The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-03

O.
The Sea Lady ---------.--.--- 50
Certainly one of the most remarkable
books OF the past season is Citizen
George Francis Trains Ny Life n
Many States and Many Lands" die
tared. so the preface states. IN some
thirty hours. The other day Citizen
Train explained that ne wanted to call
his book. Why I Am Z Lunatic" and
surely those who read the life story Of
this man are tempted to believe that
this title would have been fitting one
The publishers would not agree TO tae
title the author suggested. however.
and the reader is left to accept the
book as sober fact Citizen Train is the
author Of several books. bur he IS not
yet content with the sum Of his lit
erary labors- He now proposes to
write a hundred books in which he
shall make q C0mpre hensive review OF
the past century IF he can write these
hundred books as rapidly IS he wrote
carry cut his desire since he is doub-
ling his age and is now oRIy IS years
young.
Lovers OF kings English and Of Eng
Iish letters VIII welcome heartily Pror
SaintsbuFy's able defense Of English
literature in his recently published sec
end volume of A History of Criticism
In presenting the second volume Of
This attempt says Prof Salisbury. =
feel 10 connpuuctlon and offer no pol
0gy for what may seem to some the
surprisingly large space given to the
Intended primarily for English readers
would be but a poor spirited plea and
the greatness Of English literature as
q whole. though WorLhiHr, Is still an
unnecessary argument. For the fact Is
that the positive value and Importance
Of English criticism itself are far great
er than has usually been allowed Owing
very mainly 10 the not uuinrelIiEtbie or
-
Of Matthew Arnold it has become =
fashion to speak of this branch OF tbs
national genius which it expresses with
Dated breath and with humble &C.
Acknowledgement Of the superiority Of
German and stiIl more. Of French cFi--
les This superiority. I say without the
slightest Year. is fond thing vainly
invented. English criticism was rather
late. and for long time rather inter.
mittent; nor did it fail after the man
ner OF the nation 70 derive fresh Inn
pulses and new departures IN the six
tenth century from Italian. IN the sew
enreenth and again in the nineteenth
from French. and al the end of this
eighteenth from German. But It is not
true thar in 50 much as one Of these
cases it vas cOuteuted slavishIy 10 ir7t-
+ tate. and It is not true that with the
possible exception Of Saiute- Beuve, for
eigh countries have had any critics
greater than our own. while they have.
even DIf together hardly 50 many ETsa
ones In everything but mere superb
eisi consistency DRYDEN is head and
shoulders above Poileau IS a critic.
Coleridza a head. shoulders and body
above the SchleEsIs whom he followed
Long before Saiut-Beuve- Eazlftt had
shown q genius for real criticism. as
DISTINGUISHED from barren formula
making. which no critic had surpassed.
And Mr. Arnold himself with less
range, equity and sureness than Sainte-
Be1ve has a finer literary taste and
touch As for that general superiority
Of French criticism Of which we have
heard SO much. the uuerring voice Of
history VIII tell that it never existed
at all. except. perhaps. for a generation
before 1859 the latter being the period
which called f0rth-but nisled Mr.
Aru0lds admiration. VITA this last-
nor with the romantic revolt IN deaIine
with which it VIII be pertinent to aD-
praise the relative excellence Of Leasing
and Goethe as compared with CoIerfdge
and HazlItt- But We have within our
present range an almost better field Of
cOnpe risen IN that uec-claSsic period
from Bolleau 70 2 Earpe and from Dry
den 90 Johnson in which on the whole
and taking rzc0Enized orthodoxy 0nIv
the critics Of France and Of EnEiand
VcrshipDed the same idols. subscribed
the same confessions OF faith. and 70 no
small extent even applied their prln-