New-York tribune., 1907-10-29
WHAT WAS sAPPHo7
a REPLY BY HARRISOS GREY FISKE TO THE
CRITICISM OF WILLIAM WINTER.
TO the Editor Of The Brooklyn Eagle.

TO the Editor Of The Brooklyn Eagle
hen dramatic critc OF n The long esab
or approves play sFecihcaliys his utteraneefs @ Gf
presumably al least are deemed py a cons
20 be marls~d by scholarship, honest judgment anu
Permit me therefore. to point out that Mr VIM
ters notice of Mr., Percy Mackaye's "sapPho ana
Ing in all three of THESE qualities -.
He says, for example, follows: The story OF
degenerate who lived in the Island of Lesbos
Whose story Of Sappho? The historical story
q sappho-all that is known of its not Fich sSG;
EE Winter criticsingis not not such Of
sntiquify designate her as 4 tribas, and several
OF them descant on her proceedings in language
What iaE aHthorifes Of antiquity? It is simple pie
eitc's error and the origin Of his antiquated
aad blgndering scholarship; 3TsF1on SToIg N a.
1T was not until the year 1916 that the current current
cslunries AGAINST Sappho were seriously lnqulIeu
into by the celebrated scholar OF Gottnge, on
e1ck Gotlieb Wecker, and found 10 De iTicker
published his celebrated refutation or the IoHs
1evaiing Prejudce It is certain that his search,
Ing Ing criticism Ist maze tn IL pos posS'Pie 6ss 70 been Written
since has succeeded in invaldatns MS man ''''-
The society and habits Of the Aeollans at Les L
6os In Sapphos time were as N BIoNI1ouL - 49,
rsst to those '' Of the kt6enians in The period Of
" 1eer corruption just as the unenviaPe % fbe date
Of Ssppho. In a later and debased age, she be
came a sort OF stock character OF the hceItious
drama. The fervor of her love, and the purify OF
per life. and the very fact of woman hdVlhg
oeen the leader Of school OF poetry ana must;
could not have failed 10 lave been misunderstoSod
oy me Greek comedians at the close OF the MIN
century B. c. -
IT IS not surprising" writes Mr.. Philip Smith
"a his article "Sappho' in Smiths Dictionary cf
ssteek and Roman Biography" that the carry
snlstian writer's against heathenism should E haEe
accepted Misrepresentation which the Greeks
themselves invented
Is 1t not surprising however. that in this year.
= u, 1907, Mr.. William Winter, critic % ana
-Hoiar -, should still give credence and vogue,
" ms pen, 10 Misrepresentation that were crtl-
fiiy dispersed for al time in the year Sl6Y AS
&c IS one CT those who know has Mr. winter
sseT heard Of Welcker2
Aafifestiy Mr. Winters authorities Of antiquity
fse none other than the comic poets OF the de-
.-ctte, Athenian whose slanderes nave al
teS teSslea themselves 10 the name Of Sappho down
.s g1f own time. and the misrepresentation title
Dsuaets popular play and novel. OF such pop
. So ihisconception Mr. Mackaye was well aware.
r. ~ was one OF his chief motives IN writing
~ present. play 10 dispel those misconceptions on
f,sst ~ a lofty and passionate indvidualist and
raii1 aAu mus 70 make more widely known the
sGf s,,Icluslons ~, of sound scholars.
<fnet.-" -" tne poets OF the world" says John Ad-
N Eli ~ syinonds, of all the Dlustrious artists
Y,osS' nutfstures, Eappho Is the whose every
sesl 80 lsas peculiar and unInistakable perfume,
Rueb aagg5olute perfection and illimItable grace
tffeftss.s.l lungs hers endowed with keener
Df is with sensuaiity more noble because
Saeltg, with emotions more profound, with
hat ,sSnallogs Of sioic-Epicurfan acceptance,
human iif ana exquisltely apprehends the facts OF
0ea' Historically for Mr.. Winters fictitious