THE THACKERAY CENTENARY.

Evening Star, Issue 14626, 24 July 1911, Page 4

THE THACKERAY CENTENARY.

. « WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY (July 18, 1811—December 24, 1865.) THE MAN AND HIS WORKS. [By C'HAntES Wixsos, Parliamentary Librarian.) (Continued from Saturday'? is«me.) THACKERAY, "THE CYNIC. Let me call a. halt in my narrative mid pfer to the vast amount of nnnrense rhkh. has been talked ar.d written of the illeged strain of cynicism in Thackeray s writings. It is true that, as one biographer has pointed out, Thackeray had "an insight iih::<*--t morbidly keen into the littleness, the meatnVss, thvweaknes6«s, the foibles of mail.'' It it- true that all the seamy side* of life stood out in his vision distinct and terribly clear. But with this knowledge--.-! knowledge like that of the Royal Preacher I'm- bitlerneea and sorrow—he had a most tentier heart-, •'an almost exaggerated svmpathy," rays Trollope. "with all the joys and troubles of individuals around him." " An vac* who had once touched the heart, rover again, I imagine," says Hennun Merivale, "spoke of him as a. i"\-vn:•■ : or doubted the deep servibiLity thai underlay his usually smooth and polished manner." Ho did net carry hie; heart on hi* sleeve, oat. uo warmer, kindlier heart, tvo? hi at. He was a satirist, a great, an unsparing-F-.itirist. but he was not only a. satirist. The man "who could create Colonel NV'.vcome, the man who could describe, as he described, the death of Helen Pendi-imi.s. the man who could write as he <lid of Philip and his chiklreii. or of _ poor ( irso Newoome. when fallen on t*vil_ days. a.s Thackeray wrote, was no eyiaic. His pathos was never forced or theatrical, hut rang true. He did not squander it. but he had it freely at his command. IVr- I tonally no kindlier hearte<l nam ever breathed. One has only to read the Tronic- j field correiiporxh.vici-—■ letter nev, :• in- j tended for publication—io recognise in : ' Thackeray the best of husbands, fathers. I .he most generous of toes, the me. si liberal ! ltd truly" charitable- of friends. When a young Philxdciphi'u: bcnkseller induced . him. "against his will, to give- :i second! c-oriet-.of ' The English Humorists ' lectures, j and lest money thereby, he insisted upon , nadenrnifyir.j; the maker of the bad bar- ; -•in. li - helped George ITudder most .'■<ral;y. When his eld' editor, Dr Ma-. :;'!;!. '*—•.,< in the Fleet Prison—through 1 ■ v v : 'i".n~e and drink—it was Thack- ' -.- who largely astsutßed him. In hie ; re 1 ;; dave at Paris, he assisted a friend ''•■■;•> tie- ill and in sore pecuniary straits-. " T'•-.-■■ '-ft ymi a box of pi!.'a on the ' •..-•.: epieee." he fdd when 'ravine, ie ; •: •■••'!. the sick man's, wife opened the h0;.,, v. hioh bo?e the iTWHrriptic.n : "To be taken .u- required " —the Contents were ■_''■■ id t.ains. Satirist he was 1 :, a sour, quern- : I-H'.- cynic never. Great was his faith in ■ his Creator, almost equally great his trust ■ in and love for hie feilowmen. Eloquently did Tom Taylor, in ' Punch,' the journal \ lor which Tbeekeiray had done so much brilliant work in the days of his literary , youth, combat this curiously persistent charge of cynicism. " He was a cynic : By his lifa all wrought Of generous acts, mild words, and gentle - ways : ] His heart wide open to all kindly thoughi, j His hand so quick to give, bis tongue- to | praise. j "And if his acts, affection,?, works, and • ways l Stamp not upon the man the cynic's sneer. From life to death, oh, public, turn your j gaze> — The last scene of a cynical career! " Those uninvited crowds, this hush that lies. Unbroken, til! the solemn words of i prayer J From many hundred reverent voices riso i Into the etmny stillness of the air. "These tears, in eyes but little used to tears. These sobs, from manly lips, hard set and grins. Of friends, to whom his- life lay bare for years. Of strnnsrens. who but knew hi* books. not him " •IMF ENGLISH HUMORISTS' AXD • EKMOXD.' i A -;(>:■ Thackeray came •■ua, \i: ,"i entirely new role, delivering m 1851, ;i ;•■>.