Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

Dcootcii to literature, Science, atti> 3.rt, t!)e Sous of ftemperaure, ©iiii irclloiosljip, itlasonrn, anil (General 3ntcl!igcnec. VOLUME I. A MOTHER'S GIFT. Re member, love, who gave you this, When other days shall come ; When she, who had thy earliest kiss, Sleeps in her narrow home : Remember ’twas a mother guvo The gift to one slic'd die to suvo. That mother sought a gift of love, The holiest for her sou ; And from the gifts of God above, She chose a goodly one ; She chose for her beloved boy The source of light, and life, and joy. And bade him keep the gift, that when The parting hour should come, They might have hope to meet again In an eternal home : She said his faith in that would be Sweet incense to her memory. And should the scoffer in his pride, Laugh that fond faith to scorn, And bid him cast that pledge aside, That he from youth has borne, She bade him pause and ask his breast, If he—or she had loved him best. A mother’s blessing to her son Goes with this holy thing, The love which would retain the one, Must to the other cliug Remember —’tis no idle toy, A mother’s gift, remember —boy. Q El SIE For A Friend of the Funiily. FFSTUS. In introducing the name of Festus at the head of the present article, we do not propose entering upon a minute or elaborate examination of the merits of this wonderful, though somewhat ec centric production. Indeed did we so desire, a just regard for the fame of the gifted author, as well as a becoming sense of our own unfitness for the task would induce us to refrain from attempt ing it. We are aware that it is the habit with not a few of those who make pretensions to some thing more than ordinary intelligence to look up on the work of criticism as one of very easy ex ecution. We trust, however, that we will be par doned when we say that to treat this idea with the utmost charity is at most to speak of it as a hasty and ill-considered opinion, indiscriminate praise or wholesale detraction is riot to be dignified with the name of just and enlightened criticism. And so saris the latter from being a common attain ment, that without doubt it is the nicest arid most difficult of arts, demanding peculiar qualifica tions both natural and acquired, and the profound and philosophic critic is at once one of the rarest and ablest of intellectual characters. Not only does his art require that lie should be versed in the rules and principles of grammer and the gen eral .structure of language—that he should be fa miliar with the best models of elegant writing, and accomplished in all the refinements of po- that above and beyond this he lh U .J oSSess lhat sagacious insight by means of th lCh invoke to his aid a knowledge of se su tie and ever-active laws which control ,i passions and affections of the human mind*. , reductions of imagination and fancy are Th! i^ SJ gned to impart pleasure and delight, tin l^ei nselves to our innate concep in tk ° • e sublime and beautiful, as displayed e varied exhibitions of external nature, but in the moral virtues and sensibili- c j j° numan heart. Those immutable prin fou taS - 6 Upon v'hich the art cr iticism is tided are interwoven with the very texture of teN na^u [ e and from an eminent part of our in r f ctuai and s P ir itual being. They are, too, the and standard of the critic’s judgment. They y f aeas his guides in the analysis of composition, c ? an “ft ever hope to become a skillful or a sue a 8 U true and enlarged meaning of whohae not clearly studied the workings of our mental and moral constitution, and pene trated within to the sources of feeling, the foun tains of emotion, and the springs of sensibility and pleasure in the soul. We h ave been led by an earnest wish to correct what we humbly conceive two be a popular error, and will proceed at once to make a few cursory observations upon the character of the work be fore us. And we are forcibly struck, in the first place, with the great diversity of opinion which exists in regard to this performance. Amid this conflict of sentiment we promptly take a friendly position, and would advocate with all honest zeal its claims to the warm admiration of the literary world. In truth, so much fine talent has been made to languish under the stroke of sweeping condemnation, and so much high promiseto wither under the blight of illiberal ridicule, that it is a pleasing task to vindicate the reputation of a true heir of genius from the unmeaning strictures of the ignorant, or the bitter and vindictive tirades of the malicious. The work under consideration has been repeatedly subjected to all the scorching fires of splenetic rage. It has been denounced by religious enthusiasts as inculcating sentiments re pugnant to scriptural teachings and the Christian faith, couched in language of bold impiety and daring irreverence—and it has been laughed at bv the over-wise and over-witty as the wild dream ings and incoherent reveries of some moon-struck and brain-turned visionary. The author, since %/ the book has been given to the candor of the world, as we are informed, has been put by an af flictive dispensation of Providence beyond the in fluence of human praise or human detraction.