FRIENDS IN COUNCIL.* THE inferiority of continuations is proverbial. Gibbon
accounted for the cold reception of his second volume on the supposition that " an author who cannot ascend will always appear to sink." Unless the subject be changed or varied—in which case it is scarcely a continuation—the author himself may flag a little, as the reader expecting freshness is die- appointed by sameness. At all events, the second volume of Friends in Council is less attractive than the first. The mere literary merit is indeed the same, but not the matter or the interest. The thoughts are as sensible, though not so new or so deep as before; the style as scholarly and as finished ; but the author would seem to be relying too much on mere composition. The conversations of the writer with his two friends on the subject of the essays are more discursive as regards topics, with- out making up by felicity of manner for want of aptness. The com- monplace subjects of the essays themselves are not so well relieved as formerly by novelty of thought or quiet force of expression.
The subjects, like those in the former volume, relate to general or ab- stract questions, as well as to topics coming home to the present business of life. Of the former are "Reading," "Giving and Taking Criticism," "Government": of the latter, "The Art of Living," and "The Im- provement of the Condition of the Poor." If there had been a more sensible and practical character in the set of essays on Slavery, (the ela- borate series occupying more than half the volume,) that subject would have combined both characteristics.
In the true test of a didactic work, which an essay is, the present vol- ume fails. We gain few if any new ideas from the perusal; the reader is not impressed with a sense of acquisition. A scholarly mood of mind and a finished style remove the idea of particular commonplace; but the whole is commonplace in spirit, compared with the pretensions of the author and his former book. Even on such subjects as reading and criticism there is no novelty of view. The reader is already familiar with the staple of the matter, or could discover it for himself, or may be it is not worth discovering. The ideas may look newer or more important than they are, from the style in which they are disguised ; but when the end is reached the reader has brought little or nothing away with him, and is more wearied with his task than was the case in the former volume. Even where an express direction is given on a subject within the author's immediate experience, the rule, though just, is not comprehensive or bears no marks of practical wisdom. These are some of the directions for reading. "By recommending some choice of subject and method in the pursuit of it, I do not wiish to be held to a narrow interpretation of that word subject.' For ex- ample, I can imagine a man saying, I do not care particularly to investigate this or that question in history; I am not going to pursue any branch of science; bat I have a desire to know what the most renowned men have written: I will see what the twenty or thirty great poets have said; what in various ages has ap peered the best expression of the things nearest to the heart and fancy of man. A person of more adventure and more time might seek to include the greatest wri- ters in morals or history. There are not so many of them. If a man were to read a hundred great authors, he would, I suspect, have heard what mankind has yet had to say upon most things. I am aware of the culture that would be required for such an enterprise; but I merely give it as an instance of what may justly come under the head of the pursuit of one subject, as I mean it, and which cer- tainly would not be called a narrow purpose. "There is soother view of reading, which, though it isobvious enough, is seldom taken, I imagine, or at least acted upon; and that is, that in the course of our reading we should lay up in our minds a store of goodly thoughts in well-wrought words, which should be a living treasure of knowledge always with 98, and frota which, at various times and amidst all the shifting of circumstances, we might be sure of drawing some comfort, guidance, and sympathy. We see this with regard to the sacred writings. 'A word spoken in due season now good is it!' But there is a similar comfort on a lower level to from obtained ,:rn other sources than sacred ones. In any work that is worth carefully reading, there is generally something that is worth remembering accurately. A man whose mind is enriched with the best sayings of the poets of his own country, is a more independent man, walls the street in a town, or the lanes in the country, with far more delight than he otherwise would have; and is taught by wise observers of man and nature to ex- amine for himself. Sancho Panza with his proverbs is a great deal better than he would have been without them. "There is a very refined use which reading might be put to; namely, W counteract the particular evils and temptations of our callings, the original im- perfections of our characters, the tendencies of our age, or of our own time of life. Those, for instance, who are versed in dull crabbed work all day, of a kind which is always exercising the logical faculty, and demanding minute not to say vex; atious criticism, would, daring their leisure, do wisely to expatiate in writings nx a large and imaginative nature. These, however, are often the persons who par- ticularly avoid poetry and works of imagination; whereas they ought, perhaPs,tO cultivate them most. For it should be