New-York tribune., 1907-11-30
BOOKS md AUTHORS.
Current Tok of Things Present
and to Come.

and to Come.
American travellers who still regard with rev.
erence the dcta of Mr.. Ruskin will have the
beneht next year Of guidebook made up from
his books and letters-descriptions of pictures
sculpture, buildings and scenery being, as we
know. abundant therein This book was pro-
jected some years ago. but the scheme was set
aside until the new library edition of Ruskin's
writings was sufficiently near completion to
make its new material available.
There is much truth in the assertion Of Pro
fessor G. r. Carpenter, quoted In THE Sewanee
Review" that literature in our universities is
less and less being taught in a manner gen
timely helpful to the student 1--WE are weighted
. down with learning" he complains; books
about books bane":
The very catalogue of the books dealing with
ia Dante IN q single American library is work of
SIX hundred pages in fine print, and with col
nfnns 20 the page: And that nearly
the most recent Investigator has said of the rea-
sons why Dante chose Cato as the doorkeeper
for Purgatory, and what are the latest results
Of German scholarship with regard to the text
The Divine Comedy with @ cs Conscience snIe5 even
and yet how simple is this much -bewrftten poem
nalia of criticism and exegesis, as did Dante's
sontemPoTar.ss e,lPT and as we may still do An
scholar who aRd made all learning his province
bat sustained oy his belief in the invincibiItv of
trlth. he determined 20 depict for men the Gier-
the utterly sinful. the world of fral mortals ana
them in his justice. rank upon rank-concentrat-
,ig an ms Wisd2n3 ma all his skill in the effort
cye- ministers 10 the uplifting of the community
individual and irnpoverishes The com3onvsaItL NJ
bow simply The narrative runs! How the pictures
medication what stimulus to righteous living. ing -o'
or universities TO read Dante or Homer or Wrg
or eyen writer's IN IN our tongue in this straightfor
1aI dscDIine neiaatin, - ifs f means OF inelleGl
ituaI Clements Nov inteliect',s ana sPir
all-:mportant and wise in placing II first
deeper and saner emotional life is not 10 be neg
iiected: Poetry 1as ITS own special part to play
Tor the continual uplifting of the race for strength
means must be found in every university in the
5ano f0r more ytaiz'ng study Of literature and
ers TO whom we commit this important function
These are golden words. deserving TO be mat
ter Of earnest and continuous reflection ~,
American minds.
Where did Thomas Love Peacock find the
pith Of his novel Maid Marian?" And did
Tennyson. IN his play OF 1.-THE Foresters" :" make
use Of Peacock's book? correspondent of
Notes and Queries" says that through nearly
the whole OF Maid Marian can be traced a
resemblance 70 an old play written by Anthony
Munday and Henry Chettle and printed in
London in 1901. The title of this play is The
Death Of Robert earle Of Huntingdon other
wise called Robin Hood Of Aierrie sherwodde.
with the lamentable tragedie OF chaste Matilda,
his fai-e Maid Marian. poysoned at Dunmore
by King John" AS for Tennysons indebted
ness TO Peacock, the commentator gives the
following passages. showing the poet was not
quite unconscious of his predecessors novel:
THE Foresters" Act I, sc. j.
Sir Richard-I know not II will let thee go.
siT R.chard@But If barred thee up in thy cham
MaTian1Then would drop from the easement.
Sir Richard-But I would hoist the drawbridge,
Msrisn-And would swim the. moat Ike an
Sir Richard-But I would set my -nner-at-arms to
Hsrian~And ] would break through them all.
Ike the King OF England
Maid Marian. chap. iv
well, father" added Matilda 'I must go to
Must your said the baron; 'I say you must
But am going" SAD Matilda, ., -,
4'But win swim the moat,".. said Matilda
But VIII VIII leap leap frorn the battiement said Ma
But will lock you in upper chamber" said
But ] VIII shred the tapestry" said Matilda.
But viii lock you IN a turret" said the baron.
s'But through that loophole." said Matilda will
] take my fight, like a young eagle from its
serie."
In his entertaining little article in '"The Cos
rlopolitan" on the remarkable Kann collection.
Sir Caspar Purdon Clarke mentions the late
Rodolph Kann ss collector who. while loving
snd appreciating pictures, bought them as an
Investment. He describes Kann a Hamburg
banker and broker, with Office in Paris
wherein his firm dealt in Rand shares and were
the 60 betweens between South Africa and the
French buyers of African stocks"
with his vast wealth. Kann turned his atten-
tion 20 the collecting of paintings. He kept
we'll informed Of the movements OF celebrated pict-
nres. Auctions are plentiful in Europe. and spen-
did records exist of these auctions in the shape
OF catalogues, copies Of which be found in
most public art libraries These catalogues are
produced at great expense ard are thoroughly
illustrated with photograyureS and photographs.
Kann's agents would trace the pictures down from
owner 10 owner. and having made up his mind
that he wanted certain picture Kann would go
name price that absolutely commanded a sale
as example OF his rnssterful way OF doing
things may mention two notable cases from my
own personal knowledge Kann heard that Henry
Willett, the Quaker brewer, OF Brighton, England.
z1 Exr( r=g-ra and Il