New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-25
JOHN RUSKlN', LETTERS.
FORTY YEARS WRITING IN PRINT

-THE ART CRITICS OPINION OF HIMSELF AND
orHERs-A TRiBUrE tn ABRAHAM LINCOLN
CRITICISMS THOMAS HCGHEs, j. s. MILL AND
OTTER wELIrKNowN CONTEMPORARIES.
IyRon REGULAR CORRESPONDENT THE rRIBuSsl
LONDON, Dec. 11.-Undcr the quantity character
istic title. Arrows of the Chace" the letters which
MI. Ruskn has been writing during the last forty
years to the newspapers have been collected and
published in two large svo volumes. Tue collect
ing and editing of them has been done by Oxford
Pupil. to whom 1t has been labor of love-ot in-
teligont love also, since to- his mind editing means
something more than merely reprinting ana PROOF
reading. Where the letters needed annotaton notes
plentifully gwen; the circumstances of thciR,
publication stated the substance OF other let
tiers to which they replies is given; the Letters
classified b. subjects and there IL good index
Never before should say. has 80 mnch care been
expended on . reproduction of merely casual conri-
buttons TO the periodical press. Tie book 10 an ex-
pensive one moreover being sold to the trade after
Mr. Ruskin's peculiar manner. by his private pub
Usher Mr. George Allen, SuHnyside. OrpIngton. AT
81 SO aud by the trade h. the public at prOtl
varying with the conscience the caprice of the in
dividual bookseller. All which inspires the query
Are these letters worth all this trouble and cost
Lest the reader should be in any doubt on this
point, Mr.. Ruskin has himself supplied an answer.
He has preface t. the book, being resolved.
as he tells us. though forbidden to compliment his
editor. TO paw several extremely fine compliments
to himself His preface is dated from Roucn,
where / thought nothing cold possibly have kept
me from drawing all could of the remnants OF
the old town. but where 81 find myself.
instead, lying in bed in the morning, reading
these remnants of my old seif-and that with much
contentment ard thankful applause" For though
these letters range broad period, and were
written most of them, hastily. in the entire macs
of them there is not word wish 20 change.
statement | have to retract. and believe. few
pieces of advice which the Reader VIII not hnd ii Tor
his good 10 act upon" In the building of large
book adds lie, there always places where an
indulged difflseness wcakens the fancy. and pro-
longsd strain subdues the energy" These letters.
on the other hand. were written with fully pro-
voked zeal under strict allowance of space and
time they contain the choices. and most need III
things | could within narrow limits say, Out OF
many contending to be SAID exp sssed With dehb-
crate precision, and recommended by the hes art L
had in illustration or empbaSis.' For These and
other mere fully stated reasons the Issue IL that
the two following volumes contain very nearly
the indices of everything l have deeply cared for
during the last forty years.
NIX. RUsKINs VERSATILITY.
Not tie least noticeable thing about these letters
is the all but endless variety and diversity OF
topics thew deal with. The first volume concerned
wholly with art or matters closely related 20 art.
But in the second the list of titles, not counting
sub-titics.' includes politics and war; political
economy mores the PITY; the management OF ran
WAYS; servants and houses; Roman inunda5lOns;
edncaJ fOC rich and poor; their work and
wages; and literary criticism. or these there ~ no
oue-lot even political ecOnOmy-from which mdy
not be quoted many memorable words; many or'gi-
nal opinions; many sentences not less thorGhtfu
fhtar.h rTlr md IN
SAID once Cor all that whatever be the date or SID-
ieer OF letter ii is almost 10 be masterpiece
OF pure English, and often may vie with the most
splendid passages in Mr. RuSkln's more elaborate
works. Mr.. Ruskin has more than once expressed
himself with some impotence about people VINO
praise him for ms STYLE. prefe'ng. suppose 70 he
praised for his substance. He takes himself seri-
Ously on all subjects and a further passage IN his
preface will show how SERIOUSLY he taxes things IN
general:
Nor have the events lof the last forty years. been
without gravity: tine greater because they hav all
been inconcluSive Their true conc uslon7 are per-
hap, nearer thin any Of us apprehend an tue
part | MAJ be forced to take ~ them, though am
old. perhaps / should rather say beeans+ am Oh.
Will lar rs l can either Judge or resolve De not
merely literary.
This is not merely serious but tragica, and recalls
only too yividly the TOO famous letter OF last Oco-
her declaring that he cared more either Tor Mr.
Dlsraeh or Mr. Gladstone than for two old bag
pipes with tue drOnes gong by steam" Dnt that
haung al Liberalism he doe BeelzsOuD, he and
CARLYLE stand we two alone now 10 England. Tor
God and tin. Que.n.r This a letter Mr.. RuskIn's
best friends would have been glad to forget had lie
allowed them bat ne will not allow them. lie re-
publishes the letter, and comments on IT, ana AZ
firms after dehberation, that 1t not in the least
perulant but chosen to convey as much Information
rs could in the smallest compass and carryinglt
accurately faceted and polished on the angles"
Eccentric outourss of tnis sort do not III the east
diminish the impression one gets OF Mr. kisA - III
tense sincerity a sincerity of conviction manifest
ing itself throughout his life IN many other ways
than leter-writIng IN many forms OF selI-sacrho7;
and-what the world sometimes counts a greater
sacrifice stili-of money IN large amounts. h'sI
peopl are IA far Sable from agr5eIng villa Mt
Ruskins notice OF an lmmlnelf dannatlon OF great
catastrophe of some sort overhangng this England
of to-day. but nobody, hope, will withhold his as
sent to Mr.. Ruskin's own summary Of his own work
and purpose:
Whether anu spared TO put into act anything here
deslgned for my cOuntry's hsp or am shielded by
death from the sight of her remo1less sorrow nave
already for ner as mucu service as sue mas VIII
To receive by laying before her facts vital 20 hr ex
jstence aud unalterab,e by her power, IN words OF
which not one mas been warped by interest h0r
weakened by fear and which are as pure rom ser
FISH passion as if they were spoken already out OF
another world
A CRITIC on CRITICS.
Everything that Mr.. kuskin has ever said about
crlticisnl aud especially about art criticism, is
worth bordering by everybody who has ever to
noncern himself with criticism of any kind In
one of bus earliest letters-lSi3-he has gone very
near the root of the whole matter, pointing QUIT
must have been quite novel to the public OF that
day-that mere knowledge of pictures and OF the
techcal part of painting cannot qualify a man tor
tbe oli,e of critic. 49, We are overwhelmed with
tribe of critics who are fully Imbued with every
k,nd of knowledge which useful to the picture
dealer. bat with none that IS important TO tAe
artstp-crItics who know when picture has b'en
reionched who know all about varnisn aud vehicle,