The Portland daily press., 1897-10-06
MEN DEAN FARRAR HAS KNOWN.
His "Reminiscences of Thackeray, Macau-
lay ard Carlyle.
{ From the Indenendant \

sat next to him at dinner, and met him
in company with common friends. In
ordinary society he probably left a much
more genial impression than he did on
the minds of his intimate associates. L
was once standing with the late Sir Will
liam Smith-the editor of so many famous
dictionaries-at the door of the Athe-
naeum. A letter had appeared that morn
ing in the "Times," signed by Charles
Dickens and Henry Rogers. II have
just been reading" he said, ga letter by
the editor of our leading review and by
the first novelist in the world; and 1t Is
expressed In the worst English ever writ
teni" Once he came down to Harrow,
where was master there, and gave us
his lecture on George III. Every word of
it was read, and rather closely read from
his manuscript, and in voice some
what monotonous; but shall never for
get the impression Of tragic gloom left on
my mind by his picture of the madness
of George III; and the lecture appeared
to be listened to even by the youngest OF
the Harrow boys, with breathless inter-
est. Dining with him afterward ut the
house of DR.. Butler, I remember that he
spoke of many things, but the only re-
mark that specially recall was one
about himself. He said that he had re.
Gently sat at dinner next to an eminent
tragedienne, now dead, and that she had
oyerpowered him with ecstatic compli-
ments; few days afterward he had sat
.trnd md +k> r7Sv
with frankness which delighted him,
said that she had not read a line of one
of his writings, and knew nothing about
them. OF the two ladies, he greatly pre-
ferred Jenny Lind, and enjoyed her frank
indifference much more than the fulsome
adulation.
Ever so slight an acquaintance with a
great writer seems to make one know
more of the character of his genius. l
once sat next to George Cruikshank at
dinner; and once is-a-vis to Antho ny
Trollope and George Du Maurier-then
known only as caricaturist. still
wildly recall the stately courtesy Of
Cruikshank, so much more solemn--at
any rate on that and another occasio n
when l saw and heard him-than one
would have expected from most OF his
pictures and the almost riotous geniality
with which Messrs Trollope and Du
Maurier enlivened us with their wit and
brightness. Neither of them showed the
least particle of stiffness toward q young,
little known clerical stranger: but, after
mutual introduotions, they frankly laid
themselves out for pleasant conversation
and social enjoyment.
/ conversed with Lord Maca ulay only
once l was OF that time young fellow
of Trinity College, and was staying up
at the college during one of the vaca-
tions. Macaulay's nephew and biograph-
er, Sir George velyan-whose recent
withdrawal from parliamentary life all
would regret even mole than they do but
for the hope that it may set him free for
the literary work of which he has fur
nished such brilliant specimens-was then
an undergraduate at Trinity. His uncle
came up to see him, and stayed at tho
Bull Hotel. Sir George-Wholn | had
known when he was the head of the
school at Harrow carrying everything
before him by his ability-was good
enough to give me an invitation from the
great historian to dine with him at the
hotel. | need not say how proud felt of
the honor. The warmth and unaffected
geniality with which Lord Macaulay well
coined US put US at once at our ease; and
| still recall the unusually cordial way in
which he shook his guests by the hand.
The party was small one. do not re.
member the other guests, but besides Mr.
1T6V6lHdu, AS uC bucu was, 4JlIs S1i0 4l1S
K eneth Macaulay were present, and sat
on the right and left side of their cousin,
AS 1 sat next to MIR. Macaulay, / had
the full enjoyment of that power of con-
versation for which the historian was so
famous Sidney Smith once said that
the punishments of the Inferno might be
greatly improved upon. As a future pun
! ishment to some suave and gentle arch
| bishop, for instance-I think it was Arch
bishop Howley--he would have him
preached to death by wild curates; and
| as punishment to Macaulay, he would
put persons all round him who would
pour. into his ears series of false fact.
and false dates which he should have
no power to refute or to correct. The
| great man had not that punishment to
| endure that evening.
| Carlyle also l knew, though it was but
| slightly. When 1 was at Harrow found
ed one of those Scientific and Natural
| History societies among the boys which
were then much less common than they
have since become. I also strongly felt
that to see and hear great men was, In
itself, sort of liberal education for
young boys. l, therefore, invited several
men of great eninence to come and give
us lectures at Harrow, and among those
who came were such men of genius as
Professor Tyndall. Professor Huxley, Mr..
Ruskin and Mr. A. Wallace. l was anx
ious that the boys should see and hear
Carlyle, and wrote to invite him to de.
liver lecture, although l did not know
him. l did not feel myself obtrusive in
doing so, because almost any man, how
ever eminent, enjoys the opportunity OF
talking to six hundred boys. Carlyle was
interested in my request, for he afterward
spoke-about it to Professor Tyndall, who
told me that when he informed the sage
of Chelsea of his intended lecture to the
school, Carlyle answered in his deep
voice, 'Mind you don't tell them any
| thing which Is not truel'
Once, when l was at Westminster, Dean
Stanley told me he was going by appoint
| ment, to see Carlyle, and asked ME to
accompany him. l was delighted to 90.
| The deans object was to take TO him the
| birthday book of the late Iamented Prin-
cess Alice of Hesse, who wished CARLYLE
to inscribe his name in 1t. I, too, had
something to take with me. Carlyle in
one of the most amusing chapters of his
| g Frederick the Great" has described the
intercourse Of the king with Maupertius
and Voltaire. Maupertius was mathe.
matician who had gone on an expedition
to the Arctic Circle to measure an arc OF