The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-04-11
Saturday Review.

"The stage is fashionable, science is fash
ionabe, art Is fashionable, but teraye Is not fash,
iOnabe,' an acute american critic Of English society
wrote last Year. Is II not true, and, what is more
does not literature deserve that 1t should be true
The people who "please the town. as old writers
say not, In the old sense, men OF letters These
used to bs the wis now the wits are painters actors
newspaper reporters carried toa higher journalistic
power, or popular preachers. Literature has ceased
to he witty and therefore, and naturally II has ceased
to be fashionable II may seem paradoxical to talk Of
the decline OF literature at time when 'of making
the Wise Mans contains the very gist OF the charge
against modern English literature. Authors are III
literary composition In the true and old OF the
words. 4 glance at the most popular books OF each
on The books that succeed best apart Of Course
from sermons, are Of four or Ave classes and are
chiefly forms Of Journalism There pamphlets or
tracts, big or little on ''questions OF the day.
Such works. for example, as the Duke of Argyi's
- Reign OF Jaw las II has been unkindly styled
about the Afghan question the same footing as
the newest and most advanced or most reactionary
theological speculation. These things are really pam
phets they are written for the minute rather than
for the hour OF the day or we may say that they
monumental leading articles and they live but for the
life OF n leading article.
which are not literature consists Of 'iplctures9ue
reporting '-or repoFtaga as the French contempiu,
oasly call i.n Disguise. Then there is the mass OF
works Of fiction which are In no works OF art
Again there are the countless manuals and hand
books which are Published In ''seresN Mr.. Tozer,
the dissenting butierman In Salem Chapel said that
the congregation liked a ..course', OF sermons
Apparently the public also likes ''series, - and
there few historical, scientific, literary on even
philosophical fields which many hocks of ''seres
are not browsing. Setting apart the journalistic
work OF big pamphlets. OF long specials of
novels which are i-boiers, and OF manuals and
primers how much literature is left among the book
OF year? Alas. II would be a short aud iividlous
calculation that settled this question. Out OF about
two hundred volumes OF poetry 1.-THE topic of poetry is
too painful to DO fully discussed, out OF some nine
| hundred novels, and u few collections of essays, TO
which 1870 gave BIRTH how many will DO remembered
| In 1882 Every one may make the reckoning for
himself. Every one knows whether modern lie Is
made moro brilliant, and whether Il Is likely to be
made more permanent, by modern literature Pey.
maps not more than two or three men with ,no trae
literary gift have In late yearg oas down into the
market-piace and ghsea up With their wit the bust
ness nnA tee quotations OF the day. In science some
nave distinguished themselves thus; in politics and
social discussion we only think Of the name OF ,is
author q "frsndship's Garland, The causes Of
lne decline Of literature are aQt lay 70 Sock Hurry
and impat!snfe, and me elowd Of commercial ant
sclentl1c Interests, leave no tine for the delicate
sense Of pleasure In exquisite Workmanship, In Ian
gnage truly lust and appropriate In polish Of STYLE ii
vNaciy W Wit. In the huInor which should never b,
absent troln discussion. Literature only recover
US place when the world ragains It's leisure,