Oh! that for me some home like this might smile, sequel; and already perhaps few will see much Some cottage home!reason to wonder at the scanty issue of Campbell's dazzling blossom.

person so unlike myself should think exactly so of the public comprised only a small proportion of what me. I feel, however, the injustice of the observa- he wrote. His flow of thought was not rapid; and tion in the value I attach to friendship. I have all he was often like an artist setting figures in mosaic my early and equal friends still attached to me, and cautiously marking the weight, shape, and effect I have reason to think very truly. The great and the rich have been kind to me, and have said such things as would have made you believe I was to be amply provided for. As to intimacy, I never could even wish it with them; it is got by sacrificing independent feelings. I have never parted with the best part of my character.

At Sydenham he found society that suited him. That neighborhood was studded with the residences of comfortable families connected with the commerce of London, and with several of these he and his wife soon came to be on a footing of close intimacy. Weary wives, idle widows, involuntary nuns, were excited splendidly by such a celebrity at their doors. The requests for autographs were unceasing. No party could be complete without the Pleasures of Hope;" he was here in no danger of being overborne or outshone; his appetite grew by what it fed on, and perhaps half of Dr. Beattie's second volume is occupied with the memorials of as silly an interchange of semisentimental twaddle as ever encumbered the history of a true genius. That there was great worth and real kindness on both sides we make no question, but the record is humbling enough when one thinks that at this very period he could still be Campbell-that to moments snatched from Stars and Philosophical Magazines, abridgments of the Annual Register, Essays on Turnips, and the pic-nics of suburban bluestockings, we owe compositions-few, alas, and far between, like his own angel's visits-but still entirely worthy of his first promise.

of each particular piece before dropping it into its place. Nor did this habit of nicety and precision diminish with experience; for erasures are more frequent in his later than in his earlier manuscripts. He was rarely if ever satisfied with his own productions, however finely imagined or elaborately finished. Aiming at that perfection to which no modern author, perhaps, has attained, his progress was not equal to perseverance; for what was written in the evening was often discarded the next morning.-Vol ii., p. 16.

his

Campbell himself candidly and shrewdly says:

I was by no means without literary employment; but the rock on which I split was over-calculating the gains I could make from them. All artists are apt to make similar mistakes. The author sits down to an engagement, for which he is to have so tenth of the work in one day, and in high glee commuch per sheet. He gets through what seems a putes thus :-Well, at this rate, I can count upon so many pounds a day. But innumerable and incalculable interruptions occur. Besides, what has been written to-day, may require to be re-written to-morrow; and thus he finds that a grocer, who sells a pound of figs, and puts a shilling, including threepence of profit, into the till, has a more surely P. 24. gainful vocation.—Vol. ii.,

His difficulties by and by were perplexing; the Wilna scheme appears to have alarmed his duns, far and near, like an electric shock; but on such mischief-if it ends in the pestering—with the detail of little borrowings, all reluctant and all honorably repaid-why should Dr. Beattie wish anybody to dwell? The only lesson needs no index, and, howHe continued however, though at intervals grad-ever expounded, would be expounded in vain. If ually widening, to be seen in the higher circles a man of brilliant talents, without any delinquency that had been so willing to welcome him; and, from the time of his marriage, Dr. Beattie says he can trace a series of plans towards the improvement of his fortune set on foot by the whig leaders, whose great merit of zeal for friends we have always been most ready to acknowledge. One was not a very radiant project; it pointed to some chair of English literature in the University of Wilna. Dr. Beattie on this topic is mysterious. make out that the grand obstacle, according to Campbell's own view, was his burst of Polism in the Pleasures of Hope; but whether one of his rivals really forwarded the lines about Kosciusko to the autocrat of Russia, or Campbell seriously apprehended that if he were appointed, it would only be under a covert design of lying in wait for the first outbreak of his liberalism, and then lodging him for life in Siberia, we have no means to decide. The thing was soon dropped, and who carried the prize our Doctor is too stately to reveal. What the other schemes were, we are not told. Meantime his earnings were not sufficient for his expenditure. Dr. Beattie says:

