1934-03-07 — Page 7

HONG KONG DAILY PRESS,

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 1934.

The Life And Works Of Augustine FLOWER SHOW DANCE DISPLAY

INTERESTING

Birrell

ADDRESS BY SIR WILLIAM

HORNELL

Distinguished Gathering At Helena May

Institute

A large gathering including the Colonial Secretary, Sir Thomas Southorn, K.C.M.G., K.B.E., and Lady Southorn, were present at the monthly meeting of the English Society at the Helena May Institute yesterday evening, when Sir William Hornell, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong delivered a very interest. ing and brilliant lecture on the life and works of Augustine Birrell."

The Hon. Dr. R. H. "Kotewall, C.M.G.. LL.D., was in the chair, while among those present were Hon. Sir Henry Pollock; Kt. K.C., Hon. Mr. Justice A. D. A. MacGregor, K.C., Hon. Mr. A. E. Wood, Professor R. K.. Simpson (Secretary and Treasurer), Professor Middieton-Smith, Professor L. Forster, Mr. Edgar Davidson, Mr. R. R. Campbell, Mr. G. P. de Martin, Mr. B. G. Birch, Mr. M. K. Lo, Dr. M. O. Phfister, Mr. N. L. Smith, Mr. H. C. Macnamara, Mr. M. F. Key, Rev. Dr. E. L. Allen, Mr. W. C. Felshaw, and Mr. P. S. Cassidy..

Sir William Hornell in opening his lecture stated:-

AUGUSTINE BIRRELL Augustine Birrell as com near Liverpool on the 19th January,

1850. His father was a Noncon- formist Minister of Scottish descent. His mother came from Scotland being the daughter of the Rev. Henry Gray of Edinburgh. At the age of 12 Augustine Birrell went to Amersham Hall School, Caversham. The proprietor of this school was one Ebenezer West, a puritan and an ardent admirer of Oliver Cromwell-one who was ⚫fond of wine but loathed tobacco. From school Birrell passed to Trinity Hall of which he became in 1879 an honorary fellow.

buildings of Dublin looked more

Birrell falled to excite the beautiful than I have ever known terest of his school fellows, but

Good Entries For To-day's Exhibition

The Annual Show of the Hong- kong Horticultural Society takes place this afternoon and from all accounts it would appear that the exhibition will be a huge success, The list of entries, in spite of the recent spell of bad weather, is encouraging and coupled with the time and attention devoted to the exhibition by the Committee, there is little doubt that this year's show will touch the same standard as in former years

Those who have seen the show. in former years will appreciate the high standard reached by the Hor ticultural Society here, while those who have not formerly visited the exhibition, should make it a point to do so, if only to see the beauti ful blooms and vegetables which Hongkong can produce.

The list of entries are as follows: --

Feak Section

..

By Pupils Of O'Keefe- Montgomery School

Ꮃ ᎪᎯ

There was a large attendance at the King's Theatre yesterday when the pupils of the O'Keefe-Mont- gomery School of Dancing gavo dn exhibition. The programme followed with keen interest by the huge audience and the frequent applauses testified to their appro- ciation of the various items present- ed

th

It was a pity that owing to the time linuit at the disposal "of those in charge of the exhibition, a few. items had to be dropped from the programme towards the end,

►

Opening with a song by Mrs. Bowes-Smith, the pupil, weat through the first part of the pro- gramme rapidly. The little ones revealed what careful ticing they had been through by the fact that when they appeared on the stage, there was no sign whatever of any interest in the audience. Miss Joan Ferguson, Miss Gloria Yee and Miss Yvonne. Martin contributed exce- lent solo dances here:

¿

10

in Midinettes" which brought the Some of the older girls figured

first part of the programme to a close. This was

item re-

To

Open Section Mra. O C. Borrett, Mr. A. H. Compton, Miss Mimi Compton, Mrs L. Dunbar, Mr. E. Des Voeux, Miss Miss Betty Pestonji's dance "Tota M. Ellis, Mr. J. W. Franks, Mr. I, Aragonesa" was the outstanding L. Goldenberg, Mr. Ho Kom Tong, item. She is an accomplished dan- Mre. R. E. Hoare, Miss Marggret cer and her contribution was Hoare, Hongkong Club, Lady Ho much appreciated that the audience. Tung, Helena May Institute, Miss demanded an encore which in-M. Loureiro, Mr. E, J. R. Mitchell, gracefully granted.

