Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-07-07
LIVING AUTHORS.

LIVING Al lllDlN.
Al,hnu.L the present ace cannot boast "i riiciI :
brilliant cluster nj great writers ~ the one which IN
uurdinrriy prrc,rir,i il, still the ilrt "i LIVING itiiih"!H
i. Il splendid one, mud such H. but few periods III li''
| history can rival. In England there il Mnc",iiay,
| Whose orcat intellect seems Of late tO have been lock
ed up in II strange torpur. i"r the reading public are
| vniuiy calling from wear IT, year .pr III" continuation!
| of hi. Inatchlrs- history oil England. Can !; br true
u, busy ruInor now and then whispers, thnt ms ih'''
| cluYurm, Of writers and c-~nyisis la- Hilcc"nbri De-
| meath the potent and drowsy in;incnc" of 0p'tw. lie
Lns been in the East himself, wlcrc his hero, Lord
Give. learned to forget h- constitutional melancholy
| while under the influence ot the fumes "l that most
enhancing and pcrlriciOus drug. None "t Sr VAT
ter SCOTS historical romanc"S. "" VIII l"i cNcc!.'
even IvnuIIOc, arc more cuthralling than .HnchiiH.E :
| History Of England. II he would bring the aniIh!>
nt that country down IL the present day III the same
STYLE, he would confer II iast!ng ihF"r upon at,
lovers of historical literature. Every no" anu
then W. soc an announcement extracted from some
Eu,li,h Journal, profrssiu. to speak with authority,
that ns>tlres the public thnttwo more volumes 81 MA
caulav'S uncUmplrtrd history will b. positively G!rri
TO the world, nj the expiration oi such Il time; Inc
period specified expires. but liz" nIFci' 81 'c "es'e"
volume. does not take place. Every r"'Hi!liS iinii
in Amrrica il of course acquainted with The pTliiri.Dhl
| works of Thomas De Quincy, flmihnrly known a'
the Opium Eater. Tn" April number ot III" NrH!-
minister Review SAYS that this great writer "Wrs Iir
fame Ia his Amcr!cGn publishers. lirNh"r y ~ VI
Boston. md 10 The appreciation "t III" American
public. Undoubtedly this is true /" Il cnl-i"r'ao.'
extent. In ior.r.iurkry par.ancr, ii "as ii'kior n
Go. who irOttri DE- Q"ncc10"t. They cnNrihc pm,
lie nm opportunitv ,o see hs points nnd PAGES, ii:a'
wos cno,irh. He only wanted I" hc u-rd /" d" ai-
,nir,d. Nov hi. cr.a; thoughts and gioriors sentences
mr., r]u,lriuc,l in the hearts and memories ct tlot-
sands of hr vOtarirs On this side OF the water. IL u
had not been for Mr.. Field Of ioston' the lriinciir"ii
mart of De Quiurcv's essays would nave nrrh' '"chth
I'M. rurrud and unadlnirrd. III thu dusty back yoi,;incs
~ ,lc various reviews. in which they originally
auncarcd, Now bv the enterprise ot the gentle
MIN To whom we have just alluded, ihc-' golden
cssny. have been wlnn0wcd from the noun.
tains OF chnlf in which they l"y chnrd'ea III"
,nod, accessible 10 everybody. In our c.tiin"-
,;nn d. Quincy stands decidedly at tie head" livlli-
Encl;.h prose writers. In s:yI", IL Originality %! CON
ccntjon, in variety and pruiundiiy OF learning II! NJ
NOR, parhos and in s~plenIor OF IMAGINATION, ne EaF
no equal among the living authors "' .reht pE''n;l'
There arc uassar.S in his work.. which have tine
r,.,hr, and Golden cadence nj some -! The i"-t lines
in Millions Paradise Lost. The snrdonit hu'HIri''
and sublimi-t of GROWERS. Carlyle. IKE Ills rEni MA
rnulry. seems OF late, Tor soHc reason or rtilrr' IT., I,
hoyc inrrotten how to wicll his subdu!ng g""'r-qul!:
P.rhap, he think. il best to let ms "''r""IN'" ,hi''
In f,,It,w for 4 scasou, preparatory 10 Il renewed ms
nIuy of its urwcr-. k"pur: saiI, some inn" ago, '!ia'
i'urIylc wa- engaged upon u III" ~! r frederick 'Ie 'r""'
If Prussia, n most ~colgeIlial hu'Jcc' "hc,'oA ~ tHct-
c;ur III. neculiar powers. Stern, practical, Ii!'!"iat!-a-
lie. rcmors,i,s. "O!d Fritz" Of Prussia, was l!iSt such
n heinz n. CARLYLE especially admirrs. II III - TcaA?
engaged in writing Il biography 81 the lannon's lru--
sim King, II Will Dr WORM TcallE., "4cu|N ~ u '.'Ahe'
its auvcatancc. Meantime, if Mr. CARLYLE should new
or pt,t pen to paper agai!, h. has written enough area
DIV 10 enri,le him 20 n place in the memory cI future
Generations. S.alSnri old christopher North, WHO
has inst passed - from sunshine 10 the -lrIcsS land,
al; Goursc j. beyond the range "t mn essay upon hr'"g
authors. Dainty Alfred Tcnnyson, the sweetest, Most
luscious aud dccp-;houIhtcd poet that ever lived, has
preserved n profound silence, since IN his character OF
poet laurca,r he gave 10 The world his ode Oh the
death of the Duke OF Wellington. That, OF course
WINS mere task work done Ia Oricr-lust such sort OF
work as far more terrestrial geniuses than Icnnyson
do heal. II is astonishing how sof; and t!exIh!" the
rough Saxon becomes i'll the hand ni the great mas
ter. His ycrsiiication is more dainty ami ilu!ilcs-
even than the vowcilcd Tuscan al Arlost". ~! honoi
10 Tennvson, the greatest living poet, and one "l the
greatest that tho world ever saw. When ms iir-t vol
une mndc It's appearance, he was riticr!cI anu ac'
cuscd of writing verses in long kid gloves HIS tahac
il now beyond the reach Of envy and dei!ac:!"n'-
Such men as those whom we have jasi mentioned 10"
and then deserve u passing notice IN the re-" -pHapcrsr
far more than the epheineral statesmen, generals aa'
mirais, dukes, lords, governors, etc. who Eion"p"tise
90 LARGO q share of the worlds attention. lies !H'.
tor strut their brief hour upon the stage Il acton AID
then pass away 10 he seldom remembrance; but TIL
sous Of c,nius conquer g Hlncc ior Themselves in tho
heurts aid mcmorit. OF all generations, by means &"
their great wurks.-I .N"'ioGai Dem3rrGf,
--e---