with the book. However, the point is that Mr. Meredith saw merit in the book, and, as was his custom with beginners, took unusual pains to give Miss Schreiner his help and advice: and that she readily and graciously accepted them.

Many other instances of how Mr. Meredith saw in an author's work the making of a good book or indications of the author's ability, have been cited by the authors themselves. George Gissing, for instance. He has told us how his first book, The Unclassed, was received by Mr. Meredith, and how he met him in Chapman and Hall's offices to talk over its shortcomings and merits, and how Mr. Meredith made many suggestions for its improvement. But in his second book he received still greater help. It was called Isabel Clarendon, and I well remember it first coming in to the firm in three volumes of MS. It passed through Mr. Meredith's hand two or three times, and when we finally decided to publish it, it had been reduced from three volumes to two. Gissing, of course, not only had ability, which Mr. Meredith recognized, but he made his mark.

Henry Murray, in his recently published book, A Stepson of Fortune, has much to say of Mr. Meredith and his treatment of his books. This can be supplemented by Mr. Meredith's opinion as to the manuscripts submitted. Of A Song of Sixpence he said, "Decline.

But a clever man, who may do well. Send back with regrets and warm appreciation of its merits." Of A Deputy Providence, "It is readablenot up to the mark of Mr. Murray's promise; but his name appears to be rising. He forwarded the MS. to me, and I returned it for some corrections." Of A Man of Genius he outlines the plot in the following brief manner:

It is readable. The situation has to be considered by you:-The "Man

LIVING AGE. VOL. XLIV. 2331

of Genius" is a novelist in poor case, living with a young woman, who is an angel in temper, beauty, and sweetness. A friend who loves the girl urges him to marry her. He declines. He besieges a married woman, who seems to be near yielding, but at their meeting next day dismisses him. He goes abroad. His friend proposes to the forsaken girl. She cannot accept him. The "Man of Genius" returns in ghastly form. She welcomes him. They retire to rest together, and she lies thinking of her dead baby. There it ends. And such is the dish.

The only book of Mr. Murray's brother, David Christie, to come to the firm was The Martyred Fool, of which he said, "Scenes in Australia excellent; writing good throughout. We come to Paris and Anarchy. There is no story; a certain current of interest carries the reader to the endwhich is produced summarily by a bomb that makes a clean sweep of all the principal characters: terrible in fact and ludicrous to reflect on. It is not a work of mark or charm. The writer's name might help.”

Another writer for whose work Mr. Meredith had real admiration, but who did not make a prominent name in literature, at any rate as a novelist, was Hannah Lynch. In the catalogue in the British Museum will be found many titles of novels, all of which are probably forgotten by now. But the present writer religiously collected all she wrote, and found in them those qualities Mr. Meredith praised. Most of these, if not all, were submitted to the firm, but the only one published by it was Rosni Harvey, in three volumes. He always spoke well of her literary ability, but could never be persuaded that her books would ever become popular. Of Daughters of Men he said, "Clever writing. But there is not much story, and not enough of action in it, to carry the reader's interest. By all means encourage the

The lady has marked ability. There is little incident, redundant dialogues, no drama though the dialogues seem tedious, they are wellwritten. The authoress is a lady of power and observation. Her failure lies in her not sufficiently taxing her invention. There is not any complexity. Consequently there is

no narration: all is evolved by dialogues. .. Many worse vols. of work than "Rosni Harvey" are published. But I am obliged to tell you, that I do not think it would attract readers.

A third novel, A Prince of the Glades, he describes as an "Irish tale.

It

The writer's ability does not seem to me to show so well in this instance. But the task of creating interest in Fenianism would try the cleverest pen: and the hero has Fenian fever. pains me to say that, though she always writes readably, the subject and cast of the story are not likely to win public attention. Impress upon her that you speak as publishers who have to look to remuneration for their ventures."

There is no doubt Miss Lynch was an extremely accomplished and clever woman who never happened to hit upon a theme in fiction worthy of her powers. She published other books which were well received, notably her appreciation of George Meredith, which, perhaps, is the best piece of criticism in many ways, as it was one of the first, on the novelist.

But we

have reasons for knowing that she felt her failure to catch the public ear very keenly indeed.

