The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1885-01-25

rant for eVsey asssetioo r specifcd and In that.
- Q rule from which the departures are few
and scruDulously avowed. only ere witnesses
are suffered TO give evidence. But We should
do scant Justice 10 the book II We dwelt exclu-
svely on the ingenuity and mort Of the plan.
and omitted to recognize the range Of the
authors reading and the number and variety
OF the authentic sources from which his ma
terials are drawn. Naturally the space do
voted to a given personality is apportioncd
TO It's consptcuity In literature. to the interest
It excited among contom poraries. and the fro
Qusncy Of illusions to It In their "reminiscences.
But although In the VOLUME under review less
than eight pages are assigned to Keats. less
than twehty to Rogers. and only twenty-five to
Moore. It will DO found that through the au-
thor's process Of extraction and condensation
we p0ain . vivid. Trustworthy and complete
conception OF tho man delineated. On the
other hand. no reader will DO likoly to regret
that about one-half Of those three hundred
pages are allotted to Byron and Shelley.
Lot Us indicate By few excerpts the sweep
and vigilance of tho authors investigation.
and tho scattered and reconcile stores which.
in many instances. no has laid under contrl-
button. Thus. In order to correct q mistake
which has obtained currency in the life Of
Keats By u. n. Milnes uord Houghton) no has
recourse to some Recollections" by Charles
Cowden Clarke. in tho Gen.leman's Magazine.
TO q private letter written by Joseph Severn to
James T. Fields. and to marginal note made
by tho poets sistcr-in-law. Mrs. George Keats
in her COPY OF Lord Houghton's work. and nrst
printed in Speeds edition OF Keatss poems.
1t Is repeatedly asserted In Milnes's life that
Keats's eyes we're blue. whereas the three wit
nssscs Just mentioned agree that they were
hazel brown. This correction marks at once
the careessness Of much biography. and the
lah dad hv Mr. in ifvfU
oven minute facts. Apropos Of the coincidence
mentioned BY Loigh Hunt that Keats. as we'll
rs Byron and Shelley. had singulary small
skull a physiological explanation OF the fact
In the case OF Keats is cited from G. G. Clarke.
who tells us that the author Of Endymion"
was a sevon months child. 1t Ia we'll known
TINT the impression made by Keats in CONVEX
sntion has been variously reported. The au-
thorties for both opinions are hero given. Ac-
cording to Hayden lin II lotter to Miss Milford.
Keats was nothing in conversation. or. II
anything. weak and inconsistent He
could not bring his mind to bear on one OBJ
Ject. and was at tho mercy OF evcrv
petty theory Leigh Hunts ingenuity would
suggest" On tho othor hand. Mines de-
clares that Keats said fine things without
effort but most effectively. and tho same favor
able Wow OF his talk has been expressed by
Barry Cornwall and c. c. Clarke. There seems
attitude. 1t was he who alleged that. 'Goaded
by ridcuo ton the part Of the Quarterly and
other dictators OF opinon). Keats distrusted
himself and flow to dissipation. He told mo
that he once covered his tongue and throat as
far az no could reach with cayenne pepper. in
order to enjoy tho delicious GOODNESS OF caIet
in all its glory"
But IL people differed about Keats the d.
verGenco was trivial to the absolute contradic-
In, ,hn a.f..o l,,C Al
upon different acquaintances. 1t must be adj
mitted that tho weight of evidence is on the
side OF those who detested his society. Il soon
discovered" is the testimony OF Joscph Severn,
that 1t was tho principle OF Rogers's sarcastic
wit not only to sacrifice all truth to H. but oven
oil his friends. and that he did not care to know
any one who would not allow themselves to be
abused" Macready also notes that Rogers's
fondness for saying sharp thing shakes ones
certainty In him" Miss Martinoau has writ
ten in like tenor: "A multitude OF Rogers's
sayings are ranking in peoples memories
which could not possibly have had any other
origin than the love OF giving pain. Some are
30 atrocious as to suggest the idea that no had
people could bear such iniiic,ens Against M
these witnesses for the prosecution let us cal
wrote ,sydnoy Smith in u private letter. q
mm nora END and friendly man than hoiers"
| IL approached" Charics Mackay insists that
Rogers was only a cynic in heory and was
always ready to lend helping hand. either BY
good council or W more sterling and pa'psbls
those who were Sp. he was always Ss' tender t to
those who were down." Tins more agreea-
| bic Wow of Rogrrs's character IL confirmed by
| C. Il. Leslie in Autnbiographicnl Rccol'ec-
tons" know that BY the kindIincss of his
renarks and stiI more by The kin,iliness, Of
From these extracts from Mr. Mason's com
p!lsstion the reader viii appreciate Tho scono
| total freedom from bias. Tho fact. too. that
| oven evidence cleaned from the most anthem
| tic sources il often homogeneous and some
| times rreconciiihIe. will demonstrate the
| almost insupernble difficulties OF biography.
| and tho Importance OF susperding or revising
| current Judgment in the absence OF exhaustive
| Information and studious collation.. MIR.
| readers Of the numerous memoirs ~ English
| men OF letters by placing within their reach
| aids 10 tho formation OF more cautious.
| catholic. and charitable opinions than are
| sometimes propounded in such estimates.