Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-03-17


vbjch rose belu'e them Paris like the procession OF
pbanoms before Macbeth, aud have lett 10 men
rocorda undcnabIe (such now read IKE Cassahu .
oohcces) that already they noticed tremors IN hc
nround be ow their feet and sounds In the air running %
iva the prcn commissions under which Europe was uss
lined 10 rock full thirty years later. Many instances au
rim, the last war, showed u. that IN The frivolous ua
uiant often LUX the most fiery and accomplished Vi d'
Il. ,nmp: aud thess cases show that men, in Whon 'o
world sees only elegant Toues sometimes from
sometimes from want OF opening for display concea quua
ties Of penetrating sagacy, and learned spift VI
ion such my looked for vany In persons Oh more %
len,n and academic pe,ension. But there was gtaei 10
feet 10 DR.. Johnson, for purposes OF conversation, .
merely want Of eye social phenomena rising around
him He he'd no eve for such phenomcua because he had
somnoen want of interest in themi and "hyf because n
had little interest in Having no sympathy win hunsn
nature in its fusSes, faith In the progress oil man. hs
could not be supposed regard with much interest uhS
forerupning symptoms OF changes that TO him were then
selves nre And me h ba aa' ne e eood 10 be Of
meluncbolc temperament, all the ancient psychologists
held bu, only if The melancholy Is balanced by erY aspiring
Hrce the draining responding character and The monoo
nv n the estimate which Dr. johnson applied 10 ie we
were all in his view miserable scrotuous "Ielcnes '
s,umous diathess developed In our flesh, or soon
uod he: and but his pey which was the best lnoca
np of some greatness latent within him. he would nave
suggested all mankind nobeI use Gs sarers man am
he woud not only counseed hanging In general ou'
hanged himself In particular Now this gloomy !empefa
n.nt mi ns an occasional but permanent state, Ia
mi n the power OF brilliant conversation, 10 30 far as mai
mower rests upon raising continual succession OF opcs
and not merely Of using with eess talent the topics oetea
hv others Nun Is the central interest about which revoiYe
ali The seting phenomena OF e these secondary interests
demand the irst and with the little knowledge about mem
which must follow from little caro- aoTu, mem 'hete can
t ouod disert fae From the heart from an interest oil
love or hatred hope springs all permanent eo
ouencc; aud elastic spring of conversation Ia gone me
taker is SNOWY man oi taenl pung Ut uu Gal With
| he detcsts. ,,,,
I'd ~
sonn perod upon which the Doctor ought TO nave TAXED
md must have talked II his interest 10 man had been calho
lin hnt nm which the Doctor is recorded 10 have uttered
one word Visiting Paris in his li's he applied him
self diligently the measurlog-o whatf VI gll' mouIu
inns and apeed panels Yet books II will be eaid sus
pest topics well ie and the moving scenees OF NE
And surely Dr. johnson had this fund 10 draw uponi NO
for though he had read much in desultory way ne noa
studied nothing; and without of systematic reading
t. rare chance that books can brought 10 bear eiec
,uay and indirectly upon conversations "he 10 make
them directly and formally the subjects OF discussion pre-
supposes either learned audience or II Inc audience mol
3D. '"o'" COLERiDGE'S MoNoLoGUEs.
Coedge, unless he could have all The talk, would nave
none. But then this was not conversation. ~ was mol
cooquiurn talking eih the company, out aHoquihm or
talking to the company As Madame de SLae observed
Coedge talked and could talk ouly by monoogue. Sucn
mode of systematic respass upon the conversational
rights of whole party gathered together unoe Prcense OF
amusement Is fatal 10 every purpose Of soca intercourse
whether that PURPOSE be connected with the direct uso ano
the service Of the intellect with the genera. gaccs and
amenities oil lie. The result ia tho same unoer Whatever
impulse such outrage practiced but Tho Impulse IL
no, aIwaye the same il varies and 80 lar the criminal
Intention In come people this gross excess .akes
its rise in pure arrogance They ore iny aware OF
:heir own Intrusion upon the general privileges Of the
cmnanv: hey arc aware Of the temper In which It s
likely to be received but they persist ~lsuiy IN Inc
wrong as sort Ecmage levied compulsory upon those
who NAV wish 10 resist it, but hardly con do 30 without
yolcn, interruption, wearing the aame sape oil lndecoum
as that which they resent In most people, hoSsVer II Is
not arrogance which prompts this capital offence against So
cia rights blind selfshuess, yielding PasslVey TO ts
Instin
in which his sendulsence ircspasses on sie rehs OF
others. We ;io came temper illustrated az time5 Ia
trayepp brutal person, go are disposed OF nt6t u
pronounce him, but frequently cue VEo yeos uncoh
scously a cthargy Of sehshness plants h:se e. Inc
