New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-17


Wycherley. The dramatists of the Restoration
had the singular experience Of OUTLYING the puD-
lo taste which had given them prominence. Whah
Jeremy Collier attacked the stage, public opinion
was full ripe for reform. 1t is possible that the
icy coldness which is as characteristic OF the hes
toration drama as the looseness of its morals ana
more to weary the public than coarseness which
certainly did not disappear from English manners
with the publication Of the stage That puritca-
tion, however, was naturally followed by stag
nation The old style of plays had ceased to IN
terest, and no new style had been produced When
the new style did appear it was feeble, and Tor
thirty years not half dozen plays OF the nrse
class were re represented.
The chapters on Pope, on Swift and the Deists'
and on Defoc and the Essayists, are among the
most entertaining in the book, though 1t must
be said that the titles give little indication OF
the contents Mr. Gosse's estimate Of Pope is
lust and sufficiently liberal Since the pubEca-
ton of the Caryn letters it is impossible TO
doubt that Pope as o man embodied some despic-
able qualities and that the artifciality which
characterizes his verse had root in nature
not only cold and unsym pathetic but lacking IN
common manliness As Mr.. Gosse puts It: IL
is impossible to deny that since the publication
of the Csryll correspondence Pope STANDS
revealed beyond any hope Of justification, as an
unsorupulous and intriguing trickster' VI MS
poetical merits the following sentence gives
fair criticism: " The charm OF Pope'S best pas
sases, when it does not rest upon his Dutch
pioturesoueness of touch, is due to the intel
lectual pleasure given by his adroit and sumu-
lating manner OF producing his ideas, and by
the astonishing exactitude and propriety OF his
phrases. When it is all summed up we may
not be much the wiser, but we are sure to De
much the brighter and alerter Hence, IT IS
an additional merit that his original writings, IN
which caustic wit takes so prominent place, ana
in which the attention is always kept tensey
on the strain, arc usually quite short" In
comparing Pope with Dryden, Mr.. Gosse notes
first the entire absence of that lyrical gift which
was so charming in Dryden" On tile othcr
hand, the younger poet has moulded the heroic
couplet more thoroughly TO his purposes IMAM
Dryden ever did, first polishing it to the extreme
of RIGHTEOUSNESS, 'and then teaching u TO ring
and sparkle with the utmost rapldlty ana DILL
lance Pope's heroics are not only the peSt IN
the language but they are so perfect that IL ms
been impossible since his day, TO use that Iorn--
the iambic distich-without seeming Intention
ally to compete with Pope. He has no romance
no spirituality no mystery and the highest regions
Of poctry he never so much as dreams OF; but
In the lower provinces there is perhaps no single
writer who showers fine things about him with
such prodigality of wit, or dazzleS us so much
with the mere exercise of his intelligence"
The account of Defoe is an excellent biograph-
ica sketch and the place of the first great reastN
is Justly assigned. Mr.. GOsse, however docs not
seem quite clear in his own mind as to DeiocS
literary rank for, while on one page he speaks Oh
him as a genius" on another he Calls MIN
prosaic and unimbassioned hack terms shgnuy
incompatible some readers may think. In speak
ing of Steele and Addison, it is possible that ne
rather echoes conventional ideas than expresses his
independent thoughts in declaring that the Aat-
lers and Spectator still cherished with warm
affection by the English-sptaking people. IL Is
orthodox TO say this doubt. but is Is question:
able whether the regard In which the latter
and Spectator are now generally held extends
far beyond The literary critic, Inc chapOer on
Swift is brilliant one, though the view given OF
Syifts character is necessarily one-sided, ana
therefore martial. Occasionally Mr. Gosse ad-
yances opinions which almost raise the suspicion
that they are purposcly paradoxical one can put
wonder at the quality Of appreciation which nnds
dnlness in Sterne's Tristram Shandy ana llVe-
uness in Shaftesbury's characteristics Of'au
unreadoble books we should be inclined to give
leading place to the characteristics and whlle
many may take offence at Sterne's prunency, we
should hardly have believed that any one capable
of reading Tristram Shandy", at all could have
thought it tedious-or could, as Mr. Gosse does,
prefer to it's rscy originality the insipid artl.
Acialism OF the same authors sentimental
Journey
The discussion OF the eighteenth century novels
will be found interesting in an espcclal degree.
The estimation In which Richardson was held
by his contemp oraries can be little undefstoou
to-day, when--so radically changed is the pubho
taste-not one Of his interminablc stores put
would ruin the publisher rash enough to
undertake such a venture Here also IT may
be questioned whether the position accorded by
Mr.. Gosse is not more academic than real Charles
Iamb. 1Hszbtt. Macaulay, and other names OF
weight may no doubt be cited in support oil Tic
most eulogstic opinions concerning Richardson; yet
who can conuare d. Clarissa" with Tom Jones'
for a moment. without feeling that the difference
between them is that between tinsel and bullion
between the manufactured imitation and the
natural flower Nh Gosse speaks with frankness
when Smollett appears for sentence, recognizing
fully the ferocious brutality, and exaggerated
clownishness Of that writer and rather surprising
the reader by bis enthusiastic admiration for
Humphrey Clinker' the last work OF this
author and differing from its predecessors chiefly
In elimination OF raneor-which SEEMS TO Mr..
GosSe almost an access of sweetness and light
A curious comparison Is attempted between Rich
ardson's Pamela and Marivaux's Marianne"
which latter Mr. Gosse says is prolix and languid
in FORM But the Vie de Marianne is II very
much better and more artistic novel than
Pamela" or than anything Richardson wrote,
and II he really followed it., it was at long
distance.
There are many Other points in the book de-
serving of notice, but we have perhaps said enough
to give fair idea Of it's methods and contents.
Criticism largely individual is unlikely in the
circumstances 10 assume either an authoritative or
a conclusive aspect 1t is enough to say that Mr..
Gosse has written a volume which is entertaining
enough to interest the general reader and iudicious
enough TO afford suggestions and aids TO the