The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-01-05

overlordship of the land TO the present
DAY. where the Prince of Monaco is win
ming victories in science more enduring
than those OF his warrior ancestors. Mr.
Smith pays a warm tribute to the pacific
Influence of Prince Albert in the Euro
pean councils of to-day, and to his great
work for the progress of science, par
ticularly that of oceanography. which he
Instituted and which his wealth. "gener-
ously given fosters. The study OF
Monte Carlo is prefaced by a brief &C
count of the origin of roulette and of the
practice of gambling in England and on
the Continent.
The story of Monte Carlo and the rapid
growth of it's world-famed Casino, and
Of its patronage of the opera and the
theater. is brimmed with color-that gold
en- briIliance which has too long OBJ
secured the more enduring fame OF Mo-
naco, whose lofty rock is the altar of
science. The many full-page illustrations
of the book, particularly those in color.
add to its dignity and appeal
.'GArEwAYS TO LITERATURE AND OTHER
ESSAYS" By Brander Matthews New York
Charles ScTibner Sons.
This volume of literary comment by
Brander Matthews probably will COM
mend itself as treating a number OF
vexed subjects with refreshing degree
of sanity and sound common sense. Prof.
Matthews is a member OF the Simpli-
fed Spelling Board and is therefore, per-
haps. in honor bound to practice what
he breaches, his fashion of writing his
words may be a very good one.
If proof were needed, he is at pains
to lecture to Germans by name and
George Meredith by inference for prac-
of thairG which ha 70
needless trouble. Every author" he
says, would do well to ponder Chester
fields command to speak the language
of the company you are in, speak 4
purely-why not. therefore, write il
purely?' Moreover. the presumption that
an author is at liberty to do as he pIeases
in his own book is contrary to the fun
damental and eternal principle that books
are published for the benefit of the
reader" PUBLISH is the way Prof.
Matthews prints it. and "Relisht' and
''butterst' too. in the very act of point
ing out how much better is the French
practising their books readable by all
than the German practice of making
theirs hopelessly unreadable, except to a
restricted circle of like-minder students
Prof Matthews own book is not hope
Iessly unreadable. but its "simplified spell
ing makes 1t just so much less readable,
except 10 RESTRICTED circle OF ike
minded students a circle to which, by
the way, the professor is not addressing
himself in these essays. which are moth
ing If they are not popular.
Prof. Matthews takes issue with those
who would like to have book reviewers
resume the pedagogic attitude they
have so wisely abandoned" He has the
rare courage to maintain that the aver
age state of literature at the beginning
of the twentieth century is better. not
worse. than IL ever was, and ne refuses
to join in the outcry over the absence Of
so-called critical standards" in those who
write of books-a condition said by some
alarmists to threaten ruin and chaos to
the whole world of letters. He doubts
even il there are too many books, since
Il is only when many try to write that
some will write masterpieces. As for
Of thumb-they are more