Samuel Johnson, a renowned English critic, essayist, lexicographer, and poet, was born in Lichfield, September 18, 1709, and died in London, December 13, 1784. Among his many works may be mentioned: “Life of Richard Savage,” “The Vanity of Human Wishes,” “Life of Dryden,” “Plan for a Dictionary,” “The Rambler,” “Irene,” “The Idler,” “Shakespeare with Notes,” “The False Alarm,” “Taxation no Tyranny,” “Rasselas,” “English Poets,” etc.
Men are polished, through act and speech,
Each by each,
As pebbles are smoothed on the rolling beach.
“A Home Idyl,”—John Townsend Trowbridge.
John Townsend Trowbridge, a celebrated American poet, novelist and general writer, was born in Ogden, N. Y., September 18, 1827, and died in 1916. He has written: “Martin Merrivale,” “Neighbor Jackwood,” “The Old Battle Ground,” “The Drummer Boy,” “The Three Scouts,” “Coupon Bonds,” “The Story of Columbus,” “The Jack Hazard Series,” “The Silver Medal Series,” “The Emigrant’s Story, and Other Poems,” “At Sea,” “The Pewee,” “Hearts and Faces,” “The Vagabonds,” “The Book of Gold, and Other Poems,” “The Start in Life Series,” “The Tide Mill Series,” “Poetical Works,” “My Own Story,” etc.
O Traveller who hast wandered far
’Neath southern sun and northern star,
Say where the fairest regions are!
Friend, underneath whatever skies
Love looks in love-returning eyes,
There are the bowers of paradise.
“The Bowers of Paradise,”—Clinton Scollard.
Clinton Scollard, a popular American poet and author, was born in New York, September 18, 1860. He has published: “Pictures in Song,” “Old and New World Lyrics,” “Under Summer Skies,” “Lyrics and Legends of Christmastide,” “Odes and Elegies,” “From the Lips of the Sea,” “Poems—A Selection from the Harvest of Thirty Years of Song,” “A Christmas Garland,” “A Knight of the Highway,” “A Son of a Tory,” “The Lutes of Morn,” “Lyrics of the Dawn,” “Footfaring,” etc.
Let the soldier be abroad if he will, he can do nothing in this age. There is another personage,—a personage less imposing in the eyes of some, perhaps insignificant. The schoolmaster is abroad, and I trust to him, armed with his primer, against the soldier in full military array.
“Speech,” January 29, 1828,—Lord Brougham.
Henry Peter Brougham, Lord Brougham, a distinguished British statesman and author, was born in Edinburgh, September 19, 1778, and died at Cannes, France, May 7, 1868. His most important works are: “Lives of Men of Letters and Science,” “Speeches,” and “Sketches of the Statesmen of the Time of George III.”