The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-06-06
John Godfrey SAKE.
From the Syracuse Journal.

From the Syracuse Journal.
The world is not disposed to give a man
credit for more than one thing at a time.
Bryant is known as the poet rather than the
publisher. There are plenty of people who
are not aware that Longfelow was, for years,
one Of the most popular ard successful Pro-
fcssors Of Harvard College. Doctor Hitch
cock writes and breaches excellent sermons.
but fame has covered them with geological
strata; and when Pcrcival died, the world
mourned the poet and not the gcologist
John G. Sake supports. in the motley ranks
Of life the title Of the witty poet: which
was awarded him by acclamation, and title
whch-unlikc hosts of othcrs-is richly de-
served. lie is, indeed, occasionally spoken
oi as the editor of the Burlington Sentinel =
but he might have edited that hcbdoma-
dal for 4 century without having been sus-
pectcd by nine people out OF ten. of having
a finger in Its pI,' OF its leaders. SAKE is
known as the witty poet. and the title is a
barnacle that will cling to his anatomical
timbers" " until they are shivcred by the
bomb of death-a missile that makes 10 noise
when it cxplodes. But. like every other son
Of genius, SAKE lives an inner life of which
the world knows but little. and which we beg
leave to uncurtain. SO that those who love
and admire the poet may be constrained to
admire and love the man
SAKE is a convcrsationali>t-a word that
carries It's own superlatiyc with it. As such
we have rarely met his pcer-ncvcr his Supc-
r!or. He brings TO bear upon his to,1c of
conversation the powerful artillery of COM
Frehcnsive intelligence. an opulen; fancy the
kccncst wit. the rcal:ip>t r,j.altu: and pos
sc>Scs that faculty Of successfully adapting
himself to trivial. or wrestling with a lofty
subject. the envy ofwh;ch is as common as its
lack. His language is ever fresh and piquant
-ne'or stale and uproltabIc." He talks as
easy as Il brook flows: and. like the brook.
the wide margins Of his conversations are
bca!ltit@d by the yiolet> and clovcr-blo><om>
OF sim, be and elegant rhetoric. One OF the
secrets Of his power in this respect exists in
the fac, that SAKE is thorough scholar The
classics are his pavthing>. He remembers
what he has studied, and can quote the knot
test Greek sentences with no more trouble
1n,,, he cXpcn,i> ii the act vi respiration. lie
knows every spear Of grass in the field of
heN.-hNrc<. Nctaph, S;c~ are nc'cra dose
to him. and his love ir,'r the natural sciences
IS almost unnatural He i>a "rli-into.@ed
ma,-to adopt conventional phrase which
really means more than ii seems to mcan-
able to scope with the professor. the divine.
the .y'rn", and sure 70 Il hold his own with
the best Of them. His power is an educated
power. allied 70 genius OF no ordinary charac
ter, and controlled by the strongest good
sense. the most refined taste. and the incest
SENSE of propr:cty. He makes no show Of his
lcarning he never attcmpts to "air his vo-
cabulary:" but it is impossible for him 10
converse at all without csincing the qualities
which We have here set down to his credit
and rcMown.
Sake possesses the attribute cf gcr;ality to
remarkable extent. The secret Of ,hi~ pos
session lies in his own heart That heart is
L gushing fountain. and not ~ Ar,p>i"n VI. H.
Is emotions flow forth >;,ortaMcou>.E. be
ctu>c they must: t!cy ;rc n"t drawn up in
buckets. He is no; >ou:rl hy care rr suffer
inE. Through them all-and he has had his
full >harc-hc has preserved an amiuhiIiry.
feeling of fraternity that beams from his hon
hates cordial y-luvcS ;hc good, the beautiful
and true, and hates their oppo>ilc>. He is
perfect. familiar with the acids of sarcasm.
but he never employs thcm-upon the vtrol-
thrower's principle-:o CRAFTY any private
piluc or animo>ity. His wi, is attic; it new
cr grovcl> in the basement. 1t is ever ready
to flow. and Of its flow he himself is uncon-
sciouS.
1t might be supposed that enc who had
climbed to the linnaclc> OF popularitv-W
had been !atcrcd. rs the world loves to fiat
ter its tavor;tc>-would be in danger Of en-
tertaining Il >clt-conccii which would render
him rcpul>iyc to his less favored fellows. This
is not 50. SAKE posses >ses a just appreciation
Of his own abiii;ic>-;.rd he is to be piticd
who docs not-but it is as different from the
fcvli:,r Of srlt-conccit rs Thalbcr-s Last
Rose of Summer Is different from dried
flower. Not one who really knows SAKE can
fail to credit him with modcsty as well as &c
Mus.
Readiness is one of Saxc's prominent char
actcri>tcS. Tax him as You will. YOU will al
ways find him equal to the emergency. AS Il
pretty instance of this quality let us mention
the fact. that when he was last in this city
and just as he was preparing to leave, a lite
rarv gcntlcman-onc of his warmc>t admirers
/ begged his autograph. SAKE instantly seized
a pen--litcraly - the pen of ready writer =
and dashed off the following impromptu :
"My autograph It's pleasant to reflect
Although the thought may cost Il single sigh
That what q banker would with >corn reject,
May find a value in a scholar eye"
The career ofJohn G. Sake marked though
it has been by glorious achievements and sig
nal honorS. has but fairly ly begun. If kind
heaven continues his if2 uhd health. his fu-
turc will be lit by lie RAYS of stars that the
world has not yet discovered, anji! hcautitied
by flowers whose germs have not vet sprout
ed. Fun does not hold its courts in vain
and it is no mean honor to be its Prime Min