The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1877-05-10
Coloridgo aS u TallSor.

published shortly, contains s0mc
very interesting "reminiscences OF
literary great men that have never
before been given to tho public
Tho following sketch of Colcrldgo is
n mnsterpicco Of pcn-portraiturc:
''He was full of words, full Of
Thought, yielding both in an unfail-
ing flow, that delighted many and
pcrplexeda q few Of his hearers. Ho
was q man Of prodgious miscollane-
ous reading, always ready to com
municato Ill ho knew. From Alpha |
to Omega, all was familiar to him.
Ho WAS deep in Jacob Bclmon. Flo
was intimate with Thomas Aquinas |
and Quovedo; with Bacon and Kndt; !
with Peter Simple and Tom Grim
gles Log, and with all tho old
divincs Of England and France. Tho
pages Of all tho inlidcls had passed
under his ego and made their lcgiti
mate (and not moro than their
lcgitimatc) impression. He went
from flower to flower, throughout
tho whole garden of learning, like
tho butterfly or tho bec--most liko
tho beo. Ho talked with everybody
about anything. He was 50 full of
information that it WAS II relief to
him to part with somo portion Of it
to others. 1t WAS like laying down
part of his burden. lie knew little
or nothing Of tho art of painting
yet havo heard him discuss tho
morits and defects Of q picture of
tho poorest class rs though it had
sprung from tho inspiration of
Raphael. Flo would advert to ccr-
tain parts and surmise that it had
boon touched upon here and there
would pronounce upon it's character
and school, it's chioro$c'wo tho gra-
dations, tho handling, etc, when in
fact it had no mark or merit or
character about it. 1t became
transtigurcd, sublimatcd by tho
speakers imagination"
Several anecdotes Of Coleridge's
doings follow, Of which wo make
room for two:
"Onc day, whom dining With somo
lawyers, ho had boon moro than
usually eloquent and full of talk.
His perpetual Interruptions wcro
resented by ono Of the guests, who
snid to his ncighbor, I'll stop this
fellow ); and thcrcupon addressed
tho master of tho house with,
Ct, I've not forgotten my
promise to give you the extract from
The Pandccts. It was tho ninth
chapter that you were alluding to.
1t begins: de cctcros Y~i11dtwt 3shi-
losopAi. Pardon me, sir, inter
posed Colcridgo, there 1 think you
are in error. Tho ninth chapter
begins this way: Incident scope
'cd"Sce, etc. 1t was in vain to refer
to anything on the supposition that
the poet was ignorant, for he really
had acquaintance with every sub,
.jcct. Iimaginc that no man had
over road SO many books and ut the
same time had digcstol SO much"
The second anccdoto is given in
illustration Of Colcridso's propcnsi~
ty to talk pcrpotunlly upon whatever
subject any ono might suggest:
"Ho had como from Highgatc to
London for tho sole purpose of con-
sulting q friend about his son
Hartley ('our dear Hartlcy), toward
whom he expressed, and | have no
doubt felt, much anxiety. He arriv-
cd about one or two o'clock, III tho
midst ofa conversation, which im~
modiatcly began to interest him.
He struck into the middle of the
talk very soon, and held tho 'car of
tho house until dinner nado its APP
poarance about four o'clock. Ho
then talked MI through tho dinner,
all the afternoon, all the evening,
with scarcely q single interruption.
Ho expotiated on this subject and
on Chat ; ho drew fine distinctions ;
ho made subtle criticisms. He de-
seconded to anecdotes, historical,
logical, rhetorical; hc dealt with
law, medicine and divinity, until at
last, five minutes before eight
O'Clock, the servant came in and an
noumccd that tho Highgate stage
was at tho corner Of the street and
was waiting to convey Mr.. Coler-
idgo homo. Coloridge Immediately
started up, oblivious of all time, and
said in hurliod vuico: My dear
q, l will come to you somo other
day and talk to you about our dear
Hartley He had quito forgotten
his son and everybody clso in tho