The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1870-05-03
IN

Again, the connection between the
sianzas Is rather slight II The word
theu was inserted as the FIRST word u
+ the second stanyas, and The thus neoss-
Ntated omission Of the supcrfuous half
+ ioot IN the measure rendered il would
+ be much more obvious The poet i
usual love for oNsctnoss Ia poetic sylla.
blts doubtless influenced him 20 prefer
#rythm q connection This IS men.
toned merely as a contrast between
/ the poetic accuracy and tho historical
Fhan shook the hills vilh thunder riven,
thea rushed The steeda o. hattie driven,
AID iouavs thsn The bolia u heaven
Tar akshod The fed artillery
And trldtr yol those drcs shall glow
ub Iiadens hills - blooa stained snow,
aud 8agkpf SET hall bo tho Auw
90 isaF douine rapidly.
Reference Is here made 10 the battle
Whom IN an advanced stage, as il was
only at that time that the snow cover.
Cd the ground and this reminds us
that the snow began falling during and
not before the action, as we arc told in
the first lines Of the poem.
On iAnden when tho sun was low,
An hoodloss lay tho unlroddon snow.
The battle would thus have been
fought under an open sky, whilo the
reality is, the falling snow was 30 thick
that parts Of the hostile armies could
not see each other for some time and
had to rely on the flash and sound Of
their guns for their knowledge OF each
other s positions
is morn, but scarce you lurid sup
Can pierce the war olonds' rolling dun,
When furious Frank aud aory Hun
Shuut in thoir nulphurona canopy.
Thus the battle is prolonged through
the night TO tho morning Of tho noNt
day, The poet believes It TO have be-
gun on the night Of the second Of De
cembor 1900, and ended on the morn
ing OF the third; if not, his dates must
be the third and fourth; whereas, IL
was opened and closed on the third;
Tho combat deepons. On 70 brave
Who rush 10 glory or The gravel
Wave, Munich, an thy banpofs wave
Aud charge with all thy chtsalry
The city Of Munich, as has been stat
ed before, is twenty miles from Hohon-
linden, hence all tho banners in tho
world waved together at that distance
being impercoptiblo, could exert no in
tiuenco whatever on tho battle
Besides, the victory was won 10y the
French, merely 10y tho calculation OF
their general, Moreau, as to how long
the Austrians would founder in tho
mud. Hence it must have been rather
hard undertaking for the soldiery TO
rush to glory through the mire, the
snow and the tramping Of feet had
caused
And now we come to tho last and the
finest Of tho lines Their grandeur is
worthy Of the author Of Tho Pleasures
Of Hope, and Gertrude of Wyoming
Ali few shall part, whore many meet,
The snow shall Do their winding sheet,
An oyory turf benoatb their feet
Shall be a soldiers sopulchro
To sum up. We have called atten-
ton to few errors in much and just
y lauded production We have touch-
cd entirely upon the historical inaccu
racios Of the scenes portrayed; to do
this and not to enter into profound
dissertation was our intention. That
the author should have been moro con
versant with the historical associations
Of his subject, before broaching il, wo
cordially agree; yet, let US insert tho
plea that history sometimes contradicts
itself
We look upon Hohenlinden not as an
historical delineation clothed in poeti-
cal investments, but as fiction born
in the writer's brain, Beyond embody-
ing the fact that there was once bat
Tic at the place specified, it is stipend
Gus admixture Of localities.
Yet, all in all, let us remember il tho
poetic Hohenlinden is not true to ma
ture, it is, nevertheless, one Of tho fin
est Of the minor battle pieces Of the
century or Of English literature, and Of
itself is sufficient to perpetuate the
name Of its author Thomas Camp
bell.