The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-31 00:00:00

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• tion of this work induced favourable intercession
for Bamford, and he has for 5Q111.3 time past been
employed at Somerset-house.-- Mr. Hardwick read
the Lancashire Hymn, in which, liessaid, he did
not see much of a treasonable character now,
though it might perhaps be more significant at the
time it was written. One thing, however, was cer-
tain ; the man who could write such a poem must
have been possessed of a noble heart, and of a true
patriotic feeling, together with no common com-
mand of the English language. To diversify the
entertainment of the evening, the lecturer read also
a piece composed by Bamford, in the Lancashire
dialect, on " Tim Bobbin's Grave," and the epi-
taph on Tim ; and after wards " the Pass of Death,"
which was written on the death of George Canning.
Mr. Hardwick then noticed Elijah Ridiugs,
another of the old living poets (whom be had the
pleasure of knowing many years), a poor school-
master and bookseller, and as honourable and up-
right a being as ever suffered poverty and wrote
verses. In his works there were here and there
glimmerings cf great beauty; and throughout a
strong love of nature. He read one little Poem,
" The Preacher and the Child," which was much
admired.
John Bolton Rogerson was next introduced. Be,
held a good position ainoug the poets of Lacca-
shire, but not, perhaps, among the poets of Eng-
land. He did not often surprise his readers with
strikingly original thoughts, or forms of expression,
but was.thorseughly imbued with the true poetic
feeling. Much of what he had written appeared to
ho rather a reprOduction of that which had de-
lighted him in others; but on many occasions,
and especially when he wrote on subjects of a
domestic character, he showed himielf a true poet.
As an illustration, Mr. Hardwick recited the verses
"To my wife,"•written soon after severe affliction.
A. humorous poem, "The Bellies," was also read,
amidst much laughter. This, the lecturer believed,
might be considered the joint suction of Roger-
son and Elijah Ridings.. •
-Of ihe'living poets, "Charleii'Seearttiariche i`
tiff .
ter, perhaps enjoyed a more extended repUtation
that, any other Lancashire poet, and, all things
considered, he was perhaps entitled to it. Those
who least appreciated his enius ditt riot deny that
he bad at least written many extrestriely, beautiful
poems. He was not: remarkebla for nervous
strength, but he was ever placid, sweet, and melc-
dious ; and the sentiments enshrined in 'hii Verses
were ever beyond reproach. His chaste iinagee,
pure home affections, and narefuleandeelegant ver-
sification would always be appreciated. Personally,
the man was very much like his poetr§,*-kvliich was
not often the case ; for we, were oftene grievously"
disappointed when we saw the orieinal.eXr.• Swain
was a mild and amiable gentleman, . and was
thoroughly imbued with a love of hi 4 art. The lec-
turer once asked him if he did not consider tjsatethe
worldly recompense accorded to poete was often
sadly disproportionate to their merit. His answer
was to the effect that poets should regard; to some
extent, the pleasure they enjoyed in composition as
their recompense. Latterly, Mr. Swain had rather
extended his sphere, and had written a dramatic
poem, in which he had occasionally shown that,
when he felt inclined to plant his spur into the
sides of his Pegasus, he was by no means deficient ,
in masculine strength. In order that the audience
might form some notion of his style, the lecturhie's
read several stanzas from his poem on "The Minds"-,
and as a specimen of his more energetic style, a few,
lines on the death of Lord Byron, the text of which
was the poet's last words,— I must itleep'now."
The poet who divided public opinion With Mr.
Swain was John Critchley Prince. •He had written
many poems equal, if not superior-te.those of Mr.
Swain ; and he certainly possessed richerforiginhis
vein; and a more nervous and impaksioned style.
Having briefly touched upon the destitution and
wanderings of Prince's childhood, Mr.
