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Tomahawk (1867-1870), 16th October 1869, Edition 1 of 1, Page 183, OUR BOOKMARKER.

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      October 16, 1869.] The Tomaha Wk. 183 __

      October 16 , 1869 . ] THE TOMAHA WK . 183 __

      Our Bookmarker.

      OUR BOOKMARKER .

      Walter Savage Landor: A Biography. By Jo...

      Walter Savage Landor : a Biography . By John Forster * London : Chapman and Hall , 1869 . which Mr . he FoRSrE has placed R has mankind addled b to y this the , another heavy obligati of his on deli s ghtful under biograp sculptor hies who . preserves The same for affection us the that features we feel of for some the painter dead , hero or ¦ whom ¦ b we honoured bbtb ¦¦ bbi and bi Bi revered fa b ^ 4 b » do we feel bt bb »*» for bob the biographer fJfe bb

      who * " ™* " ^^ ™ g ^^ ives w ^ ^ Br * B to » a » ^^ * those ^^ ** ^ ^ h ^ * who y B . B , ^ could ^ . ^ r ^ ^ fc # Ii otherwise ^ , l T * Tt B ^ pr V V B ^^ r A ^ only ^^ know , B ^^^ Bg ^ r the g ^ bp ^ ^ bb . a writer w « Ba ^ ^> * B ^^» thro shi ug with h his the works man , himself the privileges . Mr . and Forster joy has of a indeed personal been friend for - - tunate p in having indissolubly connected with his own the names of two such very different writers and men as Oliver Goldsmith and Walter Savage Landor . For he thus obtains a fixed seat 1 ™ in the —— hearts ~~ - - ¦— ^ — b > ™ r ^™ ^^ ^^ a of ~~~ " ^™ ^ ^ nearl m *— - ^_ - —~ v- ^ ^^ y j ^ m all m b ^™^ v who v v «« i ^ B - ^ B" ¦¦ read ^ ¦ ^ ^ ar ^ m ^»^ at Ba _ ^ BP Bj ^ all » M » B »^ fc _ «»* V . Landor « B » i * B » ^ _ *^ P ^ Bi . B *^^ ~| ~ ^ B ¦¦ . may ^ h Jfe ¦ * fc V __> be ~ |~ « h ^ known ^» a ^ v ^ B ^ k ^^ T W __ MB » BB

      I mired to but passionatel a few in the y re ; ading while it world would ^ ; but be difficult by those to few name he a is book admore universally popular in the widest sense of the term , than noble Oliver and Goldsmith honourable . We biograp cannot hy help of his believing friend will that do Mr something . Forster ' s his towards native making country Landor . If ' there s works are more any widel cultivated y known intellects , at least left , in among or ^^ ™ t f ' grander ^^ % the ^™ ^ P " ^ Bl v ^^ young treasure W , B » vjb ^ wVBbb * wbi « b A . men -BJB" - - «¦ house *»> « . * " b , * of b Bi , b Bl ¦ ^ B ,. * the of ^ . aP ^ « Bintellectual rfk } - day ^ Jb > fc " ^> - , ¦ B th ^*^ W ey ^ ^ W * can ^ gems £ ^^ » ^ - . ^ _ JiAAl i ^ H hardl dk ^ * V than ^ ¦¦ ¦ m 1 - * ' * y ¦ ¦ M . find in -FfcBV ^^^^^ B .. m . the *» Jfc ^ a " richer B ^ Im K » V ^ -W ^ a B ., ^ -

      ginary Landor , Conversations of both of which ; " and Mr . Forster we may gives add as in many the ^ Tragedies such speci of - mens as make us long to hunt for more ourselves . Recent circumstances have given to us a more hearty apprefound would ciation , to at of any the Mr time filth . Forster y , secure garbage ' s biography for which it . No has than greater been its shamelessl contrast inherent can merits y dug be than out of this the temperate ¦ grave and di flung gnified — ¦ «•» in « BF ** our and faces B delicate in the biograp Jfc name h of friendshi of a man p

      whose » — —— life — vaaaa and . B . B— -w — character ¦ - »»» J , «• »^ K perhaps , «** , A , * .-aa * V more vfc ^ V ^ ¥ . ^^ *_^ ¦* , than ^* » - *¦ * ¦ * b any - - ^ l ^ *« other y J ^ aF <» , bjb ^ great * A ** 4 > U man that ever lived , offered strong temptation to the lover of scandal written . with We all the should pains not and like moral to reflections read Landor and ' s sensational biography friend gasps and might upturnings have found of yellow leisure eyes or taste to Heaven to bestowe , which on it a . Happy female indeed is the man who has such a friend as Mr . Forster to swerves write from his life the ! noble While fidelity admitting of a Landor true friend ' s faults , To he a never

