New-York daily tribune., 1843-03-14

THE NoCTEs AMBRosiANE oF "BLAcKwooD.D .
Complete in Four Volumes Philadelphia Carey Il
Hart; New-York: Wiley Putnam.
CeLERIpGE once ssid-as reported by his ne
phew, Henry Nelson Coleridge, in that most valua-
bic. but evidently inadequate record of his Table
Talk-that judicious selection from the multi
fsrous writings Of Professor WILSON would make
epe of the most delightful books ever written !;
but ne added, Prof. WILSON must make the
selection himself; in the hands of any other man
j, would be worthless We doubt not the excel
lent Publishers, to whom we are indebted for the
volumes before US, have the fullest faith in the
truth of this remark; for they have judicously de-
cned he hazardous attempt of making selections,
and have presented TO the public the collected works
Of this gifted writer For this are sure they
will receive, not only that which they anticipate,
the thanks of those who were wont to welcome
with especial pleasure the numbers of Blackwood
which these papers severally enriched but the
warm gratitude of all persons of enlightened
minds and of liberal tastes. For ourselves we
never read them until long after the month in which
they were fresh our reading days date not
back so far; but we can easily understand the Gag
erness with which each Chapter was seized, and
the anxiety which awaited the next. We fancy it
TO have been not unlike that which now, on the
arrival of every steamer, stops to think whether
that is the month for new number of Chuzzle
wit or Tom Burke, only confined to mar
rover and more scholarly class, and more stad
and becoming in its demeanor, as was happily the
wont Of the times Noiron bars, perchance, were
sawn a,under to steal them, nor were the powers
of steam and men, vapory and vaporing, called IN
reauistion to scatter them to the winds the instant
thew reached the shore. But tsome hundreds stole
with them quietly and without noise to their homes
and sat down to chem to feast,-not boiling
them whole as a starved man does beef-steak, nor
as our devourng readers do Bulwer and Dick
ems; but making the most of them; stopping TO
laugh deliberately at each flash of fun; rereading
each fine burst of sentiment; laying down the
book at every second page to bless the genius
Of old Kit North, and winding up the chapter with
ten minutes steady effort adequately to picture
the oyerhowing slories of Ambrose or Brozy's
table. What American Magazine is thus waited
for and thus welcomed Would all the cis.At-
antic Monthlies ever published furnish four goody
octave volumes, which could compare in richness
and enduring worth with these-these, which are
mainly productions of a single mind, continued
eeres of the same thing, successive oashoots from
single tree? Would any keen-sighted, we'll
Judging person exchange single chapter OF the
.Noc,es for all the American Magazines for
March Those were writtenby Men to be read and
thought OF. and upon themes which had interest for
Men; these seem manufactured solely 0'rg'na6as
7usr;soue' their hig hest aim is to tlck'e-not
with the sharp thorns of Timothy Ticker, OF Am
brosian fame, but with the rattle and the straw !;
,bey are read after dinner and forgotten ages be-
fore supper time.-But we mean not to pursue tne
contrast forced upon US by even the sight Oh these
collected chapters of the Noctes :
We hear sundry expressed regrets that the pub
fishers did not exclude portions OF these chapters
-expunge their personalities, TOR instance or y
sr;Le ou1 some of the sublimest gorlhcatlons Oh
Ga,,v.. and Holsters. We should like, tor Inc
curiosity of the thing, to have sight at the man
who would dare attempt it. Stupidity Is some
Times courageous; or rather 1t has not sense
enough TO be cowardy; but we doubtit the great
es, fool tina, ever lived would have ventured upon
preparing an exsurgated edition OF WILSON ;
'Noc,es.' And then who read such thins ihe
dainty critics themselves would never have looked
q, il. The honesty of the book is its best qualty.
1t makes one feel rich to get at the plain' down
right opinions of men and things expressed IN 1t.
You have here no mealy review of the last Poen1,
mo exquisite analysis and apotheosls OF the latest
speech in Parliament, no prim and palniuhy pre-
else category of the qualities of the ruling ceie0re
-au,bor or otherwise but what halt dozen OF
/ the best men in the world-the clearest-heedeo'
mos, ioyial, hearty, humorous, PLAIN ana sincere.
would saw of hina among themselves. hei'
,bouohts strike YOU as not distorted and dressed
up for an appearance before the pubic ou1 Us
| precisely the thoughts Of those who utter snei'
! As for the eating and drinking which figure sc
largely in the Noc,es -we oPine they seem
more awful at distance than they would nave
done at the table, though this is r.eemlnensiy
4 mat,er Of taste. Lest the morals OF the Amoro
sian CLIQUE should suffer damage, however, 1t ma!
be well enough TO call to mind the fact that froi
| WlLsoS in some of his subsequent writings say
expressly of the beer which was so largely drunk
that tho grain from which it was ereweo ne'e'
yet was matted The garniture OF hot dishes
say the Publishers of this Edition, is manhestly
the meress romancing.' Tho whole was cieafi.
only The noetcal machinery of the work ane
| why not these as we'll as the framework OF god
and heroes-so much farther removed FROM men
business and bosoms p % There s msckle contu
sion G. ideas in the brains of the bockheads wht
accuse US o elu,tony, MIR. North" said Hogg-
ol,e u .l.o., -. Ia, ,yos familiarlv called by tnt