10
BOOKS
CONTEMPORARY BRITISH
PHILOSOPHY.
A "Cook's Tour" Through The Realms Of Mind.
p
Most of us are acquainted with those hand books of philosophy which epitomise all the philosa phical systems from Anaximander to Bergson, picking out one for special 'merit and generally examining all the others through the medium of this one alone. Such an arrangement has its merits, and many of us have pro- fited much by some of the great histories of philosophy. Bat Prof. Muirhead has adopted a plan
impartial statements of what the writern wished to say.
THE CHINA MAIL.
we confess we always feel a deeper interest in his more spicy and less philosophical writings. We do not think a man who could write the following ought ever to have been made a President of the Aristotelian Society:-
"Modern science is well aware
A SCHOLAR'S PREJUDICES.
[A Second Scrap Book. By George Saintsbury.
London: Macmillan & Co. 75. 6d. net.]
TURQUOISE BLUE.
In South America: I was accus- tomed to see dragon flies in rush ing hordes and clouds, and in Being himself a literary critic masses clinging like swarming and therefore versed in auch mat-bees to the trees; here we see tors, Mr, George Saintsbury has them as single insects, but I once wisely disarmed potential critics witnessed a beautiful effect pro- of his Second Scrap Book by re-
· SATURDAY MARCH 22, 1924
A CHINESE CHARLES LAMB.
"YET AGAIN.”
[By Max Beerbohm.]...!
am on the right track once again, or, for that matter, of Max Beer- bohm? Each is a poet and a Lightly, lightly, speeds my boat along, my garments flutter-personality in words, with a
Homewards I bend my steps. My fields, my gardens, are choked with, weeds: should I not go? My
It is wholly impossible to re- soul has led a bondsman's life: that the world with which it
why should I remain to pine? But view the books that some men deals is a mental construction
I will waste no grief upon the
write. What can one say of from very imperfect knowledge.
past; I will devote my energies Machen, for instance, but that he The visible spectrum occupies only 1/27 of the known range viewing, in the preface of the /duced by a large number of the to the future. I have not wanis Machen? Or, of de la Mare? of ethereal vibrations. We only present volume, certain of the common turquoise-blue dragon fly dered for astray. I feel that I see a small fraction of the more disparaging reviews of his gathered at one spot, and this was colours which eyes differently former Serup Book. Authors in Hampshire.... It was a very constructed might see. The possessed of less skilled powers bright windy morning in June,
peculiarly individual flavour. But same is true of sound. We hear of irony than Mr. Saintsbury over a range of about eleven might find this method a risky and the oak woods had been striping to the gentle breeze. I inquire
I grudge the such things cannot be transferred. my route as I go. octaves. Our mental picture of one, as calculated to provoke ped of their young foliage by owness of the dawning day. They cannot be interpreted by the world is like that which something even more severe the myriads of caterpillars, so that From afar I desery my old home, less skilful hands. They must be would be conveyed to an audi- second time. But Mr. Saintsbury the sunlight fell untempered and joyfully press onwards in my I felt and tasted at the source to be ence by a musician who played understands his weapons and his through the seemingly dead trees haste. The servants rush forth relished. on a piano, of which all but half victims will not be eager to face
on the bracken that covered the to meet me; my children cluster His ridicule,
This being ap, I make no apology a dozen notes, were dumb. If his steel again.
at the gate. The place is a wilder- that audience got any notion of though subtle and delicate, is not ground below. Now, at one spot ness; but there is the old pine tree for the absence of scholarly dis- a tune, the tune would be always kind, and the merciless over an area of about half an acre, and my chrysanthemums. I take cussion of man and work in this largely the work of their own logic with which he analyzes and the bracken was covered with the the little ones by the hand, and paper. imagination, and would be very dissects the innocent fatuities of common turquoise-blue dragon fl, pass in. ... I loll against the unlike the tune composed by less exalted essayists should clinging to the fronds, their heads window in my new-found freedom. Mozart or Beethoven. In these prove an effective deterrent to to the wind, their long bodles all 1 look at the sweet children on my circumstances, science aims at those who feel tempted to take pointing the same way:
They knee. consistency rather than cer- liberties.
were nowhere close together, but tainty."
very evenly distributed, about three to six inches apart, and the sight of the numberless slips of gem-like blue sprinkled over the billowy, vivid green fern was a rare and exceedingly lovely one.
