New-York tribune., 1911-02-19

that require explanation to be found only
elsewhere. This is notably the case, for
instance. in his frequent references
TO his activities as liberal journalist In
q reactionary environment The book,
indeed. suggests a new life of the poet,
preferably to be written by Mr.. Karpeles,
in which all that II contains can be used
to complete, enlightening purpose and
advantage.
Still, the self-revelation is there Of the
man in his many moods. Of his wit and
bitternesses. his likes and dislikes, his
desire to serve the political emancipation
of his country, his love of personal inde-
pendence. OF his emotional experiences,
in the narrower meaning Of the word,
he tells but little; in fact. we know that
the greater part Of these Memoirs" was
destroyed by him before his death. On
the otner hand, we have in his corre-
spondence many a glimpse Of the man
of letters in his practical mood, writing
to publishers about the issue of his
works, or valuing them effectively, and,
sometimes, valuing them wrongly. as
when he writes Of his two tragedies,
which failed: 81 know they will be torn
in pieces. But will tell you this in con-
fdence: They are very good-better than
my collection Of poems, which is not
worth powder or shot" This was how
ever. at the beginning Of his career.
The fortitude of this prisoner of his
mattress grave" in Paris is strikingly
illustrated by the charming gayety, the
lightness Of his touch, when in pain and
sorrow he recalls the years of his child
hood in the earliest pages OF these
Memoirs:
AS for Latin. dear lady, have not the
least idea how that became so complicated
The Romans would not have had much
time left for conquering the world if they
had first had TO learn Latin. . But
dear lady, the irregular verbs-they are dis
tlnguished from the regular verbs in that
they are. more productive Of .thrashings-
they are s7Geed horribly difficult OF Greek
II Is not my intention to speak for my irri-
tation would wax too great. I was on bet
ter terms -fith Hebrew, but not so success
ful with IL as my watch which had much
intimate intercourse with pawnbrokers
and learned the blessed tongue, and
even the grammar OF II, as / often heard
20 my amazement on sleepless nights when
%
kdtoIh - kittel. kittdlta, kittdM - pokat,
tt-pikt-pik-pik.
He speaks with poignant feeling of
home-by which. he explains. he will
always mean the house at Dusseldorf
where ne was born-then tells playfully
OF the advice he gave its later owner
not TO sell II on account Of fits increas-
ing value as the birthplace Of poet.
Elsewhere in one Of his letters he ex-
plains his patriotism. which was the love
of a Germany not yet born, a Germany
of free men and free institutions-a
spirited reputation of the unjust epithet
OF renegade" so often applied to him.
His exile was a matter Of necessity, not
choice.
In another letter Heine writes
Byron's death has moved me much. He
was the only man to whom i felt myself
akin and we were alike in many things.
You may laugh at that II you IKE. We
choose rather the company OF those men
who are different from ourselves. But ]
have always been glad OF Byrons com
pany as that OF a thorough comrade In
arms and an equal But ] am not happy
in Shakespeare's company: | feel only too
well that / am not his equal.
We merely touch upon the contrast
Heine draws between himself, essen
TALLY an enthusiast. inspired with an
fdee even to the point Of self-sacrifice."
and Herr Won Goethe's 'six-and-seventy