Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-07-23
Gossip About wordsworth and Men Of
U.aafara


In our Sundays issue we published an ar.
ticle by Rev. Theodore W. Cuyler, respecting
Wordsworth, and now add another from the
same pen concerning the hoary-headed and
to us, tediously Laker;
can not recall all my conversation with
with the gray-haired poet, who made me for.
get his outer appearance when he warmed al
into genial generous talk, that combined
the man of genius and the little child. He
spoke tenderly of Irving with whom he had
dined few days 'previous), inquired much
about the Hudson, and complained that hi:
office as distributor Of stamps" which
yielded him a small income, had been hin.
drance in the way Of his visiting America
II is to be lamented that the master-minds O.
Britain in our day-Scott, Wordsworth, Cole.
ridge, Chalmers, Brougham and Macaulay-
never came among their vast constituency or
this side Of the water. Ofcockney literateur'
we have had a surfeit.
Wordsworths library was small, but pre-.
cious. He showed me with great satisfaction
a rich copy of Professor Reeds Philadelphif
edition Of his poems; no edition by Murray
he said, had suited him quite so well. From
the library we sailed out for stroll. Words
worth's "study was out of DOORS" you re.
member. From one commanding point tC
another we sauntered on, now gazing dowr
into crystal 'Rydal Water-now dscoursnl
over Gothic church tower peering vi
through the trees-now reviewing his won
drous compauionships in days of old with Sil
Walter and Joanna Baillie, with Coleridg,
the mystical, and Southey the polyglot, will
Lamb "the frolic and the gentle, and will
his registering neighbor, old Christophe
North. When we reached the door Of hi
cottage he pulled me primrose with un
couth Peter Bell
"a primrose by the rivers hrim,
A yellow primrose was to him
And it was nothing more"
To me it was precious relic of the psalms
of Nature and with cordial "God bles
you from the patriarch went on my wa,
rejoicing. The dear old man now sleep
under the church-tower which, like himself
kept loving company with the ancient elm
that hung their pillared shade around il
But the world will never let die the memory
Of him who gave her the code to Duty" thu
"Laodamia,' the Happy Warrior" and tn,
"Lines on Tintern Abbey"
Wordsworth was not very popular amonI
his literary colleagues. They pronounce
him exclusive and parsimonious. Miss Mar
tineau says of him that he used to offer hi
guests in his little cottage, bread and th
plainest fare. If they wanted any luxurie
they must pay him for their board. To thi
rule, report says, he rigidiy adhered to. ST
Walter Scott, q bountiful high liver, ono
passed u week with Wordsworth, and unde
pretense ofa walk, slipped out every day t
the Swan Inn for a cold cut and mug c
porter. One day, passing the inn wit
Wordsworth, he was betrayed by the land
lords asking him "if he had come for his POI
ter?" 1t is very easy to sneer at this ali
stemious style Of living, but temperance an
thrift have not been the characteristics {
literature. A little more abstemiousnes
would have made Dickens richer and
stronger man to-day, and would have KEEP
poor Campbell from drunkard's grave. 1
America, men of letters have generally bee
more prudent of life than in Great Britain
| several of our most popular writers hav
| actually grown rich by authorship. An
but few of our leading authors have eve
| sunk into those sensual excesses which weI
| the bane and curse OF Byron, Burns, MaginI
and scores of the most brilliant wits of Lor
don and Edinburg life. ..