New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-09

"rhc Short Story in America" and coupled with
the announcement we read the declaration that
of course he IS just the man to treat the sub
1ect We prefer to wait until the essay appears
before accepting the latter statement Artists
are the last people in the world to write intel
Iigcnt criticisms Of artists and while authors
are perhaps in the nature OF things better
conippcd for the impartial consideration OF
what their rivals produce, we do not see that
their authority should be regarded as impecca-
BILE Indeed we have noticed many Instances
i'm which the author turned critic in his own
province only darkcned counsel Bret Harte
may succeed in sufficiently dctaching himself
from his subject TO see it on all sides but IL
lie fails so to do we VIII not be surprised
We print on another page Mr.. Max Beer
bonm's sagaCiouS contribution to the contro-
vcrsy-to which we have so often had occasion
to refer touching the capacity or incapacty OF
the French to appreciate English literature III
general and Shakcspcarc'S poetry in particular.
Mr. Bcrrbohm makes the interesting point that
English words and phrases east suggestive
"shadoWS," where French words and phrases
mean no more than the limited thing or
things the are used 20 express. An evil
IDENTITY loving reader of French verse pro-
tests against this, and observes that to
n Frcnchman there are shadows" in VII
lon, R0nSard. Hugo and many other Of their
countrymen The crushing power Of this retort
is more apparent than real. 1t is. OF course. an
easy reply to make If you do not happen to
admire 4 piece of work in an alien tongue
what could he simpler for your discontinue
than a bland announcement that if that tongue
were your own you would bc sure to adore it?
1t is not. however an impossible thing for a
man TO appreciate SubtlctcS in foreign tongue.
and we think Mr.. BccrbOhm's critic leaves his
point untourhcd He forgcs. in fact, that in :,
matter Of this sort one cannot base an argyll
mcnt on a small group of writer's The
shadows" in Shakespeare are his own. but
every master Of the English language has others
suggestive and eloquent III their way. This
suggestivencsS is literary and spiritual posses
sion of the race In France. when it occurs at
ALL the instance is isolated. For example.
Pierre Lott has ii 10 a limited extent But is
Lott characteristic? He is one Of the anomalies
OF contemporary French letters Mr.. Beer
bohms contention is sound because behind il
there stands the authority Of Il whole literature
A few exceptions and these not absolutely con
yincing do not dover French literature with
the great quality TO which we are referring.
Professor Salisbury. for reasons quite in
comprehensive 10 any one familiar with his
writings. has been chosen 10 write biograph-
zeal and critical work on Matthew Arnold. In
this work ne rcviycS the old cant about Arnold :
having dealt with politics and religion as well
as with literature. in the Wilderness is the
phrase the biOgrapher uses when he comes 10
these sides of his subjects activity. The fact
that Ivy all The conditions Of his genius Arnold
was bound 10 bc Interested in politics and re-
laion and had valuable thoughts on the sub
icct which had 10 come out. evidently has not
entered Professor SainlSburys head. He does
not realize that the very books over which he
gidcS 50 arily have been Of solid service. He
is only conscious of the ancient and silly impulse
to carp at an author because he did not spend
his whole life doing the same things. 1t is
natural 10 prefer "Thyrss" 10 Literature and
Dogma" but il is wrong 10 beWail the latter,
to count al that time lost which Arnold did
not give to poetry and essays. The very critics
who grow paSSionately mOurnful over his the
illogical writings are the critics who point out
the nuctuating nature Of his poctica insp;ra-
ton II is impossible to conceive Arnold sitting
down after the fashion of TcnnySOn to the
practice of poetry and of nothing but poetry.
The author of dover Beach" and "PhOmcla"
had to be in The world and 10 share in all it's
travail Being what he was, he could not have
borne separation from religious and political
controversies. nor could he Lave RETAINED from
writing about them. He was just rs much him
self when he wrote "St. Paul ana Protestant
ism" and friendships Garand' as when
he wrote "Empedocles' and The Strayed
Ecveller."