ority, which is common to all minds, and which makes the detection of a fault or defect, the subject of more exquisite pleasure and self-gratulation than even the production of a splendid original beauty. Men view with great indifference the sun when in its full strength, "On his wings Of glory, up the east he springs;" but crowd with eager impatience on the telescope which reveals the broad black spot on his disk, that deforms his surface and diminishes his splendour. If criticism fearlessly attacks the works of gigantic minds, would she forego the easy and secure castigation of snivelling imbecility-especially, if provoked by its success? Her history answers, no! The history of our own times answers, no! For it is but recently that Gifford breathed on Dedacrusca's air castles and they fell— it is but recently that criticism has exorcised Lewis's devils, hung up his monks and inquisitors in chains; and consigned his books to the common hangman; and these are indications that she will soon inflict the same penal vengeance on Lord Byron's pirates and murderers. We are not, however, speaking of the pernicious principles of perverted genius; but the suppression of contemptible and worthless books: and it is easy to imagine the grin, the remorseless chuckle of delight, which beamed from the face of the reviewer while dissecting Lady Morgan's last work on Italy-a delight unequalled by any thing save the pleasure of dissecting a good piece of English roast beef, by a hungry critic or a starving poet. Folly then, nonsense, and stupidity, are the crimes of which the court of criticism have peculiar jurisdiction. If criticism cannot abate nuisances, it can, and it does diminish their influence, and limit their circulation by emptying the vessels of contempt and ridicule upon them. But in estimating the merits of literary criticism, it is necessary, not only to recollect the droves of worthless books, whose tardy pace she has quickened into their native obscurity and oblivion; but also how many the fear of her gorgon face has prevented from being published. But for this how often should we be called to be dissolved by the eloquent strains of insignificant poetasters, whose harps, alas! now hang upon the willow! How many griefs and distresses of lovelorn damsels and immaculate heroes would be inflicted on us by novelists, who are at this moment engaged in some less perilous, though more humble employment. Instead of blaming critevils she could not prevent, let us icism, as some have done, for the thank her for the good she has actually done ;-and in view of the vast crop of nonsense and absurdity constantly increasing, which remains to be extirpated and prevented--let us say with Irving, "be the growth of critics good, bad, and indifferent, encouraged by all means "and to the critics themselves, with Shakespeare, Another effect of criticism is to compel authors to write well and ably. The very existence of an able and independent body of censors, ready to detect, and willing to expose their "lame and impotent conclusions," their negligence, false taste, and mistakes, will operate as a check on that indolence to which literary men are peculiarly prone, and keep the muscles of their minds in full tension. No author was ever more severely and perseveringly criticised than Pope; and although his irritable spirit has hung up his critics to the contempt of posterity in his Dunciad, yet to them, perhaps, more than to any other cause, was he indebted for the peculiar excellence of his writings and the permanent duration of his fame.-But while criticism exerts this salutary control over established au thors, does it not tend to repress the ardour of the young and inexperienced adventurer in the sea of literature? Never, I answer, except where the fear of disgrace is a stronger sentiment than the love of distinction--a temper of mind hardly consistent with intellectual superiority, and still more seldom found combined with the inexperience and fearless impetuosity of youth. But every man, whether young or old, whether inexperienced or not, is capable of making a correct-at least a tolerably correct-estimate of his powers. If that estimate should be humble, and public opinion should ratify it, and he should still resolve to embark on the troubled waters of literature, criticism will certainly quicken his diligence, and might lash him into respectability. But the real genius, with his consciousness of quicker perception, more comprehensive views, and greater intellectual wealth and strength than other men possess, and with the lofty hopes and ardent ambition which generally accompany such endowments, what effect can censure and opposition--whether minute or not-have on him, but to provoke him to more vigorous and persevering exertions; and such is the lesson that the history of literary contests reads to us, from that between Milton and Salmarius, to Jeffrey's attempt to strangle in his cradle the poetical Hercules of our own time. For, if there is any strong passion, it is the love of literary offspring; proportionably strong is the resentment of any real or imagined abuse of it. The same love of superiority that urges the critic to make the attack, will rouse the author to repel it. The irritated, not humbled spirit, pants to regain the estimation it feels the consciousness of deserving, and the ability to acquire; and good sense will finally suggest to him that it is not by angry invective, in which the public can feel no sympathy, that he can hope successfully to re pel it; but by correcting himself in those points where he is defective, and strengthening himself in those where he is strong. He knows besides, that genius by its own intrinsic energy can remove, or by its elasticity can bound over, every obstacle which unjust and malignant criticism can raise in its way. Criticism can keep merit in the back ground but for a season, if merit is but true to itself: be it as unjust and malignant as authors are apt to describe it, it can do no permanent injury, even on the supposition that persevering cruelty and malignity employed in the depreciation of merit, would not call up candour and ability to its defence; a supposition