The San Francisco call., 1908-07-05
'1ife aHt letters Of Herbert Spencer"
BY David Duncan. LID. Publis
Appleton & Co.. New York.

BY David Duncan. LID. Published by D.
Appleton & Co.. New York.
SO few years have elapsed since the
autobiography Of Herbert Spencer ap-
peared that a few words of explana-
zion seem necessary 10 introduce this
two volume book The autobiography
was one Of the most remarkable writ
ings Of that nature that has ever been
published and so voluminous that it
would seem as il no more could be
said but that il was far from
complete no man knew better than
Spencer himself. About IS years
ago he exacted q promise from DR..
Duncan, then his secretary, to write
his life. Many changes occurred in
tle lives OF the two men and some Of
them took Dr. Duncan 10 India. Sp,n-
Ger made other arrangements about his
life. but they were unsatisfactory and
fell through and as late as May. 1873.
he wrote 10 Duncan saying. Does the
assent which you gave years ago still
hold, and is il likely TO hold?' On
receiving an affirmative answer he IN
serted the following paragraph in his
wills
l request that the said David Dun
can shall write a biography in one
volume q moderate size. in whicn shall
Lt Lll-D- pUl aLeQ EACl DlDEEU p4ilfettl ma
terials as / have thought IL best not
10 use myself. together with sucn Sc
lected correspondence and such unpub-
i-sced papers as may seem Of value,
and shaG include the fronuspiece por-
trait and the profile portrait. and shall
add 10 tx q brief account Of The part
Of my life which has passed since the
date at which the autobiography con-
cludes
Dr. Duncan has done the best pos
sible under the circumstances. The
autobiography told OF Spencer's life
TO 1882. Spencers remaining p years
were filed with interest, and besides
their many events Of vital Importance
much correspondence Of the earlier
years was omitted IN the autobiog-
raphy. so that DR.. Duncan was obliged
10 give two thick volumes TO his work.
Even so, il is all too brief.
Dr. Duncan was a close friend Of
Spencer and his narrative Of this re-
markabIe mans life is singularly clear
and Illuminating. II opens with the
family history and ancestry and then
takes Spencer himself from his birth
10. old age and death. Mr. Spencer"
says his biography, was impressed
with the truth that ones estimate of
ones self is sure 10 err on the side of
excess or defect" Many new facts are
brought out in DR.. Duncan's book
many personal details Of character. his
courage. energy. pride and self-conh-
dence. For all his intellectual capacity
and his amazing insight, Spencer was
bad critic and most impatient. Il
lustratIg that point a little story
about Stevenson is worth quoting. 1t
appears thar g friend asked Spencer in
the later years OF his life what he
thought of Stevenson. Spencer re-
piled that he had glanced through the
Travels With a Donkey" once, and,
not liking the way Stevenson rtated
the donkey had never cared 70 read
aay more Of him.
A pretty little incident is recorded
rs having taken place in 1850 Spencer
Lad just published his New Psyehol-
ogy-
Al this time he wrote to lord Tenny-
son and said:
II happened TO be rereading your
poem. The Two Voices. and coming
TO the verse:
or if thro' lower lives / came,
Tnro' all experience past became
Consolidate in mind and frame
it occurred TO me that you might like
to glance through a book which ap-
plies to the elucidation Of mental SCI
ence the hypothesis TO which you re-
fer T. therefore. beg your acce ptance
Of Psychology which I send by this
post"
These volumes by DR.. Duncan de-
serve only praise. 10 one interested
In Spencer who has read the auto
biography can afford to neglect this
work -Not the least interesting part
Of Il is that devoted TO his friends of
the scientific world. Here we read
ssch great names as Youmans, Huxley,
Gladstone. TyndaH Darwin, John
stuart Mil G. H. Lewis and many
others equally wei known.
il is OF special interest today to OBJ
serve that Spencer was bitterly op-
posed TO socialism and that he re-
garded the individual as the highest
generalization" He was as rabidly in
favor Of democracy as he was against
socialism. One OF his spoken SEN
tences shows his democratic feeling:
BE their rank or position what it may,
from emperors and kings downward,
those who have done nothing for their
fellOW-men 7 decline TO honor. 1 honor
those only who have benefited man.
kind, and as one OF them honor
Columbus.