New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-16
THE LATE DIR. GEORGE RIPLEY.
n m The chicago Times.

Dr. George Ripley, WAC died IN Newly ok
on sunday last al tho age OF seventy eigut, was tas
nos, vewerq1e and foremost Of American cniics Lit
erarv criticism not lncu0ei ID Tue Original seneae
of Inc modern newspaper. Even after journals lid
'a ret uro rtDns ana eniarl ed its scope 20 "a
10 include most VI the affairs 81 MANKIND literature aud
s.,,re renaurd ontso pal. and book criticism
nued to be the exclusive and imp0r ant junction OF
monthly and quarterly reviewers. ms knowledge OF
Iue contents aud character OF new books. ~haieyer
Their jsct or urpOse, the aOIiit OF teIr authors
was confined, therefore. To tH0Ter VINO b'd ihe ineans
ond iii ,posliOn % buy them and ind oui their value
stterward aud To the not much greater number VINO
read tnc periodicals ana coh,d penetrate through
the h' # critics INTO an Appreciation I ., "a.
works which, as the rule once prevailed, were hand
led WITH such bnn0Ing par;lsInshIp. There thres
n etiods OF literary criticism: To make the pun
au .Inted with new book D. succluct and unem0e'
ishrd coudr nsation of It's tOniets; make d.sorm.
mating ami qualifying comment upon an authors views
wIie sitting them fairly ioTtn and To ihr0a away tao
book IA utterly niIsead or In adequate. anu write up
The subject rom "a radically hcreut conception Of Il.
The last Bdcaulays methOi; 1t WOOuc1i mass Of
he most Brilliant ana most unreliable historical cril
eIsn IA The language 1he first the fatonai metnod
for fIa * ud-peDden JOurna lsmi VII lt tLe SEQ
ana makes an agreeable, entertaining aud instructive
M erative The of authorship Is now 50 univ rsaly
soJwcd tne bJUkpu5 shiDg trade Ms grown 30 Ken
siX,4y tIat Il is ImDoss Bite anyone hOweytr thrifty
i'm keepin. his culture MP he hour, 10 head the really
VAN bic BOOKS, even ulcOdsy 10 select Nbdt 10
90 ,ye1t tOpss ". Enlightened journalism 10
1s assistance The Drs.ciass DeWsp perOI tOdY keeps
lis read acquainted win the en- IeBtOf hei allure asst
~ Il MS long thc books of paran ount value are
tahen up ana anayzed; tue less important are mOre
briefly rcsruted tO5e which are lhtriiiscay worth
- are noret and IL j. need e to add ID q he,e 4rs
tc NO .t numerous IL j. longer tIat the world
gaius most By books WbicD the printer lore;
aud has contributed most zig
uncauty % tLs mas could De more striking,
Is ustla ing this Cuange. tbdB tic difference yrtWeen
te orr Il l reception. by the crIc5 aud che public, OF
Mtou's Paradise Lost" aud If Edwin Arnold, Lzht
OF Asia n lay the OOVA wonders sae' uDro-
ticed AMI unknown; IN WAS lbs .autansOusly apprec
aed by American journalism, when everywhere made
Its beauties apparent and che American pub ishefs
could scarcely punt last enough u supply toe demand,
wilcl has much Zretter mere than on The Other
size Take as instance OF entirely herent kiud,
the Origin oil Species" Drsceut OF Man." Anmals
and Pants under DOmestlcatiOn" and other works
OF Charles Darwin. What the puOiIe wants 10 know,
before Duyus OF these. ally other scientific wOrK
IA VIVA authors man proposition or - OF prop
ostiousi WHAT classes OF dOe be produce sup
pur of Ms pOSiOlf How ftItAIGl is his argument 10
the csrib ish,d cluIns OF l0glci Toe fdnc.iOn OK
literary crane the newspaper is to answer these
Oupsttuus ana such tne-e other words, The July
Of IN. news per ITS readers Is acqaInt them Win
the couten and character OF books that they may
become possessed or tue essence II ali fresh tuougA
whether specific. speculative, aestnec. ana act IL
telhgeuily in buying what publishers offer. or this
kiud Cii.3sn practic !, 30 YaIlaOlc 80 AR. tie
late DR.. GrIrCD Ripley "a founder AMI bSst exem
plar III thr States In the ia rty during
which he performed this al fiieult task The NEW
YORK TRIBUNE u ~ doubtful WHETHER ne ever s"rOu.lY
erred 10 Ais estimate OF WOrA. The range Of us
learning, calmDess OF AIS feeling, the tact and dis
cr,mnatlon WIN which he cOuid employ "A copOus
strong and elegant vOcabu ~, pTOt'c ed linn AID
made az TIE tlHIe, ia sGO-aDtlal aud enduring
W - ter tie fusion OF kno R,dgs and the creation Of