New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-21

,o ali family matters; the letters might have
been written by a mother or sister, bora Kenny
som ON hearing OF his death, wrote; Il mac no uuor
friend he was one of the kndlest OF men, ana nave
mayer known one OF so fine and delicate wit had
written a poem to him tho last week, dedlcahon'
which he will never see" Not long before Thackeray
death his daughter asked him which Of HIS old friends
he had loved most and he replied; "Why, dear old
Fitz. 10 be sure and Brookneld." Carlyle, too, so
jntoerant OF Idle people a rule and so prone to
discern the faults and foibes OF Others spoke with
hearty kindness OF the peaceable, aheetonae, ana
ultramodest man. and HIS innocent, far-niente hie'
1t is only be regretted that more Of his letters 10
these friends have not been preserved or MS cor
respondence with the earliest and dearest friend OF ALL
James Speeding" the editor Of Bacon, not one letter
is left
Fitzgerald was passionate lover OF music ana
one Of his neighbors the late Archdeacon Groome'
friend OF his college days. has left interesting out
line sketch OF his musical habits He was" says
the Archdeacon a true musician not that he was
great performer on any instrument, but that nc so
truly appreciated all that good and beau'ifui IN
music. He was a good performer on the piano. anu
could get such full harmones out OF the organ tha
stood I'm one corner of his entrance room at Ll''e
Grange as did good 10 the listener sometimes IL
would be a bit from Of Mozart's masses, or nom
one OF the naes of some Of his Beehovens operas
And then at times he would fill up the harmones
with his voice. true and resonant almost
IN the last have heard him say !:
Did YOU never observe how an italian
orCan-grlnder will sometimes put in few notes OF MS
own in such perfect keeping with the air which ne was
erndingls lie not great, but he was goou
composer Some Of his songs have been printed anu
many still remain in manuscript IL Is pieasanI
picture, that Of the lonely old man seated at MS
organ. lie was a warm lover Of Handel, OF whose
nd delighted also IN OH
English mart, songs. and in all kinds Of music which
xnresses simple emotions with power and dircctness
One can hardly think of him as taking to the music
Of the future however, and indeed he seems 10 nave
ignored its appearance.
His trary preferences and tastes, as expressed IN
his letters were by no means conventional lie helu
by Scott Thackeray, Dickens, and few other nov
ests George EOt's work he never eouIu hhc'
though he tried several times. humbly admitting finally
that the fault must be in himself He LIKED "llhe
Colins's Woman in whltc" he put Richardson before
FieldInc and he could not appreciate hawthorne.
Lowell Holmes, Longfcow were among his faVorl'es'
Emerson vexcd him on account OF his iragmeh'aricss
In his old age he used TO employ boy 10 reau aouu
TO him OF evenings his eyes being weak ana OH 'hcSo
the authors otenest required to were "aer
scott and Anthony Trollope. Frederic Tcnnyson was
one of his chief correspondents for many years TIC
knew the Laureate too though less Intimately ana
while he ALWAYS admired the pure and lofty tone OF
the latter's poetry, he could bring himscH 10
admit that Alfred TennySon had sustained DIS carry
promise Ills inability 10 perceive the beauty Oh III
Momoram- is curious lie says of II; II IS iuii
of finest things but II is monotonous, ana mas that
air Of being evolved by poecal machine OF 'he hsh
est orders Again he says, II IS the cursed nacuVlJ
wary nIeasant TO me who am no herol of this Nine
teenth century which has spoiled Alfred mean
spoiled him for the great work he ought now to be
entering upon.s lie did not think much OF the
Idylls of tho Kingo or EnOch Arlcn' or In TACT
any of Tennysons later work, and he particularly
condemned The Princess
Though he sometimes speaks highly OF WORDSWORTH.
f. is doubtful whether Fitzgerald really admired mat
poet Writing to Professor G. Il. Norton, no says
Then, old DADDY Wordsworth as he was sometimes
called. am afraid from my christening, he is now.
suppose passing under the eclipse consequent on the
glory which followed his obscure RISE remember
fty years ago at our Cambridge when the battle was
fighting for him by the Few against the Many OF us who
only laughed al Louisa the Shade etc. His brother
was then master Of Trinity College, like all Words
yorths nInless the drowned sailor, pompous and
priggsh lie used to drawl out the chapel responses
so that wo called him the Measurable Sinner and his
brother tho 'Mcescrablc Poet Poor fun enough but
never can forgive the Iakers all who first despised
and then patronized walter Scott they loftIy
called him and he dear, noble fellow, thought they
were oui,c ilstifcds He adds: Well your Emerson
has done him far justice than his own country
man, Carlyle, who won't allow him to be hero In
any wav but sets up such cantankerOus, narrow
minded bigot as John Knox in his stead.' The poet
for whom Fitzgerald always ready and eager TO
break lance however, was Crabbe, and it is amusing
to no,c how whenever he makes new acquaintance nc
begins his Crabbe prOselytism and proceeds with IL
until he thinks lie has made convert ,
The remark about poor Mrs Browning. In one Oh
the letters, when has Drought out 1ercc put Id Il 1
obscure sUnIct by Browning, eVldrhtiy shoutu ~.
have been printed. There IS no malice III IT, IL
was one Of cXtravagant utterances which ever
DOuy occasionally pelpeudUS III jest WhIcH h~t no
SIGNIFICANCE whatever; Yet which should have been
eAclsed Oh UbViOJs general principles. ftlScrdu
was the ia the world 10 be really gla1 pe,
All he meant was thai he dd not Ike Aurora Leigh
lie was somewhat gwen 10 cXIrayagances OF ldnSdaS
and his round, emphatic phrases not seidOhl Ncali
tle sfye OF andOr-nOt his IeI AIRY, but his cOOuii
sIyie which Dickens TOOK oil in Lalrncc BOY thorn.
llerl, arr many letters IN The Iatcf years 10 Mt'
Lowell aud Professor Norton. Tn other correspond
studied spanish and aferward Persian, samuel Ian
renee, tne portrait painter, Bernard BARON, Johi
Alien ". b. bovine, George CrabDe, W: J., I0nOc n;
tl,deric Tenny son, W If. Thompson, X I. french
and me editor Inc letters characterized By gei-
atty Keen literary judgment independence oil housh',
strong conscN atsn aud certain alOOin-ss dDut
ale 10 the solitary lie led by the writer Iherc j.
lIlc or hciucnt in them. ana ihe ln'ellectud.
progress OF Fitzgerald Is but family visible but thcJ
are nun OF interest, aud Ot their charms IS Iresl
Vigorous cleal-cut English style which Woull aua
rea>urc and refrrshment 10 the pcrsal OF lar less
clever matter. The second and thru volumes eoI,dln
the tuai rcvisions Of al the authors Wofhs iiere
a. in the Letters Mr. Wright appears 10 have oecn
1oo chaly Of such Information cannot be oDlauei
from the writings themselves but the ." beuers WIZ
none the less welcomed "a inieres ing ana valuaDle
reminders OF a man who united Striking lhuhec'uai
nnwers with unusual tenderness, aecuonateness ana
royalty.