New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-08-23
DINING WITH TROLLOPE.
A RICHMOND FESTIVAL.
ROBERT BUCHANAN RECALLS SOME LITERARy
CONVERSATION
CoDyyight, 1855.


1t was nearly twenty years ago, in the cary
days OF the famous Review which had already stultiS
its title aud been announced the huge satisfaction
Hibernian thinkers as The Forini9hHy kocicw, pub
llshed monthly" Lcwes and George Eliot had devised
ION the plan OF the Revue des Dcur hoSdss Lewes him
self was editing it, limited company with Troops aud
Fred Chapman as chief directors backing It, and
things Just then looked fresh and sunny capital being
sti abundant, that somebody's suggestion Of ltts
fortnighty dinner Of staff to take place at the Star
and Carter" was eagerly accepted and carried out
Fow of my American readers perhaps. knew the
famous "5tsr and Cart IT" at Richmond, or IL they
know 1t ncw Is In the days OF its decadsnce Twenty
years ago the most charming suburban retreat Ia
the great metropolis the place par excellence for merry
wedding breakfasts cosey dinners, friendly gatherings
and sweet niraons. ITO merry place is changed now
altogether; perhaps, who write, am changedf
Be that 1t may, the youngest OF the regular
contributors to The Fortnghay Revfes and in due time
invited to dine with the wise company Of authors
at Richmond. Thither went, young savage in COM
plete modern warpant drcsssuit, gibus hat lavender
kid gloves and the whole affair pleasant that
after this space OF time IL is still fresh In my mem
Dry.
1t was quite informal gathering. Loves, who usu-
ally occupied the chair, too Ill to come down that
day and Anthony Trollops took his place. saw Troll
opo for the first tins in the dressing rubbing his
face on jacktowel; biuT, thick-set. rubicund John
up to time. He thcn In tho zenith
Of his fame, as the author OF "Framley
Parsonage" aud the "5mal House at Arlington" I
met him frequently afterwsri AMI II was always puz
zle to me how completely unidssl man was capable
producing the delicate touches 20 be seen In some Of
his books. lie saturated through and through with
commonplace. and perhaps tho ono writer In the
world who could write O book about the "West Indies
and the spanish Main" without putting into it ono
poetical passage, one imaginative line sound hearty
honest good fellow for all that he name IN
rentiteraure by keen observation. business tact AMI
hard work.
Trollope. then was in the chair, square.shoudered
bslieerent and the Crooks phrased 10, dish ands
swallowing" Facing him, Fred Chapman. the publisher
carefully dsting from the propaganiist joan
Chapman, for whom Marian Evans translated Lebes
Jesu. Among the Others present were Russell
tho famous Times correspondent agile Jack"
Russell. shrcwd worthy witty aud refaed, as became
person who had hoban.nobd with generals and kinasi
John Dennis the essayis delicate emile, fragile man.
born rich and lowered with love 70 literature as well
as worldly goods; Doyle the artist Richard Hutton
known Spectator Hutton, being editor OF the we'll
the front as an organ Of the higher criticism Others
whosc names and persons nave now forgotten
Much OF the talk, too. has now qnte faded from my
memory; but remember distinctly how. az one portion
che evening oyss che wanas ana es was b hs
that one modern poet, and one only was nc 70 oe read
by strong aud TO be hailed as modern Homer
That was Walter Scott.
| Warm as was my admiration for the famous border
ninstres prose- isned believe az sae iaea Of e,ni
Are you reading Scott y he ,s,kel. with good
mot at present" answered. somewhat supercillou*
Shelley fever with other nantine malailcs, long ago"
TrollopeIseott vas great poet young man; Boys
qure strong meat. sir not oipops Scott Is the frss
poet OF the century and whoever doubts 1t either
Hutton IA grim, deep-voieed man, gently CHANGING up
through his eyeslass should certainly not call scots
Troiiope Csrafiyl-You wouldn't chi .Humphl
to- tue e Sscrpve and
his skill In weaving action into narrative We're eAtfaor-
Trollope-I should think they were. Just look al
those lines descriptive OF tho battle Of Fodden You see
down with the surge Of brawny lighting men, There Il
nothing like 1t OF Homer. Russell here Is not moro
| realistic In describing amodern shindy
| lacking the Accomplishment OF verse, etc
%o s ' His Ssah Walter SCOTS healthl
on When sI yoa H Hn thIn 1n p do '' '
We drank the toast merrily and presently the chair
:" Horace !, another supreme p2e.i And why, -, Be.
Horace but soani squr
os ,sr n. SsLae rs "t s:rc .so moot Of
Troops ythunderlns.-,No sir Are you readias Hos
| Trollope.-Catulius was a lriher, an erotic noodle
ns Ode on Se ne pas % % na as
| poems not extracts from u book " truisms.
hei thi1k remember something about certain
| Lesbia aud the descendants OF Remus!
and supremcst record Of absolute personal passio in all
n" Tas the ssSa tqs beaver S S OF
said that the best o. n poet WA
1SSsr Of sIs by ss
Horace great genius.
shOes aSoSs Shelby or even Phss
rroIlope.-As he was, sir! Poetry Is common sense
Pope Goethe Scott ID arSs Popular opinion
which is generally right about such matters decided
'H TrSD diSss,sn iSas tie Tie decauterl
The stream OF talk flowed IN Other directions, en
with of the OCCASIONS the recollection of rroope
extraornary but very characteristic asversnees o.
sss s s'p 's'
t q Troope Ne too, accepted Homer IS he dSs
deed, poetry was simply rnymsd actton: Tho pg9.a
ss oSs, to sss M ns sss w
TsyREas ssss q rs CHI could "ss S'ss
nor Ss ss:. e & Ss s t
and what Is not great poetry The frst had eItrsoi
binary industry, tho second absolute genius exertod
each case under uninspired conditions.
Trollope already much talked about, apart iron
bis popular putaton, as man OF letters with pro
digious power Of hard work. Curious To know how b
managed to produce much took occasion before W
parted to question him about his system delcatey in
sinuating the hattery that the advice OF Sir Oracl
might be Of nnne service to me- who was yet merel
an apprentice In literature The good rough fello'
growled aud laughed,
:" Some years ago" he said, when too begin
ming literature as trade, put the Same question TO
cinst. Before you sit down to WRITE my boy, put
piece of cobber's wax on the seat Of your chair ?"
:" sec. IN other WORDS stick fast and write awayw
Just So" no aEswered peFrily depend upo9 4
It Is the eply way Fix certain houfs for work aud
to be written daily, aud never stop working till yo
reach That number That y my plan 4 thoasAa'
wait for inspitationp
II Ina rafa IN Ia IN "a q ant tta