The newspapers of those days were very few and came only at uncertain times to the home of the farmer by the side of some stream or amid the dense8 forest, or to the little hamlets that were springing up in favoured spots, and represented so many radiating influences of intelligence on the borders of the great10 lakes and their tributary9 streams, on the Atlantic seaboard, or on the numerous rivers that form so many natural highways to the people of the maritime10 provinces. These newspapers were for years mostly small quarto or folio sheets, in which the scissors played necessarily the all-important part; but there was, nevertheless, before 1840 in the more pretentious11 journals of the large towns, some good writing done by thoughtful men who studied their questions, and helped to atone12 for the very bitter vindictive13 partisan14 attacks on opponents that too frequently sullied the press in those times of fierce conflict.[16] Books were only found in the homes of the clergy15 or of the official classes, and these were generally old editions and rarely the latest publications of the time. Montreal and Quebec, for many years, were the only places where bookstores and libraries of more than a thousand volumes could be seen. It was not until 1813 that a successful effort was made to establish a "social library" at Kingston, Bath, and some other places in the Midland district. Toronto had no library worth mentioning until 1836. What culture existed in those rude days was to be hunted up among the clergy, especially of the Church of England, the Roman Catholic priests of Lower Canada, and the official classes of the large towns. Some sermons that have come down to us, in pamphlets of very common paper—and very few were printed in those days when postage was dear and bookselling was not profitable—have no pretensions16 to originality17 of thought or literary style: sermons in remarkable18 contrast with the brilliant and suggestive utterances19 of such modern pulpit orators20 as Professor Clarke, of Trinity. The exhaustive and, generally, closely reasoned sermons of the Presbyterian divine had a special flavour of the Westminster confession21 and little of the versatility22 of preachers like Principal Grant in these later times when men are attempting to make even dogma more genial23, and to understand the meaning of the sermon in the Mount. Then, as always in Canada, there were found among the clergy of all denominations24 hardworking, self-denying priests and missionaries25 who brought from time to time to some remote settlement of the provinces spiritual consolation26 and to many a household, long deprived of the intellectual nourishment11 of other days, an opportunity of conversing27 on subjects which in the stern daily routine of their lives in a new country were seldom or ever talked of. It was in the legislative28 halls of the provinces that the brightest intellect naturally found scope for its display, and at no subsequent period of the political history of Canada were there more fervid29, earnest orators than appeared in the days when the battle for responsible government was at its height. The names of Nelson, Papineau, Howe, Baldwin, Wilmot, Johnstone, Young, Robinson, Rolph and Mackenzie recall the era when questions of political controversy30 and political freedom stimulated31 mental development among that class which sought and found the best popular opportunities for the display of their intellectual gifts in the legislative halls in the absence of a great printing press and a native literature. Joseph Howe's speeches[17] displayed a wide culture, an original eloquence32, and a patriotic33 aspiration34 beyond those of any other man of his time and generation, and would have done credit to the Senate of the United States, then in the zenith of its reputation as a body of orators and statesmen. It is an interesting fact that Howe, then printer and publisher, should have printed the first work of the only great humorist that Canada has yet produced. I mean of course "The Clockmaker,"[18] in which Judge Haliburton created "Sam Slick," a type of a Down-east Yankee pedlar who sold his wares35 by a judicious36 use of that quality which is sure to be appreciated the world over, "Soft sawder and human natur'." In this work, which has run through ever so many editions, and is still found on the shelves of every well-equipped library and bookstore, Sam Slick told some home truths to his somewhat self-satisfied countrymen who could not help laughing even if the humour touched them very keenly at times. Nova Scotia has changed much for the better since those dull times when the house of assembly was expected to be a sort of political providence37, to make all the roads and bridges, and give good times and harvests; but even now there are some people cruel enough, after a visit to Halifax, to hint that there still is a grain of truth in the following reflection on the enterprise of that beautiful port: "How the folks to Halifax take it all out in12 talkin'—they talk of steam-boats, whalers and railroads—but they all end where they begin—in talk. I don't think I'd be out in my latitude38 if I was to say they beat the womankind at that. One feller says, I talk of goin' to England—another says, I talk of goin' to the country—while another says, I talk of goin' to sleep. If we Yankees happen to speak of such things we say, 'I'm right off down East;' or 'I'm away off South,' and away we go jist like a streak39 of lightnin'." This clever humourist also wrote the best history[19]—one of his own province—that had been written in British North America up to that time—indeed it is still most readable, and worthy40 of a place in every library. In later days the Judge wrote many other books and became a member of the English House of Commons: but "Sam Slick" still remains41 the most signal illustration of his original genius.
