New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-22
NOTES ON BOOKS.
MR.. ARNOLD ON sHELLEY-sIR FREDEhiCh
POLLOCKS AMERICAN FRIENDS.


trnoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNAL
V"o" 49, LONDON, Jan. 9.
Lovers of Shelley will be grateful to Mr. Arnoid
for his protest in The Nineteenth Century"
AGAINST Professor Dowden's biography OF the poeo'
IL is. apparently, Shelley's family who were re-
sponsible for thu choice OF q biographer anu ior
the publication OF this life Professor Dowoen
held brief. He had certain work given him "
do, and he did it oil too we'll. No great writer's
life has ever been mercilessy pried into than
Shelleys-no, not even Carlyle's. What IS the re-
suit? Undoubtedly says Mr.. Arnold, this
biography compels one TO review ones FORMER I'M
preston Of him. Undoubtedly the brilliant ana
attacking rebel who in thinking for himself had OF
old sympathy so passionately with him. wheh
we come to read his full biography makes us often
and often inclined to cry OUT My Godl he had iar
better been thought like other peoplei' Then he
quotes Hogg's well-znown tribute to Shelleys
moral and intellectual beauty, and continues:
What we have of Shelley in poetry and prose
suited with this charming picture of him; Mrs
Shelley's account suited with it lit was possession
which one would gladly have kept unimpalred.
IL still subsists, must now add it subsists even
after one has read the present biography; 1t SUD-
sists, but so as by fire. 1t subsists with many
scar and stain; never again will it have the same
pureness and beauty which it had formerly.
regret this, as have said, and confess do not
see what has been gained"
Docs anybody SEQ what has been gained Is tho
world the gamer by having forced upon it what
ever in Shelley was ridiculous and odiousp Is
that the price which man must pay for the fatal
gift of genius? MIR. Arnold is no Shelley worship
per. lie faces the facts. lie states in way
Professor Dowden could not and with force to
which that extremely rhetorical writer never at
tains, the case against Shelley. And then he
does to Shelley and to the world the service OF
showing that after all and in spite of all our
former beautiful and lovabe Shelley nevertheless
survives"
Professor Dowden, it may be guessed, is, in Mr..
Arnolds eyes, very considerable sinner. He has
not had to wait long for his punishment. MIR.
Arnods ridicue is gentle but kills. lie gives
Professor Dowdcn ample credit for the manner in
which he has performed his task, or the substan-
ia portions Of his task His conscience thus salts
tied he lets loose upon the unhappy Professor some
Of that humor the want of which is a distressing
want in the Professor himself The worthy biog
rapher has an uncontrolled and uncomfortable
1setic fervor. lie cannot bring himself to eschew
poetic excursions; he cannot be simple and natural
Harriet Shelley had given offence to her husband
by getting q wet nurse for her child. Professor
Dowdens way Of stating this fact is as follows:
The beauty of IIarrets motherly relation to her
babe was marred in Shelleys eyes by the introduce
ton into his home Of a hireling nurse TO whom
was delegated the mothers tenderest office" When
Shelley writes that amazing letter from TrOyes to
his deserted wife, Professor Dowdens flow of SEN
tment remarks Mr. Arnold, |" is agitating that
relieve myself by resorting to drier world"
And the reader perceives that, but for his kindli-
to the living writer, the critic would apply to
the biographer the untranslatable French
word which he applies to Sheley's let
ter, " bette" Again, Harriet's death,
the dry observation: "In respect Pro-
fessor Dowdeu resembles Providence; his ways
lnscrutable." Again, IF Shelley is left much
alone with Miss Clairmont, no evidently makes
Larry uneasy nay, he makes Professor Dowden
himself uneasy" There are more Of these shafts
all shot from a light hand, but this is perhaps as
much space as you care to devote to Professor Dow
den.
Sir Frederick Polloc<s Personal Remembran-
ces" tMacmillans) are full of pleasant chat some
of it about Americans. Mr.. Motley is one of
them: American still cordially remembered
in London. There is a glimpse of him in the
Record Office; much gratiied by the rapid
production at his request of particular dispatch
of some Importance in the history of the Ameri-
can of independence which he asked to see7
And here is note on Mr.. Evarts which reads like
an extract from society journal:
Mr.. Evarts of New-Yor1 came to breakfast.
lie is in Europe to represent the United States
Government before the arbitrator on the Alabama
claims at Geneva. He Is spare man, looking
about forty or forty-five years old lin 1879 and
in face little like the first Napoleon. He has
eleven children which lie said not unusual.
AS a cohnscl he never has fee of less than $3.50
orf for poiuO int Tba fppt IN
the leading counsel in an ordinary case equals
go, the junior being paid as attorney. lie
said that he never took part in what is our at
torney's work, of getting up the case and that
lie could refer to his instructions without knowing
what behind them in much conscientious
Ignorance as barrister does in England. His part
ncrs always collected the evidence and otherwise
got up the cases and drew the briefs. Sir Henry
Holland afterward told me that he believed Evarts
makes ten or twelve thousand pounds year: and
gathered from himself that in the States all fees
have to be earned by working for them"
Whether Sir Frederick has accurately recol
lectcd all that Mr. Evarts told him may be a ques-
ton, but there is one phrase, conscientious
ignorance" which certainly came from the Eyarts
mint.
Mr. Lowells name occurs, so does Emerson's
though with little or nothing Of interest about
either We see however, Mr. Lowell and his vic
as they lived in Paris in 1913 in the Hotel Lor
raine in street parallel to the Rue du Bac. The
hotel was frequented by members Of the Legiti-
mist party, and by generally dining at the table
d'hote Lowell knew more about them than most
people"
Then Motley again, and with him others known
in America.
Fourth July. Dined at Houghton's in BerlSe
| 10y Souare Motley Lord Roscberv Lord CreNye
Mrs Proctor, etc. Being the anniversary of
American independence Houghton made some re-
marks upon the occasion to Motley who. looking