New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-10

loce. Prepare Tor 'hr fr"s~ iy '"Ai,'. l"
Pp N 80 Ncw-IorK ana London. M''m'''-"
& Co
When Walter Pater wrlte bis book 100 Plate
and Paton.sm" he presented therein formula
oc the paiar.sm which that and every on" 90 n.s
own works illustrates without defining 'Pldion-
ism" he said. is not a formal theory or body u
theories but 4 tendency. or group - tendencies
tendency o. think OF fcol and e. speak about
certain things in particular way d4s-"rnihI' I'D
Plato's dialogues a. rejecting the peruiiaritics
the marked pocuiarit."s-of himself. and his '"n
mental complexion" Something very like this
Pa,er aimed at for himself. 10 offer in hi' work
not a formal theory. but tendency: and IL IL
characteristic Il him 20 bring not concrete
tombstone To the criticism - literature or art.
but n disposition 10 think or feel about them IN a
certain way /, was mat way with which he
was preoccuped from his first end"avors ms Il
man Of letters until hls death The posihumous
appearance Il the Greek StuIioF which his
friend Mr.. Shadwen has prepared ;or tho pr"ss
and An unfinished essly on Pascal In a recent
number OF "'rhe Contemporary Review" complete
his gift 10 the world and revive interest in an
estimate II It's value
II H. impossible 20 dctach Pdter from his work
in phrase to sum up his SIX volumes in any
tang more concrete than The Platonic deAnl-
ton that has been quoted. From his beautiful
.StuIics Of the Renaissance" the reader derives
no, 4 philosophy but an impression: no, insight
int, an organic movement. bat del. aie. almost
spiritual apprehension Of the personal impulse
which gave the movement ne This IS high
praise ana in comparing P3teT's Thin volume on
the Renaissance with Symonds's extensive work
on the same subject Il hts been said-and said
justly-that the first does mor- tnan the second
10 make YOU feel The peculiar neo-pagan atmos-
pherc OF the period. Yet Il must he admitted
frankly that We could better spare Iater than
Symonds I'm this field; FOR. VIII" tn" former gives
you veritable intina:ions of fragmcntary episodes
in the Renaissance and Is inicrprctative To- the
point Of clairvoyance whore those are concerned.
the entire perspective # q great era Is recon-
structad 10y Symonds. and his history goes fur-
Their in anording the student a basis for individ-
uaI views The lover OF Pdtcr thinks az he does
about the Italian Ren1issancc. The cool student
Of SyInonds finds himself in the long run. in pos
session ~ an impereonal knowledge of an epoch.
II is the same with reference - the Greek poets.
Symonds goes mp higher than Pator, is more In
dlsporsabc. az dissemination Of human kno~l-
edge lie approaches Il Greek poet. tells who he
was. what he wrote ana what his poetry f. worth.
Pa;cr takes tho man and his poem aud tries u
give YOU the thrill within the t1rlL fastening MS
attention upon the minute share they had in that
mysterious stream OF energy which we know
dimly to have stirred the Ines Of men and women
in remote antique times.
These comparisons would not he made did they
not throw light Pater's successive productions.
Through them all the author adhered to the same
purpose. He accomplished it in recalling some
thing OF the color. the favor OF the Renaissance.
In his first book in presenting really epicurcan
state Of mind and feeling In "Mar!us'; In the
/ subtle rccreative h!ntsnot performances-of his
imaginary Portraits" his book Of literary es-
says, his musings on Plato and HE last fastidious
! analysis Of Greek ideas. Nowhere did he try 10
carve the perfect outline which might have been
expected from one whose art has been often
compared with that % the cameo-cu;ter. lie
avoided. rather. the pointedness the clean. sharp
articulation OF that direcIworkman. and fingered
his theme with tender, hcsltatng eagerness Ia
discover Its hidden modulations. TIA inner varia-
tions OF fibre and form, the rise and fall Of life
beneath !ts surfaces He IS thought to have
polished those surfaces. and r absolute rghtness
/ OF diction means that. thcn the ludgmen; Is
correct; bu:. as Il matter of fact. P.tcr has n1no
o: the firm, Crystalline character Wh,,h belons "a