New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-04-27
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

12Io ", SO. Bobefts Brothers
The life of Mr. Proctor was less fruitful III
incident chan uneventfu lives OF literary men IN
general graceful poetry found its way TO te hea
OF a choice circle OF admirers and his hne personal
qualities won for hia the lifelong attachment OF NONE
tro,p of friends The present volume does hut scanty
iusce 10 his MEMORY and the deaIth OF materials Tor
biography furnishes miscellaneous selection from MS
papers including autobogaphical fragment suPPo
mented with brief notes by the editor ana personal
sketches OF distinguished e0temporares together Win
few unpublished lyrics, and letters from literary iileus
Most OF It's contents apart from private ASSOCIATIONS
with Mr. Proctor, can hardly claim any eOhs'uerapo
place in Literature, though The slight por'iau'eSo -
OF the eminent men OF the day VIII serve 20 Sia"i'
the taste for personal and gossipng deiaus "on is
always craving fresh material in spite OF perpetual us
appointment These sketches were undertaken al
a late perod OF the authors life, but are
quite fec from the cynicsm Of old age, oeiaNnS ma
ture which time had toHcIed gently" as well rs
soundness Judgment unwarped by excess OF sympathy
OF Wordsworth Mr.. Proctor writes:- wordsworth was
tall and unganly man; with grave and severe face
and manner that indicated tranquility and indeRend
epee rather than high breeding. For years preV-
GUS 10 his death dwelt Ryda in westmoreand His
mode Of life was favorable TO the object that lac bad III
view; doing nothing but what If was delight for HIN to
do aud doing this only when he was disposed TO labor
His sole ambition and serene employ was TO write
verses TO convince the world that his poems were better
than all others; and SO finally array his temples with
the Muses. dladem.' From all accounts tliat nave
reached me, Wordsworth entertained small tenderness
for persons beyond those who were nearest to him. Ih
that inncrmOs circle his affections were concentrated
and there he dwet supreme. After he lost hls on'y
daughter his state OF mind was very affecting Tue
peghborng cottagers used to tell how lie would wander
about constantly the hll-sides very sad no
lonely; never holding any talk OF communication tas
Heretofore had been his habiD with the peasants
that crossed his path but boarding and. as il were
.uA Il
can ever feel except the parent for the dead child
The poet Rogers with his agreeable social surroundings
though all his life long hardhearted old bachelor has
been so often described, that Mr.. PrOctes sketch add
little what generally known of his habits ana CHAR
scter ~ forget Who introduced 10 Mr. ROgersin the
year 1920 lie lived Chen and until his death III Saint
Janess Place, in II house that had previously belonged
TO one of the Dukes of 81. Adams IL not ia Wiue
street but looked southwark on to he Green fath'
Upon the whole any residence so tastefu1
fitted up and decorated. Everything was good OF l'S
kind aud in sood order There plethora, no ap
pearanee of display, sign OF superbuous wealth.
There were good pictures good drawings and few
good books He had choice statuettes, some CONS ana
vases. bnoutere There was not 100 tnueh
OF anything, too much welcome yet no ack Oh
it, HIS breakfast-tabe perfect, III all respects; ana
the eompany-where literature mixed with FASHION ana
rank, each having a fair propOrfon-was always agree
ohIe And In the midst OF all his hosptable glory was
the little old pleasant not yet intrm with MS
many anecdotes and sub-acid words that gave flavor
and pungency to the general talk. He dWeli
too much too much for the taste OF some OF
his learers) ON olden times, the days OF FOX
and Pitt and Sheridan, all of whom he knew ana men,
toned with great respect, emitting the ME- pre-
yously to each Like most other persons he was
perhaps much disposed to overvalue the times ana
peope Of his youth Even the authors of the last
Jury so maDfesy inferior those Of the present found
an advocate with him He admired Gray prodiG'ously
and had great respect Mr. Grove the Professor Of
Poetry at oxford, whose Lewesdon Hill lie thought to
be almost uncQualed. He had just begun to admit Sir
Walter Scott and Lord Byron into his list of deservcdly
distinguished writers. Crabbe he had always admitted
among the great authors because of his STYLE and Mr.
Thomas Moore was rather favorte by reason OF his up
holding the merits OF Sheridan, whom he ONT Rogers
had generously assisted in his later days. He had no
Imagination, but give him the thing imagined and Or he
liked I'D he was tocfably TO suggest some improve
nent 10 Il. 'Rogerss Rhymes (Which Lord Byron has
prased moved harmonious hinges but they on no
occasion had that free spontaneous sound which thu
lines of the higher poets possess. Ike the
versRcation in his poem of 'Jacqueiine' the best"
Mr. Proctor cherished a warm admiration FOR Edward
Irving whom he calls the most pure and hopeful Split
that Scotland ever produced" He was 80 amiabe and
simple that every one forgot that he stood in the
ence OF giant in stature with mental courage 10 do bat
tic with adversary, and WHO was always ready to
enter field in defense Of hisfah. never heard him.
saws Mr. Proctor utter a harsh uncharitaDle word
"a
good man could have wished unsaid His words were at
once gentle and heroic Having the most sincere friend
ship admiration for hm was once or twice tempted
I'm mixed company assert that he ike one Of
the old apostles than any that had lived since.
was by shout OF derson from few OF the readers
and disciples Of John Bull who happened TO be present
Their opposition served to confirm my previous opinion"
The remembrance of Mr.. Irving naturally suggests his
most Intimate friend, Thomas Carlyle, whom he introduced
to the author after the pubcaon OF the " Life Of
Schiller" AT that time, Carlyle mad grave features
q brown, fOrid complexion, and simple manly man
ner not depending cultivation much as on the in
ternal Thoughts which it motion and character"
Mr. PrOcc portrait OF Carlyle is of no great value. but
IL may be worth quoting as specimen OF the work
There can be doubt that MI Carlyle very original
thinker quick Deep and in many things differing from
all other men Whether he he right not, in all cases.
do not pretend offer any opinion. In general the
chance is in favor Of the greater Lumber but not al
ways suspect, such themes as he has taken upon
himself 90 discuss He is great master vi pathos; ana
nc impresses upon certain abstract words anG
phrases weight OF meaning that exceeds that
of ahy other writer. Thus. when he speaks OF
Manhood OF Labor; OF Herolsn of Time; Of Silence
and Eternity, there value aud meaning that have
never seen elsewhere The world tour bonc), and man.
our likeness and brother Justly upheld by him as
undeveopca miracles about which apt to chatter
and argue as ON n common ruc in arithmetic, but to
which our boosted scientific discoveries poor and
trivial He does not utter hymns IN favor OF prosperity
his advocacy reserved Tor the humble the sghted ard
deceived and for the poor have friends This is
generally his cause defiance and support. In some
aikable instances he has quite deserted this ground
for Others which require explanation. am afraid that
Ia sometimes exhibits much respect for power
Thus, although he speaks most tcnderly OF Edward
Irving s friend most kindly OF Charlotte Corday, OF
Burns Samuel Johnson and Others against whom the