, 1882-11-18


genius and Of al rATu .cQuirrments; Of Wsds-
worth, who dwelt glorioasly with philosophy
in 8 chamber of imayry; of Keats, who saw
divine visions because he had the essence IN
his soul; Of Leigh Hunt, the true poe. and
exquisite esssyisf; the author OF II foliAse,
and the ''Leseld of Florence prodncton
remarkable for It's dramatic excellence, and the
pure spirit Of mind and morality. so character.
istic of this class OF writers: ef Goldsmith and
his Vicar If Wakefield; OF Dickens, and his
Old Curiosity Shop. and Dombey and Son,
and such other writers as Irving. Miss MArti-
nean Fenelon. Hawthorne, Walter Scott,
Browning, Hughes, Moore, Milton, Bunyaa
and . hos. Of Others who, without 4 trace OF
the anstere didactie spirit Of the pru.es-ed
moralis.. inculcated lessons of serene wisdom,
teaching the reader how to meet the pleasures
and lis Of this life with brave spirit and
smiling face. Men and women who Trote
outside the pale OF mercenary and uDe-sers-
ing ethics Men and women VINO wsre schoi-
ariy and Discriminating critics as well as pro-
found thinkers on the most petty details OF er-
istence as well As the most atsorbirg emotions
of the human heart Moralizers who scared
ever toward pure and chiyalrous standard,
and drew silver tinted jewels OF though from
the deepest wells of wisdom
Bet We do not come here to-nis ht to dispute
with these critics but 10 consider the question
Of the intellectual iLtemperance OF our dsy.
The tendency Of these novels OF higher
tone and character, intellectually speaking,
than those with which we have just parted,
Is 10 have cause, and while IT Is = wonder
fully powerful instrument In > good cause, II
Is niore powerful In bad one Tne critics to
whom We have referred will say, suppose that
novel amuses, suppose it diverts the
mind from care, shall it be Condemned:
The novels under consideration have a special
moral cause, and II that Is bad, then the sad
der will be the work because II amnses, be
cause It diverts the mind. In the ordinary
novel the sentimental silly-billy lovesscil y:afs
put into covers aud labelled, q novel, there Is
no danger. q, least not so much, that there
viii be any permanent hold on the imaginative
powers as will lead strongly, because in such
books there is no Imagination In the true
senses Such writers photograph daily lie,
They Introduce you 10 ordinary people, Ia
the clothes they wore, to the sInite5 they
smiled and TO the love they loved with, AID
they imagined it was novel IL might pos
sibly be fiction under a ten hundred horse
power microscope, but not 4 novel. But when
we come to these novels in which the main in
terest is conferred upon what people are IN
character aud beliefs, the case assumes a lar
different aspect, and the need Of diScrimina-
ton is plainly apparent Take for instance.
George Eliott's Daniel Oeronda, = novel "f
both incident and character; novel exhibit
ing . wealth Of deep and comprehensive
thought which Is fairly uneIampled among
novels Ofthe day. Society takes this hook 10
it. heart, yet, under the splendid drawing OF
under the soul inspiring elOqnence
Of this brave ani daring rhetoric, there is a
deep running stream ef materialistic philcso-
,hy. There 10, no DOUBT. All eleratlng intel
lectual tendency in this and the kindred novels
of the day. but tie presence of this deep-iipw-
ing stresm yitiates the moral influences likely
to flow out in the cOmpanionship Of the intel
IectuaL To get story like DemOnia ]. was
not necessary that the author should be thor
DuShly educated in science and sympathy, and
till the springs Of the Imagination
were filed with the best life; till the fancy was
psrvaded and intoned with moral health, but
L WAS necessary that its author should lean
.oward the materalism Of the German Meta
physical School
What is likely to be the outcome OF study
Il novels Of this sort! Books which dissent
nate the seeds of error; books produced by
writer. who believe that mind and matter are
lnly different names for the same thing. WI!
