New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-21

| r..
The Afiantic, is well known, to the last years Oh
| his life.
| PILGRIM AND PURITAN.
| tn the veI-read New-England man Mr. Under
woods distinction between Pilgrim and Puritan ma
not be novel; but it will be new truth ana ore OF
interesting Significance to thousands OF readers OF
other classes aud it is something that those who Wish
to understand our early history ought to consider
| The PILGRIMS who came in the Maytlower had pos
s,LIv got little meiowed in Holland: not IN doc
| fri re- but in social life and manners Judge /. IT,
himself lneal descendant of plymouth STOCK, AYERS
| that the Pilgrims played Whist during All 'n"'
! dreary and terrible first winter.
| The Puritahs of the Boston scttlement were as
body learned, possessed OF more wear IN, anu
| had left q higher social position behind theIn III
England But their bigotry was of an intensely Olt-
ter sort The literature may he seen I'D inc pedan
TIC and superstItious "Magnalia OF Manner; hlu
! in the Wondering poems of Anne BradStreet heir
| charity was exhibited in the banlsnnent OF hoRoI
| VII iams md IN sending their most intellectual
woman Anne Hutchinson. ont into the wilderness
to be murdered by Indians. Their Jurisprudence Is
| illustrated during the rule OF the teOcracy, "noh
Cotton Mathet aud Ills fellow elders were rs Supreeno
as are now the twelve apostles OF salt Lake Cily;
and when courts and judges. aside from sta utrs
| based verdictS and death sentences upon the hVc
| books of Moses. These things remain charge
against Massachusetts Purltans and they cahnot 10
blOtted out by the tears OF descendants; although
the still visible groans of Sewall, the Judge III his
Diary dispose Us 10 pity and paiIation vi MS grew
| GUS fault. 49,, ~,
The Pilgrims of Plymouth were more amiable the
milk OF human kindness with them nag nor cult, '
They had no quarrel with Roger Wlnans eliey
even sheltered Quakers. III we can believe tne ac-
counts of the Tine the Quahers IN IOio were " ~
means like the venerable and lovely LucrIia HoDV
know by us ali; but we're rather addle-
pated, half-crazed by ecstatlc Visions anu d.. Py
(supposed) direct converse with the opllt 81 tlo
| Lord When the Spirit of the Loru prohpteo poo-
| Ma " IN testify" by exposing themselves naked on
| Sunday in meeting. the Puntans may, perhaps, 10
pardoned if they attributed the nspildtlh 10 4uiS
| another source The Pilgrims, as "nole, "oi0
| men of amiable manners and OF noble chaiacicl'
A PEN-PICTCRE OF NAHANI'
One of the finest bits Of sea-coast IN the world Is al
| Nahant where Longfellow had a summer residence
MANY years ago. and where the good Bostonians
naturally continue to resort. Mr.. Underwood has
described it in wel-chosen words such as sur
strong desire to see it again:
| Nahant is peninsula stretching ont from Lynn
| INTO Massachusetts b ny. Geologically II IS an
Island of granite with interior basins of fertile soil
| connected with the mainland by a long and mar
| row sand-bar. The connection might perhaps nave
been sundcred long ago. if it had not been for the
solid road built over it, AT the end OF tue peninsula
one is practically at at all events the sea mas
ITS own way on all Sides The masses of rock around
the coast are colossal and they have been splntercd
bv frosts ground by cebergs and creyiced by eternal
| washlngs, until they form series OF pictures
| OF utter desolation. IN stormy seasons
! the roar of the ocean and the da5hing OF
| the gigantic waves agali st the rocky barrier
| are awfully sublime. little west OF north Is Egg
Rock huge boulder carrying a small lighthouse on
lis back like a candle for the returning fishermen of
! Swampscott South By west, on a projection from
| the Great Brewster, stands Boston Light shapely
| white tower with a revolving light, showing the
| entrance into Boston Harbor. The Middle and
Outer Brewsters are nearer; also can island Green
| leland and the dreaded masses OF rocks named the
Graves Due south stands the lighthouse on Mi
| not's Ledge Northward are Bakers Island lights,
| and more eastward, those of Ihatchers Island at
| Cape Anu Whether by day or night, III calm or
| storm, the views of sea and shore from Nahant
| illaa NJ na y
| terrible as the storm-Deaten coasts OF Norway.
