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64
PEACOCK
of his compatriots ; and when he is not
to be caustic or facetious he is often
trying
quite sensible. We can say no more for him
however.
Mr. Freeman aims higher, and though he
comes short of his mark his is a valuable book.
He can write well, and will write better ; at
present he is set upon being witty and clever,
which is the more to be regretted in that he
is both by nature. He has a view of life and
letters which, if it be literary and rather
Per-
superficial, is, at all events, personal.
of material for a
ceiving the insufficiency
biography, he has attempted an appreciation
of Peacock's art. As we set ourselves a
similar task so recently as February last,
when reviewing Dr. Young's edition of the
plays, we feel no call to restate our estimate
or it
pit against that of this new critic. It
need only be said that he realizes, as does
Mr. Van Doren, the singularity of Peacock's
genius ; that, though
neither has succeeded in
showing precisely why it is unique, the English
critic has brought forward some highly illu-
minating suggestions and that reduction ;
by
a half would be the greatest improvement
that either book could undergo.
In the circumstances, our interest tends to
centre on the biographical parts of both works.
For both are biographical : only Mr. Freeman,