The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1855-05-30
MacaukeY.

had met Macauley before, but as you
have not, you will Of course ask lady i
frs, question, how does he locke ;sHi 5
Well, my hear. so far as relates to- the
outward musk OF the soul, our engrayers
and dagusrreoiypists have done their
work as we'll as they usually DO. The
engravings thai you get in the hest edi-
tiobs Of his works may be considered, /
suppose. fair epreseniationa OF how he
looks when he sits to have his picture ia.
ken, which is generslly very diif-rsnt from
the way any body looks at any other time.
People seem TO forget. in taking likeness.
-. that the features OF lhe5isce are noih
ing but all alphabet. aud that a dry dead
map OF u persons face gives no more
idea how one looks than, the simple pre-.
sentation OF an alphabet shows what there
Is in a poem. .5s~@f Tsc y Eaffttear
aiacauley's whole physiqaey gives > eu
the impression OF gre al strength aud siam
ina OF sti,u,ion. He has the kind OF
frame which we usually imagine is pecu
liarly English: short. stout, and firmly
knit. There is npmathing hearty in all
his demonstrations. lie speaks in iha,
full, -rousd. rolling voice, deep from the
chest. which we always conceive OF IA be-
ing more common in Engl and than Amer.
ca. As 10 his conversation, ii Is justhke
his writing; that is to say. it shows very
strongly the same qualities of mind. F
| was informed that he. is famous tor a
most uncommon memory; one Of those
nen to whom it seems impossible to for
get thing once read; and he has read
all sorts OF thin gs ihstcan be thought Of
IN all languages. A gentleman ,,old me
he could repea, all the Newgate literature.
hanging ballads. last speeches aud dying
confessions; while his knowledge Of MIL
ron is so acute. that il his poems were
bioitrd out OF existence, they might beree
stored simply from his memory, This
same accurate knowledge extends 10 the
Latin and Greek classic. and to much q,
the literature Of modern Europe. II Had
nature been required tofmak .. q man 10.
order, Tor a perfect historian. Roihing, bet
lei. could have been put together. e.pe.
cialIy since there is enough Of the poetic
tire included in the scompasi,ion 10 fuse
all these multiplied materials stagsther.
tnda color the historical orystaliizaiion
with than.
1 =
Macauley. is about fifiy. lie has never
married; yet there are unmistakable evi
lences in the breathings and aspects %,
the family circle with whom he was sur.
rounded that',he social parts not W aniin g
in his conformation. Some very charm.
ing young lady relatives seemed to, think
quite as much Of their gifted uncle as you
might hsve done had he been yours.
Macauley is celebrated as a conirover-
sialsi; and. like Coleridge, Carlyle. and
almost every one, who enioys-,his repuia.
ton, he has sometimes been accused 8,
not allowing people their fair share, oi
conversation. This might prove an oh.
lection. possibly. 10 those who wish 10
talk; bu, as ! greatly prefer 10, hear, il
would prove none to me. must say
however. thst on this occasion the matter
was quite eauitably managed There
were. should think. some twenty or thir-
~ al the breakfast table. and the conver-
sation formed itself in,o liiile ,eddies oi
two or three around lhe table. now and
Then welling ont in a, great bay Of general
discourse. Harriet BeecAer Stope. s '''''