THE " SUSSEX " KIPLING
IN their admirable prospectus of the Sussex Edition of Rudyard Kipling's works Messrs. Macmillan confirm an-opinion not long ago expressed in these coluinns when theirsay--------------- "His death merely renewed interest in his work, not merely in outstanding things like Kim, but even in his slighter performances. This is understandable. His writings wem uneven like those of other men, but he never wrote a page without vitality in it . . . The journalist in him brilliantly recorded the surface of the most varied scenes : the poet penetrated to the heart beneath the surface : no human being but can find something of himself in Kipling's pages. Of the permanence of his position there can be no doubt : it would be certain even if he did not (no common thing today) stand so steadfastly for the central and traditional beliefs of nation and Empire."
No better reason than this - could be adduced to justify the issue of a complete and sumptuous edition Of a writer's works. Kipling, we are told, was engaged in the complete revision of his works during the last years of his life : whether the revision was completed we are not told, but it is-c.lear froth the prospec- tits that no other edition will be as complete as this Sussex edition, which will be limited to Soo signed copies, and will be issued in 35 volumes costing £2 los. each, at the rate of
two volumes monthly from July this year onwards. Several of the volumes will contain items not included under their titles in previous editions : among these are Plain Tales from
the Hills, Wee Willie [pinkie, Many Inventions, Stalky & Co., Letters of Travel and The War and A Fleet in Being, while Vols. XXX and XXXI will be wholly- devoted to uncollected
prose.
• To judge from the specimen volume, The Day's Work, before us, the Sussex edition is well worth the considerable price, and justifies- the publishers' claim that it is " one of the most superb editions ever published of any author." It is printed in Bembo type on paper handmade from only the finest grades of rag, sized with animal gelatine of the best quality. It is bound in native tanned Niger leather, of a rich ruddy hue with gold ornamentations of a very simple kind. The only criticism that one can make of it is that, like all such editions, it is too heavy to be comfortably held in the hand while reading It is, of course, primarily an edition for collec- tors : but; since it will be the only complete and final one, it is to be hoped that a cheaper edition of equal completeness and finality will be issued on such terms that public libraries will be able to acquire it : for nothing is more annoying to students than to find that the only authoritative edition of an important
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