The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-05-10

n with the vgor and success of the
lark ages or the early centuries.
John Ruskin was beyond doubt one Of
the three or four greatest writers-most
eonsummate masters of style, in the last
prolific century of fine writer's. He had
some vagaries that detracted from his
completeness, was eccentric in taste
somewhat, and full Of prejudice in a
given direction. Among the needless
books" of England and its literature, ac-
cording to his critical dictum, were Ma
caulay, Froude, Thackeray, George Eliot,
Charles Kingsley and Edward Bulwer
Lytton. He relegates to the nimbo of
uselessness also the most famous, per-
haps, certainly the best praised poem in
the nineteenth century, Goethe's Faust.
The last / have read In three transla
tions, but have never been able to
measure up in my admiration Of and
enthusiasm over It's merits with the
latter-day critics, or even with some of
thirty and fifty years since. Read in
German it might be otherwise. Strange
to say Ruskin dismisses with his critical
taboo such worldwide famous dramatic
writers-the very greatest Of the Greeks
-Sophocles and Eurpides. Why he did
not include also the remaining most il
lllstrious OF Greek dramatists. Aeschy
lus does not appear. Among the "pois-
onous and rubbish in celebrated works
he would send to the garrett or the
bonfire are Gbbon, Voltaire, Hume,
Grote, Darwin and Locke. / could not
shed tears over the loss of Darwin, and
perhaps one or two others. Ruskin had
only contempt for Grote's History of
Greece saying that head clerk in o
commercial establishment could write
a better one, if he had the vanity to
waste his time on it," He sets aside
Kingsley because his sentiment is
false" and declares that "Hypatia is the
most CHASTITY in Christian tradition and
should forever have been left in silence.
He puts Darwin in limbo most unceri-
moniously. He is severe in reprehend-
ing Gibbon, saying among other things
that primarily. none but the malig
nant and weak study the decline and
fall of either state or organism. He
even hits hard the most praised of his
torians in English-Gibbon, and because
Of his bad style. He declares it lis the
worst English that was ever written by
an educated Englishman." He denies him
imagination, and says he has but lit
tie logic" and no wit or picturesque
ness" and declares that Ibis epithets
are malicious without point. sonorous
without weight, and have no office bit
to make a fiat sentence turgid." lie
kicks Voltaire out of court in the most
positive and direct way. He pronounces
that his work is, in comparison with
good literature. what nitric acid is to
wine and sulphuretted hydrogen to air.
He says there is sting and stencil in
him." and ''he has no place in the Ii
brary of thoughtful scholar"
The two greatest English poets since
Wordsworth died is beyond doubt Tenny
son and Browning Wordsworth outlived
his great contemporaries among the
poets. Tennyson did not begin to write
until Byron, Shelly and Keats were
gone. Coleridge. a great genius. had also
passed away. Miss Wells is a neiee of
Tennsysons. and has but recently pub
lished a volume entitled "Glimpses Of
Tennyson" One of her interesting stories
is of the influence her great uncle oxert-
ed upon his times and country. She tells
of his well known song now called Re-
f1emen Form" written to arouse Great
Britain to prepare for defence or war.
He sent the manuscript to his brother
in law, Miss Yields father, with this
note: 81 send you the song in its last
form I don't think The Times VIII. put
it in, but you can try if you like. An
other paper will. To be signed IT
The verses were printed in The London
Times the next day. May 9. 1859. and
May u the British Government official
~ sanctioned the formation of volun-
teer rifle corps. This was a small in
cident in a great poets career. The
truth is that of all Victorian poets he
was the best interpreter of his country
and age. and the most potent factor in
stirring the patriotic ardor of his
eountrymen. He best knew the thoughts
ard necessities of his people and times.
and best expressed them in his melodi
Gus, pelucid exquisite verse. | see it
mentioned that Dean Stubs mot the
great historian of that name, the late
Bishop in recent paper on Robert
Browning says that he had but few Eng
lish characters-only fourteen-among the
innumerable list 1t is noted also that in
but three poems has he any reference to
the scenery of an English town or viii
lage."
THEODORE BRYANT KINGSBURY.
Wilmington. N. c.. April %, 1903.