A LITERARY CORNER

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8343, 1 February 1913, Page 10

A LITERARY CORNER

EsQtcd by “Libor.” QUEEN VICTORIA'S DIARIES. To me, as a bookman, the most interesting passages in the recently punlished two volumes of Queen Victoria’s early diaries, “The Girlhood of Queen Victoria” (London: John Murray; Wellington, Whitcombo and Tombs) aro those in which tho young princess and,lator, tho young monarch, chronicles so unassumingly, so naturally, her literary tastes, predilections and opinions. Stories, and excellent stories they aro, about Lord Melbourne and others abound in these two handsome volumes, a contribution to English history, it may hero bo said, of the highest importance and value, but not tho least charm about this artless autohiograohical royal record is to bo found in the many references to tho young queen’s personal habits and tastes, and her views and opinions upon tho social customs of tho royal circle and of. London society of tho period covered, a period, I may say, commencing with tho Princess Victoria’s first visit to Wales, at tho ago of fourteen, and closing with tho Queen’s marriage to Prinoo Albert. In his preface to tho diaries Viscount Esher, who edited tho Queen’s “Letters,” and who now acts in tho same capacity with regard to tho Diaries, says: As a linguist, as a reader, and as a writer of letters and memoranda, sho had no pretensions to pre-emi-nence, but she could speak modem languages as well as any Quocn is called upon to do, she could read and appreciate high literature, although not without effort, and sho could express herself with pungency and vigour* although not with any marked literary skill or distinction of stylo There are some early references in tho “Diaries” to certain religious .books hut the confirmation stage onco passed, the Duchess of Kent evidently puidod her daughter’s literary taStea into a coarse of historical reading. I am glad to seo that the young princess made early acquaintance with what has always seemed to me a much neglected book, to wit, Snlly’s “Memoirs.” A course of Sully is, 1 may say, an admirable accompaniment of tact to Dumas’s delightful novels of tho Valo|a Cycle. ■ The future Queen seems to have been much impressed by the good old French chronicler. “To-day, sho Bays, ‘T read to Lohzen (hot governess) “out of Sully’a “Memoirs. It is wonderful when one considers how many years 'they have been written. Upwards of , three hundred years ago, and how modern and pure tho style is. His account of the horrible massacre of St. Bartholomew is' highly interesting as coming from tho pen of an eyo-wi tiees.” __ ■ Later on tho princess is reading Washington Irving’s Alhambra —a most entertaining book; it has amused mo very much” ; and soonwe^ “ thoroughly enjoying the Letters Madame Do Sevigno. H<w delighted Edward (“Omar”) Fitz Gerald ivimld havo been bad he knoTra that his '« dour Lady of the Bochers was such a favourite in high places. That there was no Puritanical restriction upon tho princess’s reading is shown by the tact (hat she chronicles a perusal, in French, of Mile. Lo Normand’s,. ; Mo.noirs of the Empress Josephine, which, although not one chromquo iicatulalouse throughout, does not exclude references to more than risky' episodes in tho life of tho beautiful Cfreole.

