The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1886-03-26
RICHARD GRANT WHITE.

RICHARD GRANT WHITE.
Richard Grant White pat his hand to
the pillow in many fields of literature,
and in all he showed the sturdiness that
denotes ycoman stock. But. apart from
his special taste for music, the most of
his studies sprang from his love of Shak-
speare. In the case of his theatrical
and pathological writings this is obvious,
and in those which Illustrate his attach
ment to England it is fair to ascribe no
inconsiderable part TO the fondncss
which, however invigorated and broad
ened by other traditions, was primarily
due to the great dramatist of English
history and life. Essays upon words,
stage-usages, and matters of music, OBJ
sorvations upon our cousins ways and
customs and modes of speech, interna-
tional satire, and squibs of all kinds and
lengths made up large part of his in
dustrious literary life; but, for all that,
Shakespeare was his profession. and the
principal work of his hands was editori-
nj. In some respects this choice of en-
ployment was felicitous, and fell i'm with
natural intellectual aptitudes. He had
Il note-taking mind, and. his memory
was retentive of details to an eXtraOrdi-
nary dcgree-a quality invaluable TO an
editor of texts; and i'm addition to this,
his observation-disclosures, his shrewd So
briefly, his content with plain and
honest-seeming meaning, and especially
his contempt for the palaver of refining
analysts of the German stripe, stood him
IN such good stead that he holds an hon
orable place among the students who
have made the critical study of Shak-
speare part and parcel of the pride of
American scholarship.
The substance of his attainmentS is to
be found,of course, in the various es-
says, predatory either to the general
work or to the individual plays and
poems, which conduce so much to the
value of his version ofShakspeare in the
way of expansion, criticism, and infor-
nation; and in these his views are set
forth with most modesty, succinctness.
and moderation. and his knowledge is
deploycd with most swiftncss and effect.
They form, however only u small por-
ton of his contributions to Shakespeare
literature; very much of his labor in his
chosen subject was ofl-hand work, and
must be sought in the magazines to
which he devoted his less serious mo-
ments. Such arlices-and their num-
Der is legion-usually present some
single phase of Shakespeare theme;
and no matter how dry and formal the
topic in itself, he makes il entertaining.
For it is distinction of Mr.. Whites
that he always intercsts;he has the secret
of pleasing. His style is wonderfully
firm and closc-knit; his facts are cold as
an iceberg and hard rs flint; and he
streWs the mental way of his readers
with the native nuggets of Yankee sense.
His individuality counts for more than
all. He was himself character, in the
special meaning Of the word; one of those
impenctrable pieces of natures work
manship which are malleablc by no ex-
ternal influence of culture, society, or cir
cumstancc Such persons cannot open
their lips without some self-eXhibition;
whether their solitude is of the village
OF of the study, they always speak from
within, and echo no man. Mr.. White,
who was as tenacious of his peculiari-
ties us an Englishman, stamped them
upon his writings; and it is due to this
that when one reads his words it is, to
an unusual degree, rs if one heard him
speaking When u man of this sort has
the gift Of literary expression, he will be
q readable author, whatever deficiencies
he may have; and this Mr.. White was.
The literary form and charm of his
style, the Observation-Disclosures of his mind,
the practical sense he always displays,
make his work, within the limitations
which he himself assigned it. of great
positive utility; and the sturdiness with
which he stood for common sense, in OPP
position to the eulogistic gush with
which Shakespeare, i'm common with all
the greatest poets, is overwhelmed in
our times of Swinburnian rhetoric, is
something to be very grateful for. He
had his pet notions, rs who has notp
ed jade wincc!' But he spent his life
with his favoritc author, and made of
him his liberal education; would that
the universities afforded so good one!
His labor was one of love, and it has
the value and respect of the best work Il
man can do, being deficient only where
nature herself had denied faculty, IN
this case on the poetic side. He has
gone over to the shelves of the great
majority" of acknowledged commcnta-
tors, beneath the Stratford bust, and
with him 60 the plaudits of true lovers
of Shakespeare for such lifelong and
honest service to the god of our literary
idolatry. March atlantic.
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