New-York tribune., 1880-02-08

wits; now the wits painters. actors. newspaper
reporters carried to higher journalistic power or
popular preachers Literature has ceased 10 ne
witty and therefore. and naturally 1t has ceased 10
be fashionable.
II may seem paradoxical TO talk Of the decline Of
literature OF time when OF making many books
there is no end" But that sentence Of the Wise
Mans contains the very gist of the charge against
modern English literature Authors are, indeed,
busy with making books rather than with lit
erary composition in the true and old sense OF the
words. A glance at the most popular books OF each
will prove the truth OF this pessmlstc asser
tOn. The books that succeed best. apart OF course
from sermons are of four five classes. and are
chiefly forms Of journalism There are pamphlets
q tracts. big OF little, on questions of the day.:
Such works, for example, as the Duke OF ArgyHs
Reign of Jaw (as It has been unkindly styled
about the Afghan question are on the same footing
as the newest and most advanced or most reac-
tonary theological speculation. These things are
really pamphlets they are written for the minute,
rather than for the hour the day. or we may say
that they are monumental leading arLlces ana they
live but for the life of leading article.
The second OF the great classes OF modern DOCKS
which not literature consists Of picturesque
reporting reportage as the trencn e1telnp'us s
Ously call tin disguise. Then there is the mass OF
works of fiction which are in 10 sense WORKS OF ART
Again there arc the countless manuals and hand
books which are published in series" Mr.. IoZer.
the dissenting buterman in Salem Chapel, said that
the congregation liked "a course" OF sermons. Ap-
parenty the public also likes "seres," and there
are few historical scientific. literary or even philo-
sopcal fields on which many fiocks Of series are
not browsing. ,
pamphlets, of long specials" of novels which
pot-boers, and of manuals and, primers how much
literature n left among the books OF year Aias,
it would he a short aud inyidious calculation that
settled this question. Out of about two hundred
volumes Of poetry (the topic Of poetry is too painful
TO be fully dIscussed) out of some nine hundred
novels, aud few collections of essays, TO which
1879 gave birth. how many will be remembered IN
1889 ! Every one may make the reckoning for
himself. Every one knows whether modern lie
is made more brilliant, and whether 1t is
likely to be made more permanent. Dy
modern literature. Perhaps not more than
two or three men with the true literary gift have
IN late years gone down into the msrket-place ana
lighted up with their wit the business and the ques-
tinns of the day. In science some bave dlsttn-
gushed themselves thus in politics and social dis
cussiOn we can only think of the name OF the au-
thor of " Friendships GarlandP
The causes of the decline of literature are not
far to seek. Hurry and imUatlence, and the crowd
Of commercial and scientific interests, leave no
time for the delicate sense of pleasure IN exquisite
workmanship, in language truly just and appro-
prate In polish of style, In vlvacity OF Wit, III the
humor which should never be absent from discus
sion. Literature can only recover Its place when
the world regalns It's leisure.