New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-12
WRITER'S AND BOOKS.

SHIP AT OXFORD-MR. f. HARRl-
sON-MR. GARDINER-MR LECKY
Mr. STANLEY wEYMANs
NovEI-'LARGE PAPER"
London. October 90.
The ninth and concluding volume Of Mr.. Hulk
Iey's Collected Essays is to be followed by
tenth This tenth not. believe. resolved
upon when the publishers announced the ninth
az the last Readers of Mr.. Huxey's contro-
versial papers will have missed in the collected
edition. among other good things, those in which
he dealt with OF the pretensions OF the
"crotesque old French pedant as Matthew
Arnold ca He'd him. NJ. Auguste Comtc. Mr. Fred
eric Harrison of the chief British cham
pions Of Comte came In for his fuil snare Oh
castigation: and must. suppose. be content 10
see himself inundated anew. and afford. as IL
were. a permanent contribution to the hllarliy
Of nations For Mr. Huxley has sense OF
humor and Mr. Harrison has not or, If he have
keeps it carefully out Of sight in these discus
sions This may be one reason why the public
has ever shown itself disposed to side with the
man Of science agains the Postivist. Another
may be that Comte is a Frenchman. and no
Cnglishman will take his gospel from the Gan
~ ne can helm IT, The Religion Of Humanity
will have to make its way without many Eng
lsh disciples or many American either. fancy
The intention to publish tenth volume eX-
plains the absence of an index Tor the hlh'h
There will be an index and upon the value ana
completeness of this collected edition there need
then be no serious criticism. The American
nublshers of IL are Messrs Appleton, of New
York
As advanced politics minge with everything
IN these too advanced days. II is pot surprising
10 see the party OF Progress putting in its clam
to the Regus Professorship of History IN oN-
ford University in succession to MT. froune'
Mr. Frederic Harrison is the progressive canal
dale He is not well known as historian put
he has been Progressive Alderman In the Lon
don County Courc and that seems TO ne ac-
cepted as a sufficient proof of his capacity 10
lecture the ingenious youth of the University on
history Why not? The only history the Al
vanccd Radical cares for is that which he makes
Mr. Harrison is beyond dispute. a very Guilt
waited and accomplished man Of letters and has
written a short life Of Cromwell and other his
torical pieces Unhappy. Mr.. Harrsons judg-
ment is less conspicuous than his abilities ana
literature The fact moreover. that he is dis
cinle of Conte must weigh against his real quail
.fcatons and claims to University Professor
ship There would be an cutlery against nm on
that ground if other. 1t is supposed 70 he
a setof against this ttat he has the friendship
Of Lord Rosebery with whom the appointment
rests Too much stress may be laid on that. To
allow private friendship to govern his action in
a public appointment would be to perpetrate
what is here called job. and Lord Rosehery
Is not the man to Job an Office or to the Uni
versity as a means Of giving effect To his per-
sonal predictions. Even the fact that Mr.. Iiar-
rson was his "honored colleague" in the County
Council would not seem to the Prime Minister
for him
of History at oxford. Mr. John Burns also was
his honored colleague but it is not yet announced
that Mr.. John Burns is candidate for this post.
Mr.. Samuel Rawson Gardiner is supposed to
have the best chance of succeeding Froude. or
Mr. Gardeners learning there is no question.
He has much of that accurate fulness Of histori-
cal knowledge which 1t was the fashion with the
Freeman clique to deny Froude. He has made
himself master of period including the most
complex and interesting period of the seven
teenth century. His Histories text books
this period. When that is said. almost all is
said Mr. Gardiner is not good writer, at any
rate not a great writer. has he the power Of
inspiring interest and enthusiasm in his subject.
which is, or ought to be. one Of the chief char
acterstics in a historian who has to deliver
h lectures In a university. This Froude had and
" made him. helped make him, one of the best
Of the eminent men who have held the Profess
sorship of History at oxford. There. at other
universities where learning of every kind is
not equally compulsory upon the students. the
personality Of the professor counts for much. II
depends on him individually whether his courses
are followed or neglected. whether the theatre
is crowded or left to empty benches; whether.
in a word the study of history. independently
of what is required for the examinations, be-
comes vital part Of the intellectual training of
the university. 1t is not much a question
whether the professor knows everything. as
whether he persuade the students to learn
something Mr.. Gardeners persuasive powers
are much inferior to his learning. He had not
even the gifts OF Freeman who though devoid
of fascination and of personal charm. had au-
thority and was able to use compulsion. as II
were upon the minds Of those with whom he
came in contact. He made the study Of his
tory sort of military discipline. and imported
into the University the manners of the barrack-
ward and the drillhal. The most enlightened
heads Of colleges did not, / think. altogether
like seeing their young men dragOoned into at
tendance upon lectures into a knowledge Of
history.
Mr. Lecky has been m ,7tored; but Mr.. Lecky
IS understood to have refused an earlier Offer or
suggestion of this Regius Professorshp, and to
be now no more disposed to accept it than he
was some years since He is, moreover, rather
well known to the advanced Radical as Union
ist He quits his study and his books every now
and then to do battle against what is called
Home Rule. ! do not suggest that such a con-
eideration would weigh with the Prime Minister
The politics Of the present have nothing to do
with the politics of the past. But the same i'm
petuous gentlemen OF the Progressive school who
push Mr.. Frederic Harrison because he is
Radical might aturally oppose Mr.. Lecky be-
cause ne Is not. What Mr. Gardiner Is II any
thing do not know. and hope it does not mat
ter What is wanted in professor OF history is
rolicician hut a hstOr who teach