Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-06-28
New Books 81
& In ReBeMzA
Warner. the NfetanhysIclan.

=
Wagner, the Metaphysician.
Wagner, after he had formulated
his musical philosophy to his own
satisfaction, with mental labor pains
of excruciating intensity, must needs
tell the world, or what to him was
the world, the musical cognoscenti.
the gynaechological history of its
birth and the inner meaning of its
conception. He naively began by hop
ing that when an artist in wonder
viewed his completed work he was
always puzzled to find a reason for
its creation. Proceeding from this
premiss, he attempted to enlighten
others upon a problem which re-
NAMED to him insoluble. AS in the
case of all Germans, he placed no
limit upon his thesis and the result
was a vast system of philosophical
explanation often as difficult to COM
prehend as the writings of Fichte.
Some there are who profess to see
light shining through this maze of
words, but musicians as a rule are
content to take Wagner's own word
for his theories and turn to his glo-
rious music for relief. But in thu
midst of the composers labored es-
says, there is much that Is brilliant,
much that is inspiring and a great
deal that is interesting as an elucida-
ton of a great mans mental consti-
tuition. These gems of thought Mr..
Evans has plueked from their context
with infinite labor and offered for the
benefit of the general reader in this
book. AS instances of self-revela-
ton these are better than the au-
photography which Wagner wrote
and in which self pathos and
despair are strangely mingled. 1t is
well that the admirers of Wagner
should read Mr. Evans's book. 1t
will add to their knowledge of their
idol more than they could get by
reading such writer's as Bernard
Shaw, who knows his German we'll
but very little of the real Wagner.
WAGNER'S TEACHINGS BY ANAL
OGY. BY Edwin Evans, sr. Rees.
Chestertoniana.
G. K. Chesterton reminds one of a
not far from Newark. He has been
long connected with a paper much
affected by certain people, descend
ants of an ancient race. This editor,
whose pride of authorship is highly
developed. at the time of the Drey-
fus affair wrote an article which was
accepted by popular magazine The
title iof the article was THE Truth
About Dreyfus.' AS a composition
the brochure was commonplace and
displayed neither imagination nor
controversial skill. However, there
after all articles by the editor were
signed, by the Author of The Truth
About Dreyfusi' This indicates the
spirit of Chesterton, the massive lit
terateur, whose head is as redundant
as his conceit. In The Victorian
Age in Literature" the author dis
plays all of his weaknesses and many
of his strong points of memory and
research. Browning, Dickens and
Meredith, Oscar Wilde, Thomas
Hardy and Henry James form the
subject of his familiar talks. Indeed,
talks is a good word to employ in
connection with his book Montaigne
talked, too, and he used as many
words as Chesterton, but there was
something besides platitudes In his
verbosity. If he was at loss for.
a moment, or If his mind wandered,
he could digress to tell why men
loved lame women. But one need not
look for any such enlightening gos-
sip in Chestertons book. His one
idea seems to be that If a statement
be made in bizarre fashion, or in
what he feels must be considered as
in brilliant phraseology, it must be
far removed from commonplace. Mr..
Chesterton, alasl is infected with the
common error of the shallow writer
whose facility is undoubted and who
confidently believes that he has some-
thing to say when he has not, even
though he can write uncounted col
umns, like 1.-The Author of the Truth
About Dreyfus!"
THE VICTORIAN AGE IN LITER
AZURE" BY G. K. Chesterton. WILL
Jams and Norgate, London.
A Guide for Picture Collectors.
At intervals a paragraph in
newspaper relates that wonderful
art prize has been obtained by a
lover of paintings usually a man
possessed of full purse, but of lit
tie of the acumenJ of connoisseur.
These paragraphs have been rather
frequent of late, one of them at least
referring to a Newark resident who
purchased for song a Schreyer, so
called 1t would be well If such coll
lcetors should read the book of NJ.
Moreau- Vauthier 1t will at all
events serve as warning to them
though it may cause them to reex-
anime their prizes with a new. IN
easy interest. The authors relation
of the pitfalls prepared by forgers,
his relentless exposure of their
tricks. his amusing tributes to their
skill. will, we. fear, cause dismay
in many an elegant drawing-room.
New fronts glued on old backs, a
ACKNOWLEDGMENT pasted on six
| tenth century canvas bathed in
| licorice thickened with ashes, artifi-
| IL 49,.