The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1859-03-08
DEATH OF HENRY IIaiI.aN.


century Is fast vanishing away. Not the
least remarkable of these. the Historian Of
the Middle Ages, Of the Revival Of Let
ters, and Of the English Constitution. Hen
ry Hlallam, died on Saturday, January 30
at the ace Of 81. He lef, but few Of his
companions behind him, and. more than
this, Il was his bitter fate 10 ou.liye those
who sh -uld have come after him, to see
two sons Cf rare promise, who should have
preserved his name, 90 before him, the
pride OF bis life snatchcd from his eyes, the
delight Of his old age laid low in the dus,
OF death One Of these was that Arthur
Henry Hallam, who died in 1888, and to
whom Tenny>on dedicated the remarkable
series of poems which have been publish
ed under the title of In Memoriam. -
The bereaved father was broken hearted
for his son. and spoke Of his hopes on this
side Of the tomb being struck down forey-
er. a year or two afterwards, when he
produced the Introduction to the l.itera-
ture of Europe" there appeared most
affecting passage i'll the preface. which to
those who knew him, suggested the hidden
grief that was preying on his mind He
referred TO the imperfection Of his work, to
the impossibility of rendering it complete
under any circumstances, and the especial
impossibility of his doing so. Il have
warnings he said. "to bind up my sheaves
while | may-my own advancing years
and tho ratha-;re. =. ~ - II;.
hopes, however. revived as his younger son
grew up TO manhood, and seemed 10 prom.
ise not less than the accomplished youth
whom his father had regarded, and not
without reason, as an only one without a fell
low. But this son. also, Henry Fitzmau
rice Hallam, was taken from him short
ly after he had been called to the bar
in 1850, and the poor bereayed father turi-
cd him in Clevedon Church. in Somerset,
shire, by the side Of his brother, and his
sister and his mother.
There are few literary men who have
reached an eminence 10 be compared with
that of Mr.. Hallam, Of whose personal his
tory SO little is known to the great pnblic.
That he was born in or about IT'S, that
he was educated at Eaton, and that from
Eaton be passed to Christ Church, Oxford,
and that at this University he took his de-
grees in 1899, are almost all the facts Of
his early lifa that havo boon Published -
After leaving the University he took up
his residence in London, joined himself to
the Wings, and acquired bis first reputa-
tiou as 4 contributor 10 the great Whig Re
view, established in the northern mctropo-
lis. twas on account Of his supposed con-
nection with the Edenburg Review that
he incurred tie wrath of Byron, who. in
that satire in which he first Of all showed
his power referred in ironical terms to tire
classic lallam much renowned Cor t,reek.
Greek, however, was not the peculiar study
of our historian, who set himself Ia the
task Of learning all the European languaG
es Of Importance as the stepping-stOuc 70
an acquaintance with the state Of Europe
during the Middle Ages. lie quietly set.
tied down TO his work, marrying in the
meantime, and in 1911 rejoicing in the
birth Of hi. little Arthur, who was such q
marvel OF child that at the age Of seven
years he learned to read Latin with fiuen.
cy in year. 1t was amid this domestic
happiness and the repose which 1t provided
that, in 1918, he at length gave to tho
world the first, and perhaps the greatest, o
MS works, the " View of the State of En-
rope during the Middle Ages worl
which. although somewhat expensive anC
by no means adapted to the popular taste
has gone through dozen editions. In ey
cry page Of this history We are struck with
tue enormous industry and the conscien
tiousness Of the writer, which in union witt
: bis sagacIy Of thought and pith Of compo
sition have rendered every work produced
BIZ him standard OF its kind. lie waite,
nine years and then gave to the world hi
50 Constitutional History of England iron
the Accession Of Henry VII to the deatl
of George H." Nothing can be NOR
mastery than the manner in which he la
, here traced the history Of the English Con
stitution from the frs, faint beginnings {
: its perfect Development Ii is vast treas
ury Of political thought-an armory Of %
litical thought in itself the Magma Chart
Of our liberty and our rights, which bear
the sign-manual not Of Kings and thei
Ministers, but Of the Muse Of History. a
ter these publications, Mr. Hallam turne
: from political to literary history, preparin
: TO write full account Of the revival Of LEI
: ters and the various steps by which litel
. ature came to be cultivated in the vernacr
] lar language Of Europe /, was while or
b gagged in this work, and while bis hea,
was full Of JOY in the requirements Of b
: elder son, who had jus: left College, an
: who, under his fathers eye, was now stud
= ing the Institutes Of Jus.inian and I'll
e Commentaries Of Blackstone, low with
/ shor. papers for various works, reviews
# Tennyson for a magazine, biographies {
r Burke and Voltaire for the Portrait Gale
:, ~ Of the Useful knowledge Society, th;
: the great affliction came which seemed f
a time to PROSTATE the historian, and whic
J certainly gave mellOwness to his habits
IS thought as well as depth Of feeling to b
4 whole character that had the happiest iuhr
u ence on bis critical disquisitions.-LO'sdo
4 Times.
Ia HOW PCBLIC MONEY GOES.
:. The following from the Washington CO
n respondent Of the Iadepc1,dent, shows Il
a. extraordinary scale on which demands a