New-York tribune., 1922-12-17


Ella was the center and Wordsworth. Cole
ridge. Leigh Hunt. IIazlitt were the familiar
figures II was day OF reh and iet;ered
conversation. and the PRIME spirits tine
time wrote mcllowcd literature IN their let
tcrs to one another. Men OF genius lived
stability but dguihcd and content. for things
OF the mind Lamb p'9ediy wrote NV paper
paragraphs at s:xpeacc paragraph and
measured his highest weekly earnings IN
half-erowns; and Hazlitt, professional jour
nalist and. perhaps financially the most sue
cessful Of the circle. FOR series Of papers
which were a priceless addition TO the body
o. English political literature was satisfied
with 70 guineas. This circle has been pre-
eicus possession to posterity. and The Morn
ing Post" is right enough when il remarks
Of the author OF this work. which very ap-
rreeiably clarifies and adds to our knowl-
edge Of H. that he has rendered signal serv-
ice to his generation and to biographical
literature.
Hazlit was a strange and picturesque
being "Brow-hangng. shoe-contemplatiye"
strange" as Coleridge put il. malignant
morbidity" was one Of fsyden's phrases con.
cerning him. "The miscreet Hazlitt." 80 the
mild Wordsworth referred 20 him, and mot
a proper person 10 be admitted into respect
able society" He would not take the trouble
t. keep himself clean. lf he has been unduly
maligned Mr.. Howe has sough, to do him
tardy justice. Several Of the conventional
charges against him he does rebut He did
not poster Lamb for money. As Mr. Squire
observes. "lf ever thcre was a man who
doubly earned b. hard work every penny
h. ever got it was lIazlitt." Mr.. Squire, how
ever. remains pretty hard on him: he was
overmuch Of an egoist, intolerant cantaker-
Gus. an unfair opponent, AN unreliable friend.
For Mr. Squire il will not do to say that
he was unhappy; his unhappiness resulted
chiefly from his own wrongheadedness.
Mr.. Birrell, himself the author Of the
"Eazlitt' published years ago in the English
Men Of Letters Series IAN exceedingly rcada-
bic book II slight, and Bit PuritanicaD on
the other hand, holds that. badly as Haz-
lit occasionally behaved. the treatment he
received at the hands Of men whose names
are still held in high respect was far worse
So. still the controversy, And, il should
never DC loff"tteni We nave the immortal
testimony Of Lamb, in his letter to Southey:
Il should belle my own conscience il said
less than that I think W. II. 10 be. in his
natural state, one OF the wisest and finest
spirits breathing"
For my own very humble) part would
not have had him otherwise than he was
He was sullen embcr which ever and anon
hurst into brilliant flame He bsd In amnle
measure thing very potent in art malice.
lie has no quarrel fortunately with US.
His life was, ! should say, a hundred times
more interesting than Lambs lie was a
deplorably bad painter an addlc pated meta
physician, a ehoke-pear as a historian, an
inspired dramatic critic and the most elo-
quent literary essayist OF all time.
Now we come to the singular and ineongru-
Gus thing about this book. There is not
particle Of lift to il. Louise Imogen Quincy
one time concluded an essay on Hazlitt with
this spirited line: The name Of Hazlitt Is a
toast TO be drunk standing" Mr.. Howe is
very sedentary ehronieler Another thing;
Since the admirable Dent-Meclure. edition,
published in 1904 and now for long dhi-
cult TO acquire. there has been nothing avail
able but cheap reprints. selections and odd
volumes Of Hazlitt