one of the frequent objects of every man who cares for the culture of his whole being, to give some exercise to those facul- ties which are not demanded by his daily occupations and not encouraged by his disposition." Rules for reading must depend upon the reader. The scholar and the & Friends in Council : a Series of Topics, Readings, and Discourse thereon. Beek the Second. Published by Pickering. professional man are bound to a certain class of books ; and the student will not greatly err if he read any book relating to his pursuit, especially if he read with a zest. For general reading, the best rule is to read the best book; which perhaps resolves itself into the most original—the writer who is the first or head of a class—thefacile prineeps of his age. Such, for instance, were Homer, Horace, Juvenal, Dante, Shakspere, Milton, Dryden, and Pope. In like manner, in a subject of history, go to the original if there be one ; Sallust for the Catiline Conspiracy, Clarendon for the Civil Wars, Bacon for the History of Henry the Seventh ; and for general history the universally acknowledged best—as Gibbon for the Decline and Fall of Rome. At the same time, inclination is rather to be yielded to, especially in the perusal of " out-of-the-way " books, as a ttua for such often indicates a bent towards a pursuit that may grow into consequence. Even the inferior works of other ages are not constrain- edly to be pat away if there is a liking for them: it is only contemporary trash that had need to be systematically eschewed ; the trash that sur- vives through ages is worth looking into. Systematic reading is essen- tial to a student, and good for all as training the mind ; but perhaps the mind is best stored by eon amore reading.
We turned with some curiosity to the six essays on Slavery. A hun- dred pages were not, indeed, needed to teach that slavery is cruel; that modern, especially American slavery, is unauthorized by Scripture; that it is as mischievous to the master as the slave ; that in a certain abstract sense, and if the world were other thau it is, slavery is needless ; and that -there are no races whom we are justified in enslaving. We looked, how- ever, for a large review of the history of slavery, of the causes which led to it, of the consequences which flowed from it, with a close investigation and a clear exposition of the facts which induced its gradual abolition in Europe ; and we hoped that the last essay—" that Slavery can be done away '—would have opened out some tangible scheme of abolition. We were disappointed. There was little in the first five essays that might not be found in countless papers from the Anti-Slavery people, only put with more measure and in a better style. "That slavery can be done away" is left pretty much as a proposition. The only suggestions are, a little more diplomacy with Portugal and Brazil, and some hints to an American planter; of which these are a sample.
"If I had now to address an American planter, perhaps a more important per- son in the matter than any British minister, and he were to tell me that he sin- cerely desired to remedy the present evils of slavery, I should say to hint that he might begin by improving the condition of his own slates. Let him fix shorter times of labour for them; and provide them with good medical advice, good ha- bitations and sufficient diet. Let him give his Degrees something to dispose of in their extra time, buying their services at 'hurrying time' by piece-work. Let him keep accounts to show that humanity answers economically. Let him intro- duce free labour wherever he can. If the reading and writing part of the educa- tion of negroes is jealously forbidden, at least let him have them instructed in some manual arts. Whenever you make them do anything that free men do, even if it be but to play at games, you tend to make them more civilized beings and to break through the prejudice of skin. If the planter has a seat in the As- sembly of his State, he may surely introduce measures for the personal protection of the negro, who seems at present to be worse off in this respect than the Roman slave was. This planter will have great weight if his estate is known to thrive, his negroes rarely to run away, to live longer, and to work more effectively than those of his neighbours. Gradually he might attempt bolder things. He will probably find more support than he has anticipated. In every system of things, hard and solid as it seems, there are secret doubters and dissentients. In the most Papal times, here and there were people who thought for themselves in Church matters; so in Slave States, there may be several persons who if they heard doctrines about the treatment of their slaves contrary to the received prac- tice, (those doctrines being propounded by one of themselves,) might give them a favourable hearing. He might venture to argue in the Assembly in favour of education for the Negroes, and if so might ask his brother planters what they get now by not allowing education. Possibly as a temporary means of police it is not unwise. Still for the future what is it? The highest it aims at is the status quo. But is there not danger in the exact equality of knowledge and condition amongt a servile population? What any one wishing well to America would de- sire, would be to raise up a class in the Slave States between the master and the slave. Therefore, for that end, it is not desirable to scout free Blacks from a Slave State, or to check education amongst slaves."
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