New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-01-11
A REMARKABLE BOOK.
BENJAMIN ROBERT HAYpON.

DOTEs OF NAPOLEON AND wELIINGTON-MoRE
LIGHT on LORD BYRONs DOMESTIC RELATIONS
IFRoM REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or TIE lIdbONbl
LONDON. Dee 1s.-More than twenty years ago,
in 1858, Mr.. Tom Taylor published three volumes OF
selections from Haydons Autobiography and Jour
nails. Before the end of the year the book had
reached a second edition Since that time Hayden,
whatever his place in art has remained one OF the
most interesting figures in English literature. Al
though the autobiography was avowedly written for
publication, its frankness and on the whole, SIN
cerity. are astonishing. Mr.. Taylor was thought to
have erred in giving so much of il to the public Tor
whom il was intended On the appearance OF the
book there arose something like the outcry which
Stately greeted Grevilles Memoirs, though much less
Yet the editor lef no small part of his material un-
used HaydOn's journals filed q folio volumes,
and the contents Of them very various in char
actor. As Hayden himself wrVte he had known ana
associated with many remarkable men. lis me
had been connected with his cOuntrys art. Inc
people and nobility of England, "the grandest
people and nobility of the word,' had ever sympa-
thzed with his fate and often deferred bis ruin lie
wrote down very freely what he Thought Of both peo
pie and nobility; and what they thought of each
other There is always a taste f0r that sort OF Cos
sip and il has value perhaps, quite equal to that
of writings more solid in form. We arc grateful for
all we can get. and there is reason, therefore,
To be grateful to Mr.. Frederic WORDSWORTH
Haydon, the painters son, who has Just published
portion of the materials which Mr.. Tom aylor ett
Unpublished The son speaks Of Mr. 1ayi0rs seee-
ton as fragment" and Of the contents OF these
two thick volumes MS "a further selection from his
Journals and correspondence" lie again refers to
his own work as selections from the unpublished
part of Haydon's Journals so that one has right 20
conclude that the matter now printed sees
the light for the first time. Yet tho first
go pages OF the first volume are occupied
with a Memoir based necessarily on the auto
biography and reproducing often the words OF the
writer disguised by slight changes of form or con-
siruction. The correspondence fills the remainder
of the first volume and 20S pages OF the second
then follows the Table Talk. Ii would require
careful examination to say how much Of this is old
and how much new. | suppose we may credit the
assurance OF the Preface to the greater part OF it,
But the assurance of the Preface Is not TO he taken
literally Some of the Table Talk may be found in
TayIor's Autobiography. and it is dihicUlt 10 feel
suIp in making extracts, that one is not rcminting
something already familiar. The difficulty Is III
creased by the total want of an Index TO these two
volumes which stand in as much need Of one as any
two volumes that could he issued The editor speaks
with becoming modesty of his want of literary
knowledge. His volumes are full of valuable things,
but he has not known how TO pat them together.
Hayden was q man of great force of character.
remember reading, some fifteen years ago, on Mr..
EmersGn's recommendation, his autobiography as
edited by Taylor and the impression OF it is distinct
10 this day. man of fiery energy. a born soldier,
one of the most restless minds ever created, with
keen insight into many things besides art, Of great
natural PRIDE, subdUed into accepting degrading
charities his life struggle AGAINST neglect and enc
mics. His warfare with the Royal Academy was
rum to him, yet no suggestion of prudence stayed
his hand or pen. He was loyal to his own belief, az
every cost He believed British art had gone aetray,
and that he was born TO set il right. Ills lie was
long protest against the Philistinismthe word had
not then been invented-of the Academy, against its
shopkeeping spirit, against its naTrOwness, selfish
ncss, cliQusin, and against the baacness of many
sorts which nourished there. OF his own place
as painter, l need not undertake to
speak Neither during his life nor since
his death has there been anything Ike the
recognition for him which Lie expected. That his
aims were noble all men agree. Whether he pos
sessed the power of realizing them is a question with
which posterity may very likely busy itself. Ills is
the ease of man who may possibly owe his most
lasting fame to work Of a very different kind from
that which he did with q view 10 fame; 70 his writ
ing more than TO his painting. His power Of express
sion with the pen is undeniabc, let critics differ
they may about what he could do with the brush
Ii would be unjust not to add that his comparative
failure to interest the public in his art vas due
to the laTgeBess Of his attempts. Had he chosen
TO walk in the paths most artists Of his time were
content to tread he would easily have surpassed
most of them. But Ia him no art was worthy of the
name unless it were high art-the highest, indeed.
lie strove to found Historical School anything
short of that he disdained.
What the Academy single fact may help 10
chow. Ii was proposed in 1915 to build great
national monument in honor of Waterloo, the cost
to be 81, 800 900. The Government applied by let
ter to the Royal Academy for its assistance BY the
advice of its President, Sir Martin Shoe, the Acad-
envy took no notice OF the application. The reason
given is that the Academy owed the Treasury an old
grudge, aud thus gratifed it. Lord Castlereagh
30 indignant that ne quashed the whole scheme,
This is the editors account and thus, according TO
him, was lost the greatest opportunity in England
since the days Of the Pantagenets Tor the advance
ment Of the arts-paiutng. sculpture. architecture,
and all. To which this may DC added:
Dominic Colnagti told that occasion when
the trustees OF the British Gallery discussing
whether they should hay oil picture ol Ihaels f0r
$500 or not shcG sa3 tne1 nao len u[itel Send
saw auy picture by an ola master tlat WOGG AZ
sist aim" Rogers, who was standing D., muitcfed to
Charles RagOt 81 believe him yet e2ol
Leaving that question, merely dipping into these
two volumes will afford abundant entertainment.
Go with Hayden to Paris in 1914 when all the world
turned thtler and look at the French Of those days
"a beaten nation, with his honest clear English
eyes He writes June g. 1911, to Leigh Hunt:
Yon cannot imagine the peoples ignorance and indif
ference to the who rules them They know nothing.
They ass you questions that MAKE you stre IN every
thins that concerns t0c5 they know nothing ana seem
suffer Overwhelming influence over their minds
that they oneht 20 know nothing. the siux 60 in
state 20 the Corps Legislaf aud the people seemed 70
regard n All 90 o mere spectace one pleasant ehcI-