LIBER'S NOTE BOOK.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1960, 17 January 1914, Page 9

LIBER'S NOTE BOOK.

A curious misprint slipped into my notice last week of Rodin's book, Rodin being referred to as tho "famous sea sculptor." How tho ."sea." got there only tho linotype knows, and tho "lino" has'no more memory than it lias conscience. Mr. Malcolm • Boss's 'forthcoming work on Alpine climbing ami mountaineering generally- in New Zealand, is to bo published by Mr. Edward Arnold, a well-known,.London publisher, and not by Messrs. Munn and Co., as stated in this column recently. _ Another book- of 'special interest to Aew Zealandors which should make its appearance b'efore Very long, issMr T L. Buiek's work on' "The Treaty of .waitangi.!' By a recent mail the author, received some samj)le proof-sheets from London. Judging from them, the typographical get-up of the book will bo exceptionally good. • Mr. Robert M'Nab, who was in town the other day, is. busy correcting the final proofs of the second volume of the New Zealand Historical Records, which ho is editing for the Government. A special feature of the volume, which, it is hoped, will be ready for publication in about three months from now, is' a translation, bv Mr. Wilson tho Parliamentary Librarian,-of a viously unpublished, detailed account of tho circumstances attending tho murder of tho French commander, Marion do Fresno, at the Bay of Islands. The original account was discovered by Mr. M'Nab in tho archives of" tho French Admiralty. t Certain English critics of Mr. ATgar Labouchoro Tho.rold's life of his famous uncle, Henry Labouchere, have been, I notice, expressing regret that tho book does not contain more "good stories" of "La-bby." But tho interest mid value of tho biography, as a series of chapters in English- political history, nro by no means to be underrated." For instance, in view of the present-day prominences of tho Irish Homo llulo question, how interesting is this passage, from a letter written by Laboiiclicro to Mr. Joseph Chamberlain in ISB6 :— I should say myself thai it would ha far bolter not to have the Irish at AVcstminstor at all; this would tnw.t the conundrum of an Imperial and an English Ministry. As a statistical fact, Ireland does not now contribute much more tliait ■ the cost of her civil government to ' tho Itupoi'ial Exchequer. Lot hor oontribul* nothing, or toma fixed

sum for armaments (which sho pro- ■'■■. bably wouid not pay). Sho woulcl.' , ;; bo liko tho Dominion. Wo should.: : ' hold tho country through the Army.;.*! and tlio fortresses, and if she tried jK to separate, we should suspend thoX; Constitution. But as a matter of >;' fact sho would not try. The Irish idea of patriotism is to servo the., country at a good salary, ..and., get places "for cousins, etc. , . You' , :;; would see that Irish polities'would \' becomo a perpetual vestry fight for ■■■, tho spoil. .j'-. <* :i ~ To be noted by admirers of Maeterlinck. Jethro Bethell, whose transja-. tions of latter-day French and Belgian poetry have been issued in the "Can-' terbury Poets" series, lias written an entirely now study of Maeterlinck, his lifo and work, for Scott's "Great Writers Series" (New Zealand price, Is. 3d.). This is in every way a most helpful and excellent littlo book, which, having bought "for keeps" aud re-id with pleasure, I can cordially commend. Two recenf>~«dditions to that admirable- s'eries, dolVins's "The Nation's Library," are to hand from the pub-, lishers, and will be noticed nest week.