New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-11-19

.ith tie smoke OF iuceDse, and thick with ito
brea,h"-,he Dead Sea lying heavily under the
Glands ike molten iesd-s stretch of black
wafer sieimin, under mutterpg tnubder
is shores, bare moRptsn-Precipices, no Tree
growing upon the bank, DO sail shinng upon
the water, 10 wave or obesity nipple tapping Inc
beach, oply dead drift-Yood ste"n a'os TOE
ssrds:n aud the approach to Damascus, 1.-THE eye
of tie East" where clustering uiearets and spires
as OF frosted came glitter,d IN the morning ABOVE
The ambrosisl darkness of endless groves ahd gar
eeus IN fact, every page almos, OF THIS WORK -"
swift Succession of pictures: each one admraoe III
itself though the number AID oPuleoee OF theii' as
in gallery. sem. what cypress and even dazzle The
senses. The fertility of Mr.. Cvrtis's imagination
being bis great excellence is also bis chief 'aat IN
fault it my be eall.d) and be is apt TO crowd his
canvas with figures, and touch them Nth excessive
color.
From the name of bis third book, " The Lotus
Eaters, everybody expected a renewal ofhls Es':-
erD experiences, thcSgh be had taken such pa
theuc farewell OF the East in the las: chapter Of the
Syria" But they were disappointed. The Lo-
tus.Ea,ers be referred to were not the weary
wigh,s weighed upon BY heaviness of that dreamy
Elysum which Tennyson bad sung; but our West
Eastern iders, who with all the dizziness and very
late Of the epcbsn,uent Of their prototypes,
Eating the Lo-os day by Gay
Do watch the cnsTins rpples on the beach
at Newport. or 'lie Beside their nectar" at Sara
togs. or listen "to the emerald-colored water
falling" from the Catsk.lls. In other words, it
was a book OF our Americans trying 10 enact the
doice far nuntt 30 impossible 10 their habits. The
scenery and society of our Summerng-places were
the topics, add they were treated in a genial,
thoughtful mood. Beginning with glimpse at
Downiups Garden at Newburgh what sad aud
pIea.an, memories the phrase recalls he carnes
rs frst 10 The Catskils thence TO Trenton next to
Niagara. from there to Saratoga dreadful change
and finally 10 Nahant and Newport. BY this tour
the usual fashionable tour, we believe we get sight
Of all the varieties of cur watering. place life, aud
Of scme of tho best aspects of our landscape
But it i. difficult TO say in what part OF the country
our guide is most at home. Whether he dlscourses
of the sharp cliffs and undulaiing masses Of the
mountains, Of the penslve tranquility OF Lake
George, OF the - magnificent madness OF the cata-
rac,. or of the long lines Of the surf puDgng out
of tie gray COON OF the fog az Nahant, he is equally
impressive AID picturesque. lie has an exquisite
f.. ling for nature in all her phases, describes them
with gushing glow AMI warmth Of love, AMI from
the iu)pess and completeness of his sympathy With
the visible scene, imparts 1t TO us IN all Its living
radiance and truth. No one OF our painters Is
er.a.er master OF color than he, ami none of our
musicians have caught 50 reldly the deep resonances
Of the cataract and the sea. Nor TO the sterner
beauties of nature alone is his mind attuned. lie
uipples in the light CHATTER the noisy vacutles, the
soft nonsepsp the intoxicating of the saloons,
like ore TO that manner born. Yet he has the adj
vantage Of great many there that he carries BRAINS
with him. and has many good moral and many a
monitory wisdom 20 utter of the upshot Of such
things. Emerson himself has no. said sharper
truths than Curtis says in his light graceful way.
In tie course of his sceue-pan,ing Mr.. Curtis
! draws somewhat unfavOgabe comparison oe;weer
| the landscape # this country and thai OF Europe,
and Justly So because we faiI 10 that rmy romance
and ruin which covers aud fills almost every inch
of Europe, but as the White Mountains aad the
Pralies we're not included in his trps, the grounds
of the comparison are scarcely equal. M man has
So. the landscape of this country who mas not W. IL
dered among The Granite Hills nor spent Spring
among the flowers of the prairies. We have some
times regretted, therefore, that these noble pas
ssees" of ours were not contain ei Ill his portfolio
The zen which has skttched The Caupagna for US,
and gwen us such an eleyatDg 9 ance az the APPS
ought 10 bave told US, to-, OF our lesser Alps and
of me Rapids Of the S. Lawren.e and the glorious
meadow gardens of the West. late English
writer has suggested TO Mr.. Curtis for nis future
lsbors, tour in Switzerland which, we believe, he
once began in "PutOam'), but ii that motion Is TO
prevail, We move an amendment, So far as TO bring
the Lobier feature. of our forests and pra'res within
| The plan.
In different vein from all bis previous works,
though exhibiting many OF the same traits, were tbe
- Poiiphar Papers, which deal. exclusively wi,1
he fli.s and fobles of eur Fashionable s)ciety. II
has been, we are told, the most popular Of his
books, though il is by no means the most mertori
GUS The direct, almost personal interest OF the
topics and The fac that the hume: is more flagran:
and Astounding, accounts il part for the reader re-
ception Of u bu; IN the es ina ion OF scholars,
poet. and artists suspect either OF the previous
volumes Will bear away the palm. They eyince A
rarer originality, have greater richness Of daYor
in item, and display larger and more exabefant
power |, may be admitted, however, thar in Ger.
tain respects of style the latter SHOWS decided iu'
prosemsnt. l. is clearer, simpler racier,
without losing any of the old strength
and luxurispce There was something to