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    a sufficient compensation . If all sterling authors have devoted their lives , and risked their capital—talent and labour—in the production of fine works , so , in modern time ? , many publishers have manifested a spirit of enterprize which has brought to light the neglected fruits of both living and dead genius . We owe no common obligation to Moxon and Pickering , among others , for the resolute efforts they have made to uphold the genuine strength and beauty of English poetry , which has of

    late years been almost absorbed in politics , commerce , and the narrow-minded view and vulgar misinterpretation of true utilitarian philosophy . While we find our friends , the authors , complimenting each other and themselves—we have done something very like the latter in the present article—there can be no indecorum towards their worships , the scribes , in speaking the truth of meritorious publishers . To those , who in their efforts to elevate the literature of their times , the " solid

    pudding , ' as far as certain fine works are concerned , is likel y to be for a long time denied , all true devotees of ' the Temple will be anxious to render a praise not altogether " empty . " We were first led to the foregoing reflections some years since , by noticing the many admirable works published by-Messrs . Taylor and Hessey , and one or two others , but we confess that our reverential love for the fathers of English poetry

    has induced the present paper , which love could not remain unresponsive to the publication of the entire works of Webster , and of a new edition of Lamb ' s Specimens of that class which combines all the great dramatists—with the exception of Schiller—that the world has seen since the days of ^ Eschylus ; —nor to the recent appearance of the old sweet songs contained in the 4 * Book of Gems , " the contents of the latter

    being selected b y one who considers that in searching for beauties among the poets of those days , * ' the only difficulty lies in rejection . " The volume is full of convincing proore of what its editor finely calls " the inventive energy and luxurious rapture of the first poets . " As an instance of the former , we would refer particularl y to the powerful "

    Induction " of Sackville , while of the latter there are so many " gems" that , after mentioning the song entitled , " The Lover complaineth the unkindnesss of his Love , " we must leave the reader to as close a companionship with the collection , as his nature may be able to attain . But for specimens of the finest combination of " inventive energy and luxurious rapture , " ire

    need only allude to some of Shakspeare ' s Sonnets . What an answer does the entire selection give to those doll casuists who assure us that the early English poets contain little else than grossness , clumsy vulgarity , ridiculous conceits , and mere ' redundancy of diction !' But there is another merit in the book last mentioned .

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    Spirit of Modern Publishers . if 5

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1836, page 275, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2657/page/11/