442 THE STUDY OF LITER ATURE THE STUDY OF TAE ESSAY 443

definitions we shall find little in them to clear

the confusion.
up
According to Johnson, for example,
loose sally
THE STUDY OF THE ESSAY
an
essay
undigested piece,
is "a not a
of the
and
mind, an irregular,
regular orderiy composi
tiona view which certainly
does not tally with
The in
essay fills so large
a place
and is so attractive a form of
modern literature the highly-evolved essay of more recent times; while

arlons composition, Murray's Dictionary, taking note of modern changes

attention must necessarily be
that
it in any course of literary
given to in the meaning of the word, speaks of the essay as
study. the "a of moderate length on any particular
composition
same time, its outlines are so uncertain, and it varies subject or branch of a subject," adding"originaly
so much n
matter, purpose, and style, that systematic implying want of finish, but now said of a composition
treatment of it is impossible. The question mnay more or less elaborate in style, though limited in
whether the essay is to be considered
indeed be raised rang
as
all.
an
independent and settled of literary art at
form
The force of this question becomes apparent the Manilestly, then, the
word essay is very loosely
and any fix its forms and
rigorously
of used, attempt to
moment we compare a
number representative
essays
by different writers, and observe, as indeed no one can
features must perforce end in failure. Yet if Murray's
definition be scrutinised, it wil, I believe (and this
fail to observe, how little they have in common in notwithstanding the fact that it is so ingeniously
of of method.
respect either theme
of
or An essay by at first it
qualifiedto that aimost meaningless), be
seems
Bacon consists a few of
pages concentrated wisdom, at certain points. For the sake of
found help us
with little elaboration of the ideas expressed; essay an
clearness inthethinking we may emphasise as character
by Montaigne is mediey of reflections, quotations,
a
istics of true essay the
comparative limitation
and anecdotes; in an essay by Addison, the thought both of length and of range which is brought out in
is thin and diluted, and the tendency is now towards it.
and When the so-called essay grows in bulk
and
light didacticis1n now towards personal gossip ; comprehensiveness to the proportions, let us say, of
Locke's Essay concerning Human Understanding is a Spencer's Essay on Progress, the proper term for it is
ponderous volume close-packed with philosophic rather " dissertation" or " treatise." That the essay
matter; the essays of Macaulay and Herbert Spencer is not to be exhaustive, then, is one aspect
small books, In these cases, cited
intended
are really haap of it be
that should kept in mind.
Another aspect is
hazard and for purposes of illustration only, it is suggested by Murray's further remark that it originally
implied " want of finish"-that it was, in Johnson's
evident that we have to do with totally different
conceptions of what the essay is and what it should delightfully characteristie phraseology, "a loose sally
aim to accomplish. It now we turn to attempted of the mind." Etymologically, the word essay con-
444 THE STUDY OF LITERATURE THE STUDY OF THE ESSAY 445

notes this, for it is the same as assay, and therefore hand, held it to be one of the most difficult, as well
means a trial of a subject, or an attempt towards it,
and not in the least a thorough and ffnal examination
as
delightful, forms of literary expression, because for
him it implied (as his own fine essays show) the
of It
it was in that sense
that it was
employed by power of condensation, or of saving much in littie
our hrst modern essayists, Montaigne and Bacon;
and when Locke used it for his massive treatise
In other words, he would not admit that brevity
entails superficiality. He believed rather that a good
must be assumed that it was extreme modesty and essay should be characterised by that combination of
the
sense that, after all, he had only broken ground
on his subject that prompted him so to do. Vast as
conciseness and thoroughness which is possible only
when a man is absolutely master of his subject.
has been the transformation of the essay since the An important distinction is thus suggested. It will
of
time Montaigne and Bacon, the original signification alwaysbe
well, in thecase of any given essay, to
of word has
the not altogether been outgrown
The essay, then, may be regarded, roughly, as a
consider to which standard it seems to approximate-
to that of Crabbe, or to that of Sainte-Beuve. s it
General composition on any topic the chief negative brief because the writer knows little of his subject
of
aares. features
and comparative
which are comparative
brevity
want of exhaustiveness.lt was to
and therefore soon comes to the end of what he has
to say ? Or because his wide and intimate know
these two features that Crabbe referred the extra ledge enables him to disengage and present both
ordinary vogue of the essay. "The essay, he declared,
the most popular mode of writing." because "it
concisely and adequately those special aspects of it
with which for the moment he wishes to deal ? As
" is
suits the writer who has neither talent nor inclination practical clues, these questions will be found to take
to pursue his and
inquiries farther, . . .
the generality us farther than might at hrst sight be supposed.
of readers who are amused with variety and
super Comparative brevity, then, must in any event be
ficiality." This is obviously a very narrow view admitted as a formal feature of the essay, and it
but I quote it in part because it is a view which must would therefore seem to be necessary condition of
be considered, and even more because it serves to a good essay that it should not attempt too much.
introduce a contrasted conception of the essay which Artistically, it will inevitably suffer from over-loading.
is much more important. Crabbe, it will be noted, Both the amount of material introduced and the
thought the essay easy because (as he alleged) it is method employed in dealing with it must be adjusted
necessarily superficial. Sainte-Beuve, on the other to the restrictions imposed. Selection and the proper
distribution of emphasis will therefore be found among
'So Bacon writes in
the dedication to toe 101 u the elementary principles of essay writing. At the
h e word essay 15 iate, Dut the thing 15 ancient. o r eneca s p s t i e r
mark them well, are but essays, that is, same time, while an essay must generally be confined
toaciii, if one dispersed
ieditations. to aspects only of a subject, it should, despite
 4 THE STUDY OF LITERATURE THE STUDY OF THE ESSAY 47
its fragmentariness, impress Thus far I have dealt
us as complete within only with the formal aspects
itself. of the essay. Passing from form to sub-
Anothercommonly accepted canon is, that the stance, we have specialy to note The
method of the essay (as distinguished trom that of
hat Personal
whatever its themeand the range of its Paotor in
the dissertation and the treatise) is marked Esay.
by con
siderable freedom and informality. This brings it
Subject-matter is, of course, practically un-
wel within Johnson's definition-" a loose
imited-the true essay is essentially
its verse analogue, the it
personal. Like
sally of lyric, belongs
therefore to
the
mind,
an
irregular, undigested
piece." A certain
want of organic quality, and the absence of that
the literature of self-expression.
sertation may be
Treatise and dis.
objective ; the essay is subjective.
orderly and logical mode of procedure which we look Montaigne said of his essays that they were " con-