unfounded in truth. Still it would be vain to deny that some there are even gifted with the finest talents: formed and fashioned by the hand of nature to extend the boundaries of thought and add new stars to the literary hemisphere, who are cursed with an exquisite sensibility; and that a morbid fear of criticism may have chilled the glow of composition, and in some instances have arrested it entirely. But even such may know that however critics may treat them, the world will at length do justice to them. Such a man was Kirke White; and although the rude reception of his first poetical essays gave him the keenest pain, yet he persevered; and what was the consequence? He enjoyed even before the extinction of his short life the triumphant consolation of seeing public opinion enrol his name on the catalogue of those "the world would not willingly let die." But the whole amount of real talent which criticism withdraws from the service of literature is small; for how many, I ask, does modesty or diffidence in their own abilities restrain from rushing into notoriety at all hazards ? Another effect of criticism at which I can but just hint, is to dif fuse a juster perception of the beau 76 Periodical Criticism. ties of composition; and to open to the public mind a wide horizon of new and intellectual enjoyments:an effect arising from the nature of this species of literature. Being published at short intervals, and embracing all topics, Reviews have the advantage of perpetual novelty and variety to recommend them to general attention and ensure them a wide circulation. And therefore they will be read where old and systematic works, confined to particular topics would be generally neglected. Suppose these reviews to be conducted with little ability they will be useful, inasmuch as even the little information they would communicate is better than the absence of it. But suppose them powerfully conducted, they would force thoughts upon the public mind; they would propel the generality to further reading and reflection, if any thing can. But one effect—and the most important one --they certainly would have, to keep alive the spirit of investigation.For, polemic writing like criticism, whether religious, political, or literary, seizes the general attention sooner, and holds it with a stronger grasp than writing of any other character it forcibly urges the mind to action. Indeed, it is impossible to read or hear a keen and able discussion of an interesting question without thinking and deciding upon it. In this respect reviews are of incalculable service even to the learned; but particularly, to that wide class, who cannot resort for information to the fountains-to elaborate works; since these, for the reasons before given, must be confined to those whose leisure permits, or professional avocations require, their study and perusal. If the mass of mankind are ever enlightened to any good purpose, it must be by means of sound literature thrown into popular and elementary forms. And this is the very definition of periodical literature, at least in our own times. [FEB. Profound, yet divested of that dif fuseness and elaborateness which repel perusal, possessing novelty and variety like newspapers, yet free from their frivolity, nonsense, and imbecility, it possesses in the greatest possible degree the excellencies, and avoids the vices, of these interesting to all, accessible to all, two species of literature; and is useful to all. Elaborate works contain vast masses of thought like the virgin of the mine; criticism separates the useless substances from the gold, and converts it into coin fit for general use and circulation; leaving its intrinsic value unimpaired by the change, and its usefulness infinitely augmented. 1 ting the general mind has been conBut while the effect of illuminaceded to periodical criticism, it has been again and again urged that it tends to make scholars superficial. But those who have a taste for prothere will always be such in the found and solid investigations-and world-who have leisure, and the love of that respect which follows the possession and display of learning to incite them, will be profoundly learned whether the world is full of reviews or not. The pretenders to learning who take it from perficial at all events; the fault is in reviews exclusively would be sutheir intellectual habits, and in nothing else. But suppose reviews to be conducted with little ability, there can be no danger. Literary men would not surely rest satisfied with their discussions; they would not conducted with masterly talent-is even read them. Suppose them it not absurd to say, that any, whether learned or not, would be any the them? I deny this tendency to less learned or profound for reading make any description of readers rest satisfied with slight and superficial inquiries both from the general nature of criticism, and its foundation in the structure of the human mind; and more particularly, from the exalted character it has acquir ed in our own times. Can it be believed that any can rise from the perusal of the critical speculations of our North American Reviewers -and of such men as Jeffrey, Playfair, Gifford, Brougham, MacIntosh, Scott, and Campbell-men of the most powerful and accomplished minds of the age, and who will be remembered by posterity as the philosophers, statesmen, poets, orators, and jurists, that have improved, and thrown a lustre around it, without being instructed as well as delighted, without having their views expanded, their understand ings strengthened by sound argument, and their taste improved as well as gratified by elegant composition? I might conclude then that Periodical Criticism instead of having this effect, would increase the number of learned men, and the aggregate amount of learning in the world but it is a sufficient vindication of criticism to say-and it can be said with perfect safety--that it leaves the learned no less so than it found them, and not less disposed to use the means necessary to be so, while it raises a vast number to the delights and benefits of literature, who would otherwise be destitute of them. There is still one interesting light in which the subject may be