Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-11-09
DAILY LEADER.
EdinbarEh peserIbea by . Poet.
LITERARY TRADITIONS.

3 LITERARY TRADITIONS.
Alexander Smith, the imaginative DO,
and graceful esssyist, has written a ne,
work in two volumes, entitled "a Summe
in Skye" 1t has been published by Strs
han of London, and has attracted consid
cradle attention. 1t is rich in vivid de
scriptiQns of natural scenery, the autho
beginning with this account-it might b
called an attack-on the city of his owl
residence, HHigh Dunedin, aud its liter
AIRY lights:
'Throned on crags, Edinburgh take
every eye, and, not content with suprema
cy in beauty, she claims an intellectual
supremacy also. She is a patrician among
British cities, "a pehniless lass wi a lans
pedigree" She has wit if she lacks wealth
she counts great men against millionalres
The success Of the actor is insecure unit
thereunto Edinburgh has set her seal. Thu
poet trembles before the Edinburgh critics
Ehe singer respects the delicacy of the
Edinburgh ear. Coarse London NAV roa1
with applause; fastidious Edinburgh snuff:
disdain, and sneers regulations away.
London is the stohiaCh Of the empire
Edinburgh the quick, subtle, ~faf-dErting
brain. Some pretension of this kind the
visitor hears on all sides of him. 7
1t is quite wonderful how Edinburgh
purrs over her own literary achievements.
Swift, in the dark years that preceded his
death, looking one dav over the produc-
tons of his prime, exclaimed, Good
heavenl what a genius l once was Edin-
burgh, looking some fifty years back on
herself, is perpetually expressing aston
ishment and delight. Wondering High
land families, when they are unable TO re-
tain a sufficient following of servants, fill
up the gaps with ghosts. Edinburgh
maintains her dignity alters similar fash
ion, and for a similar reason. Lord Ad-
vOcate Moncreiff, one of the members for
the city, hardly ever addresses his fellow
citizens without recalling the names of
Jeffrey, Cockburn, Rutherfurd, and the
other stars that Of yore made the welkin
bright.
"On every side we hear of the brilliant
society of forty years ago. Edinburgh
considers herself supreme in talent-just
as it is taken for granted today that the
present English navy is the most powerful
the world, because Nelson won Ira
falgar. The wings consider the Edinburgh
ReUielC the most wonderful effort o human
genius. The tories wouldagree with them
if the, were not bound to consider Black
moods Magazine a still greater effort. 1t
may be said that Burns, Scott, and Car
lyle are the only men really great in lite
T ture-taking great in a Eu opean sense
who, during the last eighty years have
been connected with Edinburgh. I do
not include Wilson in the list, for although
he was as splendid as any Of these for the
moment, he was evanescent.
Scott lived in or near Edinburgh during
nearly the whole course of his life. Burns
lived there but a few months. Carlyle
went to London early, where he has writ
en- his important works, and made his
reputation. Let the city boast of Scott
no one will say she does wrong in that
put it is not so easy TO discover the re-
narkable brilliancy of her other literary
lights. Their regulations, after all, are to
/ great extent local. What blazes a sun
It Edinburgh-would, if transported to
London, not ~unfrequently become a far
hing candle.
"Lord Jefrey-when shall we cease to
lear his praises? With perfect truthful
one may admit that his lordship was
10 common man. His vision was sharp
nd clear enough within its angel He
Tas unable to relish certain literary forms,
5 ONE men are unable to relish certain
ishes-an inaptitude that might arisefrom
istidiousness of palate or weakness of
His style was p~erspicuous; he
ad icy sparkle of epigram and antithesis,
lany clever papers, made many clever
peeches, and said many clever things. !
tut the man who could so egregiously
under as to Wilhelm Meister,' who
Wordsworth through his entire
areer, who had the insolence to pen the
that opens the notice of the tEx-
Irsion' in the Edinburgh ReUielo, and J
no, when writing tardily, but really well,
Keats, could pass over the Hyperion I
18th a Sigh ing remark, might be pos
ssed of distinguished parts, but no claim
N be made for him to the character of a c
eat critic. 8
"Hazlitt, wilful, passionate, splendidly- I
fled, in whose very eccentricities and 9
rec vagaries there was a generosity !
hich belongs only to line nutures, mas |
nix away into an almost unknown Lon '
N grave, and his works into unmerited Z
while Lord Jeffrey yet makes !
diant with his memory the city of his !
rth. In point of natural gifts and en- Il
'wments-in point, too, of literary issue a
d result-the Englishman far surpassed .
e Scot. Why have their destinies been a
different? ? One considerable reason is d
at Hazlitt lived in London-Jeffrey in v
linburgh. Hazlitt was partially lost in o
impatient crowd and rush of talent. 2
frey stood, patent to every eye, in an !
space, in which there were few COM c
London does not Drag about 1
lzlitt-Edinburgb brags about Jeffrey" ;.
Here is a smart epigrammatic sentence Il
Edinburgh: u
"Needs some little gaiety and courtly
mp to break the GOODNESS of gray stony v
eets; to brighten a somewhat sombre .
nosphere; to millify the east wind that ?
,ws half the year, and the professional Il
tarianism' that blows the whole year o.
and. You always suspect the eastwind, y
mellow, in the city. You go to dinner; a.
; east wind is blowing chilly from u
stess to,host, You go to church, q Bit
east wind is blowing in the sermon. ~
e text is that divine one, God is love; oil
d the discourse that follows is full of all SC
charitableness." h'
Alexander Smith seems to be initiating pr
later style of Ruskin; or perhaps it g
Y be more correct tosay that they think u
| write much alike. L
Oil ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Of lie