New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-11
NEW BOOKS AND NEW EDITIONS.

The late John Arlington Symonds had very hsh
opinion of biographical literature IN its reiauoh "
the history of the human spirit. For MIN the '''i-
mate confessions of men like Celini, Casanova anu
Carlo Gozz 10 name only three Of the men "ho''
he studied, possessed value which time only iiaue
him realize the more. What he believed ne PId0
tsed and one OF the books to which ne oeVo.eu
most time was the autobiography of Celiini Ills
translation Of tina work was first printed III eAPen-
sye form II was then reprinted In two octave Vo'-
umes These have had considerable crcua'.o"'
but there has been need OF such an EDITION as mas
atlas be On put forth by Charles Scribners Sons ms
is sent us in one wel-printed octave vo-ume iiaue
OF good paper and put together In excellent 'as'e'
with nnezzotnt portrait OF Cellin and with sixteen
reproductIons OF his works This translation by MI
Symonds IS, In its way. as classical as 'he vi ma
work which It renders into English Years ago us
English historian Of things italian, Roscoe p'ouu0eu
a version o. the autobiography 1t was c.eVer
enough as such things go. and Roscoe "ouId seem
10 have worked with some enthusiasm ana sympa-
thy. But he scholar without any 100 hi"0"
scholarship, and his knowledge of Italian WINE eN-
tenslve. was neither deep enough nor ldiomauc
enough 10 enable him 10 produce really sd'is-
factory version of Celni. The latter. moreover
requires for his adequate Interpretation not mercy
q good master of languages. but man win .iie
imaginative grasp OF Renaissance He which o!
monds certainly could claim. He felt TO the lu.i 'he
vigorous and manly charm OF Celinis uhVar"lS"eu
narrative He gives 1t to us with every men as
much OF the color and vivacty that Celiini himsel
possesses as an English rendering OF the WI"
could possib.y give And what work II Isl
Cellini was one Of those men in whom the iioSt
fastidious and the most turbulent elements OF 'he
Renaissance met and were fused. lie was an ail'9'
and a bravo an epicurean and condottlere. But
he was all Of these things without failing 10 iu,'i
exactly the requirements of each roe. Whatever ne
did he did WELL and in the full flush OF the ieehhs
os his time He was one of the most picturesque
men of his age and one of its most picturesque
and vivid writer's Nothing can ever stale his nara
tive Nothing car ever lessen the elasticity ana
sponta neous strength of his frank, almost bruta'ly
frank pages II may not be possible TO approve
ME vain and cal.ous attitude toward many OF the
reon,s and things of his era Probably his doinSs
IN France especially his impertinence toward that
noble lady who visited his studio In company Win
Francis and incurred his dispeasure. VIII always
crate upon the reader who likes 10 think OF Ceihm
"a possessing in his character the elegance which is
associated with his But when the worst has
been said about him that possibly be said
when he has been called of the hardest names
IN the dictionary OF opprobrous epthets he remains
a vire and impressive figure. one of the most char
acteristic that the Renaissance ever produced he Is
drawn at full length in his autobiography lie
does not seem to have considered 1t worth while to
extenuate any Of his shortcomings, and we can see
the man in his book as he lived and breathed We
zee him so in the original text of his memoirs. We
see him so IN the translation by Mr.. symonds. and
for those who have not access to the Italian tongue
the latter must prove invaluable II has porne wen
the test Of time To turn its pages Is to be I'M
pressed anew with its idiomatic. its accurate us
most sympathetic and even Eloquent character.