Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1817-11-21
MISCELLANY.
sonxusIcArED FOR THE GAZETTE.
LORD BYRON.


rate history, though, from the connection
already stated between his poetry and
his character, we feel ourselves forced
spon considering his literary lite, bis dee
pertinent, and even his personal appear
ance. But we know enough even oil his
private story to give our warrant that
though his youth may have shared seme-
what too largely in the indiscretion oil
those left too early masters OF their own
actions and fortunes, falsehood and ma
lice alone can impute to him any real
cause for hopeless remorSe or gloomy
misanthropy To what, then, are we to
aseribe the singular popularity which in
duced an author of such talent, and so
well skilled IN tracing the darker impress
sions which guilt and remorse leave on
the human character, so frequently to
afix features peculiar to himself to the
robbers and 10 the corsairs which he has
sketched with a pencil as forcible as that
of Salvador Rosa? More than ore an
swer may be returned to the question;
nor do we pretend to say which is best
warranted by the facts. The practice
NAV arise IRON a temperament which
radical and constitutional melancholy has,
as in the case Of Hamlet, predisPosed to
identity its o,cner with scenes Of that
deep and arousing interest which arises
from the stiDgs of conscience contending
with the stubborn energy Of pride, and
delighting to b. placed in supposed stu.
atoms Of guilt and danger, as some men
love instinctively to tread the giddy edge
Of q precipice, or, holding by some frail
,wig, to stoop forward ever the abyss into
which the dark torrent discharges ITSELF
Or it may be that these DISCUSSES were
assumed capriciously, as man might
choose the cloak, poinard, and dark.lan-
tern Of bravo for his disguise at mas
querade. Or, feeling biz own powers In
painting the sombre ard the horrible,
lord Byron assumed in his fervor the We
~ semblance Of the characters he de-
scriSes, like an actor who presents on the
Stage At once his own person and the
tragic character with which, for the time,
he 10 invested. Nor is it altogether in
compatible with his character to believe
that, in contempt OF all the criticisms
which on this account had attended Childc
Harold, no was determined TO show to
the public how little he was affected BY
them, and how effectualIy it was in his
power to compel attention and respect
even when inparting portion Of his
own likeness and his own peculiarities to
pirates and outlaws.
But although we do not pretend to as
certain the motive on which lord Byron
acted>in bringing the peculiarities of his
own sentiments and feelings so frequent
" before his reader, it is with no little
admiration that we regard these extraor-
binary powers, which, amidst this seem
Ing uniformity, could continue to rivet
the public attention, and secure general
and continued applause. The versatility
Of authors who have been able to draw
and support characters as different from
each other as from their own, has given
to their productions the inexpressible
charm Of variety, aud has often secured
them against that neglect which in gene
raj attends what Is technically called
mannerism. But it was reserved tslord
Byron to present the same character on
the public stage again and again, varied
ouly'by the exertiOns Of that powerful
genus which, searching the springs of
passion & Of feeling in their inuermostSe-
ce,ses, know how to combine their opera
tions, so that the interest was eternally
varying and never abated, although the
most important parsonage Of the drama
retained the same lneaments. 1t will
ane DIV he considered as not the least