New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-17
POCKET VOLUMES.
Shakespeare and Other Classics in
Miniature Form.


! 1t would be- perhaps, a contradiction in terms
| 10 say that the miniature book is conspicuous
at this time of year. but 1t is nevertheless true
that it contrives to attract attention to itself In
| spite OF the hundreds of big books by which
II is surrounded. The booklet is noticeable be-
cause IL is so artistically made. Take, for ex-
| ample, the Thumb Nail Series" published by
| the Century Company. The three additions
maze to 1t this season could not be bettered.
III one or the tiny volumes Romeo and Juliet
| Is reprinted, with the Droeshout portrait of
Shakespeare as frontspiece This has a COM
panion in LAS You Like It." to which half tone
from the bust over the tomb in Stratford Church
IS prefXed. The third volume is given to AN
Ola English Christmas" from THE Sketch
BOOK of Washington Irving. the accompanying
portrait IN this case being after interesting
oaguerreotype. All three books have the hand
some leather covers stamped in each case with
an individual design. long admired in this
series. Shakespeare by the way also appears
In another series of miniature books This is
entitled Stories from Shakespeares Plays for
Children" &c. P. Dutton & Company We have
before THE Tempest" and King Richard
IL, cleyerly retod by A S. Hoffman and illus
trated by Walter Crane and Dora Curtis
Daintily printed and bound in limp covers the
series makes a pleasant impression.
In their Ariel Booklets" c. P Putnam's Sons
print prose and poetry from many sources early
and late, foreign and American In the group
of six volumes we have just received we have
Irish Tales" by Maria Edgeworth and the
Banims with introductons by W. B. Yeats.
King James's 'Counterblaste to Tobacco;
Browning's Christmas Eve and Easter Day:
FOuque's "Undne"; "A Voyage to I,ilIiput g"
from Swift's CULVER" and Odd Christmas"
by Washington Irving. The presswork and the
limp leather covers are good, and the frontis-
piece to each volume is first rate photogravure
In size and in weight these are admirable pocket
volumes. Somewhat similar in manufacture is
the edition of Tennyson's Holy Grail" pub
lished by the H. NJ. Caldwell Company. The
frantispiece in this case is little etching by
A. Marcel from Watts's "Galahad" Bound in |
boards, but printed on small scale, and, from
it's character. well fitted to be carried in the |
pocket, is the edition of that curious minor |
classic Letters from a Portuguese Num- |
brought out by Brentano's. 1t is facsimile of |
the edition of 1917, giving certain of the letters
which are comparatively unfamiliar. The from |
tispiece is reproduction of the engraving show
ing Marianne she gazes upon her lovers por- |
trait. The printing has been done at the Merry |
mount Press. The paper is perfect In Short this |
is one of the most finished reprints we have seen |
this year. Dodd. Mead & Co. issue in tiny |
volume facsimile reprint of the first edition of |
Bacon's "Essaies," using a paper, a binding and |
end papers which complete the illusion as of |
veritable old book The modest collector who |
cannot even dream of possessing copy of the |
essays in their original form may well re- |
joice In the opportunity to acquire this fac |
smile In 1.-THE Lovers Library John Jayne |
has Just reprinted the Love Poems OF
Byron" The teri on the narrow page
is in green, the decorations above and below are
in violet and so is the flexible cover, which is
slammed fr gold. A book for the boudor is this
exouisiteIy made little volume. Even smaller in
scala is the Vest Pocket Series published by
tho Putnams Here the text is printed along |
the length not the breadth, of the page The
current issues include THE Cotter's Saturday
Night" Tam O. Shenter." The Last Ride
Together" "Locksley Hail. THE Deserted Vii
lage." and FitzGeralds translation of THE
Rubaivat" Only one stanza is given on page
The covers are flexible. Condensation could no
further go: the series is convenience PERSONNEL.
The last of the pocket volumes before u.s. The
Wisdom of Robert Louis Stevenson (Scott-
Thaw Company is hardly to be reckoned as
bit of classical literature, but we are glad to
see it lust the same These passages from the
writings of the popular romancer and essayist
cover a wide field They deal with life, love and
death with character and religion, art and
literature and it is interesting to see how well
Stevenson adapts himself to the purposes of
the compiler of such book as this That COM
piler. whom we take to be Mr.. Temple Scott,
is tactfu throughout. Especially judicious is
his selection, for kind OF prologue, of this por-
trait from "Underwoods":
am kind of farthing dip.
Unfriendly to the nose and eye;
A blue behindCd ape. skip
Upon the trees of Paradise.
At mankind's feet l take my place
In solemn. sanCtimo NOUS state,
And have the air of saying grace
While | defe the dinner plate.
I am the smer with the knife
The battener upon garbage, /
Dear Heaven, with such a rancid life,
Were it not better far to die?
Yet still about the human pale.
l love sCamper, love TO race,
To swing by my iTreVerent tail
All the most holy place.
And when at length. golden day,
The uniailing sportsman, aiming at
Shall bag me-a the world shall say:
Thank God. and there's end of that!
fire in the home of w S. Lewis. of sayhrook,
Conn. ascribed to a curious cause. A goldfish