Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-12-18
RILEIsGToE, DEL.
Thursday Afternoon. Dec, 10.
THE PRESENT NEGLECT OF ENGLISH LIT
ERkTURE,

Mfr. James T. Fields, in the introduction to
his course of lectures on English literature, de-
lversd this winter. asserts that we, as people.
have lost ground, during this and the last gen.
Grafton, in our acquaintance with the best liter
atlrs Of our language; that ut is not quo
tsd as it formerly was. 1t is not road
as it was forty years ago. 1t is not studied.
one might almost say, at all" writer in the
Christian Union now takes up the wondrous
tale OF reproach for our shortcomings in this
respect, charging it as the characteristic of our
age to "study English literature by proxy !"
that we read abstracts, cttiques aad magazine
articles, but not the great writer's themselves (;
that in short, in literary matters We are content
to walk by reflected light, when the great foun-
tain OF direct rays is open to us.
There is, no doubt, some Justice in all this,
but not to the full extent Of the charge For the
great master minds OF literature, whose works
are ''not for age but for all time" our inter-
est and affection remains undated. Shakespeare
was probably never more widely read and better
understood than now Milton, in spite OF our
revolt from his theology, remains no dead letter
in our libraries But the minor writer's, the less
are not so much neglected as supplantel they
are pushed aside by the press of contempora-
neous literature that must be read if We would
keep abreast of our age. Lamb may be great
er than Howells, but the Essay upon old Chi
ma may be left for the leisure day. which il
'long a corniu',' while the chance acquain-
tanoe" presses and elbows us for immediate
recognition.
1t may be very well to read Pope, il we have
plenty Of time, but we must know Tennyson
and the chief of our livirg poets if we would
understand our cycle" So let us have alb
stracts, and manuals, and magazine criticisms
by all means, lest we have nothing not having
time for all. Even great writer's must be con.
dsnsed for our busy generation. Speuser would
perforce remain unread, where Leigh Hunt,
abstract Of the Fairy Qleen" can be read and
dslighted in. In history even Froude will nc
doubt soon be condensed and cut" as Taine
has already been.
To-day and to.days bus iuess imperatlyely
presses upon and engages us. Newspapers mnst
be read more or le-a; the threads OF the II. yel
ceasing action and changes of the history which
is making under our eyes must be kept well il
hand, or the whole web will be- tangled for US
1t is no wonder, 10 proof of want Of taste OF
judgment, if we do not find time to fully ac
quaint ourselves with the whole range OF Eng.
ish literature well, seeing that days week,
aud years are limited in duration. We share
the opinion of the little law-stationer in Bleal
Housein regard to tho ueel4 of the present hour
Time, said Mrs, Saagsy, scornfully .sWhRti
time to eternity Z" Very true, my deaf return
ed Mr. snagsly, "bnt when person ays in Nict
uals for tea, he does i with view perhaps NOR,
to time"
Our knowledge Of to-day is our yictuals, GU
bread and butter, and we must come up to tine
here or be left out of he feast