Front matter (continued 4)

It is a sign of our times that a man whose fancy leads him now and then to make a story of characters almost ideal, should feel as if he owed his reader a sort of apology for so far disregarding the common fashion. There must always be a conflict between the real and the ideal, between what we are told is knowledge and what our hearts tell us is truth, between the evil men do and the good which is beyond their strength, but not above their aspiration. And therefore the old question stands unanswered: Do most people wish to be shown what they are, or what they might be? In order to avoid the difficulty of replying, fashion comes forward and says to-day that art is truth, and infers that art must be accurate and photographic and closely imitative.

What has art to do with truth? Is not truth the imagination's deadly enemy? If the two meet, they must fight to the death. It is therefore better, in principle, to keep them apart, and let each survive separately with their uses. Two and two make four, says Truth. Never mind facts, says Art, let us imagine a world in which two and two make five, and see whether we can get anything pleasant, or amusing, out of the supposition. Let us sometimes talk about men and women who are unimaginably perfect, and let us find out what they would do with the troubles that make sinners of most of us, and puzzle us, and turn our hair grey.

Matter, says the mystic, is the inexhaustible source and active cause of all harm. Imagination can be altogether free from matter. That is what we mean by the ideal, and men may say what they will, it is worth having. A man must know the enemy against whom he is matched, if he hopes to win; he must know his adversary's fence, his thrusts and feints and parries. Truth will give him that knowledge. But beyond the enemy, and beyond victory over him, there is the aspiration, the hope, the aim of all life--and that is the ideal, if it is anything at all worth hoping; it is transcendent, outside of all facts and perhaps of any attainment, and only the imagination can ever tell us what it may be.

Yet those who guess at it, dwell on it and love it, and it comes to be the better part of their lives. The world holds two great classes of mankind, artists and truth-seekers. There are millions of artists, there always have been, and there always will be. One in each million, perhaps, is born with the gift of creation and knows the tools of his trade by instinct, and works with them, as soon as he is old enough to think. The rest are not less artists, because they are not producers. They have the same aspirations, the same longings, the same tastes, though they are not makers, as he is; and when he has finished his work, they look at it with eyes like his, and enjoy even more perfectly than he, for they see the expression of a thought like their own, while all that he could not express is hidden from them and does not disturb their satisfaction. Art for art's sake, if such a thing could be, would mean that the one man would work just as hard to give his imagination a shape, even if the rest of the million were not there to understand him. But he knows that they are all living and that the ideal for which he labours is divine to them all, whether he fail or whether he succeed.

THE END

* * * * *

TAQUISARA.

BY F. MARION CRAWFORD,

Author of "Saracinesca," "Pietro Ghisleri," "Katharine Lauderdale," "The Ralstons," etc.

Two Volumes. 16mo. In Box, $2.00.

"Mr. Crawford once more shows that mastery of his art which entitles him to rank among the very foremost of living novelists.... The interest of the reader is at once compelled, while there is enacted a drama as dark and terrible as some legend of the Medici or the Borgias, and so exquisite is the art of the narrator that the reader's interest is never suffered to relax.

"'Taquisara' the Sicilian, the Princess Veronica, and the invalid Gianluca are characters drawn with the power and poetic feeling that Mr. Crawford's readers know so well."--New York Sun.

"The plot needs no telling; it is one of Mr. Crawford's best, and the scene, Naples, and the mountain country back of it, united with the characteristics and temperaments of the Italian people, give the noted author splendid opportunities to realize his best work. Mr. Crawford continues to reap fame with every novel that comes from his pen."--Boston Budget.

"'Taquisara' in vigor of language and sustained interest of plot easily ranks with Mr. Crawford's best work, which, by the way, is quite as good as the best by any living writer."--Oneonta Herald.

"'Taquisara,' as its name indicates, is another of Mr. Crawford's happily told stories of Italian life, and must find many admirers. Here the author is at his best. He knows his Italy--who could have read his 'Casa Braccio' and not been conscious of it? In this last novel the interest is unflagging, and all the imaginative charm and literary force which belong to the author are to be found."

CASA BRACCIO.

BY F. MARION CRAWFORD.

WITH THIRTEEN FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS FROM DRAWINGS BY CASTAIGNE.

Buckram. 2 vols., in box. $2.00.

PRESS COMMENTS.

"Mr. Crawford's latest novel, 'Casa Braccio,' may not improbably come to be regarded as the supreme masterpiece in fiction--of the English tongue at least--that has appeared since 'Daniel Deronda.' Its breadth of human emotion, its vividness of individualities, its splendor of coloring, all entitle this novel to a lasting place in the literature of fiction."--Chicago Inter-Ocean.

