The New York herald., 1872-03-04
LITER AT u R E.



REcoLLECTIoNs OF PAST LIFE. Nv STR Henry Hol.
iand, Bart, NJ. ID. New York: ID. Appleton Co.,
ioaZ. l2ino, PIP. X. 35l
This Is thoroughly delightful book. Not delight
m In the sense OF amusing sparkling, but In the
more solid quality OF holding the interest or the
reader by ITS Intellectual vigor, wide views and
varietyDf scenes and characters introduced. Az
the work Of an octogenarian 1t Is singularly free
DOTH from egotsm ana from triviailtcs-two quail
ities which pervade so much OF the biographical
literature or the times and form SO large share OF
the staple OF travellers Journals
Sir Henry Holland was London physician, hav.
ing large practice among the drst circles or the
''West End" HIS was the rare and eminent good
fortune TO prosper through long life to that degree
that he could spend every year two months IN
foreign travel student by habit as well az con-
stitution. he made these wide ana varied tours the
means OF enlarging his knowledge as well as minis.
tering TO his health. At the early age OF eighteen
Holland received $1,000 for his first work, beng
compilation OF the agricultural history OF Cheshire,
| his native county. The first year OF his London
| practice his receipts were 9l,200. and he soon
reached an average annual income OF $4,000 which
he wisely resolved never exceeo, thus restraining
! himself from that eXactng, wearing and money
[ making professional labor which breaks down 50
many ambitious and successful physicians. Still he
was carefully attentive to his interests ana to those
OF his patients, suffering his two months OF
summer relaxation (whcn he took In August and
september, when the prosperous class OF LOndoners
are mostly out OF town. to Interfere with the busi
ness which was always ready for him on his return.
In the course OF these summer Journeys Sir Henry
Holland eight times visited America, OF which
country he cherishes the most pleasant reminis-
! cences, ana often pauses to compliment people,
whose only danger, he appears TO believe Is from
TOO much democracy. AS the Judgment Of most
| nhV cian 10 .ta mad nal
| literature Is, perhaps, more vauaDle and he de-
cares That In the United States botn principles
aud practice OF medicine are derived from schools
OF instruction and Il medical literature III no wise
! inferlor'' to those OF England.
! Among his American memories we get this pleas
ant glimpse oil Abraham Lincoln:-
| One of his (Sydncy Smths) warmest admirers
was the late President LDcOln, VINO more than once
| has quoted TO me passages rom his writings whlcn
l had forgotten. Lincoln was himself II man OF
much quaint humor, Curluusly expressed in tales
OF Kentucky and Illinois life. told In their broadest
| form OF American speech. These ne brought into
connection with events seeming To require Il grayer
illustration, yet which could not really nave been
better Illustrated. Oh the SIX Presidents OF the
drew Johnson, he seemed 10 the only gifted
with TINS faculty. recOiect Siiting with MN and
federal forts and General Lees uismantied is villa
seen ir0m the windows across Inc FOOmacla lew
the first disastrous battle OF Chattanooga. Tne
| versatlon at first centred on TINS event. but the
cheerful temperament or these TWO remarkable men
gradually trans1erredit to other TOPICS ana the Presl-
dent amused himself and us by some OF those racy
anecdotes which so often convey more OF practical
| truth than any dry reasoning can afford-now and
| then stopping moment to put fresh log on the
fire. The possession oI this simple and genial hu.
NOR, not alOyed Dy any personal asperities, helped
| greatly that popularity which was mainly due TO
the honesty and consistency of the man, IN times OF
| unforeseen and perlous trial to his country
| Sir Henry Hollands personal memories run
through nearly all the conspicuous men and women
OF letters, art, science and politics OF the past hall
| century. He knew Byron and Queen Caroline, Tai
| leyrand and Brougham, Walter Scott and Ali Pacha
Dugald Stewart and William II. seward, Canning
| and Louis Napoleon Coleridge and Mme DArbloy
| Sydney Smith, Wordsworth MacauaV, Guizot,
Everett, Thiers, Cobden, Campbell, Hallam Rogers,
Prince Albert, Nine. DE Stae, Joanna Baillle, Ers-
klne, Tom Moore, MISS Edgeworth. Mackintosh,
Palmerston, Mrs. Barbauld, Mrs. Siddons and JET.
| ferson Davis.
He tells us OF the poet banker Samuel ROgers:--
ellis dinners fashioned IN the same artistic
mould as his poetry-the society small and select,
the cookery superlauive; no candles on the table
but light thrown from shaded lamps on the pictures
round the room, each q small but consun. mate gen
Of art"
or another scholarly giver of good dinner
and an English Lucu,lus-tne late Mr. Payn
Knight-he says
II Sir Joseph Banks house gave scientific re
pute to the nOw-deserted region oi soho square
that Payne knight, close ut hand, gave 1t repute
for classical learning, art and luxury. The dinners
at this house were curious illustrations OF IT.
Owner-the consummate scholar, the sensuallst ant
the sceptc. ] never dlned Win him without find
ing large dish OF lamDreys and han q dOzer
learned men 1eeding on this and the other variou:
luxuries OF his table with relish which learning
generally seems In no sort To IMPAIR"
| Sir Henry Holland is memocr OF the famous
club founded In 1904 by johnson, Burke, Goldsmith
GarricK &c.. and describes the Keen conflicts OF VIII
and scholarship with which Macauay, Grote sgd
| ney Smith, Gladstone, Milman and sir George
| Cornwall Lewis Illuminated It's atter-dinner ses
slons. '.The joyous humor OF Sydney Smith played
over and hgntened the more solid and copous
learning OF Macauay. The latter was devoted to
the club and rarely absent from 1t. II redundant
| at times IN speech and argument 1t was SIMPLY
from the overwhelming knowledge he brought &c
the COMBAT"
A little father on we get this glimpse OF the
character OF THAT great English Oarrisler, Lord
Erskine:-
In singular contrast to Sir S. Romilly came LORD
Erskne, OF wnom Indeed. saw much less and at d
time when his faculties had unncrgone q decay
more obvious To Otners than to himself. lie was
still eager and eloquent IN speech, but with u GER
tam lcstess irrtaDIity, augmented, as believe, bl
narrow worldly circumstances and by what NJ
deemed the neglect OF hls former politlcal friends
HIS mind, too, wnen knew him. was clOuded DJ
little foibles and superstlti0ns. well recollect
dinner at Sir ). ROm.llys, where his agitation was
curiou5ly shown in his reluctance TO SIT down as
| one or thirteen at table and by the reiief he eX
| pressed when the fourteenth guest came IN
Ills life had been one OF nete0rIc KIND throughout
| vanishing III mist, such lives are prone 10 do.
We can think of no book of recent date which
better deserves great circulation than these "Re
collections OF Past Life."