New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-03
FITZ-GREENE HALLECK.

marked that he had consented to reao tnis p'p'i
cause n seemed TO be expected by DIS II4cnuS anu w
nirers that one who Ike myself was so nearly MS CO
,eIrporarv who read lis poems as they appeared and
roucb whom several OF the finest Of them were given TO
tho world ought not to let personal friend genal
ooppapon and an admirable poet pass from us withOu'
some words setting forth his merits and our soIroW"
Mr. Brvaut began by describing tho pleasant region
along the Connecticut shore OF Long Island SOUND "
ualeck was born, and where he, for tho most laib
nsssod his long and peaceful life. lie had certain
persistency Of temper" sald Mr.. Bryant Wnich vas
transmitted think from the old Puritan STOCK, ~ vac
some IS OF % years after he came TO liVol
he said TO me, i like TO 90 on Win the P'Oi'o WV"
begin with 1 the same boafdiush mouse no" .n"S
had when came TO town; my CLONES are SS "
the same tailor and employ the aauio ~,
MI Bryants personal recouectiohs anu Judgement VI
Ualleck were given a. follows 80. 40
their Youth and great deal Of it is written before me
authors DE justly said to hive reached yeaI Oi 6
passes OF like the measles or the ClckenPo& VIII lew
j. takes the chronic ICim anu lIs Nv in ID nee
very small number who begn-hko Milton SoWWS{} aaI
Pope-to write verses when scarce out OF chliahooa
afterward become eminent poets; but as rule pre-
coCy ia this department OF letters s no sign OF gelu
In the verses Of Halleck which Geu wilson mas e9lege
written s19 aud 1910 and earlier discern but slight
traces OF his peculiar genius, ana mono oil inc grace anu
better IL Is true than the Juvenile poems which ncm
her the later collections Of the poetry o. d. bp
they not characteristic Between inc unle 1cod
they were written and that in which ne RroHuTSgJe
IN
ee faculty ripened RAPIDLY. and remarkably as that
Of Byron between the publication OF ms honfs % ilo
quickened into now life; nc had learned to WE'D ms
native laugua-c like MASTER he had discovery 'nt
ho was a wit as wei poet and his verse had nc
Quired that sweetness aud variety OF mod9laI0n @hsh
siyDafire of Croker and Croqker Co written by him
in conjunction with his friend Joseph Rodnan DfdAe
began lsa TO appear - 1Ae Ereniag IGs5 IAeH eCH
merit with surprise commended men n to,S navy s Ss
and wac gathed TO learn that ile NS.e tVh H St Hr
iug Of them. 10 several years aier ms lhat ll.
whose Vifty verses published in my Journal made so
much noise end desired an interview with them. 1heY
pearaucc Drake looked The poet you saw the stamp
Of genius every feature. Huleck md the aspect OF
tl0rs in thcto POEMS They both wrote with payfdness
aud gaye,y and although win lLe iIetto q men NP
seems that HalccR drove homo his tests Wit inc
ire wiich blazed ont on his Marco Bozzans
The poem entitled Fanny was published about
those Who. finding themselves in the possession OF
wealth suddenly acquired, rush into eXayagant hoDts
conseo sink suddenly into tho obscury from which
they But the satire takes wider range Inc poet
clans men al science each is booked FOR pleasantry; a
meut sat before The reader The sung OF ms Wltues9s
not Uufclt and think was IN some cases resented
may be those who laugh at later period Halleck
saw the truth Of what Pope says OF E}dcu.eLI,
and he published an edition Of his Fanny with notes. in
ne 1S0 e ' Sd ooRd Ii Bu Fanny not ali satire
and here aud there IN the poem arc qss OF true i{o
apoet had REACHED Its fg growth that TOOK up my Ie5
d6nco i'm New-NOIk. Ihrst met HIM at INC hospitano
board Of Robert 6e0gwick esq, ana remember beluG
struck with The b gtnoss Of his eye which every
ana tnen g ieIIo MIN 5 an was soid of t6e
length OF time that he had lived IN New YORK AOuaie
lot from New-Engaudp said cur host Il certainly
