New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-01
BOOKS AND AUTHORS
Current Talk of Things Present
and to Come.

DUNN tVO nv tisO'iS
Current Talk of Things Present
and to Come.
II Is an American scholar who has had
the daring to produce new English YER
sion Of the Had. He Is Mr. Arthur q.
Lewis Of Boston, and he tells us In his
volume which has just been issued by the
Baker & Taylor Company, that he has
given his leisure to the task for more
than twelve years. His aim he says, IN
this blank verse translation, has been to
produce a rendition which should be
smooth, harmonious and pleasing to the
ear, so far as consistent with an ade-
quate and literal Interpretation Of the
poets meaning; observing also, so far
as lay in his power. the rules Of SIM
plicity, rapidty and dignity, laid down
by Matthew Arnold as essential"
The Critic Retorts.
Everybody knows how the artist, from
time to time, is moved by criticism.
after making an exhibition Of his works,
TO make an exhibition of himself. But
this latter spectacle has never been 30
neatly hit off as in this saying by the
English critic. Sir Walter Armstrong:
1T is pleasant to watch artists Of all
kinds writhing under treatment from
the critics which is exactly parallel to
their own dealings with Nature"
"ConeeaIing Coloration."
We published in this place not long
ago an interesting article by Mr.. Abbott
II. Thayer on why Animals Conceal
ing Celebration Has Not Been Recog-
nized." Referring to the article in a
recent communication, the discoverer Of
this fascinating phenomenon says:
I made one serious omission Our book
especially points out that 1t Is. OF course,
only the brightest side of the fiamingo. the
one toward the sun, that does the sky
counterfeiting, and Of course it must al
ways represent dawn or sunset opposite the
real one.
More Stevensoniana.
Still another book Is 70 be added to
the appalingly voluminous collection Of
writings about Stevenson. His step
daughter, Mrs. Katharine D, Osbourne,
is bringing out a volume on Robert
Louis Stevenson in California" printing,
Of course some hitherto unpublished
letters and a new portrait There will
always be new letters ana portraits of
Stevenson. This book is coming from
the press Of A. C. McClurg & Co., OF
Chicago.
Oriental Rugs.
The J. b. Lippincott Company prom
ises for the fall a new work on Oriental
rugs, by G.. Griffin Lewis 1t will have
a large number Of illustrations, some Of
which will be printed in colors.
A Russian Tragedy.
The Memoirs OF Nine. Golovine,
which have recently been published, con-
tain some thrilling passages on the
darker side Of Russian history. She
tells, for example, how by series Of
plots Count Pahlen developed the as
sasslnaton Of Paul I. He informed the
Emperor that his sons were implicated
persuading him to sign an order for
their arrest. and on his showing this
order to the grand dukes they decided
that Paul should be asked to abdicate.
The ensuing drama is thus unfolded:
On the evening OF the fatal night the
grand duke (AleXander) had supper with
his father, and sat by his side at
table. Imagine the situation-the Emperor
believing that his son wished to take his
life, the grand duke thinking that his
father had ordered his imprisonment. /
have been told that during the painful meal
the grand duke sneezed, and the Emperor,
turning upon him look Of mournful Sc
verify. uttered the usual compliment: "Sir,
i hope your wishes may be realized Two
hours later he was no more. =. The
Emperor, awakened by the hussars cry,
had jumped out OF bed and hidden behind
a screen. They had a moments fright,
soon found him. and Benngsen, the first
TO speak, announced to him that they had
come to read him his deed Of abdication.
The Emperor saw Prince Zoubov and said
to him: And are you here, too, prince?'
Nicholas Zoubov, who was drunk, said
boldly: "Why make so much ado? Let us
get straight to the point" and he rushed
at the Emperor. who tried to get away by
but, unfortunately. found II fastened.
Nicholas Zoubov gave him push, and he
fell, striking his temple against the corner
of the table, and tainted. The conspir-
ators seized him, and Skariatine took off
his scarf and strangled him. Then they
laid him back on the bed. and Bennigsen
with several others remained to keep guard
over him while they went to tell Pahlen
that all was over.
Hardy's Wessex.
From the Harpers re have just re-
ceived two more volumes in the at
tractive thin paper edition Of Hardy's
novels One of these is given to that
peculiarly beguiling book Of his, "A
Group of Noble Danes" and the other,
which completes the set, contains the
"wessex Tales" This volume. like prac-
tically all of the others, contains, by the
way, map Of the Wessex Of the novels,
a point which we commend 10 the auto
mobilist who goes touring through Eng
land this summer.
AnatoIe France as a Lecturer.
The other day Nine. Madeleine Lee
marie, greatly daring, undertook to per-
suade Anatole France to give a lecture
at the Universite des Arts. He had ap-
peared upon the platform In South
America. Why not in Paris? He made
excuses, and among them declared that
he had been hallucinated by the period
Of 1893. This only led to his ultimate
surrender. He consented to read the
first two chapters of the romance upon
which he is now engaged. or course,
the reading was received with enthusi-
asrn and some facts about the hook