New-York tribune., 1907-09-07
BOOKS AND AUTHORS.
Current Talk of Things Present
and to Come.

and to Come.
Three American authors figure in an espe-
cially promising manner in the fall list of the
Scribners. Professor Barrett Wendell offers in
''The France Of To-day the fruits Of his
cent experience as lecturer at the So-oonne
Under the title OF 1.-THE Old Dominion: Her
Making and Her Manners" Mr. Thomas Nelson
Page is publishing collection of essays the
early life and history of Virginia Mr. Brander
Matthews in Inquiries and Opinions brings
together twelve papers on literary ana dra-
matte subjects.
The next volume in the useful Library of
Art is TO be devoted to Rembrandt The author
is Professor Baldwin Brown Of Edinburgh.
The fiction list OF the MacniIIans contains
some beguiling items Merry Rockhurst," by
the Egerton Castles. will be in the vein of "Tha
Pride Of Jennco" and their other early ro-
mances. Mr. Alfred OIlivant contributes a tale
called Red Coat Captain" In a volume OF
"Taies of the Month" the author OF "The Gar
den of a Commuters Wife" will set forth thr-
teen short stories.
We have always protested against the exag-
gerated valuation of the late William Morris's
characteristics as a printer. It is with much
sympathy therefore that we quote from THE
London Sphere this candid deliverance;
The Kelrnscott Press was merely a crank of
prices and they are now falling. They vii always
have peculiar interest as examples Gf the ecce
agreeable books to read. The collector who raves
BOOKS; he merely delights In seeing them on his
shelves.
II is disclosed that Mr. John Kendrick Bangs
has written fantasy on municipal ownership
which he calls Alice IN Cumberland" and 1t is
added that in this he presents the March Hare
the Duchess. the Dormouse, and Alces other
companions, ''in new light, which is q deli
ciously humorous one" This is unspeakahly
kind of Mr.. Bangs. We are glad to know that
the creations of Lewis CAROLS notoriously dull
genius are at last TO he presented in humor-
light
Students Of Dante will be served IN two pub
lications Just announced One Of them is new
edition of Mr. ". ", Ternons Readings on
the Purgatorlo of Dante" a work that has FOR
some time been out of print. 1t viii be issued
in two volumes uniform with those of his
Readings on the Inferno" and he will follow
it in the near future with Readings on the
Parg DISC DR.. Paget Toynbee. in a book called
IN the Footprints Of Dante" viii assemble
kind OF Treasury" Of the prose and poetic
writings OF the master
The novel by Elizabeth Robins which the r
A stokes Company IS to publish bears the title
Of Under the Southern Cross" From Stokes
there will also come novels by Mrs. Burnett and
Harold Bindloss, and n special illustrated edi-
tion of The Garden Of Aush." Mr.. Hichers.
hy the way. Is Just opening new serial called
"A Spirit ia Prison" The scene Of this story
is laid IN modern Italy.
"A Tuscan childhood" Is the title Of an
autobicEra rhlcal record which an Italian noble
woman. Lisi Cipriani has written It will be
published in book form this autumn by the
Century Company
Doubleday. Page & CO. publish this week a
translation by Lionel strachey OF The Me-
rnolrs OF an Arabian Princess" They describe
the adventures Of daughter OF the Sultan Of
Muscat and Zanzibar.
Professor Frank w Chandler has written for
"I'he Types of English Literature" published
by the Houghtons. two volumes on The Liter
at,1re OF Roguery.' beginning with the earliest
treatments OF medieval rascality' the book goes
on 10 describe and place In literary history such
matters as the Beggar- books Of the sixteenth
century: the Repentances and COMFY catching
pamphlets OF the Flizab bethan age; Roguery IN
the drama and IN the fiction OF the Restoration:
the Picturesque novel from Nash through Defoe
and Srnollett down TO our time the Grim
inaI Biography Of the eighteenth century; the
rogue IN Scott. Ainsworth. Bulwer, Thackeray.
Borrow and Reade: and the rise OF the modern
detective story.
Mr. Frank Richardson Is an English novelist
who has provided some amusement by dint OF
io.ing In season and out OF season about the
art and mystery OF wearing whiskers There -
n little more than enough OF rather labored fool
ing on that subject IN his "2S35 Mayfair
fafitcheT Kennerley), a novel Of mystery. but
this does not keep the book from being source
of exciting bevilderment to the reader In the
first chapter the body OF an apparently muir
derod man is discovered. A few pages further
on the body disappears. and then ensues long
struggle on the part OF one of the men In the
tale To clear up a problem involving another
The solution turns out to be of a somewhat
renulgive character and we fear that nowhere in
the book does the author approve himself Fl
person of hawless taste; yet we are diverted by
the twistings and turnings of his story and
follow IL appreciatively 10 the end.
Apropos Of the fiction OF mystery we may
note that Mr.. a. c. Fox-Davies, author of The
Narleyerer Murders is at work upon another
novel of the same sort. He win probably call