-• fa-ei-nao'e dancing centre, Wal'i-s't, !;-• .r«---" a gr..at wanted and cilded sarott ■: : ''' loii j: sofas for benches," save Char- '. Mio'-ue-a -erics of six lei} ur>:s r,.\ K:':-li. hj Huifori:!-; of th" Eigi'tcentii '•-to !- i i-t ■•; o,t to with dcoojii. : ■■■. ~w i> iK't a l-e'in-f rof ire Diekerv. ■■•. ' t)i. ken,-, av.ted his oiooarn-is. '.- .. o p-iL-i- uaturady, clearlj-, in . . ■■ t oi!o,-i;uni lon .- of ;i very ■ ':" \a .i ." !;- was f r "villi fullr -.er- ■ . - > \;i-s Keinl.ie" has told no ', :ioor,r,! s -u"* l.atvr F.i:.' ' ; indeed, : . 'i- h" would bieak down. : ' .' ha- lie of lies avdu-iite ■ .a., : 0. ,1 him and the lee! ures w-oe a : -0.-o ;a::'f = . As t.ii their lile-ary ion '..w ' mav not -«, L -it.o. , r , <j,. teiiL in ■ acenr;.",; kr.Oivl.-d C .- of i.-it'-. iti: i-entury life, esl'ieiaHy literary life, whii-h w;ts to find snei'i de!7-.'it *"■;J f-\-(H/sitiof in " i->aior.d ' raid 'The "\"il'viiiita!:.-'; ti:e brilliant word-pictures or Swift, and Starne. ami Teiidir.:;, u> netnion ilj!-"i>j only of the gr ;t.t men with wham he d .>!• ; j the cau.-tic satire, the kindly hirmor, (he! impressive pathos, aii combin-d in a narlative which flowed smoothly and charily, have won the admiration of tliocsa'nK- of j readers. The iec'mes wen- r> prat il in the ! 7irovLnees, and in the followin_' year, and • in response to a liberal offer f'om America, i Thackeray decided to visit the States. | Meanwhile, he had been writinv' ' l-.'-naeid,' | which was published in the familiar I monthly parts, bin in three volumes. M-.ich. : of the book was written in the liriCsh I "Museum Library, where the author was -' granted a special room for studying anil I writing, and some was even done in the : library of the Athenaeum Club, of which j he had been elected a member. Smi.h, j Elders were the publishers, and' [ may i here say p«bli=bed nil his remaining ''; woTkf. "Thackeray I saw fo>- 10 min- ', ntes." wrote Edward Fii/ttei-aid o-> June 8, 1852. "He was just in the agony of finishing a novel, which has arisen out of : reading necessary for the lectures, and relates to those times—of Queen Anne, I mean. He will sjet- £I.OOO for it.'' The book was published on Mav 28. and nt October, in company with Eyre-Crowe (his secretary), Lowell, and Arthur ClnuL'h (the ! poet), he sailed for Boston. Bennd cop : es of 'Esmond' reached him whil" he was on the pier at Liverpool waiting for the ten- ; tier. As to 'Esmond.' who that has b'it a • bowincraoq-naintance with the be=t in English fie+ion dees not recognise i f s exceih nee? ; Theokerav himself was proud of it. : '■ Here is the very best I can do." he told \ J '!'. Fields, when the latter met him in ! V.cacon street, New York, with the three j vahatnes of 'Esmond' 'tucked Tinder his i aim : "rnd I nin carrvina; it to Prescott ! a -e'vaid of merit for hiving given me j ■■■-, fi.sl dinner in America. I stand by | :■ • )•■. ■■'-:. and am willintr to leave it, ■ -,-. '• :e ' _*<-, as rey enrd." 'Esmond' is a: „ .- ' ; i-oie Its style is surely nearly , :'-'ct : .M>'i -.vs. Rtybi eaw gv> -, it b.a,s one of ' •'■ ■■ ••'■■irt T if most naywan! of heroines in ' V -::'ri\ Fsincnd that a reader could well v : '- icy; nrid as ;> picture of a bycrono s :<: it poi-'c- an historical valtie which (■•>)!'•of will be over-estimated. As in " Vanity Fair,' Thifbemy showed once nto-re that he could depict an extremely dramatic >eene with well-restrained power. 1 allude to the scene -where Esmond and thr> young Lord pursue the Prince to Castlewood, the scene where the swoivl is broken" and tire Castlewood allegiance to the Stuart honee .is fox «T.er»

