New-York tribune., 1902-02-23
THE CiSTIGlTION or "uIY"
MIR FRANK HARRIS MIR. BEERBoHM AND
THE LATE OSCAR WILDE.

THE LATE OSCAR WILDE &.
y pretty tempest in a teapot has been raised
by tn" indisposition of Mr.. Max Beerbohm the
clever dramatic critic of The Saturday Ro-
view. some Of whose caricatures We reprolucad
the other day. to think exactly as he oupbt IN
tlhk according to the opinions of Mr. Frank
Harris, the former editor of the journal afore-
mentioned. Mr.. Harris thinks that the late
O"'"' N"ue was great writer, one of the
masters pf English drama" and it annovs him,
TO ind Mr. Beerbohm writing with less enthusi-
ds"' than ne feels himself about the recent re-
VIVaI OF one of Wildes comedies, The Iynpo
tance of Being Earnest" Whereupon he prints
In the weekly with which he is al present closely
identified The Candid Friend some arpusip,
notes on critics in general and Mr. Reerbobn,
IN particular. He is all for the Judgment nv
one peers which he describes as the ONLY
judgment worthy of the name to be found on
earth, and, strong in the conviction that Mr.
Beerbohm is not the peer of oscar Wilde he
lndulses in these candid and interesting re-
marks:
NOV let me state at the outset that regard
Mr. Beerbohm the ablest dramatic critir I'm
re found IN English journalism As
fuIe. ms hppreclatIons are thoughtful ana sens
ible; h tries resouteIy TO BE-. ON tno siia ~ 3D.,
angels, he would not like to Iuissec good work.
but his vanity Is q little uneasy. as Of one Who
- not yet assured of his place, and ne uourishes
not for qualities in other men When Nr
Beerbohm deals with his superiors I resent The
.e'ly lduIt-hndin@ ! miss the respectful ap-
itodth. the npbI" reverence of merit which at
one time had hoped hc would develop
Geor-e bernard shaw published two volumes
"t plays. and it was open To- Mr. Iic.rbohll 10
deal with his predecessor ou The SATURDAY
generously and boldly. VIII the '.r:rs.ir,' Of
BERNARD shaw live Is it an original ana de
i'snliuI comedy fruitful parent OF others stiu
10 h- written in TN" sam" Vein. or like Arms
and tn. Man the brilliant exercise aud ass,,-
OF a charming but Intellectual. talent lIr
lbe'Ihnhn attempted none Of these vital dues-
upns; he liked the Cesar as one Who sbouId
prefer ieUler-Jouet ~ To- FIossv's Pale Cream
li laS ~ lj PUT asain' ne fen foul Of Bernard
Sha" style ShaW's "stylc' was not this or
that q have not The futile ESSAY before I,7.l
style style is the only anti~eptic against thu.
l@N4SeS u time Now, all this is silly
iu"Hi it is one Of those. Inieiud,,-
ments which reveal the man. OF an the bigb
qualities Of genius. style if we distinguish II
from matter Is. surely, the least aud not the
most important.
Evel1 critical writer must know this: it is ,h.
u!Spui" about. but. ia the final Judgment il is
almost negligible. There are of course writers
Wh" may h" said 10 liz" hT virtue of their stvIe
Lamb, for iuotancc-DUt they are never .lrnnr,,
the greatest. and their uuimportaucc. establishes
my contention.
I part Of course i'm al kindness from Mr.
feerbohm5 h" is good critic. as journalist
critics go, ANA may be- trusted. sooner or later
- get q better chair i'm The Telegraph or The
Times and talk with larger sounding board
hrhI'h MN. II" VIII write cNcclIcutly about his
peers: but. whom he writes Of the men of mark
Of his time. he is not to be trusted: he finds
fault with them unesSentials. and does nor
see the essential and enduring in a clear light
IecJuS est But. after all. he is young. and
may improve He may but | doubt: ne was
too precociDuS. came To maturity too soon OF
course, there IS still hone for him. there would
be more hope If his blood were a little richer;
his nature more generous; if he thought less of
the clothes. mean of the style and more of the
man. pectuS est quod disertum facit