The New York herald., 1878-11-25
MEMOIRS OF MRS. JAMESON.

MEMOIRS OF MRS. JAMESON.
So much has been written by Mrs. Jameson that
one turns with interest to something written about
her. This volume of memoirs (Roberts Brothers.
prepared by her niece, Mrs Geraldine Macpherson.
gives an authentic account Of Mrs. Jamesons life
and is in measure intended to explain her unhappy,
or. rather unfortunate, marriage relations The
marriage was mistake but why have not
clearly learned from these memoirs. Mrs. jane
appears to rather cold, and not willing
to make any concessions to her husband.
Jameson was. no doubt. an eccentric fellow. though
he appears to have been kind. True. she followed
him to Canada. dutiful wife should. and true he
did not mako her visit agreeable enough for her to
stay there
Mrs. Jamesons father an Irish miniature
painter by the name of Murphy. and he enjoyed the
friendship and patronage of several royal as well
titled personages. At early age Anna showed
taste for literary composition but not until after
her marriage that she published her first book.
friend Of her husband, who part bookseller, part
publisher, had read the diary OF her travels the
Continent snl offered to print it in book form. She
laughngly consented and told him that If there
any profits in tho volume she would expect the pres
cnt Of Spanish guitar from him, 1t is matter Of
history that she received the guitar.
After leaving her husband Mrs. Jameson spent .
great deal Of time At weimar (where she very in
tmate in Goethe's family from whence she writes on
January IL, 1885, giving vivid account Of her intro
ducton to Alexander Humboldt. She found him very
talkative. much Bismarck describes him to Busche
only to the woman the flow Of talk deep pleas
ure, while to the busy statesman it was an inter-
lninable bore. She returned to London to her
fathers sick bedside after publishing "Charac
teristics of (Shakespearo's) Women" She was very
much lionzed in London and gave enter
tanmcnts that attended by Harriet Mar
tineau, Mrs. Opie and Mrs. Austen, Hay
ward, the famous German scholar; Biggs. r. A.,
and Eastlakc, T. A., two Of best painters"
About this time her husband who holding an
official position in Canada, thought that he would like
to see his wife, She wrote that she would not come
unless he commanded SO he commanded and she
sailed for Canada in September, 1885, In New York
shc was received with enthusiasm, but not by her
husband any Of his friends. She dincd with the
widow Of Dc Witt Clinton. who. she says. is quite
character and amused exceedingly. She gave me
wainpum bag which had been present TO her
from an Indian chief" In the way of presents
her table was strcwn with presentation copies,
poems and the Lord knows what" She had
a long visit from Washington Irving. "who has
benevolent and agreeable countenancc and talks we'll"
That she was happy in Canada is easily from
the tone OF her letters home. She returned to England
in time to witness the coronation of the young Queen
Victoria who she says event through her part beat
tfuily, and when she returned. looking pale and
tremulous. crowned and holding her sceptre in
manner and attitude which said, Il have it, and none
shall wrest it from me ! even CARLYLE, who
was standing me- uttered with emo
ton a blessing her head. and he, you
know, thinks kings and queens rather superluous."
Once in London she fell into the old life again, and
was surrounded by Mrs. Austen, old Samuel Rogers.
swhose critical taste at the most exquisite
and the least exclusive she hal ever known" Mrs.
Browning. OF whose honeymoon in Pisa she tho
companion; Miss Msrtineau, fiat aud portly and
handsome or less plain than she had ever her."
Maria Eecwor.h "fu Of lie and vivacity at eighty:
ono .that excellent" Joanna Baillic and many other
familiar pcrsonsges in the world Of letters. IAly
Byron was time of her intimates. but that
singular woman picked quarrel upon some foolish
matter and their friendship to end Mrs.
Jameson died after. aud among the last things
she sad was that Lady Byron had broken her heart"
However she may have felt toward her husband, she
was certainly kind to her family the most of whom
were content TO live upon her rather scanty earnings
This volume OF memoirs, which is very intercsting
in ITSELF In made doubly so, IL is in measure.
monument to two notable womcn-Mrs. Jameson, its
subject and Mrs. Maephcrson its compiler. the latter
having died before her work finished. The COM
plcton OF the book Is by Mrs. Olyphans. who pays u
beautiful tribute Mrs. Macpherson in her preface.
We will not attempt now to fix Mrs. Jameson's place
In literature. Hor work, Miss Martincau rather
ungraciously said. mostly mechanical. 1t 10
doubtful IL her opinions on art matters find much
weight to-day; 1t was more the personality OF the
woman than any great critical powers that gave her