Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-12-24
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
NOTES ON NEW BOOKS.

LSoruRRs BRoADMKxD CHArEL, Bristol, by
the Iste JoHs FOSTER. Author Of Essays Deci-
sion Of Character" &c. vols Third edition. with
Additions London: Henry @. Bohn; 1858.
These volumes contain the last of the posthumous
works left by their author in such state of com.
pletcncss as q due regard to Mr.. Foster memory
would exact order to justify their publication Ma
nv among our older readers doubt not still recol
leot the impression made upon the public mind by
Fosters Essays" on their first appearance. In an
AGE when, rs was remarked at the time by Robert
Hall, the writing of books had become almost me-
chanical art, and familiar acquaintance with the
best models had dused taste and diminished genius,
it was impossible to peruse author who displayed
30 great original powers without degree of sur
prise The "reading public" were ready to in
quire by what peculiar felicity he was enabled to
desert the trammes of custom, to break the spell
by which others felt themselves bound and to main
tain career so perfectly uncontrolled and inde-
pendent
The same cast of thought, original and sublime,
the same unlimited command of imagery, the same
STYLE varied, vigorous, and bold, which the contem-
porary reviewer designated as the distinguishing
features of those very singular essays are discovera
BILE, though in less degree, in the Lectures do
ivered at Broadmead Chapel by the same author
The origin of these Lectures is stated by Dr. Ryland
Fosters Life and Correspondence, to have been fol-
lows After Mr. Fosters final REIMBURSEMENT of stated
services preacher, and his removal in 1921 to Sta
pton where he spent the rest Of his m several of his
friends and ardent admirers formed plan, which happ
ly fell in with his views, Of Of lectures to
be delivered by him fortnight 1t anticipated
(and correctly the event proved that many ndividu
ais Of various religious communities, would gladly
brace the opportunity Of listening to those original illus
trations of the most momentous truths which mind oil
high order would present With such audience
Mr. Foster felt at liberty to take wider range of sub
jects than in addressing ordinary congregation the
majority of whom would require the familiar and reite
rated presentation of the msst obvious topics In writ
ing to friend he described this engagement being
"much the kind of thing he could have wished :; but
added that the labor of preparing single discourse
scarcely less than that necessary for five six
In the ordinary routine of preachers life.
Tie most striking characteristic Of all Mr. Fosters
rngs is their originality, either in the thoughts them
selves in the mode Of their presentation He possess
Cd in remarkable degree the attribute of genius,
he himself has defined its highest facultythe power Of
lighting its own FIRE. For the thousand-fod common
places Of ordinary minds he entertain most
disguised aversion. Even commonplace truh he some
where says is Of use 1t makes no impression it is
no instruction than wind is music The truth must
take particular bearing the wind must pass
through in order discourse any purpose But
it must be admitted that his conceptions almost al
ways rander and vaster than his power give them
preston He to be perpetually Travelling with
thought The children of the brain have to the
BIRTH but there is strength to effect easy delivery
Hence his style is almost the that be conceived
His friend and admirer Robert Hail. has very graphical
ly kened his sentences to huge numbering wagons laden
with gold Foster himself felt very sensbly this dsab
t give fu utterance to his struggling ideas snd emo
tons and cnvied the literary facility which he observed
In two Of his contemporaries lie used TO say that Hall
commanded words like emperor but Colerdge like
magician. Foster was conscious that he could sway
neither the enchanting wand Of the latter wed the
despoc sceptre Of the former Colerdge always to
evoke by magic influence the most opposite and hap
py words in which to dress his grandes subtlest
thoughts There is no realm of mind which his
eoquence with its pomp and prodgay Of Speech cannot
f and nook Granny Of thought into which his sin
dicon cannot pierce and yet all this the
suit Of native felicity rather than the product Of
quired power. With Hall the is otherwise. Foster
is right comparing his command Of language to the abb
solute dominion OF acknowledged emperor His words
fall into their ranks at his bidding though they
accustomed to naught but implicit obedience when the
master deigned to open his mouth. There not gap in
the whole line Of his serred columns srd the march Of
his sentences continue the figure is like the rmpaced
and even tread OF that Old Guard" which single beck
from the Emperor Of the French could turn whthersoever
he listed.
Foster could do nothing like this but he sometimes
consciously cxerts the magical power Of Coleridge,
though like the mseans Of Egypt in their rivalry with
the potent demonstrations Of Moses, he often sig
naly fails The strength Of human language seems to
bend and beneath the weight and burden Of his
mighty thoughts We doubt that he derived from
his own consciousness the following queries which
find among the stray and fragmentary ottings of his
journal, as published by DR.. Ryland:
care the powers, the capacity Che ssks) OF human
language limited by any other bounds than those which
limit the minds own powers Of conception Is there
within the possibility Of human conception certain or
der Of ideas which combinations Of language could
pressi Would the English language for example in its
strongest possible structure, absolutely sink and fail un
der such conceptions may imagine mighty spirit
a superior neither regions to utterso fra as not
20 make these ideas distinctly apparent to the human
mind supposng all the while that the mind could fully
admit and comprehend these ideas there any ade
Nquate vehicle to convey them'
Shakespeare says Foster had perceptions Of every kind
he could think every way His mind might be compared
"a that monster the prophet in his vsion and which
ssd eyes all ore But Shakespeare although Foster does
not 10 on 10 add this much the greatest erss that
sver lived As has been beautifully said by modern
ec IL he may have had rivals in the art Of imagining
tuaons he had no rival in the power Of sending gusb
A. appropriae intellectual efusion the image and
kbody Of situation once conceived From the jeweled
ling on an Aderman's finger to the most mountainous