New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-20

W. ~ 8Beetaf - ne AA1r.,4 fl
Have the poets - cl2e9 been HMl19sqnotB - 1s0
character Of married men i &c hunnd % - &
think not The FIRST and mQc1 ebY.c1e tnct y q
numerical one that e ocInpallecn @ re ngne
This IA Az seem somewhat bEalneearliko and cgaf
process IN an aif Of the hears but rs At lEabt ~
50 far &c 1t goes. How does tho eeecunt sta4d
have named (0mittlnR Mr., Browning, tNeutVf
nina poetsi the nuinhef 81 wives WAS fhsttg-aai
as five Of The men rsmargieds and thus We MIS- tx
the purposes Of nImcklcei soq psslsca hseEe1
Ia which the poet may fairly be pronounced % hett
been unhappy Ia marriages Lafontalne Aolltg
Burger with his nrBt and third wives. Dfy8ee
Landor, Byron and Shelley with hie6srt Wifsli ff
instances IN which unhappiness, moro or lass n&fke
Is reasonably presumed. rather than dIstiQttl1
eyidenced.-L ucretius Dante snakesReaIe Mlllet
Of happiness--Alh Lope de. VEGA with both hi1
wigcs. Corneille. Leasing. Scbliler Helnel D0nn1
ASoS and Rd hs 'x0 srse nsapcs y
sumed happiness-C eFyan tee, Burger with ~
second wifel and Sponsor.
There remain bve cases N whioh u fs agneyha@
difficult toexpreeS an opinion; those Of Eufipidf
lof whose matrimonial lot IN tWo instances IS BouN
appear, on investigation, that We really Know not
ing de6niteD; Goethe lwhoae wife w1s entirely he.
low his level but still, it seems 1eloyc1s ana ~
various respects deserving OF l0yel Barns Wlo had
nothing TO complain Of Ia bis partneL but WHO gave
her grave cause OF cOmpansl; and ehelleX WITH ~
second wife Is ledy who was. neyertheAeeA 0n eey-
eral grounds, more than commonky WORTH Of hiul.l
Tho thyee,of which we know somewhat u txelucq
EurlpldeB are Instances OF wLf1e some pe0pio mi4ue
reasonably call happy rather than unhappy mar.
riages, and others unhappy rather then hnp9y.i
Leaving all these four poets out OF the couD Wehayo
general tOtuly Of thirteen marriages eertainy %
probably unhappy, and eighteen marriages certainly
or probably happy--Deing an exceo9 - nye on me
better side Of the account In short poelo sem ~
marriage to heso been not paftienIe<lg otnersuA
from other peODle-severaI Of them hA9pys g. con-
tented or we'll suited ard several Others uqhsppy,
or discontented, or III snied IN various o. sness nr
stances the fault iay ehehy with the wife. ana %
various others with ths husband. end y me1e.e4
them, or probably al, there were lttr o.d sssEs'
faults on both AideaD :.
At this fag-end Of my last paper and after 80 unch
said as material out of which th61aooeto oqln oDln-
ION may be evolved, hardly know thae there e ny
other general reflection which need llgEee9
unless il be this: poets, considered ~ oaSl, nua
necessarily possess two qusliti01 W yegy
far higher degree than The eFgEne4
OF men possess characterization G0d v1vlqneee -
mind and emotional susceptibility. In propols!oA
to their elevation and vtyiqnces Of mino, t.eE
raise them 90 high, not only above stupid or Noos4
people, but also above those who are 1nteileespeA
clever in an ordinary mode, theY may naturally ten9i
70 some degree of indifference as to mental eA9qHII
menta ia their wivee; for even gOod oaRag1sS y
greatly below their own. and poor capaNey - xyAa9
lively speaking not 90 very much lower Tran ~
good. And hence IL may turn out, peK.4cxloas
though the abatement might ct rst appeAfs tnet w
poets lay less stress upon mental endoHFenu "
their wives than men Of fair talent and eussuxe DIV
not Of the poetic order would 90.