Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-01
THE POET OF THE DAY
Estimate of Richard Hovey
Warranted by Launcelot
and Guenevere.
A WORK OF RARE BEAUTY.
In Which One of the Arthurian Le-
gends Forms the Nucleus.
EXCERPTS FROM ADVANCE SHEETS.
The Author. Although of the West, Is a
Product of Washington.
vrpy Jrrrp rSTrNa prpcnNIIrrv
A WORK OF RARE BEAUTY,
EXCERPTS FROM ADVANCE SHEETS.
The Author. Although Of the West, Is .
Product of Washington.
A VERY INTERESTING PERSONALITY
tFRox A STAFF CORRESPONDENT

voted to brummagem politics ana social
coxcombery, has not been lavish, per Sc, in
its production and dispensation of genius.
1t has bestowed name and fame on men and
women of the provinces" who have
blazed the comets of a petty season, and
then retired to feast their minds on faded
honors in the obscurity of their own homes;
but the Washington creation, pure and
simple, of that sort, is rare article.
1t is therefore peculiar pleasure to note
the advent in the field of literary art of Q
young man who can be truly claimed as a
production of the capital, though BY birth
and childhood he is of the West not of
the West, Western, however, but happily
embodying the grand imaginations, the
gorgeous coloring and sensuous atmosphere
of the blessed Orient, from which all things
worthy have sprung. Cosmopolite, admir-
ably Bohemian, true son of the World, in
touch with the Universe of Things to be
fancied but not explained, Richard Hovey
is vet child of Washington, his first i'm
pulses-so far as outward influence goes
being received from that society peculiar
to the capital, and which, granting its lack
of many noble tendencies, is yet the closest
Al
this conglomerate Western land.
Hovey's First Production.
Hovev is not yet his entire self in
'Iauncelot and Gueneyere. 1t is the
FIRST book of the Young author Not only
that. but it is the early effort, which, am
bilious as it is, and successful, as the Sc
verest critics must admit il to be, is yet
but the beautiful result of the genius and toll
of the young years of one conscious of
power, and surely destined to leave his i'm
press on the literature of his country and of
the world.
Hovey is a wonderfully magnetic young
man, who impresses himself on his acquaint-
a.aces es Poe must have done when he. like
Hovey, wrote merely to write, and all un-
conscious of the immensity of his audience.
But analysis Of the personality of the man
must come with mature judgment Of his
work, and for the present suggestion must
he confined to the volume which will appear
within a few DAYS, and from the advance
sheets of which this notice is hastily trans
cribed.
Did Not Choose q New Field.
On first impression it might be regretted
that the author should have chosen the most
widely known and most exploited theme of
the Arthurian legends to introduce himself
TO the literary world and the public. But
upon even q cursorv examination of his
"Launcelot and Guenevere" it will be
found that 1t bears no resemblance to any of
the works of the great Victorian poets save
in name, the treatment of the subject being
entirely original and revealing high order
of poetic inspiration and dramatic power.
he has drawn forth with rare cleverness the
leading personalities of these early medieval
legends of Britain from the mystic maze in
r-h Soh ~ nod bad nd
detracting from their poetic character or
being guilty of psychic anachronism, places
them in touch and sympathy with modern
thought and feeling.
The play, which is q tragedy, is preceded
by an Introduction or prelude bearing the
title of ''The Quest of Merlin," a finely
wrought poetic fantasia, replete with mys-
terious effects, allegory and metaphysical
reasoning which are finally resolved into
pure and high deistic philosophy. The
tragedy itself, which is foreshadowed in the
prelude, appears to be the first of trilogy
of plays intended to cover the legendary
histories of King Arthur and Launcelot du
Lac, bears throughout the impress of
superior mind stored with rich lore and
learning.
Technical knowledge of the Stage.
It is in FIVE ects and its construction
shows technical knowledge of the stage
and strong dramatic instinct Gifted with
power of analysis to marked degree, he has
undertaken to delineate, as the paramount
object of the work, three types of love
which, in whatever age we may seek and
find Ehem, have been all-potent factors of
human action In Percdure, the poet and
brother Of GlbeRegere, he has portrayed the
ideal form of love, which in its ruthless de-
struction must end tragically. In NorgGaSSe,
the Queen Of Orkney, the sister of King
Arthur, he has created with fine artistry
but departing from tradition-a character of
perhdy and passion beneath a fair exterior.
Between these two extremes, yet immeas-
urably removed from the one bv strength,
and purity from the other, is the love of
LGVaoelot and GueseUeye, characters so fine
and vet so human that their very divergence
from a moral standard seems to claim an
ethical indulgence.
The play opens with a scene depicting
the approach of Arthur and his knights to
Cameliard, where he is to wed Gue1uepere,
who, yet untouched by love, has been in
duced by her parents for reasons of state to
accept the Kings suit Merlin says Of her:
The very waywardness
That rumor speaks OF her shows great
That Ieels too prisoned even upon throne.
APowerfuI Monologue.
Galezepsre's character, however, is best
mirrOred in her monologue just prior to the
wedding ceremony and her marriage with
Arthur She has been receiving the advice
of her parents and the congratulations of
her friends, and when left alone gives ut
terance to her thoughts as follows:
Why, what thing is woman! She is brought
Into the world unwelcome. A mother weeps
That she has born daughter to endure
woman's late. The iather knits his brows
And mu tiers, "Pish, tits but girl" A boy
The very hou ds had bayed for with delight
Her Childhood is petty tyranny.
Her brothers cross her; she must not resist,
Der father laughs TO see the little men
SO masterful already. Even the mother
Looks on her truculent sons with pride and
bids
Her yield, not thwart thcm-"You are but .
,-irl.''
A girl! and must give way. She must be
quiet,
Demure-not have her freedom with the
boys.
While they are running On the battlements.
Playing at war or at the cnase, she sits
Eating her heart out at embroidery frames
Among old DANES that chatter OF a world
" here women are put up as merchandise.
Oh, have slipped away a thousand times
Into the garden close and scaled the wall
And lied from them to freedom and the hills.
And have passed the women in the fields,
With stupid faces dulled by long constraint,
Bowling their backs beneath the double
burden
or labor and unkindness-all alike,
Princess aud peasant, bond slaves, by their
All, the gray crags mp whose sheer preci-
plces
have SO often toiled TO throw myself
Painting upon their crests at last and lie
For loni, whole afternoons upon the hard.
Delicious rock in that sweet weariness
That follows effort. with a silent joy
In obstacles that / could overcome.