The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-12-24
A New E.timate Of Macnnlny.


Inc lie OF IhoMds B0ono'oh Mdcdut"y by
j. CoTIER MORRISON Harpers). which forms the
latest contribution to tho series of English
Men Of Letters. is likely to excite more contro-
versy than any preceding volume in this col
lection. 1t is truo that Macaulays reputation
has declined greatly since his death; but the
opinions that nave boon "vnres."d in what may
DC 'erheu t'c oso'cfIc circus =. l',1
as yet scarcely peeh accei'eu p' 'ne so"s si
ssactton of WncauvnV's s6oriHouInrs by Inp
present biorraphcr will be startling and per
hons unwelcomo II will bc owned howcver
that vhcrever Mr. Marlson,s iu.lum.nt runs
counter to the popular estimate, he supports it
by wcighty arguments. and IL is likely tina. the
number of Macaulay's enthusiastic and indis-
criminatc admirers will be materially dimin-
ished by this little book
The arrangement of this volume Il simnle
and effective and we shall do well to follow il
in our notice OF It's contents combining our
selves however to the authors consideration
of Macaulay's merits MS a writer We need not
say that the subject Of this biography was not
only n man of letters, but a politician. who
rendered important services to the Whig
party and who in turn received no insignificant
favors at its hands 1t is toleraby certain. for
example that no British Government would
have raised Macaulny to the peerage had his
"
the authorship of the lays. the ESSAYS and
the history. This is so evident to Mr. Morrison
that he has refrained. so far as we have been
able to discover. from any allusion in these
pages to that incident OF his subjects life.
But while the details of his Parliamentary and
ofilcehoding career may DO passed over IL il
undenabIe that that side OF his life loft q dcep
impression upon his literary work. Both the
essays and tho history might have been better
than they are and they certainly would have
been something very different had Macaulay
held himself aoof from public life
MI Morrison begins by examining Macaulay's
general Characterization having in view his
mental equipment. his method. and his STYLE
He then proceeds To scrutinize with some
minuteness the essays which, of course. arc Of
various quality the ventures in verse making
which have provoked such conflicting iudr-
ments-and finally the history on which Macau-
lay intended that his fame should rest After
cordially acknowledging Macaulay's merits ms
"A story trller-hs cicarnoss and almost oycos-
siva an xiety 10 keen his thought always well
within tho reach OF the humblest rondrr-his
skill in cn..aginy attention and ol,u,inp curios.
ity, and his success in achieving his avowel
purpose to maize young ladies throw aside n
novel in order To take nm his historv-hIs now
ors of brilliant illustration and NJ nictorinl
counnositinn-th, l,io,ronbcr sots rorth .nn,,
very serious counter st,t.nents. Mr. Morrison
docs mo-, thins il aosv to Imagine ovn, tho
sr,phl,nro nf - dorop,n f., tho ,rjn.,n,, oh,r,,,
lr,u.,ht n,,,inst N,,nuI,y tbn+ ,,n,olv ~ -
n,rvoliu,, ,v,nt ~ Jonth ,t,hor of ,ho,,,,,,, ,.
.onti,,,nt M,,,uIo, hin,s,Ir o,,,., oyr,o,,,,I ht
,ni',, W.
- hr,,,Jn ia ro,,,. nar,n, -, ','i,'o.'h.'