New-York tribune., 1905-03-03
LITERARY NOTES.

Two new volumes are 70 appear this spring In
''The Library OF Art" that interesting series
published in this country by the Scrieners. In
which we have recently noticed Mr. Sturee
Moore's Albert Dfirer'' One. by Mr. Basil De
seiincourt, will be devoted 10 Giotto; the other
by afr C. F. Hill. will be on Pisaneilo.
Mrs Rose. the curator OF Shakespeares birth
place at Stratford is about TO publish booklet
on THE Women OF Shakespeare's Family
Leigh Hunt had in his medical adviser. Dr.
Bird, an intimate friend. and IT was TO the doc
tors sister Alice Bird. that Hunts son gave
one Of HIS fathers treasures. the Ms. of Keats's
Hyperion" 1t was only lately that Miss Bird
discovered that the twenty-seven pages Of MS.
were undoubtedly in Reats's handwriting.
These are the pages which have just been re-
produced in fac-simile by the Clarendon Press
The original Ms has been purchased from Miss
Bird by the trustees of the British Museum
DR.. Nordau. if we may believe one who de-
scribes in The Pail Mall Gazette" a recent IN
terview. partially agrees with DR.. Osler as TO
the period OF mans creative powers. 1T is
my conviction" he said. that whatever
man has TO give forth to the world he has
already conceived by the age of twenty-five or,
let us saw thirty Everything that
comes afterward is merely a recast Of the old
mould II may take a new color, but the shape
IS really the same II is most exceptional that
any man produces more than one or two great
books and genius appears only once in about
every two hundred years"
I do not deny the possibility Of development
merely say that the basis the substratum, of a
mans mental life is already formed by his thirtieth
conception may exist without the execution The
powers Of execution Will develop and improve, or
do
to the best use-t win be displayed most effective
quire-nameiy, experience. decision impartiality
and calm. These added 10 the original mentality;
will complete the man Let me Illustrate wnst
Just said about mans developing and TenouI1ing
his his n fame dates from the Sorrows row Of Werher
eonsidered masterpiece by his contemporaries. aries
in Wilhelm Meister.' but meanwhile the masters
powers had developed and hence the old idea as
sumo new and greater strength
Nordau is pictured as a man with a striking
visage. with massive brow. keen, piercing eyes.
firm and ample lips. and wealth of snow white
hair. II is mentioned by the way that his
drama, "Doktor Kohn," has been translated into
English and that the translation is to be pub
nshed here soon. The misery inflicted on the
cultured Jew by anti-Semitism is said TO be the
motive of the play.
Mr.. W. Petrie Watson, writing in the London
'Outlook" has some interesting things to say
about the japanese poets. Poetry, he remarks,
is not so much an inspiration among them it
IS an accomplishment. Speaking of one favorite
vehicle OF Oriental versiders, he says:
The japanese poetic impulse spends itself chiefly
on form of verse known in Japanese as the tanka,
OF five lines. totalling thrty-one syllables in all
hye OF which are allowed to each of the first and
third lines, and seven 10 the three others A tanka
is and must be complete in Itself. 1t is in fact,
self and accepted with proper thankfuiness as the
GIT or the gods. Tanka are composed by wellngfl
everybody in Japan who has had somewhat
than the rudiments of education. It is the tanka
that is taught 10 young ladies a desirable ''ac
coInplishment-" It IS always the tanka that is
proper vehicle Of expression for the thousand whims
ano fantasies that fit through the brains Of a very
iHpressiopabie and genuinely artistic It is
often addressed TO the moon, especially the u
turnn moon, which, Ii may be noted, has al
WAYS welded seductive charm the japanese
beautiful rather than realize it. But in its range
and application the tanka is, in truth, universal.
II is the appropriate medium Of every poetic feeling
that comes unsought in casual places, at chosen
and appointed moments of reverence done 10 the in
visible gods OF lo@eliness. A japanese criminal
long since composed tanka at the foot of the gall
lows; one OF the japanese ships sunk off Port Ar
thur ,ook tanks with her to the bottom, scrubbed
on her riven side by sailor his boat cleared
away from the wreck. A burglar after collecting
OF Northern Japan not long since left tanka as
consolation. II not as compensation, his victim
Freely Translated, this kindly effort follows:
Like and CO.
Their whence their whittier unknown,
am here and
Yet a pledge Of my coming leave
Us ny name Roniu Helshicher0