, 1876-05-13

The Literary Tastes Of Lord
Macaulay.
What He Thought Of Bulwer, Jeffrey,
Brougham, Dickens, Homer,
and Miss Austin.
His Susceptibility to Tender Emotions,
and His Lack OF Affection
for Dogs.


correspondence, which are given In bis rece1
biography, contain frequent hints Of his litera1
tastes, with concise bits Of criticism upon book
and authors, which arc full Of interest. Will
travelling in Italy, in 1889, lie enters in lis dia1
the following comment upon Bulwer: "On N
journey through the Pontinc Marshes, I finfshe
Bulwcr's tA1ice.' It affected me much, and in
way hare not been affected by novels thes
many years. Indeed, generally avoid al nos
els which are said to have much pathos. Th
suffering which they produce is to me vcr.
real suffering, and Of that have quite enough
without them. think Of Bulwer still as hayt
always thought. He has considerable talent AM
eioquence; but he is fond OF writing about what
he only half understands, OF understands not at
ill. His taste Is bad; aud bad from cause
which lies deep, and IS not to be removed, =
from want Of souudness, manlincss, and Gin.
plicty Of mind. This novel, though better than
anything Of his that have read is far too long,
On the publication Of tie volumes containing
Jc1rey's contributions to the Edu,burg Radcac,
Macaulay wrote to friend: ~ think that there
.rc few things in the four volumes Which one
or two other men could not have done as we'll ;
but do not think that any other man except
Je1rey-nay, that any three mcn-cou1d have
compare him With Sydney (Snith) and myself, I
range is immcasurably wider than ours. And
His IS only Is 4 wEitcr; but he is not only i
RTitcr, he has been great advocate, and be is
Rgrcat Judge. Take him al in all, l think him
more nearly 4 universal genius than any man Of
nur tinc, certainly far more nearly than
Brougha1n, much as Brougham affects the char
kctcr. Drougham docs one thing well, two or
three things inliacrcntly, and hundred things
aetestab1y. His Parliamentary speaking is ad-
mirablc; his forensic speaking poor; his writings,
states, his political philosophy his equity judg-
ments, his trans1ations from the Greek,
they arc really. below contempt
Jeffrey, on the oth1 hand, has tried
nothing in which be has not succeeded, ex-
rcpt Parliamentary speaking; and there he Oh
taincd what to any other man would have been
great success, and disappointed his hearers only
because their expectations were extrayagant."
Macanlay was peculiarly susceptible to tender
emotions, and the tears we're ever ready to brim
o7cr his eyes. When the first number Of 'sDom-
bcy aud Son " appeared he wrote to friend:
"1here is not much In it; but there is one pass
a;.e that made INC cry as if my heart would
break. It is the description Of little gin who
treated by everybody. Images of that sort al
ways oyerpuwer me, even VIXEN the artist is less
skfllful than Dickens.' In letter to his niece,
da1cd August, 1851, be says: ~ finished the
4l1al L1-n1f- 1i1 AOL fcdll " LllItuGu ElQCE
The end Of 1851, when I was at Calcutta, and
when you often called me away from my studies
to show you pictures aud to feed tile crows.
ncrcr loved the old fellow SO much, OF was
2s: SO stnongy 5 n9Tea }Sa u: y ~a;ans hin, What an
n,ot Tear myself away. I read tic
last frc books At 4 stretch during my walk to- |
day, aud was at last forced tn turn into BY !
path, lest tie party Of walkers should see me |
for imaginary beings, the creations
sand scren hundred years. What is the power !
and glory Of Cesar and Alexander to that |
Think what it would be to be assured that the !
Of Monomotapa would weep over
journal, april II, 1858, there occurs tho follow
ing note: 't1n the 7in,cs Of this morning there |
was an account Of poor girl which quite broke |
my heaTt- cannot get it cut OF my thoughts, |
or help crying Wnen think Of it~''
Maeaulay had singular fondncss for street.
ballads, buying every half-penny song be could |
ay Ills hands On, which bore evidence Of being !
genuine song Of the people He even filed .
;cTa!-hook With 6 collection Of these cheap CON-
positions which he had gathered from the book
nds Of literature were fayorite haunts Of his,
nd it is said that be knew the locality and the
toek te3 II trade Of every establishment Of the
ind In London After office.hours,"
ion was rambling. about with me IN the back
ines Of the city. It was theu that he bcsan to
lk Of his idea Of restoring to poetry the
::scnds Of which poetry had been robbed by !
istory; and it was in these walks that heard |
IT TIC first time from his lips the Lays Of
o1ne,' which were not published until some
me afterward. In fact, heard them in the
aking. I never saw the hidden mechanism Of
is mind so clearly as in the course of these |
alks; he was very fond Of discussing psyche
gical and ethical questions; and sometimes,
1t more rarely, would Lift the veil behind
hich hc habitually kept his religious CUES
ons.''
Macaulay vas IN omniycrous derourcr of {
ID tic, best, and rcreadins both many times :
ith apparently equal qualification. 1t was his
hit to turn again and again to any author who
ID pleased or amused him, even. after, by
cans Of his wonderful memory, he had al I
:1F nsP sSs !Satass HendersSyns Sy hefs fe
nd at breakfast a -farorite breakfast =
'ok with me: Whya How oddly VIC : :
e made! Some books which never dream Of
c versa," q In choosing" continues I his
ographcT, "w1at he should take down from his :,
elves, he was guided at least as much by whim :
BY Judgment There were certain bad writer's .
losc vanity and folly had favor Of pecultarity
August, 1859, he says to Lady TreEclyan: :
h. books which had sent to the binder are L
ne, and Miss Stewards letters ure in G condi- 3
2 to bear twenty more perusa}s ," !:
Mss Austin continued to the last his fayorite :.
thor Of light literature. In 1851 he states in .
journal: "Home, and finished Persuasion :,
ave now read once again all Miss Austin's ! -
Tcls Charming they arc; but found little f.
re to critiase than formerly. Yet there arc =,
!he world po compositions which approach ~
lrcr to perfection" Seven years later he =,
tcs tn the same connection: Il could -
materials, I really would write short - -
OF that wonderful woman, and raise . little -, ae
ncy to put up monument to her in VIM y