New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-19
PERSONAL AND MISCELLANEOUS.

PERSONAL AND MISCELLANEOUS.
IRON TUE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRrBUSr.l
LONDON November !.
The controversy about Darwins letter on Revela-
ton appears TO be settled by the publication OF the
original text. This letter first appeared In Eng
land in the form of translation from the German
which was itself translation from the English.
By leaving out full stop. the sentence 10 question
could he made to tail u the next 50 us 10 reau
/ do not believe there has ever beea any reyeia-
ton as to future life" In this qualification somo
people found comfort But what Mr.. Darwin
really wrote was this:
"Science has nothing TO do with Christ, except
in 50 far as the habit OF scientific research makes
man cautious in admitting evidence. For myself
do not believe that there has been any reveal
ton IS for n future life, every mao must judge
for himself between conflicting yaguc probabilities
The date of this letter IS Juno >. 1879, and 1t Is
published in to-days AcGdemy. Then follows au
extract from The National RJjrnr Mr.. Brad
laughs paper of October %, giving some account or
a visit to Darwin last autumn by Dr. Ludwig
Buchner and Mr. Avelng. Darwin is reported to
have said:
Il am with you in thought. but should prefer
tie word 'agnustic' to the word atheist
| never gave up Christianity until was forty years
OF age" -ahd in reply to "a question why he had
given I'D Christianity d" 1t Is not supported by
| evidence"
| Il is rossibe that some worthy people may pre-
sonty complain that The author of these hard say
| ings should be sleeping in Westminster Abbey.
But thev will complain to no purpose. The Abbey
is church, bot it Is also Pantheon, and tue
| monopoly of 1t belongs to no crcel or sect
| The DatIy Tcleuapb, which slr. Labouchere per-
| sists in calling The Dolly Leri, has been good
| .bo Il "a vi {
true object of rules OF PROCEDURE The true objects,
| indeed are two. First. the limitation OF tie vor-
bosity of "A few irrepressbe cyclists. This sounds
| like a kind of sclf-denyns ordnance, until yon
recollect that the author oil II is not III Parliament
The second object is defined in still more beautI-
| full phrase us the restriction OF the malicious
lcouacity of an alien group. 1t really is pity ;hat
| should not lave been said in the House itseli.
Then might we have seen Irish indignation once
more flowing IN full stream. They, 1t Is true take
| q calm delignt in describing the Parliluent in
| which they sit as an alien Parliament. But that
the compliment should be returned wOuld probably
| nnne the les 1orsc them to fury. Aud malicious
| loouacltyr too, This is almost as scandaiUGs a.
| accusing them Of obstruction. Such an accusation
| iosIds the House always cvO6es PASSIONATE pro
test from thes pure patriots: not less passionate
because on the platform outside Ut the lionso they
| were wont to claim the practice OF 1T as a merit
! Mr.. F. Y ODonneu observed recently that if
the Irish had courage no English Government
| could place a ga OH Irish eloquence With respect
TO the general policy OF the Patnelite party, Mr.
| O'Douneu advised them so to manage their rela-
| tious with parties that at any moment they might
| be prepared to punish the unfrlendiInes' of one
marty by using against 1t the resources OF the other
party Thus is not new policy. 1t WIS practl'ed
with some success at ouo period by the captains Of
| Italian Inercenarics.
II is open to dOubv whether Nature or Providence
| Tor whatever phrase Dr. rs Il lail may prefer as an
| escane from perphrasisl has not made Is mistake
about Mr.. W. s. Gilbert This deciding Deity
chose to send him into the world in the capacity Of
a writer of comedy His true function was as 4
| subsct for comedy. Nothing colossal Mr.
Gilbert's opinion of Mr. Gilbert has heen known in
| modera tunes Evidences Of it have not leen
wanting from time to time as for example, when
he indicated his dissatisfaction with GOethes
| Faust" by writing Gretchen to superseGe it,.
| TIC latest evidence is Of to-day and in the OK
tremely authentic form of letter from Mr. Gilbert
| himself One Mr. Archer has written h book on the
| Contemporary DIANA, mainly devoted 10 slow ing
| that there Is 10 such thing. Upon this M. Gilbert
| starts to the front or "a lie wOWld perhaps himself
| SAY rlshcs TO the foOtlIghts. He writes 10 Tho
| Pan Mall Gazette that it is unreasonable in Mr.
drama "There never was" cries Mr. Gilbert. a
| contemporary drama. and there never will be one.
| Tn. davs in which we live will not-cannot-Ue
! palmy for fifty years vet.
| No more touching plant has lately been heard.
| II means in MI Gilberts mouth" am not apDre-
ciated but shall he appreciated III another fifty
| wears 1t would he rash tQsay what may or may
nor bappen in fifty years Bat /: not rash to say
| that Mr. Gilbert's acquaintance with dramatic his
| tory IA imperfect Shakespcares name Will rush TO
every lip-he at any rate was to some extent lc-
| cessful dramatist. without waiting Tor the MY
| wears. But Mr.. Gilbert is understood to hold tEat
the general opinion of Shakespeare Is much in c1-
| csss of that writer's real merits. ! don't know
| whether he allows that Moiere was moro deserving
NJ the fame he won while living But let MS not be
historical let US be contemporary, even though it
r.ouire us TO cross the Channel. Is there no con-
tonnorary drama in Francel Are not the day
! nalrnyD for NJ Alexandra Dumas The younger, Tor
| NJ Emile Angler for NJ. Sardou, for NJ. Labiche,
| for NJ Victor IIugof | have named men eminent
in different branches of the drama, and might name
others Would Mr. Gilbert deny that they are emil
| nent7 Would he deny that everyone OF them mas
he'd great success with tho public Ut his day, that
fame and fortune alike have flowed in rpon them
SUPPOSE not and if not. nothing remains ior hiul
10 deny except that they may be equally famous ni'y
years hence Well, it IS possible that Duinas anu
| Hugo and Augior may be forgotten MY yeaf'
hence. and that Mr.. w. S. Gilbert NAV then DC Tue
fayorite author of France and England and
America alike Bat was it not Person who told an
aspirani for fame: You will be read when Homer
and Virgil are forgotten ~ Ahd prosalc crlti'
added: - Yes. and not till them"
| Tho AthenGum, In the course OF brilliant ano
searciuy criticism on the new edition of Fielding
remarks that our theory of satire is rounded by
the harmless generalities of Mr. Du Mgnrier on TIN
ere hand, aud the malevalent respectabilitY OF Ar