Author Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1838 Excerpt:...the onset.". i,1 "You do not see all the calumnies that are already put forth against me, to saylnothing of all the assurances (and manyby clever men) that there is nothing in me!" "Denis was a clever man, and said the same thing of your Pope. Madame de Sévigné was a clever Woman, but she thought Racine would never be very famous. Milton saw nothing in the first efforts of Dryden, that made him consider Dryden better than a rbymester. Aristophanes was a good judge of poetry, yet how ill he judged of Euripides! But all this is common-place, and yet you bringsarguments, that a common-place answers, in evidence against yourself." _ "But it is unpleasant not to answer attacks--not to retaliate on enemies." "Then answer attacks, and retaliate on enemies." "But, would that be wise?" S "lf it give you pleasure;--it would not please me." "Come, De Montaigne, you are reasoning Socratically. I will ask you plainly and bluntly, would you advise an author to wage war on his literary assailants, or to despise them T' ' "Both; let him attack but few, and those rarely. But it is his policy to show that he is one whom it is better not to provoke too far. The author' always has the world on his side against the critics,-if he choose his opportunity. And he must always recollect that he is 'A srarn' in himself, which must sometimes go to war in order to procure peace. The time for war or for peace must be left to the State's own diplomacy and wisdom." 1 "You would make us political machines?" "I would make every man's conduct more or less mechanical; for system is the triumph of mind over matter; the just equilibrium ofall the...