Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1877-05-19
Cnleridre 4. 4 TnIker.

The life of Bryan Waller Proctor
Barry CouwalN, which is TO be pub
H>hcd shortly. contains SEINE very in
teresting "reminiscences % literary great
men that have never before been given
/ TO the public. The following sketch Of
Co,eriice is a masterpiece Of pen-por-
! traiture;
He Wa, full IF words, full of thought.
Welding both in an uutailing flow, that
delighted many and perplexed a few OF
his hearers. He WAS a man of ProdigiOus
miscellaneous reading, always ready to
communicate all he knew. From alpha
to omega. all was familiar to him. He
was deep in Jacob Behmen he was in.
innate with Thomas AqUinas and Que.
yedo; with Bacon and Kant with
Peter simple and 'Tsm Cringle's Log
and with all the old diyines of both En-
gland and France, The pages of all the
inhdels had passed under his eye and
made their legitimate land not more
than their legitimate impression. He
went from flower to flower, throughout
the whole garden of learning, like the
butterfly or the bee; most like the bee,
He talked with everybody, about any
thing. He was SO full Of information
that it was a relief to him to part with
s.me portion of it to others. 1t was like
LAYING down part of his burden. He
knew little or nothing OF the art of paint
inc vet | have heard him discuss the
merits and defects OF a picture of the
poorest class as though it had sprung
from the inspiration of Raphael. He
would advert to certain parts and sur
mise that it had been touched upon here
and there; would pronounce upon its
character and school, its cliaroscuro, the
gradatlOns, the handling, etc, when in
TACT it had no mark or merit or charac-
ter about it. 1t became TRANSPORTED,
s]ublimated by the speakers magma
ton
Several anecdotes of Colcridge's doings
follow, OF which we make room for two:
Gone day, when dining with some
lawyers, he had been more than usually F..
eloquent and full OF talk. His perpetual
Interruptions were resented by one of
the guests, who said to his neighbor. 'INn
stop this fellow; and thereupon addressed
the master of the house with, C.
I've not forgotten my promise to give
YOU the extract from The Pandects. 1t
was the ninth chapter that you we're al.
Iuding to. 1t begins Ac reteres qpidum
p~bjysoplL.' Pardon me, sir, interposed
C~oIeridge, there | think you are in
error. The ninth chapter begins in this
way LcilJt v,pc c1'iS1 etc. 1t was
in vain to refer to anything on the sup
position that the poet was ignorant, for
he really had acquaintance with every
subject, | imagine that no man had
ever read so many books and at the same
time had digested 50 much
The second anecdOte is given in illus.
tration Of Coleridge's propensity to talk
PerpetuaIly upon whatever subject any
one might suggest:
He had come from Highcate to Lon
don for the sole purpose OF consulting a
friend about his son Hartley ('our dear
HartleyD, toward whom he expressed,
and | have no doubt felt, much anxiety.
He arrived about one or two o'clock, in
the midst of conversation, which imme-
diately began to interest him. lie struck
into the middle of the talk very soon, and
held the ear of the house until dinner
made its appearance about four o'clock.
lie then talked all through the dinner,
all the afternoon, all the evening, with
scarcely a single interruption. He ex-
patiated on this subject and on that; he
drew fine distinctions; he made subtle
criticisms. He descended to anecdotes,
historical, logical, rhetorical; he dealt
with law, medicine and divinity. until
at last, five minutes before eight o'clock,
the servant came in and announced that
the IIighgate stage was at the corner of
the street and was waiting to convey Mr..
Coleridge home. CoIeridge Immediately
up, oblivious of all time, and
said in a hurried voice: My dear h,
will come to you some other day and
talk to YOU about our dear Hartley
He had quite forgotten his son and every.
body else in the delight of such an en-.
raptured audience"