New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-24

c. p. Putnam's soEs.
This work by the Rawlnsonan Professor OF Anglo
Saxon In the University OF oxford is careful ana
thorough study Of English prose, and Of high value
as a textbook the subject II dlherS rom all
prevous trcatises in assigning to English prose com
nosition an earlier beginning than is usually credited
10 that development and further in posulatinG three
perjods OF elimination In the growth Of the language
n Is moreover historical and analytical at the same
time and a whole the plan Of the author is
broader and his treatment scientific and eA-
haustive than that Of any of his predecessors The
genius and the structure Of English prose have IN
deed been singularly neglected in the past. The
greatest attention has been paid to poetry but IN
treating Of prose the few authors Interested IN the
subject have confined themselves TO consideration OF
the rhetorical graces of composition. Mr. Earle mas
taken a far more scholarly and useful way, and his
method OF arrangement cannot be more tersely DC
scrbed than in his own words: First, there are
four chapters in which the subject is treated anaytl
cally; then five chapters in which the treatment Is
synthetic and progressively so. IhuS lar
il might be called two books. analytical and synthetic
third book traces the historical Of English
prose, following the three great of its develop
ment. To these three books are appehdea
closing chapter of observations calculated to promote
the culture and practice of what has been called te
Art of the Nineteenth Century"
In the first place, Mr.. Earle takes issue directly
with Matthew Arnold res pectnG the beginnings of Eng
English prose earlier than French prose. The
chronological of the four chief examples of prose
dctiOn is, he maintains. follows Greek, Latin Eng
lish French. In the first nine chapters the author
treats of "ChOce of Expression" "The Import of
Grammar" Some Mechanical Appliances Bearings
Of PhiloOgy7 The Leading characteristics Of Prose
Dction,n OF Idiom," "Of Euphony," and "Style."
Then follow the three historical chapters. which it
may perhaps be thought would have appeared to
greater advantage in the beginning of the treatise
But, in fdct, the earlier chapters have historical
as we'll analytical importance for in tracing the
structure Of English prose, and in separating the
different elements that compose IT, the various eras at
which particular changes advances were made
necessarily enter into the argument. Mr.. Earle
traces the beginnings OF English prose back to the
eighth century. ThencefOrward to the tenth century
1t progressed to the elimination of its first era The
second that of the fifteenth and the third
the eighteenth century. Not that the progress during
the whole Of this period steady or unchecked. on
the contrary, the Norman Conquest for time para
lived growth and movement. and once it seemed pos
sble that no recovery would he made But the vital
ity and assimative power of English were in the end
victorious over all obstacles: and the language thouGs
greatly altered, preserved its English roots together
with a certain capacity for self publication capacity
which, as Mr.. Earle shows, is being exhibited more
emphatically in the nineteenth century than at any
former time. The tendency toward restitution, he
puts it, has come into play and the general inclina
ton is in favor of more thoroughly saxon and
simple standard. and a sloughng of decorative and
ostentatiOus Latin derivatives.
Mr.. Earle speaks with little admiration of the
prose Of the first era and of this prose he furnishes
several examples. giving the original AngloSaXOn and
the modenzcd versions in parallel columns, and bring
Ing out the nervous force, ucdiiy and graphic power
Of the old compositions very clearly. OF all the
ancient writer's. King Alfred. however is the most
decidedly capable. In his prose indeed be traced
f.tfn a. ~ Tba
beneccn character of the able and clear sighted ruler
is visible through all his sentences and recalls Buttons
penetrating observation that the style Is the man.
After the tenth century, and well into the twelfth the
tendency not progressive The Norman con
ouerors corrupted the English language at this time
far more than they enriched il; but. thanks 10 ta
Inherent vigor it survived this illusage and, grad
ualIy absorbing all the elements which promised
easy assimilation. acquired in each subsequent genera
ton new neXbility and expression. 1t Is recunanty
and a special advantage Of Mr.. Eare's treatise that
he fortifes every position with abundant husuatohs
and as rule from the most pertinent resources his
illustrations in themselves form really valuable bony
NJ English prose- and they appear TO have been chosen
with no less keen an eye to matter than TO manner
The arrangement Of the general argument leaves ht'e
10 be desired, in one particular II Is faimlar
difficulty that casSGcatiOns often fall through uh
ference of view concerning the meaning OF terHs
Here we find style" and dictOn" treated separately
and with great care but Mr.. Earle has to admit mat
what he terms dicton other writer's have denomna,ed
STYLE and vce-vers Now, all questions OF literary
strIe are and ever have been beset with stumbling
blocks and perhaps no two writers have vet agreed
upon definitions. That all attempts to teach style
shoud be futile is not surprising when 1t IS lemeh
,rod tho, the very nature of the thing has hitherto
COMPLETELY bafied research; but il Buhon was neh''
or al least II he was the truth than any olhe'
WRITER las come my atery ceases to be lneNpcdpie
snppo,ine the style Ia be the man, it follows that
Ms
mnst lie precisely as impossible as the ac-
ori.iton Of one mans character and temperament
lv another mainland for the same NaNol''.
Moreover this view seems 10 DC NuPl''V
hv All the analocics The fact that style III no way
oc,crds u,on scholarship or upon knowledge oil the
rules Of grammar. or upon anything else '"'' ''
10 learned either from books Observation points
10 the conclusion that Button right; that the form
and the spirit of literary expression Is C"huou y!
peclartie, of Individual mind wholly beyond inc rod"
of aralvs,. Every period may lhdeeu NC sd'u -
b.ve s prevailing literary style or styles but II
must be observed that whenever NoIue represents
iation and not the zetgcis@ il tends to eA"gFcft
tjon and stiffness and artGcality. \ natural 81"
however peculiar, sits easily upon It's pONseNsor pu'
awkwardly upon those VINO mould themselves upon
him Johnson's STYLE when used by Johnson ap
ears nerfecv natural stately and dignied, but In the
work of his conscious mitatOrs 1t sank INTO DniSque
almost Carlvc's style has never been successfully
initiated because of the mechanical no less tiah 'ie
intellectual difficulties. In Carlyles own writings, DIS
Gov oxauplc in The French Revoution"its peculiar
tes rarely interfere with its effectiveness ana very
Frequently strengthen the impressions produced bu'
writers on prose composition always think II necessary
TO expatate upon style and most OF them con
tinue Notwithstanding the teachings OF experience
TO Law down various laws and rules for the attainment
NJ !. good STYLE one of these laws may serve as an
example of the rest "Lucidity" IL is said us aoso
lutcly necessary TO good style" Whether IL IS oil
not shall not be considered here; but whether IL
or not how be acquired by the unhappy student
to whom Nature has denied the faculty OF clear
thinking! To write lucidy one must think lucldy
1t is then at least a. regards this point upon the
character of the thinking that the syls oil expression
depends; and thus Button is again justified, and the
futllty of instructions upon style is again demon