Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1850-01-01
SOutheY.
wiser man

The following is from Mr.. Walsh's
last letter from Paris:
All amateurs must be glad to see the
notices, so favorable, of the Iiie and Cor
respondence of Southey, by his son, the
curate. The London Examiners article
of the ICth inst, does not overrate the
father, as a poet or prose writer. He
was the first British man of letters, in the
broadest sense, Of his era. His works.
altogether, may be read with more profit
in every respect, than those OF any one OF
his contemporaries. We may not except
even Walter Scott, the great literary ben
efactor of his age an admirable poet and
matchless novelist; who supplied more
for the simple qualification, free from alloy,
of the reading world, than ever came from
any other pen. But Southey's works
constitute large and inestimablc additions
to all branches of elegant literature; they
are widely and variously instructive sui
ted to the most refined taste and keenest
appetite; they never oppress nor satlate
the mind, whether in his historical narra-
tives, his severest disquisitions, his criti-
cal reviews, his vast, desultOry erudlton,
or his lofty, elaborate poetry. They re-
fresh, nourish and satisfy our whole intel
lectual and moral being; and, like those
of Scott, are perfectly safe for youth and
for sex. They are Justly described, with
not the least exaggeration, in the following
MASSAGE of the Examiners articles:
This is hardly the time; with So
brief section of his life as yet before us;
to speak of the various pahlic claims OF
Southev. But some things we may say
with little dread Of dispute. His prose Is
of the best in the language. 1t is clear,
vigorous, and manly; with no small Pret-
tiness in it, but full and muscular as that
of our older and stronger race of writers,
and often sparkling with a current OF
quaint, grave humOr, which IS slngulaT.y
fascinating. His larger poems, however
judgments may differ concerning them,
are at least written on solid principles, and
with a sustained power of art. We are
not very certain, indeed, if it might not be
put as a good test of the pure love OF po-
etrv in any man, that he should like those
Madocs and Rodericks, and Kehamas, and |
Joans of arc. For a man may adore
Wordsworth as devotee of WOrdsworth's
system, and may be greedy for Lord BY
ron as for any other of the stronger stIm-
nlants but if we admire these poems OF
it IS as efforts of unmlXed mag
ination-as a child might admire, whose
face is only to be touched by the wonder
ful and beautiful with the addition that |
he has d mind TO feel the great and eleya-
ting thoughts they embody, and thorough |
Iy to appreciate the simplicity which Is
their ground work. We take SOutney TO /
be real poet, in the sense OF Anosio.
And as to his shorter poems, we aPPre-
hend that no difference Of opinion is likely /
to exist, now or in any time to come. /
They are as fine as any thing in the Ian
guage. His range of literary pursuit was
and his unwearied diligence /
recalled the nobler and sevcrer days OF
English study"
His son will provide far more inter
esting and impressive biography than that
which Walter Scott's son-in-law has given
of the latter. Southey was fond of theo-
logical inquiry and discussion, and nduI, /
ged denominational prejudice but ne Lad
a truly religious spirit, which tempered
his zeal and chastened his genius.