INTENTION AND EFFECT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 942, 8 October 1910, Page 9

INTENTION AND EFFECT.

■'. -Two;' instances: that, have'■ recently 'eri-; .gagod * '-the,- public ..-.attention- (says anv;._' -.English:,.;;: writer); -bring;,; out vory ' clearly: :that. the intention with which an .'author writes ea; book is. one thing and its -effect "upon a reader another. They ;aro'worth noting because, it will be.remembered, one of the pub:lish«re..a short, tinio'. ago argiled that the; fiict: which should; decide whether or - work, of fiction should bu , suppressed ought to be theintention ;-;bf the author in; writing it. Ifi'the nnconvejitioiial pages wcro dfto

to the author's 'consistent'" working" but" of a serious thosis, then the book should ■live,, •'.'■' whereas if -they wore' written merely" to' appeal to what was base in a. reader's nature the booh should be hurried off to tho- lethal: chamber at once. Preliminary, objection might bo taken to .tho principle on the; ground that, ;-if it;■ applied retrospectively, it would eliminate' somo: of 'tho, very best imaginative work in our. literature,-but two cases of books written in all innocence .of intention yet lending themselves; to. evil tell still >moro against ■ft; ; Orio was that of a book composed to ,i uhhiask ;tbe■ tricks. by which conjuTers' impbsb on' a ' credulous" public. ■A';copy was found, in the' possession of burglars, .who' had.;apparently...learned frorn ; ;it how-to.make skeleton keys'.-and pick a lock. ;The'. other: was:/ a' pamphlet •advocating British rule in ono of the'dependencies,• which:incidentally revealed that the machinery of. State was not;perfect,; rind, which accordingly was suppressed- ■' as, likely to, '.excite. feeling against .tho' Government;', ■ In, both cases, the; intention, was .perfect, but the result was,- in;"one. case certainly, and in 'tho other ■conjectur'ally,; evil.•'?'. Now neither of. Miose books T were r ;works of. fiction, but: thoy .illustrate.,a ; principle which must: be;'operative in the case pf .works of,, fiction also;; I) ... It;:,; must.:. sbmotimes happen"; that; the writer of; ajnoyel jtho 'interest : of 'which' .'centres'; in a crime is;'a cleverer:'man''.than'theV'crimiiial himself, so, that the'; latter',' may, find valuable hints'in his pages.; not; brie'-heard of'a ;.writer 'who.'inyeivted for ; > his; story ";. a;, new .method of'' jewel robbery finding, some; months; after; in a ■ newspaper-an .account; of exactly': such, a "crinie -with circumstances. which suggested'; that : the" lint''had been taken, from his Jwork?'.--. There-iwill. always ;.'be I people with."whbm;,the ;intention. of 'the authbr'."couht,s; ; little:. It was ;a'sound argument which'.'Rousseau wove hi to''-his ■lotter '.'to.D' Alehihert,.; that, it 'matters':'■not; how; richly';'virtue may' be | rewarded and-:yice;-punishedm;'a. work-', of literary" art; if in ; : thb; course. of" its 'development -. there; have been.; painted brilliantVpicthres of .evil; there will always be: readers who will -.remember' only ';the. picture's,^,and v ,that'; to'; their"own hurt, "rpaflers, ..however, of. n sort. who 'gather.ipoisbn.from,the. ; floWcr..just as -ithe'■jvelWisposedSiieaclcr'.;" gathers' hoheytfrom".' the.;;weedf-and; "in,; thejr' case .it; is riot 'the book-"biit,'; the-reader 'who ought to : be suppressed; hr

X % 'f:sß AUT WCIRDSi Zjf: -V One"of.-■ the: "Westminster' Gazette's" recent; Saturday': competitions' asked. the b<ist'.'collection:of (word's' iroto'.'the''Grfeel£;' : has resulted :in': a; delightful -'controversy; iii/ seyeral papers;. i-The/ • was - :,.to find' words; suptenlelyibeau.tiful'iii fthem : beingvuntrahslaieabil-: ityi-ahdlthe,conimonesti{err'or, ; ,with the 'cbinpetitors ;.was : : the.'confusiori'pf's'ound and:: !sense;.; : ;'The( ','Natiori?' : ; had ,;ab very; good!: article >M' thp; cdmpetitioii,';; ; frpm which (we makb. extfacte: (:/(,:.(•';' y ;';(';:(:':

