Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1866-05-11
Observation-Disclosures

NE.-BYRON--LEGARE.
1t is announced that Lamartine, for 6
very large sum-accounts differ as 10 tho
amount-has engaged as to writo the life
Of byron.
To 'exaggcration, false sentiment and 70
nance, IIamartinc will give fnl rein in
this biography. Not one Of his romances
we venture to say, will contain more ro
nance. Upon tho simplest fact lie will
hang.a garland of artificial sentiment, exotic
and forced, but SO perfumed and presented
as almost to seem natural. Byron's defor.
nifty will be made q beauty, and we shall
be told over again, oven in moro exagge-
rated phrase than We have yet been told
that in his limp ho resembled IAN angel
who had tripped against STAR Spor,ive
fancy will be at its widest tricks in telling
Of the playfulness Of the Lord of Poets,
and the gloom Of a morbid Imagination
will .darken into fitful changes o: the storm
in dwelling on his waywardness and domes-
tic misery. We. suspect that Lamartine
will find more fault with Lady Byron than
ever Byron himself found. In short, we
have no idea that Lamartine is at all a fit
person to give the world true biographi.
cal presentment of byron.
The glorious role which Lamarline ex-
hlbited in his oratorical displays in French
revolution is the great scene in his life.
Even that was melo-dramatic. 1t suited
the French people. But Lamartine's shame
less indebtedness-his shi(tless and reckless
expenditures-his bold and brazcn boega-
ry, which over and over again has obtain
ed him means olive like a prodigal, who
only leaves the corn husks' to get means
to wallow in falter sty-without any les
sons of repentance or regret, even when
importantly and sba'nelessly renewed pcti-
tions Of indulgence cannot keep him from
the corn husks' again. Strange that a
man so brilliantly endowed as Lamartine is
should resort to beggar's repeated impor-
tunities. But he seems to be of opinio n,
according to the phrase so common at the
East, that tho world owes him a living-a
princely one, by the by-is his estimate,
and he acts accordingly.
No good life of Byron has vet been
written. 1t should be written with keen,
incisive pen, which should not only tel! the
truth, but'engrave its moral in the page as
if in narble-distinct, impressive, clear.
Moore's life Of byron is too full of orien.
talism. To use one Of Dyron's phrases, he
has an orienta! twist. in his imagination
tropes and figures, and especially pet sim.
lies dance in metaphorical mazes through
his imagination like wanton troupe his
own loves of the angels. What Moore
says gives us no idea of Byron. IT'S the
wealth of Byron's letters, which Moore has
spread so abundantly-like vein of gold
through his pages which unfold to us
he true clue to. ..Byron's character. Moore's
comments upon them are but mysteries
and metaphysics Which darken. rather than
the commonest facts which be is
trying to explain. In the whole: range of
English literature and criticism of English
origin, tie best criticism and analysis of
Byron's character and poems is that of Ma.
caulay, in the Edinburg Review, on Moofe's
life Of Byron. But in our humble estima.
tion, the best analysis of the personal
character of Byron, by any critic of the
old or new world, is. that written by our
countryman, that true Southron, Hugh
S. Legare, which appeared years ago in the
Southern Review. ~.
Legare himself had physical impsrfec..
tions which made him sympathize With By
ron--to:say nothing Of his excessive SEN
sitiveness which made it q torture to him
in his wayward moods, to be even looked
at. This gave him the key to .Byron's
flash Of lightning in dark,
night which ;betrays atonesIto the beholder,
flower and tres and broken branch, aud
tprbid and swollen and rushing water. i Il
Is interesting to one fond Of e=adissectien!
Of character 70 read this criticism sof Le-r;
care; on Byron: W {, as son.R lGsrc!lin-z
ianss have always been piaad Of il d; s;is We
were.o the vArisd ,gifsd and classic hand
that wore iteold in il ths ! dust before I tbs q
great calamity fell upon his people which,