The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-07-28


Chatterton Cenotapb-Historio Hints
and Noble Names.
copyright, 1902, by Edgar L. wakeman.l
BRISTOL, England, July 1.-THE name,
che birth spot and the shrine Of Chatter
ton are all that viii ordinarily impel the
traveller TO turn aside from pleasanter
English sights and scenes TO loiter in the
matter Of fact old city Of Bristol
Above its hard, dank streets, its grimy
smokestacks and harbor spars. at the
within Of the Severn tides overlapping its
tallest warehouses or again disappearing
below its messy, crumbling quays, the one
name, more sad and clear and luminous
than all other acts or facts in its history
seems to conjure all else Of civic. CONNER
cial. ecclesiastic or literary interest in the
ancient seaport's moldy past.
And what marvellous proof is here of
the overshsdowing quality of literary
fame. It seems 70 me 20 furnish one Of the
most impressive illustrations known 70
men.
Chatterton died Aug "a, ITO, before ne
was eighteen years Of age. Yet this strip
ling. starved In Bristol and bounded to
death by indifference and desperation in
London. I'm what had been done by his pen
from the time he was ten years old to the
morning they found him dead in the Lon
don garnet and pitched his poor body into
the Shoe Lane workhouse potter's field,
cut higher and deeper inches in the ada
mantine walls Of fame than all other OF
the millions who have lived and died in
Bristol. More has been felt, said and
written about this one delicate lad, his
misfortunes and achievements, than alto
gether has ever been produced or compiled
by or concerning Bristol or Bristol folk.
Something like the canny and almost
brutal suspicion and watchfulness of Chat
tertons attorney master, of Infamous
memory, John Lambert has always per
vaded the town in it's attitude 10 the mem
ory of Chatterton and 10 those strangers
who come to Bristol with sad and tender
thoughts of the boy poet. From the first
vindictive efforts TO uphold the currish
Walpole's defamation Of the dead boy in
his own defense 10 almost the latest Bristol
publications on Chatterton, the effort has
been ceaseless TO befoul his character and
disparage his achievements.
Ecclesiastical consistories animated by
inconceivable venom, hunted the very
memory Of the lad 70 Probationary finality
20 far as their little power could 90, fight
ING bitterly 10 the last the erection of a
monument TO his name in the churchyard
Of Redcliffe church, until nearly 100 years
had elapsed from the time Of the poets
death before th&s paltry requital was forced
upon Bristol while 10000 travellers every
year come here, and especially TO the beau
tiful church of ST. Mary Of Radcliffe, be-
cause Of ChattertOn's association with the
latter, to one who comes to see Bristol or
Radcliffe on their own account; and still
the hard old civic and ecclesiastic heads
are blind TO the worlds judgment of them
selves and Chatterton.
Mournfully ludicrous does this feeling
display itself TO strangers, even TO this day.
III you are in charge Of guide or friend he
viii insist on your visiting the potteries,
the downs, the docks, the Avon bridge,
the place where Sir Humphrey Dayy had
charge Of the pneumatic institution in
Dowry square; the council house, rich in
ancient parchment lore, unique old char
ters and somber pictures by Kneller and
Vandyck; the museum and peep at the
famous miniature likeness on ivory of Oil
yer Cromwell; the ancient stone images Of
Bpennus and Belinus, Bristol's tutelar del
ties, removed from an ancient church TO
their present place in the old city gate
way arch in the Fourteenth century; TO
that wonderful old Norman archway in
the gateway leading into lower College
Green, and to scores more places and OBJ
jects Of modern and antiquarian interest.
But he will never have word or mo-
ment to devote to your longings regarding
the personality Of and objects associative
with Chatterton.
Most curious of all was the conduct
Of the verger Of the Radcliffe church,
which owes its chief notoriety and it's rich
est offerings TO its hateful hostility TO
Chatterton, his trifling association with
its old imminent room and the misery
Chatterton cenotaph within its church
yard close. lie labored three mortal hours
10 impress the wonders Of Radcliffe church
upon me. Inconceivable eloquence flowed
from his fervent lips / would occasional
ly pleasantly intimate that believed it
all, was willing 20 credit more, but most
wished 10 visit the old imminent room,
whereupon the storms of descriptive elo-
quence would break forth anew.
Something in the hushed quiet of the
place, the hopelessDess of ever coming TO
see what longed for most and the sus-
tanned notes of his chant about the wor-
thies whose dust was beneath us and their
wondrous deeds and gifts to ST. Mary's,
furnished an uncomfortable somnolence.
finally sank into a pew in an attitude Of
deferential interest, bulged my eyes TO the
limit OF human endurance, and with this
wonderful human talking machine IN
regular pulsations growing to giants size
and diminishing TO the stature of pygmy
declaiming before me, refreshing slumber
came
awoke with start as the verger shook
me and upbraided me with the charge shat
be could not interest me in this prince of
English churches" Ipressed half crown
upon him and again timopously limited
something about "the Chatterton NUM-
ment room" AS if In frenzy Of despair
at the peryersity Of all humankind, he
flung me- key motioned tragically
toward the inner stairway leading 10 above
the north porch, covered his heated face
with his hands and actually burst into
tears.
Poor old mani thought l. as / CROPPED my
way over brasses, beneath effigies and in
and through cleaning chantries TO the
winding stone stairway, on his weak and
burdened shoulders also rests the same old
mountain OF pretense and lie of century's
beDttiemeuJ of that one litf1a lad xybo