New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-08-14
Ell IND NOVELIST.

IL literature alone wins no pecrages In EE-
gland, literary men who are also politicians
and placeholders have fair chance for coro-
nets. Mr. Bulwer, the author of "Pelham,"
died Lord Lytton. Mr.. Macaulay, the author
of the "Ilistory of England" became Baron
Macaulay and now Mr.. Disraeli, the author
of "Viyian Grey" is made Earl OF Beacons-
field. Mr.. Buwer, however, might have writ
ten much better novels; Mr.. Macaulay might
have brought his History TO conclusion
worthy of its beginning, and Mr.. Disraell
might have produced finer story than
1.-THE Young Duke" (Which he never
has done). without being created a
Lord. Long ago there was rumor
that Mr.. Dickens was to be made Baron,
but nothing came of it. There would have
been no end of the sardonic grins with which
the title of Lord Thackeray would have been
greeted 4; and we might have feared also some
diminution of the relish with which we read
"The Book of Snobs" The lovers of litera
ture have Il sort of property in the names of
the authors whose works they admire and
cherish 1t would be so hard 10 say Sir Ar
thur TennysOn, that we should resent the
laurcates knighting as personal injury.
Nor should we any more warmly love and re
spect our present Minister Plenipotentiary to
England, if we should learn by cable that his
right To the title of Duke of Kingston or Earl
OF North Haven had been acknowledged. He
would still be simple Edwards Pierrep0nt, or
at most only the Honorable Edwards Pierre
pont in the mouths of his atiect!onate coun-
trymen.
Ii will be n long while. we suspect, before
any man is made an English peer merely be-
cause he has written good book; and we are
quite content that it should be so. We like to
have the domain OF letters still kept republi-
can. Let titles, which, after all, are political
distinctions, so far as they are distinctions at
all he reserved for warriors, and lawmakers,
and law-expounders, while in literature we
keep to the simple familiarity with which
after while we drop even the plain prefix
of Mr., and speak without quam of Shake
speare and Milton, and even of Byron, who
was Lord without thanks to the min
listers of his time. The noble by birth
have written very few good books, though
some of them have imposed now and then
foolish one upon the world. Nor do we ac-
custom ourselves easily to the everyday Use of
q new title. We speak still of plain Bulwer
and Macaulay, and we shall continue to speak
of plain Disraeli, the less respectful calling
him Dizzy as before. Punch, we suppose, will
now grow rcvercnt, for it is by no means
certain that Punch does not dearly love a
Lord" as Byron said Tom Moore did. Perhaps
10 more. now that he Is Earl of Beaconsteld,
shall we see his frizzlod head of hair in Mr.
Puuch's gallery of cartoons. But it Is of no
consequence. since the jokes and caricatures
were really becoming little dreary Mean
while 1.-THE lmeal descendant of the impeni-
1" tent thief Gas Mr.. O'Connell called him) has
two strings to his bow so far as fame is con-
ccrncd. If he is forgotten as a writer, he will
be remembered as a Prime Minister if he is
forgotten as a politician, he will be remem-
bered rs the Earl who became Premier through
sheer force OF an indOmtable will.