The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1825-05-26
From The Village Record.
NOVEL READING.

4
heads of families. That there are
many novels IN the world. which are
not calculated TO improve the moral
character. IL very certain. That
society, however. is prejadiced by
this kind Of reading,i nm not willing
10 admit. II ia only by the coIrup.
ton of individuals, that society can
be corrupted, and no individual.
whose head or heart could be injured
! by reading fictitious writings, would
ever be Il worthy member of society /;
on the contrary, think ii will be
found that those whose masinations
can he led astray, or whose hearts
can be turned by a novel, would.
without such reading, be low minded,
mean spirited, Liberal and vulgar.
To correct and improve. or rather
To create and establish moral habits,
Is of great Importance. 4 dry mo-
raj story or lecture, may be well Z.
nough in itself. but. without there be
something NJ the same time 10 iuter-
est and attract the attention, its cf-
tccts will be frequently lost. A mo-
vel that contains the purest morality.
and the best examples OF virtue, with
sufficient incident to make ii intcres-
ting, will be read, aud cannot fail 10
improve such minds as are in The
least susceptible of Improvement
a fictitious tale, drawn by one well
acquainted with human nature, one
whose learning, reelection and cxpc-
rienec, enable him 10 point out the
rocks and shoals which obstluct our
passage through life, may be ofgreat
benefit to the young and ineXpcricn-
ced. Without something of this kind,
youth has 10 learn from experience,
and, when too late, the effects of u
vicious or yiItuous course of life
Our Own experience can 80 but lit
tie way, i'll discovering causes, and
effects are not the obj CT of expert
cncc till they happen.
In we'll written novel VIZ see all
the events rs they follow one ano.
Their, and rs they produce one ano-
thor; their causes and effects imnIe-
diate and remote Tie beginning,
the progression aud tie end appear.
The whole example is before us, and
consequently the whole lesson. The
Villain who has Imposed on society
by his power or cunning, is at length
unmasked; and the honest man, who
has hccu misunderstood or DETAINED,
is justified before his story ends. -
Virtue is cXt0llcd and siee siigmati-
sed The rake and the libertine run
thrir career, spend their substance,
are exposed, abandoned by society,
degraded and lost. Virtue and in
dustry prosper. are admired and cs-
tcemed, and finally rewarded, and
crowned with success.
In point of Improvement OF the
mind, fictitious writings, when pro-
Ipcrly executed, may have nm advan-
tage over history inasmucl as the
Que represents human actions 4 con
duct as they ought to be. aud the o.
Their represents them rs they really
are. BY means of fictitious history,
too, displays Of character may be
most successfully given. aud the va
rious weaknesses Of the heart expo
sed. by exhibitionsof characters a
little elevated above the common
standard, they have n tendency to
cultivate the taste Of life quickc
our disgust Mt what is mean or often
siye, and to form the mind Inseusbly
to elegance and dignity. Great at
tention, however, ought to be paid to
a proper selection OF this kind Of
writing, not 80 much because "A want
Of such attention might be injurious
or prcjudiciaI, rs because a great
deal OF time may be lost in reading
frivolous writings.
Much Of the fashionable reading Of
the present day consists of works
which are not calculated to benefit
sooietyPand which it is time thrown
away TO read. Aud Of this class are
the Waycl1y Novels. They are un-
doubtedly finely written, containing
characters ably deIineated. They
show hand and head capable Of
producing something more uscful.--
One great object of the novelist,
should be, either to show human cha.
racters and conduct, as they really
arc in life, or as they really should
be. The WaverIy Novels do neither
They are more calculated to amusc
the imagination than to improve the
heart. Such work will not improve
the morals Of society; no one will
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