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Ximaiutt.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Ximaiutt.
Ximaiutt .
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The great event of the week—and it is rare , indeed , for us to announce so important and far-reaching an event—is the certainty of an International Copyright with America . The thing is no longer a speculation nor an agitation , it is on the eve of its birth as a fact . To England it will be of twofold importance . It will not only increase the hard earnings of Men of Letters , it will admit of grave works being published without the present risk of serious loss : and this in two ways—1 st , Because the great
extension of the market will bring a public for such works ; 2 nd , Because this very extension will induce a reduction in the price of books , which reduction will , in its turn , very materially extend the market , as we see in the large sale of Mr . Bohn ' s various Libraries . To America it will be of still more importance , in the stimulus given to national literature . A few years ago , it seemed as if America could only , at the best , be to England what Rome was to Greece . But now that we have abundant signs of a real
national genius growing up and expressing itself , the removal of that temptation to reprint English works for a few pence , will force publishers into enterprize with national literature .
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The French Academy lias been the scene of a contest more than usually interesting to Englishmen . The papers of last week , which merely indicated the fact of Macaulay ' s having been , elected a Member of the Academy , in place of Dr . Lingard , omitted , or were unacquainted with the most curious part of the occurrence . There were two candidates proposed , Grote and Macaulay—two names suggestive of very different claims to the honour , and such as would have puzzled an English Academy to decide upon . It was Gutzot proposed Macaulay , and Tocqueville avIio proposed Grote . We presume personal friendship dictated this ;
otherwise one might feel surprised at Guizot ' s selecting a candidate whose brilliant qualities are so far removed from those which distinguish the Histoire de la Civilization en Europe . In France , Macaulay ' s reputation must have justified his election ; if it were not justified by his nearer affinity to what Frenchmen have been taught to consider the true historic type . The brilliant style , and easy , yet abundant , erudition of Macaulay , assimilate him more to the French type ; while th ' laborious , deep-thinking , but somewhat cumbrous , work of GjtOTE , reminds us more of the German type .
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May we beg those correspondents who intend to forward us their views on the subject of Spontaneous Combustion , to send them without delay ? It has occurred once or twice that , after a discussion had been closed in our columns , we have received letters which we should gladly have published , and we wish to prevent such an occurrence in the present case . We cannot undertake , of course , to print every letter sent ; but none of them will be other than welcome .
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BOOKS ON OUR TABLE . A Legend of Pembroke Castle . By F . O . Herbert . 2 vols . ft . BonUey . Memoir ofa Metaphysician . 15 j Francis Druke . Longman , Brown , and Co , Last Glimpses of Convocation . I 5 y A . . T . . loyco . T . ilo . sworlh A Treatise on the Peculiarities of the Bible . By l . lio Rev . K . P . Renrtoll . J \ Pitman . Juvenile Delinquent * : their Co million and Treatment , lly Mary Carpenter . W . and K . ( I . Cash . Jlommopathy Ky C . Wild . folm Walker . The Wide , Wide IVorld . Ity R WH heroll . O . Koutledtjo . . Speculation ; or , the Glen Luna Family . By A . Lot limp . < -i- Kout ledge . Bohn ' s Antiquarian Library -Matthew Paris ' * J'Jni / lish History . "Vol . II . II . <*¦ Uohn . Bohn ' s Classical Lihran / The Idylls of Theocritus , Won , ami Moschu * . II . ( r . Holm . Bo / m ' x Illustrated Library -Stories of Jim / link and Foreiqn Life , liy W . and Mary llovviU ,. II . ( i . J 5 olm . Bohn ' s Scienti fic . Library-The 7 > hi / sical and Metaphysical Works of Lord Bacon . IT . ( J . Uohn . Bohn ' s Standard Librar ' i / -Milton * * Prose Works . H- <*¦ Holm . The Cruise of the " ChaJ / eni / er" Life-boat . W . Pickering . Chamber * a Repository of 1 ustruct hie and . Amusint / Tract * . W . H . Orr and Co . Jtecol lections of Scrtm-c ' in China . By Col . A Cuiiyiigliainc . It . Bentley . Laniiuai / e a * a Mean . * of Mental Culture and international Communication . BvC . Mar <;< -1 . 2 voln . Chapman and Hull . Zanoni . By Sir K . H . Lyllon . Clnn > i « an and Hull . Chamber *' a ' Pocket . Mince 11 ant / . W- & Ovr llIl < | V ; ° - The Jihsector * Manual , of Practical and Surt / ical Anatomy . By K . WiIhoii . Longman and Co . Punch's Letter * to hi * Son , Pnnek ' * Complete Let tar-Writer , and Sketches of the . Kmjlish . Hy DouglaH Jorrold . Vol . V . Bradbury and Mvaim . The . Encicloptvdia JSritannu-a ... Adam unri CIiiiiIoh Black . The Work-in , / Man * Wai / in the World ; bcin <) the Anto / not / raphi / if a Joiirnei / tinin- Printer ' " ¦ W . and 1 ' . CiihIi .
