There are, first of all, two kinds of authors: those who write for the subject’s sake, and those who write for writing’s sake. While the one have had thoughts or experiences which seem to them worth communicating, the others want money; and so they write, for money. Their thinking is part of the business of writing. They may be recognized by the way in which they spin out their thoughts to the greatest possible length; then, too, by the very nature of their thoughts, which are only half-true, perverse, forced, vacillating; again, by the aversion they generally show to saying anything straight out, so that they may seem other than they are. Hence their writing is deficient in clearness and definiteness, and it is not long before they betray that their only object in writing at all is to cover paper. This sometimes happens with the best authors; now and then, for example, with Lessing in his Dramaturgie, and even in many of Jean Paul’s romances. As soon as the reader perceives this, let him throw the book away; for time is precious. The truth is that when an author begins to write for the sake of covering paper, he is cheating the reader; because he writes under the pretext that he has something to say.

“Originally published in 1896.”

In the following pages my aim has been to sketch the development of criticism, and particularly of critical method, in England; and to illustrate each phase of its growth by one or two samples taken from the most typical writers. I have in no way attempted to make a full collection of what might be thought the most striking pieces of criticism to be found in our literature.

Owing to the great wealth of such writing produced during the last sixty years, it is clearly impossible to give so complete a picture of what has been done in this period as in others. I am obliged to content myself with one specimen of one writer. But that is the writer who, in the opinion of many, is the most remarkable of all English critics. For the permission, so kindly granted, to include the Essay on Sandro Botticelli I desire to offer my sincerest thanks to Messrs. Macmillan and to the other representatives of the late Mr. Pater.

It may seem strange to close a volume of literary criticism with a study on the work and temperament of a painter. I have been led to do so for more than one reason. A noticeable tendency of modern criticism, from the time of Burke and Lessing, has been to break down the barrier between poetry and the kindred arts; and it is perhaps well that this tendency should find expression in the following selection. But a further reason is that Mr. Pater was never so much himself, was never so entirely master of his craft, as when interpreting the secrets of form and colour. Most of all was this the case when he had chosen for his theme one who, like Botticelli, “is before all things a poetical painter”.

1. E. VAUGHAN

February, 1896.

Bu eser Cemal Hurşid tarafından yazılmış olup 1923 yılında Sinop Matbaasında basılmıştır. Eserin; Rıza Nur İl Halk Kütüphanesinde 1158/813 ve Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Üniversitesi Kütüphanesinde 1248 demirbaş numaralarına kayıtlı birer nüshası bulunmaktadır. Çalışmamızı, Rıza Nur İl Halk Kütüphanesinde bulunan nüshayı esas alarak oluşturduk.

Sinop’ta 1922 yılında kurulan matbaa ile pek çok gazete, mecmua ve kitap basılmıştır. Cumhuriyetin ilk yıllarında kurulan matbaa, halkın okuma yazma oranını yükseltmiş ayrıca duygu ve düşüncelerini dile getirmiştir.

Kitap; ”Gönül Kimi Severse”, ”Erkekler mi?”, ”Kalbin Sesi”, ”Mütareke ve Sulh”, ”Nigar Duymasın”, ”Bir Saadet-i Ebediye” olmak üzere gerçek hayatta yaşanmış altı hikâyeden oluşur. Sonlarına yazılış tarihleri verilen bu hikâyelerde genel olarak I. Dünya ve İstiklâl Harbi yılları, mütareke sonrası Anadolu’da sosyo-ekonomik hayat, çeşitli aşk ve kahramanlık hikâyeleri anlatılmıştır.

Ergün ACAR