The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-09-03

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n. HUI An t00lnCtlntnntc pHuoByTtu Whtth
az BUXTON has inscribed 10 the memory Of
volumes, containing collectively nearly thir-
teen hundred pages. and entitled The Lie Of
Ciaptatn Str Richard n Burton Applstonsl there
is great deal which q disinterested compiler
would have omitted. and. even Of that which
would have been retained. . part would have
been put forward in the form OF faults to be
regretted and not OF virtues to be euloEised.
Nevertheless. Il would be unEracious to sub
ject this unique work to test the author
never plated; and We must remember
that no one else had access to the
stores OF information which are 90 copi-
ously spread before US. Lady Burton
does not profess TO Judge her husband: she
sdored him and revered him; throughout
their long married life she was his helpmeet
and eomrade. and she never ceased to feel Tor
him passion magnetic in It's suddenness and
pover. as we'll a. an affection which has out
lived the grave Unauestionably she had bet
ter opportunities OF knowing Burton than any
enc cleo possessed. and there was one side OF
his character. the highest and the best side,
which few except her ever saw. That she
should speak for him. therefore, 10. perhaps,
emily an act Of justice to . man who was the
Victim OF lifelong misunderstanding and in
Justice: who. by reason OF his N any prejudices
and OF his habit OF speaking his mind.
made many enemies and but few friends.
and was known even to the latter as
"Rufnan Dick" and whose conduct. finally.
IN public ONCE was 80 combative and
truculent a. to render promotion. or even
the long retention OF an important post.
impossible. 1t 10, Notwithstanding. true
that no was o man OF great capacities
and requirements: that he was one OF tho
greatest Of Oriental scholars. being able to
.ud I'll vail Rad inward OF n
score OF languages: that by his journeys In
disguise TO Mecca and to Harar. and By
his subsequent discovery OF Lake Tan
ganyiks, no proved himself ono OF the most
courageous and best equipped OF explorers:
and that moreover. he accomplished literary
work OF high order in his translation Of
the Lusiads and in his literal version OF the
"Thousand Nights and Night" What he
did was evidently worth describing. and 1t was
equally worth proving. as Lady Burton has
essayed to prove. that considered as man
her husband was far moro worthy OF esteem.
admiration. and affection than has been gen-
orally supposed. Such. at all events. is her be-
Lief. and the fact that It was planted In her AZ
tor Q long and intimate experience must be
accepted tho strongest evidence that Tor
her Judgment there was much foundation.
We are unable to share the annoyance OK
pressed in eome quarters at the unvarytng
tone OF adulation which pervades this
volume. Richard Burton was able to
evoke It. and 30 far he was to be
enyied, for 1t is plain that his wife was
not only we'll born and beautiful. but highly
cultivated and deep-hearted woman. II. even
now In the face OF death. his widow cannot
make up her mind that her husband was
moro mortal. the fact Is surely to his credit.
for very few OF US can boast OF making 30 pro-
found and permanent an impression upon
another human being. Nor is there any doubt.
~ We have said. that we get from her illumina-
tive touches that would have been sought
In vain elsewhere. We may decline to share
her opinion that Richard Burton was the
Rrestest man who ever lived. but We
must admit that. for her to think him
10, he must have had some marks Of
greatness We can see In these pages that
he deliberately wore Q mask to most people,
and seldom disclosed his real nature to any
one except his wife. Touching this point. she
tails us that Richard was q regular gamin:
his keen sense Of humor. his ready wit were
always present, He adored shocking dense
people. and seeing their funny faces and stolid
eredulity. and never cared about what harm 1t
would do him In worldly sense. have
frequently sat ct tho dinner table with such
people. praying him by signs not to
70 on. but no was In q very ecstasy Of glee: he
=
whom you were chatting. and so curious never
20 DO believed when you were telling tho truth.
He had o sort Of schoolboy bravado about those
things that in his high spirits. lasted him all
the seventy years OF his life" In another part
of her book she says: Richard was the most
moral and refined man at homo In his domes-
tic life. He was not only the best husband that
ever lived. but the pleasantest man to live with
and the easiest" That she herself was easy
70 live with Is clear enough from another pas
sage: 81 am glad to say there was only one
will In the house. and that was his. He was
master and mistress both. but. like all great
men. he gave carte blanche for all little things
yet. II he once put his foot down. and chose to
say that black was white. white knew 1t had
( 30 DO. like that"
Richard Burton WAS born in 1921 at Barham
House. Herta He was the son Of Lieut. Col.
Joseph Burton. who had married an heiress a
Miss Baker. descended on her mothers side
from the Scotch Macgregors. Through his
fathers mother Richard Burton was descended
from Louis Lejeune. who was supposed to be
son OF Louis XIV. by the Huguenot Countess Of
Moptmorency. and who was secretly carried
on to Ireland by the Lady Primrose OF the
!. tssre On the mixture OF blood in her hus.
Il
w kXsc remarks: Richard" she says. " wal
ably. though born OF prosaIc parents. q
u OF romance. He had English. Irish
Votch. and French blood In his veins. and II
10 often been suggested Though never
: 5roved) a drop OF Oriental or gypsy blood
from some far of ancestor" 1t is certain tina
Z ono OF the names assumed by English gypsiei
A Burton. The biogra pher goes on to say tina
"his Scottish and north England and border
blood came out In all posts OF trust and re
sponsibility: In steadiness and GOODNESS iI
the hour Of danger: In uprightness and In
tegrity and In the honor Of q gentleman. o
Irish blood he showed nothing except fight
But tho two foreign strains were strong. From
Arab or gypsy he got his huency OF languages
his wild and daring spirit, his agnosticism. hi
melancholy pathos. his mysticism. his super
stition II am superstitious enough. Got
knows. but he was far moro sol. his divnation
his magician-liks foresight into events. hi
insight or power OF reading men as through
pane OF glass, his restless wandering. hi
poetry. From very strong strain Of Bourbon