New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-24
SOME CHARMING ESSAYS.
MR. BIRRELL'S VOLUME.

every one Of which is interesting. entertaining
and suggestive. Mr. Birrell is in many respects
n model cssayist OF the lighter school, school
which has hardly anything in oJmmon with that
of the big b0w-w0ws," such as Macaulay Car
lyle. etc, but which aims at presenting opinions,
often solid and deep too In bright, easy, COLO
ouial manner, Favored with humor in judicious
pra portions and being eminently readable. II is
10 I've feared that the evolution Of this kind of
essay has been fostcrcd by the growth of indo
lcnce among readers, who have shown an lncrcas-
ing liking for secondhand thinking, and who
have required not only this relief from
intellectual labor, but also that 1t
should he seasoned and spced to tempt their
anguid appetitcs. We may possibly be drifting
toward literary atavism. The time may be com
ing when our millionarcs will revert to the old
iarnarc fashion Of keeping literary men as the
old rulers, sultans, princes, carls and heads Of
clans kept their skalds and MINISTRIES and trouveres
and story -tclcrs. At present, however, those VINO
nrc not millionaircs enjoy the benefit of such
delightful essay-wrting rs Mr.. Brrell provides,
and therefore they need not quarrel with the
situati n.
The papers here printed are Samuel Rich
ardson." Edward Gibbon,' civilian Cowpcr,
George Borrow" Cardinal Newman, Matthew
Arnold. William llazlitt. 30 The Letters Of
Charles Lamb" Authors in Court Nation
ality," The Rcformation,7 and "Saintc-Bcuvc.
We are constrained to say that we think the
paper on Richardson somewhat nnduly hndatory
Of that author. Nevertheless Mr. Brrcll does not
fail 10 recognize richardson, fanliS His dread
ful proliXity aid MT world which TOOK
lie leisurcly and was not daunied by story
in seven or eight fat volumes. ~ 70 their en-
dnrance Of those views Of life which are
,sr,.at flFn
fathers in Richardson's time appear to have
reached turning point AT which they were
peculiarly susceptible to certain soft, not to say
sloppy, emotions. The situation was most singh
lar in England The Germans were prone to
scntiucntaliiy before Pamela and Clarlssa raised
tie sluicc-gatcs Of their tears, and the French
had already hapitu1tcd themselves 10 the lachry-
nose novel But Richardson WIS tic first 10 OPP
pase to the ylrc hardihood Of Fielding a new
fiction which dealt almost wholly with the woes
II woman her virtues. trials and wrons' and, IN
theatrical phrase, he brought down the house
II i, rather odd that Mr. Birrcll does not men
ton Feelings Joseph Andrews, the virtuouS
foo,man. which was written skit on
Pamela" and caused lIomcrc laughic'. Perhaps
ic rc-cu,s tie lmlcttincuCc toward that least
tociap.c u lcrolrc>. Nor does hc take ~ the
cudcrl very vigorously for Sir Charles Grandi-
.oa whom the women used 20 swear 10y and
lie ric1 g~el 10 swear at II IS probable that
Ni~- Jane Porter had him in mind when she Drew
her Polish hero half century ago; that hero who
moved 40 attractive 70 certain class Of young
lo.ltc. ,h,i one ~ thcm, wishing 10 cypress cN-
'Iruc admiration FOR some one. exclaimed Hes
n,i a man. He's "a rhad lc Is Of Watsaw.' But
even II We grant much ~ Mr.. hnclls claims
Mr Richardson. surely It l. les than REASONABLE"
- require that he should he read now. DO they
,cad lie Grand cyrus today in France? Are
Mn Iarlauld ami Mrs Trimmer still popular
IN ENGLAND But 10 pursue Ills inquiry
would hc u-clc,s. Richardson j. not read. and Is
root - all likely ever 80 lie read again, and the
rcl o.s aye quite sufficient
TIE paper ON Gibbon is npprcciaiiyc and genial,
though wc should have easily parloncd n LITTLE
more acrimony arropo, of that Curchod episode.
20 doubt II was far more important that Gibhon
.houlI write the decline AMI Fail OF the
Roman Empire" than that he should have married
any plrtcul r woman: but the man who lc, his
father order his lie for him: who sighed as
lover aud submitted rs q son." must always APP
pear t. rs in certain personal degree contcmpti-
bic capital c.say l. that George Borrow,
and what subject for essay l. George To
true IIorrovian, a. Mr.. BIrrcll manIfcstly is
We are glad that he has not tried 10 analyze
Borrow's fascination, for such an attempt must
have failed 1t is no doubt true AZ he puts
u that the liorroyian is horn, not made He is
like the prcdestincd auditors upon whom the
Ancient Mariner fixed his glittcrng eye. He
'annot but fall under the spell. for to this.
among the rest was he orlaincd.' There Ike those
who cannot read The Bible in SPAIN" "In-
ycngro,' The Romanye Rye" and wild Wales"
and of these nothing meet bc said. just so are
those people for whom the shrl note Of the
cricket is silence. But for the Borrovian. the
charm of their favorie il perennial and invincblc.
nor do they grow out Of it, and his cccen-
iricitics and pcrycIsiics do not weaken their
allegiance.
The paper we like least in the volume is that
on Cardinal Newman. The cSsayist greatly adj
mires his subject but it is questionable whether
he fully understands Ncwman's character. Per
haps very few did do. But AT the bottom Of
all his cloqncncc. of all his rhetoric, Of all his
dialcctica skill there was certain ethical con
fusion which pcrccs everywhere, and renders his
abcs arguments not only unconyincing, but makes
them SAVIOR Of cunning artilicc. The sincerity Of
Newman may be- granted. The defect lay in his
intellectual constitution. He could not see all
r und any subject, least Of all, the subjects 10
which his mind was devoted. We may admire
his literary grace and force and the adroitnrss of
his augmentation; but we cannot admit that he
was capable Of taking broad views, or of follow
ing the truth with answering dipctncSs The
oprrrciati Of Matthew Arnold is far more pcnc
rating Just and complete We can perceive no
fonlt or oversight in it, and it is an excellent
uicce Of candid but sympathetic analysis The
talk about Charles Lambs letters will
lac found entertaining. Lamb, like Falstaf, is
not only witty himself, but the of wit in
others 1t is difficult 10 write OF him without
catching something If his own style and tone.
Here. however, the subject is entirely congcnlal.
The remaining papers have their special merits
and attractions, but enough has been said to
show that Mr.. Birrcls volume is in all respects
eoual TO those which preceded it, and that he