New-York tribune., 1905-08-23
LITERARY NOTES.

The fifth revised edition OF the Hon. John Big
CLOVIS Life Of Benjamin Franklin just ISSUED
,n three volumes by the J. B. Lippincott Com
pany. contains a quite surprising amount OF
new material. when it is considered that it is
only six years since the authors fourth revision
OF his work-written originally thirty years
iago-was put the market Among the
most noteworthy Frankliniana with which the
present edition is enriched letter written
by Franklin before he retired from the edi-
torial profession. which the author believes 10
ibe the original record of the rattlesnake story
10 which Condorcet gave nOtoriety as an Illus
sratfon OF Franklin's mode OF dealing with a
lpudding-headed Minister Of the Colonies ana
satirical Address from the Throne on the Re
peal OF the Stamp Act" Both Of these were
discovered by the late Paul Leicester foro'
'''The most surprising novelty. however u
quote Mr.. BigeIow's own expression is A
tSpeech intended to have been Spoken on the BIZ
FOR Altering the Charter OF Massachusetts Bay"
published in London in 1714. No authors name
is given on the title page. and ii has been at
itrfbuted 10 Bishop Jonathan Shipley Mr.. Big
ieIow gives his reasons for believing that no one
hut Franklin could have written ii. but they can
lnot be regarded convincing. A portrait OF
the Bishop from the painting by Sir joshua
Reynolds is included. well as a reproduction
OF a photograph of a statuette Of DR.. Franklin,
said by the owner. Nine. de NaON, 10 nave Deeii
given to him by the younger Fournier, the cell
ehrated printer and type-founder. The tradi-
ton is that the statuette was hastily made one
day by an italian while casually with the doc
Tor. Since Mr. BigelOw's advancing years cause
him 10 believe that this is the last time that he
"can reasonably expect 10 feed and trim this me-
mortal lamp" it must be gratifying to him, as
# is 10 mis- readers. to feel that good fortune
and enterprlsing research have enabled him so
excellently TO round out his appreciative tribute
10 the great Colonial journalist, municipal re-
former. philosopher, diplomatist. Statesman and
humorist-
AS the name Of Helen Woljeska appears as
The author Of the little volume, "A Womans
Confessional recently issued by Life Publish
ing Company the impression. which she seeks
10 convey in the opening pages, that the cpl
grams ans reflections that follow are the out
pouringe OF e heart overfowing with expert
ence need not be too seriously considered. They
are more Etely TO be the outpourings Of a mind
somewhat gifted with imagination. A woman
who had actually been through al that these
supposed extracts from a diary suggest would
he the last person TO print them or to allow them
10 be printed. unless she We're indeed dead and
unable TO prevent her most sacred self-con-
fidences from being given 10 gaping world,
decked out in dainty inery Of purple ink and
changes with her mood. is sometimes bitter,
sometimes gay and usually frankly heathenish
enough to please the pagans and TO attract
those who love tiptoe on forbidden ground.
Helen woljeska is better educated and decid-
edly more sophisticated than Mary McLane, but
somehow suggests her. These are a few sam
pies Of her views Of life. love, art and so forth:
Love is not thing that e2mes Is & to us frGm ON ne
1erent who happen 10 be nearest. our lovers
Pleasures whose price is Of proportion their
value called vices.
must not blame the boat for being rudderless. But
What is the best thing on earth? Health friend
ship love fame. riches? No: because all these de
10 control And the best IS always within every;
body's rea n. II is our own independent free and
To have money saves time. But to earn it takes
u? Ihan Is finally saved:
When you want 10 KNOW m pGGPle sf tbev drpp
do-not where they succeeded. but where they
dear than the present.
child.
Mrs. Henlans gives way to Rudyard Kipling
,n the new revision OF the Methodist "Hymnal,"
which will he published the first of next month
by the Methodist Book Concerns at New York.
Cincinnati and Nashville. This is the first
vision of the 'Hymnal" since 1875, and the
only one on which the Methodism of America
has united since 1876 1t has the imprimatur
of all the bishops Of the Methodist Episcopal
Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church,
South. II contains 717 hymns 2+O of which
were not in the edition of 1878. which
tained III hymns. Charles Wesley wrote 121
OF the hymns, one-sixth Of the whole Isaac
Watts and Philip Doddridge who were not
Methodists, stand second and third, with 53 and
% respectively. John Wesley and James Mont
gomery tied at 10; then comes John New
ton with 13. Frederick William Faber, Roman
Catholic priest, is next with -. the same num-
her the Scotch Presbyterian Dr. Bonar
There hymns by a number of Protestant
Episcopal or Anglican bishops. including Phillips
Brooks G. W. Doane W. c. Doane, Reginald
Heber. z. H. Bickersteth. f. r. wilberforce, c.
Wordsworth and W. Walsham How. Cardinal
Newman is one of several Roman Catholic
priests and pralates represented. Francis
Xavier is another. besides several Of the fathers
and saints Of the Church before the Reforna-
tion. Kiplng is represented by his Recession
al" Tennyson has three hymns Among the
American poets are Bryant Whittier. Holmes
Holland. y. p. Willis. r. ". Glider. Sidney
1anier and John Hay. Samuel Longfellow has
three pieces. but his greater brother is not in the
index.
DR.. Lowell Mason and Joseph Barnby lead al
the musical composers with II tunes each to
their credit. though DR.. J. b. Dykes mas 10
The two musical editors Of the "Hymnal" Pro-
fessor Karl p. Harrington. Of Yves. cyan Uni
versity. and Dean Peter c. Lutkin of North
western University. have provided tunes tor
some So hymns other well represented COM
posers are Sir Arthur s. Sullivan 04). Sir John
Stainer 03) Henry Smart 01D, Mozart, Men
Gelssohn- -Rartholdy. Handel. HAYDN. Beethoven