OXFORD AND SIR R. TAGORE

Evening Star, Issue 23699, 5 October 1940, Page 4

OXFORD AND SIR R. TAGORE

Sir Rabindranath Tagore, the Indian poet, received the degree of Doctor of Letters “ honoris causa ” of Oxford University at a special Convocation of Oxford University at the village_ of Santiniketan, Bengal. This is believed to be the first time that a special Convocation has been held outside Oxford. Sir Maurice Gwyer, Chief Justice of India, who conferred the degree, represented Oxford University, and delegates from Oxford and alumni were among the gathering of scholars from different parts of India. The 80-year-old poet, who has founded his own university at Santiniketan, thanked Oxford University in Sanskrit “ for its precious gift to him and the country.”

In the London and New York auction year which ended last June 84 collections were dispersed to the extent of over £400.000. To support the contention that hostilities in Europe have not materially harmed book values, a number of records have been selected from last season’s sales. Among t' ose cited are a Gutenberg Bible leaf, £6O; a Shakespeare fourth folio, £165; Keats’s ‘Poems,’ £190; ‘A Christmas Carol,’ £145; Bryant’s ‘Poems,’ £100; Melville’s ‘ Typee,’ £110; and ‘Moby Dick,’ £95; a presentation ‘Scarlet Letter,’ £400; ‘ lincle Tom’s Cabin,’ in a presentation binding, £BS; Mark Twain’s ‘Jumping Frog.’ £105; Conrad’s 1 Chance,’ £9O; and a Kelmscott Chaucer bound in white pigskin, £145. These figures tend to confirm the report from abroad that rare books are becoming rarer.