ful comedies; Duke Elimar of Oldenbourg (born 1844), who writes under the pseudonym of A. Guenther, also a successful playwright; and of olden times King David, Emperor Nero and many others.

*

on

Georg Brandes, the famous Danish critic, whose valuable work Shakespeare has created much comment in the literary world and met with well deserved appreciation, has written a work on Poland, which has recently been published in Danish and in an excellent German translation, of which an English

translation will doubtless make

an appearance soon. Brandes is a sharp observer and astute critic, and has laid down in this interesting new book, his personal observations and investigations during his frequent and prolonged stays in Russian Poland. He analyses the deepest problems of the social and literary conditions, and follows the most characteristic traits of the Polish people back to their true origin. In the brilliant manner of his, he describes their good qualities and their faults, their unbounded love for freedom and their patriotism, and their struggles against the Russian yoke. The brutalities of the Russian censure and the incessant endeavors of the Russian government to crush their political and literary individuality are equally frank and knowingly described. The second part of the work is devoted to an

*William Shakespeare. A critical study by George Brandes. Translated from the Norwegian by William Archer. 2 vols. Smo. cloth. Price $7.20.

A copy of the first edition of Burns' Poems was sold at auction in Edin

burgh in February last for $2,920! It was published in 1786 at the price of nine pence! The edition of only 600 copies was soon exhausted, and Burns' poems became quickly so popular that these copies were soon read to pieces, consequently a perfect copy is to-day of the greatest rarity. This particular copy was found about 30 years ago by a widow among the books of her late husband and offered for sale by her through the columns of a local newspaper. A collector of Broughty Ferry bought it for $42.50 and sold it in 1880 for $300 to A. C.

Lamb, Esq., of Dundee, whose heir received the aforementioned large amount. Burns himself realized from the first edition of his poems the royal sum of $100.

It is probably not generally known that the oldest quarto edition of Shakespeare's plays were not printed from his manuscripts, but from stenographic copies taken during the performances. This explains many of the mistakes and errors in the separate first quarto editions compared with the first authorized folio of 1623. These curious facts have been made of late the object of special studies by Mr. Kurt Derwischeit, an authority on stenography and a profound Shakespearian student. He has found that the shorthand system, used by these copyists, was that of Timothy Bright (born 1550), the author of the first English book on shorthand, published in 1588. In connection herewith it may be of interest to our readers to mention that there are over 500 different English shorthand alphabets. first three English authors who published books on shorthand being Bright (1588), Willis (1602), and Shelton (1650). The latter's system is the one in which Samuel Pepys wrote his Diary.

The

Heinrich Heine, the great German lyric, whose book of songs has been translated into almost every language, is probably the mostly "set to music" poet in the world. There are no less than 3,000 different musical compositions of his poems, whilst

Goethe follows next with with 1700. Heine's poem, "Du bist wie eine Blume" heads the list, being set to music by 170 different composers; then follow, "Leise zieht durch mein Gemueth" and "Ich hab im Traum geweinet," each 83 times and the famous "Lorelei," 37 times.

Apropos Heine, who has built for himself a lasting monument in the afore-mentioned "book of songs is at last to have a material monument erected to his memory in Greater New York. The "Lorelei " fountain, a beautiful work of art by Professor Herter of Berlin, originally modelled for Düsseldorf, has long enough been going begging for a place of rest. After having been rejected in Germany through the narrow-mindedness and servilitude of German officials, who condemn the great poet for his liberal views and his freely expressed disdain of princes and monarchical overbearance, it had to suffer from the prudishness or envy of certain New York critics who opposed its erection in Central Park. Now it seems that the Commissioners of Bronx Park are more liberal-minded, and it is to be hoped that the proposed erection of this beautiful monumental fountain in Bronx Park will soon become a reality.

A new edition of Heine's works, translated by C. Godfrey Leland, the author of the famous Hans Breitmann's Ballads, has just been published in London, 8 volumes 12mo. cloth. cloth. Price $14.00.

Mr. Ambrose Bierce has just published a new edition of his "In the Midst of Life. Tales of Soldiers and Civilians." They contain descriptions of battle somewhat similar to those in Mr. Stephen Crane's more recent "The Red Badge of Courage," though it is doubtful if Mr. Crane had read the book before writing his well-known novel. In America some of Mr. Bierce's admirers consider his work superior to Mr. Crane's. Mr. Bierce, who won his spurs in literature in California, and at one time did work for comic papers in London, is now living in New York, whence he came to join the editorial staff of one of the popular dailies.

Mr. Stephen Crane, who is at present in England, has been devoting himself partly to the writing of poetry, for which he is even less known in England than in America. A year before publishing "The Red Badge of Courage" Mr. Crane brought out, through the Boston firm of Copeland & Day, a curious little volume, called "The Black Riders and Other Other Lines." The verses, if verses they could be called, were more unconventional in form than the poetic utterances of Walt Whitman, but many of them were original and dramatic. Though the Nation, of New York, and a few other journals praised the book, it apparently made so little impression that, when "The Red Badge of Courage" became popular, very few of its readers discovered that the two volumes had come from the same hand. Mr. Crane has since published more verses in the American periodi

odals, chiefly in the whimsical little magazine called the Philistine, which "hails" from the little town of East Aurora, New York. But they do not, all of them, come up to the best work in "The Black Riders." In America Mr. Crane's more recent books have not repeated the success of "The Red Badge of Courage.' His later work, "The Third Violet," was severely treated by the Press in the United States, and "George's Mother" quite failed American readers, while on the whole Crane's works are being more appreciated in England.

attract

A copy of Audubon's monumental work on "Birds and Quadrupeds" was recently sold at auction in New York for $1,100. It had belonged to the estate of Aaron Raymond and consisted of the folio plates of the birds, the two smaller volumes of plates of the quadrupeds and eight volumes of text.

