The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-10-03
Tuesday Morning, Oct. 3, 1855.
cRABBn, THE 'PoRT-RoBEsP1nRRE


CRABBE, THE SPoET-ROBESPIERRE
In Alrs Farrar's charming @Recollections,' ?
is related, in connection with the inhabitants
of one OF her fathers cottages, the following
whimsical incident in, the life of the poet
Crabbe: s ass a 7l
"a widow lady and her two daughters lived
there several years, and were very intimate
with our family One of the ladies was en-.
gagged to the poet, and was Tilted by him wher
on the point Of being married and having the
wedding breakfast at our house. sa5
The beginning of the affair is as remarkable
as It's termination; 50 / will relate the whole
Miss Charlotte P, the accomplished daughter
OF wealthy owner Of mines in Cornwall, in
terested herself in those unhappy creatures
whose lives are spent underground, and find
ing among them q romantic case of love and
constancy, she sent the story to Mr.. Crabbe
the popular poet OF the day, considering 1t es
pecally suited to his style of composition. He
was pleased with the narrative and charmed
by the letter which accompanied it. a very
agreeable correspondence followed which last
ed several months. Miss p was engaged to
be married, and her affianced was often at the
house, and always read Crabbe's letters to her.
de thought them nothing less than love-let-
tiers, and advised her to drop the corresponds
ence. she laughed at the idea and believed
he had wife living; her lover thought he was
a widower, and insisted upon it that he wa
making love to Miss p. She wonsd not agree
that, but was ready to drop the corresponds
ence. The very next letter from the aged
poet was declaration Of love, and a proposal
to visit her! Great was the rallying and iok-
ing which Miss p. had to endure. She was
provoked with herself and the poet, and wish
ed she had never sent him the story of the
miner. She begged a friend who was staying
with her, Miss Charlotte r., to write to Mr.
Crab5e, and inform him Of her engagement.-
The friend did SO in the most kind and fatter-
ing way, and received very remarkable an
+ swer.
4al. Crabbe.was SO much pleased with the
friends letter, that he transferred his ,propo-
sails trom the iirst Charlotte to the second; he
was sure they were kindred spirits, and as he
had not sean either lady, it would make no
difference to himl This was too good Joke
to be kept a secret, and a large family party
were greatly diverted by it. After all sorts d
fun had been made OF ii, Charlotte the second
was observed to look very grave, and not I'd
join In the diversion OF the partysS She eavd
them second tit OF astoni.hment by accept
ing the pcets offer, and appointing meeting
with him at the house of her aunt, in neigh
boring county. They met, were mutually
. pleased, and parted bctrothed to each other.
On her return home we were soon informed
OF her engagement to Mr.. Crabbe, but were
charged not to mention it before her mother
why notT' was of course asked, and her re-
ply was, because my mother is so Oid-fashion-
ed that she would cal my dear bard my saOeet
lsheart, and talk about coasrtSsip, and you know
i could not bear that; it would be insupport-
able" s sa ~
With all this nonsense she was sincerely at
tached to Mr.. Crabbe, and kept up brisk cor
respondence with BIN. At first she weuid
read parts Of his letters to me, and talk mces-
sanity OF him and his poems She was very
proud OF her engagement to so celebrated d
poet, After some months had elapsed, time
was fixed for tbs marriage, and then it was de-
ferred by Mr. Crabbe for some slight reason
My father wrote to the "dear bard" and invit-
ed him to stay at his house when he should
come to be married to Miss G. r., but received
no answer. Charlotte looked unhappy, but
still her pre- parations went On. i was asked te
make up the wedding favors, which were bows
OF white satin ribbon, edged round with mar.
row silver fringe; the white gloves were bought
which were to be given to the wedding guests
our cook had made the wedding-cake; When
we were startled by the news that the match
was broken OF and Charlotte was in fits.
1t appeared afterWard that Orabbe's grown
up sons convinced him Of the folly of his con
duct; he had long repented Of his sudden en-.
gagement and had tried by his correspondence
so TO diSplease the lady, as to make her break
It of. She was resolved to have the ecLGt o.
marrying celebrated poet, and would take nc
hints to the contrary. She was also in love
with her old bard, and never recovered from
her chagrin and sorrow. She died in few
years, and her family always believed that her
life was shortened by this affair.""
The father of the author was brought into
intimate contact with Robespierre, and found
the proximity Of that celebrated demagogus
somewhat more perilous than fascinating.
@I have, SO often heard my father describe
Robe pierre that feel as if had myself seer
that mean. looking, little man, with his r.ffies
and his hair eiaborately dressed. AS it wa
considered, Inth9se days, that to be well dres
sed was antirepublican, his elaborate toile
was the more remarkable. My father narrow
ly escapedWithhis life, after an interview witt
this worst OF tylants. He was deputed by tn
American MERCHANTS Of Dunkirk, who wer
suffering under IAN act'of embargo TO take u
petition for its removal from vessels belong
ing 70 so friendly power as the United Slate
He was to read the petition at the bar of tn
National Convention; q body of men whit
were SUPPOSED to represent the will Of the peo
pie, but were, at that time, entirely subservi
ent to the Til of one man, and that mai
4 was Robespierfe. He allowed the house tC
= appoint only one com nt5ae called sthe com.
mittee OF Public Safety; to that all important
cases were referred and there Robespierre
n AuOu SsSiy dcciolOl. over the door OF the
eonhmlttee-Foom was written, "Engrossed by
the affairs OF the nation, we have no time to
is consider private elaims,R My father was. told
that he must read his petition TO Robezn;arre
before he attempted to read it in the Nationai
Convention; so he sought an interview with
that dangerous man at his own residence. He
was shown through a suite Of shabby rooms.
where the family were employed in household
work, to long, unturnished hall, where he
found half a dozen gentlemen waiting TO see
the despot There was not a seat Ia the room
until door opened and Robespierre entered
IN his dressing-goHn, followed by his hair dres-
ser, who carried a chair in his hand for his
master to sls on while he was powdered, When
poWder was generally worn, it was the custom
70 p1t Il on, In some small room or closet de-
voteu 70 the purpose, and to powder in the
, RreseiIes OF another was considered an insult
2 ana' Ipe hpooespier1e should come into his audi
~ 70 perform that part of his toll
20, 1 siSce o. arrogance and rudeness ney-
er TO ne forgotten. The hair-dIesqer annI;nd
the powder-puH until there vror' oIa,tI ~
RoWder an around him, and Of cou,.se tIo dorl'
coats, IN Waaungs were none the hat4o w. =
When the hair-dresser refiTaS AZ us.1sF ior Il, y,
the chair with him, and Iobesn;o,.S' iS oI
to a mirror and adjusted eyeIv b: "shs Nsii "
his face. He then exchanged his s'. !. arotulo
gown for coat WHICH his valet ro,oi's
assisted him TO put it on That done be t,'.a' sn0
ed to the knot Of gentlemen who wnro ~ ate euin
ing at one end of the room, and said b".u bssssllu
ready to hear what they had to saw 'iT NV " a
who spoke before my father did were vs,s vos
summarily disposed or with negative answe+::
Then he produced his petition, and asLa
Robespierre TO read it. He did so, and returr
ed it, saying, "That petition, cannot be preser