The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-11-06
NEW BOOKS.

DIARY, "REMINISCENCES, AND COR
RESPONDENCE of HENRY CRAZE ROB-
INsoN, Barrister-at-Law, +. y. A. Sc"
lected and edited by THOMAS SADLER,
Phi. d. 2 vols. Boston: Field, OseooD
& Co. Cincinnati: ROBERT CLARKE d
Co.
Few men in their personality have
lived more remarkable and inter
esting life than Henry Crabb Robin
son. Born in IT'S, and blessed with
a constitution singularly free from the
diseases which afflict most men, and
with disposition fully in accord with
the soundness of hisphysical being, he
passed through much the better part
of a century remarkable for its great
men and still greater events. a very
close and critical observer, and
extremely painstaking in keeping
daily record of his obser-
7ations and experiences, his book
brings us in Immediate contact with
large majority OF the literary men
who have added such lustre to the
last century. AS an indication of the
immense mass of material from which
the two volumes before US have been
compiled, we may state that Mr.. Rob-
inson's Diary alone, began in 1911,
and continued until within a few days
of his death, formed thirty-f five close
ly-written volumes. In addition to
this there were about thirty volumes
of journals of different tours over
the Continent, besides a large num-
Der of volumes of "reminiscences,
Miscellaneous Papers, Letters, SC
1t is very creditable to Mr. Sadler,
the compiler, that he has been able to
make so interesting and instructive a
book from such mass of material
and still do justice to the author Of
the Diary and "reminiscences.
We doubt whether any man en-
joyed a greater number Of acquaint-
ances among the distinguished literary
men of the world. In England his
personal friends and acquaintances,
| included such eminent men and
women as Robert Hall, Mrs. Bar
bauld, Charles and Mary Lamb, the
Clarksons, Wordsworth, Coleridge
Southey, Hazlitt, Sergeant Talfourd,
Moore, Rogers, Alternately, Byron,
DeQuincy, and his Diary. makes us as
familiar with all those celebrated lit
craft as with the prominent men of
our own day. In Europe, Robinson
list of friends included such illustri-
Gus names as Madame DeStael, Goethe,
Schiller, Wieland, the Schlegels, Her
der. Kotzebue and Schelling.
The various interviews, suppers,
and social gatherings, among the dis
tinguished men of England, both at
their homes and their club rooms, are
described with a simplicity and
naturalness most charming. We rise
from reading his sketches with new
and improved ideas as to tho habits
and peculiarities of the wonderful
men whose writings have frightened
so many sad hours of the world s
weary children. Anecdotes, hereto
fore unknown, and phases of charac-
ter never suspected, Will be found in
this very interesting book.
We regard Mr.. Robinson's book
as instructive in the highest de-
gree. 1t is. indeed, an extremely
diversified and condensed biography.
With a single sentence he often gives
as an insight into the characters of
Coleridge, Lamb, Wordsworth. and
others, which destroys many Of the
illusions that fill the mind which has
no other conception Of these men
except as may be cleaned from their
books, besides obviating an immense
amount of reading and study in order
to gain even these delusive miscon-
captions,
To add to its attractiveness, the
book is neatly printed and bound Tt
may be ordered Of the publishers by
mail, or of Messrs. Clarke & Co.. Of
Cincinnati.