The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1877-06-02
A Breakfast with Sam Rogers.

Many persons have heard of the
breakfast table of Mr.. Samuel Rogers,
where, during the last fifty years, have
been seated so many distinguished men
of all nations. Fond of society, and
most agreeable himself in conversation,
he has been for years the centre of one
of the pleasantest circles in London.
He seems to have been attracted to-
wards every man distinguished either
by force of intelligence or force of
character, and his tastes are so various,
that there is room at his small break
fast table for the greatest diversity of
guests, from the Duke of Wellington to
the last young poet, whose timid volume
has Just been launched into the sea of
literature. Mr.. Rogers, who seems
fond of Americans, was especially fond
of Mrs. Bancroft; and so / received, by
her means, an invitation to his break
fast,table. On Wednesday, August 10,
at 10 a. m, i found myself at that class
ic board with four good guests. Mr..
Rogers l found charming old man of
eighty-seven years, and except little
deafness, as active in body and mind as
ever. He talked on all subjects, chang.
ing from grave to gay. He spoke OF
art and society, of time and e.ernity,
but mostly he talked of poetry, and
read and recited many things. He
quoted lines from Halleck, and then
calling for the work, he read the poem
beginning Screen be the turf above
thee" and said, "No man living can
write such verses now" He Tecited,
with much feeling, passages from Gray
and from Milton's paradise Lost"
He thought that Milton had put an ar
gument in the mouth of Adam, cons
planning of his punishment, which he
had not answered. "There's 10 ans
wering that" said he, "Ihere's no ans.
wering that, except. indeed" he ad-
ded, 1--WE admit that all punishment is
corrective" He liked Gray's letters
better than his poetry, and thought
good prose usually better than his
poetry. lie spoke of life, and cOmpar-
ed it TO a river, Fastening to its fall.
AT the end it hurries us along, so that
we cannot notice what we are passing.
''How WE'LL" said he, 81 remember
what saw in my youth, when | went
to the opera at Milan, in the evening,
anu oHiut L ouoll w ohllAhE
on Lake Como Sixty years ago /
dined with the Duke Of RoshefOucault
and twelve others; in one year nine of
them had died by the guillotine, or some
violent death. Lafayette saw every
day" lie said it was one evil attend
ing success in life, that it is apt to sepa-
rate us from our families. Said he,
"Sir Thomas Lawrence told me, The
day | got my medal, l put it on and
went down stairs, but not one of my
brothers asked me what IL was. / went
up TO my room ana cried. If l speak
Of any distinguished person, they say,
you told us that before. 4" The con-
Versation fell upon Curren. Mr. Rogers
said he was accustomed to use the most
extravagant language. II was walk.
ing with him in London, and he said,
Il had rather be hung on ten gibbets.'
A girl passing by said, Would not one
be enough?'" In this pleasant talk
The hours dew by. and it was one o.
clock before we knew it. But when
the ladies rose to 60, he asked me if
had seen the pictures in the British In
stitution, and SAID to Lord G., "Let us
60 there" After walking through the
rooms, and pointing ont to me some Of
his fayorite pictures, lie asked me IL
was not engaged elsewhere, to break
fast with him again the next morning,
10 which ] gladly conseted.