12
YALE ALUMNI WEEKLY
THE BOOK SHELF.
[Conducted by ALBERT LEE, '91.]
“Were Literature.”
The guestion as to what real litera-
ture is, has been asked more than once,
and as many times answered; and no
doubt, if the replies of the wise men
and the learned were brought together
they would harmonize fairly well. Pro-
fessor Woodrow Wilson in his collection
of essays, ‘“‘Mere Literature” (Boston:
Houghton, Mifflin & Co.), puts the query
again, and himself answers it. His
statement is that the essence which
makes a piece of writing “Literature”
is reality. ‘A description written as if
with an undimmed and seeing eye upon
the very object described; an exposition
that lays bare the very soul of the
matter; a’ motive truly revealed; anger
that is righteous and justly spoken;
mirth that has its sources pure; phrases
to find the heart of a thing, and a heart
seen in things for the phrases to find;
an unaffected mien set out in language
that is its own—such are the realities
of literature. Nothing else is of the
kin.”’
That is a long sentence, but it is full
of wisdom and there is material in it for
thought. I wish there were space to
quote further, but we shall have to be
satisfied here with the briefest of ex-
tracts, in the hope that they may act
as sign-posts toward a journey through
the book itself.
Professor Wilson differentiates very
clearly and pleasantly between scholar-
ship and literature, and the manner in
which he does this is typical of the
clear, epigrammatic form of the essays in
the book, which treat particularly of
literature. ‘‘Scholarship,’’ he says, “‘is
the realm of nicely adjusted opinion.
Tt is the. business of scholars to assess
evidence and test conclusions, to dis-
criminate values and recken probabili-
ties. Literature is the realm of convic-
tion and vision. It speaks individ-
ual faiths. Its ground-work is not eru-
dition, but reflection and fancy. . .
If literature use scholarship, it is only
to fill it with fancies or ship it to new .
standards, of which of
itself it can
know nothing.” s
From the general production of lit- :
erature, Professor Wilson turns to that ©
special field in which he has shown
himself a careful laborer, and talks of
the writing of history. It is perhaps
interesting to quote his idea of how
the writing of history should be done
It “must be based upon original re-
search and authentic record, but it
can no more be directly constructed. by
the piecing together of bits of original
research than by the mere reprinting
together of state documents.” He then
goes on. to illustrate his idea with a very
clear example,. and one that comes
right home to most of us. He says that
whoever wishes to write the history of
the early days of our nation, must
saturato himself with the opinions of
those times and look at events not
from the Nineteenth century, but from
the Seventeenth. ‘Let the historian, if
he be wise, know no more of the history,
as he writes, than might have been
known in the age and day of which he
is writing. A trifle too much knowl-
edge will undo him. It will break the
spell for his imagination. . .°*.* He
must look far and wide upon every de-
tail of the time, see it at first hand,
and paint as he looks; selecting, as the
artist must, but selecting while the vis-
ion is fresh, and not from old sketches
laid away in his notes. . . . The
historian needs an imagination quite as
much as he needs scholarship, and con-
summate literary art as much as can-
dor and common honesty.”
In the essay on “A Calendar of Great
Americans” is given the best definition
of the American Constitution that I
have ever seen. Professor Wilson ex-
plains the difference between the En-
glish and the American idea of liberty
and of Constitutional Government, and
shows how the consideration of consti-
tutional questions is different in the
two countries. ‘“‘The American consti-
tutional statesman constructs policies
like a lawyer. The standard with
which he must square his conduct is set
him by a document, upon whose definite
sentences the whole structure of the
government directly rests. That docu-
ment, moreover, is the concrete embodi-
ment of a peculiar theory of govern-
ment. That theory is, that definitive
laws, selected by a power outside the
government, are the structural iron of
the entire fabric of politics, and that
nothing which cannot be constructed
upon this stiff framework is a safe or
legitimate part of policy. Other
nations have had written constitutions,
but no other nation has ever filled a
written constitution with this singular-
ly compounded content, of a sound,
legal conscience and a strong national
purpose.”’
