New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-14
GEe 2ye1l acosl.} Dock oo1Gs!s itb>11ole2
SUNDAY. AUGUST II. 1910

IF the darker side of Byron's private life
must forever be occupying attention it would
ot least Ike a comfort to have it overhauiei
and pronounced upOn by Mr.. Lang. lie Is an
expert in the analysis of troublesome hlstofi-
cal questions. and his detective SIKH Is equtlIeu
only by his consunlmate good taste. III Inc
Fortnicbtly" he shows with what ability and
tact he could sift the whole dreary business
begun by Mrs Stowe and so cruelty revived ny
the late Lord LOvelace five years ago Ii lie
hut chose 10 undertake the task. when ME-
Richard Edgcunibe published his byron: the
Last Phase the book turned out to be an eN-
oncration Of Mrs Leigh at the expense OF
Mary Chaworth. the cousin of the poets
schOobOy love who later married MI. MUS
terS mo man ought to throw SUR on the
memory of woman long dead, says AT.
Lang without having any evidence that he
can produce for his allegations, and he then
proceeds to prove up to the hit that MI
Edgcumbe's charges against Mrs ChaWorth-
Musters are absolutely worthless The details
of the exposure are too complicated to be sum
married. in this place. We simply commend
the student of Byron to the essay as conclu-
sive document.
Mr. Jnseuh Conrad is out of patience with
the familiar notion that poetry and science
are INCOMPATIBLE and that science is destroying
poetry Art, he remarks, tissues straight from
our organic Vitality and if there is poetry in
Il man it will come out despite an environ
ment incurably scientific" The point is adj
miraby put in this passage
Many a man has heard read and believes
that the earth goes round the sun; one small
blot of mud among several others. spinning
ridiculousy with a waggiing motion like a top
about to fall. This is the Copernlcan system,
often, knowing much about it as its name
But when watching the sunset he sheds his be-
lief, and the a small and useful
object the servant of his needs and the wit
ness of his ascending effort, sinking slowly be-
hind a range of mountains-he holds the system
of Ptolemy. He holds it without knowing it In
the same way the poet hears. reads and believes
a thousand undeniable truths which have not
yet got into his blood. Lille and the arts
follow dark courses, and will not turn aside to
the brilliant arc lamps of science.
1t is interesting to read this wholesome de-
fence of poetry, but while rejoicing in MIR.
Conrads argument it is also permissible to
feel that if art may ignore the pressure Of
science there is really no essential divorce be-
tween the two. Some day the poet will dis
cover himself in the heart of science. The
trouble now is that we are in too great u
hurry If poetry and science do not imme-
diately embrace we jump to the conclusion
that they are antagonistic.
A sentimental reader is odd finding in that
waspish London Journal THE Saturday Re-
view" but the type actually has appeared
therein, pleading for what he calls Marginal
Coml,anionship.' Evidently he has been pick
ing up some novels eighty years old or so, and
it has pleased him TO find their faded pages
the ingenious pencillings of readers long since
turned to dust. In one volume he finds the
Iotes of two of them, obviously old and young,
and if strikes him that the optimism of the
youth is worth while. Hardy would be less
dSheartening' he says. IF one could be GER
tain of the right marginal companion. His
despair would be robbed of its sting by the
sound OF Il cheerful voice. But margins go
Unscatle in our busy days:
Unluckily book is so everyday a thing
that no is provoked into marginal activity.
Reading is longer adventure, but
,,ather a common Indulgence calling for nothing
but an easy chair. Morleys advice always to
read with pen in your hand which would
he hnttD had. e, he