The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-08-25

| schools, reyerenced above all others the teach
/ ings and characters Of Socrates and Plato, and
piously set apart the birthdays of these purest
of the ancient teachers for a holy celebration.
Nowhere in ancient literature are lessons OF
the true heroic, in action and contemplation, so
constantly and so invitingly inculcated and
held UP for our emulation, as in the pages OF
Plutarch. And no other writer of antiquity
has contributed so largely to the formation OF
the heroic character in modern days. g.
| Napoleon was one Of Plutarchs men and
Pitt, the great Earl of Chatham, was formed at
ter the Plutarchian model, and declared, IN one
Of his celebrated letters to his nephew, Lord
| Camelford, that of all the works Of antiquity,
the Lives of Plutarch were the greatest, and
contributed most to the formation of virtuous
and exalted character.
Our immortal bard, the great Shakespeare, was
evidently close reader of him. and Montaigne,
the greatest thinker of his age, and one of the
immortal names Of the world, valued him above
all other writer's, and declared, that he never
seriously settled himself to the study Of any book
Of solid learning excepting Plutarch and one
or two others 1t is a little curious that two Of
the great books of Shakespeare appear to have
been Plutarch's Lives and the writings of Mon
taigne, Plutarch's great admirer-his copy Of
Montaigne, then translated into English, being
still in existence, in which is inscribed one Of
the few of the immortal bard's autographs yet
remaining. \
There have been those, Who installing with
singular blindness the great merits of the work
for defects, have severely criticised Plutarch's
Lives, land what work Of God or man has not
thus been criticised? p But the best answer to
such criticisms is, if an answer be at all need
ed, that these Lives have continued their con
trolling hold upon the world, have exerted an eX-
alting influence over the minds ofmen capable Of
exaltaton, far exceeding that of any other work
of antiquity and though forming a constant
model for productions of similar character in
modern days, and provoking numerous and
elaborate attempts at imitation and rivalry,
have never yet been approached in readable
| and instructive excellence. All similar at.
tempts at biography have been comparative
failures Plutarch's Lives stand alone in their
excellence, probably more entirely SO than any
other great masterpiece of human genius. Our
! Homers, and Millions, and Dantes, and Shaks-
| peares, with the illustrous roll of like kindred
names, are conflicting rivals to one another,
having their respective advocates for the su-
premacy. But to Plutarch, the world has yet
no rival to offer. Ia his sphere Of excellence
he has no competitor. By the admitted judg-
] e l. l.
Messrs. Little, Brown, & Co., have now fur
nished an edition of his great work worthy of its
| character.
The French Revolution of 1888, viewed the light
Republican Institutions. BY John 5. C. Abbott. With
one hundred Engravings. New York Harper &
! Brothers, Publishers Franklin Square. 1879.
The name of the author is a sufficient guar
anty that the story Of the French revolution is
told with graphic power, careful and mi
mute delineation that will chain the attention
if it does not command the confidence of the
reader. Mr.. Abbott's sympathes are with the
people, and he does not hesitate to give his
opinions as freely as he states facts. OF course,
as he looks professedly from republican stand
point, his opinions differ widely from those Of
who do not agree with his judgment, and are
not convinced by his reasoning, will not fail to
be interested in his narrative. At all events
the sovereigns of Europe win do wtll TO remem
Der that to-day, as a hundred years ago, action
and reaction are equal; and q people borne
down beyond measure will spring up against
their oppressor with terrible force.
Shelley Memorials. Edited by Lady Shelley. Boston
Ticknor & Fields For sale by Taylor Maury, Penn
sylvania avenue.
This book is an effort on the part Of the
family of this much-abused poet to clear away
the cloud which still darkens his name-with
what success, we leave the reader to Judge.
1t seems to us that Shelley was "more sim
ned against than SHINING" His errors arose
not so much from any inherent depravity, as
from the times in which he lived, and the cir
cumstances in which he was placed. Those
wild notions, which had their origin in the
French Revolution, took complete possession
of his mind, and his obstinate persistence in
them was certainly proof of his sincerity.
For the sake of his principles, (if "princi-
pies they may be called, he abandoned friends,
fortune, and everything, and one must admire
his irmness, even when reprobating his doe
trines.
! Among some points in this book, which the
author fails to throw light upon, is Shelleys
desertion of his first wife, and his subsequent
elopement with Mary Goodwin. That this is q
thing which cannot be excused or palliated, is
evident from the hurried manner in which it'is
passed over, and that, too, without any attempt
at justification. But we are glad to see the
following denial Of the charge, which aacribes
to Shelley the death of his wife, Harriet West
brooke:
Harriets death has sometimes been aacrib-
ed to Shelley. This is entirely false There
was no immediate connection between her
tragic end and any conduct on the part of her
husband. 1t is true, however, that 1t was a
permanent source of the deepest sorrow to him
for never during all his after life did the dark
shade depart, which had fallen on his gentle
and sensitive nature from the selEsought grave
of his early youth
The last thirty pages Of the book are devoted
to an essay on Christianity, recently found
among the papers of Shelley, and now first
printed. We are not aware that the theology
contained in this essay is of the highest order
but still, to those who adopt the motto, de
nnOrtuis nal nisi bOnum," anything should be
welcomed which helps to rescue the poets
name from the imputation of theism and in
fidelity.
American Wit and Humor. New York Harper &
Brothers For sale by Taylor Maury, Pennsy lvania