New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-19
BULWER AND HIS WIFE.
A FOOLISH AND UNPLEASANT BOOK.

| aAutobography7 and other documents Published
| in vndication Of her memory by Lonsa JornSo
| Executrx to the Dowsger Lady Lyttoh' i@h'"
| pr. Ash. q. ". Dillingham; ~
There Arc $50 pages In this book OF these 3O4 are
filed with letters which in no way contribute 70 'no
alleged objccr OF tho editor namely the vndeadon OF
| Iaav Iv,tops memory These letters, written by
younv Bulver % Miss RosIns wheeler are OF tho
tyne OF spondenco which people OF taste, sense
! and Intelligence under no circumstances consent !"
make public Hanythlng In human relations possesses
nrrscripve sanctty II IS the correspondence Of loVeS'
and the judgment OF tho world on this head Is per
haps confirmed BY tho teaching OF experience that Such
correspondence as rule, possesses litto or no IN
tcrcst save for the parties to It. few instances may
be cIted IN which love letters Of distinguished men have
had distinct literary value, but these are the cN'
captions which prove the rule and there can be no
doubt that the letters here printed arc anything but
| exceptional
| Miss Dewey intimates IN her preface that during
the last years Of tho DowaGcr lady Lyton's life She
had In conversation frequently noted her extreme
anxiety that these ettos, with other she had
| carefully preserved should some fitting occasion
lie used clearing her memory from the harsh indg
ment which had been pronounced and circulated TO
her dsparagement7 and she goes on 20 that sho
| las been ss driven 10 publish the letters
earlier than she had intended by the recent appear
| anco Of the Biography OF Edward Lord Lytton," in
which, she AYERS injustice has been done 10 her
friend. the diseased DuwaGnr Miss Dewey IA
unable to perc 'ive-ihat the publication Of the
letters in which Bulwcr dcclarcs his love for her
before marriage can by no method of interpretation
lie made 10 minister 10 her vindcaton; but thai The
willingness 10 expose peculiarly private and essen
TALLY delicate a correspondence argues IN al who arc
| concerning 10 the net cOarsencss Of fibre whfeb
certainly must be taken into account a. casting bT
! 10 means favorable light upon them.
II cannot be SAID that Tho letters contribute much
toward the cucdation Of the writer's mature char
acter for they essentially juvenile and crnde
for the mos; part and they exhibit Itto else than
boyish extravaganza, bOastlnhsS, scIfonnhdenoc and
urorldness. II did not require thc~o Httrrs TO IN.
form the world thst Bulwcr IN hts youth dandy,
van scliecnccit"d, and trIne ridiculous. so much
was gathered long ago from contemporary rccords'
The young was not 'TiInsly dSHh1i By most
OF the men OF letters OF his time for no affected the
arStOcrat too ,cnily, aud BE- had not the tart
TO disguise his extremely good opinion of himself
He was hnicrrd By au uneOvcrallc temper. Through
life Bulwcr ragged against whatever crossed his path
and his success only stimulated nGrmlty which nn'
Qucsiiunably belonged 10 " thai rash humor that his
mother gave him- Miss Dewey n probably right In
saying that he l0csbic man, AID ihAi hn
va selfish one II IS obvious, however, or Il should
bc obvious that in tn abscnrs II tho complementary
Indications which MIS- Whorlcfs aSwrrs T. hA letters
could alone furnish all conclusions founded upon his
moloty Of tho correspondence, With one exception
ars Eabi~ q b. crTOrGOns, and must be one "idh'
whcclrr OF that there h. M doubt II Is equally
clear that this passionate love- ana The very OK
ccsscs " bis emotion cNPrr,sed In the most hyperoo
| cnl language, might have suggested 10 more eN-
| prrirneCd and cautious woman somo appreh"nhon
concerning its endurance NisS wheeler indeed Ap-
pcas- though. LACKING her letters, this only con
lccturc-to have maintained comparative o,Dlh""
Certainly she several CthrocD times iEc"i Willingness
10 break on tho engagement, upon tir occurrence" OF
lovers quarrels tho details ~ which only TO b"
! gIc- ,ed At were worth while % spcnd uno upon
such utilities Wo may suppose her 10 have b'"n
I carried away by hts lIupcuuus advances. for after
zach Misunderstanding rC"oucliaho and r'u""A Of
aror and nonsense appear II must be said that Bnl.
