New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-25
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
GEORGE ELIoTs ESSAYS.

u BrOlntIb
This volume contains some of the earliest of
George Eliot's essays in various English reviews
and few fragments from her last Notebook"
The ESSAYS arc noe republished without authority.
The editor makes in the Preface the reassuring
statement that the author prepared before her death
a collection of such of her fugitive writings as she
considered deserving of permanent forni care
fully revised them for the pross and Ieft theH' III
the order in which they here appear with written
inunctions that no other pieces written by her' OF
date prior to 1857. should he republished IL Is
gratifying to learn that these essays are puoSleu
with her sanction, and that no attempt VIII po
made to rescue her earliest contributions 10 perioo.
teal literature from an Oblivion which she herself
welcomed while in the possession OF her mature
mowers. The Preface conveys no intimatlon that
the scattered pages of the Notebook are pup
lisbed with her approval and authority. The same
GNote-book" IL seems contained some material
that was uscd in "TheOphTastus Such,' ana the
editor considered himself at liberty to reproduce inc
remainder He would have shown greater conslu-
Grafton for the memory and literary fame of a
woman of original genius if he had resisted the
temptation to ill ont the volume with these RECORDS
OF inchoate and desultory reflection.
The ESSAYS are seven in number. Five of them
belong to the earliest period of her literary activity
having been published, four of them IN ne Ves'-
minister Rerie,e before the readers of BIdck~oods
Nagasine had caught glimpse of supreme genus
in Scenes of Clerical Life The remaining two
are a review in 1 he Fortnigty of Mr.. Leckys" HIS
tory of RationalisIn.' and address to WorNng
men attributed to Felix Holt and published III
BlacLwoods Magazine. OF these essays the strongest
are the first and the third in the earlier group
those relating to the poet Young and Dr' yum
ming The remaining essays are elthcr "eIln"n
studies or philosophical dissertations, but in these
10 nm al
Moving her remarkable analytical powers IN define
oting tyne, of clerical character which interested
while they repealed her The old-tashoned lover OF
good literature, who began, but could not hhiSh'
"1heophrastus Such,' and who has not the remoteSt
intention OF rt.rcadng Daniel Derouda," VIII hnu
in these two reviews traces of the same trenchaht
viqor and uufading freshness for which ne 10 con
tent to look at least once every year IN the PAGES
of Jauet's Repentance" Mr.. Gilhis Love story
or The sad Fortunes Of Amos Barton" For eK-
ample. here IS a silhouette of the servle poet in
orders on the verge of fifty. which bears strong
resemblance - the " Scenes of Clerical Ltfc:'
lie is equally impressed with the mOmentouone>S
of death aud of burial fees he HngiSheS M once
Ion immort, life and for " lirings;' be has icryd
attachment 10 patrons In general, but on me
whole, prefers the Aim ghty. lie Will leach " IN
something more than Oincidi conNlcton' iAr noun
inguc>s ot earthly things; and ne VIII 1e'l some
thing more than private disgust If ms merltorlouN
efforts i'm directing mems attention % another word
rewarded bN NND~lUulldl plt.'IiN'li' IA
this His secular man believes in camhrlc bands
and silk .toc kings as characteristic attire Tor dh
ornament OF religion and virtue hope c'uii'II
will never forget 10 copy Sir Robert NJlp".e anu
writes bcggu- letters 70 the King > mistress. tl''
spiritual man recognizes no MOI YES more I"i...''
than GOgotha and the skies; 10 walks. III grave
wards or n scars among the stars. HIS religion
exhau,ts itself IN caculatlons and REFUSES, a. io
knows no medium between the eCstatIc and the
contentious. ii II Were not for the prospect at lh-
mortality he cons, e., u would be Wise ana a-re,-
able to be indecent. or 90 murder one 7Htl' anu
la nNf from g.
