Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1851-08-04
Literary GOssip.-NO. ID.
THOMAS CAMPBELL.

were united in his immediate ancestry. The imagi
nation of the poet nursed amongst the gens and
torrents and rugged mountains of "Kernau,''
''Where the home of his ioreiathers stood;'
But he spent his youth in the great commercial CAPT
tai of Scotland, and was educated in the coisters Of
its grim old university, that he might be able TO gain
his livelihood by the practice of the law Poetry
soon, however, seduced him from Cooke upon Lit
tleton,'' and from the cotton spinning, machine
building city of his nativity to Edinburgh, the ro-
mantle and picturesque residence of the Scottish |
iterat There is situated, several rods south from
the University Of Edinburgh, garden plot surround
ed by an iron railing and environed by lofty dwell
ings, which called Nicholson square; in the centre
of the western block of these buildings is large
arched passage leading to another dngy, grim square
beyond which the poorest class of people iuhabit
and where old furniture, and cast-of wearing APP
Parel are literally displayed for SALE To the west
of this paralleogram stands a stone we'll with
pyramdal capital, where barefooted children, and
sipshod women may be seen daily washing clothes
or splashing, with their little feet, in the water
This is Aison's square, where Burns so often visit
ed "Clarindc," that ''queen of poetesses;'' and
where 'FTom Campbell wrote his "Pleasures of
Hope Many times have l gazed in reverence
upon its cracked and crumbling walls, and its win
dows, dark and dingy with dust ard age, because
the poetic memories that lowered with angels wings
around it 1t was the spot where the living voice of
Scotlands two most gifted Wrists, Burns and Camp
bell, had breathed some of their noblest, sweetest
strains
1t has been complained of Campbell, that he did
not write more, and has been alleged that he did
not do so because he was chary of his fame, but it
was modesty and not egotism that made his harp to
in silence he listened to the notes of Byron and
Scott, end his fingers fell stless on his golden harp
strings. He trembled to compete with so skilful
Ministries. ''I1ow can Campbell make such a mis-
take?" said Scott, smiling 'mine are but Scotch
pebbles, skilfuly setit may be, which sell because
they are the fashion; his are jewels for all time'
When first visited Westminster Abbey, looked
eargerly around the great corridors aud aslcs pee
pied with sculptured busts, for a memorial of him
who had sung of hope and liberty, and of the wild
romance of Ulvas isle, and of Erin's exile, bet
my chagrin, could not find any; at last, in the
+ stone floor of poets corner, where Shakespeare,
Rowe, Addison, and Godsmith's marble monuments
are seen, discovered little, black, marble slab
: with the name ''Thomas Campbell, surrounded by
poetic wreath, indenied in brazen characters be-
!, low it slept the remains Of Thomas Campbell. To
!, me it seemed that appropriate resting place
= would have been the wild heath of g Kernau -
At which the Highlander believes is still peopled viii
10 the ghosts Of Ossian's heroes
lck One beautiful accident, connected with Campbe'
We funeral, must never be forgotten When The gifted
the proud, dnd ted of the three kingdoms stood
~ round his grave with heads uncovered and eve
IRE bent down in silent homage to his sprit-ofpoetry
M that lowered over them, grateful Pole, who ha(
travelled from France for the purpose threw upor
the coffin of him who had so eloquenty put a tongue
Ia into every wound OF Sarmati, earth from the gray,
od of KosciuSko.