New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-01-11
NOTES ON BOOKS.
AND ON SOME OF THE WRITER'S AND PUB
IISuERS OE THEM.

III.
.bs IN write a paper on the Greville Memoirs for
the January Fortnightly Not long ago we were told
that h, was TO make q journey TO the Levaht 10
recover his health much shattered by an attack Oh
what is ENTHUSIASTICALLY called acute rheumatism
n malady we'll known to be the result OF proionsco
overwork. Few men in Mr.. Escotts proiessloh,s
which is journalism or IN any profession have done
moro work than bo has during the last hteen years
or SO. Sir Richard Webster. Her MaJestys AtIor-
ney General, lately informed an Interested puoi'c
that he himself had got through as much mental
lohor On any one in Her Maiesty's domlnons lie
has done great DEAL and done it surprisingly weil
lint tbere are several men in his own profession
who if only tho amount of work is considered
could give him points 1t is but lately that Hr
Richard Webster has been in Parliament ana the
toll of barrster doubled with that OF an NJ r.
who attends to his duties far exceeds that OF the
barrister alone or of most barrlsters.
Ii lawyers were asked to name one oil themselves
who could and did turn off the most incredible
ouantity of first-class legal work, they would
think name Mr.. Horace Davey. He is a chancery
barrister supreme in the court in which he prac-
tises When business presses and heavy briefs how
in i'm too swift succession and the cause list is run
ming Oft quickly, Mr. Davey's custom is TO WORK
twenty-four hours day for two or three DAYS
and nights in succession. Perhaps there has been
nobody since Lord BrOugbam with such faculty OF
going without sleep, his mind all the time Keeping
clear ard fresh 1t to be said in behalf OF sir
Richard Webster that he was not Boosting III MS
own behalf but for the sake of temperance, or
rather of total abstinence He drinks no wine or
other Auid of intoxicating nature and see says oir
Richard what can be done on cold water. III is
long odds thai cold water i'll his case lncndes tea
OF coaee or both; both of them stlinulants per
hans moro dangerous than spirits, because less sus
pected. Few men can do good brain work under
the immediate in1uepce of wine, OF even OF weak
brandy and water. But tea and coffee clears tle
mind and strengthens the faculty OF continuous
work for the time being Woe unto him. never
theess who leans either, and who ENDS py hhu-
ing himself dependent on either. Wine or whatever
Won like after not before, work. that is the maxim
which most men who do much come sooner or later
to adopt.
| As this, however, unlike Sir Richard WeoS'ers
discourse is not temperance lecture, return LOT
a moment to Mr. Escott The pleasure with which
one hears of his resuming LIS pen Is little mixed
with the fear that be have resumed 1t TOO soon
He has steadily overtasked for years past MS
extraordinary powers of continuous wiring TIC
has been simultaneously, though not during all this
period leader-wrter, editor of The FTtn'Ght'H
editpr of Tie Home Ne,cS, editor of The UTd,
author of magazine and other occasional art'cl"s'
and author of books He has now IN hand
history of the House of Commons IN three large
volumes Mr.. Yates, i fear, has been III much
concern to find a successor to Nh. Escott, but MI
Escott may after all be his own successor for the'
Mr. Leslie Stephen's :" Life of Henry Fawcett"
(Smith Elder 81 co.. has reached fourth edition.
The Life is not so good one as might nave oceil
expected from Mir. Leslie Stephen, were ne not
burdened by the editing OF the Dictionary oI
National Biography. The early part OF the story
is clearly and spiritedly told. Too much OF the
oil hv 1tSuuistlo DOltlcal
economy and kindred topics gil which Fawcett was
n respectable but not high authority The sale OF
The biography all the more attests tie interest
which Fawcetts history excited fyou look only
at his public career you may fairly say tLdt the
accident which made HIM blind the most
fortunate event of his life. 1t made him plctu-
rescue and pathetic figure. lie supported ms
calamity with fortitude which eXtorted adnira-
ton from everybody and the House of Commons
found ever a fresh surprise Ill listening to Il man
who. without the use of his ewes, proved himself
capable of mastering complicated facts and figures.
He was independent stuck 10 his principles, regard
less q nearly regardless OF party Sld had hearty
good humor which delighted his associates. lie
was not a good Postmaster General, whatever Ar.
Leslie Stephen may say. But man may IAN as
head of a great department and remain AS Fawcctt
did an original and encouraging Individuality
One more translation INTO English of Don
Onixote de la Mancha" has appeared. Nh. John
Ormsby is the author OF it, To say that no good
English version of Ceryantes masterpiece exists is
but literary commonplace. Mr. Du1ields the
last which came ont before the present was BOOK
of much pretence and Il failure. Mr.. Urnsby
knows Spain, knows the language and literature
of IT, and perhaps knows even English. 1--WE nave
found" says the writer of careful, not to say
cautions, review in The Times, "bis translation
faithful and flowing, and extremely agTeeaDie
reading" And " no one can deny the the width or
the dep,h of the knowledge which he brings TO the
elucidation OF the text" II is possible neycTthe-
less. tn suspect that the English public may have
too much of Don Qui%oe. Reissues of one trans
lation or another are frequent. A snowy edition in
four volumes of Mottcuxs rendering was completed
only last year. Mr.. Paterson. OF Edinburgh. pub
ljshed it, and there were thirty-siX etchings by
Laanze But hardly is the last volume out OF press
when it is TO be had at less than half price, while
large paper" copies figure on bookseliers'
catalogues at one third their cost one more example
of the reaction against cumbrous books. MotteuXs
translation has had the usual fate is praised and
blamed by authorities equally high. Richard Ford,
whose name ia a household word with everybody
who cares for Spain, ridcules it. Ticknor calls 1t
the most agreeable and the best, and. unless my
memory deceivcs me- it has been spoken of respect
fully by Spanish scholar so learned and accom-
plished as Mr.. James Russell Lowell.
Here is the euterprising Mr.. Elliot stock again,
with another of those reissues of old books which
be tues TO impose on the public as " fac-similes"
This present experiment on British crodulity is
maze with "The Vicar of Wakefield" and Mr..
Stock describes his edition as a Fac-Simile Repro
duction of the First Edition published in 1866"
The English press from Indifference or from not
scrutiuizlng Mr.. Stocks prctences carefully. has
hitherto shown itself lcnent to these fabrcations.
The dtbenaeaia at last speaks ont. The volumes,
il SAYS are well got up and some trouble has