The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-11-10
Titled Authors of the - -
~ ~ Eighteenth Century.

son IN ms interesting article Titled Authors Of the Esh
teenh Century, in the October Lippneos True Il l. thai
he finds but few of the Mob of Gentlemen who ,ro ;,
Ease within this period who worthy of having be,
names inscribed upon the roll fame vet each bonord 49,
host in himself because if for no other reason Of nj,
ASSOCIATION with those whom he and moved and
had his being For age of Addison and Sts
OF Pope and Defoe of Fielding snoe Of Doctor 1obr
son and Dean Swift Alas that our titled friends should
thus be elegated TO the reflected glory OF their
RES OF lower birth But twas in the Republic OF
Letters "
Mr. Dobsons quest for greatness among the patrieian
poets and dramasts OF the period proves TO be quite futile
There is left only little group OF prose writer's who con-
stiute the real strength snew" (and even that i 81
ways rather fixed and habby of arsocrate Eighteenth
century authorship In this group there are but two names
Lord Oxford and Lord Chesterfeld-whieb narcu,.r,
challenge interest We call to mind as we skim over
the reference to Bongbroke that Dr. Hugh Blair in letter
to Boswell quoted Lord Bathurst saying that the Essay
on Man was originally composed by Saint John in prose
and that Pope did than put it into verse This Doe
tor Johnson affirmed was too strongly satedhat Pope NAV
have had from Bonsbroke the phlosophic stamina of his
essay but that the poetca imagery which makes great part
OF the poem was Popes Old Doctor King in his an
ecdoteS speaks OF the late Lord Boenbrokc" as benv
well known by his writings so it is not strange perbs,s
that some of his contemporaries least may have consd
cred the story not improbable Ana poor Lyteon Thirty
years preparing his histoynd kept several years
so they said for fear of Smolletony to have it stand
monument of dust and food for worms Mole ruit sua
doubtless.
Lady Mary Worey Iontagu with all her cleverness and
~
and Horace Wapoe But she still more unfortunate in
the suerings nncted her by prohgate son and
we shall probably know just what sorrows drove her
INTO an exile of more than twenty from home and
country In spite of the virty wit and her apparent
indifference to matters of sentiment 1t reassurine
to ind her writing such lines as Gin Julia OvidO
9 Love Thou pleasure never dearly bought
Whose joys exceed the very lovers thought
She is perhaps like in the sarcastic coupet
which constitutes her summary of Lord Lytetons Advice
to Lady
Be plain in dress and sober in your diet:
In short my dearie. kiss and be quetl---
and again in her classification men, women and Her
veys"
Concerning Carr the elder brother Of Lord John Hefye
Pope declared that his early death deprived the family OF as
much wit and humo he left behind him any part of it,
In respect say the TAomsons he has left behind him
celebrity which may be questionable as his wit or his
honor he is repued be the father Horace Walpole
and If accept presumptve evidence OF the
ment clearly borne out In his wit mis- indifference to
ligionto say the eashis satrca turn his love of the
world and his contempt Of all that great and good he
strongly resemblcd his eputed Mr. Dobson however
would discount this scandal by Wapoles devotion to his
mother and the hal which he seduouy main
tanned for his father and by the further fact that Lady
lisa Stuart Gin whose Introductory Anecdotes the igees
ton first found definite expresson) speaking Horace
Wapole IS speaking OF whose caustc pen and Satire
tongue had spared the reputation the lady
whose granddaughter she The solution Of that problem
if available could comparatively little
value to and history will withhold from Walpole
her just acknowledgment of the debt which him for
the with which in his incompatible letters to
posterity the life Of the century which he lived
1t pleasant to think of him srong along through his
quiet easeful life endowed he with all that good
breeding, keennes OF intellect and competence
bestow His literary modesty and proneness
underrate his efforts have, doubtless deprived
many which might have enriched literature
but it by unlikely that his existence would
have been less comfortable and happy had he been self
He was Tsai5
None but God Almighty make a gentleman :" and this
have been bestowed Lord Oxford by the
proper authority, and in due He by birth
of those we'll descended English gentlemen who have often
ton Of merging their ancient modern titles"
He is described having been of short slender figure
which always retained boysh appearance when from
behind owing the form of his and the simplicity
his None Of his pictures says Pinkeon Expresses
the placid goodness of his which would often sparkle
with sudden of wit dart forth flashes Of the
keen and ntutive intelligence His laugh was forced and
uncouh, and his smile not the pleasing
His engaging and gentle endearng afabty his
friends exceed all praise. Endued with exquisite
sensbty his wit never gave the smallest wound even to
grossest ignorance the world the morbid by
pochondriac bashfuness That is at least than
be truhfuly said of the majority Of his brilliant
temporaries among the commoners.
And Lord Chesterfield the elegant the cold the cynical
the crafty, the hbertine Cwhie constitution and my
spirits would allow me- the ambitious the point Of i'm
moratyand withal humane, the liberal the sudous
strong the generous the wiseChesterheld One his
who neither his partisan his per-
sona friend said OF him Lord Chesterfield had to
contrive tongue to persuade and hand to any
worthy action. "Cerum pete hnem he writes his
and again, few months later My great object was to
make every / like and every love me-"
Not OF course the Interior object he himself admits Call
vanity if you willard, possibly it So. In any case
1t bad method since it is that there is
pleasant well unpleasant of doing nearly
thing and his work in Ireland least would make it pos
be for believe that his maxim always the
Of Somers' motto "Prodesse guam conspic." /,
He had gifts and great opportunities and he used
them; who can say that, the whole he abused them
Possibly Yet forget that the letters which
hat charge generally based written young
whose principles fixed and his understanding matured
With ctanhone difficulty in