The Portland daily press., 1891-02-20
UDUE HAMILTONS CASE.
Biddeford Times
CONCERNING BOOKS.
BY e. CAvAZZA.

The Spiritual Sense of Dante's Diyina
Commedia. By w. T. Harris. The COM
ment OF Professor Harris upon the moral al
legory of the Divina Commedia has the dis
tinctness and force of the thought of phil
osopher who arrives at conclusions by his
own means and way. With him, consulta-
tion OF previous authorities seems to have
been for confirmation rather than for d.
rection Of his individual researches. The
political allegory has not interested him, ii
would appear. and the literal pictures of the
Commedia have repealed him. OF the mani
fold meaning of Dantie's work, one or an
other aspect will naturally most appeal to
each commentator; and from the somewhat
mystical temper and the wide studies of COM
paratiye philosophy which Professor Harris
brings to his task, is to be expected some
striking and sound exposition of the meaning
socrG sense. His imagination is of the Teu-
to mic order; the vivid pictorial detail, in
stinctive with the Italian mind, is contrary
tc his inclination. To enlist his thought.
the.images of the Commedia must be enfold-
ed in wells of mystery. become types instead
OF Individual objects. In obedience to his
nature, he has preferred the slower illumi-
nation of introyerted mental energy, letting
each theme develope itself to his fixed gaze.
Instead Of taking advantage OF the views
gained by fother commentators. Hence a
singleness of purpose and insight appears in
his exposition of which the keynote NAV be
given In his own words:
Remove the Illusion Of time, and thus
bring together the deed and its consequences
and you see 1t under the form of eternity.
SO. too. paint the deed with colors derived
from all its consequences, and you will
picture Its final or ultimate Judgment
Following this thought, Professor Harris
is able to define strikingly the difference be
tween the states of the spirit in the Inferno
and In the Purgatorio, the first, as looking on
punishment as a force from outside, which
Injuries and embitters its victim; the second.
as accepting the revelation that evil is
wrong to itself and to society. He also en-
phasizes the purgatorial idea as predominant
in modern life.
IL must be noted that Professor Harris at
times fails OF complete sympathy with the
manner OF Dante's work. And this is a lack
which must surely mar comment on the Com
media, however profound and elevated. THE
student OF Dante, who would learn to his
full capacity. must follow the master as
closely as he followed Virgil. If the way be
too steep, one must go borne by the leader,
as Dante into the Malebolge. Dante was of
his own entury. his knowledge was medi-
aeval while his foresight was of modernity /:
and even his seeming pedantries, his division
OF his work into mystic groups of numbers,
his farfetched correspondence, the elusive
verbal lights In which he shows his meaning.
must be, not tolerated as antique fashions Of
scholasticism, but held as invaluable guides to
the scheme of his deliberately balanced and
constructed thought. Respect for these
formalities brings rich reward.
A point very strongly brought into relief
by Professor Harris's comment is In line
much discussed at present: the rights Of
property. Apropos of thelcircle of Inferno
where the misers and the spendthrifts toll
eternally, rolling great stones, only to meet.
clash, revile each other, and then resume
their fruitless fatigue-the commentator
says:
Ayarice and waste.inIure society by diverting
human freedom. The social interchange by which
tne individual Is enabled to contribute Something
OF MS own deeds for the benefit Of his fellow men,
and 70 Draw out In his turn from the market Of the
world his share in its aggregate OF productions,
Is rendered possible by means Of the institution
o. Rflvate property; There could be no transfer
OF tne individual will to the social whole unless
the individual could impress his will on things and
make them his property. Consequently, without
society," and this Would Tendr
the other hand, his participation in the LABOR OF
tne race-he could receive nothing from his fellow
men, because nothing could be collected orr trans.
mltted. Hence the significance. of property.
AS will be seen, Professor Harris has
thoroughly apprehended the motive of the
Divina Commedia, which is the celebration
of will, and the hope Of ultimate accordance
between the wills Divine and Human. His
comment is sympathetic upon the state of
tue heather sages, and upon the Dell of the
Princes. Qnf. Nv and Purg. VID.
An interesting comparison Of texts is af-
torded by the citations from different Eng.
lsh lrenderings Of the Commedia--Carlyle's
prose, Longfellow's blank verse, and the
rhymed measure Of DR.. Parsons. 1t is curl
GUS to see how much more clearly and faith.
FULLY the poem of Dante is mirrored by the
exquisitely lucid and devoted verse of Long
fellow than by the selfconscious prose Of
Carlyle. Apparent also is the choice temper
with which DIR. Parsons has averaged his
effects Of rhyme, metre and diction.
In the supreme difficulties of the comment
upon the Paradise. Professor Harris shows
most fully bis force. No longer hindered by
the images and action rather too graphic to
suit entirely his modes of thought, he is at
mythos. Here tno. the reader who can fol-
low intelllgently the excursion into ancient
systems Of philosophy, will find Professor
Harris an able and enthusiastic guide. Such
deep comment as his. bearing every sign of
long and individual study, is an encourag Q.
ment as to the interest felt among Ameri-
cans, In the works OF Dante. The Diyina
Commedia Is and will remain the Song of
Songs OF moral and political liberty. New
York: ID. Appleton & Co.. Price 81 90.
Comedies by Alfred de Musset. Trans
lated and edited with an Introduction. bv
.. Il. Gwynn. The fanciful personality of
De Musset Is very cleverly depicted by Mr..
omynn; inueed. 1t is quite feat of liter
AIRY SIKH ior an Englishman to capture the
likeness OF the typical Frencbman as an
posed to all that is Britannia. withont cor;
caturing it. Heine cruelty said Of De Mns
set, "Heis young man who has had .
splendid past" He was precocious ana
volatile, and had the misfortune to belonpt To
a time deceived by the mock despairs of By-
ronism. IL ever there was a spoiled child IL
was De Musset--in Mr.. Gwynn's words.
uHie mnnefroue poottsm ia no rfl,y atonaa g..
by Its infantine Inconsistencies. i.
The web Of his nature is idealism shot with
cynicism-a cynicism as puerile as his ideal
ISM" His work only strengthened by the
affiiction which crushed him at parting with
George Sand. Finally in the famous Night
of May the muse appeared to him. and by
her consolation was closed the wound
(which Che wrote 10 his brother will never
reopen again save POLITICALLY" And each re
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