Memoir of Thomas Campbell. It is not a little singular that the Tyrtæus of his translations were said to be superior to modern English poetry should at the same time any before offered for competition in the Unibe one of the most tender as well as original of versity. Campbell thus furnishes an exception writers. Campbell owes less than any other Brit- to the majority of men of genius, who have ish poet to his predecessors or contemporaries. seldom been remarkable for diligence and proHe has lived to see his verses quoted like those ficiency in their early years, the lofty powers of earlier poets in the literature of his day, lisped they possessed not being exhibited until mature by children, and sung at public festivals. The life. Campbell while at the University made war-odes of Campbell have nothing to match poetical paraphrases of the most celebrated Greek them in the English language for energy and poets; of Eschylus, Sophocles, and Aristophanes, fire, while their condensation and the felicitous which were thought efforts of extraordinary selection of their versification are in remarkable promise. Dr. Millar at that time gave philoharmony. Campbell, in allusion to Cimon, has sophical lectures in Glasgow. He was a highly been said to have "conquered both on land and gifted teacher and a most excellent man. His sea," from his naval Odes and "Hohenlinden " lectures attracted the attention of young Campembracing both scenes of warfare. bell, who became his pupil, and studied with early grounded in the fundamental truths of philosophy, and accustomed to analyze correctly, is to be attributed mainly the side in politics which Campbell early embraced, and that love of freedom and free thought which he has invariably shown upon all questions in which the interests of mankind are concerned. Scotland gave birth to Thomas Campbell. He eagerness the principles of sound philosophy; he was the son of a second marriage, and born at was favored with the confidence of his teacher, Glasgow in 1777. His father was born in 1710, and partook much of his society. To being thus and was consequently nearly 70 years of age when the poet his son was ushered into the world. He was sent early to school in his native city, and his instructor was Dr. David Alison, an individual of great celebrity in the practice of educa. tion. He had a method of instruction in the classics purely his own, by which he taught with great facility, and at the same time rejected all Campbell quitted Glasgow to remove into harsh discipline, putting kindness in the place of Argyleshire, where the situation of tutor in a terror, and alluring rather than compelling the family of some note was offered and accepted by pupil to his duty. Campbell began to write verses him. It was in Argyleshire, among the romantic young. There are some attempts at poetry yet mountains of the North, that the poetical spirit extant among his friends in Scotland, written increased in energy, and the charms of verse took when he was but nine years old. They natural- entire possession of his mind. Many people now ly are childish, but still display that propensity alive remember him there wandering alone by for the muses by which at a remarkably early the torrent, or over the rugged steeps of that wild age he was so distinguished. For his place of country, reciting the strains of other poets aloud, education he had a great respect, as well as for or silently composing his own. Several of his the memory of his masters, of whom he always pieces which he has rejected in his collected spoke in terms of great affection. He was twelve works, are handed about in Scotland in manuyears old when he quitted school for the Uni- script. The "Dirge of Wallace" (given at page versity of Glasgow. There he was considered an 64), which will not be found in the London excellent Latin scholar, and gained high honor by Editions of his works, is one of these wild coma contest with a candidate twice as old as him- positions; and it is difficult to say why he should self, by which he obtained a bursary. He con- have rejected it, for the poetry is truly noble. stantly bore away the prizes, and every fresh It has hitherto appeared only in fugitive publi success only seemed to stimulate him to more cations and newspapers. ambitious exertions. In Greek he was considered From Argyleshire, where his residence was the foremost student of his age; and some of not a protracted one, Campbell removed to Edin burgh. There he was very quickly noticed for It was set to an old Irish air of the most touching his talents, and grew familiar with the cele. pathos, and will perish only with the language. brated men who at that period ornamented the Campbell travelled over a great part of GerScottish capital. The friendship and kindness many and Prussia, visiting the universities and of some of the first men of the age, could not acquiring a knowledge of German literature. fail to stimulate a mind like that of Campbell. From the walls of a convent he commanded a He became intimate with Dugald Stuart; and part