The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1878-03-06
MISCELLANY.
LORD arACAULAY.

LORD MACAULAY
IAN Essay read before the Students Of the Seminary
Ringoes by Rev. e. s Converse. Feb. 2lss, 1878, an
reported for THE REcoRDl
Thomas Darlington Macaulay is one Of th
names which England delights to honor witt
pmans Of praise, while the civilized worl'
joins in the chorus. No star which has arisel
in the horizon Of the Nineteenth Centur,
shines with brighter radiance, and his FAM
is the grander and more honorable becans'
won by the arts Of peace instead Of the blood
stained battlefield. It is an old adage tina
the pen is mightier than the sword, and Lore
Macaulay is recent and illustrious proof of it
truth. The successful soldier, it is true, trans
mits his name to posterity, wreathed with the
laurels of military glory, but his name and
the names of the battle fields where his vic
tories were won is all that is known of him
But the successful author leaves not only q
! name but stamps his character ON his own
and later generations being dead he YET
speaketh. There are millions now living
whose religious character bear the impress OF
the visions of John Bunyan, that Prince OF
Dreamers. So too the writings of Lord
Macaulay are permanent power, influencing
the literary character of the age. Again, we
may be dazzled by the brlliancy of the war;
rior's genius, such as that of Hannibal, C@-
sar, or Bonaparte, but while our eyes are
blinded with the glory of his achievements
4 h,tr al MA sad
in which may be distinguished the groans of
the wounded, the shrieks of the widow and
the crying of the orphans ; and the heart
grows faint as it dwells upon the horrors of
the carnage. But the authors fame is far
from all such sad Accomplishments a smile
lights up the countenance and joy fills the
heart as our souls are taken captive by the
burning thoughts that fall like meteoric show
ers from his fertile pen.
LIFE.
1t is interesting to glance at the ancestry of
a distinguished man, and note the influences
under which his childhood--the formative
stage of mans career-was passed. Genius
is law unto itself, and obstinately refuses to
flow in the channels which time has sanction
Ell : but yet even in geniuses, whose talents
overleap all the usual bounds and barriers, we
may trace the sterling virtues of these who
gave them being. The family of Lord Ma
caulay was Scotch, bred and nurtured on that
strong mental and moral diet (which has given
Scotland a name among the nations for vigor
and earnestness, if-not for the graces and po-
lite ways of society. Rev. John Macaulay,
the grandfather of our hero, was Prcsbytcri-
west of Scotland. His father, Rev Aulay
Macaulay, lord Macaulay's great-grandfath-
err in the first decade of the eighteenth GEN.
fury occupied the parish of Tree and Coll,
two islands on the western coast of Scotland.
Lord Alacaulay's father, Zachary Macaulay,
at the age of 16, was sent out to Jamaica as
book-keeper on a large plantation, and soon
had the responsibility Of managing the plan
tation devolved on his young shoulders. Here
being brought into closest contact with negro
slavery, in its most repulsive form, without
those kindly attentions AMI sincere attach
ments between master and servant which in
other places bestowed another aspect on the
institution, he imbibed the principles of abol-
itionism, for which his life was afterwards ia
nous. After eight years of this life he re-
turned to England, and was sent out to adj
minister the affairs of the infant colony Of
Sierra Leone, of which he soon became Gov
ernor.. This colony was established on the
coast of Africa, by liberated slaves, under the
auspices of society in London, who hoped
thus to introduce civilization and Christianity
into that benighted continent. Here some
six years were spent amidst heavy responsible
tiles and grievous trials. In 1909 he returned
to England, became Secretary of the Society,
and married. Throughout the remainder of
his life he was known as devoted philan-
thropist, close friend of the eminent Wilber-
force, and staunch adherent to every good
cause that commended itself to him as pro-
noting the welfare of his fellow men.
His oldest child, Thomas Darlington Ma
gcaulay, was born on St. Crspin's day, Oct.
Goth, 1900. As a little child he was noted fol
his preoocity "a prophecy in his case of flu
ture celebrity, and not of early death, or stu.
pidity, which SO frequently succeeds the toe
early development Of talent. When four OF
five years old, while visiting at a lady house.
servant carelessly spilled cup of hot coffee
ON him being frequently asked by the lady
if it still hurt him, he replied, "Thank you
madam, the agony is abated." Pages NIGH
be filed with the records of HIS brightness al
4 q boy, This love Of books, disinclination fo
the ordinary sports Of boyhood, his wonderful
tales and poems composed in the nursery, ana
all those early flashes of wit and talent which
the parents of geniuses delight to remember
and recall. Suffice it to say that as chile
and boy Lord Macaulay was as remarkabl,
i as in subsequent life when the responsibilities
of a statesman and author were resting on h
shoulders.
He received as fine an education as the bes
institutions in England can bestow Ate
attending one or two boarding schools in 1911
he went to Trinity College, in Cambridge
Here he ranked among the best scholars, blu
his dislike for mathematics, which is one
4 tJ,A moot nrotniueuf and valued studies II