New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-24
LITERARY NOTES.

Hubert Bancroft's photographed volume, sitter
arg industries is to be published Immediately by the
Harpcrs. II has many attractive "reminiscences of
famous people, but its chief interest lies in its striking
story Of the fashion in which his great history Of the
Pacific Coast was written.
What will Americans have to pay after July for
Rusldns "stones of Venice and Modern Painters''
That is an interesting question. Those who want 10
buy them in England dsburse from three to SIX
guineas, OF go without. "PoetLore" quotes letter
written by Ruskin toS correspondent who bearded the
great tho subject of the inaccessbihty OF his
books 10 those who are not rich Thus runs uie
episte
Ny Dear Sir; sincerely Obliged BY your lstte d.
not wish TO print cheap edition Of any books Ney-
ertheless II you afford your seven pence month:
sd 5as to- have Win Go oo fe SG will tell You
where and how to find 1t elsewhere lrulS ,NSHIsi
Distances are so magnificent IN this country that
the people Of the East be excused for not real
izng that some OF the best magazine work OF the Gay
is being done on the Pacific Coast. 1.-THE Overland
Monthly has not now, 10 be the name OF Bret
Harte TO conjure WITH but it offers many brilliant
sketch and story, many valuable historical reminis-
cences many serious discussions OF current topics
which would do honor TO the Oldest OF the Eastern
periodicals. That Tribune readers might see what
GOOD work is to be found in the far West we nave
taken pleasure In quoting divers notable bits OF hcon
from the Overland" We glad to see of late that
the magazine giving particular attention TO the his
tory and tho progress OF It's own State
friend lately wrote al well remember fine burst
OF Iandor's eoquence in favor Of republican instn-
tions: and when especially praising the Americans
among whom he had many friends, he concluded with
the remark: But could never live in America be-
cause they have cathedrals or painted glass
In these days Of Browning societies it is not unre
freshing to read word OF healthy protest against
works of genius which need sorey TO be explained
The gentle reader may like, therefore, to glance at
these paragraphs from 1.-THE Speaker CLondon) In
reference to George Meredith and Robert Browning:
My charge against them is this:
a. They have hurt the English language, by I'M
doing dor while, at least all the purity and pre-;
that the eighteenth century won for It, at great
o. They have done this out Of mere egosm-
Browning manning and torturng the delicate lnstri-
and MeIrait disortng il for his adornment, as fop
before looking glass might pull good tie lie THIS way
to look smarter than his fellows.
And urge, in the first place, that though language
NAV (and, indeed, must help thought In the making,
literature has not TO express the process but the pro
duct. Take this, for instance;
''My curs were crowned
In youth with knowledge-oG. alas, crown slipped
Next moment. pushed by better knowledge still
Which no wise proved more constant: gain to-day
Was topping loss tomorrow, lay at last
knowledge, golden l-lacquered ignorance!
As gain-mistrust it Not as means to gain;
LACQUER learn by: :"
A man in this year of grace 1891 Will, OF course,
be laughed at if he declares the above 10 be neither
poetry nor English. And yet with weak voice In
The wilderness assert the extract-a very fair one
10 be no more less than piece Of scamped WORK
A conscientious artist would have worked out the
thought and compressed it into single Ene WOr,
shippers OF Browning speak Of his condensation, ana
Il Is true that he gives color to that delusion by
emitting TO ardculate his sentences but ask now
the thought in the above passage could be more uIuse
" expressed. An amable versifer once wrotc:
GAS walked by myself, talked 10 myself and thus
TO myself said l. E"
and this pleasant line up the method
Further urge that the first duty of every author
Is 10 his reader. lay stress on the fact that
Dr. Furnival belongs 10 the Browning Society; but
merely argue that the very existence OF soceues'
ings, IL serious accusation against him.
Further urge that this accusation Is more serious
In McIcdth's than in Browning'S: because the
obligation to be lucid is stronger In prose than 10
verse. Nor is 1t answer to say Meredith IS lucid
enough, II only You had the Wit to see." For the
most exalted poets and philosophers have owned, In
their side and have demanded the least Of their read
ers They have. in other words, admitted that before
they can Justly claim Se hearing they %nsS msn
After alto put it on the lowest grounds-the reader
II Is not. on the face of it, likely that writer whose
@message" las the word goes is barely inellgible to
his own age will be treated with much consideration
by another Nor will the Alterations of to-day appeal
while everybody knows by heart his Cupid and my
Campaspe" because it happens TO be one Of the most
carefully simple things in the language. on the other
hand 1t Is almost impossible TO suppose that the men
and women that Browning and Meredith have Imagined
can be forgotten. They most splendid and
glitierng inventions since Shakespeare died; and 1t Is
possible that rather than lose them, posterty will
lake over the language in which their creators have
clothed them"