Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-01-26
Death OF Rogers.


Rogers, the poet, we take from the London
Times. Mr. Rogers died on the morning of the
18th December, one hour after midnight.
"The biography of Samuel Rogers would
involve the history Of Europe since George
H., then in the bloom of youth declared to
his subjects that he gloried in the name OF
Briton' 1t is now more than quarter of
century since that monarch was carried to his
grave in extreme age, worn out with mental
and bodily disease. Let us take the most
notable historic drama of the century, 1893
l8l5-the rise decline aud fall OF Napoleon
Bonaparte.
"1his was butan episode in the life OF Samuel
Rogers. He was young man OF some stand
ing in the world, fully OF an age to appreciate
the meaning and importance oil the event, when
the States General we're assembled III France.
If we remember right, he actually was present
in Paris at or about the time, and may have
heard with his own ears Mirabeau hurting de-
tiance at the Court, and seen Danton and
Robespierre whispering TO each other that there
time was not yet come. Let us go back to
other events standards OF admeasurement.
AS the war of the French Revolution and that
q. Inst Napolen Bonaparte were episodes in
the ripe manhood, so was the American war an
episode in the boyhood of Rogers. He was of
AN age to appreciate the grandeur, il not the
political meaning Of events, when Rodney won
his naval victories and when General Elliot
successfully defended Gibraltar.
"He could remember our differences with
our American colonies, and the battles OF Bun
ker's Hill Brandywine, and Germantown, as
well as q man now in manhood can remember
the three glorious days Of July and the Polish
instruction. To have lived in the days of
General Washington, and to have heard discus
sions as to the propriety OF admitting the indie
| pendence of the North American Provinces,
and to have been alive but yesterday, seems
well nigh an impossibllity; but such was the
case of Samuel Rogers. When he opened his
eyes upon the world, that great and powerful
! country which is now known as the United
! States Of North America, was but an insignih-
/ cant dependence of the mother country--a
something not so important as the Antilles,
even in their forlorn condition, are at the pres
! ent moment. They were just rising to be some
what Of little more significance than the
plantations to which Detoe struggled off the
| troublesome characters in his fictitious tales.
| They now constitute one of the most powerful
States in the comfy of nations.
"Let take another test-that OF our In
! dian empire. But three or four years before
the birth of the subject of these remarks, Col
onel Give fought the battle of Plassy, and laid
4 III.
government of India by Warren Hastings, and
being in London at the time, could well under
stand the discussions which took place upon
the subject of the India bill. The battle of
| Assaye found him man forty years OF age.
| He was in full possession of his faculties when
| Lords Hardinge and Cough won their victories
| in northwestern India but the other day. 1t
would be superhuous to lay before our readers
any contrast between the dates of other politi-
cal events at which this remarkable man must
have assisted at least as an intelligent specta-
tor Let them carry back their minds TO the
days of Wilkes and the Duke of Grafton, and
remember but the mere names OF the states
men who have administered the affairs of the
country from that time to the present, end they
will have present 10 their recollection a list OF
the associates and friends Of the late Mr..
Rogers.
'sAs might be expected, his more intimate
associates were naturally with the leading men
of the more liberal party, but such was his
courtesy Of temper and of manner that he was
received upon friendly footing even by those
with whom he was known TO differ on points Of
political principle. A mere politician he never
was at any period of his career.
at is, however, to the literary history Of the
century we must mainly look for q correct APP
probation Of Rogers's career. He not only
| outlived two or three generations OF men, but
two or three literary styles. The Poet of
Memory, as he has been called, must not be
rashly Judged by the modern student, whose
taste has been partly exalted partly yulgarized,
by the performances of later writers-we are
speaking of contemporary of Dr. Johnson.
Rogers must have been young man some
twenty years old when the great photographer
died, and therefore great portion Of Johnson's
writings must have been To him contemporary
literature.
"Let those who are inclined to cavil at the
gentler inspirations of Rogers, think for mo-
ment upon what English poetry was between
the deaths of Goldsmith and Johnson and the
appearance Of Walter SCOTS first great poem.'
Cowper redeems the solitary waste from abso-
lutte condemnation as the most unfortunate
epoch in our literature. Rogers no doubt
formed bis style upon earlier models, but he
was no servile copyist he could feel, without
any tendency TO apsh imitation, the beauties
Of such authors as Dryden and Pope. The
poem by which bis name is principally known
. TO the public will always remain as among the
classical pieces of English literature, while
some OF his smaller poems will never cease to
hang in the memory of men while the Eng
lish language is understood"
"Rogerss precise age has never yet been
recorded by any Of his bographers. He was
born about 1850, and was therefore about ninety
six years old. He commenced life as a banker,
and amassed an immense fortune, Of which he
has never spent the entire income His first
poetcal publication, entitled "0de TO Super.
sttion, and Other POEMS" was published in
1887, just after bis return from tour of for
eign travel Five years later appeared his
Pleasures of Memory" He published the
first part Of the poem which has determined
his position among English poets in 1922 He
is said to have expended 10000 pounds in il.
Illustrating this work alone He was liberal
and judicious patron Of art and his house has
for many years been the habitual resort Of the
first talent Of the age.