Mitchell, Lady Peel, Mr. S. H. Mrs. E. J. R. Mitchell Mis Pat them. There was no smoke and being encouraged by the late Sir no life. Everything was frozen George Radford in due course he! Ross, Ms F. W. Stapleton. Mr. E. with the immobility of terror. made up a little packet and sent J. de Souza, United Services Augustine Birrell stood on the it to Elliot Stock, a publisher Recreation Club, Mrs A. R. quiring plenty of team work and bridge and behind his glasses Stock printed 250 copies of the Wellington.

was brought off successfully. Those there were tears. Presently we first series of Obiter Dicta and

who figured in this presentation saw on the North Wall Quay sent 25 to the newspapers. The Mrs. C. B. Brown, Mr. H. Bell, were G. Yeo, I. Lao, L Chaug, two armoured cars which seemed book was acclaimed by the Press. Mr. J. D. Butcher, M. J. T. B. Blumenthal, W. Crosthwaite, Al. to be awaiting him and a rope Headmasters of Public Schools Bagram, Mrs. J. T Bagram, Mrs Read, K Fisher, P. Anslow, L. was thrown ashore. To myself quoted Obiter Dicta in their ser- G. D. R. Black, "Mr. H. B. L. Dunn, B. Pestonji, N. Kow, I. and others Birrell bade goodbye mans. The book was even read Dowbiggin. Mise Dowbiggin, Mr. Pestonji, and N. May. The dancing

"I do not know whether I shall with pleasure in the Master's Lodge L. S. Greenhill, Mrs. K. E. Graig, by these girls were a treat be alive to meet you again he at Balliol, the Master, Jowett, at Miss Greig, Mr. J. Scott Harston, watch: sald, but I will do my best." A tributing it (for the book was pub- Tang, Mrs. A. W. Hughes, Mr. W. tableau called "The Picture" and

Mrs. F. C. Hall, Sir Robert Ho.

The second half opened with a fusillade of shots followed his car lished anonymously) to a single as it went from the Quay to lady living in Clifton. The reviews. S. Koy. Matilda Hospital, Mr. Proved the medium by which the Viceregal Lodge."

sealed Birrell's fate as an author; A. S. MacKichan. Mr. E teacher could give the audience some As soon as he was assured by from then, to quote his own words, Newhouse, Mrs. A. B. Purves, idea of how raw material can be was called to the Bar in 1975 and General Maxwell that the rebellion he pursued "as an avocation, the Mrs Eldon Potter, Mr. M. J trained. It showed the youngest "started practice 23 an equity was over he came back to London pleasant path of periodical pub- Quist, Mr. J. B., Rose, Lady Pupils doing their first steps in the

draughtsman and conveyancer. He and resigned his office. "I became a Bencher, of the Einer sorrowfully" he told the House of Who's Who that his recreation Sanger, Mr. G. G. N. Tinson, Mr. up to the accomplished movements say lication". He always stated in Southern, Mrs. R. Sanger, Miss early stages of dancing tuition and Helen Sanger, Miss Eleanor led through the intermediate lessons Temple in 1903 and was Qualni Commons, that I made an untrue Professor of Law in

estimate of this Sinn Feln move- University

is the pursuit, as an avocation, M. S. J. Walsh, and Mr. E. b. C College, London, from 1896-1899.

ment". He bowed his head: his of periodical, publication something Wolfe In 1912 he was elected Lord Rector political career was at an end. unworthy of a man of letters Mrs: Borrett, wife of the General of the University of Glasgow.

