Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-09-02
From the London Times, July 20.
THE LATE THOMAS HOOD.

We published yesterday a short announcement
of the fact that Il monument had been raised to
the memory of this great humorist and poet, and
that Mr.. Monckton Mines has delivered an address
upon the occasion. 1t was to the following effect
Il have been asked to come here to-day to say a
few words before we open to your view the monu-
ment which has been erected to his memory. 1t is
now some years since we laid our friend below us
in this pleasant place, whsre he rests after a long
illness-after a life of noble struggle with much
adversely, and Of nothing but good to his fellow
men. 1t is now thought advisable that n few
words should be said before that ceremony takes
place, 1t is rather a habit of our neighbors the
French, than Of ourselves, to make c~ulcgistic or
atoms at the tombs of our friends. | do not think
the habit in general is pleasing to our taste but
there are reasons why, on tho present occasion, it
may not be unbecoming. At the same time, It'll
very difficult to perform this duty, because we must
feel that, if ever there was IL character of simpli-
city and humanity, it was that of the late Mr..
Thomas Hood and it would not become us on the
present occasion to indulge in ~eulogies which, if he
were here himself, would be distasteful to him,
for he was a man who ever retired from the crowd,
and who loved, as he has said in his own classical
and beautiful language
"'To knee! remote upon the simple sod,
"'And sue, in Jo'ma pauperis, to Cod
"Our German friends call a cemetery of this
kind Gods field and we must not desecrate it by
vain and pompuOus culoGies over Il fellOw-mortal.
All we can do is to commit him with all his errors,
to the mercy of God, and at the same time to keen
his memory dear and his fame bright among rs
This is the purpose of the friends Of Mr.. Thomas
Hood who have raised this structure. Some OF
them were familiar with him from his youth-the
eyes of others never lit upon his person. 1t would
be invidious to single out any Of these friends Of
the poet; hut | may mention the name of one lady
who is well known to us all, Miss Eliza Cook, tC
whose c~xcrtions in all quarters Of society the cree
ton Of this monument is very much owing. Some
too, have contributed to it who did not appreciate
him during his life-time-to them may be applicl
BILE his butiful lines:
Farewell eve did not know thy worth
But thou art gone, and now It's priced,
$50 angels walked unknown ON earth,
"'But when they few were recognized"
D lie was q poet, a poet in the true sense of thu
3 word, but at the same time, ! by no means thinl
that his poetical powers were ofso great and re
~markable a character that his reputation woul(
G have become such as it is if it had been confined
S to his poeticai works alone, By his poctical work
| | mean those developments of pure imaginable
t which are more interesting to literary men thai
c they can be to the world in general. In all thes
works VIC recognize not only the lyrical facilitie
! which enable many a youth to throw out good poe
d try, but the refined taste and cultivated mind q
mature years. But his fame-that for which he
c chiefly known to us-belongs TO him as an Englis
e humorist and in using that word, / use no wor
d inapiicable to the occasion or unworthy Of his famC
1t is the boast of our literature, as distinguishe
c from that of all other nations, that from the eal
a liest times of its history we find humOristic wr
tiers who delighted the age in which they lived an
e those which succeeded them. In that category "
may place Shakespeare himself and we may dra'
n downwards o long genealogical list of humorist
ending with the names of Charles Lamb, Sydne,
Smith and Thomas Hood.
Il do not know whether my opinions in this ma
e ter may be peculiar, but | have often thougl
thatif were to pray to Heaven for a gift to |
given to any person in whose moral and intellec
II ual welfare | was especially interested, it won.
be that he might have the gift of humor. The 81
of humor is, as it were, the balance of all the ia
Ih ulties. 1t enables q man TO see the strong contra
ne of life around him; it prevents him being too nut
devoted to his own knowledge, and too proud Of h
m own Imagination, and it also disposes him to su
NIT with a wise and pious patience to the vicis,
is tudes of his daily existence. 1t is thus that h
IS morists, such as Hood has been and as Dickens
lg now, are great bencfactors of our species, not o
ne " on account Of the amusement which they gi
.h us, butbecausc they are great moral teachers. II
Is humorous writings of Mr.. Thomas Hood have i
IN struc.ed you many years, and will instruct yot
~ children after you. | should mention, howeve
that this combination of poetry and humor does n
produce in all persons the same blessed effects tn
N ii has produced here. In some cases it has dege
Grated into impatient satire and fierce revolt again
ID the better feelings Of humanity. In such u mil
d. as that Of Swift it produced these evil effects, b
or in such n mind as Hoods it produced directly Il
contrary it celebrated 4 aoblo and generou. syi