New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-25

Mr. Hall Game, who is greatly oppressed by the
solemnity or = novelist's career-and somewhat Op
pressed perhaps by the greatness Of Hon Ca!ne-
mas been leciurinS to Scotchmen on Moral Re
sponsioty in the Novel and the Drama" The fi1
was. h. said. that Western genius could n3i syelop
"A story from an idea. The Western genius when
tried to combine Imagination with moral aim vas
Ike a bear dancing I'm chains. II lacked freedom
sponaneity and vitality and these were the quad
ties which novel a drama must have nrs,. WHAT
ever else it fell short Of But the novels; and tho
iramats must think that conscience had. there
fore no place In the novel Though incapable u
putting moral idea into work 5 a motive. they
must not suppose that they were free from mora
responsibility. II "A frightening thought tha'
the morality OF a mans book was exactly his Own
morality. This most Of AL true in imaginative
literature. II the novelist and dramatst could n"
escape from moral responsibility. In what did M
responsibility consist? II consisted frs. his cA0"
Of subject There only thing the public DC
manded. and that was human nature. tn-ouo'e'y
there subjects watch II forbade. II forbade a"
unwhoesome and unnatural passions; II forbade wv
imaginative treatment Of sacred person lges s""'
Of these. It wee med everything religious quesu0'.
political questions. or even dangerous moral Gus,
tons To the dramatst the license was lees ioe''
In his eares, days In London they produced Oh y.
stage Tennyson's Promise of May" The pay w.
not a good one. but its failure not 50 mu.
due to Its artistic defects as to its daring Uea'"
of morals That night in his lodgings he wro'e
Tennyson. meaning hn to get his letter wltn..ei
newspapers next morning The stage, ne an" s,ue
must be in very low state Indeed H. az srsat
dramatic critics are telling us, none o.. me IAN
moral and social questions OF the tln'e .s only
touched upon In modern play lnat wa, Ma' yeary
twelve years ago and what had those t"en,e Iihsen
witnessed? They had witnessed the rise oi ,,rorl
who once for ali. had brought back the hVihs NV"
ques ions TO the stage ., the
Mr. Caine thought that the great scs seem cannon
NJ no n |-.ai
and familiar scenes OF ordinary lie ne In that
OF a greater novel than had ever yet se and
should BE compounded of the penny rsssl,sm and
the Sermon the Mount-the planest iulged
the highest ideasm And then the l'ctu' hnss who
in "A statement which will probably MAKE o's q small
worship Thackeray say irreverent,y tna, man ID
man Is often tempted TO ignore a srea, BY
whose footsteps he Is not big enough 70 NJ Calne
virtue OF their mastery over motive san roIstoi that
he claimed for Victor Hugo and couh. 10 "a come
with Walter Scott they would In me ,. OF the
be recognized as the three greatest nov, have omit.
nineteenth century And yet he need moi the last
ted Thackeray II he uttered IN sinss,,J him tho
sentence OF his discourse. HE couno,,c and d.
greatest genius who touched the msssmvs waiting
vine chord In humanity which was aiwnnSynense he
TO yibrate TO the sublime hope or recht that the
counted him the greatest man wno '"Ns
world ruled In righteousness