New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-22
LOWELL MEMORIALS.
HIS OWN LETTERs-MR. HENRY
JAMES'S ESSAY.
London, December 4.

Cor n memorial to him In, or near Westminster
Abbey undoubtedly meant 1t to be an honor
able tribute to his fame. SO good were their In.
tcntions that any criticism upon them has an air
of discourtesy. The critic however, may have
good intentions like the authors OF this memo
rial and good resolutions also, and yet, like
them. come to grief. SO far as / am concerned
my resolutions were most vlrtuous. / was not
In London at the date OF the ceremony, and for
that and other good reasons meant to be silent
about the whole matter But other considera.
tons have prevailed.
When this project was first started thought
and believe I said-that ii looked too much
like an effort to improve the precincts Of the ABB
bey by substituting painted for plain glass In
certain windows the way to the Chapter
House. Defl Bradley has now taken some
pains to convince the public that this corridor
has special fitness" as the site Of a memorial
TO Nj Lowell The accuracy Of his estimate Is
rather impaired by his subsequent remark about
the Chapter House itself II is the Dean OF
Westminsters opinion that. There is no spot
I'm the kingdom IN the world which can COM
mare In historic interest and significance with
this" Not Rome, not Athens. not Jerusalem.
1t Is natural that a Dean of Westminster should
exalt the historic value Of the Abbey but even
thought the Baptistery a good enough place for
n bust Of Matthew Arnold. On the whole, Mr..
Lowell IS a little better treated than Mr.. Ar
mold The nave and asles OF the Abbey con-
Time meantime to be crowded with huge and
bideous monuments 10 nobodes 1t Is thought
sacricglous 10 suggest such thing. but have
LITTLE doubt that the day will come when some
OF these superfuous and impertnent horrors will
no weeded out The Abbey must otherwise
coose to be a Valhaa for the moderns, FOR
whom there Is no longer room and It's interest
will become so far as monuments are con-
cerned, retrospective.
Perhaps It may be said that the circumstances
Of the occasion are n better memorial IMAM the
cold efforts Of unsuccessful art in an unsuitable
place The company who came to TESTIFY ~
their presence TO their affection for this Amer
lean was a distinguished ono. and as various
as II was distinguished:-a good test. this last
The Lord Chancellor, the Duke or Argyll the
sneaker Lord Rosebery. the Lord Chief Justice.
Mr.. Chamberlain the diplomatic BODY Judge
Hughes Professor Huxley Sir Henry james.
Mr.. Besant, Nr. George Meredith. Mrs HUM
phry Ward and finally the American Ampassa-
dor-what have these in common, except char-
acter and eminence and the tie which connects
then all with Lowell? Their presence does. in
bust. The ceremony in which they took part
has personal value. Their coming was
rarsona tribute. The record OF such assembly
ought TO be preserved In some permanent FORM
Yet It would include. after adding the many
whom have omitted. but small part or Low
ellis English friends
Mr. Bafour's Illness and inability 70 deliver the
address were a misfortune. lie would have said
something about Lowell which everybody would
have been glad 10 hear. He has that many
sidedness Of mind which Mr. Lowell himself
admired; touching life on many different
Sides distinguished he is in the most various
ways Mr. Leslie Stephen. his substitute. touches
e i'm hardly more than one. Mr. stephen is an
eminent man Of letters. That sums him up
unless II should be added that he was an emil
nent member Of the Alpine Club: l think It's
president. lie Of Mr.. Lowelrs most
intimate friends. They perhaps began BY liking
the same books and topics and ended by liking.
and more than liking. each other. Mr. Stephen.
however had already pronounced his eulogy on
his dead friend. The volume Of Letters. edited
by Professor Norton. contains it. and each reader
may form his Judgment its merits;
whether as a eulogy, an estimate or a tribute.
What he had now to do said Mr.. Leslie Stephen
In the Chapter House Of Westminster Abbey was
to give some answer 10 the question why they
had met to do honor 10 LOwelrs memory. Is
that In truth. a question which n this day re-
quires an answer? And If it be. Is it an answer
to say that of the long line OF illustrious men
who have passed the porch of English literature
Mr.. Lowell was "congenial disciple? Is he
only disciple, congenial or otherwise? II he be
not himself master, what has he TO do with
the Abbey and why do eminent Englishmen
semble in his honor? Mr.. stephen nearer
to the mark when he spoke of his friend ono
who had in him the spirit Of the great masters
in English literature lie said most truly that
Lowell used TO speak of the great writers Of the
past as OF men with whom he held daily con.
verse. lie did justice 10 him student and
a perfectly equipped critic; as n reader-Lowell
speaks OF himself of the last OF the good
readers-as a humorst in the true sense; as one
who was the master Of his own fancies; as the
patriot American who stirred the soul and reused
the conscience of his countrymen at one or two
OF the most critical moments in their history.
There Is much else that is excellent in Mr.. Ste
phcns address. What is lacking is what Is al.
ways lacking in him. inspiration. the magma
tive views, the fire which fuses all the parts into
one whole. The details good. often admirable
The portrait remains unhappily an accumulation
of details.
1t fell TO Mr.. Bayard, as American AmDassauors
to accept, as II were, in behalf Of his country.
the memorial to his countryman. His short
speech was conceived in that spirit OF dignity
which is characteristic of Mr.. Bayard. He con-
densed into few minutes the material OF a long
address. filled with illusions. Imagery, literature
and regard for Lowell. lie did. as his successor.
Justice 10 Lowers diplomatic services and to his
Americanism In England which in these later days
"a bettcr understood than IL sometimes while
he was Minister. Mr.. Chamberlain's still brieier
response was remarkable for his clear statement
of the English claim to a common interest, Q
common pride, and almost a common ownership
in illustrous Americans SO ended this cere-
mony An American who was present writes:
Mr. Leslie Stephen spoke at great length and
Al lila dnlirnrv was had that Was a mistake. es.