Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-11-06
LAST AMERICAN KING,
Poems Once Written In His Praise
by the students ~ Camb ridge.


Poems Once written In His Praise
By the students At Cant ridge.
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 croy1ed on Oct.
Is, 1760. Harvard college, which soon !
afterward was to take so influential a |
part in the struggle for independence.
was in 178O 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
lish 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 congratula-
tons for the new, was printed by J.
Green and J. Russell Of Boston and
formally transmitted to King George
hU ho of ho
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 It's
praise of the dead monarch, George
H., as well as Of his grandson and sue.
cessor. The address Of the president
and fellows sounds most strangely to
modern ears. ascribing as it 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 a
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. DR..
Samuel Johnson, 80 frequently pointed
out, fattering the king was but little
more than a formula Of loyalty to the
institutions Of the kingdom. The verse
naturally went to even greater lengths
| in its adulation. One % 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 iate SOW reign
These signs unfeign'd TO his dear tomb
conveys
She now with transport halls the happy
day
Which gives another George the British
sway.
Exuting Britain in his youthful face
Can the bright transcript Of his grandsire
trace,
And secs. with JOY unfcign'd. ascend tho
throne
A blooming monarch. who Is all her own.
While at his feet her cono'ring armies
bend
And his command her thund ring feets
attend.
Long may he reign. his rishtful scepter
bear
And Britain's crown in peace distinguished
wear
| While all her free born sons In chorus
sing.
Happy and glorious ever live the king
Yet in spite of all this high flown Ian
guage a certain memorable logic in be-
half Of freedom runs all through the
volume, and even in their "poetical OBJ
lations" the monarch was credited
with love Of freedom equal to that Of
the colonists themselves.