New-York tribune., 1868-08-11

poets is old matter OF admiration among MS edOrs ana
critics From the very epgram OF Martial which sng
Rested the entombed bee IN this eptaph Milton drew the
closing thought OF his epaph on Shakespeare" That
Kings for such tomb would wish TO die" (CrebtLe est
Ipsd SIC pOIlSse moro. TO say nothing of the adapta
tons from Homer and Virgil which abound in Paradise
LOd / may mention Millions literal translation OF the
description OF Apoo's hair in the ArgOnautcs of ApO
lOn"s RhOduS which he transfers 70 Adam in oS whom
Round from his parted foreock manly hung
Clustering"
the passage of iphigena in Taurs paraphrazed IN
COmuss description OF her brothers 10 the Lady, the pas
in the Honerc Hymn Apollo recalled by the lines
Then shall this mount
OF Paradise by might Of waves he moved
Millions poetry abOunds in such Tecolleetions and In
touches from Aroso Tasso which, IN his day and be
fore It, always additional pleasure to the educd'eu
reader by whom their source was recognized. ,-, -
But some may say that all TINS Is too true Inc new
poem Is too like MltOns writing IN It's phraseOOEy ahd
turns Of thought and therefore somebody must nave
amused himself in piecing togetheC an ingenious lna
tOn But does cOiner make his base money OF gOlq
The poem s not only in MiltOns manner but IL speaks
his mind Doubtless IL is sketch wanting in some places
the last touches OF the master Yet who but Milton could
have left us such sketchl Some Of its imagary and
outward beauty would have been attainable' as hr.
Goodheart well observed, by Cowey at his
best But at the soul of it there IL grandeur
as of Milton only. No mere nnitaior OF MI
ton, with mind capable Of no higher aspra,
zion than the chances OF cheating somebody with forged
STYLE would have advanced beyond the reproduction of
old thoughts 10 effort 10 represent that mystery
which is the subject OF this Epitaphthe resurrection OF
the dust itself the mystery OF life In death OF the cor
ruptbe that in the great day to come, shall put on IN
eOTrupOn This is the central thought Of the Epitaph,
forcshadOwed m the first four lines and expressed as
large and difficult conception could only be expressed
by labor Of imagination In the close:
"He whom Heaven did call away
Ont of this hermitage of clay
Has left some Teliques IN this urn,
As pledge of his return
The pledge of resurrection the buried ashes OF the
dead the subject of the poem the thought which unites
IL together is thus shortly expressed IN its opening es
Meanwhie he lies here dead who sported with tie MUSES.,
and the MUSES. mourn but ne being dead yet lives, and
with fine pOctca transition from the customary sJ
of grief which is confined to a dozen lines and expressed
onlv at so
inc ~ me bee in amber Is enshrined more gOrOusly
iis W ny. S, " ~ Xv,ttin tho crave INV dust
sleeps, curtalned round. My nobler part lies yet
within your hearts and here IN TINS dGst , OF tnos tHe
ashes The seed Of form in tins chaos OF the cor
rupted body the thread OF life Is untwsed eAstehoo @
in its infancy. This plant land plant IL VIII De re
membered Is so called from beng SET IN tne grouhu
nature most nearly resembling resurrection from we
dusthis plant, thus cacined INTO dust must resi- IN s
prolific fire. embrace this heavy ana TINS earthly m0id
Then it shall spring forth and renew its blossom Ihe
chill of death shan yield to diVlher neat thah hudu
wisdom cOmprehends. -,
have much spot the poetry by reading it into this
prose; but as Lord Wnchlsea sees only JumDe from
Bedlam" in Nton's high endeayor TO express thoughI
beyond the reach Of words IT was necessary 10 make
not only i'm MtOn's manner. but speaks also MitOns
mind The whole conception ofit rs expressed especially
out that IL bould hardly be an imitation or adaptation
Psyche 1t may observed is used as here, and even
spoken by the attendant spirit. ,,,,,,
