New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-05-09
BOOKS AND AUTHORS.
Current Talk Of Things Present
and to Come.

Much interesting information about the 'IdyuS
of the King" is given in Tennyson's own notes
included in the new edition recently published
1t appears that before the publication of the
| "Morte dArthur" the poet was uncertain as 10
whether he should weave the legends into an
epic or into a musical nasQue. With the latter
in mind he went so far as to draft scenario in
five acts beginning with Modreds rebellion and
ending as the epic does. with the passing of
Arthur Before entering upon his work Tenny
son travelled carefully through the LyOnesse
country. It is worth while TO record for the
benefit OF those who see nothing TO object to in
the operate performance of "ParsifaT that the
English poet thought long and nervously before
he decided to deal with the legend of the Grail
fearing that il might seem irreverent- There
is note from his hand in this volume which
shows with what painstaking he arranged his
scheme: The coming Of Arthur is on the night
Of the New Year: when he Is welded, the world
is white with May; summer night the
Vision Of the Holy Grail appears; and the Last
Tournament Is in the 'yeIlowing autumn-t tide
Guinevere fees thro' the mists Of autumn, and
Arthur's death takes place at midnight in mid
winter"
The new novel which that writer Of lively
tales Mr. Phillips Oppenleim. is about to bring
out is entitled The Avenger." It is stated that
this novelist writes two books each year, and
that before undertaking new one he goes forth
into Bohemia to make original observations Of
life and character.
The story of a ride on the first railroad built
in New York is to be told in st. Nicholas" by
one who had that experience in his boyhood
The article will be illustrated.
Mrs E NJ Humphreys the novelist known as
Rita" was the plaintiff in an action for libel
heard in London the other day. A publishing
firm in Dundee was called TO account by her fo-
an odd offence She complained that they had
taken an old novel of hers, published more than
ten years ago, had altered IT, anu Iliu ueScIioTu
IT as a novel:
To carry out the deception they had nor only
altered the title Of the novel out tIe names OF le
characters. They had also omitted some pOILly5lS
and written in others some one IN the Dulde Ounce
once NAG apreT9,4 the novel and had then served
up the mutilated and altered course TO The pubic
as as ratIraiiW thought that she had grounds of
complaint, that she had been aeIalTd I he rT
20 ln and she Therefore asked for compensation for
the damage she had sustained
Mr. Egerton Castle Mr.. Rider Haggard and
NJ Anthony Hope testified that they had read
the Dundee version Of ''2ita's' story. and be
lfeved that this version was prejudlciaI TO her
fame as a novelist and that they knew Of no
custom which justified such dealings with other
peoples writings
The life of BaIdassare Castiglione, the per
feet eourtier" which we announced last week, is
~ he brought out here by E. P. Dutton Co
This firm is a4so issuing Miss Lebels Later
Years of Catherine de MediCi" Miss Davidson's
Memoir of Catherine of Braganza- and an anus
ing hook Of recollections entitled "A Family
Chronicle"
4 set Of the Edinburg Stevenson has Just been
sold in the auction room for s19T. set Of
the Tudor Transactions brought at the same
sale $40.
: Rhodes scholar. Mr. T. Brooke, is editing
Narlove for the Clarendon Press octave series +
Of dramatists. Professor Raleigh Will write the .
introduction.
Mrs Delands new book. a collection Of short /.
stories, is entitled r. is Mother and Some .
other People"
Mr. Arthur Rackham, whose good II unneces-
sarv Illustrations Of Alice in Wonderland /
rous.d interest last year has decided TO Illus +
trste Shakespeare. The first play with which .
he will deal is the Midsummer Nights Dream, /
and this will be published in the autumn There /
will be forty plates in color and other drawings I
in black and white. The large paper edition Will /