The Press.
London, England, 1856-09-20 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

" manners," is much too arbitrary and limited. I
Even in the incidental admission, " We stay
" at home and read, instead of running to the
" theatre to hear," an important acknowledg-
ment is made of the extraordinary " social"
power of the modern novel. The drama,
which held the first place in what Burke
(when writing to Malone on his edition of
Dryden) called "active literature," is now
seriously influenced by the novelist's counter-
attraction. Such a change could scarcely
have been anticipated in the days of Garrick.
We may also remark that many of the ob-
jections which are made to the novelist taking
up " serious social questions " might have
been made to the proposal for introducing the
historical element into fiction. It could have
been said with equal plausibility, that the
novelist deals with persons and individual
positions. whereas history is general and
broad, and concerned with public acts. Much
keen logic and craftsmanlike disserta-
tion might have been used to show that
history, which should be true, could not pos-
sibly be blended with fiction, which must be
inventive. And we might ourselves even
affirm the soundness of the canon that an
historical novel is too hybrid to be perfectly
satisfactory to the critical mind. But what
then ? Criticism is not creative ; and the
appetite amongst readers for books giving
fresh and strong sensations, and opening
up large views to the mind, will help to give
works much success, even though literary
canons he violated. Scott in many respects
falsified history, but he succeeded in enlarging
the domain of fiction, and his mode of writing
told even upon the writing of history, as the
students of Thierry and readers of Macaulay
well know. Indeed, Mr. Macaulay, in his
essay in the Edinburgh Review on " History "
(not reprinted in his collected works), showed
plainly that the " Waverley " school of com-
position was before his mind from an early
date. _ _ _ _

Before, therefore, hastily deciding that
" serious social questions are not fit subjects
" for Art," let us recollect how the novel has
gradually enlarged itself from an insipid love-
tale into a representative and intellectual de-
partment of letters. Its past victories teach
us not too rapidly to predict its failure in
other directions. And let us consider other
instances of the success of the novel.
When reading " Uncle Tom' we recollect
having been much struck with a resemblance
between the comicality and humour of Mrs.
Stowe's "niggers " and the Irish peasantry
as described by various novelists. The fact
is, that Miss Edgeworth did apply her rare
genius for the humorous to " serious social
questions." and with most remarkable suc-
cess. " Castle Rackrent" was more effective
iu the exposure of improvident landlordism
than a hundred essays from professed political
economists ; and in most Irish novels (with the
exception of those by Griffin) the social state of
Ireland is continually brought before the reader.
Lady Morgan's novels were like so many
dramatic pamphlets on the Catholic question,
and they were popular in their day. The
Irish fictionists, also, deserve the credit of
being the first who largely and successfully
introduced persons of the lower rank of life
into fiction. Carleton's admirable tales are
all about the peasantry ; and Miss Edge-
worth's wit is never more brilliant than when
one of her droll peasants is defending his
errors.
But it may here fairly be internosed that
the case of the Irish fictionists, like that of
Eugene Sue (as cited by the Athenaurn) shows
that novels cannot tend to " the solution" of
a question, and that they have a fatal ten-
dency to being onesided and exaggerated It
may be said that the characters, whether well
or ill conceived, must become mere puppets,
like the mechanical creatures in Miss Mar-
tineau's " Illustrations of Political Economy."
We appreciate the full force of the objection.
But the abuse of any power does not illegiti-
niatise its proper use. Genius, unfortunately,
is often onesided. Its temperament places it
under the emotional pressure, and histories, as
well as fictions, have been partial and one-
sided. The objection cannot apply to a
catholic nature like that of Goethe taking up
some " serious social question," and giving

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vivid illustration of its phases and personifying
its contending principles. In Sir Edward
Lytton's "My Nonl, the varieties of per-
sonal ambition and of literary natures are
powerfully portrayed with philosophic serenity
and dramatic truth. In those parts of
" Coningsby " where the manufacturing dis-
tricts are described, similar power is shown of
employing fiction on " serious social ques-
tions," and many other instances might be
cited.

Of course for such a style of composition
peculiar qualities should he required. It
would demand special aptitude, and a balance
between the reflective and inventive powers.
We do not suppose that Mr. Dickens would
have much success in such a walk. His
genius is essentially sentimental, and in
many quarters there is disappointment in
perusing his recent works. It is felt that
many of his favorite characters aro unreali-
ties. When " social questions" are to be
taken as the background or canvas on which
the novelist would employ his talents, there
should be capacity for painting complex life, and
a keen perception of logical relations should be
united with the dramatic or vitalising power.
Mr. Dickens, without detracting from his
eminent qualities, does not display those
united qualities. But Fielding possessed
them in full mastery. So did Voltaire and
Goethe ; and whether Mrs. Stowe hail assist-
ance or not, the works called " Uncle Tom"
and " Dred" exhibit those qualities to an ex-
traordinary degree.
To tabulate our conclusions. 1. We incline
to think that the grave and reflective quali-
ties of the English mind, and a predominating
psssion for utility, will make it worth while
for professed novelists to use " serious social
questions " as elements of fictitious interest.
2. We fully admit the difficulties in treating
such questions in a novel; and just as in order
to play Scotch or Irish characters on the stage
a person must first be a good actor, so for
such work an author must first be a clever
fictionist as distinct from an essayist. 3 We
cannot profess to say ex cathedra what further
successes may be in store for the novel. It
has risen prodigiously in literary value in
the last half-century, supplanted the drama,
influenced historical composition, and potently
swayed opinion. It has to some extent given
those lyrical utterances which might be looked
for from ballad-writing; and, whether for good
or ill, we believe that " social questions " will
be copiously illustrated in the novels of the
coming time. 4. Lastly, we incline to be-
lieve that some social questions fully admit of
adaptation to purposes of fiction, but that
others are entirely unmanageable. To eluci-
date the bounds between these fit and unfit
kinds of subject-matter would occupy us too
long now, and we may reserve its considera-
tion for another time.

