The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-09-10

sons not capable Of instant and general com
prebension On the other hand, we have noted
many instances In Mlddlemarch" and Daniel
Deronda" where. at crltich junctures OF the
narrative tho grasp Of the authors thought Is
thwarted for the ordinary reader 10y somewhat
FAINT astic references to medieval or ancient lit
erature No one, OF COURSE would attribute to
George Eliot any Of the foolish motives which
are usually associated with pedantic writing
but we mean to say that she overrates the aver
age culture Of her audience, which is mistake
no lees serious than for an actor to pitch the
voice too low. Another familiar criticism OF
Bazac Ia levelled at his passion for ANALYSIS.
Few men, certainly, have tracked the windines
OF motive with more ruthless and unefring
scent, but to the conscious possessor OF such
powers the chase Is apt to seem Of more conse-
quence than the game. But 10 this form Of
self-ind diligence Balzac preserved a certain time
Illness and propriety, reserying his more dainty
aud patient manipulations for moments Of sus-
pense and preparation, for moods Of doubt and
vacillation, and contenting himself with swift,
Arm strokes at the critical stages Of the action,
or In the projection OF strong feeling. George
Eliot Ia not equally cironmspect. More than
once In the book before us, " Daniel Deronda."
when our sympatnies have been intensely
wrought upon, we suddenly called to take
part IN an operation which IL az unwelcOne as
yivisoction. Elsewhere, too. when ANALYSIS IA
In order, u IL performed with All elaborate thor
ouRhness winch partially defeats Its end, since
in the multiplied Hastings OF the di-sectinS
knife we lose sight OF the slender niaments aud
nervo-centres We were asked to sc.utinlze.
Many Of her pages thus devoted to all exhaus
tive moral anatomy would have been compress
ed by Dalzac ilto paragraphs, and Doubtless
much careful Work would have been sacrhced.
But the readers mind would have refined u
more distinct Impression, and IL not this the
test OF art
II we pass from technical qualities OF work
manship to the moral atnosubore OF her books.
ana the spiritual mobility embodied In certain
characters, We and George Eliot moving on
plain attained bv few English noveists. and Ger
tainly not 10y Bllz C. There Is no goodness In
the sense Of the lofty principle consciously self
| imposed and fruitful, In the Comtdie Humdtne.
You encounter, kindly, unselnsh instincts, ma
ternal yearning. nlai affection. paternal devo-
ton, and not seld ON amurphous goody crea-
lures moving sluegishv In the grooves OF harm
less habit, and who serve foils to brilliant
villains. But the clover people are always bad
aud Ell her n lzacs intuitiye perceptions were
| sometimes dulled by rooted SIX pticism, or he
never had the good fortune to meet such mon
| as Deronda and Felix Holt, or such women as
Romoa or Durothea In "Middemarch." on
| the other hand. In George Eiiot's world all the
| ROBUST well-pOiscd regnint natures arc sooner
or later enlisted on the side OF worth aud
purity and OF truthful helpful living "a II
| to her mind the tremendous lcayening in
nuence Of rigat-wishins minor'ties were tho
one SUI rene sign OF power In history, and ~ II
she could not Imagine a sound strong Intellect
not WELDING ultimate acceptanc' TO those prin-
anIf FOL "a
mulate the wisdom and aspiration OF the race.
In conformity with her view OF the laws which
govern the genesis and collision of moral forces
her vicious. eeoiis ic persons are always weak.
| and invariably succumb In the end To the defeat
"r failure when awaits weakness IL Is imposSl'
BILE 20 conceive OF teaching more diametr'caily
| opposed to Is lzics whose ntty voluines are 40
MANY sermons enforcing ths gospel OF sell
seekirs. We need not say that proofs ana
vouchers for the correctness OF his doctrine
were easily marshallsd by one VINO cons'derei
stalled OK and hatred herewith more
authentic measure OF success than the scrip
tar | altern tive.
There arc problol no depths Ike those Of re-
morse IN ucn sincerely ~i,hiul 81 better thines
aud therefore a writer whose paih lies along TIE
heights h1s yet ample OCCASION 70 fatAon I'M
protundties OF human uiture. 1t 3 certain tina
~ W. follow Gc"r-c Euots portrayal OF ne u
is TUNA mental ana Interior relations we ar
startled bS d sense oi comptehehsNenoss au'
penetration Win which lew writer's III thls cen
turv have Impressed u.s. We may know NE
however ihIensNey through tho exhaustive
study oi lie" types anu yet want Nhe KNOW
edgt OF IT'S outw-Fi am transient aspects th
eN hesceni moods deals stdhirds' tue man
ner'' habits fashions "hlch III ike W tue llNer
oi pfucular axe anu ""Ieh must needs d
lahI'iAf to 'he novelist "h" aims 10 oe IA some
sort the MIRROR oi ms u'he' no" lar ueor-
Llot Is cohVrrs nv Win TINS sup'rhc'"I l"r
we are ohF beginning 10 d''c'Ver' since
cu-spIY ~ nee her ea7ilfr WORKS seemed 10 .
board ny one h'fl@oh-that OF tue humb'e'
'i'S7 IA the English popdlatoh' L""hed al NOR
narrowly ttef reveal lhp'rt'ht u'Heiehcc-
ina respect one book Tor example deann
WIN the h-ricu'lurdl i'porer' ana ah"iher VII
the artisan OF Ar-e manufacturing centre
AGAIN. IN M'uH'rH 'r'"' We ""u I'"so"''
u"h OF tue l""ef '"'"u'e c'a'' Va ""' P'"'''
clM town WINE no" !" D'he' be'uln" /"
social environments ass's"oi " '"o '"'e"'"7
leTsohs u 9na' oi tue "''''"e'SS''
In this latest story the unfolding Of chAracte
ismanaged with more than usual skin, and thet
are many eVideuCes OF Intense sVmDat nv ON ia