Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1911 edition. Excerpt: ..."Feb. 13, 1881. I met Matthew Arnold in Piccadilly and walked with him to St. James's Place. His talk was interesting, but his 'Dundreary' manner is curious in a man of such austere intellectual taste. He said that Carlyle had never satisfied him. George Eliot's books he did not like, though he recognised her power of drawing character. He had no great opin1on of Lowell as a poet, better as a critic. Thought Benjamin Franklin's autobiography very poor, 'Richard's Maxims' the best American book. He had not been able to care much yet for Bret Harte, but thought he might do so; was goingtoread him to his daughters. Had lately re-read 'David Copperfield, ' and had liked it much more than he had ever done before, being struck with its vigorous talent. He had been more thanked for his last poem (on the death of the dog Geist) than for anything he ever wrote. He 1879-81 BURTON ON CARLYLE 191 supposed it was because few persons liked verses, and many liked dogs." I find noted in my diary under Feb. 25th of this year: "At 12 this night Courts of Common Pleas and Exchequer breathed their last." This change, which saved a few thousands a year, has not, in my opinion, been followed with the good results expected by its authors. It has substituted for these Courts, each under the immediate control of its chief, an unwieldy body of Judges supposed to be kept in order by a divisum imperium consisting of the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice. It has abolished the two chiefships which attracted the best men at the Bar, who are now often unwilling to take judgeships, a state of things which has the double evil of diminishing the supply of good men for the Bench, and giving an undue prominence to the Bar, it being not uncommon...
