Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-09-02
WRITERS AND POETS.
COMPILED FROM THE LIBRARY cP CHOICE
LITERATURE.
Mrs femans-pe Poe-Mrs oliphant-sir
Walter seott-wordsworth-A
cham-Bowles-Etc.

serVeu III the coutse OF many years wan
behring's, that he was best known during
his life. His principal works were: "a
Tour Through the Snowy Range of the
Himala Mountains published at twenty
guiueas); "a Journey into Khorasau :"
Travels in the Persian Provinces :"
kuzzllbash, tale of Khorasan THE
khan's Tale :" "a Winter Journey from
Constantinople to Tehran" "The History
OF Persia" etc. Besides the tales men,
toned be also wrote: "The Highland
Smugglers = "Alice Neemroo; !" Dark
Falcon; etc. His books Of travel were
Acknowledged to be amongst the best of
their kind, and scarcely to be surpassed
I'm lively delineations, and rapid but
graphic sketches" The author was also
sad to be equally remarkable for the ex.
tent OF his good humor and the depth of
his information"
Mrs. Margaret Oliphant is one of the
most successful as well as one of the most
prolific Of our lady novelists. Her literary
career commenced with the publication of
Katie Stewart, True Story" in Black
tooofs Magazine, 1853 "a. Since that date
she has produced in rapid succession more
than dozen volumes, besides other works.
OF which the most notable is the His
torical Sketches of the Reign of George
H." Her fame and popularity. however,
rests in great measure on "The Chron-
&c e. Of Carlingford," a series of domestic
| stories descriptive of life in quiet couu-
try town. The series include: THE Rec
tor, "The Doctors Family" "Salem
Chapel" ''The Perpetual Citrate" and
miss Mariorlbanks."
Matthew Arnold is one of the most in
| iuential of modern essavists, as well as a
| poet of high caliber. His principle, as he
| states in the preface to these essays, is " to
| try and approach truth on one side after
| another, not to strive or cry, not to persist
| IN pressing forward On any one side, with
| violence and self-will-it is only thus, it
seems to me, that mortals may hope to gain
| any vision OF the mysterious goddess, whom
We shall never see except in outline, but
only thus even in outline"
Sir Walter Scott, born at Edinburgh,
18th August, III; died at Abbotsford,
Dist September, 1882. We can speak only
with sffectionate reverence of the Master
of Fiction-it might be written, the Master
of this Cantury's Literature for he ex-
celled in almost every branch of it. AS a
| poet, he fulfilled the noblest function of
the poets art-he taught in song the glori-
GUS recompense of fidelity and of honorable
| life-he pleased and elevated his pupils
whilst he taught them. As an historical
! esssyist, he induced the skeleton of antiquity
with soul and human form, and these COM
blned, constitute the real magnet of human
sympathy. As a novelist. the world is,
| and always will be, his debtor for hours
which lengthen into years of happiness.
lie has been IN this capacity benefactor
IN the highest degree. His genius has pro-
| vided every home with an inexhaustib!e
| store OF pleasure. There are many who
| question his claims as a poet but in the
realms of fiction he remains the undisputed
monarch. The leading events of his life
| ale so well known that it is unnecessary to
! repeat them here.
William Wordsworth, born at Cocker
mouth, Cumberland, 7th April ITO died
at Rydal Mount, near Grasmere, 23d April,
1850. His first volume of poems appeared
in 1898, and was entitled can Evening
Walk" Soon after, he made pedestrian
tour over the Alps, and on his return to
England published his second work, " De-
scriptive Sketches in Verse" His chief 20.
ems are, 'The Excursi n, and "The White
Doe of Rylston." He did not obtain i'm.
mediate recognition as a poet of the first
rank his reputation grew slowly, like the
oak, and stands as firmly. His poetry,
characterized by purity, simplicity and
earnestness, has exercised wide and
wholesome influence on modern literature.
He was the principal master of what was
called the Lake School of Poetry; his
friends Coleridge and Southey were its
next prominent representatives,. Words
wort 8 circumstances were comfortable.
A friend provided him with an income
which enabled him to pursue his studies,
and at an early date he was appointed Dis.
tributor of Stamps for Cumberland and
Westmoreland. In 1885, Government gave
him pension of $500 year, with liberty
to resign his Office of Distributor of Stamps
in favor of his son. He was appointed
Poet.Laureate on the death of SOuthey in
lS43.
Mrs. Felicia Dorothes Hemans, born
in Liverpool, 25th September. 1894 died
IN Dublin, l2sh May, 1885. She began to
write verses before she was years of age,
and her first volume of poems. Early
| Blossoms" appeared in 1908. Four years
afterwards she became the wife of Captain
Hemans, from whom she separated about
the period of the birth of her fifth son.
| Her principal works are england and
Spain, or Valour and Patriotism :"
"Tke Domestic Affections" "Restora-
ton of the Works of Art in Italy,"
Modern Greece" Wallace and Bruce"
"Tales and Historic Scenes" ''Vespers of
Palermo" tragedy; 1.-THE Sceptic,"
1.-The Forest Sanctuary" Records Of
Women" Hymns for Childhood, "
"Scenes and Hymns of Life" etc She
| also contributed TO the Edinburgh ReUje,g,
and edited and compiled many mis-.
| cellaneous volumes. Sir Archibald Ali
son said: "Mrs. Hemana was imbued
with the very soul of lyric poetry she
only required to have written little
less to have been ore of the greatest
in that branch that England ever pro-
duced." In the Noc!e8 the Shep-
herd says cts no in that woman's
power, sir, to write i'll for when feeling
heart and fine genius forgsther in the
bosom o young mstr0n, every line
of poetry is like sad or cheer
ful smile frae her cen, and every
poem, whatever be the subject, in
ae sense a picture O. herself sac that "a she
writes has an affecting and endesring man
neriam and morslism about it, that inspires
the thochtful reader to say into himself
that's Mrs. Hemans."
Daniel De Foe, born IL London, 1861 !;
died there, oath April. 1871. He was the
son of butcher in st. Giles, Cripplegats,
and was educated with view to the Pres.
byterian ministry. He became soldier
tas an adhereRt to Monmouth), hosier,
tile-maker, and a wooden merchant in sue
cession. His political and satiricsI pamrh-
lets" Essay on Projects :" "The True
Born Englishman" tyerse), and "The
Shortest Way with the Dissenters -
earned for him reputation and imprison-
ment. He was employed as Government
agent in the negotiations for The Union be.
tween Scotland and England, which sup
piled him with the materials for his his
tory of that event. But his raillery and
satire were misunderstood, imprisonment
and fines impoverished him, slsnder
harsssed him, and he was stricken with
apoplexy whilst writing his defense in