The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-01-02

seen point of intense brilliancy. It is
a supplement, in the sense that it
gives us some real additional infOrma-
ton. 1t is a completion, in the sense
that it executes Guido and tells us
that all that was known of Pompilia' s
son. And finally, it is an introduction
to something else. For the poet. as
before said. would think he had failed,
unless he could at last eXtTicate us
from these special facts, from these
particular events, from the influence of
these individual characters, and set US
in the undramatlc ordinary world, in
which the effectiveness of those facts,
those events and that influence, and
the effectiveness of any moral work.
must at last be measured. The Of
fee. then, which this cantO performs
for the poem, is to help and encourage
the reader in its appropriation.
Many critics, even many favorable
critics. have called the structure of
this poem a literary experiment. It
most certainly was not that at all 1t
was a literary pecessity. For the ar
tistic structure is absolutely Identical
with the moral structure. Viewed
on Wardly, it is nothing more than a
| chain of monologues. with introduction
and conclusion. And monolOgues were
| not experiments. But viewed inward
| ly, if we once grant the total moral
| conception in the authors brain, how
| can We avoid admitting the necessity
! of such an artistic structure to sup
port it? What more direct and simple
method could be used. if a number of
| speakers are to show the worthless
| ness of human testimony? Direct
! because the mechanical Introduction of
| the speakers, and the moving of them
! from scene to scene, are avoided.
! Simple-because each speaker has his
! say out before the next begins, and
| thus all confusion is done away with.
| The structure is novel, of course;
| that is to say, there has never been
anything like it. And so is every new
| poem novel in some sort. But it is not
an experiment.; there is no uncertain
! feeling for the next step here: the
authors footing falls confidently on
! firm ground. To put it plainly, if any
one asks the question, what is the
artistic significance of The Ring and
! the Book? The answer should be, 1t
! has no artistic significance. Or We
| can say that the only artistic signiii-
| canoe it haais the unparalleled coordi-
nation and identity of its visible form
with its sensible spirit. 1t is a fitness
! of shape to use which is so complete
| that propriety ceases to be ADVENT
| tious or intentional, and becomes Or
ganic.
| We inquire, then, what is the ma
| ture of this Wanted moral structure,
! the perfection of whose details has
| been so often alluded to? And for the
! sake of more graphic answer, this
paper has been furnished with "a zdia-
gram, now to be explained. In the
| first place, We must carefully distin-
| guish between the external fact and
central truth as represented on the
chart and as understood in the poem.
| The external facts are the facts about
| the story. that Guido was guilty in Ger.
| tain specified ways, and that Capon-
sacchi and Pompilia were innocent in
act and intention. The central truth
| is a truth part from the story itself
| but inculcated by it; it is, as we call
| it. the moral. The central truth is
! this: that human speech, reputation.
| testimony and Judgment are false or
| partly false; that true justice is re-
| posed in neither the body polite nor
| the body social nor the body ecclesias-
tiCal. neither in the courts Of law nor
! in the common opinions of mankind.
nor IN any man wholly, nor in any
man partly who is warped by fndiffer-'
| enCe or by prejudice; that virtue re
| qu.=ts an Cld-fashioned Christian c0ur-
AEGEAN instant readiness to attack and
defend; that innocence must often do
what will seem to compromise it; but
that there is a moral victory in the
end
Turning now to the Chart CChart y
We see a map of the readers progress
towards this central truth The reader
is introduced into the complication OF
! the plot at a point which indicates
that as yet he has no very definite ap-
prehension Of Pompilia's guiluessness.
We then circle to the left hand OF ex-
ternal error. where Half Rome pre-
seTts a false version of the story;
then lean to the right hand Of exter-
nal truth, where the Other Half Rome
defends POmpilia and condemns the
Count: and then return to a point OPP
posite where We began, though nearer
within, where Tertium Guild speaks
with a neutrality somewhat justified,
as his. knowledge Of the case is 50
small. This completes the first circle
We have gone to both extremes of ex-
ternal truth and error. but as vet we
are far from an understanding of the
central truth.
We next swing to the left again and
back to the right. successfully through
Count Guido Franceschini, "apOnsaccht
and PompiIia. The third circle taxes
US past Hyacinth, who incines half
way towards external error and yet
partakes somewhat Of q justified neu-
trality because of his professional !
training and his duty Of defending the (
Count. The effect Of the speech Of
Rottinius is neutral, for he first ad-
mits Pompilia guilty, and then in /
vents her defense; and uniustifably |
neutral. both because his side of the |
case would naturally bias MIN in the
direction Of truth. and because he had |
every chance TO ascertain the inward |
facts, denied such a man as Tortium |
Quid. The Pope Of course leans TO /
the side Of external truth. and more /
over comes very close 10 making quite /
plain the truth which lies in the cen I