Plays the _Divina Commedia_ was his most protracted
effort, costing him nearly four months of unremitting labour. Sir EDWIN
added in pathetic proof of the degeneracy of the moderns that his own
famous pamphlet had taken him twice as long to compose as _Chaucer_ had
taken BACON.

Mr. HALL CAINE strongly deprecated the tendency to put a premium on
rapid composition, as though there were any special virtue in speed. His
own novels, which were written with his heart's blood, represented in
their ultimate form a rigorous condensation of materials ten or even
fifteen times as bulky. It was in this process of condensation that the
self-sacrificing side of true genius was most convincingly shown. But,
great as was the strain involved in this painful process, even greater
was that imposed on a successful author by the cruel importunity of the
interviewer on the eve of publication. Such methods were absolutely
alien to his nature, but he had to set against his own convenience the
immeasurable disappointment which his refusal would cause his readers.
It was one of the most pathetic tragedies of genius that the dictates of
an austere reticence were so often set at nought by the impulses of a
tender heart.

Sir H. H. HOWORTH said that the 6,500 columns of _The Times_ which he
had filled in the last thirty years had been covered in exactly 3,000
minutes or 500 hours. In his contributions to _The Morning Post_, where
he was accorded a larger type, he had attained a slightly greater
velocity, almost equalling that of LOPE DE VEGA, the most prolific
writer on record. On the other hand, in his _History of the Mongols_ he
had adopted a rate of progress more in keeping with the leisurely habits
of the race whose records he was collating. He added the interesting
fact that, in spite of the saying _nomen omen_, both Dean SWIFT and
Archdeacon HARE were slow composers.

* * * * *

THE SECRET OF OUR COMMERCIAL SUPREMACY.

[Illustration: _Clerk_ (_to applicant for post of office-boy_). "The
guvnor's out. Call to-morrow at nine."

_Applicant._ "Oh, I say! Can't you make it later? I have my breakfast at
nine."]

* * * * *

"Coroners' juries have frequently placed on record their
disapproval of amateur doctring."

_Manchester Guardian._

Which, in the opinion of _Mrs. Gamp_, they ought to mind their own
business and not interfere with matters connected with relig