Editor's Table [pp. 228-235]

1860.]
Editor's Table.
233
We object very decidedly to a theory whlichl a gentleman who, in a((ddition to a lisp and
makes to distinction between poetry and a constitutional incapacity to pronounce
verses, l)bt places the miere mnechanic(al ver- the letter r, labours under a catarrh vhich
sifier on thle same level with the acknowl-
edged( child of genius. Laura Ma,til(lda, ae- affectl eve ortograpy n corresponcor(ling to this tlieo y, was most uinjust!y dence. We must leave it to the reader to
crield (lown, andl thle Della Cruscans in gene- translate his letter.
ral were very lIadly used. What dloes Mr.
Prentice think of such stanzas as tlhese? THE THAD CATHE OF ALFWEL BOWWITHAL.
Clouds of ambler, dreams of gladness, I ab) wetelied(-tle both wetched( of hlu Dulcet joys and( sports of youtht, bal )eils! Alath! alathi! upol what a thliel Soon illmlst yield to haughty sad(ness, der thlwel bags all the.bhappylethl of thotlhe
Me(rcy holds the veil to truth. thlat illhablit thith )lda(lle tlll)lheahl! Ah! by
* ~ ~ ~ * a yug fwels! you little guetll thle (letlitily that
Where is Cul)pid('s crimson motion? awaitll you, little a)pp)wehlel how sool yoah
Billowy ecstasy of woe, hligli-flowl expectatthuls will be d(athlt to
Bear me straight, mnean(dering ocean, )iecetll al yoah visliuls of pwospewity
Whlere thle stagnant torrents flow. dlitli)atlel beyol t he clhaltli of westowa thul. Lithel to me!
Is this poetry? We respectfully l)t fear- By a calabily levelt to be thuffithlelly (lelessly Subtnit that it is not, at(d yet we (lo plowahld, I hlave heel ullabel fiob by eahnot see how our friend of the Louisville wilieth yeahtli to thlpeakl the Egglith lagJournal can escape recognizing it as such, wadge athl it ithl gelwy thll)oklel, though I
un(ler the terms of his definition, for lhere lihave alwathl ballad(lged(t to b)ake byth)elf olwe certainly have the "metrical arrange- lelhthiood( by thothe accuthomed( to by
mient of articulate sounds in verse, very thw-ai(dge pwolulthlliatlhuli. I lithp, ad that
musical sounds, unexceptionable verse. itl bad cloiugh, gwaitftluth knowtht! but I
But wve contest Mr. Prenti(e's (ldecision on althlo pwolowtlt the lettahi' r" like the letthis -crilical point," most of all because of tal- "w v"-a badd(lig thig ildeel! Butt thith
the immellse number of l)oets with which ith lot all. Oh lo! by yug fwels, lot at all.
ve slhouldl be afflicted(, if ]lis (loctrineslould( Alother ballud(ly, a (lithgtithtig eobplailt
be accel)tel as t,ue. In thle irame of com- totchuth be beyol el(lduwalth-lI allude of
mon sense, there are quite enough yoiung coatli to tlhat chliwolic ilflaibed( tlitate ofthe
gentlemen already who yield to indolence, Thidewial beblwale, il otleli wor(thl the
affect eccentricity of life, indulge in the lilig b:)couth b)ebwvale of the d(lothtwils
pharmoeakon iepenthes of' bran(ly or opiumrn, which wetliultlh il what I bay call telchlian(l fail to pay their tailor's bills, through cally a pepwetcltl fluelt cowyza, or, il
a mistaklen i(lea that they are poets, and( col)t)al l)arlalce, al etullal bal cole.
therefore above the necessity of vulgar toil. II what a pailfull al ild(tele d(itltwacktig
In the name of domestic happiness, there is baller thith obduwate al ulbllitigatel thlufa sufficiently large class of young la(lies iewig hlatlh ofteltimethl bwoutghlt be, I eallot
alread(y who cultivate extreme iiisery, neg- thltop to lawate. But wlmd thlig I l)utlt
lect their toilets, and pour forthl the melo- lee(dthl tell, bfor it ulveilth ath with a wayof
dious tears of song to the manifestd(lisco)i- elechttwic light the lattiahl al extelt of by
fort of all around thlem, un(ler tle (lelusive pwethlelt iinpawalelled( agoly.
notion tlhat they have greatt ttunappreciated I wath twvavelling to tihe gwveat cobbersouls. and were born the Heinanses and cial tlhea pote of thle Loth-to Lew Yawk,
La(Ilons oft their generation. But howv by the idladi( woute. I hadl p)wogwetlted
frightfiully will the number of these scrib)- thatithlifactowily ath faw atli the tlitty of
blers be augmented, if every b)oy or girl Baltiboah in the Thtilate of Btwylad(, al
who can string words together after a had tltelecte( lod(gigs at the I)wilcip)al ho"lnetrieal arrangement of artictulate sounds tel-Bawlubtl, if' I bithtake lot. I attwiin verse," is to be dignified( with the lofty h)tte by good fortlmle il aeco)plithig thith
title of poet. Against such an increase of much of thle I)wopotlte(l twpl) to the vewy
thle irace of bards, angels and ministers of latulwal thirettbtlialth of by le vehl opelig by
grace defend us! bouth (duwig the whole dimistalce. Ha(l I
(dud thio, it itli ibp)othible to thay what
~- ~~- xvwould have beel thle colthliqueltlies-but I
ab) suah they wvou(ld have h)eel botlit (lith The in.celicities of sp)elling, illustrated in athtwus. Whlel I wegithii(td by lale —--
Jeames Yellowplush and Mozis Adduums, "Aft;vel Bowvwithal, Witchbul, Virgilia"
andl of pronnlciation exhibited by Lord --— it wath with tlhe hopeal the colfidelt ex pectathul titat the cleawuk, Bithteh Jelligs,
Dundreary and the London Swell, have I bail seel hih fwequeltlyatthekxehtaidge
never reached the acme displayed in the would at wulth tathtign be a woob ald that
following "Sad Case of Alfted Morrison," I bight go to the thabe ulder the guidalce of