New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-19
HIGH THINKING INSPIRATION AND
TWADDLE.

We hesitate to speak in this way OF the late
James Ashcroft Noble, for there is an elevation
of tone about the essays in his posthumous
volume to which it is impossible to deny respect
Is respect ALL though, that the reader OF criticism
wants to feel? Criticism. quite as much as
poetry should minister to delight. All great criti-
cism proves this, Sdney's and Dryden's, as well
as De Quincey's Matthew Arnold's and a
long acquaintance with Mr.. Mobiles WORK mas
failed to discover in him the something without
which criticism fails Of it's aim. That aim Is not
merely to convince; II Is to persuade. 10 interest,"
10 enchant And Mr.. Mobiles pages do not ac-
complish these things. He was a manly writer.
however his criticism is generally just, and he
avoided invariably the mistakes of rhetoric
which have marked many books OF the last
decade What he has to say about the sonnet In
England Is intelligent and discriminating. IBIS
chapter on Leigh Hunt Is sympathetic and the
daintilv printed book which has been made or
his essays is readily accepted as one more OF
those good II not remarkable performances
which are characteristic Of the time. They are
less valuable by far than Matthew Arnolds, nut
they are built. as has been said. on the founda-
ton to which he directed his contemporaries
Mrs. Meynels criticism has come nearer to
the standard Of Arnold than that Of any other Of
grouped Had she the scholarship OF Leslie
Stephen. say with the romantic temperament
and classic strain OF Walter Pater: had she, in
other words a more striking individuality and
broader equipment. she might have be-
come a vertably great figure. Mr.. Coventry
Patmore believes that she Is this, and has
written about her I'm way to range her with
Plato and Shakespeare. 1t is out OF the question
to accept such judgment this. yet II is not
surprising that a man of Mr.. Patmores sensi-
bility should have been carried away by Mrs.
Meynel. for her eminence. such as 1t Is. Is due to
the fact that she possesses in degree some or
the best qualities OF the finest criticism. She has
Imagination. She has poetic insight. She has
that divlnation to which we have required again
and again. and. more than all this she has put
il at the service Of dep feeling for life. for
nature for human things And human aspira-
tons The titles Of her two books. THE Color OF
Life" and THE Rhythm Of Life" show her point
Of view She is dealing less with books than
with the material of books, and when she writes
about Vaasquez. for example. she makes the
reader feel that there is hearty enjoyment In her
criticism sincere and penetrating appreciation
OF the thing about which she is talking. 1t is
alert spontaneous delightful Mrs. Meynelfs
brief chapters are indeed bits OF journalism
Journalism of the highest sort. Sometimes she
loses her head. She Is impossible over Mr.
Coventry Patmore's "Odes." just az ne is i'm
possible over her own productions. But she Is
easily forgiven this aberration-it is only an
aberration-for the sake of the sterling sense the
lively wit the genuine feeling which overfiows
from her pen on a thousand and one topics Of
daily life books. pictures. men. women and ma
ture Nature. She is the great source, the great
standard the great mistress OF a critics Ideas.
And II is significant that Mrs Meynell. surpass-
ing most Of the minor critics Of her time gets
nearer to a man like Arnold through an under
standing of nature. az much as through any
other element in her character. 1t Is always so.
Turn for proof to Sidney. to Wordsworths pre-
faces TO Arnold. TO Ruskin The passages In
which they strike fire are the passages In which
they are touched by natures flames.
The last book on list is one In connection
with which we may resume the question to which
auslon has been made before. and TO which the
reader has doubtless been expecting that we
would return-the question OF why Mr.. Vaughan
concludes his anthology OF English literary criti
cism with q quotation from Walter Pater. he