During this period, however, apart from the two works to which I have referred, we look in vain for any original literature worthy of special mention. A history of Canada written by William Smith,[20] a son of an eminent42 chief justice of New York, and subsequently of Canada, was published in excellent style for those days as early as 1815 at Quebec, but it has no special value except to the collector of old and rare books. Bouchette's topographical and geographical43 account of Canada[21] illustrated44 the ability and zeal45 of an eminent French Canadian, who deserved the thanks of his country, but these well printed books were, after all, mere46 compilations47 and came from the English press. Pamphlets were numerous enough, and some of them had literary skill, but they had, in the majority of cases, no permanent value except to the historian or antiquarian of the present day who must sift48 out all sorts of material and study every phase and incident of the times he has chosen for his theme. Michel Bibaud wrote a history of French Canada,[22] which no one reads in these days, and the most of the other works that emanated49 from the Canadian press, like Thompson's "War of 1812,"[23] are chiefly valued by the historical collector. It was not to be expected that in a relatively50 poor country, still in the infancy51 of its development, severely52 tried by political controversies53, with a13 small population scattered54 over a long stretch of territory, from Sydney to Niagara, there could be any intellectual stimulus55 or literary effort except what was represented in newspapers like the Gazette of Montreal—which has always maintained a certain dignity of style in its long journalistic career—the Gazette and the Canadien, of Quebec, the Nova Scotian of Halifax, or displayed itself in keen contests in the legislatures or court-houses of a people delighting always in such displays as there were made of mental power and natural eloquence. From a literary point of view our American neighbours had, during this period, left us away behind, in fact no comparison can be made between the two countries; laying aside the original creation of Sam Slick. Towards the close of the eighteenth century Belknap published his admirable history of New Hampshire,[24] while the third volume of Hutchinson's history of Massachusetts appeared in 1828, to close a work of rare merit alike for careful research, philosophic56 acuteness and literary charm. That admirable collection of political and constitutional essays known as the "Federalist" had attained57 a wide circulation and largely influenced the destinies of the union under the constitution of 1783. Chief Justice Marshall illumined the bench by his great judicial58 decisions which have won a remarkable place in legal literature, on account of their close, acute reasoning, breadth of knowledge, insight into great constitutional principles, and their immediate59 influence on the political development of the federal republic. Washington Irving published, as far back as 1819, his "Sketch60 Book," in which appeared the original creation of Rip Van Winkle, and followed it up with other works which recall Addison's delightful61 style, and gave him a fame abroad that no later American writer has ever surpassed. Cooper's romances began to appear in 1821, and Bancroft published in 1834 the first volume of what is a great history despite its somewhat rhetorical and ambitious style. Hawthorne's "Twice Told Tales" appeared in 1835, but his fame was to be won in later years when he wrote the "Scarlet62 Letter" and the "House of Seven Gables," the most original and quaint63 productions that New England genius has yet produced. If I linger for a moment among these men it is14 because they were not merely American by the influence of their writings; but wherever the English tongue is spoken and English literature is read these writers of a past generation, as it may be said of others of later times, claim the gratitude64 of the untold65 thousands whom they have instructed and helped in many a weary and sad, as well as idle hour. They were not Canadians, but they illustrated the genius of this continent of ours.
