New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-25
SAINT ILARIOS JEALOUSY
MR.. CRAWFORD'S NEW BOOK.

SAINT ILARIO by I. Marion Crawford. 12mo,
PIP. AS. Macmillan d Co.
Mr. Crawford's fecundty and versatility are
almost equally surprising. The production in one
year of two such novels as Greifenstein' and
SAINT Ilario' is literary feat not easily paral-
eled and it must be said also that the author
shows steady and constant Improvement i'll his art.
SAINT Ilario" is continuation of the chronicles
of the Saracinesca family, and il is signal demon
stratior of the entire compatibility OF romance
with realism. The difference between Mr. Craw
ford's art and that OF the new school of fiction
the american school, it is some times called for
the sake Of distinction-is nowhere more strongly
marked than in this work The broad foundation
principles the same in both cases. The pur-
pose of the writer is set forth life it is not
TO arrange certain groups and certain events SO
arbitrarily that the elimination of the action shall
accord with the general plot in the most precise
manner, but TO show the concurrent relations of
many lives as they occur in real life, wherein the
events and consequences overlap and are carried
forward so that there is neither accordant be-
ginning nor end, but perpetual hux and rehux.
So far there is harmony between the schools
but at this point it ceases for, whereas the
American school, proceeds upon the theory that
realism excludes romance and admits only the
photogra phing of the commonplace and colorless,
Mr. Crawford holds that IL is the right and even
the duty of the true artist to seek expression and
representation OF every strong emotion passion and
influence which moves mankind, and which tends
TO exaltation or degradation, happiness or misery.
In SAINT Iario" we have mastery demonstra-
ton of this theory and convincing one. Nothing
can be more natural-that is realistic-than the
processes by which the numerous strong situations
in this story are brought about SO clearly drawn
are the characters that their action scarcely re-
ouircs the analytic commentary which is supplied
so carefully and sllilfuiiy by the author, though
we should certainly be sorry to miss thu lucid and
subtle exposition The quarrel between Corona
and SAINT Ilario, for example, is one of those
strange tissues of misconstruction and cross-pur-
poses which every one will recognize as absolutely
true 10 life A weaker writer would have made
SAINT Ilario's jealousy the result of carefully
! MANNED conspiracy. Mr.. Crawford falls into no
such mcodramatic error. Every touch and cir
cumstance which goes to make up the web of illu-
sion east over SAINT Ilario's understanding is for
tuitous, and yet they all arrange themselves as il
were in an orderly sequence. which presents at
last an astonishingly plausible of circumstan-
! tial evidence.
The reader who follows this episode carefully
will find il difficult TO blame the Prince for sus-
peclng his noble wife on the strength Of so seem
ingy conclusive a chain Of proof OF her guilt; vet
knowing her innocence and the beauty and eleva-
ticn of her character, he will feel that with such
woman literally no evidence should have been
accepted which went against her. Yet, despite
the essential bascnrSs Of SAINT Ilarios suspicious
il cannot he said that they are unnatural, for OF
all passions jealousy is the most tyrannlcal and
dcbasing to its victims, and unhappily its indul
eence is not Incompatible with the retention OF
strong affection. SAINT IlariO is in the condition
of onr who dotcs, yet doubts: suspects, YET
fondly loves ; and he cannot, as Othello wished
| TO, away at once with love or jealousy. lie can
not cease 10 love Corona even when he is most
convinced OF her nfdelty; but this love which
survives respect it, after all, very different and
far inferior sentiment 20 that which Corona feels
Outraged as she is IN her most Sacred and deepest
feelings forced TO realize that her husbands con
fdence and faith are. after all, broken reeds, sc
shocked and wounded that her love for him Scent
FOR time actually dead and transformed 10 re-
| pulsion. the first strong aroot of his devotion