New-York tribune., 1907-03-31

The fate that overtakes the heroes Of most
biographies has received striking illustration In
the case of Walter Pater. There wass % begin
with, no particular reason why g. whole book
about him should ever have been written A
man Of letters in the bookish sense rather than
a creative artist in literature: personality with
no remarkable traits. and q member OF society
who never had any especially interesting eX-
periences. he was Just the type 90 be adequately
celebrated In an essay or in a page or two OK
some encyclopaedia But this is an age OF book
making Mr. A C. Benson took Pater in hand
for the English Men OF Letters series. and
gave therein a too fervid account OF his author
Now Mr. Wright has composed two pOrtentOus
volumes upon the theme. We are not surprised
at the length OF this later narrative MI
Wright has already shown in his biographies OF
| Omar FftzGerald and OF ARABIAN Nights
Burton that he has a fOible for bOOkmakins
Of this sort Two volumes by him on "Marius
Pater were. no doubt TO be expected as matter
OF course But why in the world they should
have got themselves written. save 70 satisfy
Mr. Wright we cannot for the life OF US con-
ceive Mr. Wright himself thinks that he has
convicted Mr. Benson of certain errors OF com
mission and omission These errors. if they are
70 be accepted such. do not strike US as neins
Of any consequence whatever
What Mr.. Wright does in this vOIuminous
work IS TO acCumuldlG luuUAlCl3oAC OONe---@ NN~~
are scarcely necessary TO a proper appreciation
OF Pater as a man or as author His school
DAYS cannot be made seriously interesting IL
does not matter that he had no sympathy with
the sports Of the other boys" and that "Whiie
others were dashing about with torn clothes
and glowing cheeks he preferred to stand sheI-
tered and undamaged In n corner with shlVeTlns
frame and blue nose" Millions OF schoOiboys
have so shiyered and so suffered as to their
fo
biographer He does not seem TO realize that
all his talk about the bOyish or youthful Paler
and his intimates is merely superhOuS and duIL
His details are the more wearisOme for the
reason that he does not seem to have grasped
Pater's character at all. 90 have formed IN MS
mind a well-rOunded image Of the man ne mas
sought to interpret Indeed Of anything Ike
convincing spiritual Interpretation. this book ls
pathetically innocent Speaking Of the paper m
which he supposes Pater to have found himself
as an Intellectual type. he says: "HencefOrth.
we repeat Walter Pater was % be Walter Paters
and as a result he stands quite apart from his
contemporaries. He is isolated. and. to use a
fayorite word Of his own. cOlumnar- The plaid
white. marmOreal. mOnastic. subtle. eQuaDle'
nebuIOus soul stands self-revealed-" There Is
only one word that hts this amazing pronounce
ment-hifaIGtin- There is another passage OK
Mr.. Wrights that we must quote: HE is the
poet OF the hot. moist conservatory rather than
OF the dew-wet and the hOOf-dented field"
HOOf-dented field! That Is jewel Of a phrase
One note Of Mr.. WFisht'S on Pater and his
friends has a certain interest for those who may
be curious about the origin OF "Marius the
Epicurean-" IL seems that when the essayist
met Mr. II c. Jackson he fascinated by
that gentieman'S varied learning Though Mr..
Jackson but twenty-six he was. we are told.
'an authority Dante and Greek art a PIatOn-
ist. Monk. Re-UniOnist. an authority
on poetry. sculpture. painting and music
Pater was positively excited by his neW-fOund
friends attachments. Il am dumfOundedr' ne
exclaimed 'I will write book about him
He did so. the book being 'Marius the E,picure-
an" But must give Mr. Wrights own wOrIs
on this mOmentOus event in the history OF Ietters
One day Pater. after producing a number of
been making notes. said 90 Mr. Jackson See, 4
told you 1 would write a book about and
have sucked your veins dry. / will begin
There must be no personalities Interrupted
Mr. Jackson
Certainly nOt" followed Pater. but since
have taken the bloom OF the peach. the fragrance
from the rose. and the breath from the Iy-eVen
as the hyacinth Sprang from the blood of EIya-
swell try fame 90 kiss pOSteFity Herewith"
It a curiOusly stiltcd speech. but one emf
nently Characteristic OF PateF. who then added II
am glad TO write about you. for. owing TO YOU my
life has been enTiched-itS minStFeISy SWeled'
The remark led Mr.. Jackson COMPOSE on
spot some hearted but rather efTIIsfys
stanzas. the last OF which ran as follows