The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-31
CALvER1EY AND THE PROFESSOR.
German Thoroughness Gets in It's Work on
an English Humorist,

an English Hum Orist.
"Dhe English said the professor. earnestly.
ARE not thorough. Obey to dhink dhat super
lcial'ty is knowledge are too apt. Now for
an cxemplar. Take dhe greatest monooment
Of English learning-dhe Encyclopedia Bri-
tanneeca. sub Katherine OF Russia; It says.
and it is on dhis point 1 information for to re-
fresh my memory seek-it says: Her voyage
wit Potemkinl dow dhe Danube is too well
known to require furdher mention!' Sol Is
dhat 70: an encyclopedia properH"
When the professor got going on the subject
OF the superflciality of English learning there
was no telling whore or when he would stop.
He did not stop now: he merely took breath.
and went on:
Now here an instance OF British super
fcial'ty is. and what wit all hoomility I as
German t'oroughness offer. l will admit dhat
l am dhe thorough person: but what Of dhat.
All Germans are thorough: l claim no credit for
dhat: it is the German training with English
contrasted and compared; dhat is all. Dhose
of you not interested are not to overlook obli-
gated"
This last remark was due evidently to move
ments Of impotence on the part Of some OF his
hearers. No one seemed eager to overlook his
work but after one or two had been seized by
him. the others stood by and also overlooked
the paper that he placed before them.
Now. dhis.' said the professor. "dhe begin
| ming OF my annotated edition of tho poems Of
dhe late Charles Calverley is, o man of learn
ing. but supcrilcial-superfcial to what you a
degree call. l am to translate obese poems
into the German about, and have annotated Of
diem already many. So
This was one stan 20 Of Calverley's poem, ITO
Mrs. Goodchild." as annotated preparatory to
tranSlatiOn:
The night winds shrek is pitiless and hollow,
The boding bat hits by on sullen wing.
Who fpunn with hprrDrl that hnA not hrOuUhI
Lonely as he Who erst with venturous thumb
Drew from its pie-y lair the solitary plum.
"Dhat is sufficient" said the professor, ito
show how / approach dhe poems, and wit what
reverence diem edit. Now obese are my
o, I niSbtl s6 wiT %l3;5 " d PsEs SIdRs IT matt IF the 81 MjDS
dhe houses SO badly were erected and so many
cracks and so poorly closing windows had, dhat
sons. Hence dhe feeling Of horrid familiarity
enRendered by dhe yIe9ry, first lines, OF dhis
used as metaphors. because when dhe night
wind 6lo 2NEo It in ! him hiIHtN who Q iistens a holl9 HE3s : 8
a ~synechdochical trope. a figure Of speechcom-
mon in Shakespeare: compare Dusty deat' in
M Ma gnto dns where = r9t dhe iaef d annft6 de aIrc rs 10 n MAKE Axe
scribed as dusty. Dhat is only one line; dhere
arr. six lines TO each stanza.
so far as ornit'ologists nre aware. bode any
yhetc II causes people to abide because they
| ltuI llliJ IL III uIltl a. VIII DfbJ, anu ny lIo
same figure of speech its power 10 make diem
70 abide is to #, ascribed, and II becomes a
boiling creature; bode being an elided partici-
English careleSsness OF language. Die bats
wing is not sullen, as can any one who ever has
to catch q bat A. his bedroom tried say. But
S saTIh sst' e So FEHt'er his wing is as Sullen de-
That's two lines, professor" said some one.
"Dhere are four lines more Of dhat ,st9nza.
professor, ITO continue: In line ,dlree. dhat
'onc swallow is n reference to, ,dho English
summer make; Again q, reiercncc, 70 ornitolo-
gy no whit better grounded dhan .dhat already
made. Die one swallow Is an imrossibtIity I:
swallows come in twos. IA he swallow and a she
'"Dh" fourt' line is gratuitous. Dho adage of
spring does not speak. 1t speak only OF sum
was when il, dhat 1t had not spring brought
found Mortified is unnecessary and a wit
ndogcs me5dling. recurring now 70 dn9 ilft'
Jack HoraSr,' bt'hig is to You ali familiar. not
so? SO. But why 'yenturous t'umbY' Dhis is
99nnoter careless misuse 81 terms, for which
"Dhen in dhe last line - There was a sort
Of gasp. WHICH the professor heard, SO he con
in any dictionary is. Perhaps It is. a continued
misprint for 'plous, Eth ! dc, not make puns.
gested new reading; 1 suggested new readings
to dhe plays and poems Of Your william shake
speare have made: have YOU who arc Of Eng:
fish descent, dhe anne ever done. my friends -?
MOI Hal So, But to continue"
Last line, protesSOr!"
" dhe first %stanza have finished, but I dhe
"When'rS you gQIng, TO publish. 1t professor
success-not another. word. professor, Just
once. and then good night"
| Then the GpntnrinnS went home.