Page:The Atlantic Monthly Volume 9.pdf/97

86 Light Literature.

86

[January,

LIGHT LITERATURE. THoUGH the smallest boulder is heavy, and even the merest pebble has a per ceptible weight, yet the entire planet, toward which both gravitate, floats more

hope is so low, and his imaginations so Wings poor, that he is earthly and evil.

ness of the planet; while between them range the weighty masses, superior to the petty ponderability of the one, and un

for these unfledged hearts! Transfor mation for these grubs' Give us anima tion, inspiration, joy, faith ! Give us en livening, lightsome airs, to which our souls shall, on a sudden, begin to dance, keep ing step with the angels! What else is worth having? Each one of these sor did sons of men—is he not a new-born Apollo, who waits only for the ambrosia

equal to the firmamental float of the oth Accordingly, setting out from the er. mote-and-pebble extreme, you find, that,

from Olympus, to spring forth in divine ness of beauty and strength ? Nevertheless, know not of any read

up to a certain point, increasing values of thought are commonly indicated by in creasing gravity, by more and more of

ing so hopelessly heavy as large portions of that which claims the name of light. Light writing it may be ; but, consider

state-paper

ed as reading, one would be unjust to charge upon it any lack of avoirdupois. It is like the bran of wheat, which, though

men

can bestow upon

us.

is good, but invigoration

Information

is a thousand Cheer, cheer and vigor for times better. the world's heart! It is because man's

did

once attempt Pope's “Dunciad.” And was it really the doom of a generation

of readers to find delight in this book? One must suppose There are those our day whose hard fate read and like James's and Bulwer's novels. But greatly mistaken the scholar who, to

is

it

It

an

is

to

for relief from severe studies, goes empty insincere book. like sav ing money, after large and worthy ex penditures, purchasing low price buying nothing, that which worth

“gold”

watches mock-auction room. book, however witty, lively, saltatory, can have the volant effects we

Indeed,

covet, ness.

Substance, however,

want substance

and serious be

I

I

but

—

There is a call for “light reading,” and for one applaud the demand. A light ening influence is the best that books or

Guicciardini;

at a

breeze, may compare with sparrows and thrushes, that can fly and withal sing.

I

er attempted

is to

with “Prometheus Bound,” with any su work, only as cobwebs and this tle-down, that are easily borne by the preme

latter, but, after a brief trial, petitioned for leave to reverse his election. nev

so.

less than nothing. The novelette of the season, or any finest and flimsiest gossamer that is fabricated in our literary looms, compares with “Lear,”

crime, to make choice between lying in prison for a term of years and reading the history of Guicciardini, he chose the

is

ces, and weigh

notwithstanding.

is related of an Italian culprit, that, being required, in punishment of his

at a

even to the powerful prose of Raleigh, you pass the boundary-line, and are touched with the buoyant influences of Shakspeare and Plato are the Muse. lighter than levity; they are lifting for

It

–

by

but going beyond these to the “Areopagitica” of Milton, or

to the contrary

Graham

is

ers in our language;

of little weight in the barrel, is heavy enough in the stomach, Dr. Sylvester

no

er— especially the latter, the first book of whose “Ecclesiastical Polity” is a tru ly noble piece of writing—stand, perhaps, at the head of the weighty class of writ

it

weightiness; but beyond this the rule is reversed, and lightness be comes the sign and measure of excel lence. Bishop Butler and Richard Hook

I

to

Here also are found the insignificantlight ness of the pebble and the mighty light

or

In literature be observed.

if

than any feather. analogous may

in

fightly

somewhat

widely