When she came to the throne, the Queen not only read a great more, but found pleasure in chatting with the faithful Melbourne upon her bookish preferences. Melbourne recommended Clarendon’s “ History of the .Rebellion,” and was broad-minded enough to approve of “Hume’s History.” In Shakespeare the Minister’s preferences were “Hamlet and Macbeth,” and ha is reported by the Royal diarist to have said: “ I think the German .critics understand Shakespeare better than wo ■do here.” Hia opinion of Schegel’s book in Shakespeare was very' high. The Minister, noticing a copy, of ‘The Arabian Nights,’ with illustrations (these would probably bo those of Harvey) took it up and said ‘ It was quite another book to the one ho was accustomed to read.’ ‘ A very amusing hook ’ was his verdict. He then read out some account of the Mohammedan customs given in the Notes, which “put hi™ j n to fits of laughter.” Tho “Notes” ■would, I expect, bo those of Lane. It would bo interesting to know what Melbourne would have thought of Sir Richard Burton’s annotations.' In fiction the young Queen read Bul■wer Lytton, Miss Edgeworth, and Dickens, whoso immortal “ Pickwick Papers,” I may remind my readers, appeared in tho year of her Majesty's accession. I/ytton’s vanity was a subject of common conversation in society circles, but tho tolerant Melbourne remarked : “ 1 think clever people generally have more of these weaknesses ithan others.” As a good Dickensian, 1 grieve, however, to noto that tho Prime Minister did hot appreciate “ Oliver Twist.” “ It is all about Workhouses, and Coffin-makers, and Pickpockets,” ho scornfully remarked to his Royal confidante. “ I don’t like that low, debasing style; it’s just like tho_ ‘Beggars’ Opera ’; I shouldn't think it ■would tend to raise morals; I don’t like that low, debasing view of mankind.” As a matter of' fact, tho realism of “ Oliver Twist” is honest and sincere; that of “The Beggars’ Opera” is covered with a veneer of sham romance. But lot my opinion pass. Tho Queen’s attitude was sensible enough. She recognised that Dickens was hitting out at evils which it were foolish to ignore and cover up. But though she had tho courage of her opinions—“ We defended ‘ Oliver ’ very much, but in vain ” —Melbourne was not to be convinced. “ It’s bad taste.” ho added, " which will pass away like any other. . . I don’t like these things, I wish >:> avoid them; I don’t like them in ■•erd.’ty, therefore I do not wish to see represented.” And then ho !-1 minty instanced Goethe and Schiller .«■; h'ing authors v?ho would have been ’ '’ cd by “ Oliver.” Bator on. in life, so it is well known, Queen Victoria was a wide and yet most discriminating reader. Some dnvshe hers'-”' may again be renr«wc;ited as an author, for at Windsor Castle, in addition to over a thousand volumes of letters written by or to her Majesty there are said to be preserved over a hundred volumes of her journals written in her own hand. But for tho Queen’s private opinions on, say, Peel, Gladstone, and Beaconsliold, on tho various great problems and international events of her long anil illustrious reign, wo shall have to wait a good many years. Meanwhile, the picture of her youthful life, as given in the two volumes edited by Viscount Esher, are deeply interesting. Willi some of tho literary preferences of her

