New-York tribune., 1869-03-12

Beow this we linda substratum Of character little more
S S u ss SstS4o tSe0y ypd4od We Saye the
end OF one that which % had ts m TepTesentatiVe
peTso4aSe in the Antony Of Alexander Dumas,
In the young heroes Of the drama OF victor hugo IN tne
fathers 1t refers 70 the man OF strong passions ana
politician and the revolutonst to the humantaran ana
the innovator, the wOuldbe cOnsunpuVe, tne seeming
faalist wearing the tragic vests and the pompous mar
TO be seen i'm the engravngs Of D6vera he now seems TO
bOmbastic and artess, but we cannot eIuse 70
short he s the pebeian OF class, richly endowed
with faculties and with desires who having for tle nst
plays the trouble Of his mind and Of his heart HIS sen
nens and his ideas are those OF an ente hsr
hence is that entire generation has 10 eapse 9eloe
stTatn and the time taken by history dispose Of it
show us the degree Importance in showing US the
degree Of its depth
The same law prevails throughout the whole course
of history The importance of characters is measured
by their stability The scale of literary and artistic
values corresponds to this scale Of moral values
All things in other respects being equal according as
the character set forth the book moro or less inp0r
tant that is to say more or less elementary ana staD9
this book becomes OF less Deautfn ana YOU VII
see the LAYERS of the moral strata communicate to the Ut
eray works which express them their proper uegreo VI
There is at first literature Of fashion which expresses
the character the fashions IL lasts like that character
three or four years and sometimes less II commonly DOs
SONS and decays with the leaves Of the year t Consists
Of the rOmance the farce the pamphlet tne nCEe Go s
vaudeville or a humorous piece OF tne Yea gGddr
| lg35-yOu will let tt drop out OF your manu-
| Attempts are often made TO reproduce 1t ON the
stage; twenty years ago the rage to-day the au
dence yawn aud the piece quickly disappears from the
/ aybills. This that romance once sung az every
pano is now ludicrOus; find it mspid and discord.
ant; IL best only encountered IN some remote ana
antquated provinces t only some OF those eV
anescent sentiments which slight variation OF customs
sufces to DO away with il has become oldfashoned,
! and wo are surprised at ourselves for having Deeh
pleased with such foolish things Thus, from among lne
innumerabe writings which the light, time makes Jus
selection; superficial and slightly persistent cnaraoVers
are borne away with the works which express them'
We have no space to follow NJ Iaine, at greater
length in the application of this principle TO the
estimate of works of art He treats the subject with
the graceful ease of a master, evincing singular
aptness and wealth of illustration and rare critical
subtlety, although without the form of phlosopmc
depth or the completeness and symmetry OF an
exact system. If he is sometimes too ingenious TO
command the assent of the Judgment his sugges-
tions always present a wholesome stimulus 10
thought and afford rich store of positive instruc
ton His manner is emnently attractive, beguillng
the reader by the lmpid flow of his language, and
the energy and beauty of his descriptions. In trans
IatinQ the work. Mr. Durand has closely. almost too
closely indeed. followed the original though with
ont greatly impairng the movement of his style, or
its idiomatc flavor He is entitled to the thanks OF
American artists and scholars for calling their atten-
ton to so admirable an author as NJ. Taine, and Tor
reproducing his most important works with so much
fidelity and skill.