The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-24 00:00:00

DEATH OF JACOB GRIMM

This celebrated German writer, who, in conjunc-
tion with his late brother William, has been so
long well kdown, not only in Germany, but
throughout all Europe, died on Sunday evening
last at Berlin, after a short illness. He was born on
January 4, 1785, and had therefore reached his 79th
year. Although ho sought comparative retirement
after the death of his brother, he was indefatigable
up to his last moment in carrying out the objects to
which he had devoted his long and useful life; and
with patriotic self-devotion his last hears were
spent, not in earning new fame by the continuation
of those works which were so peculiarly his own,
but in the preparation of his great German dic-
tionary. Jacob Grimm, like many others, had
difficulties to contend with in the outset of his
career. When he commenced the trade of author-
ship, Augustus William Schlegel looked upon an-
cient German literature as in some degree his own
domain, and did not treat the young beginner with
any degree of friendship, regarding him almost as
an usurper, and found terrible fault with his etymo-
logy. But a change soon came over the feelings of
Schlegel as to his countryman, for afterwards he
never spoke or wrote of him without expressing the
highest opinion of his talents, and be once said—
" I cannot ❑ame him without expressing my admi-
ration of his greatness." His loss will be irre-
parable in more than one sense, for he was honoured
and esteemed in Germany not less as a man than as
a scholar, and the tranquil spirit by which he was
actuated, manifested itself in the kindly nature of
his writings. I❑ politics he took the Liberal side
—not to say the freethinking side—and his loss will
he felt by many German journals, with the con-
ductors of which he was on terms of valued amity.
It is to be regretted that the great national German
dictionary on which he vc's engaged has not reached
beyond the word " Fromm ;" but, from the ample
materials left by the deceased, there is every hope
that the work will be concluded in as satisfactory a
manner as that in which it was commenced.

A Curious Case of Literary Plagiarism.

The Athenceum states that a very curious case of literary
plagiarism is now engaging much attention in the two
Universities—greatly to the disadvantage of Cambridge,
The Camden Medal, for the best Latin poem on " India
Pacificata," was this year awarded to Mr. F, W. H. Myers,
a scholar of Trinity College. The poem having been printed,
eyes quicker and more critical than those of the examiners
perceive that a large portion—some say more than one-
fourth of it—has been taken, line for line and word for
word, from the prize poetry of Oxford, To give a few in-
stances. Mr. Myers has these lines :

si non fluit auro
Finibus his rutilam uoluens Plata diues harenam,
Si non pestifero pallens sub fornice seruus
lncumbit ruadidis aeterna nocte fodinis.
Sminaque effossi cogit generosa metalli ;
At tibi concessit foecundos übere campos
Sol propior, tibi pampineo grauidus autumno
Floret ager, moderatque aestum intactabilis anni.
The following lines appear in the Oxford poem for 1812,
by Mr. H. Latham, of Brasenose

si non fluit auro
Finibus his rutilam volvens Plata dives arenam,
Si non pestifero pallens sub fornice servus
Incumbit madidis eeterna necte todinis.
Seminaque effossi cogit pretiosa metalli ;
At tibi concessit fcecundos übere campos
Sol propior, tibi pampineo....
—And Virgil, Georg. ii. 5 :
pampiaeo gravidus auctumno
Floret ager.
—This passage, also put under contribution, appears in
Mr. Law's Oxford poem of 1807 :
Mulcentque m3tum intractabilis anni.
Again, Mr. Myers has these lines :

- -
Neue ergo inpastae proiecta cadavers circum
Inuigilate tigres, obscenarumque volucrum
Tetra super legio ferali remiget ala.
—Compare three lines in a poem by C. Wordsworth, of
Christ Church, which obtained the prize in 1827 :
Dum procul impasta3projecta cadavera circum
Invigilant tigres. obsecenarumque volucrum
Tetra super legio ferali remigat ala.
Again, Mr. Myers has—
Nunc autem e coelo niveis concordia pennis
Plaudit, et annorum incepit formosior ordo :
Securos veluti cum rauca per eequora nidos
Alcyones posuere, tugantur carmine nubes,
Suave micant fiuctus et detumuere procellsa.

—Compare with the following passage from the Oxford
poem of 1827, by Mr. Wordsworth:—
Pone sequens coelo niveis concordia pennis
Plaudit; et annorum incepit jam purior ordo,
Secures veluti cum rauca per a3quura nidos
Alcyones posuore, fugantur carmine. nubes,
Suave micant fluctus et detumuere procellal.
And, again, Mr. Myers has—
Fortunate nimis regio, si munere quantum
Naturaa flores, tantum contingeret et to
Florere reternum virtuta animisque tuorum.
Pot tuata nimis regio, si in vera veniret
Barbarus officm, et jam tandem turpia vellet
Vincula desicso et longum excussisse veternum.
—Compare with the Oxford poem of 1807, by W. J. Law,
of Christ Church :

Fortunate nimis regio; si nunc quoque quantum,
Muneribus verbs aucta coolique solique,
Tantum etiam aucta lures virtute animisquo tuorum.
Fortunata nimbi regio, si in sane rediret,

Consilia Hispanus s 1 tandem turpia vellet
Vincula desidia3.et longum excussisse veternum.
—Much curious speculation is going on in the University
as to what action the authorities will take in the matter.
So fligrant a case of plagiarism cannot be overlooked ; and
the general opinion is, that the examiners will have to re•
view their decision, and call upon Mr. Myers for an expla-
nation of his conduct.

The old saying of "Murder will out" appears

likely to be verified in the case of a crime commit-
ted two years ago on the person of an old man named De-
france, residing at Laval (Aisne), who was killed while
alone in his house, the murderer never since being disco-
vered. About a fortnight ago a quarrel took place in the
street between the son of the murdered man and a relative.
Words of the most insulting kind were exchanged, when
the relative, irritated by some remark of young Defrance,
exclaimed that at all events he had never attempted to kill
his father. The observation soon came to the ears of the
authorities, and the wife of the old man, his son's wife, and
the servant ware interrogated, and ultimately sent in cus-
tody to Laon. The son of Defranco was not at home at the
time, but on his return he also was taken into custody.
The next eclipse of the present year, one of the
sun, takes place on the 11th of November. It will not be
visible at Paris, but can be seen on the southern hemi-
sphere, at Cape Horn, the Cape of Good Hope, and Aus-
tralia,