Majesty I havo dealt above. But the' (volumes teem with references to the (Royal Family of her day, to princes land potentates who visited England, 'and to statesmen such as Melbourne and others, with whom sho came into close contact, and to tho beginning of that attachment which led to what proved to bo so happy a marriage. The glimpses afforded by these “Diaries” into tho more intimate side of court life not only make most entertaining reading, but they possess no small historical value. In every library winch contains a copy of Quocn Victoria’s “Letters” there should now bo placed the “Diaries,” A GUIDE TO THE MAORI LANGUAGE. Mr Henry M. Stowell (Haro Hongi) 'has the reputation of being probably more deeply versed in tho history and language ox tho noulo and ancient race with whom ho is so clocely allied by ties ■of blood than any other New Zealander, I* was, therefore, specially fitting that ho should have undertaken a task of ,such importance as that of compiling a handbook on the Maori language. In. ■an interesting prcfaco Mr Stowell informs us that tho work in question, i“ The Maori-English Tutor and Vade jMecum ” (Wellington; Whitcombo and Tombs) is tho result of three years’ close labour. Tho author claims that the efforts of certain previous writers of handbooks on tho Maori language -“are not altogether adequate to the scientific study of the subject.” This statement is not intended, ho says, to depreciate the merits of other works, but may be imagined as some reason for tho present production., Mr StowolTs aim has been to present a series of genuine examples of Maori, •beginning with tho simplest expressions and passing ■". long by tho most 'complex; to show tho real simplicity of the tongue, its scope, and at tho same timo its purity. There is but Rttlo real clialctio variation in Maori. Never is tho difference of tho least difficulty to the ordinary native. For actual dialectal changes ono must go to the various island centres of Polynesia, occurring within “a triangle running from Now Zealand and the Chatham Islands in a straight line to Easter Island, thcnco in a straight lino to tho Sandwich Islands, thence straight back to Now Zealand.” At Easter Island the speech of the natives is, says Mr Stowell, nearly pure Maori. Besides including a grammatical guide' to his Maori language, Mr Stowell’s book includes a series of most useful vocabularies, tho value of which to tho student, either of .Maori philology or ethnology, is greatly enhanced by notes which, in some instances, aro of such length and bo detailed as to bo virtually essays on the particular phaso of Maori lifo or variety of customs verbally illustrated. Examples, with English translations, are given of laments, and lovo ditties, and tho author’s detailed explanations of Maori marriage customs, systems of land tenure, the Maori idea of astronomy, tho season, and various natural phenomcnas not only display evidences of deep research, but will be found most interesting by many readers who do not specially desire to study tho Maori tongue. To do full justice to Mr Stowell’s work would take far more space than is at my disposal. Any purely critical consideration of a work, which, though of modest proportions, is clearly one of considerable importance, is beyond the capacity of this present writer, who must content himself by expressing the opinion that Mr Stowell has collected a wealth of philological and ethnological material of the highest value to all students of the language, customs, and traditions of the New Zealand aboriginal race. MODERN ETCHINGS AND MEZZOTINTS. Ifc is now some years now—to be exact, in 1002—that a special number of “The Studio” was devoted to “Modern Etching and Engraving.” The number was soon out of print, and copies aro now eagerly sought after by collectors, even at treble tho original price. Ten years having elapsed and there being such a distinct revival of interest in etching, it has .been deemed desirable to publish a second work on the same subject. The result is a fine folio volura of some 250 odd pages entitled “Modern Etchings, Mezzotints and Orypoints” (“Tho Studio” Office) edited, as was tho volume in 1902, by Mr Charles Holmo. This new “Studio Extra,” published as a Special Winter Number, contains over 200 examples ol tho recent and best work, not only of the most famous British masters of the etcher’s are, men such as Frank Brangwyn, D. Y. Cameron, Sir Alfred East, Leo Honkoy, Alfred Hartley, Axel Haig, E. E. J. Bush, Wm. Monk, and many others, but representatives of tho art as it is practised in tho United States, France, Germany, Holland, Austria and Sweden. None of the examples, it should be noted, have hitherto appeared in any art periodical, and several were specially executed for reproduction in tho number in question. In view of such a bewildering wealth of examples of what is one of the most dignified, graceful and delicate forms in which artistic taste and expert craftsmanship can bo manufested, it is difficult to make a selection for special conTmendation, but wore wo fortunate enough to be allowed a choice from tho originals wo should vote for Brangwyu’s noble “Breaking up of H.M.S. Duncan,” ono of Sir Alfred East’s boldly suggested light and shade studies; a delightful girl’s head by W. Leo Honkey and a mezzotint (“Corfe Castle”) by Albany E. Howarth. Amongst tho Frenchmen Auguste Lepero and Eugono Be jot aro specially well represented, and a coloured study by the incomparable Steinlein should also bo noted. A striking advance, as compared with the work reproduced ten years ago, is displayed by the American group, and a beautiful nude by Anders Zorn iu tho Swedish section also demands special mention. Mr Malcolm Saloraan contributes _ a general introduction and a special critical article, by an expert authority, precedes each section. Published at the very reasonable price of iivo_ shillings net (English price), this Special Number of “The Studio” should have a widespread popularity. Discerning art lovers should make a point of securing a copy before the issue is exhausted, as it is bound to bo very speedily. THE DECEMBER STUDIO. Tho cosmopolitan range of tho “ Studio ” as an art magazine receives l , quite marked exemplification in tho December issue. To Great Britain, however, is awarded tho honour of first place in the order of tho articles, Norman Gastin contributing an _ exhaustive critical survey and appreciation of the work of that clover pair of artists, Harold and Laura Knight, both represented, it may bo remembered, in our Wellington permanent collection. The illustrations include reproductions in colour and half-tone of some of Mr Knight’s delightful interiors and figure studios, Mrs Knight being represented by coloured illustrations of two sea beach studies and by two monochrome figure studies of great charm. A largo picture by Mrs Knight was recently purchased f>)r the Canadian National Gallery at Ottawa, and ono of

her husband's pictures has gone rto the South African National Gallery at Capetown. Other articles include a description of the ibousa and studio of J''erdinand Khnoff, 'a well-known Belgian artist; an account of tho Viennese Arts and Crafts Exhibition; a note on the work of a Czech painter, Rudolf Bern; and a study of " The Old and New Schools of Japanese Painting." " Studio Talk" includes letters from Toronto, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, and Madrid. In addition to six coloured supplements, there are many full-page plates in half-tone and tho usual abundance of illustrations in tho text.