The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-06-28
HAZLITT.

There is coming a revival OF the great
English critic and essayist William
Hazlitt. There have been signs point
ing to this for two or three months.
| With men of much reading in pure
literature who lived between 1880 and
1860 or later such a revival is not ne
cessary for them. This writer came in
touch with Hazlitt in the forties when
SO much of him appeared in the great
| quarterlies and magazines of Great
Britain. He has kept up that touch
most unique, admirable and unequalled
| discussions of the characters in the
plays of Shakespeare la been a pleas
ant memory for more han fifty years.
This year we have again read many
of his opinions as to orators. plays, ac-
tors, poets, etc. He is of almost in
| comparable excellence. 1t is gratifying
to see it announced hat in a few
months Dent & Co., Of London, will is
sue a complete library edition or his
works in twelve volumns. If they shall
contain all of his writings, these vol
uIlIcS SllOuIo pC OSloNoS olIo oIOoI CT
that. The published writings Of Hazlitt
in the first thirty years of the nine
tenth century. make thirty-five vol
umes, as we recall it. The new edition
announced will be edited by Mr.. Arnold
Glover and Mr.. A. r. Waller. while Mr..
w. E. Henley will contribute a lengthy
critical Introduction to h first volume.
The American publisher of this import
ant undertaking has not yet been
named.
If you would read a thoughtful, in
genious. brilliant and refined critic,
give your nights to Hazlitt. He vas
born in England in 177S, and originally
was a painter of pictures and portraits
we think. In 1903. when twenty-five,
he began his distinguished career as an
author, and never withheld his hand
until in 1880 when he died of cholera,
aged but fifty-two. the age of Shakes
peare and Napoleon. He was a constant
prolific contributor to the periodicals
of his time. He wrote on a vast variety
of topics. and his essays as we'll as his
critical papers are among the most i'm
portant in English literature. In fact,
they are of marked interest, and but
few writer's of his kind in any age or
country have equalled him.. Mr.. Will
lam E. Henley, who is to write the crit
ical review Of him for the twelve vol
ume edition, Is an English critic of note.
In his entertaining and bold book of
literary discussions allied Views and
Reviews" published a few years ago
he said that to "sit do. m with Addison
and Fielding, Lamb and Hazlitt, Sterne
and Bacon. was to sit down in the COM
pany of one of the mighty, wits our
elders and our betters,' who lave 'done
much to make literature a good thing,
having written books that are etern-
ally readable" Great books are sure to
live. They have upon them the stamp
of Immortality. n while the careless
crowd rush otter the common and
the perishable, the cultured few will
sit at the royal feast prepared by
highest genius and feed on that fruit
that shall live forever. Ear such works
ever die? Can the great epics ever
perish with the commonplace and the
light and fanciful? a Homer's great
epic. the "Iliad," or Shakespeare's
splendid. rich, Astounding creations find.
death even or any Judgment outside of
the realms of gold?" To each man
doubtless there comes "the wicked day
of destiny" to quote old Mallory, but
are the grandest creations off genius
to perish also and forever? The au-
thors will live elsewhere. shall not the
sublime and masterful creations of the
men of long vision and highest creative
art and genius survive somewhere?
| Who knows? The poets who ARE all
Of gold" shall not perhaps have written
in vain when they listened ~entranced
to the mighty echoes of eternity?
The most elaborate work Of Hazlitt
was his Life of Napoleon" in whom
unlike the Engiishman Of his day, he
much believed and admired.
If you would be highly ~pleased-that
Is If You are a true lover of letters
read his Characters of Shakespeare's
Plays" Table Talks" and Lectures
Upon English Poets" and other vol
umeS that can be named. He wrote
upon b greatest poets. dramatists,
novelists and essayists who flourished
in his life time or before. His produc-
tive period was between 1906 and 1880
You will find his essays very agreeable
reading indeed. full of acuteness of re.
! Election. originality of thought and pre-