New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-22
LITERATURE IN LONDON.
..orrs ov ROCKS MAGAZINES AND EDITORS.


or,c paner. Messrs Macmillan Il Co. publish
,vhat they rather oddly call an edition. printed on
b,ra.nade paper aud consisting OF 300 copies
comics are in reality large paper copies OF 'o
current edition, which is, l think. stereotJpeu
and is Issued in much the same style as the Wei
known Eversley edition of Kingsle, $ noveis' i"o
book has sold i'll that and in its original octave ioi
TO the number Of many thousands. presume "o
are to understand from its appearance IN TINS pl'S
form that it is now considered 10 have taken lis
place permanently in English literature rs "
classic This canonization OF 1t may DC H,''0
premature but what is certain is that Inc oooH ""'
been hest liked 10y the best rcaders-a Pi'."S0
,vh;ch design TO use in Emcrs0n's sense. ocueNe
it Is no secret, perhaps 1t has Doen "'i'"'N 80.
nrnt that he who first discovered the unknown
nad h;dSo, excellence of " John lnglcsant and
borgbt tbc book to the notice of its publishers ana
Nv. his urgency and firm conviction did finally adj
;o them to take upon themselves the FISK ana cost
of publishing the work, MI. Humphrey Ward.
Mr. Humphrey Ward you know as the edllor "a
The English Poets" selection OF Enghsh
Poetry certainly the best edited and chosen OIL the
many now procurable. 1t may further interest you
to know that Mr.. Ward is a Journalist. once "
was something akin to high treason 10 name '''o
name of a writer The Times but now those my .
ferries are less secret. and 20 make them quietly
known is less fatal than before
Mr.. J. Henry Shorthouse, the author of the now
celebrated John Inglosant is certainly hiuch ''S'
known than his book; odd such statement
may seem. He lives in Birmingham. Now
Brmin CHAM of late years has acquired Just fame
~ the seat and source of that new pohtlcal WIS
dom of which Mr. Joseph Chamberlain is perhaps
the most conspicuous incarnation and OF when inc
Caucus is the best known praetlcal result 1t VIII
be strange indeed il 1t should Prove that TINS lie"
birth in politics is to be accompanied by new
growth in literature if Mr. Shorthouse is 10 DC
accented as the intellectual analogue OF MI
Chamberlain W no is himself by 10 means GcVo" VI
mental power though lie chooses to employ IL lot
OTHER than purely literary purposes, birmingham
we knew already as the seat OF a Shakespeare
Library. which WAS burned. and OF a second
Shakespeare and General Library which happily
has not a. vet been given to the flames. But be
tween collecting books and writing them there Is
"A tiiiclence and do not know that since the DAYS
of Priestey any author of rStrate MARI III ietleiS
has dated from the Midland capital Anu
Priestev perhaps belonged more TO Science thah TO
Literature Birmingham showed It's sense OF the
honor Pnestley did the town in choosing II ior MS
home. by burning his house, library. papers ana
apparatus; and all hut burning Presiley himself
That however. was nigh a hundred years ago-a
long time for the ashes OF that burnt mansion TO
between Prestley and Mr.. Shoithouse ought
TO I've mentioned contributing to the iettereu
fame of Birmingham. don't at the moment recoI-
lcct him. hut dare say my readers Will.
With all its renown, however, as the chosen
homo OF workers in brass and lion. Birmingham has
not hitherto entered into active competition with
London as a social centre 1t is safe and nope
not disparaging to say that writer OF books Nv
ing in Birmingham is less likely to be known per
sonaly to a great number of other writers OF
books and of nice people in general than II he hau
pitched his tent in London. Mr.. ShoIthouse'
suppo,e and hope has been duly ionized in his own
town. and in that comparatively rural ana more or
less elegant suburb of it called Edgbaston, where
he in fact lives and from which hc dates the dedl-
cation to his book. London would have lionized
him to his hearts content or discomfort, had he
Given il the chance. But Mr.. Shorthouse has
made so far as l know but "a single visit to the
city by the Thames since his book became topic
of town talk or but visit long enough Tor
much social intercourse lie here this spring.
was 30 fortunate to he asked, more thah once
think to meet him, ami so unfortunate as not 10 be
able to 60 From those who were more fortunate
than l. did hear some dim account of man about
middle life quiet in manner but. when nteres cd,
most vivacious aud delightful in talk; quaint iIf
his speech withal. as if the flavor Of the seven
had saturated his mind, and lent lasting perfume
TO his Thought and the oral expression OF
bis thought Next year, let hope he Will so
far condescend to nineteenth century customs as to
come TO London for the season; say between The
two festivals which mark the beginning and the
end of the more strictly fashionable part OF II;
from Easter to GoOdwOod The society journals, II
he do may be trusted to get ho Of him. the photo
praphers also aud between them 1t will 60 hard If
all the world have not some considerable means of
making Mr. ShorthOuses acquaintance.
This largo paper edition of John lnglesant" If
edition it is to be called, is book o. some elegance,
ample in well proportional margin and as rough
in the edge as the heart of amateur could desire If
Messrs. Macmillan possessed of the true spirit
of the bibliUmaniac they would have divided their
go by 10, or at least by .. They are however,
distinctly improving. 1t is not long since they put
forth editions large paper to the quite appalling
figure of 100. They will do well, in any case, to
keep constant eye on their printer, and not permit
him TO fiji the very last page OF the last sheet with
ink and type, but leave Il brief space at least
page-of Tepose for the eye. But the book is on the
whole more praisewOrtLy piece of book making
than the publisher Of the day often vOuchsaies to
the careful buyer; and is sObcry covered in what
/ take to DO buckram. / have heard critical
person. who is knowing about books, express a
doubt whether large paper copies of any but
first edition are quite the proper thing But this
is degree of nicely in which the public is not
with hin. for the go copies have all sbeen sold.
The original edition already big enough. being
In its ordinary state an octave and good
ampes OF it-such, that Is, have not passed
through circulating lbrary-are even now scarce
and sought for. But it was printed in type too
small Tor comfortable reading.
7 obi NJ III
TOr'aigLhy Rertec with the November number.
What part if any, of is present occupations be will
relinquIsh appears TO DC uncertain. The limits Of
his q Of Mnrk hayc N I've GNed nnd nnhndv