40
NOTES AND QUERIES. [9* s. XL JAN. 10, 1903.
as we know, had never been out of England, nor
have we any reason to think he had travelled
much within it ; and that Dante's wanderings were
confined " to his native Italy," we cannot meet her
with an absolute contradiction. There are those,
however, who believe that Shakespeare travelled
in Germany, and even in Denmark, while Gio-
vanni Serravalle declares, at the beginning of the
fifteenth contury, that Dante studied both in
Paris and London. ' The Search Light : a Play in
One Act,' by Mrs. W. K. Clifford, is, like much
modern dramatic work, hopelessly gloomy. Lady
Guendolen Ramsden decides that society is worse
than it was. It is the upper classes who are most
severely condemned for rudeness. " It is sur-
prisingly rare," we are told, " to meet with
common civility in a first-class [railway] carriage."
We are, it must be borne in mind, compared
with our ancestors of a century ago, and not
with those of Stuart times. Mr. C. B. Wheeler
has a thoughtful article on ' Labels.' Under the
title ' The Genesis of a Great Career' the Pall Mall
opens with an account of the early life of Napoleon.
The article is by Viscount Wolseley, and is the
first of a series of four. The biographer holds the
scales evenly, since, though he regards Napoleon
as " the greatest human being God ever sent to this
earth of ours" an estimate we entirely and sum-
marily reject that hero is credited, or discredited,
with possessing everything which the Bible de-
scribes as unholy, and which Englishmen regard as
mean and despicable. Very numerous portraits
illustrate the early section. E. Nesbit has a
clever and satirical article on slang, the first^appa-
rently, of a series called ' The Literary Sense.'
Judge O'Connor Morris sends a brilliant, but sad-
'dening paper on 'Social Life in Ireland.' From
this we cannot quote. It deserves, however, to be
studied closely. Mr. Vizetelly has further recol-
lections of Zola. Mr. Mallock brings new finds
relating to the Bacon-Shakespeare question, and
leaves us in doubt who is the maddest, Bacon,
Mr. Mallock, or ourselves. Sir F. C. Burnand
writes on ' Mr. Punch, some Predecessors and Com-
petitors.' In the Cornhill the best article in all
respects is ' Germs of the Waverley Novels,' by
Mr. Alexander Innes Shand. In this it is shown
how far Scott was indebted, in his poems and
romances, to his recollections of the Border ballads.
Mr. Shand has, indeed, hit upon the secret spring
of Scott's marvellous fertility. Madame Bernhardt's
' Moral Influence of the Theatre' is likely to be far
more discussed, but is, in fact, of quite secondary
importance. That Madame Bernhardt should exalt
her own calling is conceivable enough. She has
nothing very special to say, however, except that
Madame Bernhardt holds that nothing is more
untrue than that the theatre is immoral. A more
definite pronouncement is wanted. Is the theatre
never immoral in the plays of Wycherley ; or
is it only not immoral in those Madame Bernhardt
herself produces ? The views she holds on such a sub-
ject have only adventitious importance. That Pas-
sion plays should be performed Madame Bernhardt
holds. That is her opinion ; but we see not in what
way it is more important than would be that of the
late Hugh Price Hughes, if it could be obtained.
' Lhasa Revealed ' has much interest. ' Receiving
Moderators' is excellent, and the whole number
is remarkable. In Longman's Mr. Lang, 'At the
Sign of the Ship,' deals with ' The Phantom Millions,'
the story of which has progressed since he wrote.
He is eloquent and ironical in commenting on German
censure of English doings. A very readable paper
is that of Mr. Heneage Legge on 'The Hedge,' a
thing rapidly passing out of the ken of Londoners
and utterly distasteful to the parochial and vestry
mind. Mr. Bryden defends ' Hare Hunting,'
which, in truth, stands in need of defence.
' Eighty Years Ago,' by Mr. George Rooper, is a
capital account, by a self-styled nonagenarian, of
life as it appeared in the early part of the last
century. Mr. Watkius, in the Gentleman's, de-
scribes ' Our Native Serpents,' the subject of much
irrational persecution. 'Ships' Figure-Heads' is
an interesting paper by one bearing the once
familiar name of William Allingham. 'Abducted
by Albatrosses' is a grim fantasy. ' How to Test
Drinking Water' affords useful information. In
the hands of Messrs. Chatto & Windus, and edited
by Mr. Robert Barr, the Idler holds its place,
especially as regards fiction. ' The Greatest
Swindle of the Century' is finished. Another no
less remarkable subject is treated in ' Sherlock
Holmes Outdone,' which deals with the anthropo-
metric service in Paris. ' The Coming Electric
Express' is well worthy of study. To the English
Illustrated, the appearance of which is later than
usual. Mr. S. L. Bensusan sends ' More Pictures
from the Prado.' Among the illustrations to this
are 'The Holy Family 'and the ' Last Supper 'of
Juan des Juanes, better known as Vincente Macip.
A second Last Supper, by the same artist, is in
Valencia. There are also a 'St. Bartholomew' and
a strangely modern-looking 'Jacob's Dream' from
Jusepe de Ribera (Lo Spagnoletto), and other works
from the Madrid Museum. A very interesting
description of Japanese life is furnished by Mrs.
Campbell Praed, and is illustrated by capital
photographs of Nikko, &c. ' Cardigan and the
Valley of the Teifi' depicts by pen and camera
many spots of beauty and interest.
txr
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