Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1845-09-11

lhcient IN method lie disregarded rules, and cared
little for criticism. But his style was clear and
nervous; with little ornament, free OF atiectation
and indicated singular sincerity and depth OF feel
ing.
Timothy Flint, successor OF Brown, Is better
known by other works than by his novels but
Francis Berren, Arthur Cienning, George Mason
aud the Shoshonee Valley are books OF merit
Their dramatic interest is not very great, but they
are marked by an unstudied ndiUete and freedom
from pretence; they abound in striking aud graph
&c descriptions; and their characters are clearly
drawn and well sustained. In every department in
which this author wrote at all, he wrote like
scholar, man OF feeling, and gentleman.
do not know that II Is strange, but. while from
every corner oil Europe comes TO the author OF The
spy an unbroken chorus OF applause-while the
critics oil Germany and France debate the claims
OF scott to be ranked before him, or even with him.
his own countrymen deride his pretensions, and
Monkin critics affect contempt oil him, or make
the appearance oil his works occasions OF puerile
personal abuse. shall not discuss the causes OF
this feeling, further than by remarking that Coop
er is man OF independence that he is aware OF
the dignity Of his position that he thinks for him
self in his capacity Of citizen : and that he has
written above the popular taste, in avoiding the
sickly sentimentalism which commends to shop
boys and chamber maids one half the transatlantic
novels OF this age.
In each Of the three classes Of fiction of which
he IS the originator-sories illustrative of aborig
maj character, romanees oil American history, and
tales oil the sea-he has had troops OF mitators,
ana IN not one oil them an equal. Writing not
rom DOCKS, out from Nature, his descriptions, his
incidents, his characters, fresh as the fields
OF his triumphs His Harvey Birch, Leather Stock
ing, Long Tom Coffin, aud other heroes, will rise,
each in his clearly -dehned and peculiar lineaments
before the mind as striking original creations as
actual coherent beings. His infinitely varied de-
scriptIons OF the ocean; his ships, gliding like be-
ings oil the AIR upon its surface; his vast solitary
wildernesses; and indeed, all his dehneatons OF
Nature, are instinct with the breath OF poetry. He
is both the Horace Vernet and the Claude Lorraine
oil novelsts. And through all his works are senti-
ments OF genuine courtesy and honor, and an unob-
trusye, and therefore more powerful assertion Of
natural rights and dignity
shall not pretend to say how far a good plot is
essential TO a good novel, Doubtless in tale as
in play, the interest, with the vulgar is depend
ent in large degree upon the plot, but the quality
oil interesting Is OF secondary Importance IN both
cases 1t must be confessed that MIR Coopers
Pots are sometimes OF a commonplace sort, that
they are nov Always sklliulIy wrought, ana that he
mas iauhS oil s'yie' anu argument, ana conclusion.
ne % natural ne Is original ne Is american ana
ne "as I'M u'oce 'naI any oi ns country
NJ Wv y. 'eaiy nu''oual n'e' a'u'e
Al. T ~ s VI ou' "u'e"s's' heN 70
bn, 70 .n' 3u'a,s' anu ne mas many a'ul-
-: u. .o"I'o" WIN ''a' au'no', re" suIPass
-'' =. w PI"e, VI interesting "ls ues1, 'P.'onS
vi siaPi'' us S"A' dote's nave 'ena,Aao,e 'nu'
uuY ane "s Pu,"d"s' esPeoiaiy 'nose oi
I.'en alo o''eH anu 1e''ca'ey nn'sleu
nc .,;n ,au' o. gu. autnors as wen as Q.
ooo. - "an. y, c"'s" "eS' ule s.ea'es'