Richland beacon., 1880-10-23
BIOGRAPHY.


Thomas Babiagton Macam'oy.
This noted historian was the son OF
Zachery Macaulay, West India mer-
chant and wonderful phIanthropist.
HIS grandfather was Sir John Macaulay,
a Presbyterian minister Of West Scot
land. Young Macaulay was born in the
year 1900, educated at Trinity, Cam
bridge, where he acquired reputation
as a scholar and debater, and twice won
the Chancellor's medal, first, by his
poem "Pompeii," second, Evening""
He was elected Fellow of Trinity and
devoted himself to literature, becoming
n contributor to Knights Quarterly
Magazine. In 1926 he made his ap-
pearance in the Edinbmgh Rcriew in his
famous essay ON Milton, production so
learned, enthusiastic, and brilliant that
it captivated the whole reading world,
and placed him in the first ranks of es-
sayists. In 1926 he was called to the bar
but never practiced the profession.
About this time he was elected to Par
lament, for which he repaid his constit-
uents by setting forth their doctrine in
manner SO luminous, powerful and at
tractive that his adversaries were
charmed, and convinced if they were
not convicted.
In 1886 he went to India and spent
some time in the preparation of new
penal code, hut was not very successful.
On his return he was reelected to Par
lament. As statesman he was the
implicit friend of freedom, both civil and
religious. He cloquently sustained the
Roman Catholic bill for the relief Of
Catholics, and in consequence was un-
seated, hut five years thereafter was
reelected without effort on his part. In
1S4S he published the first two volumes
Of his world-rcnowncd History Of En-
gland the finest history, too, ever
written by ancient or modern writer. 1t
was received with an enthusiastic popu-
larity which has been attained by very
few of the great novelists.
When he published in 1850 his two
last volumes they created such excite
ment in PateInoster row as had never
been seen bc.ore. Shortly after he was
elected member of the French Academy
of Moral and Political Science, and was
raised to the peerage in England under
the title OF Baron Macaulay. He
died in 1859, at Holly Lodge, near Lon
don. He WAS man of superlative tai
ent, thorough scholarship, and his ac'
cumulated knowledge was prodigious.
His knowledge Of modern Europia and
especially English history from, the time
of Henry VIII. was unsurpassed. His
style is pure, luminous and exquisitcly
modulated, or musical, while his powers
of description were such that his I" His
tory cf England might he compared t
the cartoons Of Raphael in the Sistirt
Chapel of Rome.
Allison said. "Aftcr review of tht
chief characteristics of Lord JeOffrey
Mcintosh and Smith, we find Macaulay''
turn of mind and style peculiar, and ex
hibit a combination rarely. if ever, ex
hibited in ancient or modern literature
Unlike Jeoffrey, he is deeply learned il
lore-ancient and modern. His mint
is richly stored with the poetry and his
tory, both of classical and continenta
literature. Unlike Mcintosh, he is emf
nently dramatic and pictorial. He al
ternately speaks poetry to the soul AM
paints pictures to the eyes. Unlik
Smith, he has omitted subjects Of part
: contention and party interests, an
grapples with great questions and I'm
mortal names, which will forever attrac
the interest and demand the attention c
such men as Milton, Bacon an
Machiavelli. The grand characteristic
of his style is the shortness of his ser
tences. He often conveys several idea
in one line"