New-York tribune., 1870-02-05

opinions. tasteF, habits and wishes; and TO whom'
therefore, To record his life not literary ask Du'
labor Of love- sacred duty As executor MT ferro ~
Irving had the custody Of all his unces papers; DIS
materials ample; the great difficulty WIN WHICH o
had 20 contend was in selecting and arranging As'o
the pan of the work 1t was dictated alike by revereht
affection and excellent Judgment He determined as iaf
as practicable to let Washington Irving tell the sto! Vi
his life, in his way. In regard 10 th"' po
Of It passed abroad, this was easily done oy o""inb
upon the familiar letters written to his knureu' anu ue
scrbing all that he experienced OF Interest; linking
these by such statements Of intermediate circumstances
as were needed TO complete the narrative, we
have connected Of his first sooun in England
his several visits 20 the Continent and his residence IN
Spain as u s. Minister. All the facts OF his literary ca
reer and Of his Interesting social experience are thus
brought together in chronological order and with the
emphasis of fresh personal record-writen for the Den
eft OF those loved and therefore, frank and faithfu
while, in order to amuse as well inform-numerous
descriptive sketches aud outbreaks of quaint humor en-
ven the narrative. The next most valuable element OF
this Biography is the correspondence with friends NJ
home and abroad wherein, without the domestic
details have TIE social life OF the man ana
the plans and pursuits of the author most geniaiy
unfoded. With modest retcence as 1t Is eDgag
ing the author fills up the intervals of this epistoary
chronicle. He describes with the utmost candor ana
simplicity, the incidents and phases OF his endeareu anu
usrious relatives life not contained in his letters lie
rerains from comment except when IL is reluieu aS
explanatory; he avoids alike euogy and exaggeration.
All his care and aim 10 be to bring into the pure
and calm light Of truth, to reveal in just proportions to
make apparent as he lived" the and the author;
and those who best Washington Irving most cor
daily the authenticity Of the portrait most ohdv
appreciate the fidelity OF the likeness and most CRATE
fully acknowledge the obligations which, as Amerlcans'
they to who has wisely and truly considered
the moral and intellectual lineaments of the author OF
1.-THE sketch-Boo
This biography is rare and rich personal illustration
IL we may so say OF national Development that is
in following the life Of the boy. from his birthplace i'll
Wlliam.st when New-York was small town, to his
death at sunnyside, the Hudson 70 years later we
trace the growth OF the city, the State and the country
itself in a OF local picures compare his 1rst
and last tourney in America his first and last trip up the
river he oved the scenes OF his boyhoOd and OF his age
tho details Of his experience during each successive de-
cade and we have more vivid sense OF the changes
wrought this continent between the ana
the civil war; than any statistics or formal history
afford. Then too, this biography Is series
Of Social Tabeau we grow familiar with the limited but
genial circle which formed the ."NewYOrk Society OF
Irvings youth: we move, with him, among the famous
earliest barrlsters OF the land at Burrs rla al hch
mond we share with him the enthusiasm which greeted
the naval heroes of the of 1872 we follow him across
the sea TO gaze admrngly upon Roscoe at Liyerpool
and in London near Moore sing Leslie paint or we
ion his walk to Merose with Scott at the Abbey
enjoy the acting Of Talma Paris Cooke at Old Drury
and rummage the libraries Of Madrid with some Spanish
bard or misunderstanding home TO find new world
OF ideas Of enterprise of social life; and in each and all
Of these experiences the persons and places the eeeb
ties and private friendships the vcisstudes and the t
umphs photographed by the personal record OF an
intelligent and chivalric spirit.
But the personal interest and the comprehensive asso
Citations suggested to every thoughtful reader by this
luminous picture OF an honorable and eminent career
are not its only perhaps its most valuable merits In
these days exravagant perverson both of language
and invention; when sensation coarsey usurps the place
of what noble in and pure and inspiring in sem
tment; when what calm and clear and true, and be-
nign is called dull and what is false and fegned fever
ish and forced pronounced fne;' when English un
defled" is beneath ambition of popular writer's when
the individual therefore the sincere is remorseessy
sacrificed to the efeciire when nish Is deemed niedl
and refinement declared weak; when vulgar absorp
ton In the immediate substituted for intelligent appre
ciation Of the past, 1t is refreshing saubrious
and auspcous the example Of artist in author
Ship felt the delicate beauty Of the English tongue
and priced its candid and careful uterance to whom
life was still clad in mysterious beauty and the past with
a solemn ch ARM who reverenced the latent sentiment
and had faith the primitive affections ~ humanity
and who could find adequate inspiration In the pure In
tegrty OF womanhood, the guileless mrth Of children
the grace Of true expression the familiar beauty Of ma
ture and the harmless comedy Of life" who cherished
the heart Of courtesy that belongs to the true gentle
man. and whose aims literature was an honorable
augmentation" but did not "a fill the escutcheon."