The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-12-24

touching tho poetical quality of tho Lays OF
Ancient Rome" It has been said that any
man may test his own qualifications to arprc-
ciate n poets point OF view and the right
methods OF poetic treatment by asking himself
whether Macaulay's verse seems to him TO be
true poetry or only vigorous rhymed prose.
Mr.. Morrison. on the other hand. insists That
tho lays possess considerable poetic merit:
that thoy exhibit ut times power OF drawing.
at once accurate and characteristic which I'M
parts sharpness OF outline suggestive Of
sculpture. Few writer's. he thinks. indulge less
in what Mr.. Ruskin has donominated the pathct-
ic fallacy. and in his opinion. many passages in
the lays are invested with tho peculiar dignity
derived from tho limitation OF expression to the
pure fact. the nearer being left to gather for
himself what he can from It, As to tho claims
OF Macaulay's poems to scholarship. the bioR-
rapher acknowledges that they evince but little
historical verisimiltude; that the stacy dec
lamation. for example. put into the mouth OF
Virgnius Is flagrantly inappropriate; and that
the romance and chivalry infused into tho
Battle Of Ivry" are entirely wanting in gem
uine Huguenot songs. Moreover. while MIR.
Morrison contends that Macaulay has written
poetry. it does not follow that he would call
him poet. any more than he would call Single
speech Hamilton an orator. The distinction
for the moments of inspiration, by the careful
storage Of every raindrop that fell from tho
clouds OF fancy. he collected q small vessel full
OF clear limpid water. the sparkling brightness
OF which 1t Is unjust not to acknowledge"
Mr.. Morrison holds that most of the objeo-
tions to Macauay S history are well taken. 10
begin with fundamental shortcomings inc po-
lcmical attitude which he constantly hiaih-
tanned was altogether nnsu!ted to = dispassion-
ate search for truth. He became apoliticiah AT
too early period in life not to seriously dam-
age the historical faculty GibboD ana "roto
had quito as much practical acquaintance with
politics as an historian can rear. ana heither
Of them approached Macauhy's participation
in public affairs. In the second place, Macau-
laws pole star by which he threaded the waters
of the past was the captivating OF Young lady
readers. whom ho saw. in his minds eye lay
ing down NOEL to take up his History OF Eng
land. Hi. star" says the biographcr led
him to ihc port for which he stcered. but 1t
made him depart widely from the great ocean
htnway freduented by ships bound for more
daring ventures" No man can read n volume
OF his history without being struck by the alb
scncc of broad and synthetic views. Macaulay
never sums up in large traits the character of
an epoch; never traces in clear outline the
evolution OF period showing. as on skeleton
map the lines Of progress. Even the constitu
tional side OF his subject Is neglected. and we
ransack in vain his pages for a distinct exposi-
ton OF the stages OF the conflict between the
Crown and the Parliament.
As regards Macaulay's diffuseness there can
be but ono opinion. When we keep In view
tho scale on which the fragment is con-
structcd. 1t is plain that had the author
lived to complete his history it would
have filed fifty volumes. more serious
criticism remains namely. that Macaulay
was deficient in the true historic spirit.
and continually failed to regard tho past
from Il really historical point of view. OBJ
viously. we can only justly and inteligently
reproduce u given epoch OF the past by CON-
pairing it with preceding cpochs and tracing
its evolution out OF antecedont phenomena.
Macaulay's constant prcoccupation. on the
other hand. is not to explain the period which
is the subject of his history. by the times out
OF which it grew but to show how vastly that
period has been outstripped by tho age in
which he lives. The whole of his famous third
chapter is ono long pecan over the superiority
OF the nineteenth to the seventeenth century
as if an historian had the slightest concern
with that. In other words-to quote Mr.. Mori
sons effective simiie-what Muvnuiny dld MAS
to invcrt the historical problem! TO look al the
t,.st tl,...,.uh tia, end OF tho telescope.