for in the more ambitious kinds of substantial" with their author, and if
literature, may be iew
essayists
reckoned the been outspoken and
among essay's nost pronounced structural have ever so unabashed in
so

its evolution, their egotism this wise old Frenchman, the vital
peculiarities. In the carly stages of
indeed, such irregularity and (in Murray's words)
as

of
relationship between their work and themselves may
usually be detected just beneath the surface of what
" want finish," fundamental;to feel the need they write. The central fact of the true essay, indeed,
were in fact, the
esay arose because men had
of a vehicle of
come is the direct play of the author's mind and character
expression
in which they could enjoy
o the Thus upon the matter of his discourse.
something
Bacon's essays are, as reedom of conversation.
he himself tells us, " brief notes is that study
set down rather significantly than anxiously," while
It evident, then, in our the essay
of
there are several things which have to be Study
kept In first place, we have
Montaigne's discursiveness and
habit of going about in view. the
to consider the writer's personality and stand-
of the
his in of andskips, and jumps,"
subject series "hops,
a
point, his attitude immediately towards his subject, and
are notorious. Charles Lamb's amusing reference to
the schoolmaster who offered to instruct him in the incidentally, towards life at large. While thus dis
engaging the personal qualities of his work, we have
art of regular composition, will bewerecalled at this also to follow the evolution of his thought, marking
point. In the
abstract, therefore, may consider
unmethodical as well as what aspects of his subject he has selected for treat-
the essay as relatively
relatively short. The well-marked tendency among ment, how he introduces his ideas, how he handles and
modern essayists towards greater logical consistency enforces them, how he brings them to a conclusion.
and
and regularity of structure is only Under this head we have, moreover, to examine his
among one
many signs of the transtormation of the essay whole art of presentation, exposition, and illustration,
into something different from the original and and, manifestly, to estimate the value of what he says.

genuine type. Finally, we have to pay particular attention to his

448 THE STUDY OF LITERATURE THE STUDY OF THE SHORT STORY 449

style which, on account of the

strong personal element
will be found of great
in the essay, importance. On
this matter, however, nothing remains to be added to
what has been said in the text (pp. 34-38) about style
in general as an index of personality.
An historical study of the essay will, of course,
include a consideration of its growth and
tion, and of the way in which it has infuenced, and
been infuenced by, other forms of literature Its con
nection with the novel, of which it was one of the
affluents, and into the composition
V
THE STUDY OF THE SFHORT STORY
The short story has irmly established itself as a
favourite form in modern literature. Its immense
transforma vogue is the result of many co-operating causes
among them, the rush of modern life, which has made
men impatient of those "great still books" (as
of which it still Tennyson called them) over which readers were glad

often enters, is of special interest.Let me

a point to linger in more leisurely ages, and the enormous
add that what I have said about the transformation of development of the magazine, in which a large field
be taken is naturally afforded for tales complete in a single
the
fact.
essay must as
simply
No judgment upon the fact is suggested.
the statement ofWea number. So popular, indeed, has the story become
that extraordinary claims are at times put forth in its
may regret the tendency of the modern
and
towards essay
behalf. We are even told that it is the coming "

greater elaboration and formality, may fcel that form" of fiction, and that ultimately it will displace
this implies lossmust
of freedom
personalincharm. Yet
and evolve to the novel entirely. Such claims, however, may be
literary types necessarily response
changing conditions, and their evolution is, at bottom, safely set aside. The story is not in the least likely
to displace the novel 1or the
a sign o continued life
very good
The story
that it cannot meet the novel on the
"
The reíerence is to the part played by the social essay" of the early
reason
and the
o
novels own
ground, or do precisely what the
eighteenth century, especialy the Srator, papers, In the development
of the novel, and to the iact that in the works of many modern novelists novel does. It cannot, for instance, exhibit life in its
(as
in thoe hacketAYAN e Areeuen no variety and complexity, for this needs a larger canvas
use ot direct and
than the story provides. Nor, for the same reason,
novelist s commentary explanation.)
can it deal with the evolution of character, which, as
we have seen (Pp. 194-196), is one of the most
important problems of modern prose ffction. Quite
manifestly, to cite extreme cases, the spiritual history
of Levin in Anna Karénina, and the study of Tito
Melema's moral downfall in Romola, would be
impossible within the framework of the short story.
aF