New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-13
LONDON NOTES.
THE CENTURY DICTIONARY AND WEBSTER.
ESE-CHICAGO vlEWS-MR. QUILLER-
COUCH AND Mr.. HOWELLS-A
CLUMSY FRIEND.
London, Aug. 5,

London, Aug D.
/ have read with interest in one Of the weekly
journals long panegyric on the Century Diction-
airy. If I may without rousing any more war
whoops in the Western press OF elsewhere,
should like to point out that this reviewer, evil
IDENTIFY competent scholar, praises DR.. Whit
ney's dictionary for everything but its spelling
On that he is discreetly silent lie tolerates the
Websterese for the sake Of what there is good in
the book; n very audable frame Of mind. Still
more laudable is it in him--for assume him to
be an Englishman-to express his pleasure In see
ing that the partisan and insular tone adopted
by a portion of the English press on the first
appearance Of this work has ceased, and that Q
fair and therefore a favorable estimate OF its sue
cessive volumes has for some time prevailed"
The literary history Of its words the Century
does not pretend to give, save partially in certain
cases. says this reviewer. How could il, or how
could it in those cases when the literary history Of
tso words is falsihed by the spelling of them The
u" in favour" colour" and other words Of
the kind, indicates that they came to us through
the Normans. If you suppress the "u," what Is
the use of talking about the literary or philOogi-
cal history of the word? And if you spell
theatre "theater," how do you derive from that
anomalous ending the adjective theatrical? Is
the Webster or Whitney of the future TO give US
meant to be the preface to a photographed dis
ouisition-at least, not on my part All the points
at issue were threshed out on the appearance
of the revised Webster which Goodrich edited.
The argument against Webstercse was conclusive;
it. was not answered nor auswerabe it has never
since been disturbed 10 renew 1t Is but TO adj
vertise those whom it overthrow. If you like
to allow them or their successors 10 advertise
themselves in your columns without charge, and
to make disingenuous quotations from English
papers and English philologists do duty as eulo-
gies upon the current edition Of Webster that Is
your affair. and / have not word to say. All
| wish is to point out how large the world is.
and how much room there is for everybody, and
how much charity goes to the making Of public
opinions.
All we ask Of any new dictiopary" says my
reviewer is that it shall show honest and care
full work, and be an advance on the best OF the
books of its own kind" IL is modest standard,
and no doubt the Century comes up 10 II. The
demand Of the moment is for scientific informal
ton; DR.. Whitney gives literature and some
other things the go-by in favor Of innumeaole
scientific terms, and elaborate scientific eXplana-
tons and illustrations mostly out Of place in a
Dictionary and excellent in scientific Cyc0'
paedia But see how easy is the escape from this
criticism. He has only 10 call his Dictionary
an Encyclopaedia Lexicon" and the thing %
done the criticism is demolished, and Nth 1t. |
suppose, the critic. Let him call 1t what ne
likes we Americans abroad cannot be prevented
from taking pleasure in any praise Justly earned
| by any American work.
am told that beyo.d the Atlantic coast,
thousand miles beyond in place called Chicago,
| it is thought proof of Anglomania 10 value The
Of .Io Itch
can. The American opinion should suffice: the
opinion Of Chicago should suffice the rest Is
vanity and veXation to the patriotic souls Of tie
jewellers by the shores o! Lake Michigan. co
not DISPUTE it, II is view for which much may 70
said. and it explains cearly why Chicago wanted
| the Worlds international Columbian Exposition
| in celebration-only u year behind time-oi the
Discovery OF America It explains why the Com
miSSOners of that Exposition came TO Englaha
and ether European countries for support ana
encouragement, and for such poor attractions ana
interests as may be lent by the deeayng Industries
and arts of the Old World. 1t explains why they
| call it an Exposition, which Is french wofI,
and not an Exhibition, which is LngllSn ana
American.
| For nv part. thinka Chicago Exhibition would
draw Universe to see 1t If 1t were exclusively
an exhibit Of the products Of Chicago of the books
|
there of the innumerable works of fine
art. statues porcelain bronzes. emDrolderes' TAP
estres and the rest which greatly pour forth
from the studios and art-workshops of Chicago and
| fill the markets of Europe. That would be an
Exhibition indeed a patriotic Exhibition; an
Exhibition on which none could fasten that stigma
SD abhorrent TO the soul of Chicago that baseness
which takes account of what has been SAID anu
done elsewhere in the world; that abject splrls
which would welcome all useful knowledge and all
good influences upon life and character, come
they from what foreign cliAIe they may. But al
| this must be put aside if indeed 1t he true uia'
the able editors and other most remarkaDe men
of this remarkable city do indeed hope to hear tne
Golden of the future describe Chicago as the
capital of China, and Lake Michigan as Inc
Chinese Wall of the Western Hemisphere
| Nav one ask Mr. Howells whether he ever heard
| of Mr. A. T. Quiller-Couch? The name is slngiiH
enough not to he forgotten if once heard, ana INV
| owner of it is modest enough TO say that ne can
| not suppose the signature VIII mean anythihs
Mr. Howells his excuse for giving it Is that Mn
| Iowells dislikes anonymous criticism HN'
nraiseworthy humility does not prevent ME-
IOuiIler-C ouch from expressing with some Viso,
\ number of opinions which Mr.. llOwels VIII
certainly dislike much as he dslikeS anonymo
criticism Mr.. Couch, who plainly means 10 '"
lcivil, complains OF Mr.. HOwels's rude and lh'e~
perate language in his book on "Cntlclsm az.
Fiction" "a book which bids fair TO give rise l" ''
least as much discussion in England as any wv
Of those popular novels by the same author, pup
| lished-and printed-in England Mr.. Couch
thinks his cOuntrymen, whether critics or 10"
| hardly treated when called poor islanders, uO-
ting and grovelling in ignorance and the cri'i0'
| themselves hardly treated when likened TO ca'ei'
nillars. and Thacleray hardly treated when toSs
| he had moor little-artisic sensbity because ~
employed at times method which differs not ~
| kind from that analysis which Mr.. HoweD
uses with such persistence.
| Like Mr.. Andrew Lang, Mr.. QuillerCOuch seems