The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1897-07-22
HOLMES AGAINST TENNYsoN,

Boys are reSiting that most admira-
bic and patriotic poem Of Oliver Wen.
dell Holmes, odd Ironsides,'' in school
TO this day, as they ought to; and Cur
us Guild, Journalist and man of letters,
reminds the world in his recent book.
A Chat About Celebrities" that he
was given perfect mark for reciting
1t in defamation hours during his bow
hood, performance repeated many
years later by his son. This is inter
estlng, put much more so is Mr.. Guilds
accounts of dinner given at the Fifth
Avenue hotel just after the close of the
civil war.
Not more than half a dozen guests
were present, among them a we'll
known Englishman, Cassius nj. Clay
lately our minister at St. Petersburg,
and that gallant sailor, Commodore
(afterward admiraD Boggs, who de-
stroyed six Confederate gunboats, and
had his own, the Varuna, sunk under
him in Farragut's attack on the Missis-
sippi forts in April, 1861, but not until
he had driven his last opponent ashore
and afre.
Some conversation was had regard
ing war poems, and the Englishman de-
clared himself in favor of Tennyson's
charge of the Six Hundred" An en-
thuslastic admirer of the laureate at all
times did not hesitate to set this at the
very head of all verse of it's kind. This
terVent praise brought some amused
dissent from the others, one of them
remarking that the rhythm reminded
him of rolling pumpkins over barn
moor and laughing at the attempt to
rhyme the words 'blundered" and
"hundred"
An attempt was made to retort by
defying the Americans present to name
anything written by a fellow country
man which had half it's spirit, to which
Mr.. Guild responded quickly by giving
the title of "Old Ironsides.'' There
upon the question was asked if he
knew the verses, and on being assured
That such was the fact the challenge
was issued, the Englishman to recite
from Tennyson, the American from
Holmes, and the verdict of the company
to decide.
SO the charge was rendered, and so
well rendered that Mr.. Guild almost de-
SPARED. But he began with the little
"Metrical Essay" with which DR.,
Holmes prefaced his early work. in
which may be found that excellent
couplet:
'Ihere was an hour when patriots
dared profane
The mast that Britain strove to how in
vain"
Then he proceeded with the lines ev-
cry American should have close to his
heart, beginning:
An, tear her tattered ensign down.
AS the Bostonian went on he could
see the faces of the Americans light
ing up with the fires of patriotism, un-
TIL he came to the triumphant lines:
"Oh, better that her shattered hulk
Should sink beneath the wave;
Her thunders shook the mighty deep.
And there should be her grave.''
But it was already foregone conclu.
sion. Commodore Boggs raised his fist
high in the air and brought it down
with a loud, "That's so, by Jupiter"
and Minister Clay leaped to his feet,
shouting, ''Hurrah for the American
f1ag!" It was not long after that the
story was told to the genial "Autocrat,' u
and he repaid Mr.. Guild by sending him
an autograph copy of the lines.
i've always said," Tennyson re.
marked upon occasion, that Maud
and 'Guinevere' were the finest things
I've written Holmes liked ':The
Chambered Nautilus'' better than anv
other of his productions; while Mr..
Guild records that at private reading
in 1886, when he heard both DR.. Holmes
and James Russell Lowell read their
own poems, it was the unanimous opin-
ion OF all those present after hearing
both THE Chambered Nautilus and
''How the Old Horse Won the Race
that the latter was to be given the pref
erence. Hardly two critics can be found
to agree on subject which is so clear
ly one to be Influenced by individual
tastes; but it is worth while noting
here that no poet of modern times puts
his war melodies very high, Thomas
Campbell, whose Mariners of Eng
land" "Hohenlinden," and Battle OF
the Baltic are probably to be rated
even more highly than the two efforts
spoken Of in the earlier: portion of this
paper, forming no exception to this
rule.
The differences between the English
laureate and the American scholar were
even greater than their writings, would
indicate. The Briton was inaccessible
as a rule, not always genial, and much