Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-02-06
ANTONY TO CLEOPATRA.
A Question Of Authorship General Lyle
or Mr.. Fosdick9

clam dying, Egypt, dying, is confess
edly one of the finest American poems.
Sung il is not, though it has been set to
stilted music by some vandal composer.
We expect to see ere long, "Cristabel +"
and The Haunted House," dressed up
in tame musical notes by some other pc
dantic barbarian.
The man who wrote the glorious lines:
Light my path to stygia h%norror,
BY the splendor OF thy smile"
deserves literary immortality.
Strange as 1t may appear at this day,
when good poems do not go begging for
paternity, the authorship of this fine po-
etical conception is involved in much
doubt and mystery. The literary world
attributes its authorship to the lamented
General Lyle, of Cincinnati, who fell in
battle during the late war between the
States. We all remember how much the
death Of General Lytle was regretted by
his friends and foes.
By the light of eSi lence, and exemined
on strict critical grounds, the claims of
General Ly tie to this poem do not even
present the appearance of plausi ility.
General Lytls never claimed it as his pro-
d~uctiOn, Yet since his death his name has
been associated with the authorship.
IL must be admitted thatthis Is the only
production attributed TO bis pen. Were
il a commonplace poem or mere rhyme
this fact would excite no suspicion; but
when the production is a master piece, we
must receive his notice as good grounds
for a doubt. 1t is too true that no poet
ever presented to the world a great poem
as a first prOduc ion. The ascent to
Mount PArnassus cannot be made at a
single bound. Excellence in the p~oetical
world can only be reached by deep think
ing and hard work, and even then, how
miserable the failure, unless you posses
] Fha AHEfnn nfHVFaru tho Tna nrfnnffn~ ana
the pOetical taste-not often seen in first
ributes to the Muses.. Coulc any tyro in
the art pOetiqHe have written thif tribute
10 the
Glorious source of the Nile?"
and yet the world receives without suspi-
ciOn this splendid production as a first
and last effort.
II is unnecessary to cite the names of
great poets in support of this theory.
Byron, Shelly, Moore, Pope, Southey or
Colridge did not thus startle the world.
The first productions of Byron, "The
poesy OF a young Lord" was deservedly
ridiculed in B~lackwood's; where the pref
" s~tsnzas, ION a Tear" received caustic
criticism, and was shown to be anything
else except poetry.
Where in the range of history does any
poet rank high, standing alone, upon one
grand poem, song or ode? To write one
wonderful poem and nothing else, is an
anomaly.
Let US see how this poetical wondar
came to light, and how il came to be known
as the production of the late Gen. Lvtle.
We give the story as we nave heard it.
b stanzas were fOund written on the
walls of the statiOn-house in Cininnati.
story goes, that the supposed author,
being out one night with the 'iolly fell
lers,' was locked up for some hilarious
indiscretion. Wishing to while away the
already fleeing hours, he wrote upon the
wall The celebrated lines, and there theV
remained for some time as a literary Curl
osity. Not long after this ~apocryphaI
story, Gen. Lyle met a soldiers death,
and the attention Of the country was
drawn to the recollection of his many vir-
tues and generous traits of character. To
add to the public interest, some enter
pTising reporter flung out to the world the
almost forgotten words
81 am dying, Egypt, dyingy'
and gave Gen. Lyle the credit Of its con-
ceptiOn.
1t may be regarded as strange that no
n contested the claim to authorship, and
yet, the real author of the poem was
known to many literary men in Gin
cinnati.
The only reason tina can be given for
permitting this claim to 90 by default is,
that so great was the admiration for the
bAAAc Va ~ AAE ali 81 Justly HIOGO I
were the people of Cincinnati of his SOL
dierly qualities, that not one of those who
knew better attempted to correct this great
wrong done TO a true poet, and thus the
chaplet was torn from the grave of the
poet TO grace the tomb of a warrior-to be
regarded hereafter as one of the
funeral flowers,
That garlanded in by-gone hours,
A templars knlghtly tomb"
now comes the story as to the real
author:
Some years before the war, there lived
in Cincinnati a gentleman of culture and
educatiOn-Mr. FOsdick. Educated for
the bar, neither his inclination or taste led
him to court success in forensic display. /
Possessing ample means, he preferred
c~ultivating his taste for literary pursuits.
He possessed practical genius to a remark
able degree, and many poetic gems ap-
peared as the production of his pen. Mr..
Fosdick possessed the true poetic fire, but
remained comparatively unknown as a
poet. Indeed, poetic taste was not then
cultivated as a science in Cincinnati, nor
can we truly say that it is yet.
The author of the " Ancient Mariner"
would there ave remained in ob>curity,
while the writer Of an Ode TO d Porker'
would become famous in 4 few hours.
Many years before his deash, Mr. Eos
dick published a collection of poeLls,
etc, for private circulation among
his friends, and it is said, that in this
bOok can DO found the poem in question:
am dying, Egypt, dying" II j. well
known That General Lytle, long before
the war, had been in the habit of repeat
ing the poem from memory, il having
struck him a. being an effort of rare mer-
it. aud thus did il come forth on the
prison wall. The Transition from writ
ing down the production of another, to
the claim of authorship in himself, was
the work of the enterprising reporter, to
whom the words were new and strange,
but by whom, the strange transformation
was accomplished.
1t is said that these facts are we'll known
to many literary gentlemen in Cincinnati
least, we hope so, in order that the
question may be settled and the honor
given to whom it is due.
To leave the disputed question of au-
thOrship in doubt or subject to carping
criticism hereafter, is manifestIy unjust,
either TO the memory of the Poet or the
Soldier. Let the matter be investigated.
if for no better reason, in order that AN
tony and Cleopatra" may be presented
with a Legitimate paternity, for even in
these degenerate days we are orthodox
enough 10 regard this as
go contamination