New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-02-05
STUDIES IN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
BY CHARLES T. coSGDoN.
PERCIvAL STOCKDALE.


unpopular and Questionable man" To-day and
IN America he is somewhat oil, for he IS. save
to few nousing loTers of out-of-the-way BOOKS
entirely unknown. One has q dreary recollectloh
of meeting with him in old quarterly reviews IN
dergong usually the cuticular fate OF MaISyas' TN
looking into his autobiography, which he wrote
when he was an old man. soon discover that he
was by no means person OF gigantic ntelleciuaI
proportions; but he knew few really great men,
and writes about them pleasantly if somewhat
po,npously Like Sir Fgcrton Bridges, he has
propcn ty prose and TO moralize III English which
is insuilerably elegant: but may pardon his
little airs and Alterations, for the sake of the
amusement which he is really capable OF ahordtng
us 1t takes him fearfully long time to begin the
real business of The book; and after he has begun,
Inc is constantly stopping to give us his views of
matters and things general Let me be warned
by his example, and begin without further ado.
Stockdale was born at Branxton, in Northumber-
land close by the historic field of Flodden, III 1856
His father was a clergyman of the Established
Church. His mother virtuOus and afectionate
was of rich and mean parents" very rich. and as
hard as their gold. but with none of its dnct'llfy
Young Stockdae of an unmanaeeable temper
and frankly records the more important of his dog
gings. He was sent TO school, where his master
treated him badly because he not ricl. 80
StocKdaie begins by complaining and goes on COM
planning to the end of the second volume. He was
solaced however by entering on the luxurant
and Elysian province of the Muses. by which Mr.
Stockdale means that he began to write verses as
80 many boys have done before and since. At
thirteen he composed q poem upon his cat. and
after stating this by no means thrilling fact, he
goes into a long-winded rigmarole about humanity
to the animal creation. if readers also did not
have rights which Mr.. Siockdae bound to
respect In 1862 he fell in love with young lady
of Berwick who Of course. "excellCd all the ?ow-
erfn aud triumphant goddesses in the gay Grccian
mythology" Stockdales passion preyed upon his
spirits he was obliged to call il the doctor; but his
unIequtcd devotion did not prove fatal, since hc
informs us that he atterwaGd frequently and
TaptuIouSy IN love with yirtuous women" After
his recovery TO use his beautiful language, he
was sent back from tLe ucspotism of Venus to tho
,nildor school of Minerva
In 1852 Mr. Stockdale saw John Wilkes who
came down to contest the borough of Berwick. The
arch-demagcgue is described as of genteel per
son." who "squinted extremely Stockdale con
firms the tradition. however, OF Wllkcss agreeable
manners and charming powers of conversation. ii
the women of Berwick could have vote 1, he would
have had them all upon his side significant
anocdote is that the Ole Duke OF Newcastle promised
to pay Nilkes's election expenses which amounted
to G.. 600 and alterward refused to reimburse
Single Smiling. la 1853 tie sensitive Pcrcival was
again love, this time with a yong lady OF
Tweedmouth but the attack was not violent and
he was soon convalescent. IN 1854 be was cnarn-
ored of another young woman farmers daughter
and "a fine girl who dressed worry smartly.' THIS
flame funnily enough broke and confused the
progress of his epITamnatcal compositions, and
burned up the sacred roots of his sprOuting He
brew" lie must have recovered from these severe
ant-phIl0OgiCal injuries for soon after we find him
ct the University OF 81. Andrews Here he met
with various Jacobite ladies. old and young. who
nseduccd his allegiance iron the House OF Bruins |
wick to the House of Stuart" " 1t was not he |
rotundly declares tie mere society and pleasures
of the lea-table that made rebel OF convert of
me; it was not the excellent cuTant jelly and |
marmaladc, which at that time made part of its
:dornmeut: but it was the contagious and intoxi |
eating ardor of their passion 1T the romance of
their elouucnce. ] dcvOtCdly drank the RestOra-
ton in whskcy punch OF strength proporticnable
to the spint and glory OF the cause" II was the
punch then, and not the mariHalade, which made |
Stockdae SYM atLize with tue Inflated House of
Stuart-that fluid, with the smiles OF the ladies' |
He was 10y 70 the first one beguiled to de- !
structve loyalty i'll the way and TO the same |
cause
Before leaving st. Andrews, Stochdalc gave up |
the idea of becoming clergyman, aud resolved 10 |
enter into the highly respectable and honorable |
profession of arms" Ne admits Through three or
four pages that he by no means fit to he a |
warrior; but the ether band, ne must do some
thing aud he was equally III fit t. DC a clc gyman.
AprCpos of his military aspirations he wrote long |
poem, very stiff and very stupid, about Charles |
Nil. which in ms cid age he has the temcrty to |
reprint lie then fires prose salyO Of twenty |
pages honor OF that eccentric prince. which those
NAV read who can Mr. Stcchdalcs ardOrs were |
finally assuaged by sccOhI-!irutenauts commits |
sion IN the Twenty third Regiment Of foot. de |
went up 10 London TO Join. He seems to have made |
his first campaigns ia the theatres; and his ac- |
counts OF tie actors Of tho porod-Nrs. Give, |
Garrick Henderson, Mrs. Cibber Barry Moody and |
the rest-are lively and entertaining u those who |
are fond OF such things. Stocklale SAW Macklin- |
" that adventurous and intrepid old man at the |
age Of S. venty, attempt the character OF Nacb~th-
Gan eNtrayagaut aud totally inpracticablc achieve
ment." Between the friends and enemies OF Mack
lin there was a riot at the theatre. The old actor
was pluck to the last. Re would stop his talking
with Lady Macbeh advance to tho edge of the
stage clcuch has fists at his emcmirs. and address
them in loud and menacing language. Stockdale
SAYS that he was most absurdy erroneous in all
his ideas of the business IN which Inc fOOlishly |
engaged" All theatrical renni,cents of that day
pay homage to Mrs. Abingdon; aud Stockdale is as
enthusiastic as the rest. She must have been
very fine.
! Stockdalc served at Gibraltar. He was a per-
sonal oh server OF the tardy movements of Admiral
Byng, and moro than Intiuates that he prop
erly shot for cOwardicC; a fact worth noting. a
dincrcn view is usually taken Of the Almirals
duct or want Of 1t. Upon his return TO England,
Stockdalc employed IN the recruitmg service,
and varied the monotony OF ensting men by read
ing the Had and Ciceros orations When his regi-
ment was ordered to the East Indies, he resigned |
his commission and bade adieu TO the army for
tein Of he