New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-03-08
BOSTON.
LITERARY NOTES.


TARY RANK-wHAT HORACE GREELEY SAID
or ruF ENGLISH PEERAGE-~AN ANECDOTE
ABOUT sHELLEY-MRs. ABBA 6. W0OLSoN'
ON "wOMAN IN AMERICAN SOCIETY "-Pok-
TRAIT OF A sCHooL-GlRL-A YOUNG LADY
STORIES IN sTONES-THE GHOST,
.yaon THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE TRlBuNEI
RosroN, March Cit would be impossible
40 write quite TO ones liking about Leigh Hunts wish
fps.Cap Papers"-scon to be published by Lee a. shep
ari-without copying the book, bodily IL us 80 prlehP
no brave so genial satisfying that one cannot hep
wishing every reader might see it all Like Loru MA
esaay 81 have kindness for MI. Leigh Hunt "hlcn
makes me grateful alike 10 publishers aud the edor
of this freshlycoected volume. For the American eu
itor has with much pains, gathered together articles
hitherto upeollectod from the Indicator, Examiner CON"
,,aaion Taller, London Journal Aonu'ty hePoS''O,s
Nee Monthly Magazine, and Ed"o"gn nv,
pier Most of these "Wishing-Cap r"po's
are written in Leigh Hunts happiest mannoi'
and they abound in wisdom well as IN VIII Apo'0
all they are 80 human. How delicious is TINS cohiesson
Of the reluctance with which even the wlseSt gro" Uu
"MapS he SAYS, "is in no haste to be Veherao'e' A
fact is am not old do wish ahYoouy W po'o'0
that am But at forty there is pleasure III aeeu"S
ge only IN be disbelieved. say forty because a'h
-, ina and fhirtvD We talk OF declining into the
vale Of years that people may say, You decline INTO
tbe vale of years and that may be compllmehteu
on the youthulness OF our appearance no"
pleasantly he writes Of his wishing -Cap-tha'
useful little headplece spun out OF the me
tissues of ms imagination 1t is but poor relation, he
saws 10 the famous WishiugCap Of Fortunatusi out
that belongs 10 Sir Walter Scott Mr.. Wordsworth has
fine Can and Mr. Colerdges great curiosity for II
carried him into those dreadful where he sailed win
The Ancient Mariner. But l. H. was well sausned WIN
his OVID which took him not only where he pleased nut
when he pleased; enabled him to make love hundred
wears ago. TO dine with Anacreon, and then go round
and take tea with Pope and the Miss Blounts
Never is there the least strain of bitterness in Hunts
kindly SATIRE except when he speaks OF the petensOhs
Of hereditary aristocracy. Whenever he touches the
question OF caste is easy TO see that he was democratic
Ia the bone at is astonishing" he says, what
strange things come together in high life, aud with
what accommodating philosophy the great regard their
own contradictions. The lie which their preensiOns
ere founded OF it, and renders II in certain
degree exeusable. A man cannot well feel that the
world would consent make distinctions that have no
real existence with impunty" Iu the essay entitled
Personal "reminiscences OF Lords he touches again
the same keynote.
The first time we saw any lords too young TO
receive such impressions OF them should rema II pm
of Right Honorable and Most Noble in the House
of Lords itself We had lust been shown me house VI
members with their hats on, lOunglng upon the penee
struck MS az no very digned sight though we thought
them harpOoking men, and nightly nhaneeeu from
there We taken to see the LOrdsi ana we stare
with perfect candor the impression they made on us
when we say that they looked ike parcel OF linen
raper the Commons were free ana easy we expected
Should see the dignity which we missed among
the others. Not atom Of It, Both Hon,es IL is true
were very thiny attended and the most dgnned mem
OF both may have been ABSENT but we IOuhd hat
number OF Lords might be eOleeled ana NOT ioVH S
we said ourselves, "are these Lords = ~ was the
fashion at that TO hghtcolored slnalclothes
and white stockings; and this custom added to the
efemlnaey of their appearance. But their faces! What
pOOT-OOklng expression was there Mntt NeaAhess'
What a pegaton Of all purpose and energy!
This was written in $780, It seems TO now, that it
must have been rather hard upon the Lords, but Leigh
Hunt never tired satirzng class who legisated by
virtue Of their ancestors" We imagine the flash in
eyes the eontemptuous curl of his Jap he wrote
There Is talent among the Commons, no fit legisa
toD there be- II egslability can be conferred
by ancestry, and IS thus tmng s genef$ FOR eI9et
is then could have no house full 0t hereditary
wisdom whereas manifest we have. IL 1t is hered
iry, have seen II 49, then II must depend upon
being inherited, or 1t would be pure hgment aud no
because his prOgentOr marquis; which would be "A
state STATE ''''' '''
Just here am tempted 10 turn away from the essay
list and this red,,ctio abStrd of his 10 recall the
August morning on which / saw for the last time in
hfe the Founder of THE NEwYORK TRIBUNE. We had
long rambling talk about many things; and finally
Tins question Of a hereditary aristocracy came up
apropos TO some Of Mr.. GIeeeys London "reminiscences
He was a Republican through and through as we all
know all things else be was honest aud told
the truth, as he saw il, matter whom il hit did
you ind the English lords any finer gentlemen or better
statesmen than our OwnP asked, expecting an indig
nsnt disclaimer But he answered thoughully, Yes in
some respects did don't believe in such system;
but there's denying il does breed gentlemen We
have as welmannered men among IA, no doubt but
they few In number and there Is something tOO III
beng brought up to craftsmanship No, our American
politicians, al whole, would not compare favorably
with the members Of the English House of Lords" All
me how well remember frank look. and kindly smlle
and ouain speech-the whole personality Of the 80 hon
ored leader who has himself been translated TO tthe
Upper House, since then!
To return TO our Hunt--aDd 10 find gems among his
pages requires no long huntiDg-f he unchartable
toward peerage his lack of charity ended there To
all other fellow mOrtals he was generous As the day.
How he loved Keats and Shelley. With what tender
pathos-always without the slightest touch Of melo
dramatic tells Of going with Keats, Just little while
before his DEATH 10 the house where the young poet
had tended with such untlring devotion his younger
brother died. Keats ALMOST dead himself when
he went back there with Hunt, and memory welnigh
overoame him In the grove OF ems he turned his eyes
swimming with tears said companion that he
was dying OF broken heart" little comfort came
him after that and when he got of 10 Italy both he
and his friends had some hope. " Even l had hope"
Hunt adds. My weaker eyes are obliged TO break on
He lies under the walls Of Rome not far from the re-
mains Of one who so and abruptly joined him.
Finer hearts astonishing faculties
were never broken mp than in those two
10 praise any mans heart by The side OF
Ebeleys is alone extraordinary panegync.
Illustrative Of the Iargeheartedness and alwaysready
sympathy " Shelley, the essayest tells story which
bad never heard. had forgotten In going over 10
Hunts !bOuse at Hampstead Shelley found woman
lying the top Of the NIL IN conyul,ions 10 WAS
fierce Winter night, with snow upon the ground The
poet, promPtest wei as most plying 81 men on such
oeeasions knocked at first houses conld reach
.becgiDg shelter for the woman. But lac every
where refused and could not obtain su