Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-05
The Decay Of Literature.
From the Ccrnhill Magazine.

from inc GCrnniu Magazine.
About thirty years ago there were novelists of
the first rank; writer's such that the announce
ment of anew publication by them sent thrill
through every corner not inaccessible to circu-
latlng libraries In the period from twenty to
forty years removed from us we had been star
tied by the new power revealed, though not for
the first time. in VANITY Fair" and had eagerly
accepted "Pendenns" and the "Newcomes"
and ''Esmond.'' foolish controversy
still sometimes continued. was raging as
to the rival merits of their author and
the contemporary author of ''Pickwick
and David Copperfeld. Wiser persons
enjoyed both. and there were few months in
which one did not greet with delight the APP
pearance of a number OF one serial in the
familiar yellow, and another in the equally IA
miliar green. Then the whole literary world
had just been thrown into an excitement, never
since paralleled, by the sudden apparition of
''Jane Eyre" A greater writer was making
more gradual approach to fame by the pubiica-
ton of the Scenes of Clerical Life" And be-
sides Thackeray, Dickens, Miss Bronte, and
George Eliot. a number of writer's. some happily
still living. provided agreeable entertainment
in the intervals, and might be regarded as at
least worthy subOrd;nates. Lord Lytton-to
mention only the dead-was publishing ''My
Novel" and 1.-The Cations" which are at least
excellent specimens of good literary crafts
manship; Mrs. Gaskell produced Ruth and
Mary Barton" and Kingsley wrote "Alton
Locke" and "Hypatia," and westward
Ho." books which. if they will not bear the
closest inspection in all respects. show at least
vigCr and originality for which it would
be hard to produce later parallel. 1t is rather
dangerous. perhaps to ask whether We have
such novelists now. But. allowing every reader
to select his favOritc or pair of favOrites to be
worthy champions of the mOderns. he will find
it hard to I'LL up list capable of doing battle
against their predecessors. Have we any coun-
terbalancing considerations to suggest? Is
there any department Of literature in which we
can claim preponderance as distinct as our
predecessors in this direction? In poetry.
philosophy. fiction, we seem to have the worst
of it. There is yet one direction in which we
might make stand. History should be strong
point, for in history we are approaching the
scientnc field; and in history nobody can
doubt that we have made in some respects
enormous advances. The Anglo-Saxon and
Charlemagne have been nearly abolished, and
that is understood to mean that we have made
q great advance in accuracy of research But.
from the literary point Of view. it may be
doubted whether we could meet without mis-
giving sIlch champion as Macaulay. The diff
ference is significant. 1t iseasy to point out Ma
caulay's glaring defects; the limitation OF his
political views; the offensive glitter of his styles
and in that respect, at least living historian
seems to be justly his superior. Yet, when we
read the Essays" and the first part Of the
History" We are less confident. The extraor-
binary fuliness OF knowledge, the command of
material, the power of grouping events and
forming them into clear and flowing narrative
are so undeniable that we are inclined to admit
In spite of his faults that he is unapprOached
by his successors in the power which goes
to monumental work. Modern writer's seem
to be sometimes the victims Of an indiges-
ton caught at the State Paper Office; some
times they are tempted to tack together
series of brilliant pamphlets and trust to for
tune to make it a history. At present they
seem scarcely capable of turning out work so
massive. so finely executed. and marked by
such unity Of design as their forefathers And
yet we may admit that. In history at least.
we have the advantage Of serious and ener-
Getic body of students really achieving good
work, and at least accommodating the material of
literary triumphs Casting rapid glance over
these facts the conclusion seems to be inevitable
The literary, like the natural, harvest has been
OF late blighted and scanty. We have passed
from land flowing with milk ard honey into
comparative desert AS Johnson said when he
went from England to Scotland we see the
flower dying away to the stalk. In utitarian
and scientific sense we may be making pro-
gress; in the regions of imagination and artistic
achieyement-sO far, at least. as literature is
Commemorative have been progressing back
ward. Great names are scarce; there is hardly
@ leader left who can stir the enthusiasm of the
young and make Us feel that the torch of in
tellectual light is being delivered into worthy
hands. If we would not fiatter the time, must
we not confess that we are at least crossing q
barren zone, and at present without any distinct
glimpse OF q fertile region beyond?