The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-10

WuFH INr Ieaf IHfI ~ ne NHfIV '"WH
rratUsns Tho ViHtaa- ~ Heieeiand
shish o-euetsi his shaie tir,e foT h~af'v
. vsss hfrushf HIN In ~ ~ sf~eIe dn'lrss
W. rather mpfe NhsH ne sRm" n'ifu'ef ~
tmefIptN fnfsfa - nv ~ The fefaen
fhestfa fstFann fFi AMI issf WHs hu'
p1 strrls iuiltfs pr tNpur and y" hal ="
0esys ibe t1sn in drbt ~ a~truin'evsrt
~ NO S~orreeifo Theaifr w thfis'iHhla
hfrtfshf htm wv ~ tvef1fH 90 sterile NJ
.sfa ref aapum lut fbe faillfr N WHt
estsbuahrsHaf mrsNi = loss Nv him N eH0rS
than IN daFle ipllsfs ~ cell NJ cessation
n stssdy smpirvHrht A. ihe thfielisnis
fhssffe shleb Inv isH1 mHtir him ~ advisnr
In afiis,ie maiiers his nptrihsl saisfy Saa
y ststir dalisfs monthly hut N" rHYHven'
n ths fuii ttnnunt wts CONTINGENT rrnn
ma thentfe'a matihe larger rfohtH man
thai yeaf N was shle ~ fetufn, In yiew
n HE ~fsruniefy strata he NeldFrr.rd tWn
fatitipna ~ Tho Norwegian O~uverhnn"n,
IN lsoa for = yearly allowances ina, would
rratls him ~ study attoad Ahd acquire
thai foundation n general culture which
IL generally eatreried Indispensable Nv sic.
cessful literary achievement The result
~ tl,er- applications was 4 grant ~ Ihecn
~ m st~cie doliara annually, and IN the
sprihg n iset he went Ivy way ~ Copenhagen
and Barlin ~ Rnmn. whers h~ resided tl
tho spring NJ 1854. subsequently returning
thither and H%pendinG, indeed. Tho greater
part NJ his life away from his native and
B-fors reviewing, however. his experiences
In Rome We should pausr q nomant to re-
call SOM of the friends whom he left In
Norway, and who may he presumed To have
exercised considerable influence on the
trend ~ hIs ideas. Schuler'd va have
mentioned,
Another ~ the first ac~auaintances In
Ch%ristiania was Aasfnund NinJe. n maj
Of peasant birth. n schoolmaster and after
wnrd q Journalist. Though ten years
older than Ibaen, vinje was studytng In
Chr~istiania at tho came time with him
for the mAtriculation examination and
preparing himself with unfinching industry
to take an sotive part in the Norwegian
intellectual conflicts. He too. like lbsen,
was in q stage Of spiritual Torment, not
being as yet. In spite OF his ~ years, O
full grown man. In conversation WITH
him Ibsen heard forcible and charao-
teristio expression given TO an intellectual
tendency toward which he himself had
some inclination-the bitter scepticism
which poured contempt and r1dicule on
the normal endeavors OF the age and
trampled all its ideals under foot. Vinie
had arrived at the consciousness that all
truth Ia only relative, always In a ondi-
ton OF growth and development. His
recognition Of this fact produced his
sTvisyn" double vision), which oould
see right and wrong in the same thing.
This in its turn produced the originality
OF his ironic style, "a style that scratches
and pats, laughs and cries at the same
time"-or as Vinje himself put 1t, dances
on the edge Of a knife midway between
hea ven and hell" without allowing Itself
to be caught either by the one or the other.
The editors OF these letters point out that
in such a dance OF words personal re-
sponsibihty was apt to be forgotten. In
both vinje and Ibsen, however, the in
domitable will OF the fighter ultimately
triumphed over doubt in it's unhealthy
form. They retained their soepticism 30
far as any subjection to authority was con-
oerned. but they freed themselves from
its weakening power and became devoted
oombatants in the war for ideas. Self
satire, indeed, was not with
Ibsen at a later period, but he v became
30 addicted to it as Vinje, in whose style
it wal the life giving element. The editors
deem 1t not impossible that In writing
peer Gynt" Ibsen had Vinje In his mind
as "the man who always kept q retreat to
a new position open for himself
Another acquaintance made by lbsen at
Christiania in 1850, but one with whom he
was eventually much more intimately con-
nected, was Paul Botten-Hansen. He.
like Vinje, was OF peasant extraction, but
a better educated man, a passionate book
lover, an independent and original thinker.
He represented to a great extent the same
s~atirical and sceptioal school OF speculation,
but his scepticism was not 30 aggressive
and his satire was milder and more bumor-
GUS. In the matter OF style, especially the
style in which Loves Comedy and Peer
Gynt" are written, Ibsen seems to have
learned more from Botten-Hansen h from
any one else. Hansen taught lbsen to love
Holberg, on whose style Hansen's journal
istio writings we're modelled. Thus a real
spiritual kinship existed between the Nor
wegian genius, whose emanoipatory labors
in the eighteenth century had entitled
him to be called the father OF Danish-Nor-
wegian literature, and the poet in embryo.
whose own emancipatory struggles and
| labors we're to aid in creating a new era
in Norwegian literature and spiritual life,
and we're to extend their influence far be-
yond the bounds OF Norway.
A conspicuous member OF Christiania
society who interested himself at an early
date in Ibsen wal Bernard bunker, an
eminent barrister, one Of the men who
influenced both the social and intellectual
tone of the day. He was the most intimate
friend Of Welhaven, the poet; he knew well
Bjornson, who, although Ibsen's Junior.
was already receiving the homage OF his
oountrymen; he was a Scandinavian,
as an advocate Of Scandinavian union wal
called, yet he repeatedly gave active sup
port to the programme Of national indie.
pendenoe. To Ibsen, as we'll as to Bjornson
he was a capable, discerning adviser In liter.
airy matters, and his patronage was OF great
Importance to them socially. Another
good friend made by Ibsen was the repre-
sentative OF a different party, namely
Johan sverdrup, then the leader Of the
Liberals, a politician Of European fame
Sverdrup's interest in everything nationa
led him to occupy himself with the affair
of the Norwegian Theatre in Christiania
and this in turn seems to have led to hi