The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-04-21
BYRON.
rNashyille American.


 It has been said, by one whose star of literary fame is yet brillian; in he firma- ment of elevated thought, by one who has crossed swords in the fray. and felt the full force of the darts of malice and sting ing criticism. tha, the life of every writer IS a constant warfare. Not only is this true as regards the exterior forces against which aspiring genius must ever contend. but from the herce mental struggles to reduce 10 order the chaotic elements which spring indigenous to mind at con- temptation of an object: to disentangle from obscurity the various complications quisi;e artistic skill to tone and soften the sharp outlines of thought. and so blend the lights and shadows of feeling and sentiment. tha; the picture presented may be beautiful and entrancing to the mental vision of its bcholders These are some of the difficulties which array themselves against flames asprants. ard scatter ihorns along the narrow. winding path. which lead, to ,hc highest goal The peculiarly sensitive organism which i> the inalienabe birthfight Of genius. while through its remarkable susceptibility il accomplshes the mission whereunto Il was sent. IS often the ficrcest antagonist 10 its po-sessor, keeping him ever on the rack of toTiuoLs extremes
 l; may seem strange in this era of grea; and gifted men. where subjects for thought blossom like flowers by the way side. that one should seek to reeapitula;e the characteristics of man above whose vaulted remains the mould of years has gathered: yet there are names which brighten with age. some classes of fame which ripen with the lapse of time into noble and grand perfection. No more striking embodiment of the varied pas sions which so often run rio. in the bosom of genius could be found than is offered : in the life of Lord Byron. The records ofthe past might be scanned in vain for one whose character is SO vividly DOT trased as that of him whose fame is bounded only by the eirclet of time. The statistics and exhaustive complications of blographers are not needed 10 furnish an insigh. into this strange and eventful life: for the secret workings of his very soal are made palpable by the power of hts own genius. Through a collision of painful circumstances. and unfortunate hereol;iy. the wonderful, anomaly repre- scn,cd III his character was produced.
 The incidents of Lord Byron's life are too well known 10 he recounted here for hls is one ot those natures. which the annal> oi eminent men so often rev ~al. 90 varied in substance. and so peculiar Ii construction. that unwittinglv the mind Is led to analy3e the iniri a,.iy woven chords of soul that could produce such sublime symphonies from such discordant elements
 as d writer. Byron WAS vigorous and powerful. possessing 10 an unlimited de- gree the art of combining different elc- ments ot thought into one harmonious whole: ever charming the reader by the felicity and blending of incongruous con- captions. In the guse of an ideal crea- ton ne represents throughout his writings all the varied phases in which human na- iure can be made to appear : in fact it Is the embodiment of himself into the ideal that lends to his writings their peculiar charm and distinguishes him most effect ually from other poets. His Is the bas- reliei m the illustrious pageant ofimmor- Ia, poets carved on the tablets of fame by the instruments of his own originality. Byron invariably wins the hearts of his readers and holds them in close and sym pathetic communion with himself. while from his prolific poet-soul he draws forth a panorama of ever shifting scenes tn. consciously the mlnd follows the zig-zag current oi his thoughts. and views the bafomctrlc changes of feeling tha, sweep Ter h,s soul. now rising higher than our highest conceptions oi grandeur and su5limlty. naw sinking meath the waves oi human weakness into thc whirl- pools of miscry and despair. With inter- est and ave we follow the weary desolate pii. rim; the wandering outlaw ot his own dark mind. an exile from his native land md the bosom oi affection. .At one tune We view him from p.rnassisn heights. his sensitive soul tred with the lna,estic grandeur of those, snow-oappcd peaks. aud breaking into strains of sublimes. praise as he becomes "por;ica nl that around h'm." Again. from the "eastel- lated ersss of lung sisal oblYious of ia ture's charms, hating the world. himself and his fel!a@-man. he stands mefbidly contemplating an end of human woe Thus. whether sailing tranguilly on the placid bosom ot the lake, which he de- soribes
 A. aoi.e,S>s Wias
 10 mait ne from dc>lrae:ion or gazing in wild delight upon ;he Alpine thunderstorm, his own words.
 Let me be
 saarer in ,h, fierce and far delight.
 portion of the tempest and O. thee = portraying his admiration for the scene. we recognize the same reckless en,husias- tic nature. the same wandering unquiet hear,. The genius ot Byron was of mos, versatile character. and although poesy peryaded every fibre of his mental organ ism. she did no, n onopolize. but left him free to wander al will through the differ en, avenues of thought which opened around him. The wonderful adaptabili,y of his mind. combined with the powerful memory ne possessed. had at an early age enabled him to gain most extensive and cnsiable knowledge of all the standard literature of his day. lie had. before the