back, charging him to take it to M. Troyon. The latter vainly endea- voured to excuse himself ; he was forced to keep the canvas. “Grands artistes, grands ccurs! O belle époque toute frémissante d’enthousiasme et de générosité!” writes M. Breton, in concluding this narrative. In short, the whole book teems with similar characteristic anecdotes, souvenirs, and appreciations, sufficient to furnish ample stock- in-trade for half a dozen articles on the subject. 215 M. Kistemacckers v. Mme. BERNHARDT. That the French author will not permit his literary rights to be seriously compromised by the injudicious conduct of a contracting party is seen by the spirited action of M. Henry Kiste- maeckers (a rising young dramatist, member of the Société des auteurs et compositeurs drama- tiques) & propos of no less a personage than Madame Sarah Bernhardt. The cause of dispute was as follows: In November 1898, the celebrated actress accepted a play by M. Kistemaeckers, entitled “ Marthe,” and the rehearsals commenced on the fifteenth of the same month. For sundry valid reasons the representation of the play was twice or thrice deferred; whereupon M. Kistemaeckers—in virtue of the third article registered in the contract existing between the Société des auteurs et compositeurs dramatiques and the directors of the théitre des Nations, which gives every author the right of withdraw- ing a play whose rehearsals have been suspended during a period of two months — repossessed himself of his play in favour of the Nouveau- ThéAtre, and boldly sued Madame Beruhardt for damages, being upheld in his action by the special committee appointed by the Société des auteurs et compositeurs dramatiques to judge the affair. After hearing both sides of the question, the First Civil Chamber confirmed the decision of the committee, condemning Wadame Sarah Bernhardt to pay an indemnity of 6000 francs, with costs. The verdict was undoubtedly just ; nevertheless, when the length of time that has elapsed between the first lodging of the complaint and the finding of the final judgment is taken into consideration, it must be admitted that the French are, occa- sionally, a patient nation. Reception or M. Paut DEscHANEL. The official reception of M. Paul Deschanel at the French Academy took place in due form. That the oration he delivered on this occasion was a monument of elegant language, elevated ideas, and flowing periods goes without saying; yet, when the first feeling of involuntary admi- ration had subsided, his irreproachable precision and faultily-faultless diction became almost oppressive. The general impression made on the hearers seemed somewhat analogous to the effect that Macaulay confessed the consecutive reading of Gibbons’ famous History invariably produced on his own mind. M. Deschanel began his speech by associating his father’s name with the thanks he addressed to the illustrious assembly who had admitted him to their body. “It seems to me,” he continued, “that it is my father, in good justice, who should be here now”; and after paying fervent tribute to the high moral  216 qualities and laborious public career of M. Emile Deschanel, he acknowleged himself a little con- soled for the neglect shown the latter by the thought that “if I would have been more happy to see him in this place, he is more happy at seeing his son there ; fur, together, we form only a single soul and a single heart!” M. Sully Prudhomme flattered the filial senti- ment thus expressed by including both father and son in his respoase. He adroitly supple- mented the eulogistic, though rather vague, portraiture given of Edouard Hervé by his successor, prefacing his remarks on the subject by the declaration that M. Deschanel had already “fully honoured the memory of this noble adversary.” He also recalled Hervé’s dignified response to Napoleon the Third’s overtures: ‘On entering the Emperor’s presence, I should be someone; on leaving it, I should no longer be anything.” “To be someone,” M. Prudhomme explained, “meant with him to conform his life to his faith, to walk uprightly ; to be no longer anything was to deviate from the straight path, were it only by a step.” M. Sarnt-Sains as AUTHOR. “Ts Saul among the prophets?” queried the bewildered Ancients; and “Is Saint-Saéns among the authors?” ask the perplexed Moderns on seeing the name of the well-known musician figuring beneath the advertisement of musical “Portraits et Souvenirs.” The book itself has not yet been offered the public; but if the whole work is on a par with the samples given of its contents, M. Saint-Saéns has produced a volume of high merit and one which justifies the addition of littérateur to his other titles. The pages devoted to discussing Antoine Rubenstein are remarkably well written, the contrast between the author and his friend being admirably defined. The first—pale, frail, and inclined to consump- tion; the second—athletic, indefatigable, colossal in stature as in talent; the pair forming together a renewal of the Liszt and Chopin legend. M. Saint-Saéns asserts that he himself merely resembles Chopin in his bodily weakness and precarious health, disclaiming any pretension of being the successor of that marvellous genius who revolutionised art and opened the way to all modern music. He humorously adds that, even in consumption, he still remains the inferior, since Chopin died of phthisis, while he has foolishly got the better of that malady. But in this compressed réswné of his ideas the charm and personality of the writer are necessarily effaced. Hence, we give the analogy existing between Liszt and Rubenstein in his own words ; THE AUTHOR. “Fin revanche, Rubenstein pouvait hardiment affronter le souvenir de Liszt, avec sa charme irrésistible et son exécution surhumaine; tres différent de lui, d’ailleurs: Liszt tenait de Vaigle et Rubenstein du lion; ceux qui ont vu cette patte de velours du fauve abbattant sur le clavier sa puissante caresse n’en perdront jamais le souvenir! Les deux grands artistes n’avaient de commun que la supériorité. Ni l’un ni lautre nétaient jamais, 4 aucun moment, le pianiste ; méme en exécutant trés simplement les plus petites pieces, ils restaient g-ands, sans le faire expres, par grandeur de nature incoercible : incarna ‘ions vivantes de l'art, ils imposaient une sorte de terreur sacrée en dehors de |’admiration ordi- naire; aussi faisaient ils des miracles.” Dramatic CENSORS. Judging from an article in the Figaro, the office of these gentlemen is no sinecure. They are expected to read in manuscript all the plays, pantomimes, and songs presented by theatrical directors or café-concert managers, in addition to daily examining and reading the programmes of the café concert-halls of Paris and its suburbs. They are also expected to be present at all general rehearsals, in order to judge of the scenic effect of the works represented, from a moral and political point of view. Even when a play is duly authorised their task is not ended. They have to be present at its first public per- formance, to ascertain that the modifications or alterations suggested by them have been carried into effect. In the year 1898, 883 dramatic plays and performances were thus examined and licensed, this number being surpassed during the first ten months of 1899. The same year the “inspecteurs des théitres ”” were likewise reported to have been present at 538 general rehearsals, or first nights; while the number of new songs examined by them is estimated at a minimum of 8000 per annum. The signing of the café- concert programmes alone represents no incon- siderable amount of work, for Paris boasts no fewer than 761 concert halls (of which 120 give daily performances), in addition to seventy-six suburban establishments of the same class; and this quite apart from the thirty-seven theatres proper over which these gentlemen exercise a vigilant supervision. Their recompense is by no means proportionate to such Herculean achieve- ments, the first and second censor receiving a salary of 6000 francs apiece, the third 3500 francs, and the fourth 2400 francs—making, in all, a total of 17,900 frai.cs. Torics or THE MontTH. : Among events of the month connected with literary and dramatic personages may be men-  THE AUTHOR. tioned :—The presentation of a golden medal to M. Emile Zola on the second anniversary of his famous letter, “J’accuse/”’ and the rehabilita- tion of the memory of M. Francois Zola by the same courageous writer ; the election of the well- known actor,4M. Constant Coquelin, to the pre- sidency of the Association de secowrs mutuels des artistes dramatiques; the conversion and admission into the outer order of Benedictines of the celebrated writer Joris-Karl Huysmans ; and the judicial disbanding and suppression of the Order of Assomptionnists in France, the said Order having printed and distributed over 630,000,000 publications per annum, mainly or political ends. DarRacorte Scort, > exe NOTES AND NEWS. HE unfortunate death of Mr. H. D. Traill not only robs the Society of one of its Council, but of a member who, occupying a very important and influential position in the literary world—that of editor of Literature — always gave the Society the one kind of help which could have been asked of him,-viz., a fair hearing. It is now more than a year since the publication of my book, “The Pen and the Book,” in which appeared certain figures and facts connected with the business of publishing which had previously been scattered about in the pages of The Author. Of course, this was the signal for a fierce outcry. The assailants came on gallantly, but anonymously. Their language was kept in some restraint by the editor, who invited me to reply, and accorded me the whole of the space I asked for. In this reply, assisted and supported by Mr. Thring, I was enabled to point out that the whole attack rested on wilful and deliberate misrepresentations: many of them too gross to be answered were it not for the general ignorance on the subject, and the in- capacity of people to believe that the trade of publishing can tolerate such practices as have been exposed by the Society. The result, as is always the case after such attack and reply, was an increase in our membership. For my own part I have never been able to understand why there is not more jealousy on the part of publishers in association for the honour of their trade. We expose certain facts: we have declared over and over again that these practices have nothing to do with honourable houses. Yet, when publishers meet in congress, the first thing that the president does is to state ublicly that VoL. X. 217 the Society treats all publishers as dishonest. And when their committee put out draft agree- ments in which they try on their little game of Grab in a manner both guileless and childlike, they make no reference whatever to the possi- bilities and the practice of fraud. The adver- tisement that costs nothing : the secret percentage: the cooked account: the agreement that gives everything to the publisher—of these, if you please, not one word. Nor has the committee of the Publishers’ Association ever stepped forward to repudiate the falsities by which their trade is defended and the Society is attacked. Con- sidering these things, it is perhaps as well to keep silence for a while as to “honourable” houses. As soon as a reasonable jealousy for the honour of the trade is exhibited—that kind of jealousy which would express reprobation of un- worthy tricks—even if it allowed the Universal Grab, we may return to the respect due 10 “honourable” houses. — Two months ago I ventured to point out certain views of my own on the subject of criticism, for which I have been rewarded by learning (1) that I advocate the abolition of criticism: (2) that I desire criticism to b “all praise”: (3) that I desire criticism to be placed in the hands of “ illiterates”: (4) that I refuse the right of expressing an opinion: (5) that my own novels have been sometimes praised —so that because a man’s book is spoken of well it is a shame for him to point out the glaring vices of general criticism! My position is this: The true critic must be a scho ar, other- wise there will be always something lacking ; the critical faculty is apart from the imaginative faculty : the former may, or it may not, co-exist with the latter—this has been twisted into the assertion that I would not receive Goethe’s critical work. The critic neither calls names, nor is abusive in other ways, nor gibes, nor sneers, nor misrepresents, nor again, which is very impor- ‘tant, does he simulate indignation : he is a judge, and his judgment, I said, should be “ without mercy and without bias.” Above all, a critic reveals himself by his praise. Any incompetent person can pick holes and find fault without reading a book: but, if he attempts to praise, his incompetence betrayeth him at once. Finally, I ask for the same courtesy in criticism as is expected in other professions. We do_ not find one lawyer calling another a Hooligan: Lam quite sure that no editor would permit it. But we do find the editor of the Contemporary not only permitting this abuse, but allowing the writer who stooped to this abuse to repeat him- self, and even to improve upon hiniself—in a Y  218 second article. It is now twelve months since the writer whom Mr. Buchanan calls a Hooligan, lay apparently at the point of death. From all parts of the world there flashed telegrams of inquiry— thousands of telegrams: they were proofs of the affection and the anxiety of the English-speaking race. How is Mr. Buchanan allowed, in the Contemporary, to speak of that time? Listen. It is in the February number of that most influential organ : “Sir Walter Besant avers that I have no right to speak of these things ”—I averred nothing of the kind: I said, in so many words, “Mr. Buchanan has his views and has stated them; I have mine, and I propose to state them.” My objection is not as to his statement of opinion, but as to the manner of statement, which is quite another thing. To repeat: “he avers that I have no right to speak of these things because they concern the prestige and the pocket of one who, with a publisher on each side of him, cried aloud for, and obtained, the sympathy of two continents.” So the anxiety of Kipling’s millions of friends was “ cried aloud for” by the man on the bed of sickness, through the assist- ance of two publishers! — A letter has been sent to me cut out of the Speaker, a paper which used to be associated with periodical ferocity against the Society of Authors. I really think that we ought to have been more grateful than we were to the Speaker under the old management for giving us so repeatedly the opportunity of stating our case. However, this letter is written by one who has suffered many things at the hands of reviewers, and is at length goaded into speech. He com- plains of praise and he complains of abuse: he has penned certain admirable parodies of the reviewer who abuses him and the reviewer who praises him—both, of course, without any pre- liminary reading of the book. This is the remedy proposed by the writer: When you find a reviewer who evidently knows some- thing about you and has a grudge against you, do not be goaded into writing to his newspaper or mentioning him in the preface of your next work, but rather buy up such paper of his as may be floating around London, and telephone to him to the effect that you hold it. I have known this rhethod to produce in one of our most important and most venal journals a column and a half of weighty, learned, and favourable criticism. Your publisher will, if necessary, advance you the money. Very good: but suppose one does not know, beforehand, who is going to review the book: and suppose the reviewer has no “ paper floating around London ”—what then? Besides, “paper” demands cyedit and confidence. I doubt whether the young: gentlemen who do the reviews—by THE AUTHOR. inches—have any credit or can confidence or can float any paper. command any The writer, if he sees these remarks, is invited to consider one point which, to my mind, lies at the root of the whole bad business. It is the kind of pay given by some papers. The poor man, in order to pay his way, must make so much a week, His review work goes, probably, a long way towards finding this mimimum. Now, if he is allowed three inches or even six for each book, and if he receives, say, three half-crowns for his notice of each book, it is evident that in order to make £3 a week, below which life can offer few luxuries, he must notice eight books a week. But he will probably get a longer article in addition. This more important paper will take a certain amount of work: perhaps he will give two days to it: there remain five. How many books can he read and review, even only at three or four inches each, in five days? On the other hand, by the simple process of not reading the books he can review as many as are senttohim. I knewa man once who added a guinea to his weekly income by writing a column of “reviews” of novels: there were from eight to twelve on his list and his editor liked something “smart.” We must not be too hard on the unfortunate reviewer : his paper can only pay by the l ngth of the contribu- tion; if it wants to notice all the books that are published it can only do so by giving to each the briefest possible space. The reviewer, in fact— and this is, as I said above, the keynote of the whole situation—cannot afford to read the books. A note on the Society from the Manchester Guardian (see p. 219) is pleasant reading. The writer alludes to the common charge of “ commer- cialism” brought against the Society. I would remind our members that the answer is simply this. Literary property is a very real kind of property. It belongs to those who create it. They may give it to publishers for nothing if they like—no one will object except perhaps their wives and children. They may also sit down contentedly to be “bested” by agreements which they do not understand. They may even consent to sign the Forms of Agreement which the Publishers’ Committee have prepared with so much thought- fulness and with such admirable jealousy as to the equity of the case—nothing so truly beautiful as pure equity. No one can possibly object to an author behaving in the grand style. As for those authors who have no private income and cannot afford to surrender, or to be “ bested” out of, their own property which, valuable or not,  THE represents their life work, we do our best for them. It has been pointed out over and over again that this defence of property is no more commercial in Literature than in Art, in Medi- cine, in Law, in mines, in houses—in anything. It is simply an act of common prudence. Further, it cannot be too often repeated that the literary value of a work, whatever it may be, has no necessary connection with its commercial value. The greatest book ever written, the most far- reaching in its influences, the most epoch-making, may be worth less, commercially, than a girl’s story or a Sunday-school prize. A book of the higher mathematics appeals to an audience of a few score; a book of the highest scientific importance, which may revolutionise the life of a whole people, may appeal only to a few hundreds. It seems necessary to state this simple fact over and over again. Perhaps some time or other it will be accepted for the commonplace truism that it is. We shall then hear the last about the “commercialism ” of the Society. I refer the reader to a communication on p. 224 concerning the “Method of the Future.” It is quite true that an estimate for a single book by an individual author might be much higher than that which would be furnished for a publisher who could send a large amount of work. The printer would probably try it on. But our correspondent forgets the fact that we have collected and -published a whole body of information on the subject of the Cost of Pro- duction—which was intended as a guide to the author and a protection against fraud rather by the publisher than the printer. I embodied all the latest information on the subject in “The Pen and the Book,” and anyone who wants to know what an estimate should be may go to the nearest free library and refer to the book. This book was not designed as a work bringing a money profit, and I have already, with the hope of rendering it more generally useful, pre- sented some hundreds of copies to free libraries. I am still ready to give more copies to these libraries; and if any of the members will kindly inform me of libraries in which it is not already placed, I shall be very willing to send them copies. With some such guide and a little ordinary care I do not think there is much danger of the author getting into mischief. He might refer his estimate to the Secretary, for instance. He must, of course, be very careful over his corrections, and the length of his MS. : and he must not bind more than are wanted at the outset: and he must be extremely careful over the advertisements, AUTHOR. 219 An evening paper informs us that a certain author, whose name need not be reproduced, on finding himself for the moment without resources, boldly faced the situation and asked to be admitted to the workhouse and to go on working there on the completion of a book which already approaches completion. It was perhaps as good a thing as he could do, provided he did not mind the companionship and was prepared to face the memory of it, and wanted a quiet place for work. Meantime, as he is a writer of some repute and has held appointments of various kinds, all requiring special ability, was it not possible to send in an application to the Royal Literary Fund? Watter BESANT. Pec ON THE SOCIETY. HE Manchester Guardian of Feb. 17 speaks of the Society in the following terms : “The annual report of the Society of Authors for the past year, which has just been issued to its members, shows a flourishing state of affairs on which the Society may justly congratulate itself, Its success is, for that matter, a boon— although often an ignored one—to all who write for their livelihood. The Society is an eminently practical institution, and the reproach of being solely concerned with the commercial side of literature, which one hears at times brought against it, simply shows that those who bring it have never troubled to inquire what the position and aims of the Society really are. The numerous cases of injustice to authors which the Society has taken up during the past year—in one case going as far as the House of Lords in order to get a definite ruling on a point of importance in the relation of authors and publishers—show how useful a work it is doing, in spite of all the attacks that are made upon it by people who ought to know better. The razson détre of the Society of Authors is to be a kind of trade union for writers, through whose existence they may assert their rights in the case of dishonest or sweating publishers. It is clear that it has met a want. ee “Tt ig not surprising that a body which thus acts as a safeguard to the author should have over 1200 members. The wonder is that so many authors should still stay out of it and lose no opportunity of jeering at it because its motives are frankly businesslike and its canons of litera ture incline to commercialism. Sometimes the temptation, we confess, is hard to resist; but we are ashamed of having yielded to it when we THE 220 consider how excellent the work of the Society, as set forth in this report, really is. The Com- mittee are quite right in pointing out ‘to those members of the profession who are not members of the Society that they are reaping indirectly the benefits resulting from the work and labours of the Society, and to the more successful writers who are not members that they are gaining substantial benefits from the moneys expended. by other and sometimes poorer members of their craft The pension scheme, on which we have already commented, is the chief novelty in the report. We have little doubt that it also will have a stimulating effect on the membership.” — ON TYPEWRITERS. T is now some months since a letter was sent to The Author about the position of Type- writers. For various reasons this letter has been held over. The writer advocated the employ- ment of the individual typist who works at home, instead of sending the work to an office. She claimed for this plan the very decided advantage of cheapness. She asserted that 9d. a thousand words was good and sufficient pay, provided there was no middleman and no office. She further pointed out that the chief reason why girls do not get on at such work is want of education. That is the preliminary equipment which is absolutely necessary, and cannot be crammed. Shorthand may be learned very cheaply. ‘Of three typists, one taught herself shorthand, and had five shillings’ worth of teach- ing on the typewriter when she bought it; one paid £5 for instruction in shorthand ; and one was taught at very small cost by aclerk employed during the day.” She gives the evidence of one who works at home. “A friend of mine, well educated, finding teaching in schools decidedly paid at ‘ starvation wages,’ though she spoke French and German fluently, took a course of shorthand and type- writing lessons at Pitman’s, paying, I think, £10, till proficient. In less than five months she obtained a good appointment—3os. a week, hours g till 6, and on Saturdays till 2. “As to private work, I know of the case of a well-educated gentlewoman who eighteen months ago found herself suddenly under the necessity of earning money. She paid a small sum for twelve lessons from a private typist, was proficient at the end of ten, bought a typewriter, spent £5 in advertising, and has never lacked for work. She bas a thorough knowledge of Latin, French, and some German, and earns enough by copying AUTHOR. authors’ MSS. at od. a thousand to live com- fortably. Iam quite sure, from the experience of others as well as my own, that 9d. a thousand need never mean ‘starvation wages,” _whatever the proprietors of expensive offices may say. I myself have to refuse nearly as much as I take, though I constantly employ an assistant.” And the letter concludes as follows, omitting those parts which refer to previous discussions : “ Tf, for any reason of her own, a woman chooses to do her work at home instead of being an employee in an office, for many an obvious advantage, and finds it profitable to copy our MSS. at 9d. a 1000, it certainly seems to make for the greatest good of the greatest number that she should have the od. rather than that we should pay ts. or 1s. 3d. to a smart office that (as I know to be the case) she should receive at the most 7d. and pay travelling expenses, and lose her freedom and privacy while the office scores the margin, for what profits neither the worker nor ourselves. “Moreover, she has a personal pride and stake in her work, and, so far as my experience gors, does it infinitely better than the experimenting beginner or the indifferent employee. « Typewriting and stenography are likely to be always with us. It may bring happiness and relief from anxiety into many a harrassed life, if authors will combine to send work into the workers’ homes, instead of (to save themselves a little trouble) despatching it to the much advertised office. It is work that can be done by the elderly, the delicate, the cripple, those incapable of going out in all weathers or at all hours; and those whose conscience obliges them to pay more than the ‘starvation 9d.’ will probably be allowed to indulge the desire. I can confidently recommend two of the typists who advertise (at 9d. a 1000) in The Author.” rec A NOTE ON RUSKIN. (From the Chicago Dial, Feb. 1, 1900. I [ IS work done in the field of art. criticism has called forth an enormous amount of discussion, in the form of both approval and dissent. At first, his opinions exci ed'violent antagonism ; then, for a period, the force of his - eloquence seemed to carry everything before it; then, again, a marked reaction set in, and a deliberate effort was made to belittle his achieve- ments and minimise his influence. We do not think that the two parties to this controversy  have ever joined issue fairly and squarely. We may allow the justice of much that has been said by his hostile critics—by Mr. Stillman, for example, and Dr. Waldstein—yet admit almost to the full what has been claimed for him by the most earnest of his champions. Both parties are right, in some sense. For the attack, we may say that his specific judgments were often wrong, that his bestowal of praise was exaggerated beyond all reason, that his advice to painters was frequently impracticable, and that his influence upon contemporary artists was slight. But for the defence we must also say something. We must say, for example, that he made the general English public think more seriously about art than it had ever done before. We must say that his writings opened eyes by the thousands that had hitherto been blind, and, if those eyes did not see just what he would have had them see, they were at least opened to some kind of truth that would not have been revealed to them at all except for his influence. We must say, also, that he gave to the pursuit and study of art a dignity that it had never known before, by virtue of his constant insistence upon the relation of art to morality, his unalterable deter- mination to judge of artistic work from other standpoints than the narrow one of technique, and the prophetic fervour with which he pro- claimed the gospel, not of art for art’s sake, but of art for the sake of man’s temporal delight and eternal salvation. . . . : In a word, the balance of Mr. Ruskin’s teach- ings, whatever specific vagaries they may embody, will rest upon the side of progress, of ethical inspiration, of worthy human activity, of all that is desirable for the uplifting of the race. In this belief, we would earnestly recommend the most extreme of his books, even “ Unto this Last” and the many volumes of the “ Fors Clavigera,” not indeed as the best food for untrained minds, but as a helpful influence to the cultivated intelli- gence, as a needed corrective for all that is unspiritual and materialistic in the thought of the age. Their essential teaching is at one with that of the great leaders of men’s ethical and religious thought, and their perversity of utterance no more than an accident powerless to work last- ing injury. The gift of communion with such a spirit is one of the most precious that literature can offer, and a deep sense of gratitude, of reverent affection, is what remains to us unshaken, after all possible exceptions have been taken, after all needful allowances have been made, when we think of the great work and the noble life that have ended in the closing yeir of the century to which they have lent so imperishable a lustie. THE AUTHOR. 221 SOME THOUGHTS UTTERED. Coe is not always a vice, for itis often only a weakness. Hate of others: often poses as love of truth. The best kind of truth and the rarest is the kindest. Oritics are of two main kinds—helpers or hinderers. The only perfect critic is Tue CrEaTor. New truths fare ill in old temples. Religion, even when not quite on the right side, is yet on the heart side. Duty is only another name for Divinity. Oveurt is more God-like than Must. Truth can no more be justly measured by proof than by taste or by wish. Taste changes less than temptation—the father of fashion. Truth is almost as invisible to vanity as to vice. Art is a common cross between Man and Nature. What science labe!s, art often only libels. Art expresses far more than it ever explains. To appeal best to our race, scence must marry sentiment. Some women, in trying to outdo all men, only undo themselves. Human law is a common mean between justice and nonsense. It is generally easier to end laws than to mend men. Were progress nursed only by popular vote, it would never be reared. The sanest will give and take only the best advice, but they are not yet born. While wondering why wisdom wanes, most of us forget ourselves. When the best seems past, we have begun to die. Chivalry is no more peculiar to males than to Mankind. Mothers form a sex by themselves —lik2 the angels. Courage, an essential of all life, in love. In ideal love there is no imperfect tense. Life is a positive, growth a comparative, and love a superlative revelation. Marriag+ may die with bodies, but love must live with souls. Justice is the true husband of love. Finuay GLENELG. is best found Pees  222 THE AMERICAN AMBASSADOR AT THE AUTHORS’ CLUB. N | R. CHOATE, the American Ambassador, was last evening the guest at a dinner of the Authors’ Club, held at the Club, Whitehall-court, London. Mr. Gilbert Parker presided over a very large gathering, which included in addition to the American Ambassador, Mr. James Bryce, MP., Mr. Anthony Hope Hawkins, Mr. Frankfort Moore, Mr. W. UL. Courtney, Mr. E. T. Cook, and Sir Martin Conway. Mr. Choate, in reply to the toast of his health, said he came there partly as a reader and partly as a representative of one of the greatest reading communities that had ever existed. He knew of no relation of any other body of people so important to authors as that of readers, and it was the fact that they on the other side of the Atlantic were entitled to rank very high in this relation of readers to authors. In the first place the people of the United States constituted the vast majority of the English-speaking peoples of the globe, and they all knew very well, they asserted it every day, that the majority must rule, at least they must be assigned a paramountcy as between authors and readers and as to everything else that related to the English tongue. There were 351 towns in the State of Massa- chusetts. In those, with the exception of seven, the public had the use of public libraries pro- vided at the public expense. In those libraries there were three and three-quarter millions of volumes—about a volume and a-half for each inhabitant of the State—and the circulation in twelve months amounted to seven and two- third millions, or three volumes for each inhabi- tant—men, women and children, and babies in arms. Could they point to any other country under the sun in which that state of things could be said to exist? And was there not a reflex action of the readers upon authors as well as of the authors upon the readers? Might it not be owing to some such relation as that that in these last sixty years there had been authors of such eminence in America? Massachusetts, to which he had been referring in connection with this free libraries’ movement, had, however, only led the way, for the last report of the National Bureau of Hducation to which he had had access showed that there were 4000 free libraries in America, containing more than 33,000,000 of volumes. He alluded to the “teachableness” of the people who spoke the Hnglish tongue, as was THE AUTHOR. shown by the work of Captain Mahan, an American, and Mr. Bryce in England. Captain Mahan told Great Britain of her wonderful sea power and discovered some of its elements of weakness. Mr. Bryce went to America and studied their institutions, and produced a work descriptive of them which was without an equal in our whole history on the other side of the water. He gave them praise where they were entitled to praise and blamed them where they were subject to blame, and they were very ready to follow his suggestions and to go to work to supply a remedy. It was this “teachableness” of all people who spoke the English tongue that constituted their great power in the present and their great prospect for the future. This English tongue had done an immense thing for them on both sides of the water. It had welded them into one homogeneous and united people, speaking with one voice and acting with one will to work out their destiny, and it had done the same thing for the widely-spreading members of the British Empire—as they had an example in this very year—(cheers)—making them one people, united for the common liberties of all. (Renewed cheers.) And what had it not done—this same English language—for all who spoke it? It had given them their highest aims and their highest ideals. It had taught them to love liberty and to be devoted to law.—Daily Chronicle, Feb. 20. CORRESPONDENCE. IL—Tuer STanparp oF ENGLISH ORITICISM. AY I be allowed to endorse “ Retired’s ” statements regarding English reviews in your last number. I have not been writing for many years, but have been fortunate enough to win for myself a certain position as specialist on some important literary questions. When I publish a book I am secure of a fair number of notices, both English and conti- nental. But, as a rule, the English notices are not worth the paper they are printed on. With very few exceptions they are written by critics who do not possess even an elementary knowledge of the subjects concerned. I could name without difficulty half-a-dozen men, not unknown to literature, who would be perfectly competent to review my work, and whose criticism would be of real value to me, but I only know two journals (one with a restricted circula- tion) which will send my books to such expert critics. On the other hand, in France and Germany alike I am certain of receiving such ’  THE AUTHOR. criticism: I have had a book, dismissed in a few absolutely foolish lines in a leading London literary paper, reviewed at pages’ length in competent foreign reviews, and that not once alone. “ Retired” is perfectly correct in saying that the standard of foreign criticism is far higher and more conscientious than English. There are many of us who would infinitely rather receive competent, even if unfavourable, criticism than ignorant praise. ScHOLAR. Il.