The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-04-30
The Poet ROgers-His Peculiaritles and
Innr Iifn.

Harriet Martineau's book Of biographical
sketches contains the following pen-portmit
Of this remarkable man, who died Decerl-
Der 1S, 1855, in his ninety-Txth year. She
says he was
probably the last of that class who will
in England be called a MecRnas. His life
was n remarkable one from the great age
he attained during q critical period Of civ
ilization; and his function was n remarka-
BILE n that of representing the bridge
over which literature has passed from the
old condition Of patronage to the new one
of independence. He heard the talk OF
the town recorded by DIR. Adams) on John
sons letter to Lord Chesterfield; and he
lived TO see the improvement of the copy
right law, the removal of most of the taxes
o. knowledge, and 30 vast an increase Of
the reading public as has rendered the
function Of patron OF authorship obsolete"
'The last character he kept out of sight
as much as possible. When, some years
since, his bank was robbed to so enor-
mons an amount by the pillage of a safe,
that everybody supposed il must stop pay
ment; and when IL did not stop, and all his
great friends testified their sympathy Arst,
and then their Joy, IL was a curious thing
10 observe the old poets bearing, and 10
hear the remarks upon IL. He was Won
derfully reserved, and passed OFF the whole
with q few quiet jokes, through which was
plainly seen his modification Mt being rec
ognized as a banker, in a sphere where he
hoped he was known as an associate of the
great, and the first cOnnoisseur in pictures
in England"
Rogers survived all his early friends
1--WE have seen Moore die in decrepit old
age; yet did Moore, in his boyhood when
he was fourteen), delight in Rogers pleas.
ures OF Memory, the poem being then sc
common as 10 have found its way into
schools in class-books and collections.
'He heard the first remarks on
the Vicar Of Wakefield and read, damp
from the press, all the fiction that has APP
peared since from the Burneys, the Edge
worths, the Scots. the Dickenses and the
Thackenys. Aslfor the poetry, he was
aghast at the rapidity with which the
Scots, Byrons and Moores poured ont
their works; and even Campbell was too
quick for him-he, with all his leisure, and
being always at il, producing to the amount
oftwo octave volumes in his whole life.
ellis hold on life was very strong. He
who was an authority on the incidents OF
the Hastings trial, and who was in Fox's
room when he was dying-he who saw
/ tAN1AkN Il u NbAAAAk AAAAAAT hilAA wa kAOmAu IL
into manhood when Johnson went TO the
Hebrides, survived for several years being
run over by n cab Of the construction OF
the middle of the nineteenth century. His
poetry could scarcely be said 10 live 80
long az himself, as it was rather the illus
t%rations with which II was graced than the
verse itself that kept his volumes on sac
and within view"
Rogers helped literary men literally.
"All honor 10 him for this! But not the
less must the drawbacks be brought into
the account. In recording the last Of any
social phase, il is dishonest 10 present the
bright parts without the shadows; and
Rogers remarkable position was due al
most az much 10 his faults as his virtues.
He was, plainly speaking, ut once u tatter-
err and n cynie. II was impossible for those
who knew him best TO say at any moment
whether he was in earnest or covert Jest.
Whether he ever was in earnest there
Is no sort Of evidence but his acts
and the consequence was that bis ~fattery
went for nothing except with n%ovices, while
his caustieity bit a. deep M he intended.
He would begin with q series of outrageous
compliments, in a measured style which
forbade interruption; aud, ifhe was allow,
ed to finish, would 90 away and boast how
much he had made a victim swallow. HI
would accept a constant seat at q ereaI
mans table, iiatter his host TO the top o
his bent, and then, as Is upon record, &c
away and say that the company there wal
got upby consumption that there were two
parties before whom everybody must APP
pear, his host and the police"