— The admiration of his friends can no longer elate him, nor the disparagement of his enemies wound him. The most terrible calamity that can befall humanity has been visited upon that noble spirit, and the author of a poem which is destined to live while the literature of his country endures, now lies apart from mankind and lost to himself and to the world. That splendid intellect which but recently towered in all the pride and dignity of its majestic strength has suddenly bent beneath the blast, and fallen prematurely into hopeless ruin. Its pure and effulgent light has gone out in gloom and darkness, and all those wonderful powers which promised to mount the loftiest sum mits of intellectual glory, have been curbed and smitten in their high and elevated career. Such alas! is the frailly of mortal man. But though the author may never more he effected by the kindness or the cruelty of literary judgments, it behooves us by the most solemn and sacred con siderations, as we should cherish the memory of departed genius, faithfully to protect the monu ments its labors had built up to perpetuate its fume. With regard to the first and grand objection urged against Festus, namely, its irreligious or rather unscripturaltone we have something to con cede. We admit that the author’s hearty love for humanity, and his strong hopes and confidence in its ultimate restoration to its lost estate has per haps taken too wfide a latitude. The drift of the poem is perhaps too much tinctured with theper nicious sentiments of Universalism. The idea that all mankind have been preordained in the everlasting councils of the Godhead to eternal happiness and felicity clearly contravenes the cardinal doctrines of revelation. It is indirect and irreconcilable antagonism to the w hole Chris tian system as it would, if established, subvert the mighty scheme of redemption,. and dissipate all those sublime reflections of infinite mercy and unbounded love which are linked with the incom prehensible agonies of the cross. bus far tue work is objectionable and its tendency dangerous. But we think much may be said in extenuation. The author, so far as w’e have been able to per ceive, betrays no fixed, settled purpose to implant this as a conviction in the mind of the reader.— Indeed we seriously doubt whether it be just to infer, from the coloring which it lends to tne po- SAVANNAH, GA„ THURSDAY, JULY 12, 1849. em, that it was his own religious belief. At the same time it must be admitted that the doctrine of Universalism (how r ever we may repudiate it) if not rendered repulsive by the special operation of a heavenly influence upon the heart and mind, renewing the one and illuminating the other, has in it something peculiarly attractive and captiva ting to the poetic imagination. To contemplate the universal famil5 T of man as destined by divine appointment to participate in the ineffable and imperishable glories of eternity, is surely one of those thrilling and transporting conceptions which may well be supposed to overflow the imaginative soul w r ith a tide of rapturous acting. Bui viewing “Festus” simply in the light of a literary production, we are disposed to consider the poem as somewhat defective, first, in the ir regular structure of the verse. In its perusal, the delicacy of a cultivated ear is often pained by the grossest departures from the rules of measure, while it detects throughout a very gen eral want of musical harmony. A more serious defect, how r ever, than the harshness of versifica tion is found, we think, in the second place, in the disproportionate length of the poem to the plan. Some of the subordinate characters are mucio to nrmipy n prnminpnr-R uncalled for by the general scope of the design. The main bearing is too frequently suspended and the unity of the poem consequently impaired, for the pur pose of introducing elaborate speeches upon re fined and abstract questions. The relation of the parts to the whole, and the preservation of a pro per symmetry is not sufficiently observed. Yet the author has unquestionably displayed great power in the vivid interest he has given to the subsidiary incidents. He has most happily suc ceeded in throwing over these under parts the charms of a watching eloquence. By a combina tion of vigorous thought, strong passion and in tense expression, he is sometimes felt to move with mighty and overwhelming pathos, all the sensibilities and emotions of our nature. In his love-passages the heart is softened and subdued by touches of the most exquisite and melting ten derness, while the fancy is led captive with images of stainless purity, and pictures of unalloyed, un clouded bliss. But it is in the more spiritual part of the ma chinery of the poem, that the genius of the author is most strikingly exhibited. The introduction of supernatural agents in a work of art is always a hazardous experiment. Among the many poets of no mean ability wffio have undertaken it, few 7 if any besides the great and* immortal Milton have before at all succeded. Even the famous Dante, justly celebrated