"D. A. Wasson."
This was forwarded to Matthew Arnold, who was then at his own home, and
in due time this reply was received from him:
"COBHAM, SURREY,
"Jan. 7th., 1886.
"Dear Sir,
"I have just had, on my return to England, your letter and Mr. Wasson's
paper, and must thank you for them.
"Very much of what Mr. Wasson says is true; yet literary style is more
than he makes it--the mere dressing up of a material which may be
inferior; it is itself in the material and has an extraordinary value.
No great writer is to be disposed of as Mr. Wasson disposes of Addison
and Swift; he says, nothing is to be learned from Swift; why, a sense
for the blatant nonsense and claptrap which constitutes three-fourths of
our public writing and speaking, and which is a greater curse to your
country that even to ours, is to be got from him. Addison has his
valuable criticism of life too; I doubt whether to a Taine, a hundred
years hence, he will not seem of more importance than Emerson, who was
above all things of value in his own day. But I love Emerson.
"Truly yours,
"Matthew Arnold."
[Illustration: AUTOGRAPH LETTER FROM MATTHEW ARNOLD.]
[Illustration: AUTOGRAPH LETTER FROM MATTHEW ARNOLD.]
Taine, who preferred Macaulay to Carlyle, might also prefer Addison to
Emerson; but it is not likely that a future Grimm or another
Sainte-Beuve would do so.
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