of the field of Hohenlinden during that almost every leading professor of the Univer-sanguinary contest, and proceeded afterwards sity of Edinburgh was his friend. While in in the track of Moreau's army over the scene of Edinburgh, he brought out his celebrated "Pleas-combat. This impressive sight produced the ures of Hope" at the age of twenty-one. It is celebrated "Battle of Hohenlinden;" an ode not too much to say of this work, that no poet which is as original as it is spirited, and stands of this, or perhaps any other country, ever pro- by itself in British literature. The poet tells a duced, at so early an age, a more elaborate and story of the phlegm of a German postilion at finished performance. For this work, which for this time, who was driving him post by a place twenty years produced to the publishers between where a skirmish of cavalry had happened, and two and three hundred pounds a-year, the author who alighted and disappeared, leaving the carreceived at first but 10., which was afterwards riage and the traveller alone in the cold (for increased by an additional sum, and the profits the ground was covered with snow) for a conaccruing from a 4to edition of his work. By a siderable space of time. At length he came subsequent act of the legislature, extending the back, and it was found that he had been emterm of copyright, it reverted again to the author; ploying himself in cutting off the long tails of but, as might be expected, with no proportional the slain horses, which he coolly placed on the increase of profit. To criticise here a work which vehicle and drove on his route. Campbell was has become a British classic, would be superfluous. also in Ratisbon when the French and Austrian Campbell's pecuniary circumstances were by no treaty saved it from bombardment—a most anxmeans liberal at this time, and a pleasant anecdote ious moment. is recorded of him, in allusion to the hardships of In Germany, Campbell made the friendship of an author's case similarly situated with himself; the two Schlegels, of many of the most noted he was desired to give a toast at a festive moment literary and political characters, and was for when the character of Napoleon was at its utmost tunate enough to pass an entire day with the point of disesteem in England. He gave "Bo- venerable Klopstock, who died just two years naparte." The company started with astonish- afterwards. The proficiency of Campbell in the ment. "Gentlemen," said he, "here is Bonaparte German language was rendered very considerabl in his character of executioner of the booksell- by this visit, and his own indefatigable perseers." Palm the bookseller had just been executed in Germany by the orders of the French. verance in study. He eagerly read all the works he met with, some of them upon very abstruse After residing not quite three years in Edin- topics, and suffered no obstacle to intervene beburgh, Campbell quitted his native country for tween himself and his studies, wherever he might the continent. He sailed for Hamburgh, and chance to be. Though of a cheerful and lively there made many acquaintances among the more temper and disposition, and by no means averse enlightened of the society both in that city and from the pleasures which are so attractive in Altona. There were numerous Irish exiles in the morning of existence, they were rendered the neighborhood of Hamburgh at that time, and subservient to the higher views of the mind, and some of them fell in the way of the poet, who after-were pursued for recreation only, nor suffered wards related many curious anecdotes of them. to distract his attention a moment from the great There were sincere and honest men among them, business of his life. who with the energy of the national character, The travels of Campbell in Germany occupied and an enthusiasm for liberty, had plunged into about thirteen months; when he returned to the desperate cause of the rebellion two years England, and for the first time visited London. before, and did not despair of liberty and equality He soon afterwards composed those two noble in Ireland even then. Some of them were in marine odes, "The Battle of the Baltic," and "Ye private life most amiable persons, and their fate Mariners of England," which, with his "Hohenwas every way entitled to sympathy. The poet, linden," stand unrivalled in the English tongue, from that compassionate feeling which is an and though, as Byron lamented, Campbell has amiable characteristic of his nature, wrote the written so little, they are enough alone to place "Exile of Erin," from the impression their situ- him unforgotten in the shrine of the muses. ation and circumstances made upon his mind. In 1803 the poet married Miss Sinclair, a lady of Scottish descent and considerable personal beauty, rather than wit with which they are seasoned. Lut of whom he was deprived by death in 1828. Of all the natives of Scotland, however, he has His residence was at Sydenham, and the entire least of the patois of the country in his delivery, neighborhood of that pleasant village