THE PLAINT OF THE AUTHOR.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 544, 26 June 1909, Page 9

THE PLAINT OF THE AUTHOR.

v:...':. The-public has,bebh,subjected to;a' severe .//'scolding by.the. men v 6f. letters,during the test .''.■few.weeks.'.iylt.won-t-read the.books' it ought ';;/..to;read,;it/lcaves';genm -to. starve; -for.,all : '/■;: its "education,. it/is-..becoming ,-less and - v less . /^ N/,gnilt';at : .its.tfoor/for/the.'tragic 'caseo{John,;':&avids6iiy and; others ) have;: ;tho same; i .'j'opportunityj'io,tellvus;tbot'good/work/is'jno.* food [rT;Andrew/Lang comes forward,' and in his. '? : : speechvlait night .at the -Boyall'Literary Fundi ' Vdinner gives the dismal' advice, of '.'don't'' to' commencing author. '.If hoiiihjnking/of ;, 1 /; history, /or or:' Uter&ry/oriticLsnjj'.'or hiin ; drop:it»aad ;make>aii; ;'.: /tonest living lover the .'counter •'; ; -' ./! - ;.;;U' The'hard case 6f ; neglected genius, is a very; .:, : : /.bld.themei ''-;,'We ;caa I;:;',plaint ofithe'iauthdr--has/not/fallen:, on'the . the public., //x-'WhW.aaybiie"siysz/tEat/times/'are': not/what; .■ : : they. wero-fbr,.the,.write'r, 'the answer,is,thai: ;;r f ;they;iieyer.-;woroi ; ;;'Wo',caii ; pick/out a ; ;feyr: ,'V/cases/Of ; writers..who;made/considerable;for-, :?.V./'tunes in : tho .last century,"but.:as ;a' ; matter ;:.;: i :;of.,.fact..;the're:is. vastly:/more.'money -being •1 'made' out. .of-..' authbrship_ ■ at.: tho. present: mo- /;/.; ; .moht'than.' time .in'ihistory.' : .-;/An//unceasing,"ahd'-.'«!*(Br increasing 'stream'of :^;;'-ba>kslissueß,/daily"'from/''the pub'-' houses'/multiply; .andwith -'them the, /v?; ; capital",embarked: trade.;:' Canute all

