New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-18
tribunal to which he made his Anal appeal was

''o""d' " WHICH ne mace MS hnal appeal was
his own conscience. He was not Indifferent to
the opinion Of others. but he never put 1t first.
and. though the reaction came more slowly than
he hoped. he WAS content to walt He died be-
fore 1t had become complete, or perhaps even
general But neither he nor have had before
us the most authentic testimony on this point
The elder generation lad delivered it's verdict
and, as the way OF elders is was disposed to
abide by II. But what OF the Younger? What OF
those fresh minds which apply themselves to
this problem? They escape the prejudces which
beset the contemporaries of Carlyle They will
judge for themselves and not according to our
lights. They are only beginning to be heard, or
heard OF, In the world of letters. We hardly
know who they are. But no generation has a
monopoly OF wisdom. nor is there any reason to
doubt that the next, though it may not bring
forth giants will have its full share of critical
intelligence. and will presently express itself on
this subject?
Mr. Froude's own comments on the care and
accuracy with which he wrote history have been
reproduced in London Society" from a lecture
delivered in America 50 long ago as 1872. They
at least as interesting and timely now as
then. He said:
My History Of England has been composed
from perhaps 100000 documents. nine-tenths OF
different languages. ] have been unable to trust
printed copies. for the MSS. often tell stories
which the printed versions have concealed.
have been unable to trust copyists. I have read
everything myself l have made my own ex-
tracts from papers which l might never a
second time have had to condense pages into
single sentences. to translate, to anayze and
have had afterwards to depend entirely on my
own transcripts. Under such conditions it is
impossible for me to answer that no reference
has been misplaced, and inverted comma
/
best to be exact and no writer can undertake
more.
There is in that passage something equally
pathetic and manly. Whoever knew Froude
knew that it was never in his nature to shirk
trouble, and that for truth he. like Carlyle. had
passion Those the two conditions essential
to accurate historical writing His immense
labor not without cost TO himself and es-
pecially to his eyes. They served him we'll to
almost the last but at the last they gave way
in part. One OF the last times met him in the
country he was evidently suffering: the eyes
were inflamed and red. I asked him about them.
Yes" he answered. they give me some trouble,
and my oculist has forbidden me to use them
till he has operated on them" It appeared that
the operation was to consist In scooping out the
inside OF the ids with other agreeable processes.
| asked when this was to be done. "Oh 1t was
To have been performed some time ago. but |
put 1t off, And 1t presently came out that he
had a piece Of work In hand which he was anx-
ious to finish. Tho operation would have inter
rupted this. and SO he toed on at his sclf-im-
posed task enduring the pain and taking the
chance. bravely but not wisely. Of a permanent
injury to his sight. rather than dsappoint his
oxford public. Such were the circumstances in
which part Of his Erasmus" was composed.
make his pedant-crtics present Of this anec-
doto G. W. ).