New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-08-10
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
.pNo1n,s ESSAYS IN CRITICISM.

ssr;odiaal nress in volumes intended by the au'hoi
=, . mora nermapept date, and perhaps wider
ssdience, is recent custom which ~ouiu "''''
be more "honored in the breach than III INC
Nnce." Few readers care 10 recall the eoii''n'' VI
last weeks newspaper, or the last monthly nias"-
.ne the tonnes for the most part relate 10 ia''cis
:, on-,ent ;nte,est. which soon passes away; and
the treatment is rarely so able as TO warrant 'he
pef.loye of the writer in assuming ci'ii upon '"'
public beyond the moment OF Tue oiiein"i is'"'
We are clad, however, that Mr.. Arnoid uia NOT
Weld IN these considerations, supposlng that Win
s;s modest estimate Of himself, they had occurred
~ his mind before resolving upon the risk OF a
.eoond venture The essays in this volume, in
richness of matter, in righteousness Of tone, IN
certain undesirable fneness and subtlety OF
literary treatment, are incomparably superior TO
the ordinary run Of periodical criticism. II not
extraordinary for profoundness Of reflection, they
sn.ain frequent sallies Of true inspiration, appar-
emily unconscious suggestions of wisest import,
md catholic and apprecative taste, which last is
novel quality with most English writers OF the
day. The most striking feature Of these essays is
what may be called their subjective characters
they do not seek TO illustrate any external thesis
but are the spontaneous outflow OF the indivld-
saty of the writer. Mr.. Arnold is not one of those
pritics who busy themselves usually to no purposel
With the attainment of absolute truth; he has no
pct theories to maintain; no favorite points to
ILLUSTRATED no rabid controversies to carry on. But
on every theme, which he discusses, he opens his
heart without reserve, he tells us explicitly what be
thinks and feels, but talks with you as friend
rather than lectures you as pupil, and II THIS
almost juvenile frankness sometimes makes him a
little loquacious, his manly sense and refined
courtesy always preserve him from every suspicion
Of egotism. In the intense subjectiyity Of his
method, be may remind the reader of Mr.. Emerson,
though he is far moro genial, and has much
deeper and truer sense of humanity than that
sustere and frgid New-England sage. Like Mr..
Emerson, also, and like their favorite land
perhaps model) Montaigne, Mr.. Arnold is discursre
and epsodcal, frequently to a fault. The title OF
IN sssay gives us no clue to its contents. He runs
of the track with every suggestion that happens to
hit his fancy though it must be confessed ne never
fails TO take us into fragrant and delightful fields.
Indeed many will consider this as one Of the most
charming traits IN his volume. We think so too
on the whole, though it is sometimes little pro-
voking to find the discussion change its color as
rapidly as the many tinted ribbons which flow out
Of the mouth Of the "prestidigitator."
Mr. Arnoldrherishes high sense of the value and
importance of the critical function. The intellect
Of Europe for many years, he contends, has been
turned in this direction. But sound and authentic
criticism is rare IN English literature. The En-
elishman is too much of political animal to feel
H. liz tha hos Of all
inst and healthy criticism. With him practice is
everything, free play of the mind is nothing.
This is the fatal bane Of criticism in England. The
chief organs belong to men and parties having
practical ends to serve. They only want so much
freedom Of mind as is consistent with the prosecu-
ton Of those ends. Every fraction of party po-
htcal and religions, has IT. critical organ but the
notion Of combining all fractions in the common
pleasure of free, intellectual activity meets with nc
favor. Mr.. Arnold has certainly avoided the evil
which he points ont. There is nothing sectarian
nothing narrow, nothing exclusive in his discus
.sions. he gives a noble example of tie exercise Of
criticism according TO his own definition of the
term as dsinterested endesror TO learn and prop
agate the best that is known and thought in the
World
The essay on Heinrich Hene presents an admir-
aAle specimen Of Mr.. Arnolds srgeness and toler-
ance Of disposition, as well as Of the fascination OF
his desultory and rambling, but graceful manner.
We quote his brief personal description OF Heine:
In May, 1881. he went over his Jordan the Rhine.
and fixed himself in his Jerusalem, Paris. There,
heneeforwMd, be lived. going in general TO some
French place in the Summer but making only
one twS short visits 70 Germany during the rest OF
his life His works in verse and prose succeeded each
other without stopping A collected edition OF them,
fing seven closely printed octave oumes has been
published in America In the collected editions Of few
peoples works is there little 10 skip Those who wish
Tor single good specimen Of him should read bis first
important work, the work which made biz reputation
the Reiaebild,r. or Travelling Sketches" Prose and
verse wit and seriousness arr mingled in it, and the
minglng OF these is Characteristic Of Hene and is
than 10 bis Rsiss6ilde. n ls47 his health. which I'll.
then had always been perfectly good gave way. lie
had kind Of Psrsayc stoke His ps,ady proved to
II made rapid progress In May ls4s not year after
his first attack be went ont of doors for the last tpO
but bis disease took than eight years 2 kD aim
Ss uss q bis limbs sols .os t. the pro pts
lions Of clild-yasted 10 tina, woman could carry
him sbout The sight Of eye lost that Of the other
greatly dimmed, and requiring that 1t might be exeT
cised TO have the palsed eyed lifted and held up by
the finger. All this and suffering beside this, at short
intervals paroxysms Of nervous agony have said lie
was not preeninently brave; but in the astonishing
force Of spirit with which he retained his activity Of
mind bis gayety amid all this suffering and went
on posing with undiminshed FIRE TO the last he
truly brave Nothing could clog that aerial ghtness
"POuvez-vou sitter y his doctor asked him. one day
when he almost at his last gasp. "S1er" as ey-
sry knows, has the double meaning of 10 whs and
70 Hiss :" Helasi non" his whispered answer
spss meme me comede de NJ Scribe I" NJ Scribe is
or was the favorite dramatis Of the French Phifne
my nerves." he said to who asked him about
them in 1856 the year Of the Great Exhibition in Paris
my nerves Of that quite singularly remarkable
miserabeness Of nature that ain convinced they would