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who　knows　whether　some　scar　on　the　off…cheek；　or　some　squint　in

the　eye　that　is　not　seen；　might　not　have　entirely　altered　the

expression　of　the　face　if　brought　into　sight？　　Scott；　Moore；

Southey；　all　began　autobiographies；　but　the　task　of　continuing

them　was　doubtless　felt　to　be　too　difficult　as　well　as　delicate；

and　they　were　abandoned。



French　literature　is　especially　rich　in　a　class　of　biographic

memoirs；　of　which　we　have　few　counterparts　in　English。　　We　refer

to　their　MEMOIRES　POUR　SERVIR；　such　as　those　of　Sully；　De　Comines；

Lauzun；　De　Retz；　De　Thou；　Rochefoucalt；　&c。；　in　which　we　have

recorded　an　immense　mass　of　minute　and　circumstantial　information

relative　to　many　great　personages　of　history。　　They　are　full　of

anecdotes　illustrative　of　life　and　character；　and　of　details　which

might　be　called　frivolous；　but　that　they　throw　a　flood　of　light　on

the　social　habits　and　general　civilisation　of　the　periods　to　which

they　relate。　　The　MEMOIRES　of　Saint…Simon　are　something　more：　they

are　marvellous　dissections　of　character；　and　constitute　the　most

extraordinary　collection　of　anatomical　biography　that　has　ever

been　brought　together。



Saint…Simon　might　almost　be　regarded　in　the　light　of　a　posthumous

court…spy　of　Louis　the　Fourteenth。　　He　was　possessed　by　a　passion

for　reading　character；　and　endeavouring　to　decipher　motives　and

intentions　in　the　faces；　expressions；　conversation；　and　byplay　of

those　about　him。　　〃I　examine　all　my　personages　closely；〃　said　he

〃watch　their　mouth；　eyes；　and　ears　constantly。〃　　And　what　he　heard

and　saw　he　noted　down　with　extraordinary　vividness　and　dash。

Acute；　keen；　and　observant；　he　pierced　the　masks　of　the　courtiers；

and　detected　their　secrets。　　The　ardour　with　which　he　prosecuted

his　favourite　study　of　character　seemed　insatiable；　and　even

cruel。　　〃The　eager　anatomist；〃　says　Sainte…Beuve；　〃was　not　more

ready　to　plunge　the　scalpel　into　the　still…palpitating　bosom　in

search　of　the　disease　that　had　baffled　him。〃



La　Bruyere　possessed　the　same　gift　of　accurate　and　penetrating

observation　of　character。　　He　watched　and　studied　everybody　about

him。　　He　sought　to　read　their　secrets；　and；　retiring　to　his

chamber；　he　deliberately　painted　their　portraits；　returning　to

them　from　time　to　time　to　correct　some　prominent　featurehanging

over　them　as　fondly　as　an　artist　over　some　favourite　study

adding　trait　to　trait；　and　touch　to　touch；　until　at　length　the

picture　was　complete　and　the　likeness　perfect。



It　may　be　said　that　much　of　the　interest　of　biography；　especially

of　the　more　familiar　sort；　is　of　the　nature　of　gossip；　as　that　of

the　MEMOIRES　POUR　SERVIR　is　of　the　nature　of　scandal；　which　is　no

doubt　true。　　But　both　gossip　and　scandal　illustrate　the　strength

of　the　interest　which　men　and　women　take　in　each　other's

personality；　and　which；　exhibited　in　the　form　of　biography；　is

capable　of　communicating　the　highest　pleasure；　and　yielding　the

best　instruction。　　Indeed　biography；　because　it　is　instinct　of

humanity；　is　the　branch　of　literature　whichwhether　in　the　form

of　fiction；　of　anecdotal　recollection；　or　of　personal　narrative

is　the　one　that　invariably　commends　itself　to　by　far　the　largest

class　of　readers。



There　is　no　room　for　doubt　that　the　surpassing　interest　which

fiction；　whether　in　poetry　or　prose；　possesses　for　most　minds；

arises　mainly　from　the　biographic　element　which　it　contains。

Homer's　'Iliad'　owes　its　marvellous　popularity　to　the　genius　which

its　author　displayed　in　the　portrayal　of　heroic　character。　　Yet　he

does　not　so　much　describe　his　personages　in　detail　as　make　them

develope　themselves　by　their　actions。　　〃There　are　in　Homer；〃　said

Dr。　Johnson；　〃such　characters　of　heroes　and　combination　of

qualities　of　heroes；　that　the　united　powers　of　mankind　ever　since

have　not　produced　any　but　what　are　to　be　found　there。〃



The　genius　of　Shakspeare　also　was　displayed　in　the　powerful

delineation　of　character；　and　the　dramatic　evolution　of　human

passions。　　His　personages　seem　to　be　realliving　and　breathing

before　us。　　So　too　with　Cervantes；　whose　Sancho　Panza；　though

homely　and　vulgar；　is　intensely　human。　　The　characters　in　Le

Sage's　'Gil　Blas；'　in　Goldsmith's　'Vicar　of　Wakefield；'　and　in

Scott's　marvellous　muster…roll；　seem　to　us　almost　as　real　as

persons　whom　we　have　actually　known；　and　De　Foe's　greatest　works

are　but　so　many　biographies；　painted　in　minute　detail；　with

reality　so　apparently　stamped　upon　every　page；　that　it　is