LONGFEILOw's POETRY.
deeply interesting passage and one containing
sound and sensible reflections on poetry embodies
Mr.. Underwoods estimate of Longfellow as a poet.
| The incidental remarks on Browning are pungent
and felictous, conveying frank expression of
| absolute truth such as criticism nowadays Eeldom
| affords,
Whenever poet of real merit is to be considered,
| il would appear necessary to make new series OF
definitions. or to modify much that has been pre-
yiously written upon the essence of poetry. Moth
ing coud be more agreeable than to read. of late,
| that Ionpfellow was the poet of the common
| place ii is true the critic made the statement
with many qualifications but the statement Is itself
| n contradiction i'll terms Poetry IS the exact
anithesis of the commonplace; 1t rejects both the
| Thing and the manner. Poetry Is the essence of
thought, perceived or evolved Dy the magma
| ton and made papable 10 the mind by
| fine intuitive suggestions Poetry IS necessarily
| twin-born with emotion, and never shows itself ex-
cept by appealing to tho seIslDlnues, as beauty.
| grandeur terror sympathy, love or JOY. The abb
| sOlutely pure element of poetry even IN classic
poems is seldom a large part of the mass; much of
The stape of verse consists of the grOsser material
| medium which holds the whole together
| If the critic above referred to had SAID
that Longleliow was the poet OF common
| life il would have been eminently true III
! one sense; in that his best-l nown poems are
associated with the touching ana sacred momrnis
! OF all men like airs from the land OF the blessed,
| with healing their wings Upon the basis of
| universal suffrage LOnglcllow would doubtless be
the most popular poet of our time, and perhaps of
any time for 1t Is certain that his readers arc more
| numerous than those OF any poet except the
| psalmist DAVID However we do not abide by the
de Isions OF universal suffrage. but by the consensus
| OF the great body of men OF reading competent 10
were the test OF a poets rank there is another who
| would come very near yet no considerable number
of educated would consider that poet rival Of
| LougtcllOw.
| On The other hand, it is possible that a of
even superior gifts and graces might be less truly
| poet If he chose to wrap hls IDEAS IN uncOuth
phrases and strive for oOscurity LOngtellOw says:
Some writers of the present day have introduced
! a kind of Gothic architecture into their style. All
| is fantastic, vast and wOndrOus in the outward
| form, and within Is myst6lous twilight ana the
swelling sound of an organ, and "a voice chanting
| hymns III Latin which need a translation TOR many
| of the crowd. To this l do not OBJECT Let tue
priest chant in what language he Will. so long as he
understands his own mlsi-D0ok. But IL ne wishes
the world to listen a. be edited he VIII do well 10
choose a language that Is generally understood"
If one were 10 discourse upon poetry with Robert
| Browning IN view, what would become of precOn-
coiyed definitions Poetry might perhaps be de-
hned a, transcendent thought and exalted feeling
| moving in musical rhythm: But where Is the music
| of " II he Ring and the BOOK ~ Only the most
skilled reader can acccntuae the lines with ease,
| and either tripping or leiSurely grace
| of utterauce is out Of the question. Again,
pression of the sense Of beauty in the pres
euce of nature What of this Is To be seen III Brown
| ngf What apostrophes what gems OF description,
Wat notes OF Joy are to be quOtedI There are
snbtltes and cavernous pitfalls of thought, sharp
dssectons of character and hints OF grand and po-
etIcal images. But the hints seldom elaborated