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sharing the liberalized French view of the decadence and worthlessness of the Spanish form of rule-to take service in the bodyguard of Joseph Bonaparte. A chapter full of strength and pathos, in King Joseph's Baggage,' shows him disowned by his mother and cast off by his village sweetheart on account of such service, both of them frantic with a spirit of independence like that which animated the Maid of Saragossa. A feature of this book that gives it originality is that the action turns not upon the usual principal features of battle, but upon the fate of the rich baggage train of booty with which Joseph Bonaparte had hoped to escape to France after his brief, disastrous reign.

The Episodios' have had an extensive influence, and have been imitated, under a like title, in the Spanish Americas. The author's tone toward the past is generally severe and disdainful. "Had Spain, perchance, a 'constitution' when she was the foremost nation in the world?" he puts into the mouth of one of his characters, with sardonic intent. He has been called unappreciative, and his attitude towards Spanish antiquity has been protested against by other leading writers, of more conservative feeling, as unwarranted. These romances contain some passages showing aversion to the barbarities of war, but in general they are less humanitarian than those of Erckmann-Chatrian: they are principally devoted to glorifying Spanish fortitude and courage. These books are a great advance upon the two earlier novels; from, the first they showed literary workmanship of a high order: they possess ingenuity of plot, sufficient probability, and graphic power of description, movement, and conversation. In the latter respects, indeed, they surpass some of the author's later works that make more serious pretensions.

The wider and more definitely literary reputation of Pérez Galdós rests upon more than a score of other works, in addition to the above. These are distinctly novels, as contrasted with romances; and they treat of contemporary life, in a method that aims to be conscientiously observant and impartial. It is often said, without much reflection, that we see enough of the things close about us, and need our literary recreation in the remote and strange. But it must be recalled that we see those things without the eyes of genius, and he is a true benefactor who poetizes and dignifies life in making evident that all of life is vivid with interest, even that part of it nearest to us, which without such illumination we may have thought devoid of it. The words in which the ostensible narrator of 'Lo Prohibido' (Forbidden Fruit: 1885), explains the purpose of his journal may well enough be taken to exhibit the method of Galdós. It was to set down "my prosaic adventures, events that in no way differ from those that fill and make up the lives of other men. I aspire to no

further effects than such as the sincere and unaffected presentation of the truth may produce; and I have no design upon the reader's emotions by means of calculated surprises, frights, or conjurer's tricks, through which things look one way for a time and then turn out in a manner diametrically opposite."

The titles of a number of his principal books, not hitherto given, with dates, are as follows. The dates are those when they were written, and they were generally published shortly after: 'Doña Perfecta, 1876; Gloria,' 1876; Torquemada en la Hoguera' (Torquemada at the Stake: 1876); Marianela,' 1878; La Familia de Leon Roch' (Leon Roch's Family: 1878); 'Los Cien Mil Hijos de San Luis ' (The Hundred Thousand Sons of Saint Louis: 1877) of the Episódios; 'Un Faccioso Más' (A Rebel the More: 1879) the completion of the Episódios; 'La Desheredada' (The Disowned: 1881); 'El Amigo Manso (Friend Mildman: 1882); 'El Doctor Centeno,' 1883; Tormento, 1884; 'La de Bringas' (That Mrs. de Bringas: 1884); 'Fortunata y Jacinta,' 1886; 'Miau,' 1888; 'La Incógnita' (The Unknown: 1889); 'Realidad' (Reality: 1890); Angel Guerra,' 1891; "Torquemada en la Cruz' (Torquemada on the Cross: 1894); Torquemada en el Purgatorio (Torquemada in Purgatory: 1894); Torquemada y San Pedro, 1895; 'Nazarin,' 1895; 'Halma,' 1896.

