New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-15
LITERARY NOTES.

eating their efforts more to ephemerfdes than
ever before one work arises which is truly
monument of solid scholarship. Mr. J. O.
Frager's translation OF 'Pausanics's Description
Of Greece" just published by the Macmillan
Company Is one Of those massive productions
which assume on their appearance the character
of permanent landmarks Of literature. Inc
work is really more than q translation having
nut the description into one volume. Mr.. Frazer
flls four more with a minute commentary ana
makes en- index rich enough TO flll a sixth The
books are illustrated. and present master :.
niece. in short. as it has never been presented
before Thirteen years have been spent on TINS
great work. but no one who cares for the litera-
,urs ~ anc,en, Greek life will say that Mr..
Frazer has ,abored too long. Pausanias Is
worthy OF such devotion. He is not great
writer. and Mr. Frazer is even inclined 10 DE
severe upon him in matters of style. After some
Of the pedestrian descriptions in the book one
remembers with longing the charming vivaclty
OF Hcrodotus But Pausaaias reflects as III
mirror the facts of the Greece he knew Ills
@igressjons arc precious sources Of classical lore
and the merest taste of his pages as MT fTdze'
has annotated them is sufficient to transport
the reader into the splendid past Full comment
o, the volumes before us must he deferred out
wo cannot refrain from citing the conclusion 10
the authors preface. q tribute to Cambridge
which the lovers OF that university are likely W
store lovingly in the memory:
The windows Of my study look on the tranqu'i
court of an ancient college, where the sun uis-i
marks the silent passage OF the hours anu ~
the long summer days the fountain plasneS
dr0wsily amid flowers and grass; where as 'ile
evening shadows deepen the lights come OUT III
the blazoned windows OF the Elzabethan nan
and from the chapel the sweet notes of the choir,
blent with the pealng music OF the organ, hoat
or the peaceful air. telling or man. ete'id'
aspirations after truth ana goodness t anu he
tumult and hustle Of the world with It's pomps
and vanitles and ambitions the student ma!
hope to hear the still voice OF truth 10 pehetid. az.
through the little transtory questions OF the
hour TO the realities which aDide, or rather
which we fOndy think must abice, whlie the
generations come and go csnno' s, o go 90
thankful that have been allowed 10 spehu 50
many quiet and happy years in such scene,
and when quit my old college rooms; a.
soon shall do. for another home IN CanoI,use' =
shall hone to carry forward 10 new work IN
rnw scene the love OF study and labor which mas
been. not indeed implanted. but fostered all9
cherished in this ancient home or learning ana
peace.
A new book by the author Of that entertain
ing volume. The Land OF the Dollar is just
coming from the press. 1t is to bear the title
Of THE Diary of a Sun-Seeker" Ny stevens
.. one of the most amusing of modern literary
travellers.
Tho "r ooker-On" in "Blackwood." laments
Tho fact that we hear so little Of George Mere
ditb.s delightful book, the Shaving of Shay
nat" OF the Meredithian obscurity and COM
n,icat,on Of phrase that some complain or. no
trace here in a single line" he declares rs
there a Meredithan mannerism?-not In the
Shaving of Shagpat.' unless we mean by man.
nerism craces and brlliances Of dicuon which
are Meredith's own and not another's. Ana
though the story moves with great rapidly ana
every ten lines is itself tale Of incident or SEN
sation. there is no hint Of labor and no sign OF
fatigue 1t runs on Ike mountain stream'
does this Shaving Of Shagpat,' and the further
II runs the more excellent 1t is for invention and
grace"
John Hookham Frere British Ambassador In
spain Under Secretary Of State In the Foreign
Office, and the translator Of Aristophanes, was
the friend OF most Of the literary Britons OF his
day To him Byron appealed on the question OF
publishing Don Juan; Canning consulted him
about his MSS. and Southey wanted his help in
writing The History of the Peninsular War"
One OF his correspondents was Coeridge, and
among Frere's papers were lately discovered two
letters of the poet which are reproduced in
Temple Bar" The first has the air Of old Grub
Street. the tone of the fatterer approaching the
patron 1t was sent with volume Of "Sibylline
Leaves:
Highgate. July. 1916
Dear Sir,-Should have the good fortune 10
and you at home and disengaged this morning,
shall have superseded this scrawl, the object
of which is to excuse myself for the liberty
take in obtruding on you the accompanylns
OF Second of my literary Life-more accurate
ly. perhaps. Sketches OF my intellectual Life and
Princpes-n which my chief purposes were. l.
To defend myself mot indeed 10 my own con-
science butt as far as others are concerned. from
the often and public denunciation Of having
wasted my time in idleness-in short, OF having
done nothing. Not merely 10 state my own
principles of Taste but to settle, II possible, and
put TO rest with all men OF sense the controversy
concerning the nature and claims OF poetic Die
ton. There is with these third Volume en-
titled Sibylline Leaves. collection of such
poems as dare consent 10 be known as OF my
own will as we'll as Authorship--I had hoped
to have sent them during your confinement
and then ! might have ventured TO hope that
you would have returned them enriched with
mere symbolic signs Of disapprobation Of par
ticular passages. lines or words. With grey
hairs and subdued Spirit It would be too late
for me TO begin the attempt TO fatter and be
assured IL Will be but an act Of Justice 10 the
simplicity of my character If you give full be-
lief 10 my assurance. that my sole motive for
entreating your friendly perusal Of these pages
originates In my thorough conviction that OF all
the men whom have yet met with in public
or literary life you possess beyond comparison
the purest and manifest Taste: and say less
than mean and feel, when l add that l have
on my shelves long original poems, epic. and
romantic. full of images and incidents and
mother and-child sentiments and sensbities,
and these OF great celebrity Reputation at
least) the whole excellences Of which concen-
trated do not impress on my reason that sense
OF inventive and instructive power which APP
peared 10 myself 10 see in the one Imitation Of
the Parabass from the knights Of Aristo-
phanes
I'm Coleridge's second letter he unbosoms HIM
self Of grievance after a fashion which is
hardly convincing:
16 July, 1916
. . Now, my dear Sir, will you pardon
me II l take the liberty Of unbosoming myself
to you on a circumstance which tho
inc triNa hos both uoupdad opd injured mo