The record-union., 1898-09-11

The British Museum has acquired Tor
its reading-room a fac-simile Of the or
aginal manuscript of Bret Harte's poem
The Heather Chinee," which first ap-
peared in the Overland Monthly" OF
San Francisco, in September, 1870.
It is again definitely announced"
that Sarah Bernhardt will play Ham
let" IN London next season at the re-
quest of the Prince of Wales. 1t has
been rumored for some time that the
tragedienne was very anxious to at
Tempt the role.
Aix-les-Bains is to erect a statue to
Lamartine to commemorate his famous
Song, LIE Lac" Supposedly by those
verses the poet immortalized the Lac de
Bourget. The sculptor is M. Weitmen.
A tablet to the memory of Benjamin
West, the famous colonial painter, was
unveiled recently in the house in
Swarthmore, Pa, in which he was born
in 1873. The house was built in 1924,
and was remodeled a few years back,
but the walls of the original building
and its quaint architecture are still pre-
served.
The recent election of Edwin A. Abb
hey as a member of the English Royal
Academy was expected by all Mr.. Abb
bey's friends and follows his election
as an associate two years ago. Mr..
Abbey is now 46 years old, and was
born in Philadelphia. While he has
produced many works of the highest
s,, hi
at least is probably the series of dec
oratipns representing the legend of Sir
Galahad in the Boston Library.
-
New York Times: James Mcneil
Whistler has been at work on a new
edition of his Gentle Art of Making
Enemies" for over a year, but the
pleasing anticipation that has been pa
tient so long in London does not seem
to have diminished. Everybody is Won
dering who will form the target for the
supplementary pages of the butterfly
book. The volume created great and
general stir when it first came out.
Anybody but Mr.. Whistler would have
had a revised edition in press years
ago; not so Mr.. Whistler; his publisher,
Heinemann, had to beg him to make it:
OF course, the job must be done artist
1cally, but ars Tonga, vita brevis, and
Mr.. Whistier's enemies are rapidly
passing to the great unknown. Millais
Is gone. and Burne-Jones died the other
day. Only Ruskin, with a mere cor
poralIs guard, is left Heinemann now
promises the book for September.
New York Times: The art dealers
and artists of New York are deeply
interested in the news of the purchase
by the London art dealer Asher Wer-
theimer of the celebrated Hope collec-
ton of paintings. The purchase price
is said to have been S607, 800. The
paintings which form the collection at
Deepdene, the Hope estate. comprises
many of the most notable examples of
The early English school, and the col
lection is especially rich in Gainsbor-
pughs, Reynoldses, Laurences and
Romneys. It also includes many ia
nous examples of the old Dutch and
Flemish schools. Its passing into the
hands OF a dealer, who will presumab-
4yl dispose of the paintings to individual
purchasers and thus disperse it through
The art world, is therefore an event of
extraordinary interest Already the
New York art dealers are speculating
on the probability of some of the more
noted canvases coming to America.
george Moore is writing a sequel to
his new novel, Evelyn Innes.' Eve
4yns life IN convent is to be dealt
with in this book. We are told that
Mr.. Moore writes out his novels first
IN the form Of a. short story and then
builds up his books around 1t.
Anthony Hopes new novel to he
published next year, is to be called
Born in the Purple" Mr. Hope. it ap
pears, is the author of just one poem.
which appeared the other day in a little
souvenir journal in London. Here IT is.
Life is love, the poets tell us
In the little books they sell us.
But, pray, ma am, what's Of Life the use
II Life be Love? For Loves the Deuce,
MessrsA Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge
have sold: o. Goldsmith THE De-
serted Village" ITO, an uncut copv in
the original blue paper covers of the
genuine first or small octave edition.
and Of which only one other copy is
known-f22; Hora Beatae Mariae Vir-
ginis secundum usum Romanae. a If
teenth century manuscript, with seven
teen miniatures, and numerous capital
letters, all richly Illuminated in gold
and colors, and with the names of
Thomas a Beckett and other English
saints-f21; another manuscript Book
OF Hours, of the Sixteenth Century,
with thirteen full-page miniatures and
numerous capitals etc.-E121. j. Keats
Poems" 1894, printed at the Kelm-
scott Press-f11 10s.; two early works
by Rudyard Kipling, Echoes, by Two
Writer'S" Lahore, 1884, in the original
wrapper-f19 5s., and Departmental
Dttties," 1886, In the original wrapper
tl4; j. Milton, Poems, both English
and Latin" 1645, with brilliant impress
sion of the portrait by W. Marshall
ESQ; the Kelmscott Press edition Of
Chaucer, 1S96-f37; La ref des folz du
Monde 1897, the first edition of this
version of Bryant's celebrated work
Ell los, and Ptolemaeus, Geo
graphia," 1507-f21.
In the Massey Mainwaring collection,
sold in London recently, there was
number of tankards of old silver, with
many curious specimens of old plate.
The silver included a fiat top tankard,
with armorials, 1893, probably the
work of Timothy Lay, Is ounces, at
2Ss. per ounce; a ditto, spouted, 1851.
80 ounces, at sos. per ounce; a ditto,
William and Mary, 1851, Is ounces, at
Dos. per ounce (these three articles are
described in Cripps' work on "Plate'o.