The discussion of great Americans in
this essay is highly interesting, and
Professor Wilson gives very fresh ideas,
on the great men of our history. He
points out the strength and weakness
of their characters and shows which,
were foreigners in their methods and
which were distinctively American. Ot
Lincoln, whom he considers as one of
our truly great Americans, he says.
‘He was not fit to be President until he.
actually became President.”
the chief value of this essay isi that it!
will suggest lines, along which profit-\
able courses of reading may be taken,
for it surely points out a number of
very interesting subjects which every.
American should wish to be familiar
with.
ed
‘The Pomp of the Lavilettes.”
Although perhaps not quite so good
as some of his earlier books, ““The
Pomp of the Lavilettes’ by Gilbert
Parker, (Boston, Lampson, Wolfe &
Co.,) is much better than his book of
short stories which he published last
Fall. The scene of the present tale
is laid in Canada—that .land which
Mr. Parker is rapidly making his own,
in a literary sense—Bonaventure is
the little French village, which wit-
nesses the comedies and the tragedies
of his tale, and the incidents are
drawn at the time of the rising under
Papineau. One of the best drawh
characters is that of Ferrol, the Irish-
man. It is he who marries one of the
Lavilettes, having made love to the
other—but he deservedly dies. There is
lots of life and motion and considera-
ble vigor to the story, and there is
no doubt about its being interesting,
in spite of the fact that Mr. Parker
sometimes stoops to effects that might
be considered more suitable to the
melo-drama than to literature..
——
of Science With
Theology.”
The Honorable Andrew D. White,
53, the newly appointed ambassador to
Germany, will carry the prestige of a
fresh literary success when he cros-
ses the sea. His Warfare of Science
with ‘Theology in Christendom, (D.
‘Appleton & Co.,) has attracted more
‘“ Warfare
-“gerious- attention thai any book of it
general kind published for a long
time, and its sale is said to continue
to be very large. The book has
aroused much interest in England,
where all the principal journals have
devoted much space to its considera-
tion.
“Whe History of Oratory.”
(Reviewed by a Yale Debater.)
With the revival of public speaking
in the~ Universities, Professor Sears’
book on ‘‘The History of Oratory” may
be considered a timely contribution to
the bibliography of the subject. The
book presents a history of the art of
speaking by giving a sketch of typical
men who have been great in oratory,
with an analysis of their work.
The sketches are of necessity brief,
and treat of the orator’s life only as it
relates to his art. The analyses are
truly critical and in them the author
shows an intimate knowledge: of the
oratory of all-ages. The principles of
eloquence for which each of the great
masters stand are considered and also
the cause of the beginning, and growth,
decadence and revival of the art.
There is always something disap-
pointing in studying the triumphs of
orators. There is always that in the
man himself which defies analysis or re-
production on the printed page. In the
recent talk on Daniel Webster, whom
he knew personally and whose great
efforts he heard, Prof. E. J. Phelps
spoke of this point particularly. He
said that many asentencein Webster’s
oration we would now pass over with-
out a second thought, which were
among the most effective of the speech
in which they were contained, simply
from the manner and spirit of the man
himself as he uttered them. This pow-
er, Mr. Phelps attributed to personal
magnetism, the same quality which
makes a great actor. As he expressed
it, ‘“Webster seemed to be able to place
his finger on the imagination of his
hearers,’’ whereupon the whole scene
rose before them, more vividly than
would have been possible in the spoken
WoOI! «.
But the student may also use his
imagination, and in some measure,
bring himself, under the spell of the
master.
Of particular interest is the author’s
view of the present condition of orato-
ry. Its low estate is due to a recon-
struction period in matters of legisla-
tion and a commercial era in the world
Perhaps.
at large. The Universities, however,
in all things are the first to catch the
returning light and the revived inter-
est in public speaking among students
may be taken as harbinger of a revival
in oratory. Fresh hope is given by the
intercollegiate debates of the East and
the oratorical contests of the West.
From these academical performances it
is not a long step to the court room, the
people’s platform and the commemora-
tive occasion. And so we may come
again to another time of real oratory.
