ARUNDEL DENE

literary London, But I for one missed, in these more
formal gatherings, the unconstrained, bohemian atmo-
sphere of the old parties at The Bodley Head.

Apparently Lane with his Tea Parties set a fashion
which other publishers followed, for in an editorial note
to the August, 1913, number of The Bodleian I read
the following: 'Much is being written about the "Pub-
lishers' Teas". Mr. Lane, of course, originated the
idea, which dates back to the time when all the young
poets were searching the Burlington Arcade for The
Bodley Head. These earlier teas* the writer, who was
no doubt the charming and witty Arundel Dene (every
Devon man knows of the Denes of Horwood), goes on
to say, 'these earlier teas of the Devonshire Maecenas
were once commemorated in most amusing verse.'
Dene was alluding to these lines which appeared in the
Westminster Gazette and which, since they contain one
or two rather shrewd references to Lane, it is worth
while to quote in full. 'Sir Thomas' (i.e. Sir Thomas
Bodley) is of course John Lane.

'There's a street that men call Vigo,

Whither scribblers such as I go;
With a badly written story

On the grab for gold and glory;
With a ballad or a sonnet

(*'Novice** plainly writ upon it)
Or a sketch that isn't finished

(Yet its worth seems undiminished).
Painters, poets, artists many,

Full of genius, ne'er a penny—
Down the street that men call Vigo

All the hearts that hold a sigh go.

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