The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-19
From the Times-Herald.

| idtiou nus DctIl set OH lOOt III IteIdTy
| circles by the statement of the Daily
News that 1t has been assured that
the prime minister has resolved to ap-
point poet laureate In succession to
the late Lord Tennyson. and that his
choice has fallen upon London jour-
| ualist.'
There are only two London Journal
lists who have attained sufficient emln-
ence In poetry to make the bestowal of
the distinction upon either of them any
| thiGg less than an empty and iarc!cal
compliment. These are Sir Edwin Arm
old and William Ernest Henley.
The liberal Daily News would scarce
| ly be the medium OF the advance in
formation" Of even a literary appoint
ment by tory premier II he could have
his will. But this journal has way OF
getting at the inner purposes OF The
literary leaders of the period, and is
right In nine cases out of ten Ohen 1t
makes forecast in this field. Eti-
quctte requires that the name Of a
laureate-elect, when there Is one. should
hrst be given to the country through
the columns of the official gazette; so
that. II the Daily News people have
| precise Information as to Tennysons
successor they are In honor bound to
keep 1t to themselves, that !, may be d.
vulged in the way prescribed by estab-
| llSI'u uSuBt. AitiUN Nbt toib
Of the gcssips wag.
Mr.. iicn,ey's Record.
Mr.. Hcnleys name or poetry Is not
widely known, appreheld, In the Unit
cd States. though both are familiar TO
! the American literary cult. word
about a man whom his friends deem
| worthy 10 wear the laurel crown VIII
| not be out OF place. He was born in
Gloucester about fOrty-iive years ago.
/ When mere boy the loss of his father
| threw him upon his own resources, and
the hardships OF early poverty were In
creased by a constitutional weakness,
resulting In permanent lameness. He
was man grown when this disorder
| attacked him most iicrcely, and he went
tn. the care of famous surgeons at the
Oh irlirmary, EdlI burgh, In hope OF an
| operation tEat might afford relief Lit
/ tie physical good came of this expert
cncc: for many a day he fingered there.
bedrldd,n, without money or friends.
At that time the Cornhill Magazine
stood for more than II represents now.
II was edited by Leslie stephen, man
with an unerrpg instinct for literary
genius wherever it cropped to the sur
face. Henley sent him verses-verses
describing abysmal depths OF menta.
and physical suffering In that half
workhouse and half-jail." things too
horrible for prose. AS n result of his
contributions Robert Louis Stevenson
came to him one day-lnto that trans
formed back kitchen" which he tells of
in his Book of Verses bearing VOL
umes of Balzac
Met His Wife in the Hos pita'.
1t was while at this Scottish infirm-
ary that he met the lady who in years
after became his wife. She had gone
there upon an errand of mercy to
sick relative. on leaving the hospital
he plunged into literary work for live
lihood. first in Edinburgh and then In
London. There he edited In the order
named, london" the Magazine OF Art
and jointly with another the Art Jour
nal. writing all the while profusely and
forcefully for the Saturday Review and
the Athenaeum. His compositions We're
about equally divided between poetry
and prose. But 1t was not until the APP
pearance OF his Book of Nei ses' In lSSs
that he became known outside OF
comparatively small circle.
This volume attracted wide attention.
1t bore the stamp OF originality. An
drew Lang, in a careful critique of 1t,
observed: 'Mr Henley says what no.
body else says and as nobody else says
It," In 1889. with an expanding fame.
he went TO Edinburgh 10 edit the Scots
Observer. The publication leaped at
once into national status. 1t was
read everywhere for its singular ability
and defniteness OF doctrine. The trans
fer OF London and the change of title
to the National Observer have made IL
and Its editor yet more conspicuous.
Very much as Charles A. Dana has
impressed his peculiar personality upon
every department OF the New York
Sun. so Mr.. Henley impressed himself
upon the National Observer. His more
recent journalistic ventures are too
familiar to call for specification. Hen
ley's best prose today is that of art
criticism, In this field of effort he is the
terror OF charlatans.
Ills Creed in His Verse.
His last important volume OF verse
has for title ''The Song OF the Sword"
The poem itself was written at st. An
drews' university. whose senate has
conferred upon him the degree of doctor
of laws. The Book OF Verses" has the
greater vogue. In its second part he
unfolds his theory of life. II | read
him Alright there Is strain OF new
paganism in his song. He thanks the
gods" he appeals to the gods like
any panthlest You may search his
verse In vain for such line as Tenny-
sons strong son OF God. immortal
Love" CStlll. II there be not divinity
In his poesy. there is touch of mag
niflcent humanity. He sings II thank
whatever gods may be. for my uncon-
Querable soul" He Is as strong, and
perhaps intractable. as Ibsen. His i'm
aginatlon Is brilliant. despite the dull
ing influence of newspaper drudgery.
Rudyard KtplIng has based one of his
best stories on Ecnley's "Or ever the
kn!ghtly years were gone" which Is as
gorgeous as n Coloridgsan dream. "On
the Way to Kew is Spenserian In its
soft. old-fashloned effects. AS pretty n
love song as one could wish to hear Is
II Loved You Once In Old Japan" II
Is impossible to resist the feeling. how
ever, that Henley's carly hardships
dropped gall into his cup, which ell his
subsequent good fortunes have not en-
tirely washed away. To him life Is full
of splendid purposes. but mean results.
He has the ideals OF Tennyson and
Longfelow. but does not see the ac-
Qualities they saw with the eye of Chris
tian faith.
Sir Edwin Suits the Politicians.
Sir Edwin Arnold would suit the poll
tlcians better. and the poet laureatcship
Is. In lash resort. political gift. He Is
more tractable than Henley. He Is,
moreover, the editor of the great liberal
unionist organ. the Daily Telegraph
and In that capacity has rendered In
calcuiable services to the unlonist
cause during the last nine years. A
man of many accomplishments q cour-
tier. n scholarly litterateur. familiar
by personal study and long residence
with the peoples and customs of the
Orient, Sir Edwin Arnold is name as
well known In Toxic and Benares as In
London and Chicago. or his MASTER
piece, "The Lights of ASIA" more than
fifty editions have been published In
England. twice that number in the
United States and no less than ten in
India. 1t has been read with the glow
OF enthusiasm by scholars in all parts