The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-08-12
LITER AZURE.

William +. GIL Il Co.
OF Poe literature there seems 20 be no end Since
DR. Griswod's incomplete and otherwise ansatisfac-
tory acconnt his life there have been no less than
six Biographies IN book form nnumcrable
quantity Of newspaper and magazine articles bearing
on his character aud works The latest addition 10
the stock is lie by the Boston pablisher Mr. william
r. Gill As written BY Mr. Gil. the stcry Of Pos life
made TO al an octave sl5 psgas printed in large
type. IL Is perhaps, the longest biography OF Poe
that has yet appeared, and In dcdicatipg 1t
10 the poets cousin. SIR. Nelson Poe, tho author
claims that Is the only complete account ever pub
shcd. In The preface stated tina, Ior more than
a quarter oil century Tho American pubic. while
GROWING with laurcls tho genius OF Edgar Allan Poe,
has lived indoeuty ob.vous OF tho true story OF
his lc" We are led TO ncr from this that We should
never have recovered from this ''indoicny oblvous
lad not the writer of this memoir, no tells US.
had his attention called years since numerous
Inconsistencies apparent in DR.. Rufus W. Grswoid's
memoirs. These Inconsistencies having been pointed
he .'was induced to make inquos that evidenced
that this memoir which for twenty-five ycars bus
permitted 10 stand as the representative biography OF
the poci TO ali nteuts aud purposes Tissue OF the
most gliring falsehoods combired IN similar
work.
Tint Griswold's work abounded with errors there
DO noubt and II is equally certain that for
long time his missIatements wore accepted reliable
facts. Bul Mr. GIN shows remark, BILE ignorance the
literature OF the subject claim ng tins dag
be the only biosrapber who has followed unhesta
unyiy ia Griswods footsteps. Can 1t that he has
never read Mr. stoddard's inemor oil Poe, which APP
peared IN Hzrpes Monthly III 1872. and was ailrrward
puDiished book form IN London and New York
That he has seen II there be doubt, Tor II is
briefly referred 10 ~ tho appendix To his own "Lc."
Bai II Is impossibe that he could have read and sal,
regard Mr. Soidard q tlinaed FOL- OF Grhwold
porusal Of the biographies subsequently published
by Ingram amt Dider, would have shown HIM that two
otncr writers had taken upon themselves toe of
setting roe right In The eyes OF tue "AmercsE pub
hc' 10 Mr. s,oddard thea, ratncr than 10 AIR. GILL
Is due the honor o having lrst cleared tue memory OF
Poe from the mass OF calumuics whch h-d been
heaped upon by Dr.. Grswoli Further than this
Mr.. sioddards biography throw light upon many rons
10 Poos life winch had hitherto boon involved IN OBJ
scurisy, and Sir. GIN has shown his appreciation OF
ths fact ny liberal or the data gathered by his
predecessor.
Mr. Gni's "Lfe Of Poe" might almost as we'll be
called Attack Or. Griswoid FOR on every page
there is bitter aas,on to that unhappy b,ogra-
pher, and ''mendacites' are harped upon nd nau-
II would have done more credit 10 Mr.. Ciil's
ability as a biographer ii he had told the story
oil Poe's sad lite straie htorward, manly
ius Of mud at Ito unlrendy historian. AS u is. his
vruence almost defeats Its own purpose and wo are
led ut last TO regard Dr. Grswold something less Of
black devil than he rs, inied. The contrast too,
shows ii.,e TOO PLAINLY the thick coating OF wh,e-
WASH with which 1t is Mr. Gili's cndeuvor 10 D,de
every defect IN the Character OF his subject Poo
fanny tell snort of beng an angel ana Griswold
quite lend left to doubt the reliabil.
lily attempts to prove the contrary. Mr.
Gil believes Poo 10 have beon a descendant of a
princcy Italian family from which tho River 20 took
Its name
The volume before contains number OF Interest,"
ing ac-similes and Illustrations some new matter
that IS not wholly uninterestng IN portan:. On
tho other hand it con,ains u great deal
that might Just well, and better, have
been left out FIRST IN the latter class tho attacks
upon DR.. Griswold, tho omission OF which would re-
heve the volume Of twenty thirty unnecessary
pages. Then there Is silly account OF writing race
between young Poe and u drunken rhymster in Ba,
more which occupies Jour pages, whlc more ;han
twice that number are DEVOTED to an analysts OF the
Craven" which IS OF no earthly value Importance
Indeed, would be an easy reduce The SIZE
OF the book by hundrcd plg,s, aud sti IN
better form every fact aud fancy tna Is preserv
Ing Mr. Gils matter receives no AID from his man
ncr. MS style wordy aud rcpororai TO a degree
out nm he seems lost a con- rol
over his temper, ana he tor q rcgaips IL
from The beginning To tho end OF hls vioerapny. In
keeping the general lone Of special arucle Tor
spaper winch claracterzes the work. every cha
ter OF with from tcen 10 thir Ave sub heads
Among tho illustrations are portraits oil Poe, Dr.
Brans5y, his schoolnaster ut S,okeNewi ngton; cop
les from photographs OF the scnoolnouss ana play
ground, the house and the room where ''lhe
Raven" written, portrait OF Mrs. Clcmm
an engraving from Poe's original design Tor
the hcadh e OF .rhc stylus" Poc's co,tuge
Fordham, facsimile oil tho fourth stanzn
Of The Bells" and OF part at n letter TO Mrs
Sarah Helen Whitman, fac sime OF a letter from Mrs
Whitman and OF one from n. p Willis There is also
a wooden. OF the Poe Monument, at Baltimore. Ia
tho appendix there history OF tho NOV msnt to
monument Tor Poe, intending q complete
report of the cedcatory exercises II Is not difficult
TO fancy tho modest Mr. Gin blushing deeply behind
his he clipped the following Of mis-
PERFORMANCES from a contcmp ornry report and IN
serted It In his vcracious history :-''Mr W. f.. Gi
OF Boston, who has done much by HIS earacst
vndication OF the POETS memory torcmovc Ease
pressions gave the finest rendition OF Tho Raven 10
which we have listened The large audience was
absolutely spell bound by his perfect ciocution; and
his blancc tho rccognl zcd idoas Nc. Poe
himself, made the perSonation oil has horror and do
spar almost PAINFUL" Aunabe, Leo was recitcd In
the mastery manner by Mr. GIL" When Mr.
Gl,'s pen fails him, should that t,mc ever come, he
necd only the buskin to fame equal
TO and cocxistcnt with that OF the subject Of his
"Laie." Owing TO this "re.em Dance" 10 the author
OF 'rhc Raven' there will be necessary for a
.'make up" that bug bear OF actors
JACK From the French OF Aphonse Daudct. By
Mary Neal Sherwood translator vi Sidonie. Bottom
Estes & Lauriat
Alphonse Daudet shares with authors OF less meitt
the pleasure OF seeing 'the forticth thousand" in
scrlbed every book he writes 1t would be safe to
say that Daudet Is the OF tho lew
OF French novelsts WHAT there Is about his stories
that make them SO popular would be hard TO tell,
unless IT be their apparent truth TO nature. His
pots simple. III docs not keep one IN the dark
only to pop strawberry marx on Inc ngh, arm upon
him ono has generally a good IDEA OF how the book