The Washington herald., 1907-09-15

youth In that preface 10 his poems. for
instance. in which he Enks his name with
that of Wagner as an artistic pioneer. and
pleads for new metrical freedom within
form based upon the rhythmic individ-
uality' Of each entire poem. we feel the
urgent spirit OF youth. In that abandon
TO the intensity of the moment, which
finds its most vivid expression In poems
which the Anglo-Saxon mind Is bound TO
regard as immoral" is still evident,
above al else, the flaming spirit of youth
IL appears from a paragraph sent out
by HIS publishers that Robert Hichens
travels first 70 obtain the local color and
then settles down In a quiet and retired
spot 10 reduce his impressions and his
characters to paper. He is said 10 be an
early riser. beginning work usually at
o'clock in the morning He then
writes until called to luncheon, resuming
his work Immediately thereafter and keep
ing steadily at II until dinner time. After
dinner he rests. and, going to bed early
is ready for an early and vigorous start
in the morning. His book completed. he
takes his ease and travels for a time
sees his friends. and enjoys himself. Ike
the true Englishman that he Is. Then
comes the idea of another book, and again
there are seclusions and hard work He
knows intimately the regions in which he
places his stories. but, you know. this
Hichens never sees the places no writes
50 finely about he just stays at home and
oil F.aT1 -fvaa
eler to Hichens himself. in au Italian
railway train recently. And he never
knew that he was talking 10 the nov
eiist himself.
IN his volume on Spanish Arms and
Armour" John Lane Company, Albert
F. Calvert makes the beginning OF Spains
decline and fan contemporary with the
substitution Of gunDOwder for the ancient
weapons Of chivalry. and quotes the fol
lowing good-to-remember passage from
Don Quixote:"
Blessed be those happy ages that were strangers IN
the dreadful fury OF those dsviish instruments Of
t!lery which y the that ven often oJwardly
lass hind takes away the life II the brarest gentle
man and IN the mids, o.; that riz'r and resolution
which auma-CS and ufame7 the bold a chance b1l-
.el Heasi tFfdIr one ft4N LlA ana was IflEAltA
lt the very flash the mIshleyCUs piece gave when u
went or coming nobody knows how OF from whence
IA O mOmeat puts period 70 the brave designs and
the life Of one that deserved 70 have survived many
wears. This considered. l c5uld almost say l am
SONY at heart for having taken me this pr0fes-
sion q. a kuightcrTaut m so dctcstable an age; for
though 10 dgzeRr daJuts NE, yet it Affects me %
think that powder and lead may deprive me Of the
0Ip1rtuuity II becoming famous and making myself
known Throughout the world ly the strength Of my
arm and the diut of nly sword.
At a recent dinner Of the London Vaga-
bond Club, given in honor Of Mr.. Beer
bohm Tree. Sir Gilbert Parker told a good
story against himself. Mr.. Tree. he said.
had produced a play Of his obviously
THE Seat Of the Alighty'D and has al
ways Contepded that it would have been
@ success If the author himself had played
the part OF Louis XIV. He had essayed IL
twice at rehearsals. and Mr.. Tree has
always held that his representation Of
Stiffness, vacuity. and fatu0usness was
the most inconceivabIy natural thing he
had ever witnessed.
In recent article in an English peri
odical. by Andrew Lang. he takes friendly
issue with Mr.. Howells IN regard 20 some
views expressed by the veteran American
concerning the kind Of characters now
popular in fiction But although differ
ing in a friendly way. from some Of
AT HowelIs' judgments, DIr. Lang feels
frank and cordial admiration for him.
no man has written more in the
higher criticism Of modern novels than
Mr. Howells," he declares. "His knowl-
edge Of them is cosmopolitan. Spanish,
Italian. French. Russian. and. I dare say.
Finnish. Romaic, and Portuguese novels
are all familiar 10 him. while. II there is
q promising young 'nctiOnIst.' he humor-
ously adds, among the Samoyedes or
Eskimo, 2lr. Howells is the man 70 lend
him an appIaUding pair Of hands"
And he refers, with genial Usefulness.
70 the fact that he and Mr.. HOwells are
literary brethren. because the degree Of
Lift d. was conferred on both OF them
by Oxford University a few years ago.
Are We not both doctors Of letters?
Both simultaneously taken. as the man
said, in fiagrante d. Litt0.'
Prof VillarL. the distinguished Italian
historian, has lately produced a volume Of
essays. which will soon appear in an
English translation under the title Of
Studies. Historical and Critical" His
tory as a science and its relations 70
philosophy and politics are dealt with in
the opening essay. Following this are
studies Of various eminent Italians. in
Guiding one OF Domenico MorelH. regard
ed by Villau as the greatest Italian
painter of the nineteenth century. Turn
ing 10 an earlier day. the author has
added a fresh essay on Donatello and
another on Savonarola.
What IS the Scot? II we may believe the
authors OF the just published book. Scot
land OF To-day" he IS a peculiarly inter-
esting being:
By reason both az his mixed ancestral origin and
his peculiar history, the Scot is not unfreQuently
bundle OF contradictory qualities-gTeedy and gen
erOus- worldly and pous. practical and idealistic.
preJuiiced and opeu-minded u is perhaps in the
many-sdedness Of his character that his main
strength lies No one IS none completely a citizen
OF the world in the serse Of being TO al men all
that he finds IL advantageous 70 be: and here the
Celtic element in his blood has stood him in good
stead During the long centuries of conflict and
hardship at home he developed a peculiar cosmo-
pOlItanism, which has. in manner. become hereIl-
tary; and the Continent the memory Of centuries
Of friendly intercourse with him has left tradition
that is fragrant still
The death. IN his ninety-first year. OF
Theobald Kerner Of Weinsberg, is an
The author Of several volumes
Of poetry, Theobald Kerner was more IN