New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-09-13
DEATH OF LEIGH HUNT.


fed been f.rproorssi beyond the usual aga OF
psr, will sssksn tetdr interest ss We'll on
tti- eide Of the Atlantic A. in the country wth whose
literary bi-tory be hsn been intimately CONNECTED
euIpg The last bali century. The friend I, Cole rege,
Byron, G, dsiu. Cosri.s LAM, She ley, Keats, H.z.
lit, ard bimse Vi brilliant sod peculiar genus,
biz departure another of the connecting links
between the Intellectual movements Of the day and
the literary Traditions. of By gone years.
James Henri, Lsie Hunt TO give bis name 10 full,
sht ugh he known to fame OF ly by briefr appel
lstioi ~se born IN Lordon October 10, 1874. hal
thus d. sry complete, the seveity-h,h year of his
sge. He was the son Of the Rev Issac liant native
Of the West hides but who vas educated at the col
hge in Pbiladelpb., AID subsequently, married q
lsry Of trat ciy. On hs mothers side, accordingly,
Leigh HUT was of American psreptaes-a circum-
stance - which be often pie assnt!y alluded in his
iIterc purse with visitors from this country. II's
father took the loyai.t ride, on toe be,kiog out Of
The Revolutionary war, And was forced to remove ~
England where he took orders in the Established
Church.
Leigh HuI. received his early education at Carsts
Hospital London. where he gave ncicstious Of the
genus for poetry for ~bcb he aft.r.ari attained such
en- il ent distinction small volume Of mis- juvenile ed
.ions rtten between the ages of twelve and sixteen
vas published by bis father 10 1902. He left Chrsts
Hospital at the age Of fifteen and after accepted
situation in the War Office. HIS talen. for writing
Was called into almost premature exercise, although
the foundation was doubtless laid in this manner for
the rrgulsr facility Of expression, which he after
wsrd applied to such dainty He be-
| came contributor to various periodicals., aud
when scarcely turned of twenty he wrote the tneat
| rical and literary criticisms for weekly journs
then recently established by bis elder brother John
Hunt These at once excited attention by the novelty
Of their style and the boldpess Of their tone, and
selection from the articles re aug to the theater was
published in 1857. In the following year, he united
with his brother in the proprstorship of The
| Eraminer, awe.kly newspaper, whose high chatac-
ter for liberal politics aud literary ability YES first
| attained under their active and abs management.
The Independence of the journal did not fail to at
tract the attention Of the Government, and 10 1870
an Or icle Getting On the rule Of George III. SUD-
jected the edit.is TO prosecute N. TITS however
was abandoned by the officers of the Grown, but g
second prosecution was c0mmeJced in 1911, or
account of a paper "Flogg ng in the Navy"
The brothers defended by Lord Brougharn, xlth
bic accustomed zeal ard ability, snd the trial resulted
| in their acquittal. A third article, in which the
Price Regent was severely roicueS, again brought
them into count and they sentenced to pay zine
Of $500 each, ard to be imprisoned for two years.
| They eerved out the whUs TERM with no abatement
| of their Coinage or even OF their cbeeruness.
Their COL fDemsnt was aleviaed by the cordial ex.
preston OF public sympathy they werc loaded with
testimonials OF KINDNESS in the shape OF fruits and
flowers; their prison walls were eblIv. Ded by profit
sion of books tie visits OF hearted friends broke
the monotouy of their soltuGe; au1 the occasional
preser CO OF Byron. Moore, Shelley, and o,her
eepia, spirits some of shum Leigh Hunt then became
acquainted with for the first time, left little to b.
wished for in the way Of social Enjoyment. Inc we'll
| Known sonnet Of Keats, "WIitren the Day thai
| Mr.. Leigh Hunt eft PrisOn," is an admirable ex
preston Of the feelings which were chershed toward
BIN by a numerous circle of fiiends. Soon after he
Was released from prison, be published. among the
fruits Of bis bvolnnery LEISURE the Descent Of LIB
erty the Feast # tac Poets, ana the Storyot Rims
| IL 1918 be started the Indicator, a weekly papsr
op the mocel of the Queen Acne Essayrts. Upon
the DIT jsc,ing Of The Liberal in 1872 by Byron and
Shelley Leigh Hunt accepted their invitation to assist
IN the enterprise and went to Italy for thai purpose
The sucdeD dea.h of Shelley, within short time
after the arrival Of Leigh Hunt, prevented the exc
| cution Of the plsn and proved heavy blow to his
o,tunes. B,s Intimacy with Shelley had been of the
sill ceIest and most coroal character. Hs chets: ed
an ardent admiration for the noble All lovely nature
OF tbst youthful enthusiast. Without sharing in bis
ETH s culations he was bound to him by ae ties
Of poetic sympatoy. He could not perhaps fully
appreciate the oeph and earnetress Of Shelley but the
soft ard almost feminine aectionstepess Of his loving
| heart found respo nsve echo in his own. The very
last veises written BY Shelley were in the form OF
little poem. welcoming Leigh Hunt to Italy. The
volume Of Kestss poetry whicn Shelley was reaiiog
At the time OF the catastrophe, was lieut. to hiO by
Leigh Hurt, who told himto keep it TIL be cou give
il 10 him again with bis own hands. As the lender
womb receive il from else, it was thrown upon
the funeral pyre, wit the wine AID tiankincensc. and
f,ngrant specs, and con .umed with the body.
After the decesse Of Shelley the friendship of Leigh
Hun. with b. ron was disturbed; HUT remained for
sob. time Italy; and upon his return to England,
| h. published in 1923 the work entitled Lord Byron
end Some # his Contsmporarie,. Toe off-pse which
,b, gavr to Moore, and other friends Of Byron, was
not W.T. cause and after pasrion had given place
70 reflection the su,hor hmse regretted the tone Of
,upe,fuous bitterness in which lie lad commented on
the character u friend, from whom ne had unhap'
| oily become estrapgsd.
In the sane year, Leigh Hunt started the Com
rqn,en, Intended a. a sequel TO tie Indicator aud
| in 1854 they were Iepub'isbed together forming
collection Of critical, aesthetic, and miscellaneous
es,sys. which have bad the effect of kidding more
tsp one youthful art with tie love Of poetry, sod
;ornir the taste 70 the appreciation Of beauty. His
contributions to different London periodicals., and his
,rs, stations from freign literature, can hardly be
enumerated. OF his later works, the Stories from
ie Italian Poets; Mer, IVomen, and Books; Tac
TOXIN, ITS Remarkable Characters and EUeEt',