The Irish standard., 1892-12-10
JUSTIN MCCARTHY.
The Brilliant Parliamentary Leader
Talks Interestingly on His
tory and Fiction.
! HIS VIEWS, ON POLITICS.

Ia 1O LII NY - YIN OLl lllOi
Theoretically a Republican He Has
no Special Grievance Against
Monarchs and Figure-heads.
Raymond Blathwayz, the London
special correspondent Of the Chicago In
ter-Ocean, sends that papsr the follow
ing interesting sketch of Justin McCar-
thy and his interview with him on his
torical and novel writing:
In pleasant housein Chenye Gardens,
in Chelsea, I found Mr.. Justin McCar-
thy, one of the most notable figures in
the Irish Parliamentary party, historian,
novelist, lecturer and politician, seated
hard at work at his beloved typewriter,
for he has almost entirely given up his
pen. A singularly gentle-mannered man
is Mr.. Mccarthy, with kind, genial,
gray bearded, spectacled face-a very
thorough type of a refined and highly
cultured Irishman, presenting many
sided aspect to those who seek, as I
sought, to gain information upon many
different subjects. A journalist in the
early part Of his life, remaining one, in
deed, to the present moment, he has yet
further developed into the politician, the
historian and the writer of novels, which,
if they are not exactly conspicuous for
conplexlty Of plot or dramatic situation,
are yet striking in dialogue, happy and
fertile in creative power, and notable in
the eccentric type Of character. OF his
historical Works the sane criticism ap-
plies in limited degree, for though
they are not profound, yet they are i'm
partial, brilliant and deeply interesting.
Curious to note, too, in his historical
work, how he brings into play his novel
istic faculty of imagination, and how the
dry bones Of historical personages who
have long since passed away at his hands
come. to life again and strut and pace
their little hour on the stage. alluded
to this faculty of his at the very outset
of our conversation.
"Mr. Mccarthy" said /, II want to ask
you secret. Does fiction writing assist
you in the making of history?" Mr.. Nc
Carthy laughed. "Yes think it does, 1T
makes me more interesting, undoubted-
ly." II can believe that" I replied, "but
don't you find the temptation very strong
at times to create characters of your own
and at all events very much to improve
upon the originals? Don't you feel
sometimes that plots in real history diff
fer very much from these you would
construct in writing novel?' perhaps
you are right" said he, "but is it not
possible for me to take certain great
character in history a.d suddenly one
day, after long study of that character,
he or she comes up into ones mind and
stands there complete, and one says to
ones sele, yes he did this, but he could
not have done that?' But of course you
must first make yourself master of his
times and surroundings. "'Yes," urged,
"all very we'll, but his times and sur
roundings are probably SO utterly be-
yond the ken Of any man hving?" 'My
dear friend,' said Mr. Justin MCCARTHY,
with smile, ''human nature is always
and everywhere the same. And as it is
with individuals SO it is with nations. It
would be easier for me to write a history
of England and the English as they were
600 years ago than to write of a country
to day of which I practically know noth-
ing" Don't you feel inclined, as / have
already asked, to mingle history and
novel writing together?" "Oh, no; though
/ quite acknowledge that it is difficult
to avoid romance in history, but on the
whole, novel writing helps to make his
tory writing more real and lifelike. His
tory writing does me this good, I find-it
makes me take fair and impartial view
OF matters. I find that take fresh
view Of many things in writing history =
We then passed into discussion on
novels and novel writing. Said he: 81
am rapid writer. If I had nothing
else to do, three or four hours Of steady
work daily would quite suffice me for
literary purposes. I never, in writing q
novel, have any plot, and never even
plan out chapter. It allcomes to me
as I write. The same thing in my leo
lures and speeches; I new prepare
either the one or the other until am
actually on my feet and speaking the
opening sentences, and then, perhaps, I
mentally group few leading and central
ideas. Some OF my novels are decidedly
political; still . do not always feel called
upon to fight for my own special side in
my books. No, ] am frequently quite as
much interested, and I throw quite rs
much earnestness il political BATTLES IN