Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1844-03-21

ing by the usual bu, fallacious standard of nv own
weakness, | began to be very uneasy for the stu
alton ofthc preacher. For could not conceive
how he would be able TO let his audience down
from the height to which he wound them, whhou,
imparing the solemnity and dignity Of the subject
or perhaps shocking them by the abruptness Of his
fall. Bu-no; the decent was as sublime as the
elevation had been rapid and enthusiastic.
The first sentnnce with which he broke the aw.
fu silence was quotation from Rousseau--'Soc-
ra,ees died like philosopher but Jesus Christ like
a God 7
despair Of giving you any idea of the effect
produced by this short sentance, unless you could
perfectly. conceive the whole manner of the man,
as well as the peculiar cricis in the discourse
Never did completely understand what Demos
themes meant by laying such stress on delivery,
You are to bring defore you the venerable fig
ure Of the venerable preacher his blindness coi-
stanty calling to your reelection old Homer Oss-
ian and Milton and assocating with his perform
ance the melancholy grandeur Of their geniuses;
your are to imagine that you hear slow, solemn,
well.accented enunciations and his voice of affect
ing trembling melody; you are to remember the
pitch Of passion and enthusiasm which The congrc-
cation were raised and the few moment of pro.
entious, death like silence, which reigned through
the house the preacher removing his white han
kerchef from his aged face, (even yet wet from
the recent torrent of his tcars,) and slowly stretch
ing forth his palsied hand which held it, begins The
ce,-"Socretes died like philosopher then.
pausing, and raising his other, with warmth and
energy, to his breast lifting his signifies balls to
heaven and pouring his whole soul into his trem.
ulous voice---"but Jesus Christ--like God I"
! II he had been indeed and in truth an angel OF
light, the effects could scarcely have been more
divine. Whatever had been able to conceive OF
the sublimity of Massllion or the force of Boerd-
aloue, has fallen far short ofthe power which
felt from the delivery of this simple sentunce.
If this description give you the impression that
this incompatible minister had any thing of a
shallow theatrical trick in his manner, it does him
great injustice have never seen in any orator
such union Of simplicity and majesty. He has
not gesture, an attitude, or an &C cent to which
he does no: seem forced by the sentiment he is cx-
pressing His mind is too serious. too earnest,
too solictous, and at the same time too dgni6ed,
to stoop to artifice.
| Although as far removed from ostentation MS a
man can be, yet it is clear from the rain the style
and substance of his thoughts, that he is not only a
polite scholar, but man Of profound erudition |
was fore IDLY struck with short yet beautiful
character which he drew OF your learned and able
countryman, Sir Robert Boyle he spoke of him
as ir iii, nvbIo mind bad, ever beyro dsath dvcs
ted itself of all influence from his frai tabernacle
of esh," and called him, in his peculiar emphatic
and impressive manner, "pure intelligence; a
link between men and angels"
This man has been before my imagination al
most ever since. A thousand times. as l rode
along, dropped the reins Of my bride, street he'd
forth my hands, and tried to initiate his quotation
from Rosseau !; thousand times abandoned the
attempt in dispair and fe, persuaded that his pccu
liar manner and power arose from an energy o
soul which nature could not give, but which nc
being could justly copy. As recall at this mo
ment. several OF his awfuly striking attitudes, witt
which my blood begins to pour along my arteries
reminds me of the emotion produced by the frs
sight of Gray's Introductory picture of his Bard