New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-06
BOOKS AND AUTHORS.
Current Talk about Things Present
and to Come.

The Cambridge University Press has now In
preparation a series Of twelve photogravure fac
SMILES of as many rare fifteenth century books
originally printed in England, copies Of which
are now in the library of Cambridge University.
Among them will be Chaucers "Anelida and
Arctic" and THE Temple OF glas." by John
Lydgate, from the unique copies of the Westmin-
ster editions of William Caxton Q477-'7S); and
Thomas Betson's Right PROFITABLE treatyse"
(from ST. Jerome. St Bernard. Gerson. etc,)
Q50O from the copy printed by Wynkyn de
Worde in Cations house. 1t is proposed to pub
fish the first four books this spring Only two
hundred copies of each will be for sale, when the
plates will be destroyed. The Macmillan Com
parry will be the agents for these volumes in the
United States
Mr.. E. C. Peixotto. the artist who illustrated
Mrs Wharton's new book, italian Backgrounds"
necessarily followed in the authors tracks to
get the material for his pictures, and seems to
have met with almost enough incident to form
the basis for a book of his own. Some of the
parts of Italy that Mrs Wharton describes
not the less interesting to read about, even
TO visit, because Of the discomforts and diff
culties that the traveller encounters. NJ. Peix-
otto writes that on one occasion:
We walked over from Varallo here (Orta) and
our Baggage. fen, with his driver, down bank
about hundred feet into little river below but
wet, but fortunately the drawings. which were Sc
curely packed. escaped without the slightest injury.
OF his visit to Oropa he says:
We have been TO Andormo and then to San
Giovanni near by. We have also driven to Oropa
and had an experience there that l am very sure
Mrs Wharton did not have. In order TO do any
drawings It necessary to stay somewhere
/ the Sanctuary" There is no hotel. but in the
dreds Of rooms Were one Is lodged free on appii
cation. AS you imagine, the furnishings
| not luxurious; made our own bed. drew
water, but luckily did not cook own food,
as there is a little restaurant where eat
It was an experience TO be remembered. living off
at the end OF those long Corridors very
reminiscent Of prisons.
William Alexander, the secretary of the EQui-
table Life Assurance Society, has taken ad-
vantage Of the interest excited in his business by
the recent dssensions in the company to prepare
q volume entitled THE Life Insurance Com
pany" which the Appletons have just published.
It is a general and elementary treatise on the
history, aims and accomplishments of life insur-
ance going largely into details and explaining
the entire mechanism of the business. An
edition has already been ordered for London
What is literary fame compared with martial
Valor2 There appeared In Charlottesville, Ind.
the other day q young woman who seemed to be
q wideawake American girl. eager TO ell
the sights. She had been told that General
Wanace's home was worth seeing SO she went
alone. to the house and was kindly received by
Mrs. Wallace The girl told Mrs. Wallace that
as General Wallace had served In the she
would like to see his home and 10 learn more
about him. SO Mrs. Wallace showed her visitor
all over the house She was deeply interested In
viewing certain relics Of the Rebellion, and even