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1 intensity | |
n.强烈,剧烈;强度;烈度 | |
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2 concession | |
n.让步,妥协;特许(权) | |
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3 sparse | |
adj.稀疏的,稀稀落落的,薄的 | |
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4 sluggish | |
adj.懒惰的,迟钝的,无精打采的 | |
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5 apathy | |
n.漠不关心,无动于衷;冷淡 | |
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6 axe | |
n.斧子;v.用斧头砍,削减 | |
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7 hewing | |
v.(用斧、刀等)砍、劈( hew的现在分词 );砍成;劈出;开辟 | |
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8 dense | |
a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的 | |
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9 tributary | |
n.支流;纳贡国;adj.附庸的;辅助的;支流的 | |
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10 maritime | |
adj.海的,海事的,航海的,近海的,沿海的 | |
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11 pretentious | |
adj.自命不凡的,自负的,炫耀的 | |
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12 atone | |
v.赎罪,补偿 | |
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13 vindictive | |
adj.有报仇心的,怀恨的,惩罚的 | |
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14 partisan | |
adj.党派性的;游击队的;n.游击队员;党徒 | |
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15 clergy | |
n.[总称]牧师,神职人员 | |
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16 pretensions | |
自称( pretension的名词复数 ); 自命不凡; 要求; 权力 | |
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17 originality | |
n.创造力,独创性;新颖 | |
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18 remarkable | |
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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19 utterances | |
n.发声( utterance的名词复数 );说话方式;语调;言论 | |
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20 orators | |
n.演说者,演讲家( orator的名词复数 ) | |
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21 confession | |
n.自白,供认,承认 | |
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22 versatility | |
n.多才多艺,多样性,多功能 | |
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23 genial | |
adj.亲切的,和蔼的,愉快的,脾气好的 | |
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24 denominations | |
n.宗派( denomination的名词复数 );教派;面额;名称 | |
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25 missionaries | |
n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 ) | |
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26 consolation | |
n.安慰,慰问 | |
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27 conversing | |
v.交谈,谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
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28 legislative | |
n.立法机构,立法权;adj.立法的,有立法权的 | |
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29 fervid | |
adj.热情的;炽热的 | |
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30 controversy | |
n.争论,辩论,争吵 | |
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31 stimulated | |
a.刺激的 | |
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32 eloquence | |
n.雄辩;口才,修辞 | |
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33 patriotic | |
adj.爱国的,有爱国心的 | |
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34 aspiration | |
n.志向,志趣抱负;渴望;(语)送气音;吸出 | |
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35 wares | |
n. 货物, 商品 | |
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36 judicious | |
adj.明智的,明断的,能作出明智决定的 | |
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37 providence | |
n.深谋远虑,天道,天意;远见;节约;上帝 | |
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38 latitude | |
n.纬度,行动或言论的自由(范围),(pl.)地区 | |
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39 streak | |
n.条理,斑纹,倾向,少许,痕迹;v.加条纹,变成条纹,奔驰,快速移动 | |
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40 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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41 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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42 eminent | |
adj.显赫的,杰出的,有名的,优良的 | |
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43 geographical | |
adj.地理的;地区(性)的 | |
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44 illustrated | |
adj. 有插图的,列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词 | |
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45 zeal | |
n.热心,热情,热忱 | |
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46 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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47 compilations | |
n.编辑,编写( compilation的名词复数 );编辑物 | |
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48 sift | |
v.筛撒,纷落,详察 | |
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49 emanated | |
v.从…处传出,传出( emanate的过去式和过去分词 );产生,表现,显示 | |
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50 relatively | |
adv.比较...地,相对地 | |
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51 infancy | |
n.婴儿期;幼年期;初期 | |
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52 severely | |
adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地 | |
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53 controversies | |
争论 | |
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54 scattered | |
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
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55 stimulus | |
n.刺激,刺激物,促进因素,引起兴奋的事物 | |
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56 philosophic | |
adj.哲学的,贤明的 | |
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57 attained | |
(通常经过努力)实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 ); 达到; 获得; 达到(某年龄、水平、状况) | |
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58 judicial | |
adj.司法的,法庭的,审判的,明断的,公正的 | |
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59 immediate | |
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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60 sketch | |
n.草图;梗概;素描;v.素描;概述 | |
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61 delightful | |
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 | |
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62 scarlet | |
n.深红色,绯红色,红衣;adj.绯红色的 | |
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63 quaint | |
adj.古雅的,离奇有趣的,奇怪的 | |
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64 gratitude | |
adj.感激,感谢 | |
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65 untold | |
adj.数不清的,无数的 | |
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