New-York tribune., 1909-08-14
BOOKS 1ND AUTHORS.
Current Talk of Things Present and
to Come.

~ 1OHtC-
The Houghtons have in press two volumes Of
| Diplomatic Memoirs" by Mr John w Foster.
author OF THE Practice OF Diplomacy" His own
practice OF that art has embraced experiences
in Mexico. Russia. Spain. Brazil Germany.
Japan. China and Holland.
MIR Oscar J. Harvey. OF Wilkes Barre. is pub
fishing an exhaustive history Of that town. from
its beginnings down 10 the present time II IS
TO be completed I'm three volumes. two OF which
have already passed through the press
The book on the author OF the "Decameron"
which the John Lane Company viii publish this
season. is to be called Giovanni Boccaccio. uis
Life. His Love HIS Work" Especial attention
VIII be given in II 10 Boccaccio's love FOR Fiar,-
meta The author Mr.. Edward Hutton. whose
Unknown Tuscany" we reviewed n short time
since and who has written much on Italian sub
tects' has already had some dealings with the
theme he Is now To illustrate. He edited the
Decameron' for a recent issue I'm the Tudor
Irahsiatlons and his Introductory essay IS an
excellent piece of work
"hen Beethoven lay dying. in 1927. the nafnt
er Ietscher was present and began 20 skktcb
the composers face. but was interrupted bv his
irieho Breuning' and went away carrying In
his pocket the pencillings he had alreadv r,a,.
According 10 The Atheueunn'' II IS stated ir q
Lausanne publication. La Vie Musicale" ,ba,
DR. August Heymann looking through a nor,
foiio OF sketches by Teltscher has found two
representing Beethoven on his deathbed" Tho
publication OF these souvenirs viii be awaited
with impatence.
The author of The Edge OF Circumstanca
MT Edward Noble. writes a very clever\ sea
story. de may not possess the magic Of Mr.
conrad but he has serviceable way OF his
own His forthcoming novel Lords OF the Sea
is the tale Of the rise OF a shIpowner from, sr,a,1
things TO great.
Two additions are this season IN bo mod, =.
the series OF Heroes OF the Nations" nublisbod
by @. p Putnam's Sons. one will be a book ON
Fernando Cortes and His Conquest Of Mexico"
by Mr.. +. a. MacNutt. The other King Canute
the Great is written by Mr. L. NJ Larson
Professor William James has not had all pIain
sailing with his well Known book on "pr,,
matism," and he is therefore publishing n seoueI
to it, replying to his critics 10 the extent Of offer
ing them more light on his subject In THE
Meaning OF Truth which the Longmans are 10
brlng out next month. he assemblies all that he
mas ever written on the theory OF knowledge. in
hN wa
Of argument. explanation and answer
Still another book OF "reminiscences is TO come
from the pen of Sir Horace Rumbold British
Ambassador 10 Vienna from 1898 to 1900 The
specific subject is "The Austrian Court i'm the
Nineteenth Century" but he is pleasantly dis
cursive writer, and his book will doubtless con-
tain the most diverse reoollections of diplomatic
life.
Mrs. Elizabeth Stuart Phelps has a new hook
in press called Jonathan and David" The Har
pers. who will issue IT, describe Il as "a sirnnle
village story. with an old mans gentle character
a dogs devotion and a woman's sympathy for
the governing motives"
The novel of life i'm the Egyptian desert which
Mr. Robert Hichens has written is called "The
Knock at the Door" 1t figures in the Iippincott
list for September.
charming little collection of juvenilia has
been formed by the Century Company i'm a series
of six handy volumes "Retold from St Nicho-
las" They are given, respectively, TO stories OF
Royal Children" "Chivalry," Greece and
Rome" THE Ancient World" "Classic Mvths.
and The Middle Ages" Many hands have
shared in the making of these entertaining and
instructive tales, and clever craftsmen have IL
lustrated them. The youngsters viii find here
an absorbing library.
The author OF THE Lunatc at Large" has
given "A good title TO his new story. He calls II
"The Prodigal Father" Mr.. Clouston is an
amusing writer and ought TO make great play
with the idea suggested ar John Ayscough
the new novelist, is also. it seems. a writer of
short stories. He has published volume con-
tanning several pieces. calling the collection "A
Roman Tragedy and Others"
II what the little birds saying is correct II
is DIR. Stephen Paget of I,ondon uh., "a IN ha I