"Mr. Crawford has won success in two different fields of fiction. In this, his present work, he combines these fields, and wins a greater success than ever. There is but little question that 'Casa Braccio' will prove to be the great novel of the year."--Boston Daily Advertiser.

"We are grateful when Mr. Crawford keeps to his Italy. The poetry and enchantment of the land are all his own, and 'Casa Braccio' gives promise of being his masterpiece.... He has the life, the beauty, the heart and the soul of Italy at the tips of his fingers."--Los Angeles Express.

"Admirably strong and impressive."--Boston Beacon.

"From all points of view 'Casa Braccio' is the most artistically finished, dramatic, and powerful work Mr. Crawford has produced."--New York World.

"The people who are fond of prating about the thinness of American novels should read 'Casa Braccio,' for it is rich in all the qualities that go to make up a good story.... It is safe to say that any one who reads one or two of Crawford's stories will extend his acquaintance with this singularly versatile and charming writer."--San Francisco Chronicle.

THE RALSTONS.

A Sequel to "Katharine Lauderdale."

BY F. MARION CRAWFORD.

2 vols. 16mo. Cloth. $2.00.

PRESS COMMENTS.

"The interest is unflagging throughout. Never has the author done more brilliant, artistic work than here."--Ohio State Journal.

"It is immensely entertaining; once in the full swing of the narrative, one is carried on quite irresistibly to the end. The style throughout is easy and graceful, and the text abounds in wise and witty reflections on the realities of existence."--Boston Beacon.

"The book is admirably written; it contains passages full of distinction; It is instinct with intensity of purpose; the characters are drawn with a living touch."--London Daily News.

"Mr. Crawford's new story, 'The Ralstons,' is as powerful a work as any that has come from his pen.... Harmonized by a strength and warmth of imagination uncommon in modern fiction, the story will be heartily enjoyed by every one who reads it."--Edinburgh Scotsman.

"As a picture of a certain kind of New York life, it is correct and literal; as a study of human nature, it is realistic enough to be modern, and romantic enough to be of the age of Trollope."--Chicago Herald.

"The whole group of character studies is strong and vivid."--Literary World.

"Mr. Crawford's pen portraits are wonderfully vivid. His analysis of motive is keen and subtle. His portrayal of passion, be it love or avarice, is most graphic."--Boston Advertiser.

UNIFORM EDITION OF THE WORKS OF

F. MARION CRAWFORD.

12mo. Cloth. Price $1.00 per volume.

KATHARINE LAUDERDALE

The first of a series of novels dealing with New York life.

"Mr. Crawford at his best is a great novelist, and in 'Katharine Lauderdale' we have him at his best."--Boston Daily Advertiser.

"A most admirable novel, excellent in style, flashing with humor, and full of the ripest and wisest reflections upon men and women."--The Westminster Gazette.

"It is the first time, we think, in American fiction that any such breadth of view has shown itself in the study of our social framework."--Life.

"It need scarcely be said that the story is skilfully and picturesquely written, portraying sharply individual characters in well-defined surroundings."--New York Commercial Advertiser.

"'Katharine Lauderdale' is a tale of New York, and is up to the highest level of his work. In some respects it will probably be regarded as his best. None of his works, with the exception of 'Mr. Isaacs,' shows so clearly his skill as a literary artist."--San Francisco Evening Bulletin.

PIETRO GHISLERI.

"The imaginative richness, the marvellous ingenuity of plot, the power and subtlety of the portrayal of character, the charm of the romantic environment,--the entire atmosphere, indeed,--rank this novel at once among the great creations."--The Boston Budget.

SARACINESCA.

"His highest achievement, as yet, in the realms of fiction. The work has two distinct merits, either of which would serve to make it great,--that of telling a perfect story in a perfect way, and of giving a graphic picture of Roman society in the last days of the pope's temporal power.... The story is exquisitely told."--Boston Traveler.

"One of the most engrossing novels we have ever read."--Boston Times.

SANT' ILARIO.

A sequel to "Saracinesca."

"The author shows steady and constant improvement in his art. 'Sant' Ilario' is a continuation of the chronicles of the Saracinesca family.... A singularly powerful and beautiful story.... Admirably developed, with a naturalness beyond praise.... It must rank with 'Greifenstein' as the best work the author has produced. It fulfils every requirement of artistic fiction. It brings out what is most impressive in human action, without owing any of its effectiveness to sensationalism or artifice. It is natural, fluent in evolution, accordant with experience, graphic in description, penetrating in analysis, and absorbing in interest."--New York Tribune.

DON ORSINO.

A continuation of "Saracinesca" and "Sant' Ilario."

