New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-01
LITERARY NOTES.

Another woman-Mrs Lionel Phlps-eays In
her recently published book on the IrahsNaai
that President Kruger's character Is maze up OF
strength Of will and cunning. His point OF
view is quite different TO an EngHshmah -
and his actions, in consequence. are dlHereht'
For instance. he possesses one very character
istic Boer trait which in Europe is-or should
cav WAS as everything has changed so-gen-
orally regarded as the height OF genius; mean
the faculty of sitting still and letting things
take their course There are times when mac
ton has been described mastery. With the
Roer If is habitual through constitutional indo-
lonce Of mind and body. He does not live In
the midst Of railways and tecgraphs. The OK
wagon Is his ordinary method Of locomouon and
inst as slowly does his mind work in comparison
with the Europeans. Nor can he read the
newspapers, except through an interpreter
hence he has not the usual outside influence OF
civilization to keep his mind alive when. IN
1895 and at the beginning Of 1885, ne simply
sat tight and let the world in general make mis-
takes all round him. KRUGER was regarded as
great statesman He was nothing Of the KIND.
His mind could not keep pace with events, put'
luckily for him, Fate played into his hands
through the foes and mistakes OF some people,
and his greatest friend was the English public.
who only saw the other side Of the question
when It was too late"
"Tbe Colossus" the novel in which Mr.. Nor
ley Roberts has drawn striking portrait of
Cecil Rhodes. is to be published here by the
Harpers early next month.
Writing Of criticism and the formation OF
taste an essayist of the London Spectator asks
do iI16Q
Of literature or art, 80 that the mass of opinion
may be accurately guided. Critics" he con-
tinues ARE not to be made any more than
meets. though both may need culture, and the
mower Of Judging though it may be developed, Is
originally a gift What can do with art
and literature is to cultivate those-not the ma
tority-who have the gift Of accurate apprecia-
ton until as they will agree together in opinion
the multitude can take guidance from them as
it takes 1t from experts on all other subjects If
the experts are competent the multitude VIII
gain enough power OF discrimination TO use the
treasures before them; but If they are not they
will not "Voracious reading" will possibly give
TO a few the power Of dislikng the detestable
which Lord Rosebery seems TO think the es-
sential condition of true criticismi but the ma
jority will gain so much Of that power Is
useful much quicker and more certainly by de-
I
the ages have settled what the great statues,
or buildings, or books Of the world The
writer. though himself intensely sympathlzing
! with Lord Rosebery's voraciousness. ventures
to doubt If that habit is the best foundation for
/ accurate taste He would prefer that the
teacher selected a few, very few. admirable
examples for the pupils intense and repeated
study explained with all the clearness at his
| disposal why those examples were excellent, and
left him to think out the rest for himself, with
results which would be precisely proportional.
not to the merit OF the tutors teaching, but to
the pupils natural gift of discrimination Or
rather. to that gift modified and so to speak
qualitated-we want the partciple well as the
adjective-by thousand circumstances with
which the power of criticism has nothing to do
No teaching will enable a Frenchman cordially
10 admire Shakespeare, to doubt that Racine
is among the greatest poets Of mankind. Some
thing forms literary taste at all events which
is not voracity Of reading either Of books. as
| Lord Rosebery advises. of elegant extracts
as he says in his speech that Mr.. Augustine
Brren recommended. The something, we take
! it, is the response which the reader or the
J emotions OF his own heart or the reflections OF
! his own brain. No two races enjoy
! thoroughly the same kind OF humor and there
/ are people-we have known many-who. though
/ familiar TO WEAKNESS with the most perfect
| comedies only really delighted with broad
| farce Teach most women forever, and they
! Will see nothing in Falstaff except a rocking
and most disagreeabe boor. Taste cannot be
: taught except TO those who have in them in
I herently some faculty OF taste"