The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-11
BOOKS OF THE TIME.
Auld Lang Syne, Max MuIIer's Per-
sOnaI "Reminiscences.

Ihere is peculiar fascination about the
personal "reminiscences of well-known men
not belonging to any other form of litera-
cure, and no book of the kind lately issued
mas more of this charm than Prof. Max
Muller Aud Lang Syne." Max Muller is
commonly thought of only as a philologist
and hnguist of profound attachments, and
10 some extent ASSOCIATED by his very
scholarship from the ordinary concerns of
lfe, even those of literary sort A read
Justment of ideas is, therefore required at
the start when the author plunges into a
chapter OF musical recollections and il is
incidentally shown that he is himself some
thing of a musician. My musical educa-
ton began very early" he says: so early
that L cannot remember ever passing
through any drudgery. As long as | re-
member could play, and L was destined to
be musician till l went to the university
and Mendelssohn advised me to keep to
Greek and Latin Before that he had
played at public concerts, but was hardly
satisfied with the thought of giving up his
life to music. But. though he gave up the
art as professional pursuit, it has, he
says, remained a true and faithful friend
to me through life" Besides the MendeIs-
sohns, of whom he tells some interesting
things, Muller knew List, Schumann, Mos
cheles Thalberg, Jenny Lind and many
other musical celebrities. His acquaintance
with literary men wide and he gossips
entertaining;y of Froude, Kingsley Arnold
Thackeray, Ruskin, Tennyson, Browning
Macaulay and many others, including the
Americans Emerson, Holmes and Lowell
The following rather equivocal paragraph
concludes his remarks on Browning and
Tennyson: ITO have known such men is in
deed rare fortune 1t helps us in two
ways. We are preserved from extravaganza
admiration, which is always stupid; and, on
the other hand. we can enjoy even insigniti-
cant verses of theirs, as coming from our
IrIendS and lighting up some corner OF their
character There are cases where personal
acquaintance with che poets actually Spoils
our taste for their poetry, which We might
otherwise have enjoyed. and to imagine
that one knows poet better because one
mas once shaken hands with him is a fatal
mistake. 1t would be far better to go at
once to Westminster Abbey and spend
such poets as Tennyson or Browning, for
there, at all events, there would be no dis
appointment
He has also some very readable recollec-
lions OF royalties, of whom he has known
many, including the old Emperor William
and the Emperor Frederick A little vanity
manifests itself in his talk of his acquaint-
ance with these great personages, but it is
q harmless weakness. Incidentally how
ever, his intercourse with them and with
the people of the literary world prove him
TO be possessed OF many social as well as
intellectual graceS. He explains in a
preface that this volume was written while
exiled from his books at an English water
ing place and under contract with his ply
Sicians not to study. 1t is a book which
will make him better known to the world
The Science of Language" Published by
Charles Scribners Sons.