New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-26
LAURENCE STERNE.


STERNE. BY II. ID. TRAIL English Men OF Lel'cisI
l2mo. PIP. viii, 173. Harper BrotherS'
The principal materials for the biography OF
Sterpe are the collection of his letters, published
nv his daughter and the full Life" prepared Dy
the industrious Mr.. Percy Fitzgerald about eigh-
teen years ago. Relying mainly upon these sources
of information Ito which he makes due acknowleus-
mentl, Mr.. Trail has compiled the narrative Por-
tion of his book with considerable skill His vivac-
ity is impaired by style somewhat TOO smart ii0
lisa little too conscious of the opportunities OF an
attractive subject, little too careful Ill pressing
home his points and keeping our attention alert
aud he takes some vulgar liberties with 'no
language. as in coming the words "Pantaeruehe'
"Cervantic.' "GilrayesQue' etc. Yet upon Tue
whole he "a interesting. We cannot help visible!
sometimes that lac would etus alone, that he wouid
trust little more to our unaded powers or Apr
cation but his remarks often acute, sens'plV
and striking Apropos, for example, OF phrase ia
a letter of Sterne's-" For want OF something oc'
Ter we have re course TO ourselves ana STRIKE ou' '
best amuscmeuts we can from such ma'er''u'' IL
SAWS Stcrne's was one of that numerous oIuoi VI
nteccts which are the cOnyivial associates i"'no
than the fresde companions, of their owners anu
which. when deprived of the stimulus oil eXt'rhal
excitement. are apt to become very dull company
indceID This an excellent stroke OF chafacJcrIA1-
tion-iust as we'll as cpigrlmmatic.
In the critical part OF the book Mr. TRAM tre' 20
preserve a judicial mean between The severity OF
Tboclcroy and the lpnIency Of the admirng Fltz-
gerald Probably his review of tho sentimental
Journey will strike the reader rs tho most salts
factory, mot coL.p!ctc most perspicaclous ana
most sensible OF his literary judgments lie eN-
plains. correctly as we think. why 50 many OF
Sternes efforts after the pathetic like the famous
scene of Maria of MOuncs and the still more crie-
bratcd cpisode of the dead donkey, are c0mpIcte
failures A long course of moral scif-ndugehce
had confirmed him in the habit of careSsng MS own
scu,lbiiitlcs: and no sooner has he arranged what
lac believes to be moving scene fhan ne lhrus's
him8tl into the foreground with roaming eyes an"
drenched northumberland. ne "rIi'1 mas
no business within the frame Of the picture ana
his intrusion into it has spoiled IT, II Is NOT
merely that we d0lt want to know how the scene
affected hlm, and that resent as an lInPer'hehce
the elaborate account of his tender emotions; we
don't wish TO be IcmIn. ed Of his presence at all.
Mr. Trails criticism ia effectively sustained ny
contrasting the false patl0s OF the scene OF inc oe"
ass of the Sentimental Journey with the charm
ing sketch half humorous and half compassionate,
Of tho live ass of Lyons in "Grstram Nhandy."
lu this latter passage there is no selt-ob'ruSon 10
netting of the authors own emotions; ami lhack-
wi. humor, pathos, kind nature speaking, and a
real sentiment must be hard indeed to move and
10 p,ease0 ''TrisIram Shaudy" is a far more com
pick productionIhan the Sentimental journey
and we have no reason to be surprised If we lind IN
MI TraiPs treatment of it some lack OF force, pe-
clsion, and assurance Bat he is right IN his con
clusion that the one impcTi liable figure in 1t, the
creation winch forms Sternes one certain claim 10
lasting remembrance,i is My Uncle Toby AS muchthe
arche,ypc Of Gueless good nature, OF aiiec'Ioha'e
simplicity, as Hamlet i, OF irrosou'lon or lago OF
GINNING or Shylock of race hatred" Whether even
Uncle Toby, whom our critic, not much inclined 20
extravag mt eulogy, calls the most Winning and
lovable personality that Is 10 be met with surely
N the whole range of fiction" VIII save Hternc
from falling into the melancholy ald dusty rank of
English classics whom nobody reads but The crt'c
IN the way of business, depends perhaps IN great
mart mon the effect which St,rnc's uastucss is to
have upon the reader of the future. here can be
NO denying" says Mr. Trail. that Stone + OF
all writer's the most pcrueated and penetrated with
impunty of thou ght ami suggestion; that III no
her writer Is its latent presence more constantly
tel, even if there be any il whom it IL more often
openly obtrudcd. The uuclcan spirit purSucs him
everywhere, disiiCuring Lis scenes of humor, de-
moraliZing his passages OF serious reflection debas
ing even his sentimental InteTludes. Ills cOaTSeneSs
morallty-a thing which can very rarely be sald OF
either Swift or RaOelais and 10 is some times 50
d. tinctly fatal blcmish from the purely literary
point of view that one is amazed II tht critical lac
u!ty which could have tolerated ITS presence" This
radical fault even moro than the tfdlOushess OF
much OF HI, sentiment and The obsolete fashion OF
much of bis humOT, has removed Sterne from he
book able to the upper shelves; and as we grow
more fasiidious and decent. ii comes more and
more difficult to read HIM without disgust
PARSONS ON THE ROSE. Treatise on the Propaga-
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b. PARsONs New, revised and enlarged edition
Illustrated. 12mO. PIP. 23G Orange Judd Com
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TIRE ROSE A Treatise on the Cultivation. History,
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293 Dodd, Mead & Co. 1882.
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