Liberalism in politics is sulking just now, like Achilles in his
tent, its aid having been invited too early, or too late. But the
liberal spirit can never rest, and we solicit its help in
literature. I have mentioned the Gauls and the Egyptians as the
enemies within the camp of the intellectual, but beyond them lie
the uncounted numbers of the outer barbarians, the mass of the
unillumined, to whom neither tradition nor revolt, nor anything
which moves and has its being in the intellect has any
significance. Here is the common enemy of all, who can be
conquered only by converting him. When the Gaul and the Egyptian
are liberalized, the real job begins.
"If we compose well here, to Parthia."
IV
THE REVIEWING OF BOOKS
A PROSPECTUS FOR CRITICISM
Criticism, in one respect, is like science: there is pure science,
so-called, and applied science; there is pure criticism and
applied criticism, which latter is reviewing. In applied science,
principles established elsewhere are put to work; in reviewing,
critical principles are, or should be, put to work in the analysis
of books, but the books, if they are really important, often make
it necessary to erect new critical principles.
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