New-York tribune., 1885-07-05
SOME ENGLISH WRITERS.
MR.. Escorrs RECOLLECTION OF HIS CON-
RADES.


Ccpyaghbs lcoos
When. in 1865 settled in London lodging my
only personal acquaintance among literary
man xas the late Tom Hood To Mr.. Mason. to
Mr. Macmillan. and to An eminent educationalist.
DR. w. B. Hodgson, living at that time in pretty
house in st. Johns Wood. had received letters OF
introduction from my friend and private tutor at
Oxford. Professor John Nichol Whose nane will be
known in the United States for his admirable his
tory of American literature if for other achieve
ment Tom Hood ! had known. as school-boys
say. " at home" He had been my senior at Oxford
by rather less than @ decade. and had left behind
him a brilliant reputation. TO me he was the tirst
friend in literature whom possessed. and though
toward the close of his life little OF him. and
fauced. know not for what reason. his cordiality
had worn Of shall always cherish his memory
with gratitude and affection Hoodshouse in South
st. Brompton, was at the time OF which 1 write
q pleasant little centre Of literary and dramatic
Bohomanism. ge was editor Of fxn and he had
eathrred round himself remarkably bright band OF
yerscnai friends and contributors. the two terms
being in almost every instance identical.
Tom Robertson inst about to make his
first hit en- any stage with "SOciety'
was present, and SO. l suppose. were all
Ms personal friends at its inaugural perform
auce The curtain had not been up five minutes
when il was plain that the piqnant and most
artistic acting of Marie Wilton. Mr.. Hare and the
rst of the company had insured its triumph. There
were some soecisns in tho piece such for instance
as the meeting between the young patrician maiden
and her lover after dark in tho garden of London
Sauare There was also a great deal of genial and
laughter-movng satire. II the children OF fashion
were lashed in parts,s so was Bohemianism also
and the scene in the Siy-by-Nights Club in which
one gentleman of the society. asking another fol
al fho hnv
not cot it myself my dear boy. but will get it for
youn-the same request and the same reply being
passed on to every one in the room-was recognized
by those who knew the original true TO the life.
greater air of actualty further impaired to the
incident by a resembl ance which two or three OF
the stage club men bore to actual and living proto
types, notably to Mr. Buckingham, the dramatic
critic of The Morning Star and son OF Silk Bucking-
ham, and to Mr.. Horace Greene each of them ha5itaes
of literary and theatrical club facing the Thames
at the bottom of Salisbury Strand. tho Arundel
Tom Robertson really shone in conversation. He
was full of sardonic humor, of biting satire of
ironic badnage aud of paradox which not unfre-
quently borlered profanity. Although he was
then, as the result proved in a fair way to make
his mark. he had passed through a terrible probs-
tionary ordeal of fallure He indemniicd himself
for all that he had suffered By making fun of the
institutions, human and divine. His manner was
bright and breezy. although little boisterous and
he delighted in running tilt at the conventional
tiles of the respectable Bim3y hypocrisies. In
doing this he did but reflect. If in an accentuated
shape the temper of those about him.
Had Tom Robertson been alive he would
have been not only famous but wealthy. ana might
be living in the same splendor rs Mr. W. g. Gilbert
enjoys to-day in South Kensington. Gilbert, when
first knew him, was writing his Bah Ballads and
was cssaying to take his first flight dramatst.
He was d man of reserved and rather rugged
manner of biting and saturnne wit. saying the odd
est things and making the most bizarre OF CON-
parsons in raspDg tone of voice. His first piece
believe played upon o London stage was burlesque
entitled u DIR. Ducamara." 1t was produced at the
st. James Theatre and 1t followed Hunted Down.
in which Henry Irving was making his debut to the
metropolis, playing admirably the part of the villain
with Miss Herbert as his wife 1t must have been
in tie year 1856 that was introduced TO Irving,
Who. recollect was seated, as entered the room.
together with Gilbert, on a couch in the Arundel
Clubthen one of the favorte haunts of journalists.
essayists. playwrights, and payactors. 1t is
fascinating thsme that of tie literary Bohemiani
of London twenty years ago. Artcmus Ward, who
had Nc sooner taken up his dwelling in the metrop-
oils than he was made member OF the Savage
Club saw it, enjoyed it and was highly popular in
it. Sala had rather passed through it than lie was
at the time speak of a prominent member of it,
He was too busy. and above all things too
stantly absent from London as the special core
sponde,.t of The Tally telegraph in foreign parts
lie used to turn up unoxpectedly sometimes AT the
Savage Club more frequently In the Cai6 portion of
the old supper room at Evans's. now transformed
into the New Club His conversation was always
full of brilliancy and knowledge aud what must
have struck every one most in listening TO him
the extraordinary flush of animal spirits which he
possessed This he had In common with Dickens
and the great majority of those who belonged to the
school of Dickens. Of the author of David Cop
perfe.d" l say lit @ more than rid taatum. l
was introduced to him by my friend OF now nearly
twenty years standing, Edmund Yates. about the
time that Dickens had met Lord Beaconsfield, then
Mr.. Dsraeli. at Lord Stanh1pe@s ga at dinner: Dickens
man Had7 he remarked regretfully-not in my
presence the story is Mr. Yates's- Disrao devoted
thins fnss What y % on earth can have male him throw
himself away on politicsp
It has also been my lot to mix with what are
and upon quite another social level. ! first made
my bow to George Eliot at one of the Sunday recep
ticns she the habit Of giving At her house In
the actor She was then Mrs. Lewes. aud the late
@. H. Iewes was alive. The function more like
religions ceremonial than social reunion. and Nr.
Iewe, played TO perfection the part of Herophant.
The gifted lady. whose autobiography we have
ali Just been devourng, sat IN the centre OF little
mittel to hold personal converse with her. Bat the
majority gazed at her reverenty and muely from
Vision. If any one spoke in too loud tone. or
spoke at all. when George Ehot happened to be
speaking herself. he was at oncomet with hnsh
OF reprehension by Mr. Lewes aud made TO feel that
he had pcrpetrat-d a sort of impiety George
Eliot had unqucstionably immeasurable charm OF
mind. manner md conversatio ION for those who knew
her we'll Bat as in these desultory "reminiscences
/ record nothing of which | had not personal
cognizance myself, / mnst say that / never
advanced beyond the outer circle of worshipers.
and that always felt myself one of tie Lcvtes 1T
the gate. The poet Browning assisted frequently
st the intellectual mysteries of South Bank, and il
was m that august atmosphere that first set my
owes upon one of the finest heads have ever secn
and the handsome presence incorporating perhaps
intellect of our day. Browning remained on terms
~ ,.,o,t Intimate friendship with Mrs leWes q