—Tue Proression or LireERATURE. For my part, although one of the most unfor- tunate of writers, I find it very hard to under- stand the strange a'titude of Annabel Gray and some others (“‘ X.,” for instance, on page 70 of the August issue) towards their profession. Whilst making a living out of it (a thing which many hundreds of doctors and lawyers have great difficulty in getting out of their professions), they never cease to rail bitterly at the profession as beggarly and contemptible. ‘“ X.,” indeed, even goes the length of denying that it is a profession at all. Note the reasoning! Because any outsider with the requisite ability can come into the profession of literature, therefore it is no profession! Well, “every waiting barrister, every idle doctor, every half-pay captain ’—in short, “every outsider with a” brush and palette can “cut into the work” ofa painter: ergo, there is no profession of painting! Also, “ every outsider with ” eight fingers and two thumbs can “cut into the work’’ of the pianist and organist, the violinist, &c.: ergo, there is no profession of music, and Paderewski is only a mountebank, not a member of a reputable profession! Once more: “every outsider with” legs and arms can “cut into the work” of the actor: ergo, there is no profession of acting! Might I be permitted t» point out that early in his controversy with the Editor of The Author “X.” gave his own case away completely? The gist of the Editor’s contention is given in this sentence from page 15 of the June issue: “I maintain that Literature, as a profession, is no more precarious than any other.” And what did “X.” say in reply? Why, on page 21 of the same issue, he declared: “The editor is always saying that the man of letters can do as well as the doctor or barrister, and seems to think this means something.” I should imagine it did mean something—viz., the point at issue. ‘‘ Sooth to say,” he proceeds, “it means nothing, for the poor barrister and poor doctor are miserably poor indeed.” Here “ X.” clearly admits that the man of letters can do as well as the barrister 223 or doctor. away. Annabel Gray tragically asserts that “the dark powers that thwart and destroy are always merci- less to the poor and gifted . . . Mr.Croskey’s own experiences and confession area case in point.” Now, Mr. Croskey has himself told us that he is not rich, and there is no doubt whatever that he is gifted: yet the ‘dark powers,’ yea! those self-same hideous “dark powers” have not been “merciless” to him, for they have permitted him to “place work with four good publishers and three good magazines.” I have myself seen excellent work of his in the English Illustrated Magazine and in Chambers’s Journal. And JI have not a shadow of a doubt that so soon as Mr. Croskey can produce enough work equally good, he will succeed as an author. If he does not eventually succeed I for one shall be very much surprised. And in so doing he gives his case Perry Barr. IIl.—Wrirtine ror THE MAGAZINES. I have to tender my sincere thanks to “An Editor” for his kindness in answering my query. Is he not, however, just a little bit ruthless in saying that the article “On Writing for the Magazines’? in the December issue represents wasted time? To methatarticle was interesting and eminently useful. And I earnestly hope that we shall have the promised article dealing in a similar manner with the lighter magazines. It is perhaps almost needless to say that after this I shall not continue to be purely a MaGazinE STRUGGLER. 1V.—EnveLorpes WANTED. I have no grievance to bring forward, but only a suggestion to make. I send off (and receive back again) a fair lot of MSS. in a year, and my soul is grieved because of envelopes. What I desire to do is to keep my MS. flat. Now, like most people, as I imagine, who write, I use common foolscap, 13in. by 8in. To send this off quite comfortably what [ need is a bag-shaped envelope of smooth paper, reasonably strong, with lots of gum, and half an inch or even an inch of room to spare all round, say 133in. by 8{in. or gin. {should not mind paying 5s. a hundred for them, if I could only get them right, but I don’t see them in the Stores’ list, and the nearest thing Ican find in Oxford is 12in. by ropin., te., at once too short and too wide. Will not some int lligent stationer get out an article to supply the want and call it “Author's size”? Tl warrant him it would sell. R. B. T, —  854 V.—Tur Mernhop or THE Furure. As one who has had some experience of print- ing his own books—I mean of getting them printed at his own expense—I feel most strongly that an author has almost as much painful experi- ence to acquire in this matter as in connection with what must be considered ordinary publish- ing. Tt is an unfortunate fact that the ethics of trade are not at all those generally recognised by honourable men who are not engaged in com- mercial transactions. Speaking to a pripter recently I remarked that it appeared to be con- sidered quite honest to charge exorbitantly where the person paying had no knowledge of trade prices or where the work done was not easily controlled, and he, with perfect frankness, admitted this was the case, adding ‘“ Some things we have to take in competition at very low prices, and we make it up on others.” At my own actual cost I have learnt that com- posing, corrections, machining (including the question of sheets of sixteen, thirty-two, and sixty-four pages), paper and binding, each and all furnish opportunities for fraud upon the unsus- pecting author who ventures to embark upon the production of his own work. In some cases where the name of the firm would apparently ensure honourable treatment I have come to the conclusion that there is no greater security than with an unknown house, and this because the real control of the business, including the levying of charges, rests not with those whose well-known and perhaps highly respected names attract, but with managers whose first object it must be to show profits. I will add nothing on the “small difficulties that keep arising whilst the book is printing,” referred to by “X.” in The Author of Feb. 1, beyond a reminder that such difficulties are to be expected. But to what end do these remarks lead? To this, viz.: That if ever the “Method of the Future” is to realise its full advantages it will be necessary that authors should not merely pay directly for their own printing, but the printing should be done at their own works. With any considerable adoption of the “Method of the Future ” by members of the Society, it would be perfectly easy to form a small limited liability com- pany and set up a printing establishment under a capable manager, to which members of the Society might with perfect safety commit their work without fear of being victimised and without that waste of valuable time which has now to be expended by anyone of business habits who would protect himself, however feebly, from, I will say, the danger of fraud, Vik AUTHOR. Perhaps we may sdhie day reach this end! { am in a position to bring a respectable amount of regular annual printing ! The Society of Authors has been wrongly accused of saying that all publishers are rogues. Lest to this there should be added that I now initiate a statement that all printers are also rogues, I hasten to disclaim anything of the kind. There are probably as many honest printers as there are honest members of other trades—honest, I mean, not merely in the eyes of the law, but in reality, Tf, however, the ethics of trade are really as I have suggested, then, quite apart from personal experiences, it cannot be expected that authors will, exceptionally and invariably, find them- selves associated with printers of unusual virtue. A. B. [But see p. 219.—Ep. | VI.—A ScriBBLER’s SUGGESTION. Think not, dear sir, that I desire our all-wise Parliament to pass a measure imposing a heavy import-duty on all Australian and American stories. Perish the thought! I am no protec- tionist, but an honest freetrader ; and if the home product cannot hold its own, let it (say I) go to the wall. But why, oh why, will not editors send it to the wall more promptly ? Why should they perform the unhappy despatch with such long- drawn enjoyment of the agony inflicted ? As I have said, I desire no protectionist legisla- tion. But what say you, sir, to an Authors’ Compensation Bill (to be brought in by the present Government) compelling editors to pay for all contributions kept over one calendar month? Do you not think that this would be but a reasonable and modest compensation for injuries inflicted >—that the Act would, in fact, be merely complementary to the Workmen’s Com- pensation Act? In the event of editors objecting to such an Act, what have they to say to the proposition that we authors should send out at the same time about half-a-dozen typed copies of a MS.? By thus dealing with tardy editors by the half-dozen, we might succeed in testing the majority of likely markets inside of twelve months. True, there’s the possibility of two editors accepting the same contribution; but that would only be a very slight inconvenience to set against the inconveni-- ence at present endured. .  THE AUTHOR. BOOK AND PLAY TALK. R. STANLEY LANE-POOLE has finished his “ History of Egypt in the Middle "~ Ages under Mohammedan Rule,” which will be published by Messrs. Methuen as the sixth volume in the series edited by Professor Flinders Petrie. “The Devil’s Kitchen,” a new novel by A. B. Louis will shortly appear through Messrs. Sands and Co. The scene of part of the story is laidin Wales, and one of the leading charaters is a pub- lisher. Miss Montgomery Campbell’s new story entitled “ Uncle Ben’s Where’s, or Friends all round the Wrekin,” published by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, has attracted much attention and been warmly welcomed by those seeking for books suitable for parochial libraries and girls’ and women’s clubs. It isa story dealing with rural life, the scene, as the sub-title denotes, being laid in the picturesque county of Salop. Mr. D.C. Lathbury’s new paper, hitherto known as the Tribune, has had to change its name, and will now be called the Pilot, a weekly review of ecclesiastical and general politics, literature, and learning. The first number will be published on Saturday, March 3, price 6d. Mr. Richard Pryce’s new novel “J ezebel,”’ now running through the pages of the Gentlewoman, will be published by Messrs. Hutchinson and Co. A new novel by Annabel Gray, entitled “ The Mystic Number 7,” is now in the press and will shortly appear. The title depends upon the occult nature of the plot, and the tragic end por- trays the wages of sin. “ Boadicea, and Other Poems,” by Mrs. Aylmer Gowing, has recently been published by Messrs. Kegan Paul and Co. The volume contains an heroic drama constructed on classical lines of one motive and action, simplicity and directness; a series of poems for recitation, and several sonnets. A series of little encyclopedic primers is about to be published by Messrs. Dent, beginning with a volume entitled “ Introduction to Science,” by Dr. Alexander Hill, Master of Downing College, Cambridge. Dr. Sweet will write a volume on “The History of Language,’ Dean Spence one on “The History of the Church of England,” Professor Jenks “The History of Politics,’ Mr. E. G. Gardner “ A Dante Primer,’ and Mr. Basil Worsfold “ A History of South Africa.” “A Divine Venture, and Other Stories,” by Fiona Macleod, is about to be published by Messrs. Chapman and Hall. 225 A new book of stories by Dr. Conan Doyle (who is leaving England for ambulance duty with the troops in South Africa) will be published shortly under the title of “ The Green Flag.” A Milton Library is being formed in Milton Cottage, Chalfont St. Giles. Mr. Charles Gerring, secretary of the Notting- ham Sette of Odde Volumes, has now completed the work on noted booksellers and printers which he has been engaged upon for some time. Students of modern English history will be inte- rested to hear that the selections from the private journal of the Right Hon. John Evelyn Denison, Speaker of the House of Commons for twenty-five years, and afterwards Lord Ossington, has now been published by Mr. Murray. The volume was issued for private circulation last September. It is improbable that the biography of Professor Huxley will appear before the autumn. “Hurrah for the Life of a Sailor!” is the title of the forthcoming work by Admiral Sir William Kennedy (Blackwood), who has served in the Navy for fifty years. “Allen Raine” is issuing, through Messrs. Hutchinson, a new Welsh story called “ Garth- owen.” Mr. Stanley Weyman’s “ Sophia’ this month. A Yorkshire story by Miss Emma Brooke, entitled “The Engrafted Rose,’ has just been published by Messrs. Hutchinson. An interesting plagiarism is reported from New York, Messrs. G. P. Putnam’s Sons having been deceived by a young man who represented himself to be an unpublished author in sore straits. The following notice issued by the firm speaks for itself : G. P. Putnam’s Sons regret to have occasion to announce to the reading public that the story recently published by them under the title of ‘‘ Aboard the American Duchess,” a story purporting to be the work of an American author who writes under the name of George L. Myers, is a plagiarism of a story published some years back by Mr. Headon Hill, of London, entitled, ‘The Queen of Night.” Mr. Hill’s material has been appropriated by the American writer, such appropriation constituting a wrong against the English author and his publishers, and also, of course, the American publishers, who accepted as an original work the story ‘The American Duchess.” The publishers are making this announcement in order to cantion American readers against the purchase under a wrong impression of the story issued under the title of “ Aboard the American Duchess.” “Mr. Myers” had, of course, changed the scene of action of the story from London to New York. Messrs. Putnam, in view of the blunder, have sent an honorarium to Mr. Hill, notwith- standing that his novel was not copyrighted in the United States. ’ will be out  226 Histories of South Africa are, of course, the order of the day just now. Another one will be published immediately by Messrs. Methuen. It deals with “The Boer States,’ and the author is Mr, A. H. Keane, whose point of view in the work is stated to be that of an onlooker. The very important housing question in London is the subject of a book by Mr. Alfred Smith, of the County Council. It will be published by Messrs. Sonnenschein. Miss Nora Hopper’s new volume of verse, “Songs of the Morning,’ and Mr. Thomas Cobb’s new novel, “ Scruples,” will both be published on March 6 by Mr. Grant Richards. A volume of sketches of theatrical life by Mr. George R. Sims will be published shortly by Messrs. Chatto and Windus, under the title, “ Without the Limelight.” Mrs. Patrick Campbell has revived ‘‘ Magda” at the Royalty. She will afterwards produce a version of M. Edmond Rostand’s “ Les Romanes- ques,” by George Fleming. It will be called “The Fantasticks.” There is only one female character in the play. Mrs. Lewis Waller opened her spring tour at the Coronet, Notting Hill, on Feb. 19, with a new play in four acts adapted by Mr. H. A. Kennedy from Mr. Hardy’s romance, “Tess of the D’Urbevilles.’ Mr. Hardy has written to the Times stating that he has authorised no such , dramatisation. “Bonnie Dundee,” Mr. Laurence Irving's five- act drama, will be produced by Mr. Robert Taber at the Adelphi on the 1oth inst., with Mr. Mackintosh as King James. A copyright performance was given at the Court a few weeks ago of “The Queen of tie Roses,” by Mr. Alfred C. Calmour. This is the three-act comedy which Mr. Daniel Frohman is about to produce in New York. Mr. Martin Harvey is preparing to give at the Prince of Wales’s Theatre M. Maeterlinck’s one- act play “ Aglavaine and Selysette.” Mr. Wyndham will produce the English version of “Cyrano de Bergerac” at Blackpool on March 5, with Miss Mary Moore and Mr. Alfred Kendrick as chief supporters. After visiting other provincial cities, the play will be presented at Mr. Wyndham’s new theatre about the middle of April. “The Likeness of the Night,” a four-act play by Mrs. W. K. Clifford, has been performed for purposes of copyright at the Avenue, Mr. Charles Hawtrey and Miss Lily Hanbury taking the prin- cipal parts. THE AUTHOR. Mr. W. L. Courtney and Mr. Joseph Comyns Carr are writing for Sir Henry Irving a drama on the massacre of St. Bartholomew. The produe- tion of the play is expected about May. Mr. F. R. Benson opened his Shakespearian season at the Lyceum before a numerous audience on Feb. 15 with “Henry V.” At the close of the play Mr. Benson spoke of the kindness shown to Mrs. Benson and himself since they both acted under Sir Henry Irving on these boards long ago. The new comedy by Mr. Haddon Chambers, which will be produced at the Criterion, is called “The Faithless.” The Globe will be re-opened on the 17th by Mr. Richard Lambart, when “ A Broken Halo,” by Mr. Charles Thursby, and ‘‘ Nurse,” a comedy by Miss Clo Graves, will be produced. At the Shaftesbury an American company under Mr. George Lederer will open on April 2. = e<e OBITUARY. R. H. D. TRAILL died suddenly in Mi London on Feb. 21, only a week after the revised and enlarged edition of his dialogues of the dead, “The New Lucian,” had been published. Mr. Traill’s career in journalism and authorship was a very full one. He con- tributed to the Pall Mall Gazette and to the S¢. James’s Gazette when Mr. Greenwood edited these journals; and subsequently wrote for the Saturday Review, the Daily Telegraph (of whose staff he became a member), and the Observer, which he edited for a time. When Literature was founded in Oct. 1897, Mr. Traill was. appointed editor, and the best of his energies have since been devoted to establishing that journal in the high position it now enjoys. Both to the English Citizen and the English Men of Letters series Mr. Traill was a contributor, his: monograph on Sterne being especially noteworthy.. Among other works, he wrote “ Re-captured Rhymes,” “ Saturday Songs,” biographies of Sir John Franklin and Lord Cromer, and edited the important “ Social England” series published by Messrs. Cassell. Mr. Traill was in his fifty- eighth year. Sir Wittram Hounrer, the distinguished autho- rity and writer on India, died on Feb. 7, in his: sixtieth year. Before he was thirty Sir William Hunter became Director-General of Statistics, and was entrusted with the task of directing @ statistical survey of the whole Indian Empire. In the production of the “Imperial Gazetteer of India” and of the detailed accounts of the sepa-  THE rate provinces he spent twelve years. His “ Brief History of the Indian Peoples” has been trans- lated into five vernacular languages. Only last year was published the first volume of his “History of British India,” which he intended to complete in several volumes. The obituary of the past month also includes Mr. JoserpH Cowen, the famous proprietor- journalist of the Newcastle Chronicle and ex- M.P.; Sir William Duguid Geddes, author of “The Problem of the Homeric Poems,” and other works, Professor of Greek in the Uni- versity of Aberdeen from 1855 to 1885, and afterwards Principal; Miss Harriet Parr (“ Holme Lee’) a writer of stories chiefly for the young, who died at the age of seventy-two; Mr. Ernest Dowson, the poet, whose new volume of verses had been announced for early publication ; Mr. Andrew White Tuer, F.S.A., of the Leadenhall Press, author of “ Bartolozzi and His Works,” “Old London Street Cries and Cries of To-Day,” &c., who died on Feb. 24, at the age of sixty- one; and Mr. Francis Harvey, the well-known bookseller of St. James’s-street. eS BOOKS AND REVIEWS. (In these columns notes on books are given from reviews which carry weight, and are not, so far as can be learned, logrollers.) Ture War in Soutu Arrica, by J. A. Hobson (Nisbet, 7s. 6d. net), deals with the origin and consequences of the war, and its chief value, says the Daily Chronicle, “is to be found in the fact that the writer was an eye-witness to much that happened at a critical moment, and at the very centre of political disturbance.” Certain parts of the yolume “ savour strongly of the political pamphlet. Others _are so fair in statement and record that they seem almost to undermine some of Mr. Hobson’s own conclusions.” Other journals discuss the controversial aspects of the question dealt with in the volume. EIGHTEEN YEARS IN THE KuHysBuR, 1879-1898, by Colonel Sir Robert Warburton, K.C.I.E., &c. (Murray, 16s.). “The very virtues of the man,” says the Times, “ will probably militate to some extent against the popular success of his biography,’ but “ what these pages lack in literary form they gain in evident sincerity of purpose.” ‘ All through this interesting volume,” remarks the Daily Tele- graph, “ we have a spectacle of constant devotion to duty, not always, perhaps, rewarded to the measure of its deserts.” Tue ImpmRIaAL RusstsNn Navy, by Fred T. Jane (Thacker, 30s.), is an analysis of the Russian policy by sea. The first half of the book, says the Spectator, is “an interesting history of the growth of the Russian Navy from the time when Queen Elizabeth lent a boat to Ivan the Terrible.’ Inthe second part the author deals with more general questions. ‘“ On the Chinese question, and, indeed, on the whole matter of our relations to Russia, he talks much admirable common-sense.” The volume “fills a distinct. gap in our naval literature,’ says the Daily AUTHOR. 227 Chronicle. ‘Mr. Jane’s views, based on personal inquiry in Russia, are those of one competent to judge,” and “ they are worthy of close and earnest attention.” Tur FrRANco-GerMAN WAR, 1870-71, by officers who took part in the campaign, translated and edited by Major- General Maurice and others (Sonnenschein, 21s.), presents, says Literature, “a consecutive history of the war, intelli- gently and graphically described.” It ‘is well worth reading, and the lessons which it teaches are still of value, chief amongst them the lesson that no bravery can avert defeat if the officers are careless in times of peace, or if the bonds of discipline are relaxed in deference to popular clamour.” America To-pay, by William Archer (Heinemann, 6s), is accorded “the highest praise” by the Daily Chronicle as being “the best plea for the true Anglo-American under- standing that has been given us by any English man of letters.” Mr. Archer’s travellers’ gossip ‘“‘ has the merit of being thoroughly sane and wholesome,” and “his sympathy is always active and his criticism is always temperate.’ ‘The work is the result of the author’s recent visit to the United States, and consists of ten “observations” and four “reflections.” Mr. Archer's impressions of America, says Literatwre, “are chiefly notable for their determined optimism.” ‘The literary reader will be chiefly interested in the essays on American literature and the American language with which the pleasant little volume concludes.” Nigerra, by Charles Henry Robinson, M.A. (Horace Marshall and Son, 5s.), is ‘‘ an attractive little book,” says the Daily News, ‘‘ by a traveller and a scholar,” containing a general sketch of the events that have led to the founda- tion of Nigeria, of some results of the company’s rule, the existing situation and the problems of the future. The Spectator refers to it as ‘‘a very informing and a very entertaining book,” and adds that Canon Robinson’s account of the Hausas is the most important part of the volume. Ix vue VALLEY oF THE RHONE, by Charles Wood (Macmillan, 10s.) is a “ delightfully illustrated antiquarian and archeological book of travel.” “‘ Mr. Wood is also an artist in manners and customs,” and one is uncertain, says the Spectator, * whether to admire the descriptions of archi- tecture and scenery, or the iuimitable dialogues, more; on the whole, the latter being the rarer gift, we must value it more.” ' Apvancep AvusrraLia, by William Johnson Galloway, M.P. (Methuen, 33. 6d.), treats, says the Guardian, ‘‘ only of the most modern and least romantic aspects of tke southern colonies. Perhaps its most interesting chapters are those which describe the scheme of old-age pensions now actually in force in New Zealand”; while the author’s account of the federation movement is “ lucid and instruc- tive.’ The Daily Chronicle calls it a “well-balanced and informing review ” of political questions. TeNNYSON AS A RELIGIOUS THACHER, by C. F. G Masterman (Methuen, 6s.) “‘ may be added to the rapidly filling shelf of Tennysonian literature,” says the Daily Chronicle, “ with the certainty that it will be consulted again.’ ‘“ Packed with thought,” it represents only one side of Tennyson’s genius, “but it represents that side thoroughly,” Mr. Masterman’s treatment of the Tennysonian philosophy being “not only intelligent, it is even searching and illuminating.” Literature speaks of the book as con- taining ‘‘ much food for thought on those great subjects the echoes of which so often mingle and harmonise with the name of Tennyson.” Lawextn’s Rematns, by H. B. (Vincent, Oxford, 2s. 6d.), induces Literature to say that ‘‘ perhaps, since the days of 228 the Ozford Spectator, nothing more amusing has come from “Oxford, at any rate in prose,” than this book, It “is more -easily read than described, but it may be said to be a satirical biography of an imaginary Fellow of an imaginary College.” The Times says it is ‘a delightful effort of sus- tained irony. Its object is to make fun both of the folly, which is so rampant, of writing unnecessary lives of unimportant people, and also of the less engaging qualities -of the latter-day don.” Tur UNPUBLISHED LEGENDS OF VIRGIL, collected by Charles Godfrey Leland (Stock, 3s. 6d.),‘‘ embodies much -ancient Italian tradition,” says the Literary World, although “¢ we never know what is tradition, and what is Leland.” “The work is consistently entertaining’”—‘‘ an excellent volume, full of interest and full of fun.” The Daily Chronicle says “ these popular traditions may be regarded .as a pleasant sequel” to Comparetti’s volume on “ Virgil in the Middle Ages.” Tur Hesrew TRAGEDY, by Colonel C. R. Conder (Bla :k- “wood, 38.), begins with Abraham crossing the Euphrates and ends with the Christianity of the early ages. The history of the Hebrews assumes in Colonel Conder’s hand, says the Spectator, ‘a reality which it often lacks. At the same time we never lose the sense of the separation between it and all other national histories.” Lucran, THE SyRIAN Satirist, by Lieutenant-Colonel H. W. L. Hime (Longmans, 5s.), is spoken of by the Daily ‘Chronicle as a “ most scholarly and interesting mono- -graph.” SavroLa, by Winston Spencer Churchill (Longmans, 6s.) is described by the Spectator as a “clever and interesting book, which is, above all else, the revela- tion of a masterful and audacious personality.” It gives a picture of Court life in an imaginary European State of to-day. The scene is laid in the capital of Laurania an imaginary republic with a seaboard on the Mediterranean, where the autocratic government of the President ‘‘ has only ‘Jed toa recrudescence of the discontent stamped out at the close of the Civil War five years previously.” Mr. Churchill “‘ wields a vigorous pen, he displays a genuine rhetorical gift of expression, his characters are boldly outlined and his incidents well planned.” ‘Its abundant cleverness is manifest throughout,” says the Daily Telegraph ; the Daily Chronicle regards the book as a very promising work ; and Literature says the story is “ well and briskly told, and not without some clever touches of character.” Foituy’s Corner, by Mrs. H. E. Dadeney (Heinemann, 6s.) is—up to Feb. 5—the best novel the Daily Chronicle has read since Christmas. ‘And we shall be pleasantly surprised if we read a better this side of Haster.’ The main motive is “the first passion of a woman for an ‘anworthy man outlasting, and not depleted by, the proof of unworthiness ; and always showing itself stronger than the most obvious self-interest.” Literature describes it as “a delightful novel; a comedy in fiction, with the tragic note, certainly, but with the proper comedy ‘curtain’ on the ‘happiness of the hero and the heroine.” SHAMELESS WAYNE, by Halliwell Sutcliffe (Unwin, 6s.), ‘is described by the Spectator as “ a very fascinating book.” A blood feud is the principal theme ; and “ as for the super- matural element, the phantom dog hardly strikes the reader as supernatural at all, so well does it blend with the wild narrative.’ The Daily Telegraph recommends the book to “‘all lovers of an exciting and well-told story,” adding that it will “undoubtedly be one of the books of the year.” This “vivid and luring romance of the York- -shire moors” is written, says the Daily News, “ with a vigour that never flags, and that carries the reader along ewith it.” THE AUTHOR. A Secret or THE NortH Sx, by Algernon Gissing (Chatto and Windas, 6s.), finds its principal note, says the Daily News, in “the wild rough life of the Northumbrian sea-coast, combined with a family feud of Corsican intensity.” “The book, powerful as it is, is one that everyone will not appreciate, but, per contra, the appreciation of those who do like it will be very marked.” ‘‘The very winds of the North Sea coast,” says Literature, “seem to blow over the rival farms,” in these pages; and the spirttuelle Kittiwake is recommended to the reader “as a first-rate little heroine.” Tue Lost ConTINENT, by Cutcliffe Hyne (Hutchinson, 6s.), “is fertile of thrilling situations,” says the Daily Chronicle. “The events that happened in this story happened a very long time ago, as long ago, in fact, as the days when Atlantis was a flourishing continent and its cultured inhabitants talked airily about the European savage.” Phorenice (as Empress of Atlantis) is “ very well done. She is a real woman beneath her trappings, and we are not at all sorry to have made her acquaintance.” QuzER-SrpE Srorius, by James F. Sullivan (Downey, 6s.), is a volume in the humorous vein, than which, the Spectator says, “no more effectual antidote to the prevalent depression has been given to the world in a literary form this winter.” The sketches are “extremely amusing,’ and “ presuppose no familiarity with the course of recent thistory or the technicalities of public life.” In Lonpon’s Hart, by George R. Sims (Chatto and Windus, 3s. 6d.), has been “read right through” by the Spectator, ‘and most of those who take it up will do the same.” ‘Asa substitute for witnessing one of Mr. Sims’s melodramas on the Adelphi boards, we can cordially recommend the perusal of ‘ In London’s Heart.” Tre Heart or THE Dancer, by Percy White (Hutchin- son, 6s.), a tale of “new men and old acres,” in which a decadent poet and a brilliantly-distinguished soldier are rival suitors for the hand of a fascinating actress, is, says the Spectator, “a great deal better written and more inte- resting than most modern society novels.” “It may be noted that in attributing to his heroine supreme excellence alike as sioger and dancer, Mr. White has no precedent in the annals of modern music. Bat the violation of proba- bility will be readily overlooked in a clever and entertaining book.” Tue Sky Priot, by Ralph Connor (Hodder and Stoughton, 6s.) is no way, says the Guardian, belonging to the class of what are distinctively called “ religious novels,” but it is “one of that rare order of books which are. not only very good to read, but which the reader instinctively feels the better for haviug read.” In the district known as the Foothills, lying immediately beyond the great prairies and in the shadow of the Rockies, ‘the author has been fortu- nate in finding a scene which has the delight of novelty.” Donna TERESA, by Frances M. Peard (Macmillan, 6s.), “has very decided charm,” says Literature, and “is well worth reading for the characters of the two sisters and its admirable pictures of life in Italy.” Another figure is Wilbraham, the lover of both sisters. ‘‘ There is, a8 perhaps there should be,” says the Guardian, “the dagger of an Italian socialist to end it all tragically, and it is noticeable that Teresa only forgives, and never loves, Wilbraham.” Fro, by Max Pemberton (Hodder and Stoughton, 6s.), is a romance turning on a projected mésalliance between Austrian prince and opera singer, which it is the object of the princely family and their myrmidons to prevent at all hazards. “The reader,” says the Daily News, “is kept in a state of perpetual excitement and suspense from begin- ning to end”; while the Daily Telegraph calls it “a very readable story, pleasantly told.” Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Author, Vol. 10 Issue 10 (March 1900) Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em>, Vol. 10 Issue 10 (March 1900) Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1900-03-01-The-Author-10-10 publications The Author https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/473/1900-04-02-The-Author-10-11.pdf 70ba4c1750fb179d0361aa362d603b58 PDF Text Text ������������������������ Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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) 1900-04-02 Volume 10 Issue 11 Pages Page range in volume 229–252 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 19000402 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin Che Muthbor. (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vou. X.—No. 11.] APRIL 2, 1900. [Prick 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. Pes Se 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 should be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent 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. tetas GENERAL MEMORANDA. ERE are a few standing rules to be observed in an agreement. ‘There are four 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, or with the advice of the Secretary of the Society. Il. A PROFIT-SHARING AGREEMENT (a bad form of agreement). In this case the following rules should be attended to : (1.) Not to sign any agreement in which the cost of pro- duction forms a part without the strictest investigation. (2.) Not to give the publisher the power of putting the profits into his own pocket by charging for advertisements in his own organs: or by charging exchange advertise- ments. Therefore keep control of the advertisements. (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 ! Ill. THE ROYALTY SYSTEM. It is above all things necessary to know what the proposed royalty means to both sides. 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.” IV. A COMMISSION AGREEMENT. The main points are :— (1.) Be careful to obtain a fair cost of production. (2.) Keep control of the advertisements. (3.) Keep control of the sale price of the book. GENERAL. ‘All other forms of agreement are combinations of the four above mentioned. Such combinations are generally disastrous to the author. Never sign any agreement without competent advice from the Secretary of the Society. Stamp all agreements with the Inland Revenue stamp. Avoid agreements by letter if possible. The main 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. eo WARNINGS TO DRAMATIC AUTHORS. i EVER sign an agreement without submitting it to the Secretary of the Society of Authors or some competent legal authority. 2. It is well to be extremely careful in negotiating for the production of a play with anyone except an established manager. 3. There are three forms of dramatic contract for PLAYS IN THREE OR MORE ACTS :— (a.) SALE OUTRIGHT OF THE PERFORMING RIGHT. This is unsatisfactory. An author who enters into such a contract should stipulate in the con- tract for production of the piece by a certain date and for proper publication of his name on the play-bills. (b.) SALE OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE TO PERFORM ON THE BASIS OF PERCENTAGES on gross receipts. Percentages vary between 5 and 15 yer cent. An author should obtain a  percentage on the sliding scale of gross receipts in preference to the American system. Should obtain a sum in advance of percentages. A fixed date on or before which the play should be performed. (c.) SALE OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE TO PERFORM ON THE BASIS OF ROYALTIES (1.€., fixed nightly fees). This method should be always avoided except in cases where the fees are likely to be small or difficult to collect. The other safeguards set out under heading (b.) apply also in this case. 4. PLAYS IN ONE ACT are often sold outright, but it is better to obtain a small nightly fee if possible, and a sum paid in advance of such fees in any event. It is extremely important that the amateur rights of one act plays should be preserved. 5. Authors should remember that performing rights can be limited, and are usually limited by town, country, and time. This is most important. 6. Authors should not assign performing rights, but should grant a licence to perform. The legal distinction is of great importance. 7. Authors should remember that performing rights in a play are distinct from literary copyright. A manager holding the performing right or licence to perform cannot print the book of the words. 8. Never forget that American rights may be exceedingly valuable. They should never be included in * English agreements without the author obtaining a substantial consideration. g. Agreements for collaboration should be carefully drawn and executed before collaboration is commenced. 10. An author should remember that production of a play is highly speculative: that he runs a very great risk of delay and a breakdown in the fulfilment of his contract. He should therefore guard himself all the more carefully in the beginning. 11. An author must remember that the dramatic market is exceedingly limited, and that for a novice the first object is to obtain adequate publication. As these warnings must necessarily be incomplete on account of the wide range of the subject of dramatic con- tracts, those authors desirous of further information are referred to the Secretary of the Society. <——<—— —_—_—_ HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. I. VERY member has a right to ask for and to receive advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his business or the administration of his property. If the advice sought is such as can be given best by a solici- tor, 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 Committee will obtain for him Counsel’s opinion. All this without any cost to the member. 2. Remember that questions connected with copyright and publisher’s agreements do not generally fall within the experience of ordinary solicitors. Therefore, do not scruple to use the Society. 3. Send to the Office copies of past agreements and past accounts with the loan of the books represented. The THE AUTHOR. Secretary will always be glad to have any agreements, new or old, for inspection and note. The information thng obtained may prove invaluable. 4. Before signing any agreement whatever, send the pro- posed document to the Society for examination. 5. 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. 6. 