public fireplace so us TO exc u1e MS leNow'Iaseeis o'
all fraction of the warmth feihe Goes mol 90 inns 10
spirit of wu aggression upon others; he has but ghm
meng suspicion Of the odoCs shape which MS own act as
sunes others for the luxurious top0r oil selnduRence
has extended lis miss the energy and cearEe.s Of ms
perceptions Meantime Cooridges habit OF soiioQulzns
through whole evening OF four or hive hours mao lis oen
neither in arrogance in absolute sehshness The ac
was that could talk unless he we're uninterrupted
and uness he able this concession from
the company. II silent contract between him ano hls
hearers that nobody should speak but himself any man
Of s osce s o s ShE a ne ny
ali no was understood procss hs allegiance to Inc au'o
crat who presided 1t not therefore, by an lnsoenl
usurpaon that Coedgc persisted in monoogy through MS
whole e but in virtue Of concession rom Inc ainanGS
and respect Of his friends. You could no. DO angry WIN
MIN for using his s iT So was ready 10 resign
soon any demurreG TO IT, Eul though icComGeu ~
it BY these considerations, and oy Inc eohl.y WIN "nI nc
n.ed II Won could but feel that II worked Ia Cr al par
ties Himself is tempted oftentmes into pure gatflh' OF
eposm and the listeners reduced 10 state oil deotaed
sympathy or OF absolute torpor Prevented by inc custom
putting questions from proposing doubts from asking
explanations reacling by no MODE oil menal ao
condemned the mental distress or nearing opinions
ar doctrines stream past them by flights which hey must
no, arrest for moment so take note oil Them
and which yet they could often understand or seeming
understand could not always approve e auaehcu saa
at times into isess condition Of inanimate vaculiy 10
be acted upon forever but never 10 react Is aa 10 inc very
powers by which sympathy must grow or oy "hich ineh
gent admiration be evoked. For his own SAKE was
ocrpes ntees, 10 have forced his hearers Into the &C
tive Of question aud answer OF ooecon aio
demur Not otherwise was possible that oven the alien
lion could kept dropping the cohercncy and depen
'~"N' MADAME DE STAEL.
The French rarely make mistake of this nature Inc
graceful evty OF the nation could not easily err IN ms o
1sclon nor tolerate euch deaon in the greatest OF men
No, The cav TEMPERAMENT only Of the French people, out
the nareuar qualities of the French language which how
aver Door for the higher purposes OF passon Is rich beyond
ali others purposes of social intercourse prompt mem 10
rsnid and vivacous exchange of thought Tediousnes
therefore, above all other viccs finds cnunenance or In
diligence the French. excepting always IN TWO me
moiabe ses viz FIRST the Of tragic dialogue on the
stage which privileged 10 be tedious by usage and ad
tun and secondly The case authorized BY Inc oest
living society OF narrntors or raeonlcurs Ins 10 shoea
inc anomaly tho code Of French good taste os applied 10
conversation. or all the bors whom man in his oly nGs-
tales hang aud heaven In tia mysterious WISDOM suffers
Of good stoesa nuisance that should be put down oy
cudgeing by submeron In horse ponds or any 1oae OF
Abatement summary men would combine 10 euocatc
vampire or mad dog. This excepted however Inc
French the keenes possible of all that odious
and all that ludicous In prosng and universally nave
horror of es longusrs 1t not strange therefore, mat MA
dame dc Sae noticed little as extraordinary In Coeroge De-
yond this one capital monsonsliy Of unlimited eocqny,
that being peculiarly which she could have witness
ed In Franc and considering the FURNISH OF her French
tases in all that concerned coloqua characteristics II Is
crcdabc forbcaance that she noticed even TINS m
lher memorable than the inhunan ar!! whchit
was On the other hand, Coleridge not so foroear,
ing as regarded The brilliant French lady. He spoke
of her 10 ourselves very frivolous person. ano
ia short summary terms that disdained to lnger
unon subject so iuconsideabe 1t Is remarkable that
Goethe and Schiller both conrersed with Madame de Stae
like Colerdce and both spoke Of her atewad 10 the same
dspaugng terms as Coeridge But 1t equally remarka.
bic that Baron William Humboldt who was personally &C.
quanlei with all the four pares-adame de Sae Goethe,
Schiller and CoeriJge-gave II as his opinion I'm letters
subsequently pubsed that the lady had been caumns'eh
through very snobie cause, Wis mere ignorance OF ire
French ,ngunge or least non familiarity with the flu
encies OF French Neither Goethe Schiller though
we'll acquainted with written French had command Of
il for purposes Of rapid conversation; and Humboldt sup
poses that spite al tho trouble which they found IN
mping after the lady catch thought she W.
tered had been the Of their unavsabe sentence
upon her Not malice aorehough so much vindiclive