The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-18
BOOKS AMI


o'Malley,' by Charles Lover, who wish TO
know IL the author of these tales was 40 ell
like his horoes. q gay In his life and con-
versation as he wasin his hooks, will be inter.
ested In Edmund Downey's new biography
Of the author. which has come out In England
in two volumes. From Mr.. Dovney's ao-
count, which 10 the second biography Of
Lever, 10 msy DO learned that while the
writer did not drink the extraordinary
amount that his characters managed to i'm
bibe he did leap highorse over an ~interposed
cart like Charles 0Malley and rivalled the
feats Of Prank Weber in Dublin as an timer
ant singer OF ballads, once making thirty
shillings in coppers, and that he talked
brilliantly. even taking opium to make
his gayety more marked, and that he held
oonvivial revels, like the Monks of the Screw.
There are duller things to read in the new
books and sadder ones, Of love Of high
play at cards and good wine. but a Mioawber
propensity Of spending much more money
than he earned, whiol resulted In the usual
discomfort and ultimate disaster.
In q recent discussioni In the House Of Com-
mons IL was demonstrated that the much
Wanted superiority Of the English ropes
sentatives Of tho people over our W does
not extend to literary matters at least. or
those who supported q proposal for the
omission OF the item for work or the Siman-
cas- archives, some asked whore Simancas
was, whether it was In Europe, Asia, Africa
or America, and how q Government could
possibly spend 500 pounds on an index OF
historical Documents The House vas
cleared for a division, but the opposition dis
covered In time that the whole history Of
the Church Of England was at stake and did
not divide.
Mr.. Howells will devote his Easy Chair
reflections In the June Hdrper's TO solving
the mystery presented by a perplexed
author IN O recent letter as TO why q second
class writer cannot sell his best work. while
he can dispose Of his worst The answer
to the riddle contains many things Of interest
to the readers AZ we'll as the writer's Of
literature In all its forms. Mr.. Howells
does not believe that athoee who work for
the daily press lose the literary touch nor
that the magazines are degenerating into
the worst form Of n~ewspaperism. If they
tend to resemble the vaudeville Of the
daily press rather then the legitimate drama
of the older fashioned and weightier periodi-
calls, why, the vaudeville Of the daily press
Ia sometimes like the vaudeville Of tho
| stage, admirable art The optimistio
genius OF the Easy Chair Ia inclined to
| blame the reading public, which Ia lacking
In critical taste and refinement, and the
corruption Of overworked criticism for the
deReneraoy In the literary product Of the
! day. The public libraries, too, 30 far as
| they supply the latest fiction, are enemies
Of the writer. "No fiction less than a year
old" Mr.. Howells contends, should leave
their shelves, after which most fictions
would have dropped from them into the
dust"
A complete life OF Eclipse ls being pre-
pared and contributions Of references to
the celebrated racer In contemporary
literature, to his breeder, the Duke Of Cum
bsrland; his purchaser, Wildman, and his
subsequent owner, Dennis Okelly, are
being requested in the columns Of the
Athenpum. The new book will contain
data concerning the birthplace, burial
place, authentic skeleton, DO, Of the famous
racer. 1t will be illustrated from contem-
porary paintings, DO, and will contain
photographs Of the anatomy Of Eclipse
and the most famous OF his skeletons. A
sketch of racing in the days when Eclipse
was on the9turf will be included with biog-
graphies Of his breeder, owners and others
connected with the sport at that time,
The first volume Of "The Legend Of Sir
Peroeval,' @Chretien de Troyes' and 1Wau-
CHER de Domain, Ia being published In The
Grimm Library by Jessie L. Weston. The
author, who 10 we'll known for her contri-
buttons to Arthurian literature, has made
thorough study'of the MS. sources and has
printed some 600 lines Of passages important
from the critical point Of view.
Mr.. George Haven Putnam has prepared
two volumes uniform with his Books and
Their Makers In the Middle Ages on THE
Censorship Of the Church and It's Influence
Upon Production and the Distribution Of
Literature" This deals with the Indexes
from 5e7 A. D. to 1900. The titles of the
more important books condemned are given
and the final chapter summarizes the views
of some representative Roman Catholics
Of to-day on the matter.
John Evelyn, who died two hundred years