A
thousand thousand may use "a novel of daring adventure," "a poem
full of grace and beauty," or "shows the reaction of a thoughtful
mind to the facts of the universe," without exhausting the supply.
It is like the manufacture of paper money, and the effect on
credit is precisely the same.
So much for the various types of reviewers who, however
interesting they may be critically, cannot be called good. The
good reviewers, let an uncharitable world say what it will, are,
thank heaven! more numerous. Their divisions, temperamental and
intellectual, present a curious picture of the difficulties and
the rewards of this profession. Yet I cannot enter upon them here,
and for good reasons.
The good reviewer is like the good teacher and the good preacher.
He is not rare, but he is precious. He has qualities that almost
escape analysis and therefore deserve more than a complimentary
discussion. He must hold his book like a crystal ball in which he
sees not only its proper essence in perfect clarity, but also his
own mind mirrored. He must--... In other words, the good reviewer
deserves an essay of his own. He is a genius in a minor art, which
sometimes becomes major; a craftsman whose skill is often
exceptional.
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