New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-24
LITERARY NOTES.

Mr. c. X Shorter rummaging in the sixth vol
ume OF "t1nCish Army Lists and Commission
Registers, lG6l-17l4,' a work edited and ammo
tated 10y Nh. {. Dalton. has discovered BIT OF
new information concerning Defoe Here II is:
Daniel Defoe was a captain lieutenant in Colonel
John Desbordes's regiment OF dragons, in Portu-
gal in f7l4 There Is every reason 10 believe that
Captain Lieutenant Daniel Defoe is identical with
Crusse." whose checkered career from 1858 70 his
death in 1891 afforded many interesting details Tor
contemporary as well as for nineteenth and even
twenueih century nlstorlins ala -, o
discovered the fact that Defoe commissioned
officer I'm "A cavalry regiment il Queen Aune's ser
mission is MOI Forthcoming in the commission entry
hooks. as Desbordes's dragons were raised in
Portugal and the commissions signed by the Earl
with Monmouth and had Joined the Prince Of Or
fngcs army on the famous march TO London; In
reeinent Of volunteer horse. II is also record
sion Defoe's name appears likewise in a manu-
script list of holf-pay officers Tor ll22
The Putnams bring out new edition 6he
twenty-third) Of that invaluable compendium
''Haydn's Dictionary of Dates" A preface
points out that when the book first appeared. in
1S4l. It consisted of 56S pages of smaller size
and larger type thaa those Of later editions
The present edition. in which the dictionary is
revised and brought down TO the end OF 1903
runs TO nearly 1,500 pages. 1t is printed in
clear enough type, on good paper, but it is not
without signs OF careless proofreadng. The
last column of the matter relating to the United
States contains the statement that It was re-
ported In August. 1908. that Judge Taft would
become Secretary OF War on the retirement OF
mfr. Roob." IN January. 1904
For the modest collector, who is content TO
wait until opportunity casually occurs for the
purchase Of some bit OF ware with which 10
soorn his or her shelves, Mrs. Wiloughoy
,Eodgson has written useful little volume IN
ssHow TO Identify OLD China" CThe Macmillan
aCompanyD. The amateur having neither the
time nor the money 10 take his hobby too seri-
ously. but needing a certain amount OF informa-
ton II he is not to be defrauded IN season and
out OF season. Will here find data enabling him
20 recognize quickly enough the product of any
one OF the Staffordshire potteries 70 tell Wedg-
wood from Lambethware Bow china from
derby. Mrs. Hodgson deals only. We may add.
with English ware. She instructs her reader in
this practical fashion:
Having found q piece Of earthenware and one OF
shut. when difference viii be noticed both as 10
q better conductor Of heat is much colder 70 the
tonoh the pieces SHOULD then De e6aeG fnebea
carefully noted. venture 10 think that AFTER haN r
have no further difficulty in Distinguishing between
Porcelain IS classed under two heads-namely.
hard paste and soft paste. English porcelain pc
10 a
OF our factories made hard paste. The easiest way
for the collector who has not Vet arrived at the
seef and appearance is to try the pieces with fine
file the bottom. where the glaze Is INN , soIS
paste resists it, and only mere scratch remains
The illustrations in this volume excellent
half tones from photographs OF characteristic
pieces Numerous potters' marks are also re-
produced in fac-simile. The book is prettily
made. with cover design in delicate blue ana
white.
Mr. c. * Chesterton. in his recently published
booklet on the art OF George Frederick Watts.
tells tais anecdote Of Tennyson: The poet with
that queer. sulky humor which gave him. per-
hans. more breadth than Watts, but less
strength. said. after reading some acid and I'M
just criticisms. I wish had never written
line Come said Watts. you wouldn't like
King Arthur TO talk like that Tennyson
paused q moment and then spread out his fin
gers. We'll. he said. what do you expect? It's
all the govt"
Still another series OF luxuriousy made biog-
raphies is to make its appearance. 1t is an
nounced. under the title OF Historical Mono
graphs" by The Messrs Jack. OF Edinburgh.
The first volume viii be Life of Lord Burgh-
ley" by Dr. Jessopp. Succeeding monographs
VIII deal with Warwick the Kingmaker. the
great Duke OF Marlborough John Hampden,
Nell Gwyn and George Villiers. Duke OF Buck
ingham-
Mr.. Swinburne has a resounding poem. six
pages long, in the June Harper" 1t is called
The Altar OF Righteousness" and it contains
divers obscure soemnities. but have sought
IN it IN vain for flashes OF anything like poetic
inspiration The thing machine made,
witness this fragment:
In the days when time was not. in the time when
days none,
Ere sorrow had life TO lot earth gave thanks
Ere man in his darkness waking adored what the
soul in him could.
And the manifold God OF his making was mani
fest evil and good
one law from The dim beginning abode and abdes
IN sight of him sorrowing and shining with none
but his faith for friend.
Dark were the shadows around him. and darker
the glOTies above,
Fro light from beyond them found him. and babe
him for loves sake love.
About him darkness, and under and over
him darkness: the night
That conceived him and bore him had thunder for
utterance and lightning for light,
Tho dust OF death was the dust OF the ways that
And he knew not ~ Just or unjust the might
OF the mystery OF God
Strange horror end hope. strange faith and IN
faith, were his boon and his bane:
And the God OF his trust the wrath OF the
soul or the ghost OF it slain.
A. curse death birth, and Presence
that shone as a sword
Shed menace from heaven upon earth that beheld
him. and hailed her Lord.
The fifteenth and sixteenth volumes OF the
new "Kensington" edition Of Thackeray Just
received from the Scribners are given to THE
Adventures OF Philip" The frontispiece to the
first OF these is a picture of the noVelsts house
in Kensington. No. Palace Green. The second
volume opens with Fred Walkers charming
sketch OF Philip IA church. We wish that for