New-York tribune., 1910-10-23
Gbe Neppork Griitba1a1&
SUNDAY, OCTOBER %, 1910

1t is customary LOT Ine foreign LII
Hasy, especially the English or American tray
elE1,. forlornly to wag his, more generally
her, head over the deplorable conduct of
nation that can occasionally sacrifice some
souvenir of the past to the material needs OF
the present Unfortunate improvements IN
undoubtedly are often made, and that the gov
ernment is not invariably judicious IN It's deal
tngs with matters Of art is equally undenlapie
But we wish the sapient folk who, from ObSer-
walton of some unlucky step mistakenly made In
the name of progress, jump to the conclusion
that the italians sordidly Indifferent TO
their responsibilities would take note OF the
fact that Italy is extraordinarily active in the
care Of her monuments and in preserving the
fame of her great men, considering the scant1-
ness Of her financial resources. Ihe Athe-
naum'' cites from Fl0rentne paper the par
ticulars relating to the national edition OF
Michael Angeles works which is shortly to be
published under the auspices of the Italian
government. 1t has been placed under the
editorship Of three distinguished scholars and
critics, Corrado Ricci, Guido Biagi, and Clio
vanni Poggi Three of the five volumes WILL
contain the masters letters, while the remain
ing two will be devoted to his poems. with
critical notes and documents, the latter in
Guiding contracts between Michael Angelo and
his employers, and unpublished data throwing
fresh light upon his life and work.
Not long ago mentioned a moved by MI.
fernard Capes Jenny Abercraw," and, re-
calling Stevenson's fancy, recorded in one Of
his letters, for the name Of Jerry Abershaw,
we wondered if the living novelist had under
taken to develop a project relin4ulshed by his
dead predecessor. His right to use what ap-
peared to be but a paraphrased title has been
questioned in London. He believes that he has
such right and sends this letter to The
Sphere:
In note novel Of mine recently pub
lished you charge me with literary piracy"
Really I never" like the young at Blim-
ber's "see such a thing this" For once
must protest. The writer Of the note evidently
knows his Stevenson better than his "Newgate
Calendar" Permit me to point out to him that
the Jerry Abershaw whom have paraphrased
was a real highwayman who much frequented
Con the Portsmouth, not the Great North road,
a real wayside inn. now long vanished called
1.-The Bald faced Stag" The name was no inVen-
ton Of Stevensor's. who merely-probably like
thousands of others-was taken in his time
with the sound of it I do not think that
he intended to write but never wrote" story
round that euphonic character. Where is the
authority for such a statement? Because in one
of his letters the author Of "Kidnapped' makes
a merry, feeling allusion to historic rascal.
all writers on the highway to be held tres
passers thenceforth in particular direction?
Mr. Capes need not be too sorely distressed.
Nobody is going to agonize over his proceed
lngS But at least SteVenSOnS letter does SuS-
gest that he meant to write Jerry Abershaw.
A Tale of Putney Heath" and if there was no
occasion for admitting Indebtedness to him
then there was all the more reason why, as we
said last month, Mr. Capes should have stuck
to Jerry Abershaw'' and not spoiled the name
in changing it.
The irresistible fascination of Joan of Arc
continues to pile up additions to the vast liter
ature relating to her battling personality. A
new biography of the heroine by Miss Grace
James has just been published here by the
Duttons and in recent review Mr.. Andrew
Lang calls attention to a study of the subject
made by NJ. Gabriel Hanotaux. The activities
of Mr. Lang himself in this field are delightful
to watch. He has, Of course, written a book
about the Maid himself and repeatedly he has
traversed those passages in the volumnous
work by Anatole France which seem to him to
discredit the latter's not very eevating con-
cepton of Joan. We have seen at least three
articles of his on Miss James's book and no
doubt he viii continue his tireless eXamina
ton of the minutest details in a heart-breah
fngly difficult problem. 1t is all intensely in
teresting to the student of Joan Of Arcs his
tory and there is one point about Mr. Langs
devoted campaign which find especially at
tractive 1t is his combination of a passion for