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 paymenta due according to agreements. THE READING BRANCH. EMBERS will greatly assist the Society in this N branch of their work by informing young writers of its existence. Their MSS. can be read and treated as a composition is treated by a coach. ‘The Readers are writers of competence and experience. The fee is one guinea. NOTICES. HE 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 6s. 6d. subscription for the year. Communications for The Author should be addressed to the Offices of the Society, 4, Portugal-street, Lincoln’s-inn Fields, W.C., and should reach the Editor not later than the 2ist of each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to communicate to the Editor any points connected with their work which it would be advisable in the general interest to publish. The present location of the Authors’ Club is at 3, White- hall-court, Charing Cross. Address the Secretary for information, rules of admission, &c. THE AUTHORS’ SYNDICATE. stated that the announcement in “The Literary Year Book,” mentioned in Mr. Thring’s letter in The Author for March, was wholly unauthorised. A correct announcement appeared in “ The Literary Year Book ” for — 1897. r \HE Authors’ Syndicate desires it to be |  THE AUTHOR. LITERARY PROPERTY. I—Tue New Copyricut. (By G. HerBeRT THRING, Secretary of the Society of Authors.) By kind permission of the Editor of the Daily Chronicle. N the piping times of peace it is with the greatest difficulty that the politician is persuaded to turn his thoughts to legislation concerned with literary property. Is it possible that when the trumpet of war is sounding the author and copyright owner will receive any attention? Perhaps not. Yet there will come shortly before Parliament a Bill which cannot fail to be full of interest to many of the literary readers of the Chronicle, namely, Lord Monks- well’s Copyright Bill, as approved by the Select Committee of the House of Lords. In 1897 that militant body, the Incorporated Society of Authors, thought, no doubt, that the question of copyright law reform had been slumbering too long, and drafted a short amending Bill, which dealt with the following subjects :— 1. Translations; 2. Magazine Copyright; 3. Copyright in Lectures; 4. Abridgments; 5. Dramatisation of Novels, &c.; 6. Summary Remedy for Infringement of Dramatic Copyright. All of which points were, under the existing law, in serious need of amendment. This Bill was put under the charge of Lord Monkswell. The Copyright Association, not to be outdone by the younger and more active society, went one better and produced a full con- solidating and amending Bill, embracing both artistic and literary copyright. In its first draft the Bill was impossible, but it finally was knocked into presentable shape and put under the charge of Lord Herschell. During 1898 these two bills yan side by side. A Select Committee of the House of Lords was appointed to consider them, anda large amount of evidence was taken. Lord Hlerschell’s sudden and unexpected decease at this time was lamentable, and much to be regretted, as his support of the cause made the copyright owner’s chance of success exceedingly good. Lord Thring, however, the well-known Parliamentary draftsman, who was sitting on the Select Com- mittee, volunteered to take the matter up and to draft a Bill to submit to their lordships. This was about the beginning of 1899. As soon as it was known that the question was going to receive the serious attention of so excellent a lawyer and draftsman, the Incorporated Society of Authors and the Copyright Association agreed to with- draw their Bills and allow the matter to proceed under such trustworthy guidance. The first step taken was to separate literary copyright from artistic copyright, as the property 231 was distinct in character, and must be legislated for on distinct lines. This was a good sign. It showed that the question was to be treated methodically, and gave assurance of some satis- factory order being evolved out of the chaos of existing laws. It was decided to deal with a Bill relating to literary property first. The alterations made in the existing law were based mainly on the report of the Copyright Commission which, appointed in 1875, reported in May, 1878. It is not proposed to discuss the various drafts, but that draft only which, approved by the Select Committee, was ordered to be printed on July 24, 1899. Literary copyright was divided into three parts, as stated in the memorandum accompanying the Bill: 1. Copyright properly so-called, or the right of multiplying copies of books ; 2. Performing right, or the right of publicly performing dramatic works or musical works. 3. Lecturing right, or the right of orally deliver- ing lectures. Here, again, it is evident that the method to be adopted is not only free from confusion, but shows a sound grasp of the complicated and difficult questions that surround the subject. Taking first of all copyright property properly so-called, the Bill proceeds in clause 3 to show what such copyright embraces. As these provisions are exceedingly important to the author, it is worth while to quote them in full. It embraces the exclusive right :— 1. To make copies by writing or otherwise of a book ; 2. To abridge such book ; 3. To translate such book ; 4. In the case of a dramatic work, to convert it into a non-dramatic work ; 5. Im the case of a non-dramatic work to con- vert it into a dramatic work. 6. In the case of a musical work to make any new adaptation, arrangement, or setting of such work or of the melody thereof in any notation or system. It will be perceived by those who have any, the smallest, knowledge of the existing law that the author, dramatist, and composer are allowed a much larger scope of dealing with their property, the outcome of their own brain, than at present. It is needless to discuss the ethics as to whether they should be allowed the possession of their own or not; but, taking the principle as a sound one, every increase of the facilities accorded is satisfactory, so long as it does not infringe upon the rights of the public. The existing law allows certain forms of abridgment, but disallows others. It does not seem in any way fair that the results of one man’s brain should be altered by the  232 arbitrary power of another. Section 2, referring to abridgments, is therefore sound. Translations appear under the existing law to be considered infringements. Section 3 is therefore declaratory of the existing law. Sections 4 and 5 are addi- tions to the author’s present rights, and are based on that sound rule that a substantial. appropria- tion of the ideas or work of another is an in- fringement of copyright, and ought to be so treated. In section 6 the same rule is carried into effect with regard to musical compositions. Clause 4 deals with the conditions and duration of copyright. The term under the present law is the life of the author and seven years afterwards, or forty-two years, whichever is the longer. This Bill adopts the recommendation of the Copy- right Commission—life and thirty years. This alteration will, no doubt, in most cases give a considerable extension, although in some it may cut down the period to less than under the pre- sent Acts. Two great advantages are, however, gained. Firstly, the date of termination is fixed and easily ascertained by the public at large; and, secondly, the persons who benefit under the will of the deceased are certain of holding some property, even though the period during which it is held is not of exceeding long duration. It seems impossible, in the present state of public opinion, that copyright should be perpetual, but it is a matter of great doubt whether it would not have been better to extend the term to life and fifty years, in order to bring it more in accord either with the present laws of the great nations of the Continent, or with the drafts of laws that will shortly be before them. The nearer the English law can be brought to agree with that of foreign Powers, the nearer is the ideal of one universal copyright law likely to be. Clause 5 deals with the property of dramatic and musical authors. It does away with the exist- ing confusion, brushes aside all barriers that have been raised by the succession of isolated Acts that now govern this property, and brings the whole into harmony in a simple, straightforward manner. Yet dramatic authors should raise strong objec- tions to sections 6 and 7, which seem to have been inserted with a view to carrying out the regula- tions of the Musical Compositions Acts, 1882 and 1888. These Acts may have been exceedingly necessary to protect the property of musical com- posers, but would be disastrous to dramatists. Clause 6 deals with lecturing, and proposes a simple method of securing these rights, and upsets the complicated absurdity at present existing. By clauses 5 and 6, the duration of performing rights and lecturing rights is made to coincide with that of copyright—namely, life and thirty years. The clauses following, 7 to 12, are of special impor- THE AUTHOKL. tance to authors, and therefore must be carefully considered by all those for whom this article ig penned. They deal with :— 1. Books published anonymously or pseudo. nymously, or posthumous works, giving duration of copyright in such works for thirty years. 2. Joint authorship, giving duration of copy- right until thirty years after the death of the survivor. 3. Plurality of authors, giving separate copy- right to each individual. 4. Magazine or serial copyright, giving dura- tion of copyright in any article appearing in an encyclopedia, review, magazine, &c., for life and thirty years, and in such article as a separate work after the term of two years from the date of publication in such review, magazine, &e, (encyclopedia omitted), to the author for life and thirty years. Thus, two concurrent copyrights in the same article are created, one owned by the proprietor, allowing him to reproduce his review, magazine, &c., containing the article, the other owned by the author, giving him a right to produce the article in a separate form after two years from the date of publication. This arrangement is a distinct advance, and yet it appears faulty on two points: (a) The term copyright should not have been applied to the right held by the pro- prietor of the review, magazine, &c., who should only hold a licence to reproduce: (6) the author should be permitted to reproduce, not at a fixed date from publication, but at a fixed date—say two years—from definite acceptance, or two years. from first publication, whichever event should first happen. This arrangement would seem fairer so long as magazine proprietors are human, otherwise an author’s work once accepted by a magazine might never be produced, greatly to the pecuniary loss of the author. The newspaper copyright clause, giving pro- tection under certain circumstances to news for eighteen hours, is responsible for the most far- reaching change in the whole Bill, and though it is a short clause must therefore meet with the most careful consideration. Is such protection necessary? Is it justifiable? To both these questions the answer must be in the affirmative. The ruling principle must be that where an individual has expended large sums to acquire certain property, that property should be pro- tected if such protection does not infringe public rights. Many of the big newspapers expend enormous sums to obtain reliable information ; such a clause as the present would enable them to obtain a fair return for their expenditure im time, trouble, and money, as it appears that the result would be that the smaller papers which now —  THE AUTHOR. 33 exist by cuttings would have to pay some small sum for the use of the news. Would not twenty- four hours be a more desirable limit than eighteen? The big papers should consider this. The clause is sure to create much discussion, but if not obscured by side issues it ought to obtain the support of all fair-minded people. There is another reason why the fight will rage round clause 12. It deals with the rights of newspapers. Newspapers can influence the voters, and accord- ingly politicians who also have inclinations and bias, even in an educated country, must look after their own interests. Clauses 13 and 14 deal with the assignment of literary rights. It is sincerely to be hoped that clause 14 will never be allowed to pass, as it deals with registration—a most unsatisfactory method of obtaining copyright. From this point the real interest in the Bill ceases, so far as the public point of view is concerned. The other clauses, dealing with infringement of literary rights, summary remedies, delivery of books to libraries, British Possessions, international copy- right, are not only necessary but of vital impor- tance, and it is possible that the success of the whole Bill may hang on the clauses dealing with British Possessions. Yet the interest they arouse is technical, and, though the student may recog- nise the almost insuperable difficulties that sur- round them, they do not influence the main points, or apparently increase or diminish an author’s property. The only other clause of real interest is clause 41 (Definitions). This is in the main declaratory of the present law, and satis- factory. The Bill is retrospective. Sufficient has now been said to show that this new effort deserves the support of all interested directly or indirectly in copyright property. It increases that property to its owner, it gives larger powers of dealing with it, and puts into one comprehensive Bill what is at present con- tained in disjointed and isolated Acts—Acts that in many poimts won’t read with one another, whose drafting is often incomprehensible, whose language is involved. All the existing difficulties are here cleared away, and though perhaps the Bill does not go far enough, yet as far as it goes it deals with the subject with method, clear- ness, and regularity. It has the support of the Incorporated Society of Authors and of the pub- lishers. It only remains for it to obtain that of the House of Commons. II.—Gerrman anp AUSTRIAN TREATY. We recently gave details of a copyright treaty between Great Britain and Austria-Hungary. We learn from our contemporary, Das Recht der VOL. x. 23 Feder, that a similar treaty is now under con- sideration between Austria-Hungary and the German Empire. a IlI.—Proposep New Copyricut in GERMANY. We have received from the Association Litté. raire et Artistique Interaationale a detailed pro- gramme and report of the recent Congress of Heidelburg, and an interesting report upon the projected German Copyright Law, from the pen of Dr. Albert Osterrieth. We have several times since this project of the new German law was published had occasion to point out that the proposed enactment by no means corresponds either with the legitimate desires of authors, or with modern ideas of what a copyright enactment should be ; and we have much pleasure in quoting Dr. Osterrieth’s concluding paragraph as an able summing-up of the case against the new law. “Tt must be recognised that the authors of the project have produced a very conscientious piece of work, and have exerted themselves to meet the demands of authors, publishers, and the public. But the excess of their zeal to take into considera- tion the interests of these different groups has led to some neglect of the principles affecting the rights of authors. I do not ask that the project should develop a definite theory respecting the nature of authors’ rights; but the law ought to be based upon some uniform system, which should have had the attention of the authors of the project. They have given themselves little pains to reduce their labours to a system, and hence have resulted the contradictions and incoherencies which I have attempted to indicate in my report.” LV.—CopyrigHt CONVENTION BETWEEN GREAT Britain AND AUSTRIA. On examining the file of Zhe <Au*hor it has been found that no mention has been made of the tact that a Convention exists between Great Britain and Austria-Hungary for the establish- ment of international copyright. The ratifications of the convention were exchanged on April 14, 1894. Its most important provisions are the following: Authors of literary and artistic works published in either country have in the other the same rights as if their works had been published there, and the same legal remedies against infringement. Right of translation lapses if not taken up within ten years. Authorised translations are protected as original works. The Convention applies to the whole British Empire, excepting the Dominion of Canada, the Cape, New South Wales, and Tasmania. The Con- vention is to remain in force for ten years. AA 234 V.—Proposep New Copyricnt Law For Russia. Russia has followed the example of Germany and has published for preliminary criticism a pro- ject of a new copyright law. <A full French translation of the Russian text will be found in our valuable contemporary Le Droit @ Auteur of Jan. 15, 1900, from which we quote the following articles, which seem to be those most interesting to authors. Russian authors who publish abroad have the same rights as if they had published in Russia. Duration of copyright of original works is author’s life and fifty years afterwards ; that of works produced by collaboration extends to fifty ears after the death of the last survivor ; that of collections of folk-lore, &c., life of editor and thirty years afterwards. Periodical publications, encyclopedias, &c., composed of the works of many authors, enjoy copyright for fifty years from publication ; and academies and learned societies have the same. The authors retain their inde- pendent copyright, but cannot, without editors’ consent, republish before expiration of two years. Anonymous works have thirty years’ copyright, beginning from date of publication. The copy- right of a work published in successive parts or volumes is calculated from the date of the publication of the last part, if the interval between the appearance of the successive portions is less than two years; if the interval is greater, the duration of the copyright of each part is calculated separately. Authors of works pub- lished in Russia and Russian authors whose works are published abroad have sole right of translation for ten years, provided that this right is retained by an announcement on title or in preface and that the translation appears within five years after the publication of the original work. Works published simultaneously in several languages are considered as original works in all those languages. A translator's copyright has a duration of thirty years. This right does not prevent the publication of other independent translations. Copyright exists not alone in works fixed by writing, but also in speeches, lectures, conferences, and sermons, with a few limitations in the case of judicial and political pronounce- ments. Private letters cannot be published with- out consent of both writer and receiver ; nor, after their death, without consent of heirs, for fifty years. The reproduction in Russia of the work of a foreign author without his consent is forbidden, but translations may be published in Russian or in other languages. A publisher must produce work within five years of signature of agreement. Without special agreement a single edition may not exceed 1200 copies. THE AUTHOR. Modifications cannot be made without author's consent. Right of translation does not accom- pany right to publish. An unpublished work cannot be seized by creditors. Piracy is punish- able with destruction of the whole edition and of all plates, &c., used to produce it. Action must be taken within five years. VI.—MousicaL CopyRicHr. ie (Before Mr. Justice Phillimore.) Société des Auteurs, &c., de Musique and Others v. Chappell and Co. Limited —In this case the Socicté des Auteurs, Compositeurs, et Editeurs de Musique de Paris, M. Harry Frogson: and M. Adolph Stanilas sued Messrs. Chappell and Co. to obtain a declaration that the plaintiffs were entitled to the performing rights in the United Kingdom of the music of a waltz song entitled “ Les Blondes,” of which MM. Frogson and Stanilas were the composers or of any adap- tation or arrangement of it. They also claimed an injunction restraining the defendants from representing that they were the owners of the performing right, and that the music could be performed without the licence of the plaintiffs. The plaintiffs based their claim upon the Berne Convention and the English Copyright Acts. The words of the song were written by Lucien Delormel, since deceased, and it was first per- formed in France. ‘The song was declared in writing to the Société, who collect the authors and composers’ fees throughout France, and dis- tributed the proceeds in March, 1896, and they claimed under their statutes to be entitled to the performing rights both in France and in this country. Their claim was, in the first instance, the only one made, with a view of testing the question, and the composers were afterwards added as parties to the action. The defendants denied the plaintiffs’ assertions, and claimed to be entitled to the performing rights under an assign- ment from Delormel. A number of eminent French avocats were in attendance to give evidence as to the law, and they, at the invitation of the learned judge, seated themselves within the Bar. Mr. Scrutton appeared for the plaintiffs, and Mr. Dickens, Q.C., and Mr. Bustace Smith for the defendants. While M. Stanilas, who, at the suggestion of the learned judge, was cross-examined in French, was giving evidence, it appeared that Delormel had not the consent of the composers to assign to Mr. Chappell. - Mr. Dickens thereupon said he could not carry the case or the assignment further, and  THE AUTHOR. Judgment was entered for the plaintiffs Frogson and Stanilas, with costs, and the impor- tant point raised as to the rights of the Société was not gone into.—The Standard. II. At Scarborough, Mr, H. E. Jackson, of 2, Sher- wood-street, appeared in answer to summonses, one of which alleged that he, not being the pro- prietor of the copyright of a certain copyright book first published in France—namely, the music composed by Charles Gounod, of a certain opera called “ Faust,” did sell a copy of the book between Nov. 22 and Dec. 3 last. The other summonses were for having the book in his pos- session for sale or hire, and for importing the book into the United Kingdom for sale. Mr. Ernest Wilkinson (Messrs. Wilkinson, Howlet, and Wilkinson, of London) prosecuted, and Mr. Tasker Hart defended. The evidence showed that Mr. A. A. Edwards, one of Messrs. Chappell’s managers, had his atten- tion drawn to a circular issued by the defendant relating to the book in question. He wrote to Mr. Jackson. (inclosing tos.) for a copy, which was forwarded in due course. It was then found that defendant had obtained the copy from Holland, and that he had advertised the sale of the book by circular, announcing therein that it was copyright. It was shown that Messrs. Chap- pell and Co. were the proprietors of the copy- right. Mr. Hart’s main point in defence was that the magistrates had no jurisdiction, this being vested in the magistrates of the district where the book was delivered—viz., Ealing. He expressed sur- prise that a respectable firm like Messrs. Chappell and Co. should lay what he claimed was a trap to catch the defendant. The magistrates convicted on two of the sum- monses, and imposed a fine of ros. on each, together with £4 costs, £5 in all.—Daily Chronicle, March 1. VII.—Apvertisements Nor Parp For, Readers will please take notice that an author who recently received in an account a charge for advertisements in the publisher’s own organ, called the attention of the firm to the matter, and the charge was immediately taken out. There is very little doubt that in every case where such a charge is attempted it will be withdrawn rather than face the decision of a court. VOL. X. 235 THE GENERAL MEETING. HE annual general meeting of the Incor- porated Society of Authors was held at 20, Hanover-square, on Thursday, Feb. 27. Mr. A. Hope Hawkins took the chair at 4.30 and was supported by about sixty members. He opened the meeting by commenting on the report in detail and explaining the aims and objects of the Society as exemplified by its work. He poimted out the satisfactory increase in membership, 216 having been elected in the past year, and an increase of £240 in subscriptions. He made special reference to the accession of dramatic authors. The intentions of the Committee in establishing a pension scheme were laid before the members in considerable detail, and the Chairman stated that about £1100 had been subscribed in donations and about £100 in yearly subscriptions. He hoped next year to start at least one pension. The subject of the Society’s action in the matter of the Copyright Bill was reviewed, and the im- portance of using all possible influence to get it passed was impressed on the meeting. The Chairman then turned to what he considered the really important daily work of the Society, its legal and advisory work. He stated that on this work the real strength of the Society rested, and he was glad to say that it was going forward satisfactorily. He closed his remarks by saying that the Committee had decided to issue cheap tickets for the dinner this year in crder to give all members a chance of coming, as it was the only social function of the Society. Discussion OF THE PENSION SCHEME. Mr. Zangwill then rose to oppose the pension scheme, both on what he stated to be selfish and unselfish grounds. He crystallised his opinion into the following sentence—that great authors should be supported by the public at large, and little authors not at all. Mr. Bernard Hamilton then made a few remarks, and Mr. Bernard Shaw made some useful suggestions, especially that the Committee of the Society should officially support applicants for Civil List Pensions. Mr. E. Rose, Mr. A. W. a Beckett, and others also spoke, strongly supporting the pension scheme, In fact it was really the only point in the report which was discussed. Mr. Hawkins summed up in a few words, explaining away the difficulties and objec- tions that had been raised, and thanking the members for the general support the scheme had received. AA 2  236 Tar BooxsTaLL GRIEVANCE. Mr. Mullett Ellis then proposed the following resolutions :— i. That the exercise of a literary censorship of books by the large trading monopoly, whose business is that of mere distributors and newsvendors, is not advantageous to Letters. 2. That the system of monopoly which dominates the railway bookstalls throughout the Kingdom, gives to one firm a power over the output and distribution of popular literature, and of political journals, which is damaging to the interests of authors, and of the public. 3. That a copy of the foregoing resolution be sent to the chairman and directors of the various railway companies, with a respectful request that on the next available occasion, the licenses of the railway bookstalls be given to more than one firm of booksellers, and that the principle of competition in the supply of literature be thus substituted for the existing monopoly. (a) Because it would be of financial advantage to the shareholders of the railway companies. (b) Because the dominance of one firm over the sale of newspapers and popular literature, is a political danger which may even threaten the national liberties, and is damaging to literature. (c) Because the existing system of the monopoly of one trading firm has, during many years past, been exercised in censorship of authors. (d) Because the sale of books at railway bookstalls has become so enormous that an alteration in the existing system has become a necessity, many valuable works not being now obtainable at the bookstalls, so that if the abuse be not dealt with by the railway companies, it will be necessary to seek the intervention of Parliament. Mr. Ellis read a series of letters he had received from various authors on the subject, expressing various opinions, and then proceeded to state his reasons in support of his motion. This he did by reading lengthy extracts of a letter from Messrs. Smith and Son, a copy of which had been printed in The Author. As Mme. Sarah Grand was unable to be present and second the resolutions, they were seconded by Mr. J. Louis, who explained that Messrs. Smith and Son had dealt unfairly with a paper in which he was interested, entitled Our Sisters ; as, though Messrs. Smith had taken a large number of the issue, and had promised to put them on the stalls, he (Mr. Louis) had been unable to find out that they had m any way fulfilled their promise. Mr. Bernard Shaw moved, as an amendment to the original resolution, that all the words after “railway companies” in resolution 3 should be omitted. He thought it would be a good thing to make a formal protest, but he also stated that he considered Messrs. Smith and Son’s institution a very desirable and advantageous distributing agency for authors. Mr. Zangwill seconded the amendment, on the grounds that no commercial body had any right to constitute itself a censor of literature. THE AUTHOR. Mr. Gribble opposed the whole thing as likely to make the Society ridiculous. He stated that if the Society was going to make a stir it ought to have a better case on which to go to the public than the present, and apart from this, he explained that if Messrs. Smith and Son were done away with authors would lose a great deal ; that as a general rule their methods were sound commercially. Mr. Bernard Hamilton then made a few remarks in favour of the resolutions. Mr. Hawkins, the Chairman, thereupon rose and stated at full length the action the Committee had adopted with regard to Mr. Mullett Ellis’s com- plaint during the past year, and the opinion that the Committee had formed, as he thought the members ought to be cognisant of this. The Com- mittee, he said, had made private inquiries and had been informed that Mr. Ellis’s book had been rejected primarily on financial grounds, but that Messrs. Smith and Son had not boycotted the book, as they were willing to order it when asked for. The Committee had considered the question carefully from all points of view, and had come to the conclusion not only that any action on the lines suggested would be inexpedient, but that if it had been expedient it would be unsatisfactory. The Committee did not intend to vote. Mr. Henry Norman then moved “ the previous question.” He stated that newspapers and the Press had often seriously considered the question of Messrs. Smith and Son, and that it had been found impossible, even with the great influence possessed by the Press, to effect any change, even if such change were at all likely to be desirable. The motion was put and carried by twenty-five to five, and the proceedings then terminated. PARIS NOTES. : 5, Rue Chomel. < QQ" juss on ne secourt pas les faibles, fussent-ils admirables et heroiques, il est a la fois pueril et imprudent de harceler les forts, et surtout de les outrager.” Such was the advice tendered by M. Paul Deschanel to his electors, on the occasion of a banquet given in his honour to celebrate his reception at the Academy and his re-election to the office of president of the French Chamber. Never was a similar warning more timely or necessary. During the last few months the output of scurrilous publications and obscene caricatures, ridiculing everything most dear and sacred to English hearts, has been simply revolting. Ninety per cent. of the coarse  THE AUTHOR. abuse formerly lavished on the long-suffering Israelite has lately been devoted to vilifying our race. ‘The degradation of England is the advan- tage of France” was the lame excuse profferred by a member of the French Press in support of the outrageous language adopted by his confréres. This fallacious phrase caught the popular fancy and sank deep into the national mind, bearing down and obliterating the old traditions of French courtesy and generosity. The effect has been pain- fully apparent (especially during Carnival week) to the Anglo-Parisian frequenter of les grands boulevards. Gaudily-coloured, revolting carica- tures of the personage most revered among all European potentates; vulgar, obscene prints headed “ Prix aux cochons,” with the names of our bravest generals appended, in order to leave no doubt as to the personages aimed at; anda score of equally offensive productions of the same genre have affronted the beholder’s eyes at every turn. The authorities can scarcely be held responsible for a state of affairs which they are, unfortunately, unable to remedy, the inefficiency of the police re the populace having been palpably manifested during the Fort Chabrol affair. Of the 74,212 candidates who officially presented themselves for employment at the beginning of the year, only 1557 were accepted; and when the opening of the Great Exhibition joins to this large army of probably already disaffected unem- ployed the thousands of workmen now occupied within its walls, lively scenes may be anticipated. «Aprés moi le déluge,” quoth Louis XV. And the masses verified his prediction. A New Acapemy. The First Chamber of the Court of Appeal has decided in favour of the establishment of the Académie Goncourt. M. Léon Daudet (who has succeeded his father as legal executor of Edmond de Goncourt’s last will and testament) will, in all probability, be nominated president of the new association. Edmond de Goncourt was a man of high, original talent, and he was also “a rebel by nature.” He detested the existing French Academy, and frequently fulminated against it when enjoying the society of his intimate friends. His idea was to found an institution which should prove an agreeable haven of refuge to those writers whom he considered unjustly excluded from ascending the dais of the immortals. Never- theless, he expressly stipulates that until the sum of 65,000 francs per annum be accumulated, the Académie Goncourt shall only exist as a provi- ‘sional society. He likewise states that, though no other prize than the Goncourt prize can be founded by the young Academy, the latter recom- pense may be augmented from five to ten thousand re francs ; but that, when once this figure is attained, the additional capital shall be employed in augmenting the salary of the ten members, three of whom still remain to be elected. A provi- sional prize of 1200 francs for the best work of imagination in prose which shall appear during the year is also provided for, together with 1400 francs per annum to be expended in a weekly dinner (at twenty francs per head) which the aforesaid members are required to partake in company during the months of November, December, January, February, March, April, and May. In short, despite the disdainful attitude of the elder Academy and the “talon rouge” dis- played by one of its most illustrious associates, the members of the new Academy are in no wise to be pitied. “Prace aux Dames.” The present generation of French authoresses are not disposed to hide their light under a bushel. They are now meditating another step in advance, to wit, the nomination of a feminine candidate to sit on the committee of the Société des Gens de Lettres. This project was mooted last year; but so many agitating subjects were then brought forward that the ladies magnani- mously permitted their project to be set aside, being unwilling to add fuel to the flames of dis- sension already rending the society. M. Marcel Prévost, whose term of presidency is rapidly drawing to its close, is in sympathy with the movement, which can scarcely be considered as an innovation, since George Sand was formally invested with this honour, though she never attended a single meeting. The ladies have deter- mined to nominate only one candidate, in order to avoid any splitting of votes, which would assuredly result in their defeat. Mlle. Maugeret, editress of the Mminisme Chrétien, will probably be the candidate chosen. The writings of Mme. Jean Bertheroy, “ that dark-eyed, red-lipped, living incarnation of Carmen,” enjoy, in most instances, a well-merited popularity. This is, unfortunately, not the case as regards her latest novel, entitled ‘“ Lucie Guérin, marquise de Ponts.” The tale is simply the apotheosis of adultery, the glorification of criminal passion ¢o the detriment of honour, duty, gratitude, and all nobler sentiments. It is to be hoped that Mme. Bertheroy’s next venture may have as wide a popularity, and a higher moral tone than her present contribution to French literature. Press AMENITIES. Duels between members of the Press and susceptible individuals whom their nimble pens have offended are greatly in vogue. In these  238 THE discourteous days, the dexterous manipulation of sword and pistol forms a necessary part of the education of every self-respecting, life-loving, political French writer. Few journalists, how- ever, are called out by antagonists so plucky and unskilful as the councillor-general of the Charente, who recently parried his adversary’s attack by wildly plunging his sword into the thigh of the unoffending assistant-surgeon who served as one of the witnesses in the affair. The vexed ques- tion as to whether a son can, in certain cases, substitute himself bis father’s champion is still undecided. An incident in the career of Dumas fils shows that the notorious pamphleteer, Hugéne de Mirecourt, was averse to this filial substitution, which would have considerably augmented the dangers of his already perilous career. De Mirecourt had just issued a terrible pamph- let, entitled ‘Dumas et Cie,” whose implacable logic sheared away the greater part of the glory of the illustrious author of “ Les Trois Mousque- taires,’ when one fine morning his domestic pre- sented him with the card of Alexandre Dumas fils. Immediately after a stalwart young man entered the editorial sanctum, and brusquely announced—‘ You have insulted my father, and Tam come to demand satisfaction for the insult.” “Your conduct is dictated by too honourable a sentiment to allow of my refusing your request,” blandly responded De Mirecourt. ‘‘ Permit me to ask you asingle question. Is your father in good health?” Receiving a gruff response in the affirmative, he politely added, “Then everything can be easily arranged.” He forthwith rang, and ordered the domestic in attendance to inform M. Edgar he was wanted. Two minutes later the domestic reappeared, leading by the hand a pretty little fellow of some eight or ten years of age. De Mirecourt rose and, with an urbanity worthy the great Turveydrop himself, ceremoniously enunciated : “My son—M. Dumas fils. Be kind enough, sir,” he continued, turning to his visitor, “to settle with my son the little matter which brought you here.” Dumas fils had too keen a sense of humour not to be amused by the incident. He smiled at the child, bowed to De Mirecourt, and withdrew. Nothing further was heard of the affair. Joris Kari HuysMans. Among notable books of the month may be mentioned “Pages Catholiques,” by Joris Karl Huysmans, in which the author, under the pseudonym of “ Durtal,” narrates the history of his own conversion. In the preface, written by Abbé Mugnier to commend this re-edition of the AUTHOR. most eloquent pages of the celebrated “ En Route” to the perusal of the faithful, we find the following vigorous refutation of the insinu- ations of insincerity levelled against the famous convert: “Que certaines irrévérences et bizar- reries de langage alent pu surprendre ou égarer le jugement de plusieurs, il n’y a rien d’étonnant. oe On ne joue pas 4 ce point le repentir! On ne fait pas jaillir artificiellement de telles larmes! Décrire, avec cette précision, les effets de certains. sacrements, c’est les avoir ressentis, 4 deux genoux,. comme un croyant. Et il faut étre encore prati- quant pour se plaire aux mystiques pour glorifier ’Eglise avec des accents qui n’appar- tiennent qu’a ses fils . . .” From which it may be gathered that the Romish Church is disposed to be lenient to the eccentricities of its renowned convert. Close to my present abode runs the pious Rue de Stvres, where the famous author of “La-Bas” lived for so many years in reputed familiar association with the Evil One. It was impossible to see him unless he himself desired the interview, for he had constructed a species of observatory — commonly called a judas” —from which he could observe his visitors unseen; and unless their physiognomy chanced to be to his taste, he remained obsti- nately deaf to all entreaties or demands for admit- tance. He is reported to have already commenced an analytical dissection of his present feelings, which will be published under the title of “T’Oblat.” “QO cHeR Roopyar!” The above phrase, repeated some months ago with parrot-like persistency in various literary salons, completely mystified me for a time. At first, I laboured under the delusion that ‘‘ce cher Roodyar” was an amiable member of an ex- tremely numerous French family; later on, I presumed him to be either a modern Admirable Crichton of hig-lif fame, or else an aristo- cratic young dandy on whom had devolved the sceptre of fashion formerly swayed by the late Prince de Sagan; and it was some weeks before it dawned on my bewildered mind that “ce cher Roodyar” of Parisian fame was no less a per- sonage than our own _ illustrious Rudyard Kipling. The attitude he has adopted in regard to the Transvaal War has caused a temporary eclipse of his popularity ; but the cloud is already lifting. Translations of his latest “ Jungle Book”’ series are again being eagerly read, or, at least, placed well in evidence in the leading booksellers’ shops, and on the étagéres of those gilded youths who are reputed to possess cosmopolitan literary tastes. The subjoined description of his personality gives a good example of the extreme fineness of observa-  THE tion and keen eye for detail which characterise the majority of word portraits limned by French writers: “ Crane vaste et fuyant de dolicho-céphale, front dégarni déja (il n’a pas trente-quatre ans) comme pour mieux montrer l’ossature de silex, la fine et forte construction de la téte: yeux noy¢s dombre sous l’arcade séche et creusée, las, dirait- on, davoir regardé trop, paisibles derriére les lunettes studieuses ; michoire effilée comme une lame; mince menton saillant et volontaire; un profil réduit A l’essential, aigu, obstiné comme une pince d’acier qui ne lachera jamais sa prise, et pourtant détendu dans du réve et de la contempla- tion, &c.” Space forbids our citing the conclusion of M. André Chevrillon’s graphic description (vide M. Emile Berr.) New PusiicaTions. Among books of the month will be found— « Au Pays des nuits blanches,” by M. Emile Berr ; “Des Histoies,’ by M. Michel Corday (chez Ollendorf) ; ‘ Draco,” by M. Paul Gaulot (chez Plon) ; ‘“ La Double Maitresse,” by M. Henri de Régnier (Société du Mercure de France) ; “ La Fin du théAtre romantique et Francois Ponsard,” by M. Latreille (chez Hachette) ; “ Musiciens et philosophes,” by M. Kufferath (chez Alcan) ; and «“ Silhouettes contemporaines, les hommes de mon temps,” by M. Paul Vibert (chez Berger-Lev- rault). Darracorre Scort. pe BOOKS FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN HOSPITALS. N consequence of the large number of edu- cated men who have gone to the front, it is of great importance to provide high-class literature for the hospitals. Miss Edith Rhodes, 22, South Audley-street, W., who has gone to the front to a base hospital near De Aar, would gladly receive contributions of books from the readers of The Aufhor, which will be forwarded by her agents to South Africa without expense to the senders, and carefully distributed to the hospitals from her depdt at Wynberg. Magazines are unfortunately too bulky and cost too much to send up country. Miss Rhodes’s depot will remain open till Easter. AUTHOR. 