CHARLES STEWART PARNELL
Parnell. By St. John Ervine. (Berm. 12s. 6d.)
THE series to which Mr. Ervine contributes his biography of Parnell is called Curiosities of Politics, and if Parnell was to be treated as a curiosity, Mr. Ervine was perhaps right to consider him primarily in relation to his sex-history. Thus we learn that during his Cambridge days he seduced a village girl who committed suicide—a grim fact unknown to many who had been content to regard merely the political leader. We learn further that an American lady refused to marry him because he had not enough distinction to offer her—in the days before he was a leader : and we may, if we choose, infer with Mr. Ervine that a comfortable marriage would have settled Parnell down as an ordinary Irish country gentleman. The later story, concerning one of the two dominant forces in Parnell's life—and perhaps the stronger—we all knew before; or, if we did not all know it, undoubtedly those who hear the tale for the first time will be interested by Mr. Ervine's telling of it. No doubt, by all these divorce. court details our vision of Parnell is cleared up and sharpened. The trained novelist sets him well also against the background of his somewhat prodigal Irish upbringing, as part of a family in which eccentricity had more than once developed into madness.
But as Mr. Guedalla points out in his prefatory obser- vations biographical portraits "always of a man, are some- times also of a place and time," and a portrait "must be in true perspective." For this, in Parnell's case, some knowledge of Irish history and Irish politics is requisite, and Mr.. Ervine comes a little short in both. Merely for the impression of the man in relations other than those of sex wider reading was to be recommended. Barry O'Brien's Life is a good piece of work, done by a contemporary, but one whose acquaintance with Parnell was limited to a couple of inter- views. Mr. Ervine has read also Mr. T. P. O'Connor's bio- graphy, published immediately after Parnell's death. He has apparently not read the memoirs of Justin McCarthy, Parnell's vice-chairman for nine years and not a negligible writer. Nor apparently has he read Mr. William O'Brien's books
of reminiscence, some of which give the queerest and most vivid impressions of the leader—material which so skilled a novelist could not have failed to use, had he met it ; yet it was not far to seek. What is more, study of the men who were Par- nell's colleagues would have modified his impression of the background. Historically Parnell was not an aristocrat set against a pack of "poor uncouth clowns." To present him so makes him more of a curiosity : but is this the "touch of art" which Mr. Guedalla requires ?
As to knowledge of Irish history, Mr. Ervine does not deal much in references to it, but when he does, they are surprising. On a single page (21) he makes Daniel O'Connell come "from the cabins," and Wolfe Tone from "the class of the demesnes," and he speaks of " the Celtic or Firbolgian Irish." O'Connell was a landlord descendant of chiefs ; Wolfe Tone a coach- maker's son ; and Firbolg was a name of contempt applied by the Gaels to those who were not Celts. " Firbolgian Celts" is like " blue-woaded Saxons."
Mr. Ervine's mistakes are too numerous to catalogue here. It is no pleasure to point out that a man who has contributed admirably both in drama and the novel to the modern literary achievement of Ireland falls here below any standard to which one can honestly give praise : and that a main reason lies in his lack of that knowledge which be could easily have acquired. Yet so much harm has been done by men writing on Irish matters without adequate knowledge that it is necessary to protest. It is also necessary to say that Mr. Ervine does himself an injury by writing intemperately : he is in danger of mistaking his defects for his qualities. Lack of knowledge is not the worst fault in this book. The common Irish habitually use the word " ignorance " to describe failure in courtesy. Politeness in -writing is worth cultivating and as La Rochefoucauld said : La politesse de resprit cons isle a penser des chases Imitates et delicates. Mr. Ervine would have better understood and better depicted Parnell, his colleagues, and his move- ment—or rather would have less misunderstood and mis- represented them—had he borne that saying in mind.
STEPHEN GWYNN.
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