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* Portions of this and of the following letter of Emerson have
been printed by Mr. Alexander Ireland in his "Ralph Waldo
Emerson: Recollections of his Visits to England," &c. London,
1882.
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But the manner of it!--the author sitting as Demiurgus, trotting
out his manikins, coaxing and bantering them, amused with their
good performance, patting them on the back, and rating the
naughty dolls when they misbehave; and communicating his mind
ever in measure, just as much as the young public can understand;
hinting the future, when it would be useful; recalling now and
then illustrative antecedents of the actor, impressing, the
reader that he is in possession of the entire history centrally
seen, that his investigation has been exhaustive, and that he
descends too on the petty plot of Prussia from higher and
cosmical surveys. Better I like the sound sense and the absolute
independence of the tone, which may put kings in fear. And, as
the reader shares, according to his intelligence, the haughty
_coup d'oeil_ of this genius, and shares it with delight, I
recommend to all governors, English, French, Austrian, and other,
to double their guards, and look carefully to the censorship of
the press.
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