New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-18

are saving IL the experience of our own Margaret
Fuller. as told in her Memoirs: Ever .memorabie
~ the day Oh which first took volume OF Shakes
peare IN my hand 10 read IL was on Suh"H''
And then she goes 10 tell how she was foro"d'h
on that day to read either novel or a play, ou'
that all other books" the worst or the pest, she
says-uere open to her. =" This Sunday was only
eight years old took from the bookshelf a vol
ume lcttered Shakespeare II was not the hrsl
time had looked at il. but before bad been de-
TERED from attempting to read BY the broken al-
pesrauce along the page and preferred smooth mar
ratve. But this tine held IN my hand Romeo
and Juliet long enough to get my eye fastened TO
the page was cold winter afternoon. TOOK
the book to the parlor fire. and had been there
seated an hour or two when my iaber looked
up and asked what 1 was reading 50 inteniy
Shakespeare | replied, merely rlisng my
eyes from the page" The further narrative does
not concern rs hcre we have ONLY introduced 30
much TO show by single example what indeed, We
might amply forify by Others, that an intelligent
child is ready to begin acquaintance with the mas
ters of literature at much earlier period tnan the
existence of our Juvenile literature y would seem
10 suppose.
And IL NAV not be amiss to quote here. though
seemingly an adverse opinion whai Montague saws
Of the very book we are at present considering
" The first taste or feeling ! bad of books was
of the pleasure ! took in reading the fables ol
O-id's Me:amorphoscs: for. being but seven or
ght years old, would cal and seGu ser myself
from all other delights, ony to read
item. Forsouuch as tie tongue wherein they
were written WAS TO me natural, and
ii was the easiest book knew aud by reason of the
matter therein contained most agreeing viii my
young agc. For Of hing Autbur, of LancelOt du
Lake. Of Anadis of Hlon of Burdeaux and such
IDLE. timc-consumng aud wt-besottiug trash OF
BOOKS wherein youth doth commonly anuse Itself, !
was not 50 much ~ acquainted VITA their names,
and TO thsday know not their bodies nor what they
contain NJ. Lanier IL plainly not Of Montagne's
opinion and we see taat Montaqne himself had ~
rgh: 10 an opinion abont book he had never so
much as seen. Ovid is certainly delightful story
teller Lu5 we cannot think his book would do
ruch toward forming q manly character in boy or
feeding youl hful love for heT0sn IA the History
Of King Arthur. Bur. what would father of to-
day think # he foaId his at eight years deep IN
Ovid. or his daughter at the same age, absorbed III
Shakes 9eare
We could have w;she the editor's Intro lucto1
better suited to the understanding Of the young
readers 1or whom il IS inTen led. Not tha, we think
writing ought OF necessity 70 be IN simpler style
style OF Mr. LanieTs Introduction is suited neither
to Young nor Old. II Is involved aud laborcd and
has what seems like an affected air, though we Will
not sly the word, But we cannot help think
ING that simple. straightforward account
OF the who.c matter - the beginnings OF
the legend Of King Arthur in Brittany and III Wales,
the growth of us many episodes sDrlnging out nom
the orig nal like branches from tree; the book oil
Godfrey If Monmouth, the printing by CaXton, and
the rcawa5cniug interest IN tic subject shown III
poetry and IN painting in our own time. All these
matters are indeed treated OF. or alluded to- IN the
Introduct,on hu the style IN which Mr. Laner has
clothed his subject is such as to etcciuaIy prevent
?ny ;uung person going far with him. 1ct we can
Imagine al this being made as entertaining bv
IIawthJrnc-who knew 10 perfection nov 20 wife
for children wli:cl hc did by using precisely Inc
same limpid ,tyle he employed III writing for men
and womcn-as Il is made the opposite oi entertain
r. in the hands of Nh Lanier. The editor has treated
his author with such respect 60 tie undermining
of the spelling 10 rcasonab person oajecO that
We know lie must nave had "A good reason for
changing the strong and expressive word " launde'
i e. "laudo TO the weaker " lawn" CaXtOn has
lauudtv and 50 has lie excellent edition of Thomas
Wright London SGG. and, though u may bc only
our ulry. we fud the charm ct tn" following pas
sig. wclkcncu hy Mr.. Lluier's suhsl:u'iom " And
then they came t. a black lannd and there was a
black hawthorn, and thereon harG black banner,
and on the o,he. side t.ere hung q black shield AID
Lv il >tond black spear and "a lont and great
black horse covered with Tx, and Il black stone
fast hy it, There sat Il knight a armed III black
harness. and his name vas The Kue!it OF rhe Black
Lanndcsr IL il IhHps worth notlcing That SNAKE
speare has the older auud" 3 Henry W.. III, L.,
and that lawn IS used by Milton. " Ru-set lawns
and fa!lows gray" The point We make j. merely
one of costume and Llc reader wo dare say, VIII
think rs eXacnng for making il at all.