The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-21
SOME EARLY VIEWS OF AMERICAN
LITERATURE.


order to see how far they are sustained
by the verdict of history. This is as true
in literature and art as in anything else.
for time reverses as often as it confirms
contemporary judgment in such matters
volume entitled Lectures on American
Literature" reveals some of these changes
The book was published in 1922 nearly
three-quarters of a century ago, and con-
sists of lectures delivered in New York by
Samuel l.. Knapp. He was a lawyer Of the
period. a man of culture and quite prolific
author of history and biography. Probably
no American of his time was better able
to write intelligently concerning American
literature as then developed. The volume
contains fifteen lectures. In delivering them
their author was actuated by the COM
mendable motive of ''redeeming our fame
from the aspcrsions of our enemies" by
showing that the American people had
already made distinct progress in the field
of literature and art. In his opening lee
ture he says: American writer's furnish
numerous specimens of the various charac-
teristics of the English language. The
chaste, pure. classical language abounds
in Hamilton's prose and Pierpont's poetry.
For sweetness we might look into Ames's
prose and Percivals verse. Robert Treat
Paine would furnish us with many sem
fences in strong language in both prose
and verse; Some of these names have
survived, but James G. Percival Is scarcely
remembered as a poet, while Fisher Ames.
who was born in 175S and died in 1908. is
hardly read at all, though he was very
accomplished man and elegant writer. The
lecturer points with pride to Noah Web
ster's dictionary, which had just been pub
lished in an edition of $500 copies. as IAN
ocean of words, for it contains about 10000"
The latest edition contains upwards of 114,OOO
words, with supplements containing many
thousands more. The author pays tribute
to the scholars and writer's Of the colonial
period. among whom he mentions Nathaniel
Ward, Peter Bulkely, Nathaniel Rogers,
Ezekiel Rogers and others whom the pres
ent generation never heard of. OF Thomas
Shepard, who lived and wrote in the latter
part of the seventeenth century, he says:
He died in the forty-fourth year of his
age, but he lived long enough to publish
many works of merit. Several of them
were very popular, as The Morality of the
Sabbath New England's Lamentation for
Old England's Errors and An Explanation
of the Parable of the Ten Virgins" These
books would hardly be popular now. Ma
thaniel Wards literary reputation rested
mainly on a satirical work called 1.-The
Simple Cobbler of Agawam." There is no
demand for it now. Peter Bulkely pub
lished a celebrated work on The Covenant
of the Gospel" 1t is not mentioned
among the best-selling books OF to-day.
There were not few great men, orators,
writer's and scholars during the colonial
period who are still known in history, and
the lecturer speaks appreciatively of their
merits. There were some, however, whom
no eulogy could rescue from oblivion. He
says: 'One of the most valuable among
American books Is Holiness Annals ="
Again, 'Pitkin's Political and Civil His
tory Of the United States is a valuable
work." 1t would be valuable now as a
curio. Most persons would be surprised to
learn that John Smith, of Pocahontas fame.
wrote poetry The lecturer describes Smith
as a man of genius, possessing generous
qualities, and an extensive traveller HE
had been a philosopher. hero and lover
in every cline, and favorite of the fair
in every path of the sum-" He wrote a
poem of considerable length describing
some of his experiences. The quotations
given show it was poor stuff. In describing
the Pocahontas incident he tells how her
father. the Indian chief, kept him to make
hatchets and gewgaws. and describes his
own feelings in the third person:
They say he he bore pleasant show.
For who pleasant be. and rest,
That lives in fear and dread?
And having life suspected, doth
IL still suspected lead.
The lecturer says, Smith probably wrote
much which has not reached u.s." Perhaps
ii is just as we'll that it did not. History
shows that Smith was soldier of for
tune, a reckless adventurer, a braggart and
a "blowhard." The lecturer says that
Michael Wigglesworth was poet of great
renown in his day" He was born in 1851
and died in 1705. He was a New England
preacher and poet. Some of his most
popular poems entitled. respectively
THE Day of Doom; or a Description
of the Great and Last Judgment
Gods Controversy with New England,
Written in the Time of the Great Drought
Ammo 1852. by a Lover of New England's
Prosperity" Meat Out of the Eater. or
Meditations Concerning the Necessity, End
and Usefulness OF Affection to Gods Chill
dren." The demand for these light and
cheerful poems has ceased. about the
commencement of the eighteenth century,"
says the lecturer. Thomas Mahin was
known poet" He had been a school
teacher and the poem on which his fame
rested was written in Latin and was "a
descriptive. sylvan and statistical account
of the settlement of Pennsylvania" The
statistical part Of the poem could hardly
have been a work OF the imagination.
American poets must have been plenty in