The sun., 1883-11-04

To most American readers EDWARD HENRY
PALMER is only known as the sometime occu-
pant OF the honorable but i'll paid post Of the
Lord Almoner's Professor OF Arabic in tho
University Of Cambridge. as tho author of a
captivating though most erudite life of Haroun
al Raschid. and as one OF the victims OF
massacre perpetrated by tho Bedouns Of the
6uez desert in the summer Of 1882. which wit
messed the English conquest OF Egypt. Among
Oriental scholars. on the other hand in Eu-
rope and throughout tho East, he had come
young us no was. TO be reputed greater mas
ter of the Arabic. Hindustani and Persian
languages lin tho sense Of ability to WELD
those tongues with the utmost readiness and
efficiency by the mouth and by the penl than
anyother Englishman OF his own. or it may be-
OF any generation. 1t is not alone or chief
ly. however. in recognition OF his extra
ordinary attainmcnts that he has OBJ
tnined resting place in Westminster
Abbey by the side Of England's heroes
Since his denth 1t has been officially
though inndeluately. acknowledged that he
was slain when on tho point of crowning SER
vices OF exceptional difficulty and value which
he had been called upon to render to his coun-
try. Tho esteem and gratitude which he so
richly earned will bo paid to his momory. for
by a rare stroke Of posthumous good fortune
the story Of his life is told by II devoted friend
who Is at the same time an accomplished man
OF letters. and who by his own tastes and nc
Quiremcn's is able to appreciate what Palmer
actually performed. as well AS the assurance of
larger and more lustrous work which was
brought to naught by fate. Tho Life of Eicard
Henry Palmer. by WALTER BEsAST tE. p. Dutton
co.. resembles in tone and texture an East
ern romance rather than the record Of a normal
Englishman's career; and there is no doub,
that not only were tn. incidents OF Palmer's
liie anomalous and surprising. but his intel
lectuhl aptitudos and procliyitics belonged to
an Asiatic rather than a European type.
Palmer's life was but short one If WE meas
ure II by years Tor ho was only AZ when he was
murdered on Aug. 10. 1882. or by what may be-
called his active life. us distinguished from the
period OF preparation. since ho did not take
his ID. A. degree ut Cambridge until SG7. at the
unusually late age Of ~. That he should have
graduated ut all and that after obtaining only
third class. he should nevertheless receive Il
Fellowship at st. Johns College. were not
the least extraordinary events in his career
The son Of poor schoolmaster in tho town of
Cambridge, he inherited nothing from his pa
rents but dangerous tendency to asthma and
bronchial disease. and. although an aunt who
had some property. was willing 10 give him al
education he showed no abilities OF the kind
that are priced In an ordinary grammar school
He cared nothing for the popular Eng glish sports
he dislikel mathematics and made 40 little
progress in Latin and Greek that his acluisi.
tion Of a scholarship was out OF the question
and accordingly at the age Of fifteen al thought
OF sending him to the university was aban-
doned. He was therefore sent up 10 London
whore he became IA clerk in mercantile house
position which he held until 1859. when he
was attacked by pulmonary disease. and. being
given over by his physician was sent back to
Cambridge 10 die.
These years. however had not been
wasted as they seem nj first sight to have
been. even from linguistic point of
view. While still boy at school he learned
Romany by paying travelling tinkcrs sixpence
Tor lesson. by haunting gypsigs' tents talk
ing 10 the men ana crossing tho women'-
palms with his scanty pocket money in nX-
change for few more words to add o. his
vocabulary. In London Le spent his
leisure hours in obtaining mastery Of
italian and French in tho way which he
always insisted was the only speedy and effect,
i've method. namely, by frequenting the places
where Italians and Frenchmen met. and by
listening aud talking to them. Whatever may
Ra lh2Aghi Ql this system In ordinary hands. it