Mr. Raymond Mortimer who I dont know nor do I care. But I Officer Commanding the Troops, Birrell married in 1888 Eleanor claims to be the only person under do know that Birgell, to quote Mr. has kindly consented to distribute Mary Bertha the daughter of forty outside his family who knew Raymond Mortimer again, was the prizes Frederick and Lady Charlotte Burrell well contributed to the "New saturated in the literature, politics. Locker, the latter being the daugh-

Statesman and Nation" of the 25th and theology of the Eriglish ter of Lord Elgin Byron's November last, an article entitled a eighteenth and nineteenth cen- the book reviewers. On" eneiny, who brought the marbles "Great Victorian." In this article turtes:" that he loved to speak as strength of a review I was from Athens to Bloomsbury. Fre- Mr. Mortimer concludes a very fafra Philistine about literary ques- enough the other day o buy for cher as Harlequine, Miss G. Martin "Harlequin and Columbine was another good item. Miss P. Scot- derick Locker who subsequently summary of Birrell's merits and tons, knowing perfectly well what much fine gold a book in which for took the name of Lampson and

limitations with this sentence:--

he was doing and that he proved 809 weary pages a tiresome young and "The Rival" revealed them, as Columbine and Miss. H. Martin became Frederick Locker-Lampson,

"Yet to his contemporaries he over and over again how much en-

woman dissected had appeared something of a diler lightened common sense could con- emotions. Birrell said in the nine-selves as a trio of very promising

her tedious tante certainly too much interested tribute to criticism. I admit with ties about book reviewing (and it

youngsters. in literature for a politician; too Edmund Gosse that Birrell divagat- is far worse now).

A brief demonstration of ball- much occupied with politics for. aed a great deal (what a dreadful man of letters”.

room dancing by Miss B. Pestobji word!), but I agree with Mr. Ray-

after the "Mazurka" in which there and Mr. S. A. Gray followed, and. mond Mortimer that his criticisms and blographical monographs de-

were no fewer than ten dancers light chiefly by their incidental comments.

came the grand finale where all the dancers appeared on the stage in dainty while dresses.

ан

Mr. Mortimer's statement as to the attitude towards Birrell of his contemporaries is perfectly true. Sir Buckston Brown, writing to the Times of the 27th November last, dismisses his old school friend's contribution to the world by saying that he should have spent his whole life,

# Ebrary." Incidentally Birrell was once seriously considered for the Leadership of the Liberal Party and the last word has not yet been written about the Irish Rebellion of 1916. But our business afternoon is with what Birrell did in his Library.

this

was the author of London Lyrics and a collector of books and ob jects of art, the collector in fact of the Rowfant Library Blizell loved his father-in-law; in 1905 he published an essay about him en- titled "A Connoisseur''. In this essay Birrell wrote:-

"He had friends everywhere, in all ranks of life who found in him an infinity of solace. It seemed as if he could not spare himself. I remember his calling at ray chambers one hot day in July when he happened to have with him some presents that he Was in course of delivering. Among them I noticed a bust of Voltaire and an unusually lively tortoise, generally half way out of a paper bag." Eleanor was the widow of Lionel Tennyson by whom she had two sons. tred Browning Stanley, and Chaies Bruce Locker. Alfréd "the goldenhaired Ally" of his grandfather's poem was a fresh- man with me at Trinity College, Oxford, and is all my oldest and dearest friend.

. Alfred married wood, published in 1898. He also Cecily Drummond, Eric Drummond's edited an eddition of Boswell's alster, and his eldest son James Life of Johnson and in 1898 he was my godsor and now a Lieutenant responsible for a two volume issue was out here last year as a mid-

of Browning's Poems. The rest of shipman in HMS. Berwick. One his published works were, with the of Birrell's two sons by his second

exception of some lectures which wife Eleanor is the irreverent but

he published on the Duties and delightful Francis.

