LIBER’S NOTE-BOOK

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8338, 25 January 1913, Page 10

LIBER’S NOTE-BOOK

Hr Bolloco’a litetary activities aro many and various. Historian, poet, /satirist, novelist, and writer of impressions do voyage which lose nothing in comparison with - Stevenson’s work in , that direction, ho is, perhaps, after all, at his best as essayist, for it is hero that hd finds his whimsical humour less cribbed, cabined and confined by the conventionalities which still govern history and poetry. Ho is a diligent fellow, turning out one, or even, I think it has been of lata, a oonplo of books of essays a -year, in addition to work in other directions,- and yet, despite this liberality of output, tho, general average of quality is amazingly high. Now and then there is a certain thinness as of wine of a poor year, but as a rule the bod - is full and the Boliociaji bouquet as pleasantly unmietakeable as ever. To the collections of essays entitled “On Everything," “On Something." ‘‘On Nothing," and their successors “Hills and tho Sea,” and “First and Last," this witty and always thought challenging writer lias now added a volume, entitled "This and That” (Methuen and Co.; per Whitcombo and Tombs). Hero, ouco again, is the eame wide range of subjects. There are essays on social questions; sly hits at various fads, follies, and futilities of tho period; pleasant gossips upon changing customs—a quite delightful essay “On Inns”; riotous burlesques, such as a series of letters supposed to be written by and to Shakespeare; and ouito serious disquisitions on quite serious subjects, such as “Atheism," “Lying,” “Ilia Higher Criticism,” and “Tho Fanatic”— the latter a pungent piece of satire in a modified. Swiftian vein.

Then, too, there are a few historical osqnissßS in that delightful genre of which Mr Belloc is admittedly a master hand, and one or two (would there were more) of those little peeps at out of tho way foreign towns in which the author seems to convey tho very atmosphere and savour of a locality. In this character of inspired topographer Mr Belloo has no equal among his contemporaries; unless it bo Mr Lewis Hind, and from tho latter of late tho reader has heard too seldom. It is good to learn from the local booksellers that there is a steady and increasing demand for Belloc’s books, .especially his essays. A fact like this consoles mo for the popularity of Mr W. L. Q , Miss M C , Mr II C , and tho works of “tho world’s greatest poetess”—as per American advertisements—Miss E \v W x. With a pipe, and an arm chair, and a new Belloc, X would bid defiance to Ennui and forget oven the disagreeable tact that income tax is duo at the end of the month. Of poetical anthologies not a few —too many as some may think—have been published during the last four or five years, but a corner should'bo kept on .tho books'd-vos cf all who love good poetry, for the recently published “Oxford Book of Victorian Verse.” “chosen by Sir Arthur Quiller Couch.” How good a judge of contemporary poetry is “Q,” we all know who remember his delightful monthly essays on matters literary, in tho old “Pall Hall Hagasino”—tho “P.M.M.” in its best days—and although, as with all anthologies, tastes will differ .as to what should have boon included and what omitted. Sir Arthur’s choice seems to have been marked in this instance by a most laudable ecclectism. I may add that ns tho volume is almost entirely composed of copyright verse, it. should bo doubly welcome. , Tbo redoubtable Tim Healy is busy with a book, “Stolon Waters.” It is not n. novel, as was Mr William O’Brien’s “When Wo Were Boys Together,” hnt a serious historical study, based upon unpublished State papers, and dealing with a dispute lately decided by the House of Lords on tho rights of fishing in Lough Neagh and tho Elver Banu. Interesting no doubt in its way, but if “Tim” would only giro us a volume of "Reminiscences,” what a rich fund of amusing material ho would have to draw upon. Apropos to books by or about politicians, two jiolitical biographies, which ought to 1» worth reading, are duo very shortly. Ono is of John Bright, which has been entrusted to the -sympathetic hands of Mr George Trevelyan, and the other is tho "Life and Letters of Sir Charles Dilke,” which is to bo edited by Mr Stephen Gwynn. If Stead were only still alivo to review it! "Cease Firing,” by Mary Johnston, is a sequel to the same author's splendid story of tho Civil War, “The Long Boll,” in which, so many of m readers'will remember. “Stonewall” Jackson was eo pi-eminent a. figure. An English critic describes Miss Johnston’s 'new story as "a series of unequalled war pictures," and its slyle as “poetical, picturesque, and vivid.” Constables arc the English pub-’ li-hers, and copies of the Colonial edition should bo here very shortly. “The Book Monthly.” tho excellent literary magazine so long edited by Hr James Milne, is. in future, to bo published. by Messrs Cassell and Co. It is to be hoped it may not degenerate into a mere trade journal. The conductor of a Literary Page sometimes gets some odd queries and requests. A. case in noink is that of a correspondent, “F.G.IX..'' who asks “Li-

her” to be "good enough to publish a rough sketch of a simply' ornamental book-case, to hold somo -100 to odd volumes." I regret I cannot comply with tho request, which "F.G-II." might <l° well to repeat to somo good firm of cabinetmakers.

Constables have just published a new six-shilling edition, printed on line paper, in good clear print, a crown octavo in size and an ideal library eilition—of Gissing’s famous book, “Tho Papers of Henry Ryecroft." Personally, tho well known and prettily got-np pocket edition is good enough for me, but there may be those who , would prefer this famous book in a moro stately format.

Air Robert AlcNab’s now book, dealing with early European settlement on the shores ot Cook Strait, is well on its way, so the author informs me, towards publication. Tho title has not boon dually decided upon, but it will probably bo "The Old Whaling Bays.’ A Alaon title, Mr MoNab considers, is somewhat a handicap to a book with purchasers outside the Dominion.

Sir Henry Lucy (Toby, M.P.) has published a second volume of bis "Sixty Aears in the Wilderness." Ho quotes an interesting letter written by Labouchero in 18(J6, jast before Lard Randolph Churchill’s resignation, "air G. (Mr Gladstone) never can understand that the end justifies the means. ■Churchill beat him by boldly telling tho Orangemen to resist. 1 consider that this wicked act was the cleverest thing in his career.” In tho third “Supplementary Volume” of the "Dictionary of National Biography” just published, is a short memoir of Air E. H. Bernier by the late J. B. Atlay. Air Pember, who was a Q.C., was, X believe, an uncle of the Hon. W. Pember Reeves. He was a man of great literary taste and was the author of several volumes of graceful versa, of which, some years ago, he presented a set to the General Assembly Library,

Now Zealanders, especially Canterbury people, should take a special interest in a new book which is -at present receiving considerable attention in the Englisli literary journals. This is “Tho Note Books of ‘Samuel Butler." that eccentric mail of genius who wrote “Erewhon,” and for some time lived on a Canterbury sheep station. Mr Henry Besting Jones, a personal friend of Butler’s, - has related and edited tho extracts which exhibit Butler in a very pleasant light. Mr Jones promises to follow up the “Note Books" by a comprehensive biography of Butler. To tho “Note Books” I hope to allude more folly on some future occasion.

In a now hook on Stevenson, "Tho Robert Louis Stevenson Orignals,” published by Foulis, of Edinburgh, the author. Miss E. Blantyre Simpson, a relative of Stevenson’s comrade on the famous "Inland Voyage,” expresses the opinion, . X see, that “The Vailima family worship was a pose, but one which gave great satisfaction to his good mother." This is surely as silly as it is a cruelly unjust statement. Stevenson was hardly an orthodox follower of the faifeh and the church opinions of his father, but no one who has read his “Letters” can doubt that he was an forid, a truly religious man. It will take more than his latest biographer can say to make me believe him a hypocrite. :