New-York tribune., 1897-01-31

- ,oyab,e nersonality He figures on the
r;oturesoue horizon of his time from the begin
ming 70 the end Just as he paints himself IN
letter written In 1764, when on his travels
IN tho South He is alluding to his stay d'
rur,, and saws to Lord Sheffield: THE most
soc,.b,e women have met with are the KING
aorcbters chatted for about a quarter OF an
hour with them, talked about LAUSANNE anu
grew so very free and easy that are" NY
snuff box. raped It, took snuh twice 70 oi
never before known in the presence c"a"'s,'
and continued my discourse In my usua' az"
tude of my body bert forward, ana my io'e
finger stretched out.
r,,s ss,Sconscious attitude he never apanuoheu'
His very soul took snuff. and whe.hei "e "
writing dutifully to his steLmother IN he. Wv
age or sending Lord Sheffield the tat'ie VI VIZ
town. or apologzing for his aesorp''o'' - w
history. he perpetuay has that ioi
s,ua.,hed ont It seems odd enough that man
Of his powers and opportunities shoulu
and last so shallow an impression. For Valuaoie
80 ,ho rrosent volumes are In making Giboon
,,oro real IN us they cannot be said 10 aHoru
ANYTHING like the sensations expected Oh thel'
Tbev embrace some momentous years III inc
b,storv Of Europe. but they are not rich IN oo-
s.,vations OF serious import on the events VI
those wears Gibbon knew Johnson heyho'uS
Burke. Fox, Garrick, Voltaire. Nine. au Dei
fand the Neckers and innumeraoie other per
sonages who would naturally be supPoseu "
have left marks upon his autobiography ana
corresnondence. As matter Of fact, one must
mako the hest OF q few vivid pictures imoedded
at long intervals in these volumes. There is ior
example this account Of Voltaire:
He lives now entirely at Fernay. little place
In France. but only two leagues from uene.a. e,.
He has bought the estate. and built very pretty
tho small house upon 1t. After lie passed III
courts and Capitals, the great Noltalre IS no"
become a meer country Gentleman. ana even
(for the honor of the profession) something OF ora a
farmer He says he never enjoyed so mucn true
happiness. He has got rid OF most OF ms IN
frmities, and tho very old ana lean ENJOYS
much better state of health than he did twenty
years ago. His playhouse is very neat ana Weli
contrived The play they acted was my
favorite Orphan of China" Voltaire himseil
acted Gengis and Nine. Denys idame, put 90
not know how II happened; either my taste is
improved or Voltares talents are impaired since
l last him. He appeared to me now a a a% very
rantirg unnatural performer. Perhaps, indeed
as was come from Paris. rather judged MN
by an unfair comparison, than by his own lnde
pendent value. Perhaps TOO. was 700 Liucn
struck with the ridiculous figure of Voltaire at
seventy. acting Tartar Conqueror with hol-
low broken voice. and making love TO very
ugly niece Of about fifty. The play began az
and alb about half an hour after eleven Inc
whole Company was asked TO stay and set Down
about twelve to a very elegant supper OF
hundred Covers. The supper ended about two
the company danced till four, when we broke
up. got into our Coaches. and came back to
Geneva just the Gates were opened Shew me
In history or fable, a famous poet OF seventy
who has acted in his own plays, and has closed
the scene with supper and ball for two hun
dred people. think the last is the more ex-
traordinary OF the two
II Lord Sheffield had held back many frag-
ments like the foregoing he might indeed be
blamed. That there was little material OF the
sort left In his possession is something as mys-
terious as it is disappointing. If Gibbon could
write like this In his private letters. why did he
not do so oftener; why did he not turn aside
more frequently from the celebration of his gout
the discussion Of the health Of his friends the
examination OF the accounts Of his estate?
There is something maddening about his con-
slant trvaty. Yet this in itself is character
stic revealing and prize the volumes that
In a way are wearisome. They tell the truth
about Gibbon, tell it more fully than it has ever
been told before, and that is something. no mat
ter how unsatisfactory the truth may be. He
gives us less than Is expected Of so eminent
figure in literature but it is at least interesting
to find that ne is true to himself In all that he
gives the very incarnation of dapperness and
genial sophistication. He had no fires Of emo
tiom but neither had he any bitterness IN his
nature, any traits which inspire positive re-
pugnance His placid selfishnes3 Is very placid
indeed and excites only a moderate degree OF
contempt. 1t is hard to be angry with a man
who never allowed himself to lose his temper
1t seems wiser to accept the good that the gods
provide, to take Gibbon as he is. blessing him
for his history, respecting him for his recti-
thanking him for such profitable glmpses Of
his time as ne vouchsafes the industrious reader
of his personal relics. 1t is. too. testimony to
the liveiness Of the man that his letters arc
never exactly dull, for all that they contain so
little of vital interest He Is readable even when
he is most unimportant; matter Of attractive
STYLE partly and Of the amiable temperament
behind his smallest word. Then he occasionally
Yields q veritable nugget Witness his anecdote
OF the famous duel between Lord Bellamont and
Lord Townshend. The latter's pistol was raised
when his antagonist called out. "One moment.
my lerd-Mr. Dillon. have undertaken q con-
mission from the French Ambassador to get
him some Irish popns; should fall. be good
as to execute 1t. Your lordship may now fire."
Gibbon himself never fought duel never
fell in love-for the Curchod episode seems
never TO have touched his heart-and though
he served in the militia for a few years and
had some experience in the House OF Com
mons, his sole claim upon the remembrance of
his countrymen remains that he wrote his IA
nous history. His autobiographies and his let
ters. curiously offer far less than Is looked for
on that fascinating topic He did not talk much
about his work. Abiding to his first sojourn
In Paris. he notes with obvious satisfaction that
he was considered man Of letters, or
rather. as a gentleman who wrote for his amuse-
ment; my appearance, dress. and equipage dis
tinguished me from the tribe Of authors. who.
even at Paris. are secretly enved and despised
by those who possess the advantages OF birth,
fortune" Elsewhere he continues In a similar
vein "Irew Sooks Of merit and impOrtance ha we