The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-22
ENGLAND FOR BRITAIN.
Mr.. Alfred Austin Upholds His Use Of the word
to a scottish Admirsr Of His Mafeking Poem.
Eso-u Al IaaAaA Ill.,

From the London Times.
We have received for publication the follow
Ing letters which have passed between the
Poet Laureate and the Rev. David Macrae:
MAXWELL PARK, GLASGOW. May 20, 1900.
Tohs Poet Lal-sais:
DEAR SIR, I hope YOU will forgive q Scot
fish admirer for calling your attention to an
unfortunate and serious blemish In many Of
your poems, and which again dlsfgures your
song over the relief OF Mafekine which have
Just been reading. ] mean your habit Of using
the terms England" and English instead
OF Britain and British" when you are re-
ferring not TO England alone. but to the
United Kingdom and the Empire.
Ifear that as an Englishman you can little
Idea Of the extent to which. by this misuse Of
our national names. you lrritate people who
would otherwise be in enthusiastic sympathy
with you. A poet should know well the inn
portance Of national sentiment. But. in this
case, 1t Is not q matter of sentiment only. The
very first condition Of union between England
and Scotland was that while England remained
England and Scotland remained Scotland the
united name should be used when the United
Kingdom was referred to. Scotland refused to
enter the union TIL England gave this pledge.
IhC r0htC oNlbt olu III u VI
tho Treaty Of Union between Great Britain and
Ireland. in which treaty the name OF England as
a name for the United Kingdom is excluded.
and he one adjective used to cover the whole Is
! feel sure that You will forgive me for taking
the liberty OF writing, as know you do not
mean insult TO Scotland. although the effect II
OF honor and Justice ought never TO be in vain.
and tha right use OF our national names can
never. even In poetry. present a diniculty 70
such q master OF our language az me Poet
swIsroRp OLD MANOR,
ASHFORD. KENT. May 80. 1900.
REVEREND AND DEAR SIR. Your. letter. Ior
which accept my sincere thanks, raises, not ior
the first time, a question TO which. let me assure
sideration Of which lam capable. since II Is, lam
well aware, with many persons OF the nopiest
patriotism north of the Tweed, 2 burning one.
Scotland. Who could fail to do so that had
o proper appreciation Of nanliness OF character.
indomitable energy, great mental glHs potn
literature and literary culture greatly IN excess
Of the borderi
But the sentiments you Justly ascribe TO me;
and which. ! am confident, are shared by, al
Englishmen, do not serve to solve a practical
difficulty. of which. II you will allow me 70 say
sufficient appreciaiiSn' Tread most carefully
the memorial to which you allude. and much
that was written upon Il. at the time 81 is
IN It the solution that Would have been 80
welcome To substitute the uniform usr Of the
S %SIds sEn STisa'n! h instead vsn ~ ! Paving iSs Every EeT1A one
free 10 employ now one, now the other, accord
ing to convenience, for the purposes Of thought.
i fssl,n ss,' and s1e sIess m. =; \ v sssosa, TO urge ihs
norma loQuendi. and verbal adequacy are
against It. Even before, the expansion OF our
KE%D nittins so 81 t S,sGff eslin sS'H i&ntsrcs an" and a1 a%es si1Te.
with those Of the mother land, the most s'snid-
cant and momentous national movement Of the
last c, fey ye smD, Britain In oo ana eSrlt,sn; terms ss-
failed. as they still fail. to include Ireland and
to satisfy Irish sep1ment-two elements Of
great DISTINCTION ana imRostsnce n the iosSos
South Africa. and other II lesser members q y
have identified themselves by their splend! d
yslor and spontaneSSs seif-,ac5ih1e WITH re
course you advocate have become more en-
barrassing than ever. Am wrong In believing
that. 70 a Canadian. an Australian. or a citizen
plete and final establishment We are all
anxiously a%waitins. the word England" para
doIlcal =" Il nay seem !: more comprehensive
siye Of the Empire?. Ia II not the fact that not
only oil Americans. but even all persons OF tho
puTest Scottish descent and Of the most p%erfer-
Canada or South Africa, when medltating a
visit to our shores, invariably say. not WI are
Eoi1s. to Britain but We S are , Eoing u to Enc g
land be- Liverpool. Queenstown OF, Glasgow
You will perhaps say that co!loquial inaocura-
S,ss sn ARE S q Hst soa mS@f indio ssd f by f tSe pTinte Si
misuse Of language. are keenly felt. I should
be the last. person to repudlate the Difference
mont. and I freely recognize the responsibility.
such as 1t Is. which attaches TO the post ] have
the honor to occupy. for the accurate EMPLOY
lous regard for national sentiment, But, here
again. ] find myself confronted, with the same
difficulty a. that ! have already indicated:
mean by q passing ~allusion TO a small volume.
the title Of which Is Songs Of England p" sup:
pose i had been called Songs Of Britain"
songs related to the pre.Roman, or. at latest, to
the pre-Saxon period Of our Island story; while.
on the contrary. ! need scarcely say; they, are
ana the whole Emplre7 Moreover. g Iofrend
and English. offend in very good company
w wtns S1%ISsny BS OF ooT sRsIiIe Sa% and' not sG to ndd
to the list almost indefinitely, the late illustrious
occupant Of theLaureateship. within hose five
fence OF Lucknow"
land few,
I am sure you and all Scottish lovers OF poetry
are, ia,nllaT. NOT Gun tney nave Idileu 10 reau
and admire Mr., Swinburne's lovely ode entitled
England" and Mr. KtplinR's noble, poem on
he calls THE Flag of England" They.
100. no doubt; felt themselves. face to face with
the same difficulty as myself. and employed
what they supposed would be regarded. on the !
whole, as the most comprehensive and EN- |
bracine word. without a thought OF sighting
Scottish. Welsh. Irish or other local sentiment. |
) What. therefore. Is one. to do? In the brief
note prelxed TO the volume / have
mentioned was purposely inserted the follow |
ing sentence. 1T only remains to add that by
England for which term no substitute equally |
and convenient has yet been |
discovered. II Ia intended to indicate not only |
Great Britain and Ireland, but Canada, Aus |
tralia, South Africa, India and every spot OF |
earth whore men feel an instantaneous thrill Of |
Imperial kinship at the very sound Of the name |
that lends It's title TO this volume" Unless, |
and until, ZONE one more ingenious
myself suggests sOme one word more
and sug Restive Of empire than
England, will not my Scottish compatriots DO |
good enough TO sec no offence. and 10 imagine |
no Sigh, ina word sanctioned by the usage,
cited?
Believe me. Reverend and dear Sir. yours
ithfully. ALFRED AUSTIN.