New-York tribune., 1910-10-08
The Ideas. Infiuence.an6'F anne OF
Walter Paser.


wARrE-s. THE EPICTREAN- bis ser, Ser
sa1ions and ldeas By 81 Sslel a-s --l,e
In Two volumes. svo. pp- II --S' 1i
Macmillan Company -
IMAGINARY PORTRAITS ~ ',,,;IIs SI5f1 n
PaTer. svo, pp. 15s The Macliiii
Company. -
.pPRFCEArroNs. With An Essay Sei @n
The Macmillan ConapanN-
pT.ATo AND PLATONISM- series 81 20
s,err71v,-s Fv Walter Patef- eN"- FF
sss The Macmillan COMPANY
CASTOR DE LATel h An : i'ssra1s so m tx
nance Rv Walter Pater- eNo' ft- 49,
IS. TIE Macmillan COMPANY
ON the back Of each title page IN tflis
-eur library edition Of the works %
Walter Pater there is printed a "l'i'0
r-aobiCal note which has certain pes-'
srr lnon the bread question as 10 Nfla'
this writer has meant 70 his time A1us
:. ,,aas-s that The Renaissance his
&C, boob. l,selished in 1873. has since
r,axxes through dozen rei''sI'ls-
.sNarius.' which dates from 1881. mas
G,ee- rerrinted fourteen times. and O. lhe
three volumes which followed Il re-
.-,ac+s,zelv- IN 1852. 1889 and 1888.
Imaginary Portraits Appreclatiohs
and Plato and Platonism. each has
been bat FIVE reprints Of ''Gaston oe
I.atosIr.~ but that fragmen- only saw lae
light IN 1896. These figures may mol ne
rxceeded hy the volumes which remain
20 conplete the promised set OF ten
-c--eek Studies. Miscellaneous Studies
p7d ESSAYS from The Guardian but
--shs-e,-e- their testimony u caliilo' q
r,,- The ses56 fact which We have "a
ready exposed. that within the peI1o0 "a
-h;-,,-o5d wears which HIS witnessed
she rise 81 this writer and his sub]eclloh
= 80 -a,-e7est critical discussion he has
steadily held his own. There mas oeeH
= demand for hiss books such as q nom
jnauv far more popular author Ii'isli'
envy. II may he noted also that once j"
"a. co,,rse Of his literary fortunes ne mas
s,nen honored by an edition oe 4-Ae'
which is now q prize Of the aue'io1
-oorn and furthermore We have II 1ne
rr.sen1 reprint everything inst the lover
NJ GOOD rsper and presswork could de-
sire In these beautiful. slender VOL
umes. bound. as they are printed. IN per
-, <se-a We have another tribute 10
Pate-'s vitality
y * one inviting rejection on ms
rha-srteristics and The development ol
has fame. When Mr.. Maliock setlrlzeo
Tg-e- IN the Mr. Rose Of has Ne" fNe-
,r,bljc" IN 1S77. il probably never
crossed his mind that the object q ms
rnfrrh woIlld become \ kind ot c4a5Sic'
-horp were few tlien who would nave
blamed him. and 10 this DAY there are
many who are still skeptiCel. as there
sre MAN. 70 whom Pater is scarce more
shan = name. Despite this Unnistakahle
,-og7ln o. his Il is doubtful If he has
entered permanently ana as "eis4i's
fertflizinC force into The body Of nooeTh
thought. Perhaps the hest cleW % MS
sruffcs-ce lies IN the recognition - the
far- rnsr such an eventually was quite
outside his ambition. Though he sa1p-
-s-e5 himself in the spirit of Greek lie
and thought he made no pretensionz IS
= robolar. Though he V-as jealous M
re--rrzter of Plato. he had no elahorafely
,-or,e---lcf5ve scheme II philosophy 10
offer ass readers Pater was. rather. the
--iz-fu'i-- modest ronnoisselr n senss-
-ions. and n -nsrsI h~Eicsl experience.
1r.t perhaps ton lsnEuid. IS he was Ger
7rte7ur7 any substantial addition to the
world g know ledge He asked the world.
instead. To share ms revHries n feel
~fth him the emotions produced bT long.
subtle snd almost nlaiutivelv fastidious
condemnation NJ this or that episode in
the history of mankind. phase e civil
izauon. great book OF monument of
art
There arr r7-o Illustrations of his point
RI yleV which. taken together. may carry
III little nearer 70 the secret of his
work The first occurs in his opening
lecture on Plato snd IN showing the
mood which he desired his students II
s6opt II shows something OF his own
method of approach. He saEs:
n the intellectual as IN the orgsuir world
the given product ifs normal or abnormal
chsracteTtstics, are determined, a. people
-sT. hE thn -auTfTrnmeuf' The business
ri the EounE scholar therefore IN reading
i'lsfH. IS nor ~ take ms Siue N 0cnTro-
VeFST. 20 adopt ~ rafUTe piafoE opinions.
20 modify. or make apology -or. what may
seem rr~atfr or impossible in him. stlil less,
20 furnish himself with arguments on be-
hsf ~ some theory or conviction Of his
oTn. His duty IS rather io follow inteliI-
gently hui with strict Indifference the
mental process there. as ha might witness
. game of skill better stil. as IN reading
ffaff3fEl nf ne ADiNlTe .DTflfeliA- 50 IN
-cadiug The Republic 10 watch. for its
dramatic interest. the spectacle Of q pow
ertul. o. a sovereign. intellect. translatiDg
itself. smic a complex grOun Of conditions
which can never tH rte nature Of things &C
cur again. a. once plant and resistant a
TaPau. into great literary monument. TO
faUi Plato into his nstura5 place. a. a result
frnTG au1ereuPFt and CDnTeTnD DOraTE move
mems Cf Greek speculation, OF Greek life
genetallV- such Is the proper aim Of the
historic that is 20 say Of the really crit
ios' study OF him.
There you have one oI his thiefest
virtues his disinterestedness. Never
was there an honester critic, one more
reselute upon seeing the thing as IL was.
more faithful to an ideal Of unprejudiced
detachment. j YOU ask how ne found
his account in this process ~ examining
his material ~ tasting life Of turning
the things - -he mind over and over
again with sort of loving curiosity.
you find the answer in that brief Con
ciusion" 10 his first book which he
omitted from the second edition. in fear
1f lis misleading the immature reader.
l.It ultimately restored to its place IN
these few pages he speaks with. for him.
scmeUA-as like asdor o. The JOYS OF in
teiiectuai excitement pursued for its own
sake. Not the fruit of experience" me
says. "buI experience itself Is the end.
md a.. com fufs..r = & foflsEre-