The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1877-05-24
COlcridgc aS Il Talkcr.

The life of Bryan Waller Proctor
BARRY CornwalD, which is to be pub
lishcd shortly, contains some very in
tcrcsting "reminiscences Of literary great
men that have never before been given
to the public. The following sketch OF
Coeridgc is Il masterpiece of pcn.pOr-
traiture:
He was full Of words full of thought,
yielding both in an unfailing flow, that
delighted many and perpleXed few OF
his hearers. lie was n man of prOdigous
miscellaneous reading, always ready to
communicate all he knew. From alpha
to omega, all was familiar to him. lie
was deep in Jacob Behmen; he was in.
innate with Thomas Aquinas and Que
vedo; with Bacon and Kant; with
Peter Simple and 'Tem Cringle's Log
and with all the old divines Of both En-
gland and France. The pages OF all the
infidcls had passed under his eye and
made their legitimate (and not more
than their legitimatc) impression. He
went from flower to flower throughout
the whole garden Of learning, like the
butterfly or the bee; most ike the bee.
He talked with everybody, about any
thing. lie was so full of information
that it was n relief to him to part with
stmc portion Of it to others. 1t was like
laying down part Of his burden. He
knew little or nothing OF the art Of paint
ing yet 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
aud there; would pronounce upon its
character and school, its chiar0~wro, the
gradatlons, the handling, ETC., when in
lact it had no mark or merit or charac-
ter about it. 1t became TRANSPORTED,
subIimatcd by the speakers magma,
ton" .
Several anecdotes of Coeridgc's doing3
follow, of which we make room for two:
cone day, when dining with some
lawyers, he had been more than usually
eloquent and full OF talk. His perpetual
Interruptions were resented by one of
the guests, who said to his ncighbor 'IlI
stop this fellow and thereupon addressed
the master of the house with, Ct,
Eve not forgotten my promise to give
you the extract from The Pandccts. 1t
was the ninth chapter that you were al,
luding to. 1t begins: NJ retGrs yWdom
phiiosophL Pardon me, sir, intcrposed
Coleridge, there ! think you are in
error. The ninth chapter begins in this
way; hcji'i s0pc on%T 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 50 many books and at the same
time had digestcd 40 much"
The second anccdote is given in illus.
tration of CoIcridge's propensity to talk
perpetually upon whatever subject any
one might suggest:
lie had come from tIighgate to Lon
don for the sole purpose OF consulting
friend about his son Hartley ('our dear
toward whom he expressed
and have no doubt felt, much anxiety. |
He arrived about one or two o'clock, in
the midst OF Il conversation, which imme-
Iliately 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,
Ill the afternoon, all the evening. with
scarcely single interruption. lie cx-
patiated on this subject and on that; he
lrew fine DISTINCTIONS he made subtle
criticisms. He descended to anecdotes,
historical, logical, rhetorical; he dealt
with law, medicine and divinity, until
1t last, five minutes before eight o'clock,
,he servant came in and announced that
he Ilighgatc stage was at the corner of
he street and was waiting to convey Mr..
'ulerdge home. Coleridge Immediately
started up, Obvious Of all time, and
'aid in hurried voice: My dear h.,
will come to you some other day and
ak to You about our dear Hartley.
lie had quite forgotten his son and every.
,ody else in the delight of such an en-
aptured audience"