The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-25 00:00:00

AYTOUN ON POETRY.

LECTURE THE SIXTH, AND LAST.
Everything considered, the last has proved, in all re-
spects, and in very truth, the " crowning" lecture of the
brief but most interesting series recently delivered by
Professor Aytoun on Poetry and Dramatic Literature.
It bore reference, as the syllabus pithily intimated, to
perhaps the most attractive portion of the glorious
theme, upon several of the beauties of which the gifted
and accomplished author" of the " Lays of the Scottish
Cavaliers" has lately descanted In terms of singularly
genial and comprehensive appreciation : "A Review
of Modern British Poetry in its most remarkable
Forms, with Illustrations." At the commencement of his
dissertation yesterday, Professor Aytoun at once - inti-
mated his resolve to abstain from criticism upon the dif-
ferent poetical writers now living—conscious that there
might be an indecorum in his venturing to pronounce
any judgment upon authors numbered amongst the ranks
of his own immediate contemporaries. AlthoUgh we
cannot but admit the delicacy of this determination on
the part of the Lecturer, we must, nevertheless, acknow-
ledge for ourselves, that, in hearing it, we experienced
a sense of genuine and grievous disappointment. We
should have listened with such sincere and unaffected
gratification to the expression of opinions entertained
upon this one important section of our current litera-
ture by a critic so peculiarly competent to analyse these
latest indications in a metrical form of aspirings after
the True and the Beautiful. We should have liked to
hear his estimate of the, variable genius of Alfred
Tennyson. We should have hearkened with eager
curiosity to his comments upon the stately and or nate
verse of Bulwer Lytton. We should have lent an
attentive ear to the sentence pronounced by
him upon the occasional, but too often vague and
nebulous splendour, of the " Festus " of Philip
Bayley—upon the simple but heart-born aiad
impassioned lyrics of Charles Mackay upon
the delicate and refined merits scattered profusely
through the " Van Arteveldt" of Henry Taylor—upon
the pomp of Croly, and the elegance of Milman, and the
melody of Talfourd, and the pathetic energy of Marston,
and the alternate sweetness and solemnity of Wilson.
Among the survivors of the previous generation we
should have rejoiced to hear—besides that graceful tri-
bute to the classic charm of Samuel Rogers—allusion
also to the fragmentary productions of Bryan Procter,
to the austere but generous muse of James Montgomery,
and to those unequal, but frequently exquisite, fruits of
the poetic genius of' Leigh Hunt, whose memory will be
kept green in the hearts of his fellow-countrymen less by
his " Story of Rimini," than by minor pieces like his dainty
and vivacious liries to one of his little children, or his
wonderful description of the miracles worked upon the
violin by the wizard hand of Paganini. Among the
recently dead we should have liked to have found men-
tion of poor Thomas Hood and of gentle Bernard Bar-
ton. Among the humbler minstrels, humbler we mean
by their origin—among those whose lips have drawn
music from the oaten stops—we should have welcomed,
even though in passing reference, Critchley Prince, still
living, and Ebenezer Elliot, and Robert Nicholls, both
of whom have not very long departed. Among the
younger aspirants, again, might have been particularised
William Allingham, and Sydney Yendys, and Alexander
Smith, each of whom has giv.en promise of much future
excellence, and the last mentioned of whom in particular
has lately elicited from so many quarters language ex-
pressive of cordial admiration and unstinted encourage-
ment. Professor Aytoun, however, refrained as we
have said, wisely, though we doubt not likewise some-
what reluctantly, from passing any analytic remarks
upon the writings of his immediate contemporaries.
He restricted his observations almost exclusively to the
review of some among the principal poets of the pre-
ceding generation.
Beginning with Walter Scott, the Lecturer cha-
racterised the author of " Marmion" as essentially
the Poet of Action—speaking of his metrical
writings as at once bold, energetic, and picturesque.
William Wordsworth he admitted to be sometimes (!)
unfortunate both in the selection of his subjects
and in the manner of their treatment account-
ing for this by observing that the late Poet Laureate oc-
casionally mistook meanness for sublimity ! Neverthe-
less, he avowed his admiration for many of the contem-
plalive poems of the writer of the " Excursion,"
retarding his genius as equally poetic and philosophic.
Yet, in the very utterance of this avowal, there was per-
ceptible an unconscious recognition of the uncertain
reputation acquired by the bard of Rydal Mount.
