New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-23
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
ENEKSON.

1 g. = M tx. 500 James r. oSgood n Go.
AR Cooke tells Ms that he has prepared tl'S o"'H
as an introduction to the study ol the "''I'"-'
Mr. Emerson" The task lac set h'hSei va" 80
well worth doing. There IS no All
who 81 richly repays serions ana 'honen''u'
- = ra,.on and none who is so little uhner- |
- To diNlculty of cOmpreheuding MN Is
.,riLirg,v illustrated by the VIDE dNerg'"oo'i
criticism of whch he has beer the pr"V"S'"s eau
Il, siucere and accomplished sch"lars-a '''
edncated opinIOu of which Mr. Cooke HN's VI
,.ral rprious specimens. An explanatory intr"huc
finn To his writings is help for which the sueu'
a. aell az the desuliory reader ought TO be thank
ful Mr. Cooke has performed ms WORK 'h WV
ere l,table manner. We Il" not mean that he has
cleared away the Obscurit e. of his subject OF eA-
MANNED dark sayin.s or supplied the MISSING INKS
of argument whose absence so often perpleNe' Us III
the ters, and suggestive discourses of the Cohco'u
philosopher; there Is royal ROAD U tue W" '0'-
standing OF Emerson, and Mr.. Cooke u"S w u"
means saved the lazy reader from the uo"p'e VI
thinking. hut he has greatly slnpH"e" '"e
students task by systematic afrduSo"'o"'
and more or less complete analysis vi E'"o'
sons teachings bringing forward also great
variety of illustrative comment ana crV'V'"'n
from the most dix erse sources. His plan Is rechapS
the hest that cot Id have been adopted. a mere
thread of personal biography runs through the
chapters and along tins is strung the history vi
Emersou's writings and addlesSes 'nclu'hhg ho'
only those which have been reprinted Ia DOCK
folm but "A great many other pieces which are n"'
10 be found in the collected works ana are aiI"S'
unknown to the present generation II Is proper
tn saw that Mr. Emerson has gwen his PERM Tor
the Use of these lOng-neg ecteI pr0dnctIOhN-S'N'i'
OF which Sir. &, oke presents in full. whe from
MANY others he makes copious extracts; ana that
the hiograpnical pa ,sages have been read an" COT
rected Inv a member OF the poets .amIY. some
account of EmersOns religious phlosoph'caI an"
literary opinions offered III connection WIN 'ne
story of his writings, and at the end OF Tue No'"no
Ar cooke devices niue or ten careful chapters to
more elaborate consideration OF this part "i Ms
subiect. Ii Is here that he performs the service
which admirers of Emerson will most higny APP
pfeIate Tie does not aim at the display oil cr''oa'
saO,ctv or elegauce of STYLE OF freshness OF
tb,,noht IL is t. his credit that he has confined
himself TO the common senNe function III EXPOSITION
and has rarely strayed INTO original comment lie
shows a close aud atiectlonate familiarity WIN niS
author and minute acquaintance with passages oil
literary history imprrtectly recorded ana nov al
most forgotten. He writes some very Interesting
paces ON the early Transcenden,a movement, anu
copies from The Diai the concluding paragraphs o;
an ESSAY on Modern Literature" winch Emersor
never repr nted:
The doctrine of the Life of Man established after
the tmtb through AL his facuities.-ihlS is the
thought winch the literature o tnis hour meulta'es
and laburs TO say. lhs Is that winch tiueS the
Tnng IA AMI fires the eye AMI sits in the silence al
the YOUTH Verify, II Will NOT long want artlcuat'
aud nleodIous expression; here is 'olhlng III a,e
hear but come, presently to the lips Inc Nelh
depth of the llnent, which Is tue author Oh aii
The cuianpOuS lie we zee, ls guaranty 10Y 'he
riches of science and of sing IN the ago TO come.
