New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-19
A LAUREATE'S PROSE.
SOME NEW PAGES BY ALFRED AUSTIN.

FAUNrs OF. ANCIENT PEACE. By Alfred
In Veronica.s. Garden and 'Iamia,ss Winter
Consessing to some WEAKNESS OF the garden
that ] love" LAMA the young lady OF mex
haustible and inimitabe wit, charm and orig
inality. organizes a revolt in the group that in
the Laureate's previous volumes Of mingled
prose and verse has been occupied with ad-
nniration OF gardens at home She makes a tour
through England in search OF ''haunts OF peace
accompanied by the Poet. whose function is TO
supply original and opposite verse on all occa-
sons: Veronica, his wife, who directs the details
Of the expedition and the author of these pages.
who feels bound TO record the doings. and
pecially the sayings. of the elect company In
due course they all contentedy return to their
own garden To those who have not read the
numerous volumes descriptive Of this same gar
DEN Lamia's assurance TO the author WI
bring a measure Of relief and comfort. Your
Garden books. Of course. inimitable," says
she, especially the verses of the Poet that you
cite so oopiously, and that you are not response
bIe for" Thus the poems which occur from
time time in the book are not be laid to
the door of Alfred Austin. He disowns them.
This should be borne carefully in mind 10
avoid doing MIN any injustice.
n il to be observed that the author does. pro-
rortionateIy, slight amount Of the talking,
which may be due the necessity for strict
attention and continuous effort at memory. For
the other three particularly Lamia and the
Poet, and most of their acquaintance on the
way, are marvellously long winded at times,
and as a Hostess observes on one occasion.
there seems to be a conspiracy to make the
discussions little too rambling. Some cap
tious, cocksure reader will probably be led 10
observe that except for Lamia's habit of anna
bic foolng the takers have all one voice The
Poet the Rector, the Artist. the Host who was
on a Parliamentary Committee, and the Host
who was a man OF letters belttled by para
s,rapbers. and whose mind was one of the haunts
of ancient peace, all pursue the course Of their
various and sometimes rather reconcile refec-
lions in a diction which differs little from the
authors in his excursions OF opinion and phil
osophizing one individual there is who man
ages 10 have an accent Of his own, American
sightseer He commends the Poets advocacy
Of an -Anglo-SaKon alliance" written hard on
ave wears ago; taking a sentimental view Of
H. and Of Americas probable readiness to enter
a European war for Britain's sake. which is per
haps not altogether typical There some
well pleased references to the late war in Africa
and discussion Of such matters OF national i'm
port as the present condition Of the Anglican
Church Is lnGulReQ IN al fdiOOll from the A@du-
reate this description OF unnamed states
man never in the best favor Of the court, is in
teresting:
A greatly gifted and splenddy energetic man
Of action, with an imperous but mercurial mind,
A sonorous voice a commanding manner, and a
copious but somewhat redundant vocabulary,
bur continuity Of judgment. no true insight,
TO say nothing of foresight. and a curiously per
verse sense of patriotism
The mistaken public estimate Of this man il
used in illustration Of the tendency Of all human
judgment TO go wrong, particularly in the mat
aer OF books. He who ventures a verdict on the
"Haunts Of Ancient Peace and is not disposed
to be enthusiastic in his liking OF the book will
lind with fear and trembling. this warning OF
his own insignifcance:
You put the matter systematically and
therefore amusngly.' said Host IAN excel
lent way. sometimes, of conveying what
seriously thinks. But in truth, what is there
leo he annoyed at? Even the most cursOry and
imperfect survey Of contemporaneous judgments
writer's and their works in the past such
have had this evening. serves to show how
history Of Literary Criticism is almost
leNiating record of dscredited judgments. futile
m nature and fasified predictions. is there
any reason 10 suppose that the present age Is
any more infallible than its predecessors