The Express.
London, England, 1853-08-23 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Lives Of du Laureates. By WILTSHIRE STANTON ,
AUSTIN, B.A , and JOUN RALPH, M.A. Bentl«y.
Mental Portraits; or, Studies of Charaeter. By HENRY
TUCKEHMA.N, Author of " Artist Life." Bentley.
We have had " Lives of the Chancellors " and I
" Lives of the Admirals," besides other classifications ;
of the sort; but the Laureates as a body of men do
not classify so well. Chancellors and admirals have
each contributed to great organisations, the influence ;
of which makes every individual important; but the
laurel crown has been given so absurdly, that in
making a list of its wearers, you must string to-
gether the highest men and the lowest; you must
unite in one string, not pearls only, but pearls along ,
with glass beads and brass buttons. For this
reason, we do not consider the design of this
first book on our list remarkably felicitous; it must
be judged by whatever merit it possesses in parts.
The reader derives no particular instruction from the
continuity (which seems to be claimed as the main
merit of the scheme) of subject. The most eminent
laureates again—as Ben Jonson and Dryden—are
familiar, more or less, already ; while of the minor
ones few desire to have particular information.
Thus, whatever is newest in the book is unim-
portant.
So much for the general plan of our " Lives of the
Laureates ;" 7et a work necessarily embracing much
literary criticism, much handling of great names, is
entitled to decided attention. 'the merit of this book
is more critical than biographical. It is didactic
rather than genial. The disquisitions are promi-
nent compared with the personal narratives. It
lacks creative and pictorial brightness, and smacks
more of the lecture-room than the literary studio.
This, however, is compatible with a large degree
of merit ; and good sense and good taste,
embodied in a free, flowing, manly style, will be
readily acknowledged as characteristics of the work.
Those who have watched the progress of modern
criticism—and never was criticism so much studied
as it is now—know that what is imperatively
demanded in our day, is that criticism shall be sym-
pathetic and human. It must be genial and life-
like, and, if possible, creative. Michelet's phrase
"Resurrection" expresses all that it should do.
Hence, poetry criticised by poets, humour by
humourists, these afford solid instruction and de-
light. In the " Lives of the Laureates," the authors
do not dwell lovingly on their men, to try and create
likenesses of them for us; but rather measure them,
ticket them, and tell them to " pass on." The life of
Ben Jonson would have gained had its author added
to the many criticisms he has gathered together of
Ben one by Leigh Hunt, which has long dwelt in
our memory as particularly genial and appropriate.
This would have advantageously superseded the de-
tailed observations on his plays—with regard to
which we cannot help thinking, for instance,
that the " Catiline " is much under-rated
by our authors. What the "Catiline" is, compared
with a play of Shakspeare, we all know ; but there
is a rugged force and fire—with strange gleams of
odd natural force (the style being strange nature,
rather than un-natural) about " Catiline" which make
it a far more remarkable performance than " Cato "
or " Ion."

Mr. Tuckerman's book (which, as containing lite-
rary criticism, may be, without violence, brought in
here) is written on a different plan to that of blesses.
Austin and Ralph. He studies each of his men u
an individual—as a type—(somewhat on the prin-
ciple of the " Representative Men") and tries a
Southey and a Savage each by his proper law.
Thus, in the middle ages, the Frank (as we are
told) was tried by his Teutonic; the Roman by
his Roman law. This is a very excellent system.
Accordingly, Tuckerman's book is more original in
its tone altogether, than the other ; that its style is
also sweeter, purer, and more winning, may partly
be attributable to the superior practice and more cos-
mopolitan culture of the writer. The " Lives of the
Laureates" is far rougher and more declamatory in
tone—more forensic altogether—than the " Mental
Portraits "—and, indeed, is sometimes even offensive
from violence.

However, with all its failings and errors (which
may be safely left to the critical beagles), the " Lives
of the Laureates" has solid qualities. It exhibits
both knowledge and power and a love of literature
which is healthy and refreshing; lopping and prun-
ing would do it much good; but the " stuff" is sound
and healthy, and as such can be safely recommended
to those who love books, and those who under-
stand them.