New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-03-13


'S - N he History. Condition and Prospects Of
,I,sycsp Llterstsre By RuFUs WILMoT Girls
worp Illustrated with Portraits from original Pic
t5res q vol svo. pp 532) Philadelphia: Carey
H.r n York Wiley Putnam WIN. II.
Graham
Licking through this noble volume, we are sur.
,s.sd ,hs. 70 work Of similar character has hith.
s,,o bsen presented At this moment kindred
rnsl;sh work-Chsmberss Cyclopedia-perhaps
sbe 6fieih Gifts orderis being promptly reprinted
here ndegicys a very general currency and popu-
snty We have long needed work which would
eyeas some account of our own Prose Authors, as
We have long had several treating Of our Poets
sDd VIC believe DIR. Griswold has performed his
uk as well as any man in the country would have
done Il he has done American Literature and
American readers a service for which we thank
him heartily.
Ofoourse, we do not mean to be understood as
endorsing all the feelings evinced or judgments
passed in this book-from many Of which we dis
,,pt most emphatically. DR.. Griswold's Pantheon
exhibits very miscellaneous collection of gods and
the principles on which they obtained dedication
AT the same identical hands is not TO us apparent
The FederalStatesmep Of the era of Washington
rank frtiu hs mythology, aud ~ far we cen appre-
eisie and partially share his enthusiasm though il
seems to US too frequently and Extensively evinced
10 bic writings. When he minges with this adUla-
ton Of Mr.. J. Fenmore Cooper, who seems TO ms
tie very opposite in character and bearing Of the
school Of Fisher Ames, Nathan Dane and John
Marshall and when we find him mot in this book
while an svowed. inveterate hater Of mob idols,
compounded OF demagogue and despot, yet himself
the unmensured idolator Of the very prince of
mob idols Napoleon Bonaparte by name we must
confess our inability 10 comprehend an eclecticism
which sssimiates materials so homogeneous.
Mr.. Grswolds Judgments we regard as good and
indifferent by turns his style is clear and strong
yet not easy nor brilliant But his book is far bet
ter aa whole than any single page would Indicate
We cannot name another man, unless possibly
Jared Sparks whose acquaintance with American
Literature is sufficiently extensive and thorough
70 have enabled him to produce the equal Of this
work To compress within $50 pages so large a fund
Of information with regard TO the American Prose
Authors and their works-still better, to include
some specimen or specimens OF the writings Of a.
most every author, so rs to enable the reader 10
molly and correct the erroneous judgments of the
general crtic-is work which must have required
ivsss AID unsrudgins outlay Of time and labor
and Mg Griswold has evidently performed bis
chosen task lovingly and faithfully. He has done
our Literature good service. well With European
rs American readers and in this necessarily labor
saving sse, in letters as in all beside we do not
know how a young American especially one IN
tending to travel can spend the leisure hours OF
month better than in making himself thoroughly &C
euanted with The Prose Writers and The Poets
Of America Let him know the contents Of these,
and be cannot be Justly termed ignorant OF the Lit
Gsture Of bis own land and we think he will not
be inclined to dispsrage it.
The Portraits in this work lOf Washington frv-
ING, the late Justice Story, Prest Jonathan Ed.
wards J. J Audubon, Il. X. Wilde. John p Ken
nsdy wm H. Prescott Ralph waldo Emerson
md chss +. Hoffman, are generally creditable to
the state Of Art among us and the berality of the
publishss-those Of Irving a nd Audubon striking
Eso That Of Emerson does not satisfy as. Hof-
mans is spirited but less agreeable than the origi
nal by the way. we can't help asking IL Hsw-
thorne, Bancroft and Legart have not claims to be
thus presented fully equal to those Of Wilde at
least The Prose Writers deemed worthy of bio
graphical honor are seventy two in number and
extracts are given from all but four OF them. Only
i've are women--viz. Catherine NJ. Sedgwick. Eli
IA Leslie Lydia NJ. Child Caroline NJ. Kirkland
and s Margaret Fuller. The Introductory Essay
On The Intellectual History. Condition and Pros
poets Of the Country is very full and replete with
PRACTICAL suggestions as well as information. The
eook deserves and we think will command general
attention and approval