New-York tribune., 1908-03-15
Che NeuDork 9rib,tsre.
SUNDAY, MARCH IS, 1908.

Dante Society in Egypt proposed to erect
statue of the poet in the Mahometan CITY.
Instantly the population was IN an uproar.
Dante's condemnation Of the Moslem prophet
lad not been forgotten. and the Muhicipai
Council of Alexandria was assailed by storm
nf public indignation for having accepted the
nroffered gift One native man of letters printed
~, appeal ito all Mahometans, and In espe-
ciaI those among them who traced their de-
scent from the Prophet and bis kin, to de-
nounce the proposal Of the Italians or Alexan-
dria. and to demand that the papers in the
municipal archives regarding the subject shouio
be formally burnt" Other manifestoes were
issued until all Egypt was in arms, whereupon,
of course. the Dante Society and the Municipal
council promptIy agreed to abandon the
scheme No other decision could have been
possible, and, as Mr.. Allen says, ut would IN
deed he absurd to criticise the suSceptbllies OF
the Esvptians until we should see what might
be said or done were it proposed to erect
statue of Saadin in Trafalgar Square
An appeal was printed in The Tribune last
Sunday from the Mayor Of Lichfield for SUD
scriptions toward the restoration OF the DHln-
nlacn of DR. Samuel Johnson in that town
II is the kind of appeal to which Americans
are wont to respond with aacrIty, and'
apropos, it is amusing to observe now ne
whirligis of time brings about strange Crans-
fornlatons 1t is not unnatural Tor EnSlahu
to ask us to aid in honoring Johnson, but now
It must make him open his eyes in the Edysian
Fields! Boswell has recorded how he called
the Americans "Rascals-R -Robbers-Pirates; e1-
claiming he'd burn and destroy them." and DE-
Campbell in his Anecdotes" gives this SOU
yenir of the great mans love for us:
Talking after dinner of the measures he would
nursue with the Americans, he said the first
thing he would do, would be to quarter the army
frna
he would pull down that persons house IL
was joyned to other houses but would purn IL
IF if stood alone. This and other schemes ne
nronoseG in the manuscript of Taxation No
Tyranny" but these, he said. the Ministry e1-
plunged.
1t was in 1915 that he wrote the pamphiet
mentioned. sturiily proving that we were haple
TO taxation by the British Parliament In l'ol
DR. Campbell twitted him with the fact that
times had altered. adding, Il don't hnd that
vou have succeeded So well in burning the
cities. and roasting the inhabitants of Amer
lea" Quoth the Doctor:
Sir what YOU say is true, the times are altered.
for power is now nowhere, we live under gov
ernment of influence not OF power t ntt on Id a M
NC treated the Americans as we oughL ana as
they deserved we should nave al once rdzeu all
their towns-and let them enjoy their forests
DR.. Campbell had the good sense to see that
'.after this wild rant argument would but have
enra ged him." and, he adds, Il therefore let
him vibrate into calmness.'
A contributor to the london Outlook rue
fIIlv 6iscourSeS on what he calls "a slump In
humor" The typical man of the age has little
If any sense of proportion. He takes hlmSeU
too seriously Notable among the humorleSs
pnns are the noyeliSts, who are terribly apt to
develop what is coars2ly but accurately de
scribpd as "sWelled head" situation on
which we have often made regretful comment
Is thus once more set FORTH
They are no longer content to tell US story:
thcy give us essays in unbeiief' or studies IN
mental pathology; yet surely there remain sun
interesting happenings in the world Whlch pet
ter deserve description than the intricacieS of
yC,Irc woman'S ii-regulated inside Critics. who
must be the most kind-hearted of men, have IN
vented the terms earnest work." "evident sin
cerity" to describe literary and artistic produc-
tiOns of appalling dingnesS. EarneStneSS and
sincerity are certainly fine things. but they are
poor substitutes in a novel for invention and
turuOr We ask for cake and are given q stone
and a good deal of dirt. Moreover. these seri-
Gus subjects evoke a portentouS elevation or
style, as follows: weep rot for the
victims Of Love- they have their consolation;
weep rather for those who enter on the stony
path ensaneuned with the p!umes Love himself
has torn from his wings 1t is hardly surpris-
in, if we shrink from the labor of unrayeng
such sentences. and take refuge with Charles
OA;aIIcy Mrs. Camp
No it is not in the least surprising if readers
turn their backs on the sort of nonsense illus
trated by this deliyerance on love, but we hope
tbo+ tbnv rpaIizn the fTII imDort of what they