Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1855-01-23

| the readers of the Post. 1t was addressed to
the Ettrick Shepherd, in 1915, and, though not
intended for publication, will certainly amuse
| the admirers Of old Christopher 1t will be re-
membered that Professor Wilson died at his
house in Gloucester place, Edinburg, on the
morning Of Monday, April 3, 1854. Professor
Aytoun, his son-in-law, and present editor of
Blackwoods Magazine, is his literary executor.
1t will be seen that, though this was written by
old Christopher, it was when he was quite
young. When l. saw the genial humorist in
1850, told him noticed that he was very
old man when he used to come out in his "sport-
ing jacket" in 1928. 90" says he, "when
began to write Christophers, was seventy,
and I've been growing young ever since" !
shall never forget his kindly genial manner,
and the cordial welcome he gave me. He gave
me his autograph both Of John Wilson" and
"Christopher North" The writing is scraggy
enough for q man Of any amount of genius.
Ever yours, CoMMUNIPAw.
"EDNBURG, September
"MY DEAR HoGG-I am in Eddenboro', and
wish to be out of it. Mrs. Wilson and walked
$50 miles in the Highlands, between the 9Th
of July and the Goth Of August, sojourning in
divers glens from Sabbath unto Sabbath, fish
ing, eating, and staring. purpose appearing
in Glasgow on Thursday, where shall stay till
the circuit is over. / then 90 to Eeray, in the
character of Benedictine monk, till the be-
ginning of November. Now pause and attend.
If you will meet me at Mofat, on October 9th,
will walk or mail it with you to Elleray, and
treat you there with fowls and Irish whiskey.
Immediately on the receipt Of this, write a
letter to me, at Mr.. Smiths bookstore, Hutchi-
son street, Glasgow, saying positively if you
will, or will not do so. If you don't wU lick
yoa, and fish up Douglas Blrn before you, next
time come to Ettick Lake. ] saw letter
from you to M-the other day, by which you
seem to be alive and well. You are right in not
making verses when you each trout. Francis
Jeffrey leaves Edinboro' this day for Holland
and France. presume, after destroying the
king of the Netherlands, he intends to annex
that kingdom to France, and assume the
supreme power Of the united countries under
the title Of Jeofry the first. You he will make
poet laureate fshmonger, aud me admiral Of
the Musquito fleet.
If you have occasion soon TO write to Murray,
pray introduce something about ''the City OF
the Plague" as | shall probably offer him that
poem, in about fortnight or sooner. Of
is utterly worthless. think that bold eulogy
be of service to me; but if you do write about
it, do not tell him that have any intention of
offering it to him, but you may say, you hear
am going to offer it to London bookseller.
ave staid seven days at Mr.. Iyett's, at Kin
naird, and were most kindly received. Mr.. |
Iyett is great ally of yours, and is a fine
creature. killed in the Highlands ITO dozen
of trouts. One day, 10 dozen and hall,
another dozen. ], one morning, killed 10
trouts that weighed nine pounds. In Loeb |
Awe, in three days, killed &c pounds weight |
Of fish, all with fly. The Gael we're astonished.
shot two roebucks, and had iearly caught a
red deer by the tail ioas acitTn half a mile
of IL .tartiest. The good folks il the Highlands |
are not dirty. They are clean decent, hospi- |
table, ugly people. We domicilisted with many, |
and found no remains Of the great plague Of
fleas, &C., that devastated the country from the |
time of Ossian, to the ascension of George the |
Third. We were at Loeb Katrine Loeb Lenond,
Inverary, Dalmally, Loeb EtiFe, Glen Etive,
Dalness, Appin, Ballahulish, Fort William,
Moy, Dalwhinny, Loeb Eericht, you dog,) Loeb
Rannoch, Glen Lyon, Taymoush, Blair-Athol,
Bruer, Perth, ,Edinboro.' Is not Mrs. Wilson
immortalized?
~ know of Coma Is it very creditable to |
our excellent friend, but will not sell any more |
than the Isle Of Palms, or the White Doe.*
The white Doe is not in season-venison is |
not liked in Edinboro' 1t wants havor--a
good Ettrick wether is preferable. Wordsworth
has more of the poetical character than any
other living writer, but he ! not a man of
frst-rate intellect, his gcniu overseas him.
Southley's 'Roderic' is not firstrate work
the remorse of ,Roderic is thai of Christian
devotee, rather than that Of a dethroned
His battles are ill fought There
is no professional march of events in the poem
no tendency to one great end like a river
in majesty till \ reaches the sea.
Neither is there national character, Spanish or
Moorish. No sublime IMAGERY no profound
passion. Southey wrote id and Southey is q
man Of taleut--but il is his worst poem.
"Scott's Field Of Wateioo' have seen.
What poemi--such bald Ind nerveless Ian
guage, mean imagery, commonplace senti.
ments, and. clumsy versifcaton It is beneath
criticism. Unless the lattei part of the battle
be very fine indeed, this posn will injure him.
Wordsworth is dished. Southey is in pur-
gatory; Scott is dying; and Byron is married.
Herbert is frozen to dealt in Scandinavia.
More has lost his manliness Coleridge is al
ways in fog. Joanna Bailie is writing a sys-
tenn of cookery. Montgomery is in a mad
house, or ought to be. Campbell is sick Of a
constipation in the bowels. Hogg is herdng
sheep in Ettrick Forest; an Wilson has taken
the plague. wretched wriersl Unfortunate
bardsl What is Bobby Mller's back shop to
do this winter Alasl ALA alasl wild doe
is noble animal; write anaddress to one, and
it shall be inferior TO one q have written, for
half barrel Of red herringf The Highlanders
are not poetical people. They are too ma
tional-too proud of their history. They inn
agne that q colleyshangy between the Mac
gregors and the Campbell is sublime event
and they overlook mountains four thousand
feet high. IL Ossian did write the poems at
tributed to him, or any poems like them, he
was a bull dog, and deerved never 10 taste
whisky as long as he lived A man who lives
for ever among mist and mountains, knows
better than to be always pressing about them.
Methinks / feel about objects familiar to in.
fancy and manhood, but when we speak of
them, it is only upon great occasions, and in
situations of deep passion. Ossian was proba.
bly, born in fat country.