The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-11-01
OUR LITERARY BUDGET
The Immortal Reputation Of Great Book
and Great Authors.
LITERARY DISTINCTION THAT DIES.
Works Which Have Made CorneilIe. Cnthe
and De Foo Fsmous-victor Hugo's
Place In French Literature.

II is probable that celebrated works arc
little moro numerous. all told than celebrated
authors, although there are often several
chefs d'oeuvre by an ilustrious writer But
there are frequent. cases of single famous
book having been produced, and many au-
thors have been able TO leave a sufficiently
noted name without the titles of their books
being present to tho memory Ok the world.
Reciprocity the titles Of certain works are
better known to the public than the names of
those who have written them. IL il not only
In the middle ages. when literature in general
was anonymous and impersOnal that that pc
culiarity showed itself. How many children
have read Robinson Crusoe" who would be
greatly embarrassed II asked 10 tell by whom
IT was written, One may well estate
therefore. over the comparative proportion OF
famous writer's and famous books But il one
considers the mum Der OF works note only sim ply
famous, but read and studied. really immortal
actually living IN connection with the num-
Der of renowned authors. oil hesitation
ceases and one is COMPOUNDED at tho
enorlnity Of the disproportlon. The immor-
tally of the soul has never been imagined
otherwise than equal and alike for oil of the
elect, such Is not the case with the Immortal
ity of literature. The scale of degrees IS in
finite. from the brief mention hidden in the
darkness OF great encyclopedia. 10 the nv
ing ana tTlumpuhnJ re0lance OF the poet OF
the glorious mOralst. whose name nutters on
the lips or men and women. whose express
SONS have become an eternal ornament OF the
worlds conversation and whose thoughts the
dal bread of humanity | grant that three
lines of notice. al encyclopedia OF arts science
or letterscompromisea form life differing but
little from death and agree that tne
only entire and perfect immortality belongs to
those writers who are continually read and
quoted. But one smpllies entirely too much
the complete idea Of inequality and diversity,
when one suppresses all the intermediate
steps in order TO consider one OF tho other of
these extremes IL may be in the frigid silence
Of city of the dead where the name alons OF
the author survives his forgotten works 1t
may be that ever active and present participa-
ton in the ideas and conversations OF the
human race. which constitutes literary glory
in its highest aud most intense vitality. For
instance. tho Able Delile WAS very great
and lively poet. lie is no longer read. no
longer esteemed: nevertheless Deiiiie, aban-
dOned by his readers. has the certainty Of
remaining a great representative name. In
the same way. II the entire work or Victor
Hugo should be sunk IN oblivion. such
master of morals, whose historical importance
IS considerable. would be sure OF keeping his
place, even should posterity become lndifer-
ent 10 his work, q place In tie front row
among the princes of literature. IL IL easy TO
cODfOund the glory OF the name with the lie
of tho work. The first is measured by the
noise that a writer continues 10 make In the
world. the second by the quantity OF faithful
and intimate readers that he keeps. do not
see how very vast production, naturally pre-
judicial TO our familiar relation IN great
writer, can CARY with itself any injury 10 lis
name On the contrary, does II not ordinarily
happen that the intensity and continuity OF
his work. proved by a numerous set OF
volumes increase the respect with which his
name inspires us from a distance. Il IS true
that vO.uminous work inevitably contains
some weak parts. the fatal prey OF spirit of
envy and malignity: but / do not know that
it is exactly Just TO say with George
Henry Lewes. the bOgrapher of Goethe, that
the weak points measure the general value
of the work. Corneille will remain for pos
teritv the author of the Cid" ana the
"Polyeucten not of the "CthOn' or the
"Surenan The living part of Goethes work
will be more aud more reduced, first 10
Faust then perhaps TO "Werther' and
add. with little fear OF hearing al echo. TO
Hermann and Dorothea.' But one who
thinks that the fame of Goethe will diminish
at the same time with that Of a number, OF his
works. singularly deceves himself. 1t il dis
advantageous tor works OF great extent 10
have too equal value, because posterity. not
finding one single and superior age which
will enable Il 20 dis ense with the rest be
comes wearied and impatient, and. seeing II
self obliged to read the whole, ends by read
ing nothing. That is why one reads neither
Bayle, tontenelle. nor BuBon. The saIBe.re-
mark applies to Nine De Seygne But what
can add to the glory Of the names of Bossnet
of Sevigne Of Runon II Is already estaD-
lished. and the driest extracts cannot aAect
it-Paul Stapfer in the Paris Revue