. Historical portraits ... the lives of Fletcher .. . his modeof life in academic society we know but few details. Apparentlj^ hehad a reputation for kindliness and wit, but was retiring and subjectto fits of depression, which he relieved by going down to the riverand listening to the picturesque language of the bargemen whereinhe found much diversion. This melancholy trait in his character hemakes the excuse for his book, which he wrote, as he saj-s, beingbusy to avoid melancholy. To classify his work would be impos-sible. It is just the creation of an eccentric fancy, a strange medley
. Historical portraits ... the lives of Fletcher .. . his modeof life in academic society we know but few details. Apparentlj^ hehad a reputation for kindliness and wit, but was retiring and subjectto fits of depression, which he relieved by going down to the riverand listening to the picturesque language of the bargemen whereinhe found much diversion. This melancholy trait in his character hemakes the excuse for his book, which he wrote, as he saj-s, beingbusy to avoid melancholy. To classify his work would be impos-sible. It is just the creation of an eccentric fancy, a strange medleyof psychology, philology, medicine, and theology, interspersed withdiscourses on such incongruous topics as love, sport, and style is like his treatment, loose and rambling, often a furiousflow of words almost unchecked bj punctuation, and loaded through-out with an extraordinary wealth of quotation from classical andother writers. I have read many books, he says, but to littlepurpose for want of good method, I have confusedly tumbled over. RUBKRT BURTON From the portrait at Brascnose College, OxfordPainter unkno\vn
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectportraitpainting
