The sun., 1898-05-15

/ eonstfnction. and developments OF plot, and.
above. all the application Of tho novelists art
! b weishty purposes, were all In the most ridi.
/ mentnfy condition. As he puts IL, the ancient
| story, compared with tho modern novel. is as n
simple air Of the flute to tho complicated har.
mony Of nm organ. The extension OF reading
and writing TO tho less cultivated classos OF So
oiety has brought into being mass Of readers
which did not oxlst in tho days Of the CinQnc-
oe1to and has invested with an extraordinary
significance that description Of literature which
taday most powerfully appeals TO these readers.
IL appears at nrst exceedingly surprising
that, m DR. 0arnett points out, q nation so
dramatically gifted as the italian should not
only mover have achieved national drama, but
should have no dramatic writer worthy to be
ranked among tho chief masters of,the art. AS
with all other modern European dramaa that
OF Italy was religious in It's origin, and the
italian stage had made respectable beginning
in the drama at least hundred years before
anything worthy OF notice existed in England,
and the disappointment OF this auspicious
promlse Is ascribod by John Addington
Symonds, In great measure, to the want Of q
representative public and centre Of social life.
Tho rivalry Of q number Of Independent cities,
though favorable to the development OF art,
was not favorable to tho development Of that
national feeling essential TO a national drama.
Theatrical representations remained tho amuso-
n1ent of courts, and when the general public
was allowed to participate in them the play It,
self was 80 envelopcd In show and spectacle as
to be the least important part of the entertain
ment, and neither tragedy nor the pastoral or
romantic drama was developed to any ade-
quate extent, though comedy, which depicted
contemporary manners, displayed somewhat
more vitality and vigor It was not till the
eighteenth century that Italian, dramatists
first acquired European renown. II was then
that Maffei and Apostolic Zeno mado known to
tho world, the ono the best example of italian
classical tragedy and the other that special croa-
tion OF Italian genius, the musical play or opera;
forms that later in the century were carried
nearer to perfection by AlHeri and Mctastasio,
when. also Goldoni endowed his country with
form Of comedy at once brilliant and classic.
And here DR.. Garnett traces the development
OF the coniediu detdrte, or comedy of masks,
which, with its characters OF Harlequin. Colum-
bine and Pantaloon, relics Of perhaps the Oldest
form Of the drama, has pervadod the theatres
OF Europe These pieces though despised as
literature. attained great popularity far beyond
the limits of Italy, and especially in Paris
where for $50 years they divided public favor
with the national theatre. Being nero i'm
provizations. as rule, they virtually periShed,
and their capability of real dramatic excellence
was revealed by two modern developments, the
Pulcinella farccs Of Cerlone, Ncapolitan tailor.
and the fairy dramas of Carlo Gozzi. Venetian,
both OF whom wrote In the latter half Of the eigh-
teenth century. The first serious attempt in
musical drama is that of Zeno in 1895, which
first taught Italy how dramatic poetry of n
high order might be associated with music, and
led the way for Metastasio. whose great dis
tinction 1t was to have been at the same time
great playwright and true lyrical poet.
Among contemporary writer's, Carducci, born
in 1885. is singled out by DIR. Garnett the one
Italian poet who. with the possible exception
of D'Annunzio. stands forth from tho rest.
Several translated extracts from his lyrical and
other pieces are givon.
The high estimate here plrced upon DAN
nunzio will be surprise to readers who are
acquainted only with his novels. and with
them only through translatinns.
'His novels" says DR.. Garnett, "have made
more noise than his poems, being from one
point Of view much more, from another much
less, suited for general perusal The scandal
which has grown up about them has diverted
attention from their real merits of fine style
and conscientious workmanship. AS an ar
tist D'Annunzio is almost as admirable in
prose as in verse; and II with his descriptive he
combined the creative gift. all his immoralities
would not debar him from permanent renown.
Unfortunately, nc is. like most French and Ital-
ian novelists. monotonously restricted to the
portrayal Of single passion, and his splendid
scenery is the background for trivial char
acters. He reminds us of the demon in Victor
Hugo's poem, who consumes the strength Of
lions and the wisdom of elephants in fashion
ing locust. ." The most celebrated [of
his novelsl are ~ Pidcere. n TrionCo della
Morte, La Yergine dele Rocco, tho last of
which is exempt from most of the objections
justly urged against the Others" With re-
gard to the last sentence in this piece of criti-
cism we will only say that 1t seems to indicate
that the good doctor has based his Judgment of
one Of the books on the title rather than the con-
tents. La TerGtne dele Rocce is quite as
unwholcsome as. and in certain ways perhaps
more Objectionable than, the earlier novels. 1t
is however. to D'AnnunZio the poet and tho
artist In beautiful verse forms that DIR. Garnett
pays the tribute Of his admiration, going SO far
even as to find in him strong affinity to Keats.
Ono, Mt least, of the translations here inserted
scarcely seems to justify his estimate A num-
Dor Of other contemporary poets and novelists
are mentioned, with all of whom the guiding
principle seems to be love of perfect form
and artistic finish. And that principle, as Or.
Garnett In this interesting volume has sue
ceeded in proving, is the one that has ever been
most in harmony with the genius of the peo-
pie and tho language.
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