am" was Haliecks reply-"I am from CQnnee-
ticut" rs IL possible - oXciumed ME ,Se96
that ever saw in whom the tokens ofls origin were not
plain as the marx set upon tne forehead ot I'm:
IB
zine, NE Ner-Io,k Eeyiei-, which was soon gath
MS poem or Marco l'ez1r ana IN ls96 tlo lines
titled CONNECTICUT me hrsI o. lneSs poems DJclo IIl
cared 10 read verses. remember that at an evening
gary? Sc n a, Inv Mrs. SIcbo; he same Who not long after,
ward gave tie public an English translation OF Aanzoe
power capable OF expressing every variety Of emotion
she was in the midst OF the poem 5er thIiling
ntenty listening 10 her accents, when suddenly size fs
tered her memory HAD lost one OF the lines At that in
passage heard from group ~ corner o. the rQom
the recitation and went on tr.umphanty to the close
surroundcd 10y an audience almost TOO dcely INTERESTED
say avn sure that the not the fnest in
SH2A Gny Igt syf 70 7e T14 ] F5 ih
bore part IN conducting Haeck bad been led by bis
charming valley celebrated by hat poet IN his Gertrude
81 "YoEns. I'D memory oI iAis S "Ioo tae nnfi en
lion in the same magazine Before The United
Sa o R shared o the it9 OF us P5e9 oi
Iecs pOetica writings with the title Of Alnwick Castle
and other Poems published by c. Carvli & Conpauy i'm
1871 had the pleasure Of saying to the readers Of he
RerieV how greatly admired IT, AT that time Tho Re
COrder Of city appointed by the Governor OF the
state. Those WHO not familiar with the judicial sys
ten OF This State need perhaps 10 DO told that the Re-
cordc the keeper Of the city archives but tho
Judge OF important Criminal Court In 1873, and for
years before and afterward, the Office was held ny
aud the blaudest manners who was accused by some OF
adjusting his political opinions to the humors Of the day
Oao day / met Halleck, who said to me AZ have
epistle IN verse from an old gentleman 20 the Re
cCrder which, II you please, will send 90 you for The
Eren1 POST It an in my head and you shall have 1t
have written II out" 1 should mention here
that llaeek was In the habit Of composing verses with
the ala OF pen ana ink, Keeping them ls memory,
aud retouchiug them at his leisure In due time the
"Epistle to the Recorder by Thomas Castay, ESQ., came
hand, Published in The Erc1iHg Post, and i'm
or the happest OF Haiechs salllcal poems le man N
Office the subject Of 10, must have hardly known
Womb fSk 10 lie pcriccf{r M ease when thus made inc
payhug OF poet aud peed with all manner Of gibes, sly
OF the public Among its strokes OF satire tho epstle
has passages ~ graceful poetry Haeck after the man
had hung its horns with garlands The Recorder, how
ever SAID 10 have borne this somewhat disrespectul
but by means iluatured assault with the ap-
parent cOmpOsure be endured the coarser attacks OF
tho newspapers. have never known any one think,
perfectly suited his taste. He Transcribed II; he read
over and over he dwet upon until every word Of 1t
became cngTayen his memory; no Tecited with gs
teniug and a voice and frame tremulous with
ton Mr. I. Cozzens has sent me scrap OF paper on
which he had copied passage OF eight lines Of verse; and
under them h4d written tAeso sentences; " und these
hundred pounds sterling payable out Of any money IN
my treasury not otherwise appropriated to DO capable
prised wen iaorcd the other day to receive from
Gen WILSON, who has collected the pOetica writings OF
Haleek, aud engaged ia preparing his Life and Letters
for tho press, copy o. tho poets handwriting Of some
verses Of mine entitled Tile Planting Of tho Apple
tree. which he had taken the pains tIanscnbe. and
which Gen. Wilson had heard him repeat from memory
IN his own ilne manner Haeck loved to rainble IN the
country for the most part believe, alone he did
me the favor 20 make me his companion. was while