New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-31
-whas an artist would sSn .'S6sbeilsrs.' The


in,tauces IN which mon ere thoroughly satisfied
with their avocations are few; the majority exer-
| else their imagination and perhaps relieve tho
tedtum Of monotonous labor by dreaming about
some very different career, in which, they arc
convinced. fame and fortune would have awaited
them. Southey was no exception to the RUE
He believed that "Thalnba." I" Madoc. Inc
Curse Of Kchama" and Roderch" were destined
to Immortality; and he scorned as fgnobie mack
work the biographies and other prose productions
by which alone his memory has been kept greeh'
with the perversity which must always appear
curious, no matter how common to the race NO
placed his historical works next in Importance 70
his poems The History Of Brazil he was con-
fident would become classic; ana MS opus
magnusr was to be that History OF Portugal
which he did not live to finish and which, had ne
been able to complete it, would in all pro'apihty
have shared the oblivion which has long shrouded
the three ponderous quartOs on Brazil Curlous'y
enough the work by which he Is best known Is his
Life of Nelson q truly admirable biography
and long since admitted standard. Yet no hgh
hopes were based upon That book and IN TACT tne
undertaking Of it grew in quite an accldental
way out of an article in she Quarterly REVIEW
The Life Of Wesley" which the author Preoicueo
would be as profound as Dutch and as entertain
ing french DOCK, uOcS HCt NihuO"'N "S 'No
mcnt. Entertaining it certainly is. and well
written But it is not profound, and 1t falls
where Southey's poetry fails, namely in grasp OF
the spiritual elements. No man could wrl'e d
profound history Of Wesley who did not perceive
in a svropathetic way the genius and significance
of the spiritual NOV nent that eliminated in the
dissent of the reformer and his followers Southey
was incapable Of such insight, and therefore,
though he wrote a most interesting book he did
not explain Wesleyanism.
The fact that Wordsworth, after generation
of comparative neglect, has been rehabitated, can
not be made use of in estimating the probabilities
I'm Southey's CASE 1t would indeed be presumptuous
to affirm that future popularity Is peremptoriiy
denied his poems and seeing the general decline
both of public taste and productive capacity as
regards poetry, it would be unwise to put such an
opinion on the basis Of confidence in the general
Indictment Yet there are certain elements in
really living poetry the absence OF which seems 10
Justify doubt as to the survival OF any work OF
the kind In Wordsworth the love, appreciation
and understanding of nature formed INKS con-
Meeting his poetry with all humanity ana all
time He also felt with his kind and expressed
feelings common to all and here again he estao-
lished hold upon the future But in Southey
neither the passion for nature sympathy with
humanity Is strongly fndnllesleu. ~" oi'''i 'O
seems to have cared more for the mechanism than
for the content Of his verse In prose he was
master, and his rule in writing prose, as he him
self has put it, was to regard the matter and let
the manner take care Of itself lie seems to have
proceeded in direct opposition to this principle In
his poetry, and the result is dead level of me-
chanical excellence in which even the attempts at
emphasis seem artificial, the stimulation OF passion
purely rhetorical and the expression OF emotion
rather symbolic than real. There is indeed EVIL
dcnce of fecund fancy; but we are constrained
to use the term fancy in preference to imagination
in chaacterizng this quality in SOuthey and the
distinction indicates the lack of vital heat IN his
verse II is frequently sonOrOus. stately APP
preaching majesty in the sweep and dignity OF the
STYLE Less frequently it is graceful, melodlous
and dainty 1t ovcrhows with wealth of imagery
and a prodigaity OF fantastic conceptions. But
the warm heart of man does not beat IN It, Inc
current that flows in its veins is as cold as that
which circulated in Ralzac's Seraphita. Such
poetry NAV be admired. 1t may be regarded as
proof of high intellectual powers. But it is too
wanting in sympathy to live, if by life we are to
understand something more than the appreciation
of an author by some small group in half dozen
successive generations
In literary matters each generation judges
largely for itself Education and the mort
main Of inherited tendency of course exercise In
fuence. but the environment Of one age is not
that of the next. and this change counts for much
In intellectual ideas SOuthey in his time was
considered competent critic. Yet he declared
that such poets Bowlcs, Montgomery Joanna
Ballie whom also he braclleted with Walter
Scott were above those of any former period
except the age Of Shakespeare" and he put on
record the opinion that it is by the side Of
ct
awarded him by posterity.' One wonders as he
reads these judgments at the inscrutabe Provi-
dence which mnellcd the author of them to de-
vote every available moment Of his leisure to the
compostion Of verse, and led him TO despse that
excellent gift Of prose which if employed in
truly creative work. might have won for him the
Immortality he desired, yet fell so far short Of
The volume Of his correspondence compiled by
Mr. Dennis is, however, but little concerned win
his poetry. It's value consists In the view IL
affords Of an almost unique and thoroughly happy
literary life. Southey dedicated himself to litera-
ture well knowing all that he thereby renowned.
He was content to live poor so ne might follow
his bent and experience did not bring him regret
or REPENTANCE He had what he most desired;
his books the company Of his family and friends,
full opportunity for quiet study and bare COM
petence His cheerfulness withstood many trials,
and his industry was lnueIduiSdpie' iic uIeHiiou
his profession by his example, and he won the
esteem and affection Of many. Such measure
of success even Of prosperity, is uncommon, and
not less co now than in his time. Southey's
poetry may never attain the estimation he coveted
for il but his life will always be well deserving
of studv and to such as are unable to give to it
the time demanded by the moro extended bio
graphical works. this book by Mr.. Dennis Will
afford sufficiently comprehensive picture of an
interesting honorable elevated and instructive