■- 'In (our'; judgment' a'-'double': test '-'must be- satisfieu— must be, beautiful evbke sbmb \beauti-' (f ul. concrete at; 'sbuiid,. not; merely: (a seritinienVor ..idea. 'Most.- ;beautif ulv .(words;;-; : are : ". nbuns^-the; names' of (beautiful.': things(<,;:There'a're,v :(of ■:■ course(;(exceptions. "■>;. "Ebmaucoi'': : ((for, ■instarice,,; is'.'a 'very;: noble .:>vbrd,'!,which: has, no .single definite coijcretoXimagb(at-, : tached;.to l .it.:; r The' ; ;sele'ction;pf -"'-beautiful.wor.ds'in.mbst instance's(goes;-first to;the' vocabulary;' of ;loye T making.; -'Here. the:';re-'; (suit(isiaaittle';-disapppintingi-/;.'.,;.';-.'.';'.- Very. little, -.can'be, made (of. wedding .'words:' The .word "weddirig'Vin.itself is l not'.beautiful,; ineither, ;are : (such'^.'■'(wordsi ':-as.;:'("spqsb,"( "epo'ux,"i.(-"fiance;" ;' : -h'oces.";:;,Terms -■ of 1 .ehdearment,'',indeed, - yield;: some ,-.sin'gu-! larly,' lovely words, the-two'; most, beauti--ful of (all: Spanish('.f.'guerido"; and:sthe? Fren'ch j..','mar r ; ;'cherjc." ~ Many. ■.■nam'e's.;(;bi.'';tMrigS'..'wWcK tiful: as, : a . matter: of ;,fact are ■ not';- : .-. The! wbrd:fbr or (example, (in (ill.lan-; : guages/( (save.' TCrh^S s EngMs£s'fV's1 iE ;''posi--(Byely (ngly—ophthalmoi, ("oculi,"( "bccHi," ( "bjos;"; "auge.n."/,/ ( yy-y''-[ .(';' .:(:. ■ '■'■ ■,'• -jThe. (supremely;'; tieahttful\vw6rds . appear '< to',be-,smostly-^'connected- '^with' light,'water,'! of-riiih'sic; and-thp-names':'of,'a .few ; .birds;. ah , d : '('flbw€rsV'-i':.Por.',-iMta|ira,-;:the':'.''']rreneh.'.' "alouette"- should ((surely((find;a. place(.'in, : : any,:'Selection';';vlt(is':the.;name,..nbt.'p a.' bird—"bird 'thou; never .wert"—but of .'.the' 1 :"blithe spirit" ('of;' the poem .-(.lt is • better.' ; eyeii"'than the';.ltalian /'lbdola,"'which;, is ifelf; a-: flame. : of:; praise;; (Blitheness.i.ah-; :deed,'seems to-belong to Trehch.above'all; again, (('is': (the;:best. .European; riam(e((f or'the (swallow,:"rondine":(•■(pellegrinal Tondinella")-or, "gblohdrina";. from,this; wordi'byKthe-way,'; comes: thebeautiiul; (place-nam'e^:(Aruridßl:;;;The. ; . : same , (:::fresh : ; -gaiety;:is.in:.:;the:Prehch(:word;''Avril.' , - (It is the.spring in (five .letters. "April" with its(;"p''. -with ((its; "y":is;Tolahle.-, ; . "Pj"-,by :the ; way, ;is^itlie; ugliest;bf:':(letters ; f-"y"; the)(most, bcauti--fnl.,'; :'"Marguerite, J '(. again: is; a(,word 1 ; of> royal(ibeauty.j(("E6se',"j,of (course^!is one'' of the- 'great.: words of '.the".world.;: ;-;,Thp/' joining;; of .."rose",: with,^'Mary": : in ! .;"rpse-! Mary," in'the' opinion of 'the: writer, '.af-' .fords the- mbst':perfectly(beautiful: word. .existing(.in (any Slanguage.'. (fEos.' marjs,": "the':(dew\of the'.sea,"'"the/spray'-'of thp; sea," ;"the.. Eose- of. Mary,":(:"Mary( minfei who 'art Mary's .rose." y The names of -pre-'.-Cibusstbnes seem ofton 1 filled-with(a ; soft,'' 'glowing- light. . Thp'.fcvelye fouridations.:;pf; the;'wall'-of the heavenly Gity,'afford (some; lovely.'. "sapphire,". ("c'm-(< orald/' ; ;."chr'ysblite," ■''beryl, . "jacinth,"; "amethyst';''. .'"Beryl" (is,a; well of light—; a-beryl might: well; be. the ; magic niir'rorf of Epssetti'S' poem, (The "entire andper-; feet chysolite' is Shakespeare's (symbol.' of \. perfectibn..; "Amber",is: more (lovely (even than (theser-it .is 'b.n'e' of . the i' -:' supremely'; and intrinsically beautiful words.; Wit'at I name's of •' precious ;stbnes rank (the. .words; suggesting:(the:'music •• and;..;biotioh.' of. waters, as' "wave,". "ripplq,"."foam.". The charm of this last s word;is hard to analyse, but Keats(knew.it withhis; ~ :i-:v '

