Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-12-01
Death of Washington irving.

l AmGf1cnu WflttT, WHO'S bHhf Ifsb8S tbs a'te'o
| Believing that our readers will peruss with inte'
rest anything relating to his life, we snbjoin a
| ske,ch. which j. condensed from the very interest
ing biography. written some years since, by the
| late DIR. GRiswoip:
WASHINGTON IHyisu was born in a house which
ia still standing, near the old Dutch church. IN
William street, in the city Of New fo'k. on the
! third Of April, 1888. IIio father, a respectable
merchant. originally from Scotland. died while he
wss quite young. aud his edncation was superin.
tended by his elder b%rotIers. some Of whom had
gained considerable reputation for requirements
and literary taste. In ms youth he is said to have
been If q meditativc and slmort melancholy dis
position, though at times 70 have cvinccd some
thing Of that rich and peculiar humor for which
bs has since been famous and US ,his health did
not admit Of n very eluse application to business
or study, he rambled about the picturesque islauj
Of Manhattan, which hal tLen q more di rtincti,'
population, gathering NJ those traditions and re.
ceiving those impre ss,ons which Mr.. Seth Hlnda-
sides erudits aud e,nscieoti ,us ledger has made
Immortal.
Mr.. Irving's first essays in literature were n Sc
ries # letters under the signature Of Jonathan
Oldstyle, Gent, publ, he'd in The Morning Chroni
Gle. of which one # h- hrothers was editor, in
1902. in consequence # symptoms Of pulmonary
disease. il was decided in the following year That
he should visit the south of Europe, and embark
ing in a ship hound for the Mediterranean, he was
landed On the Southern coast Il Sicily. whence he
proceeded BY way Of Palermo and Naples to Rome.
aud through France and England.
He returned in 1906. and soon utter joined Mr..
paulding, who was u few years his senior. in writ.
ing Saimazundi.
Mr.. Irving had commenced the study Of tho
law, with the late Judge Josiah ogden Hoffman,
but, with prospects which forbade tho expecta-
ton Of having to rely upon II profession for sup
port. he gave little heed to the masters Of tho
great science. He wrote a few magazine papers.
and an elegant sketch of Campbell. which was
pref xed to an American edition If Gertrude Of
Wyoming; md the establishment Of the New York
Historical Society, with tho announcement that
one of it's members contemplated the preparation
from it's collections Of II history Of the early DAYS
Of the colony, suggesting to him tho idea Of The
History of New York by Diedrich K n:ckerbockcr,
no yielded to its inspiration, aud produced this
finest monument Of his genius, The most original
and humorous work IT tho age. BY paragraphs
in the stsettes tho public curiosity respecting it
was excited: wheu it appeared it was bought us Il
voracious chronicle; and in hs character of n de-
scendant Of one Of tho original settler Of New
Netherlands the author wove SO g,ayely and nat
urally the prejudices which such persons might
be supposed to inherit, that many read whole
chapters before they were undeceivod by its inim-
table wit and droilery.
Mr.. Irving seems to have thought very little Of
his success, and for several years after the publ
cation of knickerbucker's History mover to have
dreamed Of literature Us a profession. His only
writings for the press in this period. we believe
were the biographies, chiefly Of officers in tho m
w. which he contributed to the Analectic Nigga
zine. His brothers, who were largely and sue
c~essfully engaged in foreign admitted
him to u partnership. AMI his attention was prin
cipally devoted to trade, until the beginning of tn
war with Great Britain, when he rendered hi
services To Governor Tnmpkins. and was receive,
into his staff as an a,d,de-camp. lie was frs
qusntly employed by The commander in chief o
special duties, and WAS regarded as u very discrce
and efficient officer. The peace however put a
end to the military life Of Colonel Irving" an
in 1918 he went to England, to assist in conduc
ing the business Of his firm, in Liverpool Buo,
ant with hope. with enough of the worlds geer
for oil his wants, he had II prospect of returnir
home, in q couple Of years, with n mind store
with pleasant resollections; but be had hard
landed in knglanj. he tolls US in the preface
one Of his fktsr works, before . reverse of fortu,
cast him down in spirit, and altered the VIII lie I
nor of bis life. Literature. which had hither
been his amusement was now resorte6to for " 4
lace and support"
The first fruit of Mr.. Irying's devotion to Il
tiers. after he went to England, was The Skst,
Book. which was published in New York a,
London in 1919 and 1920. No book of unco
nected tales and essays bad ever been 20 we'll !
eeissd, but there was an evident superiority
the fresh and striking passages that related
American scenery, manners, and superstitior
that gave aesuradce II al inApiring .ovea Of hon
IL Nothing In their way Can DO more beautiful th,
; The Wife. The Broken Heart, and The Pride
abe Village; but the vitality of the work was
Rip Van Wrinkle, and the Legend Of Sleepy II
J iqw, The Sketch Book was followed, in 1892.
I Braccbridge Hall, a medley, chiefly descriptive
! rsrsl life in England, which he painted with
. s~xactnsss of detail, a variety of light and shat
ard . dsiicacy Of 6nish, that surpassed and
, tizhtsd bis English critics; while lis nice app
hsnsipn. genial hsmopr, occasional tsnderne
7 ene exqaislse r~sRssmest and melody, made 10
lsss popular IN America. In 1891 appeared
Tales of . Traveller and the beautiful novel
Rackthorne, which is among them. and is the il
! Of his writings that have reference to English Ii
10 quite equal to any thing Of the same sort Il
he he'd published, and has touches of pathos Il