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THE HELPABLE AUTHOR. FROM AN ADDRESS BY EDMUND GOSSE.*

G

RUB STREET is with us to-day. It is mitigated to some degree, no doubtgreatly mitigated-by the blessed institution of journalism, which has opened the sluice and, to a great extent, let out the waters. With journalism in particular we have nothing to do here. But when we put aside the relief now afforded by journalism we find things much in the same condition as they were in the last century, or even in many cases worse, since, if journalism now exists, the patron does not exist. You have perhaps some idea, but I think it very possible that you have but little idea, of how much suffering and misery is going on among what are called "people of letters" in the present day; how many men there are that are struggling, loafing about the British Museum, and walking idly up and down Fleet Street-men who might perhaps be the Otways and Chattertons of the age if they had a little more encouragement given to them. But these people for again we must face the matter not with sentimentality but with common-sensethese men are divided into two great classes, the helpable and the unhelpable. Permit me for a moment to deal with the unhelpable.

In the last century the unhelpable was typically exemplified by a certain Samuel Boyse, the author of a poem on the Deity. Samuel Boyse seems to have started in life with as many advantages as ever befel a man of letters. The number of Earls and Countesses that filed through his career is enough to make the modern unpatroned author envious; but it was impossible for them to help Boyse. His whole life was a long continuation of his being picked up out of the gutter by some noble patron, put on his legs, and seen to fall again the moment he was left. He is the person who spent six weeks in his bed with his arm thrust through a blanket, because he had pawned everything which he possessed in the world, and who, when a subscription was made for him, spent the first money that came in, still in bed, with his hand still through the blanket, in a feast of truffles. The same Samuel Boyse opened a subscription for his poems, and, marvellous as it may seem, that was responded to. As the contributions came in they were, with slow regularity, expended upon a delightful potation called "Twopenny" -- hot "Twopenny." Samuel Boyse had a commission given to him by a publisher, to translate Fénélon "On the Existence of the Deity," and he celebrated that event by immediately marrying. There was no help whatever for Samuel Boyse, and at last, * "Grievances of Authors." Field and Tuer. 2s. 6d.

when he had gone through every possible phase of beggary and misery, he died.

Do you suppose that there are no Samuel Boyses nowadays? Pardon me for insisting that there are. I will mention one instance which it is impossible can wound anyone now, an instance of a man who has been for some years past dead' and who I believe was known, or known of, by some of my friends on this platform. He was a man who came up from one of the Universities with some amount of knowledge, for he said he had taken a First, although it must be confessed that his name never could be found in the lists. This man had the highest ambition to excel in literature, yet all that he managed to make was 35s. a week from the editor of a weekly paper, to keep himself in board and lodging. Well, if this man had had the slightest power of helping himself, there is no doubt that he might have risen to better things; but he was in a much worse position than Boyse, for there was no interest taken in him by the aristocracy, and no curiosity felt about his poems. He was left to his unaided efforts. His unaided efforts plunged him lower and lower in the tide of things, till at last, at the office where he got his only salary, a meerschaum pipe was missed by the editor. There was some mystery about it for a little while, when there came a letter from the contributor, saying that the Rubicon was now crossed, and that he wished to resign his position on the paper; he enclosed a ticket from a pawnbroker. After this unfortunate incident, he sank lower and lower, till he hung all day about the British Musuem. At last he became a super at a theatre, and then he faded out altogether. Now, those two persons, whom I take as types, belong to the unhelpable class, with which we can do nothing. What, then, of the helpable author? helpable author is not the fashionable novelist, the fashionable essayist, the successful man who has many other strings to his bow, who has a salary here, who has private means there. No! The person whom we wish, if possible, to do something to help is the half-successful writer, the person who has a right to exist, and who yet cannot force himself, or herself, strongly upon the public. And there are two classes of the helpable to whom I would specially draw attention. One of those consists of women.

The

Here again I speak of the smaller, yet legitimately successful, lady-writers. My own impression is that most ladies of this class claim rather less than more of what they have a right to; they have their small circle of readers, a circle for whom they prepare innocent and delightful recreation. They have a right to be protected for the sake of these readers, as well as for their own sake. They have

a right to demand that there should be some body, some society, ready to see that they do not fall into traps, that they do not become the prey of sharpers, and, in short, to protect their legitimate interests.

I

And there is, again, another class of the helpable; that is the beginner, the new man of genius. know nothing that strikes one more in observing literary life than the fact that the new man, the man who comes forward with a book for the first time, unless he is exceedingly lucky, makes a mistake. He forms a disadvantageous bargain, he does something or other which cripples him at the outset, and this he has to wipe out and forget before he can make a proper start. The beginner, therefore, forms another class whom we desire, by this Society, to have the privilege of protecting and helping.

D

ON COMMITTEE.

