The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-07-11


Among the perhaps thankless good Offices
which we render our readers, an important one
is to save them the time which, without our
timely warming, they might waste upon books
without value. To that class belongs the book
we have just named, whose soubriquet is hap
PLY significant OF the literary character of his
biography. What the merit Of the original work
is which led to its translation, we cannot divine
from the English version. We can believe that
in the German the descriptions of scenery pos
sess charm that cannot be adequately repro
duced in the translation but this merit docs not
atone for the purposeless character, not to say
unhealthy character, Of the work as whole. The
"drdndtis person9" are puppets without charac-
ter the hero does not obtain our sympathy the
plot is absurdly improbable, and the moral of the
tale, that handsome face will obtain for the
most common and "good-for- nothing of men"
the "favor Of women," is one which this journal
cannot allow to pass without protest, without
fear Of losing portion OF that favor which itself
has won from it's fair readers.
"THE APPLE OF LIFE by Owen Mereditb aptbor Of I'm.
cille etc. Boston: Ticknor Fields. 1866.
The criticism Of the fine arts, especially of poe
try, resembles more the arbitrary sentence Of an
autocrat than the argued decree Of Judge ad-
ministering fixed law, and it will retain that
character until the rules Of taste have received
from some thinkers yet to come scientific de-
yelopmont and expression. Complete success in
such task is not to be expected at least from
one who attempts it in our vernacuar. Our ter
minology is fagrantly deficient in all that relates
to the arts; our criticism Of music or painting ia
couched in q polyglot jargon, and our literary
criticism deals in vague generalities more OF less
brilliant as the ability Of the critic varies, but
when most brilliant, still unsatisfactory to him
who seeks to test particular instances by admit
ted general principles. The commercial tenden-
cies OF our race have been stamped upon the
tongue they speak; for while the merchant has a
full vocabulary to express with nicely the degrees
in excellence of his wares the literary critic be-
comes embarrassed for words when he wishes to
attribute to work OF art position intermediate
between the positively good or bad.
Indeed, criticism is in so imperfect q condition,
that even the line which divides poetry from
prose remains yet to be determined with aocura-
cy; and there may be in this circumstance some
excuse for those who have given and are giving
to the world, under the name OF poetry, the In.
spirations OF pedestrian muse. No definition
OF poetry has hitherto been proposed which ia
not open to fatal obections and the loose sugges-
tion OF Lord JEFFREY, that "poetry is anything in
verse which pleases," is of more practical use
than other equally illogical but more pretentious
canons.
The work before US, measured by this stand
ard, is certainly poetry; but it does not ex Libt
charms OF verse, or fancy Of high order. In it
the author feebly sings note Of that sad chorus
in which all the races Of men have bemoaned the
vanity Of human life 1t is the old theme: Vanitas
udnidHun )" all is vanity; that all that the world
can give-power, riches, gratiaed ambition, sue
cessful love, friendship, the healthy body, the
vigorous mind-do not satisfy the restless, long
ing human heart. This eternal truth the poet
illustrates by an artiess fiction. AS King Solo,
MON sat in his garden musing upon the shortness
Of human life, and
I" Watched the great sun going down
In the glory the earth aud the sky by the beam
We're clothed with the gladness OF color and bs'hed in
tho beauty Of form.
An unknown person appeared before him and
placed in his hands the "Apple Of Lfe," ambrosial
OF breath, gplden-grained, rosy, bright as q star
dipped in sunset, which was to bestow upon it's
eater Immortality. But the wise and now aged
King will not put 1t to his ips-he is old, and
loathes to prolong
The twilight that darkens the eyebal the dull ear
When the maidens reoice and the bride to the brides
room with musio is led,
The palsy that shakes meath the blossoms that fa from
the chill marriage bed
and gives the Apple Of Life to his beloved shula-
mite, who he supposes will clutch at the gift that
10 to give her an eternity OF youth, and health,
and beauty. But the heart Of the fair Shulamite
was not with her lord; her passion for Azariah
met no return, and she shrank from an eternity
of hopeless love. Azariah, to whom she gives the
apple, is not more Satisfied with his life, and
argues that the flavor Of death gives it's best
spice to life. He takes the untasted apple and
knocks at the door OF "his dsrk-eyed beguiler,
the lascivious Egyptian" She receives him in her
chamber, sweetened with cassia; fills for him a
silver fsgon, entwined with q golden asp; adorn-
ed with rubies; gsily huns asong borrowed from
the maidens of olden Memphis, and asking OF him
o gift, receives the "apple Of lite." But the
gaiety Of the poor harlot was not real; she loath.
ed e life that was without, honor, and promptly
sets aside untasted the apple that was to proiong
her shame. But as she unused upon the strange
gift the thought comes into her mind that the
apple is gift for king. For
Only he has tho life that Is worth living forever
| ia alo