NOTE ON MR. CHARLEY AND THE FAMILY OF TILE LATE
MRS. HEMANS.
MR. CIIORLEY last Athemeum in order generally adopted week addressed a letter to time editor of the to remove an impression to his " disadvantage, by the press," that his Memorials qf Mrs. Hemans were distasteful to her family, and published in opposition to their wishes. This he has done very completely, by showing, that he was in communication with the family respecting their pub: lication ; that the family furnished him with " materials in the shape of extracts from Mrs. Heinans's correspondence ;" and that her sister (the author of the Memoir prefixed to the edition of the Poetical Works) addressed to him a highly complimentary letter in return for his presentation-copy of the Memorials.
As regards the parenthetical comment we made upon the sub.
ject, in the Spectator of June 1, Mr. CHORLEY not only admits that "the tone of the earlier part of the Memoir, and the total abstinence from all reference to the Memorial published by him, might naturally lead the public to conclude that his work has been offensive to its writer, and published, not only without the concur- rence, but in opposition to the wishes of Mrs. Hen-lanes family," but that it also incited him, though in full possession of the evi- dence we have mentioned, to " address a letter to the sister of Mrs. Hemans, calling her attention to the subject." Her reply cleared up the ground of the misapprehension, by stating that she complained of two other publications.
At the same time, it must be understood that we did not repeat
the complaint merely because Mrs. HintANs's sister seemed to make it, but because Mr. CIIORLEY'S Memorials appeared to lend it a sort of countenance. Our impression of his publication was, that the late Mrs. IIEMANS was unconsciously made to appear feeble and affected in character ; and that its bulk was extended by slight or trivial notes upon private topics, as if the object were to make advantage of a correspondence. This notion is not changed by Mr. ClIORLEY'S letter ; though we now perceive, what before we were necessarily unaware of, the amiable motives which prompted his conduct. In speaking of his Obituary notice and Recollections of Mrs. HEmAxs, published in the Athemeum, and forming the nucleus of his Memorials, Mr. ClIORLEY says- " Previously to this time, I had been urged and invited to extend and re- publish the pipers in question. This, for obvious reasons, I had declined. On the matter being again pressed upon me, I addressed the sister of Mrs. He- mans on the subject, resolved that unless I received full concurrence ou the part of the fluffily, 1 would not proceed. I stated, that after having remune- rated myselffor the task of writing and compiling, I should but consider myself as the steward fur Mm's. Ilemans's sons; and the meditated publication as their, not my, property. It is almost needless to add, that this intention has been
Previous page