1. The Senn and the Intellect. By A. Bain,

M.A. London: J. W. Parker and Son.
2. The Science of Mind. By H. Hill.

Ma. BAIN must not take it ill that we have so
long allowed his ,book to remain unnoticed.
We purposely' placed it aside, until we could
spare time and space to critically examine it.
The contents extend over the wide field of
both physical sensation and intellectual life ;
they comprise the main facts of physiology
and the leading principles of mental philo-
sophy ; and hence it is a difficult book to be
dealt with in the limits of a newspaper notice.
In parts the volume is mainly compiled. It
displays very considerable industry and re-
search. But though, in addition, Mr. Bain
evinces great capacity for analytical reasoning,
and is acute in his perceptions and methodical
in his arrangements, yet he dues not impress
us with any high sense of originative power.
He enters the field of metaphysical inquiry an
active husbandman to reap and bind where
others before him have ploughed and sown.
The plan of Mr. Bain leads him to so many
divisions and subdivisions of his subject, that
it would be vain to attempt to convey by de-
scription any adequate notion of his work.
We always doubted the utility of those precise
and elaborate systems of classification by
which philosophers have endeavoured to table
and catalogue the operations of mind. Their

90t

systems are so purely artificial, and so depen-
dent upon arbitrary definitions of language,
that there is sure to be great diversity in
them Each writer adopts a system of his
own, and thus the teaching of philosophy is
Continually fluctuating. There is no general
agreement even on first principles; and until
such agreement is come to, mental philosophy
cannot become what we observe both Mr.
Bain and Mr. Hill agree in terming it, the
" Science of Mind." Every science must have
exact foundations, and be built up by facts
But philosophy, as it has usually been taught,
rests mainly on theory, supported by spe-
culation. _ _

At the commencement of Mr. Bain's
volume we notice the uncertainty of the very
elementary principles of " mental science."
The mind, he says, possesses three attributes
or capacities :-
1. it has feeling, in which term I include what is com-
monly called sensation and emotion.
2. It can act according to feeling.

8. It can think.
The author endeavours to show that in the
various classifications of the mental pheno-
mena that have hitherto passed current, we
shall find that the three attributes above
specified have been more or less distinctly re-
cognised. The " more or less " comprises so
many modifications as to show that at the very
commencement of the inquiry we are entering
a region of uncertainty.
The three divisions of Mr. Bain will not,
we thirk, bear close scrutiny. It must be
almitted that the mind has the capacity of
feeling or sensation. But do not the second
and third parts of the classification mean, in
substance, the same thing ? There can be no
action of the mind without an exercise of its
powers, and such exercise is really a form of
thought. It is true that the exercise may
vary, from emotions of the mind which are
almost or altogether instinctive to those which
are highly conscious and reasoning ; but the
latter class of emotions are hut a more culti-
vated form of the former class. In children
and savages the mind acts with little or no
reflection, but as its powers are educated its
action becomes more deliberative, and its in-
stinctive action is partly merged in ratiocina-
tive process.
To support his theory of three divisions of
mind, Mr. Bain falls into what we cannot help
thinking a serious error. He supposes that
thought may exist independent of sensation
and independent of mental action or will:—

sannot help looking upon the intellect u a distinct
endowment following laws of its own, being sometimes
well developed and sometimes feeble, without re aru to
the force or degree of the two other attributes (feeling
and volition).

It is surprising that so acute a man as Mr.
Bain should tall into so strange an error es
to suppose that the intellect can be separated
from the acuteness of its sensations and the
strength of its powers. For these two classes
of capacity must in fact constitute the intel-
lect. To what extent they are inseparably
blended, how far the active power of the mind
is connected with its sensibility, is a very nice
question Some conaection of the kind cer-
tainly exists, though liable to very wide modi-
fication.

In the chapters on the " Nervous System."
which immediately follow Mr. Bain's defini-
tion of mind, it is shown that there are two
distinct currents of nervous action One of
these currents serves to receive mental
iii-
pression, the other to transmit mental action;
and in this instance, at least, physiology
teaches philosophy the two leading elemen-
tary principles of mental science.
The white and grey matter of the spinal
cord and brain are mingled together inextric-
ably, yet in such manner as most clearly to
evidence design, and to allow us to understand
the separate use of each system. Mr. Bain,
after an elaborate description of the appear-
ances presented to the physiologist, writes:—

The arrangement may thus be seen to resemble the
comae of a railway train. The various central masses are
like so many stations where the train drop* a certain
number of passengers, and takes up others in their stead,
whilst some are carried through to the final terminus. A
system of telegraph wires might be formed to represent
exactly what takes place in the brain. If from a general
terminus in London a mass of wires were carried out to
proeeed towards Liverpool, and if one wire of the mass
woe to end at oath station, while from the same station