sartor resartus-第60章

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　beyond　the　period　when　dress　is　practically　a　matter　of　interest；　we　have　no　hesitation　in　saying；　that　the　real　subject　of　the　work　is　to　us　more　attractive　than　the　ostensible　one。　　But　this　is　probably　not　the　case　with　the　mass　of　readers。　　To　the　younger　portion　of　the　community；　which　constitutes　everywhere　the　very　great　majority；　the　subject　of　dress　is　one　of　intense　and　paramount　importance。　　An　author　who　treats　it　appeals；　like　the　poet；　to　the　young　men　end　maddens_virginibus　puerisque_and　calls　upon　them；　by　all　the　motives　which　habitually　operate　most　strongly　upon　their　feelings；　to　buy　his　book。　　When；　after　opening　their　purses　for　this　purpose；　they　have　carried　home　the　work　in　triumph；　expecting　to　find　in　it　some　particular　instruction　in　regard　to　the　tying　of　their　neckcloths；　or　the　cut　of　their　corsets；　and　meet　with　nothing　better　than　a　dissertation　on　Things　in　General；　they　willto　use　the　mildest　termnot　be　in　very　good　humor。　　If　the　last　improvements　in　legislation；　which　we　have　made　in　this　country；　should　have　found　their　way　to　England；　the　author；　we　think；　would　stand　some　chance　of　being　_Lynched_。　　Whether　his　object　in　this　piece　of　_supercherie_　be　merely　pecuniary　profit；　or　whether　he　takes　a　malicious　pleasure　in　quizzing　the　Dandies；　we　shall　not　undertake　to　say。　　In　the　latter　part　of　the　work；　he　devotes　a　separate　chapter　to　this　class　of　persons；　from　the　tenor　of　which　we　should　be　disposed　to　conclude；　that　he　would　consider　any　mode　of　divesting　them　of　their　property　very　much　in　the　nature　of　a　spoiling　of　the　Egyptians。

〃The　only　thing　about　the　work；　tending　to　prove　that　it　is　what　it　purports　to　be；　a　commentary　on　a　real　German　treatise；　is　the　style；　which　is　a　sort　of　Babylonish　dialect；　not　destitute；　it　is　true；　of　richness；　vigor；　and　at　times　a　sort　of　singular　felicity　of　expression；　but　very　strongly　tinged　throughout　with　the　peculiar　idiom　of　the　German　language。　This　quality　in　the　style；　however；　may　be　a　mere　result　of　a　great　familiarity　with　German　literature；　and　we　cannot；　therefore；　look　upon　it　as　in　itself　decisive；　still　less　as　outweighing　so　much　evidence　of　an　opposite　character。〃　_North…American　Review；　No。　　89；　October_；　1835。


IV。　　NEW　ENGLAND　EDITORS。

〃The　Editors　have　been　induced；　by　the　expressed　desire　of　many　persons；　to　collect　the　following　sheets　out　of　the　ephemeral　pamphlets*　in　which　they　first　appeared；　under　the　conviction　that　they　contain　in　themselves　the　assurance　of　a　longer　date。

*_Fraser's_　（London）　_Magazine_；　1833…34。

〃The　Editors　have　no　expectation　that　this　little　Work　will　have　a　sudden　and　general　popularity。　　They　will　not　undertake；　as　there　is　no　need；　to　justify　the　gay　costume　in　which　the　Author　delights　to　dress　his　thoughts；　or　the　German　idioms　with　which　he　has　sportively　sprinkled　his　pages。　　It　is　his　humor　to　advance　the　gravest　speculations　upon　the　gravest　topics　in　a　quaint　and　burlesque　style。　　If　his　masquerade　offend　any　of　his　audience；　to　that　degree　that　they　will　not　hear　what　he　has　to　say；　it　may　chance　to　draw　others　to　listen　to　his　wisdom；　and　what　work　of　imagination　can　hope　to　please　all！　　But　we　will　venture　to　remark　that　the　distaste　excited　by　these　peculiarities　in　some　readers　is　greatest　at　first；　and　is　soon　forgotten；　and　that　the　foreign　dress　and　aspect　of　the　Work　are　quite　superficial；　and　cover　a　genuine　Saxon　heart。　　We　believe；　no　book　has　been　published　for　many　years；　written　in　a　more　sincere　style　of　idiomatic　English；　or　which　discovers　an　equal　mastery　over　all　the　riches　of　the　language。　　The　Author　makes　ample　amends　for　the　occasional　eccentricity　of　his　genius；　not　only　by　frequent　bursts　of　pure　splendor；　but　by　the　wit　and　sense　which　never　fail　him。

〃But　what　will　chiefly　commend　the　Book　to　the　discerning　reader　is　the　manifest　design　of　the　work；　which　is；　a　Criticism　upon　the　Spirit　of　the　Agewe　had　almost　said；　of　the　hourin　which　we　live；　exhibiting　in　the　most　just　and　novel　light　the　present　aspects　of　Religion；　Politics；　Literature；　Arts；　and　Social　Life。　　Under　all　his　gayety　the　Writer　has　an　earnest　meaning；　and　discovers　an　insight　into　the　manifold　wants　and　tendencies　of　human　nature；　which　is　very　rare　among　our　popular　authors。　The　philanthropy　and　the　purity　of　moral　sentiment；　which　inspire　the　work；　will　find　their　way　to　the　heart　of　every　lover　of　virtue。〃_Preface　to　Sartor　Resartus：　　　Boston_；　1835；　1837。


SUNT；　FUERUNT　VEL　FUERE。

LONDON；　30th　June；　1838。






The　End