The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-04

ieduiHS III the OiNlne pan IOr the nunDleSC
OF us all.
In 1912 our poet put forth the incompar-
able short epic which. in 1870. lie incor-
porated into the eleventh book OF the Idyls
under the title of THE Passing of Arthur
What became OF the twelfth book men,
toned I'm the prelude of Morte D'Arthur7
Echo answers-what? The poem OF 1879
is purely romantic. while the later OF 1870
is altogether different and the difference is
to its detriment. The earlier poem pictures
the death Of a hero warning a happy
strife" and unmixed with the subsequent
aIlegory of King Arthur as Soul striving
with Sense" and with Sense the victor
THE Passing of Arthur is full OF pes
simism which I'll accords with the allegory
of the lady of the lake who. being the
church, FORCES the brand Excanbur-the
brand being the Sword of the Spirit and
the three queens typifying the three Chris
tian graces-Faith. Hope and Charity.
1t has always seemed to me that the
Morte D'Arthur of 1872. written long be-
fore the idea OF an alIegory had taken pos
session of the poet. and written in his early
manhood and in the perfection of his pow
err is. line for line, greatly superior TO
anything in the later and more mature
work-in fact. it is fawIess and speckless
diamond of the first water. Space forbids
much quotation:
So to the barge they came There those three
Put forth their hands and took the King. and
But she that rose the tallest OF them all
And fairest laid his mead upon her lap.
And ioosed the shattered casqUe, and chafed his
And called him by his name complaining .oud,
And dropping bitter tears against brow
Striped with dark blood.
To Sir Becivere's question. whittier
shall 1 go?' slowly answered Arthur from
the barge:
The old order changeth yielding place 20 new.
And God fulhls himself in many ways.
And then in a spirit OF resignation and
faith follows the celebrated apostrophe %
prayer How different all this from Ar
thurs bitter skepticism and despair as pic
tured in 1870. Chat was our poets bad
year,
Oh. me. for why is all around US here
As IL some lesser God had made the world.
T hsd H M. Sd 5eaa IL S be Sgd
And enter II and make it beautiful.
NV God. thou has forxasep m. in nv aes,h.
Nay-God my Christi pass but shall not die.
Fortunately the close of both poems is
the same.
am going q long way
with these thou seest-if. indeed. so
CFor all my mind Is clouded with doubO
To the island valley OF Avilion:
Where fails not hail. rain. OF any snow.
Nor wind blows loudly. nut IL lies
Deep-meadowed. happy fair with orchard lawns
And bowery hollows crowned with summer sea.
Where VIII heal NE or my grtevous wound
So said he and the barge. with oar and saii.
Moved from the brink. like some fuil-breasted
swan.
That. huting a wild carol ere her death.
Ruf1es her pure cold plunes ana taxes TIE HOOD
With swarthv webs. Long stood Sir Bedivef>
Revolving many memories till the hull
Looked black dot against the verge OF dawn
And on the the waiting died away.
And now occurs that curious anachronism
which reminds US OF the Bible sentence.
THE last shall be first and the first shall
be last" Our final glimpse Of King Ar
thur was written in 1s3s-forty years before
the poe; gave TO the world The Passing OF
Arthur and ten years before he penned
'Morte DArthur." / have already quoted
IT. but quote IL again. calling attention TO
the change I'm the photography OF Avalon.
In and after 1892 IL was spelt Aviiion-
or mythic tTther's deeply wounded
In some fair space Of s0ping greens
Lay doing In the vale OF Avalon
And watched by weeping queens
Was Dame Quickly right in her eschatol-
osy when she. in the days OF Queen Bsss.
| said OF her lover: Hes in Arthur's bosom
| IL ever. man went 10 Arthurs bosom. "A
made a fine end. and went away, an II had
been any cfiristom child "A babblec
OF green heldsg" ID. p. BALDWIN.