Eneas Sweetland Dallas
Encyclopedia
Eneas Sweetland Dallas (1828–1879) was a Scottish journalist
and author
.
parentage, and his wife Elizabeth (née
Baillie), the daughter of the Rev. Angus McIntosh of Tain
and sister of Rev. Caldor McIntosh. He was born in the island of Jamaica
in 1828 and was brought to England
when four years of age. He was educated at the Edinburgh University, where he studied philosophy under Sir William Hamilton
, and acquired the habit of applying notions derived from eclectic psychology
to the analysis of aesthetic
effects in poetry
, rhetoric
, and the fine art
s.
His first publication in which he proved his mastery of this line of investigation was entitled Poetics, an Essay on Poetry, a work which he produced in 1852, when he had taken up his residence in London
. His abilities were destined, however, to be absorbed chiefly in anonymous journalism. He first made his mark in London by sending an article to The Times
, a critique which by its vigour and profundity secured immediate attention.
For many years afterwards he was on John Thadeus Delane
's brilliant staff. Neither biography, politics, literary criticism
, nor any other subject came amiss to his comprehensive intellect. Few men wrote more careful, graceful English, a merit well worth recording.
Dallas also contributed to the Daily News, the Saturday Review (London)
, the Pall Mall Gazette
, and the World. For about a year and a half, in 1868-69, he was editor of Once a Week
. In 1866 he produced two volumes of a projected four-volume work named The Gay Science, a title borrowed from Provençal
troubadour
s. It was an attempt to discover the source in the constitution of the human mind of the pleasure afforded by poetry. The subject was, however, too abstruse for the general reader, and the book did not meet with the attention which it deserved.
He acted as a special correspondent for The Times at the Paris exhibition of 1867
, and again sent interesting letters to The Times from Paris
during the siege of 1870
. In 1868 he edited an abridgment of Samuel Richardson
's Clarissa
. Afterwards he wrote a treatise on gastronomy
, based on the famous work of Brillat-Savarin; to it he attached the pseudonym of A. Kettner, and the title was Kettner's Book of the Table, a Manual of Cookery, 1877. More recently he was engaged on a new edition of François de La Rochefoucauld
's Maxims, and he wrote an elaborate article on that work, which was unpublished at the time of his death.
In December 1853 he married, according to Scottish law, the well-known actress Miss Isabella Glyn
(then the widow of Edward Wills), and on 12 July 1855 he was again married to her at St George's, Hanover Square. A separation followed not long after, and the marriage was dissolved in the divorce court on the wife's petition, 10 May 1874.
E.S. Dallas died at 88 Newman Street, north of Oxford Street
, London, 17 January 1879, and was buried at Kensal Green
on 24 January.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
.
Biography
E.S. Dallas was the elder son of John Dallas of Jamaica, a planter of ScottishScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
parentage, and his wife Elizabeth (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Baillie), the daughter of the Rev. Angus McIntosh of Tain
Tain
Tain is a royal burgh and post town in the committee area of Ross and Cromarty, in the Highland area of Scotland.-Etymology:...
and sister of Rev. Caldor McIntosh. He was born in the island of Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
in 1828 and was brought to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
when four years of age. He was educated at the Edinburgh University, where he studied philosophy under Sir William Hamilton
Sir William Hamilton, 9th Baronet
Sir William Hamilton, 9th Baronet was a Scottish metaphysician.-Early life:He was born in Glasgow. He was from an academic family, including Robert Hamilton, the economist...
, and acquired the habit of applying notions derived from eclectic psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
to the analysis of aesthetic
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
effects in poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, rhetoric
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
, and the fine art
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
s.
His first publication in which he proved his mastery of this line of investigation was entitled Poetics, an Essay on Poetry, a work which he produced in 1852, when he had taken up his residence in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. His abilities were destined, however, to be absorbed chiefly in anonymous journalism. He first made his mark in London by sending an article to The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, a critique which by its vigour and profundity secured immediate attention.
For many years afterwards he was on John Thadeus Delane
John Thadeus Delane
John Thadeus Delane , editor of The Times , was born in London.He was the second son of Mr WFA Delane, a barrister, of an old Irish family, who about 1832 was appointed by Mr Walter financial manager of The Times.While still a boy he attracted Mr Walter's attention, and it was always intended that...
's brilliant staff. Neither biography, politics, literary criticism
Literary criticism
Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals...