f scene aloriß ' F_smor,d' must tvo. Bui. it ! did Hot please nil Thackeray's admirers. i Miss Mitford thought, it " -painful and unj pleasant, arwl IVl>e,'' also •'tedious and : long." Even th;it- staunch Truckerayan ! Charlotte Bro'Rt-c t-rjiuidercd it eont&irtfd "too imi.:'n history and too little story,"' ■and CieoTijo KliotV opinion vv"w thai ''it '., is the nio.-:t 'incnmfw! t.iblf ln.«k yon can iinarii'.e." And yet, tays Mr l;, rank Marzij ills." "thorn nro some o: iw to whoin • Rorrtol-t' appears so lnbo.«ii " 1 LATER. WOHKS—AND THE END. •THE XKWCOMPV 'THE VIRniN'IAXS,'. AXD AL'TKK. Returned fruiii America, where ho was treated en pri.v:\ "n! mad:' ovtr £!2,OO0 for the "ii-;i:' >;:rk" '<:■■ i'.vcd so well and to v. !.:• t'l !u> «';■.; tb, rr.:-t devoted of father's. ■■.■!. Kii;;: ;i!i;. ':;j4- buyers." iis Lady Ritehie li.-.s writ*.-n. he- was tempted in 1857 intn •.' nii-t.v-:'i excursion into the U'ouhhM v.-«,!id I-;' |Miii.ii->. standing, in the Liberal iid.T.-:'-;, for Oxford, where, he v/ii* defeased by Mr i.-.ierwurJs Lordi- Oardwo.ll. 'the :■ !)!■•>■, hj !;■.> made at the drdarat ion <.:' u;e |m..;l w;\. so |,':;od thai- 1 would I could i|i!.,to ii in tell. Someone cMhvl " Bribery '." v. hereupon the defeated earididato siai : "' Don't, try out ' Bribery'; if yon know it. prov it : hut. ;is ! am ninoeeu; o: Lr-iu-vy myself. I don't choose to I.iiilV iisiur liit.'ii are not equally loyaland hone-:. ... I will retire, find take niv nlr.ie with rnv pen ami ink at i;,y di.-'k.' .Hid leave lo Mr Cnrdwell a Irisinrs.s I am --ti■.-<_- hj« L understands better tlmii I do." And l" h\< iiosk and his pen and ink ho ). tinted, and began a new' serial sloiy, "The Virginian*.' Be fere hi? Oxford experience, ho-weveta ho bud pub- j

From tho nri'-'jiuil oivon by his daiicrhior Anno (Lady Ritchie) to ihivntd Ttivhir ni'ttT Thackorav's death.

