The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1890-11-14
LITERARY.
"Joseph and His Brethren.
ny CHARLES ]. WELLS.

The history of this unique book rchuers
II one of the curosiiies Of literature.
Wells wrote it in 1924, and ii was nh-
noticed until 1910. Then Rossetti's atfen-
t;on was called to il, and later Swinhurne
was delighted with it beyond expression
and he declared that there was nothing IN
English out of Shakespeare that coula
match it. Finally, by the advertisement
of his criticism in the Fortnighti!y. nc,
view. in 1876 Chatto Il Wndus published
thc book with Swinburnc's criticism
az sort of preface and advertisement
Even with such high commentator
il has not had large sale, even
in England And it has become
famous, if we can say that it is famous
at nil, only through the ngh men
tion that few scholars have made OF II.
To be telling the scanty outline OF great
noet's life that has lived in this century as
piece of news to the public, to speak OF
the ''dscovery' OF I'LL English poem 'hat
was written in this century, seems strange
indeed. And, try to explain 1T as we may
it's strangcncss remains. And ms pro-
yokcs long train OF hcretlcal lucas
Whit if after all. in this day, when We
have more poets and read more poetry
than ans are ever had or read before, IN
this dav surely OF learned and keen APP
probation of many litcraturcs, what II VIC
are not wiser than the generations before
us that did not recognize genius WINE IL
dwelt among them. This man has ilved
through the wears when Goethe. Shelley,
Byron. Keats. Browning. Tcnnyson, lie
Musset and Hugo have won fame, and,
because he maintained 4 lofty indifference
to our poor patronage, we have not known
him We have seen more clearly the art
of the Greek masters, we have uncarthco
from the hiding places oi ages the hymns
of the Orient aud rhc cpics of the North,
we have proclaimed the power OF the me-
dirval master singers. We have Inagnihed
the glory OF our own classics, and can II
be that We have ignored the purcst SINGER
Of our fine. Have We been lifting our
hands in supplication for the appearance
of 4 master, and all the while mistaken
him that wa- the master for mere man
clothed with flesh and blood as we
arc: Can it lie that our nineteenth CEN
fury. with all its looking back through
mighty magnitcrs. to discern the funniest
sparklings of genius in the heavens OF the
past, and with all its prying into the
future to forecast the moving of the years,
has failed to discern the artist of the
clcarcst vision that has descended upon
our English speaking earth for this many
IL wear If a mighty bard has come among
us. at once Shakespcrian and Mlltonic
and still individual and has walked with
US bv reason OF his strength for iourscorc
wears. can it he that We have failed to
know him? 1t may he that wc have been
following our little lines of science along
the ground. and that he. while he has
lived along with us. has still lived above
us Indifferent 10 our appreciation, and that
we have been 50 blind AZ not to raise our
ewes and look upon him The conclusion
comes irrcsisliby that even yet we must
order 10 discern the proportions of great
ness. An unciring artistic hand under
the guidance of an uncrrng artistic in
stnct may work even amongst us. unno-
ticcd unless it happen to follow our
narrow WAYS. This leads to Il sad COM
mcnt on our literary study. There are no
theories of linguistic science that he
helps III to establish. there are no prob
lens in philosophy that he gives us data
for solving. there are no reflections Of the
crooked thought of our own times that he
shows. no struggling with our little strng-
giles, in short. no politics, no philosophy,
no science hence we have failed to see
him. Let Us find in Shakespeare mate
rinl for grammar-making. and he is y
hundrcdlold worlbicr OF our study: let us
find that Homer and the Vcdas help to
establish our linguistic philosophy, ard
Homer and the Ncda- become freshly
divine: let us couple Milton with CTdmon.
and Milton becomes newly interesting:
let us find that problems Of language are
solved by old French. and the Chanson de
Roland is the most chivalrcus Of ali songs;
let Us see Il phase Of philosophy in Dante,
and he is the divincst OF poets; LET Us link
Tcnnvson on tn Thcocriius and he be-
cones an dyllic master: let us know that
fairy stories and legendary ballads open
field for historic study, and there is no
literature equal to them in simplicity and
clcarncss but let poet Of our own time
appeal to rs only in the name of pure art,
and We acknowledge not his mastery.
"JoScph and His Brethren is drama.
or rather, dramatic poem, for it is not
as compact a. Il drama. and it is hardly
prcscntablc on the stage. Still there
would he mighty acting necessary To i'm
personate PhraXanor and Jacob The
story is the old Biblical story in every
essential particular. Jacob, Joseph and
his brethren. the governor of Egvpt and
his wife are the characters. 1t il one Of
the most interesting OF the Biblical Sto-
rics. and Wells has done for it all that
genius ever did for any legend Joseph is
the Joseph of The old story. bur his sur
roundings are magniicd 20 that We under
stand him more infinitely. Jacob is the
old patriarch, and there j. much to he
shown in IN old patriarch character
His life had been long and evenifu one
and wondrously rich IN experience The
love of the old nan for The son of his old
age. lie child of Rachel, is one of the
tcnderc>l pictures in al literature Ra-
chcl herself in the background, appearing
only III the memory Of her lord and of her
son. is beautiful PORTRAYAL of holy
womanhood. and of It's loyc lingering after
death. The brothers of Joseph have
every one distinct iduality-Rcubcn
with Il care for his brother thc others
with various degrees OF hatred and savage
jealousy. How singing is their sarcasm
to their weaker brother. and how cowardIv
their shrinking in the dignifcd presence
OF their patriarch father. Phrayanor.
S"lnburnc has said. is the only woman in
literature, save Shakcspearc's Cleopatra,
that l. sensual without being coarse 1t
Is noticeable by the way, that Cleopatra
ana fhraxanor were both Egyptians.
Coarse surely she is not. however pas
sionate. All this action is painted on
background. first. Of Canaani;ish litc-its