Liabilities of Trustees, Essays. Addresses, Book Reviews-all more or less "Sayings by the Way"-

Obiter Dicta-which appeared in two series, the first in 1884 and the second in 1887 Res Judicatae (1892) Men Women and Books (3894) Copyright in Books (1899) Collected Essays (1900) Miscellanies (1901)

I WILL DO MY BEST

Was

was book-hunting.

"Everything is taken seriously in these grim days", wrote Mr. Birrell as long ago as 1894, "even short stories. There is said to be a demand for short stories, begotten amongst many other things, by that reckless parent, the spirit of the Age There is no such demand. The orie and only demand poor wearied humanity has ever made or will ever make of the story- teller, be be as long-winded as Richardson or as breathless as Kipling, is to be made self- forgetful for a season."

An author should according to Birrell think more of his Readers and less of the Reviewers. The

ONLY TWO BOOKS And I do want to start by re- minding you that Birrell only wrote two books, one was the life of Charlotte Bronte published in 1885 and the other the delightful study of his old friend, Sir Francis Lock-pen" he observes may in peaceful times be mightier than the sword, but in this matter of criticism of our contemporaries the tongue is mightler than the pen. should remember this."

William Hazätt (1902)

Andrew Marvell (1905)

In the Name of the Bodleian-

(1905).

More Obiter Dieta (1924) Et Cetera (1930)

In '1887 Birrell won a bye-election in West Fifeshire-a séat.which he retained till 1900 when he defeated för North Bast Manches- ter. In 1906 he was returned for North Bristol He was appointed President of the Board of Educa Won in Sir Henry Campbell-Ban- nerman's Cabinet. As such he produced "an Education Bill, the alm of which was to modify the status which the Balfour Educa- tion Act of 1903 had conferred on voluntary schools. The bill passed the Commons but was killed by the "I became an author" wrote Bir- Lords. In 1907 Birrell succeeded rell in 1922 in the Preface to the Bryce as Chlet. Secretary for Ire- three volume edition of his Collect- landa post which he held till the cd Essays and Addresses quite by fatal happenings of April 1916: | accident." I had never dreamt of Birrell was in London when on the such a thing." night of 20-21st April an attempt. was made to land arms 'at' Tralee and Sir Roger Casement was ar- rested. He was in London when the armed rising broke out in Dublla on Monday the 24th April On the following Monday." right Birrell crossed from Bollyhead to Dublin in a destroyer:

We stemmed up the Liffey" wrote Montague Smith in his obituary notice in the Daily Mall," in the sunlight of early morning. There seemed to be not a soul on the quays to wel- come the Chief Becretary. The

Some time in 1883 whilst pur- suing in Lincoln's Inn, after a dimmish but not wholly unre munerative fashion, the now des cayed profession of an equity draughtsman "and. conveyancer, it occurred to me that it would be a cheap amusement could. I persuade 'two old schoolfellows who had I knew like my self some manuscripts, which had been read aloud in friendly coteries to club together and print forpel- vate circulation one hundred copies of our selected lucubra tiona"

Authors.

UNPRINTED CRITICISM.

1.

the fool

"It is a trade thing.

Were a literary paper to have no ad vertising columns

do you sup- pose that it would review half the new books it does? Certain ly not."

upon

of the fully instructed and polished danseuse. Misa W. Croathwaite proved to be a very pretty pic ture."

Miss Pat Analow's Hungarian dance went down very well and it was a pity that pressure of time prevented her from giving the gathering a little more.

But does a man to whom reading means something really need new

Needless to add that there was a books? Certainly. Listen again to profusion of floral gifts to all, the common sense of Birrell:

participants after the show, which, "There is no silller affectation taken from every point of view than that of old-worldism. To was an aqualified success. rave about Sir Thomas Browne and know nothing of Wiliam Cobbett is foolish. To turn your strange subjects in odd" places; back upon your own time is sim- drunkenness and cock-fighting: ply to provoke living wags, with but also Deists, Mystics, Sweden- rudimentary but effective hu- borgians, Antinomians, Necessitar- mour, ta chalk

opprobrious ians, Anabaptists, Quakers, nascent epithets upon your person. But, heresles and slow-dying delusions; on the other hand, to depend villages divided into rival groups your contemporaries for and fiercely arguing the nicest literary sustenance, to be re-points in the aptest language. You duced to scan the lists of "Forth will read how John Wesley riding coming Works" with a hungry one afternoon out of Newport eye, to complain of a dearth of Poghell, met another serious man new poem, and new novels, and with whom he fell into conversa new sermions, is worse

than tion. How the serious man: WAS affectation-it, is stupidity."

