Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1877-04-19

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nstly opposite method to my oyArztA
write very little and seldom; to put II
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|1o1 ludfes-sn which Was much Ike
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tary on; ;kis eounsel TO hear Sydney y
Smiths account OF Mr.. Rogers method
Of composifion. The story j. IN print,
but imperfectiy given. and evidently
without any Consciousness that ''the
brooding dove" Of Shakespeare is con-
cerned in 1.-THE brooding dove. ere
vet her golden couplets are disclosed"
The conversation took place soon after
Rogers had given forth his epigram on
Lord Dudley:
sew ard has NO heart, they say; but deny il.
Ward has aheart-aud gets his speeches by il. !"
"Has Rogers written anything late
ly :" asked somebody; to which another
replied, "No, | believe net. Nothing
but couplet.''
Nothing but coupletr' exclaimed
Sydney Smith. why, what would
YOU have: When Rogers produces a
couplet he goes to bed:
And the candle is made:
And the knocker is tied:
And straw is laid down:
And when his friends send to inquire,
Mr.. Rogers is as well as can be ex-
pected.'
MIR. Rogers rate Of advance would
not suit a really earnest writer, and,
granting that poetry is under wholly
different conditions from prose, it will
still occur to everybody that the world
may be thankful that Milton and Shakes
peare did not require so much time
Lope de Vega, with his l 800 plays, NAV
have been in excess Of speed, but liter
ature would have no chance il the elab-
Grafton and expression Of thought and
feeling were so sophisticated as they
must be by extreme timiGity or exces-
sive polish. MIR. Hallam, taking M a
proof-sheet from my table, one day,
while | was at work on the second vol
umn OF the same book, expressed his
surprise at my venturing to press before
the whole was finished and lied up; and
said that he should not have nerve to
do this. l think he agreed with me
that much depends on whether the work
is or is not composed of complete sec
tions-ot distinct parts-eaeh of which
is absolutely finished in its own place.
He was industrious when at work; bu,
he did it for pleasure, and took as much
time as he pleased about it. When
first knew HIM his handwriting was one
OF the finest ever saw land there was
a remarkable elegance about the whole
aspect OF his authorship. Mr.. Rogers
hand was old fashioned and formal, bu,
SO clear that you might teae h a child to
read from it. | have mentioned the
appearance Of Carlyle's proof-sheets.-
HIS manuscript is beautifully neat when
finished, aud page holds vast guam
tity OF his small upright writing. Blu,
his own account OF his toll in authorship
is melancholy. He cannot sleep for the
sense Of the burden on his mind OF
what he has to say; rises weary, and
is wretched till he has had his coffee.
No mode OF expression pleases hlm, and
BY the time his work is out his faculties
arc over wearied. 1t is great objec,
in his case to have the evenings amused
that his work may not take possession
of his mind before bedtime. His ex.
cessive slowness is perfect mystery
TO me, considering that the work is bur.
densome. 1.-The dwell, lovingly on its de-
tails and on his researches | could un-
derstand it. But perhaps he does, more
than he is aware of. II not, his noble
vocation is indeed hard one. Almos,
every one of these is late in sitting
down, and ! believe few write every
day. Mrs. SomerviIle's family did no:
breakfast early, and she ordered her
household affairs before sitting down to
work. She worked till 2 only-but
then, il was such work! DR.. Somer-
vile told me that he once laid wager
with friend that he would abuse Mrs.
SomervilIe in loud voice 10 her face.
and she would take no notice, and he
did so. Sitting close TO her, he con-
6ded to his friend the most iniuriou,
things-that she rouged. that she wore
a wig. and other such nonsense, uttered
in very loud voice: her daughters were
IN roar Of laughter. while the SANDER
ed wife sat placidly writing. AT last,
her husband made dead pause after
her name, on which she looked up with
an innocent, "Did YOU speak to me ~
Sir Charles Lyeil sits down late, and
says he is satisfied with a very few pa
ges /: but then, his work is Of a kind
which requires research as he pro-
ceeds; and pages are no measures o:
work In that case. In writing nv HIS
tory Of The PeGee. I,wss satisfied with
seven manuscript pages per day. where
as, in general, do no, like to fall sbor,
OF ten or twelve. DR.. Chalmers wa.
another mystery 10 me. He told me
that II was heavy sin TO write Uor
press) longer than two hours per dsy;
that two hours out Of the twentv-fouf
are as much OF that severest labor as
the human brain is fitted TO endure
Yet he must have written faster than
that 70 produce his works. DIR. Chan
ming entirely agreed with DR.. Chalmers,
and was apt 10 tax people with rashness
Who wrote faster. His practice was.