, nor any other subject came amiss to his comprehensive intellect. Few men wrote more careful, graceful English, a merit well worth recording.
Dallas also contributed to the Daily News, the Saturday Review (London)
Saturday Review (London)
The Saturday Review of politics, literature, science, and art was a London weekly newspaper established by A. J. B. Beresford Hope in 1855....
, the Pall Mall Gazette
Pall Mall Gazette
The Pall Mall Gazette was an evening newspaper founded in London on 7 February 1865 by George Murray Smith; its first editor was Frederick Greenwood...
, and the World. For about a year and a half, in 1868-69, he was editor of Once a Week
Once A Week (magazine)
Once A Week was an English weekly illustrated literary magazine published by Bradbury and Evans. According to John Sutherland, "[h]istorically the magazine's main achievement was to provide an outlet for [an] innovative group of illustrators [in] the 1860s."The magazine was founded in consequence...
. In 1866 he produced two volumes of a projected four-volume work named The Gay Science, a title borrowed from Provençal
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
troubadour
Troubadour
A troubadour was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages . Since the word "troubadour" is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz....
s. It was an attempt to discover the source in the constitution of the human mind of the pleasure afforded by poetry. The subject was, however, too abstruse for the general reader, and the book did not meet with the attention which it deserved.
He acted as a special correspondent for The Times at the Paris exhibition of 1867
Exposition Universelle (1867)
The Exposition Universelle of 1867 was a World Exposition held in Paris, France, in 1867.-Conception:In 1864, Emperor Napoleon III decreed that an international exposition should be held in Paris in 1867. A commission was appointed with Prince Jerome Napoleon as president, under whose direction...
, and again sent interesting letters to The Times from Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
during the siege of 1870
Siege of Paris
The Siege of Paris, lasting from September 19, 1870 – January 28, 1871, and the consequent capture of the city by Prussian forces led to French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and the establishment of the German Empire as well as the Paris Commune....
. In 1868 he edited an abridgment of Samuel Richardson
Samuel Richardson
Samuel Richardson was an 18th-century English writer and printer. He is best known for his three epistolary novels: Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded , Clarissa: Or the History of a Young Lady and The History of Sir Charles Grandison...
's Clarissa
Clarissa
Clarissa, or, the History of a Young Lady is an epistolary novel by Samuel Richardson, published in 1748. It tells the tragic story of a heroine whose quest for virtue is continually thwarted by her family, and is the longest real novelA completed work that has been released by a publisher in...
. Afterwards he wrote a treatise on gastronomy
Gastronomy
Gastronomy is the art or science of food eating. Also, it can be defined as the study of food and culture, with a particular focus on gourmet cuisine...
, based on the famous work of Brillat-Savarin; to it he attached the pseudonym of A. Kettner, and the title was Kettner's Book of the Table, a Manual of Cookery, 1877. More recently he was engaged on a new edition of François de La Rochefoucauld
François de La Rochefoucauld (writer)
François VI, Duc de La Rochefoucauld, Prince de Marcillac was a noted French author of maxims and memoirs. The view of human conduct his writings describe has been summed up by the words "everything is reducible to the motive of self-interest", though the term "gently cynical" has also been applied...
's Maxims, and he wrote an elaborate article on that work, which was unpublished at the time of his death.
In December 1853 he married, according to Scottish law, the well-known actress Miss Isabella Glyn
Isabella Glyn
Isabella Glyn Dallas was a well-known Victorian-era Shakespearean actress.-Life:Isabella Glyn Dallas was born in Edinburgh on 22 May 1823. She made her first stage appearance in Manchester under her mother's maiden name of Glyn on 8 November 1847, where she appeared as Constance in Shakespeare's...
(then the widow of Edward Wills), and on 12 July 1855 he was again married to her at St George's, Hanover Square. A separation followed not long after, and the marriage was dissolved in the divorce court on the wife's petition, 10 May 1874.
E.S. Dallas died at 88 Newman Street, north of Oxford Street
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, United Kingdom. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, as well as its most dense, and currently has approximately 300 shops. The street was formerly part of the London-Oxford road which began at Newgate,...
, London, 17 January 1879, and was buried at Kensal Green
Kensal Green
Kensal Green, also referred to as Kensal Rise is an area of London, England. It is located on the southern edge of the London Borough of Brent and borders the City of Westminster to the East and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to the South....
on 24 January.