Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-07-01
pr. Young and his "Night Thoughts


The poets life, daring the first ten years
of his rectorship at Welwyn flowed on in an
even tenor. He was regular in his conduct,
happy in his family, diligent in his pastoral
duties, and easy in his fortune. His preach
ing was popular and useful. His studies,
were principally connected with his own pro-
fession, and yielded him growing satsfac-
ton. An anonymous writer in the Gentle
mans Magazine for 1882 who seems to be
intimate with him, thus describes him =" The
dignity of great and good mind appeared
in all his actions, and in all his words. He
conversed on religious subjects with the
eheerfulness of virtue; his piety was unde
based by no gloom or enthusiasm !; he was reg
ular in the performance of all its duties, both
in public and in private. In his domestic
character he was amiable as he was vener-
able in the Christian. His politeness was
such as | never saw equailed: it was invar-
liable to his superiors in rank to his equals
and to his interiors it differed only in de-
grees of elegance. l never heard him speak
with roughnoss to the meanest servant. In
conversation upon lively subjects he had a
brilliancy of wit which was peculiar to HIM
self; l know not how to descibe it but by
lhe amiabe qualities of his soul. l have
seen him i'll and in pain, yet the serenity
of his mind remained unrutled. | never
heard poevish expression fall from his lips. y
Few of his briliancies are preserved, since,
unfortunately, he had no Boswell attached
to his heels. But one or two Of the sayings
that have hoated down to us are singularly
characteristic. On one very stormy night
Young went out to bis garden, and remained
some time. When he returned, one express.
ed wonder why he had stayed so long in such
an evening. Oh" he replied, it is a
very fine night the Lord is Abroad" lie
was very fond Of garden, and inscribed on the
walls of his summer-house the words, "Amb
lantcs in horto audiebant vocem Del walk
ing in the garden, they heard the voice Of
God). He had also erected dial with the
inscription, " Eheu fugaces which he said
with smile to Mr.. Langton, "was sadly
verified, for by the next morning my dial had
been carried off," Though sometimes melon'
choly, he was disposed to encourage mirth ii
others, and established an assembly and bow
ling-green in his parish. And had this beer
all-had Young continued to pursue such ar
even, equab!e course--he had been by this
time well nigh forgotten; for we do moi
think that either his satires or plays woulc
of themselves have preserved his name. But
it was decreed that grief should cooperate
with disappointment in unfolding the full
riches of his mind. Anteus was storonges
when he touched the ground. Job was nev
er so eloquent till he was Frustrated on hl'
dunghiIl. And, in order to be able to write
the Night Thoughts Young must be
plunged in the deepest gloom of affection
+" Thrice few the shaft and thrice his peace
was slain" In 1876, daughter of hi
wife, by former husband, died. This was
Mrs. Temple, the Narcissa of his grea
poem. Her disease was q lingering one
Young accompanied her to Lyons, where
she died, and where her remains were bru
tally denied sepulture, as the dust of Pro
testant. Her husband. Mr.. Temple, or Phi
lander, died four years later; and in 174l
Youngs wife, or Lucia, also expired. III
now felt himself alone, and blasted in his sol
itude But his grief did not sink into sullel
inactivity. He made it oracuar, and dis
titled his tears into song. The Nigh
Thoughts were Immediately commenced
and published between 1742 and 1744. Thi
marvellous poem was all composed either a
night, or when riding on horseback ex
erciae, by The way which gives sense o
mastery and confidence, stirs the blood el
evates the animal spirits, and has been fel
by many TO be eminently favorable to though
and mental composition. 1t inspired, W
know, such men as Burns, Byron, Shellc
and Delta. We love his parish, and cooin
out to himself his plaintive minstrelses. W
love better still to watch his lonely lam
shining at midnight, like star, through til
darkness, and seeming to answer the ia
signal of those mi hty luminaries which al
burning above in the Great Bear and Orio
the poet the while now dipping his pen
ndite his immortal itics-now leaning h
head on his widowed arm, and surrcnderin
himself to paroxysms of uncomfortable al
guish-and now looking out upon tn
night as the " Lord is abroad on the win!
Of the tempest, or as He is silently shnir
out his name in suns and galaxrics-the
unwearied Watchers" ard unbaptise
:, g Holy Ones. Prom Nichols recent ed
ton Of Young's Night Thoughts, edited B
the Rec, George Gilfllan.
A GREAT AND OLD WRoNG-Historian A.