New-York tribune., 1910-05-01
LITERARY NOTES.

|
| That ever magnificent lady. the Most Serene
| Duchess of Venice, otherwise the Dogaressa IS
| the subject of book by Mr.. Edgcumbo
Staley. 1t is a subject OF strange contrasts, for
| the wife Of the DOge was sometimes of humble
birth and sometimes Of princely rank
The Forthcoming collection of the Letters
of John Stuart Mill will be accompanied by
| introduction by Mr.. Hugh Elliot giving a sketch
of Mills life and character Miss Mary Taylor.
| the niece of Mills stepdaughter, Miss Helen
| Taylor. has contributed TO the edition an ac-
| count of MiIls private life
The music that haunts the lines of The
Canadian Boat Song keeps the subject Of it's
authorship continually in dispute The latest
commentator holds that Moore wrote 1t, baSlng
his contention = letter Of the poet from which
| he quotes:
| Il wrote these words to air which our boat
ling down the st. Lawrence.J The wind was 50
| unfavorsble that they were obliged to row all the
and sung perfectly in tune together The original
| appeared to be Iong incoherent story Of which
pronunciation of the Canadians. II begins:
Dams mon chenlin al rencontre lbis)
| | yentured to harmonize this air and have pub
| lished it
VIII women ever be admitted to membership
| in the French Academy? 1t is stated that
nearly one-third of the present members are
in favor of such admissions for feminine writer's
! OF distinction Nj. Emile Faguet thinks that
| the rule which keeps out persons of the Of
| that famous letter writer, Nine. de Sevigne is
| deplOrable. He declares himself convinced of
| the intellectual equality Of men and women.
! NJ. Paul Hervieu would solve the question by
! establishing a special section for women dis
tinguished in letters, art and science
| Mr. w NJ Voynich is dealer in rare books
who is uncommonIy fortunate in his discoveries.
His latest catalogue mentions volumes pre-
viOUsly unknown, as well as many of great
rarity. American collectors Will be Interested
in a copy of one of the rarest early books re-
| lating to the discovery Of AneriCa-the JOannes
! de SacrobOsco dat ted Cracow, 1J22. For this
volume Mr.. Voynich asks $501 Another item.
not costly, is copy of Baptista MGntuanus
! (SpagnuolD Vita DiOnysii AFeOpa gitae,'' 1IOl-
This contains poem to the King OF Spain, in
which the author speaks of the discovery Of
America by Columbus. Another rarity is 4
! copy, totally uncut, OF the first edition of the
| "C'hroniques de France" three volumes, Paris,
! 147G-'77: This is the first book printed in
France in the French language Another edition
! of this work offered by Mr Voynch is dated
1493, and is beautifully illustrated with thirty
woodcuts surrounded by borders, and with $50
French illustrated books, and is that
most libraries like that of the British Museum,
possess only odd volumes. Only twelve leaves
missing in the three volumes Of this copy
which is held by the owner at $3.50
It is said Of the late eminent statistician Sir
/ Robert Gifen, that he kept no diary OF big
note books Of fgures-that he carried his data
with him locked IN an extraordinary memory
and ready for production at any moment.
In the collection Of Mctey's letters. now
. nearly ready for publication, a number ad-
dressed to him and penned in joyous mood by
the friend Of his student days Prince Bismarck
They are chronicles of faithful affection Among
MotIeys own letters is one in which we get this
glimpse of TWO celebrities: 'AIacauIay and Mr.
Mines G-Crd Hcughton) got into d discussion
on the subject Of German and italian literature.
I must say that I agreed with Mr.. Mines who
insisted the merits Cf German poetry. Ma
caulay treated it all with contempt, and spoke
slightingly Of Goethe IN general and of Faust
in particular I suspect that German is the
weak point in his inVulnerabe armOr. but how
that may he. i is impossible TO argue with
him. He out talks his opponent and reduces
him TO silence, whether he conVInces bin or
Mr. Rudyard kipng has written Il poem
which is to appear in "Heathtcld Memorials
a book dealing with that district in Sussex
wherein the scenes OF his PUCK of Poot's ffilT'
are set.
We are told to expect realistic picture Of
actual social conditions il the land cf the Car
in the forthcoming volume Home Life in Rus
sia." by Dr. A. s. RappOpCrt- The same indus
trioIIs author Is soon e brinT out biaZra Thy
OF the late Leopold. King Of the BelgianS- L is
reported TO give q truthful and imFarta! picture
of that queer personaGe-
MI Anthony Hope is about to produce a new
novel which he calls Second String