The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-06-15

~
Swecter than any song TO me,
SWeeter than any melody
or ITS sweet echo, yea. All three
My dreams OF | sed-tO-be!
JAMES WHIrCOMB RILEY
LONG FDEGOTTES POET.
While Washington 'sarmy was dwind-
ling from disease, desertion and starya-
ton during that terrible winter at Val
ley Forge. young patriot ofllcet
amused himself and his friends in camp
by translating the lyrics of Horace. A
few years later, when peace had been
restored aud the newly freed colonies
had begun to realize that they must
weld themselves into "a nation, these
TRANSACTIONS, together with other poems
by the same author and by some of his
companions in arms. were published IN
single volume by Eleazer Oswald, lat
the Coffee House, " Philadelphia. The
book. now a rare one. bears date 1855.
There may be few copies in New
York: there ought to be several in Del
aware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and
Virginia, for the book was sold by
subscription, and according to the list
of subscribers published as an appendix
to the volume, many ''setts" were pur-
chased by persons in those States.
The author mod, sty conceals his iden-
tity under the phrase. ~ Native OF
America, - though there is some inter
nal evidence to indicate that Eleazer
Oswald himself may have been the man.
The frontspiece Of the volume Is Gu
rious allegorical cut. which represents
George Washington IN a Continental
uniform. seated IN expectant attitude
while an angelic company, sitting on a
cloud. descends toward his seat, and a
person IN classic Greek costume al
proaches bin from temple just across
the way. Washington Is the author :
hero. The volume Is dedicated to him
in several pages of warm eulogy begin
ming thus: TO His Excellency George
Washington, Esq. Ii d., late General
and COMMANDMENTS Chief of the Armies
of the United States of America, Mar
shall Of France. ETC., ETC.. etc.
Following the dedication Is long
preface addressed to the subscribers
ana life of Horace. not inappropriate
ly dedicated to His Excelency, Ben
iamn Franklin, ED. LID, L. X. s..
President of the Commonwealth OF
Pennsylvania. ETC.. etc. etc.
Next comes an ode on lyrical poetry
ana then the TRANSACTIONS begin. The
first book Of the odes Is addressed to
Nicholas Vandyke, then Governor OF
Delaware, and the first ode to Lafay-
cite. Ii was a time of Formally and
titles. 80 the names of these WORTHLESS
are accompanied with all their official
additions. Count d 'Estalng comes IN
for the honor OF ode VI, and ode VII.
is addressed to Major Richard Howell
OF New Jersey. Nearly half the trans
lations are addressed to various persons
of distinctions IN Maryland and Della
ware. and many are dated at places ~
these States. The author was on terms
OF intimacy with the old colonial arts
tocracy of the Middle States, and many
OF his original poems celebrate the
charms of ladies belonging to those
families. His acquaintance in New
York and New England was not sc
large as in the border States; but he
dedicates several odes to Colonel Sam
uel WILLS, of Hartford. Conn. and
others to Major General Henry Knox
late Commander of Artillery and
Secretary at War. New York." &c
Charles Mcknight, Esq, NJ. d., Pro
fes.or OF Anatomy and Surgery IN Co
lumbia College, New York, and to
Major William Popham. NJ. NJ, coun-
sellor-at- law, New York.
The author now aud then addressed
an unpleasant ode TO an enemy. Ode
XIV, Book III, TO Misers," is adj
dressed to all spectators, both civil and
military. Epode w., ITO Sextus Mena
freedman of Pompey," is addressed
to Hamilton Balantine, Esq. a titular
Colonel in the British service. since
hanged at Charleston. ). c.. by order OF
General Lincoln. Ia one dedication the
Earl. DunmOre is addressed as late
Governor of Virginia, pirate, kidIiapper
and negro-merchant, on hts departure
for England. The epodc D which tins
is prelixed begins thus:
When fetid Maevius spreli his sail,
May every luckless sign p,'v1il.
The young Horatian iaTa much OF
his leisure To making rhym in honor
of various patriotic ladies'. 3iany OF the
odes are paraphrased in am tory verses
and one part of the volume is given up
to translations from Anacreon. One OF
these is dated Headquarters, New York,
September 0, 1886, and signed j. p
Another. signed y. W - and dated
Philadelphia. l77i. was written ION
hearing Miss Kitty Smith play and sing
10 the guitar There is nothing to
show that Miss kitty ever became Mrs.
j. W. but she must have been a
hard hearted woman to resist rhyned
flattery like this:
But when such charms of form are Joined
With kitty's voice and kitt,'s mind;
When voice, shape, face and mind conspire'
We hope, fear, laEguish and admire
After the ADacieontics come half a
dozen elegies, some for soldiers. some
for civilians, and several for young wo-
men. Eleven stanzas are devoted TO an
elegy ION the death of the amiable Miss
Letilia Thompson. eldest daughter of
John Thompson, Esq, of Newcastie-on-
Delaware e, in her fifteenth year.
Following these are TRANSACTIONS from
Ovid and Virgil. various New Year 3
odes. an ode for Sc. Tammany Day,
Nav |. 1885: "a score of epigrams, cpl
logue and prologue To q tragedy. and
" Virginia, pastoral drama on the
birthday Of an iIiustrious parsonage
and the return of peace, February IL.
1884" Washington, Of course, was
the ''ilustrious parsonage" his birth
dag beng february II. old style. The
ode TOE st. Tsmmany's Day thus ex'
hofts the braves:
Adleu 20 your wives
Come grid on your knives,
Your lomshswks. arrows and powM