The sun., 1896-10-18

|
examples Of their depreoiatory criticism. For
instance. Mommsen. In his History Of Rome.
| speaks contemptuously of tho successes of
the Fneid. tho Henriade, and the Mess!ad;" !"
| Bernhardy, in his Grundriss der R6mischsn
L'tteratur ls7l). brings together O formidable
| list OF German critics and comment tators un-
! favorable to tho merits OF the Eneid, q list In
| which the illustrious name of Hegei appears.
| Gossrau, In his edition of tho 4Fneid. quotes
| from Richter. while expressing doubt whether
! he had read the work. tho expression of wish
that, with the exception Of the descriptio and
episodes the rest Of the poem had been burned.
".
| Prof. Sellnr would detect the chief as we'll as
most obvious cause OF tho revolt against Vir-
gil's poetical prominence. which. though appar
entity yielding OF late to q revived sentiment Of
admiration, has not yet spent It's force in the
great advance made In Greek scholarship In
Germany and England during the present GEN.
! tury. Familiarity with Latin literature is prob
ably not less common. absolutely than It was
century ago. but it 10 much less common. rela-
lively. to familiarity with the older literature.
Tho attraction of the latter has been greater
from its novelty. its originality. its higher in
trneic excellence, Its profounder relations TO
| the heart and mind OF man. Tho art OF
Homer and that of Theocrtus are felt to be
immediate reproduction from human life and
outward nature: the art Of Virgil, on the other
hand, seems q; first sight to be only a reproduce
tien from this older and truer copy. The Roman
and Italian character of the latter's workman
ship. the now result produced by the recasting
OF old materials. the ndvidual and inalepable
quality Of his own genius. were for time OBJ
acured, ~ the evidences Of the large debt which
he owed to his Greek masters became moro and
moro apparent Again. the greater nearness of
the Augustan age, not In time only. but in spirit
and manners. to our own age. which. in the last
century. told In Firgls favor. in the compar-
ieon with Homer. now tells the other way. The
critics of the last century were interested in
other ages only in so far as they appeared
TO be like their own. Tho rude vigor and
stirring Incidents of the Homerlc age. or OF the
middle ages. had no attraction for men living
under the regime OF Louis XIV. and Louis XIV.
or Of Queen Anne and tho first Georges. 1t is
suggested In the book before US that what
Renan said Of tho great representatives OF
French ideas in the last century nigh. be said
generally of Its criticisms "voltare," said
Renan. understood neither tho Bible. nor
Homer. nor Greek art nor the ancient religion,
nor christianity. nor the middle ages" Yet he
was prepared to pronounce Judgment on them
all by the light of that admirable common
sense which he applied to the auestions OF his
own day. One ofthe great gains Of the nine
teenth century over former centuries con-
sists in It's thorough and vital
knowledge OF the past. Tho imaginative
interest now felt In times Of nascent and imma-
ture civilization operates In favor OF Homer
and against Virgil. The scientific study OF
human development also tends more nnd more
TO awaken interest in n remote antiquity. Even
the ages antecedent to all civilization have a
stronger attraction for the adventurous spirit of
modern inquiry than have the familiar aspects
Of those ep1chs in which human culture and in
telligence have reached their highest level.
This new direction RiveE to imaginative and
speculative curiosity, while greatly enhancing
the interest felt, not In the Had and Odyssey
only but in the primitive epics OF various
races. has proportionately lowered that
felt in the literary epics belonging TO
times OF advanced civilization. Recognizing
the radical difference between the two kinds OF
representation. some recent criticism refuses
altogether to tho latter the title OF epic poetry
and relegates 1t to some province OF initiative
and composite art. There is a similar tendency
In the present day to be interested in varieties
OF popular speech: that Is 10 say. in language
before 1t has become artistic. Prof. Selar.
however. for his part. holds that. while both
tendencies are good, In so far they serve
to draw attention to neglected fields OF
knowledge. they arc mischievous in so far
they lead to the disparagemcnt Of the great
works OF cultivated erRs. or to any forgetful.
ness OF tho superior grace richness. and power
which are impaired to ordinary speech by the
labors of intellect and Imagination employed in
creating national literature.
1t is likewise probable that other causes con-
nected with q great sx pansion of human inter-
eats acting on the Imagination. and with tho
revolt against tho prevailing pootical style
which ab0ut the ha1 of ha
century, have tended to lower the authority OF
the writer's " ho formed the standard OF taste for
previous ages. and among whom Virgil stood
preeminsnt. Tho desire OF the now era was to
escape from the exhausted atmosphere OF litera-
ry tradition and to return again to the simplici-
ty OF nature and human feeling. The genius of
Roman literature is more in harmony with eras
OF established order. OF adherence to culture, of
distinct but limited insight into the outward
world and into human life. than with eras OF
expansive energy. of chanEeful speculative
thought OF vague striving to attain some new
ideal Of duty or happiness. The genius OF G Greece
exercised a powerful influence on several OF the
great English and German poets who lived in
tho new era, but neither Goethe nor Schiller,
Byron nor Scott. Shelley nor Keats, were a: all
indebted. In thought. sentiment. or expression,
to the poets of tho AuEustnn a.c. Among the
great poets OF this new era. the only one known
TO have greatly admired Virgil is, Curiously
enough. the very one who most decidedly pro-
claimed his revolt against the artificial dction
and representation Of the school of classical imi
tators We refer. of course, TO Wordsworth. II
is further to be noted that the very perfection
of VirRirs art. combined with the calmness and
moderation OF his spirit. was Olt Of harmony
with the genius OF the ninetecnth century. He
seemed to have nothing new TO teach the eager
generation which regarded tho world, and spec
ulated on lite own destiny. with feelings alto
gsther unlike those OF the generations that
went before It, The very truth Of Nrgii's sem
timenL Its adaptation To the spiritual move.
msnts OF his own age in which it gained ascen-
dancy like new revelation. had caused it TO
pass into the modes Of thought and feeling
habituAl IN the world. This may be likewise
said ot the ethical feeling and common sense
of Ciceros philosophical trcatises; moral specu,
|. Linn LlA bean 40 long md L.e.Iy ed