Did he shed light upon any
important province of human interest, upon religion, morals, politics,
art, science, history, education, manners or whatever else? I cannot
report that he did so. Did he lay a noble emphasis upon any great truth
or order of truths and so recommend it effectually to the attention and
consideration of mankind? Or did he even write a single sentence which
one treasures up as an imperishable jewel? In fine, does his work serve
to enlarge the souls, enlighten the minds, direct the wills or quicken
and inspire the better powers of man? Does it so much as breathe upon
them a salubrious air? Alas no! To all such questions the answer, or
mine own at least, will be negative. Yet he was indeed a great writer:
that is, he had a great, a truly wonderful power of conception and
representation. Mr. Arnold, who for aught one can discover to the
contrary, distinguishes the nature of Swift's genius and prizes it only
for what it is worth, does not claim that Emerson was a greater writer
in the same sense, but thinks his deliverance somewhat faulty,
especially as wanting that continuity which belongs to good literary
tissue, as to every other.
"Suppose him quite wrong in this, still the error is not one to be warm
about, since it leaves the Concord essayist in his place of
pre-eminence, and is put forth only by way of determining the kind of
value which shall be attributed to his writings.
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