New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-13
Joe" KNIGHT.
Some RecoUections Of a LoUable
Man of Letters.

IIdH OF LeII6TS.
In referring recently to the death of Joseph
Knight the dramatic critic OF The Atheneum'
and the editor Of Notes and Queries" We spoke
OF the delicate courtesy governing all his writings
and the warmth of feeling with which he
regarded by his readers and friends. The notices
in the English papers which have since come to
hand lay particular stress upon his lovable
traits. Even the sharp-tongued Saturday Re-
view" takes. for the nonce. afTectionate tone.
saying, Another light is put out How apt
Thackerays phrase Of life in this world.
Does not one feel OF some lights that when they
put out there must be total darkness? Joe
knight one OF these. Who did not know
him? Who hos not had kind word from him."
The clever Max" IN another column Of the
same paper. pays tribute 10 his senior in dra-
matte criticism. He speaks OF him as having
been always a salient presence in the theatre.
"Pictorially the audience had always seemed 20
Compose around him. This was so even IN re-
cent months, when old age had caught him up
at last, robbing his face OF It's rich color. and
contracting his huge frame and keeping him
silent and inamobile in the entr'actes throughout
which he had been wont to watt, with much
wagglng of his exuberant gray beard stentorian
jokes TO friends and acquaintances seated at the
utmost distances from himself"
Knight was born bohemian Mr.. Beerhohm
speaks of him as sitting up till unearthly hours
at his club ever listening or discourstng with a
convivlal eusto that the envy OF n younger
and less robust generation" He criticised the
drama not only for The Athen9um' but for
certain daily publications In the Chronicle
there is this note the manner in which he
disposed OF burdens which the average journal
st would shrink from assuming;
After a first nights performance the veteran
would hasten TO the Office OF morning conten-
porary and there write his first notice OF the play,
after which he would drive 70 his home, in Camden
Square and prepare q second repOrt-thls for an
evening paper-in time for the a. collection OF
letters. In order to avoid Journey TO the pillar
box At this early hour which might have resulted
in his contracting chill. he had an arrangement
with q worlingnan 70 call for his letter ana posi-
IT. This man was accustomed 10 pass Mr.. knights
residence every day shortly before a ul and MS
instructions were 70 tap at the door whenever nc
SAW the gas burning When the house was in dark
ness he knew that his services were not required
Mr. Vernon Kendall. his associate on both
The Athen@um" and Notes and Queries
contributes some delightful recollections OF him
TO those journals. He describes him as coming
10 London rather late the son of a Yorkshire
cloth worker. without university training. but
with a wide knowledge Of literature and an
amazing zest for It. What he read he ren1em-
bered Mr.. Kendall tells Of his meeting Rider
Haggard Just when that novelist's Jess" was
being talked about, and Immediately adapting
"Othello" in this wise
If 60 prove him Hasgard.
Though that his Jesss were my dear heart-strings
I'd whistle him off
His friend observes that the manner OF his
coming 20 London curious. He was on a
Jury and his questions were so striking that
he was told that he ought at once to take 20 the
bar He duly became barrister. and joyous
denizen Of the Temple; but again he was led
by chance to take up the business Of the rest
of his life-criticism' The chance was meet
ing with Mr.. John Morley. who asked him TO
write on the drama in The Pail Mall Gazette"
and thenceforth his career was settled. He did,
as we noted the other day, much miscellaneous
writing MI Kendall says that 'in Judging
poetry he was at his best" and that In other
fields also he wrote with distinction 1t is men
toned that when FroUde was editing 'Frasers
Magazine" he gave Knight special praise and
n special price for article on religious move
rnents In Spain at the time OF the 1nQuisition
From the time Of his joining the STAFF of THE
Athenrurn.' in 1861 he was not only response
HE for all of the dramatic criticism IN the paper
but wrote numbers Of its reviews OF books. IN
cIudinr many of Tennysons volumes. Lord
Houghton told him that he would give some
wears Of his life TO know and XIII the man VINO
reviewed him in The Athep@um' (Aprh /, 1870
His collected 'Poetical Works were described as
a little above the bards who celebrate domestic
affection and household incidents. AT his best
he approaches Proctor, at his worst he subsidies
n the level of Eliza Cook The recipient OF this
threat the culprlt Dut remained uilhio"H
and unScathed.
or one achievement knight especially
nroud He played a very important part in the
bringing over to London, in 1871 of the entire
company of the Coincide FRANCHISE, ana there
ba felt he helped to make history. Apropos OF
his relations with things Continental-and they
went far including contributions written IN
French for lie Livre'-a writer in the "Chron-
icIe" has q quaint anecdote to tell:
Cro r,ecen1her he received from prominent for
.,gp actor a purse containing handsome sum. TO-
Cstber with a note from the donor intimating that
! he would eat his Christmas dinner with more
nIeesure II the critic would accept the gift Knight
retrned the money, and in his letter OF reply eX-
Draseod the opinion that the actor did not under
etand the conditions Of English Journalism. He
adGsd however that he would retain the empty
nurse as a souvenir OF friendship Strictly speak
ing said Knight, when referring to this incident
IT was weak in keeping the purse. but the actor
vgas a friend of mine and didn't wish 10 snub
hin, >, ON another occasion he had a tempting
aesor from the person who made his clothes Call
Inc ono dav TO settle his account he was asked by
- tailor why he paid his bill. Not little as
tonished at this apparently extraordinary question
1Sntqht nausea, and then answered; Well It's
rotbar absurd of me. certainly didn't see II In
that light before and promise you won't Go It
egain The tailor thereupon entered into the de-
ta,Is NJ a proposition that had been long in his
mind Knight was to give him hattering notice
IN one OF the newspapers TO which he was at