Scriptural Anthology [pp. 594-599]

SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER.
SCRIPTURAL ANTHOLOGY,
Or, Biblical Illustrations: designed as a Christmas, or birth-day
present: by Nathan C. Brooks, A. M. William Marshall & Co.
Philadelphia.
The intellectual character of our republic makes
rapid advances in improvement. A very few years
ago, it was seriously argued whether or not the air of
America was favorable to the inspirations of genius;now, our artists, actors, and poets bid fair to take the
lead of their European rivals. If the former fall short
in any thing
"We otiught to blame the culture, not the soil."
It is now conceded, on all sides, that we have the
stamina, or, (to speak in a business-like tone,) the raw
material, of the first quality. No doubt but we have
had Homsers in embryo, many a "mute inglorious Milton," and many a Tasso, "cabined, cribbed and confined" by oppressive circumstances. But in spite of
all those proverbial obstacles, to most of which the
dmericait bard is particularly liable, a poetical star
sometimes gleams above our horizon. Such instances,
it must be confessed, are rare;-and in what part of
the world is the advent of a good poet, sot a rare occurrence? With us, but little encouragement is offered
for any man to devote his time and talents to this
branch of literature, and without exclusive devotion,
we are apt to suppose, that excellence in any art or
science is but seldom attained. But, with respect to
encouragement, matters are beginning to take a change
for the better;-in our literary world, the golden age
has been delayed to the last;-poetical speculations,
albeit of an airy and immaterial nature, now yield
something substantial in the way of profit. Poets begin to have "a local habitation" not in the jail or garret, and "a name" not synonymous with starvation.
From being objects of cool regard or warm persecution, they have become quite the lions of the day;they visit foreign countries, associate witlh the nobility,
and drink tea (or punch) in the serene presence of the
royal family. Even at home, the study of poetry has
almost dared to compete with the absorbing calculations
of compound interest, and many a clerk is "condemned to cross his father's spirit," as Chaucer saith, by
"penning a stanza," when he should make out a bill.
In fact, we have too many professors of the art, and
too little of the art itself;-and the mode of criticism
vwhlichl has become prevalent wvith some of our Reviews,
and most of our journalists, is calculated to increase the
evil. It seems to be forgotten that it is one part of the
critics business to condemn;-and it should be remembered that praise, like every other commodity, when
brought too fieely into the market, is apt to depreciate
in value. The custom of warmly applauding every
thing, however despicable, —which comes into the world
through the book-shops of two or three favored publishers, and condemning (or what is worse, "damning
with faint praise,") whatever book may chance to
make its appearance through a less fortunate avenue,is a piece of folly, knavery, or whatever else you may
please to call it, which deserves the bastinado at least,
or some equally efficacious punishment. This custom
clothes the two or three publishers referred to with ju
dicial powers which they are by no means qualified to
exercise, of which fact no better proof can be asked
than the great body of trashy publications with which
they insult and plunder the community. We say that
this custom of.favoritism, by transferring to scribblers
of the most worthless description, that praise which is
due to merit only, has a tendency to destroy the good
effect of praise in general, and thus to take away one
of the chief inducements to literary exertion. And by
misleading the public judgment, (which unfortunately
a corrupt press too often has the power to do,) the rewards, as well as the honors, of authorship are sometimes most unwisely distributed.
Poetical works are more liable than any others to be
erroneously estimated;-because their excellences are
felt, rather than inferred from rules, which chiefly direct
the judgment in relation to other species of composition. Here then, a wider latitude is given to criticism,
and consequently there is a greater chance both for involuntary and intentional error. We suspect the taste of
the present age, in poetical matters, will be grievously
called in question by posterity; especially, if the suffrages of our periodical press and gazetteers should hereafter be taken as expressive of the general opinions of
the times. So laboriously indefinite are the critical eulogiums which we frequently read, that it is difficult to
tell, by these standards, not only what is good, bad or
indifferent poetry, but whether there is really any such
thing as poetry at all, or whether every thi2?g which
is written in verse, including the ballad of Gibbs the
pirate, and the classic minstrelsy of a lottery broker's
advertisement, is not " sterling, genuine poetry."
This is a bad state of things, —and the consideration
thereof makes a critique on a book of verse a task of
some perplexity. However, in the present case, we
think we have divested our mind of all preconceptions,
either favorable or prejudicial to the author; and we
have therefore resolved to examine the volume before us,
apart from all other matters and things, which, according to our views, are not requisite to be taken into consideration. The names of the publishers, therefore,
though very respectable, and the binding and decorations, though exceedingly handsome, are subjects in
which our skill is at fault, and concerning which we
have very little to say.
The author of " Scriptural dnthology" is one of a
class of writers which the generality of readers have
not the gift to appreciate. Mr. Brooks will not regret
this little inconvenience, when he sees himself associated therein with some of the brightest names on the records of literature. It has been said that "whatever
pleases many, must possess some merit;" now, w hatever
pleases a few will certainly be found to possess more,
if the party pleased may be justly designated as the
"discerning few." The poems contained in this little
volume being altogether of a devotional character, it is
not to be expected that, among the mass of mankind,
they should meet with a reception as favorable as that
which is often accorded to works of a lighter nature,
although of far inferior claims on the score of intrinsic
merit. Men whose minds have not been visited by the
softening influence of religion, are frequently disposed
to regard books of devotion with a species of horror;a feeling which no attraction which the book may otherwise present, is sufficient to overcome. From such as
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