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A VISCOUNT'S MTfRIC . Tho Delude . A Poem . By Viscount Maids ! one . . Dedicated to the . Electors of Westminster . Chapman and . Hull . Viscount Maidstonio is a very foolish nobleman , with a feverish de . siro for notoriety . He wishes to be " distinguished , " and does not koo that " distinction" in often synonymous with contempt . The industrious " miner" whom no one binned when his talents were confined to carrying banners and shouting " Long live the Marquis ! " beromefUlio f ; nrg « L of scorn when with misguided ambition ho nlXeinpts " Othello" or " Charles Surface . " It is even ho on the stage of life . Lord Maidst-ono may bo charming Ul n ' s ovvn <¦ ' >¦< '' «; n (> mliy < 1 V ( M 1 ran ' < non ! as Jl P * ' *; an ( l a w' * - lUil , in the presence of electors and critics the prestige has vaiHHhed . We sn , y of him , as JVloliero . says of another nobleman " . le lc tiens galant hoinme en toul . es les manicies lloinme do qualitr , de nx ' rite , ot de cuiiir Tout , cequ'il vouh ]> laim , inu ' ts fort iiu ' chant aiif . rur . ' " Tho electors of Wasl-minnler , on mature deliberation , < li < l nol , consider him endowed by naiuro with that lofty eloquence and far-reaching
sagacity required to represent them . The critics , being for the most part men of known . " enviousness , " and unabashed ignorance , will , we doubt not , exhibit an unanimity as distressing . But indeed , my lord , you must allow something to their failings , for after all they are mortal men , poor devils ! They have their foolish prejudices in . favour of certain conventional signs ; and etiquette is worshipped among them as in your lordship ' s elegant circle . If a parvenu force or wriggle himself among you , do you not laugh at his misplaced efforts to comport himself like one " to the manner born P" Do you not mercilessly quiz his birth , parentage , and education , and liis ignorance of the hundred charming futilities which your " set" agree to prize P Well , we critics are for all the world as exclusive ! We laugh at the parvenu vrho comes amongst us , who apes the aristocracy of genius , and betrays ignorance of our conventional signs—such as taste , wit , good sense , nice feeling , rhythm , and other futilities . If we bear names which sound indifferently in the mouths of announcing footmen , you bear names which are insignificant on title-pages . It was said by Pope of the critics in his day-r" But let a lord once own the happy lines , How the wit brightens ! how the style refines !" It may also be true in our day , but , que diable ! there must at least be " wit" to brighten , and " style " to catch refinement ! It is not enough to write indignant verses ; the verses must have wit , or sense , or poetry in them , totherwise indignation will not furnish salt to preserve them . Lord Maidstone pathetically exclaims : — " Oh strangest symptom of times out of joint ! Verbose malignity mista ' en for point , Diffuse parade of commonplace for style , And for free speech a pleonasm of bile !" (" Pleonasm of bile" is charming , and makes tho verse come so trippingly off" the tongue !) If , however , that be one of the evidences of the coming Deluge we beg his lordship to allay his fears . We assure him , no one is likely to mistake the verbosity and commonplace of his poem for " point " or " style "—there is still enough sanity in this universe to prevent so alarming a mistake . He may be as indignant as he pleases , fling about his harmless epithets , " And rhyme with all the rage of impotence , " the Critics will not accept him ; their one constant refrain , however politely worded , will be— " My Lord Viscount , you are a parvenu , you are aping a position to which you were not born , to which you will not arrive . " The Deluge is meant to be a satire severely lashing Whigs , Pcehtes , and Journalists . Lord Maidstone evidently believes that he is very terrible indeed : — " Still , Boine will say , ' Why crash the viper ' s nest , Pillage the wolf , or storm the dragon ' s rest ?' To such I answer plainly , ' There are times When indignation finds or fashions rhymes ; In these for satirists a lyre is strung , — And Gilford ' s soul rebell'd , before his tongue Wither'd the flower of Delia Crusca ' s strains , And dried the source impure of Pasquin s gains . " But he has yet to learn that before satire can be terrible it must reach its victims , and reaching them , must wound . A blow with a sledge-hammer , if it only strike the air , will not trouble a sleeping child ; and Lord Maidstone has so little sense of the weak points of those he attacks that his blows " pass by them as the idle wind . " Do but read this onslaught on tho Press , and then marvel how the victims can survive it \ " Of three Ephcmerals , Palmerston can honst The Globe , tho Sun , and , last , the trimming Post . Tnlte up with Newman when uweefc Jenkins fails , Latest in growth of Tiverton's three tails ! Traetarian slipslop for court circles vend , Kiss Pusey ' s toe , and call Pope Bennett friend ; But think not long thy trashy files to save From Fonblunque ' H mercies and a bankrupt pravc ! And thon , chief idiot , that with bell and book Woukl ' st marry Phoelms to Eliza Cook , Desist from task unhappily begun , Phoebus has no connexion with tho Sun . * " Now for tli' Examiner : we'll p ass him too , Despite his dragon writliings , in review ; Of reiLsor ' a rugs his withered buck we'll strip , And as to Titus Outes , apply the whip . Plead not HecesHion , but eoino stand the brunt , Worthy siurceissor to iniprinonM Hunt ! Whose pen for many years with party tact , And artinriiil list , warj > 'd every fact ; Who never lost occasion for a uneer , Nor ever loved a lord or spared a peer . " We come in for our lashing too ; on receiving the blows , we instantly took to our bed , from whence Lhis article is written—amid bowlines !—¦ " HesidoH all Mie . se come in Iho minor fry , Scuttling , ere platen be clean and bottles dry . I Noblest exponents of unshackled thought , By loaves converted and by / islies bought . Their names 1 mention , since ho few e ' er rco ' ein , Tho Jjeader , Satirist , and Athcumum " It was doubtless considered a " crusher" to lying the Satirist in between the- Leader and the Athcmvum . ; and to pretend thai- the Athentr . um is an obfleuro journal , seen but by few , was also an adroit thrust ! * Sun . For two y « ai-H , thin wroldiodly-wriUen paper nolriom appeared without quotatioiiH i ' tvm llio immuablo platitudcH which # o by tho nanio of JSliza Cooh ' e 'Diamond Dual *
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Critics are not the legislators , but the judges and police of literature . They do not xnakelaWs— they interpret and try to enforce them . — Edinburgh Review .
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210 T H E LEADE R . [ Saturday ,
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 26, 1853, page 210, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1975/page/18/
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