New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-08-21
RYRON IND UESTMIN STER.

Literary and social England is at present
warmly discussing the exclusion long ago of
Byron's mortal remains from Westminster
Abbey. Was this wrong of the past genera
ton which the present should make right
Was it an act of bisotryl fragrant piece of
malcyolcnt and Ievengeiul Guardianship q?
And, finally, was it an injury which it is not
too late specifically to repair! 1t should be
remembered that there is such thing as
bigotry of ibcraiity; and if religious pro-
fessors keep no terms with sinners, these too
often exhibit in their turn virulent hostility
to fhe Christian faith, and do what they can
to bring it into public contempt. The anthori-
ties of Westminster comprehended perfectly
well the literary merits OF Byron. There was
no question of bis genius none of the high
character of many of his poems; none OF his
place among English authors; but unfor-
tunatcy, there was likewise no quo stiOn of the
looscness of his religious opinions and OF his
daily life and conversation. I'm England, both
by law and tradition, the Church is the con-
scrvatOr of the marriage relation, into which
Byron had entered with all the solem-
mites and vows of her ritual; and yet
he had been living during his last
another mans wife and separated from
his own; while frequently, as at Venice, ne
had abandoned himself to prOmiscuous con-
cubinage, although he well knew that the
eyes of all Europe were upon him. He
had composed and printed books 40 full Of
irreverent defiance that his publisher did not
dare to put the usual imprint upon the title
pages. He died without requesting and with
out caring for the last solemn Offices of the
Church of England. Deans are mortal (;
canons have the usual infirmties of human
nature; and they declined to confer a distinc-
ton upon dead poet which living he would
have been the first and the lOudest to laugh at.
Whether they acted wisely, whether it
would not have been better to take a
purely secular view of the matter aud as
sign niche among England's illustriOus
dead to the ashes of this unhappy man sleep
ing after the titful fever of his short life, is
question We need not discuss. However this
may be- it seems advisable that the bones of
Byron should remain where they are.
The removal of Byron's remains from Huck-
nall to Westminster would afford precedent
which can hardly he regarded with equanm
ity How do we know that a similar dubious
at Stratford in spite of the recorded pro-
test of the great dramatist. How do We
know that what is left of Gray may
not be taken from " the narrow cell in Stoke
POgos churchyard, where he was vainly thought
to he forever Eidw Why not bring Cowper
from Olneyf Milton from Crpplegate and
Collins from Chichester! Even Wordsworth
from under the shadow of the mountains
which he loved ~ well ! j. tradition nothing'
nothing association nothing these shrines con-
secrated by thousand pilgrimagesl Is it
nothing that these historic sepuchers, scattered
here and there over all England, keep alive
many local memories and almost recall to
the eyes of the traveller the personal presence
of the great and good Better than the smoke
and roar of London will be the clean country
heavens looking down upon these resting
ulaceS the sun gliding tho decay Of crypt or