viewed in relation to the present political situation or future prospects of the world. The coming age like the last will probably be- Evum clarum, et memorabile gratibus." The world, it may be said, is at peace. It is. But it requires little discernment to perceive that this calm is but the portentous tranquillity that precedes the launching of the thunders, and the sweeping desolation of the storm. For monarchs have formed a combination, fearful for its vast strength and extent—a combination that will infallibly call forth resistance-to crush the spirit of liberty wherever it has appeared. They have forfeited their repeated promises and oaths to their people to give them chartered security for their rights; to introduce the representative principle into their governments: and they are doing their utmost to cover the earth with the clouds of barbarism, darkness, and monkish superstition. There have been proofs of this truth in abundance; there is a memorable illustration of it at this moment. Greece! after lying 1500 years involved in the glooms of barbarian darkness-Greece! whose name no scholar ever pronounced without a glow of enthusiasm-Greece ! over whose decline, fall, and multiplied oppressions genius has poured her tears and lamentations from the age of Cicero to our own-Greece has raised the song of freedom in her vales, and planted its standard on her mountains-her sons have knit the phalanx of Epaminondas again, and through a sea of blood and the desolation of their country, have almost succeeded in repelling her barbarous despots from the shore characterized but a short time since as the "Voicelsss shore Where the heroic harp is tuneless now, The heroic bosom beats no more." How then did England, so long the only example and refuge and watch-tower of freedom on the eastern continent, regard this conflict: England, whose sons are well imbued with the very spirit of Grecian literature, and bathed in its classic fountains? Did she rush to the assistance of that Greece, from an imitation of whose free spirit she has derived her pre-eminence in power, in arts, and in arms? This she would have done under the administration of a Chatham or a Fox: but a different policy now guides her councils. She has remained a cold and indifferent spectator of that conflict, or rather all she has done is to refrain from joining her arms with those of the relentless enemy of Christendom, and the remorseless assassins of men, women, and children, to crush the almost expiring efforts of Christian Greece to be free! Have we forgotten, in violation of the laws of nations, contrary to their consent, and by brute force, the annexation of Genoa to Sardinia, and of Venice to Austria ? under the arm of whose crushing despotism "The ocean-born and earth-commanding city is ready to sink like a sea-weed into whence she rose," and the dirge of the poet over her sinking greatness to be realized? O Venice! Venice! when thy marble walls Are level with the waters, then shall be A cry of nations on thy sunken halls A loud lament along the sweeping sea! Have we forgotten the unprincipled attack of Austria and Russia on the independence of Naples-an attack in violation of the first principles of the laws of nations: for these declare that every nation has a right to manage its own internal concerns, and modify and change its form of government as it sees fit, so long as it interferes with no other. But the growth of free institutions was a thing so pernicious to the peace and happiness of mankind that to check it was an imperious duty on the part of their royal guardians, and justified their violation of a principle to which they themselves had often appealed for their own protection. For these self-same monarchs had made it a subject of loud and repeated complaints against revolutionary France, that she had made war to impose her form of government on them! and insisted that she had no right to intrude her liberty on other nations, if they did not want it. But they, it seems, had a right to destroy by force a constitution which a nation had made for itself, in the exercise of its free agency, and to re-establish in the fulness of unchecked and unlimited despotism, the throne of a weak and vicious tyrant amidst the curses of an indignant, but alas! helpless nation. But we are to seek for proofs of these designs, not only in the foreign, but in the domestic policy of these monarchs. It is a truth evidenced by their repeated attacks on every liberal and free institution, which time and tyranny had spared by the systematic opposition to the introduction of all such as the genius of the age and the advancing improvement of mankind require; evidences also by their pertinacious defence of existing abuses, and their persevering efforts to restore the prostrated institutions and exploded maxims of the times gone by-institutions and maxims equally at war with the intellectual dignity, the moral health, and the political happiness of man.-Now, how can this gigantic attempt to roll back the advancing tide of improvement be resisted. For unless it be resisted, liberty will be driven from Europe: she will be lost for a thousand years, perhaps for ever, and bear down with her, like a sinking ship, civilization, arts and sciences, "And all things that humanize and bless mankind." If the friends of freedom have the spirit to resist, with what weapon can they hope most successfully to encounter the vast superiority of physical force, which monarchs have arrayed on their side. Sound literature, I answer, but literature brought home to the fire-side, business, and bosoms of all men-literature in the shape of powerful and argumentative refutations of insidious and artful defences of abuse, tyranny, and bigotry-holding up clear valuable expositions of the true principles of civil liberty-warning mankind of the dangers that surround them, and animating them to firm, unwavering, eternal resistance! Periodical Criticism, in other words, bas appeared from the master-spirits of the age! For criticism has, in our own times, taken a loftier height, which it has sustained on a stronger wing. It is no longer confined to the correction of the minor defects and evils |