The sun., 1899-07-30

To what is the continuance Of BalHac's pOpu-
larity due? For convenience. tho question
might bc divided: Why is Bal2ac still popular
in France and why may he he read with al
most equal pleasure and profit outside OF his
native country About the admiration which
has been expressed for Ral2ac 10y his country
men during the two generations that have fol-
lowed his death no doubt is possible. Victor
Hugo has called him first among the great
highest among the best" A like tribute mas
been paid to him hy Tan". the PHILOSOPHER
and historian and by Barley d'Aur"villy.
who. being asked which OF Bazac's books
he preferred. replied. The one | have
just read" He is credited with a cenius
almost transrcndent by Thtophle Gautiere.
by Charles Baude!aire and by Thn,d"rc Il"
Banvie. In him, Gustav" Flaubert and Emile
Toia have recognized the lrSt OF reasts. al
though he was equally successful in the realm
Of tho pur" imagination BOurget would de-
scribe him as AN anal ytical visionary" by
whom the miracle OF preserving an equilibrium
between fancy and fact was accomplished so
skiltuly that il is scarcely possible to separate
In him the painter. the philosopher. the poet
and the critic |; is the intimate fusion. Of
elements so diverse that renders his books
unique and makes them the source OF ex-
traordnary intellectual satisfaction. It is
Bourget, also. who. cndravoring to explain the
permanent" of RalIacS charm, finds in him
the "ptOmo not only O' his own time. hut
OF tho whole nineteenth century. Him
self all avowcd disciple Of BaIzac's. he
does not ilnd it surprising that men
educated lik" the author Of the Comtjis
Hunn,nr. and. like him. dominated by
romantic aspirations amid tn" struggle for
bread, and impclled b. revolt against a COM
monpace destiny to heroic and desperate
fap al, of ali Ia.
themselves in his books Indeed. Bourget does
not hesitate to- acknowledge that Balzac has
evon revealed us Of the end .! the century to
ourselves. and one is ahlc to say with truth
that French society to-day resembles the
Co'n"d'r HU"dtnr NOR" than it resembles the
actual society un which thai comtdip was mod
elled.' For Frrnrhmen. lnl2ac has proved
himself to be a prophet. because he included
in himself not only all he ailments and ideas
Of his tim" as they revealed themselves To his
eye. hut also thos" sentiments and ideas az.
carried to their fullest fruitago. they reveal
themselves to onlo"kers OF our own day
This might be true. and still it might bs
difficult To- account for the almost simultaneous
appearance OF three English TRANSACTIONS OF the
Human Comedy. Considered merely as pic
torial artist. Bal2ac indeed might still cha-
lenge the profound attention Of foreign stu
dents OF French history as this has been evolved
under the varying conditions OF the present
century. The attention would. OF course. be
emphasized If it were perceived that the ult-
mate outcome OF the social phenomena OBJ
served and reproduced by him had been de-
tectcd and predicted. ConcedInG. however. to
Bnl2ac ali merit that has been claimed for
him as social historian. we can see that
II this were all. the scrutiny Of his writings
might he relcgatad, SO far IA English read
ers are concerned. to a small group OF iu-
Qurers. who being. in all likelihood
equipped with n knowledge Of French
would have no use for an English transla-
ton. Tho truth is that Ba2ac did more than
photograph the France Of his time and forecast
the France Of to-day II is true that the scope
ot much Of BalzacS work may he thus limited
II it hn examined solely from the aesthetic
viewpoint. but, when We pass from Bazar the
artist to ltaI2ac rlle thinker we perceive that
his usefulness his power OF revelation and Of
Inspiration, cannot be hemmed in by racial or
by geographical boundaries. lie is something
far wider and higher than a realistic painter.
gifted with an uncommon faculty for bringing
out spiritual characteristics he is also de-
liberately aud systematically. phloso-
ph"r. Psychologist. a soriOlogist. and.
in these thre" fields OF thought, he is
obliged to begin by investigating mauk ind
as a whole. instead Of a variety OF it deter
mined by local conditions; he * Obliged to
formuIAt" general principles, applicable at all
times and everywhere. The results. for in
stance OF his explorations and exposition OF
90 feminine mind and heart will remain lila
minative and instructive in all parts OF the
civilized world until the day arrives when
woman shall obtain complete social equality
with man, Even then the value Of Balaar's
psychological study Of woman will be but
partially impaired by the necessity OF adj
Justing som" ot his conclusions to revo-
lutionized environment. Full OF penetrating
wisdom also, valid under all skies and at
ell dates, are his reflections on tho effect
St education. under that term being COM