The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-29
Some Biograpliea.

SOmo niO8TSpaucSs
How long will the reputation Of william
Cullen Bryant a. . poet survive the eensra-
ton that learned 'Thanatopsis' by heart
at SCHOOL, A few poems, certainly, VIII last;
more, perhaps, American patriotism may
keep alive, but his bold ss poet 70 not -
strong as 1t was generation ago, and the
| Bryant who was editor Of the Evening
Post and became tho Nestor Of American
letters seems to be taking the poets place.
| The certain lack OF enthusiaEm Il. perhaps
excusable in the biography written by
William Aspenwall Bradley for the English
Men OF Letters series, 'William Cullen
Bryant (Macmillans). The facts In Bry-
ants long life are all given conscientious,y.
especially those connected With Ids editor
III career, but less stress IL put on his poetry
than would have been, say nfty years ago.
| His remarkable achievement In trans
lating Homer after three score years and
ten had passed Is dealt With tenderiy but
rather as feat In man Of his ago than for
| It's poetic inertia Fairness, not enthu-
siasm, marks Mr.. Bradleys work
The four hundredth anniversary Of the
birth OF John Knox, which Is being OBJ
served this year In Scotland, wrongly.
| in all probability, according to DR.. Henry
Cowan In his John Knox, the Hero Of tho
Scottish Reformation e. p. Putnam's
Sons), makes q new biography timely
Dr. Cowan's book will be moro welcome
to scholars than to the general public,
for he devotes himself to deciding dis
puted points about his hero's career rather
than to presenting view Of the man him.
self. That a favorable view OF Kpox's
actions and che racter should be offered
Is perhaps natural, but historian, per-
haps, might look at matters from a diff
ferent standpoint than that Of the Scottish
Kirk. There is something to be said for
Mary Stuart and the Catholics.
Eloquence is tho distinctive mark Of Mr..
Charles F. Warwick's .Mirabeau and the
French Revolution. Facts are made
subservient to rhetorical phrases which will
hardly startle the reader by their novelty.
| It IL a style OF composition moro common
before the war than since history HIS been
made q scientific study. The book may
! be compared more ftly to Mr. Thomas E.
Watson's first volume Of the History Of
France than TO anything else We have seen
Of late.
Recently Thomas H. Benton has been
favored by several biographers. His name
has hardly suffered the almost total eclipse
OF which Mr.. Joseph H. Rogers speaks
in the preface to his Thomas II. Benton. .
George W. Jacobs 4 Co., PHILADELPHIA,
and to students OF American history. at
least, his memory survives in something
more than his Thirty Years. View Of the
United States Senate There is no doubt.
however, that mist, not wholly due to
time, is covering ante-bellum celebrities.
Mr. Rogers has done careful bit Of work.
which was worth doing.
MIR. r.. Herrick with . High Purpose.
1t Is too bad to see Mr.. Robert Herrick,
after the excellent work he has done. still
laundering around to find himself as he
does in .The Memoirs Of an American
Citizen" (Macmillans). He had graduated
from more or less conscious limitations Of
foreign models, and We had hoped that he
had risen above the stage Of sociological
satire. In this book, however. he returns
to a gloomy presentation Of American life
from the dreary standpoint OF citizens
unions and reform clubs.
There might be no harm In this from the
artistic point Of view II his interruptions
hero's actions were only logically coherent.
|
enough, but this IL the chief explanation
for the arbitrary steps In his hero's moral
downfall. A man might easily be accused
unjustly of theft in police court, or might
be opposed to tho Chicago Anarchists, or
might even be sincerely in the service Of .
trust without being called upon to bride
Judges or legislatures
The three women that Mr.. Herrick brings
into play are sketched cleverly, and would
have been interesting II they had not been
turned into fois to display the hero's tur-
pitude. Some OF his mon are good, too,
particularly the highly moral business
man who tries to cell out his associates.
They are all Twisted, nevertheless, into awful
examples to enforce the preaching. It
is not art. and II is not even sociology. II
a satire Vi the evils Of American life in the
form OF fiction Is to be effective, the author
must conceal his moral purpose and mako
his story tell the facts he wishes to condemn.
This Mr.. Herick has not done. He has
in iected wrong actions needlessly and
plainly for the purpose OF oondemning
them. He IL not only preaching, but he
makes his readers conscious that 1t Is his
intention to preach.
We have had an overdose Of sociological
and political novels Of late. It is not pleas
ant to fnd Mr.. Herrick turning his talents
into that direction.
A Sane Book a Russia.
For people who wish to understand tho
disturbances that arc occurring in tho
| C.a ia douinfona no more useful book will