New-York tribune., 1910-01-08

There is to be at last a biography of
John Bright, and it is to be written by
that accomplished 7 and trustworthy
author. Mr.. George NIacaulay Trevelyan
His father. Sir George Otto Trevelyan,
was one OF Bright's closest friends.
Ten letters written by William Morris
were actually sold at auction in London
the other day for $50. Perhaps the
vigor of the criticisms they contained
had something to do with it. The sins
and weaknesses of society are held up
to the gaze os the world in them. and
they contain also some sharp attacks on
the Socialists. Another autograph let
ter disposed Of at the same sale was ad-
dressed by Robert Burns to the propri-
etur of "The Edinburgh Gazetteer" and
adjured that worthy to GO on, sir.
Lay bare with undaunted heart and
steady hand that horrid mass of corrup-
tion called Politics and State Craft"
This document brought S205.
A volume devoted to the valuable ex-
,amples Of the art of the Renaissance
belonging 20 the late DR.. Ludwig Mo1l
of his pictures are not we'll known, and
the photOgravure Illustrations will there
fore be of double interest
1t is complained by the London "Satur-
day Review that the Roman CampagnA
has not yet found an adequate inter
prefer, much less an historian, worthy %
the theme. There is no district in
Italy" the critic adds, 80 rich in both
classical and romantic association or
with scenery so haunting in it's austcre
beauty It's silence is like no other
silence; its mystery seems to make the
secret Of other regions obvious by COM
parison. Here Paganism fingered on to
witness the birth of Western monasti-
cism at Subiaco and Montecassino East
and West still meet at the Basilian
monastery of Grotta Ferrata. Tivoli and
Palestrina invite the archaologist while
Fondi and Anagni make a special ap-
peal to the student of medieval Church
history. 1t has been Well said that by
whatever side human things and the his
tory of the world interest you. on that
side chiefly will you feel the attraction
worth handling for a writer in need of
it-but it cannot be handled adequately
on a commercial basis. We can think at
the moment Of no one capable of the
task-certainly of no American who
could perform it,
A remarkable volume OF old plays is
one of the available treasures in London
this season, its price being no less than
81, ,125. It's contents include three early
quartos of Shakespeare, the first edition
of Carew's "Celum Britannicum." Shir-
ley's Triumph of Peace" Ben Jonson's
"catiline" and others. They are men
toned as being in beautiful condition.
Few OF the artists now living could
produce "reminiscences so vividly inter-
esting as those which the veteran Elihu
Vedder has promised us. The series
which will soon be published will be an
ticipated with lively curiosity
1t was hardly to be expected that at
this late day any new light of a per-
sonal sort should be thrown upon the
great figure of Washington Yet it is
possible that this may be found in
coming number of "Putnam's." Mr..
Oliver Locker Lampson, a son of the late
poet. Frederick Locker. and a grandson
of Sir Curtis Lampson. the American
baronet, has drawn from an unpublished
autobiography Of more remote an
cestor material for an interesting con-
tribution TO Washington history. This
ancestor was the Rev. Jonathan Boucher.
the Tory tutor of ths Gusts brother and
sister. Washington's stepchildren. Let.