They were relished by every man
of genius: although there were found many men of genius who
condemned them without just ground. The true critic will but demand
that that the design intended be accomplished, to the fullest
extent, by the means most advantageously applicable.
We have very few American tales of real merit- we may say, indeed,
none, with the exception of "The Tales of a Traveller" of Washington
Irving, and these "Twice-Told Tales" of Mr. Hawthorne. Some of the
pieces of Mr. John Neal abound in vigor and originality; but in
general his compositions of this class are excessively diffuse,
extravagant, and indicative of an imperfect sentiment of Art. Articles
at random are, now and then, met with in our periodicals which might
be advantageously compared with the best effusions of the British
Magazines; but, upon the whole, we are far behind our progenitors in
this department of literature.
Of Mr. Hawthorne's Tales we would say, emphatically, that they
belong to the highest region of Art- and Art subservient to genius
of a very lofty order. We had supposed, with good reason for so
supposing, that he had been thrust into his present position by one of
the impudent cliques which beset our literature, and whose pretensions
it is our full purpose to expose at the earliest opportunity, but we
have been most agreeably mistaken.
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