Washington sentinel., 1854-04-01
From the New York Times.

From the New York Times
Death Of Sir Thomas Noon Talfourd.
The Franklin brings intelligence of the sud
den death OF Mr.. Justice Talfourd, distinguish
ed tor his literary productions, which rank
among the most interesting portions of modern
literature. he died OF aPoplexy, at the Stat
ford assizes, while addressing the grand jury
on the 18th instant. The circumstances of
this sad event are narrated in q letter cop;ed
from the Daily Ners. The intelligence Of Il
created very painful sensation in the literary
and legal circles of Great Britain.
Mr.. Talfourd was born at Reading, in the
county of Berkshire, May 26, 1895. He was
one of family of eight children. His mother
was the daughter of an independent minister
of that town. His father was brewer. In
tho rigid tenets Of his grandfather's faith, young
Talfourd was first educated, being sent while
yet small child to the Protestant Dissenter's
grammar school at Mill Hill. Subsequently
he was removed to Reading grammar school,
of which Rev. DR.. Valpy, distinguished divine
of the Church of England, and the editor of a
well-known series Of the Latin classics, was the
| principal. Under this gentleman's superinten-
dence, Talfourd, ceasing to be O Dissenter, i'm
bibed love OF poetry, especially of that class
of poetical composition more particularly pro-
scribed by the sect to which his parents be-
| longed-the drama. 1t was perhaps not later
IN life that he first cherished those aspirations
for freedom ordinarily characteristic of the en-.
thusiasm and generosity of youth, which dis
hnguished him in later years, when he repre-
sented his native city in the House of Com
| mons. His first appearance as an author was
during his residence at this school, when be
addressed poem to Sir Francis Burdett, on
his Liberation from the tower of London, which
w nr1hl oha1 IN, fha foyo !.
long since defnnct, !.
1t was not long after this, and while vet at
school at Reading, that he was encouraged by
some friends to publish volume, entitled
Poems on Various Subjects including q
poem on the Education of the Poor An.
Indian Tale" and the Offering Of Isaac a
sacred drama, which was issued by the Long.
mans, the author being then in his sixteenth
year. When he left school, his ambition point
ing to liberal profession, he became the pupil
OF Mr. Chltty, an eminent lawyer. At this
time he published "An appeal to the Protestant
Disseaters Of Great Britain on behalf Of The
Catholics" and emancipation never had mora
ardent eloquent, or discriminating advocate.
In 1915, in his twentieth year, he published
the first work bearing his name, which has
been reprinted in America. 1t is included in
the Philadelphia edition of his ESSAYS, and is
called An Estimate of the Poetry of the Age.n
In this work, the young critic nobly took
stand on behalf of Wordsworth, who was then
and for long time afterwards subjected to un-
merciiul rldicule. "Wordsworth's theories
(said Talfourd) may rather be regarded as pro-
phetic OF what we may be in Ioftier state of
being, than as descriptive of what we are upon
earth. To feel for the first time communion
with his mind, is to discover loftier faculties in
our own" f7,s
While in Chitty's office, Talfourd became a
contributor to the Retrospective Rerie,c. and to
the Encyclopedia Mehopolitana. This literary
labor was the principal source of his income.
To the latter he contributed (besides some
papers of merely historical character) the
articles on Homer, on the Greek tragedians,
and on the Greek lyric poets. The success of
these articles introduced him to the publisher
Coiburn, for whose magazine (the Ne,u Monttly)
ne was Immediately engaged as regular con-
tributor. For the same publisher he wrote a
memoir of Mrs. Radcliffe, which was prefixed
to an edition of her works.
Having practised for four years as a pleader.
Talfourd was called to the bar, in 1921. by the
Society of the Middle Temple. For many
years he worked hard at the profession he
had chosen, and, at the instigation of Lord
Brougham, he was, in 1888, called to the de-
gree of sergeant. Among the noted causes of
which he undertook the defence were, "the pro-
prietors Of the True San newspaper, for poiiti-
cal libel;" of "Taits Magazine also for libel;
and of Moxon, the publisher, who was prose.
cuted for publishing an edition of Shellev's
poems which contained the atheistical portions
Of "Queen Nab"
He had now 1s32) become regular con.
trlbutor to the Edinburg Recie,c, in which his
pest essays appeared. His connexion with
Reading had long since associated him in
friendship with Miss Milford, who lived in the
neighborhood, and whose influence induced
him to attempt dramatic composition. Still
he had not, at this time, the smallest idea of
writing for the stage. The tragedy of eTon,n
though 1T had been sketched long before, was
not completed till 1884, when it was read pri-
vately to few friends. Their judgment led to !
its pelng printed for private circulation, and at
length, prevailed on by their entreaties, he al
lowed it to be produced at Covent Garden The
atre, for Mr.. Macreadys benefit, on the 26th of
May, 1886. Its success was unequivocal.
Talfourd's reputation now pointed to him as
man certain to do honor to his native town,
and accordingly the citizens of Reading invited
him to represent that city in Parliament. He
was elected by large majority composed of
all parties The political measure to which he
gave his name was, "the authors copyright
bill" designed to extend an authors copyright
in his works from twenty-eight to sixty years,
and to give artists the same protection as au-
thors. 1t was thoroughly debated in the House
of Commons, and several times introduced,
but it was never carried. Mr. Macaulay, the
historian, was its bitter and unceasing oppo-
nent.
The other literary works of Talfourd are
'The Athenian Captive" tragedy; "Glen-
coe," a tragedy y q volume of "Poems;" and
vacation Rambles," journal of a tour in
Europe. He also wrote the Life and edited
the Remains of Charles Lamb and of Hazlitt.
He leaves behind him several sonnets in man
uscript.
In 1874, he was made doctor of common law
by the University of Oxford He was elected
three times member of Parliament for Read
ing. In 1916 he was defeated, and in l847 re-
elected. In 1850 he was made justice of the |
court of common pleas and conseouenf1v was |