The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-11-19

ception OF the liberal Constitution Of 1869 and
the reactionary Constitution Of 1876. All that
the newly elected Gortes "c came me together ION on
Feb; Is. 1869, and adopted n new Constitution
structure established after the. accession of
Alphonso n 1875 we learn nothing, with the
exception OF the provision relating to religion,
which is quoted BY the translator In his supple
ment.
tory which purpOrts to give such Information
as Is necessary for u comprehension OF current
Continental politics, 1t needs no argument to
idea OF the organic laws by which the several
damental condition Of intelligent observation.
on en ths re Mer hstory
almost yaueess, Although ~ that q reader
within this volume. We cannot, therefore.
Ss %nG ssen NJ Andr@ Witt
sTs this book will give what they most wish to
Tho Friendships md Aversions Of Mary
Russell Milford.
Those who care for literary gossip, and who
relish 1t the more when there is tho spice OF
malice in II, may derive good deal OF enter
tainment from a collection of private letters
edited BY the Rev. L. ID. L'EsTRANGE and pub
ished by the Harpers under the somewhat in
appropriate name Of The Friendships Of Mary
Russell Milford. II we perceive. however a
certain lack of pertinenoe in the title. it is not
because the letters here printed are not nd-
dressed to persons with whom the author was
on terms of cordial. II not Of afreetionats, in
timacy. but because the really amusing and
striking things in the book-those which amply
justify it's publication--are the numerous
structures made on writer's Of incomparably
higher merit and distinction than the
censor herself The play OF Rienzi."
which had good measure Of success
on the Londoa boards. and about which we
arc continually hearing in these letters. is not
likely to be ever again placed upon the stage.
while Our Village" and "Atherton " seem to
have completely lost the hold they once had
upon novel readers. There ia something SUI
premely mirth- provoking in the spectacle of
feminine vanity elated by achievements. every
one of which is now forgotten girdng and
picking at such names as those of Thaokeray
and Dickens. On the whole. although this
book is PROFESSIONALLY diverting we do not
think its unconscious disclosures likely to con-
vey high or pleasing impression of the au-
thors character There would seem to have
been something w8spish in her nature. which
revealed itself more freely Us she grew older.
for in her later letters she can seldom deny
herself the pleasure of singing somebody.
She affected to have a great regard for Ameri-
cans, but we observe that she repeats. with all
il-disguised gusto the ill-natured Judgment,
which she hears passed upon them
Some random citations from the book will in
dicato its piquant tone. She manages for en-
ample. in one paragraph to leave on the read
ers mind u dsagreeable notion of Alexander
Smith. who had shown much promise. She is
quite unable to understand that man Of veri-
a k,a mil Ii.Il .,tn
patroniled by n person of Tupper's quality.
The Bennochs.' she says came to me from
Abury-that is, Tupper's house near Gul,iford
and Martin Upper. q sngularly good -natured
man. though l cannot read his books. had Al
eXander Smith down there during his stay in
London Besides an atrocious sIuint, which he
cannot help. lie Smith was dirty to IA degree
quite Incredible. discontinued and conceitcd
which lie could help. Mr.. Tupper took him
over that beautiful neishborhood but he en-
pressed 10 pleasure in anything. Mr.. Tup-
Der praised half dozen lines of Smiths
which he repeated, upon which the poet
observed: If l had known that you
liked that passage l would have left it out OF
the new edition. Miss Milford goes on to as
sure us with awful solcmnity that this is u
fact. He Smith did act upon this original
principle by cutting out bodily several lines
praised by persons OF taste Isicl. leaving those
which went before and came after to Join them
selves rs they could. He must be n little mad.
Atail events. his conduct at Albury lost him the
patronage OF Mr.. Bennoch who could and would
have placed him in some commercial or manu-
featuring situation. where he would have had
a decent competence, books. notice and lcis-
ure TO produce poetry If the real thing were in
him" Have we not here n narrowing exam
Pile OF the irony OF fortune. singer Of rcn
parts deprived not only of commercial or
notwithstanding situation. but also OF the no
tice" SO grateful tn tho modest bard. because
he had the temerity to excise Il Tuppercan pas
sage from one OF his works.
BY tho year 1853 the demand for" Our Vii
laSo had ,ignaly fallen Off and perhaps it il
not unreasonable to associate that fact with
the following remark. in which Miss Milford
sums up her unfavorabIe opinion of contem-
porary llction. The English novels of these
days seem to me the moro dctcstabc the one
than the other. Dickens all cant Liberal
cant. the worst sort and caricature Thackc-
ray. all cynicism. with an aifrctation of fash
ionahle experience; and the lady writer's the
Mis- Jowsburvs and tonj Q,eS'i cmulous Of the
passion and !ong OF George Sand. without her
grossncss. but also without her genius and
beauty. In another letter. written about the
same time slio asks. Have you read Esmohd?'
Ni.laln harness IA Trend OF tho authorI
says, hate IL Jamos Payne says. took it
with me into the Theological Halls. and lis
tened to the professor by preference
l dislike all the love parts exceed
ingly, ana | feel IL tresomcly long and
l dissent from much OF the criticism
but bits are good especially the Mock Spec,u-
tor. In letter written to another CORE
spondcnt she ailudcs in II similar vein To
Thackcrays chef d'ruvrc. We know not
which is the III IRE grotcsuuc. the futility Of tho
criticism or the air of judicial inality with
which it is pronounced. This brings us to
Esmond.' Had read II when wrote to YOU
Ii seemed to me. besides the disgusting love
story. very long and tedious and full of COM
monplace and very false critcism-preferrin
Addison TO Steele. ana decryig that wonder
fu master OF English style, Bolingbroke. All
the best judges seem to dislike tho book-at
least all who have mentioned it to NO." Ono
is moved to wonder with what species of
judges y the writer was in tho habit OF con-
sorting at this epoch but. after all. much may
be excused in consideration of the delicious
exhibition of fatuity involved in thp annli,o