Litchfield enquirer., 1842-04-07
From the NeW York Commercial AdverIizer.
THE WRECK OF GENIUS.

From the NeU York Commercial Aduertiser.
THE WRECK OF GENIUS.
How dost, my hoy Art cold
am cold myself Where is this straw, my fellow!
The ar, OF our necessities is strange.
That can make vile thngs precious. Come. your
howell.
Poor fool and knave. 1 have one part in my hear.
That's sorry for thee yet!'-King Lear.
Poor Mcdonald Clarke, known in this city
for nearly twenty-five years past as "THE
MAD PoET," was found in The street one
stormy day last week, bare-headed like an
other Lear, in a state of raving madness.
He was taken in charge by officer Bowyer,
and has been transferred to the Lunatic Asy-
lum. We have known this strange and evil
IDENTIFY unhappy man for more than twenty
years ; and yet, though we have conversed
with him often, we have never been able to
get at the root of his sorrows, if such they
were which first drove him mad.
There are many, we know, who have at
all times been ready to,qucstion his madness,
because of its method. He has been Judged
harshly, as u misantlirope, feigning madness
or eccentricity flor the purpose Of exciting
sympathy or attracting observation. Such
is not our opinion. We believe him to have
labored under u species Of insanity. to u
greater or less degree, ut different periods
Of his life, from the date Of our first knowl-
edge of him, which was in 1920 or 1921.
During the whole of this time he has been
contributor to such of our periodicals as
would publish his strange poetcal illusions
often as incoherent and unmeaning as the
rhapsodies of Nat. Lee, who sang Of
"Fauenng padocks on Antar,ic tood,'
yet Astounding in flashes of wit and genuine
humor,-often racy and keen,-affording
abundant evidence of genius under cloud,
or bound in some mysterious fetters-which,
could it be but set free, would be capable Of
lofty achievements.
When Byron was in the hey.day of his
career, Clarke was among the most ardent
Of his admirers, and, as he thought, OF his
imitators. He conceived that their minds
had been cast in the same mould-and not
knowing that he was crazy. he supposed that
his own moodiness was necessarily like that
of Byron. Pictures of Byron, with open
collar and MASSEY locks, were then in the
print-shops, and Clarke sedu!0usly copied
abused his wife. Clarke, to extend the par
allel, did the same in both respects. He
married Miss Brundange, then poor act
ress on the boards Of the Park THEATRE
treated her badly in the same manner al it
was reported Byron had treated his wife
and like the noble bard and his wife, Clarke
and his wife also parted
Yet, we could never perceive the least ev-
idence of ill. temper, or cruel disposition,
on the part of Clarke. On the contrary, his
bosom has appeared the abode of great nat
ural kindness and good feeling. True, he
has been wandering up and down our streets.
solitary and alone among the million, with
an apparent cloud upon brow, and always
avertiMg his eye even from those who knew
him-nOt as though he disliked them, but as
though he was apprehensive that they might
prefer not to receive his recognition. But
speak to him in the voice Of kindness, and
his eye kindled at once, and his face would
instantly glow with pleasure. exhibiting
sort OF compound expression of surprise and
delight. Ia regard TO his wife, even after
their separation. he has spoken OF her to US
in the kindest terms and recalled circum-
stances oftouching interest, beautifully Illus
trating the strength of woman's love. lie
was at that time exceedingly poor-so poor,
that at times he had not place to lay his
head, or a crust to appease his hunger He
then slept wherever he could find a covering !;
and he has told US, as the tears gathered in
his eyes, that his wife. living upon her slen-
der wages, would stealthily supply him with
such food as she could, by taking from the
table a potatoe and n crust of bread, and
wrapping them in her handkerchief, meet
him Mt some appointed corner in the eve
ming, where unperceived he could eat from
her hand the scanty fare she could thus sup
ply. For the last ten or fifteen years we
believe he has been supported by a small
annuity but from what source we have not
been told.
We could relate some amusing anecdotes
Of poor Clarke. One Of these we Gull from
the unwrittcn records Of memory. 1t was,
we believe. about the year 1879. that in the