;rt/really/be.;sb-unlucrative tq'.theipeopley.'en-.'. ;-', < gaged in it,: and would'tho/eicellent, men of - /;' / business iwpb . conduct it;:go : .not .: -: merely :,flotion but also'-history,' criticism; and ';P.eyen'a^hr^ '"'.v'.h'oodjia it.for'ithoproducers?,-. Mr.'Andrew'• -: : ;::^Laag;teUs : 'uß':-tliat; bur .."richest men ; J and ■;.-;.: women, who. deny.^themselves, nothing ..else, ■ ;';;i:deny-.th9mselves -/books.^:;' : But; riches /and■ ::;';Jj)ooka jiecessarily;in common, ■.'.v'and.we.caMOt-for.-tho'life'bf'us'sefe-wliy rich' ■ -.■:■ HUterates .should:, buy.;:-; books.;'' which'.: -they . ',;, don!t':wa'nt; '■an ! d-: , :n'on't : :;read:' ; :anyV'more' than;;; they- ; .'pads: .>;.', when doitft;play V;cricket.:-:,;We:>may ;■§£. pity/thein:.foriiheirvirifirmityjSbut we -have to;blame':.them',;;unless..we Vmean •::; : :.that '.an "eleemosynary./cqritribution is", due .-.-;■'frpm.':them;-'.because, they...are rich,"' ; !-tov : ,the, ;'/; -'.writer,' •because he is :poor. '< .That has'in past .. v; times been-thoithepry of the literary, world,- ;.;";'- and; some; survivalr.of. ifremains, 1 still in': the ;.;.,; literary"consciousness; .;but'.in;those ; mattor-', ..'-.'.; of-fact:'times', tho 'writer ihad: better :resign :-'.., himself,! Jiko other',people,-. to the simple as-'; :-:V; sumption that: people will' buy • his' wares, be-'•v:;.-.cause they; like/.them/and ;iwant them/, arid -.'. : Jother::roasorivwhate'veV.V!f: ,-;' 'may: take :it;'..tlicri/; that; whether'rich ,'.-. ; people'.buy )books"or. not, .there are enough .:. .pebple ; buying :them;tb. makerthe" production .:",■■: ofybpokß'-;a.^thriving,.:trade; :'■ But .at ;;this ■:;.point comes jiii; .the extremely. pertinent ques-,;;tibn-whothef:':;Mipy::are..buyingUHhe! aright :;., .books,;.and..that is ;.,;; : twecn: authorand-author,', as -between 1 ;;;;;,:and:.public.;';.Tho;brdinary^complaint'of tho .'.'y author .'who \ writes:.'history ;or. criticism -of ■ : '' :, 'v-P9f: -i''s a ■ that'ho/gets:noxt to nothing-ior ■; ,;-rhii.,:.deep ;and .delioate .wares, ;■ .whilo'-..tho.:.wibrii-'.-:■■;:..;ing.p pi;iar rakes'.in-vast sums;from '■.% -his"'*, 4 ; so :'and, : :v.'orihless ' productions'.- -/fin's :"■ -.;;is t ; : j.Teal: grievance; and w'e'.aro afraid*, it is fe-.'.pwi'j'.iut. -a, remedy."; The;domand'for;the:lit ;- .',:erai;uro'Of>culturo,.does:npt(incroas6.in the ";-!:-'. eamo;p.roportibn:: as ■'the popular ';;.■; .wares,isimply'becaus6,;the:cultivated classes . :.:".' have, .recoived'no such'access to their'niim- :';:;: hers.. as-popular-,edncatibn has .'brought',.'to :."■ the'number of thpso^^.tb : ,whorii'.:books'bt some ';, ,;.:,';sort;:are.; ; a;'means":,of "entortairiment. .. And .;';" the'eaterbrfor^^'.theVcqltivated.'classes,', seeing -y; ~";;- 'and, thosb : .of ; tho; popular:'author; conclude! .';, f;:..thdfc'.his ;caf!e"-is-:wbrsb;;thari ever: /This is ;l,mostly: : an illusion, .foVj'Vbadiy'af .ho' may -//when measured ..'bythis, lofty .standard," hoii .;,/;: probably';doing: formerly. ;v;Bul ;.;.'•■".' the 'comparison of tho"' two things;.'rest's on c ,-,/.fallacy..Except that-; th'oy. are.,bpth;in;popu: : ':.;:::]ar -parlance/called'literaturb;.-they have; no : ,-;/thing;in'cpmrnoh.■/The, ; succecsful,. provid' '. -; ing a,.public': entertainment '-to. whicli --'tlie iis: ;;/'of .'.words; ha'ppensitb bo incidental, but.'whicl .' -;- ; vis..in';nb serise;a rival.to.tho:artistic'.porfcrm '-'./ances/of. a.'.noc't/or.."a nov'oHst.-'■'■ Tho'tradi ;;,vlierpursucs'/is;;qiute'a" legitimate'one; and .;". r/:if/ pursued i>itlt;.-skill, //intends to/tin ' ; /;/ innocent ; amuspriierit.;of; , a:;va.st:Jiumber :'a /./.;-people;. but "the poet : or the. essayist has n< ;'.-'■ '■■ '-;moro'.rcasori:;-to;:grudge,';)iiiii; his..suce'ess .'.thai / ,1; ho his ;-to grudge that of' tlie successful riier Z'/.v chant or/ma'n/of,'busiriess./"'ln/all .essential: ;-.■■;:■.' they arc -plying difforcht; crafts;; and rieithe /.; : /;is::injuring:;!tho/bther./'/ : I£ tho;publio/hac //•.::,ceased- to,;read.:the';.popular.favourite;-the; ;;// cortainly,;wpuld;riot have;taken-to Mr.;Johi /./Davidson;.'/■//'/:.•-/';/''■;-;;-'/:/ ~'■■■ .'-'-... ;'■.-.-... ;///./Wo are,-,therefore', entirely, scepticaj wliei / /i./^'e'-areVtoldithat/good authorship is.injurci r- /"/by /the;/vogue '• of /these -popular/ performers

So far. as the public are persuaded to read anything, they are on tho road.hereafter-to road something good, and tho growing popularity of tho cheap classics is'a sign that the second generation of the compulsorily educated is beginning to' acquire) a taste for good books. But tho lament of tho talented people who provido the. literature of culture will, wo aro afraid, still continue. By tho nature of tho case they appeal to a small audience. That is the fate of all .delicate and talented things. Tho men of genius oscapo from this condition,.and- appeal, aliko to .high and lmmblo, as' Dickens did, as Buskin did, as Carlyle did, but they do it by virtue- of some human relationship, which is more than literature. Tho fault of theso times is that for. tho moment wo lack thesb men;. . Wo havo a great many talented writers/ and tho: general lovel of literary, workmanship is probably higher than ever if was, but for : the moment wo aro without these• prophetic men.- Genius is going out: in other directions, but not in that direction! Wo are afraid'that the case is not to bo Amended, by any reorganisation of the book trado or any new arrangement of the prices of books, but _in tho meantime the "commencing authors" noed not bo damped. 'Their'earnings may bo small, but I so are;' those, of teachers, clergymen, and even soldiers and ;sailors.. It idle ■dream.'for them that thoy will make great fortunes, but whoever-chooses writing' for a craft chooses it at least; partly, another man.chooses painting or music, ■hi. its own .reward.—"Westminster: Gazette.