The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-08-11
NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS.

| "The Crock of Gold" by Martin Farquhar Tup-
per- Wiley & Putnam's Library of Choice Reading,
| No. xviii, 37I cents.
| Mr. Topper is known to American readers by the
good sense, spirit Of humanity, and striking Saxon
directness of expression of his 'Proverbia Phoso-
| ply" and by the personal introduction of Mr. Will
| lis in one of his recent letters from London. The
! "Crock of Gold" will bear out the complimentary
things said of the man. II is rural novel tale of
about the length Of the tVicar of Wakefield ~ and
| abounds in character, description. and reflection
Its leading idea is the exhibition of the corrupting
influence OF money, the tyrant of men, upon the life
and heart. It's direct caustc satire, pursued with
great force, and calculated, in this age of money-get
ting, TO induce many to pause, reflect, and tremble
In many respects, ii bears resemblance the bril-
liant story of Miss Kmansegg" by Hood pub
llshed in a recent number of this series. Nor does
the writer forget, any more than Hood, that gold
may be blessing as well as curse
Now stampd with the image of good Queen Bcss.
And now OF Bloody Mary.
He thus sums up the question in his poetcs an
titheica style
"For gold is creature of God, representing manv
exceencies; the of honest industry distils to
gold; the hot-spnng of Genius congeas to gold the
blessing upon falthfulness is often showered in god
and charities not seldom are guerdoned back with
gold Let no man affect to despise what Providence
hath set so high IN power. None do so, but the
man who has it not, and who knows that he covets
1t an vain. Sour grapes, sour grapes for he may
not touch the vintage. This is not the verdict of the
wse the temptation he may fear, the cares he NAV
confess; the misuse he may condemn vet will he
acknowledge that, received at Gods hand and spent
IN his service, there is scarcely creature in this
neither world of higher name than Money.
Beauty fadeth; health dieth; talents yea and
graces, go to bloom IN other places but when benev-
olence would bless and bless for ages its blessing
is vain, but for money; when Wisdom would teach
and teach for ages, the teacher be fed and the
school built and the scholar helped upon his way by
money, righteous money There is righteous
money, as there is unrighteous mammon but both
have their minstrations here limited to earth and
time-the one fruit Of heaven the other fungus
from below; yet the fruit will bring no blessing if
II the grower be forgotten neither shall the fungus
yield poison, If warmed awhile beneath the Better
Sun. Like all other gifts, gwen TO us sweet, but
spollt in the using, gold may turn to good or ILL.,
health may kick, like fat Jeshurun, in his wanton-
ness; power may change from benefcence to tyran-
ny; learning may grow critical in notes until il over
looks the sunbeam; love may be degraded 10 an in
sunct, Zaccheus may turn Pharisee Religion may
cant INTO the hypocritc, or dogmatize to theoogic
hate. Even so 1t is with money. s.s see a cygnet
on the broad Pactolus, stemming the waters with
It's downy breast and anon, it would rise upon the
wing and soar to other skies; So taking down that
snow-white sail, il seeks for a moment to reach its
foot on shore, and thence take fight Aas poor bird
thou art sinking in those golden sands, the heavy
morses clog thy Tapping wing,-in vain, in vain,
thou riest TO rise, Pactous chains thee down. Even
such rs wealth unto the wisest wealth at its purest
source, exponent Of labor and Of mind But 10 the
frequent fool, heaped with fouest dross-for the
cygnet OF Pactolus and those golden sands, read
the hppopotamus walowing in the Niger, and
smothered in bay of mud"