New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-30
VICTORIAN LITERATURE.
The Third Volume Of "Chamberss
CyoLopaedia.

linens OF Then Wrtlngs New Eloltl9n Dy DaI- va
fsrrCk ~. n. Volume III slarto. pp
~ 81 Philadelphia. J. j. LiPpnoott Com
pany.
The sterling merits % Chambers Ha'7
again and again been recognized IN these COZ
,,-,,s hut ii must be said with regret that
they shine less brilliantly in this concIuoiIls
yelt,rne Of the new edition than they have shone
,n tts PREDECESSORS For the explanation We
do not have 10 look very FAR. II hes IN the
esc, that Mr. Patrick has here reached the
nineteenth century with its stil living Issues
and its many figures about whom IL is so easlly
possible 70 go wrong The broad lines OF 'ne
excellent system originally adopted for lne
editing Of the work continue 10 excite our au
,,,i-s-fou hut We miss 81 this volume The old
atmosphere Of almost unfaing judgment, anu
fee too often the disturbing presence OF lhe
personal element. OF the misplaced enthusia snl.
nor ezanlnle M Theodore Natts-Dunton
looms altogether too large in these pages lie
onens the volume with an essay on Inc
Renascence Of Wonder IN Poetry, Whlch Is
presumably intended TO serve as a useful pref
ude TO the critical Biographies that follow. As
a matter OF fact. IL is 4 piece or labored pro
s,in6ity'. which We could well spare, and II Is
marked moreover by the qualntest ool'p43-
cency. M watts-Dunton is fond OF quoting
himself. and even drags in his novel "ASl"ln
THAT title. by the way. through an amuslneIy
sronical accident, il nisspeled in his essay
lie closes with these sUperfUous remarks.
His relative. AR. Ford MADDOX HueheT' ID as
monograph on Rossetti tells US that il sh0uI1
he pointed out that the White ship was one
OF Rossettfs last works. and that IN IL ne was
aiming al simplicity Of narrative under '"e
advice Of the present writer nj. ""N'S
runton's pride in having given advice TO Ros-
sett is quite comprehensive but WY d" '-7
world he should have thought st necessary 10
Fr,rf ont
work Of reference we fail to see
II is plafn however, that we lack true ap-
preciation Of the Importance Of Nj Iheodore
Wstts-Dunton a. literary light IN TINS No'-
ulne there is an article about him. including eA-
tracts from his poetry. more than seven columns
long by M James Douglas, and from mat
pious oracle we learn that Mr. Watts-Duntoh
treatise on Poetry" In the Britannica IS
alone SUFFICIENT to show how completely justi-
ned was Mr.. Svinburne in styling him The hIst
critic OF our time. perhaps the largest minded
and surest sighted Of any age" Mr. Douglas
also observes that "Aylwfn." that great work.
is so fun OF portraits Of men OF genius that no
one can form a vivid conception Of the higher
literary and artistic life Of the late victorian
epoch who has not studied st." We wonder II
Mr.. Douglas or M Swinburne would consider II
q proof OF Mr. Watts-Dunton's being the
largest minded critic Of our time that he
IL
IN the article on Byron he has contributed 10
this volume the question as TO whether or not
the poet was a gentleman. But perhaps the
passage was indispensable IN order that It might
be stated that THE present writer had a long
discussion with Trelawny upon
this very point" Mr. Watts-Dunton's article on
Borrow contains as many three illusions 10 /
the present writer" but this is, the whole.
good piece Of work. not remarkable, but at least
useful.
Essays that win unreserved approval are those
or Wordsworth and Scott by Mr.. ". P. Ker,
the one on Matthew Arnold by Professor Dow
den and the one on Lord Beaconsheld by Mr. 4
Charles whitley There are numbers Of others /
which are very satisfactory. The short account |
Of Patmore for example. is uncommonly well |
written Walter Pater. on the other hand. IS too |
warmly commended, the glamour OF his style 1
being greatly overestimated. Mr.. Raleigh /
praises Rossetti too much. It is nonsense TO /
talk OF his ever showing "a stress Of thought a |
lyrical fervor and a high command OF the mani
fold chords q language which have not often /
been matched in the annals Of English poetry"
The generally adequate account Of Sir Walter
Besant Is disfFured by the petty remark /
Rpropos OF his labors in the interests Of authors
that his zeal In their behalf. testified 10 10y
great expenditure of time and work. led him
ultimately 10 be unduly suspicious and not a
little unfair to one OF the two partners IN the 1
business q publishing books" Mr.. James
Douglas. IN the course OF q glowing tribute 20
6Winburne, tells US that Il is not paradox, but
platitude, TO say that he is "one Of the most
religious poets Of our time" Ye gods and little
nshesi The short sketch OF Mrs. Richie con-
tains no reference TO the prefaces she wrote Tor
the biographical edition Of Thackeray. an omis-
tion especially noticeable since the prefaces in
Fs--s
depreciation OF the great novellst's protest
against being made the hero Of a Biography.
We observe with peculiar interest in the sketch
q Mrs. Humphry Ward the statement made
with reference TO Lady Roses Daughter" that
q is another novel OF society," depicting =
situation that recalls the relation Of Nile de
rEspinasse and Nine du Defand." when The
Tribune FIRST disclosed the Indebtedness OF this
book 20 the history OF Nile. de rEspinasse. and
pointed out that a formal acknowledgment from
Mrs. Ward would make good PREDATORY note
FOR her novel. there were not wanting SUPERIOR
persons who thought our remarks unknd. The
oiscreet sllusion to the subject which we have
sust quoted from the notice OF Mrs Ward IN
-Chsmberss" is g testimony to the reasonable
ness OF our demand which We are glad TO dnd
embodied IN q durable record
The closing pages OF this volume show NJ
Patricks policy IN a very dubious light Fol
lowing the body OF the work is a 'Conplemen-
t6-y List Of British Authors." and IN II We find
restricted each TO a few lines such names as
those OF Sir Edward Greasy Francis Gallon
George Du Msurier. Walter skeat. William f.
Norris. Augustine Birrell. George GIssing.
Maurice Hewlett and J. B. Bury, while space
Is easily saved IN the more distinguished pages
for william Hale White Edward Dowden VII
fItd Blunt. Sidney Colvin. Alice Neyneu. Fiona
Macleod. John Davidson. Israel ZanCwfn