Sir Walter Besant often spoke admiringly of Anthony Trollope, and one could understand that. But for long after Trollope's death his novels were neglected, ind only in recent years have one ov two of them been in vogue again. It is thought that the admirers of Trollope will be glad to have his unpublished play, "The Noble Jilt," which Constable is bringing out in a_ limited edition. As literary students know, it failed to get on to the stage, was utilised by Trollope in his story, "Can. You Forgive Her," and then was lost sight of until now, oe Within recent years there has, both here and in America, been almost a new examination of the-personality of Samuel—Johnson. It has thrown a good deal of fresh light on hit and his friend Boswell. Both are concerned in a book, collected and edited by Mr. John Ker Spittal, which John Murray announces. It has the descriptive title. Contemporary Criticisms of Dr. Samuel Johnson, His Works, and His Biographors,"' and it may be regarded as a real Johnson "find." Nothing in it changes the man as we know him, but there are things which fil! out our picture of him. 7
Italy's Prime' Minister has many sides to his character, but few, even among his own followers, suspected him of having once written a novel. Yet so it is. In 1910, Claudia Particella," an historical seventeenth-century novel by Benito Mussolini, was published in the "Popolo" of Trent, a newspaper edited by €esare Battisti, the Italian patriot who was hanged by the Austrians during the war. The plot of the novel has some analogy with D'Annunzio's "Nave." It deals with the love of Emanuele Mandrvuzzo, Prince-Bishop of Trent, for the beautiful "black-eyed witch,' Claudia -Particella, who gets him completely under her sway and becomes the real ruler.of the State. Claudia's many acts of oppression and cruelty are crowned at last by the death of an innocent girl, Filiberta Mandruzzo, who has dared to cross her will, and the populace rise in revolt and storm her palace. They are beaten off for the moment, but vow never to rest until Filiberta has been avenged. After various attempts, the deed is accomplished through the cup of: poison given to Claudia at a State banquet. The (Prince-Bishop orders her a magnificent funeral,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.