The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-12
in THE LITERARY FIELD
QUEER LETTER WRITTEN By CHAs.
READE BOU GEORGE ELIOT.
A Publishers "Reader" Tells Some
Secrets About AuthOrs-Art of
Biography.

What is there in the use of ink which is
30 exciting to the brain? asks a writer in
the Army and Navy Journal, who then goes
on to relate this curious story: Even the
mild AMI inonensive military man. when he
is betrayed into the writing habit, becomes
at times more inhamed with choler than
when re draws his sword for battle, and the
mercilessness with which the professional
writer pursues his antagonist when he gets
him at the point of his pen has no parallel
In the annals of war. We came upon a
curious Illustration of this in looking over
some old letters the other day. Among
them was one from Charles Reade. in which
he gave his opinion Of a rival English nov
elist. Marian Evans. better known under
her pen name of George Eliot. Mr.. Reade.
who was really a kindly disposed and a most
generous-hearted man, seems to have be-
come possessed with a Berserker fury at
the mere suggestion that George Eliot was
entitled to a higher place as a novelist than
he. Writing with reference TO a critical
article in which this opinion was expressed
MIR. Reade said:
. Albert Terrace. Knightsbridge.
June 8. 1869.
Dear Sir: You side with fools and liars
against me. You have published. without a
word OF disclaimer, a dlatriDe In Wnlcn
George Eliot is described as the first of En-
lglish nOvelists, and her style, which is In
reality a mediocre, monOtonous style, with
no music and no beauty in il, is described
as perfect, and my style, which, on proper
occasions. Is polished beyond the conception
of George Eliot, or any such writer, is con-
demned wholesale as sadly rugged, etc. And
this I'm a monthly which contains "A story by
me. IL does appear strange TO me that you,
who have got the cock salmon, should allow
this ass . . > to tell your readers that the
trout IL higUpr fish than the cock GnlmOn-
Now, hear the real truth. George Eliot
is a writer of the second class. who has the
advantage of being better read than most
novelists. She has also keen powers of OBJ
servati0n and reasoning.
She has no imagination OF the higher
kind. and no power of construction nor dra-
matte power. Sne has a little humor, where
as most women have none, and a little
pathos- But she has neither pathos nor hu-
NOR enough to make anybody laugh or any
body cry.
Her style is grave. sober and thought
ful. but 1t lacks fire. tune and variety.
she has been adroit enough 10 disavow
the sensational, yet TO use Ii as far as her
feeble powers would let her. Her greatest
quality OF all is living with an anonymous
writer, who has bought the English press
for a time and pulled her into a condition
she cannot maintain and is gradually losing.
why lend yourself TO a venal English
lie? This George Eliot is all very well as
long as she confines herself to the life and
character she saw with her own eyes down
in Warwickshire when she was young. But
the moment imagination is required she is
done. Let any man read true books about
the Middle Ages and then read 'Romola'-
he will at once be struck with two things:
that the records of the Middle Ages are a
grand romance, full OF noble material and
character and situation, and that this un-
happy scribbler of novels has so dealt with
that gigantic theme as To dwarf 1t to her
own size. When you have waded through
mains upon the mind?
"A little Florence, a faint description of
petty politics not worth mentioning. A
little Savonarola depicted, not sculptured.
A young lady called Romola, who Is not
medieval at all. but a delicate-minded
young woman OF the nineteenth century
and no other. And a hero who is-Mr.
George Lewes.
Now read a medieval novel by Scott, or
even The Cloister and the Hearth by
Charles Reade. Do these works miss all the
grand features OF the Middle Ages as this
poor unimaginative scribbler has done; or
do they transport you out Of the ignorant
present into a ruder and more romantic
age? Verbum sapienti.
Il will only add that in all her best novels
the best idea Is stolen from me and her
thefts are not confied TO ideas and situa-
lions, they go as far as SMILES, descriptions
and lines OF text. Believe me, the pupil Is
never before her master.
This last fact coupled with the persist
ent detraction / meet from my fair pupils
satellites in the English press will, l hope,
excuse this burst of bile.
Seriously, however, and setting my per-
sonal feelings out of the question, do you
not underrate the judgment of the Ameri-
cen public In this case; nor overrate the
Judgment of the English press.
'~The public Is an incorruptible judge; the
Press Is a corrup.ible Judge; and peculiar
facilities were offered in q. Eliots case
for buying the English press, and they have
been purchased and repurchased accord
ingly. i am yours very truly,
CHARLES READE."
We observe that a correspondent of the
New York Evening Post asks whether
Charles Reade ever came to this country.
We are able TO say positively that Mr..
Reade never did visit the United States.
He did propose to come in 1865, in response
90 a tempting offer to deliver a course of
lectures here. and the editor o. The Army
and Navy Journal. who was in corre-
spondence will him at the time. urged him
TO do 80. Mr.. Reade replied that he had
such a dread of the ocean, as the result
of his experiences on the English Channel,
that he could not be persuaded to subject
himself to the horrors of a transatlantic
voyage In looking over the letters received
from Mr.. Reade at that time to ascertain
these facts re came upon the letter we
quote, which is so characteristic of the
author. and so interesting, that We repro
duce il here, though II might. perhaps,
properly seek some other medium OF publi-
cation. George Eliot died In 1880 and Charles
Reade In 1884, SO that IL is many years since
controversies of this sort have concerned
either OF them.