Homes and Haunts of the Most Eminent British Poets, Vol. 2 (of 2)Howitt, William
General
Homes and Haunts of the Most Eminent British Poets, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Howitt, William
Literary landmarks -- Great Britain; Poets, English -- Homes and haunts
From long before the time of Mr. Crabbe's removal to Trowbridge, he
had been in the habit of making, during the season, occasionally a
visit to London. His fame, especially after the publication of The
Borough, was established. His power of painting human life and
character, the bold and faithful pencil with which he did this, the
true sympathies with the poor and afflicted and neglected which
animated him, were all fully perceived and acknowledged; and he found
himself a welcome guest in the highest circles of both aristocracy and
literature. He who had been the humble curate of Belvoir, subject to
slights and insults from pompous domestics, which are difficult to
complain of, but are deeply felt, had, long before quitting the
neighborhood of the castle, been the honored guest in the midst of the
proudest nobles. In London, all the literary coteries were eager to
have him. Holland-house, Lansdowne-house, the Duke of Rutland's, and
other great houses, found him a frequent guest amid lords and ladies,
dukes and duchesses; and at Holland-house, and Mr. Rogers's, he was
surrounded by all that was at the time brilliant and famous in the
political and literary world. These visits, after the death of his
wife, became annual, and the old man wonderfully enjoyed them. The
extracts which his son has given from his journal, teem with men and
women of title and name. He is dining or breakfasting with Lady Errol,
Lady Holland, the Duchess of Rutland. He meets Mr. Fox, Mr. Canning,
Foscolo; Lords Haddington, Dundas, Strangford, etc.; Moore, Campbell,
Sir Walter Scott, Sir James Mackintosh; Ladies Spencer and Besborough;
Duke and Duchess of Cumberland; in fact, every body. He became much
attached to the Hoares, of Hampstead, and used to take up his quarters
there, and with them make summer excursions to Hastings, the isle of
Wight, and the like places. With them he saw Miss Edgeworth, Joanna
Baillie, etc. So popular was he become, that John Murray gave him
£3000 for his Tales of the Hall, and he carried the bills for that sum
home in his waistcoat pocket. His meeting with Sir Walter Scott caused
him to accept a pressing invitation from him to Scotland, whither he
happened to go at the time of George IV.'s visit to Edinburgh; by
which means, though he saw all the gala of the time, and all Highland
costumes, he missed seeing Scott at Abbotsford. At Scott's house, in
Castle-street, occurred his adventure with the three Highland chiefs,
which has caused much merriment. He came down one morning and found
these three portly chiefs in full Highland costume, talking at a great
rate, in a language which he did not understand; and not thinking of
Gaelic, concluded that they were foreigners. They, on their part,
seeing an elderly gentleman, dressed in a somewhat antiquated style,
with buckles in his shoes, and perfectly clerical, imagined him some
learned abbé, who had come on a visit to Sir Walter. The consequence
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account