,noticed the poverty and traveliof the poet's man;
bird. . Much of that poVerty, he regretted to say,
was attributed toshis own improviderece. With all
hie foe thoughts; and fine feelings, and'high aspis'
rations, he had been continually stritgling with
penury; but phristian , charity will ,touchlightly
upon his _weakness, in consideration of his suffer-
ino and the ppdtictions of 1).!s muse. 1.16 possessed
a j ust Appreciatimaof the beauty a f :natural scenery;
strong domestict fiffections, audedeepeseated patrir
°tic' sentiment. ~. The lecturer had previpiisly ob-
served. that to Some of the Poots-of this county,'
himettlea• -suffering- Men, Eiiglasei ivas deeply'. in-
debted during the Chartist agitation ; and espe-
deity to Prince for his magnificent appeal entitled`
" A Call to the People," tOgether with many
other strains of similar purport. • Dais poem the
lecturer rowel, paardwarclaa.reaitecl.l.y._partigular
request, a portion of an "Epistle to a Brother
Poet," containing beautiful allusions to natural
beauty and the domestic affections, and displaying
a high tone of thought, great love for the human
family, and a flue perception of what is the poet's
duty to his fellow man. This piece was recited by
Mr. Hardwick in his very best vein. He entered
fully into the spirit and feeling of the poet, and in
Ins interpretation of it exhibited a true appreciation
of its beauties. It was a great treat to the audience
who marked their sense of it by repeated plaudits.
The lecturer next referred to his friend, Mr. E.
Waugh. He observed that a question had arisen
whether the writing of poetry in the Lancashire
dialect was a legitimate occupation for a man of
genius. It was said that such poetry was very
low and vulgar. The Lancashire dialect was,
nevertheless, a remnant of the good old English
language—the language of Chaucer, who, if he
were to return to us again, would have to mix
amongst the country people to find his mother
tongue. Many of their phrases were not merely
vulgar modern corruptions, but the reverse
in many instances. Several were of pure
Saxon and Scandinavian origin. In the " Faery
Queen" of Spenser, who lived in the time of Shak-
spei e, many words ar e used by him which, though
not considered good English now, are still spoken
by the Lancashire peasant, as gine the plural of eye,
which was of the same class as oxen the plural of
ox ; brast, which was the original past tense of
burst, &c. The lecturer related two anecdotes illus-
trative of this position. Some Lancashire lads
working in Germany actually coen rived to make
the peasantry there understand them one of them
declaring the language to be "rank Owdham."
The peasantry of Brittany could to this day, for a
similar reason, understand the peasantry of Wales.
The lecturer argued, if these old dialects were
the memorials of the past language, some memory
of them ought to be retained. In these days of
railways and rapid locamotion, the language in our
country places would, in a century, become as re-
fined as it is at present in London. Why were the
Scotch so fond of their national songs 1 Because
the " lads and lasses" of that country the better
appreciated them in their vernacular garb. So it
was with the Irish and Welsh songs. Independently
of the mere patois, these dialects contained forms
of expression, and embodied much peculiarity of
thought,which, translated into plain English, would
be considerably weakened, if not entirely destroyed.
For these reasons, the Lancashire songs of Mr.
Waugh and others would become valuable in the
course of time for historical references. Roby, in
his " Traditions of Lancashire," had invented
fresh characters, and constructed agreeable novel-
ties,
but had altogether destroyed the great truth
he ought to have preserved, and, for so doing, de
served censure rather than praise. Mr. Waugh
had, in his " Sketches of Lancashire," described
things in their integrity, and had, consequently,
served the cause of truth much better than Mr.
Roby. Poetry was one of the fine arts—an imita-
tive art, and it was the duty of the poet not simply
to draw on his own unaided fancy, but to extract
truth from the mass of moral and material being by
which he is surrounded. Therefore he shoUld not like
to see Waugh or any other poet devote himself
to the Lancashire dialect entirely. He believed
him capable of writing good poetry in modern Eng-
lish. Some years ago the lecturer received from,
Mr. Waugh a little poem, called "The World,
'
which was full of pithy and sententious thought.
Having read this poem, which completely justified
his estimate of it, the lecturer recited " Ceme
whoam to thy cbilder an' me," of which he said it
was a fact unparalleled in the history of song
writing, that never since the days of Homer had
any single ballad so large a circulation. This per-
haps resulted not on account of any very extra-
ordinary talent it displayed, but by reason of its
sincere adherence to truth. Its great merit was
its originality. Mankind wanted new thoughts,
and not another million or two of books in which
the same thought or thoughts are eternally iterated.
This poem happened to be an original conception.
It was the result of his own observation, and he
had treated it in his own peculiar and happy style,
without spasmodic effort to be great or telling.
The poem was not, as some persons seemed to
think, a funny affair. To the woman and the man
themselves it was a positively serious affair, and
should not be recited with levity at all ; in the third
stanza, in bis opinion, there was a great deal of
pathos. After reciting the poem, Mr. Hardwick
read a few stanzas, entitled " Cultivate your
men."

Mr, Sheldon Chadwick) of Bolton, was then in