The Yazoo Democrat., 1854-03-29
Poetry and Heary Clay.

" Amongst the most agaeeable "reminiscences
of this year were the visits of Henry Clay. We
were fulfilling an engagement in New Orleans
when he first called upon me. 1t chanced that
my history was well known to BIN. He took a
deep interest in my professional exertions, and
his encouragement was not sparingly bestowed
One day he gave me a glowing deecript
Miss O'Neal's Juliet especially of the nd We
and fervor of her balcony scene. But wha he
Iattempted to quote the passage which bad i'm
pressed him, could not help laughing inV9 9lun-
tarily at his odd devations from the text.
q daresay lam misquotng," he remarked
|apologeticaly. 81 never could remember a line
of poetry"
had to admit that his version Of Juliet diff
fered considerable trs m the one which popular
prejudice had adopted-nor could ! flatter him
by saying that he improved upon Shakespeare.
He then told me that it was singular fact.
and one which had been subjet of regret to him
through his whole life, that he could not by any
effort retain verse in his memory Even if
he studied poem by rote, in a few days the
lines would be wholly effaced from the mental
tablet on which they had been laboroasly writ
ten. He related to ms an anecdote in painful
illustration of this pecuharity. He was making
some public address, think it Was Fourth Of
July oration-during the course of which he
proposed quoting the well known lines,
Lives there with soul so dead,
VIII never to himself hath said,
This is my own, my native land Z"
Declainning warmly, he gave enthusiastic utter
ance to the line,
"Lives there man with soul so dead,
But the poetic page suddenly became a blank
he could not remember another word. lie paus-
ed-then repeated the line with more patriotic
ardor than before. He thought the second line
would come to him by means of the repeti-
tion--but it came not. He put his hand TO his
forehead, trying think what the man did whose
soul was so dead"-but the evidence of that in
dvidual's torpid essence would not develop it.
self in metre For the third time he asked the
question ernphaticalIy, not to say despairngly,
Lives there man with soul s. dead
and must have paused midway in his query, had
pot voice from the crowd continued in stage
whisper,
Who never to himself hath said"
The obivious statesman caught the words, and
thankfully Finished his quotation. He deter
mined, in future, TO ornamenthis orations with
few ofsthesa slippery gems of the poet"
A eunious sronv.-A young Partisan, trav-
cling to Amsterdam, was attracted by remark
ably beautiful house near the canal He adj
dressed Dutchman in French, who stood near
in the vessel with:
pray, sir, may ask to whom ,hat house be
longs %
The Holiander answered him in his own LAM
guage:
.Ik kan met verstan." Il do not understand
you.)
The Parisian, not doubling he was understood
took the Dutchman's answer for the proprietor 5
name
sOh OH" said he, cit belongs to Mr.. Kani-
ferstanl Well / am sure, he must be very
agreeably situated! The house is most charm
ing, and the garden appears delicious! don't
know that ever saw a bstter A friend oI
mine has one like it, near h River Choise; bui
| certainly give this the prefer nee! !" He added
many other observations of the same kind. to
which the Dutchman made no reply.
When he arrived at Amsterdam, he saw q
most beautiful woman walking ON the qnay
arm in arm with gentleman. He asked per
/ son who passed him who that charming lady
was; but the man not understanding French
j replied:
ELK kan met verstan."
i What, sirp' exclaimed our traveller. sci
that Mr.. Kaniferstan's wife, whose house j
near the canal? Indeed, this gentleman's lot j
enviable, to possess such noble house and $
lovely companIon"
The next day, when he was walking he saE
: some trurnpeters playing at q genleman's dool
who had got the largest prize in the Dutch lotte
lry. Our Partisan, wishing to be informed {
7 the gentlernan's name. it was still answered;
i .sIk kan met verstan."
:. oh !" said he, This is too great an accessio
Iof good fortunel Mr.. Kaniferstan proprieiC
! of such a fine house, husband to such beaut
full woman. and to get the largest prize in tt
iottery? It must be allowed there are some Il
! tunate men in the world 7"
! About a week after this, our traveller saw
e very superb funeral He asked whose it was.
, elk kan met verstan." replied the person
2 whom he.inquired. - e'.....sss
9 Oh. gracious !" exclaimed he; poor N
q Kaniferstan, who had sucha noble house, SUI
an angelic wife, and the largest prize Ia the 10
9 Itery! He must have quilted this world wi
d great regret But thought his happiness W
TOO complete to be Of long durationT
p II Hestheni went home, rejecting on the inst
= lbility of human affairs.
. THNos 1osr roREvER.-Lost wealth may