New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-02-14
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

A$lL w
MEMOIRS OF MARGARET FULLER 70,
SOIL Edited BY 4. w. Es ~ C,s,Ss,.c
r. CLARKE and WILLda1p a -, Phill,ps.
2 vols l2mo. PIP Soi' ''''
Sampson q 70. a..
.xal,ed genius and worth OF ITS rarely en-
aoved subject has just made Its aPpe Arahce
s,.m Me press, and emitting any formal
notices of its contents, which we prefer
leaving to ether hands, we will present cur
readers with a selection Of passages whlcn
cannot fail TO tempt them to give the who're
work speedy Perusal
MARGARET FULLER AT coNcoHp'
BYE. W. EMERSON ,o,s
49,, .co,aiated with Margaret IN 1882
p.,h.ns !, was a wear earlier that Henry Heuse'
r.. ,onc been her friend, told me OF her
~no To- 81 .,ndies. and loaned me her manu-
SenIu' ..nn.,a,ior of Goethes Tasso. was al
ZIP Till more interested In her, by the
" praises of Harriet Martineau, who had
s~rome acquainted with her at Cambridge, ana
mo finding Margaret's fancy tor seeing me,
took generous interest IN bringing US toge'nei;
7 remember. during week IN the winter oil
1850. in which Miss Martineau was my guest,
she returned again and again to the topic OF
NaYraret's excelling genius and conversation
and enioined il on me to seek her acquaintance;
Inch willingly promised. | arm not sure that
II was not in Miss Martineaus company, little
earlier, that fret saw her. And ma mem
ossndum, in her own journal, OF VISIT: mace oy
NV brother Charles and myself, to M'sS Mar
tiseau Al Mrs. Farar's. II vas not however,
tin the mex. July, after li.sle dipiomanzIng NJ
hil,sts nv the ladies, that her first VISIT to our
house arrange and she ss zane e sssnqa Inc
f1st half.hour of Margaret's conversation. She
vas then twenty.sm years old. She had lace
and frame that would indicate fullness ana te-
nacity of life. She was rather under the midoie
hisht; her complexion was fair, with strong lar
hair She was then, as always, carefully ana
hscominqly dressed, and Of ladylike selfposses-
.;on For the rest, her appearance had nothing
orepossessing Her extreme plainness-a tiicK
of necessarily opening and shutting her eyeilds--
the nasal tone of her voice-all repealed and
sad 10 myself, we shall never get far. IL IS 10
be said, that Margaret made disagreeaole hrst
impression on most persons, including tnose
who became afterward her best TRENDS, 10 sucn
an extreme that they did not wish to De In the
ssme room with her This was partly the effect
of her manners which expressed an overween-
ing sense of power, and slight esteem OF others
and partly the prejudice OF her fame she had
n dangerous reputation Tor satire, IN aoultioh 10
her great scholarship. The men thought sue
carried too many guns, and the women oiu NOT
irke one who despised them. l believe | fan
eisd her too much interested IN personal his
tory; and her talk was a comedy IN which ORA
matte Justice was done to eyerYbodys iolOles
I remember that she made me laugh more than
liked; for was, at that time an eager scholar
of ethics, and had tasted the sweets OF solitude
ard stoicism, and | found something profane an
the hours OF amusing gossip into which she
- L aH HhraTV.
had much to think Of the cracking OF thorns
under a pot. Margaret. who had stuffed me out
A a philosopher in her own fancy, was too In
TENT on establishing good footing between us,
TO omit any art Of winning. She studied my
tastes, piqued and amused me, challenged frank
ness by frankRess, and did not conceal the good
opinion OF me she brought with her, nor her
wish to please. She was curious to know my
opinions and experiences. OF course, 1t was
impossible long to hold out against such urgent
assault. She had an incredible variety OF anec.
dotes, and the readlest wit to give an absurd
turn to whatever passed; and the eyes, which
were so plain at first, soon swan with fun and
drolleries, and the very tides OF Joy and super
abundant life.
This rumor was much spread abroad, that she
was sneering, scofling, critical, disdanfui OF
humble people, and Of all but the intellectual
had heard 1t whenever she was namod u was
superficial Judgment Tier satire was ns 0 play '' Of
superabundant animal spirits And II Will be
seen in the sequel, that her mind presently dis
closed many moods and powers, in successive
platforms or terraces, each above each, that
quite efIaced this first impression, in the opu-
lence OF the following pictures.
Let us hear what she has herself to say on the
sub,ect Of tea.tabletalk, in a letter to young
lady, to whom she was already much attached
al am repealed by your account OF your party.
ID is beneath you to amuse yourself with active
satire, with what is vulgarly called quizzmg.
When such person as - chooses TO throw
himself in your way. l sympathize with yonr
keen perception Of his ridiculous points. But
10 laugh a whole evening at vulgar monde
sciipts-is that an employment for one who was
born passionately to love, to admire, TO sustain
truth This would be much more excusable in
chameleon like me. Yet, whatever may be
the vulgar view of my character, can truly say,
know not the hour in which ever looked for
the ridiculous. IL has always been forced upon
me, and is the accident of my existence. |
would not want the sense of it when it comes,
for that would show an obtuseness of mental
organization; but, on peril OF my soul, would
not move an eyelash to look for it.
When she came TO Concord she was already
rich in friends rich in experiences, rich in cul-
ture. She was well read in French, Italian, and
German literature. She had learned Latin and
little Greek. But her English reading was
incomplete and, while she knew Moliere, and
Rousseau, and any quantity of French letters,
memoirs, and novels, and was dear student of
Dante and Petrarca, and knew German books
more cordially than any other person. she was
little read in Shakspere; and believe had
the pleasure of making her acquainted with
Chaucer, with Ben Jonson, with Herbert, Chap
man, Ford, Beaumont and Fletcher, with Bacon,
and Sir Thomas Browne | was seven years
her senior, and had the habit Of idle reading in
old English books, and, though not much versed,
yet quite enough to give me the right to lead her.
She fancied tina, her sympathy and taste had
led her to an exclusive culture OF southern Eu-
ropesn books.
She had large experiences. She had been a
precocious scholar at DR.. Parks school good
in mathematics and in languages. Her father
whom she had recently lost had been proud Of
her, and petted her She had drawn, at Cam