New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-13
RECOLLECTIQNS OF AREADER.
BY CHARLES T. CONGDON.
XVII.
LITERARY PERSONALITIES,


OF HIS observation-disclosures BASIL
MoSTAGU LAMB, DE 6UINCEY, JEFFREY. sOUTHEY'
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS MANNER OF CoNTRO-
YERsY-DRYpEN'S SATIRE-POPEs DUNCIAD-
DIR. JonNsoN's FREE SPEECH.
Having given so much consideration, wisely or
nnwIsey in this series to books which nobody
reads, may bo permitted here and now to speak OF
one which e, crybodY is Ieadngf NumDerless
people their thoughts of the great writer multi
piled and intensified by his death, have awaited
eagerly such posthumous work OF his hand as
mmor had rendered probable. The first instament
of this We have in the volume called /" Rcmns-
ccnccsD which. while treating of Mr. Carlyles
father of Irving, of jeffrey, Of Mrs. Carlyle, aud
more briefly of Southey and Wordsworth Is, so far
s it goes substantially photographic the plan OF
il having proved elastic and capable CT much
DEPRESSION and episode Considering that this Is the
Kind of book which wc had ample reason to expect
of swift and not always Infallible Judgment queru-
lous suhacidulOus, impatcntand with no reverence
for staple flames. the buzz of aston ishment with
which it has been received seems little surprising
and not n little idle. Nothing is said here which we
might not have looked for nor do | SEQ that 1t
throws any new light upon Mr.. CaTlylcs character
or personal ways of speech whatever it may do for
those of other men, Some Ol the pictures when
wcll-nigh take away orr breath are repicas of old
.
and now only a little darkrncd. or n little more
prOtcsuucly drawn--for example that OF COlcrdge.
Of these personal pictures. or distortions aud car
features az the less patient might regard Them IT
q may bo said that they are honest expressions OF
whatever cynrisn. uitablity, indigestion and
chronic dlssa'iSlc' on was in tho man-ot h9
,ybims. urrindcrs. notions aud dislike of the
amenities and suay ties which are usually Supposed
TO swcctcn the intercourse of human beings but
which most decidedly did not swc"ten IT Tor NM.
Once tor all III considering this book, "" Ought 10
remember that Thomas Carlyle Is Ivy 40 means the
first To say sharp things of his contemporaries. lie
spraks 10 more plainly of iudiN idualS than others
have spoken in diaries and letters received by the
world with no hystrric outburSt, but rather with
suuy comparcncy and drgrr" OF inward sat,fac'
ton. We need be in great pain for our favor
ties If only we consider tat by no law critical or
moral are we compelled to give up our estimate OF
this writer or that. proved Enthusiastically to have
been nobody according To MI Carlylrs clasSlhra-
ton This once understood. the new book may
have a value for us: but not much otherwise. We
have here certain men ~ they appeared to nm he
would have been tho last 20 thank Il, for trying to
see only through his eyes: while We have to con-
slider those dyspeptc suitcringS OF his. OF when III
/ TIN, book there s such frequent mention.
Not few of Carlylc'> CONCENTRATIONS ar" al
/
forth a, well rs tnr not SO good when he says OF
Dr. chalmers t.iat he was - man Of essentially little
culture. Of narrow sphere, all his life; yet "n1
prcarhrr ever went 20 into my heart or this
prlhau- also Of Or. Chalmers, is a better specimen
of this doubt" manner: " \ man capable OF much
soaking Incidence, lazy brooding aud do-nothing-
i,il as ,hc first stage of his life well Indicated;
man Thought To- be- tmid, almost to the verge OF
cowurlirc. yet capable Of lmpctuous activity ana
blazing audl,itv. rs hi, later years Showed 80
Of BASIL M,n,Ieu, we'll known as the editor OF
Elcons Work, "-" much of \ bore To you by
d,,rcc- aud considerably humhng If you probed
700 strictly" says Carlyle and then adds as If re-
pcniaut: Express malice against anybody or
ANYTHING lac seldom never showed This IS said
OF a man who published forty volumes and whose
: Tacon " - or was considered the most complete
edition of that writer's works Carlyle liked him,
pcrhaps none the more. for being IN ady0catc of
the abolition OF capital punishment. SO OF Lord
Jeffrey, a man of tolorablr ingenuity, sagaclty
and opulrnt hriiaucy ot mind and in the next
paragraph. poor jeffrey admiration of whom
wa. ~omcthng trivial. doubtful ami not quite OF
the highest type. and then that rcurt. ionndLd
on Jenrcys talent for storytelling that instead Of
rdting The Edn5Wgh Rcr0r he hat not written
comedies like those of GOloni'
Some of these portrait, not 30 pleasant though
|
idly ncludious," which 1, the very Skmpolo of
- Bleak House over again but one does not like
To read of his household. which was "hugger-
| muggrr unthrllt. and sordId collapsed; and had
To- he associated with on cautious terms OF llar-
rIrt MaItncau We aIc told that she was full of
Niger fauatcism,' with much more OF the same
! kind The sketch OF SOuthcy given III the Appen-
dix. 50 tar rs Southoy himself is concerned is ono
OF the most cheerful in the book Ono conpre-
bends the congcuIality of the Laureate readlnr
this: We sat on the sofa together: our talk was
long and earnest; topic ultimately the usual one,
/ st,,,ly approlch Of democracy with revolution
probably cxplo,iv,J and fins uncomfortable to
man; steady decay of all morality" and 30 Eng
land would have to collapse into shapecss ruin"
rfr ETC. etc. But the great shock of the book will
! bc the portrait Of Charles Lamb-stIange and sad.
! with his "insIprrabc prOCliyitY to gn," and his
/ " talk contcmptibly snail, indicating wOndrons
| iIoiauce and shallowncss." Other pictures there
| are but these are sufficient for my purpose which
l. IN Indicate what will be called the personalities
| of this book before saying something OF other per-
| sonalities III literature, About which when they
| vrr, publshcd the world made no Wild hullabalo0
| mt swallowed them with grateful smack anu
| oiiv.r's PRAYER for more. Long ago SIR. Carlyle
| u.rd To couple Dcrmody poor, miserable, spirit
drinking. scrbbIing Irishman, with William llaz'
lit. who was surely something better. Our IllSt
impulse is to go into hcroical defence of Lamb, OF
| DE Ouincey, perhaps OF other objects OF Mr. Car
| IvIe,s wrath when suddenly sense of the utter
| obSurdity of discussing the matter, recollection
! prrhaps of that often mentioned dyspepsia, saves
II, from Indulgence in any passion of criticism In
| pYrparing " "Reminiscences it ~ sine qua non
that only that should DO put down which IL aGtu-
ally remembered; vet we are extremely sorry that
one whom we really respect and tn whom we owe
! so much, should have had tho hard luck to meet
with 80 many dlsagreeable people.
Mr. Carlyles latest free handling OF his fellow
craftsmen astonishes us for moment, but whlo