New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-16

Freeman either from certain pecuitariues Oi MS
works or from knowledge Of his harsh ana
abrupt manners. must rise from the perusa' VI
these volumes with feeling Of respect ior hi"'
Many of his roughnesses and the thorny smell
on which casual nterpelants wounded 'ne"-
selves are seen in his letters to nave peeh as
sumed unconsciously. Thy were the result OF
q militant state Of feeling in which a shy man
rese,,ad everv unexpected intrusion. He con-
fessed as much when penetrating observer 'he
editor Of these volumes made a shrewd guess
IS to his pecuNarities. But his confession was
not without touch of humor Nobody believed
hin, no said when ne talked of his shyness,
and everybody laughed when he spoke OF ms
d,Hdence Freeman could hardly have looked
shy nj any time in his maturity. short heavy
figure was surmounted by large head, the chief
ornament Of which was a spreading beard OF
n color that led him TO call himself a successor
Of Frederick Barbarossa. He was fluent OF
speech upon any subject that Interested hiih'
ond no insisted on the validity Of his own op!n-
ions with n vigor which all shy men cannot at
tain His stout build. however was not char-
octeristic of his earet years. and there had
been a time when, a silent boy. he read emu
lessly and avoided the games customary Tor one
of his years. All his life he retained ms aver
sion 10 field sports but he gradually oNc'caihe
some external traits that were marked III MS
vouth. for example an irregularity in his walk.
which earned for him the name OF "Hoppy-
skinny" among his schoolmates Possibly there
was in this a premonition Of the su1erngs Oh
later years from hereditary govt. He could not
,au when ne abandoned the habit Of skipping.
NOR was ne sure that ne overcane II alto
yether He imagined that he would have lapsed
into the practice TO the very last. If his legs had
given him chance.
Along with his dislike Of rough exercise, there
was in childhood timidity when was not
lessened by the ridicule of others nor by inc
alternate pettngs and exactions to which ne
was subjected by his grandmother and ms SIS
fer with whom he lived after the death OF MS
parents The treatment which ne received at
home appears to have been such to awaken
his self-esteem and his temper in an uncon-
trollable way. Occasionally he rebelled with
vioerce when strictness followed indulgence
on such occasions he was not conquered but
was sent away to the house of a friend until
he was restored TO calmness If those VINO
were subjected in later times 10 a sharp saying
of his either by mouth or pen. could nave
known these incidents of his youth they might
have been reader to forgive outbreaks which'
unjust in themselves, were sometimes INSPIRED
by sense of what was just 1T Is sald 'hat
he was as quick to make amends for harshness
as he was to speak roughly. when convinced
that he had been in the wrong He could not
endure the thought of leaving uncorrected what
he believed to be false and his limitations made
him almost as earnest about false quantity
as about a misconcepton of historic fact
It was out of his power to resist the wish TO
denounce one who he thought assumed known
edge or was credited with a knowledge not
actually possessed. Here again his limitations
caused him to exaggerate small errors, as In
his memorable attacks on Froude. There is no
sign in these volumes that he ever repented or
his conduct toward the man who was destined
to succeed him as an oxford PROFESSOR pu'
there are some indications that he took
sinister pleasure in the controversy. FOR IN
.tance in 1878 when he had settled down,
he said. Ito a quiet life" in Palermo he wrote.
81 am doing several things. among others
shifting Froude hip and thigh for his Thomas
papers" meaning those relating to Thomas
a Beckett. And again, having got hold OF
new copy of some Spanish document which
Froude had given in a different form. he showed
his qualification at the discrepancy. 1T is
very odd he added; people seem to think that
II does not matter whether man Is accurate
or not. That comes of so many people read
ing and getting a kind of haf-knowledge and
half-interest in what they read" In Germany,
he thought only the learned would know any
thing about the matter. and they would soon
see to Froude." He coined Greek word mean
ing "felow-slayer of Froude" To describe those
who joined him in the controversy with his
rival OF one Of these, Paul Friedman. he
said: He has any number Of boxes Of docr-
ments about Philip and Mary; all Froude-smit-
ing We hope he will make a big book Of them.
Then there is one Meline. whom Goodwin Smith
recommends who has taken up the Mary Stew
art part. But none of us will be hearkened to
by the general reader-Meline least of all, as
his book is put forth by Catholic Publica-
ton Society,"" Such passages read as if there
were more in Freeman's shifting OF Froude than
the mere desire to set historic facts in proper
light The beautiful style in which Froude
could put his narratives only aggravated his
offences from Freeman's point Of view. In the
words Of Mr.. Stephens. lit was better to be In
accurate and dull. than 10 be inaccurate and
attractive" Freeman was often accused OF Ill
will toward literary or political opponents. But
he denied It, and. particularly in the allusion to
Froude took occasion to say that in truth
there was mo kind Of temper in the case. but
only a strong sense Of amusement in bowling
down one thing after another"
II was curious however. that Freeman should
have been so unrelenting in his pursuit Of others
IN view of the fact that he himself extremely
sensitive to criticism. though he took refuge-as
who does not?--in the assertion that the censure
was unjust His biographer alludes to the efforts
that have been made since his death to point out
blunders in the History of the Norman Con-
quest" and confesses that the critic has made
good a number OF points. Blu, he insists that
plumbers OF questionable statements can be found
In Gibbon. in Hallam. in Thirlwan In Arnold and
occasionally even IN Bishop Stubs" His de-
fence of Freeman does not descend to details. lie
contents himself rather with testifying from his
own observation that Freeman. alike from habit
of mind and from conscientious care, was essen
tally an exact man" 1t must be said that In the
letters presented in these volumes Freeman's
resentment docs not fall upon any for the correc-
ton OF actual errors. At least he mentions moth