The above quotation is not from the present volume but from his volumes on Plotinus; but a similar idea somewhat more cautiously worded is to be found in the pre- sent contribution,
Throughout the whole set of statements there is "indeed a wonderful freedom from partiality due to partisanship which dis- figures, so much so-called philoso- phical writing. Every reader of philosophy will remember how 'ather Newman can begin a philosophical book with an inno cent looking syllogism one pre- miss of which is something like "my sainted mother told me the moon was made of green cheese." By page 50 the moon is mude of green, cheese, and by page 200. "my sainted mother" has been metamorphosed into "Holy Mother Church. Thus by a series of subtie fallacies black proved to almost the exuct reverse of this in his volume of "personal state-be white. In this book we are
On the whole we can say nothing menta" by the leading living saved from much of this--some but good for such an endeavour philosophical thinkers. Here ench of the writers even adopting that
as this of Dr. Muirhead's. "With man is given his pulpit and up- philosophical detachment so won
the mass of mankind," says one holds his own pet system. Wederfully developed in Hume. In of the greatest nineteenth century have the advantage of construc- the present volume Bishop Temeritcis rather sadly, "the love of tive statement instead of demoli-ple is the worst sinner. It may speculative truth is among the tion. We have the advantage of be all very well for him to tell weakest of impulses. Any too, of variety in theory as well as
endeavour, not to give them ready in style and manner of approach.
made opinions, but to stir up the Here, we have altars to, and in-
foundations of thought, is one of burned before. Hegel,
the most praiseworthy but thank- Plotinus, Bergson, Protagoras,
less of undertakings. Kant and many others; idealism is cheek by jowl with atomic realism. The writers are sixteen in number and they form the leaders of philosophic thought in Great Britain.
cense
If we may express a personal opinion we think Prof. Wildon
us that he was brought up in a
—A, ÍI, CROOK.
[Contemporary British Philo- Personal Statements by
godd and devout home, but what can be the advantage of knowing that he had never ceased from the age of twelve to be a "regular communicant." The only conclu- sion one can draw is that he got into a habit of going through certain ceremonies before he had sophy. the intelligence to understand J. B. Baillie, Bernard Bosanquet, what they meant. In the opinion C. D. Broad, H. Wildon Carr. of the present writer his contri- Viscount Haldane, C. T. Hob- bution is the poorest in the book house, Dean Inge, John Laird, but then the present writer J. S. Mackenzie, J. Ellis MeTag. never hopes to be a "regular com- municant."
We will say frankly that, if any one else had written this scrap book, the chances are that it would have been dull and tedious, for it deals with a hundred and one unimportant subjects without making any attempt at continuity of thought and idea. But Mr." Saintsbury knows how to make scrap books amusing, for he can write nonsense with conviction. He lias, moreover, the gift of using language that is in itself charming and, even if we are irritated by some of the more fantastic affections of his style, we can hardly fail to applaud the delicacy of his wit and the aptness of his epigrams.
Mr. Saintsbury's prejudices are of a decided nature, and it is his metier to criticize-not always kindly as we have noted, but with a wealth of satirical humour,
Upon certain subjects, he is The British quite unmeasured. Labour Party is one of the fav ourite butts for his wit, and he takes an obvious delight in ridi- caling the crude and earnest utterings of its more prominent spokesman. His ruthless analysis of certain portion's of Mr. Philip Edited by J. H. Muirhead, Snowden's recent dissertation LL.D.
upon Socialism before the House [George Allen & Unwin, Ltd. of Commons is one of the finest
gems in a dazzling collection.
gart, C. Lloyd Morgan, J. H. Muirhead. Carveth Read, Betrand Russell, F. C. S. Schiller, William Temple.]
Carr's the most scholarly state- ment. This does not mean that it represents the system of thought which we like best. As
Dean Inge, too, seems scarcely masterly statements, too, wo to reach the level of some of his should mention those by Prof. other writings. Indeed, he con- Lloyd Morgan and Mr. Broad, fesses in his foreword his con- We merely single out these be-sciousness his imperfections in cause they seem to us excellent his philosophical equipment; and 18/- net.]
Y
-W. H. Hudson.
in "Hampshire Days.”
We have no ronit to men- tion here
B tithe of the many subjects with which the pages of Mr. Saintsbury's Scrap Book are filled. A good deal of it, as might be expected,
Instead, I should like to call. your attention to a phrase that occurs in a delightful discussion And how I take my pleasure in of Whistler's writing, in "Yet my garden. There is a gate,' but | Again." Somewhere in the course it is rarely opened. I lean or myof this paper, Beerbohm, with his staff as I wander about or sit down;
to rest. I raise my head and con- usual insight and understanding, template the lovely scene. Clouds writes, "No man who can finely, rise, unwilling, from the bottom grasp a big theme can play of the hills; the weary bird seeks exquisitely round a little one.” ́its nest again. Shadows vanish,
This is good criticism; excellent but still I linger around my lonely pine. Home once more! I'll have when applied, as it was, to no friendships to distract me Whistler, but even better when hence. The times are out of joint applied to Beerbohm himself. toi, me; and what have I to seek Does not it make clear the peculiar · from men? In the pure enjoy. genius of the mar?, There are ment of the family circle I will many who can see through the pass my days, cheering my idle great problems that beset the hours with lute and book. My times. But how many can see is devoted to literature and liter husbandmen will tell me when round the small ones? A mere ary topics, and there is,a charac-spring-time is high, and when handful at best, and none with the teristic essay on Sandwiches, there will be work in the furrow. inimitable grace and pleasantry of Politics and social questions geted fields. Thither I shall repair Beerbohm. a fair measure of attention, and by cart or by boat, through the the author has not omitted to tell deep gorge, over the dizzy cliff, us a little about himself. The trees bursting merrily into leaf, only subject, however, upon which the streamlet swelling from its he has written at any length is tiny, source...... I want not Oxford, and in the first nine wealth; I want not power; heaven chapters of the book, under the is beyond my hopes. Then let me bending of "Oxford Sixty Years stroll through the bright hours as Since, there are some delightful they pass, in my garden, among sketches of college life in the my flowers; or I will mount the sixties. But the same high stan- hill and sing my song, or weave dard of artistic excellence is main-my verse beside the limpid brook, tained throughout, and upon whatever subject Mr. Saintsbury elects to enlarge he does so with Translated by Herbert. A. Giles, consummate grace and charm.
