New-York tribune., 1906-04-29

/
heroines are set in European pathways of ro-
nance.
There is to be new book about Herbart
Spencer, one giving intimate account of him
| as he was known to his friends. 1t is the work
Duncan.
| A queer instance of the working of Spencer's
mind is mentioned by the two sisters in whose
household he lived. He came to the table one
day absorbed in thinking about some photo
graphs of the nebula he had just received
AIS he ftb rGSe from his chair he stood for minute
then muttered in dsjointed fashion as if half to
himself words to this effect: Thirty millions of
ssupposing them each to be the size of pins head
And them Wthot aparr nase "aa nd does nn 1t all
voice, 'The fluff still comes out of that cushion
it he passed pdy o out e of St the roo n T R
Ing us both bewidered by the quckness with which
Resemblance does not always mean plagiar-
ism. There was no plagiarism, certainly, in
Newmans line "The night is dark, and I am
far from home" though it has been pointed out
that it almost exactly reproduces a line in a
play printed in 1899. This play is 1.-TWO Angry
Women of Abingdon, by Henry Porter, and the
original line runs, Tis late and dark, and
far from home
There is a striking passage in the new book
on Macedonia by Mr.. II. n. BraiIsford 1t has
to do with the peoples perpetual fear of the
Turk Fear in Macedonia, says the author is
physical disease. the maady of the country, the
allment that comes of tyranny:
One enters some hovel which peasant family
calls its home In the oppressive darkness one be
comes gradually aware of living something which
! peneath filthy blanket Is it fever one asks. or
m TmSP9x wIS And the sf ns % ns is
comes before the memory-an old priest lying be-
dying slowly; a woman who has barked like dog
turned III with 'fear from m''f the moment when a
soldier put a knife to his throat: children who flee
T Turss lsEt"r at the sight OF stranger crying lurkS'
Authors are not supposed to be particularly
modest in regard to their works, and it is there
fore worth while to quote passage in letter
written by Macaulay to his German publisher,
a letter which the present Baron Tauchntz
carefully preserves: Il have already received
twenty thousand pounds from Messrs. Long
mans. | am ashamed to think how many better
writers have tOiled all their lives without max
ing fifth part Of that sum-
biography of Canon Anger the editor of
Lamb, is the point of publication. Its author
! is Edith Sichel
The story of Lord Broughans dull novel, AL
/ bert Lunel." is curious one Its author was
so disSusted with the review (which THE Lon
don Times gave to an early copy that he sup
pressed the whole edition of five hundred. After
his death an enterprsing man bought the edi-
zion, which. mostly IN sheets, was discovered in
| Brougham's library. 1t was issued in three VOL
form with The authors name, and one copy,
it is recorded. was sold fer $500 to a library in
this country Another went to Paris at q cost
of $3.50. while a Berlin library paid 5000 for a
copy. The rest OF the edition went to the Lon
don lending libraries the usua! terms. The
publisher paid only S100 for the entire stock and
copyright
The newest book the silly Bacon Shake
speare business lays stress ON the unIibelhood of
the Stratfcrd player either having the genius
to write the plays of his achieving so rrom-
nent a position in the world of letters. Where
upon judicous English critic tells the author
that he ignores the history Of the times
II was pre-emineutly age whe2 Of parts
! GOT Raleigh obscure West country
never aspired TO; while ii is needless TO mention
! such those OF Carr, the Scotchnan II
/ such as he could rise to royal favcr. surely Il
man. siftrd with the tact and supreme qualities
the author of the plays Inust have had. could risa
| 10 the modest heights OF favCr which know
Shakespeare attained
Mr Swinburne, who has jus: celebrated his
birthday. enters upon his seventeen year in c1-
cellent health.
The publication of the complete edition OF his
works goes slowly, and there is not the popu
lar enthusiasm concerning their author that
there might have been years ago. This poet, by
the way. has been the despair Of the anticl-
! ogists. few of whom have been able to extract
from hin: permission To use his verse