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

it was soon apparent that the honors Of thi
successful advocate were not to be bestowed
on him. His heart was not Id the profession
and he did not seriously devote himself TO it
Supported by the income Of his Fellowship
his time was passed IN writing for the maya
zines, an occupation FAR moro conaenial tt
him than diving deep In the lore Of law ant
winning verdicts from reluctant juries. His
pretence of law was not long maintained.
4 At this time was commenced his connection
with the Edinburgh Review, which was con.
tinued during the most of his life Of author
ship. His article of John Milton was the first
to appear, and at once made him famous. Its
beauties were such as to be admired by all,
and the young author was Immediately the
favorite of London society. His literary laur-
els not only won him hosts of friends among
the learned and wealthy, but soon introduced
him to public life. Henceforth his energies
were divided between two distinct but related
callings-the politician and the author. As a
politician his connection was with the Wing
party, which was striving to bestow a newness
of life on the England of the Nineteenth
Century, by dropping many of the old abuses
which had arisen in the darkness of the Mid
die Ages, and since been tolerated by an ultra
conservatism that feared that reform would
prove wooden horse bringing anarchy in its
cavernous depths into the English Troy AS
a politician he was earnest, vehement and dog
matte but his chief fame sprang from the
beauty of diction in which his efforts of
craftsmanship were clad. Success smiled up
on him as long as the Wing party was in po-
siton to bestow favors on It's adherents. First
he was appointed Commissioner in Bank
ruptcy, where, as in many other English pub
lie Offices there was more money than labor.
Repeatedly he was elected to the House of
Commons, where he electrified the country by
the eloquence of his speeches. For some time
he was member of the Wing Administra-
ton, holding the position of Secretary of
War, and at subsequent period, that Of Pay
master General.
But Macaulay's life was not all to be pass
ed in his native land. In 1884 he was appoint
ed Q member of the Supreme Council of In
dia. This body, with the Governor General,
was intrusted with the duty of governing
some two hundred million Mohammedan and
Hindoo subjects of Great Britain. His position
required Car different talents from those de-
manded ofan ordinary politician the religion,
habits, modes of thought and life of the ma
tives were very different from anything found
in England, and imperatively demanded that
the politician should be sunk in the statesman
During the four or five years of his residence
in India his chief public work was the compil.
alton of code of laws for India. His success
in this undertaking was not as great as that
which smiled upon him in other departments
of labor, but was by no means contemptible
The latter years of Macauay's life were de-
voted to the composition of his great work, the
History of England. For this he was admir-
ably fitted by his turn of mind and habits Of
study, and he devoted himself to it with all
the enthusiasm of which his impulsye nature
was capable--it became the ruling passion Of
his life. His preparations for the work were
elaborate both in ransacking musty documents
of the past for facts, and ncquainting himself
by personal visitation with the features of
the places about which he was to write. AT
ter his materials were amassed and classified,
the work of composition was entered upon
A rough draft was first prepared and this
was polished and repolished till every rhetor.
ical fault that his keen eye could discover was
removed. Of course this process required
time, for it was his great ambition to produce
work that in style as well as accuracy should
equal the masterpieces of English literature
From two to three or four pages of print was
all he would attempt in day, and much more
frequently the former than than the latter
amount. In 1S4S the first and second vol
umes were published. A serious attack of
illness in 1862 delayed the prosecute, On of the
great work but his enthusiasm was greater
than his prudence, and his labor doubtless
shortened his life The third and fourth vol
umes appeared in 1855. After their publica-
ton failing health imperatively demanded
rest and quiet and even the honors showered
upon him could not make amends for failing
vitality. He was appointed Peer by Queen
Victoria, and became q member Of the Eng
lish nobility, prefxing the title of "Lord y
to his name, and being known as Baron Roth
/
to labor on as he was able and a fifth volume
has been published of the fragments he left.
But the end was near. Death was envious
of Fame and the more powerful He died
suddenly of an affection of the heart which
had weakened him for years on Dec. 2S, 1859
His remains were buried in Westminster Alb
hey, surrounded by the dust of the heroes OF
England--the men who have made her glori-
Gus by the exploits of sword and pen.
WRITINGS.
1t is as an author that Macaulay is chiefly
famous, though he was no mean statesman. :
His History is the grandest of all his writings.
1t was designed to cover the period between
the accession of James II to the English
throne and the era of his own cotemporaries
but premature death prevented its compile
ton. In its incomplete form it extends from
1885 to 17O2--17 years. An Introductory
chapter traces the general course Of English
History, and prepares the reader to enter up
! on the body Of the work. The death Of Ma
| caulay at tho time it occurred was an event