New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-10

NJ
-, Reeves near friends. Much, also. Of the
~.' ~ mas, years is OF no great historical value
~ ,rish, easily have been spared. II is in the
~ n.nses the work affords of famous personages
.,s century and in its story Of a curiouslv
innate career that most readers will find /,
Inactive With no particular advantage Of
80 ~ fortune. Reeve made his way in the
,r,i With astonishing ease. He was for forty
vs. an official Of the British Government. he
leader writer before and through all the
'..snerous period Of the De.are management.
tuss long Editor Of The Edinburgh Review
-, literary adviser OF Longmans. and he was
-. translator Of De Tocquevle's great work
-, editor and possessor of the wel-known
-,~,sls Of Charles Greville. HIS opportunities
.s-s remarkable. and his success was substan-
80, The most distinguished people of Europe
,.sre his in,ima;es they sought his advice and
.,ves upon his judgment.
us was the grandson Of an Essex man who
.,rrad some remunerative corn mills and the
-, Of a clever physician who made a reputa-
.,,r as A writer and married into the intellectual
..-,,4 Of Tayors. Mariireaus and Austins in
30, provincial Athens Of England called Nor
IN Dr. Reeve died when his son Henry was
launched The COY so wisely was devised by the
roupg widow. his mother. He had an Unsuitable
ANNETTE for books. solid ones al that. and was
.,rays reading-which. by the way. means the
hss. Of early preparation for the work Of jour
-susro. He vent 20 a good school or two as
r,,js boy read with a private tutor. and then
,nsp, severa! years in study on the Continent
,r,sre he learned 10 speak and write French
s,s German Ike native. and where he made
,ts acquaintance through his professors and
..uov-studen;s of many famous and interesting
,sople. These friendships led In turn TO others:
and by the time he had finished his studies IN
,ost,cs jurisprudence philosophy and history.
,sd assinliated the inestimable benefits Of for
s,rn trave. and had returned 20 London, he
.,,,d himself the possessor OF an immensely
valuable working capital for the life OF public
servant ard journalist.
He man Of too many occupations to
attempt anything except the briefest and bald
eet Q. diaries 1T is. therefore in his early let
tsrs 10 his mother and in later correspondence
with his friends that find the most enter
,alring passages Of these volumes. He writes
O, the stately and benevolent Lamartne. whose
madness IS 10 believe himself a statesman. and
who haranguss me and the Chambers on the
matters o. salt and tobacco. and who is the
poet in the man instead Of being what the true
bard should be, q perfect man In a perfect
poet: Of Liszt. whom he saw fall into strong
f: Q. emotional Mysteries at the end Of one Of
his own musical performances; Of Thackeray in
Paris deep in love with his bride be. "a nice.
simple. girlish girl; OF Guizot. whose converse
lion Reeve thought about the best he had heard,
so full. so vigorous, yet not unpleasantly sur
charged with learning or spirit" He goes TO
Gore House and sees the Guiccion. still exceed
ngy beautiful. with "sunbearas OF hair. fine
person and milky complexion. Her spirits are
wonderful, and her conversation brilliant even
n the most witty house in London. Besides
which she alone Of al Italian women knows
some things. Besides a fine taste which be-
longs 70 them by nature she has good share OF
literary atrairrents which. as her beauty fails.
viii s.noothe track from coquetry to pedantry'
from the courted beauty 70 the couried plue.
Lady Blessingtons niece. an uncommon!y 1oFeiy
gil Of seventeen. had then just arrived az Gore
House. from the w!lds Of New-BrunswlcK, anc
Reeve mentions that Brougham was much
struck by the newcomer "After sundry at
-ernpts a. an introduction Re drew back ard
aid TO my LADY: I don't know what TO say 10
these young things; I should feel like the old
Devil talking 70 al angel
There was little that was picturesque and
pleasant in the lie Of London that Reeve was not
cognizant Of. As Clerk OF Appeals 20 the Queen
in Council he was present when Victoria read
10 her Ministers her declaraticr Of marriage.
The girls voice was clear and sororous as ever.
but the young clerk notes that the little hand
trembled and she could hardly hold the paper
! bout the same time he goes TO see new play
by Bulwer and conmiseretes the author. who
his deafness, could hear the
solitary hiss which mingled with the thousand
I!aU1its He came into our box after having
received a complete ovation. and the first words
he uttered We're: a great many enemies in the
house tonight Poor fellow. who has so much
talent with so little greatness; 50 much success
and s. little happiness Thai asp. his wife. sends
over an abusive letter from Paris to The Morn
;rr POST just so that Il may appear on the morn
ing o. The day fixed for bringing out his play In
another letter Reev, mentions Walter Savage
Land0r. whose face. he declares, reminds him
q Michael Angeles. We were talking Of that
brilliant society Of Leo Ks court, with its Bemoo
and rs Miraadola. and could no; help thinking
how truly Lander belongs 10 those scholarike
gentlemen in tastes and tone, and even in his
faults. There Is something Of per-
Ietual youth in his age. ard he has that clear
spirit = thought in him which SHINES IKE the
eve = some large bird in the twilight Later
they met a. dinner where Lander rode several
fine paradoxes with savage impeiIos.ty' par
tcuaIly his theory that the Chinese are the
only civilized people in the word" Lander, the
young man adds is quite as vain OF not being
read as Bulwcr is Of being the most popular
writer of the day. Nothing can equal the con-
tempt with which he treats anybody VINO has
more than SIX readers and three admirers unless
It DC that saying Of HegeIs. when he declared
that nobody understood his writings but himself
and that not always" Many Of Reeves notes
about authors are amusing. AID none Is more
curious than that devoted 10 an interview WILD
Professor Won Svbcl. the historian VINO had
stoutly maintained that The letters IN the three
volumes Of Marie Antoinette's correspondence
BY NJ r Feuilet de Conches' We're
arran, foryeries Reeve had stated IN IHe
bse belief the aUtnentlClty