, 1866-02-25
LlTEKATURE.


near to console the disconsolate mourner.
] LITERATURE.
Hablts Of Competition.
1q the amusing aud entertaining lecture O
Mr.. Cough, on "Habit," we arc not awart
that lie touched upon those examples of II
which we haFe chosen us the subject Of thi:
article Indeed, since habits Of one kind o,
another arc iuterwovcn with the web and
Toof Of every mans life, the lecturers topic
cmbrnced too wide range to admit of the
discussion Of more than few OF its more OBJ.
yious and striking features. The theme,
however, is one which might well afford tn
struetion and entertainment. All readers
must often feel pardonable curiosity CON
esruing the writer's whose learning hns taught,
or whose invention has delighted, them. Es.
peclally is this tue case with regard to the
pfoccsscs by which, in the alchemy Of the
brain, materials the most subtle and cyane-
scent become fixed; by which thought Is
transmitted INTO expression, and, like vapor-
GUS gold condensed and coined, Is prepared
LOT use and circulation. But Of these pro.
cesses We can learn almost nothing. We geo
the outward and visible sign, but Of the in
ward and spiritual working We learn but lit
tie. The greatest met of anr nae whom ho
attempts 10 describe tbe mctbods ~ ,rs-,,e
dwells only an It's outward monfastot;ens
The poets eve. In Anc nb+enyv min,
Glances nom heas.n to earth from ear1h TO heaven,
The forms z ~ th,nos rnsnasm 1otth H. ra,,
Turns them TO shapes, and rires to airy poihipes
.oesi naoi'anon ana name.
1t Is therefore merely with the superficial or
oae ato nao'ls Q. literary men mat We are
, ICY. eonse!sant. Isen ineso nave tnelr
sa'as a. W ina'ca'aon ol .ue inteleetna1 pro-
800 ~ "n.cu lucy a1e Ine le1ecuon. and
Hauen1o lnss ne'p 10 explain NOT only the
enalac.ef o' .ne "f1tef' out Inc source OF Ills
.nsp',a,loa. ', Inc iates poems Of Lord Byron
oine4' VI tne mlulaenl lump anu o. 1he GIN de-
cantel "nM inc "f1tlnsso OF slr Walter scott
"e 'sooAent WIN tne perfume oi the heather,
anu ,Hs Hush nisn'Anu olee1es which Scott
oianh N ~ sunrise as ne daily sat down "to
o'eak tne oack Of Inc days work before
o1cahiasI' an.
nap,te o. eomposttion are directly refcFable
10 naoats OF tnocght, and are almost as varied
as luz cnaIactels OF authors. Some writer's
somPose d. an a"es WIN equal faciiity. DR..
'onnson u. was one oi thesc, and every reader
VIII reeall tne Pheasant anecdote related by
boswell OF nis INQUIRY one day as to how soon
.nc posi- Houlo staft, II being necessary that
IL snou1o eeuo oy1t an essay LOT Inc ha'nostr.
Beng informed that there remained only half
an hour, he remarked That " there vas plenty
OF time, y and at once wrote the article with
out stoppage or erasure. But doubtless the
materials werc already accumulated aud ar
fArsvad In h3s rafnrf1va end rnhrrf fp%o o11a1+
and is Is related that Comic was accustomed
to compose whole books OF his great work,
moi only In regard to the general arrangement
but even the smallest Subdivisions, before
transcribing single Inns. The power Of ab-
1tractlon md concentration required for such
an effort Is certainly enormous; and the
strain proved too great even for his wonderful
intellect, md resulted for time In actual
lunacy. It cannot, however, be doubted
Tint capacity for severe and prolonged ex-
ertion Is one Of the most nncrring indications
Of genius; and the highest order of mind is
TINT which yields Its stores Of knowledge or
Invention the most readily at the call of It's
pos.essor- Many there are, 1t is true, whose
works are the delight aud admiration Of all
renders, who have only written we'll at rare
or uncertain intervals. Washington Irving
was such writer; and We are told that often
for months together he would feel himself in
capable Of composition; and that nj other
times he would write constantly for mauy
daya together. Books 80 written arc apt, IN
less carefully revised, TO show marks Of .hur-
ziedness and incompleteness, 81 though the
writer were hastenIng to conclusion lest his
inspiration should suddenly desert him.
Amongst IEing's works this Is especially no.
ticeable Of "The Life Of Goldsmith" )" a vol
ume which Was written In three weeks, but
Which has always appeared to us very 1ndiE
fetent performance, and of which the materi-
ais we're taken bodily from the conscientious
and accurate biography BY John Forster.
Ut humber writers, Journalists for exam
pie, who write daily for their daily bread, We
do moi speak. Their literary habits are formed
not by the idlnsyncrasles Of individual charAc-
ter. but by the necessity of unintermitted
occupation. And, after MI, the habits of
man Of talent are what he chooses to make
them. Journalists there nre who arc com-
PEELED to write several columns every week,
and yet who write little which Is not forcible
md effective, though 1t cannot always be
searching and profound. This faculty, like
the talent Tor public speaking, Is only nc
CURED by long and assiduona cultivation.
But, unlike the public speaker, the Journalist
addresses an audience which can quietly
weigh and consider his reasoning aud rhetoric,
untnhuenced BY sympathy or partiallty. Each
ana matufeiy fehect but Inc speaker has
tnls immense aosantase IN respect Of mme-
a'ate eneet' mat arguments or phrases that
I'm hFEF EffA Ff%I