James Russell Lowell, A Biography; vol 2/2Scudder, Horace Elisha
History
James Russell Lowell, A Biography; vol 2/2
Scudder, Horace Elisha
Authors, American -- 19th century -- Biography; Diplomats -- United States -- Biography; Lowell, James Russell, 1819-1891
[51] After three weeks spent with Mr. Norton and his family at their
hotel in Paris, Mr. and Mrs. Lowell moved across the river, upon the
departure of their friends to London. As will be seen later, this
little hotel became their familiar home whenever they were in Paris.
They endeared themselves to their host and hostess, and long after
there hung, perhaps still hangs, in the office, a large photograph of
Lowell.
[52] A well known second-hand bookseller in Boston.
[53] Mrs. Burnett’s first child had lately been born.
[54] _Letters_, ii. 125.
[55] See _Letters_, ii. 115.
[56] “While the wise nose’s firm-built aquiline.”
[57] One clause of his will reads: “I give to the corporation of
Harvard College, the Library thereof, my copy of Webster on Witchcraft,
formerly belonging to Increase Mather, President of the College; and
also any books from my library of which the College Library does not
already possess copies, or of which the copies or editions in my
library are for any reason whatever preferable to those possessed by
the College Library.” He had at the time of his death about seven
thousand books in his library.
[58] He was wont to assemble on the fly-leaf of a volume notable words
that had struck him when reading the text, and it is worth noting
that the careful index to the Riverside edition of Lowell’s writings
contains under the heading “Words and Phrases” some seven score
examples.
[59] The verse in “Agassiz” which cut deepest was that containing the
lines
“And all the unwholesomeness
The Land of Broken Promise serves of late
To teach the Old World how to wait.”
When he reprinted in the poem in _Heartsease and Rue_, Lowell made some
verbal changes, and in this passage substituted “the Land of Honest
Abraham” for the “Land of Broken Promise.” One may ponder over the
change and settle it with himself which stings more, irony or sarcasm.
[60] The letter was also printed by Mr. Norton in _Letters_, with a few
of the omitted passages filled in.
[61] The reference is to a volume by Mr. William Cleaver Wilkinson,
entitled _A Free Lance in the Field of Life and Letters_, published
in 1874, which contained three papers on “Mr. Lowell’s Poetry,” “Mr.
Lowell’s ‘Cathedral,’” and “Mr. Lowell’s Prose.” In a letter to Mrs.
Clifford (_Letters_, ii. 290) Lowell refers to this book apparently
when he says: “You will be glad to hear that a man once devoted an
entire volume to the exposure of my _solecisms_, or whatever he chose
to call them. I never read it--lest it should spoil my style by making
it conscious.” The papers on Lowell constitute, however, less than a
third of Mr. Wilkinson’s book.
[62] See, for further detail, Mr. E. P. Bliss’s statement in _Letters_,
ii. 160, 161, footnote.
[63] Mr. Blaine.
[64] _Letters_, ii. 171.
[65] _Letters_, ii. 173-178.
[66] _Literary Friends and Acquaintances_, pp. 237, 238.
[67] Elmwood, 5 June, 1877. _Letters_, ii. 104.
[68] To Miss Grace Norton. _Letters_, ii. 195, 196.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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