Litrature.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2170, 5 June 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

Litrature.

—We loam that Mr William Archer has in the pre«s a volume of essays in dramatic criticism, how of which have appeared in the periodical*, the others having been written for this work. —Mr Andrew Land's "Books and Bookmen " will be published by George J. Coombes in Now York at once. The initial letters, head und tail pieces, &c., are by G. R. LLilrn. After the dedication to Mr Ur.indiT Matthews, bejrinninir, " You took my vagroin essays in," there is a prefatory note by t>>e author, with a " B ill.ide of the Real und the Idi»al," and the envoy is a " Ballade of the Unattainable." The topics arc Literary Forperic*, Pavi«h Registers, Bookmou at Rome, Bibliomania in France, Book- bindings, Elzevirs, Some Japanese Boyie-books, and a Bookman's Purgatory. — We have reason to think that the lanre world of literatute and society which is intere-ted in the Greville Memoirs may hold ithelf in readiness for another surprise. The recent volumes of this work was prepared, it will be remembered, in the greatest secrecy, and nothing was heard of them till the publishers agent appeared in the "Row" with the bound copies. One possible advantage of this method is that no one has any opportunity to bring influence to bear to suppress any part — a desire that is the more conceivable ns the period treated in the Memoirs more nearly approaches the present time. — Mr George Moore's realistic novel, 11 A Mummer'n Wife," appears to be finding much favour with the Dutchmen. It is appearing aerially in the Vanderland, one of the principal Liberal journals, and the well-knowu review De Gids published long critical articles upon it in the Janaary and February numbers. A Dutch translation of Mr Moore's " Drama in Muslin " will appear simultaneously with the English volume, and the French translation, with a preface by M. Zoln, will be iet.ued by Charpenticr in April. —The works of Scott which Sir James Linton is about to illustrate in conjunction with Mr James Orrock are •• Redgauntlet," "Guy Mannering," " Marmion," and "The Lay of the Last Minstrel." If time permits the President proposes to paint two subject-pictures and three or four single -figure subjects of each. The exhibition of them will take place some time next year. — Some of our readers may racollect the excitement caused in Paris in the year 1869 by an individual throwing the contents of a bottleW ink over the splendid jrronp in front of the Opera, called •• Li Danse." The statue of Alcxandre Dumas, the famous novelist, has just undergone a similar outrage. " His statue in the Avenue de Villiers, Paris," writes a correspondent, "is at present covered from head to foot with a curious black liquid, the exict nature of which is doubtful. The authorities, .'however, hope that it will wash off, as the hubstance does not appear to be of a corrosive nature. The author of the outrage ha« not yet been discovered, though the police are under the impression that they have a clue to his whereabouts."