28 



REMARKS ON " THE DESERTED VILLAGE 



should not follow, that he has failed to convey to the minds 

 of his readers the very ideas which he labours to impress. 

 The severity of his tone takes from the beauty of his verse, 

 whilst the excellencies of the character are made more to 

 consist in his oratory, than, as the case is with Goldsmith, in 

 the quiet, unpretending excellency of his life. Cowper 

 depicts a popular speaker ; G oldsmith a good man, endeared 

 to those around him by the excellence of his conduct, the 

 kindness of his manner, and the disinterestedness of his bene- 

 volence, more than by the fervour of his eloquence or the 

 purity of his precepts. Cowper shews us the man who can 

 address himself with eifect to an educated congregation ; 

 Goldsmith the unsophisticated being whom 



"E'en children followed with endearing wile, 

 And plucked his gown ;" 



and yet, beloved as he was by all classes of the community, 

 "All his serious thoughts had rest in Heaven." 



Dryden has attempted the same theme and at greater length ; 

 he has, in fact, amplified Chaucer, and presented the ancient 

 poet's description in more modern language. 



The next character brought before us is the village school- 

 master, who, if not so important as the last, is not the less 

 useful. Those points in his character which tend to excite a 

 smile are the necessary consequence of the position of such 

 a person, whose acquirements are always superior to those 

 by whom he is surrounded, a circumstance which tends to 

 encourage a degree of self-confidence which enables him, 

 though vanquished in argument, still to argue. This and 

 much more may willingly be conceded to him who has such 

 an arduous daily labour as that of governing a school of 

 unruly boys. The schoolmaster has frequently a difficult 

 task to pursue between his duty to the pupils and the foolish 

 fondness of ignorant parents ; and if such persons are in their 



