BOOKS
THE BATTLE OF THE BOOKS.
in
GREEK LYRICS.
WRITER'S RIGHTS.
THE CHINA MAIL.'
Professional scribes are being. deprived of many of those time honoured illustrations which for years have been among their stock-in-trade.
One of the most popular of these has long been the ostrich that hides its head in the sand.
The 'pedants point out that no ostrich known to natural history has ever done such a thing, that it is one of the wariest birds known to ornithologists, and that harassed as it is by beasts of prey. it would long since have become as extinct as the Dodo had it ever been so foolish as the legend sug- gests. Why, however, should a
BOOKS.
DE LA MARE ANTHOLOGY,
When it was learned that Walter de la Mare was making a collection of rhymes and "poorus for the young of all ages one anticipated a highly
SATURDAY APRIL 5 1974
Lads blush or Goselinge colour or Marigold or Isabel' Peas Porridge" taway or Fopingay" blew or Lusty gallant, but they wore certainly not "A Judas colour, Dovil in the hedge, or Dead Spaniard.
lections themselves it was to be ax- That is a she plc. nhảy for the te-
Probably there is no other word in the English language that con- veya a greater and a more varied meaning than that of Books. Be sides reminding us of the books individual and charming compila-peted that de la Mare would re- we have known and loved, it also [tion. The anticipatkan has not throws the mind back to ancient been disappointed. Alec Buckels history, and the records handed has beautifully embellished Mr. de down' to us on Babylonian bricks la Mare's tweasury with wood- or Egyptian papyrus. It was said cuts the most Hating, und de by St. John, some two thousand Mare has himself richly embellish. years ago, that if all the books it with an alege they original in had been written which might troduction and subjoined, notes treated in a new mammer), - The have been written upon a parti- book is more than a mere selection cular subject, the world itself of posus, it is, in it's own way, as could not contain them.. If the fascinating an expression of de la world could not have contained Maros personality as any of his them two thousand years ago, poems or stories
We have to read these poems in a book, but we should see behind its pages the scenes in which they were born. Here, as always at its greatest, Greek literature is close-regard for mere facts interfore what would have been the condi- with the appropriate utilisation: tion of affairs since the introduc. of this almost priceless similetion of printing? which has served its purpose "so faithfully throughout the ages?
Ariosto wrote his great poem in Italian, because by writing in Latin "he thought he could not attain to the highest place of praise, the same being before ly connected with national life; occupied by divers, and especially and unless we remember that Virgil and Ovid." Milton, a cen-
these poems are not mere flowers tury later, alleges the same reason for his choice of the English of the study, but rooted in every
day life we shall not understand tongue, although patriotiin had ique weight with him as with the vitality of the Gres; there Ariosto, and he, too, was willing lyric. Most of the poems hitherto to enrich his own language with red were written for a single Ringer. But the strong corporate such writings as might make life of Greek communities gave a more acenunt with other field to hymns, odes, and other nations," Yet a century later..
poems, composed for choirs to and Gray's early ambitions Desing on the occasions mentioned ferred the Lalin before his native above. Dryden's Odes for St. tangue, while even the author of Cecilia's Day are exact parallels: the English Dictionary could not The type has never flourished be induced by the united supplica with us, though Wales, with its tions of his friends to write Gold local eisteddfodau, is a soil where smith's epitaph in the language of it might well grow. But in which he was the greatest living Greece the choral ode became an master: So slowly did the native important branch of lyric poetry, speech of Shakespeare vindiente and developed very elaborate its right to appear on occasions of
metrical patterns. ceremony, in its own country..... In the time of Elizabeth the attempt was made to impose on English poetry, the despotism of classical models, and was success fully and decisively resisted. The
tide of the Renaissance reached those shores
late. HU
and
came
last with such overwhelming suddanness, that before purely classical learn ing huul time to establish itself in secure mastery a crowd of newer models. Italian farces and romances, French essays and sacred poems, came huddling on its heels. In the two topics of
1
-R. E. Livingstone, in "The Pageant of Greece.'
|
Then there is the case of Nelson
But
the
placing the telescope to his blind ese, an allusion absolutely indis- ponsable to authors in search of a ready. illustration. pedants declare that this is as baseless as Wellington's "Up, Guards, and at 'em!" which we know he never said, because it was not the Guards but the 52nd Light Infantry who broke the French charge at Waterloo. But are we writers to be the slaves of historical necuracy? Does the artistic sense count for nothing?
There is also the case of Napoleon calling us a "nation of shopkeepers," The real author of the epigram, we are told, was Adam Smith, but who cares about | Adam Smith when it can be attri- buted to Napoleon?
We are similarly menaced with
1
store to my old ballade, catchos and madrigals, would include much work derivative, therefrom, and that his hazel wand would point out many a nugget of forgotten gold. From Fraces Thompson he has choses a part of The Mistress of Vision, and, beside that, only the exquisite leysages-casily to have been overlooked by any other anthologist. ⚫ Rupert Brooke's Doubts." that follows it, is an other case in point.
