New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-07-25
VIIppEh'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
rrcCvD NJ .lIF-c.TISFACTION

Fort
been familiar a. eat number of people. during
oil IN 4 prrioi hc has occupied peculiar literary
,,oetiou hcng dccricd or laughed ut or ignored by
The hisler critical author TIES aud being read WIN
,,,,,ircst satisfaction BY the multitude. Long ago
he was chsraet rized as The Poet of Mcdiocrty
and this phrase pc haps indicates his true place
with sufficient accuracy. Tie popularity when HIS
mast important work the provcrLial Philoso-
niy" attained is in lubitablc. aud IL was welcomed
even more e.iusively here than in England NOT,
has il been forgotten 1t has passed into the CAFE
cory OF those books for which there is quiet ana
steady deman l. and its platitndinous aphorisms
continue TO please and comfort hundreds oi soou
and worthy people all over the Ergsh-speaRihs
world.
Mr. Upper has been often cited as a remar"aole
example of that harmless add not repulsive foFh Oh
erotis,r termed vanity. HIS Autobiography pioNo>
that his self-cstimate is indeed abnormai ""' "
also demonstrates that few If any me'i"o'e "''"
lavc had such abundant cause for prldc ana van"
glory as the Proverbal Philosopher. lhtousno""
his literary career he has been sustained ny the
,o,rlor yoice AGAINST the condemnation Of the
cr;t,cs No man who has been so steadily denied
4b. rirht tn fame has heen so profusely accorded
public attention and approval. NO uoupt lhis uocS
NOT disnroyc the Justice OF his critics, lor almost
,,.o.;s.iv the same kind of testimony can he adj
1uccd on behalf of many authors whose inerorty
Is bcvond dispute. Mr.. Upper however. has been
yeu received elsewhere than among the masses.
and lie has been regarded by many rs standing on
the border line of poetry. Several times he has
barely failed of excellence Perhaps he has done
his hest in ballad poetry. Many of his lyrics are
snjritel flowing and bright. Yet he probably
looks upon these ere fugitive exercises. ephem-
ecal in interest. He may be right. lie mas known
how TO attract the people He has gained atten
ton for a strain of pous philosophy certainly not
altecedently likely TO become popular In so DONG
If must be frankly admitted that he has made good
use Of his literary opportunities For whlic great
literary reputation is compatible with very slight
concern for the troubles SORROWS and temptations
of hamanity the approval due a bencfacton can
not be withheld from a writer whose purposes
have always been philanthropic and whose genial
disrosition has informed his works with spirit OF
loving kindness and tolerance appealing TO and re-
inforcing the best impulses and tendencies Of The
human heart.
Nor can it be doubted that this kindly spirit has
much to do with the acceptability of his writings
The "Proverbial Philosophy" puts the best lace
on every thing 1t Is an optimistic philosophy, anu
therefore a mental tonic. The majority OF meu
and women are but little developed intellectually.
They are not given to nigh and deep thinking bu'
they are immersed in cares and perpleXltlcs row
ertv anxlety sickness death by turns assail thenl
The general aspect of the world is none TOO cheer
fn for them and their souls hunger for consolation
rs the cear-bred plant yearnS for sunlight. 10
them Upper brings comfort. 1t is his mission 10
reconcile the simple-mnded to life. lie shows
tbe,, with argumepts strong enough for their needs
that after all there is plenty of cause for gratitude
and contentment. Surely this Is better ana more
bcnefcent work than the disturbing ana dlsor-
canizing writings of those "advanccd thihKels'
who in the name of a Truth wholly undemonstra-
bic bv finite inteects. undertake to show that
everything is az bad possible i'll the worst uni
verse conceivable; that the Power which put us
here IS either limited and detective or inherently
malicious: and that the only hope of emancipation
lie. in orr ability to reverse the laws OF nature.
Martin Tupper is not exactly an od-fashioned
Christian. While maintaining his connection WIN
the English established Church, lie has gradually
broadcncd in his doctrines until, If we understand
him he holds now with the Universallsts' III Is
clear that his cheerful hope for the ultimate re-
demption of all his feow-creatures Is tenpera-
mental matter The author of Provcrbial Phil
osophy" could not rest satisfied with less COM
prehensve and comfortable creed.
The autobiography is restricted; Mr.. Upper I'M
dertakcs only to relate what belongs to his life as
an author and while this includes much interesting
matter il leaves blank places and renders the
hook considerably less than full memoir The
innocent and uncOncealed pride of the author In
his work lends constant piquaucy to his nara
the hearty satisfaction with which the venerable
writer brings forward his schoolboy verses con-
eratulating himself upon having at last found an
excuse for putting them in print. One OF the dc-
lights of his life must have been the curious CIR
cumstance that when at Christ Church. Oxford he
had the honor of being prize-takor OF Dr. Bur
TOMS theological essay The Reconciliation Of Mat
thew and John when Gladstone, who had also
contested it. stood second" ana when DR.. Bur
ton.v he saws. had me before him to give me the
f25 worth of books, lie requested me to allow Mr.
Gladstone to have f5 worth Of them as he was SO
good second"
A long account is naturally given of the origin Of
the Proverbial Philosophy" He began to write
il for the exclusive benefit of the young lady to
whom he was engaged and who after courtshlp OF
nine years became his wife, At later period,
with what some may think strange audacty he
yentnred to write Geraldine" poem intended as
completiou of Coleridges "Chrstabel.' 1t is
satisfactory to know that if the attempt was not
received enthus~ ,ticaly by the public 1t at least
pleased the author himself. lie was intended Tor
the church but ho stammered, and the defect was
fatal mpcdim,nt TO ecclesiastical preierment.
An attempt at the law failed through the same
cause though Mr.. Upper ate his term dinners ana
WAS called TO the bar where ne practised. IL
is rather funny to find him. toward the close oil the
volume citing his connection with tho bar as a
reason Tor accepting his Judgment a nice legal
poipt. In middle lite he overcame his defect OF
speech and appears to have made some reputation
as an mprompru speaker at public dinners and
meetings. in q memoir restricted WITHIN such
narrow lines the record must be of generally frag
mentary character "reminiscences of celebrated
people encountered, OF his two visits to America.
ami Of his hospitahties at Albury constitute the
greater part of the volume if we except the poetry
into which Mr. Upper drops as frequently and
promiscuously as Silas Wegg. He prints. with
what pride who can say number OF laudatory
notices from American critics Where are the
,D,oa,ine. and journals now from whose columns