New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-24

very wide. and tn. collector Of his production
can get together "A portrait gallery of .Tdless va
riety and fascination. IL should he added thai
Mr. Wlllamson's text IL reinforced by numerous
and artistic reproductions.
Mr. Harry Thursron Peck in volume Of
essays collected under the till" OF The Per-
sonal Equation and published by tho iIarpcrs.
Displays an unusual p"ssimism on the subject
OF American education The mob. h. thinks.
has taken possession Of the universities When
We hear to-day that So-andSo II "A university
man. he declares, 'on" never knows by reason
Of that fact alon" whether this person IL In
reality "A gentleman and Il scholar or whether
he is only subliinat"d type Of thinker" deep
truth. Of broad applicability may be discerned
In this frequent boast made in this country
IL that our universities above all things,
practical" and that they are. therefore. flaw
lcsr. Nothing. II ~ urged IL quite so important
AZ training school that nts men for life
Much may be- said for this view of tn" ease.
Much also may be- said in support Of the propo-
stion that we do not need more baccalaureatc
bagm"n, more 'hustl"rs. NOR" matriculated me-
tJIanics. more polymathic plumbers" and Mr..
Peck says II with "A cheerful decision and
clear p'rsuasivrncss for which many plain
thinking man Will bc grateful.
The centenary ~ Thomas Haynes BayIy
passed unnoticed in this country the other day,
but there rumors To- the effect that some
celebration was attempted in his native town
Bath. lie was born there on October H. 1897.
He wrote many dramas. which are dead, and
a number Of lyrics which now and then re-
appear out of the limbo to which they were long
ago consigned. I'D BE "A Butterfly" and oh Mol
We Never Mention Her. ar" still recalled by
some loyal delivers into the past Of minor verse.
Mr. Andrew Lang likonod Bayly's songs Ito
the strains Of a barrel organ. faint and sweet.
and far away, but has addressed him never
thelcSs IN these urbanc lines:
Farewell TO my Bayly. farewell {" the singer
Whose tender illusions my aunts used 10
sing
Farewell. for the fame OF the bard does not
lingcr,
NV favorite minstrcls no longer the thing.
But though his temples has faded the laurel,
Though broken the lutte. and though veilcd Is
the crest.
MY BayIy, at worst is uncommonly moral
Which is more than some new poets are at
supposititous conversation IN the London
ACADEMY" between journalist and his solici-
tor gives an amusing picture of IN" manner IN
which some people. not literary, regard books
and bookmcn. The dialogue runs as follows:
Literary men,, said Tregarthon, have
curously exaggerated opinion Of their impor-
tance. Do you suppose that don't think for
myself? Because do, pretty continually. Ana
why should pay six shillings To this friend OF
yours what IL his name?-to do my thinking
for me-?
see the advertisements al new novel, with
taking title, say, Anthony Hope, or Hall Game,
or u. g. Wells. Or
"Ccrtainly. And If do | take the oppor-
tunity when am invited out To dinner of asking
the girl next 10 tell me about the new
novel Girls can generally give you "A good idea
Of the last new novel. And when she has told
me about II am extremely glad that haven't
wasted my time by reading II. | manage Ia get
a pretty good notion Of current literature that
way. Now and then read a book admit that
but that is only when take girl in to din
ner who tells me Of a plot that doesn't bore me
to death.
Then you depend entirely ON the most IN
competent Of critics
Trcgarthcn ate his cold beef in silence for q
few moments.
Girls no; silly as they look" he said.
This Is n season of epistOary literature. Tho
Tcnnyson correspondence has already been dis
cussed in this place Mrs BroWnings letters
are on the eve of publication and the corresponds
ence of Wilberforce. which has just seen tho
light in England has provoked much comment.
The letters IF the Foster family also To DO
printed. What these letters are Ike may be
Judged from the fact that they are by Gibbon,
Sheridan. Fox Lord and Lady Byron. the Prince
Regent the Earl Of Aberdeen, the Duke OF Well
ington, the Emperor Alexander !, Canova, Thor
waldsen. General Moreau, GeorgIana, Duchess
Of Gainsborough, and her successor, Lady Eliza
beth Foster, whose portrait by the way, Is re-
produced on this page The correspondence,
which dates from III 10 1859. has been edited
by MI We're Foster.