Thre
chooses from all poet his
great Compeers. In 3. most every cuse his choices have the charm of "discovery!" For proof of this; read Thabnur them; even though many Story of This Book, which intro of the prems are world-famous. duces the groups of poets, conten A to his selection of American pinte the section headings--such
"To & Waterfowl," Reber Frost's GluLmY Grove,"
The Runaway, Julia Ward Bright wist Shut-A, Reho Then Flaw's Battle Hymn of the Rr. Shall Agill Her I Follow
Lengfeilowa "Twilight" dip into the manasu comunemy PO's "Amiboj Les,” The upon the pons included in About Itaven, un Royadubant.**
Records of different nationali-quoted titles na "Like Stars Upon poetry, it is confined to Bryant's |
ties are being continually dis- covered and printed, and there are
Sone
Lily
Mr. de la Mare's is the only poo try antheory of recent times that
we can prophesy will become a clas-
But we make that prophecy. Como Hither! By Wulfer de la
few things more fascinating than the knowledge they reveal of ancient history and the mainers
The Hunted Palace," ples. and customs of the ancient peo-
and To Ticlen," Lizette Reese's The story of the book relates howLyd is Gone This Many a Recent explorations have greatly added to our knowledge the author of the anthology, as Year," and Elinor Wylie's "Velvet of the past, and probably, when boy, sei cut for Fast Dene, discov Shops these aside from pooms some of the Eastern peoples have cred the house of Thus, grew sequoted in the notes. settled down to peaceable pursuits quainted with Miss Tisine, and instead of national war and strife, explored Mr. Nishin's tower is we shall have given to us from Mr. Nahum's books and pietress. sie.
covering infinite treesive-crove in the sands of Asia and Africa, re- From chick home-made-looking cords and information which will volumes covered in greenish chaare.) astonish the world, for it, as Dr. grown he is supposed to have enged Keith states, this world has prob- out heany poems the portrs ku- ably been inhabited for some cluded in this book. With a little fifteen millions of years it is to be ingenuity the reader will solve the hoped that records of its peoples' angos made of the nunies of! lives and habits exist, and that in people and places montioned in this some way they have been pre-introduction. He will umvel the
Mrs. Beatrice Kean Seymour, ment allegory of Earth, Hinman Na- ture, Natural Science and all the author of "The Hopeful Journey" rest of it. But the tale of the an- began her career at the age of thology's inception is so delightful-seventeen as a teacher of short- ly told in itself that the anagrams hand in a London business college.
served.
-Joseph Shuylor,
accomplished fact rather than by regard to William Tell and the in "Sixty Years a Bookman.". the arguments of their opponenta.apple. The pedants and pedago-
......
It is enay, after all, to run to excess in identifying the cause of the Moderns with that of science, exict scholarship, and progress. There was a certain virtue also in the literary men of
fashion who settled the authenti- city of a text with the wave of a lace ruffle. The Augustan age, lo
give it its own proud name, did much for English letters....... better part; but our civilization,
gues tell us that there is no truth in this story, and that it was a
Swiss legend a thousand years before Tell slew the tyrant Gessler. It will be noted that they admit that William Tell existed. If William, why not his son? And if his son, why not the apple? A mere denial of this kind can hardly be allowed to militate of such obvious literary value.
Cinderella, these idol-breakers tell us, never had a glass slipper. They say that glass was a mis- translation for "fur"-as if any
1
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do not much matter,
NOTES.
She afterward became secretary to a solicitor and then to a news paper proprietor. Her first novel, "Invisible Tides," was begun when she was nineteen, but it took her a year and a half, working in her spare time, to finish it. She mar-
If The Story of This Book" may be pulled the upper-crust of Cinderella that over married a prince would wear a fur slipper! this peacock pie, thon About and King Alfred nover burned the Roundabout* is the spicy under cakes, Bruce never watched the crust. In these notes are many spieler.. Canute, never defied the planus of odd information, statens waves, Cleopatra did not die from of peculiar song, fragments of old the bite of an asp, Belisarius was ballads, many a shrewd, hincs never blind and never a beggar and inspired comment. The note
pedantic kill-joys.
for instance, a page long, wherein is quoted Thornbury's description 1915. But what writer with or withof on Elizabethan bride; with de out a name can afford to believe la Mare's own "aside them?
REVIEWETTES.
Cure of Souls." By May Sin- clair (Hutchinson, 88. 8d.). Canon Chamberlain was like the lilies of the field, but a-lily likely to develop a tummy. As a study in parsonical selfish- ness and self-indulgence, the book is a warning, even to the
· laity.. "Gerald Cranston's Lady"; A
Romance. By Gilbert Frankau (Hutchinson, 70. 6d.).—The lady's husband, jaunty Gorald, is no gentleman. He makes love and money: he makes money best.
