New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-06-30

round again. and buried lis face toward sid',urning
m the lane mo which he d-app areo MS ia son iue,
ing on tie back OF hs head. 1uat was INV EN s'+ "l
d Quincy: bat q good mluy ~ arr WtcNaiO ga tde
peisare OF rec living. la citutouS mann IT, .'"t
word o. recognition from Inn, on ei.uhd liel ~
tuv rccOle ton ne ID ~ nave i-ah'u Vl n'l l"s ,
Ediuhur-h existence THIS was just heiore MS de"n;
aad one glad 10 know by rcp' mat hen ~ ms o1
age. ibis eccentric man of MUS, llls WISE eIl '
beautiful sprtiis English esayist the r"l worih 81
whose remains. compared with thoso OF L2fd Mc@,
lay, VIII be FOUND venture 10 say rS tnat Il l.'s "a
wrought silver against an eol mss OF co" an '"rlr
had let his wandering hHbts be- brought within pnuud.
and was mlnstcrcd 10 Dy the han9s o Nlli- aHio'o'
Among the agreeable "reminiscences Of De Quincy
by one of his daughters. Mrs. Baird Smith. is
sketch of his personal habits. from which we take
the following: "My fathers habits were simple,
almost to asceticsn From the neuralcic suffering
which led to his fast taking opium he early lost al
his teeth and from the extreme delcacy Of his sys-
tenn, he could eat nothing less capable of perfect
mastcatiou than bread. that only 100 often
little soup or coffee was his whole dinner. He was
able 10 take very little wino even according 20 the
standard Of the present day. His dress, unfor.u-
nately, he neither cared for himself nor would he
let others for it. say unfortunately, because
this carcleSsness gave rise, among punctii-
iouS people. unaccustomed TO eccentric habits
to an impression of poverty for which
there was no foundation. II might be
that a thought occurred 70 him in the midst Of
some of his irregular processes of dressing or
undressing Il should say. some thought generally did
strike him at that time and he would sop with his
coat just taken off or not put on, without stockings
at all, or with off and one on, and becoming lost
in what grew ont of this thought he would work on
for hours. hardly even noticing the coffee, which
was his chief support at such times III the midst
of this absorbing work, would arrive visitors Of
whom there were many, probably from such
distance that they coul not be turned back without
sight of the object of their long pilgrimage; upon
which my father. with the unaffected courtesy
which was one of the great charms of his
character, would appear at once, rather than
keep them waiting while he put on the other
stocking. or whatever might be wanting, or,
which was INST as likely. IN the wroug place,
giving rise TO awed impressions of poverty with
some While those who could withdraw their unac-
cust omed eyes from The nakcdness of the land, rs
expounded 10y his feet. night have seen IN his sur
roundings such signs Of scrupul0us ncatnes silIi-
cicnt comfort and refinement, must have reas-
sured them on this point"
In the biography now issued, which is of
slight and fragmentary character, with too
many traces of the arts Of the bookmaker rather
than the accomplishments of the author,
hut little fresh light is thrown upon the in
tellcctual traits or the literary career Of
AL the lights and shadows of a remarkable
idiosyncrasy, with which the student of recent En-
glish literature is already familiar. Like Coleridge.
he was a man singularly infrm Of purpose, arising
not only from excessive indulgence in the usc of
opum but from native organic temperament. His
brain was too mobile to be capable of receiving and
retaining permanent Impressions. It's prolific ere
ations refused TO be fixed in symmetrical forms, re
sembling the fantastic combinations Of the kaeido-
scope rather than the harmonious proportions of the
diamond. His mind lowered, with the tickle radi-
ance of the hummingbird over the sweets of lcar,
ing and poetry but it constructed no cells for the
honey. and made no thrifty provision for the rich
stores which it accumulated or created. His style is
suggestive hut not nutritious. The splcndoriof
Damascus scmetar flashes from his blade, but 1t
lacks the finely tempered energy to form an efficient
weapon of olcnse or defense. DeQuincey possessed
a deep religions sense and tender conscience. He
would not needlessly have set foot upon
worm. much less have harmed human being His
Sympathy with suffering was keen and prompt, but
he could not be relied on for the wise foresight in
sight which provided adequate methods of relief
In ms studious researches he was no doubt inspired
by the love of truth rather than a frivolous Gu
riosity; but he never felt the obligation of prom
Use or practically recognized the virtue of veracity
His example offers little healing power to the moral
invalid. little encouragement 10 the aspirant after
excellence. His goodness was happy accident, not
the fruit of rigid principle; but the charm OF his
disposition and the kindness of his heart atone for
many shortcomings just as the want Of purpose IN
his writings and their manifold defects rs sources
of instruction, are lost sight of i'll the gorgeous
spendors Of his rhetoric