The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-03-18


pztmaturely. Poetry, with most men. Is one Of
the sins Of their youth, and great deal of II 10
written before the authors can be justly said to
have reached years of discretion. With the greater
number IL runs its course and passes of like the
measles or the chicken-pox; with q few II takes
the chronic form and lasts lifetime, and have
known cases OF persons attacked by II In old age.
very small number who begin. like Milton,
Cowley and Pope, to write verses when scarce out
of childhood, afterward become eminent as poets;
hut as rule precocity In this department of let
tiers is no sign Of genius.
has collected written in 1909 and 1910, and earlier,
discern but slight traces Of his peculiar genius,
and none Of the grace and spirit which afterward
became SO marked. They are better, II Is true,
than the juvenile poems which incumber the latter
collections ofthe poetry Of Thomson but they are
not characteristic. Between the time when they
were written and that in which he produced the
poems which are commonly called the Crackers,
his poetic faculty ripened rapidly, and as remark.
ably as that OF Byron between the publication or
his Hours Of Idleness and that Of Childe Harold.
His fancy had been quickened into new life he
had been learned to WELD his native language
like master; he had discovered that he was q
wit, as well as q poet; and his verse had ac-
CURED that sweetness and meditation which af-
terward distinguished it. The poems which bear
written by him In conjucton with his friend.
| Joseph Rodmsn Drake, began in 1919 TO appear
in the Evening Post. then conducted by Mr.. Cole1
| man. That gentleman observed their merit
| with surprise, commended them in his daily
| sheet, and was gratifed to learn that the whole
| town was talking of them. 1t was several years,
| after this that Mr.. Coleman said to me: +" was
curious to see the young men whose witty verses
published in my journal, made so much noise, and
desired an interview with them. They cams
before me. and was greatly struck by their ap.
pearsnce. Drake looked the poet. You saw the
stamp of genius in every feature. Halleck had
the aspect of q satirist" There is ertaia
manner common to both authors in these poemsl
They both wrote with playfulness and gayetyi
and. although with the freedom Of men who
never expected to be known, yet without maj
Lightly; but it seems to me Halleck drove houie
his jests with the sharpest percussiohl
and there are some flashes Of that fto
which bazed out IN his Marco BozzariAr
On one occasion his habit of maintaining unt9
susl opinions in q manner between Jest and carr. ,
est, had a consequence which his friends regrettee.
Seth Cheney, the estimable artist who died "a
1856, drew portraits of the size of life in crayot.
nsing no colors, with extraordinary skill in trans.
ferrng 10 the sheet before him the finest and mtst
eevaIed expression of which the countenaIsre
OF his sitter was capable. He always wrought
with certain creative enthusiasm like that Of inc
poet. His best portraits, at the same time that
L they are good lkenesses. have something IN
gelc in their aspect. IL Is told of Dana. fne
poet after looking with wonder at one Of these
drawings, the likeness of a lady more eminent Ipr
goodness than beauty, he said q IL is our friebd
she will be at the resurrection" Cheney could
never bring himself TO receive sitters those Dor
whom he did not entertain a decided respectS and
Tor mat reason 0eclineQ 10 take the nkenest OF
certain men distinguished in public life. Halseck
sat to him. but the artist found the fransb Of
mind which he brought TO his task disturbed by
the free and sportive manner in which his sitter
spoke of certain grave matters and one moraing
when Halleck came usual Cheney said to him;
81 have finished your likeness" " You have
been expeditions" said the poet. "Yes." re-
turned Cheney, 81 put il into the fire this morn
iDg.n That the last of Halleck's sitting to
Cheney but if the poet had not TESTED so unsea-
sonably we should probably have had one of
Cheney's finest heads. for Haleck, with his beam
ing conntenance, was capital subject for such
an artist.
Halleck was much besieged, as authors of note.
particularly poets, are apt TO be, with spplics-
tons from persons DESTROYS of appearing In print,
to read their manuscript verses, and give his
opinion Of their merits. have heard him say
that he never turned them away with an
unfriendly answer. suppose, that, regarding
poets as sensitive tribe keeny alive to unfavor
able criticism, he spared them much as he
could, though doubt very much whether they
obtained from him any opinion worth the trouble
they had taken. If what write should fall under
the eye of any persons of either sex POLITICALLY in
clined and ambitious of renown, would strongly
advise them against sending their verses TO poet
for this judgment. In the first place. IL does not
follow that because he passes for q poet he is
therefore competent critic in the second place
they may be sure that he will have little time TO
look at their verses and, thirdly he will naturally
be 30 DESTROYS to treat their tendery that his
opinion will be of little value. have always
cOunSele0 persons OF THIS CLASS, tney must come
before the public. not TO seek the opinion Of indi-
vicuals, but 10 get their printed In the pc
radicals that will accept them, and thus appeal
to the reading world at large, which is the only
proper judge of poetic merit. u
have my own way of accounting for hissiter-
airy silence in the latter half of his life. One Of
the resemblances which he bore to Horace'con-
sisted in the length OF time for which he kept his
poems by him, that he might give them the last
and happiest touches. He had tenacious verbal
memory, and, having composed his poems with
out committing them to paper, he revised them In
the same manner. murmurng them to himself In
his solitary moments, recovering the enthusiasm
with which they were first conceived, and 10 this
state of mind frightening that beauty of the
thought or of the expression. / remember that
once in crossing Washington Park saw Hslleck
before me, and quickened my pace 70 overtake him.
Az drew near heard him Grooming 10 himself
what seemed TO be lines of verse, and as he
threw back his hands in walking perceived that
they quivered with the feeling Of the passage he
was reciting. instantly checked my pace and
fell back, out Of reverence for the mood of in
spiration which seemed to be upon him, and fear
full lest 1 should intercept the birth of poem
destined TO be the delight Of thousands of readers.
CURIOUS Wiltshire of our correspondents.
who has taste for such matters, has collected
and sent for publication in the Ledger the fol-
lowing curious extracts from still more curious
wills. The first is from the will OF George Apple
bee, rector Of St. Brides, London, proved August
7,'l7S3: r
my body, after being dressed in a flannel
waistcoat, instead Of shirt, old surtout coat,
and breeches without Innings or pockets an old
pair of stockings shoes shall want none (having
done walking,) and a worsted wig If one can be
got, desire may be decently inferred"
The second is from the will Of Stephen
Swsine, of st. Olives, Southwark, proved Febru-
airy 5, ITO:
81 give and bequeath unto John Abbott, and
Mary, bis wife, the sum Of sixpence apiece, to
BUY each of them halter, 10 case the sherifs
should not be provided IHl-c
Tim third is from the win Of VIM. Shackell ESQ.,.
governor Of Plymouth, proved Oct. H. 17S2:
4" / desire that my body may be kept as long il
may not be offensive, and that one OF my toes or
fingers may be cut OF to secure certainty Of my
beng dead. also make this further request 20
my dear wife that, as she has been troubled with
one old fool, she will not think Of marrying an
other"
The following Is from the win Of Philip Thick
nesse, Esq, of London, proved January "a, 1893:
81 leave my right hand, to be cut of after my
death, to my ron, Lord Audley, and desire it
ha ~ him in han III auoho f0hf