New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-14

1851 you will find that after dinner, when all
very merry" Pepys spoke TO Mr.. faiconporso
to look whether he could out Of Domesday booh
give me anything concerning the sea SnU
the dominion thereof" As the DOCK ga
listed only in manuscript ana was nv
printed till eighty years after Pepyss oo"'n,
il is a little hard TO found general accusatoh Va
ignorance on the fact that Pepys asked someoouy
TO look whether he could not find something III 'ho
manuscript not known TO he there. -,
When Mr.. Lowelrhad once parted company with
Mr. Whcatlev his ANALYSIS of Pepys became dell
cate. and his account of the irresistible charm OF
the book. and Of the affection all his readers have
for Pcpys, was in bis best manner. He describes
his narrative of those evcntful ten years as de-
lightfu picture, "or rather land tho qualification
is q pleasant example of Mr.. Lowells discrimlna-
atom he left behind him the power IN our hands
of drawing for ourselves some of tie most delight
ful pictures of the time in which he hved.
in affirming that there is no book like
the Diary Mr. Lowell but echoes the general YER
diet. | do not quito follow HIM III his doubt
whether Pepys meant his diary to he some day
given TO the world The fact that he mad
yertently left among his papers key TO the cipher
in which his story of King Charles's escape was
written dong after, is slender support for such
a doubt The Diary was in more ciphers than one,
character we're endless. But the Diary itself.
with its otherwise incredible frankness, will
probably seem to most men. hereafter as hitherto,
the best proof that its author excluded from his
own mind every thought of publicity. What Mr..
Lowell calls tho absolute sincerity of Pcpys with
himself is a sufficient refutatiOn of this connective
NO imaginative faculty in PepysW cries the
Qucrulous Mr. Wheatey. d" If hs had had the i'm
sgnativo faculty. retOrts Mr. Lowell with apt hui
NOR be could moi have faced his own Diary" But
then, Mr. Lowell himself will not allow to Pepyss
writings any literary quality, Certain it is that
Pepyss style is hut too often slOvenly, involved,
CUmbrous, slipshOd, ungrammatiCal. 1t was largely
the style of the period 1t also the style of a
man setting down hurriedly Che often speaks of his
hurry the facts of the days history for his flu
ture reading and recollection, and for nObOdys else
not many men are careful of mere form in their
note books and journals. Pepys, moreover
had but an imperfect appreciation of literature
His criticisms on books often grOtesque
If he had taken ali the pains in the world with his
writing, the average might not have been high
And yet from time to time his pages of familiar chat
with himself are Illuminated by sentences of
force and sodity and pregnant directness of speed
which the most literary of authors in these days
might be glad to claim as their own.
If Mr.. Lowell seems exacting on such points as
these his general recognition of PepySs merits is
nevertheless ample aud cordial "lf were asked"
said he, what were the reasons for liking Pepys,
should be disposed to answer that they were as
numerous as the days on which he made entries IN
his diary" The value of his book, he said again.
is simply priceless and whatever weight be at
tached to the charges against the man, the tribute
Mr.. Lowell paid him was tribute of affection. His
eulogy outweighs thousand times the passing
memory of Pspys's peccadiloes. The chief thing to
regret Is that it was not in writing, and is nowhere
well reported. | should like to add to ii what
once heard Emerson say: Read Pepys; ii Is the
hest history of England extant" The Philstine
might demonstrate against such judgment, and it is
true he could no more find the long records of Eng
lsh reims aud English Parlisments in Pepys, than
Pepys found in Domesday Book the account he
wanted of the dominion of the sea But he would find
what Emerson meant him to find; the most minute,
most lifc-like most delightful record III existence
of the life lived 10y tho people of England, high and
low during ten years of the period when Pepys
himself lived
There is some variety of opinion as to the right
pronunciation of "Pepys.' 1t is commonly pro-
nounced in London as if written Pops" Mr..
Wheatey tells us that in the lifetime of the diarst
il was pronounced as if written Peeps and that
living members OF the family give ii the same
sound. Mr Lowell with diplomatic impartialty,
called it at times Peeps, and then Pops, and pres
entity Peeps again. which once more followed
by Pops Perhaps it does not much signify, but usage
in such matters is the only law and the present
uss sc in England is certainly to say Peps' There
is. suppose no reason why citizens of indie
pendent republic should not pronounce the
each in his own fashion. Gw.s.