The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-19

ton Oh Buropo ~ the poHtnnlng OF tno bIxboontn
century; In Spain, the intensity Of Catholicism
caused by the long struggle between Christians
and Infdels; In Italy, the modification Of the
ohivalrio standard Of morals and manners by the
Renaissance; In Germany, the great religious and
educational movements represented by Luther
and Erasmus, and, in France, the struggle be-
tween tho Feudal tradition on the one side and
the Crown and tho Bourgeoisie on tho othor.
From all those thing,s sprang the main intellect
u lmotivos by which the English poets OF the age
were inspired. "Now." says Prof. Courthorpe,
"in every European country, In various forms
and under different aspecta, arises the idea OF
liberty OF thought and action, In the Oonstitu-
ton both Of the States and the individual. All
of these influences beat, like the waves Of an
advancing sea. upon the English Imagination,
and begin 10 break up the solid structure Of ira
ditional belief and ancient chivalry."
Two Of the most interesting chapters In the
book are those on Lyly and Sir Philip Sydney,
and the nature Of the Euphuistic and Aroadian
movements in literature. After tracing the
general movement in Europe for the refinement
Of each vulgar tongue into a fitting instrument
for the various requirements Of courtly CONVEX
sation and ntorature-a movement carried In
France to a climax Of monstrosity In the dialect
ridiculed by Rabolais In the celebrated encounter
between Pantagruel and tho Limousin scholar,
Prof. Courthorpe. points out the influences that
led Lyly and his followers 10 depart from the
simple and harmonious periods that had como
down direct from Chaucer, and TO aim at the
construction Of an artincially illustrioua and
courtly style. These influences eliminated in
the appearance OF an English translation OF the
works of Antonio Guevara, o spaniard who at
tempted, in what no called the alto estilo. to Inn
itate tho balanced periods and verbal antithesss
Of the Latin orators and historians, . form Of
lttorary n Ra,tatfap that tho EnCliah yvrttarr at
once did their best to reproduce.
Euphuism was an ingenious attempt to give
an appearance OF organic life to . structure
formed out Of o medley Of exhausted systems-
scholasticism. feudalism, Ciceronism, Petrarch-
ism; and, like the parallel movement Of the
"Precieuses" In France. It failed to stand the
analysis Of reason and good sense.
Nevertheless, Lyly had made . discovery
which was Of permanent value. and for which
he ought TO receive full credit While the lam
guase Of philosophy and criticism was still in .
fluid state he had perceived the advantages Of
clearness. correctness, and precision in the ar
ransement of words- Il was not altogether his
fault II his age was more favorable to the devel-
opment Of language than to tho expression Of
thought. He ct least showed the nation the
possibilities Of balance and harmony In English
prose compositioni and the form which he es
tablished in the structure Of the English SEN
tence has never been entirely lost sight Of by his
successors."
In q chapter on the evolution of tho English
poetica drama the author traverses. once
again, the ~oft-auoted and oft-criticisod state
mont oy Schlegel, that Shakespeare owe hard
ly anything to his predecessors" and shows
tho slow gradntions by which tho dramatic
art passed from It's rudimentary stage In tho
Miracle Play and the Morality Of the Middle
Ages into the hands of those who brought tho
form Of the romantic drams TO its full per-
lection.
Taken as a whole, tho volume 10 an exception
ally interesting one, and fulnls the expectations
aroused by tho appearance Of the first Of what
promises to DO . standard series. Prof. Cour-
thorpe writes in clear and scholarly style. and
his breadth Of view. his erudition. and his capa-
city for mastering and presenting detail give
this work q solid value that win DO recognized
by all who are Interested in its subject matter.
Volume III OF "The Yellow Book " John
Lane), shows the usual diversity Of oontenta,
but the tono throughout seems moro aubdued
than Of yore, though the cover still retains
fits ancient brilliancy. There is something
Of the youthful pessimism and premature
world-weariness that marked % much Of
the work of tho young men and wo-
men who wero tho original contributor
Miss Ella DARCY. Mr.. Sidney Benton
\ InOrpe, anu II t"OO tucrb u1Nc NTltton bnOrb
stories that are sufficiently gray and gloomy to
satisfy the saddest reader; but We miss much of
the old audacity. and, with the departure Of
Mr.. Aubrey Beardsley, q source of grewsome
inspiration seems to have been removed. Mr..
Henry Harland writes q sparkling little story
that, In spite Of its artihciality. stands
out In pleasant relief. and Mr.. John
NJ. Robertson's dissertation. Concerning Pre-
ciosity Is excellent, though many readers will
disagree with his somewhat slashing criticism
of Mr.. George Meredith. To ind fault with Mr..
Meredith's style In o sufficiently easy matter,
and in this direction even the prentice hand
may safely ventures; but when Mr.. Robert
son accuses the novelist of resorting to
venerable and WORKOUT expedients. tricks
that belong to the art of Fielding and OF
smollett. and when he diSmisses the delightful
episode of the swimming encounter between
Weyburn and Aminta In Lord Ormont and
His Aminta " as an impossible dream" and al
1.-The Imagination of a man who either nevel
knew what swimming 10 or has forgotten what
he knew" we feel that even the slashing criti,
Is not infallible. Nor are we sure that II
tho art of Fielding and Of 6mollett Their,
is not much that might be studied with
advantage by some of these young mon to-day
Still. these are but matters OF opinion after all
and there are many things In Mr.. Robertson
article that make 1t well worth reading. Mr.
Le Gallieune's two prose Fancies" have tina
polished prettiness that his admirers lool
for, and there are also short stories by Mrs
Cunningham Grahame. Marion Hepwortl
Dixon. Evelyn Sharp, Francis Watt. r. v
Risley, and others. Among the poets, DIR. Gas
nett contributes half q dozen sonnets from tn
Portuguese Of Anthero do Quental, and Mr.. w
B. Yeats some verses tinged with Celtic mysti
cism and obscurity. Tho art of the magazine 1
scarcely up to the standard Of the earlier mum