The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-27
"A Curiosity of Literature. -
To the Kftor Of The Eveninq Teleqraph:-

ley novels. IIlce ~ ceuLS edOn'
ga Curiosity of Literature.'
To the Editor of The Evening TeIegrdph:-
In a recent book review you reprinted from
Putndm's for April "a Curiosity of Literature"
the tenor of which was to the eject that Wolte's
ode on the burial of Sir John Moore was not au
original production. In support OF this alleged
"fact,n evidence is given in the form OF a French
poem. said to have been written in commemora-
tion of Breton officer who was shot IN 1749, at
the siege of Pondicherry, and this poem, 1t Is
said is to be found in the Memoirs of Lally
Tollendal" Still further evidence is presented
in the shape of q German poem dating Iron
the second half of the seventeenth century,
and written ia honor of Swedish hero "who
fell at the siege of Dantsc."
These three odes being, as stated, "almost
literal translatious Of each other" 1t is evident
that all three cannot be equally original. To
the German poem is given the palm, by SEMI
ority, and il is surmised that Wolfe stole his
| inspiration, almost word for word, at second
hand from the French poem No three poems,
in three idioms so distinct, could by chance so
precisely coincide; but Wolfe, had he sufficient
genius to make so inspiring a translation,
would doubtless have had wit enough to have
made greater deviation from the SO called
original" The exactness of the triple like
ness, therefore, would scent strong presump-
tive evidence of q "hoaX." IL fact, numerous
poems have, at various times, been put forward
as the originals of Wolfe's inspired ode; but
they have been proven to be impostors.
Bearing upon this point, beg to give you an
| item Originally from Notes and QaseTles,
| first series, running from 1s49 to 1860 which |
| have before me in book published by Appleton
orr 4.
named London weekly. The article is not un-
interesting, particularly at this juncture:-
| THE BURIAL OF SIR JOHN MOORE.
The undoubted author of the monody on the
burial of Sir John Moore is the late Rev. Charles
Wolfe, young Inshman, curate of Donough-
more, Diocese of Armagh, who died in 1928, in
the 32d year OF his age. His "Life and Re-
mains" were edited by the Archdeacon of
Clogher; and fifth edition of the volume,
svo, was published in 1882, by Hamilton,
Adams & Co., Paternoster Row. At the
twenty fifth page of the memoir there is the
narration of an interesting discus
sion between Lord Byron, Shelley, and Others
as to the most perfect ode that had ever been
produced. Shelley contended for Coleridge's
on "Swltzerland;" Others named Campbelps
| 'Hohenlinden" and Lord Byrons Invocation
| in Manfred" But Lord Byron left the dinner
| table before the cloth was removed, and
| returned with magazine, from which he read
this monody, which just then appeared anony>
mously. After he had read it he repeated the
third stanza, and pronounced it perfect, and
| especially the lines:-
But he lay like q warrior taking his rest
With his martial CLOAK around MIN.
Il should have taken the WHOLE" said Shelley,
'for rough sketch of Campbel's."
NO." replied Lord Byron, Campbell would
have claimed it had it been his"
The memoir contains the fullest details on the
subject of the authorship, r. Wolfe's claims
to which was also fully established by the Rev.
Dr. Miller, late Fellow of Trinity, Dublin.
1t was stated in an English paper, published
in France some years back, that Wolfe had
taken the lines from poem at the end of the
Memoirs OF Lally Tollendal," the French gov
ernor OF Pondicherry, in 1756, and subsequently
executed in 1866.
In this paper the French poem was given,
protesting to be monody on Lally Tollendal
and to be found in the appendix to his memoirs.
1t was only clever hoax from the ready pen of
"Father Prout," and first appeared in BenGevs
Miscellany. No greater proof of the inconye.
nience of facetia of this peculiar nature can be
required than the circumstance that the fiction,
after a time, gets mistaken for a fact. There
shortly Afterwards appeared the following letter
in the Courier, Wednesday, Nov. 8, ls24:-
ODE ON THE BURIAL OF SIR JOHN MOORE
To the Editor of the Courier:-SIR-Permit me,
through the medium OF your highly respectable
journal (Which nave chosen as the channel OF
this communication from my having been a
subscriber 10 1t Tor the last fifteen years. to OBJ
serve that the statement lately published in
the Morning Chronicle, the writer of which
ascribes the lines on the burial OF Sir John
Moore to Wolfe, Is false, and as barefaced a
lines in question were not write n by Wolfe nor
by Haley, nor Is Deacoll the author, but
they were composed by me. Ipublished them
originally, some years ago, In the Durham
County Advertiser, q journal in which l nave
at different times inserted several poetical
trtes, as the "Prisoners Prayer to Sleep"
"Lines on the Lamented Death of Benjamin
Galley, Esq" and some other little effusions
1 should not, sir, have thought the lines on Sir
John Moore's funeral worth ownings had not
the false statement of the Chronicle met my
eye. l can prove by the most lncontestable
evidence the truth of what / have asserted
The first copy of my lines was given by me to
my friend and relation Captain Bell, and it is
In his possession at present. 1t agrees perfectly
with The copy now in circulation, with this ex-
cepuon-it does not contain the stanzas COM
mencing with Few and short" which added
afterwards at the suggestion of the Rev DR.
AlderEon OF Butterfly. / am, sir. yours, etc.
II. MARSHALL, VI. ID.
South street, Durham, November l. 1924
This letter was a mere hoax, and was so
shown to be two or three days after its publ.
cation, by an authenticated statement that "Dr.
Marshall, OF South street, Durham" was ahorse
doctor of dlssipated rather than literary habits
and not even graduate of the Veterinary Col
lege. He had, of course nothing to do with the
letter. Benjamin Galley, who is termed esquire
4 - n,,,1