Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-11-15


LITERARY TASTES DmrER.-The London
correspondent Of the Boston Advertiser says
We have not had the last yet Of "A. X.
II. B." In October he gives us Seaside
Musings on Sundays and Week DAYS " /
wonder if we shall have any more such
musings" as Qor example) that he cannot
for the life Of him see anything to admire in
the writings of Thomas Carlyle - tried"
he says, ''to read 'Sartor Resartus, and
could not do it. | confess further that |
would rather read Mr.. Helps than Milton,
Possibly Mr.. Bovdremembered Lord Chester
field. But what will You say" writes my
lord, when | tell you truly that cannot
possibly read oar conntryman, Milton,
through? Keep this secret for me; for if it
should be known, | sh0uld be abused by
every tasteless pedant and every solid divine
in Europe" No doubt there are many who
willingly Join in expressing yeneratiOn for
works which they would think it heavy
burthen TO read from beginning to end. Herr
Professor Teufelsdrockh, explaining the
phenomenon Of the same notable parsonage
being worshipped because he i worshipped
one idolater, sheep-like, running after him
because many have already run-adds
shrewdly. Nay. ON what other principle
but this. hast thou, o reader (if thou be not
one of a thousand) read. for example. thy
Homer. and found some joy therein ?'' Mr.
Lewes SAYS that Homer l. a somewhat tedious
As well as a very difficult author This is
the reason of his being 50 little read, for we
must not be deceived by the many editions" ="
Often mentioned and often quoted at second
I L. ] g.. 1
scholars and critics Men of culture usual
" attack dialogue or two out Of curiosity.
Their curiosity seldom inSpirits them to
70 further progress Chaucer again. In
what terms some speak of him - excaims
Tom Moore: ''while | confess | find him I'M
bearable. " and it comiorted Moore To find
Lord Landsdowne glad ohear him say so, rs
he had always in silence felt the same. Ma
caulav charged upon SpenSer's Faerie Queene
as pervading the whole Of it zone unpardon-
able fault, the fault of tediouSnesS. We
became sick. he protests. Of cardinal virtues,
and deadly sins. and long for the society of
plain men and women. OF the persons who
read the first cantO. not one in ten. by his
reckoning. ever reaches the end Of the first
book. and not one in q hundred perseveres to
the end Of the poem. Very few and very
weary are those who are IN AT the death OF
the Blatant Beast" An eminent reviewer
affrms Of Gibbon that the way to reverence
him is not to read him atall, but look at
him from the outside, in the bookcase, and
think how much there Is within. What a
course of events, whata musterroll of names,
what steady, solemn sound ''lou will
not ike to take the book down, but YOU will
think how much You could he delighted if
YOU would" The late Rev. John Eagles
testified to having seen in the window Of the
largest bookseller in large city the follow
ing temptations for any aspirants to knowl-
edge "llurds Horace, 4 vols; lIarwood's
Classics. vols; Shenstone's Poems, vols
These books viii be given away to any one
who will undertake to read them. " Godwin's
st. Leon" and two others on the same
terms. and eight vols. of The Spectator
followed Captain Cutie made it point of
duty To read none but vesy large books on
Sunday. because this had a more staid ap-
pearance; and he bargained years ago for a
prodigious volume at a bookstali. five lines of
which conlounded him at any time-inso-
much that he has not yet ascertaiued of what
subject it treated.