New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-09
LITERARY NOTES.

The long desired and "defnitive" edition OF Burma
is presently to appear In four octave volumes edited
by William Ernest Henley and T. F. Henderson. II
is to possess thoroughly clarified text and in every
way possible it viii render unnecessary the services
of editors In the future. The poems will stand in
these new volumes Burns wished them to stand
or as nearly so human intelligence can make
them.
The plan of the editors to achieve this pcrfec.
ton seems a wise They have distinguished
between the poems which he (Burns) set his i'm
primatur and those which he did not, they have
rearranged the former according to their dates OF
publication, and have included the latter under a
definite principle of classification" The Centenary
Edition Of Burns this is to be called will further
be based on many manuscripts hitherto inaccessible
10 editors. New poems and new readings have
been discovered and altogether the text Of the
Scotch poet will be offered as never before in
his history Houghton. Mlffiln & Co. to be tn,
publishers In this country.
It is understood that the satire in Mr.
Trails parody Of Grant Aliens HILLTOP Novel"
the parody which he calls THE Barbarous British.
ers Tip-Top Novel," is brilliant from end to
end. One English reviewer says that Ii "giters an
brightly and cuts surely as well-set razor"
The introduction. which pokes fun ingeniousy at
Mr. Aliens solemn preface runs in part as follows:
This is Tip-Top move. I ded!cat i to all who
have heart enough soul enough and just brain
enough to understand it, and more, any surplus
as se IN Criticism Those readers indeed who have
accustomed themselves to understand things by
no use for a brain at all and further consider
alton / withdraw my third requirement altogether.
Do not imagine for a moment that have
said anything which don't think. Absurd sols.
Of my opinions may SEEM really hold them. What
m oq"p absurd opinions STILL which owing to the
s.warS nss Of editors But SSg s sa
some one say 10 you publish novels seray At
all? Why not deliver your prophetic nc me- MESSAGE In
t5a tho prophe tne who did so would s
fourths OF his income by so doing, and he cannot
be expected to fight the battle OF the New Morality
on such comm ercially disastrous terms. For q
considerable period Of my literary ne that would
have been my position. and caandidiy admit that
1t Is gratifying to see that what might be called
the personal literature OF Cambridge in its paimiest
DAYS Is being written, edited and put into permanent
form II began with the correspondence OF Emerson
and Carlyle Not long ago Mr. Norton gave Low
els delightful letters to the world. And now In
the same week with the publication OF Mr.. MARQUIS
life of Agassiz it Is announced that there Will soon
be printed a biography OF the Autocrat, IN TWO
volumes with many letters. Holmes had humor
unlike that OF any Of his contemporaries. ana ne
never lost IT, II irradates his entire life and work.
Al; those photographed revelations whieh ne
made in his lifetime carried with them an inde-
scrlbable beauty Of spiritual and Intellectual sun
shine and the new books by Mr.. John 7. Morse, jr,
ought TO prove an unqualified pleasure 10 every
reader of Holmes-which is TO say to every lover
OF the
IL ia said that Mr. Aubrey Beardsley Is preparing
a set of illustra ,ions for THE Rape OF the LOCK-
This busy person seems TO hit upon strange ma.
ter.al for his pen. Some time ago he attacked the
"Morte Darthur." Having sh.wn how little no
knew about golden sphered .,I.ory, he now APP
he no
early English ror,ancer. but who is nevertheless
quite as much beyond the scope Of Mr. Beardsleys
illustrative fancy. Pope may be hsied before inc
court of literary justice by every new editor OF nis
works by every critic, and charged WIN lh-
Vulnerable rsdcmeanors OF temperament Tor no
was certainly waspish little man. but in his Work
he was sanity person!heI "a clear cut as DIX OF
crystal And Mr.. Beardsiey proposes 10 "'uS"''e
him,
More is soon TO be known about John RardoIph
OF Roanoke a politician Of interesting metnods
ard an orator OF and force who. be-
cause OF his individuality In these directions makes
a more or imperative appeal to the sympe 'hies
OF historical students Mr.. Powhatan Bou!d'n mas
written an article for The March Century IN
which ne presents number OF letters from the
celebrated Virgnian hitherto unpublished These
letters are said to be "of an intimate nature and
one OF them contains Randolphs candid opinion ot
his own gifts Of oratory."
When DR. Madden published three volumes Of L''y
Bessington's correspondence In 1850. her Ola if:ehu
Lander said. apropos Of her and OF them' HeF
parties contained more Of remarkable peisohases
than ever were assembled in any other house. eX-
cep,lng perhaps Madame de Staels In the moh'h
OF the Coronation more men ilustrious IN RANK IN
genius and IN science met at Gore House, either
at dinner after than ever were assembled IN any
palace" Somewhere. IN writing TO her Landor oo-
serves that II know you hate le;ter-wri'ing ana
suspect you hate etter-receiving; but IL IS Uue'
nevertheless. that Lady Blessington had epistolary
relations with many of the personages referred 10
in the note on the parties at Gore House. new
work ons one Of the distinguished hostesses OK
her time is coming out under the title which Dr.
Parr long ago gave 10 the lady herself lhe Mose
Gorgeous Lady Blessngton." and Mr.. MoiIoy' mo
author. has had access 10 mass OF ine1itea corle
spondencc His biography ought to be ore OF mo
most fascinating collections OF earlier Nic'oTia"
aneciote ever printed
number OF Lady Blessingtons own letters to her
famous contemporaries will be included, and 'here
will be many quotations from the private letters ot
Lander Byron. Disraeli Lytton. Dickens barry
Cornwall and others. Enough has been SAID Vi'u-
peratory about her" wrote Lander. and he advised
"virtuous ladies' ITO attempt 10 Initiate her VIZ
tues" instead OF censuring her faults
A volume on the romantic characters and inci'
dents I'm the history OF Kentucky Is IN course OK
preparation by Mr. James Lane Allen.
Mr. Alien is also contemplating the writing OF Two
novels OF Southern fe one OF which. 1t is soemnly
stated will be east on different lines from that OF
any novel heretofore published"
THE Pail Mall Gazette" which has strange
dlsnclinaton to consider Mr. Hall Game the might
lest writer Of his time has described that noveists
style as "Blble and Daily telegraph" Now, the
Gazette Is hugging itself over that artless descrp-
ion for It has discovered that Mr.. Game draws not
ony his phrases but his plots from the Sacred Book
Whatever strong situations have In my tales
he has conhded to 'McClures Magazine, ARE not OK
my creation but are taken from the Bible. the
Deemster' Is the story OF the Prodigal Son 'Ths
Rondman' ia the story OF Esau and Jacob. The