New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-12
MP ARNOLD As LECTURER and WRITER
A LETTER FROM EX-GOVERNOR D. H. CHAMBER



~ N. r6ftor Of The Trtbme.
SIR. Before the interest, such as it is, in the
~ ,over but rather wicked Arnold hoax OF THE TRlB-
x masses away and in the midst of all this oustle OF
poltics will you allow me 10 use 1t TO CAL aten'on
again TO the character and value OF MT AhouS "oiA
and finconl" Obermann"of course suggests MT Arhou7
two poems under that name,-poems WHICH, thih' s'Fo
with accuracy much OF the tone and navor as wei aS
STYLE Of GOOD deal OF his poetry And wish To ada
that this Arr 9th hoax shall call attention even to THIS
degree to Mr. Arnod's poetry twill have claim 10 Nc
hardened which might not otherwise ne abe 10 SET up
think if NAV be said with truth and prOprety that
Mr. Arnold's visit here has been disappointment ~
large sense even to his real American friends ana al
mirers The reason seems obvious He Is most sSlliu
and deiehtfu writer but no is most clumsy and dis
tressinr sneaker To see him his first night at Chick
erne Hal-verv few heard hm-was severe teS' OF
the fidelity of his friends literary or social Inc truth Is
Mr. Arnold had no right 10 come here rs lecturer
Ie has no qualifications for the work ana evidently no
nroper training for it, and greatly value and admire
almost all he has written. set down TINS attempt NJ
lecturing under the necessary conditions here as
serious fault conduct TO quote well used woru OF ms
What r5ghL in any high sense OF the WORD mas MI
Arnold or any TO essay work Tor whe ne must ho"
he has no training aptitude, no powerf nave rare!
seen more striking and in some sense painful contrast
than that presented at Association Hall when MT curtis
presented Mr. Arnold. InvountaTily the words came
into my mind, Hyperion TO satyr" but that Is Oh
course too strong.
This failure OF Mr. Arnold in all that entities man 10
ask his feo " men to lac r him lecture has done some
thing am sure to obscure his pre-enincnt merits IN
o her fields and to encourage opinion that admiration
of him as a writer is alccaiIOn or mote NO ms
take can be gIeaer and will turn to the TWO
poems have mentioned he Will fud nat here Is poetry
which lifts up and pures and cheers sweetness ana
light truly! And having read those poems one VIII read
more and not speak Of his narrative or dramatic work.
one will find In his sonnes and ccgac poems the rares
moral and poetic and single INES as
" ell as poems which, Oncs read, VIII never be lost
IT. rs some think there IL in Mr. Arnolds poetry any
thing obscure nnca BfOrHpgcSge. IN Thought or SNie
there is surely IA remnant" small that mas hardly
been eauaed since Wordsworth at least WISH mos!
,ipNoutiV that this poetry could he more Icah anu
studied though after ali, Mr. Arnods prose Is and VIII
be his sirest claim TO attention ANA reverence 40 MOI
now refer more style than 10 spirit HIS CRITICISMS
seem 10 me always merely true ana acute, mt lher
sDual honest trdthoyus. one Listens with lmateuCe 10
current fault finding with hs estimate or EMERSON
trai,e i, our test of good criticism OF Emerson wlat
other so high praiAo could have been given MN a. MT
Aruolds Lee is the helper OF all WHO would hre ~ NE
eyirf II And the is also llr Arnold Hshcst ana
n0blcst work in poetry Of prose. -.
poke ana felt individual word OF welcome 10 Mr.
Arnold when he hthcr, and now tiat nc IS gone
feel a new and higher sense o. indebtedness 10 nm
spite of his dgcary failure speikerOi ms persistent
zone OF moral purity, pictv and nOblcnc OF soul
Ne,c- YORK April %, 1851 II. IL. CHAMBERIAIN.