The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-11-03
OUR LIBRARY.
Literary Disquisitious

y OUR LIBRARY.
: Literary Disquisitions.
: Some time ago there was . very il
teresting discussion in the English r,
: views and magazines as to whas book
e ought to be included IN list OF the on
e hundred greatest productions in on
language.
y This discussion in the end assumed
= very latitudinous and personal bearing
a number of the most distinguish
r literary men, either on their own O
some one else's suggestion, came for
ward and gave in print the names o
the books which they thought reaches
2 the highest level of excellence. ANON
the very numerous lists there was hardl,
one with which the taste of the averag
reader was even approximately in &C
cord. Was this on account o
the comparatively limited cul
ture Of such readery Which
leads US to the further question: Il
the judgment of distinguished literary
men sounder than the judgment o.
readers who are simply cultivated with
out possessing any claim TO literary dis
tinction Ia other words. would it b.
the best course for an author to submit
the merits of his work to jury of ia
nous writers rather than to Jury dis
tInguished simply for literary attain
menss? We are referring now to those
authors who would not shrink from q
strictly truthful verdict on their works
There are few writer's who would
not be very much more gratfied by the
I favorable opinion of men of dIstin-
guished literary talents than by the IA
vorable opinion Of all the merely cult
waited men in the world. Who does not
appreciate the enthusiasm of the
young Cowper when he heard that his
poetry had been highly praised by
Franklin, zone of the greatest literary
characters of the age. " he added, with
a natural burst of pride.
UNDOUBTEDLY a writer of the latter
part of the eighteenth century would
have derived more pleasure from an
eulogium passed upon his book by DR.
JOhnson's famous literary club than
from the applause of all the contempt
rary obscure men OF culture in the city
Of London. The praise Of such men a
Goldsmith. GibbOn and Burke. like that
Of Franklin, was a loud blast on the
trumpet of fame. whether their opinion
was based upon just grounds or not
1t Is for this reason, far more often,
than from desire to obtain an accurate
estimate of the true merits of their
works, that leads so many authors 10
send copies of their productions to lit
erary men of great distinction with 50
much more alacrity than to the mos
cultivated men in their circle Of ac
quaintance or know ledge. To be pes
tered by the opportunities of unknown
scribblers is one Of the penalties which
men of the highest order of literary
talent have to pay for their distinction.
We are ourselves inclined to thiDl; |
that the author who wishes really To |
get at the merits of bis production.
would accomplish his object more sure
ly by submitting it to jury of men Of |
The finest culture rather than to jIry |
Of men of the greatest literary celebrl
ty. And why Because the fame of /
ten out OF every fifteen famous literary |
men Is derived exclusively from re
development of the inventive
aud acquisitive faculties, The analyti
cal faculty. which is the faculty of crit
Iclsm, is comparatively rare in its high
er stages of develo )ment among dis
-iuguished authors.
Take the famous circles of writers
who have adorned the last few centu-
ries of English history. Addison AMI
Pope were in the celebrated coterie 10
which they belonged. the only men who
lad the analytical faculty in an IN
usual degree. The same can be said Of
n which he lived. Most Of his literary
Judgments even appear absurd in the
light Of later literary history, although
ie is probably still the most eminent Of
English critics,
There was no man remarkable for
analytical powers in the
ircle of literary men surrounding
byron and Wordsworth. and there j.
hardly one among the leading literary |
nsn who are the contemporaries Of ,
'ennysOn.
INVENTIVE facilities are rarely found in {
he same intellectual combination. !
Ii should also be remembered that +
;erary reputation is generally the re-
nit of certain phenomenal mental ,
evelopment in one direction, which a
ncOnsciously warps The literary opin- y
ms of the person so distinguished. IL .
natural enough that he should value y
lost highly that form of genius which 81
ans towards his own intellectual
and to underrate that which I,
ans another way. This is apt to make il
IN an unsafe guide in general matters il
literary taste. ii
WHILE men who are simply cultivated c,
I'VE their medtal idiosyncracies jus. S
e same as men OF the most remarka-
e genius, yet these idiosyncracics
e not so apt to warp their judgment. Y,