The Irish standard., 1888-06-09
Cardinal Newman's Style,

In the current number Of Scribner's
Magazine Mr.. Augustine Birrall has u
very interesting sketch of the great
Cardinal Newman, wins is acknowledged
to be the best writer Of English in our
day. Of his style Mr.. Birrell says:
s"The charm Of DR.. NeWman's style
necessarily battles description; as well
might one seek TO analyze the fragrance
of flower, Or to expound in words the
jumping Of ones heart when a beloved
friend unexpectedly enters the room.
DR., Newman's style is pellucid, it is
animated, it is varied; at times icy cold,
it oftener CLOVIS with g fervent heat: it
employs asits obedient and well trained
servant a vast vocabulary, and it does
so always with the ease of the educated
gentleman, who by sure instinct ever
avoids alike the ugly pedantrY of the
bookworm, the forbiddlng accents Of
the lawyer, and the stiff conceit of the
man of scientific theory. DR.. New
mans sentences sometimes fall upon
the ear like WELL considered and final
judgments, each word being weighed
and counted out with dignity and pre-
cision; but at other times the demeanor
and language Of the judge are hastily
abandoned, and substituted for them
we encounter The impetuous torrent
the captivating rhetoric, the brilliant
imagery, the frequent examples, the
reputation Of the same idea in different
words, Of the eager and accomplished
advocate addressing men Of like pas
sions with himself; DR.. Newman al
ways aims at effect and never misses it.
He writes as an orator speaks, straight
at you. His object is to convince, and
to convince by engaging your attention,
exciting your interest. enlivening your
fancy. Many Of his pages positively
glow with light and heat and color.
And all this comparing, and distinguish
me ind illustrating, and appealing,
describing is done with the prac-
tised hand OF a consummate writer and
orator. He is as subtle as Gladstone,
and as moving as Erskine; but whereas
Gladstone is 0. Ten clumsy, and Erskine
is sometimes crude, Newman is never
clumsy. Newman is never crude. but.
always graceful, always mellow. Humor
he possesses in marked degree. A
quiet humor, of course, as BELTS his
sober profession and the gravity Of the
subjects on which he loves t. discourse.
Newman's quiet humor always takes us
unawares and is accepted gratefully,
partly on account of its intrinsic excel
lence, and partly because we are glad
to find that the Pilgrim pale Paul's sad
girdle bound has room for mirth in his
heart. In sarcasm DIR. Newman is pre-
eminent. Here his extraordinary pow
ers of compression, which are little
short of marvellous in one who has also
such talent for expansion, come to his
aid and enable him to squeeze into a
couple of sentences ladings, argu-
ment, Judgment and Execution. Had
he led the secular life, and adopted a
parliamentary career he would have
been simply terrific, for his weapons Of
offence are both numerous and deadly.
His sentences stab-his invective de-
stroys The pompous high-placed i'm
beetle, mounting his platitudes, the
wordy sophister with his oven full of
half-baked thoughts, the ill-bred rheto-
rician with his tawdry aphorisms, the
heartless hate-prod ucing satirist would
have gone down before his sword and
spear. But Ged was mercitul to these
sinners: Newman became q priest and
they priyy council ors. 4 tss