New-York tribune., 1911-02-25

pio,ant effect without carrying the es-
scntial argument much further. PER
hans ve have a weakness for the sheer
/ penius Of the F'lorentine secretary, siH
ister IN his moral fibre. but achieving a
| kind Of grandeur in his political con-
/ ccntions Remembering the bleak CO.
gencv of "The Prince" its ruthless logic'
as of something so dispassonately force
! ful as TO be almost majestic. we ih'o'-
UNFAIRLY resent Mr.. Wells's implication
chat his bero's reflections on government
arc forged Of the same metal. is IL tHa'
Machiavell. after all, belongs TO the
aristocracy of intellect and that Kem-
ington IS an incurably common inu'-
yiduaI? To some extent that accounts
for orr feeling that the Introduction vi
tho Nachiavellian idea into this book IS
nresumntuous. and an artistic piemish
into the bargain. But we are HoNeu
also by the fact that these pages are luIi
of Mr.. Wells. and he is not Machiaveih'
not by any means
He has lust fallen short of the crea-
,ive q affirmation which would have turned
Remington into a type solely respohsioie
for his own outpourings. Lfeilhe DIS 10
this politician, he is also unmlstahapi!
stalking horse for Mr.. Wells, and we are
always conscious Of the latter behind
him. And IL Mr.. Wells has his con-
structive ideas ne has also his mere us
content, which not infrequentiy causes
him to lapse into something IKE pee'lsh-
ness. The general view Of present po-
litical conditions embodied in this pook
has certain largeness, but there are de-
tails which point rather to siilail anu
fretful mind These appear especiahE III
those considerable parts or the doom
which describe the hero's boyhood ana
school davs his stay at Cambridge, ana
even his later period as puhlicist ana
member of Parliament, working among
men for the realization of man deep
lv Wondered beliefs. There is too much
easy scorn Of things as they are as
there IS too much patronage OF those
who keep them so. Though the authoi
satire Is otter undeniably as just as IL
is amusing. one cannot help feeling that
II Is q little out Of harmony with the
grave purpose Of his book. Mr.. Welis
inouest on British politics is an inquest
on eternal human nature, and while we
can watch with sympathy the use or the
scalpcl we find the pin prick not only
trivial out irrelevant And yet. tor all
its faults. this is brilliant book
1t is brilliant in its minute and often
extraordinarily vivid reproduction of the
traits and emotions characteristic oi
Remington at the different stages OF his
development. 1t is brilliant in its work
ing out of his political evolution. which,
IL sometimes rendered little tedious
by the hard glibness OF Mr.. Wells $
preachments, is mostly we'll energized
by the latter's sincerity, and ends by IN
teresting us. even against our VIII. Ana
the book is brilliant, too. In its analysis
of passion. Remington's wife is won
derfully portrayed, and though the
charms Of his mistress are not made
sufficiently manifest to provide a clear
justification for his elopement with her'
and the consequent abandonment Of his
career, we are not sure but that this
constitutes the authors most telling
stroke. Man is. to be sure. an meal
culable creature. and it Is not, perhaps,
necessary that the reader should be-
lieve in Isabel in order to believe In the
absolute naturaness Of the sacrifice
lou or he
no doubt, are like that, and when they
fall in love with loving are sometimes
capable dc tout. Mr.. Wells might safely
have made Isabel pretty doll. She
would still have served his purpose. At
all events the numerous passages on
the intellectual sympathy binding the
lovers together seem. though terribly
plausible, not at all conclusive. 1t Is
love. unquestioning love. that turns
Remington from his path
There we come back 10 the curious
ambiguity Of The New Machiavelli' as
work of art. Mr.. Wells has not fallen
between two stools; he has got into diff
fculties with three. Starting 10 write
the story OF his hero's life, his narrative
develops into a political tract, and II
closes on a note of pure romance. Hence
our remark that his masterpiece re-
mains to be written, the homogeneous
novel i'm which his ideas. his energies
his remarkable technical powers. will
march evenly toward an appointed end
We can imagine this book itself rewrit-
hrc Rlt
need to be rewritten in order 10 be read
No book so full Of thought, yeasty but
eager, could fail to give pleasure to
those who like to be entertained by
their fiction and like also TO take it
seriously.
LOVE IN NAPLES