any man not to Doe a luaye. Nan. ne thiua>, is
compound Of the angel and the brute: the brute is
10 be humbled 10y being reminded OF rs " rr.".' @A
to the stalls and trlchtcned INTO moderation ny
the contemplation OF deahbedS and skulls; the
angel is to be developed by vituPeratng TINS world
and eXaltng the next and oy TINS doupe Pl"'tH;
Won get the Christian" the highest style or man;
with all this our ncw-made divine is an unmstak-
able poet. To a clay colhpounded chleIy Oh ,lG
wording and the rhetorc2n there Is aided I'il
spark of Promethean fire. lie VII ono DAY corn ne
his apOstrouhes and Ob urgatOhs' ms "a'l ~
religion and his CharnclhOgSe morality, IN ldNiHE
verse which will stand, like Il Juggcruaut made OF
gold and Jewels AT once magnificent ahd Tr'HNI{'
for this divine Is Edward Young, the future author
of the Night Thoughts
Here is companion picture from the review of
Dr. Cummings sermons:
Somewhat at a Disadvantage during the week, in
the presence of workng-day interests and laY
spcndors. sunday the preacher becomes tc
Cynosure of thousand eyes, and plelomih@ttN at
once over the AmPhtrEon win whom ID" "4'H'
and the most capt,ous member Of his church or
Ve~TV. He has anlWlncnse advantage over al "'I'.
public speakers. Inc pldlloitn OldtIi ~ 81" ~
the criticism of misses ana gtodnS Conl,tl io' '"c
plaintiff expects the retort Of counsel for the defend
ant The honorable gent leinan ON one ST. 1i me
House Is liable To have ms facts ana hgnrcH ~hot
up 10y his honorable friend ON the opposite Sir;
Even the scientific oT literary lecturer, If lie IS dul
or incompetent, may see the best pant or MS aU'I
cuce sIip quietly ont one by one Bat the preacher
"a completely master of the situation: no one may
hiss mo- one may depart Like the writer Of Hi e
nary conversations, he may put what lmpcrIDeS
ne pcases into the months of his ant1g9n SIS ana
swell with triumph when he has rciutrd them tie
nav riot m WJtUi tons assertions, c0nnfent that no
man Will contiauc Inn ne may exercise perez
iIec-wIll In logic, and invent illustrative tAp'II-
cnce : hc may give am evangelical utou 81 hIS'rrF
with the lnc"nVenlcnt facts "n.lieu-i'I 'uIS H'
NAV do with unpuuIty, certain that those al ms
hearers who are not oNmp3tmZlhg are not ir.ei iI'
For the Press has no band OF cl!JcS WH' Z" we
round of the churches and Cl1pcIS. and are on the
watch for slip or defect in the prea her to make
feature " I'm their article. the CLERGY are. pIacu
Cally the most e,pOnsibie of all takers For tbs
reason az least II is well that they do not always
allow their di~cours"s 10 be merely lueiNc Dut a.
often induced 10 fix them ma that black aHd Wnit'
in which they are open L. the criticism OF any m'n
who has the COURAGE and patience {" treat them
with thorough freedom OF speech and pen.
DR.. Cumming a preacher of'mm'nse popu-
larity when tins review written and in the
estimation of thousands of admirers was eNcitlng
beneficial iufluen,, on religious thought aud life
This cau,tic article Is an investigation of hs mode
of warfare rather than Of his dogmatc system and
principles of prophetic eXegesis. As an aIragn
ment of moral and intellectual pcrversIon III the
preachers manner of enforcing what he cons dried
Christian lruth, il is none the less powerful rom
the fact that Dr.. Cummings popularity was epic
neral aud that he had ceased to have any active
influence as a preacher when he diet few years
ago That the authors estimate Of Youngs per
sona character and the moral spirit Of his religions
poetry was Just and discriminating, requires 40
extended argument. The Night Thoughts was
not the work of one who in any strict sense could
be called a religions teacher.
The passages from the Note Book - are doubly
disappointing since they have allurng headlines