New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-13
A FRIEND OF GIBBON.
THE LETTERS OF A GIFTED AND FORTU-
NATE WOMAN.

Octave PIP. xviii, ~ ionShlals bTe'H ~ w.
From the first TO the last page Of this book it is
a fawess Joy Maria Josepha Horoyd was one
Of those lucky beings who are born to scenes ana
events Of interest. and have the temperament
and the eagerness to live them with all their
might. No other phrase fits better this ViVacio"S
Young patrician. Nothing escaped her eyes. and
| in those eyes there always lurked the spirit or
fun The tragic woes OF France in the years
covered by this correspondence were familiar to
her She was an eyewitness OF some or the
most striking episodes OF the revolutionary
epoch Though she writes OF her travels In
France with a light hand. describing the famous
Apotheosis OF Voltare az unaffectedy as a So
ciaI gathering in her fathers house. there Is a
precision in her style. supported by a deep SIN
certify OF feeling. which must make her let
ters as useful to the historian a3 they VIII be
delightful to every one who cares for the gossip
Of a high-bred. intelligent woman. The letters
are largely gossip. and some OF those from her
correspondents which are included in the col
lection deserve the epithet even more. But what
gossip II is, Gibbon Is frequently the cause OF
It. his el-known friendship for Lord Sheffield
Maria Josepha's father. having made the MS
torian "a constantly recurring theme with her.
and this book will he treasured for its vigne'tes
OF the great writer II for nothing else. But there
| other celebrities. me young 'ount i'"'s
Tollendal son Of his father and by his own right
man Of some consequence. is one OF them; ana
there is Nine dc Genlis. living quantity at Bath;
/ Lady Webster. with perhaps more quantness in
her train: and titled folk without number.
Concerning Gibbon whom she regarded with
becoming admiration but with all Of clever
young girls irreverent humor she has some re-
vealing things to say. He does not much Ike
playing a second part" she observes writing
from his house at Lausanne where she was stay
| Ing with her family. "Nive les Suisses FOR that.
who when the King Of the Place. as he Is called.
| opens his mouth (Which you know he generally
does some time before he has arranged his sen
| tence). all wait in awful and respectful silence
/ for what shall follow. and look up 10 IT az an
/ oracle" Tn. Oracle himself thought her
| chanting Lord Shefield's eldest daughter is
indeed "A most extraordinary young woman" he
wrote 10 his stepmother In 1871. when Maria
Jcsepha was In her twentieth year But If she
valued his regard which seems unquestionabe.
It did not blind her to his idiosyncrasiea or mod
crate IN. tartncss II som. OF her illusions She
found him a most agreeable companion at Lau
same hut wonders why on earth he ever went
Their. In preference to living In England. and sur
misses that II must have been because he found
more nattcry IN Switzerland than h. could get
al home The error can be forgiven for the sake
! q, tho manv other references 70 Glbbon which
are much more to the point With the Curchod
episode In mind there is something thoroughly
/ characteristic in the following fragment.
/ Madame de- Montolieu has the most piercing
/ Eyes | ever saw. and most sensible U,unte-
nance: hut neither young nor handsome. az !
| expected the Woman to he who had put MI.
/ Gibbons liberty in danger. for he Acknowledges
there was time when he had narrow Escape.
/ II never occurs to him that she might have re-
fused him. and II 1t mentioned to him dar.
say he would sooner believe a Miracle than the
possibility Of n sensibe Womans shelving such
a want Of Taste. There is "A Portuguese Lady
| who has been in England. Madame da silva.
! who possessed Mr.. Gibbons tender heart for
some weeks before We came away from l.au-
same | have been amused To the greatest de-
gree by his waddling across the room. whenever
she appeared. and sitting by her and looking at
her Till his round Eyes run down with Water.
Not Tears OF Iove-for poor man, he could not
! help II, as they are not Of the strongest and II
| you fix the sun you will weep in spite OF your
! self In a letter ] have had from Mr..
! Gibbon since our return. he says his Rival has
presented him with Hogshead OF Madeira, so
ne cannot supplant him.
When the historian was at Sheffield Place in
| 1193 Immediately after Lady Shefneld's death.
at Lausanne and. upon one occasion. express
| ing her gladness that some guest had duly ar
rived expected. she adds: THE Glib would
/ have been furious and ne rather grumpy
! that Papa made him stay fortnight longer
| than he intended. You know he is Clockwork.
and 10 keep him a day after he had det srmined
to go. is to derange one Of the Springs or
! Wheels" II any one whom Maria Josepha
knew had any whms or features which pro-
voked ridicue. she was sure To see them. and
| to be outspoken ir her comments. She had an
original mind. and It Is declared in nearly every
| letter she writes. In July, lob. she alludes to
the victim Of Charlotte Corday in this way:
Are you not delighted nj the Murder Of Mdrat?
! But though 7 am glad he is removed from the
power of doing further Mischief I sorry
he fell by the hand Of an Amazon. Ii Is this
candor OF hers that makes her letters from
Paris in 1901 as interesting as they ire She
would appear to have been shocked by the
violent occurrences OF the period. but In writ
ing Of them she retains the composurc of the
| impartial bystander. and the Apotheoss, for ex-
ample to which ausion has been made above
she treats with n spontaneity that brings 1t
forcibly home to the reader. We see the family
on their way 10 Lausanne. and pausing In
Paris with the avidity of pure slghtseers
Maria Josepha describes how they were all
dressed for the fate and then learned that 1t had
been put off. The ladies began to change their
dresses and setting off on some other tour
lists errand when they were informed that the
| Apotheosis would really take place after all
/ Hurryng their holiday attire. they rushed
/ of to a favorable point from which TO view the
procession clad In white, and wearing blue
sashes beautifully engraved with Voltaire on
Car, Fame browning him with Laurel. and the
| Of hers tD
deposited" The picture that follows Is history.
and give 1t practically intact:
Never did I see and could never have mag
| ined. such piece OF folly as the whole cere-