New-York tribune., 1906-10-25
"A, Unconscious Humorist ON the
Subject of George Washington.

q PutnamS Sons.
,s,s addition TO the Heroes of the Nations.
-sas is not likely to add to the renow, o.,
.,,,s- washington or the author The scone or
-. ssries does not necessarily fnvolve contrib-
-.,rs TO Il in original research or demand or
.s,n any profound degree of scholarship but
~. reader does expect an intelligent lively an
,rscstion Of the personages dealt with. a
yorthy setting forth of their heroic qualities
snd representative character. Professor J. A.
harrison OF the University Of Virginia, to whom
TIE publishers have intrusted the preparation of
.bs volume Washington. seems quite 10 have
missed his point Of direction. In the case of a
hero about whom so much has been written.
pr,s.ssor Harrison could well be excused for
not attempting TO say anything new. but he
,eht at least be expected to handle his IA
nniar material in a fresh and attractive man
,sr What he has actually done is to give a
h-sef historical resume Of the period in which
Washington lived, patched out with long and
rsrious quotations from other writer's and with
many Of WashingtoIs own letters. taken from
the collection made by Paul Leicester Ford
Els personal contributions to the volume are
couched IN terms Of hyperbole. garnished with
classical illusions and far fetched metaphors.
Il chapter Enthusiastically entitled In
.hs Tragical Wood" and descriptive OF Brad
docks disastrous campaign, Professor Harrison
quotes Lieutenant Leslie as writing: "I cannot
describe the horrors Of that scene''-he was re-
ssrring TO the attack made by the Indians and
the rout OF Braddock's forces-"no pen could do
II The yell OF the Indians is fresh on my ear,
snd the terrific sound will haunt me to the hour
Of ny dissolution" This is how Professor Har-
rson. 10 whom the yell is but an historical allu-
sion, boldly attempts put the lieutenant to
possible:
This yell came from 900 throats multiplied s0oo
or perhaps 5000 by the sinister Teverberations OF
The midsummer wildwood, whose grewsone recesses
variations OF the harsh and thunderous nymph
Echo. whose silent realm had been invaded. It
seerned indeed, as il the wrath Of the great god
lowers Of he raging underworld Of myth and
airy had suddenly been let loose TO swarm upward
n Invisible wrath and might in defence OF their
fame; the depths of the sombre Aneghanies be-
Ss%9 ia A s9ke th9qsand 7a galiant Eng Eng
pierced with bullets. tomahawked scaped. in every
bloody. .ieI=ss slreWn for miles in scarlet hor-
ror along the road which had been the magnet Of
their destruction, a road which for them had led
~ he verT begnDing Of the Christian era his
ssme most memorable tragedy had been enacted on
German soil, with Roman soldiers and imperial
Seven Hills behind it, and al the entique imperial
.T5uIse IiPeaTents have come down in the chs
tned beauty Of the Young Augustus, stood in his
En B Ps s 9d bsndE 5ds and TSq cPS 1 Ts+s sr
vsris, give me back my legtons"
It is. however. when treating of the female
sect that Professor Harrison really casts the
hobbies OF his Pegasus and mounts on equine
wings to the untTammeIled spaces Of the
Empyrean. Take the following from his "appre-
ciation" Of Martha Washington:
She was perfect Cor, II you will. an imperfecD
type Of that matronly Virginian woman, of whom
suggestive images hung in every ripening fruit
q e 6s M F I o a4 fa9 G OF the haeg & S4dlSg' bs
Sbs he'd gown IN in tfaf oiS ViTei1ia gTacinns
earning. high-spiTtted without the grand air.
e The EVELYN Byrds, or the ladies' that cast in
Gifrey, yet mistress Of fan more than merely this:
Lthtul 70 ne daily task, tenacious as De Sevigne
be friendship once formed II is perhaps fortunate
fnated down 70 US & benign presence. perfume,
seoise over whom generations have 'g5siC Wept, Just
TIE wife for Washington, one cannot help thinking
Mrs. Anna Benneson McMahan is indefati-
gable in following the Italian experiences OF the
English poets. She has made book about the
Brownings in Florence, and another about Shell
icy ip Italy, and she brings out third
compilation Of a similar character. with Byron
IN Italy" Chicago: a. c. AIcClurg & Coz. It is
not very easy for reader who knows his Byron
70 adjust himself TO the atmosphere of book
Ike this. He remembers the passion, the
strength and the tragic note in the poets
career; ne remembers all that is mastery in his
work, and somehow he IS in mood to allow
u1vialiues TO come between him and that splen-
did genius. There IS surely something trivial
about the present volume. The compiler finds
IN "Childe Harold" an aIlusion to 1.-The starry
Calico. with his woes" She reproduces It be-
meath photograph of the monument TO Calico
IN Santa Croce. Byron speaks OF the Column
Of Phocas IN this wise
Tuly was not so eloquent as thou
Thou nsmeless column with the buried base
whereUpon we are vouchsafed a photograph of
the monument and q note explaining that ex-
osvatons in 1904 brought TO light a date placing
TIE column IN the time of Diocletian. We sup
pose We ought to be grateful but the truth is
hat We would rather trace Byron's footsteps in
Italy and his debt to the inspiration that she
holds for the poet, IN HIS own writings, without
he Intervention Of photographs or Mrs. Nc
Sahan's particular kind OF annexation. On the
ether hand, it is TO be said for her book that
Il brings together from his poems and letters
much with which many a reader might fail to
become acquainted under ordinary circunl-
Stances. After ALL the bulk OF this volume is
made Up Of Byrons own words, and since every
new reader for Byron is a new reader for liter
AZURE IN the best sense, popular Introduction
70 him Ike the one In hand is possibly not pub
AShed IN vain. Mrs. McMahan uses Judgment
IN her quotations, and her photographs are In
themselves attractive.
We have recently had occasion TO refer to the
Storm raised in England by the Times" Book
Club. which insists upon doing things that the
publishers do not like. Pretty nearly every
writing man in the kingdom seems to be taking
hand IN the controversy. and, Of course, Mr..
Andrew Lang does not fail US. But he takes the