"Magio casements opening on the 7 foam, .Of ;'perilous"seas in fairy lands fcrlorn.'-

':'.■ ;;.-,"T.ho\word "reed, , ', ; again, isj beautifulwith suggestions both of water and-music,: ■ 'Cadence" ; is.ari'exquisite word.'- Talking, of: music;,;the; Italian, "viola"; is' ■ sheer loveliness, .'rind.' only. less, lovely is our; ;English:'"yiolin."- ."Carillon", has ih-;it all thejoyfiilblamoiir of bells.. Ohe'must still find room for., "echo," -(beheld of: no; :man,:ouly heard;upon-meadow or mere." ; ;, ■. Thikwriter.has been quoting only-..words. from-vEnglish,.'and,:from'Latinyand.the Romance languages. It seems to him-that: for ..the most ■ part neither' Greek nor, Ger-. man, words-arc beautiful. ;."Hc .'pauses'. a moment -over, thalassai 1 -" but; cannot .think; it ; 'nearly as; good-as "mare.": No such word for a seafarer as "mariner" ;can be. got but.'of'thalassa.. {From Ulysses- to him Who shot the albatross,-"mariner" is ai'word.saturated-- .with '.romance.'.'-. The writer.;would,-however, inchide-in his;list,': melissa, the mother ,of .honey and all' sweetness, ; -A place, too,'should-;bo'found for iris.; The sound .of "sonorous" is completely satisfying, selection of Italian words would be "sorella," ,"fiamma,":'. , 'campagna,"',"canzone," "dol;oezza." ;-.:■; "Campagna,"' filled ; with the majesty, of; Rome ; "qanzbno," a>: proverb of .''sweetness; "fiamma,"; 1 the name of. Hie Blessed; Souls in Dante.; : -[ Wc.must nbt Tini on!adding word tb ; wbrd,'but we canr riot--refrain from adding, the magnificent word "Gioyedi," the best European.word for the: dominant day of 'the week, Thursday." ; Beautiful letters would seem'to be ;the;secret.of benutiful:words.,' v :: The beautiful consonants' are "v" and ,"z," -''m," "r,":aud "VI-' -The. "v" -is the charm of . "Avril,"' of.."viola," of "violin," of, "vintage" (a. of "haven," of "wave," of "cavern," ■ of'.' "olive,"-- of "mavis," of ."venture." "The combination of "in" with "b" and "r" is always: beautiful. " It> jrives such words as' '-'umbra," lor-"amber," or "ember",(a truly divine 'word), or: the hanies of the Zulu musical instrument "marimba." This f last -is.-a----i word, infinitely removed from vulgarity,,a word of the: world .well lost,■-..;by. never known, of contentment, with a. sufficing liappiiiess. For' arrangements of "m" .with "r'"or. "I," or illustrations showing the value of "r," .the writer'suggests "maremma," - "mirror," . "merry," "arrow;" ".mellow." : ;. The last is a completely beautiful sound; "Thofull-juice'd. apple, waxing over-mellow,",' is a-perfect line. In fact, if we'want to find'the beautiful we must goio the poets for thorn.- -' :In> the way of criticism thbro wnro sombest-remoly good .letters '• : n tho.

