Scriptural Anthology [pp. 594-599]

SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER.
adventure for which few others now before the public
have either the courage or the qualifications. Because
some great poets have occasionally written like fools,
there are persons who seem to argue and act on the
principle, that to write foolishly is presumptive evidence
of poetic talent. Now, one of the ablest critics that the
world ever saw, has said, that "good sense is the foundation of all good poetry."* To suppose that good
sense is incompatible with the decorations of fancy, is
as idle, as to imagine that a Corinthian entablature may
not surmount a column of strength and durability.
Lord Byron writes to Tom Moore in the following
remarkable strain: "We of the present age may flatter ourselves wnith
surpassing the poets of the preceding century, —but we
are deceived, —we are infinitely inferior." And what
was it that chiefly distinguished the poets of the preceding century from those with whom we have the
honor to be contemporary? —WhIy, it was judgment,
freedom from German affectation, and the abominable
heresies of the Lakists. Since the appearance of Goethe
and Schiller, two-thirds of our authors, British and
American, have adopted more or less of their fooleries;
they do not consider that it requires the genius of a
Goethe to make his absurdities tolerable. But Mr.
Brooks is a writer of the old school;-he deals not in
the incomprehensible; he delights not in presenting
distorted images of human nature; he has chosen for his
models those great masters whose fame is not based on
the whims and temporary predilections of any country
or generation.
In speaking of poets, and of authors in general, it is
a proper mode of inquiry, to ask, not if they have any
faults, but what those faults are. The golden opinions
which the author of "Scriptural Anthology" has won
from us, shall not dazzle our eyes so as to disable us
from answering the above question. Mr. Brooks' faults
are those of a young writer-, and from which no young
writer is free. Occasionally, but not frequently, we detect a want of originality, both in thought and expression, and sometimes his figures may perhaps be considered too bold. But this latter fault, (if fault it may be
called,) is one which we are happy to see in the young
aspirant for literary fame; —it is an indication of that
adventurous spirit which is evermore the concomitant
of genius.
Of the style ofMr. Brooks' writings, we can judge only
from the specimens now before us; and this mode of
making up an opinion is liable to some objections. An
author's style frequently varies with his subject, and
the materials with which he has to work. We think it
will generally be found that a poet's writings exhibit
more fluency of language, when his only resources are
those of imagination; for facts place him under a constraint, which will always be more or less communicated
to his forms of expression. Some constraint of this kind
is discernible in the Scriptural Anthology;-the construction of the verse, in places, is broken and somewhat harsh;-though in general the versification is
harmonious, and, in many instances, exceedingly so.
But wlhile we are in the carping humor, we must take
exception to a few words which Mr. Brooks has taken
the liberty of introducing, not only into this book, but,
as we think, into the language. We refer to such
words as opalled, centi-portal, charactery, and several
others which we cannot now recollect. But we can
well afford to pardon such trifling misdemeanors, when
we consider the promise of the writer, and what he has
already accomplished.
The author of "Scriptural Anthology" came before
the public, subject to many of the disadvantages to
which we have reference at the beginning of this ar ticle. He is not one of those who are capriciously
puffed into notoriety, who are hurried onward for a
while by the gale of popular acclamation, and are then
left stranded and abandoned as objects of accumulated
contempt; his, we trust, is that species of fame, which
though slower in its progress, bids fair to advance pros perously to the end of the voyage. His reputation as
an author has been steadily on the increase, and the
obstacles he has surmounted are among the strongest
proofs of his merit. By exercising his talents in the
sacred cause of religion, he has undoubtedly made some
sacrifice, as far as popularity is concerned. But his re fusal to minister to the depraved appetite of the times,
and to prostitute his noble faculties in the service of
folly and immorality, is a circumstance that must remu nerate him with the good opinion of all whose good
opinion is valuable.
We are given to understand that this work was pro duced in moments of relaxation from severer scholastic
duties,-this, with the further consideration that the
author is yet quite a young man, justifies us in expect ing much from the future emanations of his intellect.
That he has not been taken under the auspices of a cer tain clique, who would fain constitute themselves the
literary divan of the country, speaks much in his favor —
for it is a part of the policy of this body to neglect, or
sneer at, a new writer whose pretensions, they may
think, bid fair to eclipse their own, or those of their
friends and favorites. The name of Nathan C. Brooks,
however, has often beeni presented to the public in very
advantageous circumstances, and he will be extensively
recognized as a valued correspondent of several of the
best periodicals in the country.
We deem it a commendable trait to be interested for
those whom we know to be unfairly treated; —and on
this ground we are called to become the advocate of
those writers of. merit, (and such there are,) who are
most unjustly neglected,-that others may be exalted
with equal injustice. We have seldom been accused of
an inordinate taste for eulogy, and we have ever been
disposed to say, with the appropriate motto of the
Edinburgh Review, " osdex damnatur cum nocens absol vitur;"-so that we may indulge a reasonable hope of
having our commendations regarded with more respect
than the panegyrics of the press are usually entitled to
receive from the public.
The adaptation of the "Scriptural./lthology" for a
Christmas or birth day present is a good idea, and very
* creditable to the judgment of the publishers. We wish
it no better chance for success than to be compared with
other books designed for similar purposes.
There is a catalogue of the names and works of
* Dr. Jolhnson —Llfe of Pope.
bards before Homer.
a
0
t
t
I
t
599