Another author for whose work Mr. Meredith had a great admiration was

Major A. B. Ellis. The first book he sent in 1882, entitled Isles of Indolence, did not meet with approval, but subsequently came The Land of Fetish; History of the First West Indian Regiment, which had to go back for the author to carry out suggestions made; History of the Gold Coast ("written with his plain but excellent pen. I should be of an opinion that it would be a standard history of the Gold Coast and our possessions about them. It is the one book on the subject"); and books on The Ewe-, The Tshi-, and The Yorub1speaking People of the West Coast-all of which met with his whole-hearted commendation. Major Ellis also sent two volumes, entitled respectively South African Sketches and West African Stories. Of the latter he said, "Good, charged with local color: not attractive to readers of romance, but curious, and the author's name as an authority with regard to those parts should help the book. If accepted, it must be with the stipulation that 'Mrs. Fizgibbon' be omitted. It is a sine qua non." If he had only added "James Peacock" also, how much better it would have been for author and publisher, and even for Mr. Meredith, too, for a West African trader named James Pinnock saw himself in James Peacock, and brought an action for libel against the firm, and Mr. Meredith was called as a witness. The trial created a good deal of excitement at the time, and Mr. Meredith's evidence was very cleverly parodied in the pages of Punch. The present Prime Minister appeared for the defendants and Sir Charles Russell (afterwards Lord Russell) for the plaintiff. Sir Charles Russell commenced by asking Mr. Meredith if he had ever heard of Pinnock. He replied, "Not since the days of my youth, when I learnt his catechism." Mr. Meredith made a good witness, but the case went against the firm. His evidence, how

ever, afforded Punch an excellent opportunity for a clever parody entitled By George!

In the year 1889 a collection of letters of Jane Welsh and Thomas Carlyle were submitted by a gentleman "acting as trustee for others," and no doubt was the collection published a year or two back under the editorship of Sir James Crichton-Browne. Mr. Meredith's opinion on these will be read with great interest to-day:

The authenticity will hardly be contested. But a proof of genuineness that rests so much on a capitulation of domestic trivialities is not a recommendation. The first three or four letters, those of Jane Welsh as a girl, paint her thoroughly in her enthusiasm. Further, the touches on this or that young man, and other people, show us it is she, and have in that their value. Then we come to letters at long intervals, of no mark, without connection, chiefly, when not entirely, pertaining to commissions for the supply of household necessities. The account of the life at Cheyne Walk is thin by comparison with the published letters.

I much fear that a chorus of reviewers would cause the public to shun this collection. The little in them concerning Carlyle would plead but poorly on their behalf. Carlyle's own letters are formal, quite in his tone, but with nothing of the inner man.

I wish I could give a better report. My expectations were lively, and I am disappointed. But if you can just see your way to remuneration, I shall be glad.

Several other notable books passed through the firm's hands during Mr. Meredith's tenure as reader. But for various reasons it might not be wise to quote his opinion upon them.

When the manuscript of An Englishman in Paris was sent him, the author's name was withheld-as it was for a long time from the public-and it is still remembered what a sensation the book made whilst the secret was kept. Many shots were made as

to the authorship from time to time, and the curiosity on the point sent the book into many editions. But as soon as Mr. Albert D. Vandam gave the secret away, the demand for the book immediately ceased.

Here is what Mr. Meredith reported on the MS.:

Amusing anecdotes, very readable style, a competent observer. Both volumes entertaining and both painting each its period. Of course, in chapters of life in Paris, there is sure to be some account of the more notorious characters of the Demi-monde. It is done decorously; generally I think the portraiture of ministers, princes, generals, and celebrities unbiassed and sound. The book will be read widely.

He was absolutely right in his views regarding this book, but some surprise may be shown regarding what he thought of The Heavenly Twins.

"The author," he said, "is a clever woman, and has ideas; for which reason she is hampered at present in the effort to be a novelist. Her characters have ideas. but are not made to express them, and are incapable of helping the story to move. Such story as there is pertains to their individual fortunes. There is no main current; Evadne would kill a better work with her heaviness. It matters little what she does she has her ideas; the objection is the tedium in the presentation of her. The writer should be advised to put this MS. aside until she has got the art of driving a story. She has ability enough, and a glimpse of humor here and there promises well for the future if only she will practise, without thought of publishing until she can narrate, and sketch credible human creatures without harping on such traits as she gives them."