Even in his new departure, Galdós did not at once enter upon his final manner. 'Doña Perfecta, The Family of León Roch,' and 'Gloria' are quite distinctly didactic, or "novels with a purpose"; while Marianela' is somewhat cloyingly sentimental, a prose poem after the manner of Ouida. In spite of all this, however, 'Doña Perfecta' has been pronounced by many his best work. It is the one that has obtained greatest celebrity abroad, and it is the one, all things considered, likely to be the most satisfactory example of his work to the English reader. 'La Desheredada' marks the transition to his final period, and he has put it upon record that with this book the real difficulties of his vocation began. It is a poignantly affecting story of a poor girl who was brought up, by a parent half knave and half insane, to believe that she was not his daughter but that of a noble house. After his death she undertakes in all good faith to prosecute her claim, and is thrown into prison as an impostor. Her heart is broken by the disillusionment; she cannot adjust herself to life again without the sweetness of that beguiling belief, and so, in the end, not having the boldness to die, she throws herself upon the street, a social outcast. Both in the person of Isidora and others, the book is a moving treatise on false education. Other leading figures are her brother, a young "hoodlum" and thief, the burden of whose career she has also to bear upon her slender shoulders, and the pampered son of the poor Sastres, who have denied themselves bread that

he might have an education and luxuries. He has a hundred fine schemes for getting a living, but never a one of them includes turning his hand to a stroke of honest labor.

'El Amigo Manso' is an extended piece of character-drawing, selftold, in a gently humorous vein. It gives an account of a college instructor, very benevolent, very methodical and prudent, and a trifle conceited and patronizing, who is in love with a pretty governess. By the time he has settled all his judicious pros and cons, the pretty governess, who really cared nothing about him, is engaged to a suitor of a more dashing sort. The scenes of Tormento,' 'La de Bringas,' and 'Miau' are laid chiefly among the class of minor office-holders, with whose manners the author shows an exhaustive familiarity, and each has its peculiar tragic situation in itself. 'Realidad,' written once in the form of a novel, and again as a drama, treats of the subject of a wife's infidelity, as it might pass in real life, instead of in the conventional and hackneyed way. Its title seems to propose

to adhere even closer to the exact truth than do the others. There come to mind, in its suppressed passion and its calm, intellectual, and bitter philosophy, suggestions both of Ibsen and Sudermann. The banker Orozco, a noble and reserved nature, does not slay his wife, does not banish her from him, nor even make her reproaches. Augusta, on her side, wonders if his mind is not giving way. This bitter commentary on life is as near as her smaller mind can approach to a comprehension of his magnanimous conduct. The same Augusta, earlier, has said in conversation, "Real life is the greatest of all inventors; the only one who is ever ready, fresh, and inexhaustible in resource." In these books, however serious, the purpose does not obtrude to the detriment of art; the reader is left free to draw his own conclusions, as from events in actual life; the author ostensibly is neither for nor against, and yet he leaves us in no doubt as to his decision, always a moral and stimulating one.

Galdós is a writer of people and things. His interest is in the lives and souls of men and women, his skill is in the analysis of their reactions upon each other, and of circumstances and social and moral tradition and environment upon them. He does not care much for descriptive writing, his style is simple, sometimes careless. Still, to the reader who knows Spain, there are passages in Doña Perfecta) that fairly bring back the smell of the red mud of the central plateau, and (Gloria,> and Tristana,) and (Fortunata y Jacinta) are continually forcing one to visualize some corner of a Spanish scene. But Nature, in the conventional sense, is not his concern. He gives a sufficient setting to his actions, and he takes care that the few details he needs are accurate, and in harmony. Life, as he sees it, is a serious thing, made up, oftentimes, of cruel trifles. But he is not a pessimist, unless it be

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pessimism to be fearless in facing unpleasant realities, and honest in admitting their unpleasantness and their reality. In his best novels at any rate, he is natural, and we are sure that nature is not pessimistic. The sense of gloominess that often attends the reading of the work is quickly dispelled by an ineluctable feeling of the strong healthiness and sincerity of the author.

