The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-12-20
ENGLISH Literature.
Lectures Delivered Be-
fore aClassin English
. Literature, at wor-
Ellington, by the
Editor Of the
Advance.

SuSSS6 &OssS W Su0
Editor Of the
Advance.
IaTCTU71 III.
TILE, PRINCIPLES AND TERMS OF
ART. -.
We come now to consider the litera-
ture which is still read wherever the
English language is spoken. Hereto
fore we have considered the early litera-
ture most of which is comparatively OBJ
solete. And of this still-popular litera-
ture Poetry is, as il is of all literature,
the highest development, the very flow
er. But before we can consider it in
diligently. We must understand the
principles which govern this higher lit
erature and know the meaning of the
terms which are employed in estimat-
ing these treasures of the language.
Before announcing these principles
and giving these definitions, 1 wish to
say that l know of no work on the SUBJ
ject 1T all equal to Cousins Lectures on
The True, Beautiful and Good. Cous-
in is the acknowledged authority in the
higher Universities, and any member
of the class, by studying his lectures to-
gether with Kames' Elements of Criti-
cism, may become familiar with the
principles and all the terms of literary
and art criticism. But I wish to re-
commend Cousin especially, for his
style is so perspicuous and beautiful,
that he makes what otherwise might be
Il dry textbook, as interesting as q ro-
nance, or as poetry itself.
Art has two meant 1gs: !. The Fine
Arts. 3. 4 he mechanical or ordinary
arts. We have, at present, to do only
with the Fine Arts. These are six in
number and rank in the following or
der:
l. Poetry.
2. Painting.
3. Sculpture.
! T. Music.
5. Architecture.
6. Landscape Gardening.
This, we believe, is the ACKNOWLEDGED
order among critics. Poetry is the first
OF all the arts, or, as Cousin SAYS. the
art p01 excellence. 1t leads all the others
because it expresses more than any 9TH
Ell. 1t has everything ut it's command,
and can describe or attempt what iC
would he impossible to do by any other
or by all other arts. Painting ranks
next, because it can be made to erDress
more than the OF 1ers, with the excep-
ton OF poetry. Sculpture stands third
i'll rank for the same reason. 1t can he
made to express nearly all of beauty or
OF passion that the human form. not in
action, expresses. For examples take
the Apollo Belyidere, the Venus de
Meiici and tile LAGOON Groun. Music
ranks below these three because it ex-
presses less. Music is always vague
while Poetry, Painting and Sculpture
can be made to express beauty distinct
ly. Suppose we attempt to express I.
tragedy by each of these four arts. Mu-
sic would fail almost totally. The most
1t could 90 would be to assist in height
ening the effect Of one of Shakespeare s
splendid tragedies. Architecture can
express beauty but crudely and Land
scape Gardening is still more crude in
expression. The latter can do little
more than to trim and arrange Nature.
What is Art? Art, Says Cousin, is
the Free Reproduction of the Beautiful.
Whatever has for its end any other pur-
pose than the reproduction of the beau
tiful is not art. n work of art. then, is
some work designed to express the beau
tiful. 1t may instruct, but instruction
must he incidental and beauty the end
or it ceases to he art. DR.. johnson saws
that the object Of the drama is to in
struct by pleasing. But he wrote be-
fore the principles of art were SO well
settled, and fell into a common error
When the object of a play is to instruct
instead of to express the beautiful, it is
not work of art.
Law Of Art. The law of Art is Er.
preston. This Cousin re-1terates con.
stantly. This is the measuring line bv
which all works OF art must he meas.
ured. The object of Art is to express
the Beautiful. But Cousin, profound
and accurate as lie is, does not give the
whole idea. The idea would he more
fully expressed to say, The Law of Art is
Expression and Suggestion. It may be
said, however. that suggestion is inclu.
ded in or is II method of expression.-
Correct art must suggest the beautiful
also, and an otherwise fine work may be
spoiled by some unfavorable suggestion.
For example, take those fountains in
which the water issues from the mouth
OF 4 dragon or beast, which always sug.
gest vomiting. AS an example of cor.
rect art, take those fountains. one of
which saw in Brooklyn and which has
always been my ideal of fountain stat.
uary, where the water is poured from a
cup i'll the hand of female figure.
Poetry suggests vastly more than it
expresses. Poetry is like the lightning
1T night which, ljy Il single and install.
taneous flash, reveals sky. mountains,
ocean, landscape, rivers and cities.
Thus, often by i single word or line,
poetry reveals. by suggestion. y whole
universe or life. Cousin. i'm showirr
the vast superiority of poetry over eve.
~ other art, speaks of the flood of ideas,
images, etc, suggested by such words
as God, Home, Country, Wife, etc.
OF THE SENSES USED IN APPRE11END.
ING ART.
According to Cousin there are but
two senses employed in experimenting
art, viz: sight ard hearing. Music
reaches It's through hearing while Paint.
ing, Sculpture, Architecture and Gar.
dening reach us through, the avenue of
sight. Poetry reaches us through sight
and hearing both. Even when we do
not read audibly it reaches us through,
the inner ear and the words are pro.
nounced and the rhythm maintained
though we do not speak aloud. When
Cousin wrote the case OF Laura Bridg-