SCOTT AND MARK TWAIN.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17107, 31 March 1921, Page 3

SCOTT AND MARK TWAIN.

' Mr'.Maurice Hewlett, in the "Daily Chronicle," defends Sir- Walter , from the attacks of Mark 1 v.ain. The American author was fond of tilting at the old chivalry and romance, but 'what he-did'not see, and never did' or "could see," says Mr Hewlett, "was that with every punch nc t'he 'enemy a repercussion flattened himself, and that when- Sir Walter lay*prone far-flatter than he and far-more spent lay Mark Twain. ' "There is a tale, I think iii 'The Innocents Abroad,' where one of 'the.unholiest gang that ever cavortM through Palestine' was- shown a sticred--fiani-2 which, he was told, had lieen.. burning for a-thousand years. The. cavorier was ready for that, as for most - things. 'Well', I guess it's out now,' he said. And it was." • - '' •

"To us who are. familiar with ruined symbols (in a world littered with them), and the piety which first set them up, that is a disgustful "tale ;- but it Cstinwui?hes the teller as much as. the lamp To us it seems that you might-as well flout the dead body ot an old woman as the dead body of an old belief. "What fun, on those terms, lias not been made of the Bible? -It is the pecillium of the parodist. Now, one .may. make fun of "Hamlet' to any extent, but it-remains uncommonly difficult to produce anything better than 'Hamlet.' "

The form backer .can;t. do without the Pocket Turf. Begister." Now published.