Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-01-19
Taine,s History of English Literature.

Taine's History Of English Literature.
The author Of this work has stated, in an in
PRODUCTION, HIS design in writing it. This design
is unique English literature is to be treated Of
rot for its own sake simply. but for the reyels-
ton it contains Of the character, mental and
moral q the English people Ia the words Of
the author, - an about to write the history Of
E literature and to seek in it for the psychology
Of people " The work may therefore be re-
gsiiei A. a contribution to philosophy as well Sc
to the history Of literature. and il Is chiefly in
the former character that we shall speak Of it.
Whether the philosophy embodied in these snd
other writings Of ". Tsine be true or false, the
philosophic design which pergsies them all
impArts an additional interest TO productions on
other accounts extremely attractive. The prin-
ciple and method are the same which the author
has followed in his writings on art, and the re-
sui, Of their application to English literature is
equally entertaining. The past is no longer pre-
sent to the senses, bat it can be revived to the
imagination. In order to comprehend the minds
OF other times, we must zee Whist they saw, and
what they were, Especially, must their visible
surroundings, their whole sensible environment
be in some wsy depicted. Let us see the youth
ful Greek naked in the PslWstra, or in thought
ful discussion pacing with his fellows the groves
Of the Academy, let Us see him under the beauti-
ful blue Of the Attic sky and surrounded every
where by the master pieces Of HE unrivalled art,
and then We are in position TO comprehend the
marvellous poetry, philosophy, civilization Of
Greece
- Let Us make the past present; in order to
Judge OF thing, It must be before US. There is
no experience in respect to what is sbsent"
" Genuine history is brought into existence only
when the historian begins TO unrsvel, across the
lapse Of time the living man, toiling, imprisoned
enirenched in his customs, with his voice
and features, his gestures and his dreEs, distinct
and complete as he from whom sc hSve lust
parted in the street, There is no other
means Of scqaainting ourselves approximately
with the events Of other days, than to see sp-
proximstely the men Of other days The ex-
ternsl sspect OF men and things is Of prime i'm
pOctance IN the authors view and a revival Of
il 10 the Imagination Indispensable. Af1er
quoting Chsucer's description Of - The Miller"
ne adds " These are the athletic forms, the
square build, the Jolly John Bulls Of the period,
such IS weyet find them, nourished by meat snd
porter, sustained by bodily exercise and boxing.
These are the men We must keep before us, if We
will understand how political liberty has been
established IN the country" The realistic de-
lineations which his method requires, 10 writer
is better abe TO produce than NJ Tame His
vivid and exubersnt Imagination sets before US
with such wonderful disunctneSs the men and
manners Of an epoch, that We seem ss we read to
be travellers in other ages, 10 visit the cities Of
men long dead and learn their mind. More
over. apart from his genius, the simple fact that
the writer is foreigner has nos little to do
with his success in seizing upon the salient char
Acieristics Of the English people. Of this sdvsn-
tage VI. 1sine himself speaks in his introduction
to the TRANSLATION. 1t WAS the bright suggestion 1
Of a lady to friend travelling in 4 foreign |
land. "ifyou find the people walking on their
heads. nske noe Of it at once, for in few .
days, il will appear nothing strange" Custom
80 bunts the edge Of our perceptions. that the
most striking peculisrities i,il to make IN i'm
preston on thoTe familiar with them
But the external aspect Of men and things is
important only as significant Of an inner life
The true character Of the man or the nation is
TO be sought in the prevailing sentiments and
ideas which make their impress on outward
things An inner man is concealed beneath the
outer man the second does hut reveal the first
You look AZ his house, furniture, dress; and that
IN order TO discover in them the marks Of his
habits oT tastes, the degree Of MS refinement or
rusticity. " You listen 10 his conversation, you
consider his writings, his artistic productions,
his bushes transactions, and that in order to
measure the scope and limits Of his intelligence"
etc. We thus resch - new world which IL in
finite, because every action which We see involves
Al Infinite association Of ressouings, emotions,
sensations, new and Cd which have served 10
bring II to light This underworld is a new
subject matter, proper to the historian. If his
critical education suffice, be can lay bare, under
every detail Of architecture, every stroke in
picture, every phrase in a writing, the specisl
sensation whence that detail, stroke or phrase
had issue, He lie present 81 the drama which
Was enacted in the so1l Of artist or writer
- bile his eyes read the text, his soul sni
mind pursue the continuous DEVELOPMENT and
the ever changing succession Of the emotions and
conceptions out Of which the text hss sprung:
in short he unveils psychologist"
But N. Tame is deterHin that we shall sea
every thing that characterzes tho English Itera- I
tufe And The English people lie takes especial de-
ght IN showing US the grossr features These see to
have nade very distinct impression on his mind
ana ne lasls,s upon cur iasins sniff at every
ouns nll. At The same time he makes kind OF
apology fT 1t. 1t seems it is Necessary. We pray
The reader 70 pardon Us for ben Johnson's broad
ness II omit it, can not depict tae 9TH
e,h,ury. Grant the same incu gence TO the histor-
ian a. to the anatomist."
NJ tne interpreting power he thus des .ribes, the
aue.or mas giFen US a striking instance in his
freshmen, OF the Paradise Lost II n very cles, I
that N Iains was 9" present at the drama which
shs enacted 10 the soul" OF Milton when tbet
poem was produced. But We wish he hai moi been
tnsre NE nercliess exposure OF cur venerable erst
PA-enis; 70 the laughter Of his readers we hardly
iofxse MN. what be says is irresstibly funny but