The hydraulic press., 1860-01-28
The English Opium Eater Gone.

IN the SeVenty-tnlru year OF his age al
though he had long been a confirmed inva-
lid, and was physically bat wasted rem
nant of his former self, his mind retained its
acuteness and activity to the last, and his
demise occurred rather Unexpectedly. After
the death of Leigh Hunt, which preceded
his own bat few weeks, DeQuincey was
the sole survivor oil that brilliant galaxy of
writer's who made the first quarter of the
present century a memorable era in the his
tory of English literature, and second in
glory only to the epoch of Shakespeare and
Bacon. He was cotemporary with Byron,
Scott, Coleridge, Shelley, Lamb, Keats,
Southey, Wordsworth, Campbell, and many
other celebrities, and with some of them was
on terms of intimate friendship. His REM
iniscences of several of these literary wor-
thies are among the most delightful of his
own writings. We may specify in this con-
nection his notices Of Lamb, Coleridge, and
Wordsworth. The genius of the last named
he asserted at very early day, when the
Lake poets, as Wordsworth and his school
were termed, were seldom mentioned but
to be rfdiculed; and this fact he intimates
was not properly appreciated by the philo-
sophie poet, or at least never properly ac-
knowledged.
DeQuincey is principally known, to Amer
lean readers at least, by his famous "Con-
fessions of an English Opium Eater" and
the pendent of "Suspiria de Profundis." In
this voleme he details, in the most impas-
stoned and splendid manner, his personal
experience of the effects of that pernicious
yet fascinating drug which unnamed Cole
ridge, who lacked the courage to break from
its thraldom as DeQuincey aid. The other
works of DeQuincey are numerous, and COM
sist OF photographed sketches and liter
airy "reminiscences, critical, biographical and
historical essays, narratives, and variety of
short papers not belonging to either of these
classes. His writings were originally pub
lished in Magazines and papers. The first
collected edition of them was issued by
Ticknor, Reed & Fields, of Boston, whose
liberality in making him a sharer in the pea
cuniary profits Of their enterprise, without
expectation or solicitation on his part, drew
from the author letter of grateful ackncw-
ledgement. All of his writings exhibit
vast amount of learning, and betray an acute,
analytical mind, which delighted sometimes
in minute subtleties and philosophical spec
nlations upon triaes, and in attempts at the
humorous which are seldom more than in
genious failures. He wrote in style that
was generally clear, correct and elegant, Of
ten splendid and moving, and characterized
by great verbal felicity and occasional elab-
crate ciTcan,locution. A reviewer has said
that he wrote better English than any man
of his time.
The most permanently interesting of De-
Quincey's works, to the general reader cer-
tainly, are his "Confessions", his autobo-
graphic sketches and literary recollections.
Indeed, this seems to have been his own
opinion, expressed in the preface to the
American edition already mentioned. To
those who are not biassed against man or
book by a vein of healthy egotism, his
"Confessions" and other narratives of his
life will prove most attractive and instruc-
tive reading. In these he exhibits some of
the noblest traits, and that hearty sympathy
with his race which inspired this passage;
"The truth is, that at no time of my life
have been person to hold myself polluted
by the touch or approach of any creature
that wore a human shape. On the contrary,
from my very earliest youth, it has been my
pride to converse familiarly, more Socratico,
with all human beings-man, woman, and
child-that chance might fling in my way
a practice which is friendly to the knowledge
of human nature, to good feelings, and to
that frankness of address which becomes
man who would be thought philosopher;
for philosopher should not see with the
eyes of the poor limitary creature calling him
self man of the world, and filled with mar
row and self-regarding prejudices of birth
and education, but should look upon himself
as catholic creature, and as standing in an
equal relation to high and low, to educated
and uneducated, to the guilty and the inno-
cent?
This is conceived and uttered in the spirit
of genuine Christianity, which DeQuincey
made the guide of his life and the anchor of
his hope for the future.
Only about FIVE hundred passengers left
on the last two steamers. A capital sign
in these low fare times. The treasure ship
ments were also lighter than usual.
Col. E. D. Baker, who has removed to Or