      lov-. ing delicate warm taste heart which he keep joins him th alike at perfect from the discrimination fault of over- and exweak tolling points his friend . We ' s good can points imagine or Landor from ignoring reading altogether his own bio his - graphy , as written by Mr . Forster without finding any fault with the softened writer b of reflection it . With would the subject find much of it fault we hop . e his noble spirit We had y better get over the unpleasant part of our task at

      once . The strong love and admiration which we feel for the character on us not of to Walter gloss Savage over its Landor defects , makes . It it was more no duty incumbent of Mr . temperament we Forster may ' s be to less speak , point merciful too out harshl into , and y what , of as his cruel a warning friend and ' ungenerous s privat to others e life , we of . had like But portance almost said led mean him . acts Generous , Landor , warm ' s exaggerated -hearted , he sense was if of . ever self man

      -immany was , yet cases for without what paltry ever reasons being reconciled did he quarrel to them with friends and inflict , in on should others have most been foul less wrong prone ! to pain If he the was feelings sensitive of others , himself . , But he the seems worst blind bl , emish is , his in utter Landor lack ' s of character that essential , to which of a Mr true . Forster gentlewhen man— he the has eagerness , under a misapprehension to make every , rep done aration any one in his an rjower injuswhich which tice . Landor he he c caught aught lived , let let to retract us us charitablv charitabl his paltry y suDoose suppose depreciation . from from that that of B bland bland yron ,

      egotist Wordsworth , , and from Southey , who certainl , y had good quarrel cause to with hate Stuart Byron , . the But British if we Envov consider of Corunna the account , what of bitter his shame adequate we grounds feel , that , Landor having lacked assailed the him true on courage such ridiculousl to express y in in - generous terms his deep regret ! But the idea never seems to have patience entered and unfounded his head , that abuse he himself of Stuart had ? don , b e hi s own culpable charac ter most grievous wrong for which nothing but self-humiliation could atone . A passionate hasty temper is a grievous curse to

      the a man very of idea genero of us having nature unjustifiabl and tender y inflicted feelings pain ; to such on another an one ' s , feelings may be to is an his intolerable pride , his mind anguish can ; know and , however no true ease great till the he pang has freely and boldly apologised for his error . But we look in vain for any sign of this redeeming feature in the irritable self-conmi sciousness ghty self of was Landor what ; he an found offence it imperative ever so small to resent against but his never own

      to forgive . Mr . Forster has written the history of Landor ' s unhappy here married we see life the with same great fault deli here cacy it almost and amounts wise reticence to a . crime But . We may be wrong , but we , hold that nothing , except utter infidelity of heart and body , justifies a man in deserting his wife

      and children ; we do not use the word " desert" in its legal sense . there It is a are father faults ' s duty of temper to watch in the over mother his children which , he the finds more it so hard if to a wife bear . should If ever have there known was no a man bounds whose in this longsuffering lifeit was towards Landor . We read with pain and indignation , nay , with bitter , humiliation from from to see his his a noble wife wife and and nature children children so d . . egraded Howev Howev , the er er gross srross account the the of provocation provocati his separation on , no no

      mere words could have justified such a step , especially in one , so prone was treated to err wi with th his disrespect tongue , as , and Lander he wilfull . But y no abandoned ; his god , his all self the , barren duties and love . responsibilities Of what use was of a that father ? Forbearance , and retained is , the but great the good lesson we that be , such have a too life much teaches of us it . ; We we can cannot none be of omni us , potent however or omniscient ¦ H ¦ but ¦ we V can iBfe all hVtf of P us be demigodsat leastin .

      ^^^ ^ V * V ^ B ^ n B ^ . ^ n ^^^^* - ^^ ^^ r 4 ^ . ^^ , H V ^^^ , ^*^* ^^ ^ BV ^^ F . ^ ^^ ^^^^^ W ^^^^ ^ h *^ ^ . ^ F W ^^ ^ t ^ r ^^ F ^ V ^^^ ^* * v ^ B ^^^ r ^ fc ^^^ ^^^ , ^ J ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^ , ^ % ^^ ^^ ^^ mercy ^^ ^^ ^ V ^^^^ MW ^ B ^^ J V inordinate But others self , besides -esteem . Landor It was ' s the ownself natural , were result to blame of the for this lect and contempt with which his great intellectual powers neg were treated by those about him . It is a received maxim with genius ^ many ¦^ h ^^ ' ^ ' ^^^ ^ F ^^^ families . * This ^^ V ^ H ^ H ^ ^^ v ^ is B ^ fP to a ~^—^ very w snub - ^^ ^^ W . shortsi .. P « V ^ B any ^ BP «^ ^ P ^ t ^^ m g member S ^ B . hted BIS ^^ ^ m ^*^ ^ B ^¦ ^ policy MBW ^ 1 ^ ^» ^ who ^^ ^ . You » ™ may ' ^ F- ¦ " ^ « ¦ cannot ~^^ _ ^^ give ^ m ^» ^ " *^ ~ W ~ destroy ^ B >^ proofs ^^ ¦ B . ^ ^ B ~^^ V the ^ B > ^ B of - ^ « T

