Theanalytictendencyseemstohaveincreasedwithhimashisworkhasgoneon.Someoftheearliertaleswereverydramatic：
\"APassionatePilgrim，\"whichIshouldrankaboveallhisothershortstories，andforcertainrichpoeticalqualities，aboveeverythingelsethathehasdone，iseminentlydramatic.ButI
donotfindmuchthatIshouldcalldramaticin\"ThePortraitofaLady，\"whileIdofindinitanamountofanalysiswhichI
shouldcallsuperabundanceifitwerenotallsuchgoodliterature.Thenovelist\'smainbusinessistopossesshisreaderwithadueconceptionofhischaractersandthesituationsinwhichtheyfindthemselves.Ifhedoesmoreorlessthanthisheequallyfails.IhavesometimesthoughtthatMr.James\'sdangerwastodomore，butwhenIhavebeenreadytodeclarethisexcessanerrorofhismethodIhavehesitated.CouldanythingbesuperfluousthathadgivenmesomuchpleasureasIread？
Certainlyfromonlyonepointofview，andthisarathernarrow，technicalone.ItseemstomethatanenlightenedcriticismwillrecognizeinMr.James\'sfictionametaphysicalgeniusworkingtoaestheticresults，andwillnotbedisposedtodenyitanymethoditchoosestoemploy.Noothernovelist，exceptGeorgeEliot，hasdealtsolargelyinanalysisofmotive，hassofullyexplainedandcommenteduponthespringsofactioninthepersonsofthedrama，bothbeforeandafterthefacts.Thesenovelistsaremorealikethananyothersintheirprocesses，butwithGeorgeEliotanethicalpurposeisdominant，andwithMr.Jamesanartisticpurpose.IdonotknowjusthowitshouldbestatedoftwosuchnobleandgeneroustypesofcharacterasDorotheaandIsabelArcher，butIthinkthatwesympathizewiththeformeringrandaimsthatchieflyconcernothers，andwiththelatterinbeautifuldreamsthatprimarilyconcernherself.Bothareunselfishanddevotedwomen，sublimelytruetoamistakenidealintheirmarriages;but，thoughtheycometothiscommonmartyrdom，theoriginaldifferenceinthemremains.Isabelhashergreatweaknesses，asDorotheahad，buttheseseemtome，onthewhole，themostnoblyimaginedandthemostnoblyintentionedwomeninmodernfiction;andIthinkIsabelisthemoresubtlydivinedofthetwo.Ifwespeakofmerecharacterization，wemustnotfailtoacknowledgetheperfectionofGilbertOsmond.
ItwasaprofoundstroketomakehimanAmericanbybirth.NoEuropeancouldrealizesofullyinhisownlifetheidealofaEuropeandilettanteinallthemeaningofthatcheapenedword;asnoEuropeancouldsodeeplyandtenderlyfeelthesweetnessandlovelinessoftheEnglishpastasthesickAmerican，Searle，in\"ThePassionatePilgrim.\"
Whatiscalledtheinternationalnovelispopularlydatedfromthepublicationof\"DaisyMiller，\"though\"RoderickHudson\"and\"TheAmerican\"hadgonebefore;butitreallybeganinthebeautifulstorywhichIhavejustnamed.Mr.James，whoinventedthisspeciesinfiction，firstcontrastedinthe\"PassionatePilgrim\"theNewWorldandOldWorldmoods，ideals，andprejudices，andhedidittherewitharichnessofpoeticeffectwhichhehassinceneverequalled.IownthatIregretthelossofthepoetry，butyoucannotaskamantokeeponbeingapoetforyou;itishardlyforhimtochoose;yetIcompareratherdiscontentedlyinmyownmindsuchimpassionedcreationsasSearleandthepainterin\"TheMadonnaoftheFuture\"with\"DaisyMiller，\"ofwhoseslight，thinpersonalityIalsofeeltheindefinablecharm，andofthetragedyofwhoseinnocenceI
recognizethedelicatepathos.Lookingbacktothoseearlystories，whereMr.Jamesstoodatthedividingwaysofthenovelandtheromance，Iamsometimessorrythathedeclaredevensuperficiallyfortheformer.Hisbesteffortsseemtomethoseofromance;hisbesttypeshaveanidealdevelopment，likeIsabelandClaireBelgardeandBessyAldenandpoorDaisyandevenNewman.But，doubtless，hehaschosenwisely;perhapstheromanceisanoutwornform，andwouldnotlenditselftothereproductionofeventheidealityofmodernlife.Imyselfwaversomewhatinmypreference——ifitisapreference——whenIthinkofsuchpeopleasLordWarburtonandtheTouchetts，whomItaketobealldecidedlyofthisworld.ThefirstoftheseespeciallyinterestedmeasaprobabletypeoftheEnglishnobleman，whoamiablyacceptstheexistingsituationwithallitspossibilitiesofpoliticalandsocialchange，andinsistsnotatalluponthesurvivingfeudalities，butmeanstobeamanlyandsimplegentlemaninanyevent.AnAmericanisnotabletopronounceastotheverityofthetype;Ionlyknowthatitseemsprobableandthatitischarming.ItmakesonewishthatitwereinMr.
