Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-06-19

Nclllng OF Il DUST Oh tnc poet Ill w est
minister Abbey.l
Twice before | have had the honor of
speaking within the precincts of this
structure, the double sanctuary of relig-
ion and renown, surely the most venera-
BILE of ecclesiastical buildings to men of
English blood. Once again | was silent
spectator while his body was laid here to
mingle with cOnSecrated earth who more
deeply than any other in modern times
had penetrated with the ferment of his
thought the thinking of mankind, an
event of deep Significance as the procla-
nation of that truce between science and
religion which is, let us hope, the fore
runner of their ultimate reconciliation.
When | spoke here it was in commem-
Grafton of personal friends, one of them
the late Dean Stanley, dear to all who
knew him the other an American poet
dear to all who speak the English tongue.
1t is to commemorate another friend that
| come here today, for VINO so worthy of
the name as one who was our companion
and teacher in the happieSt hours of our
youth, made dOubly happy by the charm
of his genius, and who to our old age
brings back, il not the presence, at least
the radiant image of the youth we have
lost , Surely there are no friends so con
slant as the poets, and among them,
think, none more faithful than COleridge.
! am glad to have Il share in this repara
ton of Il long injustice, for as we looked
about us hitherto in Poet Corner we were
tempted to ask, as Cavalcante del Caval-
can't did of Dante. If these are here
through loitiness of genius, where is he :
! 1t Is just fifty-one years ago that | be-
came the possessOr of an American re-
| print of Galignani's edition of Coleridge,
Shelly and Keats in one volume. 1t
was IA prated book, and trust may be
pardOned for the delight | had in it,
take comfort from the thought that there
must be many Scottish minister and
lard now in Heaven who liked their
claret none the less that it had paid no
tribute to the House of Hanover have
heard this trinity of poets taxed with in
congruity. AS for me, was grateful for
such infinite riches in little room, and
never thought of looking Pegasus in
the mouth whose triple burden proved a
stronger back than that even of the Tenn
plars' traditional steed. Much later, but
still long ago, ! read the Friend the
Biographical Literaria, and other prose
works of Coleridge In what may be Civ
en- me to say | shall be obliged to trust
chiefly to Memory which at my time of
life is gradually becoming one of her own
"reminiscences, and is forced to compound
as best she may with her memorable cred.
itor-Oblivion. But perhaps she will
serve me all the better for the matter in
hand, for what Is proper here is at the
most rapid generalization rather than a
demonstration in detail of his claims to
grateful remembrance. | shall naturally
trust myself to Judge him by his literary
rather than by his metaphysical achieve
ment.
COleridge has taken the old ballad
measure and given to it by an indefinablt
charm wholly his own, all the sweetness
all the melody and compass of a sympho-
ny. And how picturesque it is in the
proper sense of the word. | know moth
ing like it. There is not description in
generally confuse us with Multiplicity V Of
detail. We cannot see their forest fol