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Variations on a Theme by Havelock Ellis

I

The note-books of an artist always make interesting reading. These ideas, incidents, descriptions, these jottings down against the treachery of memory, which some day may fall into their proper places, often exhibit, when published naked, a more spontaneous grace than finished work. The later books of Arthur Symons are little more than note-books, fugitive impressions, shadows of ideas. Therein lies the secret of their charm. Samuel Butler's Note-Book, which has been published since his death, is a treasure house of thought and wisdom. One day it occurred to Havelock Ellis that he had collected more notes than he could ever conveniently find occasion to use, and he filled a book with them, Impressions and Comments, a delightfully stimulating volume, one of this author's best, brimming over with pictures and running commentary.[1] Herein one may find discussions of Sir

  1. In 1921, Mr. Ellis published a second series of Impressions