The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-26
VERSATILITY OF LYTTON,
THEODORE |, WILLIAM II.
BY. DR.. THEODORE BRYANT KlNGsBURY.

produced SD many books in such rich
variety, and exhibited more real
genius and accomplishments? He
had q brilliant political career. He
wrote, showing very rare versatility
and high talents, novels OF many
sorts---.The fashionable novel, the
crime novel. the romance Of mystery,
the romance of classical times, the
historical novel," and he wrote clever
verse, and n:eritoriouS history. and
very popular dramas, and the domeS-
tic novel, not mentioned i'll the quo
tation just given. | have read with
genuine satisfaction The Cations
my Novel" and What win He Do
With IT." I have read them twice,
and regard them as his surest, most
satisfying successes. He next-in his
advancing years-produced novels,
not domestic any longer TO suit the
then prevailing taste, but books OF
another quality and type. He wrote
q novel of terror again, because the
old love of that kind OF writing lad
come 10 life again. He easily pro-
duced "a Strange Story" and THE
Haunted and the Haunters." I read
the former that had great interest
for the many and a large. sale, but
can not say / relished it despite its
real ability and popularity. When
old he returned TO his old way and
wrote three other novels--"partly as
novels of actual society, partly as
Janus-faced satire Of what was and
what might be'--the Coming Race, :"
"Kenelm ChiliIngby, and the Par
isians," George Saintsbury') IL read
the last two, and something liked the
second one. He wrote probably as
much In quantity and variety as any
nineteenth century author whatever.
ard most OF them enjoyed Il certain
popularity. lie Is not read generally
now. but he is incomparably greater
than .nany OF the very successful
.novelistS OF the present time. Prof.
Salisbury says justly. think, that
he certainty possessed ability In
hulk. and I,erhapS here and there In
detail. far surprising that of all, but
the very greatest of his contempora-
ries." He had true genius. and there
are not many noyeliStS now or III any
age of whom that can be said. /
have not endcavored to conceal
or deny Bulwer's faults. as the quo
tatIons clearly show. But he had
many rema rkable qualities. and most
OF them commendabIe. After ending
this article I turned to that great and
original critic. the Frcnchman Tame,
TO see II his two most remarkable
volumes. History of English Lit
erature. "A work 10 be often studied
for IL has extraordinary interest and
merit-to see k he had said anything
distfnctively striking Of Bulwer. 1
find his name mentioned but twice.
but there is no discussion OF his char
acter as a writer After discussing
Scott, he refers to "a whole litera-
ture'' which followed that preserved
the character which he stamped upon
4 eoxy 10
Gaskell. George Eliot, MARY Ann
Evans, her real nameJ. Thackeray.
Bulwer. Dickens, and many others.
paint, especially or entirely, In this
style. contemporary life as it is He
said these writer's were realistic and
moral" and ARE far removed from
the great, imagination which creates
and transforms Clearly Tame did
not have a true appreciation and M
sight as to Scott and the others
named. My presentation nay Stem
ragged and unsatisfying. I conclude
by saying that his best novels are
we'll WORTH reading.
t-----t ~
President Roosevelt is a man OF
brilliancy. of literary skin and good
education. He is well informed in
some fields. is 4 man of impulse and
decided ''strcnuosity." 10 usc his ia
vorite phrase. but without sound
judgment, serene temper, true wis.
dom or patience. He is not really n
safe, broad, constitutional statesman.
But quite recently United States
Senator'S hauled him over for presunf-
Ing TO invade again the rights OF the
Senate. Tho trouble with the prest-
dent is. that he is seif-Willed, not we'll
based as to the constitution of his
country. and not Informed properly
as ID the limitations OF his own pow
er. He has done two or three things
already that would have caused his
tria! for usurpation OF, authority and
dangerous wrong doing if it had been
prior To 1860, and no PRESIDENT before
the great man would have dared to
do Just what he has done But his
immunity comes from the, strength OF
the Republican party. and its own
wide DEPARTURES from the lines of
strict cectitude and q sense of high
justice. Patriotic and highly honor
able statesmen are very scarce in the
mighty North. up there" few rich
men rule over the party. and thus
control the country, and one OF these
Plutocratic nabobs and rulers. Rookie
Teller, has an income now of $4,000
900 a month or $72,000,000 a. year
and has a fortune that aggregates now
nearly ;SIVUU,UuObUUU. lie Is the nfSL
American Bilhonaire. But let US turn
to Roosevelt. He is not only criti-
ciSed in the American Congress, and
in the ab!est and most trustworthy
newspapers. bat he attracts attention
abroad. His character comes under
review. and statesmen. critics and
journalists handle him.. 1t is appar-
ent that he is discerned properly in
European circles. That old. able.
scholarly monthly that the elderly
living Americans read in their boy
hood. "Blackwood's (EdiEburgh)
Magazine" had recently an article
on our President that is very refresh
ing and appetiZing reading. 1t is
acute. caustic. resourceful and reads
the President most correctly. l wish
j had full space to- reproduce at
length from Its k&on discussion. II is
very pointed. and the barb penetrates
70 the hollow. It is SO good and true,
that l must copy Ut least a part 1t
makes the following rich comparison
between two leaders now. monarchs
of all they survey:
Theodore /. knows but one rival