Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-11-27

ITS Proposed Location in Westminster
Abbey.
"TfIE POETS CORNER" AND ITS CONGEyIAL AssO-
cIATIOSs-THE ABREY NOW AND IN THE PAST.
From the Boston Herald.

CIATIOSS-rHE ABREY now AND IN TIE PAST
From the Boston Herald.
1t Is a matter for American conjecture wnv
the British press has generally been averse
to monument in Westminster ABBEY to the
poet Longiefow, in view of the fact that for
eigners, such rs st. EvermOnt. the French wit;
Hamlet, the musical composer DIR. DorisIaus
the German professor. and heaven knows how
many other foreigners. not to speak OF the
large num5'r of Irishmen. VINO find a con-
spicuOus MI" in the temple of fame
and OF Br;tis.i glory- To be suT, Dorisaus rem
dered some service to the commonwealth
unler LOrd-Pratector Cromwell which NAV
outweigh all ether considerations against The
man Who in his time. to quote the late CarCiiu al
Wise.aan. was zone of the truest poets of the
people" In his generation who wrote in the
English. or in fact. anv other language. Brit
"a it i fairly settled thar our Cambridge bari is
To find monument among Its men OF reaOgn
visit, although of the most discufsive cialae-
ter. to the abbey. and Il gossip about some of
It's celebrities. VIII not Dc uninteresting. LCnc-
fellows memorial will be il! the south transert.
waere the Poet : Corner Il located In de-
scrptiye and illustrated English book called
I'm the land We Live In. the author Charles
Knight, says of this sacred location: I'VE wish
most heartily we knew the name of him who
nrst gave this appellatiOn tn the south transept
OF the abbey-and thus helped. most probably,
to make it what it is,
THE RICHEST LITTLE SPOT
the earth possesses in its connection with it's
princes of song. Such man ought himself to
have q monument among them. And though
be may never have written line. we could
almost venture to- assert he must have been a
kindred spirit, so eXquisitey applicable is his
phrase" One of Washington Irvnps most
delightful sketches records his visit to Wescmin-
ster Abbey, and he tells us that although the
memorials and monuments in the poets corner
are generally simple, yet he observed that the
visitors remained longest about them. 1.-THE
woes, he says. ''Of literary men afford
no striking themes for sculptor" but for all
that fonder feeling appears to detain the pill
grim to this venerable shrine when he finds
himself among the tOmbs of the poets and
writers. They nave been the friends of his youth.
and his manhood does not forget them. They
are his companions still and the solace of many
weary hours; and. while other great men are
known to posterity through the medium of
history, continually growing obscure. the init
macy between the author and his kind is forever
active and sympathetic. TIE poets renown has
not been achieved toy deeds of blood and vio-
lence, but by that labor which gives exquisite
pleasure.
Irving noted that in tie 'cCrner the greater
part OF the memorials consisted of busts medal
hons. and sometimes of mere Inscriptions
Of those who have statues erected to their
memories, he speaks only OF Shakespeare and
Addison. This conspicuous distinction in the
case of the latter author recalls his description
of visit to the tombs of Westminster Abbey
which he made with country knight. whom he
called 'Sir Roger, and written for the Spectator.
The gifted authors satire plays merriIy upon the
pedantry OF his companion. who had evidently
been
"CRANNING" FOR THE OCCASION
masmuch as the account tells Us thatG:Sir Roger
had been very busy all last summer upon
Bakers Chronicles. and the writer is keenin his
thrusts at other things he saw. We must
realize that it was not through a spirit |
Of sycOphancy that Addison gained the dis
tinctiOn of a statue with Shakespeare |
The memorial to our authorize Of The |
Building of the Ship THE COurtship of Miles |
Standish," ''Hlawatha" and 'Eyangeline''-
will find itself in ccngenial association with |
that of Chaucer. the first true poet that Eng
land produced" says an English authority: |
with Edmund Spencer: Beaumont: Dravtcn; !
'.rare Ben JonsOn' (whOSe body. by the way. is
said to repose in the north aisle; with COwIey.
''the Pindar. Horace and Virgil of England |
with j. Dryden and Rowe Matthew Prior great
John Milton, 0ssian Mcpherson. Goldsmith and
other renowned ancient and modern writer's.
1t is said of the author of Sweet Auburn" the
last-named writer that when he died such was
his popularity that it was intended he should
have most brilliant funeral TO the abbey but
such was his imprOvdence. or that he had not
been at all requited tor the value of his literary
labors By wOlfsh publishers. that high column
Of unpaid debts stared the project down Hewas
fnterredin the Temple churchyard. Nevertheless /
he has tablet in the Poets Corner which.
oddly enough for an English writer, is inscribed
In Latin.
But the Poets Corner is not solely confined to
poets II holds the remains and memorials of
many distinguished diyines, eminent philosO-
piers, great actors, dTamatists. musicians
architects and critics. Garrick and Sheridan
no is NOR putn in
the corner TO the noted English philanthropist
Granville Sharp. II is told of him that finding
negro in the streets of London. sick and aban-
doned by his Virginia master. he had him con-
veyed To hospital and cared for at his expense.
When the slave recovered, the master again
claimed him. but the philanthropic Sharp fought
the master through the English courts. and the
slave was proclaimed free man bv the highest
tribunal OF the land.
But to leave this one sacred precinct and
speak in brief of
THE ABBEY ITSELF,
and some Of the incidents connected with 1t
viii not perhaps, be dry matter to the general
reader. No edifce in the kingdom of England
presents more extensive field for historical
research and graphic illustration than West
minister Abbey. 1t rises in solemn II agniffeence,
and is the most dignified structure connected
with the seat Of government at London F.
wedlake Brayley. the author of well written
and finely Illustrated work. says: GAS build
ing it is distinguished in its architecture, not
only by the more prominent beauties and
pecularities of the early pointed style but
also by the NEST forid richness Of the Tudor
period, which, In the chapel Of King w. shines
forth in eXuberant splendor." And indeed
Washington Irving fully coTobOrates this
euloey OF the grand chapel 1t is said that it
was on the site of the present abbey that after
the conversion of the SaXOns TO Christianity.
they erected one OF their first temples OF re-
hgiOn-
Quick Way To Settle Small Ofscnses.