The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-02

the system or the trcatlse IL iOSltt''
that Of the essay is artistic. The one
is all III, better for being apparent
and transparent: the other is lost X
not skilfully concealed.
A device to admit the muddlehcad
to the pleasures OF authorship, one
early writer called IL: but on the one
hand heads esteemed muddlcd are not
rarely keen when operating through
graphic. not oral media. Garrick.
saying that Goldsmith talked like
poor Poll" gave him just credit for
writing like an angel" Boswell was
called an INSPIRED IDIOT" by a critic
who said: Had he not been a great
fool he would never have boon a
great writer" And on the other hand
mere writing will not carry" the
essay. No shell OF style" can float
n cargo OF piatitudc 10 any port Of
literature hut the haven OC .os, ships.
Henry st. John, Lord Bol ngbroke. is
Prof. Walkers case IN Dc.u'
His skill Is inJsput,b.e. aud set the
modern reader II left wondering at the
reputation he once enjoyed. He has moth
ing to commend him but style; and style.
somehow. refuses 20 be divorced from sub
stance. and loses its power TO charm when
1t "a 40 divorced. Boiingbroke has been
praised 5y no less critic than Lord
Morley "a ranking. lin ali that musicians
call execution. only below the three o.
four highest masters OF English prose-
But he adds that "of all the writings in
our literature his Is the hollowest, the
nsshiest, the most inslncere." And cer-
tsinly the second pronouncement Is re-
CURED to qualify the first.
Swift; saw In him wit. capacity,
beauty, quickness of apprehension,
good learning and an excellent taste"
He did. however, detect in his personal
manner some unpleasant affecta,ion
and in the same Ltterance he dis
claimed knowledge of what truth and
sincerity he may have" Co.eridge
called Swift the SOU OF Rabelais
dwelling in dry place" Lowell
went away back OF the Dean of s..
Patrick's to Thomas Nash for THE
English Rabclais." Nash was Rabe-
laisian in the prodigality Of his utter
ance: he presents farrago of various
matters with great parade Of learning.
He could lash the follies Of his age
without the black bitterness OF The tor
rible Jonathan. His wit is copious and
coarse" He is a Rabelais or Swift
OF stunted growth. But. as concerns
the English essay. he is ono of the pre-
Raconian "anticipators." He had NOT
the form" at all. in its Baconian.a art
status and post Baconlan refinemen;
OF craftsmanship. lie used bricks in
stead OF pebbles To rattle" the men
tai windows at which he dema nded a
hnn ~ r,o hue 4, t.
he remembered. windows were less
fragile. But-to reduce the PROPOSE
ton TO extreme terms-who that has
mind would not rather read dozen
pages OF Nash's salt crudities than OF
Bolinsbroke's polished vacuities? Es-
say writing Is not the art Of saying
, nothing. gracefully.
Professor Walker begins his his
torlcal sketch with the "anticipators."
writer's Of literary miscellany in the
Itlizabethan era-of which. by the way.
he believes the prose writings to be
improperly lauded in the lump. with
out the very necessary critical dis
elimination. He has of course to
make some arbitrary exclusions in his
selection Of writer's; the critical eseay
as a genre is taken from him for use
In volume on crit cism But Cax-
| toms prefaces are mentioned among
! the "anticipators' as representative Of
| the first efforts at the critical essay.
/ Some of the professors pupils al the
| back of the classroom win probably
wish that the instructor had spared
enough matter here and there TO
explain" Bacon more fully. "ObvS.
ously the general conception was Dor
rowed from Montaigne, whose essays
had appeared seventeen years before
the earliest Of Bacon's." Call Coke a
profounder lawyer iecr with Harvey
at the Lord Chancellor's knowledge of
| science, and the fact remains that eve
/ have to go back 10 Aristotle 10 dis
! cover Bacons superior in encyclo-
ps,dic range OF mind" \ busy man.
he was thrifty both Of time and OF
material To such man the essay
was Godscnd as means of giving
uttcrance 10 matter not proper to his
| major works. lie had them turned
into Latin. which he believed would he
a better prescrvat!yc than his native
| tongue. But II was not the scholars
but the bulk Of tho people N whom he
found his faithful, fame support ne
audience.
II is difYicult TO understand just
| what was the general regard of this
form OF composition at that time. II
was pretty definite establish
ment OF model; one wonders just
how deliberately Bacon took it up;
| with Just what consciousness of the
defects OF earEer English pens. what
deliberate aim. Certain II il that
be was not concerned with the mere
graces Of style there was somethinc
90 he said. and a correct way to say
liz with assurance Of acceptance
Had there been daily newspapers
then. the editorial article would have
served the purpose nicely: ever
though the political section OF the
essays is not the most important by
aim and effect. Undoubtedly the work
Of Bacon and his fellow "aphoristiC
essayists" cut the channel into which
editorial writing was naturally tC
flow. The modern editorial article
Is a descendant OF the Baconian cssa,
OF which the progcnitor might an,
probably would he more patcrnall,
gossamer OF epigram, flash tina
leaves no lasting image on the men
tai retina; thing commonly of NOR
sentiment than sense, an exercise, no
| nm nftarapra