Professor Aytoun, like every admirer of Wordsworth
we ever met with, was particularly anxious to impress
upon his hearers that he (the late Mr. Wordsworth)
was "a great poet," that he was really " a great
poet," that he was unquestionably "a great poet."
We don't ever think of insisting so eagerly upon the
fact that Tasso was a great poet, or that Camoens
was a great poet, or that Dryden was a great
poet. We take it for granted that that must be suffi-
ciently obvious at the first blush, and that any direct
announcement to that effect were wholly superfluous.
Not so with the admirers of the late Mr. Wordsworth.
Not so even with discriminating admirers like Professor
Aytoun. Everywhere they appear solicitous to thrust
upon the acceptance of our judgment the assertion as a
dogma beyond ,the reach of contradiction that
he was really a great poet —in spite of his
Betty Foys, and his Goody Blakes, and his Peter
Bells, in spite of his spades and wheel-barrows, in
spite of his drivelling puerilities and his most detestable
meannesses. In proof of the accuracy of this dogmatic
declaration, the Lecturer displayed one of the jewels,
rather more than "five words long,". that "on the
stretched forefinger of all /rime are to sparkle for ever
- -one of the gems which Wordsworth[has contributed to
the treasures of our poetic literature. And even there
the pensiveness of the verse was horridly broken in upon
by the word "jollity"—about the most inappropria,te word
that could by pos ibility have been introduced—yield-
ing an offensive rhyme to the subsequent phrase " equa-
lity." Enough, however, and "to spare" about that
"old man (decidedly not) eloquent" of whom it was
long ago said so admirably in " English Bards and
Scotch Reviewers"—
" So well he paints the Idiot in his glory,
One thinks the bard the hero of the story."
Speaking of Lord Byron, the Lecturer yesterday ob-
served that his popularity had of late years been gra-
dually dying out—yet scarcely had he closed his first
sentence in any way expressive of admiration for the
poet of " Childe Harold," when his words were
greeted with a cordial outburst of applause, the
only applause during the whole of these six lectures which
may be said to have in any way approximated to the
enthusiasm ! That, we take it, is plain enough answer
that the noise made in his own day by the name of
Byron, was something more than an ephemeral notoriety.
Admitted that Lord Byron gave the glorious tribute of
his homage to the refined and exquisite genius of
Alexander Pope—for whom, as we have before now re-
marked with regret, that Professor Aytoun cherishes
little else than sentiments of the most unseemly
contempt—but surely it was scarcely fair to visit
that offence upon the head of the former poet, in
such a manner that the Lecturer may be said to have
avenged his prejudice against Pope by depreciating
Byron's reputation I Somewhat greater generosity
was evinced by Professor Aytoun towards others
of the contemporaries of Scott and Wordsworth—
towards Percy Shelley, towards John Keats towards
Samuel Coleridge, and towards Thomas Campbell. Cur-
sory mention was made of Robert Southey ; and speci-
mens were had from the poems of Keats and Shelley—
the selection from the former being almost, as a matter
of course, taken from his immortal and delicious " Ode
to the Nightingale."
Ultimately we hope to welcome these six lectures in
another form, on the occasion of their collective pub-
lication. Differing from him though we do, diametri-
cally, in several particulars, we nevertheless may be per-
mitted, we trust, to congratulate Professor Aytoun upon
the eminently successful completion of his intellectual
enterprise--recognising, as we have done throughout, the
sensibility of the poet, the learning of the scholar, and
the shrewdness of the critic, even at those very moments
when our views were most conspicuously marked in
their divergence from each other.
Among the crowded audience assembled together
yesterday, at Willis's Rooms, to hear the -last of this
attractive series of lectures, we observed the Duchess of
Sutherland, the Duchess of Cleveland, Duchess of Buc-
clench, Countess of Wilton' Earl and Countess of
Eglinton, the Countess of Powis, the Marchioness
of Londonderry, Countess of Lichfield, Countess
of Jersey, Lady Emily Foley, Lady Heathcote,
Lady Borough and Lady Henrietta Firmer, Lady
Augusta Paulet, Lady Willoughby D'Eresby, Lady
Agnes Duff, Lord and Lady John Manners, Lady
Colchester, Dowager Lady Blantyre, Lady Eastlake,
Lady Antrobus, Lady Naas, Sir Michael Shaw Stewart,
Sir Hugh and ,Lady Hume Campbell, Viscountess
Newark, Viscount Mandeville, Lord Dynevor, Lord
John Scott, Lady Wilson, Hon. Mrs. Rous, Hon. Mrs.
A. Liddel, Mrs. Disraeli, Col. Wildman, Captain Ro-
bertson, Mr. Charles Hamilton, Mrs. Montagu Gore,
Mrs. Hillyard, &c.

