New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-02
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
NEW EDITION OF THE GRAdMONT
MEMOIRS"

MEMOIRS
MEMOIRS OF COUNT GRAMMONT BY ANTHONY
HAMILTON. Illustrated by CHARLES pELoki' Pp'
39G. Philadelphia: j. Il. Lippncoit 90
This is the day Of illustration, ana inc searca
for material for decorative treatment spares
neither the cradle nor the grave Some oiu iricnus
have reappcared to us in surprising costumes ouo
now and then the evils OF fashlon arc aconeo
for by a case Of intrinsic Illness IKE Deior' .
usualv apt delneations of the characters whose
follics are touched upon IN Orammohes MT
muirs" 1t was not for the artist 10 play Vhe p"r'
=, l,no,o,;st or nreacbcr That has been done
ofYcn enough with the Memoirs" as text VI
the artist there was demanded sympatheuc I'M
Outstanding of the time the actors, and the stage
setting. and also grace lightncss and felicity
eoual to the Qualities of Hamilton's text Ihat
il was not an easy matter to fulfill these require
ments every reader knows, whether or not he agrees
with Lord Oxford that Hamilton was always
superior to the indelicacy OF the court Inc
illustrative work demanded peculiarly refined en-
ecution to be in keeping with literary style
which has had Gibbon, Voltaire and Sir Walter
Scott among its eulogists book which has
been said by French critic to afford the trueSt
specimen of perfect French gayety' required OF the
artist o peculiar lghtness of touch and lively
sense Of humor. Delorts illustrations do not
quarrel with the text They are refined IN eAccu-
ton polished, expressive and full OF human IN
tesvst and if it is argued that in two or three H.
stances the artist has failed be superior to the
indclicacy1 of the life pictured in the Memoirs
it must be said that this depends very much upon
the observers point of view. AS a pupil OF the
idcalst Geyrc and Of that sardonc reallst
Gerome a full professor of severe draughtsman-
ship Delort possessed at the outset advantages OF
ecu pment which have not always asserted them
selves in his work in oil Skill in draughtsman-
ship and knowledge of costumes arc qualifications
of the highest value but it is plain that without
the ability to interpret imaginativeiy the phases
of character set forth in the text the work would
be cold and unsympathetc. The faculty OF sympa-
thizing with the spirit of light and graceful
text and expressing its essence in adequate form
is one of which French artists like Leoir and
some Of the illustrators of Daudct have furnished
happy examples AS study of facial expression
alone this volume shows a triumphant result, par
ticularly in the drawing of the scene when Malta
waking and seeing the Chevalier musing upon his
debts and possible means of eXtrication, broke
into sudden fit of laughter. which increased in
proportion as the other stared at him" Gram
mont's face here is an admirable piece of ntcrpre-
tation. SsDelorts drawing is the drawing of
school in one sense rather than a personal and
distinctly asserive mana cement Of line areas and
it must be confessed that his polished style of OK
preston occasionally vergcs upon insipidity. But
refinement of execution has its value and although
Delort's minor figures are sometimes inslpd, we
may find compensation in the thought of the
greater insipidity CT a series of line engravngs
after Lelys portraits of the beauties of the Merry
Monarchs court
The frontispiece is portrait of Hamilton,
etched by Boisson, who has also etched the thir-
ty-thrce designs drawn by Delort. a full-page
etching introduces each of the eleven chapters,
and each chapter is accompanied by small figure
e1chings of much vivacity and cleverness; these,
while always purely illustrative, serve as head
and tail pieces The etched work has to a con-
siderable extent the character of cngravers etch-
ing, and there is often reason to desire greater
force of line and variety of effect. The printing,
which. is presumably from the usual steel-faced
plates very likely from electDotype plates, is
upon India paper which has been inlaid upon
very heavy plate paper. Very heavy paper has
been used throughout, and we have to note cX-
cellcnt Typography, wide margins, and uncut
leaves. So far as the introduction and notes
are concerned nothing new is presented. This
is reprint Of TIE edition edited and annotated
by Sir Walter Scott which has become generally
known through its appearance in the BONN Lii
biary. 1t is usually said, and with justice, that
Inc memoirs OF tnlS brilliant scllSudllSJ are not
10 be recommended for general reading, but as
this warning is always coupled with praise of
the literary style and the declaration that no
other book furnishes an equally vivid picture Of
life at the court of Charles the Second, the
Memoirs" OF GramEont continue to hold their
own in the favor OF reading men who have top
shelves in their libraries. This being the case
edition de luxe is certainly justiablc and
since " was worth doing, the publishers, English
and American, deserve credit for doing the work
we'll Ihe announcement is made that this
edition Is limited to $50 copies for England
and America. We arc inclined to lay more
stress upon the mechanical excellence of the
plates and OF the book throug hout because Of
the appearance Of much inferior edition, which
presents a sorry travesty of Deorts illustrations.
In the case Of the latter publication. it would
be Improbable to raise the question of methods
which may have included the use of WORKOUT
plates or attempted duplication by photography.
The former seems probable, but those who may
take the trouble to compare the illustrations of
these two editions, plate by plate, will find it
easy to perceive a distinction and a difference
as well.