The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-22
A RrRIsh seAosl,nastss.

books Of a somewhat popular character
it Ia his schoolmastsr side that Oscar
BROwNINO. NJ A.. dRslls On chiefly in
Memories Of SiniB Years al EiOn. Gem
bUidgs and ElssWhsTs (JOhn- Lane Com
panyl. and Il IL likely that IL lsas atsaOher
that he n best known and regarded among
his associates in England rhs emphaais
ON his Rton years a. pupil and master 10
made more marhed by Mr.. BFuWning's
disreGaFding the title Of his boa& and de-
libsrately closing his "reminiscences at a
''Ats q quarter Of a century back. when
lis university career had only started.
In thu main. therefore. the picture pre-
sented IL that Of the social side In the life
Of a master in the most aristocratic OF
English pubic schools. for even On the
vacation trips on which Mr.. Browning's
memories dwell most fondly he was ac-
companied by one or more pupila Of high
social standing. amoag thom Gerald
BalfOur and George N. Curaon. In sue
oessive summers he managed 20 cover
nearly all Of Europe and. whether abroad
or at home, mingled with the best people
and was intimate with many distinguished
persons. Il Ia provoking therefore that.
with such opportunities for interesting
descriptions and anecdotes Of tina famous
people he met. he should restrict himself
almost to a list Of names. and lsavs the
reader TO supply his own knowledge 20
each allusion On the other hand, besides
the acquaintance with Mr.. Browning's
own amiable and dominant personality
the reader will gain a clear idea ofthe
peculiar and strong personal relations
that exist between pupil and taaoher IN
the pubic schools and the universities
Of England. sr'. .-
Mr.. Browning cleans tho ground by
ASSURING us OF the antiquity Of bis family.
IL migrated TO England from Fnesland
somewhere between the fifth and the
ninth centuries. well aheadaOf William
the COnqueror. He wAnders pleasantly
through his pedigree. showing how
respectable the social standing Was Of
the branch from which he 10 deseended-
He regrets tina, Robert Browning could
not, according to Dr. Furnivall. trace his
ancestry beyond the eighteenth century
and that no connection can be shown
with the BroWninGs TO whom he himself
belongs. He was we'll acquainted with
the poet and his family. though he speaks
Of them usually with a certain condPacen-
sion. The Identity Of nams caused
people occasionally 10 take Oscar for
Robert. and this. Mr. Browning notes.
seemed 90 annoy the poet sometimes. a.
he thinks, unaccOuntably. The portraits
Of the short. hlmp historian may suggest
one reason. and the revelations Of char
acter contained in the Memories may
lead the reader to suspect otherA Mr.
Browning dearly loves a great man; he
delights in mentioning tho society people
with whom he has friendly reln4ions
and the rank which his pupils and friends
attained in later life. He IL fond Of the
classics aud may not have had the deepest
understanding Of ROl,are Browning's
poetry. For Instance on q trip 90 Norway
with the future Bishop Weldon he says;
4 suppose had 40 httls time for private
reading in the sohOOltime that ] made
the most Of my holidays for that purpose
On board the Hull boat We Rad Brown
inW's 'Soriello' in the intervals 81 sen
sickness and obtained explanations %
what We could not understand from Bob
Lowe
Il was at Eton that Mr. Browning was
brought up. he proceeded thence 10 Kings
ColIege. Cambridge. to which he returned
in later years a. lecturer in history. and
where he took a fellowship In lisa. which
he still retains. AZ he never mArSied lie
dwells on the physical di-oomfOrts andthe
shortcomings Of the teaching az Rton in
the early ifties. but says little Of his own
school life. Al Cambridge his UNDER
graduate intimateS were, among Others.
Henry Sidgwick. Jebb and Sir George
Otto Trevelyan. lie returned ~ ktOn
as master. holding che place from 1880
10 1876: he had a house. which wa. man
aged by his mother and sister, and on
deavOred 20 give the forty boys who
lived with him the comforts and sur
roundingS they would have had at home.
His description Of this reform n the most
interesting chapter in the book. He be-
lieved The teachers chief duty was 20
develop character. and imthe case Of hiss
own school, 20 train the boyA for the
public life they would probably engage
in. He gives his theOriesas 10 what they
should be taught: he is a strong advocate
OF the classics A opposed u the sciences;
he objects strongly 70 the specialization
TO which modern education H. Inclined.
His opposition 10 German methods
makes the NJ. A. he appehds 10 his name
in a manner a sign Of protest against
degrees initiated from Germany. Among
the more interesting notes u foreign
travel are his observations on the sec
ondary schools he visited In Germany.
France and Italy. Most emphatic. how
ever. In hos protest against the growth
Of athletics in the schools. he fought
against the invasion 20 earnestly that no
attributes his arbitrary dismissal from
his mastsrship at Eton 10 the stand he
took against athletics.
He kept up his teaching in the long
vacations which arm the fashion m Eng
laad. taking pupils with him twice a year
to various parts u the Omlinent These
pupils we're invariably on hixh social
standing. who oonaortsd when travelling
with persons 81 their own raak and often
had access for Themselves and their tutor
10 the best society IN the countries they
visited. The pupil d whom Mr. Brown
ing speaks with graatsst aaection and
pride n Mr.. Gerald BaliOur.. with whom
he travelled and with whose family he
became intimate. Another travelling
-