The sun., 1904-05-15

life was first exemplifed, though some-
what difYldently, In the "Life" contributed
by Anthony Trollope to the English Men
OF Letters" series. A much more outspoksn
and trenohant criticism Ia embodied In the
latest addition to the Modern English
Writer'S" series, the volume entitled WI
dam Makepeace Thdckerdy by CHARLES
WMBLsY (Blackwoods)
We would not convey the impression
that the latest represen tative OF the reaction
AGAINST Thackeray is indiscrimlnate In
depreciation of the man and of the writer
He recognizes that the truth probably
lies midway between the very different
portraits made Of him by one and another
faction Of his contemporaries. who were
compelled to Judge him with but half the
facts before them The backest portrait
Of the man, as distinguished from the
writer, Is Disraeli's "St. Barbe,' which y
painted in the darkest colors, and without
relief. "St. Barbe," in Endymion's phrase,
Is "the vainest, most envious and the most
amusing of men" He "snarls over the
prosperity Of every one in this world except
the snarler" He Is a "misan thrope, be-
cause he fnds every one getting on IN lie
except himself" When Seymour Hicks
goes TO party, ST. Barbe complains that
this fellow gets about in most extraordi-
nary manner. Is il not disgusting! NO
lord ever asked me 10 dinner. But the ars-
tocracy of this country is doomed When,
however, he dimes at the NeuchateFs, by
whom, OF course, are meant the Rothschilds.
he Is represented as taking frank delight
in his hosts magnificence, and as only
regretting that he did not know the 81 eat
man year ago, VIII he might have dedi-
Gated a novel to him. That is one portrait.
the portrait of malicious, satirical dog;
and Mr.. whitley deems it superfiuous to
say that it is overcharged. The other
portrait, painted in lighter colors, repre-
sents a man OF infinite sensibility, eager
only to do good to his less fortunate neigh
bors--a cynic. whose cynicism is but
cloak for kindlness; a modest gentleman,
equally alive to his own defects and to the
merits Of others. or course, neither por-
trait IL true, because both are non-human.
The author Of the book before US points
out that one thing, at all events, is certain,
II we may judge by the memoirs OF the
times: Thackeray was not popular.
1T was generally thought that this David.
who had slain many titled Goliath. took
excessive pleasure in the society of the
great. He was brusque in speech and
quick in anger. He gave wanton offence
to strangers who would not take the trouble
to pierce beneath the surface. When
Anthony Trollope was first introduced to
him, he murmured How do and turned
his back. Trollope, of course. effaced the
n l,,,t tha. hx,y
Justly angry, and declared to George Smith
that, had he not been in his house for the
first time, he would have walked out Of it,
We may add that nowadays almost all
fair minded men concur with Charles
Dickens in thinking that Thackeray was
cruel and brutal in his treatment Of Ed
mund Yates, then young and poor. It
will be remembered that Thackeray not
only caused the expulsion OF Yates from
the Garrick Club, but subsequently pill
loried him in the esssy .On Screens in
Dining Rooms" wherein he arrogantly
tells poor Yates: Put up your notebook
walk out OF the hall and leave gentlemen
alone who would be private and wish you
no HARM The truth is that Thackeray
WAS or imagined himself to be a Bel
gravian who. by mischance, had been
doomed to sojourn for while an exile
In Bohemia.
Mr.. whitley thinks that with Thacke-
rays dislike OF his baser confreres it was
possible to sympathize. He loved his craft,
but not all his fellow craftsmen. His
vanity was too great to bear the life Of
Grub street From long commerce with
those whom he deemed his social interiors
he was too sensitively alive to his own su-
periority. Though he loved equality as a
political doctrine, he would, in practice,
permit no equality between himself and his
colleagues. There is modus IN yebus.
said he; 'there are certain lines which must
be drawn, and am only half pleased. for
nv part, when Bob Bowstreet, whose con-
nection with letters is through Policemen
X and Y, and Tom Garbage, who is an
esteemed contributor to the Kennel Nis-
ceilany, propose to join fellowship as brother
literary men, slap me on the back and call
me old boy or by my Christian name"
Touching this bit Of self-revelation, Mr.
whitley remarks: Zone can easily imagine
how he WINGED under the inhiction Of Tom
Garbage, but Tom Garbage and his kind
cray never cared to concilate them. He
knew Perfectly Wcli tuoU WoS INV q
favorite. All people do not like me as you
do he wrote to Elwin. I sometimes think
1 am deservedly unpopular, and, in some
cases, rather like it. Why should want
to be liked by Jack and Tom' know the
Thackeray that those follows have ima& ined
to themselves-a very selfish, heartless
arttul. morose and designing man."
1t is ispronounced indisputable that in these
self-indicated colors Thackeray too often
presented himself to the world. He ap.
peared morose and insolent to many who
had but superficial acquaintance with
him. He had Ats OF arrogance. some
times followed by fits of contrition. To
illustrate his twofold character, Mr., Whib.
ley recalls an episode to be found in Lord
Tennyson's Life" 1t seems that Thack-
cray and Tennyson had dined together
it was in Ise-and Thackeray. full Of con-
fdence in his own powers, had said Of Ca
tullus Il do not rate him highly; ! could
do better myself The morrow brought
a more modest self-estimate. my dear
Alfred" he wrote the next day, II woke
at oclock"--it was the other Thackeray
who woke--and in sort OF terror about
certain speech had made about I Catullus
When have dined sometimes believe my.
self to be equal to the greatest painters and