The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-03-07

., Congreve and Addison, was very ""
Ill, amended, and gave very general sa"s'
- T,rere was the same dexterons and ar
- n,.n,genent of light snd shade in giving
r;e,or;al effects. The same delicate
S.,.,or md cutting irony-the same trenchant
III -.,;.hsd stvle manifested in his treatment |
If the first comic dramatist and greatest essay.
.,of Queen Annes reign, as IN his analysis OF |
,he Dean of ST. Patrcks.
co,sreye was held up as the greatest lite |
.,v sveH of that remarkable age Ibis fine |
airs his feppish appearance, his afectation OF
a.snising authorship, his fondness for the So
,.;e,v of great people, were all touched in the |
,,,nn;est manner. Horace Walpoie had the |
ssnoe weakness of affecting to look with indif- |
ference upon his literary requirements, with |
o,, which he would have been nothing, but the
dandy of Strawberry Hill never got so severe
/, rebuke for his impertinence as Voltaire ad-
,o;nistered to Congreve. MIR. Thackeray al
,uded TO Volta1e's visit to the magnificent au
thor of the Old Bachelor, but did not give US
,he renartee, which was altogether too good
a. have been omitted. When the French wit
was presented, the s,ceH disclaimed, as usual,
his character of poet-asserted that as for
his comedies, they were the mere trifiss of an
elegant leisure, and begged Voltaire TO regard
him only as gentleman. " If you had been
only gentleman said Voltaire, 81 should not
have come to see you"
Mr.. Thackeray quoted with taste and dis
elimination some of the higher verses OF Con-
L., ~ ting his and
passed on to consider the life and literary char
acter of Joseph Addison. In introducing this
writer he paid noble compliment to Macau-
lev, who, by the article on Addison in the Ed
inburgh Review, had set up majestic statue
of the esssyist, chiseiled with exquisite skill,
TO be admired forever by all men. The foibles
of Joseph, especially that little fondness for
the bottle, which alone left q stain of any en-
during consequence upon his otherwise spot
less fame, were kindly and agreeably set forth,
and his singularly impassve temperament in
honoring with his admiration only the greatest
intellectual giants, was explained by the state
ment of his own pre-eminent statue. Milton he
could worship, but the lesser gods of the in
tellectual Pantheon were beneath him. Ad-
dison's famous poem of the Campaign was
passed in review, and while justice was award
ed in full to the vigor and statelpess Of those
well-known lines, wherein the poet introduces
the angel that
Rides the whirlwnd and directs the storm
lthe same celestial being upon whose ample
inion, says Dir. Thackerav, Addison was
waited into place and prosrerity)-the weak
and puerile verses were also indicated as I'M
worthy of q schoolboy. In summing up the
traits of this great humorist, the lecturer elo-
quently referred to his pety as the GROWING
grace of perfect character; and recited with
grace and effect the memorable " Psalm" in
which the blue ETHEREAL sky," and all the
works of Omnipotence are united in voicing
forth His praise.
The last lecture of Mr. Thackeray's course
we will speak of Tomorrow.
- SPUNK-We admire the spunk of the
Senate of the Virginia Legislature. Indeed,
we like spunk in anything-from the terrier
dog TO the President of the United States -
Whenever the true grit appears, applause is
sure to follow.
The House adopted joint resolution thank.
ing Capt. Eric sson for the invitation to visit
the Caloric ship, bat declining TO accept it on
account of pressing business. The Senate
amended il by accepting the invitation. I he
House disagreed TO the Senate's amendment.
The Senate adhered to its amendment; and
There the matter rested. The Senate, like
game cock, would not give up jot of its
ground. So the Senate will go-and if the
House will not 60 along with it, why it will
60 alone! Go it! most grave and reverend
Senators! Who cares if the House don't go?
They did MT kill themselves with labor in the
beginning of the session, and isn't likely they
will die of industry now. We stand up for the
Senate! Go ahead!
This reminds US OF an anecdote of old Col.
Bare, of Shenandoah, who was long since ga.
thered TO his fathers-peace to his names -
One night, in the time of the great contest over
Mr.. Rives for Senator--he then occupying the
"halfuoy house" of conseryatims-about
o'clock at night, just after perhaps the nine.
teenh ballot, old Col. Bare, who had taken
at least one glass, rose up and said
" MIR. Speaker De Governor ish going to
gif a barty to night-it sh late-and move
dis House does now adjourn
The question was put, and by an overwhelm.
ing voice decided in the negative.
Col. Bare, quite indignant, standing up with
his hat in hand, said
"Mr. Speaker, 'spose can adjourn N.Y.
self"
"Oh, certainly, sir, said the Speaksr-and
the old Colonel walked deliberately out, while
the House was convulsed with laughter.
THEATRE-MR. WALLACK.
We are pleased to see that Mr.. Wallacl
has been re-engaged at the theatre He plays
= Macbeth tonight. We are perfectly well sat
is6ed that he will sustain the difficult charac
ter with decided success. We look upon MIR
Wallack as one of the very best tragedians O
his day. His action is jadicious and animal
ed, his delineatons just, aai his enunciatior
remarkably clear. He is an actor of very grea
energy, and he tempers his style adnirab,