New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-09
NOTES ON BOOKS.
MR. BROWNING Mr.. EMERSON - oIEEh
LITERARY TOPICS.

his newest volume OF poems, were soiu within
week of publication. Heretofore, the total sale has
seldom exceeded 1000, extending over long
nariod and has in some cases fallen much short of
That 6oure The Browning Society has doubtless
had an influence In widening the popularity OF
the poet to whom 1t devotes so much serious study
Rut suppose it remains true that Mr.. Browning
has always been more read in the. United States
than in England His writings may be accessible
TO the American public at q cheaper rata than to
the English SINCE the American publisher does not
feel called upon to recognize the authors right TO
a share in the profits of his poems. Formerly Mr..
Browning was paid a certain sum for the American
edition. but this payment, for what reason L know
not. ceased.
The rand sale of "Jocoseria was certainly not
due 10 favorable notices; most OF which nave ap-
peared since The only review which came OUT
early was one in The Times; and review III that
paper which once would of itself have conferred
celebrity on any book whatever. passes now 700
much like the idle wind The roylow In me A"e-
noun is but just published; Is not yet puoilsneo'
if dates are to be taken for tme since this weeks
number. dated March "a. appears on the 22d, to-
morrow being Good Friday when no good English
man or good Churchman, does anything but go 70
churob and eat salt cod with egg-sauce and pars-
n;ps Bnt n sentence from this elaborate notice
NAV interest you:
Though "Jocoseria" is not so much nor so full
as MIR Brownings last volume, our extracts VIII
show how far il lie from indicating any decnne IN
hrs dazzling and unidue powers. There is the same
alertness the exubeIance OF vitality the same
unrvalled intellectual subtesy, the same brilliant
wit and searching humor with when he mas Deeh
famiiaTizing us for many years
The whole of this very effective review is In tone
of superlative admiration. Mr.. Browning is treated
as already classic He is alone In his age ana gen.
Grafton In him is to be heard echo of any earlier
writer of the century. His poetry breaks violently
with all that has gone before it, and no one has left
any influence on him. Mr.. Browning, for original
lty in temper, in STYLE in movement, IS the most
striking figure in poetic literature not even ex-
ceptnr DONNIE or Burns" Dome, may stop to re-
mark, is one of MIR. Brownings prime favorites, as
of Mr.. Lowell's also. Mr.. Browning however
though the most original figure in English poetry, is
not-itls almost a relief to come TO negative and
qualification In the enthusiasm of this review-is
not a greater poet than Shakespeare. The danger OF
such praise as have here given true praise though
it be- Is obvious 1t incites reaction and proyokes
protest The people are still numerous vino turn
away from Mr. Browning unintelligible, as a
writer in whom perfection of poetic form has never
been present in anything like the same degree as m
telleetual power and splendOr
| am sorry to have to add that Mr.. Brownings
health is not quite what his friends would wish it
effects of chill caught while on the Continentlast
wear, and he suffers at times good deal of severe
pain. He is, none the less, to be met as usual in
london society. to the pleasures of which he has
never been insensible.
Whiting lately on Emerson / mentioned what
thought an interesting instance of his influence In
England upon men apparently remote from his
range Of thought. 4 still more striking example
fhn ami
nent Englishmen whose lives have been spent
mostly in ASIA one of the most distinguished is Sir
Lewis Pelly He has had career OF varied adj
venture and brilliant servlce-soldler, diplomatist,
political agent, political Resident; now under
Outram now under Lord Canning, then with Sir
Bartle Frere; to-day deposng Prince and ruling
in his stead tomorrow suppressing the slave trade
by treaty with tho Sultan of Muscat the week after
establishing telegraph across Arabia finally Envoy
Plenipotentiary for Afghan affairs. He has been
everywhere, and pretty much always carrying his
life in his hand. He rode once from Trebizonde TO
Teheran, and from Teheran to Meshed and SO across
the Turconan country into Afghanistan thence to
Beloochistan and finally to Kurrachee,-a five or
six months journey among the most savage people
in the world without escort, without arns, without
81 much as European servant, through districts
where there were no roads and no inns; sleeping
mostly under the stars, his horses and Afghan
erooms about him, and often near having 70 let
his horses die from starvation for want OF the
branches Of trees which formed their main food for
grass there was none. Leaving this life of perpet-
nal movement and peril Sir Lewis Pelly was
never without a volume of Emerson in his pocket
the soldier and traveller nourishing himself IN the
desert on the high thinking of the contemplative
philosopher dwelling peacefully by the banks of the
Concord River. How Emerson would have de-
roHo h.
have made on the unity of the human soul.
Another in the long series of letters nnder the
heading English Authors and American Publish
ers y appears in The AtheH9am The writer is the
weil-known novelist, Mr. Walter Besant, and the
Americans who come under his snarty welded lash
are the Queen Publishing Company" hailing from
Nos. 324, 326, and 323 Pearlst., Franklin Square,
New-York; of which company one W. X. Andrews
is Save Mr. BesaDt, the "boss.o The company
bought advance sheets Mr. Besants last novel last
wear, a novel called "Al Sorts and Conditions of
Men, agreeing TO pay $3.50 for them. The adj
vance sheets were duly supplied by Mr. Besant,
duly published by the company, and are still I'M
paid for The sum agreed on was to have been
rsmitted to Mr.. Besant last May, but thus far Mr..
Besant is without the money, and without so much
as an answer TO any of the letters he has addressed
to the company, to Mr. w. II. Andrews Perhaps
Mr. Andrews is too busy to. attend to such trifing
matters so long as they are private, but now that
they are become public it might really be worth his
while to say what. if any, explanation he has to
offer.
Mr.. Besant is not only novelist but Secretary to
the Palestine Exploration Fund and so, suppose,
an authority OH some Eastern matters. He has
been selected by the friends Of the late Professor
Palmer to write amemoir of him. Mr.. W1frid Blunt
meantime, has been doing his best, with the con-
genial help of Mr.. 0'Donnell in Parliament to
blacken the memory of the murdered agent of the
British Government. Both MIR. Blunt and Mr..
O'Donnen would make out Professor Palmer a spy.
or something of that sort, and seem disposed to