New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-10-29
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

IN rhs very miscellaneous collection OF anecdotes anu
cf the brilliant circle that graced the SUIT
ETY. Of London during the first half OF the present eo"
tury The details mostly OF an unimporaht nature,
many Of them indeed quite trivial but stu they VIII
he received with great interest by the muntude OF
readers who delight in literary gossip and treasure up
tho words that fall from the lips Of renowned authors
ne n they we're grains of gold instead Of shining sands
Cowden Clarke was a siuguarly accomplished ana at
tractye person, without great intellectual FORCE out
with sincere love OF literature, and an afecuOnae anu
winning disposition He was born in 1887. For many
years he popular lecturer the British poets ana
prose writer's and was himself the author OF several sue
cessiul works s2s he married the daughter OF VIM
cent Novello am English musical composer OF italian
descent she is well known among the students OF
English poetry by her admirable Concordance 10
Shakespeare" and has also written several original
works In the lighter branches OF literature. Among
the intimate friends Of her youth were ChaIles
and Mary Lamb, Shelley, COleridge. Keats, HaIhtt'
Douglas Je-rod and other literary celebrities OF the
day. who have furnished the editors with the most IN
teresng materials for this volume IL was prepared Dy
her eonoutly with her husband, whose recent death
sbo now survives In happy and highly old age
Among the "reminiscences In the volume, MI COwden
Clarke devOtes large space TO Coeridge, whose ac
auaintance no made in the Summer OF 1921. lie met
Colerdge for the first time at Ramsgate and introduced
himself 20 the poet friend and admrer OF Charles
Lamb. The name proved n talisman. Coleridse, ut
once began q conversation in the bland and sincere
tones OF an old acquaintance. lie talked for
an nOur aud a half on stretch, never pans
ing for an Instant except 10 eaten his breath,
which in the heat of his utteianee, ne oiteh
did like a schooboy repeating his task by rote, and gy
ing expression 20 some OF the grandest thoughts oat
were ever heard from human lips His ideas, embodied
in words OF the puest ciOQuence few about like snow
drfts lie like rushing cataract and his astonished
listener could only gasp fol breath and bow BIS head III
amazement. "IAke all men of genius. and with the
gi OF eloquenee, Colerdge had power and subtlety
In Interpretation that would persuade an ordinary
listener against the conviction Of his senses II has
been said of him that he could persuade Christian he
was Platonst a Deist that he was Christian, and an
Atheist that he believed in God. The preface to his
Ode of Fire, Famine, and Slaughter wherein he la
DOrs to that Pitt the Prime Minister not the
object Of his nvecve at the time Of his composing that
famous war-eclogue, is at once triumphant specimen
Of his talent for special pleading and iDge-
nuity in sophisticatIon." With regard 60 the
personal appearance Of Coerldge, which has
been favOrite theme with many q hero-worshipper,
Mr. COwden Clarke writes as follows: "Tho upper part
OF Coerdges face excessively fine. His eyes were
large, light gray, prominent, ana OF liquid brllsncy
which eyes Of fine character may be observed TO
possess though the itself retreaed 10 the inner
most reeesses Of the BRAIN The lower part Of his face
was somewhat dragged, indicating the presence OF
habiual pain hut his forehead prodgious and like
q smooth slab OF alabaster grander head than his
has not been in the at Hghgate since his
neghbor Lord Bacon lived there From his physical
conformation Coeridge ought to have attained an ex-
trcme old age and he probably would have dOue but
for the habit he had encouraged OF resorng TO the
stimulus Of opium Not many months befcfe his death.
when abiding his general health he told me that be
never in his life knew the sensation Of headache;
adding In bis own peculiarly vivid manner OF llustra
tioD that he had no more internal consciousness OF
possessing head than he had Of having an eye"
s1aa nvad
tender nature of one of the most exquisite of the
English humorists II not long before the last
illness Of Thomas Hood that &C. C. CO. met him at the
house OF mutual friend when his worn. pRllid look
strangely beled the effect OF POPULARITY and high spirits
conveyed by his writings He punned necessarily but
languidy almost n unable to think any other way
than in play upon words His smile was attractively
sweet; IL bespoke the afectionate-natured which
his serious verses-thoss especially addressed to his
wife or TO his chdren-show him TO be and II also
vealed depth OF pathos in his soul that inspired his
Bridge Of sghs,' Song OF the Shirt and Eugene
Aram The large-hearted feeling he had for HIS fellow
men and bis prompt sympathy for them were testified
by his including me-we having met but this onoein
the list OF friends to whom he sent his deathbed
copy Of the then recently engraved busporrat of him
sef subscribed by few words OF kind regard in his
own handwriting"
On her first meeting with Emerson Mary COwden
Clarke paid involuntary. awkward compliment to our
der Mr. Tagars roof had the qualification of meeting
one evening Ralph waldo Emerson. who did one OF the
company the honor OF requesting TO be introduced to
her, and paid her kind compliment; while she, be 1t
now confessed. occupied with passage in one
of his Essays that she had that morning been perusng
with delight and so oDGed TO quote 1t to him and thank
him for yet confused with the mingled fear OF
not repeating accurately and the dread OF appearing
mad II she did venture to give utterance to what was
passing In mind that she has often since had pang
Of doubt that, IL che must have struck Emerson
"a peculiarly dull and absent and unconscious Of the
pleasure be really gave her."
Her introduction TO Dickens which took place the
same house, is described follows: 4" II party at
the Tagarts' house that introduced by Leigh
Hunt Charles Dickens; when additional light and
delight seemed brought into life. He had been so
long known 20 us home Dear Dickens, or
Daring Dickens, as we eagerly read month after
MONTH the moment they came out the successive num-
bers OF his glOrOusly original and he0rstrrng produc
tons that be presented 70 Mr. Charles Dickens and
90 hear him spoken of as Mr. Dickens, seemed quite
strange. That very evening-immedately-we felt at
home aud at ease with him. Genial. bright lively
spted pleasant-tOned, he entered into conversation
with grace and charm that made IL feel perfectly nat-
raj 20 chatting and laughing We had known each
other from childhood So hearty was lis enjoyment OF
what we were talking OF that II caught the attention Of
our hostess and mp 10 inquire what II could be
that amused Mr. Dickens much. 1t other than
the successive pictures that had then lately appeared in
Punch Of Mr.. Punch himself; two. in particular
olleet made Dickens laugh recalled them, till the
tears glstened in his with keen sense Of the fun
and ridiculous absuTdity in the attitudes. They
Mr.. Punch as Caius Marius seated amid the ruins OF
Carthage and Mr. Punch swimming In the near 10
bathing machine. Charles Dickens had that acute per-
ception OF the comic side of things which ire
pressle trimming Of the aud what eyes his were;
Large darKblue, exqusitely shaped fnged with mag
nincently long and thick lashes-they now swan in
liquid hmpid suhusOn when tears started into them
from a OF humor a sense OF pathos, and now
darted quick flashes OF fire when generous ndigna