18 JANUARY 1908, Page 25

A new quarterly called the Neolith has appeared under the

direction of Mrs. Hubert Bland and Messrs. Graily Hewitt, Jackson, and Pryse, and is obtainable from the secretary at Royalty Chambers, Dean Street, Soho, for 7s. 6d., the special feature of this large-sized, unbound magazine being that it is entirely produced by lithography. This means that the letter- press has ,all been written on the stone in " book band," and although wonderfully clear considering, it is tiresome to read. A short poem .with but few words in a line is tolerable,. and even pleasing in this writing, but when we are presented with over nine folio pages of Mr. Bernard Shaw's prose we regretfully wish for type. These pages are hardly worthy of Mr. Shaw, for they are highly conventional both in subject and treatment. St. Pater admitting souls at heaven's gate is the theme, and the description of the angels playing football with a Bishop's apron rolled up in his shovel bat is neither very interesting nor very startling. Mr. G. K. Chesterton's poem, "The Secret People," is far more original. In this poem the unchanging core of the people of England speaks. "The secret people" have watched all the changes of Governments and revolutions in the State, but they have been uninterested :—

"And a few men talked of freedom, while England talked of ale."

The warning is given at the end that perhaps some day "the secret people" may speak in earnest. There arc in the magazine six lithographic drawings,—not illustrations, but independent works. Mr. Sims contributes a beautiful study of a female figure, and Mr. Jackson's portrait has plenty of character. Mr. Brangwyn is, as usual, large and somewhat confused; but, like all his work, this lithograph has in it a strong sense of design.