Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-07-27
A CHRISTIAN EPIC.
SIR EDWIN ARNOLDS NEW POEM, LIGHT
OF THE WORLD"
The Great Poet Gives Reading from His Mag
num Opus for Charity-Brilliant Pass
ages Caught from His Lips-A
Grand Work.

SAN FRANCIsco, July 26.-An English
journalist who has just reached this city
from Japan on tour of the world says that
amodg the various devices for obtaining
funds for the relief of the starving Japan
ese was an offer by Sir Edwin Arnold to
give reading from the unpublished poem
''The Light OF the World" The offer was
quickly accepted, and the recitation was
given in the hall of HokumeiSwan, before
several hundred prominent people. Sir
Edwin came forward in frOck coat, white
waistcoat lavender tie in sweet disorder,
light gloves, a carnation in his outtonhole
and with his strong face wearing its accus-
toned expression of serenity and perfect
physical health. He is a goOn reader, for
he is earnest and impressive aud does not
indulge in particle of rant or posing.
THE CHARACTERS.
1.-The Light of the World expresses
Buddhism's homage TO Christianity, 4 task
for which no man living is so competent as
Sir Edwin Arnold, for while bred Chris
tian he is saturated with Buddhist lore. II
1.-The Light of Asia is Buddhism seen by
the light of Christianity, "The Light OF the
World" is Christianity under the light Of
Buddhism. To sketch the plot of the poem
would not be fair 10 the author, but one
must paw homage TO Sir Edwin's charac-
terization of some of the leading person
ages, notably Potius PLATE He invests
Mary Magdalene with charming body
of romance and gives to Jesus the sublime
combination of humanity and divinity
which Christian writers have long tried
to express Pilates wife, Procula, who
belongs TO the great Claudian gems,
was an ambitious subject TO approach after
the magnificent idealiZation of DOre. with
its haunting beauty and majestic presence,
but Sir Edwin has added breath OF life 10
this exquisite picture by the rich humanity
and noble character he has delineated in
his poem The author seems TO have ao-
sorbed the very atmosphere OF Palestine,
and his poem exhales il. AS might have
been expected of poem born in Japan,
"Fujiyama" inspires one noble passage, in
which the sacred mountain shadows forth
the life of Mary Magdalene Another
noble portion of the poem is inspired by
one Of the most famous incidents in Greek
literature-SOcrates cOndemnug the Athe-
nian Judges to live and taking the cup OF
hemlock as gift. Another noble bit. full
of Sophoclean irony, shows how ChrlstS
blessed feet overthrow Jerusalem more
utterly ethan the armies of Titus
splendid scene is plate flying from the
presence of Mary Magdalene at midnight
on his swiftest horse, because lone other
watch would make me Nazarene.'
SOME SPECIMEN LINES.
The poem is full of dramatic situations
and interspersed with beautiful lyrics,
somewhat in Swinburne's earlier manner.
II is also full of striking lines; among
them the following were taken down dur
ing the reading: Write me Il song I'M
stained by any tear I'm the morning
watch, when dreams come sure through
the fate OF morn;" Deep pillows where
the winter hides away SHOWS through the
summer:n "He himself passed mild and
maiestical through deaths black gate, If
hades be black tribunal Ere he hast
ems to die, as rivers die; as men die help
Less ITO rest as the wild waters rest"
Must find at Rome the face that fills
. nv nightly dreams with fears watching
with those great eyes! 1t toucheth Athens
and had crept to Rome. To this was
born and became king Of all kings TO wit
ness to the truth"
Here are some of the lines which delin-
cate Sir Edwards conception of Christ
and PLATE. The latter says OF Christ
with such mien one should be wear
ing purple His eyes burned themselves on
my heart-the fire of those mild eyes that
had no fear nor any bitterness. Claudia
sighed. There was no fault Oh, the light
that beamed from those mild eyes. The
speech of him was fair music and his feeta
benediction. Authority yet sits upon my
lip, but played traitor TO my stole soul ]
might have saved; / would have saved. but
that which is writ is writ. did not dare,
and that which hindered was they lusted
to win favor of men instead Of praise from
heaven The horde of circumcised baying
about my palace that they might drink
clean swill ! took water and washed hands
before the herd
These lines, caught during periods Of
slower delivery of the poem, will serve as
samples of the whole. There were finer
bits than any here quoted, but they were
in passages poured forth with rapidity OF
enunciation No one who heard the poem
has any doubt of its noble quality or its
popularity when printed. One Of the
audience Henry Deakn. a famous curio
dealer of Yokohoma, was So enthusiastic
that he bought all American rights 10 the
poem. 1t is said he paid the large sum of
/ 600 Ii is said that one Of the greatest
! living American poets is going TO write in
lines here and there so as TO secure copy
right. which will appear in his name and
Sir Edwins conformity. This will be the
first instance of an English poet of high
rank publishing his mdgnitm opus in Amer
lea before its appearance in England. The
reading was the great event Of the season
in Toxic and all Europeans and Americans
in the city attended IL.