New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-08

An ingenious person called Crockett
Assembled 10 fame like rocket,
His Minister (StiCkiD
Was such a good trick, 1t
Expanded the publishers pocket.
IL q discussion, I'm 'sTbe Atlantic of current
magazine and book illustration. critic COM
mains that the draughtsman rs assuming such
Importance in his eyes and in the eyes OF
the public that in some danger OF 1or-
getting or of complaisantly waving the prln-
ciple of subordinating the picture TO the text
the trimmings TO the actual substance
Obviously. a drawing may be good in itself
without really illustrating the text as: 10 a,n
more general grounds. the bulk ana prom
fnence Of the illustrative matter may disia :!
our attention from the legitimate business IiA
hand. Doubtless the illustrators hlghesl Elk
Tloit would be by a sort of divination TO come
at the living meaning Of the author ana %!
appealing to the eye to strengtneh I1lsaoe go
the effect of the text He cannot be eHpecteu
to invent a new manner for every supJecI, put
he can in some sense subject his personality or
at least curb his mannerlsIns, lot the SAM W
the text-which he would hardly deny 20 be, IKE
the contents of Lumpkin's letter, the cream 10, OF
tbe correspondence. Yet indifference to this
apparently simple relation has already done
much toward the cheapening OF the illustrator
art the multiplication of mere picture DOCKS.
and the growing popular distaste for pure text
For unluckily illustrating, like the stage, has
not only its heroes but its matinee heroes, VINO
valued for the pretty Things they 90 onI or
their own heads rather than for their hdehty
to the lines and skill in the Interpretation or
character.
There is a story that the German Emperor
Stately assured NJ. CoQuelin that some parts of
.Cyrano de Bergerac' were equal to any in
Ehakespeare's works, and apropos of this state
rnent THE London Daily News" recalls the con-
versation which the Emperor's great-great-
grandfather, King George III. held on the SUBJ
ject Of Shakespeare with Fanny Burney, Nine
dArblay WAS there ever" cried the royal
g olye-
speare? Only must not say so. But what
-bink Won? What? Is there not sad stuff?
what?-what?'
Yes. indeed, think so. sir" said the fair
author of 'Fvelina," though mixed with such
exceIlencies that
'Ohi" cried he laughing good humoredly. Il
know II is not to be said but it's true. Only it's
Shakespeare and nobody dares abuse him
Then he enumerated many of the characters
ana parts of plays that he objected. to, and
when he had run them over, finished with again
Laughing and exclaining:
But one should be stoned for saying so!
The amusing suggestion has been made that
the present activity Of the Bacon-is-Shake-
spearians is secretly fostered-without their
knowledge-by some speculator who has made
a corner in Enzabethan first editions and is
trying to rig the market"
Professor Goodwin Smith suggests that the
Baconians should compare the language and
melody of Bacons TRANSACTIONS of the
Psalms with the language and melody Of Shake
speare's poety, and he asks moreover, Did
Bacon doff his scientific orthodoxy to assume
the very opposite spirit and tone in Hamlet?"
The historical writing of the period does not
wholly commend itself to a reflective CORE
spondert of The DIAL Some day" he says,
there will set in movement TO coordinate
the results Of our specialized effort, and then
may be expected TO appear once more the literary
historian. Scholarship Will not be less valued,
nor truth less highly regarded, but the art of
presenting truth will be given more attention.
Nothing short OF a transcendent genius, how
ever can ever again fill the place OF the genuine
literary historian. From our conscientious de-
vc.ion 10 truth in the minute we shall never
wholly recover: and Of ali historical writing
shall continue to demand absolute accuracy of
oetail-a standard which was unknown TO Herod-
o.us Liyy Carlyle and Macaulay. Thus the
necessities which the literary historian Of the
future will have to meet grow greater with
every passing day.
The series Of american Men Of Letters"
which Jagged for while. promises to in
crease with rapidity. Professor Woodberry's
Hawthorne and Colonel Higginson's Long
fellow are nearly ready for publication; Profess
sor Bourne's Motley" and Professor Carpenters
whittier viii be brought out within the year.
Prescott and Holmes TO be dealt with soon.
The larger part Of Sir Walter Besant's library
anc some of his MSS. were sold in London the
other day, Lady Besant and her daughter sit
ting at the table throughout the sale. The $50
lots brought aggregate of only about 81 $50
For the manuscript of that brilliant novel The
Chaplain of the Fleet the small sum of S26
was paid.
Of Sir Walters Autobiography" which is Just
coming out. il is said that in its entire absence
OF vanity and jealousy it Will stand beside Oar
wins sketch of his own life. Concerning his ca
pacity for work Besant says:
In my own case 1 was endowed by nature
with quality which, / sure / NAV pro
claim without Boosting. II is that of untfring
industry. II Is merit in 10 work con-
tinuously. / am not happy when / am not
working. / waste the afternoon in q
club smoking room; nor can / waste two hours
before dinner in club library; nor can / waste
q whole morning pcttering about a garden and
in the evening, after dinner j fain to re-
pair to my study. there to look over proofs
hant up points ard arrange for the next DAYS
work Again, when 1 have fiction in hand /
cannot do any good with il for than three
or four hours day-say. from till 1890. In
the afternoon must work at other things
Isbister will publish In England in the au-
tunn The book in which Miss F. NJ Stone in
tends 70 relate her experiences among the
bstgands. Messrs- Mcclure, Phillips & Co are
the American publishers The narrative is IN