New-York tribune., 1903-05-22
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
Pages on Life and on Historical
Fiction.

f1cI1OH.
rba maker OF the sapient remark that Ign
ats don't Railways mean 'appiness "ouiO
rrobably recognize the converse OF ms piOp
osftfon in the temperately didacuc s'a'e
OF Professor Carl Hilty. Professor feaOous' "
Harvard has translated some or the essays
the Bern professor, which have fouho law
Switzerland and Germany. in the thouen' &c
they may carry a similar message OF reas
surance and composure to the hurrleo peOp-e
,,ho sneak English In this vclume, Happiness
-. ~, the Meaning of Life CThe Macfnniah
,-o-,nar,,l are found such themes as the arr Vi
yvort good habits, and the meaning Oh i.ie
rbs author breaches ease Of methoo WIN O
,-o.,on Of effort. The catchpenny resOiessiiesS
Of the present day comes. he says from 80
arnnhasis The pursuit Of normal sleaoS WI"
IS the greatest Of blessings, is essential 70 ca.
sinner peace and must be enjoyed OF itsell-hO'
for its results On the contrary. the a1npitioi
% ,he dav is to avoid occupation to achleEe
- .-.o.a-s.j success as will make It possible
for us and our children to be miseTaDie I'D iu
,oss ave. the results Of this restless haste'
=, -oes IN to saw 'are not in the main con-
vincing-"
- ,,,-a been perfods IN history when
-,aonIa without the restlessness ana iH1SGe
4haf now prevail accomplished IaI i uo. o1t,a,-a
-nanv fields Of human activity tnah men 10 at
siI0ls yTl,ere ave we now TO find a man ike
1Itber who could write his incofnpaEapls u .
1eSion Of the Bible I'm incredibly nrleL spa f
1aA.o- y. -, " ..S ,at not break down at the END OF
the task, or be forced TO spend nlenths & % +re
.n recreation or vacation! NneIe aS,,-oes
-, ,Iors ,.,hose works Hl thousands OF Volumes
o- the artists like Michael Angelo ana f]dpitee-
Who could be at painters, arC9llteCts' -.I
,o-e and poets2 Where shall We find man I!hT .nI
Titian who at ninety years OF age coulu .,3- C,+-
do HIS work without the necessity o4 ioIi.--AS
each year TO summer resort or s Sasiie. 1 IL ~
THE fact is that the nervous haste OF oui 49, 80
a.,,ot ha ,z-haIIv explained by assuming that
modern men do more work or better work Itasi I
-t,eir r-edecessors It must be possible TO IVe'
# not without perfect rest sun M4'ii0U '
and yet accomplish something
In this mood. and with the conviction that no
blessing could be better than the last OF Moses
sor Asher-'-Thy shoes shall be iron and prass'
and as thy days, so shall thy strength De Inc
seven essays IN this volume, in short enough
compass for those who have time only 70 reao
a newspaper Of a morning. proffer an injunction
that is all too little needed
x,-,,,zr Indictment Is made in passing
AGAINST the tendencies Of the day in most dis
.sr,fIar book. the latest collection Of essays by
-be ANONYMOUS author Of Exploded Ideas. IL
this writer cid not issue from time TO nffe
short volume Of essays and sketches-"essays III
<ction" and ESSAYS in paradox" his own classi-
<ycatson best describes them perhaps-We might
he given a book OF dyed in the wool phllosophy
and an occasional novel Of approved pattern
And thus. as the books multiply mooefalelS'
one may incline TO think that the author mas
chose, the properest gait and form In the
ESSAY In this new volume called by that WHICH
stands frst, Auto da Fe' O1ongnans, Green q
troN IN which the failures of our present day
,c,,t;,zat,on are examined into with character
se,so readiness the reader gets the impression
that his own greatest fault as a type is
.nstterfng Interest and a magnifying OF trlnes'
Then he turns the page and reads that al'eF
all the best thought is only guess al Hu'h'
and that IS our essay at the propie1h oA IO-
aav," Something too much of to-day Ihere
IS 2 little essay in fiction, involving young
rriest a pair OF blue eyes and mill dam TO foi-
low. short paper on the Imperial IDEA De
gins with the statement that it is in the air: at
the close it is still in the air. and there we are
assured It will remain. Auto da Fe' is chip
off the original volume Of Essays in Paradox"
which reduces itself to the conclusion. after con-
sidering the ways Of inquisitions and protest
ants. that persecution is not only wrong 10
others but is their right. There's aye some
thing-there's even an essay by this ut!e-out
as often as not it is question at the conclusion
whether after all the premise justifes it
We have heard a good deal Of the historical
novel. amazement and alarm anathema and
r,raise. We refer TO the Historical Novel in
capitals. the type. or. perhaps, as the output is
vast the pattern. Now and then a tale is an
nounced for which the author is particular to
premise that though there are historical per-
sonages moving grandy through its pages, this
novel is not historical. All this has raised some
doubt IN our minds and a little confusion, so
that we come upon a final definition with a vel
come relief One Jonathan Nield has come to
Judgment. and we thank him for his rule. In
the preface to his Guide to the Best Novels
and Tales &C. P. Putnam's sons he writes: "A
novel is rendered historical by the introduction
Of dates. personages or events to which identi-
fcatten can be readily given
This clears the whole matter up forever. and
the only wonder is that some one did not happen
upon Il before. OF course. when Interpretation
IS brought TO bear on the rule It may be found
necessary 10 produce another class. The novels
which give the general atmosphere of period
let them be called semi-historical tales. Uncle
Toms Cabin" for instance which is to be found
in q supplementary list. Then there are didac-
tic books, in which. as Mr. Shorthouse said "a
small amount OF fiction has been introduced
simply for the purpose of relating history"
These go to the left hand to torment and are
heard Of no more. This preface also wrestles
with the question, What right has the his
torical novel TO exist at ll?'' and comes to the
conclusion that il exists primarily as fiction"
Thus is formulated the chief end Of an historical
novel together with the signs that show 1t
orthodox The tables which cover history from
the pre-Christian days down, are pleasantly
printed In columns for title author publisher
and subject, and are followed by suggested
courses Of reading.
POWER OF MICROSCOPES.