New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-24
JOHN ADDINGTON SYMONDS.
NOTES on HIS LIFE AND WORK

JOHN ADDINGTON sYMoNDs; a DograpAy
Compiled from his Papers and Correspondence
by Horato F. Brown WIKI Portraits ana
PIP xxi. 400; viii 800 Charles Scribher's Sons.
The reader of The Renaissance IN Italy" Of
the Essays Speculative and Suggestive" or II
any other of the numerous works produced by
the late John Addington Symonds could hardly
have expected the personal reveal ions made by
Mr.. Browns careful compilation. Tho portr ait
he presents is in agreement with the work a. his
subject. I'm so far as the literary ideas Of
Symonds are concerned, his culture. his indi-
viduaity author: but SymcndF. the writer
we know healthy force whereas We now dis
cover Symonds tho man to have been iii to ne
point OF morbid disease. He himself thought he
had inherited the germs Of physical ircorttude
from his mother Whether this was true or not
his early years were marked by soni-nvalid-
ism which his education at Harrow and later at
Oxford only intensified and rendered more IN
settling. He lost his mother when on,ld. His
father. a distinguished physician Of Bristol. Was
a deeply affectOnate man. but one Of a reticont
nature. and a characteristic anccdotc Is told Of
his declining to kiss his son on the lat:er's
twelfth birthday a grasp Of the hand at that
stage OF the boys l!fe being. in the fathers
opinion, more manly and more fitting saluta-
ton. Symonds loved his father. and utters no
word OF discomfort with the latter's attitude
toward his career during those formative years
which meant most in the establishment Of his
intellect and constitution. In fact DR.. Symonds
appears to have been in the last degree resolved
on the working out OF his sons destiny along
Ines congena to the ono most concerned But
1t is impossible to read the opening chapters OF
this biography without anazement at The work
precoclous child. and his prccoclty was cncour-
aged. We read OF visit to the seashoro upon
which weeds were gathered and classified with
far more familiarity with Latin Technology
than could have been natural and wholesome In
a lad of Symonds's years and physical backward
ness Beginning life with unquenchablc curl
osity lively intelligence ana an amabil,ty that
made him docils in the hands Of his relatives and
tutors, Symonds was stimulated to- intellectual
efforts that exhausted him before his tine, and
confirmed him in habits Of psychological anal
yss and interpretive dreaming whose effects
undoubtedly pernicious. All his life ,ong he
seems to have borne the weight OF en- emotional
and intellectual aftercap to tho febrile excite
ment OF his youth and early manhood; and in
spite OF the v.vacity which comes out in his let
tiers and journals here presented In fragmentary
form the impression left by his biography is one
OF strain. Of morbid spiritual tension. Of hair
splitting determination. OF hardly bought sue
cess.
The success of Symonds can be traced In these
volumes to even more exacting !abors than his
works Of history and criticism might suggest
to the casual reader When he went up to Ok
ford he vas accused in friendly way Of the
fatal facility which was charged against him
In more recent times by less kindly censors: and
Jowett. who was the presiding genius Of his un-
dergraduate struggles was not chary of tart re-
marks on the ambitious students faults OF taste
ard rhetoric as an essayist. But Jowett him
self perceived that Svmonds had camels back.
and though he cautioned him not to break it. he
added pretty steadily to tire load. Symonds
toied incessantly. lie gave free play 10 his d.