, 1861-02-05

The Popularity Of Byron.
In the course of Harriet Martincau's article
in the AtEuntie Aontaly for February, on 'Lady
Byron," occurthc following remarks about the
carly popularity fthe author Of 'Childc Ha,-
old" The period WAS Just before his marriage
with Miss 3lIlbanke.
+.By1on was then tho idol Of much more than
the literary world. His poetry WAS known BY
heart by multituIes Of men aud women VII
read very little else; and meels, at this day, el-
derby men. Who live 4kite outside Of the re-
Gions Of Literature, who believe That there
never could hare BEEN such poet before, and
would say, if they dared, that there will never
br such another again. He appeared ut the
moment nhen society was restless, and mlstr-
mile, aud discontented With the iatcs and the
universe, and all thatit contained. Tie gentr~
Al sensiblity had not long found any expres-
sion In poetry. Literature seemed somethiug
quite apart from experience and with which
none int particular class had any concern.
at euctl u time, wien Europe lay desolatc uu-
der the rav;s::c and lnctss*nt nicnacc OF tho
French empre-wben England had an insane
king, pro1l@ate regent, III atrociuus ministry
audaeOrrupt parliament, when the war drained
thckiugdom fits youth and every class ofits re
sources, whrn there was chronic discomfort in
the manufacturing districts and hunger among
the rurGl population, with u perpetual extcl-
elun VI 'auPclisL. swallowing up tne "olhAnSS
aud even th: middle classes-wlen everybody
was full Of anxiety, dread, or T. rcactlonary
recklcssness-thcres suddenly appeared new
stroin OF poetry, which seemed to express
every MAJ s mood. Every man took up the
song. B,ron's musical woe resounded through
the lsnl. People who had not Known exactly
wla1 was tho matter with Them now fuunt:
that they were sick Of it. Il eau we'll
remember The cnihus;as1n-tho better per-
laps, from never having shared it. At
ITS. was too young, and alterwards found
too much of moods and too little OF matttF to
csea,e any lasting attachment to his poetry.
But the music of It rang in ai! ears, and tie
rush Of its popularity could not be resisted by
any but dow nrjght chuTlish persons. r.
member how 1adlcs, In morning calls, recitcd
passages Of Byron to zach otner-aud how
gentlemen, in ,sater-paEtiea, whispered his
shor. poems to their next ncighbor. If man
was secn walking with his heal dOWn and Ills
lips moving, he vas revolving Byron Is
last romance; and children who bryan
to keep albums wrote, in double lines
On tue first laGe, conversational which
caught them by lis sound, If they were
not up 10 it's Sense, On some pane iu
every Inn wiulow there Is q Ecrap Of Byron
and in young ladies' portfolios there were pos-
trails OF the poet, recognizable, through ali
bad drawing aud distortion, by the cast Of the
beautiful features and thr Co1sair etylc Where
popularity Ike this eprang up, there must
Re sufficient reason for it to cause it to involve
more or less oil orders Of minds; aud the
wiEest and most experienced men, and tie
most thoroughly strained scholars, felt into the
general admlralfon, and keenly enjoyed SO
,inelodious an expression Of general state OF
fcellag, without asking too pcrtinaciously
for higher views anu deeper meauipge.
Old Quaarrs were troubled Ut detect
ing hidden copies and secret studtes o1
BYRON umon.: young men and maidens
vino were TO be preserved from all stimulantf
to the passions; and they we're Jet mort
troubled, when, lookingto see What the charm
was which so wrought unon the youth ofthei,
| sect, they found themselves carried nway By il
hey on,l all power to forget What they had read
| The idofatry Of the poet, which marked that
time, was an insvitpble consequence Of ths
singular sptncss Of his utterance,, His dress
| manners md likings wero adopted, 80 far n
they could be Asce1tained, By hundreds O.
thousands Of youths, who were 1t once satet
With life and ambitious Of fame, or at least O
! reputation tnr fnstidlous diecontent; youne
ladies declared that Byron was every thing thai
WIS great aud good; ind even our best Gtcra
tu7e Of criticism shows how respectful and nd
| miring the h1rieet reviewers grew, after th'
poet had bccome the pet and the idol Of al
| EnrtuptfN ~