He who doul,ts whether this age or tnls country
can weld any contribution t. the hteratuie"' the
world only 6rtrays his own blindness TO the neceN-
sitles of tile human soul. Has the power OF poetry
ceased or the need Have the eyes ceased l" see
that which they wOnd have and when they nave
notf Have they ceased TO see other eyesF are
there no lonely anxious, wondering children "h1
must tell their tale Are We not ev rnOFe whipped
by hodghtsi Tie heart Leafs IN tins age as OF O'u,
and the passions are busy as ever Nature has MOI
lost one rngIet OF her beauty one impulse oil resist
are exempt: and he that loves must utter hIs
desires. A charm radiant as beauty ever
beamrd love hat fainteth at the sight oil ITS
Nan il no. 80 lar lost but thai he suffers ever the
great discomfort, which the el,gy OF his loss aud
The prediction OF his recovery. la the gay saloon
he laments that these hgneS are not what haPraT1'
and Guercno painted. Wlthered though ne Ntanl'
and trder though he be- the august ,sprit OF the
world .oOks out from his eyes. In his heart he
know the ache of spiritual pain, ana his thouShi
can animate tue aud land. What Ihen Ahdll
hinder the genus of the time from speaking ltS
thouuhtf II cannot he silent If it would. 1t viii
write in a higher spirit, and WIDER know elsr,
and with grander practical ann, than ever yet
n changed world, and record the descent OF pm
ciples into practice. Of love INTO government oil
Of man the now unUelieVed possibility OF simple
living aud of clean and noble relations WIN iueh
Religion will bind AGAIN these tnat wete SOM,
times frivolous, customary, enemies sc'Ptlc@' srll-
seekers into Il Joyous reverence Tor the clrcuhan
bient Whole, and that which was ecstasy snail
become daily bread
Emersons method of literary work explains some
Of the pecuarties of his style. Mr.. Cooke gives
the following account of 1t:
IL has been Emerson's habit tn spend the forenoon
in his study. with constant regularity tie has not
waited for moods, hut caught thrm as they came,
and useI their results in each days work. He has
been duh cut though a slow and ralnNiaAlng
WORKED Ii has been Ills wont To JOt GOWN us
thoughts at all hours and places. The Suggestions
which result from his readings, conversations, aid
mediiaiions are transferred to the motel book ne
carries with hun. In his walks many gem Oh
ihuuuht Is thus preserved aad Ills mlnd Is always
alert quick see, his powers oil obscrVhi IN beng
nornet1 ,Ily awake The results OF his think ing are
thus stored up, to b. ma e Use OF when requ rel;
The story told. that lis vile suddenly Weakened
l., tho mont before she knew his habit and heai Il
him moving abOut the room. She auNlOusly IN
ouired il ne were ID. "Only an idea, was his
reply aud pro, eedel TO iOt 1t down. Curtis hinnr-
onsly SAWS the VILLAGERS re late that he has huge
u,auuscrIpt book. in which lie lncessantiy Teco It's
the ends of thoughts bits o. observation ana rAle,
Renee. the facts 0i all klhds-a slhd oil VA,
ami scientific scra-haI INTO when an shIe"s aug
remnants of conversation and remlnls ehce5 OF
waysde rrveries are luc ntinently thrust: H.
Alter his notr-bo0ks are h'led' ne ud'sci'P ne
their contents t. a larger cOminonlld DOCK. ne
then writes at tbs bottom, or IN the margin, tlc
subject nf each parag aph. When ne desires I"
write an ESSAY he Turns to his notebooks, tran
RIDES all hts paragr pls gu that sub tct. drawing
A perpentcular llnr through whatever he has mus
copied These separate ioitngs. perhaps write n
wears apart and in widely different circumstances
anil moods ate brought together, arranged III such
order as is 20 ,sble. and are weldel together by
such matter AS is suggested at the time. Alcott
relates going b. his study TO ind him with
many sheet, OF manchsrlpt scattered about on the
floor which he was anXlOuSly TN 'eivmiDg to
arrange in " Tethng like a systematic trratm~nt OF
the subject in hand at the time. The essay tn is
prepared Is read before an audience to test ITS
quality aud con trIctOn. Its parts are frequently
rrarranged. Perhaps IN It's construction portions
of previously use lectures are male 10 do new
service Should the lecture come az last TO he put
into cie of us books 1t is pruued oil All but The
telling sentences. HIS lectures which are rapl NY
.,.nrinl ncrn inns hnXn a cOmiInMllY