239 AMERICAN NOTES. N interesting plan has been devised by the St. Louis Library in dealing with novels which happen to be in great demand at theinstitution. Although fiction constitutes only 25 per cent. of the annual book product in the United States, 75 per cent. of the circulation of public libraries consists of novels. The librarian finds himself between two fires—that of the taxpayers and that of the card-holders, who are wroth because the books they want are always “ out.” How the St. Louis people have solved the problem is told by Mr. Frederick M. Crunden in a recent number of the English magazine, the Library (second series, No. 1, Kegan Paul). The library has established what it calls a “ collection of duplicates,” which consists of all the temporarily popular novels that happen to be the fad of the hour, This collection is paid for by charging five cents (24d.) a week to each regu'ar card-holder who draws one of these duplicate volumes. For example, when the regular library copy happens to be out, the seeker of “ Ben Hur,” or “ Trilby,” or “ David Harum” can be satisfied by paying a trifling fee, while otherwise he might have to wait many weeks or months without being able to draw the book. With the money thus received, the librarian or trustees can keep on buying extra copies as long as the demand exceeds the supply. In this way the St. Louis Library ultimately bought fifty copies of “ Ben Hur” before the demand slackened, but the whole lot cost the library nothing. In like manner it bought stx regular and ninety-four duplicate copies of “Trilby,” and for eight or ten weeks none of these copies was ever idle on the shelf. The ninety-four “ duplicates” paid for the whole hundred. The same has been done since with other novels for which there is an abnormal demand; and popular magazines, books, and other fiction are supplied at the same rate when the demand runs beyond the ordinary. An important decision has been given by the Supreme Court of Tllinois, in the case of the Daily Inter-Ocean of Chicago against the Asso- ciated Press. The Associated Press covers the various parts of the United States, where its agents gather news, which is wired to it, and through it such news is received by the various newspapers of the country, one of whom was the Inter-Ocean. It had deprived the Inter-Ocean of news on the ground that the latter had disre- garded a bye-law forbidding any newspaper to receive news from any person, firm, or corporation that had been declared “ antagonistic” by the Associated Press. The Jnter-Ocean violated this rule by obtaining news from the New York Sun,  240 and by authority of another bye-law the Asso- ciated Press suspended the recalcitrant Chicago newspaper. The Illinois Supreme Court has over- ruled the judgment of the lower court, and declared that the Press association cannot prevent its members from obtaining news from any sources it may choose. One of the most interesting passages in the court’s decision is that in which the obligation of the Press association to serve the public is insisted upon: “ Its obliga- tion to serve the public is not one resting on contract, but grows out of the fact that it is in the discharge of a public duty, or a private duty which has been so conducted that a public interest has attached thereto.” A rebuke is administered to American news- papers by the Chicago Dial on a small but inte- resting point. No one who has read American papers attentively can have failed to observe that in referring to persons by name they dis- regard the prefix of “Mr.” It is a little sur- prising, however, to find a correspondent of the Dial, who writes from the University of Wis- consin, Madison, protesting against that journal’s description of the Norwegian dramatist as Dr. Ibsen, and pleading the superior dignity of simple “Ibsen.” The editor’s reply is very much to the point. He says: We believe it to be a matter of the merest good manners to speak of people in print as we should speak to them in private conversation. If we were addressing Dr. Ibsen personally, we certainly should not call him “Ibsen,” and are unwilling to offer him that discourtesy when writing about him. If we did not call him “Dr.” we should be obliged to call him “ Herr,” which our critic would probably think equally pedantic. Thus the cases of Shakespeare and Byron, who are not among the living, have no bearing upon the question. Our practice in this matter illustrates one of those “little touches’”—to use Professor Peck’s phrase—that means so much to persons of refined taste. The habit which Germans and Scandinavians have of denying in print to their living fellow-countrymen the titles whereby gentlemen designate one another is a thing which —as far as it goes—indicates an imperfect civilisation, and it is one of the minor depravities of the American newspaper that itso encourages this form of. rudeness that we should now be taken to task for observing the ordinary amenities of social intercourse. Commenting on the proposed Pension Fund of the Society of Authors, the Chicago Tribune says the best feature of the scheme is that it is contributed to by writers, and will be supported solely by them. ‘The day when the author is willing to be dependent upon the bounty of a Mecenas is past, or should be.” THE AUTHOR. NOTES AND NEWS. HE Morning Post noticed in a leading article—it was on Feb. 8th but the cutting only reached me the other day—the letter in The Author concerning Australian literature. The writer argues that our Australian corres- pondent wants multiplication of writers rather than quality of work. I do not find that desire, but this part may be left for the moment. The leading article goes on to say: “This would be amusing if it were not so hope- lessly, so pathetically wrong. There lies at the root of it the base, absurd notion which has in these latter days been accidentally taught by men who ought to have known better, that literature is a profession, like the law and the church, or what not : . To take to literature as one might take to the Bar is not the way to produce anything that is worth calling literary; and the more the commercial side of literature is encouraged and maintained the less likely are the books produced to be literary in quality.” I should very much like to know who are the men referred to. Certainly they are not con- nected with the Society of Authors. We have steadfastly and strenuously pointed out the dangers of taking up literature as a profession: — the humiliations, the dependence, to which those who do so and fail are reduced. Week after week, day after day, the old con- fusion asserts itself, the confusion between literary work and commercial value. Over and over again, a thousand times, it must be repeated that the one has no necessary connection with the other. Literary work produced to sell is like everything else produced to sell—presumably shoddy and worthless. Our contention is simply this: The literary workman produces his best. While he is at work he cannot possibly regard the commercial side of his work; else, how could it be his best? The commercial value begins when it is finished. He can then do what he pleases with his work: he can give it to his publishers, as Lord Lyttelton gave his “ Henry the Second” ; or he can consent to be “ bested,” as will probably happen to him unless he takes care; or he may look after his own property. In any case how does the “ commercial side of literature” spoken of by our leader-writer come in? And bow is it encouraged ? Meantime, though we do not advocate—but quite the contrary—the attempt to live by litera- ture in any form or branch, the fact remains that there are many hundreds—even thousands—who Pt) a £ & % i THE AUTHOR. do live by literature. They write leading articles for the Morning Post and other papers: they write plays: they write novels: they write essays for magazines: they do all kinds of literary work : they write educational, scientific, and technical books. It is the custom in The Author to speak of those who live by letters as following the pro- fession of letters ; also, of those who live by acting as following the profession of the actor; while those who live by the law follow the profession of barrister. If a man cannot act, if a man has not the legal mind, he cannot live by either pro- fession. So, ifa man has not the literary gift he cannot follow the profession of literature. After all, the name signifies nothing. Let it be called a trade—or anything else; the leader-writer may class himself with the retail dealer, or the novelist with the costermonger if it pleases him. The fact remains. Here is a calling, or a trade, or an industry, by which a vast multitude earn a livelihood, and a few make very considerable prizes. Are we to encourage them to throw away their property or to defend it? Certainly not the former because we are told that this is “ encourag- ing the commercial view.” Let me quote here a warning of my own which has been in other forms often presented in The Author :— “T hope that these words and the chapters which follow will not induce any young man hastily to abandon his present employment in order to embark upon the profession of letters. The old miseries are gone, it is true, but there are many broken hearts, many cruel disappointments, many bitter disillusions, even in the present day. The literary life without a reasonable measure of success must be a disappointed and a miserable life. That reasonable measure of success is an essential. Therefore, I repeat, I should be very sorry indeed if, by any words of mine, any young man should be persuaded to exchange his certain work, whatever it is, for an uncertain plunge into literature. “ To those few, however, who think they possess the necessary qualifications: to those who feel really impelled to join the ranks of literature, I would say, ‘ Come Don’t think of making money—there are a thousand chances to one against it. pe The discussion on the pension scheme at the annual meeting showed, to begin with, that the project is imperfectly understood. One speaker seemed to object altogether to the grant- ing of pensions to literary folk. The same objec- tion would apply to the grants of the Royal 241 Literary Fund and to the pensions of the Civil List. He also seemed anxious to divide literary people into great authors and small authors. But who is to make that division? How is it to be made? - Are we to call an author great because his works circulate by the hundred thousand ? In that case, not to speak of English writers, Mr. Charles Sheldon is the greatest of living authors : also, for three-fourths of his life, Robert Browning was the smallest of his contem- poraries. Or are we to give this important divi- sion into the hands of reviewers ? But they will not agree. Or into the hands of authors themselves ? Then every poet will place himself in the front rank. Itis not, in fact, a question as to literary position, which is a very doubtful thing in most cases. The question is simply this: Every other profession has its own fund for the help of those who break down through age or sickness—why not the literary profession? We do not propose to give a pension to anyone simply because he has been a member of the profession: we only offer to those of our members who are followers of the literary craft in any of its branches assistance in the case of a permanent breakdown. But, it is ignorantly objected, there is the Royal Literary Fund. That society gives grants in aid, not 5 d Dre 5 z, es pensions. It cannot give pensions without a change in its charter. Or there is the Civil List of £1200 a year. The share of literature in this list is £400 a year. The First Lord of the Treasury can do what he likes with the grant: he may give the half of it, or three-fourths of it, to one man: as a rule, he gives nearly the whole of it to widows and daughters of the literary prefession, and in so doing probably does the best he can with the money. To return to the Society’s pensions. Nobody enters the profession of law, medicine, acting, or any other, because there are associations which befriend the wrecks. In the same way no one will enter upon the literary profession because we have founded a Pension Fund for the unfortunate. We have only to place ourselves on the same footing as any other profession, in order to understand exactly how the Pension Fund will be administered, and what will be its effect upon the literary profession generally. It was suggested at the meeting that the Society should bring its influence to bear upon the Government and its administration of the Civil List. The Society has already done so. It has published an exposure of the management of the grant: it has caused several awkward questions to be asked in the House: and the result has been a great deal more care in its administration of late years. What can the Society do more? Can it recommend persons wortby of a pension ?  THE 242 Gan it make the First Lord more careful so to divide his pensions as to include as many as possible ? Can it enlarge the grant? It seems, on the other hand, a better policy to keep a watch upon the nominees, and to encourage the better plan of bestowing the pensions more ,upon the widows and daughters, than upon the writers themselves. Would it not be well to drop altogether the word “small” author? We do not find actors talking of “small” actors, medical men talking of “small” doctors, barristers talking of “small” lawyers, or ecclesiastics talking of “small” clergymen. This reticence does not exclude respect for the more distinguished in any of these professions. All we want is the reeogni- tion of a professional status by members of the profession. A correspondent in a recent number of The Author met very cleverly the common objection that since any one from the outside may come in and begin to write, literature cannot be considered as a profession. Why, he said, in effect, any outsider may go on the stage, anyone with a box of paints may paint a picture; yet no one pretends that acting is not a profession, and no one maintains that painting is not a profession. As regards the “small” author, George Eliot once wrote a paper on the subject: the fact does not justify her or anyone else in contempt for writers who have not yet stepped to the front. Let us recognise the possibilities of every follower of literature. Another subject of discussion was a resolution proposed by Mr. Mullett Ellis, on the subject of Messrs. W. H. Smith and Son’s bookstalls. The resolution was defeated by twenty-six to five. The defeat was a foregone conclusion. For, first of all, it is absurd to pass resolutions which can produce no possible effect. In this case, we have a large and most complicated machinery, the result of many years’ experience, which distributes all over the kingdom an immense mass of news- papers, journals, and magazines ; which makes every railway station the office of a circulating library, and opens a bookstall at which every book published can be bought, if it is not offered for exhibition on the shelves. This organi- zation, it cannot be denied, works well: the public are satisfied with it; there would be the greatest inconvenience if any dislocation were attempted ; the railway companies are satisfied with it. What earthly good would it be for any society, however powerful, to protest against it? Secondly, the protest, if any were made, should not come from a person who had a private grie- Mr. Mullett Ellis, rightly or wrongly, vance. AUTHOR. thinks that his novel was withheld from the stalls on account of its title. This fact deprives his protest of importance. Now, as a general rule, the bookstall is made to hold as many books as can be crammed into it. In the second place, every bookseller possesses, and exercises, the right to buy and offer for sale whatever he chooses. This right is prevented from becoming an arbi- trary despotism because the public will have- their favourites, and they have many favourites. Should we be better off if, in place of an immense firm with boundless resources, we were dependent upon a local bookseller for every railway station ? Those who complain of the bookstall should compare it with the local bookseller’s shop. They should also take a tape, and measure the space accorded by the railway company to the bookstall, and calculate for themselves how many books the stall will hold. They may next fill as much of that space as is wanted for books which the public demand. They may then proceed to ascertain how much is left for those books which the public do not ask for, but would, perhaps, buy if they were- offered. And when they have carried out these simple experiments, they will, perhaps, ask them- selves how the existing system may be improved, and if Mr. Mullett Bllis has offered any plan which would be better for the public convenience, the railway companies, the authors, and the- publishers. The following note is from the London corre- spondent of the New York Times Saturday Review. His opinion is the same as my own, that a bookseller must possess, and must exercise, the right to accept or to refuse any books he pleases, and without assigning any reason. If Messrs. Smith and Son were dispossessed to- morrow, and their place taken bya hundred book— sellers, there would be a hundred exercising this. right instead of one. How far this would be an advantage is not easy to understand : The Authors’ Society is solemnly to discuss the question whether it is right that the Smiths should have a monopoly of the bookstands. The answer seoms obvious. If the Smiths conduct their business well, their monopoly is on the whole a benefit to the public. Many complaints have been made of the way in which the Smiths condact their business. Especially has their habit of exercising a censorship, and declaring from time to time that certain books are too: immoral to be sold, been condemned; but, after all, it is. difficult to deny to the bookseller the right to refuse to sell books of which he disapproves. ————$ I invite attention to the letter on p. 248, in which the writer speaks of a little invention for the conveyance of MSS. The inventor has sent me one of her “carriers.” It is not of the right size for my own paper, but the size can easily  e £ : THE AUTHOR. altered. Meantime, it seems to me a most useful little invention—a great deal better than any envelope. Anyone can have a specimen for 6d. At all events, the “carrier” will convey MSS. flat and keep them clean, and, which is important to some, will bring them back again in safety. I think that it needs no advocacy to call the attention of readers to the invitation contained in another column to send books to South Africa for the use of the wounded. The address to which books may be sent is Miss Edith Rhodes, 22, South Audley-street, W. I would suggest that the gifts should take the form of the more popular literature of the day, not novels alone, but essays, travels, biographies, history. Will readers please note that the boxes will be sent off at Haster ? Watrer BEsant. THE ACADEMY’S PRIZES. N February the Academy put forward a series of competitions, the list of which was as follows :— Tue “ AcapEMyY’s”’ SPECIAL COMPETITIONS. WE offer the sum of Thirty Guineas, to be divided into six portions of Five Guineas each, which we shall award to the successful competitors in the following literary exercises. Anybody is eligible to compete, but competing MSS. must not have been printed before, either for public or private circulation. List of Competitions. L—Five Guryeas for the best original short poem. Not to exceed twenty-four lines. Il.—Five Gurneas for the best original short story. Not fewer than 1500 words, and not more that 2000 words. Ill.— Five Guingas for the best original essay on a non- literary, light, every-day subject. Not to exceed 2000 words in length. IV.—Five Guryzas for the best original ‘“ Things Seen,” in the manner of those published in the Academy during the past year. Not to exceed 350 words. V.—Five Guineas for the best original paper ona British or foreign city, town, or village. It should take the form of a personal, impressionistic description, and must not exceed 2000 words in length. VI.—Five Guinnas for the best original set of epigram- matic cr.ticiams of six Britich or American living novelists. No single criticism must exceed 100 words in length. Conditions. The MSS. must be typewritten. They must reach the Academy office on or before March 31, 1900. The title of the particular class of competition must be written on the outside of the envelope containing the MS. Thus :— I.—* Poetry Competition.” II.—* Story Competition.” Il.—* Essay Competition.” IV.—“ Things Seen Competition.” V.— Foreign Town Competition.” VI.—“ Novelist Competition.” 243 A pseudonym, chosen by the competitor, must be written on the left-hand top corner of the first page of his or her MS., and each MS. must be accompanied by a small closed envelope containing the competitor's name and address, with the pseudonym written on the outside of such small closed envelope. Anybody is eligible to compete; but competing MSS. must not have been printed before, either for public or private circulation. A competitor may compete for as many cf the competi- tions as he or she chooses. As MSS. are received they will be acknowledged under the competitor's pseudonym in the next issue of the Academy. The prize MSS. will be printed in the Academy ; and the editor reserves the right to print any of the other MSS. sent in. Jo MS. will be returned unless it be accompanied by stamps to cover the postage. Competitors who do not comply with the above conditions will be disqualified. In paragraph 2 it appears that the sum of five guineas has been offered for a story not exceeding 2000 words. That is a fair price for a story of that length from the hand of a fairly well-known author. The same amount has been offered in paragraph 3 for an essay of similar length, and in paragraph 5 for a descriptive paper. Under the conditions of this competition, it appears that the prize MS. will be printed in the Academy, and the editor reserves the right to print any of the MSS. sent in. One of the members of the Society thinking, naturally enough, that other MSS. so printed would be paid for at ordinary rates, and that there had been a small oversight in the condi- tions, wrote to the editor on the point, but received no reply. He thereupon wrote to the Secretary of the Society, who also wrote to the Editor of the Academy in the following terms :— [copy ] Feb. 27th, 1900. The Editor of Academy. Dear Sir,—I trust you will excuse my writing to you with regard t> your competition fully set out in the number dated 17th February. You state the editor reserves the right to print any of the MSS. sent in. Would it not have been clearer if jou had stated that the MSS. so printed would be paid-for at a fixed rate (naming the rate) ? Ishould be glad to hear from you that this is an oversight on your part. (Sigued) G. Herpert THRING. P.S.—I write as I have had inquiries at this office as to whether the MSS. printed will be paid for. To this letter the Editor replied as follows :— [copy. ] March 2nd, 1900. Dear Sir,—I beg to acknowledge your letter of the 26th, referring to our Prize Competition. I would suggest that if any of your clients wish for information wich is not con- tained in our announcements, they should take the usual course of applying to this office. Yours truly, Tz Eprror (per W. W.).  244 And the Secretary again wrote in answer :— [cory.] March 3rd, 1900. The Editor of Academy. Dear Sir,—I beg to thank you for your letter. The course you suggested has been taken by one of the members of our Society, but he received no answer. I should be ex- ceedingly glad if you would let me have the information I asked for, as it would save us both no doubt a considerable amount of trouble. I am asking for the information in no carping spirit. Yours truly (signed) G. HerBERT THRING. The March number of The Author contained a note on the subject, and in the number of the Academy the 10th of the same month the editor placed the following paragraph :— The Author is in meddlesome travail over the clause of our Special Competitions announcement, which says: “ The editor reserves the right of printing any of the MSS. sent in.” This simple and usual condition was made in order that we might be free to print, for the encouragement of the writers, a few of the unsuccessful attempts. How does The Author interpret our words. Why, thus :— “As it stands, which, of course, cannot be meant, this clause gives the editor all the MSS. sent in; he may do what he pleases with them—1.e., he may, if he pleases, sell them to other papers without giving the authors anything.” “Which, of course, cannot be meant.’’? Then why suggest it, and why elaborate this idea—as The Author does at considerable length? We do not believe that our inten- tions are misunderstood, still less suspected, by a single one cof our readers or competitors—the only people concerned. The suggestion that our clause might enable us to set up a MS. shop is surely the wildest ever made by The Author, and that is saying a good deal. The editor does not in the least deny the posi- tion which The Author has taken up, but he says that the condition is a simple and usual condition. Is this remark founded on fact? Sometimes when a prize is a high one, the condition is stated, but it is not a simple or a usual condi- tion of competitions of this class issuing from the office of a responsible review. The editor does not now state if he is going to pay for the MSS., all of which he reserves the right to print. There are only two courses open: either he is going to pay for them, or he is not going to pay for them. If he is going to pay for them, why not state the matter clearly in his condi- tions, so that there will be no possibility of con- fusion? He states: ‘‘ We do not believe that our intentions are misunderstood, still less suspected, by a single one of our readers or competitors, the only people concerned.” It has been shown that this is not the case, and it would have been much better, when so many competitions are being placed before gullable authors, that the Academy should have left no room for doubt. If he is not going to pay for them the position taken by The Author is quite sound, and the Academy will probably obtain essays, short THE AUTHOR. stories, and descriptive articles worth, perhaps, hundreds by the expenditure of thirty guineas. If the Academy desires to adopt this well-known method of procuring “copy” cheap, then let it be done in such a way that there is no possibility of doubt as to the editor’s meaning. The present method is hardly fair to the author, but the editor may even now, at the eleventh hour, say : “T have never stated that I will not pay for the copy printed.” All we ask, therefore, is that he should make a direct statement whether he is trying to obtain “copy” cheap or whether he intends to pay for contributions printed. G. H. T. 2 OTHER THOUGHTS. , ie is the expression of the CREATOR. Beauty is an impression of a creature. Death comes between Origin and Perfec- tion. Every religion has part of the truth, but only art. : Faith generally lies betwixt fact and figment. Hope is a better physician than prophet. Love alone is always right. Martyrdom is more a sign of faith than a success of truth. Mysticism is a mean between genius and mad- ness. Obstinacy is a persistency of the opposite party. Our opponents seem somehow to shun the truth. There are at least as many sects as souls. Without the infection of intelligence, progress might never be weaned. Beautiful disease can always command popular support. Centuries never die—they merely change their tense. Consciences are oftener veracious than wise. Contempt is less angelic than doubt —a daughter of modesty. Disease may mimic genius, justice, love, or other phase of the truth. Genius is less an individual gift than a social growth. ; Good promotes—what evil retards—the growth of sanity. Immaturity is always in a hopeful majority. Most of us are superior to others—in number. Real genius, like ideal love, is both humble and infallible. The Past always excelsthe Present—in age and in size. . Unconventionality, sometimes a true virtue, is oftener a mere vanity. THE AUTHOR. * Virtue is not estimable by space or by time, but by use. Weak heads sometimes mistake themselves for warm hearts. Art is never what it seems. Bad manners often pose as good morals. Criticism, an ancient art, is an infant science. Critics are excellent autobiographers—most of them unconsciously. Cynicism is a burlesque of intelligence. Humour, when humane, is exceptionally sane— and proportionally Divine. Materialism is a caricature of science. Pessimism is a libel on wisdom. Poetry isa melody of words. Satire is good sauce but bad sustenance. Tact is the “ better half ””—the feminine half— of social tactics. The saner the soul, the wiser the will. We never see a perfectly sane person—even in a looking-glass. Finnay GLENELG. JOURNALISTS AND THE SOCIETY OF AUTHORS. FYE following letter appeared in the “ Pro- ceedings” of the Institute of Journalists, by authority of the Committee of Adminis- tration, Jan. 12, 1900 :— Srz,—I ask your permission to offer in your columns a gentle remonstrance with some of our members concerning their attitude towards a society whose aims and working they appear to misunderstand. T have been made aware, for several years, of a marked hostility towards this Society on the part of certain journalists—a hostility which, coming from such a quarter, is as surprising as it is wholly unmerited, and can only be accounted for —journalists not being usually in_the service of publishers—on the supposition of ignorance and misdirection. I find that the observations on the Society sent to me in Press cuttings are based upon one or other of half a dozen assumptions, all of which are utterly erroneous. Thus, it used to be said that the Society con- sisted of one man—myself. This was too much honour. I do not think, however, that our Council, our Committees, and our Chairman and Secretary are any longer likely to be ignored. I enclose the list. {t has been stated publicly that the “cases” published in the papers of the Society were ficti- tious. One cannot stoop even to answer such a charge. It is not distantly possible that such a 245 body of gentlemen as compose our Committee would sanction the invention of “ cases.” The third—a very common charge, or assump- tion—is generally personal—to the effect that I assert the publishers take no risk. On the other hand, we have ascertained, and have published, the true nature of the risk run in the production of books. As a matter of fact there are hundreds of writers in the various branches of literature whose books carry no kind of risk with them. As regards those which do, it is naturally the practice of the publishers to make the author, if he can, take the risk. And this risk itself, so far from being the whole cost of production, as has been impudently pretended, is the diffrence between the first subscription and the cost of production. Another charge is also personal. It is that I wish to abolish criticism. ‘To this charge I have, on more than one occasion, given the Lie Direct. I recognise the function of criticism to the full. I am only concerned that there is so little of it. I advocate the true place of criticism as a necessary and invaluable branch of literature. I desire to see the critic trained for his work by a scientific study of literature. I do not desire to see the reviewing of books entrusted to any casual person who has written a novel, or to the office boy when no one is looking. Another common charge is against the Society. It is that the figures representing the cost of pro- duction, and those of the various parts of the publishers’ trade, are fictitious. They are, on the contrary, figures obtained from printers, from real estimates, and from real accounts. The sixth charge is that literature is degraded by attention to the business side. So what does not degrade the clergyman, the painter, the sculptor, the architect, the physician, the lawyer, the actor, does degrade the author. In the words of Dr. Johnson, “ What skimble skamble stuff is this!” It rests upon a confusion of ideas between commercial value and literary value. The two are distinct—they are separate, they are incom- mensurable. We cannot estimate the literary value of a work by any standard of money; we cannot estimate the commercial value of a work by any literary standard. We ought to be able to do both: a perfected humanity will be able to do both—at present we cannot. Some worthless books circulate largely; some excellent books hardly circulate at all. What does the Society of Authors undertake ? Briefly: The defence and maintenance of literary property in the interests of authors. No one knows who has not investigated the subject how great and how increasing a property this is. No one knows, who has not investigated  246 the question, the extent to which the creators of this property have been robbed of their own. What has been, briefly, the work of the Society ? It has made known, for the first time, what the publication of books really means. It has traced the book from the MS. to the bookseller’s counter ; it has shown the meaning of every clause in every known form of agreement; it has especially exposed the true meaning of royalties ; it has dragged to light a hundred tricks previously practised with impunity, and practised every day; it has kept, and still keeps, its members out of houses which exploit authors hitherto without fear of detection. It enforces payment of just debts by legal proceedings ; it provides legal opinions for its members for nothing; it collects information of all kinds which may be useful to members; it acts as a police, in a word, to guard that great mass of literary property, the very existence of which is unknown to the general public. What has all this to do with journalists? Everything. By far the greater part of our writers during the last sixty years have been journalists. Out of the ranks of young journalists will come the writers of the future. Let us set down a few names of the dead and of the living as they occur—Dickens, Thackeray, Charles Reade, Wilkie Collins, Douglas Jerrold, Shirley Brooks, 4 Beckett, Sala, William Black, James Payn, Edmund Yates, Moy Thomas, Dutton Cook, John Hollingshead, Joseph Hatton, John Whiteley, John Morley, Rudyard Kipling, J. M. Barrie, Louis Stevenson—where are we to stop? Does not this intimate connection of journalism with authorship show that in protecting the latter we are also protecting the former ? I would, therefore, Sir, submit to the members of the Institute that a society with these aims, which is honestly and fearlessly, against every kind of misrepresentation, trying to carry out these aims, whose members include nearly all the living leaders in literature, is at least worthy of that kind of attention which consists in read- ing its reports and papers. Above all things, I would urge the consideration of the fact that, in spite of the fierce and continuous attacks made upon it, the Society has steadily increased and is ‘steadily increasing in strength and in numbers, cand in influence. As I said at the outset, I cannot believe that the things sent to me out of country papers and others would have been written were the truth known; and I cannot but hope that the members of the Institute will understand that we are fighting for their future as well as for our own present. I remain, Sir, your obedient servant, Watter BEsant. THE AUTHOR. BOOK AND PLAY TALK. HE newspapers of March 23 announced the failure of Messrs. D. Appleton and Co., the well-known publishers. The New York correspondent of the Standard stated that the failure of Messrs. Harper Brothers recently was indirectly a contributing factor in Messrs. Appleton’s failure, and that, “as in the case of Harper’s, no reproach attaches to the firm.” “The assets and liabilities balance at £720,805, with book surplus of £400,000 locked up in plant and instalments.” The Rev. J. H. Skrine has published a new volume of verse entitled ‘‘ The Queen’s Highway- man, and other Lyrics of the War.’ Those who have read the Warden of Glenalmond’s other works will find his latest one of equal interest. Professor Skeat has nearly completed a small handbook on “ The Chaucer Canon,” in which it is shown how to distinguish the poet’s genuine works from others with which his name has been connected. Of the cighty-three pieces which are here discussed, at least fifty are not by Chaucer ; whilst the number of authors which these pieces represent is more than twenty. Mr. Thomas Burleigh has published a pamphlet entitled “A Few Short Poems,” written by Mr. Percy Hall, of Exeter College, Oxford. It con- tains some sixteen short pieces. “Mirry-Ann,” which Methuen and Co. in London, and Appleton in New York, published on Feb. 16th, is by Miss Norma Lorimer, author of “A Sweet Disorder” and “Josiah’s Wife,” the latter published by Methuen two years ago. The heroine of “ Mirry-Ann” is a Manx fisher-girl preacher. Miss Lorimer lived fifteen years in a fishing village in the Isle of Man, so the book is the result of personal observation of the Methodist fishing population of the island. “ Among Horses in South Africa,” by Captain M. H. Hayes, F.R.C.V.S., price 5s., published by Messrs. R. A. Everett and Co., will be read at the present time with much interest by all those who are lovers of horses. The fact of its being an account of Captain Hayes’s experiences in South Africa lends a double interest to the book. Sir Benjamin Kennedy’s_ book, announced under the title “ Wheres,” should be “ Whims.” Messrs. Methuen have just published a new story by Miss Esmé Stuart, entitled “ Christalla : An’ Unknown Quantity,” which describes the invasion of the quiet home of two old gentle- men by a young child. The book deals with the evolution of a child’s character from the point of view of the child lover.  ibis eemawane ieee THE The Rev. F. R. Smith is engagel upon a new novel illustrative of modern Methodist life, which will be published in the autumn by Messrs. Horace Marshall. The patriotic lyric ‘‘ True Sons of Britain,” by Mr. Mackenzie Bell, inspired by the Colonial aid in the war, has been set to music by Mr. Charles Mulls, and will at once be published by Messrs. Hart, and sung in London and elsewhere by Mr. Henry Piercy, the well-known tenor. It is dedicated to Sir F. Young, K.C.M.G., founder and vice-president of the Colonial Institute. Mr. J.J. Nesbitt has edited with a preface, for Mr. Thomas Burleigh, a reciter entitled “The Taking of the Flag, and other Recitations,’ made up from the poems of Mr. Mackenzie Bell. As one of its contributors of a popular literary feature Mr. Joseph Hatton has long been associated with the People. He has now been appointed to the editorial chair, succeeding, during the People’s career, Dr. Sebastian Evans, M.A., Captain Carlisle, and Mr. Harry B. Vogel, son of the late Sir Julius Vogel, formerly Premier of New Zealand. Mr. Hatton has just finished a serial novel, long since commissioned by the People, which will be commenced in its columns in the first week of May. Following up the success of the sixpenny edition of Mr. Hatton’s “ By Order of the Czar,” Messrs. Hutchinson are issuing in a similar edition “The Princess Mazaroff,” which is an English story with a Russian heroine. It is mentioned in the gossip of the day that the Russians recently confiscated in Finland a Swedish edition of “By Order of the Czar,” a novel which, the author says, has had the phenomenal sale of over half a million, the major portion in America, for which he did not receive a cent, the book being published just before the international copyright arrange- ment. Mr. Osmund King is engaged on a work on Charles II., for the splendid Goupil series of monographs. Mr. Hilaire Belloc is writing a one-volume history of Paris from the earliest times. Mr. Sutherland Edwards is publishing with Messrs. Cassell a volume of “ Personal Recollec- tions.” Mr. Herbert Spencer is to be the recipient of an address from readers in Australia on his birth- day, April 27, when he will complete his eightieth year. Mr. W. L. Courtney has written a monograph on Mr. Hardy for the series of Great English Writers published by Messrs. Greening and Co. The book will appear in the summer. AUTHOR. 247 Dr. J. F. Payne is writing a monograph on Thomas Sydenham, the seventeenth - century physician and friend of Locke, for the Masters of Medicine series, published by Mr. Fisher Unwin. The late Mr. Grant Allen left a story entitled “His Last Chance,” says the Sphere, which is one of the most striking he ever wrote. It is to be published later in the year in a small volume. Mr. Kipling’s new novel, the scene of which is laid in India, will be published serially im MeClure’s Magazine. While speaking of Mr. Kipling, we place on record here the extraordinary distinction he received during the past month in having his poem, “ The Absent-minded Beggar,” issued to the troops in Ladysmith among the regim-ntal orders of the day shortly after the relief of the town. The poem was loudly cheered by the soldiers. Another American periodical has arranged to publish not only Mr. Hall Caine’s new story, “ The Roman,” but also a new series of ‘Dolly Dia- logues,” by Mr. Anthony Hope. The periodical in question is the New Magazine, a monthly which is being edited and published by Mr. Robert H. Russell, the well-known New York publisher. The first number is expected on June tI. Sir George*Trevelyan, Lord Kelvin, and Mr. Bentley have been elected to the Council of the Royal Literary Fund. Three new members of the Committee are Professor Ray Lankester, Dr. A. W. Ward, and Mr. Richard Holmes, librarian at Windsor Castle. The total sum now invested is £56,269, producing an income of £1724. At the annual meeting of the Fund the other day it was announced that grants had been made to twenty-seven men and sixteen women. Madame Sarah Grand’s new novel, which is to be published by Messrs. Hutchinson, will be called “Babs the Impossible.” It is nearly finished. Mrs. Gertrude Atherton is at present in Cuba, and gathering material for a new book. The forthcoming story by Sir Walter Besant, entitled “The Alabaster Box,” is a sketch of settlement life in London, showing the kind of work and the aims of the workers in a settlement, and the effect of their work upon the members themselves, Mr. Henry Arthur Jones is writing a comedy for production in the early autumn at the Duke of York’s. Mr. George Alexander is just producing at the St. James’s (March 28) Mr. Walter Frith’s play, «“ A Man of Forty,” which has not been seen in London before. 248 Mrs. Craigie’s new sentimental comedy, “ The Wisdom of the Wise,” will be produced at the St. James’s. The life of Benvenuto Cellini is supplying Mr. Beerbohm Tree with the subject for a new play. The production is expected early next season, and for the present the author desires that his name should not be disclosed. “Cyrano de Bergerac” was produced by Mr. Wyndham at Blackpool and at Dublin during the past month. The latter place was chosen for what may be called the “ official” representation of M. Rostand’s play, and the performance was in aid of the Irish Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Help Society. After the play a crowd greeted Mr. Wyndham at the doors, and sang popular patriotic songs. Mr. H. A. Kennedy’s version of “Tess” is shortly being removed by Mrs. Waller from the Coronet Theatre to the Comedy. Mr. Fred Terry will probably play the part of Alec D’Urberville. We announced a few months ago that Miss Cholmondeley’s novel “ Red Pottage ” was being dramatised. It is now stated that this is being done by Mr. Kinsey Peile. Messrs. Ward, Lock and Co. will in future publish The Road, and its affiliated publications, The Road Coaching Album, The Road Coach Guide, and The Road Coaching Programme. The monthly periodical, The Road, will shortly enter upon its tenth year of existence, and the occasion will be celebrated by still further adding to its attractiveness and utility. The number and quality of the illustrations will be greatly increased, coaching, riding, and driving subjects, of course, as heretofore, forming the main feature. “Fortinbras” (Mr. Percy F. Marks), who projected the journal in 1891, remains the editor-in-chief, while the majority of the contributors who have helped to popularise The Road are retained. The editorial, advertise- ment, and publishing offices will in future be at Warwick House, Salisbury-square, London, E.C. The song of “ The Gallant Fusileer,” words by Russell Gray, music by M. A. C. Salmond (published by Rossini and Co., 281, Regent- street, London, W.), is presented by author and composer to the widows of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, whatever may be its circulation and the proceeds. THE AUTHOR. CORRESPONDENCE. I.—“ EnveLoprs WANTED.” AVING experienced in common with “B. B. T.” the impossibility of getting envelopes to take ordinary foolscap, I have discarded it in favour of “sermon or essay paper,” 8 inches by 6} inches, a much more convenient size to write upon, read, and transport, at least for ordinary magazine work. Suitable envelopes for this paper are easily obtainable from a good firm. I am now using excellent ones from Messrs. Bemrose, Derby, 10 inches by 7 inches, substantial enough to carry, in addition to MSS., sketches on thick cardboard ; and plentifully supplied with “ gum.” EK. Hopess. I notice in the March Author that one of your correspondents finds a lack of suitable envelopes for the transmission of MSS. For years I ex- perienced the same difficulty, as well as the annoy- ance of having articles returned to me grimy and ill-folded, involving expense and trouble in re- typing and general tidying up. Last year I designed and patented a light cardboard case, which fastens as easily as an envelope and avoids all risk of crushing and creasing. To members, like myself, of the melancholy majority of writers, whose doves are wont to take various flights before finding a resting place, my carrier can be re-posted at will by the aid of a fresh label and string. So far I have only had my cases made by hand for my own use, but even so the cost is very slight, and if produced in quantities this might be greatly reduced. If any readers of The Author would care to have a specimen I will forward one post-free for sixpence, in the hope that some more business-hke person may make a practical suggestion as to bringing it before the public. Hevena Hearts. Hucclecote Vicarage, Gloucester. Will you allow me to tell your correspondent “RR, B.T.” that envelopes of the size he desires are sold by Messrs. A. Mansford and Sons, 95, Finsbury-pavement, E.C., at 35. 6d. a hundred. I wish the Post-office could be persuaded to sell a registered envelope of the same size. CLEMENTINA Buack. II.— TYPEWRITERS. In connection with the above, the following may be of interest. Some years ago I required to have many sheets of MSS. typed every week. I  THE AUTHOR. tried no less than eight “private typists,’ if I may so term them, and paid from Iod. to Is. a thousand words, inclusive of postage. They one and all proved incompetent. A. would leave out all punctuation marks and misspell half the words ; B. would begin fresh paragraphs on her own initia- tive; C. would alter the meaning of many of the sentences, and so forth. I then sent all my copy to a large typewriting association. The work was well done there, but I was charged 2d. a folio— 2.€,, about 2s. 4d. a thousand words, exclusive of postage. One day a friend urged me to send some MSS. to a private typist whom he said he employed regularly. I reluctantly consented to do so, but I have sent my MSS. to her ever since. Her name—lI have no need to conceal it—is Miss McGuinness; her address, Jasmine, Hambalt-road, Clapham Common. She works neatly and rapidly, never misspells a word, and never omits even a punctuation mark; and the price she charges is 1od. a thousand words, inclusive of postage. There must be hundreds—there are probably thousands—of girls who typewrite as carefully as the lady I have named, but the difficulty lies in discovering them. I have come across typists who would work for 7d., some of them even for 6d., a thousand words, but I maintain that the individual willing to pay such rates wantonly encourages one of the worst forms of oppression. Basin Tozer. Boodle’s Club, March 13. May I protest against the theories expressed in the current number of The Author on type- writers ? Tam a typist of seven and a half years stand- ing; I acquired a knowledge of my work by five months spent at Pitman’s school followed by five months in a typewriting office, and eventually set up for myself at home. I have had experience of many kinds of typing and have taught pupils, and I entirely deny that 9d. per 1000 words is ‘good and sufficient pay.” The supply of work is extremely fluctuating, and while for six months in the year a typist may have more than she can do, for the other six she probably has difficulty in finding work. A good typist ought to be able to make 5s. to 6s. a day at gd. per 1000, even allow- ing time for reading and correcting the work. This gives her an income of 27s. 6d. to 33s. per week, but—and here’s the rub—she may not obtain perpetual work. Now everyone knows that home work is usually precarious, and for this reason the pay must be calculated on a scale which will allow for the lean months. How is “an educated gentlewoman” to live comfortably on 33s. a week or less for only part of the year ? 249 Moreover, the writer of the letter referred to in your article mentions that a “well educated gentlewoman ’”’ became “ proficient” at the end of ten lessons. I fancy her standard of proficiency must be very low. Was the lady capable, for instance, of writing legal documents with speed and accuracy at the dictation of hasty strangers ? Was she capable of telling a client, after glancing through the copy, how many pages his work would run to, and what it would cost him? Your correspondent affirms the lady “had a thorough knowledge of Latin and French” and was pro- ficient in typewriting into the bargain. Would she therefore have no difficulty in correctly and swiftly copying a’medical MS. full of quotations from one of the great French doctors, with an impatient client calling every half hour to know if the work were not yet ready ? These instances are of every day occurrence to one who works at home, and it is absurd to say that ten lessons can possibly make a typist pro- ficient in her work. It is far more likely that, being ignorant and unskilful herself, she will lower the average of good work and pull the wages scale still further down for her unfortunate fellow workers. If a woman chooses to work at home she has a perfect right to do so, provided she does not take advantage of her own position to lower the wages scale for others less fortunate. Whether compe- tition be a healthy mainspring or a great Moloch is an open question, but our social conditions being what they are, there is no question that a home worker shows an undisciplined spirit when she cuts down the wages of others by undersel- ling them. In her last paragraph your correspondent affirms that the work of typing or stenography can be done by “the delicate, the cripple.” Certainly they can work intermittently, but they cannot possibly keep up, year in, year out, the perpetual grind at typing necessary to earn a steady income at gd. per 1000, even if they had the work. As for shorthand, the smallest experi- ence is enough to show that it keeps the workers up late at night, is extremely trying to the eyes, and is totally unfit for a delicate or crippled person. In this letter I have endeavoured to keep strictly to your correspondent’s letter, and not to attack side issues. I inclose a prospectus as a guarantee of the genuineness of my work, and apologising for this long letter, remain, Yours truly, D. M. Ransom.  250 THE AUTHOR. TIl.— Tue Same Oip Srory—Ever New.” The letter in your January issue, signed “ EH. L. Williams,” in which the writer speaks of the long snterval between acceptance and publication which is the fate of many manuscripts at the hands of certain editors, prompts me to relate my own experience in this respect. In one instance, I forwarded a MS. to the editor of a certain excel- lent review. After a very long interval, during which I wrote one or two letters inquiring its fate, I learned that it had been accepted for pub- lication. Three years passed, and the article had not appeared. On writing to the editor pointing out the unreasonableness of keeping me so long without a cheque, he, with some -onsideration, sent a remittance. Eighteen months after, 1 wrote to him again saying that I should be glad to see my article in print. After the delay gene- rally associated with busy editors, he replied that im all his experience he had never met any author who was quite so anxious about his MS. as I was! I had received my cheque, and was not that suffi- cient? Since the receipt of that communication I have been mute. I had been vain enough to look for some small advertisement from the pub- lication of my article in the columns of so distin- guished a periodical. Three and a half years have passed since its acceptance, but still I live with hope. Yet another instance. I wrote a series of five articles for a high-class sixpenny weekly. All were taken, and one was printed a few months after acceptance. Two years later, as the second of the series had not appeared, I wrote to learn the reason. The editor answered that he could not say when he should be able to use the remainder of my contributions, therefore he was sending them back! I declined to take them in, and ventured to remind him of the accepting con- tract of two years ago. Then he published the second article; and I am hoping that the last day of 1905 will see the series completed in print. But, sir, I should like to know if the editors that helped our popular authors to success were such as these ? ArrHuR BECKETT. IV.—AurTHorRs AND THE War FonpD. In reference to the suggestion made in this month’s Author for the publication of a book the proceeds of which should go to the War Fund, may I make another suggestion of a _supple- mental kind and in no way intended to interfere with that one? Would it not be a more repre- sentative gift of the Society if, instead of hold- ing the annual dinner this year, members who would otherwise have attended it should forward their guinea to the fund? It might be replaced by a soirée with the lowest amount of expenditure possible, and ticket for which would be issued to members and their friends at a correspondingly low charge. This would enable a number of authors to contribute who would be debarred from any part in a volume which from necessity must be limited to a very few, and those the best known among us. Norury CHEster. V.—In re “ Paris Nores.” “Une Tache d’encre,” par René Bazin, may be amongst the “interesting publications of the month,” but “A Blot of Ink,” translated from the French of René Bazin by Q. and Francke was issued by Cassells as far back as 1892. T beg to suggest that a selected list of American books, like the one that has been dropped by the Publishers’ Circular, would be of interest to many readers. English lists we see everywhere, but a really good foreign list would be as interesting as the first few copies of the Review of Reviews. C. E. VI.—JameEs’ AND JAMES’S. Pending the settlement of more serious differ- ences, could we not come to an understanding with our good friends the printers on the forma- tion of the possessive case in words ending in “ a In spite of every prayer and protest, they cling obstinately to “ James’,” let us say. Authors who have not yet given up the struggle write “ James’s.” But all in vain. The printers con- tinue to teach and exasperate. It seems a little thing to ask, but it is growing apparent that nothing less than the whole weight of the Society will dislodge them from their position. Trusting that my suggestion will not be regarded as another piece of wanton aggression, I am, Sir, JULIAN CORBETT. ViII.—Der Prorunpis. Permit me to add a word to my previous letter, and to refer especially to the “Cry from the Depths,” and to the sad cases of fruitless literary struggle, sometimes ending in suicide, which have recently been discussed in your columns. I am one of those who can speak not without authority on this matter, for in my life I have fully experienced every sort of privation such as often falls to the lot of unemployed mechanics — and labourers. Years ago I escaped from all this by getting common work that gives me the plain necessaries of life. My spare time I give to books. But by going through perilous  THE AUTHOR. and yet useful experiences I have perhaps established my title to speak a word of help to others. What I say is this: Entering upon the business of authorship is similar to volunteering for South Africa. The soldier who is committed to his task does not despair because his khaki is in rags, or because he starves under a hot sun and sleeps in rain. He expects all that. He is pre- pared even for defeat and death. But he has no business to commit suicide. In most cases the call to authorship is not a true one, but in the few cases in which it is a true one, and clearly discernible as such, it must be accepted, and the whole business fought through without useless complaint. From the outset a man (or woman) who chooses to enter the career must be prepared for all manner of hardship and failure, and even for total failure after the production of work that eminently deserves to succeed. The writers who are the commercialists of literature, when they are expert, can always succeed by persistence. As for those who are something better than com- mercialists, well they must accept the risks and the honours of their calling. It is almost certain that if a standard work were produced to-day, say something more or less remotely analogous— though on modern lines—with the Book of Job, or the Paradise Lost, the publishers would refuse it. It would be so different from the safe “lines” to which they are accustomed. Now, if an author thinks that he has written a classic, or that he has a message for the world, he must not forget that he is in a totally different category from that of the commercialist. It is extremely likely that his self-estimate is wrong, and hence the wisdom of the Society in dissuading authors from publishing their own books. But if he is committed to the dangerous task, then the mark of true election will probably be a genial sense of humour that overrides all discouragement, laughs at suicide, provides by any humble extra- neous toil the daily bread, but is absolutely relentless year after year in producing the great work, and in seeking to fling it by some means or other at the devoted heads of the public. The absurdity of committing suicide with a pistol is manifest, because the pistol would sell for five shillings, and that would provide food for a week of improvisation. The shadow of despair makes a writer spoil his work by a painful formal accuracy. But the public are an unsounded receptivity, and what they want, and what even the publishers want, is free extempore work. x ¥. a5! {Does not the writer make the common mistake of supposing that if a literary work has a com- mercial value, the writer is therefore a ‘‘com- mercialist’’? We are coustantly insisting on the great fact that a writer who gives himself— his best—to the work in hand cannot possibly think of the commercial value. When his work is finished it is like a picture, it is for sale: the commercial value comes in. But the artist is not a commercialist. Simple as is the position, it seems as if it is impossible for those writers to grasp it whose work has no commercial value.— Ep. | BOOKS AND REVIEWS. (In these columns notes on books are given from reviews which carry weight, and are not, so far as can be learned, logrollers.) Memories AND Impressions, by the Hon. George C. Brodrick (Nisbet, 16s.) is a volume that will be taken up by the reader, says the Daily News, “with an anticipation of information and entertainment which will not be disap- pointed.” The Warden of Merton has viewed the world with open eyes and an open mind, and at the ripe age of seventy sits down to recall what matters have left impressions on his memory. He has been brought into personal relations with not a few distinguished men and women in his time; and, says Literature, “he has always something to say worth listening to.” It is ‘‘ most enter- taining reading,” says the Daily Chronicle, and is written in an “ easy, finished style.” PAssaAGEs IN A WANDESING LirE, by Thomas Arnold (Arnold, 12s. 6d.), “is a volume which is sure to be widely read,” says the Daily News. “In the course of a long life Mr. Arnold has met many people worth remembering.” Literature speaks of the recollections of Wordsworth, Newman, Matthew Arnold (the author’s brother) and others, and adds that “ Mr. Arnold’s reminiscences show us @ man of fine qualities, both of heart and head.” ‘ Altogether Mr. Arnold’s book is interesting reading,” says the Daily Chronicle, which heads its review, “From Rugby to Rome.” “It is lifted above the commonplace and the unreasonable,” says the Spectator, ‘‘ by the attitude of the writer, which is simple, unworldly, and full of a dignified humility.” Sr. Perer iN Romm, AND HIS TOMB ON THE VATICAN Hitz, by Arthur Stapylton Barnes (Sonnenschein, 21s.). The Spectator says that “the author is a master of Roman archeology, and a master with original views of his own on many points. He has not only set before his readers the Catholic tradition as to St. Peter’s connection with Rome, but he kas given us the best account in English of that wonderful building, or group of buildings, old St. Peter’s, which stood beneath the site of the mighty basilica of Bramante and Michael Angelo.” The Guardian says that ‘the contents may be divided into two parts, the first of which is an account of St. Peter’s life and movements after his departure from Palestine up to his martyrdom, while the second gives the history of his relics and their tomb, and incidentally, of the great church which has been erected above them. The latter part is much more valuable than the former.”  THE From Sza To Sua, by Rudyard Kipling (Macmillan, 28), contains the bulk of the special correspondence and occa- sional articles written by the author for the Civil and Military Gazette and the Pioneer between 1887-89. They were the outcome of a year’s holiday trip and are, says the Spectator, “‘ of far more than ephemeral interest.” ‘They are rich,” says the Daily Telegraph, “ in brilliant imagery.” Everyone, says Literature, “will be glad to read these earlier journalistic efforts of Mr. Kipling”; “ vivacious sketches which reveal so masterly an insight into the actual life of many diverse peoples.” Scruries, by Thomas Cobb (Richards, 3s. 6d.), is con- cerned with the amorous cross purposes of three attractive young women—a sympathetic widow and two sisters—and three more or less eligible young men. The Spectator describes the book as “a lively and gracefully-written romance, in which sentiment is always rescued from degenerating into effusion by the antiseptic of persiflage.” With “plenty of highly-wrought emotion as well as of elegant satirical humour” (Daily Telegraph) it is “very amusing comedy,” says the Daily News, and the author is congratulated “on his charming lightness of touch.” THER SILVER WEDDING JouRNEY, by W. D. Howells (Harper, 6s.), is said by the Spectator to be “a delightful counterpart ” to the author’s earlier work, “ Their Wedding Journey.” ‘We have been especially struck at the skill which Mr. Howells has shown in treating of the minutie of modern travel, as they would affect a culti- vated but stay-at-home couple, without fatiguing the reader or interfering with the progress of the sentimental interest.” 252 By ORDER OF THE Company, by Mary Johnston (Con- stable, 6s.), is recommended by the Spectator as being ‘quite as good reading” as “The Old Dominion.” ‘The picture of the very earliest days of Virginia is excellently painted, and the personages of the story are sympathetic and interesting.” Mr. THomas ArxKins, by E. J. Hardy (Unwin, 6s), who has spent many years in the position of a military chaplain and has seen the British soldier from almost every point of view, is “ominently readable,” says Literature, and “is brought well up to date by frequent references to events that have lately occurred in South Africa.” The Daily Chronicle refers to it as an interesting book, “full of good stories.” RESURRECTION, by Count Tolstoy (F. R. Henderson, 6s. net), translated by Mrs. Louise Maude, referred to by the Daily Chronicle as “a tract of genius,” is described by the Daily Telegraph as the most harrowing of all this writer’s novels. ‘The ‘strong meats’ are too coarse in texture and too ‘high’ in flavour to suit delicate literary taste, or even to recommend themselves to general consumption.” “It is primarily,” says the Daily News, ‘‘an exposition of the evils of the Russian criminal system. This exposition is written round a cruel, even a heartrending story.” OnoraA, by Rosa Mulholland (Lady Gilbert) (Richards, 3s. 6d.), is an “interesting and pathetic story dealing with the life of the Irish peasant.” Opening with the eviction of Onora and her family on a cold November morning, the story, says the Daily Chronicle “is an eloquent appeal on behalf of the down-trodden Irish peasantry,” and is told with “ pathetic humour, refinement, and charm.” Tun TRANSVAAL IN WaR AND Pracz, by Neville Edwards (H. Virtue, 7s. 6d. net), ‘‘ does not pretend to give an account of the Transvaal troubles, their causes and their AUTHOR. remedies, from the point of view of the philosopher or the statesman, but it is full of facts, facts about persons and places, of the past and the present. And there is an abundance of illustration.” ‘‘ Wherever we are,” adds the Spectator, “we find something interesting to read, and more that is interesting to look at.” From Carz Town To LapysmitH, by G. W. Steevens (Blackwood, 3s. 6d.), was written, as Literatwre says, “hurriedly and under difficulties, and the author had died in a beleaguered outpost of the Empire before he could revise it.’ The book shows the lust of slaughter and the glory of victory; but also its horrors and its pathos. The Daily Telegraph says “the book is full of those characteristics which earned for Steevens for the outset of his career as a correspondent the unique reputation he enjoyed.” Tum Maxine oF A Frontier, by Colonel Algernon Durand, C.B., C.L.E. (Murray, 16s.), is, says Literature, “a well-told and exciting narrative of military and political service in a frontier region which has been the scene of an exciting contest, and which may again attract the attention of practical politicians when the next move is made in the long but intermittent struggle for Empire in Asia.” Colonel Durand was British Agent at Gilgit 1889-1894, and Military Secretary to the Viceroy 1894-1899; and “to those who can read between the lines, some, at any rate, of the dubious points in our policy will be apparent.” The Daily Chronicle says the book “will appeal to all interested in the consolidation and stability of our Indian Empire.” The Spectator finds it “impossible to express in short compass” its evjoyment of the book, which is “ filled with admirable illustrations, and is altogether the most delightful specimen of its class we have met with for many years.” . InnermMost AsrA (Heinemann, 21s.), is by Captain Cobbold, who passed through a considerable stretch of country never before visited by an Englishman. The Daily Chronicle describes it as a “ remarkably well-written narrative of a plucky and adventurous journey, in which both natural and artificial difficulties were met in abun- dance,” and adds that the criticism of Russia is much the most important part of the work. Captain Cobbold writes, says Literature, “‘ with a vigour and a humour to which sportsmen seldom attain, and makes some remarks on sub- jects connected with trade and politics which are worthy of consideration in high quarters.” “THE AUTHOR.” SCALE FOR ADVERTISEMENTS. Front Page oon aa ane see ase sek ey «£4 0 Other Pages ow Ot Half of a Page ... . 110 eeacoeooso Quarter of a Page uae a . . O16 Eighth of a Page ey 3. ase ks na se Oe Single Column Advertisements perinch 0 6 Bills for Insertion per 2000 3 0 Reductions made for a Series of Sia or Twelve Inserteons. All letters respecting Advertisements should be addressed to the ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER, The Author Office, 4, Portugal-street, London, W.C. : Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Author, Vol. 10 Issue 11 (April 1900) Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em>, Vol. 10 Issue 11 (April 1900) Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1900-04-02-The-Author-10-11 publications The Author https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/474/1900-05-01-The-Author-10-12.pdf 805591184bc70db0f36fc4ae562c8d7a PDF Text Text �������������������������� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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) 1900-05-01 Volume 10 Issue 12 Pages Page range in volume 253–276 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 19000501 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin She Author. (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vou. X.—No. 12.] MAY tf, 1900. [Prick 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. HE 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 should be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent 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. One GENERAL MEMORANDA. ERE are a few standing rules to be observed in an agreement. ‘There are four 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, or with the advice of the Secretary of the Society. Il. A PROFIT-SHARING AGREEMENT (a bad form of ‘agreement). In this case the following rules should be attended to : (1.) Not to sign any agreement in which the cost of pro- duction forms a part without the strictest investigation. (2.) Not to give the publisher the power of putting the profits into his own pocket by charging for advertisements in his own organs: or by charging exchange advertise- ments. Therefore keep control of the advertisements. (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 ! Til. THE ROYALTY SYSTEM. It is above all things necessary to know what the proposed royalty means to both sides. 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.” IV. A COMMISSION AGREEMENT. The main points are :— (1.) Be careful to obtain a fair cost of production. (2.) Keep control of the advertisements. (3-) Keep control of the sale price of the book. GENERAL. All other forms of agreement are combinations of the four above mentioned, Such combinations are generally disastrous to the author. Never sign any agreement without competent advice from the Secretary of the Society. Stamp all agreements with the Inland Revenue stamp. Avoid agreements by letter if possible. The main 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. oe WARNINGS TO DRAMATIC AUTHORS. Ye Ne sign an agreement without submitting it to the Secretary of the Society of Authors or some competent legal authority. 2. It is well to be extremely careful in negotiating for the production of a play with anyone except an established manager. 3. There are three forms of dramatic contract for PLAYS IN THREE OR MORE ACTS :— (a.) SALE OUTRIGHT OF THE PERFORMING RIGHT. This is unsatisfactory. An author who enters into such a contract should stipulate in the con-  THE 254 tract. for production of the piece by a certain date and for proper publication of his name on the play-bills. (b.) SALE OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE TO PERFORM ON THE BASIS OF PERCENTAGES on gross receipts. Percentages vary between 5 and 15 per cent. An author should obtain a percentage on the sliding scale of gross receipts in preference to the American system. Should obtain a sum in advance of percentages. A fixed date on or before which the play should be performed. (c.) SALE OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE TO PERFORM ON THE BASIS OF ROYALTIES (1.e., fixed nightly fees). This method should be always avoided except in cases where the fees are likely to be small or difficult to collect. The other safeguards set out under heading (b.) apply also in this case. 4. PLAYS IN ONE ACT are often sold outright, but it is better to obtain a small nightly fee if possible, and a sum paid in advance of such fees in any event. It is extremely important that the amateur rights of one act plays should be preserved. 5. Authors should remember that performing rights can be limited, and are usually limited by town, country, and time. This is most important. 6. Authors should not assign performing rights, but should grant a licence to perform. The legal distinction is of great importance. 7. Authors should remember that performing rights in a play are distinct from literary copyright. A manager holding the performing right or licence to perform cannot print the book of the words. 8. Never forget that American rights may be exceedingly valuable. They should never be included in English agreements without the author obtaining a substantial consideration. g. Agreements for collaboration should be carefully drawn and executed before collaboration is commenced. 10. An author should remember that production of a play is highly speculative: that he runs a very great risk of delay and a breakdown in the fulfilment of his contract. He should therefore guard himself all the more carefully in the beginning. 