New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-30

been something very different from what It
and yet have properly been sent into the world
under that name. To bring together an indennl@
number Of writings which approve themselves es
masterpieces to the judgment OF the colector
not difficult task 1t has been accomplished
many times with varying degrees OF success. 10
compile an exemplary history Of the literature OF
q nation is O very different and an incomparably
more onerous labor, and that 10 what has been
done in these volumes The. design was orig
inally laid with that object In view, and IL mas
not been modified, but adhered to with admirable
persistence through WEAKNESS Of mind and body
and O thousand temptations to construe SELL
imposed obligation less rigidiy and to Tighten
task which grew more burdensome Is II pro-
ceeded. To choose brilliants Of perfect purity and
lustre where only the best need pass under your
inspection is delightful pastime as different as
possible from the task which the compilers OF
this work set themselves. They undertook to
scrutinize and sift the entire native literary
product of two centuries and half. and In 30
doing to 90 far outside the range OF their own
tastes and sympathies For the purposes Of this
compilation they have considered literature to
oor,prise writings Of whatsoever kind which
have been valued by any generation ~ an ex-
preston of its character and emotions. Their
work is therefore more than library OF American
literature. 1t is transcription Of American life.
Il contains the materials for a history Of the
country, disclosing every step of its long and
splendid progression. We trace In these volumes
every popular impulse. endeavor and achieve
ment Of two hundred and fifty years
Though of the making Of books there Is no
end, there will never be in any language too many
books which. apart from other claims upon their
readers. are capable Of dismissing care and fret
fulness and grief and bringing consolation ana
refreshmcnt at odd moments whenever and
wherever they arc summoned to that Denencehb
service These volumes are permanently valuable
for instruction, for reference and for citation but
they possess in addition and prominently COM
panionabe quality. And those who have eX-
plored most thoroughly the sources from which
they are derived will most enjoy their companion
ship. Every one who has read much is haunted
by the ghosts of things that have escaped him.
thousand sentences phrases. nuggets OF eX-
preston. hover the outskirts of memory ana
refuse to be shared. They exist to the conscious
ness, but in a MANNED and elusive state, which
tantalizes instead of contenting You can scarcely
glance across these pages without recovering one
Of these fueitives upon which eyes and mind
seize with sense of surprise and satisfaction
which is wholly delightful. Every one has moods
in which he would give at least days income
to recall the precise utterance which liberated
his spirit once before under similar oppression.
The general sentiment does not answer the pur-
pose Nothing is close enough except absolute
identity Emerson said Moral qualities rule the
world. but at short distances the senses are
what? You cannot tell: and for want of that
one word "despotic' you are miserable You
might search Emerson all day without finding 1t:
here you will find it in five minutes There is
a collection of Emersoniana. but where else can you
find a compendium of .2O7 American authorsP
1t is not to be denied that considerable
measure of faith in the cOmpilers Of this work Is
essential to complete approval Of it. The
reader is apt to upon extract which
does not seem to qualify, and which in reality
does not qualify its author for a niche in any
temple. He may perhaps reason with himself
that even he has done quite well in magazine
articles in newspaper correspondence. or, indeed,
in letters to his friends. But the cOmpilers have
a sufficient answer. If they were called to
make reply. they might conclusvcly say 60 This
authors writings with without your good
wishes or ours have made. will make. in the
aggregate, a lasting impression upon his own
generation another: we supply characteristic
example Of their style and contents-a clue, but
not demonstration. If. Furthermore. you are
| anywhere afflicted with sense Of disproportion.
be good as to give due weight to the reflection
that one man may reveal much of himself in
a paragraph another in page"
In closing the last of these volumes we are
solicitous to discharge the duty of making one
complaint and objection. If they had been narrow
and hypercritcal, instead Of broad and hospiyable,
there would still have been no valid excuse for
the exclusion of their compiers from a Library
of American Literature.