New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-28


,ives of a practice that lasted long IN the heiu
Of letters To the medieval mind the heaping
up OF extracts and citations from authors Oh 'he
past had the same efficacy that Is now granted
TO records OF observation in nature. That Is
why Burton can end his essay on gentility nan
humorously, half seriously. with the ma'he-
NAUTICAL O. +. D.. though his argument pracu-
cally does not advance a peg after the hrst
statement of the case. II Is just delightlui
piece of work from the hand OF a man OF genius
who had also the dizziness Of minute schoiarsmp.
What Burton wished to do that Tiraqueau diu'
namely. to write in Latin. Hence 'housh
he admirable example OF the class OF
lettered men to which Burton belonged ne mas
been wholly forgotten; while the melancholy
Englishman stands forth though the sole
specimen of his kind. Tiraqueau's own near
friend Rabelais, could have given him mint as
TO the requirements of immortality. HAD Bur-
ton written in Latin. can judge from spec
linen which he has given in the famous diatribe
the shortcomings of the clergy that ne
would have done we'll But had the publishers
yielded to his entreaties. the subsequent transa-
ton Of his book. II done by another hand than
his own. would probably lack every popularity
Of THE Anatomy" There would be no Latin
scraps dotting the page All would have been
have looked these fine volumes Of Mr.. Shilleto's
new edition without the frequent Latin phrases.
On the other hand, turns of expression in Bur
toms English often lead one TO imagine that
he had written parts. at least. Of his book in
Latin. and aftcrward transferred them I'M
willingly to the vernacuar. The effect Of the
whole is not changed by the fresh face Of the
new edition. Burton is still ancient. 1t takes
reflection to set him right with his times He
is so near such men as Tiraqueau-who sat In
the very shadow of the Middle Ages-in style. in
the substance Of his thought, in his science. such
as it was that one feels a start OF surprise 10
see him quote Spenscr any one Of the en-
blem writers after Alcat Yet many Of the
fragments that look learned on his page had
only just come from the pens of authors still
alive. like LORD Bacon. or others like the
Scottish buchanan. whose renOwn was not yet
diminished by death \ resonant line from
Buchanan from his great rival. Johnson
echoes afar as II 1t were truly antique
But To Burton's contemporaries such line had
A wholly modern effect. II would under
stand Burton as his first readers understood
him. must realize To the full his relation
to the literature Of his own day. Those were
current topics Of the day which he took up
whether or not hell was at the centre Of the
cdrln, WNctncr or not the Cppcfuicdn system
was correct what to he said about dscov-
cries In the New World, and so on. The alb
stracts and extracts which the author made
from the books that came under his hand were
the very news of the day The freshest sur
prise of all was that these novelties could be
drawn into volume with SO much minute
ancient learning. and with SO much racy humor
and quaint observation peculiar To the author
The main element In this combination. that IT,
the novelty. is apt to escape the modern reader
One can realize how things were II he will pay
attention to Burton discourslng Of the delights
OF scholarship. II is not the past he dwells
on there but what vas present 20 the world OF
his time. lie dotes on maps and now dis
coveries as frantically as any rsodern 81 rs all
II is the pleasure Of investigation winch he
considers most. not the mere idling of a literary
and learned leisure. /, is from this aspect of
his work that It's practical success with reading
people OF the time can be understood The
work was massive TO 60 through six cdi-
lions in the authors lifetime: hut then IL was
n library Of information presented In the most
indirect and attractive manner
Mr.. Sheto has performed a vas, labor and
YET careless reader might easily overlook the re-
suits. with rare exceptions every quotation from
classical author Is now accompanied by a correct
any change In the solid appearance Of the foot
notes familiar IN all editions Of Burton Many
OF the medieval and modern authors have also
been traced up and corrections made in the
references t. their works Almost az "A matter
OF course II was found that Burton had been very
careless In these matters He had A fashion too.
or quoting from memory works familiar 10 him
Sometimes the changes he made in passages
which he appropriated look II they were in
territorial rather than accidental He may have
INTENDED 10 convey the impression that he de-
pended on his memory more than he dill His
practice reminds one Of the irregularities observed
In the learning Of two men OF more recent times
Sir Walter Scott and Mr. Bagehot But eccen-
tricity In "A matter Of borrowed phrases was
certainly to be expected in the man whose death
WAS supposed 10 be the careful fulnlment ~ an
astrological forecast. Mr.. Bullen in the intro
ducion to these volumes dwells on the really olo-
quent and forcible argument which Burton made
In behalf Of suicide az connected with the rumor
about his death But II can never be known
whether the story Of hanging was true BLACK
melancholy may at last have claimed the victim,
who had long made fond and eager play Of his
own miseres BE that as II may. his ecccntrcity
IN the matter OF quotations was unlimited. What
suggested "Carminibus coeo possunt deduccre
lunam' as reading from Vlrgils eighth &C.
logue Is difficult to imagine and the new edition
Is marred by the misprint "carminbus" Another
annoying error Is "Pcsagus' for Pegasus on page
3lS Of the first volume. There are a few other
slips OF this kind. but really few, and these
can be mentally corrected with the exception Of a
foonote. Vol III, D. 80. from which some essen
t!al letters have disappeared. With all the work
done by the editor. much remains 10 be done
for medieval and modern quotations which no
was unable TO trace. That Is 1t remains TO be
DONE II worth doing. But in the case of author,
whose only renown Is that which Burton gives
them. 1t seems needless to spend a lifetime fix
ing references. Mr. Shille,o had the misfortune
to fall Ill before his work was completed and
the introduction was written by Mr. A. IT,
Bullen. While evidently the work of a lover Of
Burton, the essay has the air OF a perflnctory
performance One cannot but regret that the
hand which labored under such wise restrain,
on the text and In the notes was unable to take
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