New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-05-16


with doubt snecu,atiop or conjecture This absolute
certainty was one great OF Macaulays popularity
But IL was not the most substantial cause luz oi'
lanoy of his style and the animated manner IN "nicn
he placed his ideas before the reader were douoess "
chief OF his "Macauay was not eA"cty
what the Germans would call many-sided man nc
never was nythng but the one Macauay IN all he do
or attempted But he did a great many things well
Nothing that he attempted was done bady' nc
WAS AS successful in the composition ola pretty Vaen-
tine for little girl he in his history, MS essays
his Lays Of Ancient Rome and his Parliamentary
speeches In everything he attempted he went very
near TO that success which genius achieves In
everything he lust fell short of that achievement But
he nearly attained it that the reader VINO taxes up
one of Macaulays books or speeches for the first time Is
almost believe under the influence OF the instant
IMPRESSION that the genuine inspiration is there. MA
cauay understood 10 have for long time thougu' vi
writing romance II he had done so, we may reel sure
that many intelligent readers would have believed on
the first perusa OF that it almost on level with
Scott and only the first impression gradually Iaueu
and they to read it again. have FOUND out 'h
Macaulay was not Scott in fiction any more than TIC
was Burke ia eloquence or a Gibbon In mstoiy' nc
filled for q long time larger space III the puplc
mind than any other literary man IN England anu hs
style greatly affected literary men. But his nnueuee
did not pierced deeply down into public feeling ana thoug
as that of two other men OF the same perod up-
doubtedly did and does still. He did not impress the
very soul OF English feeling Mr.. Carlyle for example,
has DONE"
No writer in Mr.. McCaIt hys opinion has exerted a
greater influence the age from first 10 last thau
Thomas Carlyle. His style was so little ike that gen
orally accepted English that the best thing TO De saiu
for was that il was not exactly German. AT one tme
il was doubted whether the conner had really any
ideas of his But Carlyle proved that he coiu
think for himself and he often proved 1t by thihk
ing wrong Truth and force were the deies OF MS es
pecial worship. Carlyle is endowed with marvellous
power of depicting stormy scenes and rugged daring
natures His history of the French Revolution Is
history read by lightning with all its defects the DOCK
is one Of the very finest the has produced Caryc
method Of writing history says the author Il thoroughly
false The picture of irabeau is worthy Of the great
German poet who gave Walensein; but II is as truly
a creation OF romance as the Monte Crlsto OF Dumas
The reader dares not trust such history 1t Is OF little
value as an in the lessons of the time and the
events it deals with Nor does Carlyle bequeath many
new ideas the world which he stirred by his stormy
eoquence. The only philosophical outcome OF MS
teachings is that falsehOOd cannot prevail over
truth; but this the author remarks Is lesson which
the earth cannot be said to have waited for up to the
nineteenth century and the coming of Carlyle.
Mr. Mccarthy draws elaborate parallel between
the 1--WE great poets of age TennysOn and Brown
ing In which the palm is given 10 the former for tender
and pathetic sentiments and polished sweetness OF ex-
preston, and to the latter for sinewy vigor OF
thought and rugged athletic strength OF style Tenny-
son has taken his province all the beauty, all the
nobeness, all the feeling, that lie on the surface OF lie
and nature His aim is to delights there is no storm,
no conflict. no complication; beauty melancholy, and
repose are the elements of his poetry Mr.. Browning,
on the other hand deals with the perpexed problems Of
character and life. He loves to study the effects OF
strange forces of passion coming into play under pecu
liar and conflicting conditions He is chiefly attracted
! by what lies out Of the common track of emotion, all
| osafhl no Of
is never seen air and the daily walks OF real
| life. No poet finished beauty Of style and
more exquisite charm of melody than Mr. Tennyson. and
none certainly can be more often wanting in grace OF
| form and delight of soft sound than Mr.. Browning.
Many passages In his poetry would to show that
he could be melOdious il he would but he often appears
| to reap positive Joy from perpexing the with
harsh untuneful sounds. Both Tennyson and Browning
are absolutely faithful TO nature in their pictures Of the
earth and its scenes and seasons They deal with ma
ure spirit OF devoted loyalty Not the branch OF
tree or the cry Bird the shifting cOors
but presented as 1t appears TO the sense at the
season OF description.
1t would be a pleasure to follow Mr.. Mccarthy at
greater through his delightful cabinet Of miniature
| sketches, but space forbds They viii be found to
present series Of intelligent and suggestive criticisms
Of which the apparent facility Of composition and
full smoothness Of expression may sometimes conceal
from the reader the depth and significance Of their
tents In versatile other writers, he
keeps himself in the background his own gift OF
porraiure and illustration is often lost in the shadow of
eminent celebrities and he appears surcharged with
the spirit of their creations as to hide in degree his
originality and power. He makes no attempt to march
In the footsteps of Macauay and Carlyle of Thackeray
and Dickens. of John Ruskin and Matthew Arnold. but
his suggestions regard to those brilliant lights of mod
ern literature remarkable for their sagacious
analysis for their simple expression, stamped with
less wisdom of Judgment than modesty of style. Mr..
McCarthys narrative OF the events OF the is singu-
larry lucid always graceful and flowing and though
without sign file pruningknife. odOr OF mid
night evidently the fruit of dgent research and fas
tdous correction commencing itself to the pure taste by
the chase beauty and naturaness of its dcton and by
| it's freedom from passages OF solemn and pompous
| rnonotony.D