URING the present year, up to May the first, forty-eight new members have joined the Society. This is a very gratifying increase. At the same time it cannot be denied that there are a large number of persons engaged in the profession of literature who look coldly on without joining the Society, while we are working in their interests. That our efforts have not been fruitless is shown by many facts. For instance, before we began, every publisher would have felt himself insulted at the mere proposal to audit his accounts. No publisher would now refuse. Again, while four or five years ago authors were meekly accepting a ten per cent. royalty, they are getting almost everywhere twopence in the shilling, which is a sixteen per cent. royalty, and in some cases twenty and twenty-five per cent. royalty. The influence of the Society is also shown by the eagerness of certain houses to offer guarantees of good faith. The policy of the Committee has always been the same: to ascertain carefully and to set forth the truth as to cost of production, trade returns and profits, methods of pub lication and what they mean-agreements and what they mean-in short, to supply their members with the means of ascertaining what it is that a proffered agreement gives the author and what it reserves to the publisher. To learn these things has taken the Committee five years of unremitting labour. Nor are they quite certain, yet, that they have learned the whole truth. Those who looked for a sudden revolution in the business relations of literature, as well as those who looked for no practical results at all, are equally disappointed. The Society, however, has pursued and is pursuing the even tenor of its way.

The "Cost of Production" is out of print

another edition, after correcting a few errors of no great importance, will be issued as soon as it can be got ready.

The Committee have carefully considered the ques tion of the proposed "leaflets," the result of these deliberations being the appearance of "The Author."

The Chairman was fortunate enough to secure at a second-hand book shop, Wilkie Collins's large collection of tracts and papers connected with International Copyright. He has presented them to the Society.

A memorial has been drawn up addressed to the First Lord of the Treasury on the subject of the Civil Pensions List. Next month, perhaps, we may have more to say on the subject.

At the beginning of last year the Chairman addressed to the Guardian a series of letters on the management of the Literary Department of the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge, with no other apparent effect than to call forth a good deal of private correspondence from authors who have been in the hands of this Department. Early this year he again addressed the Publication Committee on a special case, with the expected result. He has now written a pamphlet on the whole question, which, together with the previous correspondence, will be published immediately. The points at issue are confidently left to the decision of the public.

A case of extensive fraud-so extensive that the man chiefly concerned is found to have a hundred unpublished MSS. in his possession-was taken up by the Committee, but broke down owing to the refusal of the victims to give evidence! This is an interesting illustration of the black ignorance which prevails as to literary property. Not one of these men or women, had he or she been robbed of a watch, a purse, a mantle, or an umbrella, but would have gone straight to the nearest magistrate and gave evidence fearlessly. But it was only a manuscript-only a thing which might have been worth many thousand pounds! In such a case as this, we can only hope to instruct the world and gradually to create as great a jealousy over literary property as prevails for every other kind.

In another case, however, when the victim was willing and ready to come forward, we recovered for him the money of which he had been plundered and the unsold copies of his work.

A case was recently brought before us in which a country newspaper had republished, without permission, a paper from a magazine. We obtained compensation for the author.

Mr. Sprigge's book on the "Methods of Publication," with the frauds, tricks, and dangers to which the author is exposed in every one, is very nearly ready. It will be issued as soon as possible.

A circular letter has been issued by the Copyright Committee addressed to colonial libraries and booksellers asking for information on the sale of pirated editions in the various colonies, and how far such editions damage the sale of the authorised English editions.

The draft of the Copyright Bill has been placed in the hands of Mr. James Rolt, New Square, Lincoln's Inn, for revision up to the date of the latest legislation.

The question of copyright in pieces for recitation has been brought before the Committee. It was suggested that perhaps authors might not feel themselves injured by a recitation which could not fail to increase their popularity. It was decided to ask the opinion of two gentlemen, well known pro- * ducers of such pieces.

It was recently stated in a morning paper that any person, author or not, may become a member of this Society. The statement was publicly denied by the Chairman. As, however, there existed no bye-law on the subject, but only the practice of the Committee, and the implied understanding that members should be authors, three have been passed, viz. :

I. No one shall be eligible for membership or fellowship of the Society who is not actually an author of some published literary or artistic work.

2. Should anyone desire to consult the Society as to literary work, without having as yet qualified for membership, the Secretary may then and there— reporting the case at the next Committee Meeting admit him as an Associate only, on payment of one guinea, his privileges to consist only of the right to ask advice from the office, this right to terminate at the end of the current year. Such an Associate can have no part in the administration.

3. Any donor of ten guineas shall be admitted by the Secretary then and there, reporting the case at the next Committee, to be an Honorary Associate of the Society. Such Associate can take no part in the administration.

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Galloping to the carriage door,

He thrust his face within,
When the Chaplain cried-"Sure as eggs is
That is the bold Turpin."

