New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-06
yDe NpD9ork Gribss,as
ILLUSTRATED SUPPLEMENT.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1903.
ATED SUPPLEMENT

'AVOWalS." 1t Is a KING OF VI Ills
admirable Confessions of a Young Man" but
while the opening paper, in the September mum
Der of the magazine, has some apdacities OF
judgment in it as bIthely irreverent as the
Youngest of readers might desire, it contains
also remarks notable for their mature wisdom |
The other day L read Madame Bovary says
Mr. Moore, and it seemed merely reasonable,
terribly reasonable, and artistic book written
low a very intelligent man. The novel passes
for being the only wellwritten novel Aasl 1t
appeared to me badly written-in other words,
it appeared to me to be .critten. All, yes torst-
fen. u,itten everywhere Its music is the music
Of the pianola, and the pianoia Is played SO
skilfully at times that one thinks one detects
human fingers here and there" We have been
waiting these many years for a robust on
slaught of this kind upon a silly superstition
from a novelist of Mr.. Moore's st2nding-and
school-and have often wondered why 1t has
been so long in coming. The explanation, we
suppose lies in the fact that for one realist OF
Mir. Moore's creative powers we have scores
who can do nothing with life save to copy IL,
and such writers always strong on what
they call art" Flaubert wrote we'll and there
fore they have mistaken Madame Bovary' Tor
a model of all the literary virtues. The hys
terical adulation they have poured upon that
brilliant but arid book forms a huge waste
heap in literature by itself
Mr.. Roger Pocock has written book, which
he calls "A FrontierSman." Several OF his re-
viewers have taken it for pure fiction, where
upon the author has rushed into print with the
following affidavit:
Whereas, Certain Journals have reviewed my
Book entitled "A FronterSman, as III IL were
a novel to the grave detriment OF its chances
Of Public favour, /. Roger Pocock. OF Adam
street Adelphi do solemnly and sincerely de-
hat
and a literal statement of facts, save That 10
avoid causing pain or injury certain names
and dates have been suppressed And make
This solemn Declaration conscientiously believ-
ing the same to be true, and by virtue OF the
is.$5. -7''"' -
This is duly signed, in the advertising col
ANN where we found il, and the name of the
Commissioner for Oaths before whom MI
Pocock made his momentOus observation is also
given Perhaps we ought TO swallow the thing
whole But we confess to an uneasiness now
adays where episodes like this are concerned
More than one recent transaction looking TO the
advancement OF the fortunes of book has
inclined US to be more critical than ever OF
Picturesque and unconventional touting.
The charge OF plagiarism made by Signor
Luzio and Professor Renter against Mrs. Ady,
author of Isabella ID Este, Warehouses of Man
tua." TO which we referred last Sunday, is
tlaversed by Mr.. John Murray, her publisher,
In a long letter to The AthenGum." This pre-
Scnts quaint situation. Mrs. Ady admits that
she translated certain documents and letters
from publications Of Messrs LuZio and
Renter without going TO the originals" She did
So it is stated lin the belief that as historical
records they were open to her in this way, and
in ignorance of the fact that Messrs. LuziO and
Rcnier possessed any exclusive rights in their
transcriptions of them" On the other hand,
She emphatically denies that she had prac-
;ically appropriated their commentary and illus
trated notes, and that where she had not done
80 She had almost always Numbered" This,
However, is not the whole story. 1t appears
that the quarrel has been going on since last
May: that the two Italian scholars had threat
cncd legal proceedings land public attack on
the book both in England and on the Cont
nent--only to be invited to do their worst-and
that finally, after much correspondence, COM
promise involving the payment Of sum of
money was arranged. According TO Mr.. Muir
ray when this was done Messrs Luzio and
Renter themselves proposed spontaneously and
voluntarily to pledge themselves Not TO raise
the question lof their alleged grievances in any
way in England" and ito remain neutral in
regard to the criticisms which the literary press
I'm Italy or in any other country may pass indie
pendently' Yet the letter which quoted
week ago was sent to '"The AthenHum"I