New-York tribune., 1877-06-02
FROUDE'S NEW ESSAYS.

IrRoM ruE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNEi
LoNpoN. MAY IO.-"Wo have n distinguished
Journalist ON board" writes Mr., Froudc 81 scam
daizcd him by saying that Thought that IN
hurried years newspapers would be abolished
by general consent as a nuisancc. gazette OF au-
thentic news would be published by autholl'y' ana
that would be all.'
That is. of course. only Mr. Froude's vivid way of
saving that newspapers not edited IN all respects
n hc would edit them. Mr. Carlye's criticism has
been known TO take the form of throwing them into
the fire when the servant brought his mail INTO the
room. The remark have quoted may be found III
LEAVES from a South African Journal one OF the
two new papers ia the recently published Third
Series of Mr Froudes Short Studies on Great SUBJ
iccts" uongmans u Coz. Besides the essays mon-
toned below, this volume contains Annals of an
English Abbey Revival Of Romanism "a paper
deserving study in America as well as Europe" Sea
Studies "Soccty in Italy in.the Last Days Of the
Roman Republic "Lucian.' and "Divus Caesar
(now first published, and somewhat daring essay.
Several of them are already known TO you from
ucir appearance in American periodicals.
Ii will bc no news to readers of Mr. Froude that
be can write vividly on many subjects. AreVleWer
spoke Of him more than twenty years as possess
ing a mastery over English prose almost uncqualed
in this generation. That was too high praise, but
was perhaps an indirect way Of protesting against
the much more excessive praise then and for many
years before layishcd on Macaully's style. IL was
said of him iudiciously few years later " His
style is excellent: sound honest forcible singuary
perspicuous English; at times with sort Of pic
turesque simplicity; pictures dashed of with only
few touches, but perfectly alive" Save for the
phrase dashed oil" that is an ant critclsm writ
ten. moreover, before some of Mr.. Froudc's most
picturesque pages had been published; the EXecu-
tion of Mary Stuart for instance, narrative which
will bear comparison with almost any piece OF nara
tive in English literature. Its lucid simplicity Is one
of the merits | should be most inclined TO eXto IN
these DAYS when it IS so often forgotten th1i SIM
plcity aud ccarness are among the highest qualities
Of STYLE. Doudau. who possessed them to very
high degree. declares, with some unnecessary
rouchness that the secret of the art of writing is TO
take your reader for an idiot "IhOse who are not
idiots he continues. persons of practical taste AMI
intelligence rightly set il down fault If you do
not treat them as idiots. There are many reasons
for insisting on perfect cearness. II serves not only
20 make oneself understood, il is also like proving
a sum. demonstration for the author that he has
not allowed himself to be led astray by confused
perceptions When we marshal ideas in their
true order we are obliged sadly to Tenounce guam
titv OF things we should like to and which this
mere good order by itself refutes and rejects as con-
Trajectory 10 what we meant 10 establish" And
again "Thc first rule is to carry your reader after
YOU bounf hand and foot to the end that he may be
ignorant Of no one Of the roads along which you
pass"
shall appear TO he devoting too much Of the
SPACE have To discussing mere Style There is the
less excuse for il since fresh warning is before me-
Mr Ruskin was quoting the other day what Mr.
Troude had said in his History about the style OF
Tyndales translation Of the Bible and breaks IN :
- wish Mr.. Floudc cared "A little less about style
l.,I sb.r al ms tVta lac fhoupt abOut the
Bibles matter. | bought the 'Riunovamento' OF
Venice yesterday, with a review in 1t OF new
Italian poem in praise of the Devil, of which the
reviewer says the style is excellent" Mr.. Ruskn
has himself been often praised for his style when
no wanted 10 be praised for his matter or to have
lis matter believed in that he is sensitive on the
point But what would he have9 He leaves his
warmcst admirers in such straits with his writings
on political economy and some other topics, that
they have no other than that OF the Italian
r,vicwcr who would not praise the Devil but Only
praised bs praiscr In Mr. Froude's case there is no
such painful difficulty as that One must often dis
agree with him, but he does not handle subjects
which he h,, not mastered. IL is, however, quite
impossible 10 mention new book by writer so
accomplished, and not pay tribute to his style.
Nj Froude has been known for quarter of a CEN
fury as a thcologan. man OF letters, and, above
all historian. The main work of his life has lain
within the domain of literature. which men OF al
fans are fond of calling impractical. Quite lately
he was chosen by the Government 10 arrange com
plIcated dispute in South Africa aud whatever
views may be held OH the questions there at ISSUE
il is not disputed by anybody that Mr. Froude did
his work with practical sagacty. Men of letters
are to give him due thanks for that. The knowl-
edge of business and knowledge of men he showed,
his aptitude for politics and his really statesinanlike
way OF dealing with imperial questions are one
more answer to the commonplace snecrs at the use
lcssness OF culture. We may take pleasure also and
even pride in the proof that physical vigOr, the
capacity to endure hardship and the readiness TO
face danger may coexist with the finest intellectual
powers and with habits of life that-Temembering
the years Mr. FrOudc spent in original research-may
almost be called cloistral | must add that the
union Of these two natures is much less uncommon
in England than in America. Mr. Froude
has not served apprenticeship In Down
ing-st but | do not know why Burgh-
lev and Walsingham should he thought worse
tutors in public business than the occupants of the
Foreign Office of to-day. The history of his mission is
not however to be sought IN these Leaves" which
relate only 10 his first visit to the Cape, IN 1874
and one much occupied with charming sketches OF
society and scenery They are extracts from his
journal Published almost rs they were written, and
hence preserving the freshness of first Impressions
fear the average American will turn away with in
difference from the problems Of South African poll
tjcs-all the more that what most Englishmen call
"tbe niger" Is good deal mixed up with them.
But he will find them lightly touched in Mr.
Fronde's pages Here, as in Mr. Froudes other
writings, they arc discussed from point of view
which few Americans will adopt, but in man
ner which none can read without profit. Ii Is pre-
cisely because Mr. Froude is a conservative that he