New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-04-14
ROMANCE.
ITS HISTORY IN EUROPEAN LITERATURE.

TIL: ROMANTIC TRIUMPH. BY T. S omond.
periods of European I.iteratnre1 12mo PIP. Kill,
zes. Charles Scribner's Sons.
Through fault of his own Mr. Omond has
produced a book less valuable than would
like be. He had fascinating opportunity
in the rise and evolution of romantcism in Eu-
ropean literature, but he could not take full ad-
vantage Of IT, for his is the eleventh of the twelve
volumes OF which the series edited by Mr.. Saints
bury viii consist. That series is intended to be
secantlnuous history of the subject with which
X deals. and accordingly very few Of the authors
contributing 10 it privileged to turn round
within the limits assigned to them. Their trea-
tises must dovetail together. and therefore Mr..
OTncnd's work win depend for its final signif-
canoe more or less upon the volume on the
Romantic Revolt" which Professor c. +.
Vaughan is writing. and upon that on the later
nineteenth century with which Professor Saints
bury viii bring the whole enterprise TO close.
AS il is now, Mr.. Omond apparently feels con-
strained 20 avoid the development of many gen
eral ideas He deals with the middle of his sub
ject chiefly. and book roma nticsm, be
by itself important. obviously deal with
the beginning and the end and indicate fully
the reference Of the romanticst to European
literature in general
Doing his best within his limits, Mr. Omond
has at least made himself readable by stringing
together brief portraits Of his various writer's
In spite Of his restrictions. he manages to say
some interesting things While his judgments
are sometimes of doubtful value as in the case
for example, Of De Quincy he is often cogent
Witness his appreciative passages on Disraeli.
He rightly puts the earlier novels OF: a, compare
lively low level and he is Justly generous toward
''Coningsby." "Sybl' and "Tancred." Admitting
the Justice in Thac5eray's parody of the first of
he hole hot
the parody must not blind us TO the power
which underles all this perilous stuff and vapor-
ing Sidonia may be shadowy. but Taper and
Tadpcle are real Arab horses and more cur
ricles.' fabulous diamonds and beings of prefer
natural intellect move only to laughter; but the
picture Of parliamentary conflict is De Foe-ke
in its faithfulness. One is never quite sure
whether Disraeli is taking and himself quite
seriously, or whether he is laughing silently
in his sleeve His sardonic humor bizarre imae-.
ination and capricous vagaries of taste, give
something Of the interest of an Unsolved enigma
Much that at first seems ridiculous is found to
be serious and purposeful. The dreams of Tan
cred came very fulf1lment during Lord
BeaconsfeId's premiership. But conscious HUI
morfst unconscious. natural or affected inditer
: Of many peculiar passages DisraeH is at least
the novelist par excellence of politics. in letters
as in life the dominant force in this one depart
ment at any rate"
Encountering again and again, in these pages,
short sketches like that of Disraeli, notable for
sound criticism and excellence of expression, we
regret the more the absence Of & broad and
philosophical argument throughout the book,
but Mr.. Omond contrives il his summing up at
least to say some suggestive things. and we cite
with especial sympathy and approval his very
last sentences:
More than anything else, too, perhaps the
Romantic Movement stood for humanity in the
widest sense, made as man the theme Of
central interest. Our antiquarian zeal
philosophy and energy, social experiments,
even our religious conceptions, all date back to
this Il is the dominating feature OF modern
thought and inquiry and ii is this idea above all
utterances often most anita gonistic and incon-
sstent, which we have seen animating all classes
Of European literature during the period of
Romantic Triumph.
This strikes the right note, reminding
that study the history of
literature without coming TO the conclusion that
the laurels which many have wished to place
upon the brow of the realst are really deserved
much, If not more by the romantic writer.
The superficial and merely decorative elements
in the inferior types Of latter-day sword and
cloak romance should not cause us to forget
that the true ronancer has always been fruit
full and assiduous in his study Of human nature
the most industrious explorers of the slums.