New-York tribune., 1903-01-18
IGbe Aetui1lnrk gr1hma1&
ILLUSTRATED SUPPLEMENT-
SUNDAY, JANUARY Is, 1903.

=. -, ond .nd one more incident in the history
of modern booknlaking will be closed Ii Is ony
an incident q fact which it is perhaps prontaDle
TO emphasize. We have followed the fortunes
of the Vale Press with lively interest ever since
Messrs Ricketts, and Shannon brought out thelr
short lived periodical, 1.-THE DIAL, some ten OF
dozen wears ago Those were clever pages to
which these artists, and several OF their frlehds
contributed both text and illustration, but if
there is less that is bizarre in the sumptuousiy
made books which they have since brought out
than there was in THE DIAL" there is not much
more that is of permanent value. The records
of the booksellers and of the auction room, OF
conrse contradict this observation. The vale
book sells at high prices, and is not unlikely 10
sell for higher. Like the kelmscott book IL has'
and promises to continue to have suDstanual
market value, for the simple reason that col
lectors Of publications of the sort are certain 10
be with us always But it is significant that one
after the other of these presses is abandoned
Why? Because if there is one thing more than
another of which we can be certain LII the world
Of books it is that the printers who endure are
the printers who adhere to a simple, straight
forward style, wreakng themselves on beauty
of tvpe and perfection of workmanship, and
leaving the decorative motive us Morris and the
rest have understood it, too-MoIris and the rest.
That the abolition of the three-vOlume novel
has been disastrous to literature is the convlc-
ton of MI Clement Shorter. Mrs. Humphry
Ward he holds responsible for that abolition,
saving: at was the colossal success of Robert
Elsmere' followed by the comparatively modest
success of David Greve, that killed the three
volume novel system Of things, to the deep re-
gret of many of us. Robert Elsmere IN ltS
three-volume form was so much in demand at
or,IS STf,ith
necessarily had to take limitless number OF
copies Believing that the demand would be
equal for David Grieye' they OyerstOcked them
selves with the latter novel, and eXecrated that
form of publication for many day afterward.'
The deDarure of the Old three volume novel has,
MI Shorter thinks, distracted the reading OF
the younger generation from good literature
that has stood the test of time to the new and
ephemeral novel, which, under the old system
of things. being published extensively in three
volumes, was only read by a certain circulating
library audience. That is to say, young people
are now reading current fiction; in my earlier
days they were not" All this is, of course, ap
plicable to England only The experience of
Americans would go to show that the method Of
publication-in one volume, or in three volumes
has little to do with the success of 4 book.
1t is rumOred that a new series of monographs
is to be launched under the general title OF
"French Men of Letters" lines similar to
those of the well known English Men of Let
ters." started long ago under the editorship of
John Morley, and recently extended to include
q number of biographies. Whether it
would be popular or not is something Of prob
lem. Several volumes in the brilliant and in
valuable series published by Hachette, LES
Grands Ecrivains Francais," were issued by the
McClurgs in Chicago, some time ago, but ap-
parently the enterprise not well supported, !
for it long since abandoned. Perhaps the
new series would have more chance of success
if it were based on European literature in gen.
eral rather than French alone. Brief, ade-
quate biographies of the leading men of letters
in Germany and Austria Spain and Italy, |
Russia and Scandinavia are not at present
available in English and while in few cases
could anything like a phenomenal sale be ex-
pected, it is probable that fair average profit |
would be readily forthcoming. In fact, we be |
lieve that a series thus exploiting all the coun- |
tries of Europe would be infinitely more popular |
than one devoted exclusively to French men of
letters. More important than cathoicity more |
important almost than the subjects themselves, |
would be the appointment of the editor. Two
John MOrleys, we admit, are rarely to be found
i'll generation; the supplementary volumes |
in the series with which his name was so long |
fI,n,