11. An author must remember that the dramatic market is exceedingly limited, and that for a novice the first object is to obtain adequate publication. As these warnings must necessarily be incomplete on account of the wide range of the subject of dramatic con- tracts, those authors desirous of further information are referred to the Secretary of the Society. HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. 1. VERY member has a right to ask for and to receive advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his business or the administration of his property. If the advice sought is such as can be given best by a solici- tor, 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 Committee will obtain for him Counsel’s opinion. All this without any cost to the member. AUTHOR. 2. Remember that questions connected with copyright and publisher’s agreoments do not generally fall within the experience of ordinary solicitors. Therefore, do not scruple to use the Society. 3. Send to the Office copies of past agreements and past accounts with the loan of the books represented. The Secretary will always be glad to have any agreements, new or old, for inspection and note. The information thus obtained may prove invaluable. 4. Before signing any agreement whatever, send the pro- posed document to the Society for examination. 5. 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. 6. 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 upom them. (3) To keep agreements. (4) To enforce paymente due according to agreements. THE READING BRANCH. N “EMBERS will greatly assist the Society in this. branch of their work by informing young writers of its existence. Their MSS. can be read and treated as a composition is treated by a coach. The Readers are writers of competence and experience. The fee is one guinea. NOTICES. HE 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 6s. 6d. subscription for the year. Communications for The Author should be addressed te the Offices of the Society, 4, Portugal-street, Lincoln’s-inn Fields, W.C., and should reach the Hditor not later than the 21st of each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to communicate to the Editor any points connected with their work which it would be advisable in the general interest te publish. The present location of the Authors’ Club is at 3, White- hall-court, Charing Cross. Address the Secretary for information, rules of admission, &c. Shea NAD NRA SS THE AUTHOR. 255 THE PENSION SCHEME. HERE seem to be some indications that the a. Pension Scheme has been misunderstood by our members. It is well, therefore, that the principles should be stated over again. 1. It is a scheme for making the followers of literature provide by their own efforts for the relief of those who break down through ill-health or old age. 2. It is not designed to furnish a pension for every member of tbe Society, as has been misrepresented. 3. It is proposed to make it self-supporting and efficient in the following manner : (a) To form a nucleus by donations. (6) To supplement this beginning by annual subscriptions. (c) To devote a certain proportion—say one- third—of the annual subscriptions to the grant of pensions, and the remainder —say two-thirds—to the permanent fund. 4. It is thought that when the advantages of the Pension Fund are clearly understood— that it will be a fund expressly reserved for, and devoted to, the life-long assistance of those who are old or broken—it will receive the cordial support of every member of the Society. 5. Since many members are not rich, it 1s pro- vided that either occasional donations or small annual subscriptions will be received. Members need be in no way discouraged from becoming annual subscribers for quite small amounts. The method of working may be thus illustrated. A nucleus of about £1000 has been formed. 1 over 1500 members between them provide us with an average of Ios. a year, or a total of £750, the Committee would be able to use £250 a year for pensions, and to transfer £500 to the principal. In twenty years the principal would become the very respectable sum of £11,000, yielding, say, £300 a year, and the Committee would have £550 a year to give in pensions. It is estimated that, considermg the present con- dition of literature as a profession, this amount would amply cover all legitimate demands that could be made upon the fund. It may be argued that the membership of the society will increase, and therefore the demands upon this fund. It is to be hoped that it will. But in that case the subscriptions to the Pension Fund will increase also. The Committee, therefore, very earnestly invite their members to consider how far they can support a scheme which is based on the inde- pendence of the author and the duty of those in the same profession to support others who are stricken down and unable to work. It may be urged that the Civil List and the Royal Literary Fund already provide for those in need. The answer is that the proportion of the Civil List that should be used for literature is only £400 a year, and that this slender provision is very largely, and very properly, used for the widows and daughters of literary men. As regards the Royal Literary Fund, it gives no pensions, but only grants in aid. It is also hoped that the pensions of the Society’s Pension Fund, being provided by the donations and subscriptions of authors, and being given in recognition of literary merit no less than in relief of necessitous cases, may be considered as an evidence of the appreciation of the literary profession, and as an honourable testimonial to the good work done by the recipients. Members paying subscriptions through their bank can pay pension subscriptions also in the same manner. _____——»e«e LITERARY PROPERTY. I.—Tue Copyrient Br. PNHE Literary Copyright Bill has gone into committee in the House of Lords. The committee appointed to consider it con- sists of the Lord Chancellor, the Earl of Selborne, Viscount Knutsford, Lord Balfour, Lord Hatterton, Lord Monkswell, Lord Thring, Lord Farrer, Lord Welby, Lord Davy, Lord Avebury. On Tuesday, April ard, Mr. 8. L. Clemens (“Mark Twain ”) presented his views on the question, and brought forward strong argu- ments for copyright in perpetuity. It is hoped that some day this very desirable object may be obtained; but the committee did not appear to be in sympathy with Mr. Clemens on the point. The Draft Copyright Bill now before the House of Lords differs in some important points from the Draft Bill approved by the House of Lords committee at the end of last Session, the chief point being the abandonment of registration. Dramatic authors must make a strong stand against provisions in sects. 6 and 7, clause 5. This the Society of Authors, which is watching the Bill very carefully on their behalf, will do at the proper time. It is understood that the committee will not take any more evidence: the only opportunity of raising objections to the Bill will be as it passes through the House of Lords or the House of Commons.  256 Il.—Auvsrria-Hunegary AND THE BERNE ConvENTION. The Droit d’Auteur of March contains an important document issued by the Minister of Justice of Austria-Hungary respecting the inter- national copyright relations of the dual monarchy, together with detailed comments upon it. The general drift of the official document is opposed to the entrance of the dual monarchy into the Berne Union on the grounds of the differences existing between the copyright laws of Austria and Hungary, and the fact that the protection given to foreign authors by the Berne Convention would be under certain circumstances wider than that given to subjects of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. e We, however, entirely agree with our valuable contemporary the Droit d’Au/feur in thinking that, notwithstanding certain divergencies, ‘‘ the Austrian legislation and the Convention of Berne might work together as satisfactorily as the Con- vention and the German Legislation have done for the last fourteen years.” Carl Junker. ‘“ Die Berner Convention zum Schutze der Werke der Literatur und Kunst und Oesterreich-Ungarn.” Wien: Holder. 1900. Mr. Carl Junker, who was last year com- missioned by the Austro-Hungarian Booksellers’ Union to make a full report upon the subject of the empire’s possible adhesion to the Berne Con- vention, has published in an amplified form, in a very interesting pamphlet, the results of his investigations, which originally appeared in the “ Oesterreichisch-Ungarische Buchhandler Corres- pondenz”; and his excellent brochure may be strongly recommended to the attention of all who are interested either in the wider extension of the Berne Convention or in questions of inter- national copyright. First of all sketching the history of the Berne Convention, Mr. Junker gives the text of the various official documents of the Convention, and after enumerating the countries which have already joined the Union, and alluding to the steps in the direction of adhesion taken by the Netherlands and Russia, reviews the present situation in the dual monarchy. Here a good deal of confusion exists in the copyright enact- ments, and some essential difference between the laws of Austria and Hungary. For example, the duration of copyright in the latter country is for life and fifty years; in the former for life and thirty years. On the whole, the Hungarian legis- lation is the more enlightened, but neither Hungary nor Austria protects the foreign author, except in cayes povided for by particular treaties. THE AUTHOR. Mr. Junker rightly points out that less trouble would be given by adhesion to the Berne Conven. tion than by a further multiplication of these treaties with individual countries. The question of translations (an important one in an Empire comprising so many different languages) is some- what fully discussed, and the opinion is stated that these form but an insignificant part of the whole literary production. It seems, however, impossible to avoid a suspicion that, though the number of translated works may be few in com- parison with the whole output, some of them must represent cases in which individual authors are mulcted of a considerable portion of their rights. This at least is certain, that translations of a considerable number of English and French novels appear in the Hungarian and Bohemian popular libraries; and it is evident that these libraries have a respectable sale. On the other hand, it is made clear that, amongst others, the publishers of the dual monarchy find exclusion from the Berne Convention detrimental to their interests ; and this to such an extent that impor- tant firms have migrated to Leipzig for the sake of securing the advantages accompanying publica- tion in a country belonging to the Union. Mr. Junker, whilst admitting that a reform of the Austrian and Hungarian copyright laws is desir- able, thinks that the present enactments in no way preclude an immediate accession to the Union, and urges that this step should certainly be taken on grounds of “ justice, economy, and morality.” TIL.—A Canapian CoMPLAINT. The following cutting has been forwarded to me from Canada: CopyrRicHT UNFAIRNESS. Here is an excellent illustration of the injustice of the present copyright law. A Canadian publisher came across a story published in a United States weekly paper. After waiting some time, he wrote to his agent in London to find if there was an edition of the book published in England. Answer—‘“ No book of that title published here.” The Canadian then ran it through his paper, and shortly after- wards was politely requested to pay a few hundred dollars and a heavy lawyer’s fee, as the book had been entered at Stationers’ Hall, London—but not printed in England. That would be all right, were it not for the fact that the Canadian publisher might pay five hundred dollars to a Canadian for a story to run through his paper, and yet if he did not print it also in the United States, any United States publisher could reprint the story without penalty. Where is the reciprocity in this ? Is it not one answer to the question, why does not the Canadian publisher help along the Canadian author P The arguments put forward are certainly amusing, but can be put aside with little com- ment. To begin with, the Canadian publisher’s agent must have been exceedingly ignorant of 4 | 2 4 _ THE AUTHOR. the manner of doing business in England if he did not search in Stationers’ Hall to see whether the book had been entered. Secondly, it should be remarked that the entry in Stationers’ Hall does not give copyright ; pub- lication of the book in England does. How far had this publication been made? There are no details on this point. These statements, however, have nothing to do with the real inwardness of the paragraph. The writer argues as follows: Because an American author is not bound to print in Canada, therefore the Canadian publisher should not help along the Canadian author. A wonder- ful deduction. An American author is not bound to print in England to secure copyright. To this extent there is a lack of reciprocity between England and America, and to the same extent there is a lack of reciprocity between Canada and America, but English publishers do not argue that this is any reason why they should not help on English authors. Logically, it seems impossible to deduce the one from the other. Perhaps the writer can explain his meaning. TV.—Marxk Twain on CopyrRiaut. A special meeting of the Select Committee of the House of Lords on Copyright was held to take the evidence of Mr. Samuel Clemens (“ Mark Twain’). Lord Monkswell presided. Mr. Clemens, at the request of the chairman, read a written statement of his views on the law of copyright in England. He regarded the copy- right laws of England and America as nearly what they ought to be. They needed, however, one commercially trivial, but gigantic, amendment in order to become perfect. That was the removal of the forty-two-years limit, and returning to perpetual copyright. One advantage claimed for limited copyright was fallacious. It was that which made a distinction between authors’ pro- perty and real estate. A book was usually regarded as a combination of ideas, and that was just as much a property as any other. There was no property which was not due to some man’s mind, as well as his labour. A man who pur- chased an estate had to improve it by the exercise of his intellect, the intreduction of railways, and so on. His land was what the book was—the result of brain work—the combination and exploi- tation of ideas. Was it sound public policy, he asked, that con- ferred a benefit on the nation as against the author? Out of a hundred tons of books ninety- eight tons were light literature. ‘‘ My works are light,” said Mr. Clemens, witha sigh. ‘“ Many unthinking thinkers think they think,” he added. vou. x. 257 Cheap editions of deathless books would be insured by perpetual copyright. Only one book in the world, he believed, had been fairly treated since Queen Anne’s time, and that was the English Bible. It was the only book in possession of perpetual copyright. Had that deprived the public of cheap editions? It had not. How many books outlive the forty-two-years limit ? He placed those forty-two-years immortals at sixty-five. ‘The amount which would accrue to authors and their relatives from perpetual copy- right would not exceed £6500 per annum in all. There was not a professional man of repute in London who could not earn that in the year. This was the sum which was taken out of the pockets of illustrious men who had taken a share in building up British power and spreading wide the glory of Englishmen. Great Britain issued 5000 volumes a year.’ Only sixty-five reached the forty-two-years limit. Most of them would be dead and gone inside five years. It was safe to say that not more than 650 volumes out of 500,000 would outlive a century. In America, when the number of slaves subject to the lash equalled the population of London to-day, a woman wrote a book which aroused humanity, swept slavery out of existence, and purged the fair name of America from reproach. “The author,” con- cluded Mr. Clemens, “is now dead; the copy- right is dead; the children live and the book lives ; but the profits @ go to the publishers.” In the course of reply to questions, Mr. Clemens remarked incidentally that some of his manuscript was once taxed as “ gas works.” The Chairman thanked the witness for his evidence.— Daily News. V.—Vizereviy v. Mupie. In Vizetelly v. Mudie’s Select Library (Limited) the plaintiff obtained a verdict for £100 damages, on account of a libel contained in a book circulated and sold by the defendants in the ordinary course of their trade, though they had no knowledge of the libel and the book was published by a high-class British firm of pub- lishers. The verdict does not appear to us a satisfactory one. The rule of law applicable to the case is no doubt the one stated by the Court of Appeal in ELmmens v. Pottle (55 L. J. Rep. Q. B. 51). The decision there was that a vendor of a newspaper, though primd facie responsible for a libel contained in it, is not answerable if he can prove that he did not know that it contained a libel; that his ignorance was not due to negli- gence; and that he did not know, and had no ground for supposing, that the newspaper was ec  258 likely to contain libellous matter. If he proves these facts, he is not the publisher of the libel. Mr. Justice Grantham’s direction that the ques- tion for the jury was whether the defendants were negligent seems, therefore, indisputable. He, however, expressed the view that the defendants conducted their business in a negligent way, because they did not ascertain for themselves that the contents of all the 4000 new books which they circulate on an average in each year were not libellous. We fail to see why the proprietors of a circulating library should not in general be entitled to rely on the good reputation of the publishers from whom they receive books, at any rate when the publishers carry on their trade in the United Kingdom and can be reached by the arm of the law. The charge of negligence was also supported on the ground that the publishers of the book had put a notice in the Publishers’ Journal and the Atheneum requesting that all copies should be returned to them for cancellation of the libellous passages, and that the defendants took in both these newspapers and ought to have read the notice. If it be the general pvactice of the publishing trade to insert such notices in these newspapers, the omission to read them may justify a finding of negligence ; otherwise it is a strong thing to say that a man is expected to read the whole of a periodical to which he sub- scribes, even if it be a trade newspaper.—From the Law Journal (by permission). [On appeal the judgment has been maintained. The opinion of the Law Journal on the general principle is, however, instructive. | VI.—Srrcimens oF AGREEMENTS. Here are two agreements. The reader will be pleased to peruse documents which will so greatly raise the calling of publishers in his estimation. In what follows A. B. is the publisher. 1. A. B. to have exclusive right of publishing everywhere. 2. Corrections above 25 per cent. of the cost of type-setting to be borne by the author. 3. The first 500 copies to bear no royalty. 4. After the first 500 copies the royalty to be 12} per cent. on the published price ; 13 copies as 12, 7.e., on a 6s. book, 854d. 5. If the book is sold at or below half published. price, the royalty to be 123 per cent. on the net receipts. 6. A royalty of 10 per cent. on the net receipts to be paid for a colonial edition. 7. A. B. to have all rights, serial, dramatic, translation, and colonial, continental, American, &. And to pay the author one-half the profits on each. THE AUTHOR. 8. The author to revise future editions. g. The author shall not publish any abridg- ment. 10. The author to pay £50 to the publisher on going to press. Many agreements have been submitted to the Society, but this seems on the whole the most admirable, both in the brazen front of the pub- lisher and in his sublime reliance on the ignorance of the author. First, for the author. It is supposed that an edition of 1500 copies has been printed and sold. It is a six-shilling book, not a novel. The average price is 3s. 6d. to the trade. But after the first 1000 we suppose that the rest are sold at half- price, viz., 38. (see clause 5). The average cost of an average six-sbilling book for 1500 copies may be set down, with adver- tising, at about £110, all being bound. The author receives for the first 500... 9 O O ” : » second 500... 17 6 4 ” ] » bhird 500... 84 9 Tn all the author’s account stands thus : PD ae Paid to publisher............ 50 0 6 Received i... cececc cee 25 19 3 Loss 3.6 ed SD 50 0 6 On the other hand, consider the publisher. He, worthy creature, stands as follows: & s d. & 3 & Cost of production ......... 110, 6 0 Author in royalties......... Ze 19 8 Profit’ (0.28.1 Iba 0-6 ——————. 300 0:0 By sales : 1000 at 3s. Od..... 2. 275 OC. 2 SOO at 38. cece cece eee ane 75 O20 Received from author...... 56 0 — 300 0 0 Of course, it may be said that so large an edition might not be sold. The answer is that it might be, and that this is how it would work out. Here is another agreement. It was a little book of only 60,000 words, impudently offered to the public at 6s. The royalty was to be 1s. 6d. a copy unless the book was sold at or under half- price, when it was to be 25 per cent. on the net receipts. The author was to pay down £40. There was an edition of 1500, of which 500 copies were bound, and 400 sold, 200 at 3s. 6d. and 200 at 2s. 113d. Ona colonial edition the author was to have 34d. a copy. ps Cost of printing and paper THE The author’s account, therefore, stood as follows : Ss a Paid to publisher......... i 40 O O Received : Royalty of 1s, 6d. on 200 copies sold at 3s. 6d. .... 15 0 O Royalty of 25 per cent. on net receipts of 200 sold at 2S. £140. 0. ss... Colonial edition at 33d. 14 11 40.60 0 How does the publisher stand ? oe 8. bs. a, about : 3 50.0 0 Minding 500 ............ fay 8 10 O Advertising ............ Say 10 0 0 PROVSNICS 2 ogee 26.19. 7 PerOUt 3 ee ee A 2 . 154 11-3 Paid by author 2... 40° OO 200 copies at 35. 6d. ...... 25. 0. 0 200 copies at 1s. 113d. ... 29 11 8 Colonial edition .......... 50-0 OC ¥54 if 8 There must be something wrong here, because the poor man lamented the loss of more than £20 on the transaction, and, as is well known among his friends, he cannot swerve from the truth. VIL.—“ Our FavovurABLE CONSIDERATION.” We have often warned our readers against the publisher who gives a MS. a consideration so pro- tracted and careful that he answers by return post, and so favourable that he offers the “following advantageous” terms. But the game goes on merrily. It has of late extended its list of players. There were, until recently, two sportsmen only who practised in this field: thenathird appeared: and now there is at least one more. In fact, the game of deluding the ignorant aspirant by dangling hopes of “future and following ” editions before him with promises of two-thirds, three-fifths— any proportion you please—of the profits, seems to be attracting and tempting publishers hitherto considered above such practices. But with pub- lishers as with the rest of humanity—they can withstand anything but temptation. Here are two cases which have recently been brought before the Secretary. The first is an example of the old trickery. Dear Srr,—We have given your MS. our consideration and have decided to make yon the following offer for its pro- duction and publication in one volume. voL. X. AUTHOR. 259 That in consideration of our printing 750 copies in the best style, publishing at the popular price of 3s. 6d., binding ‘in handsome cloth, gold lettered) as trade demands warrant, advertising at our expense to the amount of £10 (full details of which would be duly sent you), and giving you two- thirds of the proceeds of sales, you agree to pay to us the sum of £69, £39 on signing the agreement, and £30 when you see the last proofs. The expenses of all future editions to be borne entirely by us, you then receiving a royalty of 1s. per copy. The above amount to constitute your sole outlay, the copyright remaining your property. We should publish the book during the spring season.— Faithfully yours, Rook What does this mean to the luckless author ? First, there will be a bill for corrections—there always is. ‘Then, after a brief interval, there will be a strong recommendation to spend another £7—they are always very exact—in advertising. Then there will follow a statement of sales. Review Copies ...........5++ 50 GLUOR 3 es 25 GIGS oes eerste a 2 In stock 672 to be sold as waste paper. The author pays £69. He then pays the bill for corrections—say £6, and sends up the addi- tional £7 for advertisements. In all he pays £82. What does he get back? Asa rule, nothing. On the most favourable terms, the sale of the whole edition, he can get back about £40. In other words, he must lose £40, and he stands to lose £80, and yet he accepts ! As for the publisher, he prints the book; he binds only what are wanted ; and as for the advertisements, only he himself knows where they go and what they cost. On the usual estimate he stands to win about £25. Here, however, is another case. The terms are somewhat varied. The publisher says: ‘“ The book will cost £ for print, paper, and binding. T shall advertise to the extent of £ I shall take a commission of 20 per cent. on the proceeds. You must send me a cheque for £ in advance. There will also be incidental expenses.” This looks like a bond fide commission business, only with a high percentage. In the case before us the author was lured on by the prospect of a safe and very profitable investment. The result was a dead loss of every- thing paid in advance, and a demand for more. The book has proved a failure: the publisher if he had been straightforward would have foretold the failure and warned the author. And, as in the preceding case, the publisher has made a certain profit in advance. He pledged himself, in his estimate, to bind the whole: it is not certain that he has done so. He also pledged himself to spend a certain sum in advertising: it remains to be proved how much he has spent. ee2  260 And, as in the preceding case, the author stood to lose so much certainly, and so much more possibly. In such cases as this it is always the “ possible” event which happens. VIIl.—Tue Property or AUTHORS. The following are extracts from a paper read by Mr. Charles Dudley Warner before the recently organised National Institute of Arts and Letters in New York. The paper is printed in evtenso in the Writer (Boston, U.S.A.) for February :— Consider first the author, and I mean the author, and not the mere craftsman who manufactures books for a recog- nised market, His sole capital is his talent. His brain may be likened to a mine, gold, silver, copper, iron, or tin, which looks like silver when new. Whatever it is, the vein of valuable ore is limited, in most cases it is slight. When it is worked out the man is at the end of his resources. Has he expended or produced capital? I say he has pro- duced it, and contributed to the wealth of the world, and that he is as truly entitled to the usufruct of it as the miner who takes gold or silver out of the earth. For how long? I will speak of that later on. The copyright of a book is not analogous to the patent right of an invention, which may become of universal necessity to the world. Nor should the greater share of this usufruct be absorbed by the manufacturer and publisher of the book. The publisher has a clear right to guard himself against risks, as he has the right of refusal to assume them. But there is an injustice somewhere, when for many a book, valued and even profitable to somebody, the author does not receive the price of a labourer’s day wages for the time spent on it—to say nothing of the long years of its gestation, The relation between author and publisher ought to be neither complicated nor peculiar. The author may sell his product outright, or he may sell himself by an agreement similar to that which an employee in a manufacturing establishment makes with his master to give to the estab- lishment all his inventions. Either of these methods is fair and business-like, though it may not be wise. A method that prevailed in the early years of this century was both fair and wise. The author agreed that the publisher should have the exclusive right to publish his book for s certain term or to make and sell a certain number of copies. When those conditions were fulfilled, the control of the property reverted to the author. The continuance of these relations between the two depended, as it should depend, upon mutual advantage and mutual goodwill. WoRrRKING FoR A MARKET. By the present common method the author makes over - the use of his property to the will of the publisher. It is true that he parts with the use only of the property, and not with the property itself, and the publisher in law acquires no other title, nor does he acquire any sort of interest in the future products of the author’s brain. But the author loses all control of his property, and its profit to him may depend upon his continuing to make over his books to the same publisher. In this continuance he is liable to the temptation to work for a market, instead of following the free impulses of his own genius. As to any special book, the publisher is the sole judge whether to push it or to let it sink into the stagnation of unadvertised goods. The situation is full of complications. Theoretically it is the interest of both parties to sell as many books as possible; but the author has an interest in one book, the publisher in a hundred, and it is natural and reasonable THE AUTHOR. that the man who risks his money should be the judge of the policy best for his own establishment. I cannot but think that this situation would be on a juster footing all round if the author returned to the old practice of limiting the use of his property by the publisher. I say this in full recognition of the fact that the publishers might be unwilling to make temporary investments, or to take risks. What then? Fewer books might be published. Less vanity might be gratified. Less money might be risked in experiments upon the public, and more might be made by distributing good literature. Would the public be injured ? It is an idea already discredited that the world owes a living. to everybody who thinks he can write, and it is a supersti- tion already fading that capital which exploits literature as a trade acquires any special privileges. ‘ ABSURDITY” OF THE CopYRIGHT LAw. The property of an author in the product of his mental labour ought to be as absolute and unlimited as his pro- perty in the product of his physical labour. It seems to me idle to say that the two kinds of labour products are so dissimilar that the ownership cannot be protected by like laws. In this age of enlightenment such a proposition is absurd. The history of copyright law seems to show that the treatment of property in brain product has been based on this erroneous idea. To steal the paper on which an author has put his brain work into visible, tangible form is in all lands a crime, larceny, but to steal the brain work is not a crime. The utmost extent to which our enlightened American legislators, at almost the end of the nineteenth century, have gone in protecting products of the brain has been to give the author power to sue in civil courts, at large expense, the offender who has taken and sold his property. And what gross absurdity is the copyright law which limits even this poor defence of authors’ property to a brief term of years, after the expiration of which he or his children and heirs have no defence, no recognised property whatever in his products. And for some inexplicable reason this term of years in which he may be said to own his property is divided into two terms, so that at the end of the first he is compelled to reassert his ownership by renewing his copyright, or he must lose all ownership at the end of the short term. Duty oF THE GOVERNMENT. Tt is manifest to all honest minds that if an author is entitled to own his work for a term of years, it is equally the duty of his Government to make that ownership per- petual. He can own and protect and leave to his children and his children’s children by will the manuscript paper on which he has written, and he should have equal right to leave to them that mental product which constitutes the true money value of his labour. It is unnecessary to say that the mental product is always as easy to be identified as the physical product. Its identification is absolutely certain to the intelligence of judges and juries. And it is apparent that the interests of assignees, who are commonly pub- lishers, are equal with those of authors, in making absolute and perpetual this property in which both are dealers. Another consideration follows here. Why should the ownership of a bushel of wheat, a piece of silk goods, a watch or a handkerchief in the possession of an ‘American carried or sent to England or brought thence to this country be absolute and unlimited, while the ownership of his own products as an author or as & purchaser from an author is made dependent on his nationality ? Why should the property of the manufacturer of cloths, carpets, satins, and any and every description of goods be able to send his products all over the world, subject only to the tariff laws  THE AUTHOR. eof various countries, while the author (alone of all known producers) is forbidden to do so? The existing law of our country says to the foreign author : “ You can have property in your book only if you manufacture it into saleable form in this country.” What would be said of the wisdom or ‘wild folly of a law which sought to protect other American industries by forbidding the importation of all foreign manufactures ? Wart tae Carrranist Has Dons. One aspect of the publishing business which has become increasingly prominent during the last fifteen years cannot be overlooked, for it is certain to affect seriously the pro- duction of literature as to quality and its distribution. Capital has discovered that literature is a product out of which money can be made, in the same way that itcan be made in cotton, wheat, oriron. Never before in history has so much money been invested in publishing, with the single purpose of creating and supplying the market with manu- factured goods. Never before has there been such an appeal to the reading public, or such a study of its tastes, or supposed tastes, wants, likes, and dislikes, coupled also with the same shrewd anxiety to ascertain a future demand that governs the purveyors of spring and fall styles in millinery and dressmaking. Not only the contents of the books and periodicals, but the covers must be made to catch the fleeting fancy. Will the public next season wear its hose dotted or striped ? The consolidation of capital in great publishing establish- ments has its advantages and its disadvantages. It increases vastly the yearly output of books. The presses must be kept running; printers, paper-makers, and machinists are interested in this. The maw of the press must be fed. The capital must earn its money. One advantage of this is that when new and usable material is not forthcoming, the “ standards” and the best literature must be reproduced in countless editions, and the best literature is broadcast over the world at prices to suit all purses,even the leanest. The disadvantage is that products, in the eagerness of competi- “tion for a market, are accepted which are of a character to harm and not help the development of the contemporary mind in moral and intellectual strength. The public expresses its fear of this in the phrase it has invented— “the spawn of the press.” The author who writes simply to supply this press and in constant view of a market, is certain to deteriorate in his quality; may, more, as a beginner he is satisfied if he can produce something that will sell without regard to its quality. It would not be easy to fix the limit in this vast country to the circulation of a good book if it were properly kept before the public. Day by day, year by year, new readers are coming forward with curiosity and intellectual wants. The generation that now is should not be deprived of the best in the last generation. Nay, more, one publication in any form reaches only a comparatively small portion of the public that would be interested init. A novel, for instance, may have a large circuJation in a magazine, it may then appear in a book, it may reach other readers serially again in the columns of a newspaper, it may be offered again in call the by-ways by subscription, and yet not nearly exhaust its legitimate running power. This is not a sup- _position, but a fact proved by trial. Nor is it to be wondered at when we consider that we have an unequalled “homogeneous population with a similar common school ‘education. In looking over publishers’ lists I am constantly -eoming across good books out of print, which are practi- cally unknown to this generation, and yet are more profit- -able, truer to life and character, more entertaining and “amusing, than most of those fresh from the press month by month. 261 PARIS NOTES. 