Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-03-16

Of Scheller, though it must be admitted
that the heroes Of the latter are lot so
repulsiye as those Of the English bard,
and that consequently less potent efforts
are required to sustain them. We will
not attempt to justify lord Byron Tor his
rebellious disregard Of publick opinion in
selecting characters Of the darkest n oral
coloaring as the vehicles OF sentiment
and action; yet Conrad and the Gaour
might be tavourably opposed to Dhu'
a Resingham or a Marmion. Examples
however can never justify = writer,
though they may serve to palliate his Of
fence, in a wiliul alteration from the
path Of propriety, and we cannot dispute
the correctness oil those censures with
which the literary moralists OF the age
have animadverted upon his part Of his
poetical conduct. Genius Of the highest
order is a chartered libertine," and
dispenses at pleasure with the sober re-
gulations of mankind. OF this divine
afElatus Byron certainly possesses a larg-
er share than any living bard, and ne has
yielded more OF deligh to the magma
ton, with less OF instruction to the judg-
ment, than the whole brotherhood OF mo-
dera song. Invention is not, we aPpre-
bend, leading trait Of his mental cha
racter but he seems i'm ,aed with the
wild interest of Shakespeare, the elegant
d entity Of Virgil and the burning sub
Unity Of Homer
The mystical pecu!iarities Of lord By
ron's character have disposed the publick
to find in it a prototype for his heroes.
Whatever speculation we might indulge
upon this topick, or however erroneous
in the general this conjecture may be,
there is one feature Of resemblance pref.
ty obvious, between this poet and Ha-
rold-a wonderful Inconsistency Of OPT
MON, Examples Of this have been often
given, and none of them is more striking
than that exhibited by the "Ode to Ma.
poleon" ard the 50 Ode to the island OF
St. Helena"
Thst the sentiments expressed toward
the ex-emperor in the latter, still how
ever influence his lordship, the following
extract will evince:
But where are now thy heroes, spright'y
France,
Those sounds that Eell'd the clarion.
voice of fame?
Where are thy Neys-they fll'd proud
Europe's glance
Go seek, alas! their lowly grave Of
shame;
Nor thy imperial master falsely blame.
s.. llelena's exile were thine idol still
Could he again his much lov'd land re-
claim,
Soon would his sIumb'ripg sword a.
chieye thy will
And through each patriot soul the
pulse Of triumph thrill.
In a recent edition Of Byron's poetry,
his American biosrapheT stated that he
had minated a desire to visit the Unit
ted States in the course Of his perigrina-
tions. This intention is clearly express
ed at The conc'u.ion Of the present can
to. where he INDUCES in melanch"I y re-
Election upon the situation OF France,
and alludes in an interesting manner to
the political felicity of this country
YET is not all thy glory pass'd away,
Nor can ob,ivion's lime thy pages dim:
O. let the muse thy fallen doom ubsay,
Or hust The chant sf valeur's requiem.
Thine outcast chieftain. ger the Allan
tick wave
MAY find in freedoms hone an honour'd
grave,
Aud Harold yet shall hail that blisSful
land,
Where fiery spirits urs'd fearful war.
And tore from Bruhswick's brew his
bright coronal star.
We cannot conclude without wishing
to lord Byron a prosperous wind, and
presen,inato hi n in anticipation the cor
dial welcome of our countrymen. he
seems indeed destined by the beauty Of