New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-01

flavor of ours in Germany and devoured the whole
dish.
She had been accustomed. only to stale oysters,
living far from the coast and under imperfect
means of communication. Tom Hood has made
use of this story, by the way, in one of his mis-
ccllancs but he does not put it on Queen Caroline
and no doubt it might have happened to many
people.
Mr. Clayden gives some interesting informal ton
concerning the famous illustrated edition OF Rogerss
Italy The edition of 10000 cost the poet
nearly 10000. but the sales eventually paid al
expenses and brought him fair profit on the
investment This could only have come about
through the relative cheapness of the work 1t
may safely be said that the same work could not
be done to-day for anything like this outlay. for
no artists of equal rank with those who drew the
designs for Rogers would accept the prices he
paid Turner for instance, received for twenty
nine designs the Insignificant sum OF S16O and
the whole outlay for the illustrations was only a
little more than $4,000. Mr.. Clayden may be
right in saving of Rogerss illustrated poems that
:" there had been nothing like them before but,
unless indeed he confines his meaning entirely to
English art, he certainly is not correct in adding
that there has been nothing fully equal to them
since, or some of Turner's designs perhaps this
might be said truly, but the works whoes have
been surpassed many times in France since they
were issued.
Mr.. Clayden has the following remarks upon
Rogers's bitter wit:
Rogers had cultivated the habit Of making causic
remarks TIL il had become second nature Sir Henry
TAYLOR tells that his wit in higher repute than
any in his time except that OF sydney smith, b9t While
sydDey's genial and good-humoed that OF Rogers
sarcastic and bitter. Rogers knew this ana some
natured tSngsS he observed to Sir Henry Taylor in
his slow. quiet deliberate " have very weak
voice II did not say ill-natured things no one would
hear what said
There is ofound truth in the observation. IT
is not ncedful 10 assume that he had deliberately
adopted this principle, and persistently acted on
| it: he had simply discovered that acid remarks
were listened 10 and remembered when jokes were
unnoticed or forgotten. When men came away
after nm evening with Sydney Smith. they only
remembered how greatly they had enjoyed them
selves, and how infinitely amusing he was; after
/ contact with Rogers one or two sharp sayings
were deeply implanted in their memories, very
often indeed 10 rankle there. This is the suf-
fcicnt explanation OF the different statements
that are made about him. He had tolerance
for vnlgaritv or pretence and vulgar and preten-
tious people who forced themselves upon him often
went away with q wound. But. though he said
bitter things in society, :" he was always saying
kind things and doing generous things When
somebody remarked, in Campbel's hearing. that
Rogers said Spiteful things. Borrow 500 pounds
Of him. replied Campbell, " and he will never
say a word against you till you want TO repay
him great many waspish things may be par
doncd such a man. and Mr.. Clayden gives ample
evidence that Rogers really was munifcent in his
bencfactions and most delicate In his treatment
of all whom he assisted.
The fun correspondence published in these vol
umcs shows how high was the estimation in which
Rogers was held There are letters from Webster,
Everett Sumner Prescott, TiclInor, and other dis
tnguished Americans from Br0ugham, Words
worth, Ruslsin, Dickens, Moore, Sheridan, Tenny-
son. Sydney Smith, Lady DufferiR, Mrs. Norton,
Macaulay, Campbell and host of other English
and Continental celebrities. Rogers kept his
healthy interest in the world to the last, and he
was in his ninety third year when the end came
peacefully and painlessly. lie had outved all his
near and dear friends and glad to go, for even
so full and interesting life as he had led may
become wcarisome through the isolation which
age and death impose upon the very old