The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-06-04
RlNcF'S EVIL LIIERL1URE



Before indicating the elements of hope
~ well a. ct danger In the general situa.
sion In France IL will be desirable to
glance ~ the agony through which the lt-
efafure OF the country no less than fss
politics II passing. Here again history
would sesfn TO be Repeating Itself. Writ"
Ing in iss6 on the subject Of French fiction.
tina; eminentiy suggestive and eloquent. "
tempeFamensally too nsournfui and even
p4sssmistic . writer. the late Mr.. William
Rafhb1ne Greg. said: III Ii hard 10 say
whether the current politics or che current
literature Of Franee conveys the more
vivid impression Of utter and profolnd ces
unoralisa tion--the willing seryttute. the
craven fear. the thirsty nAtersaiism. the
absence Of aii liberal sentiment or noble
aspiration indicated BY tiae one, the aban-
Comment Of all ssif'consroi or sslf.respect.
the surrender Of all maniiness. dignity o.
reticence, the hunger after the most dis
eaced, unhoiy and exiravagant excitement.
characteristic Of the other. or the intense
and unTehaiked aesfshness. the passionate
and sIavtsh worship OF wealth and power.
which constitute the basis and the soul OF
10th alike" And he concludes q merciiess
dissection and scathinx denunciasion OF
the French fiction Of the time in 4 passage
tuS houbpek Uedut1 hhA UxIiS1bhsaS u
which 1t would be hard X not impossible 10
beat. which seems quite a. applicable 10
the France Of lola and Manpassant. Bour.
get and Seriasne, as TO the France OF
George Sand and Alfred de Mussef. Eu.
gene see and Ernez. Feydeau, the younger
Dumas and Victor Hugo. OF which he
wrote: These productions for the most
part are written with great power and
beauty. often with an much elevation OF
in R1 h.
sence Of all strict principle and all definite
morality.
There is plenty OF religion and much
even that Is ample. touching and fine: bat
Il il religion as affection and emotion
never ~ guide. goyernance or creed.
There In some reverence and much grati.
tude toward God. bu; little idea Of obedi.
ence. sacrifice or devotion There is adn-
lation and expectation, rather than weT~
ship Or service Then. again. there IL vast
syfnpathy with the suffering and the poor
deep and genuine. II often irrational and
extrayagsnt. but II commonly degensrates
Into senseIess luminosity toward the rich.
lawiess hatred OF settled institutions. and
frantic rebellion against the righteous
chain OF cause and effect which governs.
social weil.being. There are delineations
OF rapturous. irreproachabie. almost an
gelic love. bu. some unhallowed memory.
or some disordered association, almost
always steps In 10 stain the Idol or desc.
crate the shrine. There are eloQgenee,
pafhos and fancy In rich profusion. char.
acfers Of hfsh endowment and noble as
piration. scenes OF exquisite tenderness
and chas.e affection: pictures OF sanity
purity and msrtyr~ilke devotion-bu, some
thing theatrical. morbid and nlere,rIcious
n1ingles with and mars the whole. There
Il every flower Of Paradise.
/" Bur the trail VI the serpent Ii over them
ALL
The grandest gifts placed at the serv-
ice Of the lowest passions. the hottest sen.
timents and the fondes, moments painted
Ia the richest eolors Of the fancy only to
be wishersd by cynical doubt or soiled by
cynical indeeency; the most secre, ana
sacred rscesses OF the soul explored and
mastered. not for reverential contempia-
tion Of their beauties and their mysteries.
but In order 80 expose Them with hide
Gus Hrin-naked. sensitive and shrinking
to the desecrasing glance OF misbeliev-
Ing and mcclSing world--such Is the work
which genius must stoop To DO. when faith
tn what Is good. reverence for what is
pure. and relish for what Ia natural have
died cut frcm a nations heart"
These are terrible words yet II may be
said that they arc not too terrible to apply
to tho present condition OF French politics
and literature. Mr.. Greg wrote them when
the Third Empire was at Its best and It's
worst. Az we now know. |; was rotten TO
the core, But can II be said that the Third
Republic r. any better-the Third Republic
with It's Wilson and Panama scandals,
which between them hass~ plunged nine
GU, of ten French politicians OF promi-
nence Into mire of the wors, kind Of cor
rup;ion. and the Dreyfus case whiea
whatever be Its urshos from the political
point or view. has shown that the leading
Officers IN the French army are willing to
descend to forgery. 10 the contemplate
triekery OF false boards and blue glasses,
TO accomplish their ends. As fer fiction.
what would Mr.. Greg. appalled, by Fan.
ny" and "ouasimo.o'' and Ia Dame aux
CameIlas. have said had he lived I'm the
age Of nataraiism. Of Bourget, who has as-
serted calmly tina; love II nothing mere
than the earnal desire Of man for a
woman or OF woman fer a man." Of
Aaupassans and Flaubert. who have
brought IN. resources os A perfect style 10
ehe description Of what even Tols;oi has
shrank from Illicit and asAaiterous SEX
uai Intercourse. of x6ia whose home-the
home. at least, az Mana" and piping
Hot" and the whole ~ the Rougon.Nas.-
quart series ct noseiw~is ~ be found in,
the moral sewers 81 lire. WHOM, even the
tolerant Robert Louis stevenson could
forgive only on the ground thai he was
mastered by "erotir mania What would
he have said 20 the modern French drama
As II IL described and defended by 40. ca
pahle a writer and so stanch 4 literary
pssiof a. Al Ausustsn frionr Even on
NJ. fflons showing, the comedy t~ave the
nsarko Of today turns upon adultery.
Either the here os the heroine has "A past
In the shape II a liaisen. In nine cases cut
Of ten both have "a past"
When writer for the stage. Ike NJ
faM HesSisns has a serious purpo~e.~to
make a protest against fae existing French
laws OF marriage or aieorce- ereates
TIE NEST appalling situations In hts Les
Tens,sies" he Introduces "a husband and
wife WIN have been married ten years aud
have never cafea tcy each other Bat
Irene EerEau loves Michel naveraier. tho
celebrated Traveller. who on bis side. csar-
tshes a great hereto Passion sar her She
goes 10 per husband and suggests divorce.
Has Robert Fer4an does nos see his way
10 anything Of the k1fas. aEt viii nat fai
Isl WITH bis wsfe'~ suggestion that an ex.
cnse fer separation in thss share Of k4ut~
terry or ii-ussge should bS Invented %
facilitate matters. Fer soEs@ years sae