Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1860-01-26
From the ". o Picayune.
HracnnEaV

The last arrival from over sea brought us
the intelligence of another great intellectual
light extiuguishcd; of another name add d to
the already long and shining list of last years.
dead. Humboldt, Irving. Brunei, Stephen
son. Bond. Prescott De Quincy, Hallam.
Lardner. Choafe, Nichol. Olmstead, Hunt
DOane. DeTocqueville, and now Macauay
Thomas Darlington Macaulay, who died in
England on the 2Sih of December last, was "a
native Of Bristol, and attained the age Of six
ty years. He was the son of the well-remcm
hered pbilanthrOpist, Il chary Macaulay. th"
colleague of ClarksCn In the movement which
resulted in the termination Of the slave trade
and of slavery in the British Yves: Indies. He
was educated at the University of Cambridge.
and gave carly premise OF the distinction a
an author which he so pr eeminenlly sustain
ed throughout his life. While at the Univer
sity he contributed largely 10 Knights Quar-
terly magazine, where many OF the best cIna
nations from his pen we're published. One OF
these vas the Spiited ballad called The
War of the League" commencing
Snow glory to the Lord o. Hosts, from whom all glo
are!
And glory to sovereign liege, King Henry of Ma
y@rTel'
Maeauliy chose the law for his profession.
In the year 1926, when he was in his twenty
sixth year. his celebrated article on Milton
once stamped him as destined for brilliant:
literary career. II was the first of a serirs
of papers continued at intervals to a late pc
riod of his life, all displaying analytical
acUtcness. a vast range of knowledge won
deTlul dialectical skill. great indepe ndruce
and atiueucc of Thought, 5tt1t tire tiaz
zling splendnr, energy and eloqucncc of die
ton The critical and historical essays COP
tributed to the Edinburg Reyiew hy Macau-
In Ill al b-tf III IN,
immediate N, ans and permanent value. They
were published ia three volumes, in 1873
and since that time various editions of The
miscellaneous works of this fascinating Gu
thor have been published. both in this coun
try and in England. Their popularity has
been and still is immense.
Macaulay's reading aud erudition were
veiy extensive. In questions of classic lite
Failure and criticism, in English poetry. phi
losnphy and history, in biographical antcdote,
in the principles and details If government
in revolutions of parties and opinions, in the
progress of art and Of science. (says Cham
bers. very truly he was equally vcrsaut and
felicilous US ii critic. Perhaps he most
striking and original in his historical artic-
les, which present cunpletc pictures Of tie
times of which he treats, adorntd with por-
traits of the principal actors, and copions IL
lusirations of contemporary events and char
acters. His reviews of Hallam's Constitu-
tional History, and the memoirs Of Lord
Give Warren Hastings Sir Robert Walpole,
Sir William Temple. and Sir Walter Raleigh,
contain series of brilliant and cOpious his
torical rctrospects un'qualed IN English lite
nature. His eloquent pap r. on Lord Bacon,
Sir Thomas Browne, Horace Walpole's Let
ters Boswell's johnson, AddisOn's Memoirs,
and other philosophical and literary subjects,
are all Of first rate excellence.
A party politician. streng admirrr OF the
old Wings, and well disposed tow wards the
Rrundheads aud Coyenanters, at times Ma
caulay SCI ms in bis writings TO Identity him
self perhaps too closely with those politicians
OF former age. and to entertain strong
peIkoGal aniipathy 10 their opponents. Bat
Whateycr topic he takes up he e1hausts; nOth-
ing is left 10 the inns gihutiou, and the most
ample curiosity is gatiiitd. In arranging
his materials Tor Effect. be is a consumiaate
master. Some OF his scenes aud parallels are
managed with tie highest art. ard his lan-
gnage. like his conceptions. is always pic
tnresque. In style he is tioFid, and at times
gorgeous. His knowledge appears 10 have
ben universal, bis imagination rich and ere
alive, and his power OF condensation Iemark-
abb.
These attributes evince themselves rs
strikiaely ia his charming History OF Eng
land II - bieh be bad completed ioUr volemes,
and was nearly ?, Rdy with two more, at the
fine OF his death. as in has earliest essays.
Maeaulay j. popularity know also By biz
fine Lays 0f Ancient Rome. Selecting from
incidents la The early history Of Romc as the
th,mc~ at bis we're he Identifies himself with
tbs IleIeIans aud tue tribune.; makes them
chant The martial stories OF Horasins Coclvs,
N ko