Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-16
THE LIBRARY TABLE
By the Booklover

Proponents Of the new biography"
such as Andre Maurois, Emil Ludwig,
Harold Nicolson, Gamaliel Bradford,
Philip Guedalla and Lytton Strachey,
all evidently have conscious theory
that only in their time and by them
has the art of biographical portraiture
been discovered. According to some Of
their pronouncements, older biographers
usually forgot that they were dealing
with 4 man and wrote as If a machine
were performing the political or literary
actions recorded Emil Ludwig says in
his preface to Genius and Character:
Scientific biographies occasionally close
with chapter designed to show us
the hero as a man. which is put in as
kind of insert like the diagram Of q
battle or the facsimile of page from
a notebook but how Is the portraitist
to represent his subject except as q
MANI 1t Is of course true that many
of the older biographers ignored the
man" while supposedly writing about
him. but not all Of them were so
oblivious to personality. Surely Bos-
we'll showed us the man as completely
as any twentieth century biographer
has ever done.
Boswell allows us to see Dr. Johnson
as an egotist, glutton, untidy and not
overclean, as well as in the character
of q brilliant converSationalist and q
clever writer. He illustrates the mag
nanimity of his hero by telling how he
asked Goldsmith's pardon for Some petty
offense, and his personal courage by a
story of his separating two large fight
ing dogs and another Of his tossing into
the Dit at the theater a man who had
taken his seat and refused to give 1t up.
DR.. Johnson's personal appearance on
an occasion when he hastily conducted
a foreign lady of distinction to her
coach Is described with as much detail
as any "portraitist" could desire: His
dress was a rusty brown morning suit, a
pair of old shoes by way of slippers, a
little shrivelled wig sticking on the top
of his head, and the sleeves of his shirt
and the knees Of his breeches hanging
loose. A considerable crowd Of people
gathered round, and were not q little
struck by this singular appearance" The
picture of DR.. johnson at table is not
attractive, but it Is certainly personality
revealing: when at table he was total
" absorbed In the business of the mo-
ment: his looks seemed riveted to his
plate: nor would he, unless when in very
high company, say one word, or even
pay the least attention to what was said
| by others. till he had satisfied his appe-
tite. which was so fierce, and INDUCED
with such intenseness, that while in the
act of eating the veins Of his forehead
swelled. and generally strong perspira-
ton was visible"
The reasons why Mrs. Boswell did not
like DR.. johnson are we'll known. Bos-
well was as frank about them as about
other subjects. Or. johnson himself
was quite aware Of the dislike and often
| 81 3,n AZ
ending to letter to Boswell was Make
nv compliments to Mrs. Boswell. though
she does not 1oTe me-" Boswell COM
ments: I'm this he showed a very acute
penetration. My wife paid him the
most assiduous and respectful attention
while he was our guest. so that / Won
der how he discovered her wishing for
his departure The truth is that his
irregular hours and uncouth habits.
such as turning the candles with their
heads downwards when they did not
burn bright enough and letting the wax
drop upon the carpet, could not but be
disagreeable to a lady. Besides, she
had not that high admiration OF him
which was felt by most Of those who
knew him, and, what was very natural
to a female mind, she thought he mao
too much influence over her husband.
The sayings of DR.. Johnson, as reported
SO conscientiously by Boswell, may De
looked upon as showing great man on
exhibition, but, on the whole, they
probably give a fairly true idea Of the
character of the real man. Boswell
Life of Samuel Johnson" may be con-
sidered the first and the greatest OF the
new biographies" but 1t was written
in the eighteenth century, not the
twentieth.
Nor is frank self-revelation through
I autobiography development OF the
| twentieth century. Samuel Pepys kept
a diary from January /, 1860, to May
81, 1859, In which he decidedly reveals
himself "as q man" After o journey
with his wife, he says: Somewhat
vexed at my wife's neglect in leaving
of her scarf, waistcoast and nightdress-
ings in the coach today that brought
us from Westminster; though, confess,
she did give them to me to look after,
yet 1t was her fault not to see that !
did take them out Of the coach
Though thoroughly domesticated, Pepys
was not unsusceptible to feminine at
fractions outside his home. MY wife
telling me that there was q pretty lady
come to church with Peg Pen today, ]
1
to church to see her. and did so; and
she is pretty handsome" Also, ITO
Blackfriars, and there went into little
alehouse, and here I kissed three or
four times the maid Of the house. who
| is pretty girl, but very modest" Pepys
was as fond of table delights as DR..
johnson, and after reading some Of his
menus, one Is not surprised at the fire.
quency Of entries about "colique" When
entertaining some friends at dinner,
1--WE had a fricasee of rabbits and
chickens, a leg Of mutton broiled, three
carps in a dish. great dish of side
of lamb, q dish Of roasted pigeons, a
dish of four Holsters, three tarts, a
lamprey pie "a most rare pie), dish
Of anchovies, good wine of several sorts.
and all things mighty noble and to my
great content"
Though lavish in expenditure. Pepys
always kept careful eye on his ac-
counts and took great satisfaction in
the growth of the credit side. II sat
late making up my months accounts.
and blessed be God do find myself 100
pounds creditor, Notwithstanding that
for clothes for myself and wife and
layings out on her closett have spent
this month At pounds" On the last
day Of the year 1865, he wrote COM
placently Of his prosperity. 81 do find
myself worth in money, all good, above
$500 pounds. One thing I reckon
remarkable in my owne condition is that
I am come to abound in good plate. so
as at all entertainments to be served
wholly with silver plates, having two
dozen and half" Not a man of very
even temper was Pepys. Coming
homeward again saw my door and hatch
open, left so by Luce our cookmayde,
which so vexed me that did give her
a kick in our entry, and offered blow
at her. and was seen doing so by Sir
w. Pens footboy, which did vex me to
the heart because know he will be