"The third in a rather remarkable series of novels dealing with three generations of the Saracinesca family, entitled respectively 'Saracinesca,' 'Sant' Ilario,' and 'Don Orsino,' and these novels present an important study of Italian life, customs, and conditions during the present century. Each one of these novels is worthy of very careful reading, and offers exceptional enjoyment in many ways, in the fascinating absorption of good fiction, in interest of faithful historic accuracy, and in charm of style. The 'new Italy' is strikingly revealed in 'Don Orsino.'"--Boston Budget.

"We are inclined to regard the book as the most ingenious of all Mr. Crawford's fictions. Certainly it is the best novel of the season."--Evening Bulletin.

WITH THE IMMORTALS.

"Altogether an admirable piece of art worked in the spirit of a thorough artist. Every reader of cultivated tastes will find it a book prolific in entertainment of the most refined description, and to all such we commend it heartily."--Boston Saturday Evening Gazette.

"The strange central idea of the story could have occurred only to a writer whose mind was very sensitive to the current modern thought and progress, while its execution, the setting it forth in proper literary clothing, could be successfully attempted only by one whose active literary ability should be fully equalled by his power of assimilative knowledge both literary and scientific, and no less by his courage and capacity for hard work. The book will be found to have a fascination entirely new for the habitual reader of novels. Indeed, Mr. Crawford has succeeded in taking his readers quite above the ordinary plane of novel interest."--Boston Advertiser.

MARZIO'S CRUCIFIX.

"We take the liberty of saying that this work belongs to the highest department of character-painting in words."--Churchman.

"We have repeatedly had occasion to say that Mr. Crawford possesses in an extraordinary degree the art of constructing a story. His sense of proportion is just, and his narrative flows along with ease and perspicuity. It is as if it could not have been written otherwise, so naturally does the story unfold itself, and so logical and consistent is the sequence of incident after incident. As a story 'Marzio's Crucifix' is perfectly constructed."--New York Commercial Advertiser.

KHALED.

A Story of Arabia.

"Throughout the fascinating story runs the subtlest analysis, suggested rather than elaborately worked out, of human passion and motive, the building out and development of the character of the woman who becomes the hero's wife and whose love he finally wins, being an especially acute and highly finished example of the story-teller's art.... That it is beautifully written and holds the interest of the reader, fanciful as it all is, to the very end, none who know the depth and artistic finish of Mr. Crawford's work need be told."--The Chicago Times.

PAUL PATOFF.

MR. ISAACS.

A Tale of Modern India.

"The writer first shows the hero in relation with the people of the East and then skilfully brings into connection the Anglo-Saxon race. It is in this showing of the different effects which the two classes of minds have upon the central figure of the story that one of its chief merits lies. The characters are original, and one does not recognize any of the hackneyed personages who are so apt to be considered indispensable to novelists, and which, dressed in one guise or another, are but the marionettes, which are all dominated by the same mind, moved by the same motive force. The men are all endowed with individualism and independent life and thought.... There is a strong tinge of mysticism about the book which is one of its greatest charms."--Boston Transcript.

"No story of human experience that we have met with since 'John Inglesant' has such an effect of transporting the reader into regions differing from his own. 'Mr. Isaacs' is the best novel that has ever laid its scenes in our Indian dominions."--The Daily News, London.

DR. CLAUDIUS.

A True Story.

"There is a suggestion of strength, of a mastery of facts, of a fund of knowledge, that speaks well for future production.... To be thoroughly enjoyed, however, this book must be read, as no mere cursory notice can give an adequate idea of its many interesting points and excellences, for without a doubt 'Dr. Claudius' is the most interesting book that has been published for many months, and richly deserves a high place in the public favor."--St. Louis Spectator.

"To our mind it by no means belies the promises of its predecessor. The story, an exceedingly improbable and romantic one, is told with much skill; the characters are strongly marked without any suspicion of caricature, and the author's ideas on social and political subjects are often brilliant and always striking. It is no exaggeration to say that there is not a dull page in the book, which is peculiarly adapted for the recreation of student or thinker."--Living Church.

TO LEEWARD.

"A story of remarkable power."--Review of Reviews.

"Mr. Crawford has written many strange and powerful stories of Italian life, but none can be any stranger or more powerful than 'To Leeward,' with its mixture of comedy and tragedy, innocence and guilt."--Cottage Hearth.

A CIGARETTE-MAKER'S ROMANCE.

"It is a touching romance, filled with scenes of great dramatic power."--Boston Commercial Bulletin.

"It is full of life and movement, and is one of the best of Mr. Crawford's books."--Boston Saturday Evening Gazette.

"The interest is unflagging throughout. Never has Mr. Crawford done more brilliant realistic work than here. But his realism is only the case and cover for those intense feelings which, placed under no matter what humble conditions, produce the most dramatic and the most tragic situations.... This is a secret of genius, to take the most coarse and common material, the meanest surroundings, the most sordid material prospects, and out of the vehement passions which sometimes dominate all human beings to build up with these poor elements scenes and passages, the dramatic and emotional power of which at once enforce attention and awaken the profoundest interest."--New York Tribune.

