New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-08
NEW LETTERS TO THE DEAD.
MIR LANG,S CONTRIBUTION TO THE CAMEO
SERIES.

Lang. With an etched portrait by : j. ferrls
and four additional letters PIP vhi' 2o5' 'ha''eS
Scrihner's Sons.
The new letters in this volume are certainly not
,hn least interesting Of the collection John KNOX,
Increase Mather. Homer and Samuel fepyS are .''e
subjects The letter to Homer Is "A defence OF UNITY
in the authorship of the Homerc poems mere i
in it the substance OF Mr. langs recent DOCK on ''e
sphiect The arguments that he deems convincing
tbere are all here without the minute details OF
criticism The letter to "Maistcr Iohn Knox is a
clever pea for the old scholastic institutions when
went down with the abuses attacked by inc scot
fish Reformer The author imag'nes how IL might
have Jared with him had ne lived in Knox DAY
lie thinks that he might have been canon OF the
Prory a peaceful wight TRANSFERRING manuscripts
or irving to learn something Of the Greek tongue
and he wonders whittier then was a peaceful
schoIar Ia turn himself?' Truly the time was not
propitous for peaceful scholars. nor FOR anybody
that lacked two stout fists and broa1sword' tut
perhaps the peaceful scholars Of that day had
served their purpose, and the world needed chahee
among them as much as I'm religion MT. Lang
rrajses Knox's bravery. his stern incorruptibiHty'
but marveIs at the mystery of his relations with
women at the "fascination which set years at
naucbt" at the charm which Knox must have hah,
though Of all qualities charm Is least conspicuous
in your hard potent fiery writings. in style SUIT
ed for a graver of steel on sheet oil northern
granite" After all, the letter is too gentle. IL
should have had some of Knoxs own fire, some
thing OF the savagery of days that witnessed the
mutual crue!ties Of reformed and unreformed IL
would be hard TO give a blow amss in that mob OF
sixteenth century fighters. Killed Cardinal and
sailed him, 1t was doubtless not undeserved. The
wonder is that Knox escaped. He might have stood
a little post-obit seasoning az well as a prince or
the old church.
The letter Perys has for its text the clever
&C. ol,ody hat accOnDIuipi
by a donkey through life Pepys's asinine side Is
revealed i'm his DIARY" 1t is the more entertain
ing phase OF his character but not the one to gain
him respect What Mr.. Lang says about the oms-
sions from the DIARY" will perhaps have to he
modified when Mr.. Wheatleys edition Is completed.
But never mind Even Mr. Wheatley has not the
courage TO publish all that Pepys wrote.
What is written under the name of Increase
Mather is really more modern than any of the
rest Taking Mather's Essays for the Recording of
a little fun with the present day spritualism. with
added. with the devil. What surprises him seems
to be that the devil. the spirits nave learned
| nothing since Mathers time. They do the same
old tricks In the same old way. Apparently the
only improvement he discover in matters super
natural and mysterious Is that I'VE are not DIS
turbed in the night season by the barking OF
Quakers" lie adds doubt about Greek In Boston.
which he would hardly venture II it were not for
the width of the Atlantic Ocean.
The volume belongs to the Cameo Series. ana 1t
is therefore needless TO say that it is delight TO
the dye.