New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-31
JULIAN IA WTHORN E'S NEW BOOh
THEORIES OF LITERARY ART.

THEORIES OF LITERARY ART.
CONFESSIONS AND CRITICISMS. By JULIAN HAw'
TBoRsE. I6mo PIP. 26e. Ticknor az CO.
Mr.. Hawthorne puts at the head OF these re-
prnted papers the story Of bis literary life which
he contributed not long ago to Lppnco~s haga-
zine He has considerably enlarged this paper and
added to its value and in giving us fuller details
of his methods OF work and the history of his books
he has fortunately preserved the modest and en-
gazing manner which distinguished tho original
article. This sort of photographed preface to
a collection Of fugitive pieces i, fresh experiment
in book making In this case the effect is alto
octher pheasant and the reader will take much
more lively interest In the essays after such an
agreeable introduction to the writer. Inc essays
with one or two exceptions are well worth ca'o-
full notice They are little defective 10 construc-
ton the limo Of thought Is not always dhect; inc
reflections are apt to become too discursiVe' oae
the ideas are suggestive. and the Criticisms are
often keen and deep-cuttiDg. An excellent meas
ure Of the kind and quality of the writer's ability
NAV be found IN the paper on Novels aud Agnos-
ticismn Mr. Hawthorne points out win unerrihs
aim the ruinous influence of the prevailing sKepti-
cal fashion upon literary art fashion to when no
believes that Americans have shown themselves
neculiarlv sensitive In this he is quite right.
abroad: but those who follow the publications OF
the dav are we'll aware that agnosticsm in more or
Ies. dis.inct forms has become the note OF tho
American literary movement affecting hctlon eS-
neciallv In An extent of which the authors tnem'
selves are probably unsuspicious Mr. Hawthorhe
maintains that the doubting dislntegrating spirit
of the age is in the highest degree unfavoraDoto
art whose creations have no warrant or perhiar
nent meaning unless they have their protoIypo I'LL
the intelligent ordering OF the universe. ha'iDs
no longer a comprehensive theory OF life' art ap-
plies itself to the scientific method OF coiiec'ins
and describing phenomena, merely as they appear
in themselves and not as parts or Developments oi
q central controlling idea. tendency TINS way
il already observable Artists have oeehh u 10
sbv of Imagination and to confne themselves TO
what they call facts. &" If there is no Ood' IL !"
d,ficnlt TO see how art can have the face to snow
horseIf any more There is no place for her
in the Religion of Humanity; to be true
and living she con be nothing which IL mas
Tina for entered into the heart of man to call
heau1iful. and she could only serve to remind us
of certain vague longings and ASPIRATIONS now
proved to be as false as they were vain. IL may
be objected that in another article, on ne mural
Aim in Fiction Mr. Hawthorne himself teacneS
nrecisely the ethics of the Religion of Humanity;
Int the positions of the first essay are none tue less
trns. although he does contradict them Iue ap-
plicaton of his principles to the modern mover -
rather lightly indicated but the reader VIII DO
able TO work it out for himself and Will prooaoiy
not miss the connection betV cen the uo'ot,ns
snirt Of the age. and the realism OF the three DIS
t;nc,ished noyelists Turguenief James and
Hoyels. of whom our author makes SNORT auu
excellent estimate.
In @The Moral Aim in Fiction" Mr.. hawthorne
again declares that art is inconsistent with tho
denial of a diviney benetcent purpose III crea-
ton but this purpose IS only the graauai anu
bene6cent publication of Humanity as WHOLE
while Of the individual human being God VI We
understand the article) takes no account lndiviu-
naly we have no power to correct the evil III our
lives nor will obedience to the moral law aVali 10
purify any one of us, or give us any claim upon
the divine favor. There is no goodness IN man ex-
cent that which exists spontaneously. Those arc
not good who strive against their evil inclnatons,
but only those who happen to be so by tempera-
ment. The spontaneous and impersonal evolution
If goodness occurs not where sef-denial has been
nra.tised but only where man feels himself to be
hsoutev on the same level Of desert or nOn-desert
IA ire his felo creatures There is no use IN OBEY
ing tho commandments unless it be dooe' DOT 10
make ones self more deserving than announcer OIL
Gods appreciation, but out of love for goodness
and truth in themselves apart from any personal
considerations" There is very plain fallacY nero
which seems to have have taken strong hold OF MI
Hawthorne that Is the notion that In seeking MS
personal salvation mans object is to get ahead oil
his neghbor We do not imagine that anybody
ever did obey the moral law for the purpose OF max
ing himself more deserving than another OF Coos
appreciation" or ever could be influenced by such
motive to q moral life. Ii Mr. Hawthornes theory
f morals is correct of he is right In the con-
,ortio, that art including literary art can have
nothing to do with personal vice or virtue. In tho
way of condemnng the one or vindicating tho
other. But God who is Indifferent to personal
vice aud virtue who only orders things for the gem
eral progress Of Humanity as a whole, God whom
we can neither serve nor offend, and whom we are
not REQUIRED to obey Is better than the blind in
personal Force which is supposed TO nave started
the evolution of primordal protoplasm into thus
visbls universe Admitting the existence OF God,
we cannot help placing the basis of morals In
conformity with the divine will. When Mr. Haw-
tborne denies this he knocks away t.e argument
of his first essay.