New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-27

palace being the place Of dispatch from one
poet to the other, all over that Atlantic
The best proof that no neglect on the part OF
o,hers could affect the sincerity and delicacy OF
FitzGerald's criticism was his relations WIN
Thackeray There ~ never taste OF bitterness
I'm his letters yet he plainly showed that ne felt
the indifference with which he was treated oy
the great novelist In the years Of prosperity ana
fame To one who could not endure formal
dinner party. the social tendencies OF Thackeray
were possibly troublesome from the nrst' but
there came a cry OF something like pain when
the old intercourse even by letter practcaiiy
ceased because the more famous man had no
longer time to spare to crafty his seciuueu
friend The old faith between the two. however
remained Intact. Il am surprised, wrote ri'@-
Geraid after his friends death. TO ma now
much am thinking OF him; 80 little as had
seen Of him for the last ten years; not once Tor
the last five. had been told that he was spoiled
am glad, therefore, that have scarce seen MN
since he wa, the old Thackeray.'" And again:
TT seems as II he might be coming up my stairs,
and about to come (snging) into my room. as
in old Charlotte Street thirty years ago. When
Thackeray came to America in 1852 he left his
affairs. in case anything should happen TO him.
in FitzGerald's hands. asking him to act as 1T
earnestly he recprocated this mark OF trustful-
ness by telling his old friend about certain pro-
visions in his will, and adding: You see you can
owe me no thanks for giving what can no
longer use and II would be some satisfaction 10
me. and some dlminuUon Of the shame felt on
reading your letter. IT, after many days your
generous and constant friendship bore some sort
OF fruit II not to yourself those you are natur-
ally anxious about" Another proof OF his shy
ways was that he willingly saw others take the
credit Of work that he had done. Mr.. Wright
illustrates this trait by the following anecdote:
In the notes to his edition Of "Seldens Table
Talk" published In lS47, Mr. Singer says: part
OF the following illustrations were kindly COM
municated TO the editor by gentleman TO w h,.
his best thanks are due. and whom II would nave
afforded him great pleasure 10 be allowed TO
name" 1t might have been said with truth
that the "greate part" OF the illustrations were
contributed by the same anonymous benefactor,
who was, / have very little doubt, FitzGerald
himself | have In my possession a copy OF the
Table Talk which he gave me about 1871 or 1917.
with annotations In his own handwritlng ana
these are almost literally reproduced In the notes
to Singers edition.
1t happened that the Battlefield Of Naseby
belonged to FitzGerald's estate, and when Car
lyle writing his Cromwell" he was greatly
aided by the careful personal Investigations
which his friend made the field and beneath
its surface As Carlyle hated travel as much as
FitzGerald himself did, these researches were Of
the highest value to him. FitzGeralds comment
afterward was that the historian obstnately
went wrong after all the work that had been
done. But the whole he liked Carlyle. Crti-
cally he saw continued Improvement In Carlyles
writings into old age. OF others he rarely
spoke so enthusiastically. What he thought OF
Tennysons later work has already been shown.
He equally frank as TO Speeding. the la
borious editor Of Bacon A life wasted was Fitz-
Gerald's verdict, and he ventured to make
fun Of Speddings half whitewashed hero"
A large number Of the letters in these volumes
are new TO the types. Those which were never
before published include several to the friend Of
his youth John Allen, to Mrs Charlesworth. to
Professor Cowell, 10 w. II. Thompson Master Of
Trinity College Cambridge; to Mr.. Wright. the
editor and TO others. besides some ones
from Carlyle Mr.. Wright announces that Rich
ard Bentley & Son have come into possession Of
a large number Of letters addressed by FitzGer-
aid 10 Mrs. Kemble. He has undertaken TO see
them through the press and they will be pub
shed soon Altogether the world is likely to
have an unusually full account from his own
hand OF unique figure In the literature Of the
nineteenth century.