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effects。 The scientific man is after truth。 Science is decent；
modest； does not try to startle； but to instruct。 The same scenes
and objects which outrage every sense of delicacy in the story
teller's highly colored paragraphs can be read without giving offence
in the chaste language of the physiologist or the physician。
There is a very celebrated novel； 〃Madame Bovary；〃 the work of M。
Flaubert； which is noted for having been the subject of prosecution
as an immoral work。 That it has a serious lesson there is no doubt；
if one will drink down to the bottom of the cup。 But the honey of
sensuous description is spread so deeply over the surface of the
goblet that a large proportion of its readers never think of its
holding anything else。 All the phases of unhallowed passion are
described in full detail。 That is what the book is bought and read
for； by the great majority of its purchasers； as all but simpletons
very well know。 That is what makes it sell and brought it into the
courts of justice。 This book is famous for its realism； in fact； it
is recognized as one of the earliest and most brilliant examples of
that modern style of novel which； beginning where Balzac left off；
attempted to do for literature what the photograph has done for art。
For those who take the trouble to drink out of the cup below the rim
of honey； there is a scene where realism is carried to its extreme；
surpassed in horror by no writer； unless it be the one whose name
must be looked for at the bottom of the alphabet； as if its natural
place were as low down in the dregs of realism as it could find
itself。 This is the death…bed scene； where Madame Bovary expires in
convulsions。 The author must have visited the hospitals for the
purpose of watching the terrible agonies he was to depict； tramping
from one bed to another until he reached the one where the cries and
contortions were the most frightful。 Such a scene he has reproduced。
No hospital physician would have pictured the straggle in such
colors。 In the same way； that other realist； M。 Zola； has painted a
patient suffering from delirium tremens； the disease known to common
speech as 〃the horrors。〃 In describing this case he does all that
language can do to make it more horrible than the reality。 He gives
us； not realism； but super…realism； if such a term does not
contradict itself。
In this matter of the literal reproduction of sights and scenes which
our natural instinct and our better informed taste and judgment teach
us to avoid； art has been far in advance of literature。 It is three
hundred years since Joseph Ribera； more commonly known as
Spagnoletto； was born in the province Valencia； in Spain。 We had the
misfortune of seeing a painting of his in a collection belonging to
one of the French princes； and exhibited at the Art Museum。 It was
that of a man performing upon himself the operation known to the
Japanese as hararkiri。 Many persons who looked upon this revolting
picture will never get rid of its remembrance； and will regret the
day when their eyes fell upon it。 I should share the offence of the
painter if I ventured to describe it。 Ribera was fond of depicting
just such odious and frightful subjects。 〃Saint Lawrence writhing on
his gridiron； Saint Sebastian full of arrows； were equally a source
of delight to him。 Even in subjects which had no such elements of
horror he finds the materials for the delectation of his ferocious
pencil； he makes up for the defect by rendering with a brutal realism
deformity and ugliness。〃
The first great mistake made by the ultra…realists； like Flaubert and
Zola； is； as I have said； their ignoring the line of distinction
between imaginative art and science。 We can find realism enough in
books of anatomy； surgery； and medicine。 In studying the human
figure； we want to see it clothed with its natural integuments。 It
is well for the artist to study the ecorche in the dissecting…room；
but we do not want the Apollo or the Venus to leave their skins
behind them when they go into the gallery for exhibition。 Lancisi's
figures show us how the great statues look when divested of their
natural covering。 It is instructive； but useful chiefly as a means
to aid in the true artistic reproduction of nature。 When the；
hospitals are invaded by the novelist； he should learn something from
the physician as well as from the patients。 Science delineates in
monochrome。 She never uses high tints and strontian lights to
astonish lookers…on。 Such scenes as Flaubert and Zola describe would
be reproduced in their essential characters； but not dressed up in
picturesque phrases。 That is the first stumbling…block in the way of
the reader of such realistic stories as those to which I have
referred。 There are subjects which must be investigated by
scientific men which most educated persons would be glad to know
nothing about。 When a realistic writer like Zola surprises his
reader into a kind of knowledge he never thought of wishing for； he
sometimes harms him more than he has any idea of doing。 He wants to
produce a sensation； and he leaves a permanent disgust not to he got
rid of。 Who does not remember odious images that can never be washed
out from the consciousness which they have stained？ A man's
vocabulary is terribly retentive of evil words； and the images they
present cling to his memory and will not loose their hold。 One who
has had the mischance to soil his mind by reading certain poems of
Swift will never cleanse it to its original whiteness。 Expressions
and thoughts of a certain character stain the fibre of the thinking
organ； and in some degree affect the hue of every idea that passes
through the discolored tissues。
This is the gravest accusation to bring against realism； old or
recent； whether in the brutal paintings of Spagnoletto or in the
unclean revelations of Zola。 Leave the description of the drains and
cesspools to the hygienic specialist； the painful facts of disease to
the physician； the details of the laundry to the washerwoman。 If we
are to have realism in its tedious descriptions of unimportant
particulars； let it be of particulars which do not excite disgust。
Such is the description of the vegetables in Zola's 〃Ventre de
Paris；〃 where； if one wishes to see the apotheosis of turnips； beets；
and cabbages； he can find them glorified as supremely as if they had
been symbols of so many deities； their forms； their colors； their
expression； worked upon until they seem as if they were made to be
looked at and worshipped rather than to be boiled and eaten。
I am pleased to find a French critic of M。 Flaubert expressing ideas
with which many of my own entirely coincide。 〃The great mistake of
the realists； 〃 he says； 〃is that they profess to tell the truth
because they tell everything。 This puerile hunting after details；
this cold and cynical inventory of all the wretched conditions in the
midst of which poor humanity vegetates； not only do not help us to
understand it better； but； on the contrary； the effect on the
spectators is a kind of dazzled confusion mingled with fatigue and
disgust。 The material truthfulness to which the school of M。
Flaubert more especially pretends misses its aim in going beyond it。
Truth is lost in its own excess。〃
I return to my thoughts on the relations of imaginative art in all
its forms with science。 The subject which in the hands of the
scientific student is handled decorously；reverently； we might
almost say；becomes repulsive； shameful； and debasing in the
unscrupulous manipulations of the low…bred man of letters。
I confess that I am a little jealous of certain tendencies in our own
American literature； which led one of the severest and most outspoken
of our satirical fellow…countrymen； no longer living to be called to
account for it； to say； in a moment of bitterness； that the mission
of America was to vulgarize mankind。 I myself have sometimes
wondered at the pleasure some Old World critics have professed to
find in the most lawless freaks of New World literature。 I have
questioned whether their delight was not like that of the Spartans in
the drunken antics of their Helots。 But I suppose I belong to
another age； and must not attempt to judge the present by my old…
fashioned standards。
The company listened very civilly to these remarks； whether they
agreed with them or not。 I am not sure that I want all the young
people to think just as I do in matters of critical judgment。 New
wine does not go well into old bottles； but if an old cask has held
good wine； it may improve a crude juice to stand awhile upon the lees
of that which once filled it。
I thought the company had had about enough of this disquisition。
They listened very decorously； and the Professor； who agrees very
well with me； as I happen to know； in my views on this business of
realism； thanked me for giving them th