LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 46, 17 November 1917, Page 11

LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

Wordsworth on "Honour." When the nations now at war meet at the Peace Conference, which some day must come, tho meaning of the words honour anil peaco will, a correspondent of the New York "Nation" hopes, "have been burned in upon the soul of every one of them." This correspondent, a Mr. Alfred M. Brooks, considers that their meaning and their bearing wero never more clearly sot forth than in tho following sonnet of Wordsworth, published in 1815, but written probably scmn yearß before:— Say, what is Honour?—'Tis the finest sense Of justice which the human mind can frame, Intent each lurking frailty to disclaim, And guard tho way of life from'all offence Suffered or done. When lawless violence Invades a Eoalin, so pressed that in the scalo Of perilous war her -weightiest armies fa ! l, Honour in hopeful elevation—whence Glory, and triumph. Yet with politic sk-U Endangered Slates may yield to terms unjust: Stoop their proud heads, but not unto tho dust— A Foe's most favourite purpose to fulfil: Happy occasions oft by self-mistrust, Arc forfeited; but infamy doth kill.

The Rose of Fighting Lancashire. "Lancashire lads" resident in Now Zealand havo reason to bo proud of tho gallant bearing of thoir kinsmen in the great war. "Sub-Rosa," the magazine of tho West Lancashire Division (8.E.F.), contains threo stanzas to "Tho Hose," which is Lancashire's beloved emblem: No sign for us, conceived in jest No senseless daub of paint inane. We follow, on our Country's quest, Our fathers' banner, raised again. A hard-won sign; our radiant dead, Now, as thoir fathers did before, With heart's blood stain each petal red; Then dying, live for evermore. A gentle sign; its grim behest To beckon like somo towering; spire To heights'where Freedom Haunts as crest The Itose of fighting Lancashire. The South African Loyalists. A fino poetical tribute to tho large, minded patriotism and sterling loyalty to the Empire and its cause displayed by Generals Botha and Smuts has been paid (in tho columns of tho "Spectator") by Mr. Ernest Myers:—

Against us once, now by our side they stand, Helpers of foremost rank with head anrf hand. Let far-spread empires from this drama learn: Itoyal onr boon, and royal their return. "Not without God" we healed the wasted lands liaised the sunk hearts, and loosed tho captives' bands. Iloyond tho rumours of their rolling plain They heard tho mightier music of tho main. Thoy heard, they rose, they found a higher fate, Faithful in small things once, but now in great. They claimed thoir uart, they took their place by right. Unvexed.. by vanished doubts, in Freedom's fight, Sons and hot strangers through the years to be, Peers in our peerless flealm, our Umpire of the Free.

Stray Loaves. A forthcoming book which should be of special and timely interest to students of history is "British Foreign Policy in Europe to tho end of the Nineteenth Century—a Bough Outline." Tho author is that accomplished writer on modern history, Professor Egerton. A new volume of poems by Thomas Hardy, "Moments of Vision, and Miscellaneous Verses," is announced by Macmillans for the autumn publishing season. Hardy -lias written some fino verse, but what would we not give for a pew long "Wessex" story from his pen? That, however, is too mucli to hope for, tho author of "Teas of the D'Urbervilles" having long ago announced his intention of writing no more fiction. And ho is now well on in tho seventies. Yet another volume—the ninth—has been added to Mr. Heinemann's series of translations, by Miss Consinnco GnriiGit, of Dostoevsk.v's stories. The _ title is "The Gambler, and Other Stories." Flora Annio Steel, ivhose last story was somewhat disappointing, has wisely returned to her old Indian background. Her new story is entitled "Mistress of Men." It is a seventeenth century romance based on the life of Nurjuhan the Beautiful, wife of the famous Emperor Jahangir, and forms the second volume of a trilogy, begun with "King Errant, which the author is devoting to tho history of India before tho British occupation. A rew volume of poems by William Butler Teats, entitled "Per Arnica Silontia Lunac," is due this month. Mr. Yeats has changed his style not a little since ho wrote tho never-to-be-forgotten "Innisfree," but his song is always musical and clear. In addition to a new long novel, "That Which nath Wings" (a sequel to "Tho Dop Doctor"), "Richard Dohan," otherwise Miss Clo. Graves, has just produced a collection of new short stories, entitled "Under tho Horrncs." Mr. Edward Arnold, who publishes so many excellent worlts of travel, announces a very important wprk by Mr. Reginald Farror, "On the Enves of the World.' The work forms the first instalment of the author's narrative of his exploration and adventures on tho Tibetan border, extending over the years 19U and 1015 —wanderings along ft borderland including much territory nover beforo trodden by a foreigner. Mr. Arnold also announces a volume of campaigning experiences, entitled "Leaves from an Officer's Notebook," by Captain E. Craw-shay-Williams, author of "Across l'orsia," one of the best books on Persia that wo have had of late years. Stophen M'Kenna, the author of that admirablo and most sucessful novel, "Sonia," is publishing a new book with Metlnions, under the title of "Ninetysix Hours' Leave." Tho book is described as a romantic phantasy dealing with tho incidental comedies of the war, and tho machinations of an enemy secret agent fo secure tho allegiance Of an important neutral State. A new edition of Conrad's great romanco, "Lord .Tim," has just been published by Messrs. Dent. Tire author contributes a special preface, in which in. Conrad tolls how the story came to bo written, vindicates it criticisms, and confesses that if it is no the book of his own that ho likes best this is only bocauso, as a matter or principle, he has no favourites.