hold then, to my first impression with faith which
has been strengthened by discussion Upon the question
whether we have this Epi'aph in Mltons handwriting
and signed with ms initials opinion Will aways remain
poem does speak for itself II Milton was not the author
Of it, then there must have lived in Mons time another
ton l." who when Milton himself was not quite forty years
Old coutented himself with adding upon blank page a
The end OF a volume OF Mon's early poems, then irst
pHcSnSH on suSn nI to produce He must have had
l,aul
hovir denosited three verses within the cover Of
book written by his double he must have lived. unknown
fame until his cpitaph had TO DC SET u perhaps
| in the churchyard OF stoke PoSs. 80 ,-
One question remains unanswered thdt must nave oc-
Ctedd td ~ nI' I 6coItr iei7 William CrtwlIsht VINO
was not unworthy OF an eptaph from Milton had been
dead nearly four years; but the eolec Ji9n Oh ms
of the day pref xed memorial lines, not published
until 1851 One has only observe how nmeasurably
the Epltaph overtops the Work OF al inc my 70
form some OF IT'S authors place among the writer's
OF his time. IL is possible that alth0ugh Mlton under
the Commonwealth, would not JON s verse 70 tn"i % o
Royalst wits before volume Of comedies, ne, 700, h'l
found theme in the early death OF the Young llhh OF
genius who at wit, poet philosopher ana divine
About two years before the date OF this Epaph ded also
William hanlhgtOh thc author ol t5 Pit J'I ~ ns
written in the time OF Charles l.; ad although Ii"DIht
ton was "a Catholic, Milton would have appreciated
that cl sracter in the author OF CdSdra. A..
l know other poets, newly dead, upon WhOm Ulrse
lines could have been written; but do know Of mus
can dearly loved by Milton then only SIX months N the
crave to whom he addressed the most beautiful Of the
Latin poems in the volume 70 which thls Eptaph u
gdOeQ-llS
though he had BEEN ranked with the good musicians Ot
his time Pieces Of his composing are IN two coempO-
rary collections Of sacred music TO this day the ar
raugements Of the psalm tunes Norwich" and YORK ~
are usc and Prof Mason, in his very valuable ht
part OF the Life Of Milton" quotes statement OF sir
John Hawkins the tenor part OF York tune that
within memory half the in England were used
TO sing il by way Of lullaby" The old read, 10 -
said without spectacles at the OF 49, and even IN OLD
age may have been mp before the dawn But tins E-
taph was-as IL may possibly have heen-a thought OF
Immortality hIs fathers grave, Milton would nave
remembered the dead not he only NJ the end or
life but as had known him during al the years OF ms
own growth: he knew him when. tendery eNpOstuat-
ING with his Puritauc preIudlces against yersewrng,
he pointed to his fathers delight IN music and said
quote C0wpcrs translation OF the Latin yerses-Nie
styling linn heir by right ndisputable OF Arohs Iame'
"Th6u hast thy gift, and
Mine also, and between ms we receive,
Father and Son, the whole inspiring Cod
/ am, Sir your Obedient servant,
HENRY MORLEY
U,iirersit college. London, July o.
Juf 2j-Sncc sending 10 you the above letter have
read with great respect for their writer's the letters
OF Prof Brewer and Prof Mason IN The Times OF Sdtur
dav The arguments IN these letters venture TO
hope partly answered by anticipation. Mr. Mason IS
quite safe In rsng the prophecy that Mr Bond ana MT
RYE Will agree with him IN publicly impeaching the hand,
writing ascrbcd TO Milton In Mr. Ttes copy Of the Mel
UelcOnittin Its genuneness maintained against the
opinion OF Mr. Bond many years and In spite OF ms
opinion, included by the late Mr. SOheDy, who gave
a special study to the subject Of Miitons handwriting,
among his genuine autographs Ihat IN lG47 Milton was
engaged tuuderOus work than the pursuit OF
bees or the study OF honey making may be true have
not said e chased bees learnt 10 make honey but