The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-03-22 00:00:00

DEATH OF MR. R. H. HORNE.

The death is announced of the well-known poet,
Mr. Richard Henry Horne, who expired at Margate,
on the 13th inst., in his 82nd year. The Times man
obituary notice says: Mr. Home's life was a stirring
and romantic one. Educated at Sandhurst., he en-
tered the Mexican navy as a midshipman, in which
capacity he saw considerable service. He was present
at the bombardment of Vera Cruz, and the captnre of
the fortress of San Juan Ulloa, and followed the
fortunes of the Mexican - Spanish war to its
close. While swimming in the Bay of Vera
Cruz he narrowly escaped being seized by a shark.
Subsequently he suffered from a severe attack
of yellow fever. He next went to the United States,
visiting several Indian encampments. Passing on to
Niagara, he had two ribs broken beneath the cataract.
Not long afterwards he was wrecked in the Gulf
of St. Lawrence. At length he sailed from Nova
Scotia for Europe in a timber ship, which took fire on
the way after a mutiny on board. The adventurous
traveller, however, landed safely in England, where
he now devoted himself to literature. He made many
friendships among men of letters, and was held in
affectionate regard by Mr. and Mrs. Browning, and
many others. Among his published works were "The
Spirit of Peers and People," which is described as a
national tragi-comedy ; "Exposition of the False
Medium and Barriers excluding men of Genius from
the Public," "The Death of Marlowe," " Cosmo de,
Medici," "Gregory V 11.," dramas in which not a
little of the Elizabethan fire and spirit were repro-
duced; and "Orion," the poem by which he is most
generally known. This latter work, an attempt at
epic poetry, was originally published at a farthing—a
step taken by the author partly to express the feeling
of contempt into which epic poetry had fallen, and
partly with the view of obtaining a wide circulation for
the first throe editions of the work, of which no person
was allowed to obtain more than one copy. In 1877
he collected and published the letters which had been
addressed to him by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
They would have appeared some years before but for
the author's "long absence from England, variety of
occupation, and bush life in Australia, added to
motives of delicacy in the fear of intruding on unclosed
wounds from the loss of such a spirit." Mr. Home's
career at the Antipodes is full of interest. He left
England in 1852, in company with William Howitt,
for Australia. The two friends went to the goldfields
—a strange enterprise for brother poets—and Horne
was appointed Commander of the Gold Escort at
Melbourne. On his first return trip he brought down
two ton weights of gold. His fame as a manager and
organiser qpickly spread, and he was appointed
successivelt- -commissioner in charge of the
goldfields Vd- a territorial magistrate, commis-.
sioner of the Van Yean Water Supply, min-
ing registrar, &c., at the Blue Mountains. Always
known for his fondness for muscular exercise, he
became one of the champion swimmers of Australia,
winning the gold medal, silver medal, silver mounted
claret-jug, and other trophies at St. Kilda, near Mel-
bourne. It is stated that on one occasion he swam
after being bound band and foot. Being not alto-
gether satisfied with his treatment by the Australian
Government, which failed to appreciate his services as
they deserved, Mr. Home returned to England in
1869, and he has resided in this country ever since. De-
ceased had married, shortly before his departure
for Australia, Miss Foggo, a niece of the
eccentric artist of that name. In 1874 the
Earl of Beaconsfield conferred upon Mr. Horne
a Civil List pension of £lOO per annum. In
personal character, the deceased was one of the most
simple and charming of men, though he was not
devoid of crotchets and peculiarities. He was striking
and handsome of feature, and when past 80 year of
age his brilliancy of eye and clearness of mental
vision were remarkable. He was fluent of speech,
and at the Shakespearian dinner of the Urban Club,
in 1879, held at St. John's Gate, he delivered a glow-
ing and eloquent eulogium upon the world's greatest
poet. It may be added that, though Mr. Horne was
known to many as Mr. Richard Hengist Horne, his
second name was in reality Henry. The name
" Hengist " was assumed, and in recent years was dis-
continued by the poet.