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Honoured Madam:—
When the great and illustrious Lessing died, one of
my co-religionists, Moses Mendelssohn (usually
spoken of as the Jewish philosopher), addressed a
letter to the brother of the poet, in which he
passed a warm eulogium on the renowned author of
“Nathan the Wise,” for the spirit of toleration
which this celebrated work had disseminated
throughout Germany. Moses Mendelssohn gratified his
attachment and respect to a master-mind. But in
expressing to you my own thoughts on reading your
able article on the late amiable and gifted Grace
Aguilar, I have the advantage of doing so, whilst
you are still pursuing your praiseworthy and most
useful career, scattering around you a humanizing
influence, the scintillations of your own refined
and enlightened intellect. Hence, from my heart of
hearts I thank you; for when your able production
is compared with those which have treated of my
people, your pen seemed dipped in some sweet and
perfumed compound, whilst theirs have been too often
saturated in gall-like bitterness. You, madam, have
the holiest and best reward, in the consciousness
that your tribute will prove the very best antidote
to inveterate prejudices, which have and do still
disfigure the moral beauty of those who nurture
them. The reason is obvious;—you have weighed the
merit of the departed lady, and, with a purity of
mind, have held the balance of criticism poised on
the immutable data of justice and benevolence. The
lesson of toleration you have given, like that of
the illustrious Lessing, will vibrate on the noblest
sympathies of persons of all creeds, whose souls are
charged with a divine influence, and by its means
are drawn together by a powerful and mysterious
impulse, which is shown in a spirit of forbearance
and philanthropy.
Hence, every enlightened and really God-fearing Jew
and Christian must look on “your labour of love” as
the noblest mission of a highly-gifted and refined
woman, doing an act of literary justice to a
departed sister, on whose tomb you have strewn some
beautiful garlands of elevated thoughts, and of
purest and holiest sentiments.
Probably I should not have ventured to give this
imperfect expression of my opinion, but, as the
testimonial you alluded to, given to the departed
Grace Aguilar prior to her visit to Germany,—had not
the idea of presenting such a testimonial from the
“Women of Israel” <<416>> originated in my own family, and the
“address” been delivered by my eldest daughter. So,
as we all esteemed Grace Aguilar when living, and
respect her memory now she is numbered with the
dead, we naturally hold in our estimation a lady
like yourself, who has embalmed her spirit-doings on
earth in such a lovely composition, so full of
grace, beauty, and truth.
Trusting you may be spared many years in health, to
enrich with your generous profusion of poetic
thoughts the matter-of-fact world of plodding
humanity.
I
am, honoured madam, with most respectful esteem,
Yours, most truly,
J. L. Levison
14
Devonshire Place
Brighton, May 11, 1851. |
