The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-17

IAMEs MONTGOMERY. TIE PoEI.

II has already been stated in the HERALD that James
Montgomery, the poet died quite suddenly the Both
uit at his residence in Sheffield, England in the eighty
third year OF his age. Montgomery admitted by all
the critics to have been at the bead Of the religious
poets of his age Since the bard of Olney one
passed him in purity Of sentiment fervor Of devotion
For bali century he had been slowly and constantly
increasing in the popular favor, and his reputation
before his death acquired compass and soldity
which forbid all thought Of its decay Of the throug Of
competitors among whom he won his laureis, Crabbe
Byron Sco4t, Soutbsy, Coleridge, Wordsworth, Camp
bslI Moore, and Wilson, went before him into the
g,n Of the unknown; and only Rogers, of all that
iustrious company o. Of genius Is permitted to
lng,r at the gates Of the future and listen to the ap
pauses OF posterity.
James Montgomery the eldest son ef Morovian
clergy an and born at Irvine, in Scotland the
fourth Of November It'll. His parents determined
educate him for the ministry and at a very early age
placed him in of the seminaries of thsir church
where hs remained ten ye At the end of this period
decided to study the profession to which he
been destined and in consequence, placed with
shopkeeper in Yorkshire. liz satisfied with his en-
po, ment however, he abandsned it after few months
and, when but sixteen years ef age made his fest ap
Iearance in London, with manuscript vollme. of
poems Of which he yainly endeayored TO procure the
In l7se being then about twenty years age he
went to Sheffield where he soon after engaged
writer for the Register, weekly gazette, published by
the present editor Of the Nationai Inegencer and in
1894 the fight Of his employer from England teavoid
political prose cution he himself became publisher and
editor and changing the of the paper to the hs
conducted 1t with much taste ability, and moderation
It STILL however, obnoxious to the governments and
Mr. Montgomery prosecuted for printing in ii song
commemorative Of the destruction of the Bastie, fined
twenty pounds and imprisoned three months in York
Castle On resuming his editorial duties he carefully
avoided partisan politics but after short period he
arrested for offensive passage in an account which he
gave OF riot in Sheffield and again Imprisoned. II
during his second confinement that he wrote 'Prison
Amusemens, which appeared in 1871 In bis preface
to the first edition. he says THESE pieces were compos
the pressure Of sickness They the transcripts Of
melancholy feeings-the warm illusions Of bleeding
heart The writer amused his imagination with atiring
his in versc, that under the romantic appear
of cton he might sometimes forget that his mis-
fortunes real"
Mr. Montgomery returned. to his printing Office with
strong determination 'scome wind sun, fire
water do what right" condu ,ted his paper and
he
more than anything he had himself written had created
us in the last edition Of his works that be had oohy
sacrificed all Of his friends connections and prospects
in life and thrown himself headong into the world with
the sole view Of acquiring poetic aures
In tho retirement amon the Moravian broth
BY Af , sa he y
the gold fishes swimming about in the glass globe the
when rash step
little prepared for the business M as
to leap ont Of their element experience somesang
ns aroun was left alone the
SssvS ssSs' he
self amidst scones and into society for which was
nss Thu. to shss VIII ali my Ieps,
like the T % isd t I 81
life in my mind and the which found to be
e 's y PGs
1s nd wr.s in h s
and smoet and occasionally In the strange style OF the
SiG s y Sss m way
ing the author efw0ris which NJ this hour should have
III success gave myself up adcl.aec ana apisay and
sr i pss s ~ sa II Ti,s9 srna
and usr sSn IN
heavy Pseunisry obligations and gradually Though slowly
About The year 1903 he began 10 write in his letter
vein Of seriousness, and lyric which he published
under Nom de rlgme In TIE irs received such noex
former eccenrici,ies One lay after another in the
reformed SPIRIT appeared in the two following years.
and he collected the series into volume which was
IN 1900
In 1898 the independence Of Switzerland had been vr
tually destroyed by France though till 1908 the cantons
were nominally allowed TO exercise home jurisdiction.
In the beginning Of the last mentioned Napoleon
abolished the and declared that the cantons
must in future be the open frontier OF France On the
seventeenth Of February this circumstance thus
corded by Mr, Montgomery, in the iris;-
driven from the Only sanctuary which sEe had fund ia the
en g TEL ha sSns e T s IN s sna as s
they born free emifrang 70 America There in
seen the face Of man nor aenee tarted " voice.
sns hsar srS ss@
ty the presence q lery. But there amids.
"hen Sse the tie the vGerae i
s s1r l Sh'9 the in land iISs &
nativity and weeping With setion how viii the heart Of
Sickness e heart mus sat se which arises. no. from hone
sS on his yasaa o m
author that II was fine subject for poem; and with
the intention Of composing ballad in the style and of
the length OF the well known ragmentary canto of The
Far of Orders Gray" he Immediately commenced what
grew under his hands ia be The Wanderer Of sw;zer
and' In the year after its publication, when it had
reached third edition IL Violently attacked in one
of those smart but shallow criticisms which gave noo
riey TO the earlier numbers Of the Edpturg Reriew 1t
still, however, snccesful; and twenty eight years
aerward the PercD confesses against its prophecy,
that poet has taken place among the classics OF
His next work was "The West Indies" which appear
ed in 1909, and designed memorial Of the then
recent abolition BY the British government OF the slave
trade It was followed In 1912, by Ihe World Before
the flood in four cantos suggested by alusion in
Paradfe Lost 10 the translation Of Enoch This Is Of
his most popular works and has many passages OF quiet
reflective beauty. "Greenland appeared in 1919 The
subject well suited 10 his powers and habits OF feel
ing In the region Of eternal SHOWS which the pious
Morayians bore the gospel grand beautiful
and peculiar; and with the zeal, the faith and the
hcroim Of the Missionaries the poet nsd perfect sym
sapes Of description and reflection which would add TO
the fame o the greateat Of bards and ia unity and
petenes Il is superior to any his other works In 1872
be Published his songs Of Yon.r BY many earlier
peces OF a similar Kind, be haa shown thai he possess
cd, in eminent degree all the qualities OF lyrical
yoet and he took his place q weaver Of sacred
song the elevation with Watts and Cowpor His
minor poems viii hereafter he most frequently read
and most generally admired. They have the antique
sin plfity ef pous George whers and natural, unaf
ftccd oarIesnes Joined 20 pure and roctical dction
which viii secure 10 them permanent place in English
literature
Mr.. Montgomery had little dramatic power and little
skill in narrative His longest and mos: elaborate works,
though they contain beautiful and touching thoughts
and descriptions distinguished alike for grace minute
and sdclity without plot and are deficient in
incident His little songs and cabinet pieces however
almof perfect in their way and nearly al OF them
are full Of devotion TO the Creator fympathy With sner
ing humanity, and cheerful and hopeful philosophy,
In 1927 he gave to the world "The Pelican Island oe.
scrrivc OF the solitary contemplation Of nature ~
has the faults OF his other long poems pu u is more
graceful md fancfu and some parts Of " were decar'd
by the leading reviewers tc worthy Of Milton II is
the last OF his considerable works