Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-03-21
LAST AMERICAN KING.
Poems Once written In HIS Praas
~ the Students ne Cnnbrfawe-

Poems Once written 4. HIS Praise
~ the students ne Cambridge.
The coming coronation of Edward
VII Is naturally suggestive OF the time
when Americans were called upon to
DO honor to the last American king,
George ILL.,, who was crowned on Oct.
20, 1160. Harvard college, which soon
afterward was to take so influential q
part In the struggle for independence,
was I'm 1760 still loyal to the British
sovereign and on that ONE occasion fol-
lowed the time honored custom OF the
English universities by transmitting to
the new ruler printed volume of con-,
gratulatory Latin, Greek and English
verse.
The suggestion for the volume. how
ever. came from Francis Bernard. the
newly arrived royal governor, who Of
fered members and recent graduates of
the college six prizes Of guinea each
for the best Latin grafton, the best
Latin poem in hexameters, the best
Latin elegy in hexameters and pentam-
eters, the best Latin ode, the best Eng
fish poem In long verse and the best
English ode.
With this incentive the poets OF Cam
bridge went to work, and two years
after the coronation the volume enti-
tied "Pietas ct Gratulatio," or mourn
ing for the old king and congratuIe-
tons for the new, was printed by ].
Green and j. Russell OF Boston and
formally transmitted to King George
by the president and fellows of the
very college that was so soon after
ward to give shelter to General Wash
ington and the officers Of the Colonial
army.
The little book, copies of which can
still be found In some OF the libraries
around Boston, was most lavish in its
praise of the dead monarch, George
IL, as well as Of his grandson and sue
cessor. The address or the president
and fellows sounds most strangely to
modern ears, ascribing as 1T does to
the king. whose forces were soon to
be fought and finally whipped. all the
known graces and virtues. Yet all
these complimentary phrases were
part OF the etiquette OF the day, which
was considered serious only in its
breach, for, as even the stout old Eng
fish Tory and dictionary maker, DIR.
Samuel johnson, 50 frequently pointed
out. fattering the king was but little
more than formula OF loyalty to the
institutions OF the kingdom The verse
naturally went to even greater lengths
In its adulation. One of the poems.
which Is of special interest because
written by John Lowell, the GRANDPA
Their of James Russell Lowell, closes
as follows:
These tears the muse to her late sov,reign
pays:
These sishs unfeIsp'd to his dear tomb
She now with transport halls the happy
day
Which gives another George the British
sway.
Exuitins Britain In his youthful face
Can the bright transcript OF his grandsIrs
trace,
And sees. with Joy unfeign'd. ascend the
throne
blooming monarch, who Is all her own.
while at his feet her conq'ring armies
And his command her thund'ring fieets
attend.
Long may he reign. his rightfui scepter
bear
And Bri.ain's crown in peace distinguish,d
wear.
While all her free born SON. In cbor,,.
sing.
Happy and glorious ever live the king.
Yet In spite OF all this high flown Ian
guage certain inexorable logic in be-
half OF freedom runs all through the
volume, and even in their "poetical OBJ
latons" the monarch was credited
with love OF freedom equal to that of
the colonists themselves.