New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-01
NOTES FROM LONDON.
Az. LOUIS J. JENNINGS-TIIE PLAYGOERS
AND Mr. IRvlNG-MR. II. A. JONES
IN PRINT
London. Ecbrnarv l..

Mr. Louis Jennings has found Il culogl-t In
1oa,h in the person of Nj. Gladstone. whom, in
10. he wrote book 20 attack. 81 believe the
n,or " said lir Gladstone. in the IIousc of Com
o,s on SATURDAY., convicted me of every sort
:, ,nconsis,cncy-a book, have no doubt. written
ritb the talent and ingenuity which distinguished
hin but which. unfortunately. the pressure Of
a,h,, OCCUPATIONS has prevented me at any time
,,,, heing able Ia examine" Mr. Gladstonc's
omorv i one 81 the many marvellous gifts which
,l,.,iueui.h him. bat il does not always appear
:, have the same hold upon recent events as
,cor those Of an earlier period Ia his long life.
Ia va. - far able 10 examine Mr.. Jcnnings's
,ook AZ tho time Of It's Publication. or not very
-, after as 10 speak of il with great anger
al ,es,n,fulncss He had far examined it
" o. discover that il criticised his consistency
no,n, IN which hc is curiously sensitive.
',oe of the idolatcrs. who can tolerate tho per-
..,,,,or ~ no flaw in their idol remarks that this
,l, was written ~ a time when Mr.. Jennings
l,a ro. know Mr.. Gladstone Ii Is not easy 10
100 vho, that has 10 do with the matter. II
,,as \ hook based on documents. on printed
Saala,o,ions. on published reports of public
sn.ecbcs II Mr.. Jennings came aitcrwarl to
Low Mr.. Gladstone pcrsonaly-I am not sure
,.h.,ber he did or not--hc, no doubt. like others.
Col, The charm Of his personal character, and
came like others. 10 some extent under the sway
Of commanding and fascinating personality.
I'm, tla, could not alter facts or blot out the
record.
Mr. Jennings had been member Of Parliament
far Stockport since lssj. lie was useful but not
a conspicuous member. He had rot the type
Of mind which adapts itself readily 10 the IT,.
ourcincnts of the House OF Commons. lie spoke
fairy well but was not dehatcr. and he probably
had "A Wholesome contempt for the arts by which
some of his colleagues in tlnt House c0rtriv" 10
a.rrac, attention In 'hc MAN, he was Il jour
nalist and man Of letters. and the House likes
neither. lie wrote charming books on rural life
about London. The result pt iorg iamhlcs amid
some of the lovc,Ics scenery in the word-hooks
which had much success and many admirers when
published. and thon somehow passed. as il wore.
out of notice. and ont Of the general memory II"
had some kind of permanent correction. | think,
with the publishing hou>" Of Murray. and wro'"
good dcal fer Tie Quarterly Review Ii"r"
was a connection also. and long a close one. he
tween Mr. Jennings and Lord Randolph Charchlll,
whose speeches he edited with Judgment and with
a preface which was az excellent picc" of
political writing Thi. friendship came to ali end
on point of political difference din'r'nc"
which broke out ole evening in the House oil
Commons
b., MIR Jcnnngs's host literary work WIS his
editing Of Tho Croker ParcrS IA difficult and
exactiny task thoroughly we'll done. most com
ue,en. Judge III such matters once expressed the
op,nion that The Croker Papers are more
valuable contribution - the political history oil
tho time than even The Grcviie Memoirs IA
book which has AT least "a much reputation rs
1, deserves and certainly more authority than "
will permanently maintain. There are con'Iinu-
tions in Mr.. Jenningss book e. literary history
az we'll a 70 political: of great value these alS"
He had 10 meet a prejudice founded on "nmlfl"S
70 Croker entertained ~ two men :" eminent IA
Nacaulay and Heaconsfcld: neither of whom was
over scrupulous in gratifying his ha;reds IN"
book il therefore yin1cati"n. and vindlcati"h
Of the best kind. for il rests on cont'mporaheo'7
le,,crs and papcrs Mr. Jennings did his part
with much reserve and modesty. 1t Is not 10Y
that reason the less effective, nor is the credit
due 70 him the less.
Mr. Glads,onc's tribute 10 his memory was
kindly. and most characteristics Of its author
hnt was very far from being complete. II was
the Parliamentary side Of Mr.. Jenningss character
which alone seemed 70 interest In" Old farla-
mcntarv Hand. But there wcr" many others, ana
he well deserves that some one who knew nm
should write his full cpitaph. cannot, Tor !
had hut the mcrc-t acquantanc" with MI. Jeh-
ninas and mot him seldom can only say that
he seemed to AL original ana Il''i'>'i'-
Of great energy ana pa'leh''' VI
no LITTLE force. OF no littl" culture. ana e'P,"'
Of attracting n him other strong mon a. ci"s'
friends.
The Tlavgocrs' Club held dinner on SUNDAY
.voning. with Mr. Henry Irving as guest ana
a. orator Of the evening. Precisely wha' ''e
PLAY gocrs' Club is, what the objects OF us 'N-
is,ence are n might he difficult 20 ~ I'r"'P'
the members OF it. or som" OF them. KNOW WI
Irving spoke Of IL "a "a company Oh iou' """",
critics But are there four hundred critics ol INC
drama in London Others d"scrlh" " hN an ~
cmhlr Of gentlemen who call Themselves III ''r
neoloristic isrcon Of the PERIOD hfs'-hlS"''r>'
The two definitions are not lrIec"hcliap'', ""'
tsnc. r.;,bcr is complcte Mr. Irving, feeling IT,
enlarged II, saying: Inc N'rN "N
,.,o,o. q, the club is based on the conviction
.ho, Oh. drama and the Interpretation OF the
drama are rare and difficult arts, and not 'he
r,.,e distractions Of an empty hour Its com
position i. extremely catholic II includes san
,hoi, cu..t a gentleman WHO had favored them
w,.h n dissertation on the immortality OF the
.,,,o 7, includes also a Socialist Of type 80
.dvanccd AZ Mr. Edward Avclng, who tivcrsIneS
HE enor,s IN destroy society in general by efforts
IN faster this society in particular. He II was
IN fact. who proposed that toast of "Th" Drama
10 which Mr. Irving responded An ola sp"c'a
IL tbought-.hcsc four hundred gentlemen
comfortably Ginning together in the Grand Hall OF
Tho Criterion and being harangucd by this trucul"ht
darlinu Of the masses. The four hundred were
harangued also by that eminent playwright Mr.
Henry Arthur Jones, author OF Inc h'uo"
Shop and other pieces. Mr.. Jones laid down d
very sound proposition that sincerity must be the
hal y, ,bo drama fl he VIC I'D eNempiiy TINS
law in his own plays. the drama and the p"oIic
would he still more indebted TO him. bnt 'i'e
doctrine Of sincerity inclnlcs the doctrine oil
probability. which Mr. Henry Arthur Jones s'ee-
fully sacrifices for the sake Of cheer or laugh
Mr.. Irvings oratory is nerestins--in'er','l" ,
In manner and in substance: though iho''"'
manner is itself part Of the substance oil orator.