New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-13
LONDON LITERATURE.

MRS. uIIPuANTs MAKERS or FI.oRENCf y
THE PRESIDENTIAL WECTION UNDER REVIEW
GREAT sALg or ENGRAvINGs ANNOUNCED.
IrRoN THR REGULAR CORRssPoNDENEoY TIC rRIBrNE.
LONDON, Dec. 22.-Mr. Teunyson's Harold" has
been received, on the whole, with more favor than
was bestowed on Queen Mary" IL enormous sale
proves popularity, it is popular poem An edition
of 10000 copies is said TO have been printed OIL and
the booksellers windows aud counters, instead of
displaying as usual one or two copies, are heapcd
up With great masses of the little green-cOvcred vol
une | hear that Mr.. CcDnys0n himself regards
Harold" with particular favor bat then so did he
>"Queep Mary" which tho public bought eagerly
read d0ubtfully, and damned on the stage without
any doubt at all. 1t is no thing for author and
public TO be of two opinions to the merit OF hook
nor for 4 great poet to feel greatest atectlon
for ms latest work. Milton preferred Paradise nc
gained" Paradise Lost and there are plenty OF
other examples. As to the failure OF Queen Mary"
In acting the author IL said 90 attribute it 20 any
cause but the uDdranltic chan actcr Of his s0-caod
drama. His stage directions were not followed
closely. he complained, where, FOR Instance, the
bysianders are directed to become purple with in
dgnatiou and did not. But fear this instance Is
not historical.
It's certain however. that Mr. Tcnnyson believes
his genius TO be essentially dramatic, and that lis
true career commenced with the publication Of
"Quoen MARY Nothing dauntcd by tho disaster
which befcl that work the boards of the iyccuu'
lie IS ready il il undt rstool 10 enter INTO nrr0tia
tons with any competent person for the production
of Harold" Oh any suitable Stage. Bat have not
b,ard that the thcatcT managers, who are practical
people in their way, have shown much eagerness 10
possess thcn.s' lVcs of this new play.
hope somebody here will rcJuke MT. 1ennysons
publishers MeS,lS II. s. King ii Co.. for the way in
whie 4 they have issued This poem. On the blank
Ia haf haCo ufsl
fron sundry press notices Of Queen Mary" which
they announce rs uniform with Harold" price six
shilings. II does not TO occur 10 McSsrs II. r
King n Co. that the writer whom they are seeking
10 crploi by one of the most yuLar and offensive
arts known TO the publishing trade is not now heard
of for the first OF second time. Is the business Of
booksellimg brought 50 low that the nest perfect
and most popular poet Of his day mnSt consent to
rec newspaper pus of former work made preface
t. new poem, and SD far print and paper can do
IT. incorporated with itl For Mes>rs. Ii. s. King d
Co. have printed tieSe notices the verso of leaf
the iy-titeyShich is leaf of the book ITSELF amt
cannot be torn out and thrown away, as ono would
Ike, without initiating the book. hi the same
place they refer the reader 10 the end of thc volume
Tor a complete list OF Mr. Tennys0n's works The
ingenious render who follows the reference will
find four pages flied with all accodnt-more or less
diaimgcnu0us-of Mr.. TennyoOEs works lie Will
find also 30 more pages containing list of MeesTs
rs King Il Co.'S other publications; making alto
gcthcr about onc-ffth OF the whole volume III bulh
These 30 pages may be got rid OIL when the book comes
10 bee bound but the four devoted to Mr.. Tennys0n
cannot lie got rid OF. except nj the price of leaving
the book imperfect. Ii is a photographed canon
that q perfect book must comprise between It's COW
ers every printed leaf anywhere mentioned on any
Other integral leaf as making part of thc book. 1t
is not everybody who viii about this last mat
ter but everybody who cares for Mr.. Tennyscn must
regret to sec his great thus pedded ana
hcwkcd about by his publishers as II by newspaper
license, and a if his new poems were salahle only,
ike So many patent medicines, by help OF ccrti-
Gates OF cures the old had effected IL is Just posi-
Die that TIE remarks address to Messrs II. = King
d Co. may he found applicable to other publishers
lc,. remote from Ncw-York Boston. II the ques-
ton he put What sort OF advertisement is toeTabic
WITHIN the of a voiufccf the answer ~ clear;
that every advertisement must be distinct and
readily seplrablc from the book itself. No leaf
which contains a single word belonging to or max
ing part of its contents from the iy-titie to the
colop,ion ought to contain advertisement OF amy
Kind. MCsSrs. H. s. King * Co. are 10y no means
the only offenders in this kind among London pub
lshers. but they are perhaps the worst UnhapDily,
the practice is growing, whether because competi-
tfon is kccncr or sense of decchcy less keen than
formerly know not. You never can be sure OF get
ting book III a pure state. MI Murray hi:h-
self cen d be brought to the Uar with the rest. |
have IN mind one costly illustrated work issued by
him with c verso OF the title page itself all printed
over with list of other book by the same author
A few energetic protests in the press. coupled with
steady rcfisas by the public 10 buy book thus dis
figured would soon pat eud to these dsreputable
tricks.
Under the large title, "The Makers of Florence"
Macmillan & Coz, Mrs. Oliphant has written
pleasant book mainly about Dante, Sayonarola,
MichelangelO, and the Cathedral Builders, Giotto
Brincllesch, Ghibcrti, and two or three others
There Is IL chapter also on Agriolo PandniiIl, an
other on Fra Augelico, aud sull another the
Pisgnoni painters. 1t is toierabiy obvious that all
these percentages together cannot in any historical
sense be considered the makers Of Florence. To his
torical completeness, however Mrs. ELEPHANTS book
makes no pretensions as she frankly coufesses She
has read good deal about Florence and has written
book about the people who most Interested her, or
whom she found most sympathetic and nearest TO
her in spirit and affection. Not difficult nor very
important task. Original research deep study
did not form part Of Mrs. Ohphants plan. What
she planned was, apparently. TO set people reading
once more about a few great Florentines to Popu-
larize specially one sanity name, that of SavoA-
arola to whom more than fourth of this comedy
volume is devoted. Its luxurious appearance aud
MANY illustrations, as well the time of
it, publication, seem to mark 1t as one
books If So it is superior TO the great majority of
its rivals. Mrs. Oliphanis is pr;ctccd hand, and
this book OF Florence is one in which talent for
STORYTELLING is not thrown away A reader who
knows nothing about Florence will learn soncthiug
f.si,, md a tD "