The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-04-15
Godwiu's Life OF bryant,

ought TO DO exempt VS..
Godwin's Life OF bryant.
Mr.. PARKE GOODWIN has written and tho
Appletons have published biography OF
William Cullen Bryant In two large volumes.
comprising some $50 pages. Whether the life
of a man whose title to remembrance will ult-
mately rest almost exclusively on Il score of
minor lyrics deserved to be portrayed on such
II colossal scale is. perhaps. open to question.
But 1t il undeniable that the task upon which the
biographer felt himself impeiled to enter has
been executed in an admirable spirit OF candor.
and with remarkable literary ability. Mr..
Goodwin has produced n book which. like Mas
sons " Life OF Milton" might be much more
properly described as history than rs n me-
moir. To the student Of American manners. to
those who would survey the growth OF thought
culture. and refinement. In New England
and Now York during the first three quarters
OF tho present century. these volumes will
prove mine Of precious information. garnsred
from the wide and varied experience OF a busy
life. and illumined by the insight Of one who Ia
himself an accomplished man Of letters and n
citizen of the world. Nor Is there any lack In
these full-freighted pages OF thoughtful and
useful comment on the political problems and
controversies by which the public mind was
occupied during tho crucial period OF our
national evolution. which happened to be
synchronous with Mr.. Bryants life. 1t
Is. In short. brilliant and abiding service
which Mr. Goodwin has here rendered to tho
future delinoator OF American history. His
book has a value altogether independent OF
its subjects individual merits; IL will chal-
lenge respectful recognition from many who
deem Mr.. Bryant u greatly ovsrrated man. and
We predict that it will be read long after the
achievements of the poet whom it aims to
honor have with tho solitary exception OF
"Thanatopsis." faded from the memory OF his
countrymcn.
1t is well for the commonwealth OF letters
that tho emnsculatory maxim DE nlOrtuis nil
mis-, bOrtlin is acknowledged to bs gu its inap-
plicablc to men who reach a conspicuous place
in the public eye. and especially to those who
hay" gained or sought literary regulations.
community IL too deeply conc-rnol in the
maintenance OF high and rigorous standard
OF thought and thoughts expression to suffer
its Jud snont to he long warped or cou,led by
too generous nppraiscment OF Inst services: it
owes duty to itself more relevant and sacred
than the gracious conformation and inliscrimi-
nate eulogy with which the lives OF uniistn-
guish"d persons ARE reviewed by sympathetic
but disingenuous survivors. The necessity of
cold scrutiny and rude truth tell ing ia the more
obvious and imperative. when. OWN. to n CON
lux Of circumstances. partly eXtrinsic. partly
personal. u given man has had the rare
good fortune to receive In his lifetime an
amount Of praise and dulaton out OF all proper
tion to his deserts. To measure native talent
by tho level attained in other lands rather than
by the possibly low plane OF its Indigenous
surroundings. to graduate merit by univer-
sal and not by local canons. Is particularly in
cun,bent on u country like our own. which has
somewhat tardily emerged from its literary
homage: which still cocks its car to catch
ths condescend ny dicta oftrnnsntlanti tic critics:
which has only begun to Judge for itself.
and TO speak out its decisions promptly and
peremptorily: an 4 which shows itself not lit
tls embarrassed and COMPOUNDED by the sturdy
vitality OF many Of the younger aspirants for
its favor. 1t 10 time for us to stop and take
stock not only Of our literary assets. but OF the
promising ventures already launched and the
bright prospective profits Of our native litera-
ture. We must not expend our gratitude 80
avishy upon tho pioneers OF American letters
that their suecessOrs who perhaps will earn
larger communication. must needs be stinted
and half paid. We should not too hastily all
up all the inches In our Pantheon. We do
un'ustly. for example when We rear a
statue to Fitz- Greene Halleck. unless we are
also ready to perpetuate In marble younger
bards whose verse may DO a. spirited and
as durable as his. We perplex and dis
courage the young men who appreciate.
and haply might strive to emulate the
grace and charm OF Goldsmith. when we
celebrate Irving with too loud flourish Of
trumpets and persist In placing the author OF
Bracebridge Hall" on q pedestal beside the
author Of The Vicar OF Wakefield" Est modus
IN rebus. stunt cert deniQne fines to the extraya-
Rances OF national compa0ency and local self
cohcct Lot us comport ourselves with a viriIe
self-repression and robust faith In the OK
panding future OF our native literature
not with feminine ecstasy over the modest
comeliness and mediocre gifts Of our first liter
nry onSprinR. Let us not prematurely exhaust
superativss. or impose too hard u task on the
biographers OF the next generation. Lot us-to
return forthwith to the theme before us-prize
MIR. Godwin's book as n substantial contribu-
ton to Am erican history. but let us not too
hurriedly admit tina. Mr.. Bryant could fairly
lay claim 10 u monument almost equal In am
pltude TO that which Lockhart erected to Wal
ter Scott. At all events. II the subject OF this
biography deserved to be COMMUNICATED In
these capacious tones. the good natured
reader may surely BIO permitted to inquire how
many volumes ought In conscience to DO al
lotted to LongfelOw. and how many shelves
must groan beneath the hopeless efforts to set
forth In print an adequate estimate Of Emerson.
IL the extsnt 70 which o poet In appreciated
ny foreign countries be . gauge OF the favor
which hs may look for from postsrity. Il II