The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-30
BRUNETIERE ON CRITICS.
PRESENTS HIMSELF As AN OBJECT
LESSON FOR STUD

An photographed Lecture-steers Clear or
Invidious Comparisons with O~thers-Not n
Word About sarcey or tho other Dramatic
C~ritics-Repcats his Conressien or Faith.
Another large audience listened to NJ. Bruno
there's fourth lecture at the Lenox Lyceum yes
terday afternoon. The subject of the lecture
was Modern French Criticism" Instead Of
taking up in succession literary, dramatic and
art criticism. or OF speaking Of the chief
critical works OF Paul Bourget, Jules Le-
maitro. Anatole France. or the Vicomto
Melchoir de Vogue. as he explained that
no was tempted to do, NJ. Brunetierc
shrewdly preferred to limit himself to the gen
eral ideas on criticism, without mentioning
names. but enlivening the lecture by talking
about himself. II politicians and artists find no
difficulty in telling Of what they have done, he
saw no reason why q critic should not do the
same. He was the more ready to talk Of himself,
as his chief effort had always been to get out Of
himself and to get upon a solid, objective basis
independent of his own tastes and of the works
he had to c~riticise.
This method enabled the lecturer to avoid
mentioning tho name Of any dramatic critic.
notably that Of Francisquo sarcey, or to touch
ON his fellow literary critics except in 80 far as
they have como into collision with himself. In
was enabled to lay down The Chief rules Of criti:
cism in which he believes. Sainte-Beuve and
ps, the Arc for 1ns sut WORK T Se s iGispi tSdt h b %a %q 3hc
most thorough examination Of the field Of French
the user" eloSe s RELATION %a Seiwe en' the moral sonI's Sciences Ss
and the natural sciences NJ Brunetiere at
first shared, but afterward cane TO- doubt.
deavored to Introduce the principle Of evolution
into criticism. The theory explained tho con-
ture. poetry. drama, novel, &c, and the changes
from one form into another. II also preserved
hia nxyn nRFQnnnlify which the mpf hnia nf Saiutp-
Beuve and Tame seemed to attack. He tried to
show that the creation Of new species was anal.
developing qualities which are taken up by imi.
tators and gradually enter the common stock OF
Michael Angelo. Beethoven, Shakespeare, and
,,a After m dsaSsndHins biz stqEndpoint from the ob 5SS
d'Haussonville. the lecturer repeated his convio-
ton that art. when compared with nature, must
man, q thing that does not exist in itself, and.
therefore. cannot exist for its own sake. Art,
sic. would disappear were mankind to become
extinct on the earth. A work of art Is classed
more highly the moro complex It's nature H., 1t
must express permanent feelings. and besides
represent the lie OF the time and contain some
moral sentiment and lesson. To have esthetic
An obscene book or picture. NJ. Brunetiere de-
fined as one whose object is to disintegrate
society has agreed to respect, or, at least, makes
believe It respects.
Inc true basis OF CRITICISM Is tho comparative
method, which has worked wonders in anatomy,
phnology. history. The study OF comparative
literature, which in French universities alone 10
neglected, Is the foundation of all sane criticism.
He then made a plea for the utility Of criticism
as an auxiliary TO history. as an aid TO artists OF
all kinds. and showed that in two instances 1t
had brought about a revolution in literature
once in the sixteenth century, when Ronsard
and his colleagues introduced classicism, and
again at the end of the eighteenth century. when
leasing and Herder overthrow classicism. NJ.
Brunetiere thinks that criticism has "A useful
function nowadays in keeping artists in the
right path In spite Of fashion and advertisement,
especially as the ability to judge is becoming
rapidly the part Of the few. He thinks u new
To-day NJ. Brunetiere will deliver the last
lecture Of the course, his subject being the
French Novel" He sails for France tomorrow.