New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-16


The taste must be hypercritical which does not
recognize the interest and the literary excellence
of Mr. Story's volumes. II conversation De, as Is
often asserted lost art, 1t remains one OF whlch
even the records and limitations appeal with
special force 10 large class Of readers. MI.
Story brings to this work a particular aptitude
and a store of material Of the best kind. On
questions Of art he speaks with the authority OF
an expert. On questions of literature be dis
courses with the fulness Of an educated man and
the freshness Of an independent thinker. lie
possesses as the fit vehicle of his thought fluent,
graceful refined and lucid style, and he throws
his dissertations into the dialogue form with per-
feet ease and lightness Of touch The range OF
topics touched in these volumes Is so wide that
il is scarcely possible for the reader to become
tired, while the treatment of all subjects Is so
original bold and in many respects unoonven-
tional as TO challenge attention. MI Story has
cOutrived to say many things which have been
thought often enough before by many people
hut which. for one or another reason, few would
care to make themselves publicly responsible for'
In art. as in all other departments OF human
cGdcavor there conventionaHtles, the Vlolat'oh
If which entails penaltics-the least OF winch 10
the labelling of the daring innovator WIN INC
deprsciatory cpithet eccentric" Perhaps MI
card for the opinions ana judgments OF MIS-
tirundy but 10 most men and women tie crlu-
cisms of that terrible old lady are irausnV WIN
genuine terror.
Those. however. who dare not initiate the can
sor ~ the roval George, who-himself not wholly
Tree from the fear Of Mrs. Grundy-conidenually
Unmarried his opinion that much of Shakespeare
was terrible stuff, only we must not say SO
are tolerably sure 10 relish in another the cour-
ace they lack themselves, and 10 approve every
sturdy protest against the tyranny oil laShlohS
in thought-much as the lady in the story APP
proved the profane language of the eAaspera'ed
man in company with whom she had missed hcr
train Mr. Storys conversations have the specia!
charm of not seeming TO be other than what
they appear they might quite well have occurred
as they are represented 10 have done, Tor they
are pervaded by that quality OF frankneSS ana IL
responsibility-if the word may be fairly en-
ploycd in SO innocent sense-whlch distinguishes
intimate talks between TWO friends, who unoosom
themselves 20 one another as they would not to
the world, and who arc not afraid 10 disclose
the bottom OF the sack in discussing things upon
which they have reflected deeply. This char
acterstic is the secret Of Mr.. Storys success.
Compare with his for the sake Of illustration,
Landor's Imaginary Conversations. OF course.
everybody knows that these are classical, that
they are models Of elegant English that they have
caught the spirit Of the various periods and peo-
pc represented. But the opinion may be VEN
tu-cd that no one ever found them sympathetic
or natural One admires the learning, polish.
ingenuity, elevation OF thought, in them but one
cannot conceive Of the persons who figure IN tic
dialogues ever really talking in that way. Ian
doris interlocutorS in truth lay-fgures merely.
through which the zeitgeiSt' OF the various
ages represented is expressed. Mr.. Story's con
versations, on the other hand, are entirely free
from any suggestion of artihciality. and so much
the more interesting and impressive. There IS.
too something for everybody in these delightfully."-
gossiping dialogues, and not little which will be
new to most readers. as, for instance the informa
ton about the prices fetched by paintings and
statues in antiquity.
Mr.. Story declares, and adduces proof in abun-
dance that the sums paid in these days for i'm
portant pictures, considerable as they appear TO
the nineteenth century mind. are really insignif-
cant and beggarly when contrasted with the mag
nifoent rewards showered upon Phidias and APPEL
les and Protogenes and Parrhasius and PraXiteles
and their contemporaries. In those palmy days
Of art the celebrated artists were not only ire
mendous swellS but millionaireS-or might be Il
they chose All the world courted them. and
fattered them. and their works were counted
the glory Of the State There was ZeuNiS, for
instance who used 20 parade about Olympia with
his name embroidered in gold on his robes. and
who amassed such gigantic fortune from the
sale Of his pictures that finally he would not sell
any more. but gave them away saying that there
was no price high enough 70 pay for them.
Nicias refused $4,000 for a picture, choosing
rather 10 present it 10 his country as a gift.
King Attalus paid $4,000 for single figure
T.f... G
the painter Timomschus for two pictures each
representing but single figure. Apees received
$4,000 for portrait Of Alexander which he
painted on the wall Of the Temple Of Diana a.
Epbesus. What would one not give to-day for
sight Of that picture by the great artist Of
Venus Anadyomene. for which Phryne and Cam
paspe SAT models or these and many other
cognate matters does Mr.. Story converse most
entertainingly He reminds now and then 4
the Deinosophists- Of Athenaeus. and perhaps
in awhile his eruditor gets the better Of him
and he falls into cataloguing vein, which some
might find perilously near 10 tediousness. Still
the gossip and the facts about. the old Greek and
Roman artists and art-patrons, the great million
aires Of the Imperial City and their extrava.anoes
the discussion the true nature Of Falernian and
other Of the mysterious ancient wines-a0 this
is pleasant and highly suggestive. From art the
conversations pass easily 10 literature. and we
have dissertations upon Marlowe and Shake
speare, and concerning German dramatic criticism
and the German language the latter
decidedly distespectsui 10 and de-
predatory of the graces and aptitudes Of the
Teutouic tongue 3. Then comes a talk OF old
age. accompanied by such gallant list Of people
who have lived past the century as must surely
put new courage into every one in the seventies.
eighties and nineties. and make them vow TO 20
and do likewise. But alas Mr.. Story omits
some vital factors from his calculations OF old.
men Of art and letters lived long because they
lived simple. wholesome. tranquil lives. They
did rot. we do. burn the candle at both ends.
They did not neglect the body for the mind.
They really did possess the mems sana in corpore