New-York tribune., 1879-02-24


ENs's LIBRARY.
,,,o, rup ppor., ,p CORRESPONDENT oP THE rRIBUSHl
LONDON, JAN 29-Mr. Bret Harte arrived IN
England on Tuesday, and delivered bis first lecture
ON the same evening at the Crystal Palace. Ihe
London admirers who are numerous and enthusias-
tic are eager to know when he may be heard mere.
But no London lecture is yet announced
have been asked dozen times where he
might be seen. and his appearance at SSdenh"rl'
though eight miles distant disturbed two u'hhei
parties at least. His popularity in England Is
scarce inferior to that which he enjoys of hoihe'
and remains unaffected by the two stores lie haS
lately written for English periodicals. haruiy
think his agent was well-advised In arranging
that Mr.. Bret Hartc's first appearance should oe
made at a place so remote from London and yet so
dependent on London support as the Palace at
Sydenham. His audience was good, but not large
The eight miles of miserable journey by raiI ds-
couraged crowds who would have focked to ST.
Jamess Hall To hear him. az they will do when
they get a chance. For my own part, would have
gone cheerfuly had not an engagement stood III the
way. The London papers were represented ana
most of them have something to say OF the man
whom they describe as American poet and humOr-
ist Indeed some Of their reports are fuller than
Mr. Bret Harte may like, if he means to repeat ms
lecture in London. One journal does us the honOr
TO remark that the lecturers manner was quiet ana
subdued TO an extent which one does not gen
orally expect from an American. This writers
notions Of American humOr seem to be
derived from tho "nigger minstrel" lie is
apparently surprised that Mr. Bret Harte does
not black his face and dance a breakdown. The
theatre at the Crystal Palace is so i'll adapted 1Of
eocution that the lecturer was heard with DIM
Guilty and find people complaining OF the cOnVer-
satlonal tone which he fell into. One of the audi-
cnce made a speech about 1t, but was extingulshe0
bv Mr.. Hartc's request that he would kindly take
one of the vacant chairs on tho platform. WIN
the exception of this incident" says the reporter,
"rcgrettable in the case of en- honored stranger
making his first appearance OF an ngllshpatforn'
the lecture was great success" 1t was " tnll oi
VARYING pathos and humor." :" His humor,"
says another paper, more elaboIateiy' uiy'
contentious, and epigrammatc, is frequently
irradated with CLEANS of poetic fancy, and often
sofened and diversified with touches of quiet gentle
pathos." Altogether, enough attention and euIogy
is bestowed on this admirable writer to stimulate
metropolitan curiosity, and to insure him, what he
was sure of without it, hearty welcome whenever
lie shall present himself to a London audience. HIS
ENGAGEMENTS extend over three or four weeks, dur
ing which time Crefeld consular business must get
itself done by subordinate. Mr. Bret ilarte while
IN London is the guest of the Vel known publisher
Mr.. Nicholas Tribner, and will either have TO
undergo great many dinners OF disappont many
friends, and many who are only waiting for an
opportunity to become his friends.
That the ways of publishers are past finding ont
has long been admitted by those who are not pub
fishers Here is another puzzle. Mr. John Murray
is one of the magnatcs of the trade. He occupies
be il SAID without disrcspcct TO his cOlleagues-an
exceptional position. An English bookseller once
expressed it by the rcmaTk-nOt meant, certainly,
10 be cexclusivc-tbat he was gentleman. Yet here
is Mr. John Murray dealing with an important
book which came to him in peculiar circum-
stances in remarkable way. You remem-
Der the story which DR.. Holmes tells about
the relations between Mr.. Motley and Mr.
Murray-how Mr.. Motley had offered bis history OF
the Dutch Republic to the great man of Abe
marle-st how Mr.. Murray had refused it, and how
lie had afterward written to Mr. Motley, acl,now-
edging his error and asking to be allowed to pub
lsh the " United Nothcrlands' lie remained Mr.
Motley's publisher in England till the historians
death. The volumes of the United Nctherlands"
appeared at intervals and ran through several edi-
tions. Lattcrly, Mr. Murray found himself with
considerable stock of two out Of the four volumes,
and none Of tho others. What did he do?
You would suppose he reprinted the other
two, or if lie thought that doubtful
experiment from a business point of view. that he
10 such a he had hand til they sold off in
the ordinary course of business. But Mr. Murray
did not do either Of these things. He sent his ell
tire remainder of the two volumes to an auctOncer
in the city, by whom they werO sold-as must
always happen with an incomplete lOt-at very
low price with this result that these two volumes
are knocking about the London shops aud TO
he had for few shiiliHgs, while the other two
are scarce, and the complete book has be-
come difficult TO get excepting IN
cheap reissue ] suppose Mr.. Murray would
say that business Is busineSS-a proposition which
] am far from disputing But whether business,
thus viewed by man 80 eminent IN his trade as
Mr Murray, tends TO the promotion OF confidence
ON the part of authors, is different question. 1t
may not even promote il with the general public
for the natural consequence Of Mr.. Murray's act
has followed The volumes he got rid of the
first two. Tie booksellers who bought them expose
them for sale and do not think themselves bound 10
apprise the buyer that tao Others ought 10 90 with
Them The unWaty Brton, therefore, paws his money
for what he sllppOScs to be History of the United
Netherlands hut gets only half that history instead
Of the whole. Mr.. Murray NAV think himself en-
titled 10 wash his hands of the whole affair. Bat
] am not sure that he really stands much better
than do Mcssrs. Longmans, who complac'ntly IN
Nite purchasers foI new edition Of the fragment
of Buckles History OF CiyiliIionas the complete
woIk7 There wa. time also il my memory
serves me, when Mr. Murray sold the first volume
OF the biography which Mr.. Forster had begun, as
the Life of Swft'-Mr. Forster having died, and
no conclusion OF The work being possible.
One Of your American reviews is disturbing The
English market by the extraordinary sums IT pays
for literary vork-possby the American market
also If 1t deals with American authors on the same
scale Us English. Three separate cases have been
mentioned To ne. In two OF them, English writers
had been applied to for articles and had received
they said something like three times the pricc