"One at a Time." By R. S. Hooper (The Bodley Head, 65.)—Agreeable and thor oughly amusing essays by "Simple Simon" of "Eve." Not such a fool as he signs himself, this Simon! And has a pretty wit, "Faithful Philanderers." By Basil
Macdonald Hastings, (John Long, 7s. 6d.).---Coruscating and comic. All the ingrediente for a not-too-French French farce. Epigrams ooze from Hastings like,otto from roses, The Rod Lodge." By Victor
Bridges. (Mills and 'Boon, 78. 6d.)Bridges at his best. A good healthy yarn with an athletic hero and a plucky heroine, a polished villain and several scoundrels in the rough. Scotland Yard has a look in. Victor is fair to everybody.
has a daily route of twenty-five miles to cover, has written a book of "The Flors and Folklore of Shakespeare." Mr. Savage began to earn his own living at the age of thirteen, but he continued his education with the aid of the local clergyman. His two chief inter- ests have been Shakespeare and botany. He procured a large plot of ground and made a Shakes- peare garden, where he collected and classified practically all the plants mentioned in the works of the great poet, with the exception
side specimens. He also accumu-,. lated a library of 700 volumes on botanical subjects and spent years in compiling the notes from which his book was written.
fiercest debate, the observance of Doubtless we have chosen the against the use of an illustration all these things they tell us, these on the catch which is poem, 353 15. vied William Kean Seymour in of the commonest field and way
the conventions of the classical drama and the introduction, of classical quantitative measures, the Elizabethan party of the Ancients was defeated by the in "Some Authors.".
on the broad basis of our new-
found hopes, is yet to be achieved.
Sir Walter Raleigh,
.
-C. S. S.
*
Mr. Frederick George Savage of As for the silkter ribands 'they nay.ve been of Drakes colour or Stratford-on-Avon, a postman who
3
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"SAFETY LAST'
Dedicated to the cause of LAUGHTER
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BEGINNING SUNDAY TILL TUESDAY
A Spectacular and Artistic Production of Tears and Smiles
Pola Negri
THE EMOTIONAL ACTRESS
"Mad
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The story of Eva Lee is the drama of “The Woman Who Fool. ed Herself," the Edward A. Mae- Manus-Associated Exhibitors fea- ture showing at the World Theatre Two Americans and a Spaniard soon. It was written by the well sut around a table discussing big known screen author, Charles A. business and ways and means: Louge, and co-feature May Allison Then Eva Lee came into view and Robert Ellis. It was made in golden haired, blue-eyed, pink-the beautiful city of San Juan, cheeked, vivacious Eva. The Porto Rico, and therefore offers Spaniard grabbed the arm of one some new und particularly beauti- of his companions.
ful scenery.
"If you can get beautiful crea- ture down to my country our acheme will never fail! Blondes create the most domestic trouble in the tropies." But getting Eva was not such an easy matter. Eva was a chorus girl, late of the.. Follies and now late with the rent; but even though a little abort of cash, Eva steered cleared of any thing that savoured of scandal or Intrigue. So they offered her a big figure to dance in a cabaret in the tropics—and Eva accepted.
ין
,
FLORENCE, REED.
FINDS HINDU OCCULTISM. INTERESTING.
They
by the manner in which pagan idols held the Hindus. qctually believed that pieces of wood and clay could perform the miracles ascribed to it, and wor- shipped daily at their respective shrine. Miss Reed of course, could see through the duplicity. practised on the credulous natives, but, the subject was so interesting she made an exhaustive study to be the better equipped to portray the American girl hypnotized by Oriental mysticism.
"I never enjoyed playing a part, as much as I did in "Indiscre- | tion," or "Eternal Mother" she said when interviewed by news- paper men. "Perhaps it was be- The occultism preached by the cause I was interested so much in Hindus has ever been an interest the occult, but at any rate I ing topic, for it delves into things derived real pleasure in appear- spiritual in an elaborate, if ing in a story, so tense în situa- mystifying, manner. It was little tions, and so human in its enact- wonder then, when Florence Reed ment. "Then, too, I had as co- was engaged to play the role of stars two auch brilliant-actors as Laura West in the "Pioneer | Gareth Hughes and Lionel Atwill, That, for Eva, was the begin- Classic," or "Eternal Mother," and since all of us were given ning of a new episode in her life" "Indiscretion," which rotated parts suitable to our particular which was to prove the turning | about this subject, that she began fields, the result was most satis- .point. She had enacted, make-reading up on India and its factory. I sincerely believe this
believe drama for others and was legends.
is one of the best pictures 'I've to live her own drama.
Miss Reed was held spellbound ever done."
FLORENCE REED
In her Greatest Dramatic Spectacle
INDISCRETION
OR
ETERNAL MOTHER
'with LIONEL ATWILL and GARETH HUGHES THE GODDESS of EMOTION
In The Biggest Feature Photoplay
of Her
Career.
WORLD Theatre Coming Soon
Husband and wife make first screen appearance together in romance written by Charles A. Logue and filmed in beautiful Porto Ricu.
"THE WOMAN WHO FOOLED HERSELF'
May Allison and Robert Ellis One day she said she loved him i The Next day she left him 1.
The third day she said her love was a lie-told him spe had played with his love!
But no woman could fool him i
1
She had made him want her-and what he wanted: he took !
He warned her of the hour of midnight! What happened to the woman who fooled only; herself when she toyed with love?