Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-08-13

"a Masterpiece of Crime" was brought
out in the orthodox three-volume form,
and had an immediate and enormous SALE
1t took the town by storm. Within six
weeks it ran into nineteen editions. Some
faint estimate of the sensation it created
may be gathered from the following ex.
cerpts from the notices which appeared at
the time in opponents of public opinion
that is, opinions of protested criticism
organs OF various and varying attitudes of
Importance
1t is the secret of Polichinelle that, under the
nom de plume of Jonathan Smith, is to be recog-
nized the facile pen of Mr.. Horatio Primrose, a
gentleman who takes 4 particular delight in this
harmless species of literary MASQUERADE. After
having too long wasted his abilities in minor fields
of culture, less grateful to the peculiar mode of
mental husbandry he affects, he at last has hit
golden vein and has gratfed with the revolution
OF an unexpected power. His :" Masterpiece Of
Crime" is, indeed, masterpiece of inventiveness,
of lucid dsentanglement of rayeled skein OF in
trgue, and OF strenuous character. painting. 1t
would be uncharitable to the subscribers to our
libraries to diyulge the plot, but We may broadly
state that the narrative-for there is a deep-Iying
moral, etc.-tThe Times.
This is book OF depraved and debasing tendency
utterly vicious in intent and execution and the
more dangerous that it bears evidence of having
fession. We pray-and we ask our readers to join
with us in the prayer-that he may be brought to
see the error Of his ways-[The Christian Gnomon
Not since as a gentle child, with a gigantic appe-
tite, sat at my fathers knee and made faces at my
elder sister, have read a tale enhancing. 1t is
almost as wholesome as and far more interesting
than the trial of Palmer. Only Gubbins could have
been its he 70, only the General could have written
it only Yonder could read stolen copy of it with
true appreciation.-[The Sporting Times.
Thomas de Quincy good master printer, prithee,
do not capitalize that d. once wrote paper
der considered OF the fine arts; and Barley
Didboliques novelette, in opuscular FORM entitled
" lie Bonheur dams lie Crime" Both were right ac
cording TO their lights, although wrong, peradven
ture, taking their productions far their moral
influences are concerned Murder may be elevated
TO the dignity of learned profession the criminal
may rise to the hight of mental serenity. But this
is merely en- paSSant. Horatio Primrose, promis-
ing young writer whom am pfoud to welcome to
republic, has Just given work, "a Master
piece OF Crime" which lies before me on my escri
toire as | sit down TO COLLEGIATE my weekly echoes
this present Wednesdays work which am fain to
own has yielded me much, albeit not unmixed
pleasure. The author is of the school Of Grimrod
de Ia Reyniere and Restit de la Bretonne. In his
truly remarkable performance the quaint elbows
the bizarre, the passionately tragic in double
harness with the broadly droll, the POLITICALLY i'm
possible is cheek by jowl with the improbable
1t is if the late Mr.. Calcraft were to
dance sarsbend with the spirit of Duns
with the living J. L. Toole. / have known
but one other man in the tolerably chequered and
extended career-dy di ms our hairs will whiten
and the crowsfeot spread in expansive splaydom-
who could indite such volume. 1t at MertZ
met him in the very hot autumn Of 1S70-at MertZ,
whether we were blown by simeon from Fleet
street. A small man, but OF heroic stomach and
veuturesomeness astounding, OGoggerdean, OF
the AudlaRohe. He had been, they said, Colonel
of American Federal cavalry, Confederate BUSH
whacker, Mexican guerilla, contrabandista, a
Garibaldino of the Miia di MARSHA, Of course,
q Fenian Center, and q Pontifieial Zouaye. He had
the Newgate Calendar by rote, had Travelled hun
dreds Of miles to witness revival Of Jack Shep-
pard held Robert Macaire in alteration, was ready
to maintain at the point of the sword that Dick
Turpin's Ride to York was the finest spectacle in
the world, and yet he paid his poor's rates. His
book | can recommend, provided only he be, like
my irascible friend oGoggerdean, sound on the
goose"
Mem Can any OF my many correspondents tell
me where can find complete set of Re stiff de la
Bretonnes traciates? ] have sought for them in
vain at the British Museum.
Item What is the exact meaning Of cdb0utot
fancy it is loaned from the Franeke- Comtos dia.
lect. Mr.. Primrose uses it nine times in his vol
ume.-IG. A s., in the Illustrated London News.
You have doubtless heard of the new novel, the
success Of the season. q" a Masterpiece Of Crime. :"
Il is admitted every side to be one OF the most
magnificent productions which has emanated from
the press since Tom Moore electrified the universe
with his melodies, and set human nature in accord
the offspring Of Irish mind? The author is a
distinguished member of the Home Rule party, who
is hoping shortly to have the privilege Of going to
prison Tor the good Of his eountry-tL9ndo Core
spoDdent Of the Dublin Freeman's Journal.
COnsummately utter utterly consumma' e-in
brei clever quite too awfully clever, this enchrid-
ion.--[ The .Ethete
deueedy amusing study of murder, this Of
Primroses (no relative Of my Lord Dalmeny), but
blotted by the ugly blemshes of conceit cynic SIN,
Crichtonism and the ike. The man knows nothing
OF the ramihcations Of Scotland Yard Now, when
l was in Washington, D. C., l met, etc-[T T., in
Truth.
NJ. Hans Van Braun, the celebrated
commentator on Beaumarchais, delivered a
critical and exegetical conference on " A
Masterpiece of Crime" at John street,
Adelphi, at which members of most of the
great literary clubs, such as the Savage
and Junior Garrick, were in attendance.
The learned gentleman established anal.
ogies between Primrose and Hoffman, elu.
cidated the predisposing organic incentives
to wrong doing, made a few happy digres-
sions into the Pelasgian attributes of the
earlier rhapsodical drama, and finally ar.
rived at the deduction that Primrose was
almost clever.
To sum up, the book was hit. 1t was
praised by the judicious, it was damned
with faint praise by the envious and those
anxious to be smart, but it was read by
all.
The publisher rubbed his hands in Sc.
cret, and smiled as if he had good con.
science and appetite.
Nevertheless. in all those criticisms,
even the most hsttering. two things inev-
itably turned up to worry Jonathan
Smith.
The first was that the writers obstinately
persisted in taking his true name for a
pseudonym, and in calling him Horatio
Primrose.
The second was that there was too much
said of his rich Imagination, and that the
wonderful realism of his narrative was not
brought into sufficiently strong relief.
The absence of these two desiderata irri.
tated him TO such degree that, in ponder.
ing over them he forgot all the happiness
of his dawning renown. Some sensitive
htterateurs are thus constituted even
when the critics spread under them a bed
of roses they are querulous if there be the
slightest rumple in one of the leaves.
As an instance of how he felt, it is well
TO give an anecdote of this stage of his ex.
periences. Walking down Oxford street
one afternoon, an acquaintance congratu-
lated him on his book there was the ring
of the genuine metal in the work when
would he give them something again like
" A Masterpiece of Crime ?"
"My good sir, said the coming great
man, .'your congratulations would take