The daily union., 1852-12-08
From the New York Evening Poet.
Thackeray's Fifth Lecture.

NO unep We pfesuHes OF the crowded audience who III
went last evening. with high expectations OF pleasure 10
hear Ihackeray discourse Hogarh, Smolei, and Field
ing, came away disappointed Ii lecture full OF
picturesque description aud original and witty remark
The distinguished men who the subjects OF the
lecturers sketches evidently fayortes OF his and
enabled him TO speak Of them with genial and hearty
sympathy, Every popular novel, he began by saying
has good man in H. monster his opposite, and pretty
young girl who Is saved from the wes and prosecutions
ot wickedness by courage. fidelity, and virtue, la the
same spirit, Hogauh adhered 10 the broad principles OF
popular ethics addressing lessons easily understood TO
simple hearts, and awakening them emotions OF terror
pity, JOY warning HIS morality might be expressed
thus; = Tommy was naughty boy, and his master
logged MN but Jackey was good boy, and got all the
plum-eake"
ecs his pictures produced, by exquisite outlines OF the
Marriage Ia Mode" and the - Idle and industrious
Apprentice" dwelling upon the Invaluable history OF
their tunes which these pictures furnished, and the
prehensive truth and fidelity oi their representations
But what manner OF man, he proceeded TO say. was
this William Hogarth himsef-he who invented these
various e.llke, instructive, admirable portraits Ia
the National Gallery OF London hangs the best and most
carefully finished series OF his comic paintings and the
portrait OF his honest face from which the bright
blue eyes shine out and give idea oil that keen and
brave look with which he always regarded the world.
No man was ever less of hero. You see him before
you, and fancy what he jovial, honest Lon
don citizen. stout and sterling loving his laugh his
friends, his glass, his roast beef OF old England, and
having base soorn OF French monseurs and frogs. for
eign music, foregn singing, and, above all, OF foreign
painters, whom he held in most amusing contempt
Poserty however, has not quite confirmed honest Wills
opinion about his own talents for the sublime and
though Swift could mol the difference 'twx tweeds-
dun and tweedledee the world and discovered the
difference, and gave hearty applause and admiration to
Hogarth too but not exactly painter of scripural
subjects, or as the rival OF Corregio
After giving a ludicfous account of an excursion
which Hogarth, with four honest London tradesmen.
made to Gravesend and Rochester, like the journey OF
Mr. Pckwck and his friends bundled years later, and
OF his caricaures of Churchill and Wilkes the lecturer
passed to brief view of Tobias Smollett He like
OF those Scotch cadets which the author of Waver-
ley had drawn with much likeness, of gentle birth and
slender issuing from his northern home 10 fight
his way through the world by courage and wit. pas
sage IN the letters OF Humphrey Clinker striking
portrait OF his life and his associates His books were
rather remembTances OF what he had actually and
suffered than inventions Endowed with manly,
kindly and honest though irascible nature; and
battered by the struggles OF hard life getting bui nggard
pay alter being reviewer critc medical writer, poet and
pampheteer, his brain ever busy with hundred schemes,
IN ms age, sickness, and poverty he had courage that
never sank But what strange companions he have
had, what queer acquantances he must have made in
the Glasgow College in the country apothecay shop, in
the gun room OF the man o and in the hard life
shore. With his keen percepive faculty, he described
what he saw with wonderful relish and delightful
broad humor. The novel OF Humphrey Clinker is the
most aughabe story ever written since The pleasant
sort OF novel writing began. Wnlired Jenkins Tabhy
Bramble, and Lismehago, were characters that would
give delight wherever and as long as the English Ian
guage was read.
Fielding, like Smole,t drew from actual life and expe
rience but with greater power and deeper insight The
circumstances OF his BIRTH his fortune and his subse.
quen mlsfortunes, his official position magistrate all
furnished him with ample opportunities for the widest
variety OF observation. He was therefore himself The
hero OF his works-ihe wild Ton Jones, and The wild
Captain Booth. His large, healthy, robust constitution
the tides OF vitality that coursng through him, his
exnberan spirits, and joyful unconquerable humor, i'm
PEELED him TO the tempting ieass OF society, with the ap
petite and relish that characterize OF those Homerc
entertainments, college breakfast.
When be first came upon town. in l727, the recollec-
ton OF the great wits still fresh in the memories of
the lequenters o The averns and coffee houses and vet
they declared that young Harry Fielding had more spirit
and wit than CoDgreve, any of his successors His
wit and made him friends everywhere; he was
couried by peers and of wealth and fashion he
liked good wine, good clothes, and good company and
was IN no way particular IN accepting few pieces from
the purses oil his rich friends and bore down upon them
! Tor guinea a dinner.
He wrote theatrical pieces for living, spending little
care upon them, but his novels prepared for more
durable existence These were master pieces OF genius
and lasting monuments oil consummaie skill. Yet it
Wouia oe lde 10 ty ana make nero Oh Fielding why
conceal his faults in cloud OF perphrsses II best
TO speak OF hm as he With claret stains upon his
laced coat and upon his face the marks Of goodiellow.
ship, OF illness, OF boisteous excess he stands as Won
see, care-worn, broken man. But he retained some
OF the most splendid qualities which have adorned hu
man natuTe-an nvanabe love Of truth, instructive
anpahy 10 all hypocrisy, and The happest sairca gift
Of laughing it 10 seorn HE wit wonderfully keen
and detective, flashing upon rogue, and lighting up
rascal Ike poeeman's lantern. This sudden and apt
image excited an involuntary round OF applause in the
audience
Besides, the lecturer continued in the midst Of all his
mpeecons, he respects female innocence and inlantne
/
iruthellng he was, and not be infinitely merc,ful
piul, and tender. lie wosld give any man his purse
and could not help MS kindness and prolusion he might
have low tastes, but not mean mind he stoops 10 no
hItiey; be dsdains all disoyal acts does his public
duty uprghiy he is fcndly loved by his family and dies
\ ai his work.
The qctuler then passed review OF Fieldings prn-
cpal works, the Joseph Andrews, Gom Jones, and Ame-
la contrasting his broad, lively hum5T with the tnsel
senlmenlalty with the author Of Pamela, TO tidicue
which his hrs work was begun. But his overflwing
heart got 10 love with his creations, and diverted
him quite from his original purpose. Richardson was
doubtless in earnest in hs hatred OF Fielding, Fielding
was 10 his contempt for Richardson The had been
FED sack posse, with his tavern friends roaring about
him, and the other drank tea amid cotere of simpeng
and frightened old maids.
Tom Jones' Mr. Tbackeray said, he protested against
not on account Of the art OF the work, which ua
equalled, bat because Of the ethics Captain Booth the
general court OF mankind would pardon Tor the sake OF
his wife, the finest female ia the books, but the rocking
spendhn and hypocrie Tom got too much OF the plum
pudding without repentance. Charles Lamb bad finely
said that tone hearty laugh from Tom Jones cleared the
air" which might be true in reference 10 Bf and Lady
Belasion bat he could not but think III he brought too
much Of tobacco and rumpunch into Sophia Westerns
drawing room Fleldlngs moral perceptions bad been
bluned BY his wild life; but iorgave Booth for
Amelia's sake so must forgive her father He was
10 be honoed for having invented that lovely and perfect
character for II not only triumph OF art, but
good action. II said that be found the original by
bis Efesde and the lecturer believed H. for she had
10 him more real existence, and be knew her better
than Lady Mary Wortley Montague What glorious,
noble that which could call such being, forth
and endow them with perpetual life
The lecturer concluded with beautiful tribute TO |
Ia mar geu ~ EtslninVsa cha