The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-05-14

DR.. r. ID. KINGSBUEY.
had enough q pure genius % have set
up In trade for "a life time a dozen ?;
these most productive yet unimaeina-
tive reallsts. / would not give "A STA
gle scene in Victor HuEo's splendid
and wonderful Les Nlserahiles for
all that any hvin6 Frenchinan has
SCOTS masterful The AntiQuary
than 10 have written every American
novel. with the solitary exception 81
some by Nathaniel Hawthorne. =
writer Of real genius. / have but 1T
tie patience or sympathy with that
school or critics who reject the To-
mantle and pay daily worship - real
Ism. Every m = OF reading when not
ridden by = hobby. knows how great
! . novelist Is Thacteray h did he
say of the Northern Wizard ir. Her
man Merivale. an English author well
known and q successful novelist. gave
this rs what Thackcray once said 10
him Il do not think that II becomes
either YOU or me 70 speak OF Sir Vel
ter Scott as II we were Ills equals.
Such men as YOU and I tax or our
hats at the very mention OF his name"
And Yet il there Z any greater novelist
who ever used English "a the vehicle
OF his eGoression-and such noble
English too-than the author OF Hen
~ Esmond,' Vanity Fair" Pen
11AAF4h &tA ~ %NtN ~ AAattE EAh3
Scott, / have not the good fortune to
nave eve SO much as heard his name
When Thackeray bows In re-
v%erance and admiration before
! the immortal Sir Walter, and
uncovers in his mighty pres
ence. such defamers rs the Howells
and Hannigans ard the others OF that
sort, may be left 70 their own envyings
and earnings. Wilkie Collins was not
far wrong when he declared that Scott
was the greatest OF all noyclists. II
Scott had never written n novel. a
thousand imitators would have never
been heard Of. for he taught the world
how TO write historic romanc n nc
tions Of rarest imaginative interest and
! genius. He is the purcst as well as the
greatest. The truth is | hold stead
fastly. that among creative minds since
Shakespeare Is Scott. In proof, not to
dwell now. | appeal 70 his vast. elo-
riOus galaxy Of characters that live
and are to be found both In his poetry
and in his prose. If / desired now to
pursue an examination of Scott at
more length would speedily dwell
upon his excellencies in their rich Al
riety and lneXhaustible affluence OF
invention. I would be sure to consider
what one of the very greatest or all
English critics-pcrhaps the greatest
William Hazlitt of nearly eighty years
ago. thought of Scott with whom he
was contemporary. He was not the
most highly appreciative -
the great noycllsts admir-
ers. but really moderated
him. He read his poems and adj
mired his novels, and yet c|ritics since
ne wrote Of high qualities have placed
q more exalted estimate upon Scott.
| quote but one brief sentence or two
from one Of his articles on scott. and
il is probably eighty-hye years since 1t
was written. In knowledge, in va
riety. in facility. in truth OF painting.
in costume and cenery. in freshness
Of subject, and in untired interest. in
CHANGING lights and the graces OF style
passing at will from grave To gay.
from lively to severe, at once romantic
and familiar : , the Wayerly novels
have the highest claims to admira-
ton And yet he seems 10 dOubt If.
Scott had original genius If one viii
read Richardson and Fielding. and
Jane Austen and Smollett and Mrs
Barbauld, and then start with SCOTS
first novel "Wavcrly, and then follow
II up with THE A~ntiauary," "Guy
Maunering," Heart of Midlothian"
"Kenilworth," "Ivanhoc." Quentin
DcirWard.' "Rcdgauutlet Fortunes
Of Nigel" and a dozen Others Of his
best. the reader must be laundering
and blind If he can not see why the
great ~Thackeray estimated scott as he
did.
Loving Scott the man and Scott the
poet and romancist as | very sincerely
do, and for more than sixty years haxe
done. | feel il difficult to get away
entirely now from the memory OF that
great and imperishablc man, the high
est glory of his dear Scotland. / must
beg leave to quote a LITTLE from the
best and most accomplished of the liv-
ing critics and authors Of Scotland.
Andrew Lang. In his extremely clever
little book. Letters to Dead Authors
ne addresses q charming. touching
epistie, 80 full Of love and appreciation
and insight into character. to the great
Sir Walter / wish ! could cite a half
colarnn. But take this. You. almost
alone among men or letters still. like \
living friend, viii and charm us out n
the past, and If one might call Up i
poet, IS the scholist tried to call
Homer, from the shades who would
not out Of all the rest, demand some
hours Of your society" The whole let
Ter IS rich IN interest and felicity Of
touch. once more ! copy: scotch
men, methinks. who owe 50 mllch 10
You, " YOU more for the ezamD1e
you gave Of the beauty OF a life Of
honor. showing them what. nv
Heavens blessing. a scotchman still
might BE-"
have no way Of ascertaining the
sale OF Scotts novels yearly. have
no U that II is immense BY MANY
n~undFeds Of thousands the world over
nave seen it mentioned that tho
49,. W EFIE- E96I&-t
Dickens IS his only rival as to sales
q copies It is stated Fl England that
IN 19V6, the copies Of Dickens novels
sold in that country were 800 o0o
1ney Doth live and are read in spite
81 the critics who try to bclittle and
lnJure them. -
| would like TO help others 10 en-
Joy me reading % Shakespeare. and
~Pai1colarlY those who read him but
no" ana then or but little at any time
40 not essay 10 discuss the PLAYS and
their respective exalted qualities. bur
merely 10 mention among the come
dies those | regard as the highest and
Iest Every one Of the fourteen has
Z certain excellence. OF course. and
contains more or less of the original
lty, power and splerdor Of the supreme
genius Of all the world. But some ave
ABOVE the others In perfection N
Ilnlsh, IN maturity Of style. In careful
construction IN exquisite charm and
heauty Of language and hough r
only wish 10 name those comedies
that impress me as the best. While not
a Shakesperean scholar. and 7 neverl