New-York tribune., 1910-11-27
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SUNDAY. NOVEMBER ~. 1910.


The stream of new books is at its height. and
s. pr01igi0CS is the mass of material which it
has already put lefore the reviewers that it s
not surprising to find more than one of the lat
ter commenting uFon it with some bewder-
ment and timidly SVeCuiatlng as to which can
didates for literary Immortality have the best
chance of survival. Mr. {. X. Shorter prints
statement that 5000 books have been published
Or are TO be published during the current
season and adds that if this is true it makes
record The London booksellers are complain
ing. he says. that there are too many books.
According to his observations badly composed
fiction will sell better than well-written fiction,
if the author of the former finds a popular
idea that will strike the masses Poetry, ne
saws. has 10 place at all, except in the form of
antholcgies and those. mysteTiously, Will sell
even when the poetry Is bad. a writer IN the
London Nation has discovered that while the
art of the essayiSt is, upon the whole, out Of
favor there are signs that popular neglect OF
such conversational literature" may presently
le reIaired All surmises as to the luck of this
o.! that tyfap of book are little dangerous, but
in our own view, if there is one body Of evil
dence which really seems to signify something
conclusive. it is that which is supplied by the
biographies of the moment. They are past
counting quantities Of them have some tangible
value and they are Enthusiastically popular LII
the race for lasting popularity we fancy that
they have the best chance.
4 terminal bust was unveiled IN honor OF
Sbolesneare at Verona a few weeks ago. The
Prime Minister of Italy, Signor LuZzatl, the
Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs, the
Marchese di San Guliano, and the British
Ambassador Sir Rennell Rodd, united in the
cercInonv The bust, which represents the
trlric Shakespeare. stands beside the reputed
tomb of Juliet 1t is the work OF SIgnor
Kellato Cattani. The occasion was one OF much
enthusiasm. the Italian orators expressing us
,,fuch ,eneration for the English poet as if he
were of their own race The keynote was
struck in Sir Rennel Rodds uterance: III
SHAKESPEARE did not come to Italy, Italy went
10 him. and subtly penetrated his genius; here
et Verona we are III the very heart OF the
SbakeSl.earian country" Juliets sarcophasus
i. sheltered under a light structure of wood
md stnre-and is half filed with the cards of
yisi+ars It is thought that thousands of cards
are in the bile and hundreds more OF them
are ll;TneG uD on the surrounding walls The
ownership Of Juli2t's house. which until lately
was private property, is now VeS,ed In the
1D11uiciIaity. This fact and the erection OF the
memorial at Verona may be commended to the
attention not only of ShakespearianS but OF
those who are disposed to find fault with the
Italians because they do not give every moment
Of their time and every soldo that they possess
to the care of their souvenirs Of the past The
truth is. that as we never tire Of pointing out.
Jtaly's devotion to her monuments is, consider
inc all the circumstances. beyond praise
Apropos of scuIptured memorials. it is inter
csting to observe that one has lately been
projected in France in honor of the late Ferii-
nand Rrunetiere His countrymen thus show
once more the serious interest that they take