Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-12-16

Wnlch Salutes one now j., w nat DO
you think of Endymiony" No
doubt most of your readers have al
ready made up their minds on the
subject, for the book was issued on the
same morning in New York and Lon
don. Here, rs you may suppose, the
whole world is reading it. In what
the distinguished author tondly calls
the "refined saloons of the mighty" the
"patrician citizens" are eager to see
which of their number has been touch
ed Off by the late Prime Minister. Go
into club and the red volumes with
silver letters on the back are in every
body's hands. At Nudes there is
crush Of carriages waiting for
chance to draw up to the door. II to
cngross public attention is the secret
of happiness, Lord Beaconslcld must
be the happiest man in England.
Even Ireland is forgotten and Mr..
Gladstone is nowhere. | sent YOU by
cable last night n key to many of the
characters in the novel and explained
briefly that the author has taken ra.
ther free liberties with the likenesscs
so that no one should be able to say
this or that Is an exact portrait. In
some cases he has brought men and
places into existence before their time.
Dramatists and novelists have always
claimed this license, and no writer has
used it with greater audacity than the
author of Vivian Grey" But the
originals from which he has taken his
sketches cannot be mistaken. These
pictures from life are really all that
give the book its interest. Story there
is very little, but no one looks for
anything of that kind. People want
to walk through the portrait gallery
and find their friends or acquaintance.
If the Tory party remain out of pow
er another year or two the adruit
artist will crafty them still further,
for it is fact that he intends to follow
up this novel with another, in which
his strange, eventful history will be
brought down to our own day.
For one person who will read histo-
ry in its crude state thousand will
read it disguised in the form of fc-
ton. No one knows this better than
Lord Beaconsfield. His main object
in this, rs in other works from his
pen, is to put forward his opinions on
party politics and the men who have
taken part in them. He would prob
ably fail in methodical and serious
history if he attempted it, and un-
questiunably it would call for more
severe labor and greater accuracy
than he could bring himself to supply.
He loves to generalize, but pin him
down to facts and it is all over with
him. In novel, any little slips can
be readily excused, and even anachro-
nisms only seem to form part Of the
main design. Opinions can be express
ed for which it would scarcely be fair
or reasonable to hold the author re-
sponsible. In the present instance Lord
BeacOnsfield has even chosen to use
the Radical Job Thornberry (Mr.
Cobden) as his mouth-piece. BY de-
vices of this kind he can declare his
private views on men and affairs, and
avoid incurring any responsibility for
them. Thus he makes job affirm
that the British agricultural classes
are in the condition of surfs and that
the whole landed system must be abol-
ished. To be sure, Mr.. Ferrars con-
tradicts these opinions in a mild way,
but the earnestness and force are all
given to Job. "These are strong
opinions" says Mr.. Ferrars. yes,
but they will make their way" replies
Job, and undoubtedly so keen an OBJ
server as Lord Beaconsfcld must feel
that they will. The commercial
principle must be applied to land
"no useless timber and no game"
The chief of the Tory party could not
come forward in his own person and
avow these sentiments. But he can
put them into the mouth of lay fig
ure and thus draw attention to the
fact that he perceives clearly enough
which way the new revolution in Eng
land is tending. In like manner he
is free to maintain behind another of
his characters that the House of Com
mons is becoming an assembly of
demagogues. He gave the best evi.
dence of the sincerity of this convic-
tion when he retired from it and took
shelter in the House of Lords. To
him it is all the same whatever may
happen. Power, and power alone,
should be your absorbing object"
That is the religion which he Processes
and no one can say that he has not
been faithful to it. Men are puppets
to be made useful in the attainment
of your own ends. The institutions of
your country are only to be respected
in so far as they assist you to rise to
power. "All the accidents and iuci-