The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-09
NEW BOOKS.
a Wom.an's IAGe 90 swirl.

tiOns of a critical public may bs regarding
new book about Swift and says: i have
! written the life neither or a saint nor n
iiend; have neither dragged him down
10 hell nor uai=sd kini 20 heaven; | have
dressed him neither la black not IN white;
I have not sttirri him in scarlet nor en-
dowed him with oluven hOOf. setting
him 10 dance among lisndz worse than him
self This leads III to believe that what
ever Ne NAV find shO has done with the
Dean We NAV at least be sure that she
has treated him with SOME rhetorical
circumstance.
To write upon this subject mus,
no, he regarded easy W" ran hardly
fail to have a considerable -snSe % dim
Guilty a. We read: The biOgripher ~
Dean swift IL ConfrOnis Ell w an almost
superhuman task The rrasOn for il
, approximately superhumRn nature seems
/ To be ihiicated in what Is aid iuIInsdi-
atsly after this. namely that Perhaps
more untrIth has been circulated about
swift than about any character in his
tory Among thoss who have helped
To- give to Swift the appearance Ot an
unpleasant figure II IL true that Ihsck =
eray and Lord Orrery ars 10 Ia included
still 10 the Dean il To be written about
, Il 10 Unquestiona bile that he should hav"
| -ths benefit Of an open miud.- and Ger
tsinly nobody writing about hun should
he 80 terribly unjust. 10 entirely lacking
| in the mere elements % that tolerance
and charity which the most desptcabls
sinner has a right to expect from his fel-
low men a. 90 make IL difficult for the
reader to remsin calm. II NAV occur
81 ~ ths, the most dsspicab'e sinner Is
bound 10 he iniolerable and accordingly
cannot b- the object 81 tolerance. bn'
w.. do not think that the biographer' =
meaning will bs misunderstood
These are. a. she says. the days 81
psycholosy. They are days Of tremen-
Cious and fascinating introspection. and
the great men Of the past may indeed
expect Ia he treated with insight, with
thorough attention to the profounClest
and most elusive mysteries Of their in
sides A. for Swift and his treatment
here the bioGTapher says: I have tried tn
place him in the gray light OF reality. where
perhaps some sunheans may shine upon
him and occasionally cast a golden refec-
ton. where the clouds surrounding him
may sometimes he pink tinged. But
a man OF like passions with ourselves. q
a like longing for affection. ~ a like sen
sitiv~neSs to PAIN or injury. II I have
done this | have succerded in What ]
wished 10 do. and ask for nothing more
than appreciation ~ the man Swift IN the
human setting % life a. u - ". are
confident that neither appreciation nor
grputIda will ba withhold Aside from
all other considerations. surely IL - n mat
ter not lightly 20 10 regarded thar an
almost sIperhuman tass ~hould NAV" been
put through.
~ illu-t -a''Tg 'h" ,'Ibs'ance AID tho
manner Of this book we may select from
u IN two or three places here and there.
When he was y swift had com" to know
a great many ladies. His position among
hem was poculia- IN thos.. DAYS To
account for has untrammella,i frlsndsh ~
with women W. are to remember his
prie-tly orders. A bullying disposition
probably helped him in the establishment
~ his circle of feminine worshlppers.
lie was M doubt lpDked upon by the
! husbands ~ many rocirty beauties as a
T sAhltary educational force. for he was
/ allow 81 90 exact a submission which would
/ IA no way have been granted To- Inc hus-
hands and the most pHlpai'le rud@nsas on
the part 81 ~ - was Ias-.-I over almost
reiuiD.d in. IA extraordinary p-ycholOg-
ical J,eTCrption enabled him To place. hIs
finger on the raS spot IN the character
81 his women friends, and they must per
/ force know themselves beaten from the
I first hour 81 their acquaintance with him.
At - ~ the opinion ~ the biORrapher.
/ a man finds the emotional enthusiasm ~
/ youth replaced 10y mature consideration
I and a practical outlook on life For the
/ matter ~ that there - some reason for
/ relieving that S~ifi vas already old in
his youth While still he was secretary
/ TO sir William Temple he rote the re-
marx able act Of resolutions that were 10
he observed by him in his age Ito was
10 remember then not To marry q young
! woman. not to keep young company IN
less they really desired ~ not to ba fond
/ 81 children. not to talk much nor 81 hirn-
self. not to boast ~ his former beauty or
/ strength ur favor with the ladies seven
teen things in all b. was Ia remember
when age should be uron min.
Al r.. when he was ia such fearful
favor among the ladies Swift was. We
are told. an unEainly and badly dressed
aud fully conscious - his superiority
/ "a the rest of mAnk ind lie did not wait
I for odd age. hat had already determined
not 10 marry II was at this period that
Miss Waring. having heard that he Was
IN a position - marry, AZ once wrote to
him demanding Ei- frlhln"nt ~ az earlier
promise Her importantly was reh;Iked
His reply ~aS r1Id" and arse and q ouLl
have cheek Ell the aspirations 81 TlI- most
CIevotesI lover PLAINLY III. -Ip~Ti.nce
| that MIR PICK ~ick suffered Wa not Ia
b- appTehsndsd at thn' time.
swift Vas not snobbi-h. The slightest
know ledge ~ the real swift 49, read
forever r-fut-~ this persistent charge
His attitude ~ his -lII'~riDr- Was AL alta
iude never found IA snol.bish T,.upI-
IL has its place ~ the character 80 the
mast simple p~upl" II j. u character
! istic which, always Accompanies. SIM
plicity IL in part 81 the mind which loves
to hoax on and talk about those in high
| places. not a. they ars brought into q
suit isctiVs connection bat simply A.
I beingz greater than tire sneaker. u il