The New York herald., 1872-10-29
PRINCES OF THE PEN.
Mr.. Edmund Yates ON Charles Dickens
His Residence, Habits and virtucs-Pcr-

MIR. Edmund Yates ON Charles Dickens
His Residence, Habits and virtucs-Pcr-
sonal "Reminiscences.
; Mr.. Edmund Yates delivered last evening
lecture, the subject Of which was advertised as
"Princes Of the Pen" but which turned out in fact
to simply refer to Mr.. Charles Dickens, Mr.. Yates
having found 1t too much for him to speak OF Thack
cray and Tennyson as well on the same evening.
The audience was very thin, but fair degree Of
interest was manifested.
Mr.. Yates began by saying that he should not
give them a criticism OF Mr. Dickens as novelist;
he would simply speak Of him as his
DEAR DEAD FRIEND.
He aimed merely for the nonce to be the Boswell
OF the great novelist. When he had first known
Dickens that great man had already changed
very noticeably In personal appearance from the
young man who, as some one had said, ''came and
calmly took his place at the head OF English litera
ture,n and whose features had been preserved for
us by the pencil of Maclise. His hair was already
streaked with gray; time had carved thoughtful
lines about his face, and his complexion had pc.
cularly weather beaten red-brOwn tint which
made him look singuarly like some sailor, who had
been subjected to every vicissitude OF climate and
weather. Mr.. Yates proceeded to minutely de-
scribe MIR. Dickens residence at Gadshill-its guar
dian dogs It's furniture and pictures, its apart
ments and garden, and, more particularly and MI
nutely than oil, Dickens study Dickens
were very regular. He breakfasted at nine, and
from ten to two invariably secluded himself in his
Fecer for u Of literary work Dickens b
lieved that literary work should be done at stated
hours the same as any other business. Dickens, 1t
might be stated also, worked very slowly. Even
when young this was the case as he confessed him
self, when he wrote to Lady Blessington, shat he
nsS sna sos na M S as Sg d IF II
Of Az the Pear Round, did an immense amount OF
work, all the real labor Of that journal being in
was vusn av great walker and lie " gates, had been
greatly surprised, since he had been IN this coun
try, to hear 1t stated that this mas mainly to get
PREVIOUS NIGHTS porAr1oNs
No calumny could be more unfounded. But Dick
ems walks were no mere pleasure strolls. He was
ever, on those pigrimages busy collecting new
scenes ana characters for his novels. Dickens was
q great actor. His power OF impersonation was
yate tneatricals Dickens was Very happy and
charming letter writer-a faculty which Mr. Yates
proceeded to illustrate BY reading several numor- NOR
GUS and pointed epstles from Mr.. Dickens to hlm
sell and 70 his mother. Dickens had been
in the height of lis fame and glory though not
without warning. strangely enough, i've years
before his death, on the same day-the 9Th OF june
on which he died, he as.,a WAS in .,an rail- rail-
tained shock which probably shortened his life
and from the effects OF which he never thoroughly
recovered. Mr. Yates went on to alude TO DICK.
ems political opinions and his intense contempt
for the aristocracy All the noblemen in his novels
were either foolish or absurd and he had once told
Mr. Yates that the idea Of an heredltay peerage
was preposterously absurd. The only public occasion
on which Dickens ever lost his temper was once at
dinner when, having been twitted by LORD Hougn-
ton for his literary injustice to the peerage, ne
turned round and replied, "What amazing devil
had possessed him to accuse him Of having de-
death Dickens was shown considerable favor
by the Queen, and might have obtained any dis.
tinction that his tastes and opinions would permit
him to accent. Mr.. Yates then narrated the man.
ner Of the great novelists DEATH and concluded by
peroratiOn, In which he paid an atfectl0nate
tribute to the character and genius of the author
of 0PickWick.u