Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-12-25
..:NyUM!BI:ER5aIO3
: SELECT VARIETY.
Mr., ,Thaokeray's Closing Lecture.

~ fs7TI7
N The New York Evening Post has the following
notice Of the conclusion of the last lectu1eiof
course delivered in that city by Mr.. Thackeray;
IA very crowded audience attended the last of the
brilliant course Of lectures, delivered by Thack-
cray; His subjects were Stene and Goldsmith,
whom he treated with his usual unspanng analysis
and hearty sympathy dissecting their faults and
Procqiming their virtues with all the yersitle and
delicate art of bis rhetoric, AT the close of his
lecture Mr.. Thackeray spoke as follows, ,,s
"Goldsmths name is the last in the list of these
men of humor who have formed the themes of the
discourses which you have heard so kindly. As
there is no one Of my friendly auditors here pres
ent but looks with eyes and speaks with a voice
quite different from the voice of every other fell
lowman, So, probably there's not single critic
ccnversant with the times and the noble works of
which have been speaking to you, but may giyea
| Judgment quite different to my own; think have
Judged one author too haIshly and another fayora-
bly,, and admire or condemn strokes of genius OF
traits of character quite other than those which it
has seemed to me right to praise OF eensure. In
reading the works Of those men Of genius, often
fancy lie FeTre, and La Fleur, and Sir Roger, and
the good Doctor Primrose, and noble Parson Adams,
and fairest Amelia, aSaGtual existing men and wo-
men; and with the history, the historian tooreyivi
fed; we live with Fielding and Goldsmith, Sterne
and Addison, we speak of their faults and peouli-
arities, us of our neighbors.'l We say of this man
that he generous, but prodigal; that that he
is most upright, but cold and supercillous; of the
other that he has good impulses, but is false and
leads bad life.
| It's in such way that endeayored TO speak Of
these men, as fancied saw them. As another
might speak to you Of great men whom he has met
abroad and say how Wellington or Peel looked,
what vas the Appearance or behavior of Thiers or
Guizot, how Powers spoke in his studio at Flor
| ence, OF what Landseer said and wore in hispaint
! ing room in London. lam sure youwill give me
the charity of believing me honest in what Say
may have judged wrongly, but l could not speak
otherwise. There is one especially, the first of
whom W have spoken, whose powers are the great
est, and whose genius is the most wonderful whom
1 love less and admire more, perhaps, than any of
that great and famous company of wits: There's
another ofiwhom we have spoken night, whose
private life was the worst, and who has yet left
! the world in the charming character of "Uncle
! Toby such beautiful, work Of art, such de-
lightful legacy love, and laughter, and kindness
as myriads, yetnnborn, will thank him for, when
i the crowded breadth of your immense dominions,
and the througed expanse of the vast Australian
Icontinent still shall echo. with the ancestral ac-
cents of the noble English tongue. 1t is the only
4 language in which truth dares now to speak
May the eperish the day it loses that privi-
blege; language be dead language ere it
ever brought TO deny the rights to hesitate
Limits denunciation ofwrongi to close over tyrants
lmisdeeds;,to atter ourighteous power, to forsake
Its divine commission, to preach love, and liberty
and no nor. s!.ii o. bs-aiI. 1i,al- iigl.5l az csl
,l5B Those meu ofwhon we have spoken have had
Il this task to do They have taught wisdom gailyi
laughing they have spoken truth and love, or their
I.works arenaught. Noble and illustrious names OF
I,Pope and Swift and Addison; dear and honored
memories of Goldsmith and Fielding; kind friends,
teachers, benefactors; if you have not been among
the highest or The greatest ofthe champions ofrnth,
in that combat ever waging between her and her
enerny YOU have been gallant soldieEai cause,
cheering her march with your song foIls5 kind
daughter, and meeting our foessE 5af swolas oi
your keen courage and the flashing OF fyops
In Englandit was my custom after the delivery
of these lectures to point such moral as seemed to
me to beft the country lived in and 10 protest
against an outcry which some brother authors OF
mine most imprudently and uniustly raise, who
think that our profession is neglected and its pro-
fessors held in light esteem: Speaking in This coun-
try,I would say, that such complaint would not
only not be advanced . but could not even be un-
lderstood here, where your men ofleterS take then
! lmanlv share in public sliie; whence Washington
Irving goes as Enyoyto Spain, and Everett anf
popnhIic in the lllC
Country. '7175I ,.-Ii. icy -tA' :" A....'
=And if to English authors, the English public L
Ibelieve kind and just in the main, can anyone
of us say, will any who visit your country proudll
and gratefully own with what cordial and gen
: erous greeting you receive usf look round on
this great company. / think of my gallant yount
patrons of the Mercantile Library Association'a
whose servant / appear before Youj and OF tbs
kind hand stretched out to welcomehrne BY MAJ
Efamous in letters, and honored in our country a
their own; and thank you and them for a mos
. kindly greeting, and most generous hospitality
lat home and among his own people, it scarcely
Z becomes an English writer to speak OF himself
! Ibis public estimation must depend uponhis works
This private esteem on his character and life. Bu
! here among friends newly found, ask leave tc
say that nm thankful; and 1 think with a grate
fni heart of those Ileave behind me at home, who
will be proud ofthe welcome you hold out to me,
and will benefit, please God, when. may days OF
work are over, by the kindness which you show to
their fatheEl59s Ii'ei y 80 '''.-' -.
aAt,Se conclusion Of this lecture, Robert Ksl-
Ieyy. ESD. intFoduced with appropriate remarks
complimentary resolutions, which was seconaeo
( Ebythe Rev. Samuel 0sgoodS as follows: f.,.+:-
llE Mr. President: AS one among this audience
~ alsd 10 second these timely resolutions, al
.nngsb wan it not for a hint which, under the
;TcIrnstaaces, seems authoritative, shopilds s cot
plsesams Is 70 word Of my own tfet tnis G' =
[iiantlectuIe. lestit might be adding penqAue -
lead to jewel of golds s
We have had rare indeed, N .IsI s;;.S