Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1854-01-12
HENRY Claws OBLIvioUskEss OF

autobiography. The following passa-
ges are from portion Of the ltih chap
ter, and are quite as amusing as those
uready given. We believe Mr.. Clay
was very rarely known TO quote poetry
in hls speeches at least we cannot re-
cell more than one or Two roelical quo.
lations in them. Mrs. Mowait says:
Amongst the most agreeable rcminis-
cens,s Il this year are lhe vis:s o.
Henry Clay. We were fulfilling an
engagement in New Orleans when he
first called npon me. II Glanced that
my history wac well known 10 him.
He took deep interest in my profession
al exertions, and his encouragement
was not sparlngIy bestowed, One day
he gave me a most glowing description
Of Miss O'Neal's juliet, especially
OF the ndirete and iervor of her balcony
scene. But when he attempted to quote
tie passages which had impressed him,
/ could not help laughing involuntarily
at his odd devih,ons from the text,
~ dare say am msquotine," he re-
marked, alphabetically. L never
could remember a line Of poetry"
had 10 admit that this verson of JUL.
ct differed considerably froUi the one
which popular prejudice had adopted
nor could l ffa,ler him by saying that
ne improved upon Shakespeare.
He then told me that il was n singu
lar fact, and one which had been Il
subject Of regret through his whole life,
that he could not by any effort retain
verse in his memory. Even if he stud
led poem by rote, in a few days the
lines would be wholly ehaced from the
mental tablet on which they had been
laboriously written. He related to the
me an anecdoto in painful illustration
Of this peculiarly. He was making
some public address,-I think it was
a :ourlh of July ora,ion, during the
course OF which he proposed quoting
the well known Iines,-
" Lives there man with scul so dead
Who never to himself hath said,
This is my own, my native land -
Declamlng warmly, he gave enthusl-
astic u,teranco TO the line,-
"Liven there a man with soul so dead.
But the poetic page suddenly became
hlnnk ha Id nt h,, ,ho.
He paused then repeated The line with
more patriotic ardor than before. He
thought the second line wo Id "comc TO
him" by means OF the repeilion-bu, i:
came not. He put his hand to his fore.
head, trying 10 think wh0l The man did
"whose soul was so dea i'--but The evil
dence Of that individuals torpid esserce
would not develoPe itself in metre. For
the third time he asked the question
empha'ically, not to say despairIngly,-
"Lives there a man with soul 10 dead"
and must hav e paused midway in his
query, had not a voice from The crowd
continued, in age Whisper
"Who never to him hath said"
The oblivious statesman caught the
the words, and thankfully finished his
quotation. lie determined III future, TO
ornament his ora,ions with few Of these
slippery gems OF the poet.
Gov. SrAvENs. The Oregon Specia
tor says Major Stevens, the Governs
Of Washington Territ' 'ry, arrived at
Fort Vancouver, on the 10th OF Novcm-
ber, where he remained hut few days.
when he started on his way over TO the
Sound. He does not wish his name to
be used in connection with the delegate
ship OF Washington Territory. He wilt
be cont, nted with the office he now
holds. He was accompanied by his or
Iy artist, Mr. Slanly-,he greater part
of his company, with Capt. McLennan
aud his command, having been left al the
DaIios.