lished "The Xowrem.e.;.' ii! which I need only say that it contains many beautiful ji:i/> ami wl'l be famous, wherever e/cod litoj-:iliii-s- is eslerrned, ii only for that pretix chevalier, that tricot gently pathetic figure in alt Ertt'ish fiction, C\;lonc! Xewcome. At', iri ' Pei.deiinh.' there is a s:i:;::r; atttobioer irhioni flavor in 'The Xewreme-.' Tlh> ( oPa-fl Mas undoubtedly dtawn, to a lar,-a -'M.':; : . fi'om ids stepiathet. Major N.nyth. Acidit there, is a tin.-' array of ('live is tt ni'-o hid, and' lia ■::-■. >,V wco::ie- is _ triinnphady odious: Lady K-w set a fashion in char-acter-drawitv];; ami Fred. Buybaut, the faliajit Horhmian, and tho Ue-v. Charles loncvinan 'whos-: original is sitd to havo been"the lb".-. ,1. (■'. M. iiollew), hrith afford capital rati. Ethel Newcnmr> leaves me a little cold, b.-a! the"' Old the tttiiy a-.vs'i 1 '.Mrs .Mac," is a marvellous hit of portraiture. The real hero, however, is the t'ehmol. Shall wo ever forget ih.u heautitid pa.-sa-e, in simple tcrrrierrm-'s, never surpassed, where tho passing of holiest Tvia *,\ vwco'.rio is def.ciibee?:- . brii h.'.Jaii" to to!L'''a7:i'-¥hv.Vi,^ l Xeu' hrat L 'time.' Ami''.jits: last hj i'l struck a poet;liar s-wH .smile shone o\a. r hi,!!.-, and .p-.H-dv s- ; ,l "Ad-mm!" and !•■!! buck. J; was t : m word v.v n-ed at sem-oi, when ri.i■ i: - .-. 'were caiad; and so. he whose heart was a. that of a litl'e child, had a a .•--.< t.r.d c> his name ami stood ia t ; >-- pr. :-■!.■■ • ■:' - The Master." To • The Vm.amm-*,' !■• ' J.i-v-.d iim Widower," to •'["ii.- Adv.'-;! 'i-.., ■-.; iTiil: n." Ih-llmiabo::! Pap. [■..,' al.d !• ' Heats Duval.' left i::'r : .p.i... ! j.-a. put as v.ais' r«iek.-t!.-'.-i ' Edwin Dreed.' 1 can miv :''et a tew lines. In ''t m Virginian ' \\ hav a link h:>tv.at'ii ' Esmond ' and the bnoi.s deaiine/ with '"■ar ■ -%•-": i tin ' I'eredennis,' 'Tho Xeweemc:;.' an ! " t'lmip '■-■,>>)■ Ikm two Virginians. hEmy at-! Warrington. n:o tiie i;rand>ons of (.'..hmei E-mond, an<l the ancestors of the Warriitid.on who ii-n-- in the later 't.ov.-U 'Phc Arm.ri an Ih Erne ' n:i. <-:>;vtidly wriUen h ; s. .'.!'• toae- -. ''in' ''l ie i;-.ni!<Uii)onl I'.mer, ' w-. a ::v ., ; , ; , ~{,;<-,. nadlowrd Tha.h.a :-.-., 'iTaek.'cav not a iiUh kiud-

THACKEPAVS LONDON RcSi TJ SNcs (in Voititfj; street. Kensington) from IMKi to tSo:t, uli.-.,v • Vainty Fair,' ' Pondcnnis,' :<.m\ ' iVsjiiotifi ' wore writt'n!.

lier in spirit titan he who wrote " Vanity Fair.,' 'the Koundahouts' are pmo sjiJd, anil he v.-ho dees not eare for thetn ea"nnot he aceoiinieii a. Thackeray lover. "Philip,' to me at least, will he mainly notah'e for its bcantdnl cliaicter. " The. Little Sister" ■a rovi-ea! of a e'laracrn in ' The Shabby lienteel Story." but. tiie story, aa a story, d:aer.~ not a lit.ilc. Tin; until is that Thackeray was orowiiig v.ea;y, and that inertasiiijr physical disability had created a leeli.n.ej cf lassitude, and witli it a certain lack of the old iirm grip. In 'Denis Jhival.' that admiraldo fraement. some of tbo old freshness am! power returned. TllE FXI). AXI) ITS COMIXti. Tiie *:nd came in 1363. 1 hacke.ray hart given up his editorship of the ' Cornh'll' in iMareli of that- year, and had moved item Onslow square, where he had lived for some years, into the beatitifv! t-w mansion hj" bad built on Palace (irevn, in his heloved Kensine/ton. In May, IJiancha-d JerroW tePs us, th-c-re was an (jxh:b;tion of the veteran Ge<v.ee Cvuiclvih.Viks's wovus, and "kind i'tiaekeray cimo v. ;th his !ac-\ and loohi'd the Iduo /r-dlery, unci went otf to -vrite one o! his ehiirini»>g e:s,r."S," which app:a:ed in. ' ! he 'ihriicu" of >i'v 15. thus doing what ha could for :i!i old artist f'dh'n <;n rom-i-hnt «;vil thn->s. On the 16th Dei'embcr h<> dined at his favorite e!ub--th-j "df-ar ]itt;e Gar-rick"—-he was « eacadr.'r also of thj Heform and tho. Ather.teurn—a.n..i the nest evening dined with ids cid friend in-Me-tTiman. of Kensiagton square. '• As he entered," «iys Dr Merrimar>- " T is^w

