Page:Literary studies by Joseph Jacobs.djvu/109

 mannerisms, so attractive that a causerie with him charmed not so much by adding to our information about the author or his book, as because it added to our knowledge of Matthew Arnold.

His criticism of books, we have said, was a criticism of life, and here his work touched the deepest problems of his time, problems social and problems theological. We all know his method of exposition. A view being taken, a phrase, more or less felicitous, is selected to express the view, and henceforth the changes are rung upon the phrase till the dullest of readers cannot fail to grasp the particular view which it was desired to impress on him. The trick of iteration, exasperating as it was, effected its purpose, and the formulæ 'sweetness and light,' 'criticism of life.' 'barbarians, Philistines, and populace,' 'the need of expression, the need of manners, the need of intellect, the need of beauty, and the need of conduct,' have bitten the more deeply into the contemporary consciousness because they were formulæ, and could be easily recalled. This effect was mainly mechanical; not so the discussions which led up to them, were summarised in them, or were deduced from them. Therein Arnold showed his powers of social analysis, and his powers were great. His summary of 'needs' given above