New-York tribune., 1906-10-28

The new volume of tho literary history ok
England which NJ. JuSSerand. French AmbaS-
sador to the United States is about TO bring out,
deals, among other subjects, with the Literature
of the Reformation; with Huma nism rep
resented by Sir Thomas More; with Elizabethan
Prose and Poetry; with Edmund Spenser and
the Early English novel In a later volume the
author will treat of Shakespeare and the Eliza
bethan Drama
What does -moderuity" mean literary
watchword? In the opinion of writer for The
Chicago DIAL" it nearly always means some
form of marked novelty in expression Readers
of current essays especially must admit the
/ truth OF the sentences which follow:
No matter how shallow a writer's thought and
how empty his mind of all real ideas, if he
OF strange vocables in unexpected collocations
who do not think W for tbemseIves Seft eTnIev
n1ent Of the catchwocds of the clique. of those
literary current viii win for him the reputation
being abreast Of the latest thought IT. in addition ion
veloP an aptitude for paradox his admirers win
that cannot sound its hollowness concealed
serves of intellectual energy. II, finally, he be-
most Cherished beliefs and the most solemn con-
founder Of cult and md himself invested with
| the robes Of the prophet
| This novelty achieved at no matter what cost
of beauty or sanity" gives a sem mbance of fresh
ness, offers pretence of original thought and
| imposes upon many minds:
| To use Bismarck's famous description OF Lord
salisbur the lath painted to look like ron W,
prompts tins pose is that of ignorance rather than
! cspt it for what it appears may be trusted to bear
the strain 1t is from sn0Tanfe OF the mo5s sr E
their selfasurance and it is the same proud PCS &
esveTfng how false are the gods Of their worship
II is interesting to note the results of a demand
IN England for the best poeucal quotation de.
| fining "a gentleman" One quotation came OK
course, from the "Idyils OF the hInS
4
| Scarce other than my own ideal knlghf- @
| whose glory redressing human wrong:
Who spake no slander; no. nor hSIeheb me b 70 ll,
| And we see him as he moved,
How modest, kindly. all-accompiished. wise,
| With that sublime repression Of himself,
A0d of Rsyn IN Thnt To % tits fad don 0n" or to hs
Not making his high place the LaEless pereh
| For pleasure; but thro' all this tract OF years
| Wearing the white flower of blanleiess HE
| Another quotation came from Mr.. Kiplings
poem on his dead brother-n-law. Woicou
BaleStier:
he scarce had need to dOf his pride OF slough the
Zen as ne trod that day to God walked he from
In simpleIess and geutleness and honor and clean
So cup to lip in fellowship they gave him welcome
And made him place at the banquet board-ths
Who had done his work and held his peace and
had no fear to die
A third definition was derived from Ar. Henry
NewboIts poem, Craven:
Sidney thirsting a humber need TO slake,
| Nelson waiting his turn for the surgeons hand,
Lucas crushed with chains for a cOulrade 8 sake,
Outram cOveting right before command,
These were paladins, these were Crdven's peers.
These with him shall be crowned in story aud
Crowned with the glitter Of steel and the glnmer
Princes of courtesy mercifui, pro-d anS strong.
Mr.. Marion Crawford has been writing new
novel It's scene is set in ConstanunOple in the
! days of the Byzantine citys giCry, and its love
story IS that Of 4 warrior noble and a beautiful
| slave girl The romance is to bear the name Of
"Arethusa, q Princess in Slavery"
! In the current number Of "Nacmilian'S Maya
zine there is entertaining article on forensic
elocution-an article enlivcncd by illustrative an
! ecdotes. The author says that ne cannot call to
! mind any prominent member Of the British Bar
| who wiIfully invcnts words in order to secure
/ effect, as did the Irish barriSter, Egan:
Egan was an adept ut that kind of thing having
| the faculty OF aPpreciatug phonetic sound in
high degree; and after all that very largely
| into effective speaking. once When at q loss for
an appropriate adjective, ne referred to prisoner
! as ''this naUfrageous rutiian fine sounding
| phrase which it would be difficult to define from
[ 1Dy occasion had