1897J on Romance. 441* 



of a special case of some emotion, and in imparting to it certain 

 special qualities by means of treatment. 



And first in romance, the emotion is taken at a higli pitch. It is 

 strong and strongly felt ; it is one of the salient features of the man's 

 character, one of the determining influences of his life. Almost of 

 necessity it follows that it is imaginative in character ; that it does 

 not acquiesce in limitations which to another mind might seem in- 

 superable ; that it sees a way for itself, and foresees its satisfaction 

 with a clearness which gives to it perseverance and resolution. It 

 may be noble, but will not be too meek ; it may be wicked, but it 

 must not be petty ; it may be in fact, temporary, but no decay is 

 visible in it as yet. This strength of emotion seems to me the first 

 characteristic of romance. But by itself it is insufiicient for our 

 purpose. It must be taken in conjunction with the second. 



All literature demands abstraction, just as any other inquiry does. 

 In romance abstraction is carried further than in writings where this 

 quality is not. Not merely is the vain attempt to show the whole 

 man and his whole life abandoned, but attention is directed in a 

 special degree to the one great emotion — or perhaps to two or three 

 great and conflicting emotions, whether all in the mind of one person 

 or assigned to the leading actors in the story. The small emotions 

 drop out or are minimised ; the infinite complication of motives is 

 avoided. This high degree of abstraction results in giving to the 

 chosen emotion a character of simplicity; it is cleared from the in- 

 trusion of rivals ; it is exhibited in possession of the field ; it is dis- 

 entangled from the afiairs of life ; or if the theme be a battle between 

 two great enemies, then the arena is cleared for their struggle, and 

 the small fry are kept out. 



We may add another quality, which is really a resultant of this 

 union of strength and simplicity. The emotions of romance are 

 confident. As their strength causes them to make little of external 

 hindrances, as their simplicity frees them from being lost in the 

 entanglements of circumstances, so their confidence makes them not 

 self-questioning but self-asserting. They do not doubt themselves, 

 or impute unreality to themselves, or ask whether they are worth 

 having in the end, or whether the objects to which they are directed 

 are worth the trouble of winning. They are sure of themselves, 

 ready to give an account of themselves, finding in themselves their 

 own justification. 



In these three qualities which I have tried to indicate are to be 

 found, I think, the leading characteristics of the emotions as they are 

 selected for and treated in writings of a romantic character. Anything 

 so definite as a definition is perhaps rather repugnant to the subject, 

 and certainly is, as it always is, dangerous to the speaker. In literary 

 matters to make a definition is — if you will allow me a professional 

 comparison — hardly less rash than to write a sequel ; both acts cause 

 the critical eye to glance towards the critical tomahawk. But I 

 think we shall not be very far wrong if at this stage we venture to 



