New-York daily tribune., 1866-02-22
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
TuCKERMAN,S ESSAYS.
sur CRITERIoN; On. THs TYsT oP TAIH hBou
xnIAR 1BiSes. by HENRY I. fueKKhNAN' IN

HI. bufu q ilvbSitNis
The collection of these fugitive essays IN
separate volume finds an ample warrant III 'ne no
eal scholarship soundness OF judgment, and deH
.acy of taste which mark their composition. Mr.
Tnckerman is one of the few men IN tins eountr!
who have been willing 10 rcIounce the attractions
Of professional and public life ior the cultivation
letters He has devoted the case and leisure oil h'
youth md manhood to studious diligence, 10 'l'
pursuit of knowledge in foreign lands, ana 10 IA
,niliar intercourse with the master spH's oi 'l'
aee. HIS studies have embraced vide range %
research, and with sngularly receptive nature nc
has enriched his mind with the choicef " spoiS oi
time in almost every department OF iediAHs' eS'
pecialy in bis favorte walks OF cnu''sH anu ele'
CANT literature. In his acquaintance Ni'a ue ieau'
ing productions of genius in the modern languages
he is surpassed by few; while in catholic appreca-
lion. discriminating taste, generous breadth OF
view. and modcstv of expression, no IS perhaps
without a rival among popular writers. The con-
tents of this volume attest the variety of his learn
ING, and the extent of his intellectual aphtudes'
The subjects are Of the most miscellaneous charac-
fer. including many themes of great literary and
social interest. which be handles with gravity or
playfuness as occasion requires, but always win
remarkable fertility of illustration and copiousneSs
of style.
In hls characteristic essay on Authors Mr.
Tuckerman makes some frank personal confessions,
which show his early vocation for books, aIdre'eal
the dosyncrasies that have mainly given the color
90 his subsequent life.
Some Of the fondest illusions OF our siudentit and
eompanonship were based on literary tame. ~. & oDs
individuals, OF the male gender VINO thch seeeu w s
Ddiseiiminae and mutual lovers Oi htChluItl NVI,u,
uf admiration and sympathy were authors. ohr lIeai
,ffelicy the consciousness Of distributing ldeas
of vital significance and cauSing mutiiudes TO share
,eutiment born in a lonely heart The most real and
permanent sway of which man IS capable We imagined
that Of ruling and cheering the minds OF others through
the medium of Literature. Our herhas we're made up
Of flowers from the graves Of auhOrs their signatures
were our only autographs. The visions that haunted
ns little else than bouudess panorama that dls
piayed scenes in their lives. We used continually 10
see in fancy Perdrch beside fountain, under lah
rel with the sweet peHsoso look visible IN his PORTRAITS
Dante in the corridor Of monastery, his palm ald on
frar's breast and his stern features sOftsned as be
eraved the only blessing life retained for him--Pedeei
rustic Burns with his dark eye proudly meeting the
curious stare of Edinburgh cOtcre; Cam@ns breast
ing tie waves with the Luslad between his tetiu;
johnson appalling Boswell with his emphatic S"i
MhOH-hs head like that Of saint eDeeled WIN ray
seated al the organ; Shakespeare Walking SCI
and with a benign and majestic cOuDtenancc beside
tbe Avon: Steele Ocosely presiding at aDIe WIN Nv
ered baihfs to pass the dihes toe Dilgh iace Oh Ioe
Of a gYOtto; NOliairc's sneer wltherng an AUDITOR
through cloud Of snuff Moiere reading his new com
edy 70 the old woman Landor standing ~ the e4 pun
ofa Tuscan villa Savage asleep on buik al nidnght
in one Of the London parks; Dryden seated ID oIacuh
dignity in his coffee bouse armchair; Motastasio CON-
pairing notes with handsome Drimd donna at vienna;
Alferi with magnificent steed in the midst OF the
APPS; Swift stealing an interview with Miss johnson;
or ebueking over chapter OF Gulhveri the iunefsi
pyre Of Shelley lighting up solitary erag on the SHORES
of the Mediterranean; and Byron. with marble brow
and rolling eye guiding the helm OF sorm'tossed boat
on the Lake Of Genevai Such were few only oi the
laJl,aEI that haunted our imaginations. We echoed
heartily Akenside protest against the sermon on NOIN
Come then tell me, sage divine,
Is it an ofeuse 10 own
Towards immortal slory's throne
toI With me nor pomp nor pleasuIr'
Bourbons might, Bragsnza's treasure.
