Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-13
NEW BOOKS AND MAGAZINES
'shakspere and His F~orerunners," a Study
in Blizabethan Poetry.
REMARKABLE RECORD FOR THE scRBNERs

eDfoary shows that This
House Published Several PopuIa
Books in December-AppIe-
tons Attractive Poster.
"shakspere and His F~orerunners.' studies
in Elizabethan poetry and its development
from early English by Sidney Lanier. is one
OF the latest publications. The work is
published by Doubleday. Page q Co. In
two large and handsome volumes. contain
ing 500 pages, and profusely illustrated
with portraits. facsimiles. title pages and
all sorts Of interesting pictorial matter
that help to give the reader the feeling
and color Of those ancient times. The
authors aim here is TO present Shakspere
as the GROWING glory and elimination Of
the most marvellous literary efioresence the
world has known. In order to do this ade-
QDately he gives FIRST a most suggestive
survey Of the beginnings Of English poetry
and what II had become when the marvel
Gus Elizabethan Age carried Il to I'M
dreamed Of heights. and then. after elab-
crate treatment Of the sonnet writer's from
Surrey to Shakspere. he takes up In detail
the study Of the man. William Shakspere,
the social life which surrounded him. and
his mental and spiritual evolution as shown
by the growth Of his art. From the exist
ing evidence and the relation OF man to
his fellow man" in the various plays Mr..
Lanier constructs a probable sequence and
grouping Of the great masters work which
bears largely upon its face the story Of the
mans own life struggle and mighty con-
quest Of himself. Much Of the best prose
work Mr.. Lanier left is contained in these
two volumes.
The remarkable record made this last
season by Scribner books is still further
attested by the market reports in the Feb
ruary Bookman, which show that. Of the
fifteen extremely successful books in the
east in December. five had the Scribner
imprint, while six Scribner books appear
in the list OF seventeen which we're most
successful In the west. No other one pub
Usher had more than two books in this
eastern list, nor more than three in the
western list. The Scribner books appearing
in both eastern and western lists were
Henry van Dykes "Th Blue Flower" F.
Hopkinson Smiths 1.-The Fortunes OF oliver
Horn" Thomas Nelson Pages "a Captured
Santa Claus" James w. Barrie's The Lit
tie White Bird" and Richard Harding Da-
vis's Captain Macklin." The additional
book making the western list was James
Whitcomb Riley's THE Book OF Joyous
Children" 1.-The Blue Flower" by the way,
stood second in the eastern list and third
in the western list.
THE Papal Monarchy" by william Barry,
d. D., belongs to the series called THE
Story of Nations and covers the period
from st. Gregory the Great to Boniface
VIII. DR.. Barry's survey Of the papal
monarchy to the death of Boniface VIII.
with which the middle ages may be said
to close, fills so serious a gap in English
historical libraries that students might be
very grateful to him even were the work
much less able than IL is. But he has given
us a marvel OF accurate information and
Of comprehensiveness. No mere compila-
tion is It, but a well-considered and add
mirably written book Of permanent value.
Its readers and critics. however, would do
we'll to keep In mind the authors words
In the preface: Not the pope as a teacher.
but the pope as a ruler OF men. In affairs
which may be viewed under a secular as
we'll as a religious aspect, will furnish
the matter of my volume" OF course, II is
open to doubt whether the effort to keep
to this restricted plan is not an attempt
at the impossible. But the book as II
stands lie a tour de force. He congresses
the history Of a vast period into about 4SO
pages. and deals with 1t not in general
terms. but in detail; yet the result is no
arid waste OF facts. He has enlivened tho
waste by vivid portraiture and by dramatic
arrangement. Published by G.. p. Putnam's
Son.
Another notable addition has been made
to the attractive series Of posters issued
by d. Appleton and Company since the be-
ginning OF the year. This is being used in
connection with millionaire Household
and their Domestic Economy" by Mary e,
Carter. The poster is an elaboration OF
the cover design by Margaret Armstrong
and is printed in gold and copper bronze
and green and peacock blue inks, giving a
rich effect. The design itself represents
two golden peacocks facing each other on
the branches OF a grape vine. while their
beautiful plumage falls around the title
Millionaire Households" Bunches OF
grapes and grape leaves complete the or
namentation. The book itself is unique
Miss Carter has managed the households
Of many large establishments, and her OBJ
servations will be Of value not only Il
those whose advancing fortunes have out
stripped their social opportunities, but also
TO those who with one or two servants
desire to make a little go a long way.
AAN WAhhiAb Va 0aA0hhNf " - SAaAl
Beall, is a romance full OF interest from
cover to cover. Well written and clever
y the story has much that many Of the popu
lar romantic novels Of late have lacked
The story tells how a young noble VOL
back his city which had been usurpet
by a friend Of his fathers. IL is full o
lighting (but the fights are possible), full o
secret passages OF the kind that one see
in old castles. and full OF adventures tina
one can imagine would come to a younl
hero Of the middle ages. There is a low
story, OF course. and the girl is beautiful
Just as she should be. but she does not xii
men or do impossible things before she 1
hailed the mistress OF Sarenne. The oil
retainer and the faithful councillor ar
there, but In an interesting guise. and tn
villain is none too black. After the cit
has been won and the villain put to high
one feels satisfied that It has all been wort
while, and grateful that a few hours hsv
been pleasantly passed. The book is pub