New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-30
THE HAUNTS OF TOM MOORE
THE IRISH POETS LAST ENGLISH HOME
AN IDEAL CoTTAGE-MooREs GRAVE AT BRoM'
HAM.

The fine scarlet discs or the pOppleS anu u"o
red and white blooms Of the clover, together WIN
wild flowers of many hues bespangle now TINS
emerald sod of England, while all the air Is rlch
with the fragrance of lme-trees and of new-mown
hay The busy and sagacious rocks fat ana Doiu'
wing their way in great clusters, bent on forage
and mischief. There is almost frosty chill Ill
the autumnal air, and the trimming rivers, dark
and deep and smoothly flowing. through this opu-
lent and cultivated and parl-lilSe region OF Wit
shire look cold and bright In many Of the fields
the hay is cut and stacked. In others the men,
and often the women, armed with rakes, are
tossing il to dry in the reluctant, intermittent
| bleak sunshine OF this rigorous August. over
| head the sky is now as blue the deep sea, and
now grim and omnous with great drifting masses
| of sate-colored cloud. There are moments OF
beautiful sunshine by day, and in some hours OF
the night the moon shines out in all her penslve
| and melancholy glory. II is a time OF exquisite
| loneliness and it has seemed TO me fitting time
for a visit to the last English home and the last
resting-place OF the poet of lovelincss and love,
the great Irisl poet, Thomas Moore
When Moore first came up to London, young
poet seeking TO launch his earliest writings upon
the stream of contemporary literature, he crossed
from Dublin TO Bristol, and then travelled to the
capital by way Of Bath and Devices and ms he
crossed several times, he must have gained
familiarity with this part of the country. lie
did not how sver settle in Wiltshire until some
years afterward. His first lodging in London was
a front room, up two pair Of stairs, at No. al
Georgc-st.. Portman Square lie subsequently
lived at No. As Wigmore-st. Cavendlsh Square,
and at No. % Bury-st, ST. James's. This was in
! sos. In 1910 he resided for a time at No. %
Molcsworth-st. Dublin, but he soon returned to
| and nna of
after his marriage with Elizabeth Dyke
| {" BESSIE the sister of the great
actress Mary Duff was in Brompton. In the
| spring of 1912 he settled at Kegworth, but year
later he is found at Mayfcld Cottage, near Ash
bourne, Derbyshire | am now as you wished
he wrote to Mr.. Power the music-publshcr,
July l, 1913, within twepty-four hours drive
of town. In S17 he accepted cottage near
the foot of M1swell Hill, at lIornscy, MiddeseX,
but after he lost his daughter Barbara, who died
there the place became disressful to him, and he
left it. In the latter part of September, that
year. the time of their affection, Moore and his
Bessie were the guests of Lady Donegal at No. Sc
Davics-st. Berkeley Square, London. Then they
removed TO Superior Cottage, at Bromham near
Devices, November 0, 81 y and their permanent
| residence was established in that place LORD
Lansdowne, one OF the poets earliest ana DesC
friends was the owner of this estate, and doubt
less the impulse of Moore's resort to it The
present Lord Lansdowne still owns Bowood Park'
about four miles away.
Devices impresses you with the singular sense
Of being place in which something is always
about to happen, but nothing ever does happen
in it, or ever will Quiotcr it could not be- unless
it were absolutely dead The principal street In
il runs nearly northwest and southeast. There
is a Northgaten at one end of it and " South
| gate" at the other Most of the streets are
narrow and curved. The houses are mostly low
and built of brick Few buildings are in the
| least pre-; entious. A canal intcrsecls the place,
| but in such a subterranean and furtive manner
as scarcely TO attract even casual notice Pubic
houses sufficiently numerous, and they appear
to be sufficiently prosperous; and even while l
| write, the voice Of song, issuing somewhat dis
| cordanty from one of them in this immediate
| neighbOrhood. declares with beery emphasis that
Britons never, never, never, never, Will be
slaves" Close by stands a CASTLE new one,
| built, however, upon the basis and plans of a
| very ancient structure, that was long included
in the dowry settled upon successive Queens OF
| England and this property is now offered for
| sale In the centre of the town is large square,
which only needs fringe OF wellgrown trees TO
make il exceedingly pcasant-for It's cOmmodiOus
|
being Pilgrims in quest of peace could not do
better than to larry here. Nobody is in hurry
about anything, and manners primitive and
frank At breakfast yesterday, in the co0ee-room
of the Bear, one sedate and ruminant parsonage
a farmer on his travels and arraycd in his Sunday
clothes, calmly removed his coat and wrapped his
chest in prodigious handIcrchief-a most amusing
spectacle of bovine simplicity.
An interesting old church in Devices is that of
| St john the Norman tower Of which is a relic
Of the days of King Henry ii, vast, grim tower
| with circular turret on one corner of it, as is
often found among the remains Of ancient ecclc-
| siastical architecture Eastward of this church
| is long and lovely avenue Of trees, and around
| it lies "A large burial place, remarkable for the
excellence Of the sod and for the number visible
Of those heavy gray, oblong masses of tombstone
which appear to have obtained great public favor
about the time of Cromwell In the centre of
| the churchyard stands a monollth, inscribed
with these words: Remember the Sabbath day
| TO keep it holy.-This monument, as solemn mon
itor to Young People to remember their Creator
| in the days of their youth, erected by sub
scrption.-In memory of the sudden and awful
end of Robert Merit and his wife, Eliz Iilcy,
her sister, Martha Carter and Josiah Dcnham,
who were drowned in the flower of their youth,
in pond, near this town, called Drews, on Sun
day Evening, the 30th of June 1851, and are
| together underneath entOmbed'
In one corner of the churchyard l came upon
a cross bearing simple legend which most read
ers probably, will deem far more solemn, sensi-
BILE touching and admonitOry " In Memo
riam-Robert Samuel Thornley, Died August 5,
1871 Aged As years. For fourteen years sur
gcon TO the poor Devices. There shall be nc
more pain" And still another sleeper was
writteL upon fiat stone, low in the ground
Loving. beloved. in all relations true.
Exposed to follies, but subdued By few;
Reader. reflect and copy If you can
The simple virtues OF this honest man.
As was gazing at one of the old churches sur.
rounded with many ponderous tombstones and
looking very gray and choeress in the sad light
Of the cleaning, last night, old man approached
| mo and Norr ciNiIlu hmm a CONDENSATION nhont