Evening star., 1902-02-22


Mr.. Beers paved the way for this volume
by an earlier work of the latent romanti-
cism of the eighteenth century. a period
which was almost exclusively unromantfc.
This second volume on the contrary, con-
Germs a period which was almost entirely
romantic. The two books thus present
curious conirast-one is a study of begin
nings and the other is a study of selec-
ton. Both are valuable in this day of in
Vulnerable books and apparently inextri-
cable book confusion.
Romanticism. in the dictionary sense, re-
fers generally to that form of prose fic-
ton which does not bind itself to veri-
smilitude or reality but gives scope to
the imagination and idealization. The word
has definitely limited sense, however.
and 'romanti ism has of late been given
a special meaning as pertaining to the
style of the Christian and popular litera-
ture of the middle ages" 1t is in this re-
stricted sense that Mr.. Beers has used the
word. This phase of literature, in Mr..
Beers Judgment found expression during
the century just closed in the work of
Walter Scott, Coeridge. Bowles, Keats,
Leigh Hunt. the Dante revival. the ro-
mantle school in Germany. the romantic
school in France and the pre-Raphaelites
in England and the author has according
1y given q chapter to each, with two addf-
tional chapters on 'Diffused Romanticism
in the Literature of the Nineteenth Cen
tury' and Tendencies and Results
Most Americans will bow assent to En-
eIson's observation to Scott, I'VE Ameri-
cans scarcely take to the Rosetti poetry:
1t does net come home to us: it is exotic
and will include well the whole field of
romanticism except for the work of Scott,
Coleridge and Keats In the eyes OF the
western world literature is chiefly valu-
able as 1t reflects life. Painted poems and
written pictures. the two fields OF romanti-
cist activity, are. generally speaking. equal
ly unwelcome. But the great movement
" hich took along with 1t the minds of such
men as Friedrich Schlegel, William Morris.
Dante Gabriel Rosetti and Algernon
Charles Swinburne. commands the serious
attention of students everywhere. and for
such have too little time too little
inclination 10 read vast epic poems by
Morris and Swinburne Mr.. Beers latest
work will come a valuable guide.
1t must not be understood. however. that
this history of romanticism In the past
century is merely a handbook. 1t is very
much more-a collection of thoughtful. cru
dite essays on phase of English literary
life SO nearly contemporaneous as to be
sadly confused to many minds. In that
sense Ii is even more valuable than as
guide to an understanding of the pre-Ra-
phaelites.
MEMOIRS OF THE DUC DE sAINT-sIMoN.
Translated by X =. Wormeley. Boston: Har-
dy. Pratt Co.
The period of Louis XIV has been gen
orally viewed as an age of such light airs
and such inconsequential purposes that
readers OF today forget to include In 1t fig
ures like Peter the Great of Russia, Racine,
Hampden and Sir William Temple, and such
international upheavals as the war of the
Spanish Succession. But such work as
these memoirs will correct that impression.
The influence Of William of Orange was SO
pronounced that no commentator of his day
could fail 10 mention him often. Racine
wrote too brilliantly to be neglected even
by courtiers who went to the theater only
when 1t was a thing of fashion. Hampden
and Cromwell plowed their way into every
volume of memoirs composed in the seven
teenth century. Peter the Great, although
In Louis reign only rising to his ultimate
greatness. carried his fame with him on
extended travels about the world.
The Due de Saint-Simon is an accurate
and entertaining historian. He has one Of
the most delectable likings for honest men
ever disclosed by a diary. He is indefati-
gable. AS Mr.. Saint-Beuve says. .'he
amasses day by day; he writes each night;
nc begins In his tent when nineteen years
OF age, and he continues without intermis-
sion at Versailles and wherever else he
may be-" He is the Heroditus Of his time
He IS clear and exact. And, best of all,
he Is entertaining.
So these four volumes of his memoirs
slip through the readers hands with a
strange rapidity and the picture Of Louis
wonderful age takes on new color and bril-
liancy For the first time, maybe. the
reader sees the undercurrent of serious
ness beneath all the frivo1ity Of the cour-
tiers and ladies who comprised Louis court
For the first time. almost inevitably, he
realizes the vast influence of the middle
and lower classes Of France 1t is won
derful story adequately told
The memoirs appear In a translation by
Katherine Prescott Wormeley, who has
also done the abridging necessary to re-
duce twenty large volumes to four Of a
moderate size. Her text IS pleasing and
graceful, and not too much at variance
with the informal style adopted by Saint
Simon.
PEN AND INK: Papers Subjects Of More or
Less Importance BY Brander Matthews. Third
edition revised and enlarged. New York:
Charles Scribners Sons Washington: VIM
BallaDtyne Il Sons.
Prof Matthews present position as one
of Americas leading literary authorities
entities him to revive his earlier works and
to reproduce his essays, scattered from
time to time in the past among the periodi-
calls. In this volume, which follows others
OF similar character, are presented such
dissertations as ION the Antiquity of
tests" The Ethics of PLAGIARISM" 1.-The
ophy of the Short Story "A Note on the
Essay" The Songs of the Civil War"
THE Dramatization OF Novels" and 1.-The
Whole Duty of Critics" In editing these
papers the author has seen fit to preserve
them In their original form In the main. SO
that occasional references occur which are
palpably out of date, as, for instance the
citation of a letter written by Lord Ten
nyson to Mr.. Dawson year or two ago."
AT LARGE; novel. BY z. ". Hornung. New
York: Charles Scribners Sons. Washington:
VIM. Balantyne d Sons.
The author OF "Raffles" might have been
somewhat less voluble in this story with
better effect. He presents the dilemma Of
young Englishman meeting in friends
house a man whom he knows to be a noto-
rious Australian bush ranger, fugitive from
Justice. The desperate once befriended
the other In the bush In a "hold-up" he
was conducting. Gratitude for this action
prevents the denunciation of the hunted
man. and leaves the way open for complt-
cations which are suddenly solved by a
tragedy. love story is involved but Ii Is
not wholly pleasing as 1t betrays the in
adequacies of the characters OF both mar
ties. rigid curtailment of the story would
Improve 1t by rendering 1t more crisply
active.
EVE TRIUMPHANT. Translated from the French
Of Pierre de Coulevain by Alys Hallard New,
York: G. p. Putnam's Sous washington: