Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1849-08-30
-" Argosles with nnrlly sui.
Flying by him with their woven wings
rich with narhnrlc nearl nnl pnlh.

fiyng by hun with their woven wings
Rich with Barbaric pearl and gold.
The very temerily of the Review sustained by such
rare learning, ability, aud brlliaucy gave it currency
win friends and Tues. II admitted by its enemies
that no similar publication displayed 80 many rich veins
Of thnught. uttered many acute observations or AT
rayed It's offspring in such graceful dapery aud they
found nuit. not sd much with the standards mp
the principles inencaied as with their alleged unjust
application to their yorito books and authors. The
swer OF the reviewers short and characteristics Ii
they used the sello the scalring knife when they
ought 10 use the seimar the broad sword why,
was according to the Ut criticism they had IN such
cases made and provided, and the friends of the SLAM
might resort u reprisals.
specimen of TIN mode in which il drowned in rid
Guile pedanty aud stupidity, is found IN the fiat number
IN review. by Sydney Smith, of Rev DIR. Langlards
Anniversary sermon of the Royal Humane Suciey.'-
Alter giving the lille Of the publication in the usual arm.
The reviewer SAYS An accident. which happened 10
the gentleman engaged in reviewing Tins sermon proves
IN the most striking manne tho Importance OF this char
ilv Tor restoring 10 life persons in whnm the vital power
Is suspended. lilo was discovered. with Dr. Langtard =
discourse lying open before him. in state of the most
profound sleep. from which he could not, by any means,
he awakened for great length Of time. by attending.
however. TO the rules prescribed by the Humane Society
Ringing IN the smoke OF tobacco, applying hot annes,
aud carefully removing the discourse itself great dis
ance tho critic Restored to his disconsoao brothers.
The only account he coad give Vt himself was that he
Remembers reading regularly, I'LL he came 10 the ip
lowing pathetic description of drawned lradesman be
yond which he reeollecls nothing" Then follows par
agaph from the sermon, dTopsca with dulness and here
the article ends
specimen of the style in Which il pronounced sen
tence of contempt author, is found later date.
aud is perfect of its kind is tho introductory para
graph Of Nlacauay's review of Geig's Life ofWnnen
Hastings. " This book" says Macaulay "seems To
have been manufactured in pursuance Of contract by
which the representatives, of Warren Hastings, on he
one part, b1und themselves to furnish papers and Mr.
Geig. the other part bound himself 10 furnish praise
1t Is but just TO saw that the both sides
have been faithfully kept and the result Is be
fore Us in the rm of three big bad volumes. fall Of un
dgested correspondence md undseernng panegyrie -
MacauIay then goes through seventy pages, giving
his ava brilliant portrait Of Hastings never noticing
the author except al long intervals when he turns aside
for moment to give to him blow in the face with his
bush
The Review gave impulse to periodical literature
and elevated the tone Of literary criticism and political
dqnisltion. Grub street made stand against the nya
der worthy oi It's ancient aarots II issued nifty pham
phets in single year. explaining oxennaling. defend
ing deying. But dullness and insipdlty at length
gave way, and rereaed rapidly 10 the trunk makers and
green grocers Much evil was mingled with The gooi,
The excellences OF the j,urua not alone int
iaed. Forocity and fire b,zed out from the pages Of
conemporaneous publications. But they the rush
light To Nesuvius. At length. soldiers oI higher mae
aud brighter Than Grub street could muster. took
the field Byron had shivered lance with The Edln
bnrgh. S0ulhey, whose scalp it had manged, stnng
to madness. aud vowed vengeance Scott denounced lis
politics RASH radical and revolutionary Tho great
Wing rhnocerous ilon beyond the Tweed had ravaged
the suffer landscape of England and tossed Tory poll
tcans and poets its horn for six yeas, when Brough
ans celebrated article, Don Pedra de Cevallos aud
Spanish affairs, appeared avowng urn democratic doc
trnes. Scott, who had some time ceased TO be a con
tbulr, ordered lis subscription stopped, and enter
ed into correspondence with Ellis Souhey CT ford and
ohersn regard 10 starting rival periodical. that should
encounter the spoer in his own field and with weapons
o like temper aud orce. The result was the establish
mem, 1909 Of the Quarterly Review, in London It's
editor VIM. Clifford and in badness. bitterness, dog
nasn. and ier,cliy. he full match for any writer
in the Ednbugh: thought, in comprehensive board pin
cples and appreciation Of the beautiful, IN acueness and
originality, he fell below the Journal he was set up 10 o.
verthrow.
But, brilliant as has been the meienrlc career Of the
Edinburgh in the armament of letters it is in tho dc
partmen Of governmental reform that its grea est and
best services have been rendered Its founder has well
said that at its advent at always considered piece
of imperinence in England, if of less than Coco
or $4,000 year. had any opinion at all on important
subjects" The Edinburgh Review has taught Man-
chester calico printer how 10 take the Government by the
beard IN tho 46 years ofirs existence it hns the
BRUSH slave trade abosheda devastating European
war terminated the Holy alliance broken up, and It's
anolned conspators brought into conte npthe corp,
ration and test acts repealedhe Catholics emancpa-
led--tle criminal code humanz ad-he death penalty
cfcnnScf0e0-tne Dill carried, extending INC
suffrage halfa million of peope-Wesl India and East
India slavery bsed- the commercial monopoly Of the
Fast India Company overthrnwn-municipal corpora-
lions eformedthe court Of chancey opened, and sun
light let in upon It's dongslhe law courts made
accessible To the the law Of libel made
durable the poor laws made charitable the game
laws brought the verge Of modern clvzi,lon-the
laws repeaed--lhe post office made subservenl to
all who can raise penny-the means OF educating the
poor ncreaseJ-te privileges Of the established church
cuailed ia three kingdpms-and long catalogue of mi
reforms effected and dignity and intensity impaired
to the popular demand for still larger concessions 10 the
progressive genius Of The age. And this journal may
proudly say that all these measures have received the
support and most of them the early, jealous, and power
ful support Of the Edinburgh Review Tn ese measures
gained advantages from the advocacy Of the Review, far
heyond the intrinsic frce Of the Arguments with which
supported them AZ, indeed, did the party Of progress
whose oracle il was lis brilliant literary reputation shed
usre around the most radical political opinions, cloth
ing hem in bright rameni and giving them intro
ducon into the halls of the learned and the saooos Of
the noble. lis numerous articles liberal and general
education, especially those written by Sydney smith,
are above all praise. And while it impaed boTes and
chaIlatans in literature. and scourge1 quacks aud vii
ains in the state it less terror to hyp,crltes
and oppessors in the church. But candor must admit
that it generally to evil doers in the name
of religion it not always praise TO them that did
well.
The ecclesiastical and religious tone of the Review,
Turing the first twenty years OF its existence was I'M
parted to it mainly by Sydney Smith. He had good
deal more vii than charity not ashamed to steal his
sermons from Taylor, Hooker, and Barrow that he might
save time to shoot Wesley and 'the nasty
Methodiss,' and shower rdicule upon Wilbeorce and