t not modify in many ways, rot only The
uDT1lb ID oA- s..Sh
about old beliefs and prejudices in reli-
yiaus things, but ~, well. force itself into the
sutire literature of the future, What !s this
naterialism of George Elliott, Of Bulwer, o:
DeMusset, but an Identification OF mental
acts and material facts, a denial OF the exist
,n:e Of all forces that are not physical, dls-
.rediting the separate existence of soul, de
nal of immortality, which denied, makes ot
moral law q mere sublimation OF physical e1
1eriences. Strike lout of all literature the ele-
neuts that rest in moral Law. belief IN the
light, and stron Expectation of the triumph
Il that right, which have been among the
strongest convictions of the human race Tor
yes. and you eliminate from it the element %;
iope and stead it with despair. Like a man
,ut of whose culture yoG take faith and hope and
oye and all the sensibilities. You strip him to
he dead, dry muscle. You have not left
.nough to attract the compass needle II a re-
pectsble salvation Hope lights her torches
It the altar of Immortality. Quench that and
,niversal moral darkness covers the area 81 all
human life. Follow faines principle that the
novelist should no. b. \ moralizer, that he
must not bs even partisan OF the night, and
moral obligations would not be recognized. To
,nioy, and utilize would be their only love;
pleasure the supreme good. Mentally, books
Ike Daniel Demonda might be lnyigoratInS,
,ut they would not be, could not he morally
,ralins. Some Of the characters in such books
night exhibit high social ID even moral Gual-
ties. but We perceive them lighting against the
,erihc.tion ot the doctrine of immortality, or,
worse than that, merely lalsing away under
lormatic materialism Nothing il more GER
ain than the literature Of ,naterialism Is the
literature Of despair. and the truth of the state.
nent cannot lie shaken, either by iron links OF
,rgument or the gOssamer threads OF rhetoric.
Il il 4 principle alive with the breath Of law.
md instinct with reason, that truth IL the
and the element Of the mind, that
here is a part Of US which demands truth, and
ybich will not be satisfied with unsubstantia-
ed fancies. Out of their possession springs
he deepest and most ioyfal enthusiasm.
But men viii say to all this, if l discover IN
hese novels. the false hurtfsl principles and
cachinys Of which You speak, they do not
ouch or temper nay sensibilities or my opln-
on.. Are You sure Of that! Are you sure
bs. your mind is proof against the soft pleas
NJ persuasive philosophy inlaid with this ele
ant diction, A philosophy that tickles the
sney for independence, that caters to the self
sill. the love Of freedom of thought, thai
urnishe. q bridge for doubt. Are you certain
hat none Of this goes out with you and c0loys
h. ethics Of your daily life, that 1t does not
e,nr,t you to listen in an interested WAY u the
,tterance tha. free thought implies the night
n think wrongly, These book principles Ger
sinly touch the seusihilities, and it Is pain
hat the action of conscience and the formation
4 moral ideas 10, and must b., conditioned on
hat Of the seusibility. This feasibility furn-
she. the occasion for the exercise OF the moral
nature. And the formation of moral ideas Just
: ssnsation furnishes the occasion Tor the ex-
use If the rational nature and the formation OF
Stionzi ideas. For the origin OF moral Ideas
here must be . moral material In this view
f the case can it honestly be said that from So
moral principle, Constantly pre-
ented 20 the sensibility as objects OF choice,
10 not finally wsrk out supremacy.
Another question Just here: Are you safer IN
,our higher intellectual capacities than the
allow poy in his dime novel period. Is it NOT
rue that you are uot a. safe from the very
set that his mind is in its formative state, and
hat what shall come after may bury the pres
mt IMPRESSION, and that wha: secures foot
,old in your mind. permanently set in its dis
,o,itious. will influence IL for good Nothing
|, more strikiagly Characteristic than the fact
hat men who have gone as.ray IN these matters
lave done so after mental maturity
In leaving this subject of intellectual intem-
,arance let me say that it would be neither
u.t OF considerate to condemn this whole order
n literature. The novel in one form or another
!, as old ~ literature, and many works OF &c
ion are written by men and women nf com
handing intellect. They deal WITH topics .!
he most vital interest. and by their dramatic
md Conversational form convey the views OF
IN. writers much more effectually than i tLeir
view. were presented in essay form No IIan
of culture will deny that he has f6cnd in GER
AIN ri ,ice novels some OF the best incentives