Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-08-28
The Suppressed Verses of Gray's EIegy.


The literary tastes of our townsman, C.
A. Castle, Esq, have made him familiar
with many interesting particulars con
corning well-known authors which are of
peculiar interest. The following letter
written to the Christian Aduocdtc, gives
some interesting facts about the suppress
ed verses of Gray's famous "Elegy in IA
Country Churchyard."
Editor Christidn .idUOcute There is
not the slightest danger that such gems
of literature as knoX's 80, why should the
spirit of mortal be proud ?" Longfellow's
psalm of Life" Bryant's "Thanatopsis,"
or Gray's "Elegy,' will reappear too often
before the reading public. Like the pyra-
mids of Egypt among her other wonderful
structures, they stand unique and grand
among the productions of the human
mind, each with an individuality of its
own, and will continue to he read and re-
read and loved and quoted as long as time
eudureS. I'm almost constant reader of
/ IHC ChriNtidH IdrOcdtC for more than
/ forty year,, / nave derived great satisiac-
I lou from the pelusal of those and kindred
gems of literature whenever they
/ have appeared in its columns. In 1HC
/ ChrtSiidH .ldCOcutc of July . | read
your rerUbucatiun of GiHy's "Elegy,N
/ with even greater pleasure than when !
first rcaC il, more than nifty years ago.
There are, however, three verses which
are usually omitted from the body of the
poem, but which, to my mind, are of equal
merit with all the rest.
In IA reading at Hawthorne Hall, Boston,
some time ago, Mr.. James 4. Fields spoke
of the lives of GRAY and Goldsmith He
said that in 1850 Gray showed his friends
the "Elegy' in manuscript. He felt Il
shrinking timidity in regard to its publica-
tion but its sudden popularity when it ap-
peared from the press filled him with de
night as well rs with surprise. The poem
was instantly translated into Greek
Latin, Italian, Portuguese, French, Ger
man, Hebrew, so that in almost the whole
world it was read contemporaneously
When he first handed in the poem III manu-
script it contained lovely verse, which he
discarded in the printing ut seems tt
me-" said Mr.. Fields zone of the most
perfect in the poem" and why he chose
to omit it is still mystery. 1t is us fol
lows
There scattered oft, the earliest in the year
by hands unseen, are showers of VioIct
found;
The cd-hrcist loves to build and warbc here
And little ioutstcp, ligh ~ print the ground
In an edition of Crray's poems, publish
ed in 1913, by John Lockln. OF PhiladcI
phia occurs a reference 10 TINS NcrsC
which, it is said, was printed IN some u'
the first editions Just before the cpltaph
but was afterward omitted because Nh
Gray thought it was Il too long II parcntut
sis in this place. y fitting position, how
ever would seem to he after the mt
verse, as any one may see bv reading II ii
this connections The edition also give
two other verses not found in most cdi
. tons. The first of THESE appears as the
fourth and is us follows:
HarkF how the sacred calm that breathe
around,
Bids every fierce timutuOuS passion cease
In sill, small accents, whispered IRON tn
ground,
The grateful earnest of eternal peace.
The other verse occurs near the close O
, the poem, following that which com
. menCeS
There, at the foot of yondct noddng beach
1t is as follows
: Him have we seen tn" Green roadside along
/ While DER the heath we nicd. our labor don,
a Oft rs the wOOdlarli plp"d her farewell sons
, With wisttul eyes pursue the setting sul
e If the above verses We're inserted as ind
( dictated, this last would he verse twenty
e nine and would make the whole poem L
. consist of thirty-tive verses. If You thin
t this will be of any value to the readers O
e IHC ChriStiuH IdrOc0tC | shall feel ami
. ly rewarded.
0 Very truly yours, G A. Castle
e Burlington, Vt.