The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware register. (Wilmington, Del.) 1824-1825, 1825-03-24
LORD EYRON-A FRAGMENT.

LORD EYRON-A FRAGMENT.
THUS it is that republicans honour the
hero of their liberty But whilst they are
his triumphal pomp, another ma
ton is gathering around the bier in a mourn
ing not less glorious. Another great exis-
tence has been severed from amidst our eg
otistical and trif1ng age. A man superior to
the age, in force of genius and independence
sprung up. Bursting through all prejudices,
he dared to be himself alone, and his noble
figure was strong contrast with the uni
form features of his contemporaries. En-
dowed with soul of fire, and desolating en-
ergy of thought, he fastened to essay all life;
and though Young, he had exhausted it all,
and become disguised with every thing
around him. No longer beguilcd by love,
friendship, country, or futurity, he renounc
ed for ever all softening and consoling SEN
timents. Fleeing from himself, i'll quest of
strong emotions for his blazing spirit, he
rushed at hazard into stranger lands.
Yet was he not guiltless. With passions
the most violent that ever devasted the hui
man heart, he was by them often led into
error; and numberless faults track each step
of his career. True, they were such as the
world pardons, and sometimes even honours.
but they are not the less faulty, needing all
the splendour of his glory to veil their tur-
pitude.
Poesy was his nature-but he could not
condescend to those vain fictions which de-
light the ordinary reader He sang to soothe
his own thoughts; he spoke of himself-his
head was Tyre, whose every vibration was
harmonious, but which, in mournful mood
for ever varied the hymn of sorrow.
He sung the tormcnts of the strong man,
oppressed by trifling destiny; the cravings
of heart born for virtue, for ever strug-
Cling against atheism and despair.
At times, a noble cry Of liberty or love re-
sounded amidst these mournful wailings, but
it was cry that made the nearer shudder,
like that of liberty oppressed, or love strug-
Cling with death.
At times, also, with sombre and affect
ing irony he sported with the things of earth
as if by rending away the charm of lifc's
brilliant illusions, he might ayenge himself
because not one of them could soace him.
necessarily rowing, the wandering bard OF
liberty lived mysterious and unknown, save
by his genius; but that was all himself. Al
intervals, from the depths of some new
country, like Alcyon from the bosom of the
tempests, he discovered himself by his sub
| lime strains--a moment seen, then fading in
the distance.
| Often fatigued by his own genius, he
plunged with madHess into excuses the
most enervating; squandering his noble hear
on objects unworthy; calling the meanes
associates around him to share in his orgies
! Then as if revolving from such degrading at
tsmpts, rushing again to solitude.
| Long did he pace across our subject hem.
| isphere free, but hossest By the demon Qfhi
ozon heart. Glory had thrown her brillian
halo around his brow. Popularity, which
he despised chung to him. Kings, whom
he braved, beheld him passing amid thei
slaves, and as if supplied at the sight of hi
Colossus, as if enchanted by his magic mel
ody, dared not raise their sceptres agains
him.
Those obscure and servile writers, pen
soners of power, blinded by his renown, dar
ed not direct against him those torrents 0
invective which they vomit forth on all tina
is independent. They seem to comprehend
that he was beyond their ken, and render
ing homage to his genius, they avenged them
selves by tearing his private character to at
oms. Calumny respected neither his pater
nal roof nor nuptial couch.
He despised such vain clamours; and a
the eagle of the mountain abandons his loft
ty eyry to the storm, and lifts himself abov
the region of the tempest to scream in sub
| Unity, so he, posing himself above tn
whirwin of the world, from that heigh
which the eye could scare reach. gave forth
those flashes, those cries of enthusiasm which
astonsh by their magnifcence.