We can

It has been generally supposed that Campbell wrote very little at this period of his life; such was not the fact; but it is true that what came before

that can rouse serious reproach, be seen exposed to broad and tangible extremes of misfortune; if a man like Campbell, bright among the brightest of his day, sincere and upright in his heart, were exhibited as undergoing some real calamity in consequence partly-even mainly-of such improvidences and miscalculations as are easily forgiven to the smallest of his kind; if we saw him cast into prison, his home dismantled, his wife and children turned penniless upon Sydenham Green, there would be something to stir the coldest blood; and many, incapable of being fired with Lochiel or melted by O'Connor's Child, would hang over the record as willingly as they sigh at a melodrama. But Campbell's pecuniary miseries never reached any romantic climax.

They were lightened-for the moment at least they were greatly relieved-and the chance of ultimate pressure was ever after kept at bay-by a pension obtained for him during the brief reign of All the Talents. Its amount was nominally 2007. a year, but fees and charges reduced it to 1687.; and be it never forgotten that, whatever the annuity previously allotted to his mother had been, he now raised that payment to a full moiety of this sum, and down to her death, in 1812, never

permitted any personal difficulty to interfere with | own double confession just cited,) we see merely her benefit.

different shapes of the same too indulgent selfThe pension having been in fact the gift of the esteem, or, if the phrenologist please, different Foxes, he pays a visit of gratitude to Holland developments of the same love of approbation— House-but not until after the lapse of two years: the convex and concave sides of the same deformiJan. 21, 1808.-The meeting was formidable to ion of shame; but what is called shyness by men ty. We do not forget old Homer's twofold divisme. They are kind and most voluntarily benefactors to me; but that makes the meeting somewhat speaking of themselves, is often neither less nor It was a awful. Lady Holland is a formidable woman. She more than arrogance not screwed up. is cleverer by several degrees than Bonaparte! The serious misfortune for Campbell that he was fear of appearing not at my ease is always my most always thinking so much about what other people uneasy sensation at that house. Pride and shyness were thinking of him. This was the parent of are always sparring in my inside. But on this ocmany unlucky consequences-among others, of casion I was peculiarly fortunate. I walked for about an hour, almost alone, with Lady H. I do great and needless loss of pleasure to himself. assure you I was quite spruce! Most fortunate There was no reason why he should not have set was the mood upon me at the time-none of your his rest on old equal friendships-no man but a Scotch mauvaise honte; no, no-I felt such self- fool ever does not there was no reason why he possession, such a rattle of tongue and spring-tide should not have been kind and attentive to persons of conversation, so perfectly joyous, that I acquitted vastly his inferiors who had any sort of claim upon myself like a man, and went away as well convinced him-no man with a heart like his could have been that my dignity had been unimpaired as if I had been otherwise. But he might have done and been all dining with Cullen Brown. Off I marched with Sydney Smith; Sydney is an excellent subject-but he this, and yet enjoyed in moderation—and, as a too has done me some kind offices, and that is enough student and artist, profited largely by enjoyingto produce a most green-eyed jealousy in my noble and the calm contemplation of that grand spectacle deheroic dispositions! I was determined I should make nominated the upper world. It is infinitely the as many good jokes, and speak as much as himself; best of theatres-the acting incomparably the first, and so I did, for though I was dressed at the dinner- the actresses the prettiest. He could not bear to table much like a barber's clerk, I arrogated greatly, talked quizzically, metaphorically; Sydney said a go to it unless he was himself to be the star. He and come few good things-I said many!!! Saul slew his could not be comfortable in his corner, thousands-David his tens of thousands. Mrs. S. forth when he got his cue; far less could he relhelped me to two delicious dishes-and I was ex-ish the more delicate luxury of a side-box. But ceedingly hungry-veal and pickled pork, both highly commendable, particularly the latter.-Vol. ii., p. 134.

