New-York tribune., 1906-05-24

SuDln1e SeItlShnesS he pursued his career. He was
as cold as fish and as hard as nails It is doubt
Tul If he ever felt passion Of tenderness. OF
gentle kindly feeling for mankind and II is certain
That he had not an atom Of humOr There Is some
thing iFonical about the fate which promises to
overtake him. He wrapt his works in appalling
solemnity, and the world is learning to laugh at
his pOFtentOus assumptions His faithful followers
have emulated. and OF them still emulate.
his Owlish gravity, but the Ibsen hypothesis has for
some time been running emptyings and is now
dwindlng away In the shriL nonsense OF a Ber-
nard Shaw. The time will come when will
wonder why they listened with much patience
to the Scandinavian oracle. The main facts Of hls
career may be briefly narrated
Henrik Ibsen was born at Skien on March 90 1898
He was the of Knud Ibssn, a merchant descend
ed from family of shpmasters. and had Scotch and
German. as we'll as Scandinavian. blood in his veins
His early life was spent at skien and on farm
few miles away. Owing to business reverses the
family in straitened circumstances until young
Ibsen was fourteen. He had attended scientific
school in Sken. and in 1s4S he became apOthe-
cary's assistant at Grmstad a Norwegian seaport
His early ambition had been to become painter,
but the carrying out of this purpose pTecluded
by the need of his earning a living. and he was
apprenticed to apothecary. The chief events III
Grimstad were the arrivals and departures OF YES
sells. and the social life of the community centred
the apothecary's shop. where the youthful as
sistant had ample opportunity to study human
nature in those whose prescriptions he filled or
whose wants he supplied, as well as in other vsi-
tors who gossiped about the news His early hte-
rary and art inclinations were also encouraged Dy
the opportunities he had to read and sketch. he
began to write poetry and dramas and his "Cata-
lima" tragedy in three acts, published at his
own expense in 1850. In that year ne went TO
Christiania and matriculated at the university TO
study medicine. but the successful production of
his one-act drama THE Warriors Mound divert
ed his attention from the study of profession to
the theatre In 1851 he and two associates founded
a weekly newspaper called Man" and in this
young Ibsens political satire. Norma; or Polit-
clans Love-" published. and also a number oe
poems from his pen before Its brief existence
ended.
In November 1851 ne appointed stage man
ager for the theatre newly established by Ole
Bull at Bergen, and went to Germany for three
months to study the art OF stage production. and
while there wrote 'St. Johns Night which, with
others of his early plays he subsequently produced
at Bergen. For five years he was In active stage
management in that city, presenting many dramas
and each year one of hts own. until In 1856 his the
Banquet at Solhaug" was heartily received at the
chief cities of Sweden and Norway
In 1851 he was made director of the Norwegian
Theatre. in Christania. and the following year he
was married With Bjornson and other poets and
dramatists he founded the Norwegian Society, to
oppose the supremacy Of the Danish drama IN
Christiania and their influence led to the return or
the Danish players to Copenhagen. His manage
ment Of the Norwegian Theatre plunged 1t into
bankruptcy the players found fault with his man
agement, and his plays. THE Vikings Of Helgeland
and Loves Comedy were condemned, ana IN
1852 he left the theatre and sought place in the
custom house His friends endeavored to get him
poets pension and this granted TO him in
1856 He then went abroad for term of years
going first to Rome where he wrote his satirical
poem on public men of Norway. Brand From
Rome he went to Dresden. where Peer Gynt a
dramatic poem, was published in 1867. and later to
Munich and 20 Italy and the Orient for extended
trips In 1869 his THE League OF Youth pOliti-
cal comedy, appeared. and was the last work OF
the kind save THE Emperor and Galilean, IN
1873 His interest thereafter was centred IN social
problems. and he produced the series OF dramas
which contain that characteristic personal presenta
tion Of realism which has to be called 'Ibsen-
ism The Pillars of Society," the first Of this series
anpeared in 1877 followed by "A Dolls House IN
1879; Ghosts" 1881; AN Enemy or the Feople'
1882: THE Wild Duck" 1884; RosmershoHh,
1886; The Lady from the Sea- 1888; heuuA
Gabler'' 1890: Master Builder Solness" 1892; Lit
tie Eyolf" 1894 ''John Gabriel Borkman' 1896 ana
when the Dead Awaken" 1900.
Ibsen has had many admirers in this country
and frequent attempts have been made at stage
representations Of his plays. Prominent actors
have often been engaged in these. and with regard
merely to the performances some OF the produc-
tions have been extremely credtabe. 1t Is scarcely
necessary to say. however, that no one OF them
with the possible exception of "A Dolls House
has ever made the slightest approach toward popu-
larity. The disciples OF Ibsen have bewailed the
inability of the public to appreciate the dramas as
acted before them, but the public has remained
Dbdurate. and two performances OF any
given play in the same city have generally proved
enough "A Dolls House" has been repeatedly
given in this city and elsewhere both in English
and in German. and. although it has never en-
joyed any extended 1t has met with more
public favor than any of the rest. Others which
have had occasional performances in this country
are Ghosts The Pillars Of Society" 'Hedda
Gabler," Master Builder Solness.' Little Eyof"
and John Gabriel Borkman."
From 1856 to 1891 DR. Ibsen Ghe University OF
Upsala Sweden. gave him the degree of Doctor of
PhoIosy in ND lived away from NoTwayi % resent resent
but after 1891 he made his home in ChTistianla HIS
he received gifts ana Sreeuss from alIhost every
part Of the civilized world In iSSS q 6rqHze M
been a great amount of discussion in print of his
meaning in both English and German DR. lhsen
Norway. and who married a daughter OF Bjornson.
the poet. Ibsen thus described by a Tribune
''Ibsen is a portly, large framed man; with
mead. He has thick white hair keen blue eyes be-
hind pair OF close tftng SpectaSlSs , and coarse coarse
ness of perception in his eyes. a suggestion of i'll
temper in his nose and downright pessimism in his
eiabe man. who does not enjoy talking with his
them. He has few companions and lives quietly
almost like recluse.
Journalists he ahhors with profound aversion
and denounces Calumnators. He is a philOs
opher of the type of Diosenes. disposed believe
that it is a self-seeking, dishonest world vet cyni
caIly Indifferent to the bearings of morality long
he can have his aCrid Jest ana practise his art.
He does not pretend TO be a moralist, but takes
pride in calling himself literary artist who writes
dramas of human passion and emotion
-0
P. J. M'HALE BISHOP OF PORTO RICO
New Orleans. May 2S.-News reached Roman
Catholic circles in this city yesterday that the Very
Rev. Patrick J. McHaIe has been appointed Bishop