The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-05-22
LITERARY GOSSIP.

Houghton, Miff1in & Co., of Boston,
have just published a new and excel
lent edition of TT Complete PoeticaI
Works of Sir Walter Scott" octave,
COS pages. 1t is edited by Mr.. Horace
E. Scudder, who for years well edited
the famous Atlantic Monthly, the
most purely literary of all the Ameri-
can monthly magazines. The best
text Of Scott is used, and the editing
with notes, is j%udicious and intelligent.
All Of he great Scotch minstrel's
poems are printed. The man or woman
who has any true relish for poetry
and is not familiar with Scott's best
work in verse is deprived of very
much pleasure There is but little
English poetry hat is more enthrall-
ing and satisfying han 1.-The Lay of
the Last Minstrel" 1.-THE Lady of the
Lake and "Marmion." They are to us
as entertaining as a novel by a supe-
rior hand, and as thrilling, as moving.
as full of true Homeric fire as any
poems in English. Byron, a greater
poet, with higher dramatic gifts, has
left nothing so absolutely Homeric in
vigor, dash, animation as SCOTS Lay
"Marmion-" We are gratified to see
so tasteful and capable an editor as
Mr.. Scudder is giving his attention to
the writer who so stirs the soul.
Mary Johnston's novel has reached
10000. We are anxious to see a
thoughtful, analytical, thorough re-
view Of it-such as novels used to re-
ceive from the able critics in the past.
1t is pleasant to know that Lord
Macaulay left a DIARY" and hat his
biographer n able nephew, Sir
George Trevelyan is editing it for
1t is reported that the late Duke of
Argyll left a volume or so of reminis-
cences. Lord Tennyson wrote a short
poem appreciative of the learned and
able ~Scotchman. The critic OF the
New York Tribune says:
1T is recorded that a Scotch inn
keeper once said of the Duke: His
Grace is in a vera deeficult poseetion
whatever. His pride of intellect will
no let him associate with men Of his
ain birth. and his pride OF birth will
no let him associate with men of his
ain intellect"
Herbert Spencer, possibly the great.
est philosophical mind of the last half.
century, now passed his eightietl
year, has completed his ]autobiogra.
ply.
The Frenchman who wrote the very
popular play, "Cyrano de Bergerac,'
is in poor health. He is a great love
Of Shakespeare. He said lately: :"
am always with Shakespeare. / hav,
an enormous weakness for Shake
speare." He once liked Poe, but doe.
not read him now He is, he says, i'm
FASHIONED by Dickens"
A very delightful paper, somethin,
elaborate, on the great Thackeray
will be found in the last number Of tn,
London Quarterly Review. We fnvit
those readers of cultivated tastes an,
with a love of the pure and the nobl
an dthe artistic, to read this able dis
cussion OF the writer who stands aIon
among all authors in English.
Besan has been for years givinI
Ah01l VI liz liLsc 10 a STUDY Oh Lon
dom He has been writing an histori
cal survey, TO be well illustrated, an
it is now said il will reach nine vol
umes He is well qualified for tina
kind of work, more so thar for move
writing. By the way, Robert Buc
hanan makes a very incfsiye. bitte
reply to Besant's criticism of himsaI,
1t is very bright and keen of thr,1s,
The editor Of the New York Satur
day Review is ill-mannered. He de
lights in rebel and rebellion" whe,
the u is referred to. He ought Z
be better bred and have more intelh
gence.