New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-03
4 TISiT 70 LEIGH HONT.

From The Diarg oC Johj. Hunter, Of Crtigcrook
Wen and | set of to call for Hunt WHO Is now
living at ~ OF 80 Edwarle Place. hensiDgtol. ia
q small but very nice house having pleasant pos.
lect OF green heiUs and trees nom lie 'front.' win'
dUHs. ! agreeably disappointed to End Ii
AlCHdJc 80 much improved ~ every way anu par
tlcularly ia the air Of ceanuess and comfort which
perry aded tho dwelling. poor Hunt 1t Was gen.
rra ti0wery ana Eau. dc OlOsne untdincss hc bYed
amongl. We we're shown int his study, winch -
now carpete0 and tOierably furnished There arc
four small ranges OF bOOkshelyes neatly arranged,
each crowned with good bust OF cast ana alsIiIed
with the most choice and readable BOOKS. Among
Others | noticed the FaruasO ItalldnO, lassO
"AnUsto' the" Arabian y ghis, ~" Horace Walpo!es
COrfesuoudeuceD lg0t for reviewing however, ~
arpearsl, Wordsworth, Shelley, IomsOn, Shake
speare. Webster, Peele. several VOLUMES OF OH
"French kaDleaux, Marot, Spenser Pepys, etc. lis
wfe's bust vi shelley IL Het on pedestal at ono
side of the centre range OF shelves, ana there IS
female bust to answer on the other, though know
not of WHOM and forgot 10 ask There are aiso
some goJdsh prints IIunter was a great print
collector and rather a judge, one Of CorregSi0
Magdalen, and Il wonderfully good IthoSfapn OF
Raphael. After had sat few minutes. aud 81
had an opportunity vi cOugrltu.ating Ourselves on
the improve aspect 0l IN, dOHesticIties. lie came
In in a morning dress, looking somewhat pale from
ms recent mdlsp0sltlon, buj. on the wbuIe. much
lerier and freshCr than had been prepared 20
poet. We sat down by the Ire together AM lad a
long and delightful chat of moro tlan two hodrs
IN which he displayed bis wOuted YIvacity and
graceful ease. rambling Iom tbcmc 10 Theme NJ
casual associations led Us Onward. and ADJOINING
everything he touched with bOino glcaiu OF iAncy
subtle UlAg OF Thought, ana over Hh'. az ~ bt'4p
ing out with his peculiar power tho modem charms
which lurk evou in the most uHpgomisIng topics
was very glad to hear from him that Macag!aY
WIN lately reviewed his Lives OF NyCherlcy, an
h.,rgh CUugreve and FnQuhar, had sought l, ac-
auaintancc and shown him tic greatest Kindness.
fis had, as Hunt capdldIy confessed, Opeued DOln
his heart and his purse 10 him" Among OtheI
friendly. acts, he had introduced ami recommended
hln 10 Napier the Editor OF me Ednb6Tgt HtticT,
for whom accordingly Hunt has lately wi.ttcn soy
eral articles which have been veil received, aa tie
pieft, of which have relieved MIN from some very
pressing difficulties. He mentioned two OF the
papers he has contributed 10 the review neither OF
which, however | have thoroughly read; VIZ,
review of Pepys's Diary and one OF The Lives
c ( the C0mans" ] had glanced over the former Of
then sOmo time ago III the o!gnet Library anu told
him that tins the first instance IN which had
reul over TWO sentences OF his without detecting
him. lie accounted Tor tins by saying he had been
Obliged In Difference ~ Napier to throw oil an ms
iLdiViduantles, and assume the proper dignity ana
high judicial tone OF an Edinburgh koNeWer;
/ his he found aC fist excessively cumbr0nS ANA
coustraining, and more than once he leapt llko
hand wolf into MS natural wlidnrsS ana saNo
occasion for certain circumstances from Napier, or
which he gave some amusing specimens lhe
latter on one occasion, went far to write,
saying If would be Ii great advantage II he would
try TO get ~ decent style which Hunt at lrst
msinterpreted into an objection on the score OK
morals which was altogether incomprehensiDle 10
hlm, unconscious as he was OF the least sup OK
that sort; until he showed tho lotter 10 MacauIay,
who burst into long 80 or laughter. ana cX-
blamed | was delighted 10 find, In the course or
oar aos5iping talk, that he cOncurred with me IN
thinking that Horace WapOle had been greatly un-
derratcd both as TO heart aud head, and that great
Injustice had been done 10 HIM by all his recent
critics In proof of his entire concurrence with my
views tins subUct. he presented NO with u
paper which he had written some time ago IN
periodical work, since extinct poor Hunts pcfi0di-
CO had trick OF becoming extlnctl-rotlring nrSt
for few minutes 10 pnt very KIND INSCRIPTION on
the paper thus: "A bit Of Leigh Hunt for one who
is Kind enough TO like any oitus!on of hiS-dear
John Hunter" | forgot 10 say that he Is still OH
tho tenter.hooks about his play. which was long
since accepted at Covent Garden, but the perform
ance of which has been repeatedly postponed to
says las has written tue latter part OF IL four timey
over TO meet their views; and the vexation and
agony which the suspense he was kept IN occa-
stoned and the difficulty of altering aud tinkering
we're the true causes OF his illness. IL Is quite Ger.
tain that IL uust be acted now. Is they nave gwen
him fl0O TO account.