Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-06-08
ROT ne Eng
TO ROANE.

| have read your letter, Wnlcn DeSlnS 81 Blha.
ly, but ends so abruptly, as 10 make me conclude
you did not finish il with the same good will yon
commenced You affect 10 view me as ghost, a
mere shadow and 10 have nc tear OF fitting al a
GHOST; and will indulge you in This fancy as il
Seems 10 be The point d esprit OF your epislle on
the other hand, however, il may be we'll imagined
that no one but political gypsy would lii al a
ghost. Now il is queer fancy 10 tilt al ghost,
though, as you say one great lord did ii before
you, and bis authority is quite enough. From
This pretty fancy will by no means dislodge you;
it is so we'll conlrived, and so happily shows you
off as gypsy; but assure you This is the FIRST
gypsy affair was ever drawn into and am lit
lie al loss how TO write 10 please you. have
seen some OF The Tribe before, il is certain, and !
find they bear near and striking resemblance 10
each o he.; they are OF restless and roamln.
disposition, with no particular destination, hui
always at home, however loosely they may hang
OH the skirts OF society. Don'l be angry al This
gypsy idea; il is all par plaisr. Your letter and
ycur poetry all conspire 10 produce this impress
sions; il displays the most striking and peculiar
phenomena OF a gypsy mind, without The useful
and necessary faculty OF close observation AMI
clear discrimination; it is, unques.ionably the
production of wizard brain, though il is a
eief d. cure OF its kind. But 10 such minds
the ripe fruits OF learning are forbidden; all lhal
belongs 10 The perfect model OF profoundly cui-
waited mind, is TO such but terra ,nc0cnita.
Your scrap OF poetry from Shakespeare. ex-
hibits your mind in all lis native lightness
and poverty Of study; butterfly may well
stand for you, neYef Lighting on the flowers 10 ex-
tract lheiI sweets but Haunting with saudy and
expanded wings from flower 10 flower; and how.
ever beautiful or fragrant, it is all The same as il
they were The wilhered trophies OF Winter over
Natures beauties. Your letter tells me yon had
peeped into the pages Of The bard OF Avon; and
cap,ivated by the phantom idea OF Bozzy being
ghost, you seized hold Of a ghost scene in The
play Of Hamlet, and tearing few verses from
The context with epi2rammatc violence, you hold
them up as the wand OF Shakespeare, 10 exercise
Bozzy's ghost. II is said some where in the larry
legends Of mythology, that one Cabellan stole The
wand of Prospero, but II was powerless in his
hands. May not this be the true history OF your
own great achievement in poetic plagiarism
Let us examine this lille specimen OF yonr skill
In dialectcs, and see whether il will secure 10
YOU the renown OF scholar, critic or a poet;
no doubt il has caught the fancy Of The liue
quaint club But would be glad 10 know whe
her you submitted j, before publication 10 The
literary part OF the club. II appears you caught
but Two ideas from The whole play OF HamIel; thu
burial Of Bozzy and his ghost afterwards; whata
magnificent achievement; what rich supply Of
argument and illustration from one OF The most
admirably imagined and graphical pictures OF po-
li,ical depravy and hot ambition, which The dra
matte pen OF Shakespeare has drawn! You did
not perceive that the ghost of The royal Dane
slood on the same platform which BcZzy's ghost
occupied that both ghosts were telling The
story of political crime and ambition; their er-
rand from The world of spirits TO this sublunary
sphere icing The same All these grave and se-
,i.,Ja "a
mind iatet anen ls in hcr5a deeply laid IN The drama
81 Shakespeare is The dark plotting Of poitcal amb
i,on tie selfish andheartless inlrgncs n men 1rhosc
aim IS poiiticalporer. But you have not impaired
in the slghes, degree the force OF Bozzys leve la
lion; on the contrary, you have given him a
powerful ally in The imagination OF tie poei, who
wrote from Natures revelations. The inference
drawn by his wise and devoted son has also
escaped you "That there was something rotten
in The Stale of Denmark" and that "lhere was
more in heaven and earth than was dreamed OF
in your philosophy, Horatio" would advise
you, when you wish 10 screen politicians or 10 till
al ghost, to be more circumspect in the choice
OF your che1al de bataiHe.
You have done me some honor, in supposing
had just peeped into The pages OF Thomas Car.
lyle; but ruth and candor compel me 10 say
have never had The pleasure OF reading The works
OF that celebrated author. find, however, from
reference 10 various English perio icals in nv
possession, amongst them the Edinburg Re-
view, Blackwood's Magazine, and Campbelrs
Magazine OF recent publication as we'll as going
back Tor several years, tina, Carlyle has acquired
great literary reputation, and widely extended
through The learned and philosophc classes
His works are all reviewed in these periodicals
| and with great ability. Il would be quite out OIL
place for me 10 cucumber this letter with mailer
OF that description. Il is sufficient tor my purpose
to state, that in Campbell's Magazine, Carlyle:
History of The French Revolution is spoken Of
with great appreciation; and in Blackwood's Ma
sazine his miscellaneous works are strongly re.
commended TO The study Of the tyro would
think you might derive some benefit from
close examination of these last. Again, in
Campbell's Magazine of l643, Carlye's master
y criticisms on the science Of The beautiful are
| highly commended, and he is placed in the same
category, on this particular subject, with Cole
ridge, jeffrey, Wilson and Milman, whoare styled
lights OF the age. You were ignorant, presume
ofrhe well.sustained reputation Of Carlyle, and thai
you were attacking strongly fortified position,
when you penned your jaetanti0 re,6a, boasting
words, winged by vanity, bot without the keen
point bestowed by the metal OF erudion; OF, per-
haps, yours is an epicurean spirit OF literature,
which does no, aspire 10 the higher and sterner
Joys of thought. have shown, however, as far
as the highest literary authority is concerned, that
you are poor critic.
You attemp, to tilt at Bozzy's ghos, in defence
OF some persons unknown 10 me for can fair.
" say do not know by what rule you have work.
ed your vulgay fractions. Your words are aubi.
guous, apd may bsapplied 10 every body. Spar.