The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-01-25
Nete. and Announcement.


Lord Beacousfield wrote in 1889 tragedy
which has never been played; Its nature may
be copiectared from this speech Of one of Its
personages. "rry me-" he says, "this Cyprus
wine; an Eoglish Prince did give it me return
ing from the Holy Sepulchre"
Mr.. Edison has completed arrangements
with Messrs, Sampson. Low & Co. and Messrs
Harper 8 Brothers for the Simultaneous publi- =
cation in both England and the Uoited States
of his new work on the electric light
An important scheme for new dictionary
of English dramatic literature, as exhaustive
as Mr. Golfers, but more critical, seems, the
Athenaam says, to be coming to maturity. It
is edited by Mr.. Theodore Watts. Several
writers who have devoted themselves to Eng-
lish dramatic literature, including Mr. Gosse,
Mr.. j. Knight, Professor j. Nichol and others,
are likely to contribute articles.
The Literary World has begun the publica-
ton of the series of studies of authors, BY
Colonel T. W. Higginson. They promise to be
charming contributions TO literature. The first
paper is on Hawthorne, Of whom this pleasant
picture is given: IL first met him on q sum-
mer morning in Concord, as he was walking
along the road near the Old Manse, with his
wife by his side and noble-looking baby boy
10 little wagon which the father was pushing.
| remember him as tall, firm and strong IN
bearing; his wife looked pensive aud dreamy,
as she indeed was, then and always; the ch,ld
was Julian, then known among the ueighbors
as the prince. When I passed Hswtborns
lifted upon me his great gray eyes, With a look
too keen to seem Indifferent, too shy to bs 81 M
pathetic-and that was all. Bot IL comes back
to memory like that one glimpse OF Shelley's
which Browning describes, and which be ikens
to the day when he found an eagles feather.
Again met Hawthorne at one OF the sessions
of short-lived literary club; and recall the
imper turable dignity and patience with which
be sat through avexatio1s discussion, whose
details seemed as much dwarfea by his pres.
euce as il he had been statue Of Olymp'an
Zsus. Mrs. Hawthorne told me that
ner husband grappled alone, all winter, with
the Scarlet Letter, and came daily from his
study with knot 10 lis forehead; aud yet his
self-mastsry was so complete, that every SEN
tence would seem to have crystallized 10 an
atmosphere Of perfect calm.
Gerald Massey writes of Charles Lamb. that
he was no teacher of his time, and had no COM
msnding or immediate influence on his con-
temporaries "He lifted up no banner, sam-
moned no contending hosts to the conflict, did
no battle ol the side Of faction or party, and
was possessed of no vast intellectual powers,
But this he was-ope of the most sffsctionate,
most lovable, most piquantly imperfect of dear
good fellows that ever won their way into the
human heart, and one of ths most hearty,
most English, most curiously felicitous humor-
ists-emphatically one Of the bast-thas ever
lived.''
The New York Post publishes denial from
A. s. Barnes & Co., Of the statement made in
the Springfield Republican that their periodi.
cal, the International Review, Is to be removed
to Boston. The Post in Its comments says: II
pains us to contradics Boston person In any
thing, and when we are compelled, as upon the
present occasion, by our respect for facts, to do
anything OF the kind, We do 80 with diffidance
and hesitation, knowing that there is Q subtle
distraction between vulgar, commercial, realis-
tic fact, and that mystical thing truth. which
pondent of the Springfield (Mass.) Republican
rarely adopts the Boston view Of this d'stinc-
tion; he CONNOLLY seeks and gets facts rather
hner truths, bot he Is sometimes misled by
Boston informants as he is in the matter Of the
International Review. He doubtless repeats
what is profound trnth in Boston.
MIS- Browning's lines on Chaucsr in her
Vision Of Poets, 1874:
| And Chaucer, with bis infantine
Familiar clasp Of things divine;
That mark upon his lips Is wine,
have often raised doubts in the minds of her
readers. Did she mean by the mark" the
stain Of quost-Bacchanalia license which ID
found in some of Chsucer's works, or only the
sign OF the innocent iollity produced bv wine
tnas maketh glad the heart Of man? The
question was ct last referred to Mr. Browning
aud BY his leave We give his answer: Dear
Mr., Euraiyall-I alWsys took the mark OF
wine to be proof of the genislity aud jovaty
Of Chaucer. Bat have only my own opinion
TO give you. I never thought Of becoming
better informed sbouti It, Rsmem ber,
howsusr flor many rsasons + canid ai1aI 70 q
conviction, L must allow" We are sure that
all lovers of CHANGER will gladly accept Mr.
Browning's opinion as conclusive. Academy.