Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1817-11-12
NISCELLAEY.
SoAxuHIcATEp FoR THE GAZETTE.
LORD BYRON.

Continued from London Rerfw.
It was in 1879, when lord Byron re-
turned to England. thata Childe Haroid's
Pilgrimage" made its 6r,t appearance.
producing sn effect upon the public at
hast eqsal to any work which has aP-
reared within this or the last cehtsry.-
Resdipg Is indeed SO general among all
ranks and classes, that The impulse re-
seived By the pubic mind on such occa-
siuns l. instantaneous through all but the
very lowest classes Of society, instead OF
being slowly communicated from ons set
Of readers to another, as was the case in
Che days Of our fathers. The pilgrimage,
acting on such an extensive medium, was
calculated to rouse ard arrest the atten-
ion IN a peculiar degree. The fictitious
parsonage, whose sentiments, However,
none could help identifying with those OF
the au'tor himself, presented himself with
an avpwed disdain Of all the attributes
which most men woald be gladly supposed
10 possess. Childe Harold is represent.
ed as one satiated By indulgence in plea.
sure, and seeking in change Of place and
climate relief irpm the tediuu of lite
which glited On without an object. The
as aiming of such character as the me.
dunn of communicating his poetry and his
sentiments indicated feeling towards
the public, which, if 1t fell short Of cob
te nHins their favor, disdained at least
a.! attempts to Eropitiate them. Yet the
very boidaess Of this repulshe pen ssnif-
cation, joined to III energy with which
it wa. supported, and TO the indications
of a powerful and original mind, which
glanced through every line Of the poem,
electrified the mass Of readers, and pia.
eed at once upon lord ByrOn's head the
garland for which other men Of genius
have toiled LONG. a,.a which they have
gained late. H. was placed pre-eminent
smapg the literary men Of his country by
general reclamation. Those Who had 80
vigorously censured bis juvenile essays,
and perhaps dreaded such another
6sld," we're the FIRST to pay warm, and'
we believe, sincere homage to his matur-
ed Efforts; while others, who saw in the
sentiments Of Childe Harold much to re-
srst and to ceusure, did not withhold
their tribute Of applause to the depth OF
thought, the power and force of expires
sion, the beauty Of description, ppd the
energy Of sentiment which animated "ths
pilgrimage" If the volume was laid a.
aide for moment, under the melancho"
Iy and unpseasing impression that it
seemed calculated to chase hope from
me side Of man, and to dim his prospects
both tor this liIe and futuri.y, it was im-
mediately and almost invOluutarily re.
sumed again, as our feeling Of the authors
geaius predominated over our dislike TO
contemplate the gloomy views Of human
nature which it was his pleasure to place
before US. Something was set down TO
Che angry recollection OF his FIRST failure,
which might fairly authorize SO high q
mind to hold the worlds opinion 10 con-
tempt; something was allowed for the
recent family losses to which the poem
alluded, and under the feeling Of which
ii had been partly written: and it SEEM
cd to nest readers as il gentler and more
kindly features were, at times, seen to
glance from under the cloud cf misanthro-
by, which the author had iiung around his
hero. Thus, as al admired the pig inn
age Of Childe Harold, oil were prepared
% greet the author with that fame which
Is the poets best reward, and which is
chiefly and most Justly due to one who.
In these exhausted days. strikes out q
new and original line Of composition.
II was amidst such feeling es aamira-
tion that lord Byron entered, We may al.
most say for the fr,f time, on the public