The Indianapolis daily herald., 1865-11-14


i"'''su rgh Descrisra nv :. Pert--rst
'rars Traditiou~-
W. ,NnFE s'sfrH the 10. .sinaiisc Poe
and gi...sful go 1T, has written = new wcr,
ia two yolum,.. rniiur,i.. \ summer An Sky.'
Il has BEEN published bs ~trahsn. ~ London
sni -. attracted considerable attention. Hi
ri.h iu si,il description. ~ natural scenery
thc autlier beginning vita fhs. account
might BE- calied an aijs.k On tho sitv of hi
residence, e Iish Duu-Edin." aud Il, literar,
lights:
= Thrvned on the crag,. Edinburgh take.
every eye: and. not content with supremacy m
beauty she claims an intellectual ,utrsmac,
also. She is a Iaincian among British cities
\ pennies ia>s wi a iany pedigrce.' She
IA, VII II ,ne i4rhs wealth: >he counts great
men against miiiionaircs. The sucs4ss ~ tho
actor Is insecure until therennto Edinburyh
has sst her seal. The poet trelnhle. before t6o
Edinburgh critics The singer Respects The
dciioacy u the Edinburgh ear. Coarse london
may roar with applause; f4Stidious Edinbur.,h
-nuns cisasin, and snecrS regulations away.
London i, The stomach If the empire- Tdin.
burg the quick. subtle. far-,lartiny brain.
some psetension Of this kind the visitor hears
on all sides q him.
1t l. quite wonderful how Edinburgh MFRS
over her own literary achievements. swim. in
Tie dark years that preceded his death. looking
one day over the productions Of his prime. cX-
ciaimed. Good heaven what 4 genius once
was Edinburgh. looking some fifty wears
back on hcrselfs Is perpetualiv EXPRESSING
establishment and delight. Wondering High
land families. when they are unable 10 ret1in
a sufficient following OF servants fl up the
gaps with ghosts, Edinburgh maintains her
dignity AFTER similar fashion, and for a SINH
Ter reason. Lord Advocate Noncrein. one ~
ny ffrf-- f~Ff a rffn h.ts H. 4
his iellow-citizens without recalling the names
OF JEFFREY, Cockburn, rutherford, and the
Oihor stars that Of yoro made the wclkin bright
ION every side we hear Of the brilliant so
eiety OF forty years ago. Edinburgh considers
herself supreme in talent-just n il Is taken for
granted to-day that the present English navy
Is the most powerful i'm the world, because
Nelson won Trafalgar, The Wings consider
the Edinburgh Review the most wonderful
effort OF human genius. Tie Tories would
agree with them il they were not bound to
consider BlackwoOd's Magazine still greater
effort. Ii may be said that Burns. Scott and
Carlyle are the only men really great In litera-
ture-taking great IN 4 European senss,-yho
during the last eighty years have been con-
necfed with Edinburgh. / DO not include
Wilson in the list. for although he was a.
splendid Is any Of these fer tho moment. he
was eyancScent.
scott lived IN or near Edinburg during the
few months, Carlyle went TO London early
WheIo he has written his important works, and
made his reputation. Let the city boast of
>cott-n0body will say she does wrong i'm tina,
but II Is not 30 easy 20 discover the brilliancy
oil her lesser lights. Their regulations, after
ali, ATE 10 great extent local. What blazes a
sun at Edingburg would, Il transported to
London, become iarthing candle. Lord JEFF
lrey-When shall we cease 10 hear his Draise-s
With perfect truthfulness one NAV admit that
he was 10 common man. His vision was
sharp and clear within his range. HewaS un-
able 10 relish certain literary form As some
men are unable to relish certain dishes-an in
aptitude that might arise from fastdiousness
OF palate, or from weakness OF digestion. His
style was perspicu0us; he had an lev sparkle
of epigram and auitbosls some wit and no en-
thusiasm, lie wrote many clever papers,
made many clever speeches, said many clever
things. tui the man who could 20 egregious-
ly blunder Is 10 Wilhelm Mcister,' who boot
en- Wordsworth through his entire career, who
had Tie insolence 90 pen the sentence that
opens the notice of the Excursion in the Ed
lnburg RerieU, and who. when writing tardi-
~, but really well, on Keats. could pass over
over The HYPERION, with sighting remark.
might be possessed Of distinguished parts, but
20 claim can be made for him 10 the character
of a great critic.
Haziitt, willful, passionate, splendidly
gifted, III whose very eccentricities and fierce
tlitAt was Il Eent1O>llN winch belongs
only TO line natures, has sunk away into an
almost unknown London grave, aud his works
into unmerited oblivion; while Lord Jeffrey
yet makes radiant with his memory the city Of
his birth. IL point of natural gifts and endOw-
ments-in point, too, of literary issue and
result-the Englishmau far surpassed the Scot
Why have their destinies been 50 different:
One considerable reason is that Hazlitt lived in
London-Jeffrey in Edinburgh. Hazlitt was
partially lost in an impatient crowd and rush
of talent. Jeffrey stood patent to every eve, i'm
an open space, in which there were few COM
petitors. London does not brag about Hazlltt
Edinburgh brags about Jeffrey"
Here is smart epigrammatic sentence on
Edinburgh;
Needs some little gaity and courtly pOmp
to break the GOODNESS Of gray stony streets; 10
mollify the east wind that blows half the wear
and the professional sectarianism' that blows
the whole year round You always suspect
the east wind, somehow, in the city. You go
to dinner, the east wind is blowing chilly from
hostess 20 host. You 90 to church. bitter east
wind is blowing in the sermon. The text is
that divine one, God is love; and the discorse
that follows is full OF all uncharitableness.-
Alexander Smith seems TO be initiating the
later style Of Ruskin; or perhaps it may be
more correct to say that they think and write
much alike.