ROOK NOTICE.

Evening Star, Issue 7449, 18 February 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

ROOK NOTICE.

Eighteenth Century Essays, Selected by Austin Dobson. Kegau, Paul, Trench, and Co., publishers, London ; Janies Horsburgh, George street, Dunedin. This is a small volume of 253 pages, between thirty and forty of which are devoted to illustrative notes. The essays are selected from the works of Addison and Steele, to which are added choice ones from Chesterfield, Dr Johnson, Goldsmith, and others. These charmingly written essays are not dry, argumentative disquisitions on mental and moral philosophy, but pleasantly told sketches of men and manners. It is true the men and manners were of a past age ; hut in many respects they are the more interesting on that account. On reading them weave carried through the eighteenth century. But the men and women of that period were of like nature with ourselves ; and just as Shakespeare’s characters find their counterparts in the present day, and act their parts according to the circumstances surrounding them, we can imagine how Steele’s aud Addison’s representative characters would comport themselves if they lived and walked among us. But, apart from their historic value, they have aii educational one iu beauty and grace of style and diction. Two centuries have nearly passed since Addison’s ‘Spectator’ charmed the elite of England ; but tiie verdict of Dr Johnson is as true at this day as when the literary Ursa Major uttered it ; “ Whoever wishes to attain au English style, familiar hut not coarse, and elegant hut not ostentatious, must give his days and nights to the volumes of Addison.” Since Johnson’s days there have been essayists who are equally entitled to he followed as models. For instance, we may mention Lord Macaulay, Sydney Smith, Washington Irving, and others; but graphic as were their descriptions, charming the pictures, and choice their language, their writings do not excel in interest the life sketches selected from the works of the essayists of Queen Anne’s and the succeeding reigns of the eighteenth century. Alueh that was written in that day would now ho out of date ; for knowledge has increased and permeated every class of society. A judicious selection has been made by Mr Dobson, and thus much trouble has been saved to those who wish to become acquainted with gems of English literature but have not time to sift voluminous writings for themselves.