New-York tribune., 1876-03-01
LONDON TOPICS.
MR.. RUSKIN'S VAGARIES.


IFRoM The REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRrBUsE.l
LONDON, Feb 12.-Mr. kuskn has now improved
on that Roman idea, which Mr.. Sumner was so fond
of quoting that a mans house should be built OF
glass in order that his whole domestic life should be
visible to his fellOw-citizens Since Rousseaus,
confessions have equaled in absolute frankness those
which Mr.. Ruskn has made of late respecting his
opinions and beliefs and all his methods of action
in matters any way public, or relating to
the st. Georges Company. His house may fairly
be sad to have been of glass (which has
not discouraged him from throwing a stone
now and then into the houses OF other people,. But
now he is no longer content with glass house; he
has set up glass pocket. 1t not enough that the
money accounts of st. Georges Company and of Mr..
Ruskn Master thereof, should be published; he
gives to the world in the pages Of the last Fors afull
statement of bis private affairs. This is accompanied
by transcript from his bank-book for January,
and promise that a like statement shall hereafter
appear monthly. This he deems right for himself as
Master for the other officers e. Marshals') of st.
George, and even for the ordinary companions and
members. Nobody Is to have any secrets; that is
fundamental principle with st. George. As for those
who have charge of the company's funds, this
publicity will be n most wholesome check on the
CLOSES with which selnterest, in the minds even of
the honestest people sometimes may color or confuse
their actions property large scale; besides
being examples to the accountants of other public
institutions"
Not that Mr.. Ruslin thinks his own or the affairs
Of the Company very brilliant; "our collected sub
.crptions for the reform Of the world amounting,
as will be seen i'll five years, only to some seven
hundred and odd pOunds"-say $500 Truly, but
a slender addition to Mr.. Ruskin's splendid gift of
$50, ,O00 With him. too, the starting of St. Georges
seems to have marked q decline in his pecuniary
fortunes AT that time, he tells MS, he had S35O,OOO
in money land, and S150000 in pictures and
books The pictures aud books he does not consider
his own but only his for keeping for the country or
for persons he may leave them to. OF his S350,O0O
he gave away in one year $40, 900, and has since
lost $50, 900 by relation whom he tried to support
in business. His book publishing has not paid, and
what with these losses and living beyond his in
come his $3.50 900 is reduced to certainly not more
than $l50000. Hence, it is very clear that am
too enthusiastically carrying out my own principles,
and making more haste TO be poor than ~ prudent
at my present date Of possible fe for, at my cur
rent rate of expenditure, the cell at ASSIST. above
contemplated as adyisably pious modification of
my luxury. would become a necessary refuge
for my holy poverty" He partly consoles himself
with the belief that his battle with the booksellers
is now nearly over and that he can still economic,
If economy be necessary.
For the particulars of his actual personal expendi-
ture, must refer the curious to "Fors" itself.
There is after ALL difference between printing such
items in periodical of which the circulation is less
than a thousand, and printing it in newspaper that
goes everywhere. And il is just possible Mr. Ruskin
has not considered the effect of his glass pockets on
the people who look into them, as carefully as on
those who are to be looked into. Whether, in
fnnu uisiti int npighbOrS
private concerns is a good thing to encourage, and
whether il is really edifyng to the world TO know
lust how much Mr.. Ruskn pays his stewards and his
coachman, how much his new carriage cost and
what was his monthly allowance of money for his
own spending
This same number Of "Forsr contains a blast
against Bishops-not against tho Episcopal office,
for Mr. Ruskin some day that ST. George shall
have Bishops Of his own-but against existing
Bishops Of the Church of England. Every one of
these, the Bishop of Natal only excepted, have for
feited and fallen from their Bishoprcs by transges-
sion aud betrayal Of their Lord first by smony
and secondly and chiefly by lying for God with one
mouth and contending for their personal inter
ests as a professional body, if these we're the
cause of Christi 1t is Mr.. Ruskin's belief that
Bishops cannot take, much less give, account of
mems souls unless they first take and give account
of their bodies They are bound 70 root out poverty
and crime. Do theyf And if they do not, what
can their spiritual work be worth, or as Mr. Ruskin
puts the question
What can possibly be the use Of printing the Ten
Commandments which He delivered, In gold-framing
them above the Cathedral altarpronouncng them In
prelatclly sonOTous yoce-and arranging me rerpoh-
organ OF the best manufacture, II the commanding
Bishops institute 10 inquiry whatever into the physical
10 obey such command aS thou shalt not coye IN the
article OF meat OF his son to honor IN any available
either the father or mother, N whom the Que
has departed GEEK her separate living, and the other
is lying dead with his head In the Fireplace
This is plain questioning; not too plain, perhaps,
should you find yourself forced to believe with Mr..
Ruskin, that
IL merely through the quite bestal ignorance of
the Moral Law which the English Bishops have con-
entedly allowed their Hooks to be urougt up That any
of the modern Engsh conditions OF trade are possible.
For modern English conditions OF trade are so ar as
have had amy experience Of thrm simply dishonest AS
sit writing this letter, workman II repairing some book
cases have lately had made-the eriirs disclosing
that such little augmentation as there Is on thel, ap-
parenty solid and necessary part 9i lhe structure u
not solid but sham ornament glued on to lhe more or
less solid frame presume even the soe m IVA, Wa sham aon or
Ny workman explains to me further that few days
cases quito perfect; the nsdes would have cen thor
oughly finished and the doors would have shat without
iauIhH anu "h,noue 90 os'eA,, ,rta,s @ goo T +, VA
quite quite agreed that all this should be done,
and the doing It included in the origin est-
mate. II IL put extra dishonest S2O into their 0ck
ets that firm who stand probably as nigh IN reputation
any Ill LONDON Wlllllb
not speak OF mparng their own reputation rms Is
but OF several which have occurred III the
last three years period during which my experience IN
sue has been rather large because have iui-
nishcd q house. They cease TO surprise you aIter
while to annoy you, except as you are annoyed
by fogs OF yellow so0t foul drinking water or any or
those evils which you have come To look upon as cOndl-
tons Of London life They prevcntaDle, but they
will not be prevented In your day There was time
when work was honester and then 1t was that tue h III
dering Thls suggested To my friend the workman, who
answered, Yes tnat Is quite true, but now there IL nut
one rule In the house. much money quickly