James\'swaytopaintinsomestorythepresentphaseofchangeinEngland.Atitledpersonageisstillmainlyaninconceivablebeingtous;heislikeagoblinorafairyinastorybook.Howdoeshecomporthimselfinthefaceofallthechangesandmodificationsthathavetakenplaceandthatstillimpend？Wecanhardlyimaginealordtakinghisnobilityseriously;itissomehintoftheconditionalframeofLordWarburton\'smindthatmakeshimimaginableanddelightfultous.
ItisnotmypurposeheretoreviewanyofMr.James\'sbooks;I
likebettertospeakofhispeoplethanoftheconductofhisnovels，andIwishtorecognizethefinenesswithwhichhehastouched—intheprettyprimnessofOsmond\'sdaughterandthemilddevotednessofMr.Rosier.Amasterlyhandisasoftenmanifestinthetreatmentofsuchsubordinatefiguresasinthatoftheprincipalpersons，andMr.Jamesdoesthemunerringly.ThisisfeltinthemoreimportantcharacterofValentinBelgarde，afascinatingcharacterinspiteofitsdefects，——perhapsonaccountofthem——andasortofFrenchLordWarburton，butwittier，andnotsogood.\"Thesearemyideas，\"sayshissister—in—law，attheendofanumberofinanities.\"Ah，youcallthemideas！\"hereturns，whichisdeliciousandmakesyoulovehim.He，too，hashismomentsofmisgiving，apparentlyinregardtohisnobility，andhisacceptanceofNewmanonthebasisofsomethinglike\"manhoodsuffrage\"isverycharming.Itisofcoursedifficultforaremoteplebeiantoverifythepicturesoflegitimistsocietyin\"TheAmerican，\"butthereistheprobablesuggestioninthemofconditionsandprinciples，andwantofprinciples，ofwhichwegetglimpsesinourtravelsabroad;atanyrate，theyrevealanotherandnotimpossibleworld，anditisfinetohaveNewmandiscoverthattheopinionsandcriticismsofourworldaresoabsolutelyvaluelessinthatspherethathisknowledgeoftheinfamouscrimeofthemotherandbrotherofhisbetrothedwillhavenoeffectwhateveruponthemintheirowncircleifheexplodesitthere.Thisseemslikearistocracyindeed！andoneadmires，almostrespects，itssurvivalinourday.ButIalwaysregrettedthatNewman\'sdiscoveryseemedtheprecursorofhismagnanimousresolutionnottoavengehimself;itweakenedtheeffectofthis，withwhichithadreallynothingtodo.Uponthewhole，however，NewmanisanadequateandsatisfyingrepresentativeofAmericanism，withhisgenerousmatrimonialambition，hisvastgood—nature，andhisthoroughgoodsenseandrightfeeling.Wemustbeveryhardtopleaseifwearenotpleasedwithhim.Heisnotthe\"cultivatedAmerican\"
whoredeemsusfromtimetotimeintheeyesofEurope;butheisunquestionablymorenational，anditisobservablethathisunaffectedfellow—countrymenandwomenfareverywellatMr.
James\'shandalways;itistheEuropeanizingsortlikethecriticallittleBostonianinthe\"BundleofLetters，\"theladiesshockedatDaisyMiller，themotherinthe\"PensionBeaurepas\"
whogoesabouttryingtobeofthe\"native\"worldeverywhere，MadameMerleandGilbertOsmond，MissLightandhermother，whohavereasontocomplain，ifanyonehas.DoubtlessMr.JamesdoesnotmeantosatirizesuchAmericans，butitisinterestingtonotehowtheystrikesuchakeenobserver.Wearecertainlynotallowedtolikethem，andtheothersortfindsomehowaplaceinouraffectionsalongwithhisgoodEuropeans.Itisalittleodd，bytheway，thatinalltheprintedtalkaboutMr.