Quoth Turpin, "You shall eat your words
With sauce of leaden bullet: "
So clapped his pistol to his mouth,
And fired it down his gullet.
The Bishop fell upon his knees,

When Turpin bade him stand :
And gave him his watch, a bag of gold,
And six bright rings from his hand.
Rolling with laughter Turpin plucked
The Bishop's wig from his head,
And popp'd it on the Chaplain's poll
As he sat in the corner dead.
Upon the box he tied him then,

With the reins behind his back,

eggs

Put a pipe in his mouth, the whip in his hand,
And set off the horses smack !
Then whispered in the black mare's ear,
Who luckily wasn't fagg'd,
"You must gallop fast and far, my dear,
Or I shall be surely scragg'd.'
He never drew bit, nor stopped to bait,
Nor walked up hill or down,
Until he came to Gloucester Gate,
Which is the Assizes town.
Full eighty miles in one dark night

He made his black mare fly,
And walk'd into court at nine o'clock,
To swear an alibi.

A hue and cry the Bishop raised,
And so did Sheriff Forster,
But stared to hear that Turpin was
By nine o'clock at Gloucester.
So all agreed it couldn't be him

Neither by hook nor crook:

And said that the Bishop and Chaplain was
Most certainly mistook.

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Two volumes of 800 pages 4to. are finished. The third volume is passing through the press, and it is hoped that the whole work, in four volumes, will be ready for the ninth meeting of the International Congress of Orientalists, to be held at Oxford in 1892.

Mr. Edmund Gosse will publish this month a reprint of his early poems, under the title of "On Viol and Flute" (Messrs. Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner and Co.), with illustrations by Mr. Alma Tadema and Mr. Hamo Thornycroft. The June volume of the "Camelot Classics" will be the Scandinavian portion of Mr. Gosse's "Northern Studies," originally issued in 1879. Mr. Gosse is also engaged on a collected edition of the poetical works of Thomas Lovell Beddoes, founded on the papers placed in his hands by the late Mr. Robert Browning.

Mr. Alfred Austin is engaged upon a poem, in form more or less like "Prince Lucifer,” which will exhibit the influence and operation of Pessimism on a richly endowed nature. Messrs. Macmillan will publish early in the autumn a collected edition of his poetical works in six volumes.

The collected verses of Mr. Walter Herries Pollock will shortly appear in one of the volumes called the "Rosslyn Series" (Remington and Co.).

A story, entitled "A Blind Musician," adapted from the Russian of Korolenko by Stepniak and William Westall, has just been published by Ward and Downey.

In the course of a few days the same publishers will issue by the same author a collection of strange crimes put into narrative form and told in tales.

Mr. James Payn's "The Burnt Million," 3 vols., has just been published by Messrs. Chatto and Windus.

"London City." Those who appreciated Mr. Loftie's "Kensington," will be glad to hear that he has completed a similar work for the same publishers -Messrs. Field and Tuer. It will be illustrated by Mr. W. Luker, junior. The published price will be 425.; but subscribers who pay in advance can have it for 21S.

Mr. Stanley Little is engaged upon a novel dealing with Sussex life and scenes. His new play will probably see the light in the autumn.

Mr. Rudyard Kipling's "Plain Tales from the Hills" will form one of the next volumes of Baron Tauchnitz's Continental Series of English Authors. Mr. Henry Hermann's "Scarlet Fortune" is to be issued in shilling form by Messrs. Trischler and Co. His "Eagle Joe" will shortly appear as a special number of the Illustrated London News.

Mr. David Christie Murray has completed his

lecture engagements in Australia, and is now lecturing in New Zealand.

Mr. G. G. Chisholm's "Handbook of Commercial Geography" has recently been published by Messrs. Longmans and Co. (515 pp., 29 maps, and index, price 16s.) This work is an attempt to give interest to the leading facts of commerce by setting forth the natural conditions that account for the magnitude and direction of international commerce all over the globe. The work is divided into two main sections, one dealing with commodities, the other with countries. There is also a statistical appendix which shows by five years' averages the absolute and relative amount of foreign trade in the more important articles of the chief commercial countries of the world.

Mrs. Alec Tweedie, author of "A Girl's Ride in Iceland" (Griffith, Farran, and Co., 5s.), has published (Kegan Paul, Trench, and Co., 2s. 6d.) a little book on the "Oberammergau Passion Play." It contains historical notes, an account of the origin of Passion Plays, a full account of the Play itself, and of the country (how to reach it, &c.), with a chapter on Church Plays specially written for this work by the Rev. Canon Shuttleworth.

