New-York daily tribune., 1843-03-14
yOL. HI. NO. 2s7.
than he of whom Herace sings that his heart was


notion of the Noctes by extracts from its chap.
tiers; but the task Of selection is a hard one, fol
the range of topics is SO boundless, and the style
such perfect and continuous conversation, spark
ling with wit and brilliant with the hue of genius
that we would just as soon attempt to note the
good things said in clique of dozen gifted wits
who talk of what frs. suggests ITSELF and all al
once. as to Gull choice words from this collection
Every subject which had interest for any portion
of the public at the time the Nactes appeared
is talked about in their pages. Politics-the
speeches of the day. are fully canvassed; the Ia
test Magazines are reviewed; every new Book is
discussed; no Public Man escapes the harrow
ali Reforms, all Projects, literary, philosophical,
theological, economical or legal are examined and
weighed no body does anything but these irnagin-
ary conversationists tell us blunty and eloquenty
what they think of it and the book thus forms a
capital critical history of the tirnes-not formal
and pedaatc, but racy, real, life-like and ali so
garnished with the finest songs, and the liveliest
wit in the world, that it seems far more sa.isfsc.
tory and agreeable to read about them than it
would be to have lived in them; for thus we have
their fiolic and glory, and out of the very stupd
ty we escape is drawn the richest food for our
mirth. The only fault we fld with the Publishers
is this grievous one that they have omitted all the
dates. Each chapter should have been marked
with the year and the month when it was fresh !;
for then we should have clearer and far better
impression of the spirit and point of the review
than is possible now.
Againstth the cry of personality, which, of course,
was loud and waing when the thick and heavy
blows were struck, North used to defend himself
right valorousy. On the third of their nights
JErFREY's charge against Byron of beiag the au
thor and institutor of personality, came under re-
view. The author of Waverley y was then all
the rage and every body toasted the " Great I'm
known The table of Ambrose, with North at
its head, was saluted by aproposal to drink the
health of The Small Known and thus JEFF
frey introduced: Mr. Pendarves Owen, says North,
what do you understand by the word Personality?
Pen OWEN. don t kaow-I can t we'll say.
suppose jeffrey means, when he accuses Lord
Byrsn of it, to allude to his cuts at Coerdge, and
Southey, and Sotheby and Wordsworth, and
Bowles, and Sam Rogers, and the King, and SO
forth.
NORTH. Sir, did you ever read poem called
f" English Bards, and Scotch Reviewers ~
'PEN OWEN. remember seeing such thing in
Mr.. Mapletoft's library long ago, and glancing
over it, but at that time was young and ignorant,
and took no interest in it understood very little
about what was meant OF lnsinuated
NORTH. Very likely; but still you can't have
forgot the two great and general facts, that this
H., T fhnt
tains many most bitter pungent lines OF personal
satire against Hallam Pillans, &C., and least not
last, against MIR. Francis jeffrey himself whose
birth is rdculed, whose person IS derded, whose
genius is scorned, whose personal honor and cour,
age even held up to utter and open contempt and
all this in manner equally unmerlted-unparai-
leled-
sT1cKLER Interrupts him And unpardoned.
NORTH Ay there 8 the rub! Look ye, 1t
would take bat not to see through the whole OF
this mighty milestone. The Edinburgh reviewers
Jeffrey himself, It's generally supposed, y oesan
the row with violent attack on Lord Byron Ju-
venie poems, in review, IN Inc conclusion VI
which there is certainly not little personality.
This i, dome in utter ignorance of Lord Byron's
talents in utter contempt of him, and all that per,
tains 10 him. Very well, Lord Byron writes and
publishes the poetcal satire of which we have bs en-
speaking, and the Edinburgh Reviewers are .aughcd
at for several weeks all over England, Ireland
Scotland, and the town of Berwick-uPon-l weed
TO saw nothing of Yankeeland and Botany bay
So far so we'll But in few years, out comes
Cs1LrE HAROLD, and Lord Byron is at once placed
nem con- by the side of the first poets OF our age
What a moment of modification must that nave
haan when Mr. Francis Jeffrey first discovered
whom he had TO do with Why, did you ever
see a little slim greyhound, half the Surrey breed
nerhans. attack strong Yorkshire fox VINO ilao
;umped up from the cover, when they were %hiP
ping for hares Jeffrey was just IN such quan
darv Down he goes on his knees, and woisnips
the rising STAR Puff! puff puff! nothing eot pun
ing nothing but whe shall put the hishes6.
.It nuts me in mind chimes in Odoherty,, (sup-
posed 10 mean DR.. MAGlsN,) of thing once
saw at Doucaster.-I was sitting in the Inn there
with the landlady-a pretty, comey body, assure
ye-and through came Reynnrd, and all Loro l.'
Darlingtens hounds in full cry at his tail. niue
puppy dog-a queer, odd, gFim-looking tnifs pe-
longing to the landlady, was sitting close oesiee u.s.
on the end of the sofa 1t stared like stuck P,g'
till the last red-coat was passing, and then out WIN
small frightened snarl-l thought at hrss II hao
stnelt mouse behind the wainscot.
North then undertakes to prove that every per-
SON who has ever written has been personal:
.NoRrv. To begin with the blind old
Meonian-Does any body doubt his Thersites is
lump of personality Without question p9lyp1e-
mas was sore wipe against some purol'nd bloody
minded reviewer of his day. But why talk OF
Homerf Has not the Sssgyrise told US that bis
last poem the MARCHES, stood to the o'a uTees r..
| Comedy in the same relation in winch the liiao
| and Odyssey did TO the old Greek Tragedy =
| And wha, was the old Greek Comedy
:PgS OWEN. -' Comoedia prisca vlKoRUN
| est