The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-07-03
OUR KNOwL EDGE BOX,
A Hero and "A Poem.


ERRORS CONSTITUTION: Please publish the
poem ON "a British Soldier in China" with the
circumstances o. its origin. s. II. s.
The poem alluded TO Is by Sir Francis Hastings
Doyle The circumstance giving rise TO 1t was about
asfollows During the war between Great Britain
and China, in 1878, one day young fellow
named Moyse, q private of the "Kentish Bluffs, "
having Jagged behind on the march with some
Sikh soldiers, was taken prisoner by the enemy.
The fellows had been drinking, which was the
cause Of their detention, as they were hanging
around the grogtrain in the hope of getting more
liquor But this rough, drinking young English
man had the soul Of a hero. The Chinese officials
demanded the kotow of the captives;
that is, tho ceremony of kneeling
and knocking the head upon the
ground This the Indian soldiers willingly did, and
thus saved their lives. but the Englishman regard
ing the act degradation, positively refused, in
spite fall threats. and finally beaten to death
and his body thrown TO the jaekals. The cir
cumetance acquired peculiar interest from the fact
that the questions of receiving the English and
American embassies at that time hinged upon the
question whether the ENJOYS could be allowed. to
approach the sovereign without performing tho
kotow. The Chinese regard this obeisanoe as due
70 all the gods to the emperor, who. is the of
heaven and the messenger OF the GODS and In less
degree to the officials who represent the emperor
The extreme obelsance, indeed, required by the en-
petor and heaven is kneeling and knocking the head
biIltvi tuSh hthuuluB ulIlBI4b anu hBdlu huEelliB
this to be performed three times. This obesance
had been performed by the Dutch ambassadors and
an envoy from Russia, and tho English and Ameri
can ambassadors were the first who had dared to re
fuse 10 acced to the ceremony.
Ms the poem to which our query refers is fine
one, and comparatively little known, quote 1t as
follows:
Last night, among his fellowroughs,
He jestod, qnafIed, and swore,
drunken private Of the Bluffs,
Who never looked before;
To-day beneath tho foenaI's frown,
Hestands In Elgin's place,
Ambassador from Britain's crown,
And type of all her race
Poor, reckless. rude, low-born, untaught,
Bewildered and alone,
A heart with English instinct fraught
lie yet can call his own.
Ayl tear his body limb from lmbl
Bring cord, or AK, or flannel
He only knows that not through him
Shall England come TO shame.
Fair Kontish hop-felds round him seemed
Like dreams TO come and g0
Bright leagues of cherry blossom cleaned,
One sheet of living snow;
The smoke above his father door
In gray soft eddyings hung
Must he then watch il rise no moro,
Doomed by himself, 80 young?
Vest honor ealisi with strength like steel
Ho put tho vision by.
Let dusky Indians whine and kneell
An English lad must die
And thus with eyes that would not shrink,
Win knee TO man unbent.
Untalteriug on its dreadful brink
To his red grave he went,
Vain mightiest fleets Of iron framed
Vain those all shattering guns,
Unless proud England keep Unframed
The strong heart of her sonS
SO let his nninc through Europe ringl
man of mean estate,
Who died as firm us Spartas king
Because his soul was great"