The situation in the world at large.
seems to indicate such a result. And.
so the necessity is present, and pre-
eminently for collegiate speakers, of
gathering the lessons left by the mas-
ters of the art in the past that, profit-
ing by their successes and failures, the
men of the present and future, may
know how they can best instruct, con-
vince and persuade. To such study,
Professor Sears’ book is a most helpful
contribution.
Advisory Committee Appointed.
The Advisory Committee, consisting
of one graduate each from Yale and
Harvard, has been appointed for the
purpose of deciding all disputes that
may arise in making arrangements for
the athletic contests to take place be-
tween these two Universities during the
next four years. The two gentlemen
appointed are Walter Camp, ’80, whose
connection with Yale athletics needs no
repetition here, and James J. Stor-
row, jr., who was a previous captain of
a Harvard crew, and has recently lent
his services as coach. The appoint-
ment of these two gentlemen was made
in accordance with the provisions of
the well-known athletic agreement
drawn up by Mr. Camp and Dr. Brooks.
No occasion has yet arisen to require
the services of this Committee.
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+
JUST OUT.
A NEW HISTORICAL NOVEL. |
By Gilbert Parker. |
THE POMP OF THE LAVILETTES.
Price, $1.25.
in The Bookman.
Courier.
history of Canada.
—Canadian American.
ness of fresh-sawn pine. .. ‘
* Four Books by Charles G. D. Roberts.
THE FORGE IN THE FOREST.
Being the narrative of the Acadian Ranger, Jean de Mer, Seigneur de Briart, and
how. he crossed the Black Abbé}; and of his adventures in a strange fellowship.
‘‘Tt is a story to shake the torpor from the brain and to keep the soul alive. Itis
charged with romance and works like wine. Professor Roberts . .
a story that will repeat itself in our dreams for many a long day.”—Jas. Macarthur
‘*An Acadian romance that for its splendid purpose, the wonderful endurance,
and manhood and womanhood of its characters, as well as the pure poetic imagery
of the tale, ought to place it among the classics of that lovely, lost land.’’--Boston
A HISTORY OF CANADA.
With Chronological Chart and Map of the Dominion of Canada and Newfoundland.
rectitude necessary for the work with the imagination of a poet... .
fore highly interesting to learn that Mr. Charles G. D. Roberts is bringing outa
His work is likely to possess just that unusual quality to
which we have referred. It will be conscientious, and it will be written out of a
sensitive poetic temperament.—New York Tribune.
THE BOOK OF THE NATIVE: a Volume of Poems.
‘‘In poetic insight and delicate touch Prof. Roberts’s verse constantly excels.”’
“ Verses capable of inspiring the reader with reverence for nature and with de-
lightful desire to find its meaning.’’— Boston Globe.
EARTH’S ENIGMAS: a Volume of Stories.
‘¢Thereis in Mr. Roberts’ stories of life in the Canadian logging-camp a wonderful
freshness of atmosphere: one seems to hear the rush of the flooding water ; to see
the dazzle of the blue, wind-swept, sun-thrilled sky ; to smell the pungent pleasant-
f : The book is among the worthiest collection of
tales, alike from the standpoint of ethics and of literature, that has_ been given to
the public in many a literary day.’”’—Boston Transcript.
. has written
Price, $1.50.
Price, $2.00.
Price, $1.00, net.
Price, $1.25.
and staying interest.’’—Boston Courier.
taste.’’>—Boston Beacon.
(LOWELL LECTURES.)
WIVES IN EXILE: a Comedy in Romance.
By William Sharp.
*‘The conception of ‘ Wives in Exile’ is one that cannot fail to win an immediate
‘““This book ought to prove a panacea for the blues.”’—Boston J ournal.
yaa This is one of the most delightful comedies in romance of the season. . . . It
is pure, clean fun, of a refined, intellectual type, and it leaves no unpleasant after-
- Pictures of Russian History and Russian Literature.
By Prince Serge Wolkonsky.
Price, $2.00, net.
Price, $1.25, net.
LAMSON,
Boston.
‘*Tt is not often that a history gets itself written by a man who combines all the
. Itis there-
WOLEEE & CO.
London.
New York. | |
