New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-06-07
LITERARY NOTES.


c.rtiva,;no The work is getting rapidly.
The strange ways of English publishers are IL
lustrated by the extraordinary statement that IN
Great Britain the complete works of Robert Brown
ING can be purchased only in twenty-five volumes
Of the price of about $50.
Professor Beers has accumulated much valuable
material for his /" Life of N. p Willis" He has
been permitted by Willis's family to use many
letters addressed to the American writer by Enghsh
men and women most distinguished in letters ana
society forty years ago. Lady Blessington's grace
full and cordial correspondence particularly inter-
esting letter from Landor contains what ID
thought to be an unpublished poem
volume of Indian legends set down oy MI
Charles Godfrey Leland Will soon appear. lheSe
stories are traditionary with the Penooscot ana
Passamaquoddy tribes
II will be noted that in the subjoined letter to
the Editor of The Pail Mall Gazette Mr.. Max OXEN
cleyerly evades making any contradiction OF
statement which far from beng grounoess'
SiR-7Ie Graphic of May II quotes the following
startling bit of information from most serious
magazine called lie firrs-namely, that John Bull
ct son lie was originally written in English by an
Enclishman. then translated, that it might in the
first Mace be published in French" Now this Is
an astonishing piece of news, or you are hard to
please As should like to set arrest few feverish
brains will you allow me to state in your widely
ready paper that-1. 1t is not true that am the
author of the Bengalee translation OF my
book which is to appear shortly In Cal
cutta, OF that the Bengaee gentleman
author Of the translation, is the author OF the
French original. 2. 1t is not true that Mr.. Glad
stone has offered eco, 1000 write no more BOOKS
about England 8. 1t is not true that paid TO 10
n prominent member of the Conservative party for
Lii Joll IN Parliament
ON April %, ut. 4. 1t is not true that was DIS
missed from an important public school for taking
nv revenge of Waterloo on the backs of little boys
under ten. 3. 1t is not true that have signed an
engagement with Mr.. Augustus Harris to appear IN
the next Drury Lane pantomime q. Ii Is not true
that Madame Tussaud has applied for my photo
graph. or that the Lord Mayor has intmated to me
the intention of the Corporation of comforting upon
me the freedom of the City of London. T. 1t is not
true that have received sixpence from any OF the
three gangs of New-York publishers who stole my
book s. 1t is not true that my Irish name gives
umbrage to the Scotland Yard authorities. or that
nv house is closely watched by detectives. 8. But
il is true that from Horaces time down to our own
the authors of books that sell have never been ap-
preciated by the authors of books that do not. l
am. sir your obedient servant MAX ORELL'
Mag %.
DIR. Holiness Emerson " is nearly ready for pub
location.
Mr.. ]. W. De Forest, who should not he forgot
ten by his countrymen the author of several good
novels. is now in France, engaged upon literary
work of considerable importance.
All Miss Braddon's novels are in course of trans
ation into Telegu and Canarese. The editor of the
series is the English Acknowledgement at Madras.
The first edition of Mr.. Crawford's new story,
Roman Singer, numbered 2, 800 copies. Nearly all
are sold.
A large staff of Yale professors are engaged upon
the revision of Webster's Dictionary which viii
soon appear Many of them also at work upon
the Century Dictionary.
Paul Jauet's work, "The Elements of Morality"
hasbeen translatedby the wife of Professor C9rson,
of Cornell and it will be published this summe
by A. 5. Barnes Il Co.
The industrious Mrs Oliphant has been writing
new novel, the title of which is Elinor."
Captain Burton is finishing his translation of
"The Thousand Nights and Night IA transla-
ton which was begun thirty years agO-aud it will
soon be ready for the press. 1t is rrb0tm Ct IL
cain copy of the original 1t will be published III
a limited edition aud for subscribers only
Mrs. Leonowens has written a volume, Life and
Travels in India" which will be published by POr-
ter& Coates.
Mr. Tennyson resents, as any writer of original
genius has right to do, the fnical meddling of the
criticasters Of his time and country. He says
"There is | fear prOsaic set growing up among
us editors of booklets, bOokworms, index hunters,
or men of great memories and no Imagination
who impute themselves TO the poet and so believe
that he too, has no imagination, but is forever
poking his nose between the pages Of some old vol
ume IN order to see what he can appropriate They
will not allow one to say Ring the bells without
finding that we have taken it from Sir p. Sydney,
or even TO use such a simple expression as the ocean
'roars' without finding out the precise verse in
Homer or Horace from which we have plagiarized
IT, (FactD have known an old ishwife who had
lost two sons at clench her fist at the advancing
tide on a stormy day and cry out, 'Ay, roar do!
How | hates to see thee show thy white teethP
Now il had adopted her exclamation aud put 1t
into the mouth Of some old woman in one of my
poems, dare say the critic would have thought 1t
original enough, but would most likely have ad-
vIsed me to go to nature for my old woman and not
to my imagination; and indeed it is strong
figure"
"When / was about twenty or tventy-one,
adds the poet IL went on a tour 10 the Pyrenees.
Lying among these mountains before waterfall
that comes down 100 feet or 1900 feet, |
sketched it according to my custom them in these
words;
'slow-drOpplnc wells of thinnest lawn
When l printed this critic informed me that
lawn was the material used in theatres to imi-
tate a waterfall, and graciously added. Mr.. T.
should not go to the boards of theatre, but TO
Nature herself for his suggestions7 And had gone
TO Nature herself | think it is a moot point
whether, if had known how that effect was pro-
duced on the stage / should have ventured to
publish the line
soo 60
Nicholas Song Book collection of songs for fami-
lies aud young people, of which the words are
mainly to be taken from The st. Nicholas magazine
and the music is TO be written specially for the