Inhisform，Zolaisclassic，thatisregular，symmetrical，seekingthebeautyofthetempleratherthanthebeautyofthetree.Ifthefightinhisdayhadbeentheearlierfightbetweenclassicismandromanticism，insteadofromanticismandrealism，hisnatureandtraditionwouldhaverangedhimonthesideofclassicism，though，asinthelaterevent，hisfeelingmighthavebeenromantic.IthinkithasbeentheerrorofcriticismnottotakedueaccountofhisItalianorigin，ortorecognizethathewasonlyhalfFrench，andthatthishalfwashissuperficialhalf.Atthebottomofhissoul，thoughnotperhapsatthebottomofhisheart，hewasItalian，andofthegreatracewhichineveryscienceandeveryartseemstowintheprimacywhenitwill.TheFrench，throughtherhetoricofNapoleonIII.，imposedthemselvesontheimaginationoftheworldastherepresentativesoftheLatinrace，buttheyaretheleastandthelastoftheLatins，andtheItaliansarethefirst.TohisItalianoriginZolaowednotonlythemoralisticscopeofhisliteraryambition，butthedepthandstrengthofhispersonalconscience，capableoftheausterepuritanismwhichunderliestheso—calledimmoralitiesofhisbooks，andincapableofthepeculiarlubricitywhichwecallFrench，possiblytodistinguishitfromthelubricityofotherpeopleratherthantodeclareitathingsolelyFrench.Inthefaceofallpublicandprivatecorruptions，hissoulisasPiagnoneasSavonarola\'s，andthevicesofArrabbiati，smallandgreat，arealwayshistext，uponwhichhepreachesvirtue.
II
ZolaistomesovastathemethatIcanonlyhopeheretotouchhisworkatapointortwo，leavingtheproofofmysayingsmostlytothehonestyofthereader.Itwillnotrequiresogreataneffortofhishonestynow，asitoncewould，toownthatZola\'sbooks，thoughoftenindecent，areneverimmoral，butalwaysmostterribly，mostpitilesslymoral.Iamnotsayingnowthattheyoughttobeineveryfamilylibrary，orthattheycouldbeedifyinglycommittedtothehandsofboysandgirls;oneofourfirstpublishinghousesisabouttoissueaneditionevenoftheBible\"withthosepassagesomittedwhichareusuallyskippedinreadingaloud\";anditisalwaysaquestionhowmuchyoungpeoplecanbeprofitablyallowedtoknow;howmuchtheydoknow，theyalonecantell.ButastotheintentionofZolainhisbooks，Ihavenodoubtofitsrighteousness.Hisbooksmaybe，andIsupposetheyoftenare，indecent，buttheyarenotimmoral;
theymaydisgust，buttheywillnotdeprave;onlythosealreadyrottencanscentcorruptioninthem，andthese，Ithink，maybedeceivedbyeffluviafromwithinthemselves.
ItistothegloryoftheFrenchrealiststhattheybroke，oneandall，withthetraditionoftheFrenchromanticiststhatvicewasormightbesomethinggraceful，somethingpoetic，somethinggay，brilliant，somethingsuperioralmost，andatonceboldlypresenteditinitstruefigure，itsspiritualandsocialandphysicalsqualor.BeginningwithFlaubertinhis\"MadameBovary，\"andpassingthroughthewholelineoftheirstudiesinmorbidanatomy，asthe\"GerminieLacerteux\"oftheGoncourts，asthe\"Bel—Ami\"ofMaupassant，andasallthebooksofZola，youhaveportraitsasveraciousasthoseoftheRussians，orthoseofDefoe，whom，indeed，morethananyothermaster，Zolahasmademethinkofinhisfrankness.ThroughhisepicalityheisDefoe\'sinferior，thoughmuchmorethanhisequalintherangeandimplicationofhiswork.