The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-01-16
e a MACAMrAv.


his praise OF the historian It's hardly true
that aalr. Macaulay's success is due to his
style even more than his subjects" bat
when the writer avs "thc romance Of hsto-
IS is as mach III. pecutr iield a. the ro-
nance OF teuaai times was that of 81 Walter
Scott Air M3caulay is touched what
some Of the critic. think his weakest part as
a historian, but which IS earnestly il not in
dignantly denied by his friends. IL IS
claimed hy these latter that however beau
tiful or fascinating may he his s,yle, or
however translucent his narrative, his facts
are all as True and as we'll fortified by an-
,horites and BY the painstaking labor of the
historian, as those Of the dullest chr niclers
who were ever sleepless themselves 70 give
their readers sleep.
The history contains none OF the tine
writing which SO frequently characterizes
his essays. In the latter the essayist doubt
less frequently sought to attract and retain
attention BY The startling profusion Of stri-
king beauties with which nearly every page
is So thiekiy studded, but in the history he
has evidently preferred initiating The SIM
plicity oilse old masters, and has Submitted
his style 10 The Influence Of the saying than
unadorned beauty is the most beautifnl.
As man Of our readers will soon be ca
gsrly perusing the pages. OF Macaulass new
volumes, i may not be anpleasng for them
70 refresh .heif teeoliegtioAs of the .oilow-
ing splendid p.ece 0. word-paintins which
occurs in lhe article on Warren Ha>,ags:-
sin the mean time, the preparai ons for
the trial had proceeded rapidly; and on the
18th day OF February, 1888, the sittings Of
the Court commenced. There have been
spectacles more dazzling to the eye, more
gorgeous with lcwslry and cloth OF gold,
more attractive 10 groWnup children, than
that which vas then exhibited at West
minister; but, perhaps, there never was
spectacle 50 well calculated to trike high
IL cultivated rejecting, an imaginative
mind. All the various kinds of nterest
which beloHe % the near and to the distant,
TO The pre- ,4l and 10 the past, ere collec-
ted on ona sis4i and in one hour. All the
talents and al Tic accomplishment which
are developed BY liberty and civilization
were nov displayed, with every advantage
thar could be derived both from cooperation
and from contrast Every step in The pro-
csedings carried the mind either backward,
through many troubled centuries, to the
DAYS when the foundations Of the constitu-
ton were laid; or far away, over boundless
seas aud deserts, 10 dusky nations living un-
der strange stars, worshipplng strang gods,
and writing strange characters from right TO
left. TIL HIGH Court of Parliament was to
sit, according TO forms handed down from
the days q he Plantagenets, on an English
man accused If exercising tyranny over the
lord of the holy city Of Benages, and the la
dies OF the pF5nccly house Of Dude.
The place was worthy OF such t.ial. II
was the great hall Of William Rufus; the
| hall which had resounded with scclamations
at the Inauguration OF thirty kings; the hall
t which had witnessed the just sentence oil
! Bacon and the just absoIution Of Sinners
the hall where the cloquence of Straford
! had for moment awed and melted vic.
I torious party infiamed with just esentment;
/ the hall where Charles had confronted the
High Court o. Justice with the placid cour-
age which has half redeemed his fame
/ Neither military nor civil pomp was want.
! ing. The avenues were lined with grena.
| diers The streets were kept clear BY cav
airy. The peers, robed in gold and ernne
were marshalled by the heralds under Gar
ter King-at-Aruis. The judges, in thei
! vestments OF state, attended TO give advice
| on points OF law. Near a hundred and sew
| enty Lords, thrae-fourths of the Uppe
House, as the Upper House then was
walked ia solemn order from their usua
place of assembling to the tribunal. Tn,
Junior baron present led the way-Lort
/ HeathieId, recently ennobled for his memo
rable defence Of Gibraltar against the fleet
and armies of France and Spain. The lon.
procession was closed by the Duke of Nor
folk, Earl Marshal of the realm, by the grea
dignitaries, and by the brothers and sons o
the king. Last of all came the Prince 0
Wales, cons pcuous by his fine person ant
noble bearing. The gray old walls wer,
hung with scarlet. The long gallerics wer'
crowded by such an audience as has rarely
excited the fears or the emulation OF al
orator. There were gathered together, iron
all parts of q great, free, enlightened, an
prosperous realm, grace and female lowell
ness, wit and learning, the representative
OF every science and of every art. Their
were seated around the queen the fair-haire
young daughters OF the house of BrunSwick
There the ambassadors of great kings an
commonwealth gazed with admiration on
spectacle which no other country in tn
world could present. There Siddons, in tn
prime of her majestic beauty, looked will
emotion on a scene surprising all tn
limitations Of the stage. There the historian
of the Roman Empire thought Of the day
when Cicero pleaded the cause of SiciI.
a. anst Veues; and when, before a senate
which had still some show of freedom Tao
illus Numbered against the oppressor c
Africa. There were seen, side by side, tn
greatest painter and The greatest scholar 0
the age. The spectacle had allured Rey
holds from that easel whicE has preserve,
TO Us the though,fuI toreheads OF so many
writer's and statesmen and the sweet smiles
Of 60 many noble matrons. 1T had induced
Parr to suspend his labours iii that dark an,
I profound mine from which he had extracted
vast treasure OF erudtion--a treasure toG
often buried iB the earth, too often paradet
with uujudicious and inelegant ostentation