The sun., 1909-01-24
THE EXPLAINERS.
Never Read . Great Book. but Read
About II and About.

To TEE EDITOR or TIE SuN-!Sr: This
IL the golden age OF the lii erary eIplainer
Bsnighted former ages read the masters
but We have discovered a more excellent
way. We allow dust to gather on the "Di-
vine Comedy" while we absorb books on
the message" OF Dante, We neglect Hamlet
and Bottom, the gloomy Moor, and the
snapper up OF unconsidered trihes" in otIt
enthusiasm over books on Shakespeare .
mind and art" True, a set Of his works
IL stu part OF the average Shakes pearian
: library. but the time Ia evidently near at
hand when books on the religion Of Shake
speare. tho effect OF Shakespeare on syzy-
gies and spelling reform. natural history
/ In Shakespeare. the English law In shake
! speare. the philosophical kinship OF Fai-
sfdf and Omar Khayyam. and the likeness
OF H'rmione TO Adelina Patti will with
/ their essential seriousness crowd the frly-
olous comedies and anachronistic TRACE
dies and deplorably Interest ing James, An
thony-FroudesQue historical PLAYS from
The shelves. Tennyson and Walt Whit man
have few points OF resemblance, but they
fare alike In this that both men being dead
the professional literary guide seeks 10
stand between the public and the works
OF each.
One fact regarding the literature OF ex-
planation has thus far escaped EN- phasIs,
perhaps because OF It's obviousness. II IL
that II is itself the offspring OF dar kness OF
spirit and intellectual despair. For these
books which so multiply upon MS are not
books OF information: such hooks. TO calI
attention to fourteenth century uses OF
English words when reading Chaucer, or
TO remind the Dante student OF matters
OF Italian history which he had forgotten.
are as necessary as dict tionaries: they tell
ls simply what the writer said or what he
Of
gins where these leave of; II tells MS what
the writer meant. Now the first requisite
TO- aaalify as the writer Of book Of ex-
PLANTATION N deep and ineradicable in
ability TO understand the author written
upon. No man essays an explanation OF
That which Sc seems to him TO be perfectly
cises himself. No man. for example. writes
q book on the Essay on Method" because
he thinks himself able improve on the
produce rival work on the theory OF
knowledge lie writes believing thai he
can can say the things that Deseartes said and
.fitss op the message Of IL fsnny.on %s% "no ,n'
stead 1d OF ietins ~ t.., In Menerism The Prin
selves does 40 hopins tbst % phesssse ne rs them
cious thought Of fensy%son % NAV 'es.y be- .aYsd pIe
by his intermediation from the obscurity
OF It's expression.
thought are masters OF lucidity. One OF
The things Necessary 20 keep q book ont OF
the uust nesp OF oolvion 10 that II shall
70 human speech, Classic utterance is
clear utterance. The man who cannot
understand the meaning OF "Lamor che
osophical note will never understand II with
one. though It is written In the. best re-
enforced concrete style OF the modern
university specialist. Let the expainers
danger menaces them continually
danger OF he rediscovery OF the masters,
The age OF scholasticism went its way,
making it's yoke heavy and its command
in dusty corners OF neglected libraries.
A. length came the swakenin scholas-
ticism. obscure and involved In thought,
went DOWN before the brilliant lucidity
age was born. So swiftly came the enian-
cipation that Of two tombs in Rouen Cafhe- |
drsl. the one that Of the Due de Breze the |
Gothic n and he ssseosd f an ssea ss, q pR.e R
naisssnoe, and a pinnacle Of the first il cut |
into by the elbow OF the csryatid OF the
secoId-and In this y parable and sign. We |
great writer's. Some day a reader Of books pE
on Dante will get hold OF a copy Of the
sCommedia. and Beatrice will tyanquish
.arnsst club Woman % VIII viii nnd some IN Gay Sornss me
OF q shelf devoted TO books on Tennyson
vim read and be lost, Some day a reader
him play beside the Plstonists' "Psychologi,
col critics" will be but museum speoimsns
q the student OF literary fungi. 4 child.
like and joyful understanding. OF the mas.
Of reverent and fearful agnosticism on |
the part OF the erudite few. The caryatId
supportinE the entablature Of the new
pinnaole- Of the ton6s Of the pressnt HS ordsT der
ST, LOWS Ho.. January 81. w. DROWN