'A fow weeks before his death Sir Edmund Gosse had completed a new edition of the poetry and prose of Lovell Beddoes, ied in the autumn by the Fanfrolico Press. The manuscripts were placed in his hands by Robert Browning.
A controlling interest in Messrs. Methuen & Ca,, the publishers, has been purchased for about £300,000 by a retired biscuit manufacturer, hitherto unconnected wit lishing: trade, own inexperience he will be able reply upon competent advice, for Mr. E. V. Lucas is to remain Chi man of the Board of Directors.
P, C, Wren's new novel for 1988, "Beau Ideal" which has just been issued by Murray is a tale of love and high adventure, the scene of which is laid mainly in the French Foreign Legion, and the Penal Battalions. White a complete and self-contained novel, "Beau Ideal" finally clears up the mysteries which were left unsolved in "Beau Geste" and "Beau Sabreur. in his 60th year. For over thirty years previously he had worked as a journalist and author. Most of his literary labours were buried in the files of the various newspapers to which be had contributed, though be was known to many as the author of "Mr. Sprouts—his Opinions," of "The Democracy," and of "The Island." No, 5, John Street," was published in 1899, the story of a wealthy man who temporarily took up his abode among the poor in the East End, made an_ irresistible appeal to the reading public. Everybody read and talked about. the book, and Mr. Whiteing reaped a rich harvest of royalties. None of his subsequent novels has proved quite as popular as "No. 5, John Strect"—which, by the way, was filmed a. few years ago—though some excellent work is to be found in them, Richard Whiteing was a Londoner and the son of an official of the Inland Revenue Department at Somerset House. In early life he studied engraving but at the age of 25 gave up engraving in order to devote himself to authorship and Journalism, He was successively on the editorial staffs of the Press Association and the "Manchester Guardian." After serving as Paris Gabriele dAnnunziv has. recently completed the hook on which he has been at work for some time, and in order to secure uninterrupted leisure he hws been -living guarded by soldiers against intruders. "Il Com pagne dagli Occhi Souza Cigli" is the story of " scapegoat friend of the author, a man who had no eyebrows, D'Annunzio describes it as "more Tuscan than red Chianti wine". It contains many youthful and middle-age reminiscences. It to be published by Teves of Milan, Correspondent of various newspapers he joined the editorial star of the "Daily News," but relinquished journalism in 1899, when "No, 5, John Street" had established his pos jon as a novelist. Just before the outbreak of the war, Mr. Whitering was awarded a Civil List per
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.