New-York tribune., 1907-11-02
BOOKS and AUTHORS.
Current Talk of Things Present and
to Come.

The diary of DR.. John William Polidori. which
his nephew Mr. W. NJ. Rossetti, proposes TO
publish no doubt owes what OF interest il pos
sesses for readers of to-day to its passages
about Lord Byron Podori took the post Of
travelling physician TO Byron when the poet
left England for Switzerland and Italy after
his separation from his wife. The diary, ii is
said describes their visit to the field of Water
loo and their journey together to Geneva, where
the writer remained with Byron during the
greater part of the poets residence there. Be
fore pursuing his journey further Byron rid
himself OF his doctor: "I had enough to do 10
manage my own scrapes." he wrote. 1t is
remembered however. that he watched Poll
DORIS subsequent career with interest and eX-
erted himself to secure him employment. Some
time after his return to England the physician
abandoned his profession and turned to author-
ship. producing THE Vampire novel Whlch'
though written by himself. was founded on
fragment of Byron's This slight foundation,
however did not justify the Italian in publish
ing IT as by 'the Right Hon. Lord Byron" He
NAV do or saw or write what he pleases wrote
Byron to John Murray, but wish he would
not attribute TO me his own compositions
In 1920 Poidori attempted to publish his
diary and Hobhouse Byron's friend, with some
difficulty prevented him from doing So In ref
erence to the diary Byron wrote to Murray
What do mean by fOIluoIl > dldly "AlS'
DEFY him to say anything about me. but he is
welcome I have nothing to reproach myself
with on his score and 1 am much mis-
taken If that is not his opinion" POdor1 died
in 1921 probably, it IS said, from poison admin
fstered by himself. The diary came into inc
possession of his aunt, who, objectng TO GER
tain offensive passages, destroyed the manu-
script A careful copy, however, had peeH
made the Objectionable passages being Ielt OUT
necessarily reproducing.
Mr. Fitzmaurice-Kelly, who IS a spanish
scholar of proved ability and the author OF much
good work on Spanish themes, will sail for this
country next week, prepared TO lecture on the
literature of the country of Cervantes. He Will
give a full course at Columbia, on the invita-
ton of the Hispanic Society, OF whose council
he is a member He will afterward lecture at
Yale Harvard, Johns Hopkins and Pennsylvania
universities
The dramatic history Of the House of Sforza,
which rsled Milan to its glory and misery. is
told in a forthcoming volume written by Mrs
Ady and published by Putnam. In the Renais-
sance period there was no more picturesque fg-
ure than that of the first duke, the great Con-
dottiere. son of peasant, and man of brains
as well as of Drawn: and his successors, though
infinitely smaller men, furnished forth as much
of tragic story. Each year sees the publication
Of more OF less ambitious books on the Italy OF
the despots. We imagine that more than one
writer has found the seed of his work in Mr..
Maurice Hewletts Little Novels of Italy"
The exhaustive study of the works of Botti-
celH and his school upon which Mr. Herbert
Horne has long been at work will be brought
out in a few weeks It is stated that during
his researches in Italy the author has collected
a mass of original matter, and that the photo
gravure illustrations include nearly the whole
of Botticellfs genuine works, several Of which
are reproduced for the first time. The second
volume will contain in addition TO other ma
terial a catalogue raisonne of all the known
paintings and drawings of Bottcelli and his
school, a photography and that excellent thing,
full index
Those American sojourners in Italy who have
met the late Nine Jessie White Mario will be
interested in learning that her long expected
"reminiscences will probably be published at no
distant time Nine. Mario did not live to re-
wise her manuscript. and it has been placed for
editorial arrangement in the hands of the Duke
Litta- -Visconti-Arese.
OF the self-absorption of Lambs friend,
George Dyer many amusing stories are told, but
not so well known is story quoted in Notes
and Queries" of Dyer's equally sef-absorbed
friend, the Welsh bard Edward Williams:
When in the country he was accustomed TO ride.
One day, while walking deep in thought he came
the keeper: Here. what's TO pay?' For WHAT,
Williams .-Theres no horse here sir Bless
met exclaimed the bard, suddenly awaking to the
situation, Il thought was on horseback.
The square old yellow book which Robert
Browning picked up street stall in Flor
ence finding therein the tragic story of the
Francheschini rnurder-the story which he used
In The Ring and the Books to be repro
duced by the Carnegie Institution. Mr.. C. w.
RodeI, OF Baltimore, has furnished a transla-
ton, an introduction and study OF the book
and the poem The greater number Of the six
hundred copies to be printed will be sent by the
Carnegie Institution to various libraries of the
world, and the others will be sold.
Tolstois wife, it appears. has literary ability
and has written a volunlinous journal of her
life. It IS mentioned that it contains many de-
tails OF interest about her famous husband Her
manuscript and all the manuscripts Of his
works have been presented for preservation to
the library Of the Moscow Historical Museum.
Baudelaires posthumous works, including
poems, diary. sketches of plays, articles and
notes on Poe and on controversies with Balzac
Hugo and Others will be brought out in Paris
this month. They are to be published by the
6ociete du Mercure de France.
The free discussion of living questions In
theology and religion VIII mark the Harvard
Theological Review a periodical which will
begin its career with the new year. 1t will be
conducted under the superintendent of the
faculty of the Divinity School of Harvard, and
it is 10 be published by the Macmillan Com
pany. Mildred Everett daughter of tbe Ia4a