Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-08-26
WRITERS AND POETS.
COMPILED FROM THE LIBRARY OF CHOICE
LITERATURE.
Second Paper-John Stuart Mill-swin-
burne-pe Vega Carpio-Haz-
ltt-Hallam-Etc.

Algernon Charles Swinburne, born in
London, April 5, 1887. Poet. He is a
son Of Admiral Charles Henry Swinburne.
He studied at Ballot College, Oxford ::
I afterwards visited Florence and enioved
the society of Walter Savage Lander. His
works are: "The Queen Mother" and
Rosamond," two plays; .'ASalanta in
Calydon," tragedy; "Chastelard. a
tragedy; "Poems and Ballads" from
which we quote Siena,' ga Song of
Italy" "Songs Before Sunrise" both.
well" Poems and Ballads" second
series (lS7S), etc. He has written yarious
| prose essays, the most notable of which is
| hat on William Blake, the artist and
poet. :" He is gifted with no small Dor.
ton OF the all important divine fire, with.
out which no man can hope to achieve
poetic success; he possesses considerable
powers OF description, a keen eve for natu-
raj scenery. and copioua vocabulary of
rich yet simple English films.
| John Stuart Mill. This philosophical
author has protested TO supersede the b.
CONAN principle of induction. without
which, according to Reid, "experience is
as blind as mole" In 1916, Mr. NH
published ' "A System of Logic, Ratiocina-
tive and lnductive, being Connected
View OF the Principles of Evidence and the
Methods OF Scientific Investigation, two
volumes. He was author also, of "Es.
says on some Unsettled Questions of Polit.
zeal Economy" 1874, and "The Princi.
pies OF Political Economy" two volumes.
lS4S. The metaohvsical opinions of Mr..
Mill warped his judgment as to the Baco-
man system, but he expounds his views
with clearness and candor, and ia a pro.
found as well as independent thinker This
was still further evinced in his work "On
Liberty" 1859, in which he describes and
denounces that "strong permanent leaven
OF Intolerance which at all times abides in
the middle classes Of this country" and
which, he thinks, subjects society to an
intolerable tyranny. Mr.. Mill held the
office long possessed by bis father, that of
Examiner Of Indian Correspondence. Ia.
dia House. On the dissolution of the East
India Company, 1859, he retired with
liberal provision, and. we may add, with
universal respect. Subsequently, he pub
lshed Considerations on Representative
Government" 1861: Utilitariauisn. !"
1862; "Comte and Pesitiviam aud Eek
animation of Sir William HamiIton's Phi.
losophy," 1865; England and Ire
land, 1865; "The Subsection of
Women" 1869. Mr.. Mill was re-
turned to the House of Commons as one
of the members for Westminster, and
retained his seat for about three years. from
1865 to 1865. As q politician, he acted
with the Liberal marty, but made little i'm
preston OF the House or the country. He
was aware, he said, of the weak points in
democracy as well as in Conservatism. and
was In favor of a plurality of votes an
nexed to education, not to property. His
speeches on Ireland and the Irish land
question were published. Mr. Mill died at
Avignon in 1873. Shortly after his death
appeared his Autobiography" one of the
most rem arkable narratives in the lam
guage. He was trained by his father with
extraordinary care. He had no recollection
OF beginning to learn Greek, and before he
was eight years old he had read in Herod.
otus, Aenophon and Plato, and had de-
voured such English books as the histories
OF Hume, Robertson and Gibbon. "My
father" he added, ''never permitted any.
thing which l learned to degenerate into
mere exercise of memory. He strove to
make the understanding not only 90 along
with every step of the teaching, but, if
possible, precede it. The father had en-.
tirely given up religious belief. Though
educated in the Scotch creed of Presbv-
terisnism, he had come to rejeot not only
the belief in revelation, but the foundation
OF what is commonly called nntural re-
liglon. Hence the son received no religious
instruction. grew up, he says, - in
negative state with regard to it; looked
| upon the modern exactly as did upon the
ancient religion, rs something which in
no way concerned me-" The result
Of
unbelief was not favorable. The elder
Mill thought "bumau life a poor thing
at best, after the freshness of youth and Of
unsstisfied curiosity had gone by :" and
the son fell into state of mental depres.
sion, the habit of analysis having worn
away feeling and pleasure in the ordinary
objects of human desire. He never seems
to have possessed the vivacity and tender
ness of youth in his autobiography he
does not once mention his mother. At
| length Re became acquainted with mar
ried lady, a Mrs. Taylor, of whom he
speaks IN the most extravagant terms, CON-
| pairing her to Shelley in her general spirit
| ual characteristics as well as in tempera-
ment and organization but in thought and
intellect the poet, he says, Z" so far as his
powers were developed In his short life,
was but child to what she ultimately
became" This lady was to Mill an object
of idolatry--a being that seemed to supply
the want of religion and veneration. After
twenty years of Platonic affection, and the
death Of Mr.. Taylor, she became the wife
of the philosopher. He adds: :" For seven
years and half that blessing was mine
| for seven and half only can say moth.
| ing which could describe, even in the faint
est manner what that loss was and is.
But because | know that she would have
wished it., ende2vor to make the best Of
what life | have left, and to work for her
purposes with such diminished strength as
can be derived from thoughts of her, and
communion with her memory" He sur.
vived her about fifteen years
Thomas Archer, born in London, 1880.
Novelist and miscellaneous writer. His
principal works are I" Madame Prudence"
"Wayfe Summers," Strange Work"
CA Fools Paradise" "The Pauper, the
Thief, and the Convict" a book on crime
and poverty; 1.-THE Terrible Sights of
London" "The Frogs Parish Clerk, "
1.-The Bows Book OF Trades" "The His
tory Of France" from the accession of
Louis Philippe to the close of the German
occupation and he has edited a family
edition of Richardson's Pamela" One
critic says: Mr.. Archer's style ia easy
and unaffected, placing before the reader
pictures of the vice and misery that sur
round US, often with striking minuteness
of detail, but never with anything ap.
preaching to coarseness."
Lope Felix de Vega Carpio, who has
been called the Prodigy of Nature, the
Phoenix of Spain, and the Potosi of
Rhymes, was born November %, 1862, at
Madrid. He inherited from his father,
Felix de Vega, an inclination for poetry.
His biographers assert that, at two years
old, his genius was shown by the vivacity
of his eyes that he knew his letters be.
fore he could speak, and repeated his les
sons by signs. He is said to have CON-
posed verses when he was only five years
old. and before be knew how TO write and