The following passage may be conveniently placed by the foregoing. The family with whom one of his sisters is living, come up to London, and he calls on them (1810) :—

I was a little afraid of the Dover-street interview with the M.'s. Although my sister spoke of them highly, I had contracted an idea that they were proud people. On my way I had prepared to put my looks and manners into the most dignified attitude! But though I behaved sublimely to the footman, and almost knocked him down with overawe, I had no sooner got to the inside of the drawingroom, than I found it better to put off my godlike air, and resume my human appearance. They were plain, sensible and civil people, with good characteristics, and a little cordiality of manner-just what I wanted-nothing that was over-much, or that might have led me to suppose they were saying in their hearts, "Let us be kind and civil to this man, and not avail ourselves of his sister being our governess." I am quite glad that my sister is there. I stayed to dine, and took the latest Dulwich coach.-Vol. ii., p. 192.

Dr. Beattie, seeing Campbell complain in many letters of painful shyness, while correspondents, in the main eulogistic, charge him, in his earlier stages with arrogance in his tone of talk, appears to be of the opinion that the two failings could not have existed in the same man. We must beg leave to differ from the Doctor. In those failings (without attaching much importance to the poet's

though all this continued to be the case, what Dr. Beattie might truly and fitly have added was, that in his later time Campbell's mannners in general society were free from all presumption. His bearing, as we remember him, was truly gentle; the only uneasiness that he occasioned was by his own manifest uneasiness-a thing sufficiently puzzling to persons who had from childhood admired him afar off.

This last was

called the "North Britons," and for a time was
By and by he joined a volunteer regiment,
constant at drill and also at mess.
not good for his health. Already his newspaper
engagement bringing him daily to town, he had
been quite enough exposed to the temptation of
festive boards and tavern meetings. Moreover,
temptations of a like kind were not wanting at
Sydenham itself. There were jolly aldermen there
as well as enthusiastic spinsters. Above all, the
original of Paul Pry, Tom Hill, then a flourish-
ing drysalter in the city, and proprietor and editor
of the "Theatrical Mirror," had a pretty box in
the village, where on Saturdays convened the lights

of
song and the drama, Matthews, Liston, Incle-
don, and with them their audacious messmate and
purveyor, the stripling Hook. The dignity of
Campbell's reputation surrounded him amidst these
merrymakers with a halo before which every head
bowed-which every chorus recognized. All this
was very different from Holland House, from the
King of Clubs-even from the Divan in the Row.
To Campbell it was more fascinating.
Even so
Goldy, in the circle of Burke and Johnson, sighed

secretly for his Irish poetasters and index-makers, | we allow, or we are grown a parcel of cowards not and the "shoemaker's holidays," as he called to treat him with dignity. Perhaps, in my feelings them, of Highbury Barn.* towards the Gallic usurper-wretch, tyrant, as we Dr. Beattie, who carefully remarks at the close of the Glasgow College bias; for I must confess that ever since he shot the charitably call him-there may be some personal period, that Campbell had "as yet," in spite of bookseller in Germany I have had a warm side to much dangerous example, practised great modera-him. tion at table, (vol. i., p. 209,) now writes with reference to the volunteers and so forth :

However, out of this frustrated scheme sprung two others, both successful, and one of them eminently so. First, the preparation of an Essay on English Poetry, with specimens and biographical and critical notices, on which Campbell kept

66

a gen

This occasional absence from home, it was said, and the facilities which it offered for entering more freely into company, fostered a taste for conviviality which was neither friendly to study nor domestic retirement. The social pleasures of the evening working at intervals during seven or eight years; were followed by a painful counterpoise of depressed at last completing the book published in 1816 by spirits and inaptitude for mental exertion. I do not Mr. Murray, whom he justly describes as presume to say that his mode of life was different tleman, albeit a bookseller;" a work not unworthy from that of many of his own standing; but what to be handed down with the classical verse of its was pursued with impunity by others was often ex- author, and which cannot now be reperused withtremely prejudicial to him. By a too easy compli-out moving deep regret for the trivial and perishance with their solicitations, he was led to counte-able nature of his other prose writings, whether nance a style of living and thinking-not altogether in accordance with the high standard of which he buried in the utter darkness of petty magazines, had given a solemn earnest in his poems-which or bearing his name on their tombstones in the laid the foundation of habits that in after years he purlieus of " Bedlam and Soho." Secondly, the found it very hard, or even impossible, to conquer. plan of Lectures on Poetry at the Royal Institu-Vol. ii., p. 87. tion, suggested by this compilation while in progress, realized with applause in 1812, and repeated for three or four seasons to diminishing audiences.

