Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-08-03

DE- EnalIsh Romnnces.


Old English Romances.
One Of she most interesting and instructive walks
Of literature lies among the gravesof departed
for the thoughts Of man have their graves like man
himself, and the reverend monitor, lime, for them
likewise tolls the passing bell and performs the sad
Obsequies. vast library is vast cemetery of
mind where, in certain sense lie buried the ideas
of those who have gone before US. Each dusty tome
is neglected monument, whose epitaph is written
If the title-Page and whose date not unfrequently
records once the birth snd the death Of its tenant
There the poet and the philosopher literally mingle
their dust together, and the T9usy apostle of sn oh
soete creed lies side by side with the prurient bal
lad singer. The learned prelate is a prey to the
worm, and the WantOn tale bearer isps his amorOus
coneeits to the dull ear Of oblivion. One might
almost think, that they had implored eternal peace
and that their prayer had been answered. for no one
disiurbs their repose, save now and then some Old
Mortality, who comes 70 mediate among the tombs,
and to wipe away the mildeF and gossamer, which
cover the inscriptions.
Such, at least, has been the case till within few
years past But the graveyard is no longer soil
tsry spot. Nay, The grave itself is no longer invO-
late. Time is again busy with his spade. The old
martyrs are dug up, aud their Wondering remains
are exhibited to the crowd as holy relies, whose
sight and touch are to cure the deep sea ed disease
which oOrrupts the public taste. To this we most
degOutly say, amen We believe that this is the
surest way Of changing that morbid habit of the
mind into which the present age has fallen and of
restoring healthy and vigorous action.
To speak without figure, we consider the repubi-
cation of the best works Of the old English standard
prose writers, as an enterprise of the most laudsble
kind Such writer's as BRowE, and TAYLOR, and
FEJTHAM and some others Of the same school, can
not be too often nor too studiOusly read Communion
with such minds as theirs, is not only delightful
but invigoratng to own. Their works, or at
least some favOre portion of them, should lie upon
the table of every young scholar; so that when he
shuts in WEAKNESS the hand book Of his daily stud
les OF lnys down the pen, too long Obedient to the
overlabored mind, these eloquent men may meet him
with voice Of pleasing and thoughtful conversation
In these old writer's he viii fadrare models Of that
direct aud foroble STYLE which has its origin in d
rect aud foroible thinking They speak from the
fulness Of their intellect Their ideas are marsbaled
forth in close phalauz, and move forward shoulder
to shoulder through the pages whilst our modern
pluuderers who enrich themselves with the thoughts
Of other minds, drag along their stolen IDEAS as
Caous did Of old the cattle of Hercules.
The old English Romalces, are, however, in a
different vein They do not quicken, and elevate
ndiusiru us By their wisdom, but they smuss US
by their quainness and simplicity, and enable to
compare the romance which delights at the pres
ent dsy with that which fattered the popular tsste
some three centuries ago Trivial as these writings
sre, in themselves considered, they are important
documents, when taken in connection with the history
ofthe human mind. This is one Of She many forms
in which the intellectual powers have exhibited
themselves; and consequently such exhibitions of
those powers should rot be neglected by him who
would study he mind of man in all its phases
at IS infinitely more important for US, says the
poet and philosopher, Schiller, 'tO know mans
thoughts, than his actions; nay, it is Of vastly
greater importance to trace out the sources Of bis
thoughts, than the consequences of his actions
Men have penetrated into the crater of Vesuvius in
order to Investigate the causes Of its fires; and why
should they be less assiduous in the investigation Of
moral than Of physical phenomena? Why should
they not examine with equal care, the variety and
power Of those circumstances, by which a man is
surrounded, till the accumulated materials burst
forth in a flame within him?" Upon this text vol.
ume might be written How often do the trivial
incidents Of yesterday become the serious business
Of to-day. How often do the Fleeing day dreams
Of youth become the fixed purposes of manhood!
If we trace back TO its fountain, the mighty tor.
rent which iertilizes the land with its abundant
stream, or sweeps 1t with desolating food, we
shall find il dripping from the crevice of rock in
the distant sotudss Of the fores So too, the gentle
feelings that enrich and beautify the heart end the
mighty passions that sweep away all the barriers of
the soul, and desolatC society, may have sprung up
in the shsdOwy recesses of the past. from nursery
song or Preside tale. The child is not only ssther
to the man" but his sohOoimaster also and the les
sons he teaches are often those we remember long
est 81 should have been atheist" said an emf
nent statesman, elf it had not been for one recol
lection; and that was the memory Of the time when
my departed mother used to take my little hands in
hers, and cause on my knees to say-'Our Fa-
Their which art in Heaven" The good principIs !
took root in the heart Of the little child and ALTHOUGH
the tree that grew therefrom was swsyed about and
gr0sued in the storm Of strong passions yet IL was
not uProo,ed So, too, the wonderful tales told US
n our childhood haunt car imaginstions, even to
the grave, and many feelings and passions, and
principles Of action, for whose origin We look in |
vain among the more recent and immediate circum>
stances Of our education might doubtless be traced
back to some tale of the times of old, some family
remembered tradition Of the chimney corner. The |
story Of Old Father Rsdesp coming down chin.