New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-10
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
LIFE OF AUDUBON.

LIFE OF AUDUBON
,v., or 1ouN JAMES AUDUBON, the Naturalist
Edited by His widow Svo' pP A'S' u r. Fu'""'-
4 Son. -, 49,. d,
hs rocorded. and the task. fortunately, has been
so..rIo,ed under the direction Of the one person
most competent to perform it faithfully. Unlike most
biographies we have but two or three pages OF an
cesra history so simple and picturesque that they
conld not he spared The adventurous father the
tvvsntieth child of Vendean fisherman, is vlyldIy
act before our ewes in few paragraphs, and the
cfure prepares us for the similar traits OF courage
endurance and heroic persistence which we hhu ~
the son. The latter was born N Louisiana Dut 40
French subject, and received his education III tno
oi+,, 90 Nantes where one Of his teachers was '"o
naiuter David His skin in drawing was even .,o
smployed in the field wherein he was 10 mn" i'
work and his fathers dissatisfaction VII" N
impractical taste was the principal cause u n ~
inc sent ia America to look after an estate DC
Ionno 10 the former on the Scbuylkili, near Fhlla
deInbia The date of his coming is not gwen zone
81 The f,v omissions in the volume which should yet
10 srnrIia,, hut il must have been somewhere about
the year 1900. m
This circumstance decided AUdubon's nationality.
Although no afterwards returned to France for ayear
or two, and even served for short time in the
French Navy he was faithful to the betrothal which
he had made before leaving Pennsylvania, and 10
the plan, already conceived, of undertaking an
American OmithOlOgy. With every quallhcatloh
for success, in the popular understanding OF the
word-with health, strength, energy, personal
beauty. and tolcrable fOrtune-he commenced
course of life which might almost be called failure
lint for its one great and mperishable result. He
had both the mistaken faith and the childke sim
plicity of genius. When we read of his going into
business in Louisville or Henderson, or Natehez, we
know beforehand that.he will not succeed; but when
we come TO the story of his landing in England,
without an acquaintance, and with only a few dol
lars in his pocket intending to compass the publlca-
ton Of a work which shall cost fortune, we as
surely anticipate his success. lie was proud sensl-
tive and seIf-wIed he resented the least approach
10 slight in English society; yet he cheertully
taught dancing in Mississippi, to procure
funds for carrying ont his great design Through
ont bis whole life that marvellous devotion to sci
ence runs like thread of light dighifying his prya-
tions. giving consistency to his waywardness- and
Grownng his many failures withlasting achievement
The book which tells the history Of such life
sught to be a frank representation of all its phases
and such book Mrs. Audubon has gwen us. 1t IS
mainly compilation from the naturalists journals
and letters IT, here and there the order of events
is not quite so clear might be- their narration is
always racy and picturesque, and there is no Tagging
in the interest with which the reader follows the
adventurous tale. The account of Audubons ex-
perences in London, Edinburgh, and Paris, while
procuring subscribers for his work, related with
quite as much spirit as his wanderings in the wilder
ness. His sketches Of men do not betray the same
delight in the subject his illustrations of birds
but they are done with fine hand. The extracts
from his journals give very clear and satisfactory
impressions of Charles BOnaparte Sir Thomas Law
renee, Culver GeotffOy ST. Hare, and other distin-
guished persons. Through his eyes, moreover, we
have the advantage of looking upon the English and
French society of forty years ago from new and
curious point of view His restless submission to con-
ventioual forms betrays itself throughout his sudden
and not always comprehensive fits of dependency
and exultation. are faithfully chronicled, and the
man innOc emily paints himself in painting others.
This isone of the principal charms of the book. The
biography of a naturalist might be supposed to have
scientific rather than purely human interest; but
one may know nothing Of ORTHODOXY, yet follow
from birth to DEATH with almost the interest of
romance the fortunes of the man, Audubon
The only criticism have to make in regard Il
the execution of the work is the omission of SOM
dates and lack of proper arrangement in others
The passages from the naturalst's journals seen
since we cannot know what is withheldl to be Sc
leoted with good judgment. They are so satisfac
tory at least, that the promise of further volume
from the same sources cannot be otherwise than wei
come TO the readers of this