The Portland daily press., 1867-02-19
RecoIIeetions Of Lincoln,

Isaac n. Arnold's "History of Abraham
Lincoln and the Overthrow of Slavery" is
just published in Chicago by Clarke & Co.
Mr.. Arnold was long the intimate friend of
Mr.. Lincoln, and his narrative has fresh and
peculiar interest. We take from it the follow
ing extracts:
The two books which he read most were
the Bible and Shakespeare. With these ne
was very familiar, reading and studying them
habltually and constantly. He had great iohd-
ness for poetry and eloquence, and ms TASTE
and Judgment in each was exquisite. ohakes-
peare was his fayorite poet, Burns STOOD next s,
Holiness beautiful poem, "The Last Lea,
was with him great favorite.. ne ioho"lS
verse he regarded as equal to anything IN the
language: tt#
ssTbe mossy marbles rest
ON the lips that he has pressed sA
In their bloom. -EsFf q
And the names he loved to hear, ..
Have been carved for many year,
On the tomb"
He made speech at Burns festival In
which he spoke at length of Burnss poems ::
illustrating what he said by many quotations
and was listened to with the greatest pleas
ure, but it was unfortunately never reported
He was extremely fond of ballads, and simple,
sad and plaintive music E...7
He was most admirable reader He read
and recited from the Bible and Shakespeare
W 18th great simplicity, but remarkable EXPIRES
sion and effect. Often when going to and
from the army, on the steamers and in his car
riage, he took copy of Shakespeare with him.
and not untrequently read aloud to his asso
GATES. After conversing upon public affairs,
he would take up his Shakespeare, and ad
dressing his companions, remark, what do
you say now to a scene from Macbeth, OF
Hamlet ~, and then he would read aloud
scene after scene, never seeming to tire of the
enjoyment. On the last Sunday OF his life,
as he was coming up the Potomac, from his
visit to City Point and Richmond, he read
many extracts from Shakespeare. Among
other things, he read, with an accent and
feeling which no one who heard him will ev-
err forget, extracts from Macbeth, and among
others, the following:
"Duncan is In his grave; b
After life's flful fever, he sleeps we'll
Treason has done his worst; steel, nor poison,
Malice domestic foreign levy, nothing
Can touch him further."i ct d
After treason" had "done his worst" the
friends who heard him on that occasion, re-
membered that he read that passage over
twice, and with an absorbed and peculiar
manner. Did he feel mysterious present
iment of his approaching fate?"
His conversation was suggestive, original.
nStruCIif6 anu pidyIu, anu Dy It's genial hui
NOR, fascinating and attractive beyond COM
parison. Mirthfulness and sadness were strong
ly combined in him. His mirth was exuber-
ant, it sparkled in jest, story and annecdOte; ;
and the next moment those peculiarly sad, pa
thetic, melancholy eyes showed man "iamil-
lar with sorrow and acquainted with grief" l
l have listened for hours at his table, and else
where, when he has been surrounded 10y states
men, military leaders and other great men of
the nation, and but repeat the universally
concurring verdict of ALL in stating that as
conversationalist he had no equal One might
meet in company with him the most distin-
gulshed men, of various professions, but after
listening for 20 or three hours, on separating,
it was what Lincoln said that would be re-
membered His ideas and his illustrations
were those that would not be forgotten. Men
often called upon him for the pleasure of lis
tening to him. have heard the reply to an
invitation to attend the theatre, mo, l am
going up to the White House-I would rath-
or hear Lincoln talk for half an hour than at
tend the best theatre in the country"