The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-02-06
"who badc you do It!
The same, the same.
Letters four do form his name,
lie hnle me do IL y

lie Dnue me 90 IL"
There are many accounts of ColeIidge's
gigantic powers of monologue. The story
perhaps least known is one to the effect
that he was dining with some friends near
London, when broken soldier in an old
tattered uniform, came to the window beg
ging, on which Colerdge launched into
history causes, effects, everything of the
Pcnnsular war. "What pity" said one
of the party afterwards, "that that old sol
der came to the window" at would
have been all the same, said the other, 'if
n maybe had hoped across the path" 1t
seldom happens that those who are famous
in monologue are equally clever at retort.
But Coleridge uttered one of the finest
things, on a sudden piovocaton, ever said
Bristol mob, when some of his hearers
not liking his sentiments, Kissed.
He paused, looked calmly round at them
and then enunciating very slowly, said,
"When on the burning embers of democ-
racy you throw the cold water OF reason,
no wonder that they hiss" 1t was, of
course, better suited 10 an Athcnian assem-
bly, than to Bristol mob, but it was glo-
rious outburst all the same.
"The old man eloquent" passed away
from us forty years ago; and now Macau-
ley is gone. Few are they of the mourncrs
beside his open grave in Westminster Abb
hey who have not been charmed by hi.
wonderful flow of conversation. IL Vas
mostly at breakfast parties that hr pat
forth his strength. For NY ,wup.r,,
think that breakfast part, is the horlirst
entertainment in the world. Few men are
up to the mark at ten o'clock in the morn
ing. have heard men say that ii can
not talk by daylight. And if | had the
combined powers of Demoslhenes ana Cic-
ero, ! think that | should I've in the same
condition Moreover, if a man has any
thing TO do-ond most men have something
he feels while eating his outlet and sip
ping his coffee, that he is kept away from
his work-and that his business will fall
into arrears. AT dinner time he feels some
satisfaction in the thought that he
has done his wo.k and is at peace
with all mankind. But there are eXcep'
tons to all rules and some entertainers,
equally genial and experienced, such as
Lord Houghton and the late Robert Ingls,
have contrived to make their guests forget
that the labors of the day were before
them, and make the outlets and coffee taste
almost like turtle and venisOn and cold
punch and champagne. OF course, on
these or nearly all these occasions, Mac
caulay was the chief, if not the sole speak.
or. Sydney Smiths well-known mot that
the great historian, on certain occasion,
had transcribed himself, for he had "some
flashes of silence" represented better than
anything else could have done, Macau
lays general manner of mOnologuc. Ii
must be confessed that sometimes little
personal variety was longed for-tbat 6
little more discussion would have been
pleasant. But Macaulay did not speak tc
elicit the opinion of hers, but to express
his own. | do not, at present, remember
more than one occasion on which
anything that Macaulay said evoked
even brief discussion. He sale
that he had been endeavoring to as
certain at what period the wore
plumber was introduced into the Englisl
language. and whence it came. 1t wa
was not, he said, to be found either in thu
Bible or Shakespeare. This led to som'
general talk. lido not think that any o
us knew that the importation was so mod
ern-though most agreed that the origin o
the word was Dutch. | observed that
thought | had seen 1t in the earliest records
of the East India company-that is in tn,
letters of the shippers to the court OF Ill
rectors. "Picked up. doubtless, iron
| DulCn Shippers, saiu hiaCauiay' Wh"'
stated seemed to interest him greatly, AM
he asked me to ascertain the point
promised to do so when | had time bu
the good time never came. This, however
was an exception, and generally there wa
considerable flow Of talk-now like tn
murmur, now like the roaring of river
One always thought of Ldbitur ct td6etu'
We marvelled and admired, but for tn
most mart went away disappointed. w
found that we had learned so little.