"Gazette." Mrs. Agnes Grovo wrote:— ■"Is it possiblo to' insist upon tho intrinsic beauty of a single word, any more- than it is possible to insist upon the intrinsic beauty of,a single feature in a faco? A nose, for instance,. may bo 'perfect' by every known canon of artistic law,, and yet .pass, unrecognised in an unsightly face. .So . the most 'beautiful'- word over written or uttered will not save, 'an ugly phraso from ugliness. No one, I imagine, will dispute tho beauty of, the word 'molodi-, ous' (though I think 'melody' more beautiful, as 'dmus' is an ugly sound ■in itself); but 'wrought with a variety, of tunes inexpressibly melodious', is, to my ear, a hideous phrase. 'Variety' and. 'inexpressibly' would mar. any phraso so far .-as beauty of. sound is concerned; whereas in all the other examples given where the word occurs it would not be safe arbitrarily, to pronounco that to the. word 'melodious'.' their only or even .their paramount charm is due. lii

'Where the nightingale doth sing .;.;. .Not a senseless, tranced thing; •',. !:• .But divine melodious truth.-., . ..'.'•-; all'the words contribute to' tho.beauty. ■ of;, the lines. It is perhaps a truism to say that beauty., is infinitely more easily destroyed than created." '■-'■. ~, Another correspondent ■ propoundedtho theory, that "beauty is the expression of exquisite fitness. . Fitness itself may charm,- but, if, it, is only' crude 'fitness, just sufficient for. its purpose and giving no suggestion of capacity .of .becoming, a finer grade'of' fitness'whenever necessary, it is.not; exquisite, fitness, and. therefore;riot beauty. J can-; not persuade, myself'to- separate; its sense,.'from a word''...injudging J.its, beauty,/because, its very'raison d'etre is •to : ;'express its sense, and there caff'be but ■■] a'; fraction '-■ of beauty in. it ••apart .from its cense..-. In "short, words' must, be fitted, to express .their sense in' order tov'charm','aiid,' further;, they must,be fitted,to.;expross their'.sense in. order to be beautiful;"!;!;', ■..''';;;'.:

Jv.^AiG:"'was .very,. subtle.'.-..Somebody, liad ; eulogised ''sorella'': as' ■ the l only beautiful' word for,:sister. /.What'.about ; "umbrella''.?-"'' .'Again,;:' -lic : . wished.; to, know, how ."mellow" was' pre'ttierVthan "fellow" or '.'j'ellow.!','"Mallow'.', and ;"fallow"..-'.were inferior .to J"tallow,''Jhe. ■plaimodj and.' not '. .• beside. 'wallow .And, he -certainly scored. a •: point.''/by. piittingforward,'malodorous"/as a more beautiful :■' word in itself: thaii ..' 'melpdidus;".;''''-" ::;:,: ~.; . i- ; v :'.:: :: - y'yyS >■''■'''■ ' ,;;Muoli' interesting . information '■ came t0..1ight.:,,; One . correspondent;':quoted Pr;..J6lin.Brown,'V of ! :;!,'Horae. : Subse-. civae,"'.who, 'cbmmehting.,on':tne,- , cata ; -'; the Duies ;of ,'Edom, :;;said "Anyo.no; who : has 'a' tolerable car ; and, any •.sensibility jmust. 'femeinber' l the sensation'- of', delight' in' the; mere' sound, like":.the '. colours of a butterfly's i bry.,tli'e..shnpele,ss''!glbries; : : of:evening' clouds' 1 , to ;,the: eye, in .;.* reading>''. aloiid .sucii/passages as : these;.'.'-:' ;.;■..,'...';'!'