as is his sublime muse, has been considered in the judgment of some dis tinguished critics, to have failed in the description of both his celestial and infernal characters. — Notwithstanding, however, the difficulties atten ding such attempts, w r e are prepared to hazard the opinion that the author of Festus, in the char acter of that grand agent Lucifer, has given us quite an original and masterly drawing. The delineation of that fallen angel discovers great discrimination and a penetrating sagacity. It is an epitome of depraved and corrupted humanity. It is a powerful and graphic representation of that dark and selfish principle of our nature which indicates our wretched alienation from virtue, purity, sincerity, and truth. The artful cunning and treacherous duplicity which characterize all his intercourse wdth the intended victim of his wiles, a counterpart of that vile hypocris}’ and base chicanery which unfortunately too many of mankind constantly employ as means for the accomplishment of their unworthy ends. . In descriptive talent, the author of this work has assuredly few if any superiors. The wild wanderings of Lucifer and Festus through the illimitable fields of space—their bold adventures amid the remote provinces of the universe—the ever shifting scenes of sublimity and beauty which are unfolded to their view, and the gorgeous splendors of celestial abodes which break upon their vision, show an almost inexhaustible, fertility and invention. The character of Festus himself seems to be full of contradictions. He appears to be always fluctuating between opposite extremes. Love or indifference, hope or despair, alternately possess him. Now ambition spurs him on to high achieve ments, and he resolves to strugle after a glorious renown. And again, his enthusiasm subsides, he becomes disgusted with every thing around him, and heartily despises all the honors and emolu ments of the world. This instability of purpose, this restlessness of character, is the just descrip tion of one ever acted upon by violent and con flicting influences. In this rapid survey of the poem before us, we have perhaps omited to notice a few other artis tical defects besides those already There is enough, however, of true merit and real excellence to redeem whatever trivial and in considerable faults may have been overlooked. On the whole, viewing Festus as an embodiment of elevated thoughts and impassioned sentiments, we hesitate not to pronounce it one of the noblest efforts of poetic genius. Passages of unsurpassed sublimity are strung like threads of gold through out ilie entire tissue of tho. poem. The richest gems of fancy glitter like diamond sparkles upon almost every page. Trains of the most briliant imagery shoot their luminous flashes over almost every part of this wonderful production. In short, Festus is the fruit of an intellect formed upon the highest order,and fashioned in the noblest mould. Through its mighty breathings it speaks to us of an imagination whose affluence seems w incapable of exhaustion—of a power of language which by its extraordinary energy, transfuses into the burning line the deep tbrillings of a master soul —of a knoweledge of man which uncovers and lays bare all the bidden springs and motives of human conduct —and above all, of a heart en dowed with generous sensibilities—filled with tbs warmest love for the whole species, and throbbing with sublime and infinite aspirations. Such a book is an invaluable acquisition not only to the literature of England, but of the world. Whatever may be its temporary fortunes, we doubt not but that it is ultimately destined to take the high place which its intrinsic merits eminent ly ititle it, along by the side of the most acknowl edged master-pieces of poetic composition. The dwarfish tribe of sentimental scribblers, ever ready to crush with their venomed shafts, arising name, may seek as they will to cripple and distort its inherent beauties, but long after these together with their puny efforts shall have past away and been forgotten, Festus will continue to be read, and receive the just tribute of admiration at the bands of that impartial posterity, whose judgments are unnfFected by those narrow and jealous prejudices which are too apt to sway the feelings and opin ions of a contemporary age. „ L. A Joke. —One of our imps, who had been suf fering with the tooth-ache for a week, screwed up his courage to ha\e it extracted, whereupon he perpetrated the following: “ However agonizing the thought, yet we must part,” said the mouth to the tooth. “ Good riddance and spare your feelings ; in future I’ll have no more of your jaw!” was the prompt reply of the tooth. Encourage the Birds. —If robins and other small birds are encouraged to build near the habitations o.f man. they will prefer such locations to exten sive forests and swamps, where hawks, and crows and snakes are more apt to be their neighbors. Curran’s ruling passion was a joke. In his last illness, his physician observing in the morn ing that he coughed with more difficulty,. be an swered, “That is rather surprising, as I have been practising all night*” NUMBER 19