New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-29


English OF Milton into Latin by Lander himself.
Poor DR.. johnson was taken in by the imposlflon'
and wrote a preface TO LADDERS book. Upon detec-
ton this knave ran away to Blrhadoes where he IL
said by Nichols to have lived in " universal con-
tempt" Perhaps the very king of the hack-wrlters
was william Combc, who was born in 17I1 and
died in 1923. The gentleman Of the press who wrote
Comics obituary must have had tough time Of
it, In the first place it was never certain who was
his father the doubfulhonor being divided between
a rich Bristol merchant and London alderman.
In the next place. the catalogue of Combes books ia
very long and miscellaneous the best of them, and
the best remembered, being The Tours of DIR. Syn
tax" He wrote about everything and some things
brsidcs-pamphets. satrcs. burlcsqucs, two thou
sand columns for the newspapers two hundred biog-
raphics. the text for Turner's Southern Coast
Views, etc. etc If any book-collector desires a
tough job which will last him all his life, let him
undertake to get together tho complete publications.
OF William Combc. II will be necessary To provide
plenty of shelf room 10 begin with. Some of the
books arc common enough on the stalls
and notably the "Lettcrs Of the late Lord
Lyttclton7 which his orlslip did not write
and which Combe did. The "CoTc>poudence
of Stcrnc and tliza Draper was also the
handiwork of this Shifty manufacturer. Either he
lid not pudcntlr husband his earnings, or they
were not largo enough for most Of Combcs later
years were spent in the Kings Bench Debtors
Prison, whcrc NE went on writing and writing for
his dally bread. until death brought his ahors to
close. Lord Lyttclton was a rake of the
worst description, but his talents were such
that those DESTROYS of making startling guess have
attributed To him the Letters of Junus.7 H. is
also mentioned in some religious books a. having
been lnrcwarucd of his death by vision three days
before tlr event. OF this Dr. johnson. Nho had
liking for the supernatural said: " II is the most
extraordinary thing that has happcned IN my day.
ara GLAD 10 have every evidence of the spirit
nal world that am willing to believe it,"
Richard Savage is pcrhap. Il, di,rcputahe char
actcr q, it would be- pos, bic To find in literary his
tory; M have no room lett in which to were
80 lar,' of his strange. cycuiiul history. Tho all
mirihI Life of him hy his friend, Dr. Johnson tells
The -lriu,. story of hi. doubtful birth. of his half
mad career and of his DEATH II is good example
o. thr rl~c with which literary reputation cogI
%" acquired n thnS" days. Nothing which h" wrote
IT, uow tcId or rrmrmbrn.t except by oodout-of-thc
WY ,.ldrr,: auI hr would be personally forgotten
Dat for DO biography of him written by one Who
~iIr.d in h- carly di,trr-,,>. slept With hlh per
ll;, in tho a,lcs If r,~~ house or wandered With
hi'n all m-hr throush the LONDON streets. when
r,i hor had shilling top pay FOR a lodging.
Thinking otcr tins Ions catalogue of tho-" who's"
i.,, ias lr,n all mi~.ry and one CONSTANT h-ht
a-. iu.' Starvation and r.r-mbIing hoW much IN
...,~.,r, unlarpiI.r>, thee writ = have caused
.lotlcr !.i %" inclination to r''i>c the jHie-
iI,IIt o.. 'ir.. h,h | have already rNI.,,,"d 10
r...l.,.,
-.
III
f" | l
"'" JUS "'" 80, H.,
''. 'l'.h ''''' ''' ''''' ""', ',"'
500" "' '"' OBJ, wits I''" -'''
.' 900 an, ~,