Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1823-01-09
Eeoistn.
From the n. Y. Literary and Scientific
Repository.

Sikuittu,
From the n. Y. Literary and Scientific
Repository.
Brace6,idge Hall, or the Humom'
ISIS. II Medley, by Godfrey Cray
on, Gent. 2 vols. S 70. PIP. $50.
We commenced the perusal of this
work with no ordinary anticipations.
We recollected that the author was not
only an American, hut citizen of our
own state. Our national pride, there
fore. and our local partialties, were alike
enlisted in his favor. We recolected
too, that he had already been admired for
the beauty an grace OF his competitions,
his humourous define 4tions Of character,
and the general simplicity of his style
and what was still more, that he had
found favor in the eyes IF the English
lIterati, and bad been tolerated, if not
praised, by Tie Scotch Reviewers.
We confess, also, that the appearance
Of tac volumes, (two handsomely printed
octayos,) ana the piace the author is said
to have received for the manuscript, Ito
say nothing of the price Of the volumes
themselves had no little agency in ex-
citing our nssinatiou as to the merits of
tie work We took up the book, there.
fore. pFedi,posed TO adn.ire, and almost
predetermined to applaud. But a peru.
sal, we are compelled to say, has in some
n4asurc shaken our faith, and abated the
ar,lour of oar feelings. But, let US not
he misunderst God. The book has, in
d led, fallen short Of our expectations,
bpt is nevertheless very considerable
book; and we doubt not, will he read by
,nany with eagcrness, if not with delight:
For fashion is as arbitrary and as capri
cious in the library, as she is at the toilet,
and often influences the mind, while she
disfisures the body. If, however, we did
not consider the work before US, as pos.
sessing merit Independent of fashion,
as containing something TO admire as
well as to ctnsure, we should suffer it to
pass without the laoour of comment.
There was an error, we think, in net
giving to it the name of It's predecessor;
Zoe it il formed of the same sort fmateri.
ais, and is in shape and character and
Substance the same. Braccblidse Hall
is, indeed, nothing more nor less than
continuation Of the Sketch Book. Its Ii
tie, therefore, is injadieioas. 1t leads
the reader to anticipate something new;
and, to the votalies Of fashion at least,
disappointment, in that particular, is apt
to be fatal.
1t seems to b, conceded point, that
tue reputation ofA living author cannot
be stationary. lie must advance in mer-
it, or he will be supposed to decline. In
other words, he cannot sustain his repu.
tation, by barely equaIling, in the same
line of composition, that which he has al
ready produced. He must either cuiti-
,ate a new field or produce a iicher har-
vpst from the old. Our aathor has done
neither And Of this fact he appears to
have beer sensible. For in his introduc
tory chapter, he anticipates no praise on
the score Of novclty; AMI endeavors to a.
po,ogise FOR his travelling ever beaten
ground, and dwelling upon topics that
are trite and common place, by urging
his peculiar fondness for things switch
he had real so much about in tie earliest
books that had been put in his infant
hands, and the oyeriiowing delight with
which he conenplAtes every object OF the
old world, whether it be Fentern Abbey,
Conway Castle, or Mr.. Newberry's print
shop! This Introductory chapter. by the
bye, is the worst ia the whole book. II
has too much of the nursery in it. too
much Of artificial feeling aud iaboured
simplicity.
+ it pos ible, that in this world OF
books; in this age of genius and novelty,
and prose and poetry, with all the anti
cnts upon our shelves, and all the med
ems upon our tables; with BarthelemI
AMI Fenelon and Cervantes AMI lie Sage
and De Hoistein, on the one hand, and
Richardson and Fielding, and smol.et
and Colds NTH. and Sterue and Brooke,
an | Barney aud and Rltclife, and Edge,
worth, ON the other; to say nothing OF
the Hogs and SCOTS and Campbelis and
No lres and Byrons, reposing In calf and
X lupes oar toilets anl sofGs; nor OF the