New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-19
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

THOMAS DE QUINCY His Life and Writings. With
unpublished correspondence BY Alexander r.
VIII WIZ portraits. limo, PIP. $40. London; John
Hogg
DR.. Japp's first edition of the Life OF DC
Quincy appeared thirteen years ago, and was theh
recognized as the best biography that had se'
been written Since then much new hght mas
been thrown upon De Quincy, some ineoi'"'
correspondence has been discovered, ana lioih e''
eral points interesting and important cohtrp"Vioi'
have been made TO our knowledge of the man.
The new edition of De Quinceys WORKS eui'eu ny
Professor Mason may have suggested to Dr. Japp
the timeness of a second edition OF MS WoIh' an"
availin0 himself of all the fresh matter, he has 30
LARGELY recast the volume that in many respects
IL is new. Following the editors of Boswell he
has brought together as many as possible lnde-
nendent commentators upon De Quincy, ana we
thus obtain q variety of views of him. and wealth.
of anecdote and Renaissance peculiarly interest,"
ing. Dr. Japp is sympathetic, yet not an en-
travagant, biOgrapher, and he can recognize ne
fectS as well as virtues in his subject. Ohe Oh
the most suggestive papers here given Is the re-
port of Surgeon-Alajor W. c. Is. Eatwell on the
medical aspects of De Quincey's case. This IS
particularly valuable for the reason that IN In
dia DR.. Eatwell brought in contact with the
very peculiar gastric disease from which DE
Quincy suffered; disease which it seems the
Hindoos of Lower Bengal are peculiarly liable 10
On account of their vegetable diet Dr. Eatwel
was moreover familiar with the use of opium as
a remedy for this complaint, and he contends thae
the remarkable physical experiences recounted in
the Confessions OF an English Opium Eater"
have been wrongly attributed by De Quincy 10
the effects of the drug and should be ascribed
to the operation of normally vivid imagination
working at such high pressure as TO trench upon
the bounds of sanity.
In the new edition DR.. Japp has freely awaited
himself of all that has been discovered since his
book was first published. and has added some
hitherto unknown and in several instances III
tereSting letters. The popularity of this biography
no doubt depends TO some extent upon the space
given to stories concerning De Quinceys &c
centricities. The best of them have long been
common property. and most of them refer 10 tHat
entire want of what is called business sense. which
was De Qunceys main popularity. Order and
method were not in him. in fact, and he had
no realization of the value of money, witness his
attempt to borrow few shillings on one Occa-
sion, and his offer of ifty-pound note which
he had in his pocket, security for the loan
lie had habit of putting bank notes in books
to smooth out their wrinkles, and often he would
forget them Copper money and silver he would
clean before using it. and he used 10
put by little parcels of change for this purpose, and
then forget all about them. that after his DEATH
when search made by his family, the aggre-
gate of the finds was considerable amount. The
embarrassment 10 which De Quincy subjected him
self by submission to his practice of = showing
himself up" as he called it-that is, by so sur
rounding himself with papers and books that it
was impossible move in his rooul-was curious.
When this crisis reached his only remedy was
TO lock up the room and betake himself elsewhere;
and he had 10 less than five such dens under rent
at the same time. Whatever may be said Of his
scholarship and the permanent Importance OF his
work. it is certain that it possesses charm which
has hitherto given no signs Of decadence. On the
contrary, DE Quincy is undoubtedly more read to-
day than at any former time, and Professor Names
new and admirable edition of his works, together
with the revived and enlarged Life here noticed,
must give a fresh stimulus 10 tine study OF
writer who combines the attraction of delightful
style with the fascination OF unique personality