Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-11-20
EEBSCEE4LAXEOUS.
[ FLom the Lonlon SOC Monlhly Magazine lor osleh.

DEATH OF SIR WALTER SCOTT
The blow is sruckthc Tyre is shattercd-the music is
hushed at length The greatest-hc most various-thc
most commanding genius of modern times has left us TO
seek Tor that successor TO his which, in all poho
bily, remote generation alone will furnish forth II
true that have been long prepared for the even-it
does not fall upon suddenlyeaf after was strip.
ped from that noble tree before elled earth
at last sympathy in his decay has soened the
sorrow for his death. Ii is intention 10 trace
the character to the works the great man
whose career is every eve that rcads-every car
that hears-every heart that remembers this much at
least OF his character is already known-hat he had all
inc eXubeahce oil genius and DOne OF its that
lie was at equitable and gcnerOus-that his heart
was ever open TO chaity-ha his life has probably
shortened by his crupuou regard for Justice His ca
reer was splendid elutaton OF the popular falacy
that genius has OF necessity vcesthat its light must be
meeocand its courses wayward and uncontrolled He
has left mankind two great cssons-we scarcely know
which is the most valuable. lie has taught us how much
delight one human being confer upon the world he
has taught us also that the imagination may aspire the
widest flights without wandering into OF whom
else among great list of namee looms of cur
naon-can say that he has left every thing to adj.
\ nire, aud nothing forgive
in four different paths of intellectual eminence that
Sir Walter Scott has won his iame poet, borra-
pher an historian, and novelist 1t il not u time
(wlth the great mans clay col enter into the
nicetie OF critical discussion. We weigh and
sli and compare We feel too deeply this moment TO
reason wel-but ourselves would incline TO consider
him greatest poet Whether that to our earliest
recollectons he most cncarcd by those mighty laws
which called iom antiquity all its nobcst spirit and breath
cd life and nature INFO lat literature which was then
anguishng under the snesS of eternal imitation ,n
the rappings OF ae and Gallo ariifciaty of school al
once burthensomc and ivolous;-whatever be the cause
of differing from the world i'm gene raj on his MONT %
tain IL, that think him greater as poet dian
nove-and were il possible that time could uitLer nm
the interest OF the world in either, think that tho prose
OF Waveey might suffer before the verse of Marmnn
Never, indeed, has there been poet so thoroughly Ho
merle as Scott-the batlc-the feast-fhe conncil-tbe
guard-room at SurlnSthe dying warrior at FlodIcn-
uie lefcG DerI"m speeding up the aisc-al Ho.
meric;--all hve-mOvc-breathe and burn-alke poetry
but alike life! There is this difference too marked and
ProhehoGtween his verse and his prosc;-the first
emphaucaly the of Scott-the latter 1--WE mcnn in
It's sylel may be me prose OF any onete striking ogi-
hdi'y Tue daring hoIhess, the astonishing vigour of the
style in the Lay of The Last Minstrel are lost in the An
iquary and Guy Manncring.
Scott may be said in prose- have Style There are
those, we know who call this very absence of stve mo-
n-we will not dispute it: if be so, Scott is the first
great prose writer from Bacon TO Gibbon-nov co, IL
rodotus III Greek 10 Paul Courier ia Frepch-wbo Ina.
