and most successful from every worldly
point of view. He had published his poems, while still a young man, and
they had made him famous at once. For more than fifty years he was
honored as one of the first of the poets of America, and for a large
part of that time he was held as indisputably the first in rank. His
work received honors and commendation over the sea as well as at home,
almost from the first. It seems very curious to us now to think of his
selling the very finest of his poems for two dollars apiece; yet he did
that, and seemed satisfied with the compensation. In later life, when
two hundred dollars would have been gladly paid him for such poems, he
declined to write, saying that no man should write poetry in old age.
The greater part of his poetry was written before he went to New York
and became editor-in-chief of the "Evening Post." After that time he was
always driven by newspaper work and involved in political controversy,
and rarely wrote verses. In old age he made his translations of the
"Iliad" and the "Odyssey," which were very remarkable works for a man of
his years; but he seldom wrote an original poem, although what he did
write scarcely showed a falling off from the work of his prime.

He was very conscientious in his work as an editor, and was honored by
the entire nation for the noble and patriotic course he took at the time
of the anti-slavery excitement, and throughout the Civil war. Men will
long remember the brave and spirited utterances of his paper during that
time that so tried men's souls. He did much, during his long career as
an editor, for American literature, for American art, and for the
general culture of his countrymen. In his numerous visits to Europe he
learned much of the workings of the institutions of the Old World, and
gave his readers the benefit of his studies of the comparative merits of
Old and New World methods; and while always fair in his judgments, he
was always patriotic, and stood gallantly by his own land. He was much
honored while abroad, as well as at home, and made acquaintance with
many distinguished men in foreign lands. Mr. Bryant had been brought up
a Unitarian, and he maintained his connection with that church
throughout life. Many of his dearest friends were among the ministers of
that denomination, and he wrote many of his most beautiful hymns for
occasions connected with that church. He was always a devoutly religious
man, but grew even more so in la