a right book I meet the eyes of the most determined of men; his force and terror inundate every word; the 15 commas and dashes are alive; so that the writing is athletic and nimble-can go far and live long. In England and America one may be an adept in the writings of a Greek or Latin poet without any poetic taste or fire. That a man has spent years on Plato and 50 Proclus does not afford a presumption that he holds heroic opinions or undervalues the fashions of his town. But the German nation have the most ridiculous good faith on these subjects; the student out of the lectureroom still broods on the lessons, and the professor can- 55 not divest himself of the fancy that the truths of philosophy have some application to Berlin and Munich. This earnestness enables them to outsee men of much more talent. Hence, almost all the valuable distinctions which are current in higher conversation have been de- 60 rived to us from Germany. But, whilst men distinguished for wit and learning in England and France adopt their study and their side with a certain levity, and are not understood to be very deeply engaged, from grounds of character, to the topic or the part they es- 65 ANALYSIS.-44. right book. Give an equivalent. 44-47. What figure in these lines? 45. Name the figure in this line. 49. a Greek or Latin poet. Criticise. 50. Who was Plato? 51. Who was Proclus? 53. Is nation used here in the abstract or in the concrete? 54, 55. out of the lecture-room. What does the phrase modify? 55 Give the different meanings of broods. 57 For what are Berlin and Munich remarkable? 58. Give the meaning of outsee. pouse, Goethe, the head and body of the Ger. nan nation, does not speak from talent, but the truth shines through: he is very wise, though his talent often veils his wisdom. However excellent his sentence is, he has somewhat i etter in view. It awakens my curiosity. He has the 70 formidable independence which converse with truth gives; hear you or forbear, his fact abides, and your interest in the writer is not confined to his story, and he dismissed from memory when he has performed his tak creditably, as a baker when he has left his loaf; 75 but his work is the least part of him. The old Eternal Genius who built the world has confided himself more to this man than to any other. I dare not say that Goethe ascended to the highest grounds from which genius has spoken. He has not worshiped the highest unity; he 80 is incapable of a self-surrender to the moral sentiment. There are nobler strains in poetry than any he has sounded. There are writers poorer in talent whose tone is purer and more touches the heart. Goethe can never be dear to men. His is not even the devotion to pure 85 truth, but to truth for the sake of culture. He has no aims less large than the conquest of universal Nature, of universal truth, to be his portion: a man not to be bribed, nor deceived, nor overawed; of a stoical self ANALYSIS.-66. What figure on nation? 68. Point out a figure in the line. 72. Supply ellipsis. 74. Parse dismissed. 75. What figure in the line? 76, 77. Eternal Genius. Who is meant? 79. Point out the figure. 82. Dispose of there. Supply the ellipsis. 84. Explain the grammatical use of more as here used. 86, 87. Rewrite this clause. 88. to be his portion. Of what is this a modifier? 89. stoical self-denial. What is the meaning? having one test for all 90 All possessions are val command and self-denial, and men: What can you teach me? ued by him for that only-rank, privileges, health, time, being itself. He is the type of culture, the amateur of all arts and sciences and events; artistic, but not artist; spiritual, 95 but not spiritualist. There is nothing he had not a right to know; there is no weapon in the armory of universal genius he did not take into his hand, but with peremptory heed that he should not be for a moment prejudiced by his instruments. He lays a ray of light under every 100 fact, and between himself and his dearest property. From him nothing was hid, nothing withholden. The lurking demons sat to him, and the saint who saw the demons; and the metaphysical elements took form. "Piety itself is no aim, but only a means, whereby, 105 through purest inward peace, we may attain to highest culture." And his penetration of every secret of the fine arts will make Goethe still more statuesque. His affections help him, like women employed by Cicero to worm out the secret of conspirators. Enmities he has 110 none. Enemy of him you may be; if so, you shall teach him aught which your good-will cannot, were it only what experience will accrue from your ruin. ANALYSIS.-92. Give the antecedent of that. With what are rank, privileges, etc. in apposition? 95. Dispose of artistic and artist. 97. Of what is to know a modifier? 97, 98. Point out the figure. 100 101. What figure in the line? 102 withholden. Modernize. 104. Supply the ellipsis. 108. statuesque. What figure? 109. Point out the figure in the line. 110. worm out the secret. What figure? 111. Explain the use of so. Ei emy and welcome, but enemy on high terins. He cannot hate anybody; his time is worth too much. 115 Temperamental antagonisms may be suffered, but like feuds of emperors, who fight dignifiedly across kingdoms. ANALYSIS.—114. Enemy and welcome, etc. Reconstruct this sen tence. 116. What is the meaning of Temperamental antagonisms! 117. Point out the figure. EXTRACTS. THE hand that rounded Peter's dome, Himself from God he could not free; The Problem. OH, when I am safe in my sylvan home, THOUGHT is the property of him who can entertain it, and of him who can accurately place it.-Representative Men.. 13. JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL. 1819-1891. JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL, a distinguished American poet, critic, and essayist, was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, February 22, 1819. He graduated in 1838. He then studied law in Harvard University, and having been admitted to the bar in 1840, he opened an office in Boston. He soon, however, abandoned the practice of law and devoted himself entirely to literature. Lowell's first published work was his Class Poem, recited at Harvard College when he graduated. In 1841 he published a volume of poems entitled A Year's Life. This was never reprinted, but a new volume of poems, containing A Legend of Brittany, Prometheus Rhæcus, and many shorter pieces, was published in 1844. This was followed in 1845 by a volume of prose entitled Conversations on Some Old Poets. A second series of Poems was issued in 1848. In the same year also he published The Vision of Sir Launfal and the Biglow Papers, the latter being a humorous satire written ostensibly by Hosea Biglow, into which the Yankee dialect is introduced with admirable effect. It was directed chiefly against slavery and the war with Mexico in 1846-48. During this same year (1848) he published anonymously his Fable for Critics, a rhymed essay on the principal living American authors. Mr. Lowell visited England, France, Switzerland, and Italy in 1851, and returned to America in 1852. In 1854-55 he delivered a course of twelve lectures on the British poets, which was received with great favor. |