St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-09
TALK


Singer of Michigan is to poetry. But the
book is remarkable for the comment it has
evoked.
There is one striking concurrence and
curious anomaly in all the criticisms, VIZ:
the plant over the unqueenliness OF the
work What seems to have escaped all these
short-sighted censors is the desirable DEM
ocracy whereof this book is the harbinger-
a democracy the world has bean writing,
working, and fighting for these hundred
years, and lol for the affectionate equality,
fraternity and Difference therein dis
played for the immortal Scotch giliie
John Brown, they fall to sneering
at her most democratic Britanic Majesty.
Was there ever such a return! Here's
royalty deliberately and gladly coming down
to the levil of her humblest vassal, and act
ing as the scribe of his nov imperishable de-
Votion and good service, and yet we are not
happy. How hard it is to please the mob.
The French people might seat Marie
Antoinette on the tumbril, poorly clad, and
boot at her as the Widow Capet till the an
nouncement of her doom, and in all the fe-
mar the unreachable queenliness of Maria
Theresa's naughty, sorrowful daughter
Perhaps with an inexplicable inconsistency
we'd rather see that sovereign dignity
than this Victorian concession to the Jeames
Yellow plush ilk. 1t was Fielding's philoso-
pher, Squares, who constantly cited the eter-
nal fitness of things, and it was a great
o6r of E;al1 obuS
William Makepeace Thackeray who gave US
those unparalleled papers on the Four Georges
which conveys some idea what to expect
from the Hanoverian strain Of blood in
British royalty.
When the next man of letters examines
with scholarly scrutiny future reigns and
times in England as continuance to Thack-
eray's four precious potentates his work will
be simplified by the queenly hand which wasn't
above describing the condition of Browns
legs when they were cut by the sleety wet
edge of his kilt. Indeed the legs of Brown
have suspicious tendency to injury. Once
he falls through an open place in the turret
ship Thunderer, and it is duly recorded
after many days in the Victorian manu-
in the rumble of the carriage. with his ''leg
now really fairly well through he looks
pulled" Between tendency to weeping,
and mishaps to his legs, Brown had an ex-
citing time of it, although the
royal household didn't hesitate
to charge them all to overmuch whisky
drinking, and it is furthermore averred that
oil lafac fa1
than the favored Scotch lackey.
Perhaps he deserved it, and perhaps tits
the inevitable lot of royal favorites of what
ever degree, to be diliked and distrusted.-
The world moves. Formerly in the old de-
cript times, England has seen such royal
favorites as Essex and Raleigh. But poor
mobiles with all their gallantry, gifts, graces
and courage, they lost their heads, and there
is scant mention of their services.
Where would the fame of Sir Walter be,
| were it not for tobacco2
His memory is perpetuated in smoke, while
his venturesome voyages, his fights and his
scholarship are scarcely recalled save by the
student.
The gaiNard gentleman!
lines he left in his Bible
| when he was led out to die:
"Even such is time; that takes in trust
| Our youth, our joys, our all we have,
And pays US nought but age and dust;
| Which, in the dark and silent grave,
When we have wandered all our ways
Shuts mp the story of our days.
But from this earth, this grave, this dust
My God shall raise me up, l trust
In st. Margaret's church, London, mod
est brass plate informs the curious gaze that
here Sir Walter Raleigh was buried after
being beheaded for high treason in the Pal
ace yard outside.
There is an opera called Roberts Devereux
by Donnizetti which commentaries melo-
diously the ring episode whereby the Earl of
Essex sought to appease Elizabeth by the
sight of her powerful token, and thus make
sure of his head.
But perfdious envoy withheld it until his
doom was come.
These were the old times when
precious heads were cut off
without touch of the lavish sym pathylthat q
queenly heart has bestowed upon Browns
cut legs in our own kindly day. Formerly
royalty was revered as almost diyine-then
the proudest blood in the realm was ready to
do mental service for it-then twas mo-
mentous privilege to hold the chemise of
majesty in donning or dofing the garment
and now when Ill this senseless ceremo-
NAL has been fretted away by a republican
attrition, when we come down to the very
bed rock announcement in this royal book,
''Packed my boxes with Brown" why, the
most rabid Socialist, the most virulent Red
Republican could ask for no more than this
cooperative sign of political millennium
In September, 1877, Victoria visited Abbots-
ford, and Mr.. Hope Scott asked her to write
her name in Sir Walter Scott's journal.
This incident suggests the excessive Tory
ism which made the founder of Abbotsford
champion such sorry specimen of king as
the Fourth of the fools and oppressors called
George" Unless he is changed since his
earthly exit, Sir Walter would rejoice at
sight of that Groyal autograph, and be I'M
speakably thrilled at the spectacle of her ma
iesty taking tea in the dining room where
he breathed his last, September
21st, just forty-fve years be-
fore. A contemporary of Scott in the same
guild of authorship was proof against the
iattery of princes, and the Establishments of
rank-rank such as could be bestowed BY a
royal George-or by Victoria upon his lat
ter day successorto the laureateship, "Baron"
Tennyson.
When similar title was offered
to Robert Southy he wrote these manly words:
II have pension of e2OO year, conferred
upon me by the good offices of my old
friend G. Wyman, and have the laureate
ship. = x
Writing for livelihood livelihood is all
I have gained; for, having also something