80 csn tancy's dream rejoice,
50 conciliaie reasons choice,
AsoEe approving word OF her lmpsIli"l voice
ITO spUm at noble praise
Re the pass port to thy heaven
Follow thou those gloomy ways
No such law TO wUs given.
No. ifust. shall deplore me,
Fuing Ike Iny friends before mel
Nor boiler place desire
Than Tinoleor's arrns acquire,
Aud Tuy's curuIe chair, AID Mitons golden .yre.'
In our uassion for native authors, we rcveTed the
memory OF Brockden Brown, and detected ~ his ro
mantle studies the germs Of tie supernatural school o
fiction; We nearly suOcated ourselves 10 the crowded
gallery OF the old church at Cambridge. listening to
Sprague's Phi Beta Kappa poem; and often watched
lie sniritual figure of the Idle Man." and gszed
paIdi and Paint King" vivldly remembered We
wearied an old friend OF BraiDaras by making lin re-
peat anecdotes OF the poets and have spent nous IN
the French coffee house which Iaeck once ircqueutcd,
eciting from him criticisms anecdotes, reciteoDs
Df DfCampbell New Haven people that came IN our way
were obliged 10 tell al they could remember OF the
earies OF Perciya and the elegant hospitality Of Hill
house We have followed Judge Hopkinson through
the rectangular streets OF his native metropolis. with
The tune of " Hail Columbia humming IN our ears
and Kent curious eve on Howard Payne through
whole evening party, fonGy eggplant OF Sweet
Home Beaumont and Fletcher were our Damon and
Pythias The memorable occurrence Of our childhood
sas the ads yent Of a NayeTlcy novel, and oi our
youth a fresh Edinburgh Review. We loved plum
color because poor Colby vain OF his coat Of that
hue and champagne, partly because Schiller used 10
drink 10 when wiring; We saved orangepeel because
the author Of the Rambler Fixed IL; and put our.
selves on q OF tar water IN imitation Of Befke
ley ROast-pg had double relish for rs after We had
read Elias dissertation thereon. We associated gold.
fsh and china Jars with Gray skulls with Dr. Young,
The leap Of a sturgeon in the Hudson with brakes
.Culprit Fay" pine-trces with Ossian stained glass
windows with Keats (ghO set in an immortal verse
Notifications with Uncle Toby. literary breakfasts with
Rogers waterfowl with Bryant, fouudlngs with ROns
Eea0. letter writing with Madame de SeyignG bread
and butter with the author OF WeTheT daisies with
Burls and prinIOses with Wordsworth. Mrs Thrale 5
eeptanoe of PiOzI was q serious trouble 10 our minds
4 whether little Burney would be happy after her
marriage with the noble WtRTe problem that
made really anxious until the second part of her
Diary was procurable and relieved our solictude An
uDpatrlOtic antpathy 20 the Pilgrim Fathers was
queled by the meodOus pean Of Mrs. Hemans: and We
kept yigils before portrait " Mrs. Norton at
lists studio, with cmyalnc desire 70 ayenge her
wrongs
The narrative Of another experience from the
same essay IS IN a vein Of humorous exaggeration
which is somewhat foreign to the usual mental
habits of the author.
The first time we saw author was an epoch. II
in church. some whispered Just AS the ser.
mon began that lady in the next pew was the writer
Of moral tale then rated high in our little circle We