The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-28
SOME NEW BOOKS.
Leslie stephens Biographical studies.

NOkFnDUDItdf1 C$IDl.lt III az
biographical and critical estimates. Th'
subjects chosen for discussion range from
Southey's letter. and the Browning letters
to such novclist.s as Stevenson, Trollope
and William God,'iu. and James Anthony
Froude; whom hi, enemies used To class
among novelists. to John Dome. Emerson
Ruskin, Huxley and Walter Bagehot. Oh
all the papers here collected. however
those most likely TO attract attention dea
with sShakespearr as Man" and under
take 10 cast New Lght on Milton II Is
these papers, together with the essay on
Froude. judicial estira'e of whom Is
part ic,,lnrly Desirable. that ne have sinrled
out for notice at this time Thusc acquaint-
ed with the authors writing do not need TO
b. told that not a single one OF the fifteen
plocrs should IN, "verlookat knowledge
and power are e%empitied in all of Mr..
Stephens work; Nevo' wa, the ..aclnryed
phrase more jratih that no library OF
biography will bc complete without these
volumes.
james Anthony Froude was n contem-
p1rary' of Goodwin Smith, %; Ntribb~ and of
Freeman, yet every on, Of the three last
named preceded MIN IT, the post of Regius
profess n Of mod ~ history ~ he I nj, r
sity Of Oxford, and il vas not until near !!s
death that FrouGc csss wed this distinction.
The fact cannot bc q. p'aincd on tire as
sumption of a university Gabal !ro-tia g .
prntansidns If rub!ic opinion had Loudly
demanded his appointment II would have
bean made. Pubic opinion, however, vas
divided. and. although FroCdr hnramo al
mos, nj once. and = manned, a popular favor
its, the verdict II the ma iority OF htstor!-
cal scholars was AGAINST him. He had no
laureate to sing his praises, az he and
kyskin sang the p"aiies of Carlyle; he had
no fdVs Achctcs. sue "a J r. Green proved
TO Freeman lie vas mo-; "A man TO make
many friends thouph he had some warm
ones. His re, icCnce shyness and sensi-
titeness inevitably led 10 misiudgments
on the part Of tho ,,ith whom 'ie cam" IN
casual contact. A. Mr.. Stephen puts it..
lac was supposed 10 b. s,percilous be-
cause he shrank from irritating topics, and
cynical because he kept his enthusiasm for
few really sympathetic hearers: i have
heard Froudc accused Of Jeauitsm, OF IN
sihuating opinions which ne would shrink
from openly expressing, and even OF a
malicious misro presentation Of the man
lCarlylel whom i've chose "a his prophet, '
Mr. stephen hol,.s that there Is no founda-
ton for the suggestion that in Froude's
Life and letter. of 1homa, Carlyle the
disciple secretly desired To depreclate his
master. As this Is a qu astion which Is still
debated, it will be interesting to hear what
our author has to say atout 1t. While adj
hitting il to BE- curious that man Of such
fine literary sense should have so entirely
iniscalc,lated the effect of his revelations
upon his readers. Mr.. stephen is neverthe-
less convinced that Froude "fancied that he
was providing a pedestal for the object
Of his reverence when he was really plac-
ing him on pillory. Ardent Carlyleans
thought that he must have known what he
was doing. and imagined that he was satis-
flying some covert resentment. +.sr
Our author does not deny that in the Life
and letters certain errors we're committed,
bat he fully believes that the biographer's
intention were what he avowed. He was
ne doubt fully sensible of his masters fall
ings Froude, with his refined and sensi-
tive temperament. was the very man to be
shocked by Carlylc'r rough and masterful
Cogmatsm. When, for instance. Carlyle
told him that New man had the brain Of a
moder ate-sized rabbit, Froude could not
but feel that the estimate--if half humor-
QUESTIONED certain crudeness. The new
guide was a little hard upon his preGeces-
sor, but then 1t was also satisfactory to
have a master who could b. so thoroughly
confident. The dogmatism was delightful
and comforting. and gave sense Of secur-
ity. Froude liked to shield himself behind
the uncoInpromis!ng champion The biog-
raphy throughout shows that he was even
keenly sensible to CaTlyle's arrogance, and
yet felt it as valuable support Carlyle
might be rough but he could sweep away
any misgivings with delightful positive
ncss. When Froude became aware of the
revelations in Mrs. Carlyle's journal, he
could feel, even more keenly than most
people. the painful side. But then they
illustrated just this masterful temper.
which, il sometimes startling, vas yet 70
comfortable support To weaker brother
In our authors opinion, Froude expected
that his readers would he az ready as him
self to condone. Carlyle's faults Of temper.
artirso regard his posthumous confessions
a. so "supremely honorable" as to be an
"amrle atonemcnt for the offence. Tn
hckily, he succeeded in eSaggerating the
fauAs. withou, carrying his readers along
with him in the implied apology They
did not appreciate the charm, which TO HIM
was ~ obvious, OF Nne Oes! 5Otlc Sltt OF I ar
lyle's character. That was the real diff
Guilty. Froude was. ! believe, as loyal to
lis masters memory as he had been afec-
tlonate to him in life, Tho loyalty did not
prevent him from forcing the shades as
we'll ~ the lights, and he was quite right
In his desire to delineate both in his por-
trait. What he did not see was that the
merit. which for him altogether Overhaul
ancet the faults, was not a merit at all for
the outside world. He could excuse the
harshness of despot whose rule he loved
but to people who objected to the despotic
rule altogether the excuse was an agra
walton"
No attempt is here made to ralliate the
shortcomings and positive faults q Froude q
historical writings. That would not be
sa~y ia view of the brutal but triumphant
assaults to which he was subjected for 50
many years at the hands of Freeman and
Green. Touching this relentless warfare
Mr.. Stephen remarks: Freeman Seemet
TO think that he was specially commissioned
~ Providence to expose their iFroude's
inaccuracies He felt that he did we'll to be
angry, and wrote ia the spirit Of medical
authority exposing some mischievous and