The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-01-16
LITERARY NOTICES.

LITERARY NOTICES.
BroorArmcAL ESSAYS. By ThOmas De Quincy. Boston:
Tisknor, Reed, Il Field For sale by Taylor Maury,
Pennsylvania avenue, Washington.
This is most readable volume not so lumi-
nously brilliant as "The Confessions Of an Opium
Eater and "Suspiria de Profundis," but still a
very delightful work. De Quincy is writer OF
much individuality and power-powcr which
shows itself more in brief, glowing passages and
grand outbursts, than in evenness Of style and
sustainment Of thought His genius is often more
feverish than vigorous in its action, as his finest
imagery seems the vivid fancies and wild and
startling conceptions of insanity Yet these indi-
cations of o brain somewhat unhealthy and in
famed, so evident in The Opium Eater" may
scarcely be remarked in the volume before US
Here We have calm, critical, and admirably appre-
cative biographies of Shakespeare, Pope, Charles
Lamb, Goethe, and Schiller. The paper upon
finest but we prefer the one on Charles Lamb
perhaps because the subject comes nearest to our
human affections and sympsthies Shakespeare is
the autocrat Of the whole wide upper world Of
intelect-but down in the narrower but warmer
region Of the heart Lamb holds perpetual sover.
eignty-ruling by our free choice, not in state
but as playing at kingship-crowned with flowers
bearing a holly branch for q sceptre-a sort OF
merry, irresponsible home-monarch, who may
call for his pipe and call for his bowl and have
everything his own way. Yet no less truly do we
reverence Lamb than Shakespeare, that our HON.
age takes the forms of love and kindly indul
gence, rather than of awe and unconditional 10y
atty. With Lamb, we may claim fellowship with
out presumption-his very weaknesses bring US
nearer-his faults seem but childlike appeals tc
our sympathy but who shall dare to claim fel
lowship with that great, that almost universal in
telligence, to whom seem to have been given the
souls of whole race in a mass + faith, on,
would almost as soon think Of laying claim t.
equality and fraternity With S@.-,= c. Jcp:.cs
as with Shakespeare, moving in the isr, high eter.
nifty of his fame.
The articles upon Goethe and Schiller are
also very fne. The latter Of these great poets
has always seemed to US far more human than
the first. Between the genius Of the two
there seems oil the difference that there is
between grand display of Northern lights and
the clear, vivfying glow of southern sunlight be.
tween the men, the difference there was between
the Greek god, cold, irresponsible, self-centered
holding himself apart amid Olympian grandeur
and the Greek hero, brave and passionate, lead
ing the bold spirits and ruling the fiery hearts o.
his time. Gethe's genius was the more compre
hensive perhaps-that of Schiller was the NOR,
intense. If Gethes was the higher intellect
Schiller's was the deeper heart G. G.
TRuR STORIES PROM History AND BIOGRAPHY BY Ma
thaniel Hawthorne. Boston TicknOr, Reed, Il Fields
For sale as above.
This is one Of the pleasantest books of the sea
son-quite at the head Of the Juvenile publications
1t is collection of most interesting stories, told
in style simple and direct, yet singularly pic
how the genius of the author here comes forth
from the temple Of that art, with him mystery
and worship--from its lofty arches its resound
ing aisles, its grand harmonies and gorgeou,
gooms-comes out upon the open lawn to smile
lovingly upon childhood, join in its innocen
snasia and hold nmrnnns~- --ish 49, H--'
and simple spirit. Yet we should not wonder a
this as q phenomenon for it is truest nature
Genius should be but a large childhood, perpet
ual renewing of life from its earliest and pures
fountain-but a nobler growth, sublimer ex
preston Of the innocent trust, and the
truth which the infant soul gives forth in its frs
looks upon the world. 1t is said that in our lif
Of change, freshness and bloom cannot endure for
ever, and We know that the fruits Of knowledge at
tain to ripeness and sweetness through bitterness
and acidity-but, while common trees have thei
season of profuse Towering and then fling away
their blooms and wait unadorued for the time o
ripeness, the gorgeous tropical tree is at bud
ding and blossoming, breathing its sweetness to
ward heaven, and dropping its golden fruit to thu
earth. Such should be the type Of genius-neve
stripped of verdure or discrowned of beauty-evel
putting forth in fair and glowing forms, new man
ifestations Of the prmeval life, bearing the Aust
and freshness of feeling side by side with the ripe
results of experience.
We would say word in regard to the form in
which these publications come before the world
did not the names Of the publishers insure TO the
reader all the luxuries of neat binding, smooth
paper, fur margins, and clear type G. G.
GRAHANs MAGAZINE February, 1871.
This is an admirable number of that admirable
Monthly. Apparently, no expense and labor has
been spared to please the public, who will indeed
be most unreasonable if this does not satisfy them
Is contains articles from many of our best authors
among them some admirable poems. OF these,
- 1 Il L.. 1 L. l.