Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-08-16
Tyrone Power and the Dlandford
Lines.

Lines.
To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
Your correspondent "E. V. S." In
Queries and Answers OF last Sundays
Dispatch. makes a singuarly strange
request "of you or any Of your readers
70 tell the exact year that the lines on
BlandfOrd church petersburg, Va
were written by Miss T. l.. Henning,
daughter OF William Waller Henning,
formerly OF Richmond"
"E. Y. S" is almost cert hin that they
we're written some time BETWEEN 1870
and 1925. for "E. V. s." has been in
formed that some of the cit.z Ems Of the
place said they were standing by and
say her write them on the wall; "and
II they are still living. they Will greatly
oblige ". V. s. by giving through
your excellent paper the information
desired"
"E. V. s." appears never 10 have
heard Of Tyrone Power. A. Stranger,
Robert Walsingham Robertson, and
several others reputed to have written
the Blandford lines. These are all ex-
cluded by the diction: Lines on Blandford
church, written by Miss +. l. Henning.
All the respectable testimonies l have
weighed and pondered concur in saying
that the lines We're written I'm 1910, and
not between 1S2O and 1875, as &c. " s.
has II.
II a citizen stood by Miss Henning,
and saw her write the lines between
1920 and 1875, he or she could hardly be
living now 10 testify. Robert Walslng-
ham Robertson told me he had visited
Petersburg during Powers visit there
and that he had scrubbed lines on
nj. Oh oh III no
thought were the lines ascribed pretty
generally 70 the gifted pen Of Power.
l discussed this question some years
ago in the columns Of the Richmond
Whig. and took the safe ground. If l
remember Alright, that the only evidence
worth considering IN connection with
the authorship OF the lines on Bland
ford should necessarily be internal"
General Charles Lee confessed over
his cups0 10 a certain well-knOwn Judge
OF the Supreme Court Of New Jersey
that he was the author OF Junius, and
Mr.. Horne Tooler said he knew Junius
as well as he knew himself, and that he
was then living; and added: Strange as
It may seem, I can assure you that
Parson, Horne. and Junius were born
on the same day in the city Of West
Minister"
There are more advocates for Sir Phil
lip Francis and for Earl Chatham than
for either Lee or Horne, notwithstand-
ing their impression and the internal
evidence, which was greatly in their
favor.
But both circumstantlal and internal
evidence favor the claim OF Tyrone
Power to the authorship Of the Bland
ford lines
Some little time after his departure
from Petersburg the lines We're dis
covered, signed. "a StrangeG)." After
quitting Petersburg, he visited Clifford
at the Midlothian pits. and, having
spralned an ankle on his way TO Rich
mond. laid I'd for three weeks or more
at the hOspitable cottage Of the late
Mr. T. Allen. After recovering he TOOK
passage to Liverpool on the President.
which was lost at sea, with no intelli-
gence Of the fate Of passengers and
crew.
Judging by internal evidence, my own
opinion is that Power wrote the Bland
ford lines In one OF those sublime mo-
ments Of inspiration that come so rare
~, even 10 the poet. II not written by
Power. they ought 10 have been written
by one having Celtic blood In his veins.
No American, no Briton, no Teuton.
no Frenchman wrote these lines.
He or she who wrote them did not
write at his or her best. They bear all
the marks Of sudden inspiration, haste,
negligence, reverie, oif-handedness,
abandon.
have several versions Of the Bland
ford lines, none differing materially
from another. Rev. p. Slaughter first
published them. think. in his now rare
history Of Bristol Parish, which l have.
l also have several bound odes, which
were given me BY the late Charles IL.
Wynne. I. NJ. w.