The Principles of Success in Literature | Page 6

hinted, seems frequently forgotten by those who take to novel
writing. Nay, it is often forgotten by the critics; they being, in general,
men without the special talent themselves, set no great value on it.
They imagine that Invention may be replaced by culture, and that
clever "writing" will do duty for dramatic power. They applaud the
"drawing" of a character, which drawing turns out on inspection to be
little more than an epigrammatic enumeration of particularities, the
character thus "drawn" losing all individuality as soon as speech and
action are called upon. Indeed, there are two mistakes very common
among reviewers: one is the overvaluation of what is usually
considered as literary ability ("brilliant writing" it is called; "literary
tinsel" would be more descriptive) to the prejudice of Invention and
Individuality; the other is the overvaluation of what they call "solid
acquirements," which really mean no more than an acquaintance with
the classics. As a fact, literary ability and solid acquirements are to be
had in abundance; invention, humour, and originality are excessively
rare. It may be a painful reflection to those who, having had a great
deal of money spent on their education, and having given a great deal
of time to their solid aquirements, now see genius and original power
of all kinds more esteemed than their learning; but they should reflect
that what is learning now is only the diffused form of what was once
invention. "Solid acquirement" is the genius of wits become the
wisdom of reviewers.
IV.
Authors are styled an irritable race, and justly, if the epithet be
understood in its physiological rather than its moral sense. This
irritability, which responds to the slightest stimulus, leads to much of
the misdirection of talent we have been considering. The greatness of
an author consists in having a mind extremely irritable, and at the same
time steadfastly imperial:--irritable that no stimulus may be inoperative,
even in its most evanescent solicitations; imperial, that no solicitation
may divert him from his deliberately chosen aims. A magisterial
subjection of all dispersive influences, a concentration of the mind
upon the thing that has to be done, and a proud renunciation of all
means of effect which do not spontaneously connect themselves with
it--these are the rare qualities which mark out the man of genius. In

men of lesser calibre the mind is more constantly open to determination
from extrinsic influences. Their movement is not self-determined,
self-sustained. In men of still smaller calibre the mind is entirely
determined by extrinsic influences. They are prompted to write poems
by no musical instinct, but simply because great poems have enchanted
the world. They resolve to write novels upon the vulgarest provocations:
they see novels bringing money and fame; they think there is no
difficulty in the art. The novel will afford them an opportunity of
bringing in a variety of scattered details; scraps of knowledge too
scanty for an essay, and scraps of experience too meagre for
independent publication. Others, again, attempt histories, or works of
popular philosophy and science; not because they have any special
stores of knowledge, or because any striking novelty of conception
urges them to use up old material in a new shape, but simply because
they have just been reading with interest some work of history or
science, and are impatient to impart to others the knowledge they have
just acquired for themselves. Generally it may be remarked that the
pride which follows the sudden emancipation of the mind from
ignorance of any subject, is accompanied by a feeling that all the world
must be in the state of darkness from which we have ourselves emerged.
It is the knowledge learned yesterday which is most freely imparted
today.
We need not insist on the obvious fact of there being more irritability
than mastery, more imitation than creation, more echoes than voices in
the world of Literature. Good writers are of necessity rare. But the
ranks would be less crowded with incompetent writers if men of real
ability were not so often misdirected in their aims. My object is to
decree, if possible, the Principles of Success--not to supply recipes for
absent power, but to expound the laws through which power is efficient,
and to explain the causes which determine success in exact proportion
to the native power on the one hand, and to the state of public opinion
on the other.
The laws of Literature may be grouped under three heads. Perhaps we
might say they are three forms of one principle. They are founded on
our threefold nature--intellectual, moral, and aesthetic.
The intellectual form is the PRINCIPLE OF VISION.
The moral form is the PRINCIPLE OF SINCERITY.

The aesthetic form is the PRINCIPLE OF BEAUTY.
It will be my endeavour to give definite significance, in succeeding
chapters, to