THE QUEEN'S LATE ACCOUCHEMENT.—We did not
announce the fact of her Majesty having inhaled chlo-
roform during her late accouchement, because we did
not thing the profession justified in prying into the do-
mestic arrangements of the palace. As, however,
another journal has thought fit to comment on the
subject, we may now mention the particulars. Dr.
Snow administered chloroform to the Queen, in
the presence of Sir James Clark, for the last hour of
parturition. A handkerchief, on which a small quan-
tity of chloroform had been dropped, was held to the
face. Her Majesty was never completely insensible, but
she expressed herself satisfied with the anodyne effects
produced. Should further information be required, we
are confident Dr. Snow will, with his usual courtesy,
afford it, to all such as consider themselves entitled to
ask it. Uneasy, indeed, would be the head which wears
a crown if Royalty might not avail itself of all those
means for the alleviation of suffering which Providence
has placed within the reach alike of rich and poor. Who
would desire her Majesty to suffer one avoidable pang,
that she might satisfy the morbid sensibility of the
timid, or the domineering coarseness of the bigot ? If
the employment of chloroform be hurtful in parturition,
then should the profession unite in forbidding its
administration to the humblest mother in the realm ;
but, if its use be advantageous, surely no one has a
greater right to its benefits than that gracious lady
under whose beneficient rule we have the happiness to
live. If it be desired to retain popular feeling in favour
of that freedom which the British press now enjoys, the
sacred pale of the family circle must be exempt from our
criticisms. To this exemption there must be no excep-
tion—not even in favour of the Palace. We mention
especially the home of our beloved Sovereign, because
certain persons have been accustomed to allow them-
selves an unwonted license, when commenting on what
is reported to them from its precincts, taking advantage
of the fact that the Queen is the only lady in England
who can be insulted with impunity.--Medical Min

EPSOM RACE S.

(THIS DAY.)
(BY BLEOTRIO TELEGRAPH.)
LATEST BETTING ON THE DERBY.
2to 1 agst West Australian (taken freely).
sto 1 agst Orestes (taken freely).
6to 1 agst Honeywood.
10 to 1 agst any other.

Mr. Sykes
Nightshade

CAREW STAKES.

Ten ran.

THE DERBY.

WEST AUSTRALIAN
SITTINGBOURNE
CINEAS

Twenty-eight rau.

SECONDARIES' COURT-(THIS DAY).

(Before Mr. Secondary Potter.)

BREACH OF PROMISE OF MARRIAGE.-JOB V. MONK.

This was an action to recover damages for breach of
•
promise of marriage.
Defendant having suffered judgment to go by default,
the present was an enquiry to assess the damages.
Mr. H. James appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr.
Clarkson for the defendant.

On the jury being sworn, Mr. Charnock said he was
happy that they would be spared trouble, and all parties
the pain, of going into the case ; and as it had been
agreed between the parties that a verdict should be
taken for 1001., he was instructed to say that the de-
fendant did not impute the slightest blame to the
Plaintiff, and would deeply regret if she was at all pre-
judiced by circumstances which were insurmountable.
The learned counsel said that the defendant was exceed-
ingly ill from consumption.
Mr. H. James was perfectly willing to accept the offer,
as there was not the slightest imputation on the fair
fame of the plaintiff. The damages accepted, however,
were not to be taken as an estimate of the damage done
to the feelings and health of the plaintiff, but as an ad-
mission on the part of the defendant of his impropriety,
and it was well that he had avoided the necessity of
evidence being gone into.

A verdict s;as taken by consent, but on the part of the
plaintiff it was agreed the writ should be retained, in
consequence of the illness of defendant. It is to be re-
gretted that the young lady has also been thrown on a
sick bed.