The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-18
BOOKS AND a d

Two of George EliOt's books "Silas
Mariner" and "Rpmola"-havP jus been
roissued with illusi atiOn Of The scenes
of The novel. The ilIIst ratiOus for The
latter are arranged 10y Dr. Guido Biagi
Of the Laurentian Library in Florence,
and many Of them are specially prepared
for this edition. DR.. Biagi. who provides
an introduction and notes to "Rnmola."
10 an enthusiastic admircr vt the book. but
he admits thai Romola herself il not an
Italian hut an English Puritan.
MIR. Winston Churchill. il is rumoreI in
TO follow the example Of the bead Of the
family in aliying himself with wealth.
winston must marry money an intimate
friend said Of him recently. His mother
is always sampling American beauties
for him" Mr.. Churchill is now on tour
il his post as Under Secretary for the
OIlonies- "A post in which he he's succeeded
10 cousin. the Duke Of Marlborough.
The secret of the authorship Of Father
and Son: u Study Of Two Te~mpcraments."
has not been kept for long, according to
the Academy The author challenges the
reader 10 recognize him as an old acquaint-
ance. occasionally met with in quite other
fields" and Mr.. Edmund Gcsse does not
deny that he is the writer of the book.
"S~eraphica," Justin HuntIy McCarthy's
new novel. purports to he the story u the
Duchess Of Bapaume. painted by Vatican
In her brida dress, whose portrait hangs
upon the wall Of the Louvre. The novelist
his taken the painter as a leading character
IN his story, and ~Seraphica's triumphs in
the character of Watteau's Columbine over
half the book. depicting her first as the
peasant Columbine, then as the great Ouch
ess with the painter Vatican. In "a de-
scription of Watteau's pictures the author
says: -She never tired Of admiring those
exquisite women, whose delicate voluptuous-
ness was rendered more alluring and more
mysterious by their faint yet almost menac-
ing suggestion of a supernatural chastity.
She delighted in the men. too. so gallant.
20 foppish. roguish; 50 spiritual II their
ehrOnteDs. so whimsical in their desires.
40 living. so loving, so dreamlike. 50 alto
gether tragic
Mrs. Henry Fawcett. who has written of
-Five Famous French Women" X wei.
known a. the author of Political Economy
for. Beginners" and az the wife of the third
Prof. Henry Fawcett, NJ. p, who was an
Cminen. political economist and rose to
be Pos,master-General The five French
women of whom she writes are Joan of Arc,
Louise Of Savoy and her daughter. Jeanne
d'Albre;. Queen Of Navarre and mother of
Henry ". of France, and Renee OF France.
Duchess of Ferrara. Of them all Renee is
probably most interesting because least
known. She gathered round her many
famous men and women in Ferrara- Ber-
nardo Tasso, the poets father, who was
her secretary; Clement Marc. the great
French poet; Calvin. Rabelais. VittOria
Colonna. and B%ernardino OchinO. the Ca
puchin preacher h became a Geneva
reforIncr. Ercole D'Este. Renee's husband,
was the son OF Lucrezia Borgia and the
Duke Of Ferrara.
Mr.. f. v. Lucas's little volume on The
Gentlest Art"-the art Of writing good let
ters which are a delight to read and a treas
IRE to collect-begins with Marjorie Flem-
ing Writes Her First Letter" He ends
with Mr.. Weller, Sr.'s, announcement of
the death of Sans mOther-in-law. Most
of the letters he reproduces date from
before the penny post, for this is said to
nave bee the great destroyer of the art OF
letter writing.
Max Pemberton is one OF the pioneer
motorists OF England. He drives his own
car and knows by personal experience and
keen observation the complications likely
TO arise from the pursuit Of this pleasure,
which has its difficulties as well ~ its de-
lights. II a new book he has written on
the subject entitled ~The Amateur Motor
ist' he divides the work into five parts
The Man, The Car. some Cars Of Our Own
Time. Touring and the Motor Cycle. Mr..
Pemberton let's go with a will and breaks
all the speed regulations when he talks
about the chauffeur. ms ignorance and
insoleuce and general menace to the pub
lie safety OF reckless drivers.
Sir Gilbert Park r in his article on Fiction
and It's Place in the National Life, " in tina
current North American Review. places in
interesting juxtapOsitiOn the American
and English novelists OF the time. In
England" he says we have George Mere
dith and Thomas Hardy and Mrs. Humphry
Ward; in America there are Mark Twain
and W. ID. Howells. captains Of pure htera-
ture OF which any nation should be proud
pure literature. whether in relation To the
nuality Of the writing or in the choice OF
tubject and its treatment. They have
their part; and none more nobly and
in a more distinguished way than Mr..
Howells. who has been a great craftsman,
. true and faithful observer OF life and "A
writer with as uTbane and beautiful a style
- lives