The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-02-24

that is required for modern criticism. The
Cog and Magog Reviews-the Edinburgh
and Quarterly-settle literary merit BY the
politics Of the party. On the continent
we are more conscientious. However,
am safe. have propitiated the cheap
critics, to the extent Of four or five Of the
most important. Your old novelists were
more consistent about their plots than you
are now. 1t is time ''hazer libro nuevo,'
as we say in Spain, or "to turn over a new
leaf, in this respect,
AS we found this Spaniard knew En-
gland so we'll, and everything relating to
society and manners, We drew from him
that his mother had been an English wo-
man, and that he had long known the Ian
guage, literature, and history OF the country.
He returned to Spain, subsequently. be-
came secretary to the Chamber OF Deputies
on the ascendency Of the Liberal party,
and going to Paris on public business, died
there some years since.
In the time Of which we speak, the sale
OF copyright Of the slightest merit was GER
tain. A liberal sum bestowed in putting
introduced the newborn to the world, and
people bought and read, as if buying and
reading were half the business OF liie.-
There was a system in these things. and
the management in putting off new work
was a department Of ''trade" that showed
skill in the management, and no little un-
derhand play. Although we were. as we
imagined, tolerably well up to the tricks o.
the "trade," we were sometimes as well
duped as the public. When Horace Smith
published his novel OF "Brambletye House,
| in the palmy days Of novel writing, we saw
statement of numerous parties being made
up to picnic at that ruin. As the paper in
which we observed it was published in the
same county as the scene of the novel, and
bore no mark Of furtive concoction in Lon
don. we spoke OF it as circumstance we
had observed to one Of publishers en-
ployes, and proof that Smiths work mad
had conferred celebrity upon the spot. He
smiled, and said-'That was done here and
sent down to the paper; if "you" are taker
in by it, the paragraph will answer its enc
with other people, that is very certain
A third foreign visitor at Lord Hollands
Mr.. Blanco White, had been brough. up &
Catholic, and taken vow Of celibacy.-
He became doubter of the Catholic creed
left Spain for England, entered the church
and was paraded as a triumph to Protestan
ism by law established. Here he had frest
doubts and misgivings. and finally left thu
church for the Dissenrers. We have hsart
it whispered that in Spain love was his frs
disturber under his vow of celibacy, ant
became his torment in consequence. Hi
was pale, sedate, pensive looking man
deeply learned, scrupulous in conscience
and very informing, amiable ard agreea
bic companion.
We must now return back to earlie
times. The desire for information ant
thirst for reading. when secretly INDUCED
led US to peruse all sorts Of books tina
came in our way. We had read tn,
"Monk" of Lewis, which Lord Brougham'
cheap literature system has introduced into
every hand in the present day, with its gross
immoralities. We had revelled at tn,
theatre in the horrors OF the "Csstle Spec
ire" and his "Tales Of Wonder" In tina
day belief in supernatural appearances wa
not to be shaken, by any incredibly upor
the subject, even in some minds Of a supe
rior order. The Chlrchman and Dissente
were alike Of The same opinion, and tht
Wesleyan Methodist was PROSTATE in cred
ulity. To doubt that ghosts and good ane
bad spirits might and did sometimes appeal
to mortal eyes was imPe,y, and this though
the feshless gentry were generally said tC
come upon very silly enands, and some
times upon no enands at all, else they die
not condescend to reveal their business
"Hobgoblin" Lewis was then spoken O.
most respectfully by those who deprecated
immoral stories. as if they feared tip-tos
sprite would be on their heels if they
attempted to depreciate the master spirit
of all.
We should have incurred the resentment
Of one Of the best parents that ever lived,
if it had been known we perused such
works. Therefore all was stealth from the
fear which makes youth cunning and
knavish. We had told many OF those
stories secretly to sister-a bold, fine girl,
several years younger than ourselves.
Our parent saw the bias in the mind oil
our sister, and though one Of the most de-
voted men in the world to the duties oil
religion, and q nervous man too, he reject.
ed all those wild superstitions. He sur.
missed the fact Of some impression being
thus made, and who had made it. One dark,
bleak winters night he made an offer to
our sister, then not fourteen, we were older,
Of reward if she would 20 and fetch a
psalm-book out of seat at the upper end
Of long avenue Of trees, with graves and
tombs on all sides. Our pride was stung.
We felt the blow dealt at ourselves. We
boldly offered to 20 in our sisters place.
Our chivalry vanqaished our fears for the
moment. The clock struck eleven. In
the innocence of her heart she would have
gone, and succeeded with less fear. We
were endowed with knowledge of every
possible phase Of spectral horror. We set
out like lion, the demons Of Lewis upper.
most in our mind. The wind howled fit.
fully along the avenue Of tall trees, over
grave and tomb, the dim heaven scarcely
distinguishable above their tops. We reach
ed tie door, dashed it open; the echo chill
ed our hearts. We entered amidst total
darkness-feit our way up the aisle, think
ing Of the skeletons in the vaults beneath.
A pew door struck us from having been
left open. A deadly cold made MS shiyer