! ho was not well," but as. the. evening won ! on "he. was lull of his old pkHGinitry.' The doctor strolled up Young street wit I him, and as the pair halted in front of tin novelist's old home "ho alluded to ok times and happy dny« there. He tohl ni< 'Vanity J?air' was his gre<>fc wo,-k, ' Th< Cnnc-bottomed Chair' his favorite ballad and \vc parted at the top of Young street never to meet a«am alive in this world.' In a few days btforc Christmas Dickens with whom, after a period of misunder standinir. ho was now on the. mrii-t cordis of friendly twins, mot, him .it. I,!v Athenamm Club, ivhon Tiiaekeray said hj« had had "cold shiverines, which ionk the power of work out of him. and that he had it in Kir- mind to try ;i new remedy, which lie described." Alaa. the new remedy was of no a.vail, for on the move, intr <>f the 24th December Dr Morriman was called to Pnla.ce Green to find his old friend lying dead. . . . "Life had been oxtinct fcouie hours, effusion h;>d takevi place in his powerful and great brain. . . . and he passed away in the ni.tiht to the better country where there is no- niirht." Ho lies in Kensal fir eon cemetery, beneath the simplest, oj' memorial stones. Ln the Rime <»rnvo lie the remains of hi" wife and his mother. Close by lies hi.* old ci-hool-feltow and lifelong friend. John Leech. I'.ir.LioartAPKTCAL. Thackeray's litertry output was so erra!, bis ln.» so full "f. incident, that I must be pardoned some oniis;sio;.f*. To 'The I'eok ,]f Snobs' 1 dial 1 have not alluded, neither have 1 * : » id aiurht n.s to the lecture.* on 'The boer GeoTtfeis.' which followed tho*e on "The Knglifih Humorists,' and which, like the l;iit-r. be lep.atrd in I lie Unite.'. Stales. Km- the facts I have quoted lam iefl-'u!.'.! mainly to Lady Itichraon."! Ritchie'.* liitrod.n'tir.ns to the ' llio-icchd! LMilimi.' to Professor Samtsbury's piof.icrto the Oxford edition, to Mr Lewis >!«!- vlllf's luo most exhaustive biographic*, iiud to various works bv Herman Mcivae\ Frank Marzials. General Gran!_ Wilson (whose 'The-ckerav it: the United Stato' is a most delightful book, which «.-verv Thackeray admire;- o-,;;.:ht to pc.ss.e.? ; o Charles V.'hihley, Aathony Trollope. ;.ud Andrew Late,;. * An excellent monoerai.h ot: Thackeray'in tic ' lbvakman' set if ais ;. m:uvel of condensation, and ir- valuable.. te.i, a.:- containing an article by Mr Chesterton. Abo. I have, made use of a larcje private collection of cuttings from many Mcuices. dcalitiu with the novelist's life and work.-. It mav yvm that 1 have dwelt tea fal'v on che'eailier part of Thackeray's ca]*cr.'bei i: .struck mo thai, to many readers tin* would ptove e fpenally in icvcstifc; feature of the .article, showing. a.s it docs, the "making of the novelist." (Concluded.) "'