John Oliver Hobbes's first book, Some Emotions and a Moral, did not strike him in the same way as it afterwards did the critics.

Of course, his letters were omitted, as were those of Thackeray, by request of his executors.

Naturally, in dealing with biography,

Mr. Meredith expressed his views at times on the subject as well as the manner of its treatment. For instance, "Lammenais is always interesting," he says of a translation, “but forgotten by the public." In reporting on Captain Bingham's book, Recollections of Paris, he says the author "mentions General Marbot's memoirs for translation. I can tell you that Marbot's

book is the most vivid and captivating I have met for many a day."

Of J. Fitzmaurice Kelly's Life of Cervantes he reports:

Well written by a scholarly hand. and, I should think, a very promising author, whom it would be well to attach to the firm. . . . The objections to the purchase are, however, serious. Ormsey's Memoir and Watts's Life hold the field. The former is a stylish and the latter an accomplished scholar in the subject. I have to question whether our public is open to yet another book on Cervantes. I should say not-I regret such a conclusion.

"Gregorovius," he said, in speaking of a translation of his History of Rome in the Middle Ages," is a competent and When thoughtful historian.

you debate as to the publication of it. bear in mind that we have not in England a book treating of the Rome of that period."

was.

"A bright and lively biography of Albert Smith," he said, in considering a manuscript life of him, "might be read-if short and in full sympathy with the small but amusing fellow he This treats him as a personage, quotes from works, &c., and is by a hand inferior to his in ability. It is very weakly done. If competently done, the work would pay. Smith, the writer, should be rapidly passed over, and the successful humorous showman presented with animation."

Albert

reader is wearied with the gossipy harking forward and back. As there is nothing else of the kind at present, it is worth while for some trouble to be taken to describe the parts currently. First, Bismarck's struggle with the Prussian Chamber to get an increase of the army; then the Bohemian campaign, rapidly, but in progression; then the difficulty with the King, to prevent him from taking his conqueror's due of Austria-in view of the war with France to come. His dealings with Benedetti are very interesting. Two pages might be given to his management of the Treaty of Nikolaberg. Again with Benedetti before the war of 1870-I don't know what use has been made of the book by Busch, or whether it is legally permissible to levy contribution on it. Look to that.

. . If you come to terms with the author of the Bismarck, I may be able to help with an anecdote or two, for which I can vouch.

Again, we find how thoroughly and conscientiously he had read a book by Jules Simon, perhaps one of the most painstaking of his many honest opinions. It has a peculiar interest to-day, as containing a prominent reference to the cause of women.

Against the project of the purchase of J. Simon's book is:

The large sum asked for a translation.

The fact that it is addressed directly to the French, and touching French rather than general conditions.

That such a subject chiefly interests cultivated persons, who prefer to read it in the original.

That it holds a balance, and does not prick the enthusiasm of a party.

In favor.-The balance is held firmly:

The writing is good, in some chapters rather lively, although too distended in some.

The conservatism will commend it to our Press, and cause favorable discussion, thus arousing interest in the public.

The tone is altogether delicate and

inoffensive. There is much good sense in it, good counsel.

New ideas-that is, a reading of the present state of things, relating to women, by the light of the past, in anticipation of their future-I do not find. J. Simon judges fairly of the women of an existing development. He does not treat of the powers they might display under better training; and of how an enlargement of their understandings must affect the great question; nor of the contraction of their understandings caused by an exclusive devotion to maternity and domesticity; nor of what is involved in it, as regards the advancement of the

race.

A study of Walt Whitman by J. C. Smuts brought the criticism:

This writer is a thinker and can give his meaning clearly. Had his theme been Goethe, whom he justly appreciates, the book would have seized our public. Perhaps his exposition of Whitman may commend it to Americans. Here the Whitman cult has passed for a time. He has, however, foundation in the enduring; the book is worth perusal and will reward reflection, though, as it is not opportune, it is unlikely for the present to win many readers. Whitman causes him to attribute too much frequency to the quoted matter. But mainly the view of Whitman's teaching is sound.