Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-02-24

~N~N 1888 AANNNA WA
his own publisher. Shaw"
however. was in no hurry to
publish a second or public
edition, and was quite will
ing to accept GBS's offer to
him to edit the book. OBS
induced him to shear away
the Introductory chapter and
revise the language through
out. Mr.. Weintraub reprints
the opening chapter and sug-
gests that 1t be used in future
editions. 1t is surprising that
he does not advocate the re-
turn to the original eight
copy-edition text for the
parallel examples he gives of
the Obs revision indicate
that Lawrence was invariably
better untampered with.
Still SHAW" refused to
issue an ordinary trade edi-
ton of Seven Pillars" In
stead he had 1t privately
printed in an edition Of less
than 200, and sold it by sub
scription for ESQ a copy, a
sum that did not even pay
for the color plates. At about
the same time he issued an
abridged edition, Revolt in
the Desert" to defray the
deficit. 1t was at once a best
seller in both England and
America. Critical acclaim was
not universal, but many read
ers who admired the book
agreed with Winston Church.
Ill, who called the book this
treasure Of English literature.
AS q narrative Of war and adj
venture it Is unsurpassed.
1t ranks with the greatest
books ever written in the
English language"
A curiosity of the work is
Lawrence's obsessive care
with the Typography. I my
self hold that no book is
worth the reading If printed
with widow lines at the top
of pages; Lawrence went
even farther in his crotchets,
not allowing any final line to
be less than half the width
Of the page, and ret0riting
any paragraph Dhere tt DGs
necessary to remedy phat
wGs to him this fault.
.
Shaw" at last got himself
back into the Raj about
his initial experiences in
which he had written but not
published his second book,
The Mint") and was sent to
India, where it was hoped he
would not be noticed. There
he devoted himself to his
duties and to his translation
of "The Odyssey" Soon, how
ever, he became again an
International celebrity, many
nations, and even members Of
the British Parliament, feel
ing sure that he was a spy.
He was, for example, tried
and convicted in dbsentid in
Moscow.
Brought inconSpicuously
back to England, where he
studied speed launches and
prepared instruction manuals
about the boats, SHAW" pre-
pared to serve out his en-
listed years in troubled OBJ
security and disturbed con-
tentment. He became a fast
friend, almost a foster son,
Of the Shaws, and an untrue
rumor, even yet not entirely
downed. made him the lille
Ultimate son Of the play
wright.
AS "Shaw's" period of en-
listment in the Raj drew to
a close, he looked forward to
civilian life with trepidation.
He no longer had a desire
to write, he had no money
(having accepted none for
his original books. only for
The Odyssey" translation,
he still was beset with the
insanity OF escapism as
much as ever, and he felt
himself growing old and
frightened Of inactivity. He
applied to the Bank Of Eng
land for the job of night
Waterman. and was offered
the job of director. one Of
the most important positions
in the world Of British
finance. He turned 1t down.
A few weeks after his dis
charge. while planning TO
found a small private press.
Lawrence ss-Shaw. while
riding a motorcycle that had
been the gift Of George
Bernard Shaw. swerved to
avoid hitting two children.
He was thrown off his ma
chine and died six days later.
May 10. 1895. without having