5, rue Chomel, Paris. FY XHE stupendous event has come off! The Great Exhibition has been formally declared open to the public, despite its unfinished condition. Royalty was conspicuous by its absence on this occasion, and so was the upper-class Britisher. This is hardly surprising ; though the malevolent, anti-English attitude of the journalists has been greatly modified during the past month. Two new foreign papers have just been established here. Both are edited by warm friends of France. The first, entitled ZZ Risveglo Italiano, appears once a week, and is the official organ of the Italian colony in Paris. The second is a Russian daily, entitled Paryskaia Gazeta, which is reported to have secured the collaboration of the best-known Russian writers, in addition to having correspondents all over the world. Our American cousins are likewise pre- paring an innovation in the newspaper depart- ment. The New York Times announces its intention of initiating the public into some of the mysteries of publication by daily issuing during the Exhibition a special edition, printed under the public eye, in one of the American off-shoots in the Champ-de-Mars. Mentioning the exhibi- tion reminds me that a new propaganda to obtain daily subscriptions for the Boers has just been started. Its first and very successful public appeal was issued the week previous to the opening of the big French show. This appeal, which was the work of a group of young French- men, was reproduced in most of the leading dailies. It began as follows : “We are not inveterate enemies of the British nation. We detest no one; but we hate injustice and hold in horror the covetous financiers, the men of prey, who have coldly plotted this criminal war. They have committed with premeditation the greatest of crimes—the crime of ‘lése- humanité,’ &e.” But what about the crime of “ lése-patrie” perpetrated by the Britisher in visiting an exhibi- tion a portion of whose profits will be devoted to prolonging a murderous warfare which imperils the safety of his own countrymen? It will be a bad thing for all pecuniarily interested in the Exhibition if the French persist in thrusting this reflection home to the conscience of the British nation. Tue Lapres’ Drernat. The attempt to introduce a feminine member in the committee of the Société des Gens de Lettres has failed. The masculine element was propitious, upwards of 248 votes having been registered by  THE 262 the small group of feminine candidates who pre- sented themselves to the suffrages of the electors. The wise resolve of preventing all splitting of votes by nominating a single candidate not having been adhered to, the ladies have only themselves to blame for their non-success. Mme. Daniel Lesueur headed the poll of the vanquished party with ninety-six votes, followed by Mme. Henry Gréville, who boasted sixty-two adherents. Despite their defeat, it is evident that feminism has made enormous progress since Mme. Anais Ségalas presented herself, ten years ago, as a candidate for a seat on the committee, and registered four votes! Mesdames “Gyp” and Séverine are reported to have both declined the honour of becoming candidates in the present election. A few months ago the Simple Revue instituted a plebiscite to decide the awarding of the title of Princess of French Literature. Mme. Séverime came off victor in the contest, closely followed by “Gyp” (Comtesse de Martel). These two ladies have warmly supported the candidature of Mme. Daniel Lesueur, grand-niece of O’Connel, and author of twenty volumes of verse and fiction dealing with the prominent social and philosophical questions of the day. In Mme. Séverine’s writings we find this high-flown descrip- tion of the defeated candidate :— “ Perspicacity, and a prompt and just concep- tion of life, are in her limpid blue eyes : The Lyonnais origin of her father is shown in her low, obstinate forehead, in her firm chin; while her Parisian birth is revealed by her small, delicate nose, whose nostrils quiver above the crimson mouth like a butterfly over a balsa- mine.” MM. Victorien Sardou, Sully Prudhomme, Henri de Bornier, Camille Flammarion, Edmond Haraucourt, and Georges Ohnet, were among Mme. Lesueur’s supporters. M. Hervisev anp THE ACADEMIES. Encouraged by the above result, the lady students of divers nationalities of the Latin Quarter are mooting the formation of a feminine association similar to the existing General Asso- ciation of Male Students. The authorities are decidedly favourable to the proposition; while M. Paul Hervieu, the newly-elected president of the Société des Gens de Lettres, is rumoured to be . as warm an advocate of ladies’ rights as was M. Marcel Prévost, his predecessor. The flattering unanimity of his election by acclamation, and his numerous contributions to literature as essayist, novelist, and dramatist, render him an important auxiliary tothe feminine cause. His official recep- tion at the French Academy is announced to place towards the end of June. M. take AUTHOR. Brunetitre is the member appointed to receive him. A propos of the Académie des Sciences, the late Professor Hughes, of London, inventor of the telegraphic apparatus which bears his name, has confided to its committee a legacy of 100,000 francs, whose interest is to be devoted annually to- rewarding the autbor of the most useful inven- tion in the department of physics, electricity, or - magnetism. Among minor events may be mentioned the protest entered by a learned member of the Biological Society against the bicycle on the ground that this method of locomotion seriously increases the annual ratio of madness and crime. Mgr. Maillet, Bishop of St. Claude, is evidently of the same opinion ; the Semaine religieuse of the diocese has recently published his interdiction of its usage to his clergy “ under penalty of mortal sin.” This is the severest con- demnation that the bicycle has yet received in Catholic quarters. “T/INCONNU ET LES PROBLEMES PSYCHIQUES.” Such is the title of M. Camille Flammarion’s new book. Its advent has occasioned a profound sensation. In his present work the learned author of “ Astronomie populaire ” cites no fewer than 438 authenticated instances of psychical phenomena, telepathic communications from @ distance, mental suggestions, futurity revealed by dreams, apparitions of dying friends, &c. The question whether these psychological problems can be resolved within the limits of scientific analysis is pertinently discussed by the writer. “. . Is such an attempt rational?” he inquires; “is it logical ? Can it lead to any definite results ? Of this I am ignorant. Nevertheless, it is interesting. And if it leads us to a fuller knowledge of the nature of the human soul it will enable humanity to make a progress superior to that made up to the present time by the gradual evolution of all the other sciences united.” M. Flammarion’s final conclu- sions are that Thought is not a function of the brain; that the Soul actually exists as a real being independent of the body; that it is gifted with faculties still unknown to science; and that it can act and perceive the future (determined beforehand by natural causes) without the intermediate agency of the senses. The numerous well-known names attached to many of the examples quoted in support of the above theories amply guarantee the veracity of the narrator. M. Ernest Flammarion is the pub- lisher of this weird and curious work, and also of a French translation of the “Résurrection” of Count Tolstoi.  THE AUTHOR. 263 “Borry YEARS OF THE THEATRE.” The first volume of the “Quarante Ans de Théitre” series of M. Francisque Sarcey, edited by M. Adolphe Brisson (Bibliothéque des Annales), has just appeared. It contains “ the good Uncle’s” most important articles on the Comédie Francaise. “Those who wish to make acquaintance with the French theatre of the nineteenth century will find in Sarcey’s writings all that is necessary to be known of its plays, authors, and actors,” said M. Mézitres, president of the Parisian Associa- tion of Journalists, at a recent meeting of the society. “They will find, above all, an accent of admirable sincerity. No exterior influence, no consideration of friendship or expe- diency, ever biassed his judgment. i. Never to have sought, never to have wished to say anything but the truth during forty years of journalism, is not this the highest praise that could be given to any of our members ?” M. Méziéres spoke truly. Francisque Sarcey united the rare qualities of a disinterested, com- petent, and benevolent critic. The curs of the Press yelped over his grave and endeavoured to blacken his fair renown. They failed signally. The proofs of his sterling honesty and the upright- ness of his long public career formed an impene- trable egis to protect his memory. The spirit in which he worked may be seen from the appended rough translation of a simile taken from the chapter entitled “ Rights and Duties of a Critic ” in the newly issued volume of the “ Quarante Ans de Théatre ” series. “A tiler climbs up a steep, sloping roof, ninety feet above the ground. He tranquilly arranges his tiles on it, regardless that he risks breaking his neck a hundred times a day. He perceives no bravery in that—it is his trade to risk his life ; he risks it, and sees no reason for being proud of the act. The trade of the critic has likewise its drawbacks. In speaking the truth, he risks making almost as many enemies as there are persons mentioned in his articles. But that is our trade. We are paid for doing it; and in accomplishing it we believe we are only doing the simple duty of an honest man.” A Mortuary PaRraGRaPH. The inauguration of Alphonse Daudet’s statue, at his natal town of Nimes, furnished abundant copy to the journalist. In order to avoid creating a precedent and adding to their already weighty funereal duties, the French Academy decided ,not to send an official representative to the ceremony. We may mention in passing that the unfinished statue was merely lent by the sculptor for the occasion. He has since repossessed himself of his work, in order to modify the somewhat heavy contour of the features and pose of the unfinished figure. The death of M. Valentin Simond, founder of the Echo de Paris, the Marseillaise, the Réverl, and the Mot d’Ordre, was sincerely lamented by his contributors and staff, owing to the courteous respect he invariably showed towards their individual opinions. M. Louis Enault, a prolific contributor of fiction to the railway libraries, has likewise joined the ranks of the great majority ; closely followed by M. Joseph Bertrand, the celebrated occupant of the chair of mathematics and physics at the Sorbonne, member of the French Academy, and permanent secretary of the Academy of Science, commander of the Légion d’honneur, &c., and author of “ Traité Walgtbre,’ “Traité du calcul différential et intégral,” “ Caleul des probabilities,” “ Thermo- dynamique,” ‘“L’Histoire de VAcadémie des Sciences,” &e., and a host of erudite articles on physics, mathematics, astronomy, acoustics, the laws of capillary attraction. The Ecole poly- technique, recognising the extraordinary mathe- matical aptitude of this modern Pascal, admitted him as a pupil at the early age of eleven years. By the death of Count Benedetti France loses an agreeable writer and well-known diplomatist to whom she latterly made honourable, though tacit, amends for the unjust suspicion with which she had long regarded a certain incident in his diplomatic career. Guy pr Maupassant. The second volume of the hitherto unedited tales of Guy de Maupassant has recently been published by the Maison Ollendorf under the title of “Le Colporteur.” Each of these short compositions 1s a model of elegant, nervous writing. De Maupassant possessed the advan- tage of an excellent master in literary style at the commencement of his career. The renowned Gustave Flaubert—than whom no greater purist existed—appointed himself the critic of the youthful writer’s productions, sternly forbidding him to publish the immature overflowings of his fertile imagination. “ Wait a little, young fool,” was his vigorous exhortation on one occasion ; “‘ advance as I order you, and carry out my prescriptions. ‘To-morrow morning you will walk along the street until you see a concitrge sweeping out her doorway. At this juncture you will stop; you will contemplate this spectacle until you have absorbed it; and then you will faithfully narrate the various impressions it has suggested to you. Quick, to work!” When the prescribed literary exercise was sub- mitted for approval: “You must prune these 264 epithets, my son. And this verb? What is this verb doing here?” was the only encouragement vouchsafed. For six years this hard discipline continued unrelaxed; at the end of that period de Maupas- sant was a finished stylist. To Flaubert’s train- ing he undoubtedly owes the classical reputation he to-day enjoys, the unfortunate cloud which latterly obscured his brilliant intellect being in no wise apparent in his earlier works. New Boos. Among recent publications, we find “ La Petite Bohéme,”’ by M. Armand Charpentier, one of the most promising writers of the Zola school. His best known novel is “ L’Initiateur,’’ to which M. Alphonse Daudet furnished a moral letter-preface —‘the only moral in the book,” according toa witty confrére. ‘‘ La Constitution du monde,” a scientific work by Mme. Clémence Royer, evolves some remarkable theories; “Le Roman de Ambition,” by M. Marcel Barriére, is the second volume of the “Nouveau Don Juan” trilogy, begun by “L’Education d’un Contemporain” ; and “Le Caractére et la Main” is an interesting treatise on chiromancy by M. J. Leclercq, con- taining reproductions of the hands of Zola, Coppée, Rodin, Clemenceau, Réjane, “ Gyp,”’ Loie Fuller, and a score of other celebrities. ‘ Figures du temps passé,” by M. Lucien Perey; the third yolume of ‘ Napoléon et sa famille,” by M. Frédéric Masson; “ Fiancée d’Avril,” by M. Guy Chantepleure; ‘En flanant,’ by M. André Hallays; and “ L’Art du Chant,’ by M. Marie Sasse of the Opéra, are also among the interesting publications of the month. Darracorre Scorr. Dec NOTES AND NEWS. PUBLISHER'S proposal as to the exten- A sion of copyright is that after the legal term has expired the heirs of the author may, by paying a small fine or fee, take out a renewal. He adds, “ or representatives,” probably meaning that the trade will do their level best to make the privilege their own in the initial agree- ment. This would no doubt be attempted, and as the chance of a book being worth renewal after the term of copyright is small, it would in most cases be granted. This, however, must not be permitted. A law of copyright which enables a publisher to keep a monopoly of a book for ever would be far worse than the existing law. Perhaps the following amendments are worth considering : 1. The sale of copyright to be legal for the existing term only, THE AUTHOR. 2. At the expiration of the existing term the author’s heirs to recover possession of the copy- right. 3. The original publisher not to sell a single copy, even for waste-paper, after the expiration of the term. 4. The author’s heirs to be at liberty to make arrangements for another term of years, and again at the expiration of the second and every following term. Consider the position of the heirs of Charles Dickens or of Scott were such provision legal. They would have left a huge property enduring one knows not how long, for it is ve certain that our own great grandchildren will read Scott, and, I believe, Dickens as well, with as much delight as we ourselves of the present day. I refer to the observations of Mr. Charles Dudley Warner on the subject (see p. 260) in another column. The following proposal advanced by the Man- chester Guardian is worth considering :— “ There is a crusade on foot just now to extend the term during which an author’s heirs or pub- lishers may preserve copyright in his books. . . . But it does not seem to have occurred to anyone that the book-buyer has an interest in the matter. By all means let the author’s heirs get as much as they can from his works; but there seems to be no reason why one publisher should be able to keep others, who would perhaps employ better editors or printers, out of the field. If the term of copyright is extended, we hope that some pro- vision will be made for the right of any publisher who chooses to pay for it to issue an edition of a popular author. At present, indeed, the chief objection to the extension of copyright is that it gives a monopoly toa publisher who may be neither intelligent nor enterprising. Surely it would be possible to throw openall popular books to “the trade” after their author’s death, on the understanding that the author’s representatives were to receive the same royalty from any pub- lisher who chose to issue them. This plan would combine the interests of the book-buyer, who deserves some consideration, with those of the author’s family, and it ought not to prove unwork- able in practice.” The objection to this proposal is precisely the same as that advanced above, that it leaves an author, or his heirs, the power of selling all future interest in a work. Now, if literary property is to be protected, in the interest of authors it must be saleable for a term of years only, and then for another term. In this way only can the work be protected against forced sales, sales  THE AUTHOR. 265 through ignorance or carelessness, and sales for the exigencies of the moment. — What is the objection to the admission of women into the learned societies? Science is not in the least concerned with the sex of those who follow and work in the field of research. It may be that women will never succged so well as men in science: it may be that in some fields they will do better. Surely the broad rule of good work as the one condition of admittance is all that is wanted: that—and a strict obedience to that rule. Membership of a scientific society ought to be a distinction, or at least a recognition, To admit women would mean, in most cases, to raise the standard of membership. It is notorious that there are many learned societies which will admit anybody without asking for proof of qualification. How many geographers are there in the Geographical Society ? How many antiquaries in Burlington House? How many astronomers in the Royal Astronomical Society ? Once admit women, however, and the rule of qualification, the condition of good work, will be applied with rigour. The societies will become poorer, but poverty will have the com- pensation of distinction and honour. The archxologists and antiquaries among our readers will be interested in hearing that further examination of the catacombs of Rome is to be undertaken. The Commission — “ Commissione di Archeologia Sacra’”’—appeals to all those, of every nation, interested in the subject for assist- ance. Information can be had by writing to Monsignor P. Crostarosa, Secretary to the Com- mission, 24, Via del Quirinale, Rome. These catacombs, in which so much has been found, in which so much more certainly remains to be found, after being closed from the ninth century, have only been opened in this, the nineteenth: and as yet have been most imperfectly examined. Out of forty-five cemeteries five only are accessible to the visitor. It is interesting to see ina cutting from the Toronto Globe that the Canadian Society of Authors is going ahead. It has given a dinner, presided over by the Hon. G. W. Ross, Premier of Ontario and chairman of the Society, to the French-Canadian writer, Dr. Frechette, whose writings have been so widely read in Canada, and whose book written in English, bearing on the characteristics of the French. Canadian of the province of Quebec, was published last year. The dinner appears to have been a great success, as, indeed, it deserved to be. The Society has elected a considerable number of new members, amongst whom appear Mr. Gilbert Parker of our Committee, and Mr. Thring, the Secretary of the Society. Some friends of the late Mrs. Lynn Linton are anxious that her memory should be perpetuated at Keswick—her native place—and wish to pre-. sent her portrait (done in oils by the Hon. John Collier) to the museum there. And as it is felt that many others may wish to join in such a memorial, Mr. G. S. Layard, of Lorraine Cottage, Great Malvern, who is at present engaged in writing Mrs. Linton’s life, has kindly consented to receive and acknowledge subscriptions towards the fund. Subscriptions may also be sent to Mr. William Toynbee, 1, York-street, Portman-square, London. Water Besant. Pes ERNEST DOWSON. T is in the cruel irony of things that I should I be writing of my dead friend, Ernest Dowson, in this town of St. Germain-en- Laye. For not very long before he died— although at a time when he had no foresight of what was so soon to befall him—he had coun- selled me, one-night when we were talking of our future lives, to betake myself, my pens and paper and wayward fancies here and to work, where there was an old castle, full of inspira- tion, to contemplate a church in which an unhappy English king lies buried (in which to seek higher things), and a forest, full in spring of the flowers and birds and butterflies that one “loved long since,” where one could walk away all the melancholy of a hard life laid in hard ways. And so, having bidden an eternal farewell to Ernest Dowson, as he lies under fifteen feet of Kentish loam in the cemetery of Brockley, near Lewisham, I betook myself here, as it were in execution of a dying request, and here it is that I write of him. I think that all in all he was the MOST UNHAPPY MAN OF LETTERS who ever lived. I say it advisedly and after having thought over in the solitude of long forest walks what I know of him, what I know of his life. I say it in spite of the fact that for two days and two nights I had his face in its last sleep open to my tearful eyes and that one never saw peace more reposeful on features more ravaged. I say it in spite of the echoes that the winged choristers of the French forest have at all times been ringing in my ears of that outburst of twittering song which broke from many English birds at the very moment when the poet’s soul  266 passed into eternity. It was such a_ gentle death, a trespass so peaceful, that thinking of that alone one might be inclined to say that no one who so left life—whatever his life might have been—could be written down as altogether unhappy, the Miserrimus before whose tombstone posterity stops and sighs. Here there was not the devil-haunted garret of Brooke-street, Hol- born, in which, amidst a litter of destroyed master- pieces, Chatterton writhed his last in arsenic- agonies. Here was not the muddy gutter where, prone on his face in alcoholic apoplexy, Edgar Allan Poe breathed away in shameful hiccoughs his lyric soul. Nor here that fateful iron grating in Old Lanthorn-street from which, one grey morning, men of police cut down the stark body of Gerard de Nerval, hapless lover of the Queen of Sheba. For he just turned over on his side and left me. There was no struggle—there was no agony ; and the only sign that was given to me that the unex- pected end had indeed come, and that one more dear one had left me—still more lonely—for ever, was the beautiful calm that settled down, like a brooding dove, upon his tired face. I have all these things well before my mind, and yet, advisedly, I say that I do not know in the mournful history of unhappy men of letters a page more sad than that which tells of Ernest Dowson’s short career. Nor do I here make reference to certain shameful speculations, of which he was the victim in his last days, of tradings on his weakness, rags, and hunger. I look at his life as a whole, and I do not find any- where outside of certain lines in Edgar Allan Poe any description of the unhappiness of his life. Yet one admits that he was one of those who were born to be unhappy, for no other reason than that their natures and temperament are such that they are not of this world, and, being alien to it, must perforce succumb from first to weary last. Chat- terton had some glory and a little love; Poe had much love and a little glory; de Nerval staggered through life in a dream of renown with a blazing, if unrequited, passion at heart. But Ernest Dowson—who in the opinion of many of critical faculties had genius as great as any of these— never received, outside a small circle, any recog- nition; and though he had a beautiful face and the largest heart, was not, I think, once called into that revivifying sunshine which is a woman’s love to a poet’s soul. I procured a copy of Balzac’s ‘La Cousine Bette” on the first day on which I came here, and in re-reading that masterpiece I fancied I had come to one explanation of his want of success. Do you remember those fine pages in which Balzac, himself the most conscientious of workers, THE AUTHOR. describes the reason of the failure of Wenscelas Steinbock, the artist whom Cousine Bette had saved from suicide, setting it forth as the result of his neglect of constant industry, for, as Balzae writes: “Le travail constant est la loi de l’Art, comme celle de la vie, car Vart c'est la création idéaliste” 2 To see Ernest Dowson ever wander- ing, unsettled, for long periods inactive, and OFTEN IN QUEST OF EXCITEMENT, one might have fancied him unconscientious, a semi-artist, whereas I do not think it would be possible to find amongst the poets of the last decade of this century a worker more devoted, an artist more religious, a conscience more profound. He never had the care of money; he had most deeply the cultus of his art. He wrote in collaboration with Mr. Moore two novels, “A Comedy of Masks,” which was published by Heinemann, and “Adrian Rome,” which was published by Methuen. On both of these books the two collaborators expended a sum of industry that would have saved Dumas pére from occasional visits to Clichy, and exerted an energy of polishing which would have worn MHorace’s grindstone down to its axle. He worked on both books as few men of letters—and I have Alphonse Daudet in my mind when I say this, as well as Henryk Sienkiewicz—have ever worked. He was so entirely an artist that he could never leave a phrase alone. He had the preciousness of George Moore or of Maupassant, without their fortune. He affords altogether the most discouraging example of the inutility of conscientiousness in modern English literature that one can find. He WORKED WELL AND WITH GENIUS for ten years, and I do not think that during the whole of that time—even including a quantity of Grub-street productions to which he was con- strained—he ever earned a wage equivalent to that of the husband of the bricklayer’s wife who per- formed in my cottage on his dead body the last offices which our poor bodies exact. He wrote short stories which are masterpieces—you should read “Dilemmas”; he was an exquisite poet. Mr. Smithers, his publisher, will tell you that certain admirers of his—alas, too few—took his volumes by the half quire, and as a translator from the French into limpid English he had no rival. And it was all in vain, in the sense that honest work should procure some happiness, & little sunshine, a few of those things which tend to reconcile one with all the tears and stress of this life. He knew it; he felt it, and I shall not. presently forget the grey Kentish evening on which he said to me: “ Literature has failed for’  THE me. I shall look somewhere else in the future.” I said nothing, although now I recognise that I had a presentiment that there were perhaps on the knees of the gods better things for Hrnest Dowson, than that eternal straining of eyes towards a promised land into which there is and never can be any entering. At the time I did not know how good was God to be to him. He was born at Lee, near Lewisham, thirty- two years ago, and he now lies in Kent from which he sprang. Kentish people will be proud of him now that it is too late, and that all the appreciation of all the world cannot wipe out one sad line from his classical mouth or put one little glint of contentment into his spiritual eyes. I do not wish to be critical about his works. Chacun a son métier. There are many critics who will be busy about the very sweet English poet that he was. My métier is here that of a friend and to some extent of a moralist, who is very unhappy, and who sees in this life and in this death another reason to deplore the fatal impulse which drives those insufficiently equipped with tenacity, and pru- dence, and, above all, combative strength, into the arduous profession of letters. But I will say this about certain lines in Ernest Dowson’s prose and about certain verses of the poetry that Ernest Dowson wrote, that, stiffen I my back never so bravely, that soliloquise I never so comfortably “Let the dead bury the dead,” I have at the loss of this artist—I say nothing now about the friend—a grief which lies far deeper than human tears, deeper far than the tears which I shed at his going away, when the bricklayer’s wife, to whom I have alluded above, asked me with English expletives, “What was the use of that blubbering now that the gentleman was gone?” I do not know where I met Ernest Dowson first. I know where I met him last—that is to say, day for day, six weeks before his death. It was in a place in Bedford-street, A PLACE WHERE THEY SELL SPIRITS and where the “M’as-tu-vus” of London con- gregate. I was downstairs, writing some futile paragraphs on public paper. He touched me on the shoulder, and I turned round. It was as if Death had— being in a kindly mood — beckoned me away from that unrest which the men in Bedford-street miscall delight. I questioned him, and he told me that he was in sore stress and had crawled out to procure from a publisher a little money. I did not know then that his landlord—in a vague garret, somewhere on the outskirts of Somers Town—had that afternoon delivered to him an ultimatum whereby he would AUTHOR. 267 have been homeless on the morrow, failing the publisher (who had failed him) ; but what I did know—for I saw it—was that here was a man in a very great weakness, a man to whom I was indebted for kindness and artistic sympathy more than I am to most men; and so I asked him to come away with me, and to leave his Somers Town landlord to clamour for the present, and just to take a rest. And so he came home withme. Andif he had never written a line to exhilarate my heart, I could never be sufficiently grateful to him for those six weeks when I sat with him all day, and lay in his room at night. For I think that in the last days of an artist’s life all the treasures that are in an artist’s mind are scattered in largesse on those nigh to him. This, I know, was not the case with Baudelaire. It was certainly so with Ernest Dowson. What a beautiful soul revealed itself at every moment of the day, and how one grew to love a man so distressed !—yet so good and so patient that when I think of those SIX weeks I can vaguely discriminate the comforts of Calvary. We were very cheerful all the time, and we talked of literature from morning till night. He wanted Landor’s “ Imaginary Conversations,” but, though I ordered it from a local librarian, the book did not come until it was too late. But he glutted himself on Dickens, and I had also an “ Esmond,” by Thackeray, to put into his gaunt hands. He had “Esmond” in his bed, by the way, when he died. But as to Dickens, here was a perfect stylist and most laborious artist who delighted himself for the last precious days of a short life in the hasty writings, but perfect humanity, of our English Balzac. And I shall never take up an “ Oliver Twist” again without remembering these circumstances: Five hours before Ernest Dowson died I was lying on a couch in a room adjoining his, keeping myself awake at six o’clock in the morning with the adventures of that most smug of prigs, So as to keep converse with my friend, who could not get to sleep and who had begged me to talk to him. I happened to say to him, to show that I was vigilant: ‘“ How absurdly melodramatic this is, about the murder of Nancy. Do you think that, for anything Fagin could tell him, Sikes, who knew Fagin to be the worst liar on earth, would have killed his missus? ” “ No,” said Dowson ; ‘he would have gone for Claypole.” And that was the last thing on litera- ture that he ever said. For when he woke four hours later it was to ask for a doctor—till then he had always strenuously refused to see one. Too late, for the rest. Too late by many months. For the doctors and the coroner’s people, who did  268 THE come after the end, said that the death was caused by tuberculosis. I would add “accele- rated by privation,” for I afterwards learned at his lodgings that repeatedly, during the months which preceded my meeting with him, HR HAD PASSED WHOLE DAYS and even couples of days without leaving his room or procuring food. He had the delicacy and pride of all elect artistic temperaments, and rather than communicate with his relations —kindest and most generous of people — he preferred to suffer. And he held that a man working at a trade should live by it. I think that his example is one on which young authors should meditate. Not in discouragement from a fine and noble profession, but to derive caution and prudence. I think his sad life and early death should warn all but the strongest against taking to literature, pure and simple, as a sole means of livelihood. And I am sorry to add that I think they teach the lesson that in literature also some spirit of commerciality is essential. He suffered so pitiably at the thought that he had failed, after doiny his best, and I cannot help thinking that this morbid self- reproach did much towards breaking him down. If he had been a little more ‘practical in his dealings with the publishers, a little more provi- dent, and especially if he had sacrificed a little of his artistic prejudice to the public demand, his life might have been different. And yet I don’t know. I cannot conceive Ernest Dowson otherwise than supremely un- happy. He was not of this world orforit. A symbol of his life was given to me in the first days of my visit here. I was walking in the forest, and in the bright sunshine saw a yellow butterfly disporting itself under the leafless trees. It was trying to be happy and fancied the spring was come. And that evening there was a terrible snowstorm, and I could not but think of the icy shower battering down the fragile and gaudy wings. I could not but think that such natures as was Ernest Dowson’s have as much chance of lasting happiness in this world as had that yellow papillon in the treacherous sunshine. Above the leafless trees the crushing storm lies gathering. There was no power of resistance here. It is cruel, doubtless, and heartrending, but it is the nature of things. We can but steel our hearts and, for- getting the snowstorm, think of the sunshine and the brave flutter that for a little while the yellow ' wings made—a thing of beauty, a passing joy. Rozert H. SHERARD. pe AUTHOR. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND LETTERS (NEW YORK), HE address of Mr. Charles Dudley, Warner, , of which a portion will be found in another column, may be taken as an indication that the National Institute of Arts and Letters is to be a serious and permanent association. Its aim, in general terms, is the advancement of Art and Literature. Its membership is to be restricted in numbers, and is to demand as a condition of admission some notable achievement in Art and Literature. It will endeavour to promote “healthful and hopeful criticism” ; it will keep alive the traditions of good litera- ture; it will advocate an equitable law of copyright; it will try to establish the rela- tion of publisher and author on a basis of equity. The institute, it will be seen, is to become, if it succeeds, a national academy of literature. The programme, it will be observed, is much larger than our own. We are concerned only with literary property, the law of copyright, the relation of publisher and author, and the maintenance of literary property in the interests of the creator. It is greatly to the credit of the American good sense that this maintenance of literary property is perceived to be one of the principal factors in the advancement of litera- ture, and one of the objects in a national academy of literature. In this country there would be heard still, though more faintly than of old, the bleating about commercialism and the sordid connection of literature with money ; as if litera- ture, alone among the callings in which men work, is degraded by that connection which does not degrade art, or science, or law, or medicine, or any other of the occupations by which the curse of labour is turned into a blessing. But the creation of literary property is an accidental consequence due to the conditions of the time rather than an essential. For it is quite easy to conceive of the finest poem, the finest work of art, the most startling discovery, failing to become a property at all. It may be that we shall ourselves learn from our American friends how we may enlarge our own field. It may be that the establishment and success of a National Academy of Letters in the States may lead to the creation of a Royal Academy of Letters in this country. We might perhaps consent to be amalgamated in a more comprehensive association—provided that there is ample security that our special work will be carreed on. It may be that the interests of literature— the interests of the author—will be administered a ins al aa a THE more efficiently by a limited number of Acade- micians than by a society unlimited in number and demanding no condition of literary distinc- tion for membership. These things are in the lap of time. We wait and look on. Certainly in one respect our own need of watchful jealousy over criticism is as pressing as that of the States. We shall perhaps learn, also, how to advance litera- ture by some new methods, if there are any, other than ‘by classical education and by confining criticism to scholars. The following notes on the foundation of the institute are taken from the Writer (Boston, U.S.A., Feb. 1900). The National Institute of Arts and Letters is likely to be an important factor in the development of American litera- ture. The original members were selected by an invitation from the American Social Science Association, which acted under the power of its charter from the Congress of the United States. The members thus selected, who joined the Social Science Association, were given the alternative of organising as an independent institute or as a branch of the association. At the annual meeting of the Social Science Association on Sept. 4, 1899, at Saratoga Springs, the members of the institute voted to organise indepen- dently. They formally adopted the revised constitution, which had been agreed upon at the first meeting in New York in the preceding January, and duly elected officers The object is declared to be the advancement of art and literature, and the qualification shall be notable achieve- ment in art or letters. The number of active members will probably be ultimately fixed at 100. The society may elect honorary and associate members without limit. By the terms of agreement between the American Social Science Association and the National Institute, the members of each are ipso facto associate members of the other. As Mr. Warner says: “In no other way as well as by associa- tion of this sort can be created the feeling of solidarity in our literature and the recognition of its power. It is not expected to raise any standard of perfection, or in any way to hamper individual development, but a body of con- centrated opinion may raise the standard by promoting healthful and helpful criticism, by discouraging mediocrity and meretricious smartness, by keeping alive the traditions of good literature, while it is as hospitable to all discoverers of new worlds. A safe motto for any such society would be Tradition and Freedom—Traditio et Libertas.” spec “PERICLES, PRINCE OF TYRE.” N adaptation of “Pericles” by Mr. John Coleman was produced at the Memorial Theatre, Stratford-on-Avon, in commemo- ration of the 336th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birthday. In some interesting “forewords” put into the hands. of the audience, Mr. Coleman described the genesis of the play, Shakespeare’s part in it, and its stage history : Entirely derived from the “ Apollonius of Tyre”’ Saga, ‘+ Pericles” is the most singular example in Elizabethan literature of a consistent copying of AUTHOR. 