New-York tribune., 1899-02-23
JOHN ADDINGTON SYMONDS.
NEW EDITIONS OF SOME OF HIS WORKS.

SKETCHES AND sTUDLIMS DIE, IN IN srmonds New
Td,tion IN Three Volumes octave. l.onuVPiil l.oPi
smith. Elder & Co. Imported by Charles scr'o-
ners Sons o-,
THE LIFE OF MICHELANGELO BUONAtKhVVna. Az V,,a.
Based Studies in the ArGhvffSn nj f9no 0' Arlington
symonds. Third Edition, in Two Volumes, Icr Sy
Charles Scribners sons
The first volume Of the late John Add'ngton
svr,onas,s voluminous work on the Renaissance
IN italy was published in 1879. II dealt WIN '"e
"Aoe ~ the Despots" The second volume, The
r,...,,,a, =, learning" and the third treating OF
.The Fine Arts" appeared in 1871 Two vol
- ,o.rS the subtitle Of italian Litera-
.,re. followed In 1881 Two more, devoted 10
.1-he Catholic Reaction" completed the WORK
eva wears later The handsome page OF me
original edition. with its bold type. will always
no valued by the collector; but we make no
doubt that a larger public will be even more
grateful for the new edition which has just ap-
peared In this the volumes are neither so 'ai
nor so thick as their predecessors and 'here-
fore they are more convenient to hanole. Inc
type also is smaller. but 1t is sun perleouS
clear and the paper. though thinner is OPAQUE
and pleasant both TO the eye and 10 the touOii'
The smooth binding Of dark green clo'n 10 al
tistic and serviceable. In short, this new eoi-
tiop I. an ideal one for popular use ano ousn'
10 result IN the wider circulation OF Work 'ha'
Is certainly needed by many TO whom the more
expennve form is inaccessible. Symonos aP-
nea,ed m scholars and students. but he also
aimed at instructing the general reader ror
.,.+ individual the single volume abrdgment
of his great work is useful but not or course
.ufnctent. Everybody should know the history
of the Renaissance in Italy. and this new edi-
non puts in everybody's hands the means to
that knowledge
The thoroughly practical nature OF symonds's
york comes out. not only in its lucid arrange
ment. but In the writer's whole point Of view.
~ have never been able" he once said. ito take
A+erature very seriously. Life seems so much
~rever more important more permanently IN
4sresting than books" and. we have pre-
viously pointed out II is 10 this strong feeling
for the living forces in past eras rather than 10
. nedantic accumulation Of data and the de-
Auction OF dry theories therefrom that most or
his writings and most Of what is good in them
are due He showed this liberal and healthy
conception Of authorship at the very outset ana
IN the first chapter Of his study OF the Rehais-
sance he sought to get at the meaning OF the
word by a common-sense route. HOW much
.on,r,on-sense is needed In such matter Is
.reeested nv the very diversity ef definition to
which he refers in the chapter aforesaid. Art
students mean by the Renaissance the reVoiu-
tion effected in architecture painting and scuipt-
ure by the recovery OF antique monuments
OYher students have defined the word Renals-
sanoe according to their prediction for htera-
ture. philosophy, theology, science or politics.
symonds Justly observes that neither any one
of the numerous definitions taken separately
nor indeed, all Of them together VIII oHer a
solution of the problem, and he continues as
follows
Bv the term Renaissance, or new birth, is IN
dicated a natural movement, NOT 10 pe eAplhlneu p.
by this or that characteristic. nut 20 oe dCCeP,-
ed as an effort Of humanity for which at length
the time had come, and In the onward progress
of which we still participate. The history OF
the Renaissance is not the history or arts or OF
sn,ances or Of literature or even of nations. II
Is the history Of the attainment OF self-consclous
freedom by the human spirit manlfesteG IN the
European races 1t is no mere polltcal hula
t;on no new fashion Of art no restoration or
classical standards Of taste. The arts ana the
Inventions the knowledge and the books, Whlch
suddenlv became vital at the time Of the Renas-
ssnce had long lain neglected on the shores OF
the Dead Sea which call the Middle Ages
II was not their discovery which caused 'he
Renaissance But il the intellectual ener-
gy the spontaneous outburst OF intelhsenCe,
Witch enabled mankind at that moment 10 make
use of them The force then generated sun
continues vital and expansive, In the spirit ol
the modern world
We are aware Of the temptation to urge that
n there had not been revival OF classlcal art
and learning. If in it's place there had been an
expansion Of Christianity in Italy. as there was
later In Germany. the Renaissance might nave
been very different from what 1t was. Symohus
himself must have often felt that temptation
Ru, he realized that 10 have followed it would
have meant arguing in a circle. II Is not our
business 70 guess at what the Renaissance might
folyA a G.
sance for exactly what 1t was. This is what
Symords does in the passage quoted above ana
throughout all his writings on the Renaissance
and this 1t is which makes him by all ODDS the
most helpful guide through the labyrinthne
developments of that mysterious epoch For the
fact that it is mysterious is beyond question.
and symonds would have been the first to dis
] claim the assumption that he had turned his
theme inside out. What value him for Is
the sanity Of his Investigations. They may stop
short Of the last secret Of the Renaissance, but
at least they carry us far.
II he was occasionally forid in style. may
ascribe 1t partly to ineradicable traits in his
literary constitution 10 which Jowett had called
attention when Symonds WIS undergraduate
at Oxford but we believe that it was still more
the natural outcome OF lifelong saturation in
the spirit OF a time which. even when most
classically minded, was full Of sensuousnes'
and Of color. Indeed. the purists who have
most severely criticised the style Of Symonds
raising their hands in holy horror over his
"Corinthansms have failed 10 see that his
method OF writing was uncommonly wei
fitted to his theme The history Of ancien
Rome finds its natural garment in th'
stately period Of Gibbon. but a history OF th'
Renaissance written in the same style Is incon
oeivabe: It would be a pedantic hybrid. Th'
keynote Of the Renaissance is personality, and
this Symonds was emnenty qualified to con
vey not only through his Interpretations but in
the actual animation and richness OF his style
He set out to mirror the life and soul OF ar
epoch. His work has life. and 1t has soul
One precious result Of this is that he Is one OF