New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-04-02
BITS or CRITICISM.

MATHEW ARNOLDs FUNCUON.-The pres
ent Is somewhat noisy and Affected age; 1t Is gwen
Overmuch camorOus devotion and exJravagant Iepu
diauon; there an element OF swagger III all its words
and ways has love OF publicity that l. the whole
distressing. Matthew ArnOd's function protest
against s fashions BY his own ntelec ua practice. AID
and then 10 take his c0ntempO 10 task %
call r1em To order He is not particularly original but
he has In al eminent degree the formative capacity ITO
genius OF shaping and DEVELOPMENT. watch is chief
quality OF the French mind and which not so common
among Us English our kndlest critics would have
believe. lie takes handful Of golden sentences-th things
wisely thought ana finely said by persons having author
and spins them into an exquisite prelectiOn: that
his work. with all the finish OF art preserves sonnet hing
OF the freshness of those elemental truths on which u ~
his mission to date. Mr. Arnold indeed. is In
ethics n verse and prose, IN culture as IN AMBITION
The AtncnIun
ArToBoGRAPHICM NOyELs.-It is very ex-
copional TO find perOn whose life will make up into
good novel. II told by himself fIOm beginning end
Ssifh au events recor.. ed in.t "a y rc,lrrd .y.a
though that life may contain Bits scraps which,
when cut out separately would furnish excellent mate
rial for the novelist One great objection TO senar
10 in every existence. and who rub up against II for
bc and are then swept away by the waves of circnn
stance and o- signs or forever after In fictitious
autobiography aiming at realism is OF course
nv 10 these chance uain anccs lust as they
Would appear real hfe without any warning their
casual and Insignificant nature, and hence they apt
10 divert the readers attention from important
objects and him 10 frttor IL away fOOlshly -Dur
dening his mind with the ages. peeuarties domestic
Tss is mistake for no one likes to mud That his nerost
has been led asrAy by these wOthc-wisps, which sud
denly vanish 10 return no more. FOR TINS and oher
reasons doubt whether autobiography e ever an sd
yisabe form for fiction 20 take especially II IL endeayOTs
TO be closely realstie--l The Spectator.
THE POPULAR NovELIsT.-Mrs. Malaprop
and Mrs Nickleby had they been living now instead 81
appearing only u the works OF others, would themselves
be riters of note. Both ladies gifted with dow
OF words and want OF ideas All that they needed Was
tAot training Ia the art of composition whoh Is now 30
easily got by reading steadily nothing bat the Siest
writers that the last ten years have produced ono
thing indeed, must be added to this; certain show OF
almost universal knowledge must be maintained Your
popular novelist must aneot TO be ~ Familiarity ao-
sJai OF German University. No study or charaoof,
Knowledge Of lie. is required All Tat Is needed 10
conceit taste Ignorance and certain IN writ
INK the kind stun which happens 10 be the fashion OF
me year In fact the changcs In this branch OF hter
ture arc almost - violent In millinery. And 10 nos
unfrequently happens that an author VINO has gress
run ror season or two finds almost without receiving
any warning tina. her books have ceased TO sell She
hnnpened To tho fashion, and she unlucky forgot
thn fashions change. Likely enough she disusts her
readers az very outset by showing gross ignorance
of mis- years features of herones. she gives then.
yoletorange eyes when green Is al In fashion, anu
makes their hair wealth 0f ruddy gold ours when
il saould DO nothing but tender Drown.rhe SATURDAY.
Review.