New-York tribune., 1922-10-01

UN ETRONIUS is generally thought
n ~ to have lived in the time OF
n Nero and according to tradi-
IA tion was the arbiter Of elegance
and dictator of fashion in the
Court of Nero. Tho "Satyrcon'' is a
keen satire on the vulgarity of mere
wealth. its vanity and it's grossness,
and constitutes fragment containing
parts Of two books out Of a total of
sixteen. The author was interested in
the intellectual pursuits, as we'll as in
time. The worship of the flesh and
its lusts alternately disgusted and
fascinated him. Petronius is the burn
ing symbol Of the final corruption,
with its terror. it's magnificence and
pathos, of that tottering world Of
Rome which was shown to go down
before the rising tide Of q new relig-
ion and new race.
The book portrays an important part
of the history of civilization, and the
prosecution gives rise to the question
whether the record Of civilization can
be suppressed.
With this prosecution the Society for
the Suppression Of Vice seeks to in,-
pose duty upon the court to exercise
a censorship over literature with q
view Of suppressing work of literary
merit which has lived for 1900 years.
But such is rot the duty of the courts
irrespective of the character of the
book. unless its publication or circula-
tion is accomplished in violation of the
criminal statutes. The histor-
ical value Of the "Satyricon" is a mat
| ter which cannot be lightly brushed
aside. 1t must be admitted that the
"Satyrcon" is a part of the body OF
classical literature. It's value has been
recognized both from the historical and
| literary viewpoint. It has been as
signed the place Of the prototype Of
picturesque literature and critics have
| ayowed it's influence upon such great
writer's as Stern, Fielding, Smolet
| and Rabelais.
Its value TO the student and the
scholar is such that it would be toe
serious matter to deny access to 1T
for ancient literature enlarges and en-
riches the mind.
There are undeniably many obscene
passates in the book, but the mere eX
istence Of isolated passages is not O.
itself sufficient to condemn literatr!
work as falling within the prohibitlV'
pale. for, if such were the rule, an at
tack could be launched at almost ever,
Time has determined that this worl
must survive, and were it simply
niece of obscenity it would have per
ished long since and never hav
reached the portals of this tribunal
If we are to hack away at work tina
has stood the test Of ages, are
not pitting temporal opinion agalns
the cumulative weight Of authority o
centuries, which must perforce over
come the voice Of protest that singl
generation might raise!
vii! it not incur the reproach OF ms
tory and the indignation of tradltlo
for us at this time to say. that TN
or that classical work shall live or dle
Has not the wisdom OF the ages fen
dered such works inviolate from GU
interference!
The works of art and literature o
an ancient age cannot be judged b.
modern standards. The good OF pos
sessing those literary and cultural rec
ords Of the past that constitute TN
yerv spiritual continuity OF clvliiza
ton cannot be outweighed by any I'm
aginary evil that is alleged against tn
"Satyricon." -, =,
If the "Satyricon" is to fall, tn
contemporaries of Petronious mus
also come under the ban. And WHOM
do we find to be his contemporary u
, tenders? Ovid, the master OF the e: ele
giac couplet and who in the creatlv
period Of English literature was rea
more than any other ancient poet, no
even excepting Virgil. His influence !
seen on Shakespeare, Marlowe, Spen
cer. Milton and Dryden. Juvenal, Tn
great Roman poet, satirist and rheto
ric,an, who held up to bitter scorn TN
depravities Of the days OF Domitlai
Nero, Claudius and Messalina. Juvens
has written with immortal fire his az
testation of the tyranny and cruelt.
debauchery and luxury and the levlt
and effeminacy OF the days of Roma
To Suppress the "satyricon" is t
suppress one Of the two extant Lati
novels of the post-classical age, lea,
ing but the Golden Ass" Of Apulelu
and thereby depriving students OF an a.,
knowledge Of the actual life OF tn
Roman people. AS literature is an II II
. terpretative description Of human III
it cannot limit itself to the. interpreta