The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-02
II

All through the nine years Of his editor
ship Of the Dictionary Of National Biog-
raphy the letters TO Norton and other friends
go on. In January, 1884, Stephen writes
somewhat patronizingly about Matthew
Arnold, who, perhaps, was a bit over
rated in the United States: my own
feelings about Arnold are mixed. When
/ read his lecturings-his we and his
bits Of
of life, and SO OMIT sets my teeth on
edge and makes me revolt. But I seri-
ously hold him to be a very good poet
and to be substantially a simple minded.
well meaning person. About this time,
sufficiently exacting, he agreed to lecture
for three years on English literature at
Cambridge. but resigned the lectureehip
at the end of a year. Why he resigned
he tells Norton: Il had a large class,
limited chiefly by the small size OF the
rooms, consisting mainly Of young women
from the ladies' colleges. The female
student is at present an innocent animal
who wants to improve her mind and take
in a. the Lenten lectures seriously, not
understanding with her brother students
that the object Of study is to get a good
place in the examination and that lectures
are a vanity and a distraction" Another
reason for his announcement Of the lecture
ship was that he felt keenly the absurdity
Of repeating the weary old criticisms upon
Pope and Addison and wondered increas-
ingly that any one could care to hear me
read articles which I should regard as too
trite for a magazine" They could have
got up the subject in half the time from
two OF three books. Stephen would never
allow his Cambridge lectures on English
literature to be printed.
As early as December, 1880, Stephen had
To put the work of editing the dictionary
into commission, only performing a kind OF
supervision, and in the volume for March.
1890, the name Of his collaboration, Sidney
Lee, appeared on the title page with his
own Stephen hoped that a short visit
to the United States might give him
strength enough to sustain a lair share of
the EDITORIAL drudgery. One part Of his
errand to America was sad. He was going
to see Lowell, who was Tito see him for
the last time. He went in June, and was
back in July having been made in the mean
time an honorary doctorof laws at Harvard.
He now resumed work with vigor, but early
in the spring Of the following year was
told peremptorily by physicians that there
must be no more editing. Accordingly
he resigned all connection with the editor
ship, though he continued to contribute
articles. Writing in June, 1891, he tells
Norton that he feels that a great weight
has been taken of his shoulders. He can
now work only at congenial subjects and
at his own time. Il have been looking ovsr
certain old papers to see II I can conooct
such a book as you suggested TO mean
Agnostio's Apology'-and l shall. I think
be able 70 manage It. You will be In a
great measure responsible for that and
other encouragement I am also working
at Bentham and the Mills. OF whom I think
that l can make a tolerably interesting
story" So he did In the -Utiitarians .
This book, which, as We have seen. had
been thought of before the dictionary was
conceived. and to which Stephen had oiven
much thought at intervals ever since he.
came henceforth the principal subject of
his labor, though 1t was temporarily pushed
aside. first by AN Agnostic's Apology.
then by the Life Of Sir j. F. Stephen
This Is the place to mention thtt Stephen
n Of those freethinkers who never
shrank from stating in the plainest terms
his rejection OF Christian dogma. That
dogma seemed to him not only untrue
but harmful. He never was in the I'M
happy plight OF those who fear to see the
spread Of their W beliefs and disbeliefs.
What was good enough for him was good
enough for the masses. He was not. In
deed, SO sanguine as to think that a mil
lennium OF r~ationalism was near at hand.
neither did he think that men were forever
doomed N mistake legend for history and
fable for fact.
In October, 1891, Norton was preparing
TO publish a memorial TO Lowell, and by
way OF assisting him Stephen sent copies
OF Lowell's letters 10 himself. He notes