The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-12-29
Lectures Oh the Influence OF Fictitious Ii
iernIure. LY DIR. nIaaoM.

tera,ure, by DIR. Mason.
We attended last evening, to hear the above named
gentleman read discourse upon fictitious history,
novel reading. At the imminent risk OF life and
limb, through streets of Clmmeran darkness, pung-
ing at every crossing IN deep quagHiires OF thick
water and ice, found at last, at distant part OF
he city, the advertised locality.
The discourse, il was stated, was addressed parti-
cuary 10 the young, from the text John IA W"
have written unto you young men"
The Doctor, after a few introductory remarks,
proceeded TO the subject, stating, that TO form impro
per aud corrupt associations 1t Is not necessary TO
mix with bad company; this may be done
Nv novel reading. The evils and bad effects
i this kind OF reading were then pointed out In
4 general manner. We collected IN the general
eclam alton thesis most OF his tangible propositions
foliows:-In novel reading, the curiosity alone is
excited, but the mind is not exercisedthe Imagination
not cultivatedit adds nothing to our store of facts
historical novels do no. lead to historical research
novel reading is bad school of the heaFt-it produ-
selfshness aud renders its devoees msanthrcpc il
lenders the heart caous and ID mental and moral EN-
pirlc'm-they who weep at the theatre or over 70.
nance have sympathy for real sorrowit makes man
moral episure- it has ruined thoussnds-the first
is yet be found whose mind has been PRED by il
with noble efforts it is stimulus like that produced by
,ntoxjcaton &c. The subject then concluded by a
warning against the evil mentioned addressed parcu
arly 10 the Dung.
ALI these various propositions enunciated with
out any inellgioe arrangement or order. and without
been looked tor in studied and written composition
they sometimes deeply buried in epithets
vebage and flowers If rhetoric that difficult to
catch any Ineligible proposition at all Nor was
there the least attempt at demonstration or even Illus
ration. seemed to be supposed that all OF them
gospel and were to be taken granted Indeed the
tcan who followed the learned doctor actually made
ausion to the discour calling this collection OF dsoint
cd and commonplace assertions gospel sermon" He
must surely have spoken either ironically loosely
for in the whole DISCOURSE there not the remotest
alusionnot the slightest reference either to law Cos
pei More OF the law that universal guide implanted
naturally in every breast which points right wrong
with ufalbe certainty, and more OF the Gospel
might be found in the norris Of the heather Seneca
the cteristics of the centious Salisbury The
duties and commands enforced by the one-the hopes
and blessings conveyed by the other not for in
slant adverted to i'll any manner and, indeed, il was
merit for which he Doctor deserves credit that that
great name which il would be profanity to mention light
iy, did not in the whole defamation
We think it was extremely well that this name
not mixed up with the long catalogue Of
such names as Eugen Aram, Walter Scott, Nicholas
NIckleby, Bulwer, Paul Clifford SC, SC, with
which the Doctor seemed extremely familiar, and some
what more conversant than with the at of reasoning
consecutivoly arguing logically The discourse
strictly what professed to be, an Grafton upon novel
reading addressed 10 the young and Is to BIO presumed
that had It been intended for others than children there
would have been lucid arrangement less howery
verboseness, aud more solid argument.