New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-05-16
CHATTERTON.
Il Nezc Interpretation of an Obscure
Episode.

| EWSOde.
THOMAS cHATTERToN. THE MARVELLOUS
BOY The Story Of a Strange s0d Life BY Charles
| Edward Russell. svo. PIP ss Monat' Yard
| & Co
! This study Of the famous young poet and
"forger" of Bristol is brilliant moving picture
| fashioned out Of tag-ends Of facts and depicting
[ a nfelike Chatterton about whom only critics
| care to ask whether it is the real Chatterton
But the historians supreme virtue, caution, gets
trife stiff in the joints through lack OF needful
exercise at a few points in this charming oiog-
raphy Mr. Russells excessive admiration for
Chatterton's writings which leads him to rank
| the Bristol boy second only to Shakespeare In
his stimulating influence upon English poetry
and in the sureness Of his inspiration. tempts the
hiographer TO descend now and then, but grace
fu,lv into the easy path OF the apologist. The
evidences OF this descent are not to be FOUND
in the authors conclusions about Chatterton
and the causes of his misfortunes; they may De
discerned solely in the suspicious facility with
which out OF the most meagre facts the Dog
rapher extracts farreaching proofs Pfooapiy
nobody knows enough about Chatterton's life 10
pronounce Mr. RusseIrs Interpretation erroneous
in any important respect: but, just because
Chattertcns motives and his relations Win va
rious contemporaries are SO faintiy re'ea'eu'
,,.r,, ,oe;,ive statement about these must be
read calmly
Mr. Russell's purpose is Ito do something 10
clear from caIumny and undeserved reproach the
memory of of the greatest minds ana sweet
est souls that ever dwelt upon this EARTH In
this programme the writer includes the peaaon'
task of proving that all the ISLANDERS aimed AT
Chatterton originated in the venomous fnlho Oh
Horace Walpole. whom the youthrui poet Oh
Tended most srievously IN variety OF ways IL
ube this novel recaSt or ira
ditions is more interesting than the acquittal
which Mr. Russell finds for his hero on the
charge of literary forgery, or more important
than the fiattering opinion the biographer lorihs
a bout Chattertons political views ana 1riehaS
But surely, so far proofs are concerned these
latter points are more worthy OF consideration
than the walpoIe hypothesis, in which the
author almost certainly overloads some souhd
facts with broad congratulations. Beyond ques-
tion Walpoe behaved disgracefully in keeping
some of the Rowey manuscripts consigned TO
him, bv Chatterton and in retorting to the poets
political gibes with malicious ISLANDERS against
tho vouth's character But is Mr.. Russell not
towing with the improbable when he pretends to
trace all wicked stories about Chatterton back
to a statesman who could scarcely have found
either the time or the inclination to take mere
bow so seriously? Does not the hypothesis seem
still more shaky when we consider that the
author himself bears testimony TO the host OF
enemies which Chatterton made in Bristol and
london with the terrible fail OF his pen? 1t
is not unreasonable to grant that Walpole did
far more than any other single person to perpet-
nate harsh tales about the boy, but more than
this is risky conjecture
Similar objections cannot be raised against Mr.. |
RusselPs account of Chatterton's "forgeries, nor
against his story of the lads political affiliations
Apart from few details these two interpreta- |
tons have as high a probability as any based |
m the known facts could boast They square |
very well not only with the parslmonious rec |
,rds but equally well with what we all know |
bout boy nature. With admirable skill the |
biorrapher shows that the circumstances under |
which the Rowley poems were written and the |
manner in which they were used take all the
.ting ont of the reproach aimed at their "forger"
The influence of ST. Mary Radcliffe, a beautiful
church. upon this little Bristol waif. must have
been quite as profound as it is thus asserted to
nave been:
The church everything to ,a him. Pl ays and
friend it took al the pace bee Gi there and
nd he gathgrsd the 1rsgmsn rsbS Of fhs
this Of MiI Paee aSe @
Of % the s eneat 9ns Of his
,rain made them seem living to him.
The crude writing of his limitations Of old Eng
ish verse upon old parchment. tinted still more
r,dely TO match the color Of age-yellowed man
,scrpt. was In itself no more heinous nor more
unnatural than any modern twelve-year-old
,oy's .counterfeiting' OF postage stamps and
oins. And can anybody who has ever met
nov shake his head solemnly at the quick
v,,ted lads little 1ests at the expense of some
ain bieoted selfish and cruel townsmen whom
10 yariousiy delighted. puzzled and tormented
With hi. homemade eenealogies and ancient
ani,v histories? Specifically, at least, the
lea ..Only a boy cannot excuse Chattertons
,ter attempts to sell his antiques" for proht;
mt the biographer recalls that other parties.
blv a surgeon Of questionable character. had
hand in these commercial enterprises. and that
,s,ory affords not the slightest evidence to
how that Chatterton's opinion Of the ethics Of
no ease had not been moulded by these persons
,or those whom negative arguments have I'M
,oved Mr. Russell has a whole broadsde Of
,ore direct ones. individually little weak.
arhap. but strong as cumulative evidence.
finch that he says on this score might have been
orne in mind when he approached the topic of 6
ba.terton's political activities The rene I
ades" and .Ibertines" for whom the seventeen !
ear-o.d Bristol boy wrote more than three c