.Another: quoted a passage from . tlie writings of the American' critic William: ' v ':' '.'Th'o';ltalians' are adepts'; in this.sort• of thing. .''Pietro '.Vanucci : sounds' harsh' and; .cottjmon,' Antonio 'Allegri; .lacks-.'distine-. tipn.'so.they are known as Perugino;and Gorreggio; from, their, birthplaces. :■ menko Corfadi.is an ; ugly: clash :;of :&&■ sonants,:::but' how.'mellinubus';.?and::;how; characteristic':is. Ghirlandaio.'a nickname' taken ifrpmliis. father's; trade, asia.gar-land-makcr.; :, Gibrgoine suggests: colour and : harmony,'.' and ' admirably. befits .' the' gorgeous•, Venetian ipaintcr'.whose-.! bap- . tismal: name. was ; the more plebeian': Giorgio i Barbarelli^';>';•''"'• >.'ll-';, >i .-• ; ;:'. ■: !---iy. ' : x< ;i."An:i ingenious''wfiter'dn, the. "Athen-: .a'enm'''"has::,even;. ; su'ggested:.that v bbtw'een; the character; of;;a;igreat' hian'an'dsthe. mere; names; of 'the.: places "associated; .with; :,him.'there:is often .a'harmony .as happy: ,as 'it'.is •'inscrutable.:;;;Eycry Tone feels',:;'for; /instance,' that':there' would something.-, -.lacking ;to (Druhimond ifs he-'bald 'not lived .at':,a;:placß'. called Hawthorndein.:'.Shakes-: jpeare 1 : could, not fail \\a :be born- at. a 'town; jso; beautifully; named' ;as:';.S.t'ratfprdro,nvAyon : .., ;w.as. : i-nbt fbbrnialtiitplafc'e Ailed by theSappropriaW ;name. of r'Abbo'tsfdrd;-the'fates .very;p'rpr' ;perly.; de'preed - that ho, shoiild ;'rnako,' money,' :'expreisly.-:;to l piirchasb',>'Gartley- Hole 'and: ;richristen'i'it>:aright.' ;: And: ; ' : thei'e;''was , ',nb; .rcasoij'-'fli'. l the wo'rld^''saVe'';tbaV'';love; : bf t harmony in:;black -or ; white;-which- char-actenses;'fate,-'whyiSco'tt-shoiild be.buried': in;a;place.called-.Dryburgh'Abbey.;' Itiis' ; iimppssible^,tp •conceive ;ahy-'cpllbc'ati6n;pf-'lettprsVso-.exp'relsive-of-thatipeculiar/'kirid! of :sweethess > arid light' which iCarlyle ivasi born: to-shed, as;-Ecclefechan : and Cr'aigen- ■ puttock;' ;.Th'e,'.list : might.: be:'almost : . in-' definitely'; eiterided:v,l, Rydal::,Slbunt.':baaabout, it some, of -the-vSerene' austerity wMcF-;befits .-.: a:; Words, : worth.;: Gad's: Hill, (probably through, its' Pahjtaffian''i;asspciatiofis): :'s'uggests',i as.riot-'-,bus :humburlwliioh;'ma'dei it.'theiappropri-; 'ate i-residencb 1 ' of'; Dickens; .■■Mount: Vernbahas. all the'-; calmnessiarid? dignity. .tnanlVe-' are; accustomed jWi; attribute::-to ■ i -Washiig--. tori.''..Trpllop6'-.has';a- roughiand.iready/sugf geslipn T ,abbut.it .which;, ill,:.befits the acterl.'.-of:'.the v rio"vblist';(though;.it abetter' suits,:the.-aspe'rities,.of .'his .mother).'.; '■ THii- . when /..thej' novelist: purchased /a, 1 - vilhi 'near' :i!'lorence .the 'Italians: seem:to '/have -beenl conscious ';bf ;tliii''defioiericy,:aiid.:cailea 'his' residencs; theiVtllinb' Trol-lb-pe,; Vrhich I '. adV ; ..iiiiabiy'ivSTiits•'. the: 'suayb'; and?harmless oharactef.:ofithe v mari."':w!'':: ■'-;;:;.>; /: ::;

-,' 'i'li© following'. broadside - was 'fired iby; a 'gentlemanjwho: seems-to'. IbveValmost' eyeryViword' lie,'.-,thinks' of So- 7 ! lange,vLyriette, •Eros/, 'Osiris^'Memibn; ParaoletftsEumenides,* Zoroaster; sChry-; sbstbm, ! . I; Hesrjendes; ,J ; : HeKridesy.;.:'Heli6-~: poHs/^Mesbpbtainia,.'.- :'*iitliens,' ■;:Zan'tgj ;Aiigustj'/ ; October; J.'tliebphany/'.V. brisbii/ : abbey,'.' ascription,-tutelary,-, apocalypse,.Hadoniia,. eidolon,.'irenicori,, palladium,•-. abolianj:: < : 'Golden .-',-.v L Fleece, 7 heroic, immolate; "agony; '': : .;-pagan,'■;ineffable,' 'heraldic,' aflame r 'oblivion,', am-' nesty,; tumult, tumbril, -lament, trilogy, anodyne, ..Bastille, I- invincible, vulnerable, immemorial, virginal, grace, in-' nooence, plaintive,'- nude,;,charm,pellu-, cid, daedal, vermilion;; impearl, irradiate, chrysalid,' asphodel,: tulip, "yodel,., apologue,. allure, .porphyry, ..'•;mtuitivejharinonicj:-; biology, -alloy,. elusive,' 1 ' .fugitive, ;■'. serenity; .'bascule; cittern,-; pampas,. : .plantigrade, '.larch, beech, yew, cedar, cypress. ' '■;.