The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-02-15
Thomas Campbell.

The following are extracts from tho
memoir of the great lyrical poet Of
the age, in the forthcoming edition of
his complete Poetical Works, edited
by Epcs Sargent, and in the press of
Phillips, Sampson & Co..
CAMPBELL 5 TEMPERAMENT Camp.
bell was Of a delicate organization.
Hayden, tho painter, in his autobio-
graphical notes, styles him bilious
and shivcring." Ills habits required
seclusion, even for the pcrusal Of a
book. Trihes distracted him. lie
was exceedingly sensitive, and rcserv.
ed in the expression Of his opinions.
Of his own poetry he spoke but sell
dom, and only when hc could not well
AVOID it. lie was supplemented
man, Of blamcless intention, and with
a tender regard for the feelings Of all
with whom lie was called to associate.
One who had known him for thirty
years, and for more than one-third of
that period had been in habit Of al
most daily association with him, bears
the strongest testimony to the beauty
and purity Of his character. 81 believe
more glilcless man. says Mr.. Cy-
rus Reading, cone less capable Of
imagining evil towards another, never
brcathcd.'
HABITS IN CONVERSATION, ETC
Camrboll's manner in conversation was
lively, and sometimes impetuous He
was never comic. but as lght-hcarted
as a boy. lie told an amusing story
with effect, though lie failed in his
printed attempts Of this kind. lie oc
casionally put en- Scotch accent, for
humors sake ; but his general cons
ycrsation was free from it. ]ii the do.
mestic circle he is said to have been
,hc ''pleasattcst company that could
be conceived" An instance is relat-
cd Of the way in which he would some
times abandon himself to lis impulses.
When he went to Glasgow to be inau-
gurated as Lord Rector. on reaching
tnG co'ieSe,sF sFeen' he iouha tne boys
pe'thg each other wlth snow balls lie
rushed into the melee, and flung about
his snow balls right and left with great
deXterity much to the delight Of the
boys, but to the great scandal of the
professors lie was proud OF the piece
OF plate that the Glasgow lads gave
him' ana reierreu 10 the occasion as
one OF the pleasantcst recoiiectons OF
ms M NE. vi the honor conferred by
ms coHege title ne was less sensible
iic ha'eG 'hc sound OF D,Gf'f camp,
bcL; and Wien fringe, the poet and
traveller reminded INN that he must
submit to 1t as an W. d., he looked
grave anu sa,a 'iia' no irien" oil Ills
"oai1 ever eau MN So ,,
LITERARY rHsr!piousNl ss'Ile
was exceedingly las'loic''S VIII, refer
ehco 10 l,l5 own Proaucuohs. lie was
not satlshed with ehect, but sought TO
iihi'h an" poiish III nc sometimes I'M
pared ana chiccDIed his poems MANY
OF bis poems as they arc now printed
are very different from the original I'M
presS'ons' LIS re'oIcheS' o%cVer'
were cmehy oc;iSncd 10 render ms
verse mole compete OF 10 mn rove 9ne
Veroal expression oi 'houSn,. Er-
rofs ol description or l" natural ilS,oFy'
such as abound IN Gertrude OF "yo-
mne' lie never ". correctc"' Except IN
the case ol lhe treasures ol uope, he
consulted no one Ueiore luplicatoh'
lie SAID that he never leaned on the
taste OF others, with that miserable
disregard OF his own judgment winch
was implied IN some OF the anecdotes
IN regard to hIs haolts OF compositon'
which had found their way INTO PRINT
Ills prose manuscripts he seldom
COPIED. lis poems he frequently wrote
out very far and leslOly' on paper
winch he ruled Tor the purpose W hen
he had completed the manuscript OF his
smaller poems, he would have few
copies printed on Slips to keep by HIM
for alteration and revision. Gertrude
ems, the poet preferred, he wrote in
thn l,,-,,rn .,,.a of t,.ol,,n Ia