Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1854-04-22

SH Whlch w"S puollsheu IN 1879, Us FFhe Isle OF
Falms Previous To its appearance, he lad won
alively interest in Walter Scotts mind by some
exquisite lines on The Death of james GIahame,
author OF some serious and religious poems, aud,
IKE himself n native of West Scotland. 81 he
Isle OF Palms Immediately became popular-thoi
IS as popularity ranin those days, demonstrated
by The sale oil an entire edition of $50 or 900 CO
pies i'll year.
Scott, who was then in partnership with the Bal
'antynes, publishes, had started an Edinburgh
Annual Register, on the plan of but a rival tc
Dodsley's, and had engaged the aid of able litera
ry assistants: Southey, for example, contributed
The historical portion, and Wilson figured us a pc,
etlcal contributor. A few stanzas, called the
Magic Mirror, were dedicated to Scott, in which
occur the lines:
'fThe unknown seer,
circle round me traced, as with Magician's wand >
| thus, (for it was before the Waverley Novels had
been conmenced.J anticipating two appellntIons
oy which Scott came to be designateG-The Great
Unknown, ahd the Magician OF the North.
Eerly in 1917 Bhackt1oods Magazine common
ced ITS career. There was nothing very striking
IN the first six numbers; but in the seventh (for
October, 1910 there appeared satrcal quiz
passed OIL as Translation from Ancient Cha ldGe
Manuscript inv hich the form and language OF
chapters in the Bible parouie1, and the con
test thrn raging between Blackwood, (sthe man
whose name was as ebony') and Constable, pro-
nrletor of The Edinburgh Repieto, was related,
without any stint of personal illusions and bitter
satire. The principal writers in Biack,uood and
IN The ReUieto were deScr bed, one by one, as
beasts and reptiles. Lockhart, on the side Of him
whose name was as ebony was hit or as sthe
| scorpion which delighteth TO sting the faces OF
menu and Hogg, the Ett'ick Shepherd, as .the
great wild boar of the forest, wheting his dread
| ful tusks for the battle.'
Before the usual supply of Blqck1rood had been
sent away, for sale IN London aud through the
country, from l5O to 200 copies had been sold in
Edinburgh. The 'Chaldee Manuscript at once
found readers and interpreters. The Wing writer's,
whom 1t satirized threatened prosecutions for pro
ianely parodying the Word o: God, and actions
Tor hGels. Even Biackwoot's friends said he had
gone far beyond the bounds OF propriety. The
emu was, that the sheet containing The .Chaldee
Manuscript was cancelled, as many as possible oi
the issued copies were recalled, and is doubtful
whethe! more than 50remained out. limo public
library IN Europe, OIL this account, can the tChal-
dee Manuscript be found. It is doubtful wleth-
er there is copy Of it in any public libary in this
country. 1t is familiar, by name TO the readers OF
BtGektoood, for aftera little time (though in No.
an humble apology for its Appearance was duly
printed in extra large type) the contributors came
TO boast oft. Few of the present generation have
seen it.
The idea of the "Chaldee Manuscript is adj
mitted to have originated with Hog, who, in his
haif-a dozen autobigraphies, takes credit for the
execution, also That, however, was done by
Wilson and Lockhurt, aud thus commence a series
OF contributions by Wilson. which unquestionabiy
have raised. Blacklcoods Magazine TO The coIIside
nit has SO long enjoyed.
Blackwo1d was himself Tory; so was Wilson
so was Lockhart; so were all the other contribut.
ers Constable. who had 4 rival magazine, as well
as The Edinburgh ReuieU, was Wing. There
lore, Maga commenced her political papers, and
soon became the Tory amtidote IN Scotland and
else" here, 10 the Wing banes published by Con
stable. Politics alone would not sell the Maya.
zlne. Neither would mere literature. Itwas Ii {
union Of both, with strong seasoning of sarcasm
and personality, and vast quality OF originait,
IN manner and matter which built up b lack,pood
vi all the contributors, Wilson was the best
Inc untrlng spirit with which he worked was
~onurous. Mr.. Glllles, who enters into the sub.
ject in his "&lemoirs of Literary Veteran saws
thut Wilson very decisyely maintained that any
| man IN state of tolerable health, aud disposetI
ior literary amusement, might write entire nun,-
Der IN the course of two days! He suggested the
C'To be continued') articles, and the Occasional
issue OF double number. He and Lockhart drew
out long list of articles, which were announced
as written and accepted-and manyof these were
actually composed, when wanted. Gillies saws
"Mr. Wilson had then rapidity of txecnf;y.
power III composition, such as 1 have never seer
i equaled before since!-But, as he..would dc
nothing but when he liked, aud how he liked, his
/ regarded as mere jeur d,esprft and matters Il
amusement" AT that time Lockliart considere
sixteen pages of Blaekoood in not very large print
as an an; ordinary dayswork. easily done.
Wilson'S second loem, "rle City of the
Plague, appeared in 1918. In Peters Letters
to kinsfolks. published in 1919, Lockhart com.
plains thai this poem did not obtain the popnlafi
tyit deserves, and attributes this partly 10 The hasy
nature of its plan amt composition, and sonnet hins
also to the detective structure of its blank verse.
1t is hne poem, but Wilson'S minor poetcs are
his best; such as the Children's Dance, the adj
dress TO the Wild Deer seen on the mountains OF
lLochaber, and the Scholars Funeral. This last.
Locltart says, is masterpiece; the flow of it is
entire ann unbroken in its desolate music. Line
| follows line, and stanza follows stanza with a
grand, graceful, melancholy sweep, like the
OF some large weeping willow bending slowly and
sadly TO the dirges of the night br. exc over
clear classical streamlet, fed by the tears 'ot
| Maids. ~ - -. -
1nls2o, after much opposition, Chiefly ON ac-
count OF tue sting left by old personalities in
6taeE'rood, Wilson was appointed Professor OF
moral Philosophy and Natural p hilosophy IN the
University OF Edinburgh. Thsnceforth his con-
ttoutions assumed a grdver tone, ana marked i'm.
1ptoyementwas manifest verys peeliy The tonnha
ing magazine articles which were col1acts5 ,,3
Pnol SEQ as aud Shadows Of cotiish life .
were soon ed by two distinct works Of ic,,nn
Lindsay, = = stsa iet
In the spring of 1922, was commenced the well,
knowusertes of papers called 4Noctes Ambros;s.
nss." AT hrst, Wilson was only a contributor tn
the octes,tsin company with Others fthe 5;,l.o
by the way, originated with Magnify but, after
some time, 1t was found difficult to make them a
loint stock composition, and though he had occa.
slonal the greater part was wholly and solely
written by Wilson. He had now become ibe main