, 1861-01-18
EMERSON IN ENGLAND.

-
EMERSON IN ENGLAND.
An American Idol in an English
Shrine.
IErom thc. London Saturday Review, Dec. 15.l
11r Emerson is remarkable rs one Of the
few n.rn who have persuaded the Americans |
in general to look np0n him as a philosopher:
HI az cunies in the Unite1 States the same sort
of positton which Mr.. Carlyle holds III tns-
land, and would no doubt be descrsbca o5 any
one who had occasion to cnu1nerafe the primer
pal American contemporary autno!5 10 - .,t,a III
thouel. II IS certainly difficult, to understand
INV this should he. For reasons too lons 10
i1e stntcd NJ, the prcsert occa,ion, the stste.o
,srftinys ut once mystical and popular WAS
yery strong some fifteen years ago on oofn
sides d tic Atantisd aaa iome eS9ent in ts
oonntrr. It is not improbable that i may hase
ota;,cH rnorc yiror in tile United states. NJ
L'.s,rsnn 1nouestionably sncceedcsi IN gratns
~ th;s taste. lie managed TO Wflie "AaI .ne
cr6wds which throng American leetule,.19tn.
appear, from some stIanse - se ~ n,,;nt .il;hi.:
and he contriycd to put IL iu Ill u''A'seA s'''>
form. Dy tAa*a two 1ea.s ne eeenreu s'p?tG:
larity which there is no other WHY OF explain:
Inc. That an American audience like; TO hesr
the drcaricst of all drear platltudes, wnea icy
are strung together in what IS called m ora.
tion, Is TACT atte:ted by cred'ole proof, auo
m1,st be believed like any Other strange cir
cumstancr that rests upon: that autccrlss.
euase pSe shoii'd Iease plea s them IS witt Experience
would suggest II, indeed, experience aprl1cs
to people WHO like oratinns. It Is lnconcclva-
ble that Mr. Emerson snould Ec supposed to
have any claims to any higher reputation tin
this. Ii was once said Of Il well known writer
in our own country: & lis works are nothing,
mean nothing, and Say nothing; but they 70
down like bottled velvet" Mr.. Emcrson's
books arc very unlike bottled velvet. The
sort Of remarks which he lias been making for
. considerable number Of years; and taking
int nrcoi,nt the fact that it will probably cx-
tend The reputation which he undoubtedly las
acquired hv similar publications, it deserves
some attention. j;
like. but There t1n be no other reason Tor read
iuc It, It is collection of nine essays OF
Fatc Power Wealth, Culture, Behavior, Nor
ship, Considerations by thc Way (tlle ou,y aE-
propriatc title of tic whole number, especially
as it on,ita to specify any particular wayl
| Beauty. and Illusions. Each Of the essays has
lille bit Of verse put nj tile beginning Of it.,
| which generally has the advantage Of rl'ynlugy,
onr ~ iyhicl,. ou an aycr;1gc oIle half j. not
| worth tile trouble Of understanding. The es-
| says themselves have nothing in them, with
ri. t.vrrntinn nj occasiona1 lets of NONSENSE,
mi o1totcti,er Ics,itlftcc sort Of liyel;ncas
| rhrv arr tht weakest Kind Of commonplace,
! cfahoratcly thrown into uuiutelligiblc shapes.
| For instance. twenty eight pages arc de-
| voted to the subject Of Behavior, tue
| cist Of which is as follows; Manners are
1i,e ,rov Of doInr things. They arc very
;nlncni;a1s Everybody notices this. Thcy
| nr.. ri oroat sncia. in.portance; bad mauu.r5
nrc vc1?, 1,nn1easani. American 1nanners ART
nffcn cnarse. The manners Of ditlrrcnt classes
| diiIrr. Sometimes manners mislcsd those wht
observe thru,. They depend to some exttn
m character. People's bodies are very ex
nrrse;vc Tie eyt. + very expressive (Thi
nri1;na3 re,uark ills four paScs.) The nose il
| cxnrcss;ye. The uait is expressive. The man
| ner5 Of Courts nrc usually good. manners NJ
innortant In business. they enable people i
;ud.c Of the character of women, and enahl
snci,ty to rcncl iIl-brel people. 2clfToeses
s;nn i thc fi,3;ndntton Of good manners. Hast
| il rr1e-sr. T;Trat 1,owez Ut character is NOR
! ;n,rori,nt thon manner The furce Of na1
MS denend ,,pou stat they express. n
rnic, c.,n IL. hid down about 1nauuers. Pr<
1,l.. o,,,ht not 10 show of. Novels aro the III
u!,ret,,re ri manners Heroic manners are ycr
;n,nes.ire. Good mauners sometimes max
~, ;mnrcs.;on like personal beauty Peopl
on,1 + In wish to ,,lcase.
Thi. n fair ard complete abstract Of the ct
.. s,r in Question. which, is neither much betts
NOR much worse Than the otheTs. The remar
: ahlc no;nt about It Is that there seems to be L
~.asnn to tlouLt that people liked it, and act'
aiix ieft their houses for tic purpose Of hcarlt
, man tc)l them, that there Is a good deal
= ex,rcts sion in the human eye, and that leop
} WHO look at statues, ought not ''to smitc the
with canes? What must the dullncss hs
hren which such an entertainment rcllevet
:n,, whit must be the standard Of literary c
cellencc in q country which ranks a man ri
, writes i'll this way amongst distinguish
\ antbor53 Tho style III which Mr.. Emcrs'
lectures his countrymen is even more re1nar
able than the matter which hc considers
i,,n.in,s;cr cr,jnn over lis oMn copy slips. r
n ,,az,nr.,nh which wr have vopdeuscd Tito t
eexnrs,s;on q Peonlc ouEht not tn show ol
b. e as fuljoHs:
e s.Self:reiiancc il the busi5 Of behavior, rs
~ ~ ia tho .r,,or,nty that the powers are not sq1
t. Iarnt, In 4oo m,,ch demonstration, In Il
eonDtrr where school edu alton is unsyers
n: hay. superficial culture, and protGsion
- r.,t,;nr and writing. aud expression. ;
-- n,r..Jc our nobi!itics III poems aud cratic
Instead Of working them up iuto happlnt
hs;s i xs, t. Ss e, ss lsfs % a ~
h s.lf alone has always very great value, Til
= l. somc rrason to believe that when n II
r docs not write his poetry ittscapcs by OF
e vents through lliul, instead OF tho ono =
OF writing, clings to his form md maun
whilst uorts oilcu have nothing poctIcal ah
- them except their vcr>es. jacob said I
when man his fully expressed his tho'iS
b T.. In. e,,r,,ul,at l, IS ro-stSS cn nf it.
no Monld aS ray Tue rule H. WHAT nu Is Trc
] ,,p Tp"u n,,r:', to say. helps him auu u.s. Iu
+ ,I53;nin, ~ Ills ti,oir,t to othcrs, be explain
iu Himself: but wien he opens it for SHOW
and '.o-rn,,fs ~ l, linn ),
sses pa,, n conf;dcnt1r annca1 10 our rro
;ds % whether our way Of stating the substanc
Hn t,';s ,,s7.,rran,, i rot great in1proyen,
di: tts; s1.:;,s H., nassare IS ouc Of lie mos,
eynt ,,.1,,cai =! ri r:.Itrtious tia, It goul
,ose ,',ss;l,c a; ~ ouctc. 4 man who quotes Ja
an ~ a., -,,rna,sc ri flenounrIuv osirntatiou