The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-06-22
NORMAL VS.. COLLEGE INSTRUCTION.

In the present number we present
an essay-One of the regular class
drills-which was prepared for and
read in the Rhetoric class of the n.
w. Normal School by Rev. A. P.
Jones, one of the members of said
class, 1t was not designed originally
for publication, but was obtained to
illustrate the practical method of de-
velOping the subject of comparison in
Rhetoric. The advantages of the
plan will be brought out in the next
paper. J. FRAIsE RICHARD.
MILTON AND HO1IER-COAIPARED
Milton was born in London, De
eember 6, 1908. When Homer was
Uorn, history IS not definite. Pater-
culus thought he fOurished 96S years
before Christ; HerOdus 9S4; the Ar
indian Marbles fix his era 907 B. G..
The following cities disputed the
claim to his nativity: Smyrna, ChiOs,
CelOphOn, Salamais, Rhodes, Argos
and Athens.
Milton was the greatest modern
Homer the greatest ancient, poet.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to
bring these men before us 50 as to en-
able us to institute a just comparison
bet ween them. Milton lived so near
US, and his biographer and his works
have brought him 80 close to us, that
we are able to mark his chief charae.
teristics with a good degreeOf definite
ness. But Homer lived more than
two thousand five hundred years be-
fore the age of Milton. With the tel
escOpe of history we look in vain
through the dim vista of such a dis
tant past in search of a star Of any
common magnitude; and if one is
seen at all, the aneients must have
been sensible Of a great light in the
heavens.
The productions for which Homer
was most celebrated were the niad
and the Odyssey. He prepared him
self thoroughly for their writing. He
travelled extensively, observed closely,
and studied human nature carefully.
He displayed in his poems most con-
summate'knOwIedge Ofhuman nature,
and his descriptions were most aceu-
rate and vivid. He wrote principally
of the successes and reverses of he
roes, and of military expeditions, vic
tories and defeats. In the use Of such
themes, it might seem to US that a
poet, however great his genius, would
fail to immortalize himself. But we
must remember that these were the
grandest and the most popular themes
in the age in which he lived; and
mythology was so intimately assO-
ciated in the popular mind with hu-
man destiny, that what might to rs
seem stern, bare fact, afforded the an
clients a realm where poetic genius
could find room for all her flights.
The poetry of Homer was 50 univer-
sally admired that in ancient times
every man Of learning could repeat
with facility any passage Of the Iliad
| Odyssey, and it was sufficient author
ity to settle disputed boundaries, or TO
support any argument.
The ancients held Homer in vener-
alton and worshiped him as a god.
''The inhabitants Of ChiOs celebrated
festivals every fifth year in his honor;
and medals were struck which repre-
sented him as sitting on a throne
holding the uiad and Odyssey in his
hand. In Egypt his memory was
conseerated by Ptolemy Philapater,
who erected a magnificent temple,
within which was placed statue Of
the poet, surrounded by a representa-
ton of the seven cities which con-
tended for the honor Of his birth"
Milton gave evidence Of poetic geni-
us early; he was counted a poet at the
age of ten. Much pains was taken
with his education. His father gave
him a start in the languages and
/ taught him some science. He was
sent to st. Paul's school, and before
the age of twenty he came out Of
Cambridge University "ripe scholar
and 2 good One.H After leaving Cam
bridge, he spent five years at home
with his father, during which tine he
composed some Of the ''mOst precious
| portions Of his poetry" At the close
Of this period he spent fifteen months
in Italy, where he studied in private
academies, and came i'm contact with
accomplished literati. He had pur-
posed visiting Greece, but tile cry o!
''his country i'm Distress called him
home, and, contrary to "his personal
feeling and convenience" he heeiet
the voice Ofduty and entered the are
IA Of political controversy, and fol
more than twenty years was engaged
in fighting ''pen-and-ink battlesD FOL
his country. He did not again enter
|. the sphere for which his genius best
adapted him until his sixtieth year
He now turned the whole force Of hi;
genius to the completion Of a project
which he halcRrly conceived-that oi