New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-08
"LOVE AND MADNESS"
TRAGEDY IN THE REAL LIFE OF THE
EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.

THE LOVE LETTERS OF MIR. IT, AND MISS r.
.15-l77s, Edited by Gilbert Burgess. PIP. xvii.
24o Chicago, Stone d kimball
The occasion for controversy over this book Is
endless There IT, of course question Of the fact
that James Hackman and Martha Reay were real
persons; that Hickman murdered the woman in
III of Jealousy, that he tried TO XIII himself and
that he finally hanged for his crime. But the
gcnuineness OF the love letters given In this volume
has always been II matter OF controversy from the
time when they were first published. Doubt was
stimulated. perhaps. by number OF literary mys-
terics which were then matter OF recent memory.
Junius had thrust his invisible personality upon
inqusltive world only about ten years before the
publication Of these letters The wonderful forger-
les Of Chatterton still aroused the greatest interest
and there were those who retained n stubborn belief
that his poems really the work OF medieval
monk. The question whether Macpherson was the
the translator OF Ossan was fresh In the
mind Of literary people. 1t was natural that
series OF such problems these In contemporary
literature should have made some people more
less suspicious.
Moreover. tho conditions under which the letters
were published were such to awaken sceptcism.
Hackman had one friend who stood by him TO the
last his brother-in-law, Frederick Booth, who
also an acquaintance Of Boswells. and was in
Guided in the "reminiscences OF that goodnatured
busybody To Booth Hackman bequeathed all his
PAPERS including his correspondence with Miss
Rcay Whether the former would have done any
thing with the material OF his own motion is doubt
full But he forced 10 act by an enterprlsing
publisher who took advantage OF the public interest
in the murder OF Miss Reay to issue what he called
the case and Memoirs OF the murderer. Booth
Is said then to nave put the letters In the hands
OF this publisher 1t s of course. necessary to be-
lieye that Hackman, throughout the period OF his
claDdestine intimacy with Miss Reay. kept copies
OF the letters which he wrote in addition to the
originals OF those which he received. IL Is at this
crltf on of
peculiarities Of the chosen to edit the letters
This was Sir Herbert Croft Bart. who wrote the
article on Young for Johnson's Lives OF the Poets"
He was first student at law but later entered the
church. and 80 could sympathze with Hackmans
conduct In leaving the army to be with his lady
love. and then becoming Clergyman In the hope
of marrying her Croft Is said to have been care
less in his finances, and this led him TO overreach
the sister OF Chaterton. who placed certain papers
In his hands only TO see them published by him.
In order to have the benefit OF these he worked
them over In the form Of letter from Hackman.
Mr. Burgess puts this long pretended letter In
appendix having nothing In common with the
other letters attributed to Hickman But there Is
reason TO think that the discrimination which
thruss II to one side be fatal also to the au-
thenucty OF parts at least. OF the rest
crofs enrontery to have been almost
equal TO that Of another clergyman somewhat ear
ner In point Of time. tho Rev. Laurence sterne. lie
not only published the Chattcrton manuscripts
which had come into his possession for his own
profit. but he cooy embodied I'm his little blog-
raphy OF the poet attributed to Hickman. n severe
censure OF the conduct OF Chatterons nrst patrons
whom he charges with pockeiing all the proceeds
OF the poems with the exception OF five guneas
Croft's own plracy made notorious by Southey
ana II came out In the course Of the controversy
that the clerical baronot had paid Chaiterton's sis
ter no as her share IN book which went
through seven editions and must have been
profitable to Its author. The fact that this trnlng
sum was paid proves however. Tint Iiackman did
not write the chatterton letter. II the material
had been his croft would never have released his
grasp the no.
This brings up the real point IN the criticism OF
the whole body Of IIackman's letters as they were
first published under the title Of Love and Mad.