New-York tribune., 1910-09-11


ne-none to syTnpathize with my feelings Thsse /
aeek refuge In aerial conversations and talk va
spirits whose voices are rnurrnurins in the casaa
and fnt1Ye events-they sing of departed Seers ard
Here's and bring me indian lnssiiigeneemnn, not
then are you the only superior Beins-who is dez
to and silent?
There ts a good rean Of this sort OF stu1 ia
Mr.. Melville's volume. and much OF it. we MAJ
note in passing, makes pretty dull reading, b1s
It Is significant as showing that when Becktor.
reyolted against what was prosaic and gross
his period il was not in obedience 10 the prompt
inss of high ideal. clearly understood and
definitely embraced. but because he was vasaelJ
I'LL at ease, in a state of violent ferInentaroa
He was governed not so much by q hxed pu--
nose as by gusts OF taste and desire, by Ii,
ea<erness for intellectual sensations "Vathek'
ia there to show that he had a streak of genias
In him but it would take a rather naive
thusiast to assert, on the score or tnat bcok
that its author was man Of genius in Il.
strict fnterpretaticn OF that term 'Vatheks
after all. is a brilliant foHr de force the one
standing achievement Of a man who wrote
GOOD deal else that is still readable but who's
essential fibre remains that OF self-indulses
dilett2nte.
There you have at once the source OF his lin
;tations and the source OF his charm Lacs-
ine the sustained power Of the great creative
artist, he had in it's place as no small conssa-
ton all the faculties which fit the predestnsl
faster Of life to get out Of his sippinss ns
fullest possible pungency. delight, and. We mzI
even add edification- Il fear, ne writes 10 Lad
Hamilton, II shall never be half so sapent g
1TItF
ing airs, building towers. forming gardens. CO..
lecting old Japan and writing a Journey to Cn-1
or the moon" Surely these things are IN The
ways worth while and we need not regret th1
Beckford never scaled the loftiest heights
least, he did not grub in swarnpy valleys SG
on the contrary gave himself to his books, pd'
ures and music with positively noble a1"f
not only forming great collections but mai-'
these minister to his not By any means nes<
gible qualities as thinking man
He had too, his impulses toward larger a.
tons than those of the mere connoisseur-an%
teresting chapter in this book relates 10 MS :
forts to bring about peace between hng~-
and France-and if he scorned TO assoe~-
with his fox hunting neighbors he was ho' 81
to seek out really inspiring compromising
knew Voltaire, and wherever he went ne "
the advances OF peOpie "A0-
minds rose above food, drink and idle anus
uents. There is story about an lntruuel =
FontbilI who fell into the Caliphs own nam
br1t presently showed that he knew how TO taA
Rockford fors,ave him his indisereton and A.
hin, to dinner In that episode he marked ID
self not only as appreciatiye OF talent IN QUE
but as the creature of generosity that ne Fe4-
was for all his ruthless arrogance ME- NJ
VILE asserts that he did good by stealth, a
even in the absence of tolerably SOod eV'ds-
one could Well believe it. There was much
the grand seigneur in this eccentric Ensl-
man. much that was both manly and gentle
He viii be better understood and ne VII
liked the more by readers OF Mr.. MeSI
book though the latter is not. perhaps, q
the work of art that it might have been III
Some of the letters here cited have no inter-
beyond the fact that they have not been prns
before and throughout, in the adjustment
memoir and correspondence, the author uses
special skill. but joins text and document "
little more adroitness than is required foE
ordinary manipulation of paste and selsS
He has not drawn full we'll balanced po'-s
Of Rockford, full OF light, life and color. and
Of a piece. But he manages to tell his 81
well enough all of the available facts are dol