New-York tribune., 1885-02-16
NOTES FROM LONDON,
EDMOND ABOUT--MR. BRIGHT AND JONA-
THAN DYMOND-MR. STILLMAN-MR


NJ. Edmond About's death brings ont amount
OF euloRy on him in the English press which at FIRST
sight Is surprising. The Times alone devotes nearly
iour Columns to him. About was. however, of the
rev i1vlng Frenchmen who had public in England
POSSIBLY MS reputation was In proportion to its
extent, higher here than in France. People used to
praise his novels moral presumably without
having read them, or all of them "Madelon," for
example. Is curiously faithful study of certain
forms OF life which About knew we'll. But l
should hesitate to recommend 1t to the library of
Vassar College. Two or three OF his lesser tales
arc on unmentIonable themes. They have been
much praised as tours de force which perhaps they
are, but they are tircsOme books and they lie far
outside tho domain Of literature. His book
Greece was an elaborate lampoon; undeniably
clever and perfdous. The overprased ." ROi des
Mohtagnes," another result of his residence in
Greece. is farccal. 1t probably L" La Question
Romane" which more than anything made About
known and liked IN England. Never was there
more brilliant political pam phlet. All his life long
he made war and jokes on tho Papacy Monks and
miracles were to him rresistiby comic and he made
them rresIsibly comic to his readers.
About expected Napoleon Third. in whose commits
sion thus Roman pamphlet was written. to bring
MN on III politics just after he had turned Re-
publican he expected ThIers and then Gambetta to
vincng any one of them that he a safe useful
man. Neither his tongue nor pen was under control
lie was journalist during the greater part of his
life. and finally founded the 4I&eme Steele of which
he remained editor to his death But he got his
own and other papers into serious scrapes and lie
never, or never during period, had
influence in the least proport onate to his intel
lectull gifts. He wanted balance. sicalines, aud
resolution to suppress brilliant AMI untmelv
sarcasm. His friends came in for more than their
share of clover tannts aId ptileSs abuse. Yet he
hal delightful qualities. literary and personal alike.
usoi t. see him occasionally in Paris. Once met
him here IN London, years ago. He
already grnzled. though he coud not then have
bren nifty. He a short, stout, compact little
nan who gave you impression of soldIty and
p-tulanct Ia the slang of the period. he was all
there y; alert. irrepc,sible with more energy than
he know what to do with. Ills eyes twnked rather
than sparkcl. and were too near together His
bullet head and rOund red face with rOnnd features
"A thick neck lifted well with his body lie was
not always to, we'll dressed. nor scrupnlously
clean ~ wholly to disAbnse the average Engishman
e his hxrd belief that the average FIenchman
objects TO too frequent baths. Ho hal u critical.
s-cUtical manner. mu;h too selfconscious Ii was
aot till he talked that you got an impressiC OF
iltelicctual vivIcity. Then his whimsical hunor
lnd git of paradox aud flashing ngenultIes of
mind came ont quite as brilliantly "a in hs books.
Few men talksi moro rapidly. with q greater pro
;,orton OF good things TO tho nile Some of his
books will live. "Madelon." -Gernaine." Trcnte
at Quarlnte" and perhaps sothers. His name will
live certainly. rLii hatred Of the priests would
keep alive If nothing else. lust as the abuse OF the
prosly oarnal, OF France serves to-day As his best
eulugy. No doubt he changed his Eolitic, and his
enemies called him a trimmer; as most frenchmen
of his generation have been IN just the same sense
that About But there was one thing IN which
he never waycrcd. and that was his hostility 10
the impostures AMI shams aud intolerance aud
tyranny which 10 him only many manifest
ltons Of the SPIRIT ruled IN his time at Rome.
IA certain portion OF Mr. Eright's political leisure
- now spent in lettcr-writing His letters soon md
their way into print. They arc fine examples OF
simple aud forcihlc English. and they often contain
interesting little bits of autobiography. Gliup'es
of Mr. BrIghts opinions Oh subjects that have little
TO 10 with politics arc 10 bs had in this way. Some
tunes lie lets know what books he likes this.
too. he has repeatedly dono in his speeches Ia
letter th, morning to Mr. Norrhy of NewIuay. he
ADVISES hin to road Dymoud's Essays on the Prin-
cipl.s Of Morality Says Nr. Bright: | know no
hotter book IN our language dealing with morals
"a applied TO nations. II You have not got the
book will send 1t TO Won. There Is much in 1t that
would give you pleasure. As the world becomes
moro Christian hrs book will be more read and ls
name more received
Perhaps II would be safs To say that nine people
ont of ten who read Nr. Brlght's letter had never
before heard Of Mr.. Jonathan Dymond or Of his
Essays You may look into several biographical
dictionaries without finding much as the name Of
the worthy Dymoni. Aibone has him. however.
and the II 1t line Of Alboncs account explains Mr.
Itri, ~ for IN wa mlerI
II The Socirty Of Friends. Naturally. he u
peace man n;-poaco-at-any-prIcs man. perhaps
lie publishcd In 1923 Inquiry into the Accord
anoy OF War with the Principles OF Christianity
and no doubt found that War and the Principles OF
Christianity. interpreted by peaceful linen !
draper of Exeter belonging to tho Society of |
/ rionds do not accord at all Five years later. |
while preparing his Essay on tho Principles OF |
Morality for publication. he died. poor man. Of |
and his book seems To have helped |
xiii him. lie worked hard at it, rising early. says
the ingenious Allibone. to his pleasing task. The
" prk appeared In 2 vols. svo in .ls29 in London.
BY 1892 the peace public had consumed hve
editions of it in England and several" in America
4" Several" IL characteristic Of Allibone. who.
moreover. with that comic verbosity which is also
characteristic of him. remarks that Dymond had
become deeply persuaded of the great influence for
q Iod which could be- ell iscted by n comprehensive
exhibition Of the true principles OF morality
as based upon tho only infallible STANDARD.
tho Word of God. And he desires TO record his
conviction that Dymon,Ps essay IA one OF the most
valuable works in the language The American
clifton or editions were enriched with Preface by
Professor George Bush who praises his author Tor
nearly all the virtues in tho calendar. Professor
CLEVELAND {" English Literature Compendium.
Clevclandl praises HIM not less but do not wish
10 ,lotract from Mr.. Brights enlogy Dymonds
biok will rise in value tho stalls as a conse-
1uence of his mention, and some enterprislng pnb-
sheI may even bring out new edition or It, Nay.