New-York tribune., 1910-07-31


in pamphlet and corrected the proofs himself.
a procedure which was at the bottom Of some
astounding bIunders in the lines pinch or
two in the cradle" said poor Gray. Edition
after edition was called for, all OF which meant
huge profit for '.Doddy." but none at al for the
poet who had handed over his rights TO the
publisher. as he nearly always did He thought
it beneath his dignity 10 take money for his
work from = BOOKSHELF view Mr- Cf0sse
notes. in which DodsIey warmly conceded"
1t is said that the enterprising ex-f0o-ran
made nearly q thousand pounds out Of the
poetry of Gray. II was some years after that
for the copyright Of his two Odes. The Prog
ress Of Poesy" and The Bard" Gray accepted
G 40 from the publisher Edmund Burke was
another author who worked in harmony with
DodsIey, and not the least valuable result Of
their cooperation was the Annual Register
which, for years Burke edited 70 the great en-
IargeInent Of his knowledge OF practical poll
tics. AIr Straus prints for the first time TIE
memorandum Of the agreement between the
pair, the sum named 10 requite Bur6es !abors
being the ever convenient one OF 800 One Of
the instances Of the acute business sense which
MI Straus ascribes TO Dodsley was his recOgni-
ton of the merits of Sterne's TrisIram
Shandy": but how much he had 70 do with its
nnaI publication seems TO be largely matter
of guessing
Master Roberts collection Of Poems cost
him infinite labor and worry and brought hin
communication and much profit What ne had
to bear from recaIcitrant or angry poets may
not be measured 1t is 10 be feared that he was
not always wise in his dealings with the cur
rent verse of his contemporaries The brilliant
Montagu had genuine cause of complaint when
DodsIey used in the collection. without ary
notice to her. her lines TO Sir William Yonge-
To her daughter. Lady Butte, she sent a tart
statement: I wrote exteupOre OF the back q
the song some stanzas that went perfectly vel
to the tune She promised they should never
appear as mine and faithfully kept Es- word
BY what accident they have allen into the
hands OF that thing, DodsIey. I know not bur
he has printed them as addressed. by ne, 10 the
last man l should have addressed them 70, and
my own words as his answer. 7 do not believe
either Job or Socrates ever had such prove
cation" Again Lady Mary is quoted as writing
some weeks later: I have been two posts
without answering yours. having my head toe
mudd1ed to write (dou't laugh at if you can
help it; but it really has been occasioned by
the yexation arising from the impudenCe Of
Dodsley. whom / never saw, and never uen-
toned or thought OF in my life" Even more
troublesome than the production OF the ~CoIec-
ton must have been DodsIey's experience as
the proprietor OF periodicals One at least, The
World" had a notable success in its day. The
cleverest Of his Fashionable friends and patrons
consented 10 write for it: even his fair enemy.
Lady Mary, had to confess a liking for it; and
Mr. Straus assures US that 1t must be consi1-
cred TO be the best Of The society journals ever
printed"
The most amusing chapter in this volume IS
that devoted to DOdsey's tragedy Of ~Cleone,
a very buggy" piece. the success Of which was
really made by the sprightly actress George
Anne Bellamy. She played the wofuI heroine
not in a stacy but in a natural fashion. and
drew buckets OF tears from the behoIders She
has recorded her sufferings at rehearsal from
the author and his distinguished friends Doddy
complained that she was not forcible enough II
the mad scene; Lord LytteItOn declared thai
she had totally nisConCeived the character
and DR. johnson. in his care for Doddys inter
ests, too roughly reasoned with the lady When
came to repeat Thou shalt not murder says
George Anne in her memoirs. Or. Johnson
caught me by the arm and that somewhat tVV
briSkly. saying at the same time. II Is cohl-
mandment and must be spoken. Thou shah F''
murder As I had not then the honour o
knowing personally that great genius. was h'-
a little displeased at his enforcing instrueti0-S
with so much vehemence." The actress VEN
her own way. and that her burIy critic was S'--