uneasy to know whether Wesley. Frankly I find Birrell's divaga held the doctrine of decrees as he tions and flippancies inspiring. did and how Wesley said "We had Take the essay written in 1902 and better keep to practical things entitled "John Wesley Some A- lest we should be angry with one "The volume of unprinted czi-pects of the 18th Century in Eng- another; and how this truce last- ticism is immense" wrote Birrell land." "The eighteenth century ed for two miles, till the serious in 1894, and its force amazing, village", Mr. Trevelyan recently de- man caught Wesley unawares and Lunching last year at a chop-clared, "according to my fancy, dragged him into dispute before house I was startled to hear a was a more wholesome state. of he knew where he was; how the really important osth emerge society than the village of the serious man then grew warmer and from the lips of a clerkly-looking mediaeval serf on the one hand warmer and told me that I was man who sat opposite me, and and the present day city, where rotten at heart and supposed tirat before whom the hurried waiter dwell the millions divorced from I was one of John Wesley's follow had placed ·B chump-chop. mature and only very partially re- era". "I told him, No, I am John' "Take the thing, away" tried the deemed by education."

Wealey himself. You will gather man with the oath aforesaid,

REY, JOHN WESLEY and bring, me a lon-chop." Then

that the clergy of the Established Now our standard historians be- Church did not like Wesley's in- observing the surprise I could fore Trevelyan save indeed Lecky terference in their parishes. "He not conceal that an occurrence have dismissed Wesley curtly. was not a Nonconformist but a so trifling should have evoked an Certainly so far as I am aware, it brother Churchman. expression so forcible, the, man was Birrell who first introduced had he to be a peripatetic? : Field- What right muttered half to himself and half the reading, public of Britain to ing tells us of many parsons whose to me "There is nothing I hate "The Journal of the Reverend John views as to their responsibilities so much in the wide world as a Wesley, A. M. sometime Fellow of were distinctly latitudinarian But chump-chop' unless indeed it be Lincoln College Oxford". Now in Wesley seldom records any instance (speaking slowly and thought half an hour's easy reading you or gross clerical misconduct. fully) the poetry of Mr."

of ...may learn, how Wesley in his early one drunken párson he does in- And here the fellow unabashed manhood met "a serious man" who deed tellus and hes speaks dis- named right out the name of a said to him "Bir, you wish to serve approvingly of another whom he living poet who in the horrid God and go to Heaven. Remem-found one very hot day consuming phrase of the second-hand ber, you can not serve Him alone, a pot to beer in a lone alehouse: booksellers la much esteemed" You must therefore find compar by himself and some others. ions or make them: The Bible After this explosion of feeling knows nothing of solitary religion the conversation

us and how these words ever sounded "became frankly literary and I in Wesley's ears and how for forty contrived to learn in the course years he campaigned the three of it that this chump-chop häter kingdoms, travelling some eight was a clerk in an insurance office thousand miles every year, mostly and had never printed a line in on horse-back, and preaching an- his Bie."N

nually a thousand sermond You will and the England described in the Journal an England full of theology, queer folk discussing

between

Living as we do on this distant and barren island we are to some extent we must be in the hands of

"Fam bound to confess” writes but kindly feelings towards that Birrell, I have never had any thirsty ecclesiastic. What I Wesley rode by? Meditations wonder was he thinking of as Libres d'un Solitaire Inconnu Having read the Essay you will

unpublished."...enl agree with Birrell's conclusion, namely that

(Continued on Page 11).

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LENGTHS

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41

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