Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-04-01


thorty for this announcement has been in ouI
hands for some days, but ha. been withheld fof
reasons ofour own.
a meeting OF the WING voters Of the city
will be held. at such time may be agreed
on after consultation. for the purpose of select
ing candidate.
| DR. O. T.. Holmes delivered lecture al
Boston on the evening Of the 25th instant. on
the poets and poetry Of the nineteenth century.
in which his particular topics for that evening
were Byron and Moore and their productions.
The Boston Transcript publishes an outline oil
the lecture and comments on it, from which VIC
extract
No attempt was made at philosophical
anal ysis of the genius Of these poets; still less
of the qualities which distinguish the poetry Of
the nineteenth century. Indeed the doctor
seems to follow the chronological method, and
employs his hour in picturesque and abusive
IeIneations OF the individual poet then in the
order of time. Lirtle that is new be said
Of Byron. No poet has been so thoroughly
sacked and turned inside out How he ate,
drank, dressed. swami shot, sworc, and the
iors, and servants, are all carefully discussed
II moved tho tears To see among the portraits
Of Byron one childish face. full Of innocence
and peace, with the flowing ringcts, and the
rufled collar, and think OF his dark aud misera-
BILE manhood The Hours Of ldleness gave no
promise OF his future regulations; but the first
canto of Childe Harold came ringing down
from the poetic armament like the shield oil
! Pallas into the citadel Of lllum, and his fame
was INSTANTLY achieved.
| As we read his letters, bri.tllng with oaths,
and in spite of their dashing, oll'hand man
ner. evidently written for effect we fnd, how
ever reluctantly. one trait which marks the
white handed descendant of the Crusaders who
was more proud Of being n gentleman than of
being a poet or lord-nnd thai is eUigaliig,
Fiery and yolupluous, and Of a tropical nature
he was born out Of place in foggy England
The northern partlet thought she was incubat
ing n common egg, but when her bantIing
Clipped tho sh,ll. how must her fea hers have
risen with as'onlshment and horror 10 behold
upon it the scarlet plumage Of the wild ilamin.
go Byron has had no successful lmitators as
WordsW ORTIZ Keats and Tennyson, have 1t
is true thai dull poets like Robert Pollock were
SAID to have taken dfaugnts of Byron, as BY.
ron did Of gin, To aid their inspiration; aud
Browning and the author Of Festus have dress
ed Byronic thoughts in phiosophc garb.-
Holmes alluded without quotation To The moral
criticism of Jeffrey, which, " hen the poet read
it, must have made his pale cheek grow paler,
and the dew Of conviction gather upon bis
brow.
In the treatment OF Moore the lecturer
found a more congenal subject He charac.
terzcd him as the master yric poet of the Ian
guage. To our judgment, Barry Cornwall
has more fire. depth, and genuine tenderness.
while in tho uniaIllng melody of the verse. and
in the Oriental abundance of imagery which
his rapid and inexhaustible fancy created and
employed, Moore was undoubtedly the supe.
rior However. we did not intend to give our
own but the doctors views of his theme
Moore was one Of the lesser men, whose heads
thekind mother, Nature, will not allow to stand
more than FIVE feet or so FROM her maternal
bosom. The songs Of Moore are the melodi
Gus Voice of the romance Of our youth Ht
quoted Willis's description Of the enchantmen
OF Moore's music, verse, aud presence.
The lecture closed with beautiful origina
poem suggested 10y the recent death ofthe poet
from which we recall an exquisite image II,
had pokcn of the poets fidelity TO his wife
and his tender affection for his mother, as con
trosted with the errors Of his youth, and thes,
were then figured as
but the flushing of the bud,
| Which blooms milk white flour.
On the whole, we like the doctors method
following the c1airroyant process, which see
through the living organism, rather than usin!
the professional seal ped upon the deiunct sub
Iject. In this he resembles Thackeray, but ",
think with the prominent advantage Of rnucl
ampler resources of wit and fancy. The chimt
and emphasis Of Holiness voice and manner
the keen but kindly wit which gIistens lik,
bayonets in time of peace all along the sum,
field OF his style the reconcile and orisina
quality of his illustrations; and the touches
of pathos which always move the woman il
our heart, combine To render this a most de
j llshtful and interesting course of lectures.
JosErn SEGAR, ESQ of Charles City, is
candidate for the Board of Public work in tn,
second district Mr. S was one of the earli