New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-07
COSMOPOLIS.
PAUL BOURGETS NEW BOOK.


coSMOpoLis. BY Paul Dourget Authorized edition.
Tait, Sons Co. 12mo PIP. 343
n Boureets new novel Is at once the most ano'
tious and the strangest OF his writings III was an
ORIGINAL idea TO constitute his "dramatis persohae
nom examples OF half the nations OF Europe ana 10
bring them together In Rome and make them act OUT
their drama in the Eternal City. 1t was not Only
m ORIGINAL idea but II been developed by the a''
thor with O thOroughness and Skill which deserves
very high commendati)n. Hitherto II has been COM
plained that NJ BOurgct was too much gwen 10 PS!.
geological analysis that he was always In danger OF
losing the thread interest in his stories while PRO-
ing the motives and setting forth the mind play OF
m charucters. And one result his most sNiiui
pots and combinations left the reader cold ana some
times even a little wcaried. But In "Cosmopciis nc
has taken quite new departure He gives lis series
OF portraits which elaborated and refined Almost
after the manner Of Baaac and these portraits are
OF men and women peculiarly fitted by birth. In
bp4tance position. other circumstances TO awest
and TO hold attention.
II cannot be said that all these people are esti-
mable. In TRUTH they are the strongest mixture vi
races tendencies, vices and virtues that has ever
been brought together under one focus. Inc au'"o'
n his dedicatory letter TO Count PItmoi mus eA'
poins his choice Of the situation 1t Is the contrast
between the somewhat incoherent ways and dongs
Of the wanderers OF high life and the character oi
perennial existence stamped everywhere In 'he ere'
city OF the Caesars ana the Popcs. that LED me "
INST OF centuries cvokng In 1t some representatives
A. that mode OF life which the most modern ana also
tho most arbitrary and most momentary ana ne eoes
on 10 remark upon The insurmonntaDe oih'cui'ies III
the way OF getting the cosmopon'e truly 'ep'cSe"''"
Nothing he observes. can be haiuer IMAM '"c 'a'"
OF the writer who takes as his model TINS huctna'hs
socety so uniform in the exterior rites OF It's elegant
ME- 40 really 50 thoroughly, complex and composite
IN ,ts fundamental elements. The writer Is reduced
TO taking series OF particular cases, as nave uon'
while essay,ng 10 disengage thercirom law ""on
dominates them. This law, In the present DOOR, Is
the permanence OF race. Contradictory rs may "p-
near the result the Is familiar with 'Cos-
,nono,,tes ,be more we are assured that the most
irreducibe datum In them is that special force oil
he, edity which sumbcrs under the uniform monotohy
OF superficial relations. but is ready 10 awaken Us
soon as passion touches tie groundwork OF the ma"
natures This Is the real keynote OF the BOOK ana 10
understand the authors meaning fully this must De
clearly perceived.
The Influences of race and heredity arc made ap-
yarent at every step here, and give 10 the romance
A special Significance The people represent many
races and countries they are English, Americ'"'
Venetian, Polish. Austrian Roman. French, ana '"ey
act after their kind that Is. as the author supPo'es'
though possibly lie is not always right IN DIS o'as-
nosis There are some noble figures here. ana some
rerv base ones: but those whose passions set III mo-
ton the whole phantasnagoria is 10 say 'he
Venetian Nine steno and the Pole Boleslas oarha-
might have been transpantcd straight from the Mid-
6e Ages so essentially medieval they In nearly
everytbtne Madame StenO Is remarkable picture
of q very beautiful fascinating woman. OF noble ana
ancient Venetian blood. who has no moral sense at
all: who is simply q magnificent animal, the slave OF
her fierce passions. Nothing troubles or dislnrps
her. She has no doubts, hesations. no com
punctons but goes straight 10 her end with abso-
Lutte composure and GOODNESS.
Boleslas Is another fine animal, but more Hike
bravo the tenth century. lie has no control over
himself and Is carried away By passion recklessly
Az O sharp contrast these. there Is Fanny, daughter
of the Austrian Jew MILL onare, Justus Hafncr. She
has all the Initiatives OF young saint. and life Is too
hard and cruel for her Alba Seno, the daughter OF
the "Dogaressa" as NJ. Bourget calls the wicked
mother is an othcr delightful creation. Fanny and
Alba together constitute really beautiful pair. and
around them intrgues and businesses OF the lax
urious Roman life fit and pass. leaving but little
ralnahle trace Another kind OF woman is Lydia
Maitland, in whose veins there Is drop OF blacH
blood. She is the vampire, the demon OF the piece,
and vet It must be said that she las provocation
enough for her plans of vengeance.
But the most genial noble and sympathetic char
acter Of all the Marquis de MonfarrOn, that fne
old Papal soldier who Is bound up In the faith OF the
Eternal City who lives there In preference to France
because 1t Is the Of his religion who is fanatic
and visionary perhaps yet nevertheless one CT the
most Interesting and natural characters In all fiction
There Is In him certain remote suggestion OF Colonel
Newc ome but he Is French Thackeray's hero
was English. Ii Is admirable piece OF portraiturc
in all ways however and NJ. bourgeois friends are,
we think quite justified In claiming COsmopoiis' As
his masterpiece.