Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-02
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES e. TRACEWELL.

which presents itself to the pen Of
the historian. as Fielding insists on
| calling himself, and all others who
really try TO depict human nature
"as H."
In relating mans actions, he says
great care Is to be taken that we dc
not exceed the capacity OF the agent
we describe.
Nor Is possibility alone sufficient
to Justify us; we must keep likewise
within the rules of probability" II
must not be forgotten that writers
for the past $50 years have been act
ing on this advice, so that 1t may
have no appearance of newnass T.
the modern reader, 1t was some
thing of Il new doctrine. however
when Fielding enunciated 1t.
The general historian, who deals
with we'll known characters. such Oh
kings, has common knowledge to sup
port him. Those historians who re
late public transactions have the al
vantage of us who cont1ne ourselves tt
scenes of private life. The credit OF
the former Ia by common notoriet5
supported for long time; and public
records. with the concurrent test1
mony of many authors, bear evidence
to their truth In future ages. Thus 8
Ira jan and an Antonnius, a Nero anC
a Caligula, have all met with the be
lief of posterity; and no one doubts but
that men so very good, and SO very
bad. were once the masters of man
kind"
" X X n
Those who paint private character
he says, must stick closer to probable
ity, on account of the tendency of hu
man nature, which makes readers
more likely to believe in picture of an
evil man than in that of a perfect one
Fielding says that he might relate
the history of a widely known muir
derer without creating any doubt ir
his readers, but let him, on the Other
hand, tell his readers of q perfect man
much doubt would arise.
No one would believe him, he con
tinues. should he tell them of man
of his acquaintance who was self-made
in every respect, who got together 9
huge fortune with preservation of self
respect, who injured no one, whe
bettered public revenues at the same
time he helped his own, who was sim
pie, yet astute who sought occasions
for benevolence and equally to con
ceal his good deeds, who had a. won
QSFIul HDiue lHu tAiOt VtAN -sft~3
every office with distinction. who was
a most tender husband, a kind reia
ton, a munifeent patron, warm and
firm friend, indulgent to his servants
hospitable to his neighbors, charitable
to the poor, and benevolent to all man
kind.
"Who would believe? No one" And
yet, continues Fielding. he actually
knows such man.
"But a. single instance 1s not sufH
eient to justify us, while we are writ
ing to thousands who have never
heard of the person, nor of anything
like him."
He afflrms that factions should be
such as may not only be within the
compass Of human agency. and which
human agents may probably be sup
posed to do; but they should be likely
for the very actors and characters
themselves to have performed"
II will venture to say" he adds,
that for a man to act In direct con,
tradiction to the dictates OF his nature,
Ia, If not impossible, as improbable
and as miraculous as anything which
can we'll be conceived"
Yet he warns us as follows:
Though every good author will con-
fine himself within the bounds of
probability, 1t Is by no means neces-
sary that his characters. or his incl
dents. should be trite, common or
vulgar"