The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-03-11
.,.. =. 80 ortle " I. .1ntfiean.

o. 10 celebrated Miss Edgeworth 10 a
't' o, y in this country. Mr.. Cole.
cor gl.n,s to have taken very partial
man : li,at part If Hiss Edgewerih's let
ybjeh was before presented 10 the pub
o. o. n the National Gazette ; he c"oSratn-
. j.. himself upon the colaeiieher between
a. a. farrworth's sentiments and l'is own
1',s .s S 10 Braeebridse Hall, bat he
- ITO oyerlooks her opinion oi tie spy
WIS I IT, author. That descrvedly popular
anu NJ i not only Il fayori'e of the native
VIII VIII. whose history and manners he has
eouI LIg illustrated IN his We'll known no.
81 Oh int he has become subject OF praise
le'7 ;a5iyiduals abroad, themselves emil
h' WI commandig the admiration aud
h'"Hi iaocp of IL cultivated society. The
eV.n md talent, the Justice s. generosity OF
tasIe woman AS Miss Edgeworth give
HEREAFTER to her commentator Whieh'
S.hon if meets and does not lead the pre-
,;iaq suf'rages of reading community,
''n'o ~ confirm and exait the Judgment
,.hich she concurs. We need no far
h.,obed authorities to establish the eia'n
I'll rtho author of the Spy to the distinction
~ deriyes from his own country but we
-, III a. e il were mean and unjust to dlsrc-
"a fba honorary tribute to him which IS
SD nv foreign writer OF admirable
S5t1a,.a,,,cnt and. as | know no reason
- any Indirect homage should be paid
~ ey,ineDt person more than another,
Ill the whole Of MissEdgeworth's
remar IS upon the distinctive character OF
,bese two very different writers tins
,bould be done, for the most part, In hon
or If them and our natural literature, and
ol.o rs a small illustration of the candour
, a"g .agacitg Of the first NewY ork publish
ar Of part of these remarks.
The following is the entire extract from
Miss Edwevorth's letter which related to
Yraeebridge Hall and the Spy -
Euiract ofa teller from .ni&S EdgeUorh 10
GJemate friend.
agracebridge Hall has not been, be-
Rove as popular IS the FIRST work of Mr.. IT.
,;rg Luttbatis because tits no tbs first work,
and because it tells of England, with which
we are better acquainted than with Amer-
ca--probably Bracebridse Hall will be like
Cd better with you than even the sketch
Rook II is beautiful Wfitten--Obylonsly
ne has taken the Spectator for his model,
and his old knight IS a modern Sir Roger
de- CoyerIy-with gaIiatiols. Lady LllIi-
craft is good and her dog admirable
The Stout conference.-the Inn Yard
the Rookery-are all exquisite paintings,
IN the high finish of the Flemish sc4ool-
and the Md Girl, and the chapter pa roun-
try gentlemen, have exceieaeies Of anO-
ther and higher order.
"The fault Of the book lBra"ebrldge
HalH is that the workmanship surpassts
the work. There is too mueh care and
cost bestowed on petty objects. This is
the fault OF the Flemish school. II Is all
natural-but all nature does not deserve to
bepinted with masters hand. The her
ring on a hoard. and the dropsical woman
and the beggar boy, are fine Flemish pie
lures, but we regret that such talents were
bestowed on such Subjects. have seen
celebrated old woman head by a Flemish
painter Dennef which actuaHy made lnc
shudder, and Disguised me, from being
too accurately taken off from reattty-iike
mask taken from dead fdce-jdc 55H'ie
without tie.
"Thank you rorthr Soy. isannotasree
with you in thinking il III y perform
are. We re d il alo u Al our family: and
Notwithstanding many peculiar faults OF
style aud imposition, aud the "earioome
trek of describing every creatures leo~s
and emphasis every time they speak or
move, we found ii highly interesting, from
describing manners and state ot soetety
that are new To as and ndependrndently
of this American value, aoe Thank ii itsh
Of treat genius. Ia the Flemish style, no
thing in Washington Irving, or even in
Waller Scott, is more perfect nature than
the Irish follower of the camp, Betty. /
single her out rs an instance, because OF
her we can best Judge. She IS one OF the
most faithful aud exquisite Irish charac- |
tiers | ever saw drawn With individual
Characteristic touches, and yet respecting
whole class. The humor and wit, and
bunder, and 5agaeity, and good nature,
and want of moral principle, and album /
dance of moral feeling, most happily blen- /
ded together, 50 rs to make 1t genuine l.
IRISH. II has the rare merit Ofnot being the
least exaggerated in humour, and the dla-
lect is such as could not have been .htt eX-
Cept by one we'll acquainted with Irish
characters.
But independently of Betty, there is
very strong drawing OF character and OF
human nature in general, as we'll as natu
raj character in this work. The story |
grant youi is confused and the main interest
turning upon tie pedtdr Spy injudlcious.-
No sympathy can be excited with mean
ness, and there must be a degree OF mean /
hess ever associated with the idea Ola Spy.
Neither poetry nor prose can ever make
aspy an heroic character. From nolon
IN tie Had 10 MAJOR Andre, ard from Ma
lor Andre To this instrument Of Washing
TOM has been found impractieah'e to raise
aspy into a hero. Even the punishment
Of 1angiag goes against all heroic sto,
machs-the scaflold lisa glorious thing, and
may be brought on the stage with safety