Jamais Les Arbres Verts N'Ont Essaye D'Etre Bleus.-- Theophile Gautier. "A New Review!" You Make Me Tremble (Though As To That, I Can Dissemble Till I Hear More). But Is It "New"? And Will It Be A Real Review?-- I Mean, A Court Wherein The Scales Weigh Equally Both Him That Fails, And Him That Hits The Mark?--A Place Where The Accus'D Can Plead His Case, If Wrong'D? All This I Need To Know Before I (Arrogant!) Say "Go." "We, That Are Very Old" (The Phrase Is Steele'S, Not Mine!), In Former Days, Have Seen So Many "New Reviews" Arise, Arraign, Absolve, Abuse;-- Proclaim Their Mission To The Top (Where There'S Still Room!), Then Slowly Drop, Shrink Down, Fade Out, And Sans Preferment, Depart To Their Obscure Interment;-- We Should Be Pardon'D If We Doubt That A New Venture Can Hold Out. It Will, You Say. Then Don't Be "New"; Be "Old." The Old Is Still The True. Nature (Said Gautier) Never Tries To Alter Her Accustom'D Dyes; And All Your Novelties At Best Are Ancient Puppets, Newly Drest. What You Must Do, Is Not To Shrink From Speaking Out The Thing You Think; And Blaming Where 'Tis Right To Blame, Despite Tradition And A Name. Yet Don't Expand A Trifling Blot, Or Ban The Book For What It's Not (That Is The Poor Device Of Those Who Cavil Where They Can't Oppose!); Moreover (This Is Very Old!), Be Courteous--Even When You Scold! Blame I Put First, But Not At Heart. You Must Give Praise The Foremost Part;-- Praise That To Those Who Write Is Breath Of Life, If Just; If Unjust, Death. Praise Then The Things That Men Revere; Praise What They Love, Not What They Fear; Praise Too The Young; Praise Those Who Try; Praise Those Who Fail, But By And By May Do Good Work. Those Who Succeed, You'll Praise Perforce,--So There'S No Need To Speak Of That. And As To Each, See You Keep Measure In Your Speech;-- See That Your Praise Be So Exprest That The Best Man Shall Get The Best; Nor Fail Of The Fit Word You Meant Because Your Epithets Are Spent. Remember That Our Language Gives No Limitless Superlatives; And Shakespeare, Homer, Should Have More Than The Last Knocker At The Door! "We, That Are Very Old!"--May This Excuse The Hint You Find Amiss. My Thoughts, I Feel, Are What To-Day Men Call Vieux Jeu. Well!--"Let Them Say." The Old, At Least, We Know: The New (A Changing Shape That All Pursue!) Has Been,--May Be, A Fraud. --But There! Wind To Your Sail! Vogue La Galere!