218
NOTES AND QUERIES. [ii s. i. MAR. 12, 1910.
decessors since the foundation of the Empire. !
' The Fall of Yuan Shih-Kai,' by Messrs. L. F. j
Lawton and H. Hobden, includes several important |
details concerning the present state of China and
its relations with Japan. ' Black Bread and
Blatchford,' by " Journalist," is a well-written
and sensible expose of two prominent features in
the recent elections. The writer points out that
the popular newspaper has never been so potent
in forming local opinion in politics as now, and
throws proper scorn on the preposterous character
of its contents. A few more journalists of his
calibre on the press would be a Godsend. ' Arthur ,
Schnitzler,' now at " the summit of the Austrian
drama," is the subject of a capable paper by
Mr. H. B. Samuel, which includes summaries of
some of Schnitzler's best-known plays. Ethel
M. de Fonblanque has derived from the Foscolo
MSS. at the Labronica Library at Leghorn mate-
rials concerning ' The Italian Circle at Holland
House.' Ugo Foscolo was not altogether a
success in England, nor can we wonder after
reading this article. Mr. R. C. Long in a study of
' Piotr Arkadievitch Stolypin ' tells us much of
the misfortunes of modern Russia. A newspaper
was started in 1907 with the aim of securing the
attention of the Government. No fewer than
six of its editors were thrown into gaol without
trial for three months. " Finally, for an article
signed by one contributor last December, the
Government ordered six contributors to be
thrown into gaol " for a similar term. Meredith's
' Celt and Saxon ' is continued, and is full of
the master's aphorisms. Mr. Francis Gribble
writes on ' Lamartine and Elvire,' the latter being
no imaginary nymph, but the young wife of an
elderly aeronaut. Mr. G. S. Street has some
pleasant impressions of ' A Visit to Bohemia,'
and tells us incidentally that he has given up
novel-writing because "it is unpleasant to involve
in one's trade things seen and done in the pursuit
of one's private pleasures and likings." The
number, an excellent one* ends with a full account
of the fuss which preceded * Chantecler ' and the
play itself, which Mr. John F. Macdonald regards
as a masterpiece.
The National Review is full of outspoken comments on politics, the Empire, and German commercial tactics. The Review takes great liberties in the way of ascribing motives to various prominent politicians. " Amateur " has an amus- ing account of ' Canvassing in the Country ' ; and Mr. A. Maurice Low makes ' American Affairs ' interesting to the ordinary reader. The best article, however, is that by Miss Alice Sedgwick on
- Anthony Trollop e.' It is an admirable estimate
showing unusual knowledge of Early Victorian fiction. There has been an undoubted revival of Trollope's Barsetshire novels, and it might wel be extended to others of his writing not known to the present generation.
IN The Cornhill Dr. A. Vernon Harcourt tells us much of interest concerning ' The Oxforc Museum and its Founders,' among whom Dr Daubeny and Henry Smith were conspicuous Men of science had in those days, we gather, a pleasant gift of classical quotation which they do not possess nowadays. It is difficult to realize the fierce attacks made in those days on science which was the Cinderella of learned subjects Mr. H. Warner Allen gives the impressions of an
eyewitness of ' The Seine in Flood.' Mr. Claude
E\ Benson has in ' The Arrow that Flieth ' a very
ingenious murder mystery, the secret of which
may escape- even the expert in such fiction. The
Later Letters of Edward Lear,' introduced by
'anon Selwyn, show his invincible good nature
nd kindliness. They are not, however, in
tumour equal to his best nonsense, and the
ancy spelling does not strike us as very funny.
" Fresh " and " Overday," ' by Mr. W. J.
Batchelder, is an entertaining narrative of rivals
n love among fisherfolk. " The Subaltern "
n 'St. Patrick's Day with the Pathans ' reveals
nce more an excellent gift for character and
Inscription ; and Mr. W. H. Rideing in ' Friends
ind Acquaintances ' begins a promising series of
reminiscences of well-known men. Here he
gives us a charming picture of G. H. Boughton,
a few notes (all too brief) of James Payn, and
some idea of the vigorous personality of Archi-
bald Forbes.
The Burlington Magazine opens with an editorial on ' The Care of Pictures in Italian Gal- eries.' It appears that a body of artists, in a etter to the Minister of Public Instruction, have asked for and secured a commission of inquiry. They complain that restoration has destroyed
- he virtue and value of certain paintings in two
r amous galleries. A brief notice describes the death of Mr. J. M. Swan as " the severest blow sustained by the Royal Academy since the death of Mr. C. W. Furse." Mr. G. F. Hill begins a study of ' The Italian Bronze Statuettes ' in the Salting Collection ; and Mr. A. E. R. Gill has an interesting article on ' Inscriptions,' and the conditions which govern lettering in ancient and modern times. There is a striking series of speci- mens of inscriptions, mostly funereal, illustrating this article ; and a tombstone of early date from Bream's Buildings is figured. Mr. Gill omplains that the modern workman in stone has no chance to do good lettering.
Mr. Herbert Cook's ' Venetian Portraits, and some Problems,' is another excellently illustrated article of high interest. But we are most attracted by Mr. Roger Fry's exposition of the merits of the recently issued volume of ' Bushman Paintings.' He points out that this backward race has attained to a visual sincerity in its views of men and beasts which is remarkable. An animal trotting is correctly drawn, though the movement is one modern observation has only been able to verify by photography. This Bushman art is not, as might be supposed, similar to children's art in certain well-marked exaggerations. Its com- parison with Greek art is seen in an early vase and a remnant of Palaeolithic art which are figured here. Mr. C. F. Bell has an important review of the drawings of the Turner Bequest in the National Gallery, now arranged chronologically in two volumes by Mr. A. J. Finberg, one of the ablest of critics of the present day. The so-called ' Rembrandt and Saskia ' at Burlington House has been discovered by Mr. C. H. Collins Baker to bear the signature of Ferdinand Bol. His note shows that this is one of the cases in which experts have gone wrong. Mr. W. J. Loftie has a timely letter on 'Bath Street, Bath,' which to be altered by a Corporation not distinguished for architectural taste. Protests were made against this scheme, and for a year it slept, but now, apparently, it is being revived.
