The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-20
NEW BOOKS.
4 New Study OF Jane Austen.

in volume of some Ave hundred pages en-
titled Charlotte Bronte Geoig, Eliot and
Jane Austen 10y Henry H. Bonnel long /
mans). The keynote Of the essays is
struck in their respective sub-titles thus
the estimate of Charlotte Bronte is de-
scribed as A Study Of Passion" that Of
George Eliot as THE Literature of Power
and the Cup of Strength and that Of Jane
Austen as "The Exquisite Touch" As
regards the two former essays. We must
commend the reader to the book itself,
merely remarking that they deserve care
full perusal on the score both Of substance
and OF form. Papers on Jane Austen are
muclk less numerous, and for that reason
We shall only glance to-day al some Of Mr..
Bonnelrs observations on the author OF
Pride and Prejudice. The subtitle Of
the essay prepares us, as we have said,
for the critics point Of view, who. indeed.
In justified by the novelist herself in de-
scribing her Il miniature painter In
letter to nephew, from which Mr.. Bon
nell quotes. she contrasts his strong.
manly. vigorous sketches, full Of variety
and glow" with her own performance on
the little bit. two inches wide, Of ivory.
on which | work with so fine a brush as
produces little eject after much labor.
Keeping in view Miss Austen's intention,
which was TO paint, not on large canvas,
bat in miniature, We must recognize with
the author of the book before us that II is
the business Of a discriminating criticism
to distinguish between positive faults and
those omissions which are Incidental to a
given method Of treatment, nay inseparabe
from it. We have no right 10 expect large
treatment and disCursive delneation from
hand the forte Of which is to make the
utmost of "two inches wide of ivory"
Mr. Bonnell proceeds 10 point out some OF
the omissions which were unavoida bic
il the novelist was 10 adhere to her primary
PURPOSE. and. by way of introduction,
he suggests that much of the failure prop
erly TO inca sure Miss Austen's work has
been due to a misapprehension Of the con-
ditions Of miniature painting, The con-
certion of a miniature calls, not only for
reduced scale. but also for exceptional
fineness Of execution. IL il pointed out
tha, one effect Of rigorous subsection 10 a
limitation Of space il this, that the self
restraint necessarily required Is likely 20
lie enthusiasm: on the other hand, as
enthusiasm II apt to destroy perspective,
value of the art The contracted scale Of
miniature painting. therefore. involves not
only disadvantages, but countervailing
advantages.
L., US note more in detail some OF the
coEsequcrcc- which, a. Mr.. Bonnell shows,
would naturally flow from Miss Aus, e. r
deliberate adoption Of miniature painting.
Having before him the definite object 81 a
portrait. the miaiatGrist has, by reason Of
his reduced scale. no room for cXtrsneou-
matter. There is no margin for padding
no superfuous dr1mqts persona are adj
missihle. Character must be disclosed
and accertuatcd with as little out side help
as possible IN no other style Of work is
nicety Of expression and delicacy of detail
so Indispensable as in miniature painting;
nor is there any OF her In which the least
failure is so noticeable. There are" Mr.
Bornell reminds us, many world-famous
pictures of the heroic size which have for
centuries ranked among the wonders of
the world, but which, in certain small par-
ticulGrs may he subjected to unfa vorable
cri,icsm;th the grandeur Of the general execu-
ton smot hers the faults in the largeness
Of the canvas But, in the exquisite
touat' there l. no escape in size, and a
minor instantly becomes major iaut.
Miss Austen almost rcver erred In this
essential" Touching he absence OF super
Itineraries. our author admits that one
might say 81 the first glance that there Is a
slater OF two TOO many in some Of the novels,
lot he thinks that furt her consideration
will exhibit reason for each. Miss Aust en-
WIS thorol gily alive to the narrowness Of
tn, boundaries wit hin which she could
work successfully. To The suggestion that
sie should attempt the delineation Of a
Clergyman Of high culture, she replied
that II was beyond her power: A classical
education, or at any rate, a very extensive
acquaintance with English literature, an
,ient ard modern, appears 10 me quite in
tispensable for the Terson who would
60 am justice 20 your clergyman; and
think may safely boast myself to he. wit b
all Possible vanity, the most unlearned
and urinfcrmed female who ever dared to
lie an authoress.' From a power Of self.
restraint revealing so clear a perception
Of boundaries. ii nigh, lie predicted that
withl the boundaries the work would bt
critically ycclcn'. We should, al al
events. expect 10 find chastencd expression
an eschewal ~ cyC ggerGt!on ard a livel,
sersc Of proportion. No roaGer e Mis-,
Auscr's is likely To dispute Mr. TO lnsll'i
oirtum that she is The pr, e nirent mistress
Of taste. II orGer is heavens first law, THU
lady must rank among tn, hierarchs Of ert
fer in no ether author is 20 be found NICE
perception Of congruous beauty, and
keeaer discernmert Of symmetry
1t goes without saying that we shoul,
not look to mlna,urists for landscap
painting. As our author says, there wer'
no artistic portrayers Of scenery in Mis-
Austens day. Mrs Burney, for instance
never introduced Landscapes But even
Mis- Austen had been qualified to ris
above her age in this respect her theor
of art would have forbidden her to inter
rupt her tale with descriptions Of scenery
Owing, also, to the contraction Of her scale
she had no space for mootlng and solvin
social or ethical problems, as George Elio
was disposed ~ do IL is manifest, like
wise, that comedy alone is fit theme ia
the mniaturisi, he has not scope enoug
for tragedy. That this was plain to Mis-
Austen is evident from the fact that ther
il not a death in all her fiction. There
no room cit Their for broad Exhibition Of III