New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-10-07
THE TRIBUNE.

Usher l545
The noble lines of Woodwork quoted by Mr.
G,s,sold on his title page would be the best and
.uhoient advertisement OF each reprint
Milton thou shouldst be living at this hour
Return 20 US again,
And yive IA, manners virtue freedom, power.
THY soul was like a star. and dwelt apsr,
Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea
Pure as the naked Heavens, majestic free
So didst thou travel on Lies common way
In cheerful Goodness. and YET thy heart
The lowlies duties on herself did lay
One should have climbed 10 as high point as
Wordsworth TO be able TO review Milton, or even
,ovjew in part his high places From the hilltop
we s,il strain our eyes looking up TO the mountain
peak Itself Earhs Rosy Star
We rejoice TO see that there is again call for an
edition of Millions Prose Works There could not
he surer sign tina, there is still pure blood in the
nation than a call for these. The print and paper
are toeraby good ifnot worthy ofihc matter e,ihey
are we suppose az good az can be afforded and make
the book cheap enough for general circulation. We
wish there had been three volumes, instead OF two
clumsy ones with that detestably narrow inner mar
Gin Of which we have heretofore complained But
we trus, tho work is in such shape that II will lie
on the table of all poor students who are ever to be
scholars and be the good angel, the lthurel warner
of many youth at the parting Of the ways. Who
chooses that way which the feet Of Milton never Tor
sook, will find in him never failing authority Tor
the indissouble union between permanent strength
aud purity May many, born and bred amid the
corruptions of false world till the heart IL on the
verge Of desolaie scepticism and the good genus
preparing to fly, be led to recall him and make HIM
at home forever by such passages as we have read
this beautiful bright September morning, IN the
Apology for Sweetymnuus. Wechanced happily
upon them az we were bordering some sad nara
tons of daily life and others who need the same
consolation will no doubt detect them in short inter
course with the volumes.
Mr. Grswod thus closes his Biographical Intro
duc,ion -
"On Sunday, the eighth day of November, 1914,
one month before completing his sixty sixth year,
Jons MILToS died He the greatest of all hu
man beings the noblcst and The cnnobler of man
Kind He has steadily grown in the world = rover
ence and his fame will still increase with the lapse
Of ages
The absolute of this superativc plcases US, even
il we do believe that there are four or five names
on the scroll of history which may be placed beside
that Of Milton We love hero worship, where the
hero is indeed, worthy the honors OF demi god
And, if Milton be not absolutely the greatest of hui
man beings, it is hard to name one who combines so
many features OF Gods own image ideal grandeur
life of spo,less virtue, heroic endeavor and con
sisncy with such richness of gifts.
We cannot speak worhy of the books before u.s.
They have been as they will be, our friends and
teachers but to express with any justice what they
are to u.s. or our idea of what they are TO the world
at arge-to make any estimate OF the vast fund oil
pure gold they contain and allow for the reslsuum
Of local and partial judgment and human irailty-
to examine the bearings of various essays ON the
past and present with even that degree of thought
aud justice of which we are capable, would be a
work OF months Ii would bc TO careful, sol
emn, sacred task. and not in anywisc 10 he IN
deriaken in the columns OF a daily paper. Beside
who can think of Milton without the feeling which
be himself expressesl--
He who would not be Illustrate of his hope to
write well hereafter in audablc things, ought him
slito be true poemt haiisa composition and pattern
Of the best aud honorablest things not presuming
Using high praises of heroic men, or famous cities
uaess he have in himself the experience and the
practice of all that which IL pralseworthy'
We shall, then. content ourselves with stating
three reasons which of this moment occur 10 us
why these Essays of Milton deserve to be sought and
studied beyond any other volumes of English prose
st He draws to central point whittier con
verge the RAYS of sacred AM proiane, ancient and
modern Literature Those who sit at his feet OBJ
tain every hour cmpses in all directions The con
stan, perception of principles richness in iusira-
lions and fitness of knowledge, make HIM the great
Get Master we have in the way of giving clues and
impulses His plan tcmpts even very tmid stu
dents TO hope they may thread the mighty maze OF
the Past Thisiulness of knowlcdgconly genius
masculine and divine like his could animate. He
says in letter 10 Dioda,S. written as late as his
hir'ie,h year, Ii is well known. and you well
know. tina, am naturally slow ia writing and ad-
verse to write Indeed his passion for acquisition
preceded long and far outwent, in the first part OF
MS PRIME, The need of creation or expression, and.
probably, no era less grand and fervent than his
own could have made him still more the genius than
he scholar But he was fortunate in an epoch fitted
TO develop him to his full s;a,ure-an epoch rich
ase IN thought, action and passion, in great results
aud still greater beginnings There was fire enough
70 bring the immense materials he had collected into
shie OF fusion. Stii MS original bias ipecis the
pupil. aud this Master makes us thrs, for Learning
no less than for Life.
I'd He affords the highest exercise at once TO the
poetic and reflective faculties. Before US move
sublime prcsences, the types Of whole regions Of
creation God. man. and elementary spirits in multi.
'Odinous glory present to our consciousness
ns' meanwhile every detail is grasPcd and exam
aedand strong daily interests mark outtor usawidC
and plain path on the esrth--a wide and plain path
ou' one IN which il requires the most varied and
strenuous application Of our energies TO follow the
'sPid and vigorous course Of our guide. No one
can read the Essays wi,hou; feeling tina, the glow
winch follows is no mere nervous exs,ston, no n
'oa OF electricity from another mind under which
~ could remain passive, but thorough and whole
'"e animation of his own powers. We seek ic
A"ow to sc, and to be what 10 possible to Man.
"a Mr. Grswold Justly and wisely observes -
au'on Is more emphadealy american than any
'a'ncr who has lived in the United States He i.
because in him is expressed 30 much o; the prim
vitality of IA,