New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-10
.Kinglake
AUTHOR, THE REAL MAN THE FRIEND OF
Copyright. 1912. by C. W. smaney)

friend, or perhaps TO do justice to
an enemy.
HE wore a Damascus blade, but left
II for the most part sheathed. 1t was
only when challenged, or when an in
justice was offered to somebody else
than himself that you saw the flash
of this polished and slittering steel;
and whoever felt its point or edge did
not care for another experience"
If Kinglake had had Hayward's am
billions, which were farreaching, he
might we'll have had a social fame not
! less enveloping than his friends; but
he had none of them. Society did not
much benefit him and mere smartness
left him cold: nor did he care to enter
into competition for such laurels as
the social world had TO bestow
I tried at times to persuade him to
talk of his expeditions in Morocco in
Egypt and Syria, and most of all his
adventures in the Crimea during the
war. But he would not say much
about his own part in these experiences.
"Eothen," to be sure, is record of
personal Impressions and experiences;
that, since they were Kinglakes, is
( what gives the book Its unique charm.
Eight or nine years later he was with
the flying column Of Marshal st. Ar
maud in Algiers. Then in 1854 he
made his way as a civilian to the
Crimea and saw the battle of the Alma
foaght; which he described as no bat
! tie had been described before. Lord
Raglan, as he rode to the field. saw
man mounted on a fractions horse;
many others also following the Brit
ish advance. When a staff officer sug-
gested they had better be ordered
back, Lord Raglan said. "Oh, no, we
shall soon be under fire and they will
go of themselves" So they did, eX-
cept the man on the fractions horse,
who rode on amid the bullets. and who
saw the battle, or as much as any one
man could see of that soldiers battle"
Lord Raglan finally sent an officer to
find out who he was and when he
heard it was "Eothen," asked him TO
dine.
A close friendship grew up between
them, and in the end 1t was at Lady
Raglan's request after her husbands
death that Kinglake undertook the
history of the Invasion. Beyond this
bare outline, Kinglake would tell you
little.
The historian of the Crimea may or
may not have a great audience in Amer
lea, but the author of "Eothen" has
friends, a multitude Of friends, every
where. The book was published in
1914. 1t is as fresh to-day as when
it was written. It has no rival and
it has an immortality Of youth. The
Invasion" is in far more elaborate
style, and the sentences have been
polished till they dazzle. One defect
they have. Whether Kingiake had
no ear for music or an ear too exact
ing, | know not. But the rhythm Of
his style often becomes metrical; all
the way down many a page are SEN
fences which scan. The words
array themselves into half hexa-
meter or iambic verse, Of which pres
entity. as you read, the scansion be-
comes compulsory; and the cadences
of poetry disturb the sober balance Of
prose which has hardly another fault.
For some years we met often. His
rooms were on the first floor at No. %
Hyde Park Place, near the Marble
Arch. over a confectioners shop, and
looking on Hyde Park; a delightful
place. The house has been pulled down
and a new block built. / lived in a
quiet street not far away, and King
lake came often TO tea and sometimes
TO dine A gentle influence came with
him. The days of his adventures were
over: he was now the historian, work
ing with infinite patience over masses
Of military and civil papers, and trans
lating their official jargon into the chs
elled sentences which he wrote and
rewrote till his fastidious taste was
satisfied. The first two volumes had
been published in 1868; two more fol"
lowed in 1868; the fifth not till 1870;
the sixth in 1880, and It was 1887 be-
fore the last two appeared. On the
whole book he spent more than
quarter of a century. 1t was when his
DAVIS work was done that he came to
tea or went to his club or TO other
friends Then he liked best talking Of
other things. He had an Old World
and oldtime courtesy of manner, and
that sense Of beauty in conversation
and in life which belongs, though not
ALWAYS to natures Of distinction. The
Voice was never raised; there was sell
dom a gesture. He was not OF those
takers who mistake a drawing room or
library for q platform. He did not
care TO talk as he wrote; what he
valued was then not so much finish as
ease and the meeting of two minds. he
could be coloquial and elegant at the
same time. There was always charm
and always an original view. For gossip
about people he cared nothing; but
ALWAYS for les chooses dc PesprH. lie
| used to say that If he dined at a cup
he read nothing but novels after DIN
! ner. and could read anything when nc
wanted complete relaxation. 70 irleho-
chin he would sacrifice his work or