The herald., 1897-04-04
men. and Bannockburn was the veriest


at best some allowances have to be made,
as the reader will naturally understand
However, here at last we have vol
ume that has been prepared by a
scholar who believes in writing history
in the light of philosophy, and we car
sincerely accept 1t as the most valuable
book on the theme that recent years
have, given us. From the date of King
Alexander's death Scotland became a
bloody battle-ground 1t was the age oil
chlvalry, but 1t was also the age Of ad-
venture and intrigue.
We can be thankful that modern dis
coveries have given us means to make
pictures or many regimes such as the
books never gave us. The illustrations
OF this volume are abundant and un-
usually good. There is also a careful
plan OF the battle of Bannockburn and
thoroughly satisfactory index.
f Notes
The Doubleday & Mcclure company
a new publishing house, will begin ac-
tive operations. In New York next au-
tumn. Mr.. A. +. Jaccaci has become art
editor of McClure's Magazine.
The recently discovered correspond.
ence between Burns and Mrs. Dunlop Is
to be published. The Academy says:
There seems to be no finality in the ar;
of editing poets something fresh Is
forever coming to light"
Messrs. Charles Scribner's Sons pub
lish "A History OF China" being the his
torical chapters from s. w. Williams
THE Middle Kingdom" supplemented
by a chapter upon recent events, pre-
pared by f. w. Williams.
Miss Beatrice Harradens "Hilda
Strafford," on the reputation of the au-
thor's Ships That Pass in the Night,
published in the middle of the week. be-
fore the week was over was in its 7th
edition. The Blackwoods often make
such strikes.
A case of literary versatility is that
of DR.. Henry Van Dyke, the New York
preacher, whose published works last
year ranged from a volume of sermons
to one on fishing and hunting, and this
year will include volume of poems and
another of short stories.
Mrs. Stoves son, so the Hartford Cour.
ant learns, will offer no further opposi-
ton to the proposed erection of statue
to his mothers memory, and the project
has already received the sanction of hel
two daughters. Whether the Legislature
of Connecticut will appropriate the sun
asked by the committee in aid of the
enterprise is as yet a matter of uncer-
tainty.
The illustrated International Maya
zine, which has for its main feature the
publication Of translations of curren.
continental literature. begins in its
March number as a special feature ar
international register of first-class
passengers sailing from our Atlantic
ports, with vessels and dates. The Inter
national is published at 35S Dearborn
street, Chicago.
The curious way word Is manufac-
tured is found in the history of the word
"demicked." As Yorkshire man
will say, Them taters is demicked." He
means the potatoes are suffering from
some disease of the plant. "Demick'
comes from. epidemic. When the first
potato blight came, half century ago
the farmers heard 1t called an "epi-
demic." Thus new words are coined.
One of the latest schemes in periodical
literature is a magazine that publishes
articles on the promise of the writer &C
buy 200 copies at five cents each. "This
will bring your name as a magazine
writer" say the publishers in their let
ter to aspiring writers, direct to the at
tention Of your friends, together with
the opportunity of submitting to publi-
cations of a more pretentious character
already published contributions OF
which you are the author" Vanity OF
yanities. saith the preacher!
A chapter on "The Parsons Ordfna-
ton" is calculated to dispel most effect
ually a not uncommon delusion that the
New England Puritan was ascetic in the
matter of strong drink. Here. e. g., is a
bill for an ordination in 17S5-"30 Bowles
of Punch before the People went to Meet
ing; A Bowles of Punch at dinner; Is
Bottles of Wine: Bowls of Brandy;
Cherry Rum" Quantity not mem
toned. 1t cost the taxpayers of Wo-
burn Q729), to launch the Rev. Edwin
Jackson on his clerical career, six and
one-half barrels of cider. twenty five
gallons of wine, two gallons of brandy,
four gallons of rum; while the diary of
one Thomas Smith, describing the ordi-
nation of the Rev. Samuel Foxcroft at
New Gloucester, concludes: I'VE had
a pleasant journey home. y A
jolly ordination. We lost sight of deco
rum To properly 'raise" q meeting
house, an incredible amount of strong
liquor was required.
A case involving copyright in an un-
usual way was lately before the Paris
courts. At the time of Zola's latest can
didacy for the academy, a pamphlet was
got up by one Mons. Laporte, entitled
"Zola Contre Zola." 1t consisted of ex-
tracts. without word of comment, from
the novelist's writings, the effort being
evidently to bring together rare collec-
tion of Zola's choicest ordure. The aim
was, of course, to show that Zola, the
undertaking novelist, was the chief op-
ponent of Zolo, would-be academician.
Zola's publisher at once brought suit
for infringement of copyright, as the
extracts were republished without per-
mission. But the tribunal of the Seine
held that there had been no infringe
ment, inasmuch as Mons Laporte's in
tention was mot to reproduce fraudu-
lently the literary property of another
but to bring out in high relief in the
work of the author of the 'Rougon- Mac
quart novels Its profoundly demoraliz-
ing character, and, consequently, the
impossibility that the French academy
should admit to its ranks the writer who
had produced it." The court saw, how
ever, the need of qualifying its decision
Sd as not to allow any one to produce
for example, the works of Victor Hugo
in order to prove that he was great
poet or a good man. Accordingly the
court gave it as one of the reasons for
acquitting Mons Laporte that his pam
phlet did not yield "a complete or even
partial notion of any given book OF
Zola's II 1t had done so, copyright
would have been infringed. But the me-
lange OF extracts. without cohesion OF
connection. did not exceed the rights OF
critic" 1t will be remembered that q
case involving somewhat similar issues
is now before the English courts.
The Garish Spring Colors
The last sandown meeting was char
acterized by such bright and charming
weather that. ii afforded most excel
lent opportunity for seeing the new fash