Announcement is made of the early publication of a volume entitled, "Faith and Doubt in the Poets of the Century," by R. A. Armstrong, of Liverpool. The compiler was probably encouraged for his work by a similar volume, entitled "Voices of Doubt and Trust," which was published in this city about a year ago and met with much appreciation. Mr. Volney Streamer, author also of two other very interesting compilations, "What Makes a Friend" and "In Friendship's Name," was, if we are not mistaken, the first one to attempt a collection of poems expressing a soul's search for truth,

Marie Corelli's antecedents have always appeared more or less enshrouded in mystery, and form a subject for frequent discussion. She is said to be of mingled Italian and Scotch parentage and was adopted in infancy by Charles Mackay, father of Eric Mackay, the famous poet of the "Love Letters of a Violinist." Of late however the rumor circulated that she is of Irish extraction. The popular young author is at present getting a good deal of advertising in English papers on that account and through her controversy with W. P. Ryan, author of a book called Litererary London, wherein this ungallant critic has classed her among those authors who could not be taken seriously. Mr. Smithers, the publisher, having been threatened with legal proceedings, wrote an open letter of apology to Miss Corelli and withdrew the sale of the book. Mr. Ryan, the author, however defies the anger and threats of Miss Corelli and promises to publish his book himself in spite of her.

Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett, the famous author of that famous book, "Little Lord Fauntleroy," has recently been divorced from her husband, Dr. Swan M. Burnett, a well known occulist in Washington, and has been permitted to resume her maiden name of Hodgson. We

hope that this will not interfere with her literary work.

In a little circular, announcing "The Regicides," a tale of early Colonial times, by Fred. Hull Cogswell, the publishers make the statement that "this romantic episode is here treated for the first time in fiction." And this same statement is also made by the critic of the Northwestern Christian Advocate. This is not quite correct. There was published in 1853 (and several times reissued since) a historical novel in German by that famous German writer, Johannes Scherr (died 1886), called "Die Pilger der Wildness," which treats of exactly the same historical episode; many characters and scenes being the same in both books. Still both books are materially very different, the older German novel being on a very much larger scope and taking in the story of Miles Standish, King Philip, as well as that of Spanish and French Filibus ters and other interesting historical facts. In correcting the above statement, we are, however, far from wishing to reflect upon the originality and worth of Mr. Cogswell's story, but must say, that we have read it with great satisfaction and pleasure, and that it is an excellent, very interesting and very well written American story. The early times. of our country have until lately, been rather neglected by our novelists and any efforts in this direction, particularly if so well carried out as Mr. Cogswell's, must therefore be heartily welcomed.

THE BOOKWORM.

An exceptionally interesting novel which we are much tempted to place alongside "The Hon. Peter Stirling," although its social sphere is a very different one, is "The General Manager's Story."(*) The author, Mr. Herbert E. Hamblen, who wrote some time ago as a result of his former sea life, under the nom-de-plume of Frederick Benton Williams, "On Many Seas," an excellent book, wherein he pictures most realistically the hardships and dangers of a mariner, has, after having retired from the sea, taken up the calling of a locomotive engineer. As the first fruit of his new sphere in life he has now given us in his new book an excellent picture of railroad life. The details show the able pen of "one who knows." His portraiture His portraiture of railroad men is excellently characteristic and, even in their talk, true to life, without any exaggeration. The hero of his book, like the "Honorable Peter Stirling," sans peur et sans reproche, is a good type of an energetic man, who climbs the ladder from brakeman to locomotive engineer and thence to general manager of a big railroad system, which he reforms from one on the brink of ruin to a strong and powerful one. The story is full of stirring incidents and has all qualities to become one of the most popular books of the year.

de

When a novelist turns critic, the result is often unsatisfactory, yet mostly interesting, but his remarks are usually received with suspicion. In the case of George Gissing, however, who has just published a critical study of Charles Dickens,(*) we must confess, that he has produced a really interesting, readable and valuable book. There is certainly no lack of estimates of this great exponent and analyser of human character with its foibles and follies, and of the petty joys and miseries of lower middle class life. Dickens and his work is, or ought to be, thor oughly familiar to the English and American readers; yet this new addition to Dickens-literature serves to find a foremost place. It is sure to find many appreciative readers, and even to make new friends for Dickens' inimitable works. Gissing himself shows in his novels very much of the tendencies of Dickens, dealing with much the same aspect of life, although his realism is more stern and bitter than Dickens, even morbid, and not relieved by the latter's irresistible humor. Although Gissing uses his critical eye and mind not unsparingly, yet not unjustly, we are forced to believe from the enthusiasm, sincerity and hearty admiration which he exposes and applies in treating with his subject, that in reading

* Charles Dickens. A Critical Study by George Gissing. 12mo. board covers. Price $1.50. By mail $1.68.