III
Itisnotmuchtosayofaworkofliteraryartthatitwillsurviveasarecordofthetimesittreatsof，andIwouldnotclaimhighvalueforZola\'sfictionbecauseitissuchatruepictureoftheSecondEmpireinitsdecline;yet，beyondanyotherbookshavethequalitythatalonemakesnovelshistorical.
Thattheyincludeeverything，thattheydojusticetoallsidesandphasesoftheperiod，itwouldbefatuoustoexpect，andridiculoustodemand.Itisnottheirepicalcharacteralonethatforbidsthis;itistheconditionofeveryworkofart，whichmustchooseitspointofview，andincludeonlythethingsthatfallwithinacertainscope.OneofZola\'spolemicaldelusionswastosupposethatafictionoughtnottobeselective，andthathisownfictionswerenotselective，butportrayedthefactwithoutchoiceandwithoutlimitation.Thefactwasthathewasalwayschoosing，andalwayslimiting.Evenamapchoosesandlimits，farmoreapicture.YetthisdelusionofZola\'sanditsaffirmationresultedinnoendofmisunderstanding.Peoplesaidthenoisesofthestreets，whichhesupposedhimselftohavegivenwithgraphophonicfulnessandvariety，werenotmusic;andtheywerequiteright.Zola，asfarashiseffectswerevoluntary，wasnotgivingthemmusic;heopenlyloathedthesortofmusictheymeantjustasheopenlyloathedart，andaskedtoberegardedasamanofscienceratherthananartist.Yet，attheendoftheends，hewasanartistandnotamanofscience.Hishandwasperpetuallyselectinghisfacts，andshapingthemtooneepicalresult，withanorchestralaccompaniment，which，thoughreportingtherudestnoisesofthestreet，thevulgarest，themostoffensive，was，inspiteofhim，soreportingthemthattheresultwasharmony.
Zolawasanartist，andoneoftheverygreatest，butevenbeforeandbeyondthathewasintenselyamoralist，asonlythemoralistsofourtrueandnobletimehavebeen.NotTolstoy，notIbsenhimself，hasmoreprofoundlyandindignantlyfelttheinjusticeofcivilization，ormoreinsistentlyshownthefalsityofitsfundamentalpretensions.Hedidnotmakehisbooksapolemicforonecauseoranother;hewasfartoowiseandsaneforthat;butwhenhebegantowritethemtheybecamealivewithhissenseofwhatwaswrongandfalseandbad.HistoleranceislessthanTolstoy\'s，becausehisresignationisnotsogreat;itisfortheweaksinnersandnotforthestrong，whileTolstoy\'s，withthattranscendentvisionofhisrace，piercestheboundswheretheshowsofstrengthandweaknessceaseandbecomeofasolidarityoferrorinwhichtheyareone.Buttheethicsofhiswork，likeTolstoy\'s，werealwayscarryingoverintohislife.
Hedidnottrytolivepovertyandprivationandhardlabor，asTolstoydoes;hesurroundedhimselfwiththegracesandtheluxurieswhichhishonestlyearnedmoneyenabledhimtobuy;butwhenanactofpublicandofficialatrocitydisturbedtheworkingofhismindandrevoltedhisnature，hecouldnotrestagaintillhehaddonehisbesttorightit.