Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1879-10-14
PROFESSOR MACBETH.
a SkeseA Of Ris LJs.


Charles Dickens maintained, in his own
inimitable way, that Sidney Smith was as
much myth Us King Arthur, because, (ar,
gued the humorist,) had 1t been otherwise,
so fne a character could not have lived and :
died in England without having been dis.
covered, aud in some way recognized and
hobosed by his conatrymep. So, out of w.
Va aud from our own midst. has recently
passed y man certainly unappreeiated, and
almost uoknown aud uureeognised. who.
nevertheless, as profound scholar. critic, phi
lologist and poet. was entitled TO rank second
to no other in West Virgins We allude
TO the late Prof. j. v. Macbeth. who died
at bis residence in aorsaatown, Moaongalia
county, on tho 9th day OF July. 1879. lana
professor of history aud Bellies Letters 10 +,
our University, and the author of ..Ths
Mirth aud Might of English Literature"
This was the only one of his works tamiliarIy
known to the public, aud perhaps no work
on the higher criticism has found more cor.
dial reception from the public. OF passed
more rapidly to tho third edition When.
first issued, it at once elicitcd favorable eriti.
cism from the most authoritative literary ora.
Giles, and gave tho author high rank in clas.
steal aud collegiate circles.
But We now know with absolute verify
that in this publication Professor Maebesh
issued by 10 means his most noteworthy pro.
ductiou On the contrary his unpublished
works, left with his family, display still
higher order of scholarship aud genius.
Among other compositions, he has lett di.
daetic poem of twelve hundred lfuGs called
'.The New Argument" which, when pub
Iished, ought to take rank in permanent
English literature along with tho "Excur. :
sion" of Wordsworth. Its march is over
p L. ss.r
music aud stop worthy 70 be called aliltonic.
We learn from a recently published obit-
uary that Prof Macbeth was born Mt Barbies>, !,
ton College. Dalrymple, near Ayr. Scotland,
in 1914. His father. DIR. James Macbeth.
was an eminent surgeon in the Royal Navy.
and his mother. woman OF great culture,
was descended from liuo of distinguished
Scotch Presbyterian ministers. his grand
father, Rev Samuel Walker, D. D., of tho
parish Of DAlrymple, being an intimate friend
Of Robert Burns, and before whom the poet
reeited his earliest verses. Prot. Macbeth
was graduate OF the UaiEeFsity Of 9lasgoB.
: frasn-- n hiah.-ha- -reeelge1- n=uadal. Tor -fhe
prize poem IN Greek. After taking she do
gree of a NJ, he studied divinity in tho
same University, and subsequently catered
the Presbyterian ministry.
10 1853, he camo TO America, locating Ia
No" OIh au0 NJ E1uaou1s
New York. devotiug himself TO tho higher
education of young men. Subsequently, no
was appointed professor of history, bellies let
tres. aud political economy in the University
of West Virginia at Morgantown. position
which he was emineutly qualified to Gil, aud
his retirement from which was. We believe,
a serious loss 20 tho Institution. The Re.
gents, in 1873, conferred upon him litera-
ry degree, and expressed by resolution their
high appreciation of his attainments.
In his native country. he ranked among
his personal friends, Thomas Campbell. and
DR.. Chalmers, from both of whom We are
told he held very fatteripg letters of COM
mendation.
In private life, PsOf. Macbeth illustrated
an exalted typo of Christian character. being
distinguished by stssdfast faith, and SUI
preue trnst in the goodness aud favor Of q
Divine Providence.
In literature. he had distinct and
thorough contempt for all shams aud half
work, and we can only hope that his own
spirit Of earuestness and th0rnuEhness in alt
things may survive in some of the young
men with whom he was thrown in contaet.
and quasi parental association. And should,
our State ever succeed in establishing n
literature of her own, his name will doubt
less be remembered. along with those Of
Strother and Leighton. as anong its earliest
representatives DAHIyL b. LUCAS.