The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-06-16

his pinnacle, and having him absolutely IN
power, leaves him with life ID with his
secret notwithstanding purified and
ennobled, 70 the home Of lis fathers and
the luxuries Of wealth.
There pze great merits ard great faults
in this remarkable book. In its descrip-
ton Of luxurious scenes, Of magnificent
surroundings, Of pictures and statues, Ofsr-
istocrstic customs, Of natural beauties, il IS
wonderful. Sometimes the reader will be
compelled to complain that the author de-
scribes aa nGaseam. But this, we, fancy, is
the fault rather Of his subject than Of his
mind. These "insoueiant" men. these "sn-
telope-eyed" women, these "Murillo-head-
ed" artists, these 'dog-like" retainers, I'M
doubtedIy have their existence IN British ar
istoeracy, and their follies and vices, prob
ably, are such as are here faithfully de-
picted.
Ernest Chandos is a character displaying
power in creation. His brilliance, his love
Of pleasure, his unmanly vices, his petty
ambitions in the hours Of prosperity, hardly
prepare Us for the stern resolution, self-sac-
rifcing principle, the mastery genius which
be developed in the years Of his suffering.
Yet arethere not such in the world? men who
are enervated by the misfortune Of pros
peFity, and who need only to be put in the
furnace heat Of calamity to develop the at
tributes Of greatness7 Chandos was born
to wealth and pushed into position. He
learned the creed Of the Yoluptuary be-
cause he had no need to do anything but
enjoy. But when the stern tests Of LIES
discipline came upon him, as il comes upon
| other men, he rose above adversely, and
conquered grandeur on the arena of
acute suffering.
Few pictures are more strongly drawn,
than that of John Trevenna. Cold, calcu-
lating, selfish, utterly Notwithstanding
everything to his base ambition; looking at
everything with cynic eye; brilliant in
his genius, caustic in wit, shvagely accurate
in philosophy, he is the embodiment of that
! sort Of character which most readily wins
success in the world, and which gives the
world least in return for its honors. As a
study, the conversations in which Treven-
ma leads, can hardly be surpassed for their
harsh, cruel, incisive criticisms upon sOcie-
ty and its manners.
The girl Castalia, is a triumph like that
Of one Of the old masters-beautiful with an
almost angelic beauty; pure as spotless
| lilly; gentle, yielding, eOnfding, in all
things save those which affected her honor
or her love, and where these are concerned
bold to desperation: she abides upon the
/ memory like the spirit OF some pleasing
dream. Thus with Guido Lulli, a crippled
musician, who clings to his patron through
all adversities, and with unwavering fdeli-
ty and gratitude whose narration is graphic
and touching.
These are but few among the many excel
lencie5 in a book which exhibits great
learning, profound and analytical study o.
human nature, poetic love of the beautiful
and ommlnd of language, such as arc
embodied in no other issued from the press
this year.
It is occasion for regret that work SC
powerful should be marred by grave de-
fects-yet such is the case. The author has
no God. He worships The divinity Of hui
man reason. TO him, the highest aspira-
.ions for good are seIffoumod, and self
created, and the bassst elements of life
have no other source than groveling in
stnct. Religion, such as expresses itself
| through the grand scheme Of christianity,
is only priestly mummery and phantasm,
and its professors are other fools or hypo-
critics. He sneers at the priests-he makes
mockery of devotion-he seeks an explaDa-
ton for all things that shall exclude spirit
uality and enthrone philosophy. There
| fore, vice becomes with him something to
be admired and the very weakness and
! friyolity which tarnish and corrupt souls
fitted for greatness, are ROBBED with sensu-
GUS charms, and attract while they destroy.
| The work is in these senses at once the
ablest and the most dangerous recently put
in print. It's very brilliance makes the
adroit and mischievous philosophy in which
it abounds, more dangerous because more
alluring. To one strongly rooted and
grounded in opinion, this quality may be
unproductive Of harm-but we should hest
tate about bringing young and initiative
mind in contact with 80 many beautiful har-
lots t must learn to love, 20 many royster-
ing rakes it will be taught to envy, so many
scheming criminals in whom it will find
little 20 despise, and so much mockery Of
holy and sacred things.