New-York tribune., 1906-04-15
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SUNDAY, APRIL -, 1906.

Last week the minor poet engaged our at
taution because about seventeen hundred of
him had been proving. in public competition,
how limited and conventional is the vocabu-
larry of minor poetry. This week we are re-
minded of tie good luck of the minor poet and
If how little he does to deserve it Here Is
the editor Of "HlackwoodS Magazine printing
rs a serial and givE2, pages and pages TO the
ENTERPRISE. an elaborate performance by Mr..
Alfred NoycS called Drake: An English Epic
We do no injustice TO the author in printing
some of his lines as prose rather than poetry.
With no changes of capitalization or punctua-
ton this is the way they run: so on misty
grey December morn Five ships put ont from
calm old plymouth Sound five little ships, the
largest not 50 large As many cOaStinG yacht
or fishing traWl To-day. Their crews,
all told, were eight score men and boys Not
only tcrrorS of the deep they braycd, Bodi!cSs
vitchcrafts Of the black abyss, Red gapini;
mouths Of hell and CULTS of fire That yawncd
for all that passed the tropic line; but death
lurlcd round them from their setting forth
Mendoza. plenipotcntary of Spain, Ey spies
informed, had swiftly warned his King. Who
sent out mandates through his huge empire
From Guadalchibcr 10 the golden West For
tie instant sinking of all English ships And
the instant execution Of their crews Who burst
appear in the Caribbean Sea" Comment
tie saying goes. is supariIuous. But We must
remark that the man who can write an epic"
IN this style and get it printed enjoys ex
iraorIiuary good fortune,
y remark made hy an English reviewer OF
Mr.. John Lanes amusing collection Of social
assays The Champagne Standard" is not only
excellent rs a tribute TO her. but serves TO
bring up once more an interesting question in
current literature. Her book was made TO be
,l,E III
way that is Of making a book. and how rare
it is Sometimes ii seems as II his duty to
his readers were the last thing thought of by
many a modern author and what makes the
circumstance the more trying is that in many
cases the author is, on 50 many other counts.
to le warmly praised. He is in love with his
subject We will say, and he shows exemplary
industry in making himself acquainted with
everything that relates 10 it Ills work rs Il
contribution OF fact and OF useful suggestion
may be- absolutely beyond rcproach. Eut then
hc fprScts 10 remember that a book IS after
all, thing meant 10 be read. and that the
reading of il should be pleasant well rs an
Instructive experience. Just why many con
E"i"niously written books OF history. bioSra-
ply ana literary study should be dullcr than
ditch water is a mystery, but guess at its
solution may be hazardcI. Is it not possible
that the book written not TO he read is so
written because tllc aulDOr IdchS sense OF
humor. because he takes not only his subject
but himself ever much too seriously?
The occupant of the Editors Easy Chair
IN "Ilarpers Magazine is in playful mood this
month He talks about animals and without
precisely naming Names pokcs a little good
natur"d fun at our latter day writer's OF AM
mai fiction" We gather that Mr.. HoweIls Is
more amused than impressed by this fiction.
At all events he gives some demurely droll
hints to how its scope might be extended.
$50 many human heroes OF romance are don
keys he says, that the transition to their
hrch"typc would be easy lie wonders why
Some bold young beginner should not try n
buffalo" Why not, indeed? Let the daring
genius Of the hera!dic novelist ask the science
of the new naturalist, and together let them
write the great American novel, which we have
all so long looked for, in The Last of the
BisonS"" Mr.. Iiowells also thinks that the
eagle will at once occur to the fancy as n fit
hero for tale of patriotic adventure" and he
makes some other equally pointed suggestions
At the end he says, "\,e have left ourselves
no space to inquire fully what has inspired us
to this modern unity with the lower animals"
but not much space is really needed to explain
the matter. Mr. Kipling wrote his Jungle
Books" The success of those works of genius
suggested a new way of making money. Here
n bo b,.1