New-York tribune., 1867-06-14
GARRISON STANFIELD.
BY CHARLES DICKENS.


Every Artist be he writer. painter. musician. or
actor must bear his private sorrows as he best can.
and must separate them from tho exercise of his pub
lie pursuit But il sometimes happens. III compensa
ton that his private loss of dear friend represents
a loss on the part OF the whole community Then he
NAV without obtrusion of his individuality. step
forth to lay his little wreath upon that dear friends
grave.
On Saturday, the 18th Of this present month lMayl
Clarkson Stanfeld died. On the afternoon Of that
day England lost tho great marine painter Of whom
she will be boastful ages hence; the National Histo-
rIas of her speciality the Sea tho man famous in
all countries for his marvellous rendering Of tho
waves that break upon her shores of her ships and
seamen of her coasts and skies, of her storms and
sunshine of the many marvels of the deep. He who
holds the oceans in the hollow Of His hand had
given associated with them. wonderful gifts into his
keeping; he had used them well through threesc0re
and fourteen wears; and. on the afternoon Of that
Spring day, relinquished them forever.
1t is superfuous TO record that the painter OF Tho
Battle of Trafalgar Of the Victory being towed
into Gibraltar with the body of Nelson boardp Of
"The Morning after the Wreck Of THE Aban-
doned" of fifty such works. died in his seventy
fourth year, Mr" Stanfeld. He was an English
Those grand pictures will proclaim his powers while
paint and canvas last But the writer of these words
had been his friend for thirty years; and when. a
30 skillful hand upon the writer's breast and told
him they would meet again, " but not here" the
thoughts of tho latter turned for the time. 30 little
TO his noble genius and so much to his noble nature
He was the soul OF frapkness generOsity and sim
plicty The most genial the most affecti0nats. tho
most loving and the most lovable of men. Success
had for an instant spoiled him His interestin
she Theater an InStitution-the best picturesque
ness a which may be said to be wholly due to him
was faithful to tho last His belief in Play bis de-
light in one, the ease with which IL moved him to
tears to laughter were most remarkable evidences
of the heart he mast have put into his old theatrical
work and Of the thorough purpose and sincerity
with which il must have been done, The writer was
very intimately associated with him in some amateur
plays and day after day and night after night there
were the same unquenchable freshness enthusiasm,
and impressbilty In him. though broken in health,
even then.
No Artist can ever have stood by his art with 8
oueter dignity than he always did. Nothing would
have induced him TO lay it at the feet of any human
creature To fawn, or TO toady or TO do undeseryed
homage to any one, was an absolute impossbiLty
with him. And yet his character was 30 nicely bal
anced that he was the last man in the world to be
suspected Of elfassertion and his modesty was
of his most special qualities.
He was charitable religious, gentle. truly good
man. A genuine man, incapable of pretence. or of
coDceament. He had been sailor once and all the
best characteristics that popuary attributed TO
sailors, being his and being in him refined by tho in
fuences Of his Art, formed whole not likely TO be
often seen; There 10 no smile that the writer can
recall like bis; no manner 50 naturally conding and
for the last time on earth the smile and the manner
shone out through the weakness still the bright
unchangng Soul within the altered face and formsf
No man was ever held in higher respect by his
friends and yet his intimate friends invariably ad-
dressed him and spoke of him by pet name Itmay
to find In this touching expression of his winning
character. bis playful smile, and pleasant ways.
"You know Mrs. Inchbald's story. Nature and Art "
wrote Thomas Hood, once, In a letter: What fine
Edition Of Nature and Art is Stanieldp
Gone And many and many a dear old dAy gone
with him But their memories remain. And his
memory will not fade out for he has set his
mark upon the restless waters and his famo will long
DO sounded in the roar Of the sea-