The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1885-02-15

1t Is true enough. as the nssailants OF the
work have pointed out. that In no current sense
OF the word Is tho book before us a biography.
It offers q complete contrast to the con ption
OF o biographsr's function embodied by Mr..
Froude In his :" Life Of Carlyle" There are. OF
course. two points Of view from which the anti
thesis presented by those two memoirs. each
admirable In its kind may be examined. We
may first raise the abstract question. What
ought memoir to be 2 and then inquire what.
under the circumstances Of a given case tho
legatee Of materials was authorized TO make it.
Under the former head 1t may be noted that
CARLYLE and George Elio, held Numerically
opposite opinions regarding the aim and prov
ince OF biography. Carlyle repeatedly main
tanned In his writings and In conversation that
q memoir cannot 10 too microscopically ex-
haustive and pitilessly truthful. He denied
that portrait could be lifelike unless 1t re-
vealed with due emphasis and in just pro-
portion the shabby. base. degrading. animal
and pathological side Of human nature. He
relished Boswelrs naive disclosures Of John
sons aspsrities. pettinesses, and obliauities:
he was capable OF applaudinG the shameless
veracity OF Rousseau's Confessions" Tho
theory when he propouuded it had about 1t
something shock ing and paradoxical to Eng
iishmen. nor did this fact make 1t less
to its sponsor; but he had better motives for
commencing it than wish to startle and con-
found. 1t seems TO have been his conviction.
the fruit OF personal experience. that the story
OF human life is helpful. not SO much by
virtue Of the submits ultimately or fitfully at
tanned rs In the ratio Of the obstacles. the
weaknesses. the backslidings necessarily COM
tated AMI eventually surmounted. To his
mind 1t was the business Of u biosrapher. not.
ind 70 md for ixo ,
incidents, but not to studiously veil them
either; seeing that to poor human nature. load
cd. baffled. and pinned down by inner
itancs and circumstance. 1t should be. he
thought. provocative not OF mean and
sterile self-complacency but OF rekindled
hope and cheer. to detect tho flaws OF
greatness and tho blemishes Of goodness
For tho self-same flash demonstrates that q
statues fact Of clay and the mire they press
upon are yet not Incompatible with brow of
ivory and gold. To Carlyle. in brief. the OK
position OF a fellow existence which should glaze
over the crude. unlovely, yet ever-recurring
grounds of self-reproach and self abasement.
seemed as mutilated and as empty Of invigora-
tive counsel and encouragement as would be q
disfgured copy OF Bunyan's Pilgrims Prog
ross !" which should lack record OF the sojourn
In tho den OF the Giant Despair. Such a. 1t
was-whether essentially defensble or as
George Eliot thought fatally defective-this
view Of biography was firmly adhered to by
Carlyle being not only applied in critical re-
views OF commemorative writing. but earnestly
and solemnly snjoined upon his own literary
executor. Speak OF me-" no said to Froude.
remembering what no himself had acu.ely felt
the need Of at moments Of depression and SELF
contempt In the memoirs OF others. speak OF
me as am. Nothing extenuate." They who
are repelled and shocked by the compliant ab-
sence Of eclectic reticence and discreet extern
ustion. ought to recognize that the disciple had
40 choice but to obey his master. the trustee
40 alternative but to execut. his trust
At first sight there Is measure Of plausi-
bility In this conception. but although George
Eliot nowhere subjects 1t to minute analysis,
We can see that she believes 1t to involve o
falRcy In reasoning. o blunder in aesthetics,
and Q delinquency In morals. II we apprehend
her position. she denies that the bracing in
duence OF worthy and fruitful lives comes from
q reassuring observation OF the impediments
surmountsd. from a complacent comparison
OF the heights reached and occupied with the
meaner levels traverssd and the depths
escaped. She would ascrbe 1t mainly. II not
solely. to the indweiling power and beauty Of
the truths impaired and OF tho work performed
at seasons when men are least Gnoble. though
w" v" .uos ooSouu" io"et uuman
Sne would amrm Tor instance. that
mo ihteilectuai ana Spiritual stimulus
communicated by honsseau ITO which she her
seit was keenly sensiDie) Is due altogether to
the rapt aspiration and kindling philanthropy
OF hours In which his genius threw OIL the
snackies OF impurity and insinosrity: not at all
TO a consideration OF the grovelling dsbase-
mont from which he won such splendid though
transient emancipation. She believes. In other
WORDS that We should DO all the better for
housseaus best utterances. II we could obliter-
ate his worst. What we need. In fine. from
great mon 10 their greatness. not their little
mss a. the eyes OF q storm driven pilot
are strained to catch the luminous pulsation.
IN; sna hottie no. tho Interested Slaekness Of reyov