The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-07-07
DjsraeII as an Ep,c Poet


The English journals are roasting Mr.. Dsraeli
for his republication of poem "Thc Revolu-
tionary Epic" which he first printed in 1884, and
which appears to have wonderfully little merit.
One literary journal gives the following account
of this work -
"In the brief madness Of puerile literary en-
thusiatm, which he can afford now 10 look back
upon without shame-and which is, we repeat
one of the natural distCmpeTs of youth-he
vented this frrPmeni OF rhapsody. Ii is neither
poetry, nor philosophy, nor sense. 1t IS night
mare dream OF sbadOwy allegorical monsters,
discoursing in feeble and placid blank verse, and
in an idiom which is not EDgli b, about the
political condition Of Europe from the fail OF the
Roman Empire 10 NnpoleoD's Italian campaign
Of 1897. MagTos is the Genius of FcudalIsmi
LyridoB is the Genius of Federalism. The former
is attended by a pair of Junior sprites, called
Faith ard Fealiy the latter by female named
Opinion, who, like the sex, is apt to change her
mind.
They discuss, at the tribunal of DemogOrgon,
their Iespt ctye claims TO rule over the earth.
This takes up two books, ending with decree
that General Bonaparte shall set the world TO
rights. In he third book, Lyridon having visited
the French camp at MOnten0tte and delivered
mess &c 10 the Genera, We read OF the defeat OF
the PieCmOntesc and Austrians, with the estab-
hshment of the Cisapue Republic az Milan. Is
il worth while 10 spend word OF criticism on
poem 70 absuIdly planned as this Mr.. Disraell
has republished II, with dedication to Lord
y,
with hazz.n, an apologist for political assassi-
naliCn.
"Ntycrtbeless, it is shown that he could only
prove this by Altering certain passages IN the
p, EN- as il was originally published, and as he
has choseD to 90 this seCrety-that is 70 say,
without cOntessing iI-he is taken To task for IL.
at seems tbat the edition of 1894 contained
some expressions, which Mr.. Disraeli has now
struck out more distinctly iayOTing the doctrine
OF killing DO murter, than ho is disposed in 1864
| 10 ayOw. Instead Of the sentence
" Halowed be
The repcldal s'eel that shall redeem
ballowing the regicidal steel which simply re-
deems q DaTOus woe, that passage Ot the original
! poem ran thus -
"'Apd blessed be the hand that dares to wave
The relic dal steel hat SHAH redeem
| nalion sorrow with a tyrunts blood
| This cannot be understood Of the judicial eXecu-
tiuu of criminal king. There is another passage
| which Mr.. DisIaei has ChOs N to alter In the
present edition, whilst he declares that his cor
! TeCtiuus are purely literary, and that they do
| not affect the evidence regarding his former ad-
vocacy Of political assassination. In the original
! poem be said, when speaking Of Rome,
Her own and Natures laws alike approved
"That was what Mr.. Dsraeli said in 1884. In
! 1864 Mr. Disraeli has changed it into this-still
speaking Of Rome -
"'The blow bold Brutu' struck, her fate
"And these, he assures us, are purely literary
corrections.
The republication of the work arose out Of a
question put 20 Mr.. Dsraeli in a recent debate in
Parliament. Mr.. Stansted, member OF the adj
miuistratiOn was charged with holding to MAJ
zin's doctrine, that "tyrannicide is jusuhaOle.
This was denied, and Mr. Disraeli was himself
charged with the utterance Of such sentiment
TheTeupon he reprints the "Epick to snow thal
he was falsely accused-aud leaves out the very
sentehce on which the charge was Justly predi'
Gated This is the theme Of scorniul comment
by English journals.