New-York tribune., 1906-12-12

sHoA,sS,ss 81 lie French Academy. French Men Of
r.se-s zee E5ftei by Alexander Jessup. LIT D..
y T,rnincotl Company.
came dav that witnessed the publication
.,is book brought the news OF NJ. Brune-
- death Consideration Of his attitude
- Balzac Is therefore inevitably subordi-
g for moment. 70 consideration Of his
.,,,,se toward aH the literary questions with
D,I,b ne dealt in the course OF a long career
~ ss we turn the first pages Of the present
.,,-,e we recall the broad principles and preju-
- ~ the author. we reject upon the antece-
- IS they might be called, Of the writer OF
..,s latest study Of the greatest novelist in
4,-sreh literature. Brunetiere was born con-
,,--ati,r His appointment editor OF the
.,peyue dss DeuN Nondes' and his election to
.bs Academy were precisely the rewards suited
r-faI gifts Those were not gifts of
--sef originality. of euy creative significance.
- tie work o[ "a man OF letters he die not bring;
rke saiute-Beuve. distinction and charm or
,ns Anstolo France. a rare personal quality
10 brought instead the judicial temperament.
,,sustry. independence and a rather hard and
Az. but MOI by any means merely pedantic. tone
~ authority. j. was. perhaps his chief virtue
IS 2 participant in the General literary move
rent Of his t,ue. 90 stand with a certain aus
,s-ftv Tor the reservation OF an earlier and
safer tradition. rcsenting and fighting valiantly
against those groups in modern French letters
which have made for the grosser forms of nat
,-sIisn7 f0- er-entricity and for caprice He
hss his own Uuloveiy traits In the Dreyfus
trouble he was scarcely on the side of the
angels lis Cistrust OF individuaIisIn, his pas
sion f. the integrity OF the body polite con-
rerred as q whole betrayed him in the course
- that 6-ea~ business into paths Of argument
perilous indeed 70 the feet Of a man Of light and
leading The fact remains that Ferdinand
BrBneuAre was such a man. that his work was
2 saluta-E f---e in French literature ever
senEthen.ag the claims Of intelligence, sobriety.
balance. and other classical ideals. and ever
coutesu7~ tHa advance OF ueretricious clever
ness
He vlu 10 missed IN Parts. where in many
crCes hts word ae a critic carried something
Ike psrai weight his death must he regretted
IT this country also He left an excellent inn
prsssCn when he iectured here some ten Years
ago. snl he has always had his appreciative
Ameri0a7 readers It would be too much 10
say however that his disappearance leaves an
iETen,s5.eHla sap for those Of our readers who
keep il touch with Continental criticism He
had. we have indicated notable limitations.
he Inspired abundant respect and in n measure.
admiration. h-- he lacked the winning. delight
ful touch rl.-h VIII make a reader look forward
With keeUn7ss 10 each new book that a man Of
letters brings out The point may be well Illus
trsred Hv reference 70 his study of Balzac
le- us glance first at its obvious merits. n.
RruneHe-e was nothing if not grave. In its thor
o1shgol1s seriousness this volume is in striking
contrast 10 The monograp phs which so often get
themselves hastily written for some new and
popular series This critic cared not straw
f'r popularity. He could not have written
gossip book about BaIzac To cave his life He
saw las theme In a kind Of grand perspective.
lr long opening chapter he sketches the his
ro-T ri tile modern novel before BaIzac, and his
whole bC7E is marked by an effort 10 place
hrs man 7-ta scientific accuracy. So far as he
Eoes, be places Balzac with justice He is at
fans ~ letarh The absolute truth from that
labyrinth 0f biographical detail and romantic
sgerd H which the novelist SO easily escapes
ne il-eluirr7i lr merely enthusiastic critic and
ne is nous IL his exposition Of the arm
torn1a.--.s u- which the '-ComcIfe HuIuaIue"
was reared lie shows the genuine historical
zgnh-aayz NJ tie novels, their fidelity to fact
Il Al THAR Is essential 10 a study Of manners.
s1c. - short. brings OUT 10 the fullest extent
the greatness of Tho 'Comedic' as a representa-
ton ~ life. He rs admirable. too. in his pages
MI The morality -f Balzao's works They are"
ne says properly speaking. neither moral nor
'm-11r 0et simply what they are and what
hey -a- -1 -a Ira=-.nah rs they are a repre-
sel-atC- cf rna life ~ his time They are
inlo-aI as history and life are immoral. which
amount 20 -i-S that they are therefore rs
ncrel as history and life are. since Undoubted-
F at a E.rar slime of their evolution. they could
nor lo otherwise than they are"
Common sense is the note here and we find Il
seal- ,1 9-lrrfi-re's remarks on the Rexed ques-
h9r ~ 81 sa-z style He has no patience with
lae sarI.rE~ ae The critics on this subject Ad-
hitting that ee writer. Balzac Is not Of the
arst rank than ae is not one of those "of whom
'naE b. a hat they receive from heaven. -
tae'r arn ta. pfft or STYLE he nevertheless
INSISTS Chat a- must not ask fl Balzae's style is
e2Ir' rure. bur If it is "lifelike," II it
makes What r represents Give" The answer is
'ssr. DE Hns=. and gives it as follows:
Il Hszs.= esls satraates aud vivlae- by
aI~ -.r -r..- means of his an thai he Wishes 10
a-sss. FL" t..r.--re ae .0HTlLshes his object, ana
- .v=t-- r.l bot be- writes .ae be had 20
,,r,--.- e-. salt4ot ~ i4S opin-eLl M!lnort y
'r 'ais 81 possibly tllo only condition under which
sympatre.e' one is tempted to call the
'-ter - this passage. and there is. indeed,
l2-sh ln t-.s volume 10 suggest that Brunetiere
lsd placed himself eR rapport with his subject.
lsi 1t ie Trsa =elv ia sympathy using the word
~ rs ~arreSt most intimate and most clair
'esaHr sense. that Bruuetiare. as an interpret
y ef Bsz5e rs most lacking There is nc 0Hst0
~ his page and this is especially hard 10 con-
Gene when Sol. think of the tremendous vitality
y Ba-zsc.e genius when you think Of the in
lalLe variety and richness of his work NJ.
hflnetie-e makes f- sufficiently plain that he
appreciate tra mere magnitude Of his author
rs ste sure thar he has studied him with eXem-
''efg carr Within its limits his analysis IS
'+efcling ana gives us results that are uuim-
i+sehs r sound. Bur We doubt if any reader