The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-24
NEWS OF THE BOOK WoRL D.
HOPE FOR PRESENT DAY CRITICS
IN FAILURES of THE PAST.

Marie COreIli Announces Her Great
est WOrk-Dr. IIeiIpin on Mt. Pc
lee in Fact and in n BOOk-A Story
of DIR. DOy1e-"CastIe Cranecroyvv
the Latest ROmance-A Maine Poet.
News of New Books.
By Herbert Brewster.
Present day writer's, who have been
severely criticized because of some. of
their books, will probably take con-
siderable comfort in reflections over
the severe handling in former times of
authors whose names now occupy high
| places on the roll of literary honor.
Mr.. w. E. Garrett Fisher, an indus
trious Englishman, has recently col
lected considerable information along
this line. Both Coleridge and Ruskin,
he says, abused Gibbon, now recog-
nized as the greatest English histor-
ian. Coleridge called Gibbons history
of Rome IAN effectual bar to all real
familiarity with the temper and habits
of Imperial Rome" Scott, as is we'll
known, was the subject of much at
tack by his contemporaries. Southey
declared that that the Ancient Mari
ner" was "the clumsiest ATTEMPT at
German simplicity he ever saw. By
ron did not hesitate to pronounce judg-
ment on Shakespeare and Milton by
saying that they had their rise and
would most certainly have their de-
cline. Byron also declared Spencer
dull and Chaucer contemplate. Words
worth. Dryden and Burns fell under
his displeasure.
Moro racoptIv na1ro
places dared to speak disparagingly of,
and, in some cases, to attack the writ
ers who are now looked upon as class
les. William Dean Howells, ANTHONY
hope, Cutcliffe Hyne and others have
confessed that they never cared to
read Dickens Examples might be
multiplied in other cases. The present
generation has improved, in that we'll
known authors are not accustomed to
attack their fellows. There is also
some comfort for the critics of to-day.
Ruskin, undoubtedly one of the great
est, said that any bank clerk in Lon
don could have written a better his
tory of Greece than did Grote From
his list of the 100 best books, Ruskin
excluded Voltaire because "of the sting
and stencil" of him and Darwin. be-
cause all the literary imbecilities Of
Europe followed in his train" The
critic of to-day is not likely to go
further wrong in his judgments than
did Ruskin in these cases.
A new novel by Marie Corelli is an
nounced for publication on both sides
of the Atlantic this week Temporal
Power" is the title. of the story. which
is further described as a study in
supremacy" 1t is the first novel that
Miss Corelli has done since The Mas
ter Christian" and. according to the
author herself, it is the strongest book
she has ever written.
DR.. Heilprin, one of the first scien-
fists to go TO Martinique after the great
disaster and the first to go to the era
ter of Mt. pelee after the eruption
is finishing up book which Will treat
the scientific side of the volcanic dis
turbance and also relate his expert
ences. DR.. Heilprin was a true re-
porter; he studied the seismic move
ments on the spot even though his
observations were made at the risk
OF his life, Prof Hellprip IL probably
better equipped TO write the real story
OF MI Peiee than sny other man. HIS
first story Of the eruption. which was
published 10 ne Of the magazines. was
"a cleaF-cut account Of what had hap
pened. lie Is a scientist and explorer
of wide reputation and the present