New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-30

porcup'ncsi
Mr.. " NJ. Rossetti is about 10 publish an
other hook made out Of the papers Of his fam
Iy This time it is the Letters Of Christina
Rossetti." His memoirs recently reviewed in
these columns have gone into second edition.
Mr.. Sidney Lee has been giving an entertain
ing lecture setting forth Italian influence on
English literature. Chaucer. he said, had been
deeply Influenced by Italian authors, but
Chaucer was an isolated instance. and it was not
uhtil the sixteenth century that English study
OF Italian writings began to show marked
effect. The only sixteenth century writer, he
noted. who gave evidence Of direct acquaintance
with Dantes poem was Sir John Harrington. the
translator Of Ariosto's Orlando F'urioso" Ger
tain resemblanees of thought and expression be-
tween Shakespeare and Dante were doubtless ac-
cidental. For Western Europe Petrarch was the
creator OF the sonnet. Poetry in England in the
sixteenth century might be said TO have come
into existence in the form CT limitations Of
Petrarch's sonnets Not only the sonnet, but
satiric poetry, too owed its influence in England
to the influence of Petrarch. and blank verse
moreover, the implement of great English
drama was also a modern Italian invention.
The use OF prose in comedies was first intro
duced in play translated by Gascoigne from
Ariosto.
Boccaccio first showed Western Europe how to
write novel and many OF his tales found their
way in various forms into English literature
Outside imaginative literature Machiavelh ex-
erted the deepes; influence in England. his
greatest disciple being Bacon. On the whole,
italian influence English literature, as on
English life. was very beneficial
Russian prisoners wife in Japan kept a
diary while serving a nurse in a military hos
pital. and this book, entitled LAS The Hague
ordains." is coming from the press of the Holts.
1t should be interesting if even half that is said
of it be true.
Mr.. Andrew Lang thinks that authors have as
few grievances as any class Of men. and that il
their work amuses nobody else it at least
amuses them. Il have heard" he says "of
novelist confessing that his interest in the sor-
rows of his heroine was poignant that he
damaged his typewritng machine by floods Of
manly tears! He was enjoying himself. l con-
fess to have laughed more than IS decent over
thing that writing in q club Probably it
was not funny but laughed consumediy:
Perhaps no ,ther profession is delightful TO its
poems Of Tennvson and Wordsworth gave each OF
these authors unfetgned and uneoncealed satis:ac-
read part OF Rob Roy friends Words
Roy "a poem dd g so and then walked away
ill the other reading over? Let us hope it is
true! Meanwhile the .eeblest versiher IS as much
delighted by his music $50 he calls his
rhymesl as Shakespeare can have been by his
Such are the confessed delights Of authorship
cept by Mr.. Carlyle, who gTCaned and hovled over
his work as y he were having dose Of the boot
and the thumbsCrews both at
We have really almost no grievances; reviews are
merely like mustard 10 beef. Every author pro-
claims that he laughs at unfavorable reviews one
poet was heard doing 50 In public library. But
observers said that the laughter sounded rather
II he laughed ''on the wrong side Of his mouth;
il was somewhat hysteTicaL
They wroaged that poet, have read the brutal
review CT written eighty-ive years ago., and
I know why the poet laughed and that his mirth
70 him the only joke which ne is known to have
made in his whole life; 20 be sure. he was drowned
sense OF humor later
writer's have n grievance-'the brief duration
% authors ownership Of his copyrights"
I do not know how long that ownership lasts.
privileged race that we are. We escape all wrong
as a rule, because a rule. books dead"
commercially speaking, IA less than hfty weeks
But few Of as produce books which 90 not begin
DE worth anything till some thirty years after
the date OF publication. To men who do land TO
women. Of coursel. the tenure Of profitable copy
right is only twenty years II copyright lasts for
afty years This IS hard their heirs. their
families There is class OF publishers called
who rush out a book as soon as uae breath OF
copyright leaves it.
publisher Of this kind should be allowed 10 take
the latest corrected edition of the work which he
rushes out This Is for the good or the public.
ton for unexhausteG improvements, II these opin-
ions correctly reported. never heard OF any
thing so cool