The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-05-10
The Philosophy and Art Of George Eliot
the English AuthOrcN
HER GENIUS AND HER CHARACTER.
The Pessimistlc Views which She Enter
taiued in Spite of Her Love for Human
ity-The Greatest OF Her Works.

IL we had no means OF obtaining du ihS' shI
into the general character Of George Eliot ex-
eept through the medium Of her works of fic-
ton. the conception which we would form OF
that character would be accurate as far as 1t
went. but It would fall very much shortot be-
ing complete. The life Of this great authoress,
ss described in the series Of letters published
by Mr.. Gross in his well known biography. IS,
in many ways. n revelation TO those whose
only knowledge Of the different sides of her
nature was derived from The pervading spirit
of her novels Omit from consideration a
few passages in these novels and they
constitute RS noble q monument 90 the CHRIS
tan code of morality ~ can be found IN the
whole range OF English fiction. They are
written from the point Of Wow OF belief IN
Christianity. The profound interest IN all
that concerns humanity which distinguishes
them in so notable degree is that winch
recognizes almost without question The e1-
istence Of an Almighty power that both re
wards and Furnishes, 1t is the wide gap be-
tween the scep,icsm Of her private opinions
and the strong religious leaning Of her NOVELS N,
which makes the character OF George Ellot
as An individual as curious an analytical @udy
as the traits for winch she was remarA9Dle as
an artist. her powers of deliDeatOn, Tor Ia
stance, her philosophical breadth OF view,
her charm Of style.
cords upon which we must base an estimate
of her general disposition leaves sad l1npres-
sion upon the mind which II IS difficult 10
obliterate What is il 10 have an intellect oil
the keeneSt insight and the most cOmprehen-
sive power. an intellect enriched by al the
stores Of learning and softened by temqera-
ment that is enthusiastically responsive 10
whatever is beautiful in the universe and no
BILE in human existence if 1t brings Us nothing
but that melancholy spirit which controIle led
the life of George Eliot from the hrst
hour when she was capable OF serious re
Election? We are told that even IN her last
years, when she enjoyed a inme
that WAS co-extensive with clviliza-
ton, she expressed 10 intimate friends
the conviction that 1t would be well u
human existence could be ended at once ana
forever by the voluntary suicide OF all the
individuals of the race" Her letters are full
of passages which reveal n spirit almost
equally respondent. but il would be mistake
10 SUPPOSE that this condition of mind was
due To harsh and selfish pessimisn. On the
contrary, there was something IN the tender
pity which George Eliot felt for men collec,
lively which reminds us OF the mercliu
attitude of the Founder of Christianity him
self. My own experience and Development,
she wrote "deepens every day my convection
that our moral progress may be measured
by the degree in which we sympatnze with
individual suffering and individual JOy." Il
destines of my fellow-men," she SAID on an
other occasion. My satisfaction III my first
works" she remarks iii one Of her letters
clay in having done bit of truthful work
that will, perhaps, remain like primrose root
in the hedgerow, and gladden. and Ghasten
human hearts lin years TO come What do
we live for" she asks if not to make life
less difficult TO our fellow-mon"
She never grew weary of euiOgizing the
lives of men who had borne great sorrows
with fortitude. and whose strength under
conditions calculated TO shake the soul had
established an example which would fortify
the spirits Of other men when tested by an
ordeal of equal severity One of the most
beautiful and ut the time one Of tho
most Characteristic, passages IN her novels, Is
that in which she refers 20 Thomas a
Kempis. This book she wrote was writ
ten down by a hand that waited for the hearts
prompting. 1t is the chronicle OF Il solitary
hidden anguish. struggle, trust and triumph;
not written on velvet cushions TO teach en-
durance to those who are treading with bleed
ing feet on the stones And so II remains TO
all time, 81 lasting record OF human needs and
human consolation the voice of brother
who ages ago felt and suffered and renOunced,
in the clOlsteT, perhaps with serge gown ana
tonsured head with much chanting and long
fasts, and with Il fashion OF speech different
from ours. but under the same silent far-off
heavens, and with the same passionate de
sires the same striyings, the same failures,
the same wearness.'
Such is the character Of the true hero in the
ewes of George Eliot. and the type appears IN
a variety of forms in all of her novels. The
more obscure the individual the more direct
and pathetic is the appeal which lie makes 10
her heart. She dwells with Undesirable pity
upon what she describes as the mixed re-
suit of young and noble impulse struggling
under pr0sac conditions" The growing
GOOD of the world" she wrote IL bringing
IL = 10 81 y
ent on unhistoric acts, and that things are not
SO i'll with YOU and me as they might have been
is half owing to the number who lived faith
fully n hidden life and rest in unvisited
tOmbs"
In the expression lived faithfully hidden
life" is to be found the central thought Of
George Eliot's moral code. Her chief aim
was TO exalt the individual. In Amos Barton,
her first story. she wrote IN the following
strain, which reflected the spirit which ami
mated her throughout her life. Eighty out
of a hundred of our adult male fellow Britons
returned in the last census are neither ex
traordinPrily silly nor extraordinarily wicked
nor ext aordinarily wise, their eyes are
neither deep and liquid with sentiment nor
sparkling with suppressed wltticisms; they
have probably had no halr-breadth escapes or
thrilling adventures; their brains are GER
tainly not pregnant with genius and their
passions have not manifested themselves at
all after the fashion of q volcano. They are
simply men of compleXlons more Orless mud
dy. whose conversation is more or less bald
and disiointed Yet these commonplace
people, many Of them, bear a conscience. and
have felt the sublime promptngs 10 do the
painful right they have their unspOken sOr-
rows and their sacred joys. their hearts have
perhaps gone out towards their first born,
and they have mOurned over the Unreclaim-
able dead. Nay. is there not a pothos in
thsir very insgnifcance. in our comparison
of their dim and morrow existence with the
glorious possibilities Of that human nature
which they shxre2 Depend upon it, you
would gain unspeakably if you would learn
with me TO see some Of the poetry and
the pathos. the tragedy and the comedy lying
in the experience of human soul that looks
out through dull gray eyes aud that speaks in
voice OF quite ordinary tones"
In the story of Janet 5 Repentance she de-
clared that Our subtlest ANALYSIS of schools
and sects must miss the essential truth unless
1t DO lii up by the love that sees in sli forms
OF human thought and work the life and
death struggles OF separate human beings
Human nature is loyable" she wrote in
adam Bede" and the way have learnt
something Of us deep p0thos IFS sublime mys-
tories, has been by living a great deal among
people more or less commonplace and vul-
gar Of whom YOU would perhaps hear no
thing very surprising If You were 10 inquire
about them in the neighbOThoOds where they
dwelt" Let us raise, ~ she exclaimed in "Fe-
Tx Holt" a monument 10 the soldiers whose
brave hearts only kept the ranks unbroken
and met doAtA-a monument To the