New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-03-21
LONDON TOPICS.
ART. LITERATURE AND THE DRAMA

hearing that he is Brain fever the doctors
call it, and DR.. John Simon the great surgeon OF ST.
| ThOmas's Hospital, who went down from London to
| Brentwood to attend him, declared at first sight
there was no hope. But the patient has rallied
little since then. Able TO take nOurish-
ment, he still makes that silent. brave strug-
gle for life by which men Of his delicate
frame. but firm nerve. have been known
before now to defeat the enemy keep him long
at bay The battle goes on by Lake Conistou-that
soft expanse of water which, to my mind, has hardly
rival in it's peaceful loneliness nearer than North
Italy, Mr.. Ruskin is almost sixty years old. His
mental labors have been ruthessly pursued long
after the cOmmOnest prudence would have imposed
rest on him. 10 is but n year or two since he pub
liscd q schedule of works he was meaning to write
seventy volumes or more. He has had also, more
than his share Of anxietes and irritating response
bilitics Recon. numbers of Fors Clavigera" have
shown him sadly overwOrked the deplorable dis
pute with Miss Octaya Hill of itself indicated how
dangerously the balance of his faculties was dis
ordered. The most say s that there Is still
chance of recovery. and the least one can express
is a fervent wish that years of quiet life might
| still be left to his sorely troubled spirit.
A word Of regret is due to the late Mr. Basil
Montagu Pickering. bookseller and publisher
whom lovers of good books have to thank for some
services. He was the son of the man who made the
name of Pickering famous in book publishing an
nails and who did something to redeem his business
from the altogether commercial character which so
| many publishers delight to impress upon 1t.
The father had, and so had the son,
| an idea that n good book deserves to be
| well printed. The modern publisher as rule, aims
| nj cleapness in manufacture. lie gives us cheap
paper and cheap ink, and hasty prcsswork, and
limsy binding. The younger Pickering entered
upon few or no such extensive enterprises as those
which gave fame without fortune, unhappily) to
| the father but what he did he did fairly well
sometimes exceedingly well. have mentioned be-
fore now his first edition two vols, sYo 1872 of
the works of John Hookham Frcrc. The twenty-five
copies of this first edition, on large paper,
are perhaps the best specimens of recent English
book-naking. They deserve to be ranked with
the best modern French work. which is for the
most part far superior to the best English. His
reprint Of the first edition of Millions Paradise Lost
was also u crcditablc piece of work. though the
book IS by no means as he allowed its editor, Mr.. X
II. Shepherd, to say. a facsimile of the original.
Many an American book buyer must have strayed
INTO the little shop in Piccadilly; attracted partly
by the name the door, partly by the dis
play Of old bindings and the open titles OF
old and new books in the windows. Mr.. Pick
ering had a good knowledge of early
printed literature. in certain classes; and
made a specially of first editions of nineteenth CEN
fury poets. as well as of the editions brought ont
by his father, many Of which have long been scarce.
lie was Dr. Newman's publisher also. The miscella-
neous writings Of that great master Of the English
tongue has Mr. Pickerings name on the title page
80 ,il his recent pamphlets The nearest approach
hat can ho inaIo o 81 uniform collection OF New
man must bear Pickerng's edition rs basis. with
this last possessor of the dies out OF the pub
fishing business; more's the pity.
The third volume Of the new edition OF George
Eliot's writings contains. in addition to " Silas
Mariner" (which l take leave To think her most
perfect work. two tales entitled The Lifted Veil
and Brother Jacob" They may be familiar to
more careful readers Of George Eliot than have
ever been 10 me they are new. The dates OF what
one may suppose to be their first issue are given,
1859 and 1860, but the curious enthusiast VIII seek
in vain for any indication of the place and form III
which they appeared. If anybody thinks details of
this kind too frivolous for great n
writer as George Eliot, let him turn to
tho collected writings OF writer Ger
tainly not less. great, one Thomas Carlyle.
He Will find the Library Edition equipped
with a complete photography of all the books and
essays Carlyle has published. date of original publ
cation periodical in which each essay appeared, and
so on not speak Of indexes to each separate book.
and general index to the whole work,-the latter
supplied at cost price TO the purchaser as II to marx
the great masters sense Of its being duty to sup
ply such an index and his firm opinon-which he
hes often loudly expressed that no book Is com
peie without one. The absence Of IN index Is not,
indeed, matter of complaint against collection
of novels. Somebody, | dare say, VIII feel called
upon by-and-by to compile George Eliot Dlction-
ary on the pattern of the Dickens Dictionary.
There may be too much of a good thing-and
good things may be put to foolish The exist
cnce of an Index Society-very lately formed and
hardly yet at work-proves clearly enough how
pressing the need is of ready of reference to
vast numbers Of books which the student really
wants 10 use. and can use but impcricctly, or with
immense palns for want of indexes. IL is at best
perversc and misplaced affection that could lead
ANYBODY To construct analyses and indexes to
novels. Where will this generation end II II mas 10
have somebody do even its noyelreading Tor It'
The story mentioned yesterday about Lady Bur-
dctt-Coutts and Drury Lane Theatre is contradcted
to-day. IL has no foundation. says the good Ba-
roness. She is not going to take Drury Lane ana
set up a Slakesprrean stage. or make Mr. IRVING
manager SO much the worse for the stage ciIl-
Iciscd the prctcntious form of the announcements
but really sorry such effort Is to he made Tor
the drama as might be made with really culti-
waited and able man like Mr. Irving with long
pnrse TO back him. There was a story also that
Mrs. Grove miss Batemanl was to have Drury Lane,
but that died away some time ago. The only fact
remaining ont of all the gossip seems to be TINS
that Drury Lane is to be let and that no tenant Tor
il is yet forthcoming. Mr.. Chatterton retired on
Monday, with benefit, to which most OF the Lead
ing people in other theatres contributed. Mrs'
Batcman's lease of the Lyceum will presently ex-
pire, and the report Is that she also VIII abandon
the cares of management. At her age she has GER
tainly earned the right to resign active duties OF
that sort-arduous and responsible beyond most