New-York tribune., 1910-10-08
Literary .Neae,s and Criticism

danger for the reader who has. while
awaiting the slow operations of nature
more temperament than brains lie
himself. pressing its sanctions to the eH-
tremest limit. adventurousiy explored
fairly wide field but ranged himseh
therein less as a thinker than as per-
sonality-a quiet. deiicately rulninatiVe
figure delightful 10 he with, in one
vaguer communings with the past. but.
while too seriously bent upon high issues
10 he Justly described as iecadent, too
precious" in spirit TO prove an un-
wearying companion. There are times
when Pater clogs. II there are moments
in which ne hinss across your face the
sweet winds Of Hellas, and others in
which he revives for you the warmer
more romantic airs of the Middle Ages
and the Renaissance. there are still
others full Of the too heavy and even
sickening fragrance Of strange lothouse
blooms. moments in which YOU taste not
the sound wine OF an authentic inspira-
ton. but. TO be brutally frank. some
thing very like sswdust. A very curious,
very ingenious and. on the whole rather
morbid toying with ideas takes the place
Of hard thinking. This leaves him,
nevertheless. Tor the reader who can
make the right qualifications, a writer OF
strangely compelling charm, one whose
traffic with almost any motive in art or
literature il is indubitabiy beguiling 10
watch. Always he is throwing off
family suggestive sayings, and always
does he keep his subject bathed in an
atmosphere which may be a little IN
healthy, and even a little false. but
which exerts by itself a certain spell.
Paradoxicslly speaking. II might be said
that The Renaissance" is an ideal in
PRODUCTION 10 the period treated-f you
know your Renaissance first. surely no
more need be said in explanation Of the
appeal he has long had, and still has.
Tor bool1ish folk or an epicurean turn Of
mind
On the other hand. il estimating his
influence and speculating as to the cause
% the frequent reprinting OF his books,
one has 10 reckon with something in the
grain Of his work that IS distinctly spe-
cious. Cnconsciously ne puts Us on the
track Of II in his saying that our failure
is TO form habits" Tested by his own
application Of il. this idea may be taken
10 spell a rejection of principles for the
sake Of Impressions. the substitution OF
sensation for reason. the sacrifice OF the
rigors Of logic for the Cyprian suaviJies
OF q happy dfletIanteism. The line
dividing what is tonic from what is del
eterious in his writings is not immedi-
aIely percepUible, and identification Of il
IS rendered the more difficult by the in
sinuating graces or his style. which fire.
quently cover the tenuity Of his idea.
This much may he hazarded. that il is
discovered quickly or gradually in pro-
portion as the readers intellectual habit
has been moulded by experience It
would be humorous but not altogether
irrelevant inquiry which had for its OBJ
5ec1 the II bulation Of the ages Of those
readers who have absorbed the many
editions Of Pater's books. We should be
surprised if the ardent young collegian
did not come in for leading honors. He
il is Tor whom the magic Of this n1-o-
S07"Ur has an irresistible attraction In
PateTs exquisite musings there Is
dreamy fascination. as Of some rare mar
CotiC. which seems 10 cpnsecrate all the
impulses stirring At p certain period Of
Imaginative growth Does the spell last
Does IL make for Visdorn as well as for
delight7 Mournful questions. that The
reader grateful for many gentle hour
Folld fain leave unanswered. But that
these questions inexorab1v ask them
selves is one eloquent comrzntar7- on
Psters indeterminste place in English
letters