The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-10-30

of Edmund Spenser in 1853, and ended
with the birth of John Bunyan in
1923. Between them come Shakes
peare, Bacon, Milton. and many other
men of rare genius. 1t was never
matched, and probably will never be
matched
| think the extraordinary record OF
the University of North Carolina pre-
sented recently by President Venab;e
should be copied into every paper in
North Carolina that is a true friend
Of education. and is ready to recognize
the grand and unique services rem
dered to- the State by it's Oldest ana
greatest institution of learning.
The ablest of literary bi-monthis
journals in the North is the ChicaSo
Dial" 1t regards Prof. Woodberry
and W. Y. Moody as the greatest Nv
ing American poets. They are poets
unquestionably, but does the Dial
know really the value of all the other
poets?
Next January the three hundredth
anniversary of the publication of the
great novel of Cervantes, Don Qu1X-
ote.'' is to be celebrated in Paris Lon
don will not be behind for it will cele-
brate also, and the literati are already
arranging for it. The New York sat.
urday Review" says pertinently Of
the event:
prominent students of Cervantes in
England are Frederic Harrison, Cum
nighame Graham, Martin Sharp
Hume, Fitzmaurice Kelly, II. +.
Watts. and Norman MacCall. Per-
hans we might include Sir Henry lrV-
.ng, whose portrayal on the dramatic
stage of the Knight Of La Mancha was
so lifeike and quite in the CerVantes
spirit
Kipling's short story called They.
is so obscure it appears that English
writer's fail to understand it. 1t is full
of mysteries" it is alleged, and fun
of beauties.
The letters of Charles Lamb are
publishing, and the second volume has
appeared They are replete withdrawn
Of course, and his likes and dlsllkeS
are revealed. He did not think much
of Byron or Shelley, two of Englands
greatest poets. But this is not the
olace to consider the likes and dls-
likes, the quips and qualities OF a
most delightful writer and lovable
man. of whom it was written soon al
ter his death, in the thirties in the
last century, that he was as gentle
as the words that syllable his name.
There are writer's now who do not
hesitate to attack the qualities and
genius of the great Wrlters-among
them Dryden, Pone, and the greatest
poets in the nineteenth century, ana
such other famous and splendid VIII
ters as Scott, Macaulay, Hazlltt, De-
Ouincey. Ruskin, Thackerdy, Dickens
George Eliot, and others, ana IN the
preceding century, the very foremo9s
authors, such as Burke, Goldsmith
Addison, and so on Among the Vie
torian writer's, of much favor Steven
son. Rossetti, BulWer, and others are
shown up" Mr.. w. l.. Alden, on ZZnC
Of August, 1904, in his regular weekly
communication from London TO th3
New York Saturday Review, wrote
'sTwo books on Rossetti. the most
important of which is Mr.. Arthur {.
Bensons 'Rossetti,' have lately been
published. To some of us 1t seems as
If a good deal of nonsense mas peen
written about Dante Gabriel Rossettl.
He was undoubtedly a clever, though
possibly somewhat oVerialeo, PAM
ar How much of Rossettl
fame is due to the persistent adVertls-
ing given to him by his associates
both while he was living and after ms
death? | may be very wrong. but 10
me Rossetti seems to have been d
good deal of a poseur and not niue
Of humbug, consciously or uhcoh-
sciously. Certainly his life was not the
sort of life that should be either an
inspiration or an example to young
writer's, and it is just possible that the
world has heard a little too much OF
him.
A person in the London Pail Mail
Gazette" writes thus: "A man is az
well known by the books that he reads
&c by the companionships he keeps
Show me a mans bookshelf, ana l
will tell you what he is. Ihat is not
IN original saving for others have sald
something quite like it. 1t is true
.ayin~ and is of the class or saylngs
ic
you can tell man by the company
10 keeps" | saw an elderly, gray
haired lady recently buying some mag
azines-of the three two were or tine
.en-cents variety. It was not dlfhcult
TO Judge of her taste and culture.
person prefers certain 1000 lor e nl9
palate reader seeks mental food
FOR the satisfying of his appetite lie
nav be we'll 'sized" by the choice
he makes There is q wonderful We
ietv of literary and initiative dishes
now served, and crowds choose the
thin. light, highly spiced. whipped
svllabub kind to the substantial ana
strong. Business absorbs now, and
the literary appetite is rarely purer
or stronger than those dishes which
are appetizing to those who are el:-
crossed by the commercialism thai
prevails. The great books arr
too high and plain for spiced tastes
/
probably a couple of hundred who
read the masters. the standards. These
are 'caviarre TO the general to quote
from Hamlet, often wrongly credited
to Thackeray.
Hon. Mr.. Balfour is now the Prime
/ Minister in Great Britain. He is a
nephew of the late Prime Minister,
Earl Salisbury He is Scotch and
/ Tory down to his shoes. He is man
of superior abilities and good charac-
ter, but he is not sound and safe. be-
/ cause he is extreme and a political
/ acrobat He wires in and he wires
out He is roundly attacked by the
Liberals, and Right Hon. James
/ Bryce the eminent politician and man
I of letters, who has written at least
three works of decided interest and
ability, has been handling him with
] gloves off. He thinks Mr.. BalfOur has
! brought craftsmanship down to a Sc
ries of mere Parliamentary lodges.
| cite from him an instructive passage;
These lodges were amusing and
! dexetrous enough: one admired them
/ as one admired the performances of
Ian acrobat. But they were something
/ more than artful devices-they were
nartc IF y deeD-laid scheme. They