      conscious sense of power that genius gives . Far wiser is it for all parents genius in , brothers , self-cultivation , sisters , friends by every , and means schoolmasters in their power , to encourage , and to treat it with judicious appreciation and delicacy , not with extravagant adulation or narrow-minded disdain . No course of conduct ^ V ^ B ^ r ^> ^^ P ^ V m is ^ ^^~ * so ^^ ^^^ likel * V * V ^ B ^^ ^ W ^ *^^ y W to ^^ ^^^ encourage ^ B ^^^ B rfB ^^^ ^ . ^^ ^ B ^^ tn ^ h ^ . ^^'^^ P ^ fc ^^^^ inordinate ** ^^*^* ^*^^ ^^ *^^*^ V ^ V ^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^ W ^ HP self ^ VBF ^^^ ^^ ^^ -esteem ^^ V W 9 ^ ^ V ^^^ ^^ V ^^ B ^ b ^^ ^ as ^^^* ^^^ the ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ 1 V con ^ B |^ P ^^ gr ^^ *^

      -stant infliction we feel to of be petty above humiliations oursbut whose on those habits whose or manner mental - isms powers may make them an easy prey , to ridicule aad censoriousness . hearty We now expression come of to that the admiration most grateful and part love which of our we work feel , the for Landor both as a writer and as a man . It may be allowed to intercourse us , who never of private had the life privilege now that of knowing we have him been in the broug deli ht ghtful face

      , warm to face terms with , him our in thoroug Mr . Forster h sympath ' s book y with , to express his noble in somewhat hatred of pass injustice current , and in his the world nobler for scorn real of virtues the p . itiful It is pretences impossible which to read his gloriously fearless denunciations of the meannesses and P harisaisms of English society without wishing that it could have M BV V V been PW our mw fortune ¦ -if and our pride to have ¦ ¦ had ¦ him ¦ for a

      fellow-«^ r ^ V ^ V ^^ ^^^ ^^* w ^ B ^^ ^ P ^ P * ^^ ^^^ ^^ ^> ^ ^^ - ^^ r - ^ r ^ J ^^ ^ H ^^* W ^^^ ^^ ^ ^^ H ^^ ^^ ^ V ^^ v ^ ' ^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^ w ^^ ^> V ^^^ —^> *** " ^ ^^^ ^^ ^ B ^ h ^^ ^^ w ^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^ B ^ B ^ B ^ V * workman in the cause which we have ever advocated . Alas ! there are but very few men of Landor ' s honest vehemence nowa-days . It is well for him that he has passed away . He lived too long perhaps for his own happiness ; but his frank and brave live sp ¦¦ B ? irit his HBT BB ¦ would youth f— BV BT have over chafed again BVfeh HBlBlBI itself in B this to death ¦ age had of flabb he been y ¦ apath ¦ doomed Bi B and to

      • sneaking ^ p ^ ^ V — hypocrisy ^ " ^ B ^ W ^ ^^ . It was ^^ w something BBI ^ BB V ^* J ~^ V ^^ to ^^ ^^ have ^^ * lived ^ P ^ V B W B as ^ ^ he y P WB did . B * ^ v ^ in the noblest intellectual society that there has ever been in this world since the Elizabethan era . It was something to have no not had Hare t the lleast , east Larnb genial . Charles Charles , Nap unswerving ier Dicken Dicken , Crabb s s friendshi and and Robinson John Tohn p of Forster Forster , and such we . . men may He He as might migh add Southey , t last well well , ,

      despise and Hun heart t , Hazlitt popularity , s , and , She souls lley when . , and such Coleridge even men Byron , praised Wordsworth were him from among , Carl their yle his , minds Lei wor gh - , shippers . We have no names to fill the blanks now . We have poets and loved —two Landor of the . finest Browning , Browning , indeed and , was Swinburne one of , the both dearest knew friends of his later days . But the time for real literary friendbeg ship ins has to , we corrode fear , gone the by finest . The natures canker . They of ennui lack and the apath energy y to socie be ty reall as me y friends t round , in Ro the gers ' s ble or sense Lady of Blessington the word . ' s Such table

  • Citation
    • Tomahawk (1867-1870), Oct. 16, 1869, page 183, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/t/issues/ttw_16101869/page/11/