New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-22
THE RELIGIOUS NOVEL;.
MIR ANDREW LANG ON ITS CHARAC-
TERISTICS.
From LonCman's Magazine.

Breaks into blank the Gestt a.o Of st. h"k''
Ard boldly pliers from the Pentat'"ch.
The modern novelist also makes his ralds on tne
New Testament Here he finds plots ana cnar-
actors ready made. And the curious result -
that many OF the clergy appiaud .he t pc %,
while the ordinary man OF letters 70 %, as toe,o
uhat ne thinks the irreverence ana Dan 'as.e
I have arrived at theory OF these tnihss Wy
aid of deep reflection and am prepare, 10 ,ex.
plain why a large portion OF the pun. ~
novels on sacred subjects, and why many Vi .',e
clergy confer their benediction on these ~
mances. This hypothesis we can hius, ~ III,
the recent novel Of NJ. Scnkiewicz' that red"'
nowcrful and original writer
T,ho nonuiarity OF Quo Vadis'-in America
what does il mean? What is the s'gnihcance
OF this unwiedy success. when follows ''.e a.,
feet of "Triiby"? The fact seems 10 De .na'
Ear,,, Christian novels have always an attrac-
ton for what we may call the intellectual nu
die classes That they are nteres.sd "a az ~,
Christianity Is much to their crea', a nus
they should prefer to see the most m3mento W
and sacred events through the spectacies Vi III
Sienkicwicz. or Miss Corelli. or the author Vi
ben Hur" (Which sounds IKE .ne IH" curious
mountain in the Highlands Is certainly cur Us"
We have the Gospels. and the authoIs VI NV
Gospels even on the newest ana mos. .','' ,ho
| system Of criticism. were good uea' he" a.,
events than Miss Corelli ana the otntt 10, TO-
| There Is also a large body OF instructed Gun
mcntary but you do not ind the pup'c w
sieging the Libraries for that a.,
The extraordinary thing Is that not ON! INV
nrh,,c hut les rafiines are addicted to Early
christian romance Nobody could be more con
| te,nptuous than Lockhart. more DAINTY anu ~
elusive intellectually. than MI 49, IT,,
80 ', from, tho most modern commonplace than
| Lord Lytton Yet all these tried thrr h"HiS
al Early Christian romance. To De SURF MN
Of them brought in what 'h' NOR carnr no.
authors DO bring in LORD hyt'nh cam ~, -"
/ nearer than In. son Of the widow oi Main. 'i'.
Paier was chiefly interested In MS nero Win WIN
We fondly expected e. max. iove 10 I,,,,r'I
/ I'm, who was not half An Epicur,an Lyu'"
! Noel was the best Il the three. confess ." a
partially for Arhaccs and The gladiator nrt
Nne fellows "rhe GladiatorS tui''S ryrf
Melville must be added TO the hst oi f.nlly
CHRISTIAN noycllsts-while "Hypatia" Is rather
remote from Jerusalem -, ,
cannot really be Interested in bainrit anu vim
,,,a and atria and impluvia. and The I''
tionary q Christian AntiGuiu - whch con .".
fiction. have ono !cai VI. r"'.s "W,r,'s
/ Tho Epirurean." but ! always kh"" "h't -
coming There Is always bri'oh. e'S'tN'',
and vir,uous There is always nice = lo''
Christian girl with a Roman Dlstric';
49, ,i,.av. a luxurious Roman. winking AT her
with his wicked old eye" There II away
Christian parc noble who goes 10 IN, mons WIZ, VIZ,
dignity There is always sladiat"''a, sr' - ,'1'
N.,o with his emerald eyeg glass and TN 'A'A-
combs The noble Irton AFTER periu'i"i
nrudirics Il valor is usuaNy ton''rt'". am
marries the pleasing Early CHRISTIAN sm. ., an1
is commonly Greek philosopher. rarashe ana
a minor poet Now except for the opportunities
! Of ,orturing people and lightiif temples WIN
lie. torches. and describing IorEi' ech'F'''''
and ealing near the wind about lctronius NJ
hitter these are not good materials Atrii N"'i!'-
,oria the baths thu rctlarius are no" r'''S
lar. Dean Farrar has done thcm. or some 81
them Everybody has done them IN, lo'a'
cn,ors have been used again ard again rms IS
90 evident that nobody could hpit '"r "'''"
with an archaeological novel on pre- is'''a'.
/ Rome Catilinc Is a fin" hlackguAiu pu, ne
/ no LONGER abuses our patience The nhta-
! tons ~ ovid and julia would not WIN me
American reader. The aiiair oi the ha,'n,'
Myst.ries Is scandalous but the scandal Is TOO
| old These themes ar improper. pi 'priey IS
/ saved by bringing IN Early CHRISTIANS a.
contrast 10 the delightful naughtinrsS ~ home.
What really does take the pubic Fancy III
"ouo Wallis" and The Sorrows - i}arnhbaS
and The, rest Is the clement Of th" reporter ana
/ interviewer Mark Twain wrote w ms muir
der Of Caesar in The style ~ the America p"nhy-
| o-Iiner and probably he more read than
| Shakespearcs play on the same topic. Th"re
was an air o, familiarity. ~ the contemporary
f., Max T,xnin's account OF that pcdantic crime"
MOI every one has read the Gospels. but every
one has read 81 the principal actors. Just as
the public does not read books Except Few
novcis). but likes 10 read about IN. authors OF
the books lat home" 60 il likes To read a lively
| sketch II an Apostle at home. Peters wlfes
mother would make good copy ais" the treat
| ment of Peters wife by the local medical man.
! A dcmoniac nj home is thrilling. and To know
what kind II clothes Pontius Plate wore Is
/ srparat. ecstasy. Pauls own hired house the
rent he paid. his modest furniture. his library,
/ the fair Thoca (ah there Is a theme for prob
lem novelD a dinner nj Paula "details out OF
cribs to Horace or JuvenaD, Peter dropping in
to see Paul. an alteration WIN SIMON "lhHhS
this kind % rapportaGc Just suits the public.
The, things are. indeed interviews with celeb
rifles. How much further the popular novelist
dares to so ] confess that | am not anxious
10 inquire. Judas have met lin an American
novel;: he vas fond ~ Mary MaEdalcnc. who had
tortosc-sh@ll colored eyes. Judas was repre-
senied as coming In, more volcanic than ever
for his flame was not crowned To like 10 read
. such stuff proves lack Of humor. Of magma
/ ton. and. would say. of reverence; but
many Of the Clergy seem Of a different opinion.
and ii is their business. Perhaps should