We are not surprised to find that working the brain and also the stomach in this style, his nerves—never very firmly strung-were sorely disturbed. Appetite by and by failed-a walk of a mile knocked him up-he could hardly sit his pony for an hour-he was forced to drop all penmanship for weeks at a time. At last he had a really alarming attack of Coma vigil, and it took some months' seclusion in the Isle of Wight to restore him.

Having just read over Campbell's Essay on Notices, we could not but speak of them as we have done. At the same time we must add that, even considered without reference to other matters, that book itself is not to be thought of without some pain. Excellent as it is, who can help feeling that the plan was unfortunate-that he was "cribbed, cabined, and confined" from first to last, and has left us but specimens, not only of what others had done, but of what he could have done?*

These misfortunes affected his purse seriously. Among other efforts for relief he entered upon a tedious negotiation about a Collection of the British Poets-already sufficiently detailed in the Memoirs of Scott, who, at one stage, seemed like- We are trespassing somewhat as to our chroly to associate himself with Campbell in the edi-nology; and the earlier Sydenham period should torship, and received, as the treaty dragged on, not be lightly dismissed-for, besides all this not a few Philippics against The Trade. This prose-work, good, bad, and indifferent, it proindeed was always a favorite strain with Camp-duced, with one or two small exceptions, whatbell, though no reader of these volumes will find anything whatever to justify it. Hear him

ever of lasting worth he was ever to add to the poetry of his adolescence. The Battle of the Baltic and Lochiel are the first in date; and Dr.

Cadell and Davies asked my terms for thirty lives, and I gave in the same estimate which Sir James Beattie is enabled to illustrate very curiously the Mackintosh offered—a thousand pounds. They are elaborate anxiety with which both were brought the greatest ravens on earth with whom we have to into their ultimate shape. The original draft of deal-liberal enough as booksellers go-but still, the Battle, sent to Scott in 1805, consists of you know, ravens, croakers, suckers of innocent thirty stanzas-one third more than the published blood and living men's brains! * It is of copy—and though the superiority of the latter is consequence to the general cause of letters that neither journeymen like myself, nor masters-inde- very decided, we see that Campbell's endless tinkpendent artists like you, should be overreached in erings obliterated not a few of the passages such their transactions. Constable is a deep draw-well. as few would have parted with, far fewer could It is not two months since he made me absolutely have afforded to lose. Take for instance this picbelieve he had not been meant by nature for a book-ture of the English sailors: seller. But God knows he is not the worst of the bunch. * We scorned Philip-we laughed not ill-naturedly at Louis XIV.; but at this Bonaparte we gnash our teeth with the laugh of wretches on the wheel. Either he is more respectable than

* See Mr. Foster's very entertaining book, "Oliver Goldsmith, a Biography," pp. 476-488.

Not such a mind possess'd

England's tar;

*Perhaps in the recent reprint for the "Home and Colonial Library"-a miscellany conducted with singular skill and without the slightest pretension-the omission of the long verse extracts is favorable to Campbell. The attention of the reader is more kept to this pleasing guide.

Lord Ullin's Daughter and Glenara were written soon after, and all these pieces were added to Gertrude of Wyoming when that exquisite poem, begun in 1806, and occupying the noblest hours of five successive years, was at last issued in quarto, more majorum, December, 1810. All the proud prodigality of poetical genius that had been developed since the opening of the century seemed but to have quickened the appetite of the public, and the reception of Gertrude must have been

the family-the O'Connor's Child. It was included in the second edition of Gertrude; and if we except the ode of farewell to Kemble, (1817,) "The Last Man," (1823,) and the stanzas on the Improved Clyde, (1826,) it would have been better that Campbell had never again touched verse.