difficult　to　believe　his　Robinson　Crusoe　and　Colonel　Jack　to　have

been　fictitious　instead　of　real　persons。



Though　the　richest　romance　lies　enclosed　in　actual　human　life；　and

though　biography；　because　it　describes　beings　who　have　actually

felt　the　joys　and　sorrows；　and　experienced　the　difficulties　and

triumphs；　of　real　life；　is　capable　of　being　made　more　attractive；

than　the　most　perfect　fictions　ever　woven；　it　is　remarkable　that

so　few　men　of　genius　have　been　attracted　to　the　composition　of

works　of　this　kind。　　Great　works　of　fiction　abound；　but　great

biographies　may　be　counted　on　the　fingers。　　It　may　be　for　the　same

reason　that　a　great　painter　of　portraits；　the　late　John　Philip；

R。A。；　explained　his　preference　for　subject…painting；　because；　said

he；　〃Portrait…painting　does　not　pay。〃　　Biographic　portraiture

involves　laborious　investigation　and　careful　collection　of　facts；

judicious　rejection　and　skilful　condensation；　as　well　as　the　art

of　presenting　the　character　portrayed　in　the　most　attractive　and

lifelike　form；　whereas；　in　the　work　of　fiction；　the　writer's

imagination　is　free　to　create　and　to　portray　character；　without

being　trammelled　by　references；　or　held　down　by　the　actual　details

of　real　life。



There　is；　indeed；　no　want　among　us　of　ponderous　but　lifeless

memoirs；　many　of　them　little　better　than　inventories；　put　together

with　the　help　of　the　scissors　as　much　as　of　the　pen。　　What

Constable　said　of　the　portraits　of　an　inferior　artist〃He　takes

all　the　bones　and　brains　out　of　his　heads〃applies　to　a　large

class　of　portraiture；　written　as　well　as　painted。　　They　have　no

more　life　in　them　than　a　piece　of　waxwork；　or　a　clothes…dummy　at　a

tailor's　door。　　What　we　want　is　a　picture　of　a　man　as　he　lived；

and　lo！　we　have　an　exhibition　of　the　biographer　himself。　　We

expect　an　embalmed　heart；　and　we　find　only　clothes。



There　is　doubtless　as　high　art　displayed　in　painting　a　portrait　in

words；　as　there　is　in　painting　one　in　colours。　　To　do　either　well

requires　the　seeing　eye　and　the　skilful　pen　or　brush。　　A　common

artist　sees　only　the　features　of　a　face；　and　copies　them；　but　the

great　artist　sees　the　living　soul　shining　through　the　features；

and　places　it　on　the　canvas。　　Johnson　was　once　asked　to　assist　the

chaplain　of　a　deceased　bishop　in　writing　a　memoir　of　his　lordship；

but　when　he　proceeded　to　inquire　for　information；　the　chaplain

could　scarcely　tell　him　anything。　　Hence　Johnson　was　led　to

observe　that　〃few　people　who　have　lived　with　a　man　know　what　to

remark　about　him。〃



In　the　case　of　Johnson's　own　life；　it　was　the　seeing　eye　of

Boswell　that　enabled　him　to　note　and　treasure　up　those　minute

details　of　habit　and　conversation　in　which　so　much　of　the　interest

of　biography　consists。　　Boswell；　because　of　his　simple　love　and

admiration　of　his　hero；　succeeded　where　probably　greater　men　would

have　failed。　　He　descended　to　apparently　insignificant；　but　yet

most　characteristic；　particulars。　　Thus　he　apologizes　for

informing　the　reader　that　Johnson；　when　journeying；　〃carried　in

his　hand　a　large　English　oak…stick：〃　adding；　〃I　remember　Dr。　Adam

Smith；　in　his　rhetorical　lectures　at　Glasgow；　told　us　he　was　glad

to　know　that　Milton　wore　latchets　in　his　shoes　instead　of

buckles。〃　　Boswell　lets　us　know　how　Johnson　looked；　what　dress　he

wore；　what　was　his　talk；　what　were　his　prejudices。　　He　painted　him

with　all　his　scars；　and　a　wonderful　portrait　it　isperhaps　the

most　complete　picture　of　a　great　man　ever　limned　in　words。



But　for　the　accident　of　the　Scotch　advocate's　intimacy　with

Johnson；　and　his　devoted　admiration　of　him；　the　latter　would　not

probably　have　stood　nearly　so　high　in　literature　as　he　now　does。

It　is　in　the　pages　of　Boswell　that　Johnson　really　lives；　and　but

for　Boswell；　he　might　have　remained　little　more　than　a　name。

Others　there　are　who　have　bequeathed　great　works　to　posterity；　but

of　whose　lives　next　to　nothing　is　known。　　What　would　we　not　give

to　have　a　Boswell's　account　of　Shakspeare？　　We　positively　know

more　of　the　personal　history　of　Socrates；　of　Horace；　of　Cicero；　of

Augustine；　than　we　do　of　that　of　Shakspeare。　　We　do　not　know　what

was　his　religion；　what　were　his　politics；　what　were　his

experiences；　what　were　his　relations　to　his　contemporaries。　　The

men　of　his　own　time　do　not　seem　to　have　recognised　his　greatness；

and　Ben　Jonson；　the　court　poet；　whose　blank…verse　Shakspeare　was

content　to　commit　to　memory　and　recite　as　an　actor；　stood　higher

in　popula