New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-08-11
Modern Literature.

E2cdern Literature.
In old times great books we're written by
great men. They were the products Of much
stndy, experience and observation, written not
for the day only or the age, but for all time.
hooks the world should not willingly let die
Such are the works of Plato, of Aristotle, OF
Cicero, Of Herodotus, of Tacitus-of nearly all
the ancients, who when they had completed a
book felt ready to exclaim with Horace,
Nitne ezegi mo,unesat,m, pee,i,sus.
Indeed, down to as late period as when
Browne composed his philosophic treatises and
South delivered such discourses as can hardly
ever be forgotten, the great objects Of compo-
sition were universally borne in mind and books
were written to instruct and improve. They
contained facts and drew differences They en-
larged the fields Of learning by means of new
observations, closer calculations and more pro
found thought. They we're the products Of q
life time Of devoted and diligent study.
This style Of writing 10 not wholly extinct even
yet Weshll have Niebuhrs, Macaulays, Grotes
and Prescotts great historians, great statesmen
and great philosophers, Savants like Humboldt,
Arago and Agasziz. But although there are
such yet in the world, laboring after the man
ner Of the old immortals, how small place do
they occupy in the annual catalogues of mod
ern authors, and how vastly different in its
scope, object and execution is the literature OF
the present age from that Of ages previous. In
deed it is 60 changed as to be hardly recogniz-
able as the same thing.
Our present literature, instead of being Ia
bored and profound, is hasty and superficial
instead of being original it is plagiarised, or at
best only reyamped from older and better works
Books that are oks-solid, substantial COM
positions--are out of demand, and the best
writers must bend to the wants and wishes q
the times. They must work for magazines, and
newspapers whose rapid publication renders
long study almost impossible. They are com.
PEELED to be diffuse for lack of time to stud,
conciseness, and superficial from the impossible
ty Of ample preparation.
The character of the most popular moderi
literature is now even more lamentable, however
than its partially excusable superfciaiity.
Works Of biography are by no means in thu
first rank of literary merit, and yet, unless W.
except novels and travels, they are far the mos
numerous that appear. The French press teemi
with biographies Of the great little men Of '4S
and Hungarian "reminiscences are as plenty al
blackberries In cur own country the tide hal
flowed in another direction. We are not ole
enough for biographies, and most of our travellers
go in search of dollars rather than distinction
The mania here is for fancy tales, sentimental
stories and sketches, and literature called
slight" on the Ilcus a non lucendo principle
that it sheds none ssUnele Toms Cabin
g Hot Corn the e Lamplighter,'' Fashion
and Famine" are the titles of some of our latest
most largely circulated publications, and theil
titles give indication of their character. The,
may be very good stories and very prettilJ
written, but for all that they contain nothing
new and teach nothing valuable They are no
suggestive of any thing original, strong, vigor
GUS and masculine any thing which shall in
crease the learning of the world, or give
greater impetus to its intellectual activity
The authors of the present day, too, are in
creasingly feminine Without opening tht
vexed question of Woman's Rights, or discussing
her particular !" sphere . of action, it may, VIC
think, be with safety asserted that the Minnie
Myrtles, Fanny Fernss, Lizzie Laureps, Fan
ME Forrester's and other agricultural author.
esses Of the day are not the ones to supply what
is wanting of strength and stamina in our lite
nature. Their pictures of domestic life, of thu
feelings and the affections; their descriptions
ofseenery and their appreciation of the beauti,
full are oftsn times sufficiently good. But these
are not the qualities we need. The stock OF
hand is large enough and comprises almost
every possible sensation from baby's first CROW
to an old mans last breath. We want less
fancy and more fact; less sspretty writing
and more OF what is sound and thoughtful
fewer Minnie Myrtles, infinitely more masculine
mind like those that have, heretofore, instructed
enlightened and illuminated the world
In many things the progress Of the world
since the fall Of Rene, has been q fiction and o
falsity. Perhaps in none has this progress
been more spacious and less solid than in the
realm of letters, in which refinement Of expires.
sion has been more labored for than originality
of thought, until the latter has been nearly lost
sight Of in the longings for the former.
1908
See First and Fourth Pages