The theatre tempted Pérez Galdós only after his place as a novelist had been securely won. His earliest plays were (Realidad› (1890), (La de San Quintín) (1894), (El Abuelo) (1897), (La Fiera) (1897), of which only the second and fourth have any aptness for stage production. Indeed, the other two, as well as the later (Casandra) (1905), he calls novelas, though in his preface to the first named he makes it clear that he has the theatre in mind. They are long stories in dialogue, of the general form familiar to readers of Henri Lavedan, though in their content and aim they are as different as possible from the work of that author. Simply as literature, they have some merit; as dramatic writing they have none at all. In 1900 Galdós began a period of rather strenuous devotion to the theatre with (Electra, a poor play which made a good deal of commotion in Spain, and continued his activity with Mariucha) (1903), (Bárbara) (1905), and (Casandra,> already mentioned, besides other plays that attracted less attention. It would have been better if he had let the stage alone. Not one of his plays is good, most of them are simply bad. He has not at all the sense of the theatre; his technique is poor, he has no feeling for stage proportions, and the freedom and abandon of style which do so much for the success of his novels are sad handicaps in playwriting. Besides, in his plays he is always a preacher; and preaching from the stage, if it be ever tolerable, must be done by a consummate master of the resources of dramatic art, and with a delicacy of touch that we do not recognize even in our author's best fiction. Intelligent admirers of Galdós will always regret that he yielded to the temptation of the boards.

THE FIRST NIGHT OF A FAMOUS PLAY, IN THE YEAR 1807 From The Court of Charles IV. Copyright 1888, by W. S. Gottsberger. Reprinted by permission of George G. Peck, publisher, New York

[Gabriel, a boy of sixteen, has taken service as page with a very charming actress of the Principe Theatre. Between this theatre and La Cruz exists the same sort of hostility as between the rival theatres at Venice when Goldoni inaugurated his reform. La Cruz represents the new and "natural" spirit in the drama, as against the absurd artificial tradition that had prevailed up to that time. A part of Gabriel's duties is to go and hiss the plays at that thea

tre.

The principal occasion of this kind is when he accompanies a band, led by a rival playwright, to the first performance of (El Sí de las Niñas) (The Maidens' Yes), by the famous Moratin, the leading piece of the new school.]

"WHAT

HAT a vulgar subject! what low ideas!» he exclaimed, loud enough for everyone to hear. «And this is how comedies are written!>»>

...

"But let us listen to it," said I, finding my chief's comments quite intolerable. "We can laugh at Moratin afterwards.”

"But I cannot bear such a medley of absurdities," he went on. "We do not come to the theatre to see just what is to be seen any day in the streets, or in every house you go into. If instead of enlarging on her matrimonial experiences, the lady were to come in invoking curses on an enemy because he had killed one-and-twenty of her sons in battle, and left her with only the twenty-second, still an infant at the breast, and if she had to carry that one off to save him from being eaten by the besieged, all dying of famine - then there would be some interest in the plot, and the public would clap their hands till they were sore. Gabriel, my boy, we must protest, protest vehemently. We must thump the floor with our feet and sticks to show that we are bored and out of patience. Yawn; open your mouth till your jaws are dislocated; look about you; let all the neighbors see that we are people of taste, and utterly weary of this tiresome and monstrous piece."

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No sooner said than done: we began thumping on the floor, and yawning in chorus, exclaiming, "What a bore!" "What a dreary piece!" "What waste of money!" and other phrases to the same effect; all of which soon bore fruit. The party in the pit imitated our patriotic example with great exactness. eral murmur of dissatisfaction was presently audible from every part of the theatre; for though the author had enemies, he had no lack of friends too, scattered throughout the pit, boxes, and upper tiers, and they were not slow to protest against our demonstration, sometimes by applauding, and then again by roaring at us with threats and oaths, to be silent; till a stentorian voice from the very back of the pit bellowed, "Turn the blackguards out!" raising a noisy storm of applause that reduced us to silence.

Our poetaster was almost jumping out of his skin with indignation, and persisted in making his remarks as the piece went

on.

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