Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-03-17
THOMAS MOORE


IT.
THOMAS MOORE
IS The death of this classic poet and wit occur
red at Superior Cottage. in Shropshire Eng
land, on the Goth uk. The latter years of his
life were unfortunately overshadowed by the
gloom Of intellectual imbecility. The fancy
that In other days charmed every circle, and de
vlsed new beauties in song for the delight of q
generation now rapidly following the bard to
another stage of existence, was struck with mem
tai paralysis: quenched and quieted for ever
The death of Moore will come home painfully to
more hearts than that of any other of the poets.
His verses have had more readers, his songs
more listeners, his political satires more keen
appreciators, than those of any contemporary.
Byron described him as the 'bard of all circles,
idol of his own The rich and ever variable
melody of his versitication will lnger in the
memories of thousands who have long ago for
gotten the sentiment it was intended to enshriDe
Undoubtedly, the greatest lyric of the nine
teenth century, he was furthermore one of the
most charming of social companions and the
warmest OF friends. His friends were numerical
~ equal with his admirers, and they covered tho
earth.
At what degree on the scale of reputation
posterity will rate the departed poet, it is diff
cult to say. 1t hasbeen quite common to speak
of his fame as quite ephemeral; based 90 no one
work of sufficient magnitude to obtain hearing
in the tribunals of the future. We Judge diff
ferenty. Moore was not the Tyrtmus, perhaps,
of his age, the bold lyricist of patriotism, and
denouncer of his country's enemies; he was GER
tainly not the Burns of Ireland-the poet of tho
common people-the expostor of local feelings
and sympathies. He was rather of the tribe Of
Catullus-a bard of the boudor. The Ilishman
does not recognise him ms national poet. I'll Q
songs Of Campbell, Scotsman, are sung twice
in Ireland where Moore is net hea: d once. The
balland- mongers of Donnybrook do not recog-
Mise the name. But Catullus has lived through
centuries, and been admired for fine delicacy OF
sentiment, and perfect finish ofrythm, notwith-
standing he was neither national nor local.
Moore, we take it, has as good chance at inn
mortality as the elegant versiier of Verona
His bril- fancy sand beauty of thought, exquisite
ease and finish of expression, abundant and even
cloying fertility of illustration, are superior to
anything in the literature of the age. The H.
centious voluptuousness of allusion and general
cooring will always detract from their merit,
when measured by moral standards. But per-
haps this was the point where Moore can q
nearest to contact with nature; and, at all events,
the fact cannot affect him in literary estimate.
As the Catullus of British poetry, he will live,
but this place can never be so near or his name so
dear to the popular heart, as the author of High
land Mary OF the Marseilles Hymn. Beran-
GER whose nativity dates from the same year is
the realization of national bard, and he will
enjoy a more cordial, though not more sincere,
admiration than the Irish poet.
Moore was bern in Dublin, Of respectable pa
rentage, on the 2eth of May, 1880. His coli
lege education was completedn 1897, when he
graduated at Trinity College, Dublin with unu-
sually high honors as Grecian. After addcting
himself tor year or two to the study of the
law, he abandoned himself to more congeniai
pursuits of literature, and in 1900 appeared his
Translation of ''Anacreon," perhaps the most
faithful of versions, as far as the spirit of the au
thor goes, ever made from the ancient LAM
guages, but entirely disdainful of literary accura
cy, or indeed of an approximation to the phrase
oogy of the original.
Followed in the succeeding year by the apo
ems of the late Thomas Little" Mr. Moore at
once took rank rs brilliant wit, poet and yersi-
fer; an epigrammatst rather than song writer,
and man highly gifted in the sensuous and vo-
luptuous phases of character The poet was at
once introduced by Sheridan into the circle of
wits who at that time lowered about the Prince
| of Wales at Carlton House, and, thanks to the
| social qualities, and dubious morality, was long
favorite in the drawing and dining room of that
royal popnjay. lin 1903 Moore accepted clerk
ship in the Bermuda Islands, aud took advantage
of the occasion to visit the United States. The
narrative of this flying visit is embraced in his
volume of "Odes and Epistes," published iii
1906, melange of prose and verse which had
the merit in default Of any other, of originating
the strain of satire upon American society which
found limitations in the Fidlers, Harnitons and
TrolIopes of after times. After his return Moore
suffered with the rest of the Princes friends, III
being flung rudely aside as that parsonage be-
came Regent. The arrangement in the In
stance of Moore, may have been owing to two
lor three satirical poems, entitled, respectively,
Corruption, ""lntolerance," and the ''Sceptic,"
which appeared in 1903 and 1909. From that
time, it is certain that Moore devoted himself
to lampooning tho Regent mercilessly; war
fare that produced thatcapit alhit, THE Twopen-
ny Post Bag" in 1912, and the 'Fudge Family
in Paris six years after.
The duel between Moore and Jeffrey, which
occurred in 1907, has been immortalized by
Lord Byron, in sorry SATIRE Of which he never
ceased to be ashamed. 1t forms the era of
friendship between the two poets, that only end
ed with life. In 1913, the Irish Melodies"
appeared, with the music admirably arranged By
SirJohn Stevenson, and at once became popu-
| lar, wherever tho English tongue was spoken
They defined Noeres place enthusiastically rs the
first song writer OF the language, and will doubt
less constitute his principal claim to remem-
brance The ''Sacred Meodies,'' published
with similar musical aid from Sir John in 1916,
were but little less successful, and in 1917,
.sLalla Rookh," published by the Longmans, OBJ
tanned share of favor unsurpassed by the most
popular productions of Scott. But although
edition after edition has been exhausted and is
still demanded, it is questionable whether this
oriental romance" will. after all, perpetuate
the fame of its author. The want of unity OF
purpose; the remoteness OF the scene and the
manners, and the thoroughly Levantine voluptu-
business of the imagery, place it beyond tbs