Dr. Beattie produces in his first volume some fragments of a mock-heroic poem on the meal-mobs of Edinburgh, during the "scarce years," (18001801,) which might have been dispensed with. That Campbell, however, had a fine vein of humor and satire in him was always asserted among his intimates, and his effusions in that line in the Chronicle have often been alluded to as among the moving causes of his pension. The doctor gives one specimen of 1813, which may perhaps make some of his readers sorry that there are no more; a closer search of the files, they will exclaim, might be well bestowed. Dr. B. says

Campbell appeared in the columns of a morning The following jeu-d'esprit or " Suggestions" by paper. The lines evince a strong party spirit, but are very characteristic of that vein of pleasantry by which he often turned the rancor of political preju

equal to the author's highest anticipation. In this
work he achieved his greatest honor. In the
Pleasures of Hope, it is true, we find more lines
that have passed into parts of speech; but the
Gertrude also will stand that sort of test well-dice into a harmless jest.
and it has such a pervading charm of pensive sen-
timent, with so many flashes of electrical inspira-
tion, that we must, on the whole, place it above
the early poem. The contemporary criticisms
might alone, if we had a folio's space at command,
restrain our pen now. The Edinburgh reviewer's
private letter shows how well he understood
Campbell:

The said "Suggestions" begin with-
As recruits in these times are not easily got,
And the marshal must have them, pray why should

we not

As the last-and I grant you the worst-of our loans to him,

Ship

off the whole ministry body and bones to him?

-and so on, till we reach

Nay, I do not see why the great regent himself
Should in times such as these lie at home on the
shelf;

Though in narrow defiles he 's not fitted to pass,
Yet who could resist if he bore down en masse? &c.
Vol. ii., p. 229.

All this is very clever in its way; but the piece
is Moore's-and its true title is "Reinforcements
for Lord Wellington." (See Longman's 8vo. of
1845, p. 170.) Who has been "suggesting" the
learned Doctor?

It ends rather abruptly-not but that there is great spirit in the description-but a spirit not quite suitable to the soft and soothing tenor of the poem. The most dangerous faults, however, are your faults of diction. There is still a good deal of obscurity in many passages—and in others a strained and unnatural expression-an appearance of labor and hardness; you have hammered the metal in some places till it has lost all its ductility. These are not great faults, but they are blemishes; and as dunces will find them out, noodles will see them when they are pointed to. I wish you had had courage to correct, or rather to avoid them-for with you they are faults of over-finishing, and not of negligence. I have another fault to charge you with in private Whether Gertrude, or anti-regent squibs, (gen-for which I am more angry with you than for all uine or imputed,) or Lady Charlotte Campbell had Your timidity, or fastidiousness, or most to do with the introduction of the Bard of some other knavish quality, will not let you give Sydenham to the "Court of Blackheath," we your conceptions glowing, and bold, and powerful, cannot pretend to rule; but he now became an as they present themselves; but you must chasten, honored visitor of that refined circle. Our readers and refine, and soften them, forsooth, till half their will regret with us that Dr. Beattie has not connature and grandeur is chiselled away from them. descended to a fac-similie of the original drawing Believe me, my dear C., the world will never know how truly you are a great and original poet, till you by his hero of the scene commemorated in the folventure to cast before it some of the rough pearls lowing extract; performers, H. R. H. the Prinof your fancy. Write one or two things without cess of Wales, (ætat. 45,) "the daughter of Mac thinking of publication, or of what will be thought| Aillin Mor," Sir James Mackintosh, and Mr. of them and let me see them at least, if you will Thomas Campbell :not venture them any further. I am more mistaken in my prognostics than I ever was in my life, if they are not twice as tall as any of your full-dressed children.-Vol. ii., p. 173.

the rest.

One more of the "full-dressed children" soon followed, to ourselves perhaps the very dearest of CCLXXVI. LIVING AGE. VOL. XXII. 26

I must be getting down now, for I have attained the summit of human elevation-dancing a reel with royalty! Imagine four personages standing up at right angles to each other, thus. ** I overheard Miss one of the ancient azure-hose, remark that Mr. C. had the neat national trip! This was