The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-02-04
"MACAULAY.,
Rev. Thompson's Lecture al the
Zane Street n. L. Church Satur.
day Night,

l
State University, delivered his lecture on
"Macaulay" at the Zane Street NJ. Z.
Church on Saturday evening, before =
good audience.
Mr.. Thompson opened by stating that
he wanted 10 talk 10 his audience in q
familiar and earnest way about a pure
Englishman. He said he would be quite
satisfied II he could place before the minds
OF his hearers a picture Of Macaulays
life. It is we'll worth our study. 1t is
almost free from the tragic element. he
was not an eager, restless, warning icono.
clasi; he laid claim to no superior sanctity;
he founded no new school In philosophy;
he led no armies 10 victory; lie was sim.
ply a marvellously gifted Englishman,
conscious Of his vast powers. Too noble
to prostitute them to any base purpose,
too wise to sacrifcs them 10 any tempo.
rary political advancement; never cring.
ing to those above him, never patroniLing
to those below him; be was kind, con.
siderate, uneEvious and unse!ish. He
was 4 commanding genius, with
out any desire to absolve himself
from the laws which govern ordinary
men. He was q son who loved his father,
a brother who Idolized his sisters, and q
friend whose consistency never wavered. A
man keenly in sympathy with the joys
and SORROWS OF his fellow men, he was q
brilliant writer, and capable reviewer,
varied and profound scholar, an excel.
lent and judicious poet a powerful,
fascinating, eloquent and perspicuous
historian. Born in comparatively hum:
bic life, boosting no powerful or famous
ancestors, he lived 10 be sought alter by
the most brilliant circles Of London socie.
~, 10 be elevated TO the peerage, AMI at
last 10 be buried with solemn pomp in
Westminster Abbey. He was great and
not arrogant, powerful and not unscrupu-
lous, scholarly and not pedantic. He
hated shams, despised cynicism, and alb.
horred aiectation. He loved the people
and never hattered them; he respected
the great and never feared them. He
was a true man 10 the very core. To an
intellect massive, he united heart as
tender as woman'S; he had will as I'M
conquerable as martyrs.
My aim is 10 narrate the lie and de-
scribe the man. The signs Of heredity
would show that Thomas Darlington
Macaulay was well born on his fathers
side. He was of Scotch origin, and in.
herited their directness Of purpose, and
many other virtues. Zachariah Macau-
lay, his father, was an earnest philan.
thropist and slavery reformer, ruled by
the highest moral and religious princi-
Piles, and was the familiar friend Of Will
Derforce, Granville Sharp and others.
His mother was a beautiful young QUA
keress, at one time the tutor OF Hannah
Moore. gc 1
lie very early gave promise Of his fu.
ture distinction. BE was an unusually
precious child, and an untimely death
was predicted for him by his mother.
From the time that he was three years Of
age, be was an incessant reader, and his
memory was already remarkable for it's
accuracy and retentiveness. At thirteen
years OF age he was reading Plutarch's
Lives and Fenelon's Dialogues Of the
Dead.
In 1918 lie entered Trinity College,
Cambridge, and remained there four
years, always retaining a great fondness
for il, and expressing desire to end his
life within It's reyered precincts. His
father being much opposed TO novel read.
ing, in his fourteenth year he wrote an
article defending smollet and Fielding.
While at college he wrote series Of bril-:
liant and powerful articles on behalf OF
Greek civilization. Next an essay on
Milton appeared in the Fdinburg Reriew,
which made him 20 famous that invita-.
tions flowed in upon him from every
quarter Of London. On all subjects OF
which he wrote he displayed great elo-
qnence and profound ability, elegance
SP4 i GIsfsqs of 1Slfse nh word
painting and the splendor Of his rhetoric
are the delight OF all true lovers Of chaste
and classic literature.
He entered Parliament for the frat
time, in 1880, and so great was his success
then, that he was compared TO Fox and
Burke. He was aiterward made mem
Der OF the Supreme Court Of India, and
spent three years there. After his return
to England be was made Secretary OF
War. Had he devoted all his energies
to politics, and entirely divorced himself
from literature, he might easily have
won,the leadership Of his party, and the
Premiership OF England; in other words
he might have been Gladstone.
In his hands, history is entertaining as
well az profitable, fascinating as we'll as
instructive. Reading his pages we need
but 4 small portion OF his imagination to
transport ourselves into English life two
hundred years ago. Perhaps he has never
been surpassed in the literary grace OF his
historical portraits. The men he writes
about are living, planning, and scheming
before our eyes. They are men Of flesh
and blood, strong passions, fierce rival.
ries and mighty ambitions. It has been
asserted OF him that his history is not
profound, philosophical, or accurate. II
profundity means obscurity, then indeed
Il Is not profound, for he tells US himself
that he tried to make his history under.
standable. As for his history not being
philosophical, it is TO be remembered that
he was not writing a philosophical his.
tory, but simply the history Of England.
His accuracy Is abundantly testified 10,
and despite his critics, his history Is still
eagerly read by hundreds Of thousands.
Until quite recently Macaulay had
been supposed TO be heartless. Like all
critics he was supposed to be intensely
cynical. He was intellect, heart and con-
science, combined in rare and equable
equipoise. He took upon himself the
support Of The entire family; indeed, his
devotion TO his sisters is something re-
markable, in the exciting and varied pub.
lie life OF such a man. lie always found
time to write them the most interesting
and delightful letters. He gave a great
portion OF his means 10 unsuccessful ar.
lists and literary men. As a son and bro.
ther, and as man, hia affections were
deep, true, tender and unsel6Sh.
Macaulay was lifelong student. He
lived among books. Hewas an incesSant,
omnivorous, interchangeable reader. Hell
read more books than any other English:
man Of his time. He read on the street,
and at the breakfast table, anywhere and
everywhere that he could pick up frag.
ment Of time. He was an Unsuitable
reader for more than City years, and he
diligently cultivated his memory to the
very last. To the student, the lesson OF
Macaulay's life Is too plain 10 be misun-
darainn1