New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-17
LONDON LITERATURE.

Mr.. RUsKIN ON THE EASTERN QUESIlON-fkO-
GRFss or THE ST. GEORGES COMPANY.
IrxoM THB REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRIBUNE.i
LONDON, March Fit might not be quite plain at
first sight why Mr. Matthew Arnold should choose
"a he writing in The Nineteenth Century upon Lord
Falkland. But on reading his article-which, like
oil else MI Arnold writes. would deserve reading II
only for its clear beauty of syeit appears that he
has taken Lord Falkland as convenient subject on
which TO eugraft protest against Puitanlsm; espe-
cialy against the assumption that the Purltans are
the authors Of the good which we admittedly have
IN the England of tO-day-the seriousness and The
political liberty 1t appears, further that NJ
Matthew Arnold had mind TO canOnize Falkland
as one of the early martyrs to his Own-Mr Arnolds
faith; martyr of sweetness and hght
OF. more fully, "the martyr of lucdity al
mind and laIgenoss of temper in strife OF lmperiec
ipteIhgences and tcnipers illbera" what MT
Arnold specially dslikes in the Puritans Is their
temper their false old Jewish mixture OF politics
with an Misunderstood religion which strikes one
As a very compact summary of the historical ONCE
irons TO those old heroes. Not even Hampden es-
cams Mr.. Arnolds cenSure; even in Han. pten he
detects the faint Of what is, suppose worse III MT
Arnold's mind than Observation-Disclosures
Uampdcn to him is the " somewhat Pnihstine TUCK
rlrhamshirc squire" BY skilful and not unusual
literary artidce Mr. Arnold puts INTO the mouth OF
feeling toward Hampden: "Alas! yet with what
bepign dsdain might not Jesus have whispered 10
that exemplary but somewhat PhliStne Buckng-
bonsbre SQUIRE Scekjag the lord about militia or
sim money: Man, who made me Judge or dlvider
over yOuF"
What is a Phlistine' queries somebody, generally
himself Of the tribe. 1 don't know that perfectly
complete and satisfactory definition of PhiiStniNm
hes ever been given even by Mr.. Arnold himself,
who has written more about it and against 1t than
any other Englishman. 1t was he, as gather from
what he says i'll his essay on Heine who introduced
the expression into English literature less than 20
wears ago, with the humorous remark that perhaps
we have not the word because have so much of
the thing" 1t must have origmallymeant, he says
ain the mind of those who invented the nick
name strong logged, neuliChtenod opponent
Of the chosen people, Of the children Of the light
That mirht pass for q definition if Mr.. Arnold
would further define the chosen people and the
children OF the light of whom the PhiliStncs are the
opponents In this present article on Falkland, how
ever he has described Philistnes as the fanatics
of the rbH the neglecters of the ,chg;' who are
nevertheless, not unfrcquently men OF genius, ana
have the temperament which influences, which pre-
walls which acts magnotically upon men" 50 we
have continues Mr. Arnold, "the PhiliStme Of
rc,jns in religion-Inther; the Phillsine of genius
ppIltlCS-t rolnWCll; inc liNtiHC VI E'''i"9 III
Iteraturc-Bunyau" three shining examples by
HELM Of which the world may henceforth somewhat
more clearly know what Mr. Arnold means by a
PulStinc Long before this, too, he had spoken OF
Lord Nacaulav as the great apostle of the PILLS
fines: and Lord MacaulaY will be c0mfored to find
himself in company with three heroes Of his OVID.
With equal dStiuctncss we perceive that Falkland
was aOia Phlistine; to Philistne that ever lived
wonld Mr. Matthew Arnold have addressed the
poetic the touching apostrophe which concludes his
study of Falkland:
Let us bid him farewell. with compassion for him
and not with excuses hut ia confidence and pride slowly
very slowly his idcl OF luciiy OF mnd ana IA, -,le5
OF temper eouqucrs; bat il couguers IN The emo II VIII
prevail only must have patience Inc DAY WIZ come
when this HatiOu shall bc renewed by II: bui y iiMc-
tees Of Icw ana quiet Oxfo'dshire 6eiDanhS. where
lie f.,t v!ocs arc even raising their heads-hOw
Often mat day arrive Tor EnS'hnien, shall your re-
ncwal he seen!
This essay ON Falkland is to my mind the gem of
the first number Of TIE Nineteenth CcntWB brilliant
asis the array of names which figure in its table of
contents MI Tennysons ode You have, no doubt,
already printed as it early found its way into the
London papers. and went to you by last post. Per
hap, 10 new literary venture was ever more grace
fully LcIaldcd and none assembled at once such
STAFF Of contributors. Mr.. Gladstone writes on the
influence Of Authority in Matters Of Opinion sub
ject which ST George Cornewall Lewis long since
made which his own, and which Mr.. Gladstone deals
with, taking his book rs a starting pOlit.
shall venture 10 confess that have not read Mr..
Gladstone'S paper, save here and there few para
graphs But having read something of Mr. Glad
stone before now and read hIn many different
subjects, will further venture TO say that the
student of English literature viii find profitable
exercise IN style If he will make for himself care
fal comparison between Mr.. GlddstOue's essay and
MI Matthew Arnolds essay. Mr.. Gladstonc'S style
lsin many particulars an excellent example Of what
good English style should not be: and this in spite
OF ms having a copious vocabulary and plenty Of
ideas. Mr. Mathew ArnOd's may not be the best
English Written in these days, but IT IS among
the best. aid il is worthy OF close study
fr tins special reason: that 1t eXces
in precisely those points in which most Eneish
styles do not excel, even the best, but which are
common 70 the best French writers. Now the best
sylo, like the best race will probably be found TO
b. that which has drawn most from the greatest
variety Of stocks not AZ all falling into seryisc im-
taiiOn OF foreign models, but deriving from the
study Of the,n JUS such aid such inspiration, such
laws Of composition and expression as familiar ac
quaiutauce with the best minds at home cannot
give Mr.. Matthew Arnold has, above all English
writer perhaps Of the present day, the sense of lit
erary form, which IS almost the rarest of the many
merit, which arr found in the best English writer's.
M. Gladstone has it, beyond doubt less than any
other writer Of anything ike his fame His speeches,
Of course not TeckOncd III this estimate. Those
must be judged b. a separate standard. OF the two
nmay be sand generally That Mr. Matthew Arnold Is
Fad with pleasure any topic, simply because ms
style is q good and pure style. M. Gladstone is
leadable with difficulty any topic no matter how
interesting The topic in itself or how specially com
potent Mr. Gladstone may be to handle il, simply
because his style IS a bad style.