The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-07

heard Il mott but the next day betimes he mgh. have
been seen In person examining into tue truth Of the
presentation and need were, Attending relief with
spsripg hand. All this done without ostentaton and
without boast. No living pretend to say that
this his practice throughout his whole fe tor b.
has out three four generations o. men; but it
would be strange indeed if the youth and manhood of
Rogers had IN this respect bean materially different IRON
his protracted old age.
The biography Of Samuel Rogers would involve the his
tory OF Europe since George ILL.,, then in the bloom of
YOUTH declared to his subjects that che goried in the
name Of Briton" 1t Is now more than quarter Of a
century since that monarch carried to MS in
extreme sge worn out with mental and bodily disease
Let take the most notable historic drama OF the
tury 1793-l6l6-the rise, decline and fal OF Napoleon
Bonapare This but episode In the life of Samuel
H%sa fuv !" ~ as u tbs mssnp1 and
Importance of the event. when the SatesG General were
assembled In France. II we remember right he &C
ually present In Paris at about the time, and
may have heard with hts own ears Mirabeau hur-
Ing defiance Ut the Court, and seen Dant,n ami
Robespiere whispering to each other that their
time was not yet come. Let us go back to other
events standards of admeasuremsnt. As the war OF
the French Revolution and that against Napoleon Bona
parte were episodes in the ripe manhood so was the
American episode In tae boyhood of Rogers. Hs
was Of an age appreciate the grandeur not the po
victories and when General Elliot successfully defended
Gibraltar. he could remember differences with
Brandywine and Germantown Is well as man now ia
manhood can remember the three glorious days Of
July and the Polish insusree!ion. To have lived
the Independence Of the North American Provinces
an imporsibnity but such was the case of Samuel
Rogers. When he opened his eyes upon the
world, that great and powerful country which is
known the United states of North America but
insignificant dependence of the mother c0untry-a
something not 80 important as the Antilles even ia their
orforn condition, at the present moment They
just rising to be somewhat OF little more Significance
than the plantations to which Defoe smugsed off the
troublesome characters In his fictitious tales They
constitute one Of the Lost powerful States in the comfy
OF natl u.s. Let us take another ,es-that Of our Indian
subject Of these remarks Colonel Give fought the
battle OF flassy, and laid the foundation of it,
lie lived through the government of India by War
rem Hastings, and, being in London at the time,
could we'll understand the discussions wnc took place
upon the subject of the India bill The battle Of Assaye
possession Of his faculties when lords Hardinge and
Cough won their victories in North India but
the other day. 1t would be lay before our
readers any contrast between The Of other political
events at which this remarkable man must have assisted
at least a. an intelligent spectator Let them carry .ck
ton and remember but the mere names OF the states
who have administered the affairs of the country
from that time to the present and they will have pre-
sent to their recollection list of the associates and
friends Of the late Mr. Rogers. As might be expected
leading of the liberal part y, but such his
tesy Of temper and Of manner that he received
friendly footing even BY these with whom he vas kaown
to differ points Of political principle politician
he was at any period Of his career.
is however to the literary history Of the centuey
career He not only ouvei two or three generations
OF men but two three literary styles The Poet of
Memory, he has been called, must not be RI silly
judged by the modern student whose taste has been
partly exalted partly vulgsrzcd by the performances
later w.itefs-we are speaking Of contemporary
of DR.. johnson. Rogers must have been a young
man some twenty years old whoa the great lexicoy
died, ana therefore great portion OF Johnsons vikings
must have been to him contemporary literature. Let
those nho inclined to cavil at the geutler inspira
tioas Of Rogers, think for omen upon what Eoglsh
poetry between the deaths of Goldsmith and Johnson
and the appearance of Walter Scotts first great posm
Cowper redetrls the solitary waste from absolute con-
iemnaion the most unfortunate epoch in litera.
ture Rogers doubt formed his style upon eArlie
models, but he seryile copyist: he could feel
without tendency to apsh mitson the beauties Of
su n authors as Dryden and Pope. The poem by Witch
his name is incipally known to the public will always
remain among the classical pieces Of English lie
cease to hang in the memory of while the
English language is understood This, however, IL not
the proper place for entering upon any critical DISGUST
tion to the literary merits Of the remarkable who
has just terminated his long career. Our int nton
reaches further than to call attention to the remark
able duration Of his ie ard to pay tribute of respect
to the memory Of q man who richly deserved it, Among
the points which may be mentioned in
his career considered that OF literary man. the fac
should be parculaIzed that during the greater portion
OF his life he wealthy banker in the city of London
It must have been by an extraordinary combination Of
position of intellectual and social qualities Of prudence
and Of wisdom that the who was the friendly
rival of Byron Of Wordsworth and Scott talked finance
with Huskisson aud Peel upon equal terms exchanged
bon mots with Taleyrand and the friend of oil the
eminent men and of many of the INDECENT and
who ourished and suffered during three parts of CEN
tnry. Such man was Samuel Rogers.