dervish" of criticism. This is the kind of lapse from decorum which causes
the judicious not to grieve but to shrug their shoulders. Probably "A Man
of Kent" would wish to withdraw it. I trust he is aware that "The Age of
Shakespeare" is packed full of criticism whose insight and sensitiveness
no other English critic could equal.




THE RUINED SEASON


[_24 Dec. '08_]

In a recent number of the _Athenæum_ appeared a letter from Mr. E.H.
Cooper, novelist and writer for children, protesting against the
publication of the Queen's Gift-Book and the royally commanded cheap
edition of "Queen Victoria's Letters" during the autumn season, and
requesting their Majesties to forbear next year from injuring the general
business of books as they have injured it this year. That some
semi-official importance is attached to Mr. Cooper's statements is obvious
from the fact that the _Athenæum_ (which is the organ of the trade as well
as of learning) thought well to print his letter. But Mr. Cooper
undoubtedly exaggerates. He states that the two books in question "have
ruined the present publishing season rather more effectively than a
Pan-European war could have done." Briefly, this is ridiculous. He says
further: "Men and women who could trust to a sale of 5000 or 6000 copies
of a novel, equally with authors who can command much larger sales, find
that this year the sale of their annual novel has reached a tenth part of
the usual figures." This also is ridiculous. The general view is that,