wcr doc, not appear To aivauagr a. writer OF hvo
letter when be l. grave his Pcrinda arr a. s'"''y
and his style aS daIrcic D. the period and style OF
Clari..a IariOwe or Sir Charles Grandson. Nhn he
rcIaNc, and unLcnds 10 diUps into bnhos 50 ahiect
mat his eicphautnh buroOnory almost mA"s u"
reader feel shccpsh and shamefsc@l. No doubt the
letters in which be addresses his beloved Ny own
Darling Poodle requests her TO " believe mo ever
true. true Puppy7-slgrs himself 100 own AoorinS
ldolIElng Puppy,--ur adopts the baby diHcot thus
Zoo Wa too naughty, my boofIfui love, TO sit up
all night All! viii % do ~ bye and bye whoh 90 -
Mrs PADDY 1T + quite impossible f.r any ono not
stepped III the mte l'y oA Ike passion t. syHpathAo
with tolerate or refrain from obIugat;uS tncsr really
. mourntnl and unreasonable po'niMii0m OF d"ah ah
gcp, emotions no man louhs wcll In such an at
| IL ~
literary sobricty, crudition. philosophy and rhcion.
a cal briiancy with these dlusc pages OF puppy talk
wnh0u; INDUCING .srdonE grin.
III. cour1-nip whose varying phases arc indicated
by Bulwer's letters terminated In marriage, toward
the close Of 1897 Miss Dewey gives some further
epistles. which provo that down TO May, 1870 tht
= relations between the husband and wife EcrH har
I nOnouS. Then there IS i break Ia tho correspond
I ence OF i've years. Why letters between le=S
. | aud 1884 are published Is nowhere cNpiMn'l, bal
during this period everything hal changer, ana th'
next letter given Is Of self cprua'h aud humIa
+ ,on for tho comlniital Of great outrage. In al
: | hitting his fault however Bulwer attempts to mill
cato II by pleading stfu0g prov0catloh lie 'ayS u
y | his wiiei
q Yuu havo been cruelty outraged aud l stand
y | efernaly degraded In ny own cSr,; 10 not iOl
= | a moment UIaIne you Tor inc pdDciiy "hlrh 10,
u sII do NOT G!ame you for "a posing me 10 my ser
for seoEing that occasion 10 Nin"iche yohis
!, 10 my moihor-nOr onglo ptIcrodIny OF Tan
,ns made ms me 4cro III sRSbe SitGr whS
taken Ps@" @pS 2 S5 H mSn!s aud Civ
ing myself, moment OF pat''on 50 Tn",G Snc
:, iiS hands OF my enemies. bui may noGpt "moh i
~, | n vss human 10 ampcr With 80 icifb!e an IN
- T,1S a. nine 10 provide so Grafuously In tho nrs
!, Instance TO counue sung and cNa-pcrsc 10 ioa.
m oJ S'e endsayotcd 10 put upon mysrt to per~s
in stretcbInR TO ihs utmost a temper always 80 con
on%y ySi9n, 2% an " r obi" sources Tb@i
common cbsdty might, II 4 could not bear .,r With
n son, manhood, oycryfhIng gave way, and ! was
- Yr,n,ac and a brute. | doubt II that was humane
mo1 yorsIy S NC bit II allowed myself TO bGm
others being myself to blame; should th,hk u hn
=. r." nnpcnra,co Of snare--that my wcaEest pom
s uss fnown-my lnHrnIty PLAYED Within orl"r 'ha
l. ,riibnut an excuse to myself ! might DO dcgr%ic'
, and exposed
. .rrr he declares him self convinced that he Is on
= n, ., i've alone God and Nature afflicted me Wit
= n,socal habits weak and violent passions
ryerr,hine in my life tended 10 feed these inhrmiiics
u u,,u tbcy have become a confirmed and incurabl
disease which nothing but gentle PITY foroea1na
~ soo,binr wntchful cOmpanIon-as Of nurse over
u n,,Aron-can render boarabo 20 me or others. Co