New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-08
NOTES ON BOOKS.
THE CENTURY DICTIONARY-SIR GEoH"L
BOWEN-LADY LINDSAYS ROBINS
THE PUBLISHERS AND MR.
GILBERT.
London, November 10.

fury Dictionary IN Englanu' ~ 10 ioOh'" "f
as an intruder and this view is Expressed though
not avowad, in some Of the reviews. An evening
paper published an old-fashioned tomahawhIhe
notice: so savage that the editor Thought IL wen
70 diminish his responsibility by putting the
initials G.. A. to the article. They are supposed
tn stand for Grant Allen The Saturday Re
view went for ID with that inhuman delight
which it but too oftn shows in cruelty to the
American author Mr. Iang-I think it must be
Mr. Lang. but if it be not will contradict It, II
he Willie. too. is not free from what / will
gently call a slight anti-American bias and he
has reviewed the new Dictionary in SHINING
spirit lie is not ill-nstured, but neither is he
OVERLOOKING with eagcrness TO find matter lor
praise l will quote passage:
The work is primarily American, but, as IL is
intended for circulation in Engand-llke other
admirable publications OF the same enterprlsins
company-full concession will be made TO Brit
ish prejudice in regard to the orthoSraphy OF such
words AS colour, centre and so FORTH These
words will be printed in the American ana IN the
English way We may hope that thu same prac-
ticc may be followed in regard to the pronuncia-
ton. but it is too early 10 Judge from the specimen
before MS. The real American phonetic rendering
of our broad in such words as ask may we
Some of us might take exception to the word
American when applied to such spcilngs as
:" CENTER theater.' traveller and the resO
Tbcv are NOT American. They are Websterese.
Noah Webster was with respect to orthcepy and
some other subjects crank His orthoepical and
other linguistic eccentricties have been shown up
over and over again. and the unsoundnesS and UNI
scientific and unhistorical character of his nnova'
.;o l,oN. nd apain
Some of them have been corrected. silently OF
otherwise by his later editors, Main, Porter, and
others. but some of the more conspicuous absurd
ties those Of spelling especially, were allowed 10
remain: though the correct spelling was given
alternatively 1t is a thousand pities that Mr.
Whitney and his colleagues had not the courage
TO emancipate themselves from these Websterlan
traditions. Undoubtedly they impair the value
of the new Dictionary by adhering 10 Them even
aItcrnatively, and it is not rsking much 10
predict that the day will come in America when
they will be authoritatively and finally set aside
One other remark of Mr. Langs l will quote:
"Our own impression of this magnificent and
otherwise admirable work is that, in letter A, the
men of science Of the team have boted, with a
ferocity by no means uncXamplcd in their honor
able order-which may carry them right through
TO without thoaght Of their companions in the
shafts"
That is a hint toward a truth which can not
be told too often namely, that the man Of scie.ae,
admirable as he is and invaluable some Of his
work is needs a strong curb TO make him go
well in harness.
Sir George BOwens "Thirty Years of Colonial
Government Life" which will shortly be published
by Messrs. Longmans, contains chapter likely
to interest Americans. Among his many journey
ings was one to the United States while General
Grant was President Sir George was received
with the friendly respect due to his long and dis
tinguished service as Colonial Governor; made the
acquaintance of many eminent Americans, includ-
ing the President, Mr. Fish and Mr.. Evarts. and has
stories to tell of his meetings with these gentle
men, and anecdotes and there are remarks upon
America Sir George and the late Lord Houghton
travelled together for a time, and Lord Houghton,
too. figures in the book. Few men have seen
more of the Engsh-speakng world than Sir
George Bowen few have borne sway in more vari-
Gus quarters of it. His appointment Governor
of Queensland dates back to $50. Eight years
later he succeeded Mr. Froude's hero. Sir George
Grey. MS Governor of New-Zealand; thence went
TO Victoria. thence to Maurtius, and finally to
Hong Kong. He was one of those none too numer-
ous CONSERVATIVES of the Queen who were both
popular among the colonists and well thought of
in the Colonial Office at home 1t is still, hear.
a nassport 10 the good graces Of Australians and
NexvZealanders to be a friend of Sir George
Bowen. and | suppose they don't like him the less
bccouse he is G.. c. NJ G.. and Prvy Councillor
the latter an unusual distinction for a Colonial
Governor
LADY Lindsay has collected into pretty Quarto
volume great number of songs, facts and legends
About Robins"-fOr such is the title Of her
book. which she has also illustrated with sym
pathetic pencil. The note of the writer Is sym
pathetic throughout. She tells In an engaging way
the story of her acquaintance with the Robins;
how she had been i'll, how she went for health
TO the country, how her garden was planted by
chance with flowers such as robins ike pest'
how Is came by-and-by very garden OF ropins'
how she and they became friends. 'Ot course she
studied them and their ways. and then began
~ rocalI verses about Them and TO search through
hooks for more and so this new DOCK grew
sborld imocinc il contained the whole literature
Of robins Some of the verses are Lady LINDSAY
own The children are not forgotten if any one
cares for birds it is the children. no matter how
young and for the youngest there are nursery
RHYMES Messrs Routledgc are the publishers
and tho book is attractive and interesting through
ont: n kind of illustlL ed encyclopaedia Oh rooih'
by competent and delicate hand
Some of the leading publishers are turning
themselves into companies MeSsrs. Routiedse' ior
example, though the partners keep all the silafeS'
amounting to a million Of dollars in their own
hands; leaving the public to subscribe II they
like for something less than half that sum IN de-
bentures Mesrs Kegan, Paul * Co., MesSrs'
Trubner a. Co., and Messrs George Redway ~ 90
propose to amalgamate into one limited LIABILITY
company with u Joint share capital OF half a
million dollars, and half as much debenture cap
ital. 1t may be hoped that these examples are
not going to be generally followed. The author
and the public have had pretty hard time oil II
in their dealings with the publisher in his human
and individual form. Ii he is to cease TO DC
human and become a corporation, which by virtue