LIBER'S NOTE BOOK.

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 193, 4 May 1918, Page 11

LIBER'S NOTE BOOK.

A Guest Room Library. 'Ilio compilation of short lists o f "bedside" Ijooks has long been a l'avourito pastive with book-lovers. Now, hi tlio New York "iSun," Mr. Christopher Morley comes forward with suggestions for a "guest-room shelf., of books." Somo of my readers may find il interesting to compare .Nlr. Morley's favourites with those tliey would select for the same purpose. Included ilt his thirty selectedvolumes are Stovensou's '"ircasuro Island"" and "St. lyes," aiso "Thu New Arabian Nights" nid "The Dynamiter." Four books by the same author is surely over-goncrous treatment. Personally, I should vote for "Trc-asure Island" aud "Tho New Arabian Nights." Of Conan Boyle he selects "A Study in Scarlet" and "A Duet." Tho latler 1 would detain from tho list, wid substitute u Slierlock Holmes book. 1 am, however, cordially with Mr. Morley when ho names two 'of Wilkie Collins's stories, "The Woman in "White" <\nd "The Moonstone.". Arthur Morrison's "Tales of Mean Streots" aro surely too. grim to bo considered light reading, but guests who had never read 0110 r f William M'Fce's vivid stories .would iind 11 great treat in his "Casuals of tho Sea" and "Aliens," both on Morley's list. The > preference for "Youth" and "Typhoon" amongst the Conrads is curious. Liber's vote would go A> the incomparable "Alniaycr's Folly," tlio first and still the beat, of Conrad's novels, and the iiuite recent "Victory." In any case;-for bed reading, is hot Conrad too psychological ? Mr. Morley allots only 0110 0. Henry, "Strictly Business," for which I should substitute "Tales of the Four Million," or, as an example of Porter's later work, "Options." Mr. llilaire Bciioc and Stephen Leacock are represented respectively by "The Path to Homo" and "Moonbeams frofii tho larger Lunacy." Tho Bclloc book is an ideal "dipping" book. Few latter-day readers care much, I am afraid, for Fielding, and for "Tom Jones" I would substitute. Cleorgo Morrow's "Lavengro." "Huck Finn" would bo on any list of my compilation, and I should' insist on Gissing':; "Private Papers of Henry Rycroft" and two of Ji. V. Lucas's anthologies, "The Open Koad" and "The Friendly Town," all, in my opinion, vastly better calculated to entertain a decently-educated guest than Cutlyifo Hyno's "Adventures of Captain Kettle," which finds a place in Mr. Morley's list. Air. Morley includes, I see, a Bible,"to which I would add a Shakespeare and "Tho Oxford Book of English Verse." The trouble is, with these lists, not what to include, but what to leave out. Speaking for mysolf, a bedside library should always have a "Pick-1 wick," "Pepys's Diary," an odd volume \ of "Tvalpole s Letters," also Stevenson's I "Letters," and I would as focu be with-! out. Dunias's "Tlireo Musketeers" in my | bedroom as bo without a pillow to lay ! my head on. And then how about W. W. Jacobs? But I must stop: the subject of bed or guest-room book lists is altogether too alluring. A Famous London Bookshop, ! For many years I have found great pleasure in looking through tho ■catalogues issued by a well-known antiquarian liookseller, Janios Tregaskis, whose quaint old shop, "Tho Caxton Head," on High Holborn, looked almost as ancient as tho famous Staples Inn buildings in tho same thoroughfare. Mr. Tregaskis, who, I notice, lias removed to Great Hussell, Street, near the British Museum, lias'i sent me a copy of his 800 th catalogue! j Surely this is a record! Most of the | items catalogued are far beyond tho | pocket of a numblo bibliophile like my-1 self. The rarest volume in the catalogue 1 is "a porfect copy" of tho "Block Book ! of tho Apocalyps9," printed in Bavaria I about the 'middle of tho 15th century. It ! consists of only 48 leaves, printed on one side only, and is priced at—.£l7so! A quaint item is a copy of Erasmus's ■Paraphrase of the New Testament" (1518), which is described as having an iron chain 26 inches in length attached to the covsr. Evidently the biblioklepht, or book thief, existed ig the Kith century just as—so any librarian will pathetically tell you—he exists to-day. Not ull tho books in the Tregaskis list aro highly priced rarities, and even should ono not be a buyer these second-hand catalogues make mighty pleasant reading for lxiolclovers. 1 hope 1 may livo to reccivo the 900 th catalogue of tho famous C-'axlou Head. G.K.C. as Historian. Mr. Chesterton's "Short History of England," one feature of which is a bitter attack 011 the Hei'ormution and tho Puritans, is tho subject of a highly eulogistic ruviuv in the January issue of "The Bookman." The writer is Mr. William Barry. According to Mr. Chesterton—and Dr. Barry—the medieval monks wero tho true friends of tlio peoplo who were roSbed of their rights by tho "lay lords" of Parliament. I express 110 opinion on this question, which has many sides, some ot which do not appear, to 1110 at least, to liiivo been fully and fairly recognised by Mr. Chesterton. But I quite agree with Dr. Barry that Mr. Chesterton's book is a thought-producing and eminently readable production. That it disposes of Green-and Hume, Hallam and Macaulay is qui to another matter. 1