The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-07-27

Sir Walter will take another man a0 Of 1oSe iet'
tiers, whose life admire even more--an English
w4l1nyi , aoLlng L ms duty for fifty noble years OF
laooI, @ gay Dy Gay storing up learning, day by
day working FOR scant wages, most Charitable
out oil ms small means, braveiy faithful to the
r EnIvn atA ne had CHOSEN, refusing to turn
Hom MS pain lor popular praise or princes
tavor--l mean Robert Southey. We have left
his old political landmarks miles and miles
DehhLnu; , h We ptotest against his dogmatsm; nay,
hope his lite Will not be forgotten, for il is sub
lime IN lts simplicity, its energy its honor, its
affection. In the combat between Time an5
Tnalaba, | suspect the former DESTROYED has
conquered. Kehama's curse friRhtens yerv few
readers now; but Southey's private letters are
us as long as KIND hearts like to sympathize
with goodness and purity, and love aud upright
life. 1T your feelings are like mine,D ne
writes to his wife, II will not go to Lisbon with
out yOu or will stay at home, and not part
from you. For though not unhappy when
away, still without you am not happy, For
your sake, as well as my own and little Edith's
/ will not consent to any separation; the
growth of a years love between her and me If
II please God she should live, is a thing too de-
ightful itself, and too valuable In its conse-
quences, TO be given up for any light tnconve-
nence on your part and mine. On
these things we will talk at leisure; only, dear,
dear Edith, zoe must not part ~
This was poor literary gentleman. The First
Gentleman IN Europe had wife and daughter
too. Did he love them so Was he faithful to
them Did he sacrifice ease for them, or show
them the sacred examples of religion and
honor Heaven gave the Great English Prodi-
gal no such good fortune Peel proposed to
make baronet of Southey; and TO this advance
ment the king agreed. The poet nooly rejected
the offered promotion.
~ have" he wrote, ''apension of 82OO year,
conferred upon me by the good offices of my
old friend @. Wynn, and have the laureate
ship. The salary OF the latter was Immediately
appropriated, as far as it went to life insu~
rance for 93000, which, with an earlier insu.
ie m | have made
family. All beyond must be derived from my
own industry. Writing for livelihood, a llveli-
hood is all that have gained; for, having also
something better in view, and never, therefore,
having courted popularity, nor written for the
mere sake of gain, it has not been possible for
me to lay by anything. Last year, Tor the first
expenditure beforehand. This exposition may
show how unbecoming and unwise ii would be
to accept the rank which, so greatly to my
honor, you have solicited Tor me-"
How noble his poverty is, compared to the
wealth of his master His acceptance even of
| pension was made the object of his opponents
| satire; but think of the merit and modesty of
this state pensioner, and that other enormous
| drawer of public money, who receives 100000
year, and comes to Parliament with request
| for &650,000 more
Another true knight of those days was Cuth-
| bert Collingwood; and l think, since heaven
| made gentlemen, there is no record of a better
| one than that. OF brighter deeds, grant you, we
| may read performed by others; but where of
nobler, kinder, more beautiful life of duty, of
| gentler, truer heart? Beyond dazzle of success
| and blaze of genius, l fancy shining a hundred
and hundred times higher the sublime purity
| of Collingwoods gentle glory. His heroism
| stirs British hearts when we recall it, His love
and goodness and piety make one thrill with
| happy emotion. AS one reads of him and his
| great comrade going into the victory with which
| their names are Immortality connected how the
| old English word comes up, and that old Eng.
| lish feeling of what should like to call Chris
tan honor What gentlemen they were what
| great hearts they had 1--WE can, nv dear
| Coll" writes Nelson TO him, "have no little jea-
| lousies; we have only one great object in view
that OF meeting the enemy, and getting glo-
rious peace for our country" At Trafalgar
| when the Royal Sovereign was pressing alone
| into the midst of the combined fleets, Lord Mel
son said to Captain Blackwood, "See how that
noble fellow, Cotlingwood, takes his ship into
| action! How envy him!" The very same
| throb and impulse of heroic generosity was
| beating in Collingwoods honest bosom. As he
led into the fight he said, ''What would Nelson
| give to be here ~
After the action of the 1st of June he writes
"We cruised for a few days, like disappointed
| people looking for what they could not find,
| until the morning of flatRe S0rdhs birthday, be.
| tween eight and nine O'Clock, when the French
| feet, of twenty-five sail of the line was Disco
! veted to windward We chased them and they
| bore down within about five miles of us. The
night was spent in watching and preparation
| for the succeeding day; and many a blessing did
| send forth to my Sarah, lest / should never
| bless her more. At dawn we made our approach
| Oh Tue enemy, Lnen ureW up, dressed our ranks,
| and il was about eight when the admiral Rmade
the signal for each ship to engage her opponent,
and bring her to close action; and then down
| we went under cloud of sail, and in a manner
| that would have animated the coolest heart,
| and struck terror into the most intrepid enemy
The ship we were TO engage was two ahead of
| the French admiral so we had to go through
| his fire and that of two ships next TO him, and
received all their broadsides two or three times
| before we fired a gun. 1t was then near ten
O'Clock. / observed to the admiral that about
| that time our wives were going to church, but
| that / thought the peal we should ring about
! the Frenchmen's ears would outdO their parish
bells"
There are no words to tell what the heart
feels in reading the simple phrases of such
hero Here is victory and courage. but love
sublimer and superior. Here is a Christian sol
dier spending the night before battle in watch
ing and preparing for the succeeding day. think
ing OF his dearest home, and sending many
blessings forth to his Sarah, 'lest he should never
bless her more" VINO would not say Amen to
his supplcation? 1t was q benedicton to his
Countrywide prayer OF that intrepid, loving
heart
We have spoken of a good soldier and good
men OF letters as specimens OF English gentle
men of the age lust past; may we not also-maGy
OF Iny elder hearers, / am sure, have read and
tondly remember his delightful story-speak of
a good divine, and mention Reginald Heber as
one OF the best of English gentlemen? The
charming poet, the happy possessor of all sorts
OF gifts and accomplishments, birth, wit, fame,
high character, competence-he was the beloved
parish priest in his own home of Hodere
'counselling his people in their troubles adj
vislng them in their difficulties comforting them
in distress, kneeling often at their sick beds at
the hazard of his own life; eXhortng, encour-
aging where there was need; where there was
strife the DeacemakRr. where there WAS want