New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-27

4 "SELLn FOR SUINBURNE.
THE STORY OF A COINCIDENCE"

From The AthenGum Of March TO- n,
1t would require more space than cOu eh od po
granted IN the columns of journal 10 discuss WIN h
Guate fulness The questions raised III connecu9u
the tragedy of sir JOAN van olden Barna Nov mnst
agree in acknowledging how great debt OF gta,tuuu
to MI H. Bqen Tor nh ersam S dissent from
his not unnatural assumption OF absolute celutuue "
Tespect TO the authorship; but none Will allow scn u
ference of opinion TO impair their sense OF the value 10
be assigned to noble poem be II the common woiA
of Fletcher and Nassinser the work OF other hands
In the seventeenth speech OF the first scene OF the hrst
act upon one OF TIE most famous ~ O
of the most famous poems In the languaEe-a poem
whose date is fun fifteen years later than tie stesI
which possibly be assigned 70 TINS hge hone5t
guar that the editor should bot nave % ~ col
worth while ours To afford Us any Ote on tne io
what Is perhaps most mex eaOe coincidence in the
whole range OF literature: - a., o.,o
or men most faInd for courage or for eounsaile'
And YOU shah lind that the desire OF glory
na last i9% il, of 1G 5en @ eIe Butt off,
BE they my presidents.
Tie manuscript of "Bsrnavet," appears is officially
annotafed by Master OF the Revcs whose tenure OF OF
ce expired In 1922 IL IL hardly necessary 70 reea tne
1887 No one will CINE it possible that Milton should
nave stolen his ready made from the o.
shin Of Sir George May there not possibly be some
Italian Original. yet undiscovered OF the famous lne
which must have struck every reader OF the passage
above cited with instant aud astonshed recognition
student the order Of DE Quincy wOu1 nave peel
able 10 p oduce passage required IRON tba rare uu
curious volume the Canz0nl di NJ NessuuO Apgcrllo
CORE poudng member OF the Academy OF Dovedlayoa
Gtaia rredenta but even IN default OF snch eonVlhc
ing etimOny would seriously suggest the AeDnOou vi
sTeh s9m%S3 81 fF4 UF & i a
inaccuracies In Italian prOsOdy, our drdmasts OF Tue
age were hardly esa acos Oned 10 forage
on Italian territory than was Milton himself anu 'ne'
verse cond easily be shown to run as wei In l'ahan US
The question OF authorship is In my humble opinion
quite limo s!ble to determine with anything Ike such
n1sttye cerfaiuy as in assumed by the editor and his
correspOudens bur TINS matter must lake TINE W
"i4'' 'e1'" - ALGERXoN CHARLES swNBURsE.
From The Ahsa0um Of March II. ~
5WIILOw ROAD, HAMPSTEAD, March 10, 1883
always turn with eagerness 10 any coInmunlca'
+ion in your columns from Mr.. swinburne the
indeed horrifed read his note In todays Ahen@nm J
Barnayelts tragedy. Tie passage that lie quotes con
ains regret say, Printers error al once iudcIOuS
and deplorable have occasionally INDUCED III pfac
foe which shall hencefOrtn abandon completely, OF
penciiling notes-n0t intended for pubhcauOn-in the
n argn OF pIOOfsheels We all know What an
nsrt marginal notes have played IN ccrrupng me text
~ fbe classics and regret 10 say That my edllOn OF
Barnayets tragedy affords melancholy proof That even
in days We nave NOT "hVnJ esCaPeu 'no u"nhei
| Opposite the wOrJs
| And YOU shall find that the desire OF glory
| Was The last ir.llty wis men ere putt OF,
wrote Oh The margin OF the proof MtOns line That
last inrniiy Of noble minds The note was written IN
pencil and enclosed IN DracRels ana never conceived
Tor moment that the prEtofs would fOst 1t into the
| text The reader Will md on tufu1B 10 MI. BOycs
analysis (p 436 that the passage Is there quoted as IL
stood in TIE revised proof without MOns line IL was
| NOT till 1 read Mr. SwiDburDes note That discovered
tine absurd blunder Mr. Swnburne Is no doubt right IN
thinking that Millions line is from the Italian Narton,
| in his delightful edition OF Millions "Minor Poems;
fauna ct gloria, ordinara infrmitd de0t dntmt gen
eros" and expect that closer parallel Will yet DC
| found. =.
give us critical examination OF the newly recovered
tragedy. His words Of praise amply repay me for the
labor have taken. a. H. BULLkN