New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-10-19
'q q; the MACMILLAN COMPANY ''s ~ ,9 q a''

four Read him on King Bagenal the Irish
autocTat OF the eighteenth century who would
have the caret fetched in after dinner in an
unbroached casS, and made It his practice Ito
tap the cask with a bullet from one of his pis-
tolls. whilst he kept the other pistol ia terrorem
for any Of his convives who should fail In doing
ample justice 10 the wine" Read him. too. on
The Great Centaurs," especially John Mytton.
Nothing could be more different. as he remarks.
from the ordinary routine OF a literary man.
than the rakehelly life OF a Mytton. but that IS
just why Mr. Lucas loves to rore over his MIN
rod" with the prints by Aiken and Rawlins and
To pass on the fun to his readers in this wise:
And, lastly. the spirited picture Of the famous
incident Of the guest and the gig. by which, in
many persons minds. Mytton lives: Was you ever
john OF a friend whom ne is driving in one Of
pectiag man. forgetting with whom he had to deal.
FOR never was upset in one" What! replied
slow fellow you must have been all your life," and
running MS near wheel up the bank. over they
greatness The superb foOhardness OF it; the eX-
trophe impulse and action being one; the reckless
ness not only Of his own iife but his friends for
bic to a small man.
More than one bold personality figures in Mr.
Lucas's pages. One OF his best essays is writ
ten around the meeting. well remembered by
readers OF Boswell. between Dr. Johnson and
that Oliver Edwards who had tried In his time
to be a philosopher, but could not keep it up
because "cheerfulness was always breaking in"
But this essayist does not always need an i'm
portant' theme. He IS delightful on "the little
things as witness the following:
Of tbs my 2oL misfortune to be Just too late for
Once, for example. walking with NATURALIST IN
81, leonard forest ana tagging for some min
ing the day.. joined him just as he was standing
aS sun f. G,5 stone watching bank ii you had
seen snake swallow her young That is the
Again. last year, went to stay in house under
lhe south Downs, close 10 a little spinney. and
was met by the news that old vixen had cubs
mere ana every one had seen them playing to-
lady that know we'll who cares S'n nothing t2i for for
had lost se fnf near GV Th small fox cub that
nursed it in her arms l. who would value such
and never lind anything. Even moies elude me ts'e
y, win the exciting untoward Incidents of civilized
loved race for some hours and left each as it
turned out afterward, only minute or so before
fHe mast or one f or the Yachts was carried away.
prises little that is unusual Horses have always
are always out Men in fits have rec Sr%Te 'lreS
h h mere Is an GN t now and then and
before only heard and had much wanted to sea I
have seen cat carrying her kittens.
The light touch and the winning humor which
Mr.. Lucas brings to the composition of his es-
says, he has also brought to the compilation of
The Gentlest Art" epistolary anthology
which actually owes almost much to the edi-
tors arrangement and headings as it owes IN
the classics drawn upon The divisions are ac-
cording to mood. Children and Grandfathers"
have the first one, and here you may see how
Lord jeffrey of The Edinburgh Review be-
comes very human" how John Keats is
pleased to be uncle" Then come Dickens
Walpole, FitzGerald and others as 1.-THE News
Bearers" and in further groups you have exam
pies of 1.-THE Familiar Manner 1.-THE Grand
Style" "Urbanity and Nonsense" and so on.
There are even "Six Postscrlpts.' The editor is
not ambitious. He does not claim 10 rival the
two volumes prepared by Mr.. MUMMY to which
we were referring the other day. He simply
brings together a number of the most charm
ing letters in literature, and adds to them
charm of his own.
For other Literary News eighth page.