laid claim toi. For part we think him great in
spite of the of Style and not because of
grapher he has been unfortunate his subjects The tyo
most important of the various liz he has either dcnra6
or skeched-that of Dryden and that of Swif-are men
TO whose ineNpcahc bascncss genius could neither ,vr
The virtue nor the interest of error. Nor pcrlapS if c
may presume TO say the bent OF the boerhphcr,
mind that OF the JUDGE he had OF The spirit of veno
ration u'n MAJ oil inquiry And in his estimate, both Of
men and oil books, his reasoning seldom satisfies us so much
as his enthusiasm charms. He was born not to connose
GrucSms put to create critics; and the lessons he would
draw from the lives and genius of other men-he poet
Inc r0n1ncer-the cnc-the philosopher Of future ages
Will dcduce from his
As an historian, confess that prize him more Lob
" than as bioSrapher is that the same faults are
apparent in hOt but there in the grand IIsory -, n
poleonlnore scope for redcemin beauties His yrcat liz
nnVaed excellence in description here brought into
full and ample display: his battles are vivid which %
histoanNcver could command. Aud all the errors of the
history shiea scenes ana touches of unrvaed majesty
to the book. 'N'''
more useful moral TO his ctions aud for dwelling viii
100 inconsJerate an interest the civalrc illusions of
The past 10 charges OF this all writers are liable
are divided into two classes and he who belongs
TO one VIII ever incur the reproach of not seeinp rougb
lG medium OF the other Certain il is that We with III
'eriy inherent lotions on political truths from the great
writer who IS no more, might feel some reeret-some ma
tura Painthat the cause which believe the best was
not hOhorcd by his advocacy; but when we reflect on the
real influence OF his works, are satisfied tev bve
been directed to the nobles ends and have embraced c
largest circle Of human interests we do moi sast ~ ~
delight ie has poured forth the eart,-of the loneI
hours he has CharmedOf the sad hearts he has
oi inc beauty and the music which he has summoned to
world where all travail aud none repose: this indeed
IS sonehing-this indeed, is moral-lls indeed has
been benefit to mankind. And This new coroborant
oil one among the nObest OF intellectual ruths-yiz: that
we DOpNs wich please, are always books that, in one
sense, bene and that the work which is largely and ner
manenty poPular-whicL sways, moulIs and So6ens the
u"os"i h'df'-c"Ihot appeal to vulgar and unworthy
passions (such appeals widely or long tri,n
ant0 the delight it occasions is proof the moral il in
spires ~
But this power charm and 10 beruile is not that mo-
raj excellence 10 which refer Scott has beer tc r,
great genius-Firldiug alone cxcepted-vyIio nvrd orr
uoIou9h and notwithstanding sympathy the wide mass
OF the human iamywho has stricken for in this ,rl6
c'a "oFid II requires an corD into hearts love and
respect Tor those chosen from the people Shaksoe,re has
not done thisShakspeare paints the foies of te Inob
WIN strong and uniriendy hand Where in Shakespeare
numerous works which have appeared from ''Waverley
10 the Chronicles OF the Cdnongatc OPEN where YOU
please you viii find portraits from the peopleaud vour
interest keeping watch beside the poor mans hearth
Not 10 scott, they were ia The dramatis,s Of our Lam
guage, are the peasant the driiccr the Cr.r dr,ggc
on the stage merely 10 be laughed for their brogne
made 10 seem ridiculous because They are useful
lie paints them is tue, in their natural LANGUAGE
out INC language s sujscrven the character: Le Joes
NOT 90" e man 10 c phrase bat 1ie phrase 10 tie man
Neither does he latter The one lani as lac d,os po
slght on TIE other Unlike the nludGn pasor,ist. Of
france, DC contents himself wi, the simple trutb-be
contrasts the dark shadows Of Meg Mcrcs or Of Fdic
Ocmrec, with the holy and pure lights la redeem and
sancuy ihem-hc gives The poor even Ia Inc gpscv
ana inc OeggaF, as they really are-contcuicd II orr in
erest IS excited, and knowing fba nature r sufficient f.
excite a. From the palaces Of kngs-lron Tie tents NJ
"aTi0s ne comcs-equaly home wi'li man In ,ll ,s
pects-lo the coitcrs hcarh;hc bids NJ turn ON the
PohP We Pdul0gcn"s 10 how the knee tlie poor Jews
daughier-he makes us sckcn Inc holloyness Of the
royal Roisay 10 yupathc with u,c honest loveor InoL
,he smith no, never was there ouo-not .ven Burns
Mh'.eHIwh2 Is"csd "' more intimately 10 acknowledge
y. Iho rni huf tio g'il~r sf1nr.
Tho man. ;Ir llaNi. for l' t.tf.v
NHI i' if being, O whom intellect tauebt pbii,nOro
py, 10 be- judged by ordutg rules are ,yo ~ g.
10 ... .sf.