The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-04-09
sosfr Il hooks.
v,etor,nn r,,ereture r~r,ssor,a~..

Victorian Age Of Eaolish Literature tTait, Sons
&CoL We say nomipally. because a phrase
IN the preface the present writer's" indicates
that Mrs. Oliphant has had co-laborers. whose
Joint work Is presented under her name. In
asmuch. however. 90 her collaborators are
anonymous. she must take all the praise aud
all the blame.
No one would dispute tho competence Of
Mrs. 0liphant to appraise the relative values
Of the many contributions to English prose
fiction during the Victorian age. II Is for
herself to consider whether such a function Is
graceful one upon her part. But the very
argument drawn from specific accomplish
ment which might be hold to demon
strate her qualification for that special
task disaualines her for graduating
tho merits OF Victorian poets. o work
which has been performed more suitably
and more effectively by Edmund Clarence
etsdman. But II an expert In prose fiction.
which 10 largely q product OF the imagination.
In not necessarily fitted to discuss poetry.
what shall We say Of her assumption to define
the comparative position OF Victorian histo-
Rians and writer's on political economy II Is
this section OF Mrs. ELEPHANTS ambitious un-
dertakinR with which we shall deal to-day.
and We may say ut the outset that We shall
encounter an amazing omission as we'll as
ludicrous faults OF proportion In respect OF tho
space allotted to various authors. We would
By no m eans assert that many OF the estimates
NJ. nm"n.n." TO- NV" W. p"'s nu
n"uo !. Nv. Woi.' VI ,a,e
SoN. ~ - ~
49, ~ .nr,i na ~ ,ea. .,""
III. IVY sou.u "S'' "o"' " y ""''' ei'
sous o'"'i' uuuon'.
L.
Wa s-.h y, i, no,r. d,o,osoa >, ,ror-o, With
NJ. OIinbant or bor a~nonvmau co,ohorars
Sor .IIottino n laroa mart NJ a ohm ntar n
rrhom.. Cor,vIo ,nd th.rohv ,ractics,lv ma.
s,,rin, On hir, tho nr,,n.rv nnnr. Viotorio,
hi.tori.ns ~ "a ,ot tbe loo. trniv .oid hn.
1910 n ha. heon soid b.foro. that tho :. Frencb
nsvointion.i IA NOT an much a history ma a mnp.
rincsnt hi.torlcal n~aintinc Wa ara NOT a,
much srrnck nv the minntoness and accuracy
Of tho author,s observation-disclosures these nre
vorthv Of mora iaudation tbon tbov soms.
times recelv.-as NV tbs e,ectrifvinp force NJ
.imapinnt,on through which tho mast starts
INTO ina betoro our eves. The nutbor Of this
hook wall aovs that tb. now orondiose hut
ruaasd voice which broke avery law Of com.
%nosition and trlumnbed oyer than ali, which
shocked and bevildersl nil critics and author.
ities NEVERTHELESS aroused tho whole sIu,nber.
oua World Of literature and rang into the mir
Hkn n trumnot. II ia undoubtodIv n
Ssct that Carlv,a's was A nav manner NJ re- |
sardinr tho events of history. n grand mic.
tori,l rspresentati,n Illuminated bv the |
blaze. sometimes Iurid and sometimes terri.
Ma. Of tbe biohest noe,ic oonius and imapina. |
tion. historical enough Of the French reyolu-
finn had ALREADY hean given IN tho world.
and othors. still better from the yiewpoint OF
securaox. have been nublisbed sinoe. like
TaIne,s Tbese racords have included mar
son.I .rneriences formal docunenta acti-
tious narratives. multliorm manipulations OF
material: hut mona. except the narrative of
Carlyle. conveys the very uproar Of that oreie
ofthe Fates: none other shows the confused
vorkines OF the blind guides and more
blind opponents Of the national frenzy with |
such magnetic force and power. Cnrlyle's |
"a NO mera record. but a mighty drama nossino
bofors our evos. Wa nre made spectators |
rather than renders OF the terrible develop- !
ments Of oncb successiye not n drama work. |
1ne blind toward a denouemept OF which lts
: srksrs h.d M concsnt,on ar intont;on Ia vhtch
: they blindly stalked. stumbled. fell. each ia
his turn. bringing In upthoueht of compli-
eations. nav turns and tvists of fate. II has
become n commonplace to any that the
~Frenoh REVOLUTION /" Ia n hook more interest,"
inp than any novel. which those who take IL
mn cannot Law down and which Ia foo inn.
pressive in its esnernl character. foo unnrsce.
dentcd In ia nrt IN ba mistaken or overlooked
Noxertbeless. the author "a anita right IN |
saving TINT CARLYLE reached the acme OF his
fame In England not by nm imapinative.
bat BY a uocumentary history. his erent work
on Cromwell. Hero. with an English subiect. |
And spenktna to the Enalish neopls. he rnve
forth his own conyictiona and his own nreiu.
dices with all the force Of bis imnosinv char.
actor ana his impassioned utteranr,s The
third OF his great bistories. the Life of Fred. |
erick the Great. nroyokcd much criticism hpt |
Il had an enormous popuIaritv. and II aid mora |
than nny other NJ his writinga 70 o,vo him a
Europenn reputatlon. In this WORK C,rlvIo
act befors MS Germany. as he had sat Frnnca
but not In the chaos Of con lifetime Influences
which Ind made France shimmar and hnr, hs-
fore our eyes, The German eplo was mot TINT
of nation. but thu epic OF n man.
or course. the only name which AZ onco rieas
IN tho mind as worthy to be set not much below
Carlyle's Ia that OF Macaulay. CarIvIa Macou.
lar. Ruskin. Froude. and. psrhan,. we slould
add Matthew Arnold. ara tho GREATEST mastsrs