R,CHARD MONCKTON MILNES was born in the year - OUDL Home

Novelists of the 'Seventies 23Fanu fifty-seven, Charles Lever was sixty-five, GeorgeMacdonald was forty-seven, Payn was forty-one, CharlesReade was fifty-seven, ' Mark Rutherford' was forty-two,Shorthouse was thirty-seven and Anthony Trollope wasfifty-six.Between the years 1872 and 1882 these works of fictionwere published among many others: The Coming Race in1871, Erewhon in 1872, Far from the Madding Crowd in1874, The Prime Minister in 1876, Travels with a Donkeyin 1879, Endymion in 1880, and John Inglesant in 1881.Here then is the confusion, both of men and works outof which, if possible, some common principle, direction orinspiration has to be found.Now in the first place it is my firm conviction that instudying the art of any country at any period it is quiteabsurd to look for any clear and uninterrupted line ofprogress. Art does not progress and its history must bealways in the main the history of certain artists who haveby the inspiration of their genius given an impetus, atwist, a fire to the artistic movements of their day. It isthe critic's business to discover why the work of an artisthas the colour, the shape, the influence that it has andhe makes his discoveries by his study of the work of artitself, the personality and circumstances of the artist andthe conditions of his time. These may indeed be platitudes,but it is curious and interesting to observe with whatobstinate pertinacity the critic is forgetful of them.In the history of no art is there any progress and mostcertainly not in the history of the English novel. Nor, letme add, is there retrogression cither. When Ulysses looksin the face of Tristram Shandy does a blush rise on thecheek of either? Most certainly not. We cannot doubtbut that Parson Sterne would be deeply intrigued by thediscoveries, and most especially by the vocabulary ofMr James Joyce. What would Thackeray have to say to