The Life and Genius of Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Life and Genius of Nathaniel
Hawthorne

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Hawthorne
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Title: The Life and Genius of Nathaniel Hawthorne
Author: Frank Preston Stearns
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THE LIFE AND GENIUS OF NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE

BY FRANK PRESTON STEARNS
AUTHOR OF "THE REAL AND IDEAL IN LITERATURE," "LIFE
OF TINTORETTO," "LIFE OF BISMARCK," "TRUE
REPUBLICANISM," "CAMBRIDGE SKETCHES," ETC.

[Illustration: Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Frances Osborne Portrait: by
permission of the Essex Institute.]
INSCRIBED
TO EMILIA MACIEL STEARNS
"In the elder days of art Builders wrought with greatest care Each
minute and unseen part,-- For the gods see everywhere." --Longfellow
"Oh, happy dreams of such a soul have I, And softly to myself of him I
sing, Whose seraph pride all pride doth overwing; Who stoops to
greatness, matches low with high, And as in grand equalities of sky,
Stands level with the beggar and the king." --Wasson

Preface
The simple events of Nathaniel Hawthorne's life have long been before
the public. From 1835 onward they may easily be traced in the various
Note-books, which have been edited from his diary, and previous to

that time we are indebted for them chiefly to the recollections of his
two faithful friends, Horatio Bridge and Elizabeth Peabody. These were
first systematised and published by George P. Lathrop in 1872, but a
more complete and authoritative biography was issued by Julian
Hawthorne twelve years later, in which, however, the writer has
modestly refrained from expressing an opinion as to the quality of his
father's genius, or from attempting any critical examination of his
father's literary work. It is in order to supply in some measure this
deficiency, that the present volume has been written. At the same time,
I trust to have given credit where it was due to my predecessors, in the
good work of making known the true character of so rare a genius and
so exceptional a personality.
The publication of Horatio Bridge's memoirs and of Elizabeth
Manning's account of the boyhood of Hawthorne have placed before
the world much that is new and valuable concerning the earlier portion
of Hawthorne's life, of which previous biographers could not very well
reap the advantage. I have made thorough researches in regard to
Hawthorne's American ancestry, but have been able to find no ground
for the statements of Conway and Lathrop, that William Hathorne, their
first ancestor on this side of the ocean, was directly connected with the
Quaker persecution. Some other mistakes, like Hawthorne's supposed
connection with the duel between Cilley and Graves, have also been
corrected.
F. P. S.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER
I. SALEM AND THE HATHORNES: 1630-1800 II. BOYHOOD OF
HAWTHORNE: 1804-1821 III. BOWDOIN COLLEGE: 1821-1825
IV. LITTLE MISERY: 1825-1835 V. EOS AND EROS: 1835-1839 VI.
PEGASUS AT THE CART: 1839-1841 VII. HAWTHORNE AS A
SOCIALIST: 1841-1842 VIII. CONCORD AND THE OLD MANSE:
1842-1845 IX. "MOSSES FROM AN OLD MANSE": 1845 X. FROM
CONCORD TO LENOX: 1845-1849 XI. PEGASUS IS FREE:
1850-1852 XII. THE LIVERPOOL CONSULATE: 1852-1854 XIII.

HAWTHORNE IN ENGLAND: 1854-1858 XIV. ITALY XV.
HAWTHORNE AS ART CRITIC: 1858 XVI. "THE MARBLE
FAUN": 1859-1860 XVII. HOMEWARD BOUND: 1860-1862 XVIII.
IMMORTALITY
PORTRAITS OF HAWTHORNE EDITIONS OF HAWTHORNE'S
BOOKS PUBLISHED UNDER HIS OWN DIRECTION. MRS.
EMERSON AND MRS. HAWTHORNE APPENDICES
List of Illustrations
PORTRAIT OF HAWTHORNE, BY FRANCES OSBORNE IN 1893
HAWTHORNE'S BIRTHPLACE HORATIO BRIDGE, FROM THE
PORTRAIT BY EASTMAN JOHNSON HAWTHORNE, FROM THE
PORTRAIT BY CHARLES OSGOOD IN 1840 THE OLD MANSE,
RESIDENCE OF DR. RIPLEY THE CUSTOM HOUSE, SALEM,
MASS THE WAYSIDE GUIDO RENI'S PORTRAIT