New-York tribune., 1895-01-20

ALONDON APPRECIATlON.

son' WIN a Portrait Etched from Life by wEl-
lam strang and l'ibiogrApny , 10y Iohn Lane
octave pp iN. 20. lxN. Doid. Mead 90
In raising the question as to whether conscious
art or something higher. something less susceptible
~ formulation presdes over the writing OF great
navel Mr.. johnson prOvokes as fruitful a train OF
thought as any to which an entire concurrence In
his Views might invite the Grille. Io" much after
an ~ art docs there go TO he construed ,iou o; a
novel; Much. answers MI Johnson. with his eye
on the novels of Thomas Hardy, 50 much that his
naulry never loses sight of the architectural quail
rv IN the designs" OF his author. never gets very
far away from that element OF sophistcation OF
deliberate structure. which he is fam TO regard as
Mr. Hardy's crownng virtue lie IL enough IN
sympathy with the generic traits OF his au-
thor TO give them free play as evidence
that the latter Is prominently man OF
creative Inspiration. But then comes back his
little devil OF eruditlon. hs eternal concern with
letters" his solemn habit Of quoting from every
source under the sun: and instead Of passing on
his Impression OF Hardy with all the richneas OF
nature and energy that he has undoubted
~ felt in that writer he wraps his conception Of
him IN weary pages OF turgid and prctentious anay
s.g SIR Hardy's workmanship may be scholarly.
though should prefer another ep.thet. But there
IL really excuse for talking about It's Latin
massiveness" for parallels between Hardy's sus-
tanned equabiii,y" and that Of the Roman writer's
parallels OF style can doubtless be forced between
Hardy and Pascal Browning. Fletcher. Herrick
Hawthorne and Scnancour-Mr. johnson proves it
but he proves also his nveterate preoccupa ton with
elements In Hardy's work which sngularly un-
important In the evolution OF that reality which
nxes itself so firmly In the mind OF his reader. He
is Nirgflian. yes. In the mellow fragrant tone
OF his landscapes. II a classical sop must be
granted 10 Mr.. Johnson; but the reader who
turns from this critics ndde- -faddle about IAcre-
thus about the resemblance OF Hardys r,istics to a
Greek chorus. to any one OF the delightful Wessex
pages Themselves will see at once that the natural
magic OF the novelist is one thing and the literary
felIctcs or constructive triumphs which his com
mentator pauses upon quite another.
Mr.. Johnson's book Is a sincere and carefully
has plainly a very high regard II he misinterprets
Mr Hardy on the whole II Is because he takes a
misleading point OF departure and Celebrates his
discourse along lines altogether too ornate and
ambitious The nrst fault is the outcome OF q
fancy. for some time current In London that liter
ature. life and everything else begins and ends In
Art" new meaning being given to a word that
has been carried far beyond the realms TO which II
should always have bcen confined. The Precious
schoo' TO which Mr. Johnson obviously belongs has
forgotten. II II ever knew how 10 go straight to
the material OF criticism and handle II with
who.esomc drsctness. Thus Mr.. Johnson starts
with a wrong notion OF what is important and
most Characteristic most representative In his sub
ject and spols matters stl further by the cult
walton ~ an atrocious style. Conceit-nay. bump
tousness-is conspicuous on every page OF this
book. and affectatlon II rampant throughout What
IL be done with writer who says with much
uncton that "Ascham and Harrington Drayton and
woiioa, have now 3ut few lovers; yet. 10 my own