There is an occasional severity in some of these strictures which we highly approve. Not that we presume to decide on the justice of the judgments pronounced. We have not read the works; but judgment must be followed by execution; and the critic in his own executioner. The self sufficiency of authors cares nothing for praise. They rarely receive so much as comes up to their own estimate of their merits. To make them value it, they should be put in fear of censure. The number of works reviewed in this monthly periodical, shows how much the cacoethes scribendi needs to be restrained. We dare not flatter ourselves that even half the praise bestowed is due, except according to a very low standard of excellence. When a very high place in the scale is awarded to a "bad imitation" of Walter Scott's "worst manner," the scale cannot be graduated very far above "temperate." There can be no such thing as blood heat, or fever heat, upon it.
The longest of the metrical pieces, indeed, deserves less lenient treatment, and we shall do Mr. White a service, by defending him from the future contributions of one whom he may not choose to offend. We mean the author of "The Dream." In this, there is no one poetical thought, at first, or second hand. The verse is smooth, for the writer has a good ear; but the ideas are dull prose. To make the matter worse, it is a palpable imitation; not larcenous, indeed; for there is no attempt at concealment; so that it is more of the nature of a mere trespass. But it is an undisguised imitation of Byron! and what is worse, of Byron's most wonderful poem "The Dream!!!" It is such an imitation as a boy would make who should paint a rose with pokeberry-juice.
We were disappointed in a "Dramatic Extract" from the pen of Mr. Edgar A. Poe. He had taught us to expect much, for his prose is very often high wrought poetry; but his poetry is prose, not in thought, but in measure. This is a defect of ear alone, which can only be corrected by more study than the thing is worth. As he has a large interest in all the praise that we have bestowed on the Messenger, we hope he will take this slight hint as kindly as it is meant.
From the Richmond Religious Herald.
Southern Literary Messenger.—The publication of the second volume of this work commences with the present number for December. The work was commenced as an experiment to test the practicability of sustaining a literary work in the South. The experiment has been successful. The Messenger has taken a high stand as one of the first literary publications in our country. It has called into existence several gifted pens. It is now established on a permanent basis, and commences its second year with increasing prospects of success, and we hope will yield a fair remuneration to its enterprizing and worthy proprietor. In point of typographical execution it is unequalled by any similar work in the United States.
From the Boon's Lick Democrat.
We have received the Southern Literary Messenger, published monthly at Richmond, Virginia, by Mr. Thomas W. White. It sustains well the high character of its previous numbers—and contains much valuable and entertaining matter. This periodical, the only successful Literary enterprise, we believe, in which southern genius is enlisted, has received showers of applause from all quarters—and indeed it richly merits them all. We recommend those of our friends, who are fond of this species of reading, to try the Messenger—they will find it better—far better than the trash that is circulated in most of the literary periodicals of the day.