New-York tribune., 1900-08-19


Sir Walter Armstrong; Life of Sir Joshua
reynolds Will be published by the Scribners
thor's "Gainsborough." The volume will con
tam seventy-five photogravure illustrations.
The Bishop of London has been making an in
LerestIng statement concerning which further
details would be welcome He is reported to
rave said that the happiest years of his life were
% ne ten durlng which he kept TO resolution
that he would read books which were writ
ten after 1900
given to the public forever the house at
Walthamstow in which William Morris was
born. 1t Is surrounded by several acres Of
wooded and watered grounds, and will for this
reason De OF great value to the Londoner Of
the future, who will soreIy need every avail
able space of green leaves
OF Mr.. ". E Henley as a poet The London
Saturday Review says that he has not written
given US only his very best, how good il would
have beeni But, like most people whose range
Is united ne seems to wish above all things to
produce an effect OF breadth At his best natu-
rally delicate poet, he would be a vigorous
and even ferocious poet"
Sometimes as we have learned from the con-
fessions Of famous writer's, a story will take
itself out of the hands of its author and compel
him to follow its will rather than his own
This is what happened to Mr.. Conrad; his novel
Lord Jim" now in course Of publication
intended to be short story, but it expanded
again and again. and the novelist has asked his
publishers 10 allow him to develop it.
The French National Library has become the
richer by fourteen large boxes containing the
unpublished papers, correspondence and other
writings left behind him by Theirs. Many Of
these papers are Of great Importance as matters
of political history, and others are equally val
uab bic as illustrations of the literary history Of
the Romantic period They were presented TO
the library by Nile. DOsne and will not be pub
her
Mrs Schuyler Crowinsheld's forthcoming
novel is called The Archbishop and the Lady"
II Is story of crime founded on fact.
Mr., Edwin Markham, who obtained a great
deal Of temporary notOriety by means Of
rather commonplace poem called The Man
with the Hoe IS about TO give TO the world a
Second Book OF Poems 1t viii be judged on
Its merits. and if the author shows himself
therein TO be a remarka ole poet he will have
fame-something better than that former brief
notOriety. But nothing that he has produced
thus far justities US in expecting great verse
from him.
The literary symposium" too cften represents
the ingenious effort Of an incompetent and pre-
trnu0uS Ea ck writer 10 make money out OF
other peoples brains. He-Or She-demands
that Eruditus shall stand and deliver his opin-
ion on certain matters, and the opinions or eX-
periences OF Eruditus being combined with
those Of other celebrities similarly attacked.
The hack" gets the money and assumes large
airs Of literary achievement II is one of the
most cCnteu qtihIe forms of veied mendicancy.
Mr.. Andrew Lang has some refreshing things
TO say concerning il in 'L0ngmau's Magazine
Every one. Ee declares. ought 10 make stand
against the extraordinary profession which pUr-
sues literature viCarIousIy. Thus person
writes 10 me. from the office # popular peri
CdicaI asking for assistance in compiling
essay On collaboration. DO l like better 10 col
laborate or work alone? Do l have many disputes
with my fellow toiler? Now on what grounds
does this person ask me and others TO help to
make Up page Of interesting faCJs2' II the
facts are interesting. I may as Well earn half
crown ty writing them myself, and give that
half crown t. the person no asks for il, And
TO whom aye the facts interesJing% If the
readers Of such matter have heard my name,
il is as much as they have done They do not
and cannot read books ana why should they
care whether 1 have more pleasure in writing
my books alone or in collaboration If I and
my friends have disputes We likely TO take
this public into our confidence The only way
70 alleviate this plague Of tattle is TO refuse 10
add 10 tie pages Of interesting facts There
is no reason for answering, there is not even the
advantagr OF advertisement. that glitJering
phantom minnow at which many authors
bite eagerly
Mr.. Han Gaines new novel it appears. is not
20 be called The Eternal City" but The Ro-
man This is in aCCoTianc with d fashion
which. We fancy, may have been set by Mrs.
Radcliffe with her novel The Italians"
There IS q report. by the way, that the British
serial rights Of d novel by Mr.. Caine are worth
To that author the comfortable sum Of $4,000.