Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-03-16
tcoRREsPOSDEsCE OF THE FREE PRESS. J
Letters from England.
No. M
Rev. " Satan Montgomery.

Reu. " Satan" Montgomery.
LONDON, Feb. ., 1855.
Passing down Oxford Street not many days
ago, came to Il stand, as | never can help
doing, by an old-book stall. My attention
was soon drawn to label covered with e2
clamation points, advertising "Montgomory's
Poems, 3 vols. only one shilling ~ Here's
- rarn ohoroo I said The volumes were
elegantly bound opened one, the paper
was wire-wove and hot-presscd :" the type
was beautiful. read
go Death thou dreadless va nguishcr Of earth
The elements shrank blasted at thy birth,
Carecring round the world like tempest wind,
Martyrs before, and victims strewed behind
Ages on ages cannot grapple thee,
Dragging the world into eternity ~
" Bravo - ! exclaimed - the mystery Of
the three elegant volumes for a shilling is ex-
planned. 1t strikes me that have seen these
verses before, and in circumstances, too hardly
the most fattering to their Author. Indeed
think that parsonage must be--not james
Montgomery, but-thc Rev. Satan Montgo-
gerry, NJ. A." | turned to the first page and
there sure enough he was-just as had read
of him doing his very best to look like
man of genius and sensibility, though with
less success than his strenuous exertion's de-
servo Oh, Mr.. Montgomery, what a fall
is this In the Journals Of not many years
ago, we find your name sugared over with
tllrlce-rchncd pufls, we read Of your carcering
gayly through twelve and fifteen editions al
most in as many months, of your reaching "a
circulation beyond all comparison greater
than that of Carcy's Dante or Of the best
works of Culeridgc ~ tradition says that
highborn young ladies wiped their weeping
eyes over your verses and copied them by
pages into their albums and here you are
now, lying on an old-book stand where none
will do you reverence at four pence u volume
The only previous acquaintance | could
claim with Mr.. Montgomery was through
that most murderous criticism upon his
" Satan" and " Omnipresencc Of the Deity"
by Macaulay--a criticism which have heard
of persons reading with most intense salts.
faction whenever they felt like " blowing up
everything and every body Now every one
knows that when Macauay becomes more
than usually brilliant, and especially when
he assumes that suPer-eminent tone OF assn
rance, it is not quite safe to entrust him with
our confidence. A capital illustration Of this
has lately come to my knowledge, and as this
is gossiping letter, cannot help interpola-
ting it-espccially as it is gratifying to see a
merciless prosecutor tripped up just at the
point of growing Who ha not laughed at
Macaulay's Review of Cookers Edition of
Boswell's johnson You will all remember
the passage ofarms" respecting the distch
of Sir VIM. Temple ON tho distribution of his
time
Z" Six hours to law, to soothing slumbcrs seven,
Ten to the world aliot, and all to Heaven
Poor Croker unfortunately but innocently
remarked that Sir Williams day seems to
contain only % hours, Thcreupon comes
Macaulay, fierce as Jeffries at the old Bailey
- We did not think it was in human dulncss
to miss the meaning of the lines SO complete
ly. Sir William distributes % hours among
various employmcnts. One hour is thus left
for devotion. The reader expects that the
The whole point of the line consists in the |
substitution of all for ono. The |
1onceit is wretched enough, but it is perfect |.
y Ineligible and never, we will venture to |
say, perplexcd man, woman, or child before"
Poor Mr. Croker the laugh is against
you " Go and be an ass" and take the |
Rev. Mr., Montgomery with you.
But hold moment, Stop Mr.. Sheriff.
Here arc some new documents. Here is Lord
Life of Temple, from which the
find 'Page-line-for SIR read secen.' CHR.
sheriff, keep ordcr). And here on u fly leaf
# a law-book is the original copy Of the lines
n question: in Sir VIM. Temples own hand
writing, They read thus:
!" S"H hours to law, to soothing slumbcrs seven,
Ten to Tho world aote and all to Heaven"
Prolonged cheers Mr., Macaulay is voted
pair Of white gloves.
1t is not safe, say, q am quito Parlia-
lentary, Mr., Editor, forwhcn an NJ. p. loses
imself and gets called to order, he invaria-
ly rallies himself with an Il say'O to take
mes opinions from Mr.. Macauay. So hay-
Nc read in Chambers that Mr.. Montgomery
: an "ablcand eloquent" preacher Thought
would 80 and hear him. The occasion was
II that could have been wished by preacher
mbitious to display himself The sermon
AS to be in behalf of the Royal Humane
ociety--an Institution ratronilcd by the
'uecn, Prince, aud chief uohiiity. the object
which l. 70 prevent death by drowning,
nd &C. r'su-ciate persons in q state Of sus-
ended animation. Mr., Montgomery was to
reach in the splendid church of "St. Mar
MS III the Fields, the most famous struc-
are of Gibbs-'ho church, as the poet Savage
i'd
Where God delights to dwell. aud man to praise"