DR. JAMES MOFFATT AND GEORGE MEREDITH.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 710, 8 January 1910, Page 6

DR. JAMES MOFFATT AND GEORGE MEREDITH.

■ '■■■-. HIS BELIEF;OCN; THE.MOEAL ' 4 ' ; - ■■■ :-v- ■ ■;.:•■; instincts; : ; ;;:;. :.'i ] ,-}: \ .It is; certainly /.a :..pic[naiit combination to .■ : have i ■ the'..- "distinguished . theologian, Dr., James ;Moffatt,V as'.the, critic and interpreter.of..the,novelistjGeorge ■Meredith, , and : -we\find;it^in : ;the'-new: book-Which-

■^iader/a^Vs&nshtM^'iiaye : -Jiiist'-''-pri>i : ducod, ./• 'George:; Meredith:; A. Erimei,;.to.' IffioriNovejs,":, 'by> James'.-Moff att; ; ' ilt-'is' .Q?ilicatedtoi?aajc;whojdesireito>>jomithat ■ acu.to:;and.i:.hohourable :: minority,M;iWhich.: ■epnstotat, ; to;bey thwacked-.with aphorisms: .and: ; :sontences>'and'--a'vfantastic delivery ;of the ;; ferities."..j;-:' \,? -~■:■':;.■'•■;-:'■'•;■ ■■■■V i; V, ■' J/. ; "Meredith. captivates. his audiences '■ by ;quitei an: original-; application,:,of.',-the 'psychological -mothod,:; combining. tlie unicbncern • of <, the.-artist"' with ■ something; of the ;keeh; seriousness'.felt by ; a' responsible 'thinker.', Hβ . sums .'■ all:: this', up . ,coh-. .veniently .' iny , 'tue,-. ; phrass—'the- >; conif6 ; LBpixit*; 'a< hiiit .which '■ us ■ withituo; colours upon-'his-'palette--and the features of the one mbdolwho sits to him ;in. all.'manner-^ofS''positions ■■'for '•' her : portrait.- ; -.;. ; .v : .:^j,: ;. i; ■'■-..■ ! ;"Tho :'comirf.:spirit'" represents .an atti-: •tude'.-.-pf;. mind. ;to- life: %;Xa Vlteredith' it, plays 'upon-'raen'sx inotives,. ak- these i: are Tippled'; , tte^Vso.6i'alv"yorld.':j< , lt:-: feels' for,!the':spriiigs'';of! r action lying -in >the jdeas,.':rather.:; than/'inVthe' , ; appetites)of, ,; ;-" r r6'; Meredith vthe."" 'state' ■■- at:':: English .society, V.with' its'-mentar.-lethargy, "is"'a■fair province' for",the?eiercise .of" his' analysis.;""rho',English, J ;.;we:Tead;'. 'are Jpeople/.Teiiniruig .tp,.be- studied,; r Tvho,'meah Jwell,' andVare' warm 'somewhere' below, : 'as■ chimney-pots': 'are,v though ; -they-- are , : so" .stiff. .v.'They .callvthemselves practical' , for ihavidg.'iaii: addition , ; 'to.:, tie' 'palpable.'; •This applies mainly.'to the upper , classes; , Hβ/succeeds , 'where -Bickens failed;?-with' ;:.;l''''ii;;: -I,?;? ; ,i'3!hevcardinal.'priiioiple- of «hia ethical' :f is •■' the,'' trestworthinciss ';-rof ';' the ; *moi;al'.instincts.'- ; > > Natniy ; : i3 , a'.'liTinß*;pr-! ;gan'ism' ; where ; end.'forV : man: is: 'and!-: b&iian : life! is''.;unintelligibl«,; apart. frora ! its ; relatioiiship ; to' 'natural 'facts - and. ; forces. 1 .''■ \lifev •■ accord-" ing-: toViNaturo.V'is'-man's'^destiny,''which; i meansi '■ no t A . the -'of;. - the , • ■senses, ,, 'ttofithe, asetic;'denial of■ the-senses;• but not'thefascetio:denial of the' senses.: -The , , end I 'of' Nature is fman's/ ethical: complete'ness.■■'!Neither*the'mind,'nor the senses,: ■ nor (the; sou], , : is tp'be-starved," but each;and; all; -must .play-. ( theiri part, in !the' ■drama Oof '-being/ : : V, '■'' '"':':>>■ .'■;>-' ; 'V-',-,:. !: / '■ ■•',i."l ■ ;say.-';'the •'. profoundest'. service .that other "writings ,: can do" , for (their; reader ■is'nbtimerely; , to:satisfy 'the' ;ihtelket,;-;or"■ supply- something. polished' ■and' interesting ':■. nor.' even ! to'.depict: great. ■pr : persons;;pr.'eyents, : ; but; to ;'fill: .him , with t vigorous '-.- and .clean".manliness, :-;Teligiousness; and; , give hiia :'Kopd .-heart ;as;a'radical possession 'and,habit.';'.That i,sentencQ^bf'Wajt sums up'. , the fdriftV'Of^Meredith's':prose,"jas well ; 'as'pf ■ his :-verse■(';'There -is Sot .a "whiniper , : in , ' aVi'nbt'an- 'atbm'-pf v(>pwardice.'''V; ■;':': )■''''' i :'Tn , "stylefand/coiiceptioh we'may.'sur'e- , ;ly l .say, .-;vithout "being.'Meredithyrainbid,' ■that he is: a peer:of. th'oiew great liter-'. ;ary>. artists? < age . ; :':His', line -and ;cplpnf belong' to-the'great'style in litera-: ture'. , ' ..■'-■ ,';-:. i:."'- .; ...-:!-' 1, . '■■!•-iv ; '.'"-:■-W: ' ...u ; —■ * 'Such. are. : some ;of /tne:good-:.thing;s , --in ■Dr. llpffattfs .book; . : which; consists-of , a 'preface, and' , estimate:of ■ Meredith's:worTs of ;ahout sixty-five", pages, ■ and .'.the other jch^pters' devbted .eaon,'toV an', analysis'of one i novel.v taken jiin,-.- ciiron'ological ; ' order.' ;They■■■ will'•• certainly" vaeijj ; i'..readers■.-of: •Meredithf: ■ over, v;':the'.: : ; ;'■ ■ ';:~:' : fi"; r;V,/;:.-T;:.;;;; }';'': ?.':' -:..