Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-05-22
THE DAILY TIMES.
From Miss Mitford's Recollections.
WINTHROP MAcKwoRTH pRAED.

and poetical promise as the University had not
known since the days of Gray. What is rarer
still, the promise was kept. One of these "mar-
vellous boys" turned out man of worldwide re-
nown-the spirited poet, the splendid orator, the
brilliant historian, the delightful essayist-n
word, Thomas Darlington Macaulay, now, sup
pose, incontestably our greatest living writer
The other was the subject of this paper.
Winthrop Mackworth Praed Il wish it had
pleased his godtathers and godmothers to bestow
upon him plain English Christian name, and
spare him and me the vulgar abomination of this
conglomeration of inhurmonious soundsD Win
throp Mackworth Praed was born in London, in
the beginning OF this century, of parents belong
ing to the great Banking house, which still re-
mains in the family. Sent early to Elton, he,
while yet a school-boy, followed the example of
Canning who appears to have been the object OF
his emulation in more points than one, and in
conjunction with Mr.. Moultrie set up a paper
called the ''EtoIian," to which he was the prin-
clpal contributor, and which was so successful
that 1t went through four editions, and establish
ed for the chief writer high reputation for pre-
cocious talent. AT Cambridge this reputation
was more than sustained. He was the pride and
glory of Trinity, and left college with an almost
unprecedented number of prizes, for Greek ode
and Latin epgram. Even the greater world OF
London, where University fame so often melts
away and Is seen no more was equally favorable
to MIR. Praed. He and his friendly rival Mr..
Macaulay, gave their valuable assistance to
knights Quarterly Magazine" and every fresh
article made its impression. He wrote also in the
"New Monthly" and in the ANNALS, then seen
on every table, with still increasing brilliancy;
contributed pungent political satire to other jour
nalS, and finally entered Parliament with such
hopes and expectations as his talents might well
warrant, but which have seldom been excited by
an untried member.
In the House Of Commons he did quite enough
Justify the warmest anticipations of his friends,
and to earn for himself the name of ga rising
man, that most suspicious of all names to po-
ltical aspirant.
What he might have become had life been spa.
red it were vain now to conjecture. He married
happily: ne died young. Light, lively, brilliant,
the darling OF every society that he entered, he
was yet beloved by those who knew him best
10 me 1T seems that had he outlived the impetu-
osity Of YOUTH he would have become something
higher and better than a political partisan, how
ever clever, Or a fashionable poet, however ele-
CANT There was through all his poetry-and it
is its deepest although not its most obvious charm
"a love OF the genuine and the true. scorn for
the false and the pretending, which is the found
alton OF all that is really good in eloquence as
well as IN poetry, in conduct and in character, as
IN art. The germ of the patriot and the states.
man, is to be found in the love of truth and the
hatred OF pretence; and never were they more de.
Veloped than In the poems Of Winthrop Mack.
worth Praed.
That these poems are the most graceful and
finished verses of society that can be found in the
language, 1t is impossible to doubt. At present
they are so scarce, that the volume from which |
transcrlbe the greater part of the following ex-
tracts is an American edition, procured after con-
siderable difficulty and delay from the United
States.
MIN
Some years ago, ere Time and Taste
Had turned our parish topsy-turvy,
When Darnel Park was Darnel Waste
And roads as little known as scurvy,
The man who lost his way between
st. Mary's Hall and Sandy Thicket,
Was always shown across the Green,
And guided to the Parsons wicket.
Back flew the bolt of lisson lath:
Fair Margaret in her tidy kirtle
Led the lorn traveller up the path,
through ean-clipt rows OF box and myrtle;
And Don and Sancho, Tramp and Tray,
Upon the parlor- steps collected,
Wagged all their tails and seemed to saw:
sour master knows you; you're expected"
Up rose the Reverend Doctor Brown,
Up rose the Doctors sswinsome ma1row:o
The lady laid her knitting down,
Her husband clasped his ponderous barrow;
w Ilate, CT the strangers caste or creed,
Pundlt or papist, saint or sinner,
lie found stable for his steed,
AND welcome for himself and dinner.
Ii, when he reached his journeys end
And warmed himself in court or college,
de had not gained an honest friend,
And twenty curious scraps of knowledge;
1t he departed as he came,
with no new light on love or liquor,
Good sooth the traveller was to blame,
And not the vcarage or the Vicar.
His talk was like stream which runs
With rapid change from rocks to roses;
1t slipped from politics to puns;
1t passed from Mahomet to Moses;
Beginning with the laws which keep
The planets in their radiant courses,
And ending with some precept deep
or dressing eelS or shoeing horses,
He was shrewd and sound divine
Of loud dissent the mortal terror;
And when by dnt of page and line
He Established truth startled error,
The Baptist found him far too deep;
The Dest sighed with saving sorrow,
And the lean Levite went to sleep
And dreamt of eating pork to morrow.
His sermon never said or showed
That earth isfoul, that Heaven is gracious
Without retreshment on the road
From jerome or from Athanasius
And sure a righteous zeal inspired
The hand and head that penned and planned
them,
For all who understood admired
And some who did not understand them.
He wrote, too, in quiet way,
Small treatises and smaller verses
And sage remarks on chalk and CLAW
And hints to noble lords and nurses;
True histories OF last years ghost;
Lines to ringlet turban,
And trifes for the 'sMorning Post" /
And nothingsfor Sylvanus Urban.
He did not think all mischief fair
Although he had knaek for joking;
did not raal Li1aaSoif loo,s