New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-13


value and has perceived the man behind. He
"iS "iSo'rhad In tho latter all those traits which
/ '"'"'"S MN with ourselves noting above, all
'""' ia'fiy pathetic Nacillation between weak
"SS ana strength which ought to inspire SYM
f"'H| IN most readers If anything could The
Wa"ie trouble with Boswelrs experience was that
nc mad no taste for the law either as a s;udv or
. as a corrective upOn his toiu,s 10 ,.o. -
" bohemian and dilcttante n traveller and
''"rV or less n man OF letters. Sir Alexander
us i'.'oF, never understood him. When 'Bozzy"
ana the Rambler were settinl. ONT ,ron ,bo,r
h'p''u.ah tour old Auchinleck was not sparinc
IN ms comments to friend .'rheres nae bop,
Tor Jamie. man. ne said; Jamie is eaen cIoan
s9'e what do you think man? He's done WI
faoiL He's off wi the landlouping scounare,
81 Corsican. and whose tail do YOU think he
mas PINNED himself 10 now man? \ dominic an
"uiu dominic; he keepit a schulz and ca'aa II
an ac2adainy- But Jamie knew what no was
cut h'S mind Was fun Of the exCitements of
literature. lie had ambitions and they wore
serious. If h loved to associate with Johrs,,
ana reynolds and Burke and the rest il was
surely from 70 mere tuft-hunter's impulse ua
was frankly fond Of things Of the mind OF good
taiK' or the smell of printers ink of the air of
"uN'h'ufe' and. We had almost said romance
when so often attends the lives Of authors ana
al uS's' All his pettiness-and he had an album
u1nce II that precious quality figures after an
as his life is sympathetically SURVEYED as NOT
much more than the fcible of ,~onoro,s o,I
'NoIy nature When all his ecotisn has been
. N'N''''" against nm. when all his FRANKS are
+ recorded and all his moral Deficiencies the
81" sum WINS respect for it is plain that he
"Iu thc root of the matter in Linn. that some
where in the depths Of the volatile and reck
loss "oi iCing was the seed Of a certain so,ili,,
and power. Walpole himself vritin, =, ,.r,
ana describing Roswell as Il strange h, iop win
rage or knowing every body that ever was
'''Nei o. adding that "he forced himself upon
me NJ Paris. in spite OF my teeth and my doors
nevertheless introduces these rasping ohservo
tons by saying: Pray read the new, account
or Corsica" There You have "A hint of RS
"'iIS development lie W melting the laugh
Ter and even the evaporation # a great many.
/ individuals. hut - was also making thcu red
his books
'"' ''rSc3n volume is little MASTERPIECES; so
ais" Is the Journal II a Tour to the U.h~ia.s...
al" '"e Lie is 4 httins elimination to these /
"''J"! demonstration Of the gifts lasScssed ]
by tn man who could pro.luc. tho. minor ,ri
u''phS' lie made these books what they ar,
because he was a born writer, the horn master |
81 brilliant English style hat stin more be /
''use ne had an inrXhaustillr sympathy 1t is |
TINS that makes him not only aamirable but |
"'ahlr when he H. correctly apprch.nded II is ]
s-en that # Ia wrote with such inc.,,,,,,r,,,
animation ana Verisimi itude il was because ~
81" clearly and felt intensely Let us he oe
sorry Tor hin as We like. the fact remains that
ne enjoyed life passionately. enjoyed il So with
ms whole heart ana soul that he hardly needs
our c"Ininiseration when he stands there So for
4'rhlJ In Lord EldOn's story II the writ of
CHare adhaesit ravimcntp." "Bozzy" NAV have !
arisen from that pavement in sad case he may
nave fclt humiliation strike him L. the core rs /
the mystery OF that famous writ was ex
F!alHed, but in the long he got out of lif. |
pretty nearly all that he had hoped for The
Lard or Auchinleck objected. the Laird of
Auchinleck protested. but his son mad. most
OF the journeys he had set his heart upon
lie chose his own friends. he neglected Tho
law. he wrote his books-he did in short
me things that pleased him. And he put
II all into his work. All? Not quite "Bozzv"
was no fool with a notebook" He had
good critical oad on his shoulders and when
IL was suggested To him that his assiduity in
preserving and reporting the conversations OF
his contemporaries might max. him rnpopular
he replied In words which throw q striking
l!sht upon the essential quality of his taste and
ann Few. very few" he said, need be afraid
mat their sayings Will be recorded. can II he /
imagined that | would take the trouble To- /
Father what grows on every hedge because / I
nave collected such fruits as the Monarch ! I
ana the Bon Chretien?'" Here a.afn as we 7
nave SAID he knew what he was about and the \
great charm of the Life Of Johnson consists !
n ntRtDp-3 nj 10