Mr. John W. Lovell, of New York, has effected a publishing combination which may prove of great importance to English authors. Under the system of unlicensed competition in the sale of English books, which has been developing in the United States for the past five years or more, the works of popular English writers, and especially of English novelists, have been reproduced in half a dozen different editions within a week of the appearance of the authorised American edition. This has resulted in a war of prices which has left little or no profit out of which the recognised editor can pay the English writer. At the same time the quality of the books produced under this suicidal system has grown steadily worse. Lovell has purchased the plates and stock of no less than twenty of the principal American firms engaged in the business of issuing reprints of English books. This reduction of twenty competing houses to one will certainly tend to bring order out of the chaos which has been so destructive alike to the interests of the English author and the American publisher. Mr. Lovell has a large opportunity and should he, as there is reason to hope, use it responsibly, the amalgamation of trade interests which he has accomplished will be likely to bring about beneficent results for English writers.

Mr.

Mr. James Baker, F.R.G.S., has recently brought out "By the Southern Sea, a Summer Idyll" (Longmans, 6s.). The work has been well received, not only here, but in America. The same author's

"Papers on Forgotten Great Englishmen," which appeared in the Leisure Hour, have had the effect of reviving the memory of one Englishman at least, who was for nearly fifty years a leader of the Wyclyfites in Bohemia. The papers have been translated into Czech, and will appear as a feuilleton in the Silve Slivo, a Bohemian paper.

Mr. T. Bailey Saunders has in the Press "Counsels and Maxims," being the second part of Arthur Schopenhauser's "Aphorismen zur Aphorismen zur Leibesweisheit." It is to be uniform with his "Wisdom of Life," the first part of the same work (Sonnenschein and Co., 2s. 6d.). His translation of Schopenhauser's "Religious Dialogues, and other Essays," is going into a second edition.

The Rev. E. Gough has brought out (Kegan Paul, and Co., price 16s. each volume) the third volume of his work, entitled, "The Bible True from the Beginning." He proposes to complete it in seven volumes. The author writes, "The two chief principles of the work are the following. First, that there is in Scripture a system of grades and grade words which proves the Bible to be verbally inspired. Second, that far beyond what is usually supposed, the histories contained in the Bible are moral and not literal."

Mr. Rider Haggard's "Beatrice," now running, is published by a syndicate of papers. The "World's Desire," in which he has collaborated with Mr. Andrew Lang, is running in the New Review.

The first quarter's collection of stories syndicated for the Society has been sold for serial right-one appearance only, after which each becomes again the property of the owner-in Great Britain, America, India, Australia, and New Zealand. The Editor is now preparing the second quarter's collection. Will members who desire to belong kindly read the leaflet on "Syndicating" in this number?

Mrs. Oliphant will next year contribute a novel to the Sun. At present she is in the Holy Land, and writes that the change of air and scenery has greatly invigorated her.

Dr. George Macdonald has written the Christmas Number for the Sunday Magazine.

Mr. W. F. Smith, Fellow and Lecturer of St. John's College, Cambridge, has finished a new translation of Rabelais. The text will be illustrated by copious notes, giving among other things the sources whence this great Master drew. Α limited edition only will be published, signed and numbered. No cheaper edition will be produced. The trade will not sell it at a lower than the subscription price. The agent for the work is Mr. A. P. Watt, 2, Paternoster Square.

The editor of Lippincott's Magazine has secured Mr. Clarke Russell and Mr. Rudyard Kipling for an early date.

The many admirers of "Owen Meredith" will been published (Macmillan, 3s. 6d.). make a note that his "Ring of Amasis" has just

Mr. Grant Allen has completed a new threevolume novel.

Sir George Douglas is compiling the volume of "Scottish Minor Poets" for the Canterbury Series. Starting with Ramsay's publication of the "Tea Table Miscellany" in the year 1724 (in which a few original contributions were included), the collection will comprise selections from Tannahill, Motherwell, Lady Nairne, and a whole host of minor writers, and will terminate probably with a specimen of the song-writer's art by the late Dr. Charles Mackay. The volume will be prefaced by a critical and historical introduction, and will be inscribed to the Lady John Scott, the foremost living writer of Scottish Song.

The new weekly called Short Cuts begins with a novel by Mr. George Sims. The conductors seem to have secured as fine a collection of contributors as can be found in the lists of any magazine in the world. Presumably, taste in popular reading has been developed as well as the number of readers. Almost every writer of note seems included in the list.

has just published "A Winter on the Nile " The Rev. Charles D. Bell, D.D., of Cheltenham, (Hodder and Stoughton, price 6d.), containing the record of a tour up the Nile as far as the Second Cataract, with a sojourn at Luxor and a description of recent discoveries and antiquities at Bubastis and the Fayoum. The same author has recently issued "Reminiscences of a Boyhood in the Early Part of the Century" (Sampson, Low, and Co., price 6d.).

"Church and Creed" (William Blackwood and Sons, price 4s. 6d.), by Professor Momerie, which appeared in December last, has gone into a second edition. His "Origin of Evil" is in its sixth edition, and his "Agnosticism" in the third.

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