The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-01-01
LOUISVILLE, KY: SATURDAY, JANUARY /. 1918.

70 Sheffield and put into his hands The Corn
Law Rhymes and The Ranter." He at once
recognized their merits and instantly made them
known through Hewitt, to Wordsworth and
Southey, and subsequently 10 Bulwsr and 9TH
ers. They gave tho poet public approval Of his
works" and at once the scales fell from the
eyes Of the whole critic tribe---ali cuckoo-land
was loud with one note, and the poet, who had
been laundering at every critical door In the
Kingdom in vain, now saw the gates Of the
land OF glory at once expand, and was led In by
hundred officious hands, as II he were a new
born bard, and not one of twenty years
growth"
Notwithstanding ElliOt's fercsness and ardour
in his Corn-Law Rhymes, he can sing the quiet
scenes Of simple life as purely and swsetly as
ever they were sung. 1t is only where his great
spirit is aroused to yindicate what he thinks Is
right, or to anathematize what he believes TO be
fouliy wrong, that his harsh words scald the
tongue and set fire to the heart. We think his
mind Is more deeply exercised and feels a more
satisfying sense Of fullness when he writes in
this vein, but still, he can, and often does,
draw sweet and touching pictures Of pathetic
beauty, The address Of The Dying Boy to the
sloe Blossoms, Is as pure piece of pathos az
ever was written. Poor, poor Aired
"To love his mother aud to die
To perish in his bloom!
IL tiis ms sad brief history a------
| A tear dropped from mothers eve
Into the tomb"
He has tried TO write some dramatic pieces,
but with little success. His longer poems are,
| The Ranter, The Splendid Village Kerhonah,
Boutwell,, and The Village Patriarch. Two Of
these, Kerhonah and Boutwell,, are dramatic
pieces. OF the others, The Village Patriarch
is by far the best. Enoch Wray Is familiar
and beautiful character; a hale, hearty old man
who has known England and the poorest Of her
sons for many years. quiet, 2lain-thinking
old man, who tells many hard and unwelcoms
truths about English misrule. A man whose
life has had many episodes Of Joy and sorrow,
but over whose existence sorrow has borne the
greater sway. Poor old man! Would to God,
he had not lived to see Hannah hung. They
had unrOofed her cottage and bid her 90 10
the work house. And when she would have
rooted it again, Ezra White saw her; caught
her by the throat till her eyes upturned and her
tongue protruded
"--through retracing lips that caught
Sad hues from coming death"
But her idiot daughter, Jane, smots him
in the forehead with a stone, and he died.
Then came the brief trial, and last the fatal
scene. And poor Enoch, the blind old pilgrim,
was there, and alone Of all that throng around
the scaffod, crept up and clasped her hand ere
bless thee, Enoch Wray! God grant that there
may be better days in store for they that came
after thee,
Some of Rhinvalts soliloquys in "Bothwell"
are elegant specimens Of composition. The
first of these is probably the best among them.
Indeed the whole fragment is mere eminently
poetical than any writing which we have seen
from Elliot II is written in a different style
from the generality Of his poems, and displays
greater force Of Imagination, more elegant use
Of language and a more finished and poetica
construction that he is wont generally 10 make
use Of 1t is eminently superior in pOetical taste
and appreciation, to the majority Of his pieces.
We give below one or two extracts from It..
J Rhinvalt has been gazing through the barred
window Of his dungeon on a storm that has been
raging in the ocean without. And now
''The storm hath ceased. The sun is set:' the
trees
Are fain TO slumber; and, on oceans breast,
How softly, yet how solemnly, the breeze
With unperceiv'd graduation, sinks 10 rest.
4 No voice, no sound is on the ear imPress'd,
Twilight is weeninG Ger the Ps"si~o s"eS,
The stoat slumbers, coiled up in his nest;
The grosbeak on the owls perch seeks repose;
Aud DER the heights, behold. pale light CLOVIS.
The clouds edge brightens-lO, the moon! and
grove,
And tree, and shrub, bath'd in her beams,
awake,
With tresses clustered like the locks of love.
Will not this description, together with that
in the next lines, bear comparison with Mrs.
Norton's celebrated "Twilight1''
SHOW lovers meet, and labour's task is done.
Now stiffness hears the breathing heifer. Now
Heav'ns azure deepens, and, where rock rills
Rest on the shadowy mountains airy brow
Clouds that hare ta'sR their farepeH Of the
sun;
While ealnness, reigning Ger that wintry
cline,
Pauses and listens bark! the evening gun.
Oh, hark!-the sound expires. and silence 70
Moonlight DER oceans stiffness. on the crest
OF the poor maniac, moonlight. He is calm;
Calmer he soon will be in endless rest
o, be thy GOODNESS to his brow as balm,
And breathe, thou fresh breeze, on his burning
breast.'
The Splendid Village is fine production, but
! contains rather too much Of the herceness and
ardour that Elliot, like every other man who Is
} using his every energy in behalf Of single
idea OF intention, always displays when he draws
his pictures of peasant-life. The necessary
brevity of this notice will allow US to add but
little to what we have alre ady said about thi;
/ great master. His poems bear much greater rep
, utation and are more generally read in England
I than in this country. Indeed, according to Mr.
{ Griswold, he is as great favorite in his owl
country az any of his contemporaries, and takes
his rank among the first living poets Of Eng
/ land. Mr.. Elliot has, FOR some years, retireC
from his business as a bar-iron merchant il
Sheffield, and lives now upon his estate, which h
{ probably worth about eco, 900. He is now nea
a sixty years Of age. All England owes a deeI
debt Of gratitude to Elliot-the poor, for hi
mighty efforts for the Improvement OF their con
4 dition; and the rich, for having led them from
o the error Of their ways and taught them to be a
once mild and mighty. Mr.. Rufus Griswold 1
g we have seen published in this country.
$ We will close this very cursory review will
d one of the strangest and most remarkable o
e Eliot's minor poems. 1t contains many beau
. tiful thoughts, but all are strangely enough ex
/ pressed. 1t is one Of those pieces about whicI
( every reader will have his own settled opinion
e the moment he has read il. 1t is called 9Th
It Press" .
I "God said-"l.et there be lightp'
Grim darkness felt his might,
And fled away;
Then startled seas and mountains cold
Shone forth, all bright in blue and gold,
And cried-'s'Tis day! IT'S dayr'
I, "Hail holy lightr' exclaimed
The Thund' rous cloud, that fiam'd
: Der daisies white;
And 10! the rose, In crimson dress'd
a Lean'd sweetly on the lilly's breast;
y And blushing murmared-"LightH
Then was the sky-lark born;
Then rose the embattled corn;
Then floods Of praise.
: Flowed Ger the sunny hills Of noon;
- And then, in siillest night the moon