269 a venerable and far-travelled story. Although one of the best abused plays of the period, there is abundant evidence to prove that “ Pericles” never relaxed its hold upon the public till the time of the Civil Wars, when all the theatres were closed. Immediately after the Restoration (1660) the Poet Laureate, Sir William Davenant (popularly believed to have been Shakespeare’s son), revived the play at his own playhouse, on the site where the 7'%mes office now stands. After maintaining its attraction unabated for upwards of sixty-three years, with the death of the great actor Betterton the play disappeared from the acting drama. Sixty-five years later (1735) George Lillo produced at Covent Garden Theatre an adaptation of the play called ‘“ Marina,” a small and puerile thing which failed utterly. After an elapse of more than a hundred years, Phelps revived the play at Sadler’s Wells with a success which (he assured Mr. Coleman) was the most memorable of all the many triumphs of that memorable Shakespearean management. Since that time “ Pericles” has never been acted on the English stage; but on Oct. 20, 1882, a version by Herr Ernest Possart was acted with the most brilliant success at the Court Theatre, Munich, where it continued to attract large and appreciative audi- ences during a period of upwards of twelve months. The repeated recommendations of his friend, the distinguished tragedian, Mr. Phelps, induced Mr. Coleman to turn his attention to the subject—the result being the present adaptation, which upon three occasions has been within measurable distance of production at Drury-lane, twice under the régime of his friend the late Sir Augustus Harris, and once during his own recent management of the National Theatre, but in every instance some insuperable obstacle barred the way. Fortified by the many eminent autho- rities who subscribe to his opinion as to Shake- speare’s actual share in the authorship of this play, Mr. Coleman did not hesitate to expunge the first act, to eradicate the banality of the second, to omit the irrelevant Gower chorus, and . to eliminate the obscenity of the fourth act. eee A FEW IDEAS. \ LL mind is above measure and all spirit over proof. As there is no inert matter, so there is no inept mind. Civilisation is an ideal—to be realised in Para- dise. Conceit is always honest, but never just. Democracy as yet exists only in theory. 270 Equality differs from equity as monotony from melody. Free speech thrives only in solitude. Government by the best has yet to come. Humour is a loyal servant of love. Like other sovereigns, women never learn the total truth. Most of us still are—what all of us once were —children. Perfectly sane minds would be infallible. Salvation means perfect sanity. Spring-time gives pessimism the lie—politely. Temperance is the twin sister of tolerance. The chivalrous will not presume upon their sex —whichever it is. The rights of majorities are those of the un- wisest—or the youngest. There is only one autocrat—the Creator. Untruth is wedded to vanity—for life. Vanity wishes the whole world to witness its various weaknesses. Virtue means manliness—or womauliness. What is not fair is not love—what is not just is not war. With an efficient minority, Society is always fairly sane. Youth is the most curable, or least durable, of our qualities. All buds are new—“ under the sun.” All souls are—more or less—lonely. An Age of Gold may lie in the Past—the Age of Love must live in the Perfect. Death is only an eclipse of life. Even death cannot change the truth. Love is always on the right way to perfection. Man is not old enough for Truth—nor Time long enough for Understanding. Poetry need never reason, so long as it can sing. Prayer never fails while it inspires. The father of wisdom may be reason — the mother must be love. The greatest genius is not yet married—he is still unborn. The most pardonable of weaknesses is youth. Fintay GLENELG. Soe CORRESPONDENCE. I—Lirzerary CoMPETITION. E your criticism of the Academy’s methods, would it not be a useful move if the Society of Authors took up this matter of literary competitions ? A judicious monthly competition, open to members of the Society only, would, I think, prove an attraction. In addition to the THE AUTHOR. prize, an honour list might be published in numerical order of merit. This would let the young author know where he was. The innova- tion, I think, would prove useful and attractive. M. E. C. [Would the innovation be permitted by the Society’s Articles of Association ?—Ep. | Il.—Tue War. I think, whatever our political convictions may be, we cannot refrain from admiring the magnifi- cent loyalty and devotion of our brothers of Greater Britain. As a trifling mark of one Englishwoman’s appreciation I should like to give, as far as I am able, a copy of my book, “ The Guests of Mine Host,” to any colonial home for wounded or invalided colonial soldiers. The gift is nothing in itself, but, as a poor means of marking the feeling that is sweeping over the nother country, I venture to ask you to insert this letter. In so doing I hope it may meet the eye of those concerned in the management of these hospitals and homes, and if they will let me know I shall feel honoured by being asked to forward a copy. I may say that ‘‘ The Guests of Mine Host” is being published in a colonial edition, which may lessen the difficulties. Marian Bower. Stradishall Place, near Newmarket. IT..—“ Commercianists”—An ExpLaNnaTIoNn, In the last number of The Author the editor asks, with reference to my letter: ‘ Does not the writer make the common mistake of supposing that if a literary work has a commercial value the writer is therefore a commercialist?” I hasten to reply that I did not think for a moment of suggesting such a thing. I meant no offence. There are several kinds of writers, e.g., (1) those who do bad work for pay and get it; (2) those who do good work without thinking of the pay, and yet get paid; (3) those who do good work without thinking of pay and without receiving it. Market value may mean much or little. The land at Kimberley had no market value until some years ago. x Y, IV.—A Few Smart GRuMBLES. I have been much disappointed lately in not being able to find out the true history of the “Three Tailors in Tooley-street.” It is stated in Dr. Brewer’s excellent “Reader's Handbook” that they were three worthies who petitioned the House of Commons when Canning was Prime Minister, the petition beginning, ‘“ We, the people of England.”  THE AUTHOR. 271 Is this really so? What were their names ? What was the petition about? Were they the only signatories? I have often thought that the whole story may have been an invention of Canning in some speech ridiculing some real but much more numerously signed petition of his day. The phrase is so often quoted that it may be worth while to get at the bottom of it. Another thing that troubles me is the frequency with which the mark of interrogation is dropped in modern printing. Another, that the issue of books with uncut edges (as advocated by the late Mr. Darwin) is not nearly so frequent as it ought to be; and that even magazines and newspapers are fre- quently issued with uncut edges. [N.B.—The Spectator has recently improved in this respect. | Another, that a table of contents is not so frequently placed as it ought to be on the out- side page of magazines and newspapers. Another, that the price of books when reviewed is in the majority of cases not stated in the review. Another, that such expressions as “joining the majority,’ “passing away,” “ thereof,” “the same,” and “ galore” are used far too often. Another, that illustrations are too many in quantity and too often bad in quality. J. M. Ley. V.—Youne Ficrion Wrirers anp THE WAR Funp. Most of the leading writers of fiction will doubtless contribute to the volume which Mr. C. J. Cuteliffe Hyne is arranging, and which is to be sold in aid of the war fund. Why could not a similar volume be produced by us young writers ? By the term “ young” I mean all those who have issued their first (not necessarily successful) book ; those who have had one or more stories published in any magazine. The volume would no doubt have a large sale, and we, like the leading novelists, should have done some- thing for a great object. I feel sure that our editor—the friend and champion of the young writer—would be willing to help us with advice, and perhaps he could be persuaded to write a preface to the book? I should be happy to hear from any “ youag” writers who would be willing to contribute to such a volume. Should there be sufficient reasons to justify the idea being proceeded with, an editor could be appointed, and the volume brought out with all possible despatch. James BagnaLi-StuBss. Vi.—tTue Frerionist’s Art. Beginners in Fiction, like my humble self, are oftentimes sadly perplexed by the varying advice given by leading practitioners of the art. For instance, in “ The Pen and the Book,” Sir Walter Besant says that the short story “should turn on one incident.” With this “Lanoe Falconer” agrees, for she says (in “The Art of Writing Fiction”) that “the design of the short story must itself be short and simple. A single, not too complicated, incident is best.” Mr. Frederick Wedmore goes still further and says that “plot or story proper is no essential part of” a short story, “though in work like Conan Doyle’s or Rudyard Kipling’s it may be a very delightful part.” Then “An Editor” says (in “How to Write for the Press”) that short tales of about 2000 words “should have only one striking incident’; and he affirms that amidst the many kinds of stories there are “ some in which incident is of no importance whatever.” On the other hand, I have known of cases where stories (2500 to 5000 words) have been condemned by experts because the stories each contained only one dramatic incident. It would seem to be really true that There are nine-and-sixty ways of constructing tribal lays, And—every—single—one —of—them—is—right. Or, as Miss Jane Barlow puts it, “There are ways of many a sort of constructing stories short, and every single one of them is wrong, except for its owner.” Perry Barr. —— VII. EncovuRAGEMENT FOR YOUNG AUTHORS. “Magazine Scribbler” seems sorely exercised over my statements and that of others, which she (or he) calls “ bewildering disagreement of doctors.” (See The Author for December last.) T confess I do not see any disagreement between my assertion that one can make possibly £500 a year by “ hack-work,” and Sir Walter Besant’s advice “ Do not at first try to live by writing for the magazines.” T ask ‘ Magazine Scribbler,’ Does an apprentice expect to live on the unpaid, incomplete work he has to do while learning his trade ? The apprentice, of course, is provided with board and lodging until he can work well. Just so with the scribbler, who must work for a long time before he gains place among paid writers, and can be assured of an income through his pen. “ Magazine Scribbler ” wishes me to say in what class of periodicals £400 or £500 a year may be earned. She (or he) also wishes to know sf the work should be entirely fiction’ One author’s experience may not be that of others. I cannot advise on this point. I wrote on all 272 THE ‘lines ’—religious essays, political articles, folk- lore, poetry, children’s stories, adventures, novels, short tales. I found that fiction paid best. I sent my scribblings at a venture to any magazine or newspaper I fancied they might suit. I often had “copy” rejected by second-rate magazines, yet accepted by high-class ones. I took what- ever money was offered. When asked for “copy ”’ T always said ‘“ Yes,” though often the remunera- tion was trifling, but I believe in a bird in the hand being of more value than two in the bush. I never kept an editor waiting for what he wanted. I worked eight or ten, aye, sometimes sixteen, hours a day. When a tale got a good grip of my imagination I could put it on paper at the rate of 5000 words a day. It is not for me to say whether such rapid work is good work. All I know is that my children needed the price of my work, and that the editors took it, asked for it, and paid for it. After besieging the editorial doors for years some of those good gentlemen became my friends and employed me regularly, but if my work was not quite suitable it came back from those friends just as it might from strangers. “Ottawa” gives some excellent advice in the letter preceding that of ‘‘ Magazine Scribbler,” who I hope has read it with benefit. It is certainly true that persistent advertising, log-rolling, a pat on the back from a “ big name,” shoves a young author on, and sells his work for atime. Only for a time! The reading-thinking public is no fool. If true literary genius is not in one’s work it must die eventually. If one is writing to make money (and God knows I have required to consider that point first and foremost, so that I do not “ lichtlie ” such an object), one is apt to overlook the guality of one’s work, and rather ask one’s self, “ Will it sell” If “it” owns some temporary attraction, it may sell; but we must not blame the public if “it” loses the charm of novelty very soon and ceases to be “in demand.” I am afraid a great portion—a very great portion—of writers have mistaken their vocation. They have no original talent for literature, or lack the perseverance which is the necessary adjunct of all successful talent. The wailings of this disappointed throng are painful to hear. One feels sympathetic with them, but it is desirable that they should not blame a noble profession for their failure to win first place in it. J. M. H.S. AUTHOR. BOOK AND PLAY TALK, M* RUDYARD KIPLING is writing a new series of animal tales, Mr. Winston Churchill’s first book on the war will be ready shortly, under the title “London to Ladysmith, wa Pretoria.” After the war is over he will write a history of the whole campaign. Mr. Alexander Innes Shand has written a memoir of General John Jacob, of Jacobabad. Friend of Outram and Bartle Frere, and distin- guished alike as soldier and administrator, Jacob: was an indefatigable writer, and a great mass of his letters and manuscripts has been placed at Mr, Shand’s disposal. The book will be pub- lished by Messrs. Seeley and Co. Principal Rhys and Mr. Brynmor Jones, Q.C.,. M.P., have completed “ The History of the Welsh People,” which will be published shortly by Mr. Fisher Unwin. The work is founded upon the: report of the Welsh Land Commission. A second series of “ Essays in Liberalism,” by a group of Oxford men who represent “the: advanced, though not the collectivist, wing of the party,” will be published by Mr. Brimley John- son—a new publisher. One of the subjects treated is the “ Liberal tradition in Literature ” and the book as a whole will offer “a statement of the principles by which Liberals of all times have been inspired, and will apply them to the political crises and party transactions of to-day.” Mr. Edward Carpenter is engaged upon a prose: version of the ‘Eros and Psyche ” of Apuleius, and a verse translation of the first book of “ Wiad,” Mr. Bloundelle-Burton’s new story, ‘The Seafarers,” will be published shortly by Messrs. Pearson. A volume of African sketches and stories by Mr. A. J. Dawson will be published by Mr. Heinemann under the title “African Nights’ Entertainments.” Mr. Ranald Macdonald, son of Dr. George Macdonald, has written his first novel, ‘“‘The Sword of the King,’ a romance of the time of William, Prince of Orange. It will appear in a month or two. Mr. Herbert Spencer attained his eightieth birthday on Friday last (April 27). A biogra- phical and critical study of the distinguished writer and his works is just being published from the pen of Mr. Hector Macpherson, editor of the Edinburgh Evening News. a Kt Wk TC —~ xe @&* 4 Ww oe et Ba pa a ae ada  THE INCORPORATED SOCIETY OF AUTHORS PENSION FUND. <n I hereby enclose £ as (1) A Single Donation towards Tur Pension Funp. (2) A Donation of £. per annum, over a period of (3) An Annual Subscription to the Fund. Name Address   THE AUTHOR. During the hearing, in New York, im_ the matter of the application by Messrs. Harper and Brothers for a voluntary dissolution of their busi- ness, Mr. Ralph E. Prime, of Yonkers, appeared for a number of authors and asked what would become of royalty and other contracts between authors and the Harper concern. Mr. George L. Rives, attorney for the Harper Corporation, assured Mr. Prime that he need not worry about putting inany claims. ‘As you probably know,” he said, “ the publishing business is to be carried on under the supervision of Alexander E. Orr, Colonel Harvey, and J. Pierpont Morgan. The re-organisation committee is going to pay all debts to authors in full.” “Some Heresies Dealt With” is the title of a new volume of essays, chiefly scientific, by Dr. Alexander Japp. Under a pseudonym the same author is issuing another work, called “ Offering and Sacrifice.” This is an essay in comparative customs and religious development. Both books will be published by Mr. Thomas Burleigh. Mr. Thomas Mackay is to write an authorita- tive biography of the late Sir John Fowler, the engineer. It will be published in the autumn by Mr. Murray. A collection of short stories and essays by Mark Twain will be published in September by Messrs. Chatto and Windus, under the title (taken from the opening tale) “The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg.” Professor Muirhead, of Mason College, Bir- mingham, has aimed in his forthcoming work, entitled “‘ Chapters from Aristotle’s ‘ Ethics,’ ” at applying the principles of the famous treatise to modern thought. The book will be published by Mr. Murray. The prizes this year under Mrs. Crawshay’s Memorial Endowment will be:—For Byron’s “Manfred,” “Heaven and Earth,” “Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte,’ “ Ode on Waterloo,” and ‘“Napoleon’s Farewell’? ; for Shelley’s “Revolt of Islam” and “ Hellas”; and for Keats’s “Isabella, or the Pot of Basil.” Essays are to be sent before June 1, 1900, to Mrs. Crawshay, care of 12, Warwick-road, Paddington, W., London. Mr. Frank Murray, of Derby, has in the press an exhaustive bibliography of Mr. Austin Dobson. Dean Farrar’s new book, “The Life of Lives,” a@ companion and supplementary work to his “ Life of Christ,’ will be published shortly by Messrs. Cassell. A sixpenny edition is about to appear of Mrs. Craigie’s “ The School of Saints.” a79 Miss Olive Garnett has a volume of short stories being published by Mr. Heinemann. Mr. Tree’s revival of “ Rip Van Winkle” at Her Majesty’s will take place early this month. The parts of Gretchen and Derrick are to be made more of than has been the case formerly, and the play will be in three acts instead of four. The Royal General Theatrical Fund has now come into possession of the Lacy bequest (£2600). The legal proceedings, however, have cost £1700. At the annual meeting of the fund on the 12th ult., Mr. Edward Terry, who presided, in con- gratulating the meeting on the prosperous condi- tion of “this, which they might call the only, theatrical provident fund,” said there were other funds which he thought might well be amalgamated into two groups, provident and benevolent, and one of them was _ particularly anxious to merge its small capital in the Royal Fund. Mr. George Alexander will preside at the fourth annual general meeting of the Actors’ Orphanage Fund on May 17, at midday, in the Haymarket Theatre. “David Harum” was successfully produced in Rochester, N.Y., on April 9, by Mr. William H. Crane. The directors of the Paris Théatre du Gymnase have invited Mr. F. R. Benson to take his Shakes- pearean company there for two months, beginning July 1. Since the destruction of the Théatre Francais the Gymnase has enjoyed a State sub- vention. Messrs. Greet and Engelbach will take pos- session of the Globe Theatre on Sept. 1, having secured a long lease of it from Lord Kilmorey. “Quo Vadis” will be produced at the Adelphi on May 3, with Mr. Robert Taber as Vinicius, Mr. J. H. Barnesas Petronius, the Roman soldier, Mr. G. W. Anson as Nero, Miss Wallis (Mrs. Lancaster-Wallis) as Poppcea, and Miss Lena Ashwell as Lygia, the Christian hostage. In New York, by the way, two productions of the dramatised version of this novel were presented the other week within eight blocks of each other. One was by Miss Jeannette Gilder, the other (announced as ‘‘ the only authorised version ”) by Mr. Stanislaus Stange. The ‘Agamemnon ” of Alschylus will be per- formed at Bradfield College, Berks, in the open air, on June 19, 21, 23, 25,and 26. The theatre is carved out of a chalk pit, and constructed on the ancient Greek model. On the authority of the Chicago Tribune, “ the decadent drama is a failure from the box-office  274 standpoint. During the season now closing all of the great successes have been plays free from the taint of nastiness, while a large amount of money has been lost by managers who have attempted to force into popularity indecent farces, decadent society comedies, and sensational ‘emotional’ dramas.” A matinée in aid of the Officers’ Families Fund will be given at the St. James’s Theatre on the roth inst. ‘The programme, in which many of the best-known actors and actresses will take part, includes two new plays, one by Mr. Sydney Grundy and one by Miss Florence Warden. Mr. Bernard Shaw’s “ You Never Can Tell” will be produced at the Strand Theatre by Mr. Yorke Stephens and Mr. James Welch at a matinée on May 2. Mr, J. H. Leigh will recite Mr. Arthur Dillon’s poem, “The Wayfarers,” at a concert to be given at St. James’s Hall on the evening of the 26th June. The chief part of the concert will consist of the lyrics and choruses to Mr. Dillon’s play, “ The Maid of Artemis,” set by Mr. Charles E. Baughan. Miss Esther Palliser and Miss Ada Crossley will be the vocalists. Mr. G. F. Savage-Armstrong has a new volume of poems in the press, which will be entitled “Ballads of Down,” and will be a companion volume to “ Stories of Wicklow.” “The Mystic Number 7,” by Annabel Gray, is now published by Messrs. Simpkin, Marshall and Co., price 3s. 6d. In the last number of The Author, Mr. J. H. Skrine’s new book, “ The Queen’s Highway,” was by an absurd error called “ The Queen’s Highway- man.” We owe an apology to Mr. Skrine for careless reading of proofs. Miss Marian Bower, author of “ The Guests of Mine Host,’ has kindly offered to give 3s. on every copy sold of her book at the Army and Navy Stores up to one hundred to the Patriotic Fund, the amount to be equally divided between Lady Lansdowne’s Fund and the Daily Telegraph Fund. “We Three and Troddles,’ a successful humorous hook by R. Andom, with illustrations by A. C. Gould, which first appeared some six years ago, is being published in sixpenny form next month by Messrs. Jarrold and Sons, who also have in hand a sequel containing further adventures and exploits of Troddles and his com- panions. “ Joey and Louie; or, The Fairy Gift,” by Miss Edith Gibbs, published by S. W. Partridge and THE AUTHOR. Co., of 8, Paternoster-row. This is a pretty story for children. The book also contains a short tale, entitled ‘“ Pickles.” ——— BOOKS AND REVIEWS. (In these columns notes on books are given from reviews which carry weight, and are not, so far as can be learned, logrollers.) Tue Narat Campaian, by Bennett Burleigh (Chapman, 6s.), “ will probably arouse interest,” says Literature, “ by reason of its criticisms.’’ Mr. Burleigh ‘“ knows things and has standards of comparison; and heis not afraid of speak- ing out. He had the wit to clear ont of Ladysmith before the circle of investment was complete, so that he is able to throw light upon a somewhat neglected period of the war— the period when Estcourt was isolated, and General Buller had not yet arrived.” In the volume we first get a sketch of{the state of affairs before the ultimatum—of the feeling of the two Republics. ‘Mr. Burleigh’s description of Spion Kop,” says the Guardian, “is specially interesting.” Ina review dated March 27, the Daily Chronicle says that this account of the Natal Campaign “is the most important and, on its special subject, the most complete of the war histories that have so far appeared.” Towarps PREroriaA, by Julian Ralph (Pearson, 6s.), succeeds, says Literature, “in giving the impression of a real man describing a real thing that he has seen.” “ Of the operations of Lord Methnen’s column, which he accom- panied, there has appeared no more vivid and acceptable account.” ‘Mr. Ralph’s is distinctly one of the war books to be read.” On tHe Eve or THE War, by Evelyn Cecil, M.P. (Murray, 3s. 6d.), bears directly on the questions of the hour. It is, says the Daily Chronicle, “but a snapshot view of things as they were in South Africa on the eve of the war. The author saw the Cape Premier and the Prezident of the Afrikander Bond, President Kruger at Pretoria and President Steyn at Bloemfontein. He was in Ladysmith on the very day when the war broke out, and he was in Natal for three weeks after the colony had been invaded. The public will find in the book, says the Daily Telegraph, “ much to support the view that the struggle we have engaged in is an essentially just one, and-was forced upon us by unavoidable circumstances.” ‘Tae Borr Srarss, by A. H. Keane (Methuen, 6s.), “will be welcome to many people,” says the Times, “ who are less anxious to form political opinions than to have some information about the general conditions of South Africa.” Mr. Keane, who was lately vice-president of the Anthro- pological Institute, approaches his subject from the scientific point of view. ‘‘ Not overburdened with detail,” says the Daily Chronicle, “the work is yet informative enough on the features of the countries and on the issues that have led up to the war.” ‘“Admirably clear and concise, and strictly impartial in tone,” says the Daily Telegraph. ‘Mr. Keane shows, for example, that the great majority of the earliest settlers at the Cape were drawn from the lower grades of Dutch society and the riff-raff of Western Europe.” 2 A History or SourH Arrica, by W. Basil Worsfold (Dent, 1s. net), “so far as it goes,” says Literature, ‘is. admirable.’ “The tone is calm, judicious, and even little professional.’’ The greatness of the cost of conquer- ing the Republics is, says Mr. Worsfold, “the penalty we  THE AUTHOR. pay for fifty years of official ineptitude, for fifty years of national neglect.” PINK AND SCARLET ; or Hunting as a School for Soldier- ing, by Lieutenant-Colonel E. A. H. Alderson (Heinemann, 7s. 6d. net), is recommended by the Guardian as “a book that should be on every young officer’s table.” “ Any subaltern who reads it carefully, and acts upon the hints that are there given to him, will be able to dress himself properly, to sit in a well-fitting saddle ona horse that is in good condition, to ride to hounds like a gentleman and sportsman, and to have a thorough knowledge of the hunting-field’s etiquette.” The Daily Chronicle praises the book “ for its light and entertaining style, for its profound knowledge both of hunting and of war, and for the cunning skill with which these two subjects are intertwined.” Tae Love oF AN UNCROWNED QUEEN, by W. H. Wilkins (Hutchinson, 36s.),is the story of the Consort of George I—‘‘ two bulky octavo volumes,’ says the Daily Chronicle, “out of which at least twenty romances could be made; volumes that elaborate the tragic love story of which Thackeray-in his ‘Four Georges’ gives the essential features.” A large part of the volumes consists of corre- spondence attributed to the pair—Sophia Dorothea and Count Koenigsmarck. ‘“ These letters have been rejected,” says the Daily Telegraph, “by good authorities as spurious. Mr. Wilkins, we think, advances better reasons why they should be accepted as authentic.” “On the whole,’ says the Times, “the volomes are interesting enough, although they do not belong to a very high order of historical literature.” Literature refers to the work as being “‘ as exciting as an historical novel by Dumas, and to the judicious reader a good deal more interesting.” WiTHOoUT THE LimELicHT, by G. R. Sims (Chatto, 2s. 6d.), consists of ‘‘instructive papers,’ says the Daily Telegraph, which tell many true stories of the ups and downs of theatrical life. ‘‘ With respect to the vicissitudes of life upon the stage Mr. Sims may confidently be accepted as a skilled expert and trustworthy authority.” ‘Ifa parent or guardian wishes to disenchant a stage-struck lad or girl, here,” says the Spectator, ‘is a potent remedy.” “Mr. Sims tells his stories in a simple and effective fashion, with no unnecessary horrors or extravagant pathos.” ‘‘ One cannot lay down the book,” says the Daily Chronicle, *‘ without concluding that the acting profession is a very slippery one for the climbers.” In THE WAKE oF THE War,” by A. St. John Adcock (Hodder and Stoughton, 2s. 6d.), is a collection of aptly- named stories, says the Spectator, ‘in which the homely tragedies that mark the progress of a campaign like the present are unfolded with unfailing sympathy and skill.” Tun Farrinepons, by Hilen T. Fowler (Hutchinson, 6s.), appears to Literature to “ mark a real artistic advance in the writer.” ‘Elizabeth Farringdon is certainly Miss Fowler’s chef d’euvre. We know few characters in recent fiction so consistent and so human.” ‘“ At its best,” says the Spectator, the work “affords ample food for mirth.” The Daily Telegraph finds its “ great merit” to be the cleverness of the conversations. The Daily Chronicle says “it is bright, it is interesting ; it preaches, so far as it can be said to preach at all, a wide and fashionable theology,” a the dénowement is just what we all would wish it to e.”” Tue Green Fuaa, by A. Conan Doyle (Smith, Elder, 63.), is a collection of short stories dealing with war and sport. ‘There is no subtlety about them,” says Literature, “but they are generally interesting.’ Among them are “a striking story of the Franco-Prussian War,’ and “a most ingenious tale of the Peace of Amiens.” ‘‘ The Striped 275 -Chest,” says the Daily Telegraph, “is as blood-curdling as the wildest of Poe’s romances,” and “ altogether the volume is admirable.” On the whole, the Daily Chronicle does “not think anyone has a right to ask for a more varied, interesting, or better lot of stories than are to be found in this volume.” : SopuHra, by Stanley Weyman (Longmans, 6s.), proves to the Spectator “that a sound instinct has led him to the England of the eighteenth century as the true field for the exercise of his talents as a narrator and interpreter.” The Daily News refers to “his unique gifts of thrilling uarrative and lifelike, yet unobtrusive and entirely unforced, descrip- tion of the times.’”” Mr. Weyman’s heroine, a young heiress who at eighteen has lost her heart to a plausible Irish adventurer, “is own cousin to the charmer of Tom Jones,” says the Daily Telegraph. “The eighteenth century with all its delights from the romantic point of view passes before our vision like a living picture in these fascinating pages.” Tur PLUNDERERS, by Morley Roberts (Methuen, 6s.), althought it “must surely,” says the Daily News, “be regarded as an elaborate burlesque and satire, is vivid, sparkling, and clever ’—“‘a stirring political parable.” “A story of unscrupulous and unjustifiable adventure,’’ says the Daily Telegraph, told with “verve and verisimilitude.” “ The book is the story of a private expedition on the model of the Jameson Raid, a story,” says the Daily Chronicle, ‘told with any amount of zest and go.” ArpEN MasstTeR, by William Barry (Unwin, 6s.) is the story of a young man who reminds the Spectator “ not @ little of the Bulwer or Disraelian type of hero.” “ A more exciting or vivid picture of the inferno of modern Italian politics and society it would be difficult to imagine.” “ The canvas is crowded with striking and sinister characters, amongst whom the saint-like dévote, Donna Costanza, shines conspicuous by her unearthly purity.” “ Altogether itis a novel of engrossing interest, in which exceptional powers of expression are employed with unfailing skill in the delineation of an intensely dramatic phase of modern life.” The Daily Telegraph refers to it as “ undoubtedly one of the books of the year”; and it has filled Literature with admiration, and become a permanent addition to the books we cherish.” Tur COLLAPSE OF THE PENITENT, by Frederick Wedmore (Hutchinson, 3s. 6d.), is described by the Daily Telegraph as “ delicateas well as clever,” and “assuredly a book worth reading.” Hnarts Importunate, by Evelyn Dickinson (Heine- mann, 6s.), is described by the Daily Telegraph as “ vigo- rous, forcible, convincing, portraying with some power the absorbing strife and struggle of two hearts importunate and noble.” The Spectator speaks of the author’s “ excellent style,” and says “she is familiar with life in the bush and in Sydney; she has faithfully studied various types of Colonials.” Tym TRIALS OF THE BANTocKs, by G. S. Street (Lane, 3s. 6d.), is described by the Spectator as “ an artistic rather than an agreeable study of snobbishness ” —“a collection of what might be called tales of mean souls. Mr. Bantock is a very wealthy and painfully respectable banker, with a wife and children to match, and the aim of the narrator is to show how each member of the family has a fly in the ointment of his or her ‘unctaoas rectitude.” “ Mr. Street has a light and delicate touch,” and in this small book, says the Daily Chronicle, “ he lays bare the ambitions and failures of a family of wealthy snobs from the point of view of a poor one.” Matay Maatc, by Walter William Skeat (Macmillan, gis. net), “is practically a treatise on the whole life of  276 the Malays.” They do nothing without magical cere» monies. ‘Like all books of the kind,” continues the Times, “it leaves us with a strong sense of the community ‘of human nature and human beliefs. The work is of high value.” Literature also says this is ‘a very valuable con- tribution to the science of folk-lore, the more welcome because such things are fast perishing off the face of the -earth.” ‘Mr. Skeat, moreover,” says the Guardian, “writes in an easy and flowing style, which makes him 2 pleasant guide, and provides very useful and well-executed illustrations to make his matter more intelligible. He has an additional merit, not always found in collectors of folk- lore, in that he has a proper sense of logical division, and keeps his subjects from jostling one another overmuch.” A439; OR, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A Prano, by ‘Twenty-five Musical Scribes, edited by Algernon Rose (Sands and Co., 6s.). Daily News says: “The book is a jeu esprit following out in literature an idea which has frequently been adopted in composition by many musicians from Schumann to Sullivan. The result is surprisingly good.” “All lovers of music,” says the Queen, ‘‘ will be interested, edified, and even instructed by it.’ The Irish Times (Dublin): ‘A439’ is an up-to-date and remarkable production of musical thought, and as such deserves the attention of a very wide circle of readers.” Truth says: “<The surprise of the book comes at the end, where Dr. Ebenezer Prout, Professor of Music at Dublin University, comes forward as a first-class humourist and the writer of three pages of doggerel of the most excruciating character.” The Scotsman: “As a whole, in spite of the variety of styles—or is it in virtue of them ?—the story of the piano’s chequered career makes capital reading for anyone who is musically informed and musically inclined.” Peas OBITUARY. TYNHE late Mr. Andrew Tuer, author as well as | publisher (whose death was briefly announced in our March issue), was a member of the Society of Authors almost from its beginning, and at all times a friend of the Society and a personal friend of many of its members. The books which bore his name were such as appealed generally more to’ the anti- quarian or to the collector than to the general public. Among them, however, were several topographical books of great interest and impor- tance, especially the very beautiful volume by the Rey. W.J. Loftie called “ Kensington.” His loss makes a gap in this direction which it will be difficult to fill. The death-roll of the past month began with Dr. Sr. Grorcr Mrvart, F.R.S,, philosopher and metaphysician, whe died on April 1 at his resi- dence near Hyde Park. Bornin 1827, Dr. Mivart (he was M.D.) was a man of wide attainments. A barrister-at-law nearly fifty years ago, for a time he was lecturer on zoology at St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School, and professor of the philosophy of biology at the University of Louvain. THE AUTHOR. Among his many works are of Species” (non-Darwinian), “Nature and Thought,” and “On Truth.” During the past year his name had been prominent in connection with the controversy between himself, as a Catholic layman, and Cardinal Vaughan. Dr. Mivart was to have been entertained at dinner by the Authors’ Club on April 2, and when com- piling his speech for that occasion on the morning of the previous day he had expressed his belief that he would die at the board of his hosts. His one essay in fiction, “Castle and Manor,” was published only last month, but it was a revised version of a novel he published anonymously under another title many years ago. Mr. Roserr A. M. Stevenson, the art critic of the Pall Mall Gazette,and author of “The Art of Velasquez,” the letterpress of “The Devils of Notre Dame” (illustrations by Mr. Pennell), and many esssays, died on April 18. Mr. Stevenson was born in 1847, and was cousin to the late Robert Louis Stevenson. Mr. Frepericx O. Crump, Q.C., who died at Hertford suddenly on April 15 from cardiac syncope, was editor of the Law Times for the last thirty years. Another Queen’s Counsel, Mr. CHaruzs Isaac Enron, author of “Origins of English History,’ and similar works, besides several manuals on land tenure, died on the 23rd ult., at the age of sixty. Mr. Arcuipatp Fores, the Daily News war correspondent, whose letters from the Franco- German and Russo-Turkish wars won for him almost a world-wide distinction, died on March 30 in his sixty-second year. He was the author of many books, chiefly on military campaigning, including “Glimpses through the Cannon Smoke,” a history of the Black Watch Regiment, and a life of Napoleon IIT. 66 : THE AUTHOR.” SCALE FOR ADVERTISEMENTS. Front Page ese = wee ses aan Ses uae war ee Other Pages $ Half of a Page ... ‘ es ote eee Sak kai eck Quarter of a Page ae see oe son Nes ace tee 0 0 “The Genesis Eighth of a Page aay cee Single Column Advertisements Bills for Insertion... oon SCanase cseacoococ Reductions made for a Series of Six or Twelve Insertions. All letters respecting Advertisements should be addressed to the ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER, The Author Office, 4, Portugal-street, London, W.C. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Author, Vol. 10 Issue 12 (May 1900) Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em>, Vol. 10 Issue 12 (May 1900) Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1900-05-01-The-Author-10-12 publications The Author