New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-23
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE JUBILEE PIcKwIcK.

THE JUBILEE PlCkWlCk.
esoS. lustrstions Edited by Charles Dickens the
1S., Sss. Macmillan Il SH %.
IN WAS fitting that fifty years after the publ
cation of the "Pickwiclx Club jubilee edition
should be printed by the authors son, but on the
principle that whatever is worth doing n worth
doing WE'LL the present attempt to commemorate
the occasion must be regarded as falling shorV
of excellence and of the Just expectations OF enc
legions who stin love Dickens The lapse OF timc
has no doubt cast a certain obscmity over some
pa-ts of "Pickwiok,p at least for the latest gen.
Grafton Of readers. The editor has endcavored
to meet this difficulty by inserting numerous no.eS
At the end Of each chapter A better idea OF the
localities described is given also by the insertion
nj woodcuts of places, historical houses, ana SO
forth There is an introduction giving an &C
count of the changes which occurred IN the Illus
tration of the book changes which, though they
seeued almost disastrous at the momcno, un
doubtedly proved highly advantageous In The emu
IT, il not probable that poor Seymour had hVed
no would have continued to satisfy Dickens by
bis DESIGNS. His humor was narrow and some
what crude. and away from his meter, winch
wss the illustration of sporting incidents from
comic point Of view. he had little gait. but INC 30
curing of Hablot K. Browne c'Pmz J was an in
portant gain. This artist was not ooiy y ""o"
hetter drau qhtsman than Seymour but ne possessed
a moro fertile and sympathetic Inauguration. ana he
was able ar all times to realize the conoep.'ons u
Dickens with remarkable accuracy and fdiness'
Al, Who read the works Of this author as they APP
neared originally owe moro than probably they
tnou 10 the embodiment Of Dickens's characters
nv "Pbizv The popular conception OF most OF
them has beon built upon those clever illustrations
NOT only IN "Pickwick " and in nearly all the au-
thors stories but the latest ones When. at length
the work of illustration was put In the hanoS oi
other artists the superiority of Browne appeared
only the more consp,cuously. The widow OF Sey-
mour somehow gotit Into her bead that her nusoand
had had to do with the text as we'll as the iustra-
t;ons of "P,ckwick." IT was fantastic Illusion,
Int rerhans not much more unreal than George
Cruikshapk's long maintained notion that he
rather than Dickens. was the originator OF "Olver
Tw,st.y He always insisted that Dickens merely
wrote up to his plates. Now. though Brown never
made any claim of the kind it IS certain that as the
interpreter as we'll as the illustrator OF Dickens he
deserves q particular consideration. and that q
certain ard distinct element in the popularity OF
that writer's works was in the first place due to his
artistic skill and insight.
These remarks are not aggressive, for they lead
edition of "Pickwick" such as juoI
lee edition ought to be, care should
have been taken not to separate the author and
artist. but to show them working together for
common success, as they worked so many years IN
fnll accord No doubt the fact that the jubilee
edition is not published by Messrs Chapman q
Hall, who own the "Phlz" plates. accounts Tor
their absence But it is assuredly TO be regretted
that Mr.. Charles Dickens the younger did not or
could not make such an arrangement with his
fathers old publishers as would have enabled
him to use the plates referred to. AS the
case stands their absence detracts much
from the value and Importance of the work. Nor
can IT be said that other details leave no room
for improvement. The so-calIed facsimile OF
the original green of the Pickwick numbers
is q copy. and not exact one either. upon re-
duced scale and on white paper Needless to say.
it does not We those who never saw the original
n lust idea of the latter As far paper, type
binding and other mechanical details are con-
cerned the Jubilee edition is neat and even hand
some But it is not as good OF as full as 1t could
aud should have been, and while it will be useful
to the Dickens student its appearance does not so
occupy the field that further effort in the same
direction is useless even peed!ess.
SUSANNA WESLEY. BY ELIZA CLARKE Famous
Women seriesl l6mo pp. 3Ol kobefts brothers
Miss Clarke has written an interesting book upon
an unprouising subject The mother of John Wesley
was oman Of stroug character, but she Is not an
important parsonage except in connection Win
her son, and the biographies of the founder OF
Methodsm contain all that it is needful to know OF
his family history Whatever general HABITS OF
virtue lie may have derived from his parents, IL
does ot appear that home Influences had much to
do with what was peculiar In his views OF the
religious life or his methods of preaching. Never
theess Miss Clarke, as we have said, makes an H.
teresting book. The domestic life to which she
introduces us was sinQulaIly unlovely The Rev.
Samuel Wesley, father of the apostle, was the
incumbent of poor living in wretched and
malarous country district, and was all his life at
war with the world. He had no aptitude for bust
ness. he suffered heavy losses by fire and other
msfor.nnes. ana he had nineteen children. 1t is
no wonder that he always In distress. and that
he passed some time in debtors jail. Neither lie
nor his wife as popular i'll the parish perhaps the
very poor are never popular Susanna Wesley was
q masterful woman, who liked TO rule her husband
even IN religious matters, and we may presume that
the exercise of her will was not strictly confined to
the family. Once when her husband was absent
for long time in London, sho organized and con-
Quoted Sunday evening services at the parsonage,
greatly to the dispeasure of Mr.. Wesleys clerical
substitute, whose congregation described the church
for these meetings. Mr.. Wesley demonstrated with
his wife but she justified herself in a long letter,
and continued to oiciate until Mr.. Wesley's return
allowed the question to die q natural death. Hus
ban aud wife were sincerely attached to each
other, but not often of the same opinion
ADDRESSES DELIVERED ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS.
BY the Most Rev. DR.. WALSH Archbishop OF Dublin
$40. pp LII. 465. DuDlin NJ. d. Gill * oon.
DIR. Walsh occupies an exceptionally important
position among tue Irish Nationalist leaders. not
only on account of bis distinguished Office in the
Church and his personal qualifications. but also in
consequence of the circumstances attending his
appointment to the arcabish bpric in 1885. he
WAS the candidate of an overwhelming m ,iority Of