reckoned which is surprising, when it is considered he was itself in the circle of his friends; nor did he quit above twenty-one years of age before he quitted his rural retreat until, in 1821, literary pursuits it, and shows how accurately he must have atdemanded his residence in the metropolis. It was tuned his ear to the English pronunciation early at Sydenham, in a house looking towards the res- in life. Besides his knowledge of the Latin and ervoir, that the poet produced his greatest work, Greek languages, Campbell is a good German "Gertrude of Wyoming," written in the Spen- scholar, has acquired a considerable knowledge serian stanza. It is a simple Indian tale, but the of Hebrew, and speaks French fluently. tenderness and beauty of the thoughts and ex- During the residence of Campbell at Sydenham, pressions are scarcely equalled, certainly not sur- there were several individuals in that village who passed, in any English poet. The speech of Outa- were fond of inviting literary men to their tables, lissi seems to have furnished Byron with a hint for and were conspicuous for their conviviality. the style and form of several of his stories. About Numerous choice spirits used to meet together the same time Campbell was appointed professor there, and among them was Campbell. The of poetry in the Royal Institution, where he de- repartee and joke were exchanged, and many a livered lectures, which have since been published. practical trick played off which now forms the He also undertook the editorship of selections from burden of an after-dinner story wherever the the British poets, intended as specimens of each, various individuals then present are scattered. and accompanied with critical remarks, extend- Many of these have been since distinguished in ing to several volumes. These remarks show the the literary world; among them were the faceerudition of the author, but they also proclaim tious brothers, the Smiths, James and Horace, that fastidiousness of taste and singular sensi- Theodore Hook, and others; but it appears tiveness regarding all he publishes, which is so Campbell was behind none of them in the zest distinguishing a characteristic of this poet. He with which he entered into the pleasantries of refines, and re-refines, until his sentences appear to have lost connexion with each other, in his anxiety to render them as perfect as possible. the time, and many an anecdote is recorded of him on these occasions, to which some biographer will doubtless do justice hereafter. Soon after the publication of his Selections he In 1824 Campbell published his "Theodric, a again visited Germany, and spent some time in Domestic Tale," the least popular of his works. Vienna, where he acquired a considerable know- Many pieces of great merit came out in the same ledge of the Austrian court and its manners, and volume, among which are the "Lines to J. P. closely observed that unrelaxing despotism by Kemble," and those entitled the " Last Man." which it governs. He remained long at Bonn, The fame of Campbell, however, must rest on where his friend, A. W. Schlegel, resides, and his previous publications, which, though not passed his time in cultivating the intimacy of numerous, are so correct, and were so fastidiousother literary men there. Leaving his son under ly revised, that, while they remain as standards the care of a tutor in Bonn University, Campbell of purity in the English tongue, they sufficiently returned to England in 1820, to undertake the explain why their author's compositions are so editorship of the New Monthly Magazine, a pub- limited in number, "since he who wrote so corlication which speedily came into extensive cir- rectly could not be expected to write much." culation, and, with Blackwood's Magazine, which By his marriage Campbell had two sons. One espouses the opposite side in politics, takes the of them died before attaining his twentieth year; lead in English menstrual literature. To the New the other while at Bonn, where, as already obMonthly Magazine Campbell has contributed little, served, he was placed for his education, exhibitindeed nothing more than is before the public ed symptoms of an erring mind, which, on his with his name. He is slow, and even idle in his return to England soon afterwards, ripened into habits of business. To fix his attention closely mental derangement of the milder species. This for any considerable time to literary labor is a disease, it is probable, he inherited on his mother's difficult thing, and composition seems rather a side, as on his father's no symptoms of it had task than a pleasure, since the fire of his youth ever been shown. After several years passed in has cooled. He is fond of the society of his this way, during which the mental disease considfriends, and of the social hour; his stock of erably relaxed, so that young Campbell became anecdotes and stories, which is extensive, is often wholly inoffensive, his father received him into displayed on these occasions, but it is humor his house. The effects of such a sight upon a |