The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-10

H
 N Brown university. in commenting A upon a certain view which he thought proper to combat, called it "a view full of the subllmest nonsense" The Rev Tiberius Gracchus Jones, in replying to President Robinson, reproduced the phrase "sublimest nonsense,' and added the words whatever that may be-" From 1 this one would naturally suppose that the critic was skeptical as to the existence l of "sublme nonsense" 1. e., that he doubted whether nonsense is ever sub 1 lime.
 | It is not my purpose to take sides on 1 this question When two such masters of thought and of style as Tiberious Jones l and E. G. Robinson are engaged, l feel disposed to say: "It is very pretty fight as it stands, and I will not spoil 1t by meddling." Still. the controversy suggests the highly important part which nonsense has played in our literature. l Shakespeares fools are prominent characters In some of his most magnih- cent dramas. These "fools" were pro- fessional nonsense e-makers, and were em- ployed, encouraged, paid and petted by nobles and Kings. What would King Lear be without the fool?
 But. leaving out the professional fools as we'll as all the nonsense which Shake speare intentionally and deliberately wrote to amuse, it is clear that nonsense is sometimes the very best sort of sense. If this were not true, how could it ever be right for us to follow the Biblical precept Answer a fool according to his folly? and how could Paul say: T speak as fool'? Was not the Prophet Elijah doing just this when he tauntingly said to the false prophets of Baal: "Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is talking or he is pursuing, or he is on journey, or peradvent1re he sleepeth and must be awakened"
 Many people imagine that they have Shakespeares authority for the false and foolish maxim There is nothing in a name" But look at the facts of the case: Miss Juliet, a sweet little love-sick girl, is desperately in love with hereditary enemy of her house; and as his name was an ugly fact in her way she attempted to reason herself into the belief that the name was of no consequence. In this frame of mind she asks herself: Whats in a name?' and adds the rather ir- relevant remark: "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" The great dramatist here shows his sense by making the lovesick girl talk nonsense. And yet, what a power Miss Juliets nonsense has been in the world!
 Campbell. in his admirable work on '"The Philosophy of Rhetoric" glvte some space to the discussion of nonsense; and the space is by no means wasted. He quotes from "rhe Teutonic Theosoplst." Jacom Boehm, remarkable passage which to most readers will be unmit- igated nonsense: "All the voices of the celestial joyfulness qualify. commix and harmonize in the fire, which was from eternity In the good quality" If any reader should conclude that this sen- tence CD when written was a piece of mere rigmarole, with no attempt at a meaning that reader would certainly be wide of the mark; for Jacob Boehm was one of the most serious men that ever lived, and he was not fooling, but meant to mean something.
 Whether any human being. not a pronounced idiot, ever talked the hope lessly insane and dreary drivel which Mrs. Nickleby always talks in one of Dickens finest novels is question which. to the credit of human nature. I feel strongly inclined to answer in the negative; and after a careful study of the sub ject, I am convinced that the great novelist, in creating such char acter, who is utterly without character, committed serious breach of the prin- cfples of his art. "Barnaby Rudge" is bad enough; but Mrs. Nickleby Is in-