in Chinese Literature."
-Tao Ch'ien.
"Yet Again" is not a new book. It was first issued in 1909, and has since been out of print. No one has seen fit to revive it for the general reading public, to whom the first edition is prohibi tive, because of its constantly mounting cost, until the present reprint. Yet it is a link in the Beerbohm progression, falling, as it does, almost midway between "More" and "And Even Now," and containing some of the most thoroughly satisfying of its author's works.
-Kenneth Rede..
FBQ
HAVE THE SURPRISE
OF YOUR LIFE
AND SEE
Tights Out
FROM THE BROADWAY STAGE SUCCESS
BY
MANN PAGE AND PAUL DICKEY
The greatest crook comedy of the year! A picture staged partly aboard a second-splitting Oullman train and partly in the strange realm of a motion picture stadio. Could anything be more novel} 'You'll say NOT after you've seen this one.
You'll laugh uproariously, You'll thrill Intensely, You'll get more surprises than you ever got before 1 Absolutely new an amazing twistbowlidering intriguing enthralling! You'll shout your head off when you hear 'om call "Lights Out.":
AR CAST
Coming to the WORLD SOON.
soon.
SCREENLAND.
"DRIFTING,”
BIG WORLD THEATRE FICTURE,
Critics keep repeating, the phrase, "There is nothing new in stories."
The screen keeps proving every day that this is untrue. Basic plots may be limited to the num- ber of seven, thirty-seven or whatever it is, but basic plots are.. after all, only a mechanical con- struction as unconscious as the act of the writer in hitting the keys of his typewriter. The term, "basic plot,"really has very little significance in story telling or críticiam in the opinion of many literary authorities.、
San Francisco's Chinatown, London's Chinatown, Los Angeles' Chinatown-these places have their significance in fiction of the colourful type. Stories of opium smugglers, generations of them following the trade in their weird atmosphere of alleys and under- ground homes; tales of uncauny movements of life along shadow- ed streets and quick deaths with no traces of the hand that killed,
Such stories have been popular for a long time, since the earliest work of Frank Norris, Thomas Hardy and others. And stories of that kind come to print or screen that clearly are not repetitions of earlier ones. They have novelty.
If that is true, "Drifting," the Universal-Jewel picture starring Priscilla Dean which is showing Fat the World Theatre, "hay an absolutely incontestible claim to originality and novelty, for its atmosphere, dealing with the very cradle of these oriental romances," has never been touched-the heart of China, the great inland into which few white strangers penetrated.
FINAL SHOWING TO-DAY PRISCILLA DEAN
IN
DRIFTING
PRISCILLA DEAN "DRIFTING"
M
A UNIVERSAL-JEWEL
SEE THE EXCITING and NEVER-TO-BE-FORGOTTEN CLIMAX IN THE UNIVERSAL-JEWEL PHOTOPLJAY,
Commencing Sunday, 23rd March.
See this whirlwind thriller with its wonderful love story, spectacular situations,
@mashing climax 1
At The WORLD Theatre
latest western feature, coming to the one most generally popular an entire afternoon the World Theatre.
appear as the feature of the them. He wore his full cowboy A party was planned by "Aunt entertainment:
regalia and his appear Dolly," editor of the "Junior Letters poured in and nearly greeted with wild applause Times" section of the "Los every player of note in the film did a lot of fancy roping, made à Angeles Times" Auat Dolly colony was mentioned. Jackie talk and autographed several | FAVOURITE OF THE KIDDIES. probably includes a thousand or Coogan, Baby Peggy and Jack hundred photographs for the
more children. They all, or most Hoxie wore the favourites and the kids.
JACK HOXIE.
Hoxie, understands the likes sheepman-cattleman feud
of them; contribute stories or cowboy atar had a considerable "The Man From Wyo Jack Hoxie, Universal cowboy letters to the magazine. The edge over the youngsters. a fast moving dramatic story of a star, rates high with the children.editor asked them to write her a Proof of his popularity was letter narsing their favourite offered during the filming of screen players and she told them The Man From W ging, his she would xy to arrange to have
and dislikes of children in general western plaina, written He accepted Aunt Dolly's Invita Liam MacLeod Ruine and directe:
on to attend the party and spen, by Robert N. Pradie