, 1860-01-11
THOMAS DE QUINCY.

Nineteenth Century has became extlnct-We
mean Thomas Dc Quincy. Among al the
" charmed" names in modern English literature,
there IL probably no author whose death hai
created profounder sensation wherever tho
tongue is spoken. than that Of "The Opium
Eater" Dy universal acknowledgment, he was
the most versatile master Of that tongue in our
tine-the srbtlest, und at tile same time tie |
most gorgeous and eloquent writer of English !
prose-in the nineteenth century. Since the |
language has been written, there has been moth
Ing to surpass his style in sp1endor, variety,
aase. idiauatic richness and grace-in sli the
qualities Of style considered purely us Form
without reference to Composition. While tie
vas one Of lie most profound, lie was at the
san,c time one Of the most versatile md n oli6o
Of modern writer's, mud his contributions to ro-
1iodicals sweep over vaster area Of topics
tl,au those Of any other English author.
"Whaa Will the line stretch Out to the crack
Of doom!" has been doubtless the Macbeth
like exclamation Of many q purchaeer Of bis
works, as volume after volume, in a seemingly
endless series, like rihbous from d jugger's
mouth ,havc appeared from the sanse cxhaustless
quarry. And yet who that has followed linn
through the whole, even to the twenty-tIird Of
the collec.ion-astonishcd and delighted at each
successive pase by the power, the rathos, The
logical acumec, the imaginative wealth, the
marvellous word-paintiug they display-has
ever for moment felt q sense Of tcdium or
wcarincss. or rather has not felt 4 painful up
prehension, as he closed each volume, lest this
should be the finale Of the splendid series:
Glancing over the "books that are books" en-
your shelves, does your eye rest Oh any with
which it would cost you grcuter rans to part
tllnn with the writings Of this great magister
s<nteatidrun- Aquinas- Richtcr-this ARCH
dreamer Of dreams Thomas De Quincy?
VII, re, III the range Of English literature, will
you find IN intellect at once SO solid and subtle,
such enormous learning conjoined with such
power Of original thinking, such during. devil
ay-care wit and grotcsque fun with such sharp.
ness aud severity Of style:. Whatever the sub.
ject he touches, whether the character Of the
Caesars, or the Aristocracy Of England
and the Homeridae, or Sichols's System Of the
Heavens-Lessing's LAGOON, or the l.nglish
| Corn Laws-War, or Murder considered rs one
Of tue Fine Arts-Casuistry, Dinner, Real and
| Rcputed-AIirac1es, or Secret Societies-Logic,
or the Sphinx's Kidd'c-hc, treats al1 in the
s4mc fascinating, yet searching and exhaustive
manner, investing them with the charms OF
depth and scholarship, wit und humor, and CON-
b'ning, Us nave oeen never pe.oie souc"eo =,
anS "rt1e'. 'nc iA'et' nai i"on4A'Ds s' y.
se'efe ''s.' 1uo eAu'o1. ~, 4A
page sou "no e''ue"ee9 " '"e 'AA''e @''A~@''
"seraphic Intellect AM ft'e: :.
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