Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1844-11-23
AUTHORSHIP.

IL is mentioned lldl M. liners is 10 re-
ceive half million Of francs, or ninety
three thousand dollars, for his new History
Of the Consulate and Empire Of France, in
ten octave volumes. This fact exhibits, in
strong light, the progress Of civilization,
by which the public pay for the works OF
the mind. The examples of superative re-
Enumeration for literary production are not
unfrequent in past history; but the rewards
have been through the means OF regal or
aristocratic patronage. The poet sold his
independence to his patron for a sum in
expectation; and the flattery, if felictous,
and contained in a work of renown, was
signaIly recompensed, so far as gold can
pay man for lying. The price, by Au-
gustus TO Virgil, for the prostitution OF his
poetlcal pen, is larger pay than the best
magazine remuneration to authors Of our
time. 1t may be shrewdly surmised that
Shakspeare's neat little puff of Queen Eliz-
abeth, did not 60 without its reward. The
poets dedication to his early noble patron,
was sufficiently humble 10 be paid for well.
But the days are welnigh over, when
authors cringe TO titled patrons. The great
author works not for royal or noble house;
his patrons are mankind. If he has the
true stuff in his composition, he need not
fear Of success. What he puts forth will,
if good and great, have its effects. No true
idea, when uttered, is lost. All praises.
putfs, laudatory crlticism-all machinery for
bolstering up reputation by clques, COM
binations, and parlizan aids, hel p it not
These means may cheat people out Of mo-
ney; they may degrade the writer to the
evel Of the specializing trader, but they
cannot illustrate his genius, if he have it, or
place his name in an immortal sphere, be-
yond the worlds changes and corruptions.
When we look at the means taken to
make literary regulations among authors.
we are sIckened at the folly, vanity, and
avarice displayed, and yet we have to pity
the poor scribes who must make name 10
sell their wares; so they raise a mist be.
fore the public eye 10 swell their puny pro
portions to seeming magnitude, as the
small man on the mountain top is reflected
as the colossus in the clouds above. Blu,
such authorship is as the lying prestcraf
which pulls wires and makes thunder. Nc
divinity stirrs it; and hence it dies as false
hood dies.
The authorship Of this country, for the
most part, is not by men. 1t is the spawn
, Of institutions. We pick up book, anc
we are not permitted to judge Of its intrin
sic merits by simple name, or without the
, name, Of its author. We are bullied at the
outset into an admiration Of the author
Some swelling title meets the eye, conlerr
ed by God knows whom-perhaps by one
of the fifty colleges that are running {
scrubrace for purses of trumpery honors
Ali that is won OF this means is mockery
Of truth-what avails it in the scale of i'm
mortality which awaits genius! Is the hu
6 man heart and the human head 10 he cheat
i ed into belief that a name is thing!-
, When we see mystic capital letters attach
S ed to the name Of an author, we are ready
10 exclaim, tnou, poor wretch, dost thol
{ dream Of fame by such means? Art tho'
J not man made upright? Why play tn
lame beggar? Why crnge and ask favors
> as thou art sustained by the merest stick
e OF conventlonasm-th crutches OF Gus
tom? If thou art TO walk forth a grea
man among nations-if glory is to arc
the sky of iuturity, thinkest thou that thu
cheap dispensations OF men less than thy
self will avail thee? Scorn such play thing
and rely on myself. There is no homo
but what a man makes for hims self. /
great name land who sould covet a sma
oneO stands, pyramid-like, solitary, indies
tructabe, and glorious. If even it inclin
> from the right line, as the leaning tower,
does not fall over. By this standard W
know true men-simPle and great in tn
field Of letters-and not the invalid set c
grown children; Stockings of one another
praises, and like royal mendicants tricke
out in false finery, and asking favors in
tone which vibrates between bullying an
| whining.