GREIFENSTEIN.

"'Greifenstein' is a remarkable novel, and while it illustrates once more the author's unusual versatility, it also shows that he has not been tempted into careless writing by the vogue of his earlier books.... There is nothing weak or small or frivolous in the story. The author deals with tremendous passions working at the height of their energy. His characters are stern, rugged, determined men and women, governed by powerful prejudices and iron conventions, types of a military people, in whom the sense of duty has been cultivated until it dominates all other motives, and in whom the principle of 'noblesse oblige' is, so far as the aristocratic class is concerned, the fundamental rule of conduct. What such people may be capable of is startlingly shown."--New York Tribune.

A ROMAN SINGER.

"One of Mr. Crawford's most charming stories--a love romance pure and simple."--Boston Home Journal.

"'A Roman Singer' is one of his most finished, compact, and successful stories, and contains a splendid picture of Italian life."--Toronto Mail.

THE THREE FATES.

"The strength of the story lies in its portrayal of the aspirations, disciplinary efforts, trials, and triumphs of the man who is a born writer, and who, by long and painful experiences, learns the good that is in him and the way in which to give it effectual expression. The analytical quality of the book is excellent, and the individuality of each one of the very dissimilar three fates is set forth in an entirely satisfactory manner.... Mr. Crawford has manifestly brought his best qualities as a student of human nature and his finest resources as a master of an original and picturesque style to bear upon this story. Taken for all in all it is one of the most pleasing of all his productions in fiction, and it affords a view of certain phases of American, or perhaps we should say of New York, life that have not hitherto been treated with anything like the same adequacy and felicity."--Boston Beacon.

CHILDREN OF THE KING.

A Tale of Southern Italy.

"A sympathetic reader cannot fail to be impressed with the dramatic power of this story. The simplicity of nature, the uncorrupted truth of a soul, have been portrayed by a master-hand. The suddenness of the unforeseen tragedy at the last renders the incident of the story powerful beyond description. One can only feel such sensations as the last scene of the story incites. It may be added that if Mr. Crawford has written some stories unevenly, he has made no mistakes in the stories of Italian life. A reader of them cannot fail to gain a clearer, fuller acquaintance with the Italians and the artistic spirit that pervades the country."--M. L. B. in Syracuse Journal.

THE WITCH OF PRAGUE.

A Fantastic Tale.

ILLUSTRATED BY W. J. HENNESSY.

"'The Witch of Prague' is so remarkable a book as to be certain of as wide a popularity as any of its predecessors. The keenest interest for most readers will lie in its demonstration of the latest revelations of hypnotic science.... It is a romance of singular daring and power."--London Academy.

"Mr. Crawford has written in many keys, but never in so strange a one as that which dominates 'The Witch of Prague.' ... The artistic skill with which this extraordinary story is constructed and carried out is admirable and delightful.... Mr. Crawford has scored a decided triumph, for the interest of the tale is sustained throughout.... A very remarkable, powerful, and interesting story."--New York Tribune.

ZOROASTER.

"The field of Mr. Crawford's imagination appears to be unbounded.... In 'Zoroaster' Mr. Crawford's winged fancy ventures a daring flight.... Yet 'Zoroaster' is a novel rather than a drama. It is a drama in the force of its situations and in the poetry and dignity of its language; but its men and women are not men and women of a play. By the naturalness of their conversation and behavior they seem to live and lay hold of our human sympathy more than the same characters on a stage could possibly do."--The Times.

A TALE OF A LONELY PARISH.

"It is a pleasure to have anything so perfect of its kind as this brief and vivid story.... It is doubly a success, being full of human sympathy, as well as thoroughly artistic in its nice balancing of the unusual with the commonplace, the clever juxtaposition of innocence and guilt, comedy and tragedy, simplicity and intrigue."--Critic.

"Of all the stories Mr. Crawford has written, it is the most dramatic, the most finished, the most compact.... The taste which is left in one's mind after the story is finished is exactly what the fine reader desires and the novelist intends.... It has no defects. It is neither trifling nor trivial. It is a work of art. It is perfect."--Boston Beacon.

MARION DARCHE.

"Full enough of incident to have furnished material for three or four stories.... A most interesting and engrossing book. Every page unfolds new possibilities, and the incidents multiply rapidly."--Detroit Free Press.

"We are disposed to rank 'Marion Darche' as the best of Mr. Crawford's American stories."--The Literary World.

AN AMERICAN POLITICIAN.

THE NOVEL: What It Is.

18mo. Cloth. 75 Cents.

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY, 66 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK.