River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-08-24
Grass Elegy.

]
1t has been the curious fortune of
| this famous poem TO be hacked and
mangled, altered and changed, by the
publishers of the old editions, to an
extent rarely paralleled in any literary
work. Gray himself was so fastidious
in his polishing and perfecting of it,
that he kept it nearly twenty years,
touching it up and improving it; yet
| it seemed fated to so out to the world
With so many unwarranted changes
that it becomes matter of interest,
now, to see it in its true form, as the
author finally left it.
This work seems to have been con-
scientiously performed by Professor
ROlfe, the editor Of the new edition,
who has taken great pains to present
the verses as Gray perfected them.
There are many small changes in some
of the famous lines-the authors
changes from the original version, and
these were always for the better-as
well as corrections of the commonly
received renderings.
''The lowing herd wind slowly DER the lea, I"
is one of the3e-the author correctly
writing it wind insteads of winds.
The beautiful second verse was not
nearly so good as it now stands, in the
authors first copy, where he had it
thus
"Now fades the glimmering landscape ON the
sight,
And 'now' the air a solemn stiffness holds"
"a FAR less perfect line than the one
with which we are all familiar:
"And ALI the air solemn stiffness holds"
Here we find another famous verse
presented in shape woefully inferior
to that in which it stands after receiy.
ing the final touches of the author.
Who could have believed that the man
who told us how
''The breezy call of incense breathing morn,
| The swallow twttering from the straw built
shed,
/ The cocks shrill clarion, or the echoing horn,
/ No more shall rouse them from their lowly
bed
could have written ii, and and let ii
at first in this unworthy shape =
"Forever sleep the breezy call Of morn,
/ Only swollow twitt'ring from the straw
built shed,
Or chanticleer SO shrill or echo,ng horn,
No more shall rouse them from their lowly
bed.
OF this famous poem, which has long
since taken its place among the classic
productions of English literature, two
MSS. in Gray's handwriting still exist,
These serve to show the frequent and
improving touches which the author
finally put upon his work. The place
which the poem holds is certainly a
higher one than it could have hoped to
attain, but for this careful elaboration
and detailed polish to which the au
thor so patiently subjected il. Sever,
al good verses were stricken out by Mr.
Gray, perhaps not unwisely.
After the eighteenth stanza, 1.-The
struggling pangs of conscious truth Il
hide, etc, the MSS. has the following
four stanzaS, now omitted:
"The thoughtless world to Majesty may bow
Exalt the brave and idolize success
I But more 70 innocence their safety own
Than Power, or Genins, e'er conspired L
bless
"And thou who, mindful Of the unhonor'd
Dead
LUST ia AlltNt NptfH AutiE aIiltce AAlt TtlhLfi
BY night and lonely contemplation led
To wander in the gloomy walks Of tate
"Hark how the sacred Calm, that brca,hes
around,
Bids every fierce tumultuaus passion cease
In still small accents whisp'ring from the
ground,
a grateful earnest Of eternal peace
ono more with reason and thyself at strife,
Give anxious cares and endless wishes room
/ But through the cool sequesterd vale Of lie
Pursue the silent tenor Of the DOOM
one Of the most curious alterations
made by Gray himself In this famous
| poem, is the change in one Of the most
fmously quoted verses Of the histor.
ical personages used for the illus.
tration Of his meaning change from
ancient Rome to England Of the Seven.
teenth century. The "yillage llamp.
den. the "mgte. inglorious Milton,
and the Cromwell, were original
characters, thus:
"Some village Cato, who, with dauntlcss
breast,
The little tyrant Of his fields withs,ood:
| Some mute. ingldrious fully here may rest,
some Cesar gu.ltless olhis country's blood
This change TO English, in the place
of Roman celebrities, was about the
happiCst one II all.
| tt
The Lancaster, Kentucky, Letter, II